EXPLORERS WANTED
An Unusual Feast
Transcript provided by Ria Couoh

AUDIO: NINTH WORLD BY DAVID STERLING PLAYS.

DANIEL	
Welcome to Explorers Wanted. We are a weekly Numenera actual play podcast. I am your humble GM, Daniel Andrlik. With me today is Stace Babcock.

STACE	
And a good, goddamned recording night to each and every one of you.

DANIEL	
Sampson Davis.

SAMPSON	
I had Chinese food this weekend and this is the fortune I got: ÒAfter readying the every emotion, there is understanding entering the realm.Ó Discuss.

STACE	
Understanding did not enter this realm. Sorry.

SAMPSON	
(Laughter)

ALEX
No.

DANIEL	
Alex Finn.

ALEX	
Look what I can do! Max, bop it! Boop!

DANIEL	
Good boy! 
(laughs)

ALEX	
I know! This is a visual medium, right?

DANIEL	
Yeah!

STACE	
Max does double high-fives when Alex says: Òbop itÓ, and itÕs super cute.

ALEX
WeÕre working on that whole Òbop itÓ idea.

DANIEL	
ThatÕs actually a pretty good fortune, Sampson.

SAMPSON	
My issue is that I think itÕs right, but itÕs not really actual advice so I donÕt know what to do with it.

DANIEL	
Oh yeah, thereÕs so many like that though. Oh! My friend once got a fortune in her cookie that was: ÒYou are an angel. Beware of those who collect feathers.Ó

SAMPSON	
Ooh! ThatÕs so good, though.

STACE	
(laughs)
Angel bounty hunters.

DANIEL
Yeah, yeah. I mean, I love it.
(beat)
She just thinks itÕs a creepy fortune. I think itÕs a great hook for a novel.

ALEX	
Mhmm.

SAMPSON	
ThatÕs like something a witch would say to you on, like, the side of the road.

STACE	
ThatÕs amazing. Fuck. Can we kill Cha-Cha and make her an angel with a bounty on her?

DANIEL	
Who says she isnÕt?

ALEX	
(gasp)
(sing-songs) Cha cha cha chan!
(speaking voice) Big reveal! Listeners, sh! DonÕt worry about it.

STACE	
Imagine Numenera angels are likeÉ Biblically accurate!

DANIEL	
Probably, for sure. 

SAMPSON	
(laughs) Oh, yeah.

DANIEL	
Just horrifying, non-nucleon beast.

SAMPSON	
Actually, I feel like itÕd be more unsettling if they werenÕt. If they were just normal humans.

STACE	
Humans with wings?

SAMPSON	
Yeah, just normal humans with wings. I feel like itÕs just like: ÒThatÕs it? ThereÕs gotta be something world. ThisÉ ThereÕs gotta be.Ó

STACE	
Oh! HumansÉ wearing fake wings.

DANIEL	
Mm, yeah. But the wings are made ofÉ singing maggotsÉ

SAMPSON
There it is!

DANIEL	
And when they open their wings, they sing ÒMemoriesÓ from CATS the Broadway Musical.

ALEX
Which version of CATS?

DANIEL	
The original Broadway musical, not theÉ film abomination.

ALEX
Okay, as long as itÕs not, itÕs not as bad as it could be.

DANIEL	
No, the NightÕs Hope does not do butthole cuts.

SAMPSON	
What?

STACE	
No one does, apparently.

SAMPSON
(laughter)

ALEX
Listen, I told the listeners, if they, you know, get us to a certain tier on Patreon, weÕll release the butthole cut of the CATS episode.

STACE	
Oh.

SAMPSON	
(laughs)

DANIEL
So, who remembers what happened last time? IÕm gonna pick onÉ Sampson.

SAMPSON	
So, we had just met the Ikaris guy that we were looking for, but the first line I have for the last session was: ÒHaving a crapshaw leads to a Donald.Ó And I didnÕt know what that meant, but then I remember that Nix was talking to some locals about doors forÉ a very long time.

STACE
Latrine, yeah.

SAMPSON
Mhmm, yeah. I donÕt know how much of it Dan left in, butÉ it was a while.

STACE	
All of it.

SAMPSON
But she also learned that BTS is a bunch of body-snatchers orÉ people-snatchers. So, now she has that existential crisis to deal with. We also kind ofÉ We never asked him, I should have asked him. Vladislav, our new friend here in MountainÕs Bone, has very similar illusion powers? Cause he did the ball thing that DiliÕs been doing. I didnÕtÉ I didnÕt ask.

DANIEL
Mhmm.

SAMPSON	
We also learned that the Hendersons were the people that were eating the synth in the tower, a couple hours outside the townÉ  TheyÕre not the first, some previous people who have gotten this strange mutation of consuming crystals, the Hendersons are apparently, like, the most recent.
Then, Cha-Cha spots a weird, haunted corner, itÕs giving her, like, horror vibes and it feels like an intrusion of some sort. No one else was able to pick up on that, so we are tasked to get aÉ to get the mutation artifact from a dangerous individual. Vladislav has apparently tracked them down but wasnÕt able to make a move on them. DonÕt quite remember why.

AUDIO: PREVIOUSLY ON BY MONUMENT STUDIOS STARTS PLAYING.

SAMPSON	
ItÕs cause his friendÉ Rain?

DANIEL	
Race.

SAMPSON
Race. Is a bit of a newbie, so.

DANIEL
Race Kayleth.

SAMPSON
Race. Kayleth. Write that downÉ
So, we go two miles north of town, find this cave, fairly big, bunch of crystals are kind of on the walls. And, in the center, thereÕs this ten-foot wide, like, coral reef crystal. Cha-Cha goes up, presses button, thatÕs her style, and then she just kind of goes down into this cavern below and we are kind of cut off from each other.
Crystals start lighting up. Cha-Cha feels and hears breathing. Dili rolled a one, so he starts shooting the walls and that is apparently hurting Cha-Cha, not that heÕs aware of it. 
Last thing that we were left with last session was Cha-Cha hearing, ÒOh, youÕre new.Ó
ThatÕs where weÕre at.

DANIEL
Okay. So, yeah.

AUDIO: CAVERN AMBIANCE, WIND, ECHO AND DRIPPING LIQUID NOISES.

DANIEL
Cha-Cha youÕve just heard this feminine voice coming from an area in these caverns that says: ÒOh, youÕre new.Ó

ALEX
And Cha-Cha is also very injured.

STACE
Sorry.

SAMPSON
(laughs)

ALEX
So, hereÕs a question. WhatÕs it feel like when Cha-Cha is getting injured? Cause thatÕs an important question. Is it just likeÉ a weird sensation of ÒIÕm in painÓ?

DANIEL
It definitely hurts. I mean it has all the mechanical consequences, and you definitely experience it as pain. 

ALEX
Mhmm.

DANIEL	
But how Cha-Cha interprets that experience is up to Cha-Cha.

ALEX
Cha-Cha is gonna point pew-pew at where the voice came from and is going to say: ÒIf youÕre hurting me, stop. Or I will burn this place down.Ó

DANIEL
ÒOh, IÕm not doing anything.Ó

ALEX
ÒThen whoÕs hurting me?Ó

DANIEL
ÒLook around you.Ó

ALEX
ÒI mean, itÕs kind of hard to when you donÕt turn on the lights.Ó

DANIEL
ÒOh, youÕre one of those who needÉ light to see. Alright.Ó
ThereÕs a moment, and there a glow globe up ahead flicks on illuminating the part of the cavern where your glow globe wasnÕt reaching. And you see a woman standing there. SheÕs in her mid-thirties, probably around 5Õ8. She has dark, auburn hair, sort of a light brown skin with yellow eyes. SheÕs wearing traveling clothes but not like heavy exploring wear. Just the sort of clothes you might wear if you had to just go outside the town for a little bit, you know, maybe make a trek into the forests to collect mushrooms or something like that. SheÕs got a satchel over her shoulder.
The other thing that you notice as her glow globe lights up more of this area is that the space that youÕre in is shaped like a cavern, but the walls appear to be made out of some sort of pink flesh. And the ground that youÕre standing on appears to be similar to that pink flesh except it looks more calloused, so it feels more sturdy, less likeÉ it doesnÕt give the same way that the walls look like they would give.
And you notice all along the walls and from the ceiling there are these stones and crystals that are pointed and jutting out, like jagged teeth, but thereÕs this yellow pus dripping around where they jut out, almost like an infection. In fact, it does smell bad in here. It smells like the breath of someone talking to you when theyÕve got a tooth rotting in their mouth.

ALEX
ThatÕs gross.

SAMPSON
Do we have an ointment cipher for that?

DANIEL
Listen, kids. Gingivitis is a serious disease. This is why you floss.

ALEX
Fuck flossing. ItÕs half genetics.

SAMPSON
(laughs)

DANIEL
And she looks at you and she says, ÒIs that better?Ó

ALEX
ÒI mean, yeah, butÉ are you the flasher?Ó

DANIEL
She cocks her head at you, ÒI donÕt know what that means.Ó
Okay, while the plane flies over AlexÕs house, letÕs go back up to Dili and Nix to see what theyÕre up to up above.

SAMPSON
I guess if shooting the wall doesnÕt work, Dili is going to go over and investigate the actual platform that Cha-Cha descended into. Or that space, at least.

DANIEL
Oh, okay. So, Dili, you go back to the platform where Cha-Cha descended and honestly you donÕt know you missed it the first time, but you managed to, you know, get it to slide away. Maybe doing something in the wall did help. ItÕs unclear, but it has slid loose and youÕre able to pull it out of the way.
Now, one thing thatÕs interesting as players, the characters donÕt know this, is that as youÕre looking down there, Dili, even though as players we know that Cha-Cha is having a conversation down there, you canÕt hear anything coming back up that pit down.

SAMPSON
ÒCha-Cha, can you hear us?Ó

DANIEL
Cha-Cha, you hear DiliÕs faint call, sounds like itÕs coming from very far away.

STACE
Nix drops a glow globe down there.

DANIEL
Okay, so go ahead and mark that off of your inventory. You drop the glow globe down there. Cha-Cha, after you hear DiliÕs faint call, you hear this clinking sound behind you and this glow globe falls. I assume that Nix actually turned it on before she tossed it?

SAMPSON
(laughs)

STACE	
(laughs) Yeah. Yeah. 
Roll to see if Nix remembered. No, IÕm just kidding.

DANIEL
Okay, so this lit up glow globe lands and lights up some more of the space around it. ThatÕs about all thatÕs different for Cha-Cha.
Dili and Nix, you see this glow globe fall but you do not hear its impact on the bottom, although you can clearly see it reach the bottom. It lights up a little of the area at the bottom of thisÉ shaft. And you can see, like, the sort of melty remnants of that crystal coral. Just the corner of that control panel at the bottom of the shaft and some of the surrounding area.

SAMPSON
Stace, is this the campaign that you got a grappling hook?

STACE
Yeah!

SAMPSON
Okay.
ÒHey, Nix, donÕt you have a grappling hook?Ó

ALEX
Are you going to kill me with a grappling hook?

STACE	
ÒYeah, Dili.Ó

SAMPSON	
Well, IÉ

STACE	
ÒYou bought it for me, remember?Ó And Nix pulls it out fromÉ

SAMPSON
(laughs)

DANIEL
And itÕs very familiar, Dili, because this is the one that they tossed to you to help you get back through the arch that narrowly missed impaling you. But you grabbed on to it as they tugged you back to getÉ

ALEX
Ah!

DANIEL
É your order replaced.

SAMPSON
ÒRight! Now I remember it!Ó

ALEX	
Oh, no!

SAMPSON
Quick question to Daniel, do I still have hindrances?

DANIEL
No. YouÕve traveled long enough that youÕve recovered from your surgery.

SAMPSON
Okay, cool. Cool, cool, cool.
ÒWell, Nix, I think now is the time to use it!Ó

STACE
ÒOh yeah. You want to climb down there, Dili?Ó

ALEX
(laughs)

SAMPSON
ÒWe probably should. We should probablyÉ see what happened to Cha-Cha.Ó

STACE
ÒHell, yeah. Do you want to go first? Do you want to goÉ?Ó

SAMPSON
ÒNo, you go first!Ó

STACE
ÒMe first? Alright!Ó (laughs)
And Nix, seemingly without any effort or care, just attaches the grappling hook (laughs) around the console and drops backward of the edge to rappel down.

DANIEL	
Okay. So, Cha-Cha you hear this echoey sounds coming from back towards the shaft, and the woman raises an eyebrow and says, ÒOh, you brought friends.Ó

ALEX
ÒI mean, yeah. ItÕs kind of hard to travel alone, especially with all the things that theyÕre traveling with you.Ó

DANIEL
ÒIÕm sure I donÕt know what you mean.Ó

ALEX
ÒSo, like, are you the one flashing people and making them eat weird stuff? Or no?Ó

DANIEL
ÒOh, you mean evolving them.Ó

ALEX
ÒThereÕs another kind of flashing?Ó

DANIEL
ÒAt least a few I can think of.Ó

ALEX
ÒI mean, like what?Ó

DANIEL
ÒCiphers, bright lights or questionable activities. Nothing thatÕs like the kind of thing I would take on.Ó

ALEX
(dog barking in the background)
ÒOh, they were just saying that theyÉ saw a flash. And they had to eat stuff. But, like, you didnÕt evolve them to the point where their mouth could safely eat the stuff? So, I think you need to finish evolving them before, like, setting them into the world?Ó

SAMPSON
(laughs)
I like to imagine these are just the natural cave sounds that are happening.

ALEX
DonÕt worry, Dan. These are our cave sounds, alright?

SAMPSON
ItÕs diegetic.

STACE
This woman or whatever is just making them occasionally.

(All laugh.)

DANIEL
Like she has two mouths and just one is occasionally making this weird noise?
(chuckles)
This woman says, ÒOh, I donÕtÉ control what they become next. I leave that to nature.Ó

AUDIO: LASTING EFFECT BY GOOD WEATHER FOR AN AIRSTRIKE (VIA AUDIIO) PLAYS IN THE BACKGROUND.

ALEX
ÒNature usually takes a slower time, so the adaption doesnÕtÉ kill them instantly? Like, you canÕt take someone and tell them to eat synth when their mouth hole canÕt tolerate it.Ó

DANIEL
ÒOh, thatÕs up to Nature. I wouldnÕt dare judge what somebody should become.Ó

ALEX
ÒLike, what if nature flashed you and was just like Ôhey, now youÕre going to eat lavaÕ?Ó

DANIEL
ÒWell, IÕm just fortunate thatÕs not what Nature chose for me.Ó

ALEX
ÒWhat did nature choose for you?Ó

DANIEL
ÒThatÕs pretty personal. I donÕt know you that well yet.Ó

ALEX
ÒI mean, if you have, like, allergies and youÕre like Ôhey, IÕm really allergic to bananasÕ and I just happen to be a banana vendor, what would you do if we didnÕt have that information?Ó

DANIEL
ÒOh, itÕs not an allergy.Ó

ALEX
ÒYou donÕt know.Ó

DANIEL
ÒTell you what, would you like to meet them?Ó

ALEX
ÒI mean, do I have a choice?Ó

DANIEL
ÒYou always have a choice.Ó

ALEX
ÒBut this is like a choice of meet them happily or, you know, be all Ôcrying in the corner and then donÕt see what eats youÕ.Ó

DANIEL
ÒI think that has to do with what kind of relationship you and Nature forge with each other. ItÕs totally individual.Ó
And at this point, Nix, youÕre about halfway down the shaft, and itÕs like you crossed some sort of invisible plane, and then you can hear this conversation.

STACE
Like a horizontal plane? Nix is taking giant jumps off this wall, as big as she can as she rappels down.

DANIEL
Alright.

STACE
So, she would descend fairly quickly.

DANIEL
For sure. Yeah, I figured.
So, Nix, youÕll hear her ask Cha-Cha one more time: ÒWould you like to meet them? Would you like to meet Nature?Ó
And thatÕs the moment when Nix reaches the bottom.

STACE
ÒCome on down, Dili. The hole is fine!Ó

ALEX
ÒI mean, IÕm not so sure, Dili. Maybe just aim your gun down the whole.Ó

SAMPSON
I assume I canÕt hear them.

DANIEL
No, Dili doesnÕt hear anything. You can see Nix reach the bottom and you can see her look up and move her mouth like sheÕs calling up to you, but you hear nothing.

SAMPSON
ÒAlright, that might be weird.Ó
Ah, but, once Dili sees that the rope is not swinging wildly from the massive rappelling that Nix was doing, they will start climbing down.

DANIEL
Alright, Dili give me a climbing roll of three.

(Dice fall.)

SAMPSON
Ten.

DANIEL
Okay. So, you start rappelling down. ItÕs not too difficult. And, Nix, youÕve just heard this woman ask to Cha-Cha one more time: ÒWould you like to meet Nature?Ó

STACE
ÒHey, Cha-Cha! Hey, lady. IÕm NixÉ I mean, uh, Carlyle.Ó

DANIEL
ÒItÕs nice to meet you, Nix Carlyle.Ó

STACE	
ÒHeyÉÓ

DANIEL
ÒI was justÉ talking to your friend here.Ó

STACE
ÒWhatÕs your name?Ó

DANIEL	
ÒMy name? Packerest.Ó

STACE
ÒDope name. This is Baby-Pack.Ó

ALEX
ÒAh, Baby-Pack.Ó

DANIEL
ÒWell, IÕm glad weÕve all met.Ó

STACE
ÒNo, we havenÕt all met, we got one more. Party of three, you know what IÕm saying?Ó

DANIEL
ÒOh?Ó

STACE
ÒFour! Hubert!Ó

DANIEL
ÒHubert?Ó

ALEX
ÒOh, yeah. You have to meet Hubert, but, like, when everybody is down here so that Dili doesnÕt fall and kill Hubert.Ó

DANIEL
ÒOh, well, thatÕs wonderful. Nature loves to meet new friends.Ó
And, Dili, right around the time that she says ÒNature loves to meet new friendsÓ, thatÕs when you cross the plane and can start hearing this conversation. 

SAMPSON
Heh, Dili stops for a second then sighs, and then keeps climbing down.

DANIEL
(laughs)
Okay.

STACE
ÒSo do I, so we have that in common, which is likeÉ a great start for a new friendship.Ó

DANIEL
ÒOh, thatÕs great. IÕm glad to hear that youÕd like to meet Nature. Your friend Baby-Pack here has not been clear if she wants to or not.Ó

STACE
ÒWhat do you think, Baby-Pack?Ó

ALEX
ÒI mean, itÕs one of those things where IÕm likeÉ I usually want to know when IÕm meeting new people cause I meet so many new people right now. So, like, am I meeting multiple new people or is this just like one new person?Ó

DANIEL
ÒOh, itÕs just the two of us. Myself and nature. Just me and the god.Ó

ALEX
ÒI mean, yes, so, yeahÉ WeÕre going to have to do this, yeah, arenÕt we?Ó

SAMPSON
ÒWeÕve got to do what?Ó

DANIEL
(laughs)
Yeah, this is about the time where Dili arrives. 
ÒOh, I like this one.Ó

SAMPSON
ÒThanksÉ Who are you?Ó

DANIEL
ÒIÕm Packerest.Ó

SAMPSON
ÒOkay. Nice to meet you.Ó

DANIEL
ÒWould you like to meet Nature?Ó

SAMPSON
DiliÕs going to look at the other two like ÒyesÉ do we do?Ó

ALEX
ÒOh, Dili, sheÕs the flasher.Ó

SAMPSON
ÒOooh.Ó 
It takes Dili a few seconds.
ÒYouÕre the one whoÕs beenÉ mutating people. 

DANIEL
ÒOh, thatÕs not me. ItÕs up to Nature what everybodyÕs next form is.Ó

ALEX
ÒOh. Oh. Oh. Maybe we should shoot her, cause sheÕs going to flash us.Ó

DANIEL
ÒOh, no, no, no. Nature does not with to meet anyone unwilling.Ó

ALEX
ÒSee, like, this is where, likeÉ This is why I ask questions, because, like, you sound like youÕre going to mutate us, and IÕm just likeÉ IÕm very unsure about what will happen because thereÕs open questions on if IÕm human or not, soÉ These are important questions to see if you can mutate me. Like allergies, we had this talk.Ó

DANIEL
ÒThereÕsÉ no need for concern. You donÕt want to meet Nature, you donÕt have to. It makes me sad but itÕs okay. Nix Carlyle can meet Nature, and the rest of you can wait.Ó

STACE
ÒIs there more to meeting Nature than just, like, saying hi?Ó

DANIEL
ÒWell, Nature will meet you and help you take the next step, a thing that youÕre meant to be.Ó

STACE
ÒI donÕt want to eat synth for my diet, like that looks really miserable, so I just want to make sure, like, itÕs a positive step?Ó

DANIEL
ÒWell, thatÕs between you and Nature.Ó

STACE
ÒInteresting.Ó

DANIEL
ÒI donÕt have anything to do with it. The God makes the choice for all.Ó

STACE
ÒYeah, IÕm just concerned likeÉ what areÉ What is your GodÕs, like, feelings about, like, waddles or likeÉ eye stocksÉ or likeÉ?Ó

DANIEL
ÒI donÕt know. Perhaps that is a conversation you could have with them.Ó

ALEX
ÒWhat if we just got really sick abs?Ó

STACE
ÒWhat if I talk to Nature and IÕm like, Ôyou know, I am fine where I am evolutionarily speaking, especially considering IÕm, like, actively mutating?ÕÓ

DANIEL
ÒMm!Ó

STACE
ÒCurrently.Ó

DANIEL
ÒIÉ have no idea. I donÕt know if IÕve ever witnessed anyone interact with Nature who already wasÉ experiencing that. I must admit IÕm curious though.Ó

STACE
ÒI mean, me too, but likeÉ a little scared, you know? Like itÕsÉ itÕs É change can be scary. But, you know what? ItÕs all about the journey so, fuck yeah, IÕll meet Nature.Ó

DANIEL
ÒWonderful! Now, your friends have said that they donÕt want to meet Nature so itÕs probably best if we do it one on one. So, come a little closer.Ó

STACE
ÒWill I be brought back here?Ó

DANIEL
ÒOh, yes. IÕmÉ WeÕre just going over to that corner there.Ó

ALEX
ÒSheÕs just going to flash you in the corner.Ó

DANIEL
Yeah, and she just motions to a section in the cavern with a few less of those jutting bits at the side.

STACE
LikeÉ Ôcome to my officeÕ? 
(laughs)
ThatÕs what I used to do at work when I didnÕtÉ IÉ Like, no office. IÕd be like Òcome, talk to me at my office.Ó And just go to the corner by theÉ
(laughs)
By the utilities.

DANIEL
Yeah. Yeah.

SAMPSON
ÒCan we have a quick sidebar?Ó ThatÕs what sheÕs asking.

STACE
Alright, next sidebar is withÉ the woman whose name I already forgot.

DANIEL
Packerest.

STACE
Packerest.

ALEX
Pack-wrap.

DANIEL
So, she leads you into the corner and she starts moving her satchel over to the front of her body and you hear this gurgling sound from her stomach.

SFX: LOW GURGLING NOISE.

DANIEL
And you can see that theÉ her shirt is very wet over her abdomen.

ALEX
OhÉ

DANIEL
And sheÕs pauses and sheÕs ilke: ÒOh, IÕm sorry. Sometimes I still getÉ excited.Ó
So, she reaches into her satchel and pulls out this item.
It appears to be made of synth and it looksÉ kind of like a cube. Except that as she brings it out and touches itÉ it flows, almost like mercury until it assumes the shape of a silver, lobed organ. And she holds it out to you and says:
ÒNix Carlyle, meet Nature.Ó

STACE
ÒWhatÕs up, Nature?Ó
Nix looks over her shoulder (laughs) to Dili and Cha-Cha. 

DANIEL
Okay, so you look over your shoulder, but then Nix you feel your head being forcibly turned back by some unseenÉ hand almost, to stare at this object in PackerestÕs hand. 

AUDIO: CAVERN AMBIANCE DISAPPEARS.
AUDIO: EERIE SYNTHS BY MONUMENT STUDIOS STARTS PLAYING.

DANIEL	
Your vision starts fizzling, and the next thing you know, youÕre standing in a space that looks like this cavern except if this cavern was made out ofÉ 8-bit pixel art. And you yourself are aware that youÕre made out of 8-bit pixel art. You look like somebody made a retro videogame half-snake half-human where youÕre scaly and green and you donÕt have legs. YouÕre just sort of bouncing on this coil.
And then off in front of you in this cavern is this huge, geometric shape that does not look like itÕs in pixel art. It looks like itÕs rendered in the highest graphics card you can imagine, and it pulses. ItÕs not language but you still seem to understand it, and this pulse communicates to you:
(with a distorted voice)
ÒOh, oh my, you are already changing.Ó

STACE	
ÒYeah! To a snake, I think.Ó

DANIEL
ÒOh, much more than that.Ó

STACE
ÒReally, like what?Ó

DANIEL
ÒOh, itÕs not my place to say.Ó

STACE
ÒOh man, youÕre going to leave me hanging like that? Like, for real?Ó

DANIEL
ÒWell, I donÕt have to leave you hanging I still haveÉ gifts to give. Just nothing so grand as the gift youÕve already been given.Ó
And Nix, when they say Òthe gift that youÕve already been givenÓ, you feel a phantom pain in your left hand from where that snake punctured your skin so long ago.

STACE
Ooh, is that a clue? Ever since the secret came out, IÕm like Òis that a clue? Is that a clue?Ó

DANIEL
(laughs)
There are clues everywhere.

STACE
Oh, God. I have missed all of them.

SAMPSON
(snorts)

STACE
ÒYeah, what you got? Like, what you got on offer, I mean, IÕm interested.Ó

DANIEL
ÒWell, I donÕt want to disrupt your gift too much. I could, perhaps give youÉ a taste of your future.Ó

STACE
ÒNot of synth! I donÕt wantÉ Yo, man, like, I get itÉ OrÉ Whatever you are, sorry. Uh, I donÕt want to be a synth-eater.Ó

DANIEL
ÒOf course not. ThatÕs not your purpose.Ó

STACE
ÒIt looks painful! Like, rocks.Ó
ButÉ rock candy.

DANIEL
ÒYou want to eat rocks?Ó

STACE
No, not anymore. IÉ
ÒThatÕs a scam!Ó

(Laughter)

DANIEL
ÒRight. Well, like I said, I donÕt want toÉ disrupt your gift, but with my blessing your gift shall beÉ accelerated.Ó

AUDIO: EERIE SYNTHS STOPS.
AUDIO: CAVERN AMBIANCE RESUMES.

DANIEL
And Nix, in this moment you suddenly find yourself back in the real cavern and this lobe organ reforms back into a cube. And you all can see that PackerestÕs abdomen is now sopping wet through her shit. And she smiles, just beaming at you and she says:
ÒOh, IÕm so happy for you. I can tell that Nature has given you one of the great gifts.Ó

STACE
ÒOh, you didnÕt see? Yeah. Yeah, they gave me a gift, yeah. But I didnÕt ask about, like, the people eating the synth? Like, how is synth-eating a gift? Like, they donÕt get nutrientsÉ It hurts when you pooÉÓ

DANIEL
ÒIÉ couldnÕt say.Ó

STACE
ÒMm.Ó

DANIEL
ÒNature looks at each person and decides what gift is most needed.Ó
She wipes a tear of joy from her eyes and says:
ÒWould anyone else like to meet Nature?Ó

ALEX
ÒHow painful was it?Ó

SAMPSON
ÒYeah, can we get a sidebar with our fÉ uh, Nix Carlyle? Yeah, can weÉ?Ó

ALEX
ÒSidebar?

DANIEL
ÒCertainly. If you want, you can even use this same corner. ThereÕs less of those weeping crystals over here.Ó

SAMPSON
Yeah, is that what sheÕsÉ wet with? TheÉ ooze?

ALEX
No.

DANIEL
No.

ALEX
ThereÕs something else. SheÕsÉ

STACE
TheÉ seepage?

ALEX
ThereÉ SheÕs got something underneath that shirt.

SAMPSON
ÒHow about you stay over there and weÕll just kind of hang out over here in the center? Real quick.Ó

DANIEL
ÒCertainly. Take your time.Ó

SAMPSON
ÒNix, you good?Ó

STACE
ÒYeah, they accelerated my snake transformation.Ó

ALEX
ÒI mean, so, should we do the nature thing and then deal with the flasher situation or what?Ó

STACE
ÒSo, alright, guys. So, like, my impression of what happened: I didnÕt get a lot of chance to ask questions. Nature, theyÕre very cagey. So, like, my impression though is that if you go in there you will leave changed. Like, you canÕt say no. I didnÕt get, really, to say no, you know? So, if youÕre going be ready for, like, whatever! Think of it as like an arch. You know, youÕre playing an arch game, when you walk through you donÕt know whatÕs going to happen. You know, itÕs a lot like that.Ó

ALEX
ÒYeah, like Dili lost his spleen.Ó

STACE
ÒAnd found it again! Which is likeÉ circle of life or whatever.Ó

ALEX
ÒAnd he got a cool new scar! And IÕm going to be with Dili forever now!Ó

STACE
ÒAnd so is his spleen! So, like, itÕs, you knowÉÓ

SAMPSON
(laughs) ÒThatÕs, yeah. ThatÕs, well, well, probably. Ever since the arch thatÕs not a hundred percent anymore. ItÕs probably going to stay there forever though.Ó

ALEX
ÒOkay, so, since you did the arch, Dili, IÕll try the Nature, and if two out of two is good then you can try Nature too.Ó

SAMPSON
ÒYeah, yeah. UhmÉÓ

ALEX
ÒThis seems fair.Ó

SAMPSON
ÒTry to ask if, like, you could help the synth-eaters with their next, next step. Like, try to see if you can get information that way?Ó

STACE
ÒOoh.Ó

ALEX
ÒOoh, likeÉ So, how you keep evolving on your own post-Nature?Ó

SAMPSON
ÒYeah!Ó

ALEX
ÒOkay! Yeah, yeah. Okay.Ó

DANIEL
At this point, I will say, Cha-Cha you feel a frantic scrambling in your pocket.

ALEX
ÒOhÉ uh oh.Ó

SAMPSON
(laughs)
Duck in there Hubert, itÕs going to be a fly situation!

ALEX
ÒNix, I think Hubert is, uhm, heÕs kind of sensing your changes? So, I canÕt, likeÉ IÕm not going to take Hubert with me to meet Nature, but you canÕt hold Hubert. ItÕs going to have to be Dili who holds him.Ó

SAMPSON
ÒIÉ IÉ Cha-Cha! Sidebar!Ó

STACE
(laughter)

DANIEL
Listeners, uh, Stace just licked her teeth for effect.
ALEX
ÒSidebar.Ó

(Laughter.)

DANIEL
Nix, you do feel quite hungry, by the way.

STACE
Mhmm. Nix will pull out rations and just sort of watch Dili and Cha-Cha go to their side sidebar.

DANIEL
The rations taste like ashes in your mouth.

STACE
ÒUgh.Ó
Better than rock candy though.

(Laughter).

ALEX
Better than rock candy.
ÒSo, uhÉÓ

SAMPSON
ÒI promise I will hide him to the best of my ability, but if Nix gets too hungry, she will tear me apart. JustÉ I mean, itÕs just a physical difference butÉ She will have a hard time finding me, I can promise that at most.Ó

ALEX
ÒJustÉ if she starts making a run for you, just let Hubert go and it will have to be, you know, nature taking its course. But, like, donÕt hand him over? Like, give him a running chance.Ó

SAMPSON
ÒI can absolutely do that!Ó

ALEX
ÒOkay.Ó
And then, like, they do likeÉ that stealthy hand over the ball that you sometimes see in football that you likeÉ fake pass, fake put it in pocket and then you put it in a real pocket. 

DANIEL
Mhmm. Who would like to lead this roll, then?

ALEX
IÕm going to because I can use Cirque-du-Soleil for that because itÕs a performance! ItÕs like a dance!

SAMPSON
And Dili will further obfuscate it with his illusions.

DANIEL
So, give me a roll plus six then, Alex.

ALEX
Yeah. I got a 13 so that makes it a 19.

DANIEL
Okay! Cool. So, Nix give me a roll of perception plus six. 

STACE
Nineteen.

DANIEL
OhÉ Oh ho ho.

SAMPSON
(chuckles)

DANIEL
So, Nix, IÕm not compelling you to do anything, thatÕs not how this works. IÕm just saying, you know exactly what theyÕre doing and you know exactly where Hubert is.

STACE
Do I get a minor effect?

ALEX
Yeah, do we get minor effects?

DANIEL
Yeah, you both will, though. I donÕt want to cancel them out because thatÕs boring. Okay, letÕs do this. What would Cha-Cha like for a minor effect? Keep in mind, Nix is going to be absolute where Hubert is. You canÕt change that.

ALEX
What do we want as a minor effect, Sampson?

SAMPSON
That Hubert is in the same pocket as DiliÕs pew-pew gun. HubertÕs got his hand on the trigger.

ALEX
Yeah. Yes. 

(Laughter.)

ALEX
Hubert has a gun.

DANIEL
ItÕs like the 80s action movie remake of Stuart Little.
(laughs)

STACE
Yes!

SAMPSON
Rat-a-pew-pew-pewy? I donÕt know.

DANIEL
Yeah.

STACE
Rat-a-pew-ille?

DANIEL
Yeah, thereÕs this whole thing in act one thatÕs going all aboutÉ That covers the whole background around his divorce?

STACE
(snorts)

SAMPSON
(laughs)

DANIEL
ThereÕs an early scene in the movie where he loses his wedding ring in the toilet.

ALEX
Aw.

DANIEL
While heÕsÉ looking for toilet food or something, I guess.

(Laughter.)

DANIEL
Anyway, uhm. Yeah, sure. Now, admittedly, having his paw on the gun is a bit of a stretch. 

ALEX
Yes.

DANIEL
So, I would say, maybe itÕs that, you know, because DiliÕs coat is kind of worn now, there are ways that Hubert could skitter away if he needed to. Just like that bar game with the three ferrets.

ALEX
What?

SAMPSON
What game is that? (laughs)

DANIEL
So, itÕs the game where, like, they tie off the ankles of a guyÕs pants and they put three ferrets at the drunk guyÕs pants. And then everybody else takes bets on how long he can take it with them scrambling and scratching and biting.

SAMPSON
(laughs)

ALEX
IÕve neverÉ

DANIEL
It might be an urban legend, but it is burned into my mind!

ALEX
I mean, like, yeah. Hubert has an exit but he also has a gun!

DANIEL
(laughs)
Anyway, what would Nix want for her minor effect?

STACE
Yeah, uhm, I would like in this situation at leastÉ I donÕt know. I donÕt know if I want to ask for Nix to be able to resist the temptation of Hubert. ThatÕs kind of what I want but I want it to be, like, because thereÕs another critter. ThereÕs another critter for her to find. And eat.

DANIEL
Alright. So, Nix, youÕre very aware of where Hubert is. You have a very strong, like, prey drive response to him, but youÕre also aware that youÕre standing in a cavern that appears to be made out of meat.

STACE
Right! Cause sheÕsÉ Get her, arm up to the shoulder like she was helping birth a calf. In the wall.

DANIEL
Yeah.
(laughs)

STACE
So, Nix licks her fingers and walks over to the wall and grabs a handful.

ALEX
Mouths it?

DANIEL
Okay, so youÕre trying to tear a piece off it.

STACE
Mhmm.

DANIEL
So that would be a Might roll ofÉ six.

ALEX
Is she going to hurt us all?

STACE
Unarmed attack?

DANIEL
Sure, IÕll give it to you.

STACE
Nineteen again.

DANIEL
Alright, so you tear a chunk of flesh off this wall.

SFX: MEATY TEARING NOISE.

DANIEL
What would you like for a minor effect?

STACE
IÕd like to be filling.

DANIEL
Okay. So, yeah. ItÕs pretty filling. ItÕs not dissimilar in appearance as the skin on the inside of your mouth, but itÕs meatier than that, so almost like you dug out a chunk of, like, the gum line. And you munch that, and itÕs pretty filling and itÕs tasty, but as you do that, there is this rumbling from all around you guys.

SFX: LOW, GRAVE RUMBLING.

DANIEL
And for a moment all the crystals light up, and then more of this yellow pus begins to seep from where they are.
And while this is going on, Cha-Cha, you are just now catching up and approaching Packerest.

ALEX
ÒOkay, so, like, I volunteer to meet Nature, and, depending on my reaction to Nature, maybe our other friend will meet Nature. Also, you seem to have had an accident on the front of your shirt. I am not sure you are aware of this.Ó

DANIEL
ÒOh, yes. Sorry. Just get so excited and IÕm so used to it now, sometimes I forget.Ó

ALEX
ÒAlright, so maybe get a looser shirt.Ó

DANIEL
SheÉ lifts up her chair and you can see where her stomach is. There is likeÉ this round maw, about two feet in diameter, lined with teeth with these two flicking tongues, and itÕs justÉ drooling.

ALEX
ÒThatÕsÉ understandable, I think.Ó

DANIEL
And she reaches into her satchel, and she pulls out this item again. Once again, it looks like a cube and then flows and turns into this lobed organ. She holds it out towards you and says: ÒBaby-Pack, meet Nature.Ó

ALEX
ÒYeah. Hi, Nature.Ó

DANIEL
And you also find yourself in this 8-bit cave with this huge, complex geometric shape in front of you.

AUDIO: CAVERN AMBIANCE DISAPPEARS.
AUDIO: EERIE SYNTHS BY MONUMENT STUDIOS.

DANIEL	
You yourself, though, are rendered in a strange way. You look like an odd kind of symbol. And, in fact, Cha-Cha, give me an Understanding Numenera roll ofÉ nine. 

ALEX
Mmkay, IÕve got to double check that this character knows about the bad Numeneras.

DANIEL
You do, youÕre trained in it. So that would make it a six.

ALEX
Seventeen.

DANIEL
Okay, so Cha-Cha, you know this symbol is sometimes Ð you donÕt necessarily know the whole history of it Ð but you have encountered types of Numenera where thereÕs a visual interface, where this symbol is used to indicate a missing visual asset.

ALEX
ItÕs that little broken picture?

SAMPSON
Cha-Cha is missing though.

DANIEL
Exactly, itÕs like a character that canÕt be decoded. Like an emoji that hasnÕt been approved by the Unicode Board yet.

SAMPSON
(chuckles)

ALEX
ItÕs sussy.

DANIEL
And this huge figure pulses and you immediately understand what itÕs saying.
(with a distorted voice)
ÒWhat are you?Ó

ALEX
ÒApparently, IÕm Baby-Pack.Ó

DANIEL
ÒNo, I mean.Ó

AUDIO: PRE-CONFLICT BY MONUMENT STUDIOS.

DANIEL	
(punctuating each word)
ÒWhat are you?Ó

ALEX
ÒI mean, thereÕs theories. IÕve been told IÕm not quite human, but IÕm not quite Other.Ó

DANIEL
ÒGet away from me.Ó

ALEX
ÒBut I have questions. Not leaving until you answer questions.Ó

DANIEL
ÒNo.Ó

ALEX
ÒBut, like, how do I help people evolve? How do I save the world?Ó

DANIEL
ÒI refuse to help you spread your corruption.Ó

ALEX
ÒIÕm going to touch you with it.Ó

DANIEL
(laughs)
And you see a stone wall rise into existence between you.

ALEX
ÒWhat happens if I touch it?Ó
Cha-Cha is going to touch the wall.

DANIEL
Okay, so, when you touch the wall, when your fingers encounter it, you can see some of the pixels around it starting to fade out like itÕs corrupting and dissolving. This corruption spreads out across until this stone wall is no longer there. ItÕs at this point that Nature yells, and itÕs so loud, like, even though itÕs a pulse and itÕs not a voice, it still hurts your ears and inside your head.
And you hear its voice screech:
ÒPackerest, what have you done?Ó
And itÕs at this point that I need everyone to roll Initiative.

(Dice roll.)

STACE
Oh fuck.

ALEX
Seven!

STACE
Fifteen.

SAMPSON
Seventeen. Oh man!

DANIEL
Okay, so Nature will go first.


AUDIO: COMBAT IMMINENT BY MONUMENT STUDIOS PLAYS. IT IS FOLLOWED WITHOUT PAUSE BY FUTURISTIC 808S AND WARZONE, BOTH BY MONUMENT STUDIOS, ALL THROUGHOUT THE COMBAT SECTION.

DANIEL
Nature will make this 8-bit crystals jut out of the walls even further and try to stab Cha-Cha. Cha-Cha, please make a twenty-one Speed Defense roll.

ALEX
Can runningÉ Turning and running help?

DANIEL
Nope.

ALEX
Mm. I guess that means I have to put in Effort, right? Going to put in a level of EffortÉ Nope. Two levels of Effort. Mm. Yes.

DANIEL
Okay, so, bring it down to a fifteen.

ALEX
Okay, I gotÉ a sixteen.

DANIEL
Okay. You managed to, just barely, dodge these crystals as they jut out at you.

ALEX
(mumbles)
WeÕll fuck Nature up.

DANIEL
Dili, you donÕt know exactly whatÕs happened, but something in the room has changed and PackerestÕs expression has shifted from one of serene bliss to anger, and you can see that maw on her abdomen starting to gyrate as if itÕs about to bite Cha-Cha. 

SAMPSON
Gross. Best option I think is for Dili to pew-pew gun Packerest. 

DANIEL
Alright, so that is a light weapon, so itÕs ease soÉ thatÕd be a 12.

SAMPSON	
Is it Speed or Might?

DANIEL
Speed.

SAMPSON
Alright, well, letÕs hope for the best.

(Dice roll.)

SAMPSON	
IÕm so close thoughÉ

STACE
Oh, no.

SAMPSON
Fuck it, itÕs interesting. I rolled a one.

ALEX
They shoot Cha-Cha in the head.

SAMPSON
(Laughs)

ALEX
And I roll a new character, right?

STACE	
Hubert shoots Dili in the leg.

ALEX
Oh my god, yes.

STACE
Please.

DANIEL
Oh, wow. Okay so, with a one, how mean do I want to be?

SAMPSON
Do it.

ALEX
Very.

DANIEL
Well, thereÕs mean and then thereÕs just being a dick. Just being a dick would be likeÉ ÒIÕm going to break your pew-pew gun forever and you donÕt get it anymore.Ó

STACE
Oh.

DANIEL
And that feels kind of lame? So, let me just say, you shoot the pew-pew gun. And it misses PackerestÉ

SFX: PEW-PEW GUN BEING SHOT.

DANIEL
And hits a crystal at just the right angle for it to refract the light and bounce it so that it hits Nix.

ALEX
(laughs)

DANIEL
Nix, you take four Might damage, ignoring armor.

STACE
Nice.

DANIEL
And youÕre feeling very hungry again. In fact, youÕre having a hard time moving your mouth because your fangs keep staying extended, even when you want to retract them.

ALEX
Interesting.

STACE
(laughs)
Nix is likeÉ (laugh) Gets out a binderÉ

ALEX
(laughs)

SAMPSON
Yeah.

DANIEL
Just have to (incomprehensible) yourself with a map book.

SAMPSON
(laughs) StopÉ
ÒOh, shit, Nix, IÕm sorry, IÉ Wait, were you kind of into that? You kind ofÉ YouÕre good?Ó

STACE
ÒItÕs fine, Dili. ItÕs okay.Ó

SAMPSON
(laughs)

STACE
Nix is going to eat the lady. With her mouth.

DANIEL
Okay, so youÕre going to try to bit her?

STACE
Yeah.

DANIEL
Okay, so that would be hindered since sheÕs not grappled. So that would make it anÉ eighteen.

STACE
Trained in Unarmed.

DANIEL
Okay, brings it down to a fifteen.

STACE
IÕll spendÉ two levels of Effort.

DANIEL
Okay, soÉ nine.

STACE
ThatÕs me doing Effort math, if youÕre wondering what that look on my face was. UhmÉ WhatÕs that?

DANIEL
(chuckles) 
I figured it was that or a stroke.

STACE
YeahÉ (laughs) Not a stroke, happy to report. Alright, so thatÕs a nine thenÉ Nineteen!

ALEX
Yeah!

DANIEL
Oh! Holy shit! Alright, that math luck is doing you well today! 
Okay, so youÕre definitely going to bite her, youÕre definitely going to inject your venom, so sheÕll be hindered.

SFX: HISSING NOISE OF A SNAKE.

DANIEL
What would you propose as a minor effect? Unless you want extra damage?

STACE
Nix takes a little bite.

DANIEL
Ooh, so youÕll taste the flesh too.

STACE
Aw, but I actually want the extra damage. Why did IÉ What was I thinking?

DANIEL
Okay, so thatÕll be plus three damage on top of yourÉ?

STACE
Seven, and sheÕs hindered.

DANIEL
So, ten damage and sheÕs hindered. She is looking in rough shape.
So, now itÕs PackerestÕs turn. She was going to go after Cha-Cha, but now sheÕs going to go against Nix. She snaps at Nix. 

STACE
Nix snaps back.

DANIEL
And sheÕs hindered, so itÕll be a twelve Speed Defense roll.

STACE
Two.

DANIEL
Oh, well that is a GM intrusion.

STACE
Yeah, and IÕm so close to tearing up that IÕm just going toÉ IÕm just going to take it. 

DANIEL
Alright. So, for GM intrusion, her maw distends from her stomach and snaps shut on your right hand.

STACE
Aw.
(laughs)

DANIEL
You will take four Might damage and you are effectively grappled because these teeth have dug into your wrist and are not letting go.

ALEX
(whispers)
Ew!

DANIEL
And it is now Cha-ChaÕs turn.

ALEX
IÕm still in 8-bit?

DANIEL
Yeah, youÕre still in 8-bit, and Nature is trying to back away from you very quickly.

ALEX
Cha-ChaÕs going to run and hug Nature.

SAMPSON
Yes! Yes!

DANIEL
Okay! So, you run towards Nature.

SAMPSON
Jump on its head!

ALEX
IÕm trained in Running.

STACE	
Their head.

SAMPSON
Their head. IÕm sorry.

DANIEL
Alright. So, running isnÕt going to be a problem, so you can run up to them and try to climb on them or jump on them or whatever. That will require a Might roll. The base value is going to be twenty-one.

ALEX
I am trained in RunningÉ

DANIEL
MmÉ Running isnÕt the issue, itÕs getting on top of them if thatÕs what youÕre trying to do.

ALEX
Jumping?

DANIEL
IÕd give you Jumping. Jumping would work. Yeah, sure, that would bring it down to an eighteen, and it would be Might if you want to spend Effort.

ALEX
(hiss) Can I spend any of that?

DANIEL
IÕm sure you guys all have Might points to spare at the moment, right?

ALEX
Yeah, especially since all that pain, yeah. You know what, IÕm going to do it, just because then it will be a better chance I win at the hugging game? Right? So that makes it a fifteen?

DANIEL
Right.

ALEX
Okay, weÕre going to pray on thisÉ I donÕt know how to pray.

DANIEL
(laughs)

ALEX
Okay, I got fiveÉ IÕm going to reroll this.

DANIEL
Okay.

ALEX
Yeah, twenty, bitches. Fuck yeah!

DANIEL
Nice! That was a very good spend of an XP. What would you propose as a major effect?

ALEX
Trying to think, I feel like there could be a really good major effectÉ I donÕt know! Can Cha-Cha merge with Nature?

SAMPSON	
(laughs)

DANIEL
ThatÕd be pretty big. I think that might be too big for just giving you aÉ an immediate, being able to do that on a twenty? You could use your Natural Twenty toÉ your major effect essentially to enable you to start trying that. It would take a couple rounds of attempts to make that happen. You could maybe try to get yourself ejected from this 8-bit world or you could, you know, attempt this merge.

ALEX
No. Cha-ChaÕs going to try and merge with Nature. Like, Nature wonÕt answer her questions. Yeah.

SAMPSON
Hell yeah.

DANIEL
Okay, cool, cause thatÕs way more interesting than the other options. 

ALEX
You wonÕt answer my questions, then I guess youÕre just going to become, you know, part ofÉ Legion.

SAMPSON
(claps)
Fuck yeah, Cha-Cha. Fuck yeah!

DANIEL
Okay, so, Nature doesnÕt like that, and thereÕs definitely some screaming.

ALEX
This might also distract Packerest.

DANIEL
The odd thing is, the rest of you can hear the screaming out in the main cavern, distinct from the rest of the rumbling.

STACE
Oooh.

SAMPSON
WhatÕs Cha-Cha doing from our perspective?

DANIEL
Just standing there. Just chilling.

STACE
Just being Dili from the last fight.

SAMPSON
UghÉ

ALEX
(laughs)
But now she canÕt give Dili shit!

DANIEL
Ooh! Now weÕre going to see how petty Dili is. 

STACE
(laughs)

DANIEL
Okay, so itÕs NatureÕs turn. Nature, very unhappy, is going to send a blast of force out at you. And since youÕre on top of Nature, thereÕs not really an opportunity to dodge very easily.

ALEX
But, like, NatureÕs grappled.

DANIEL
Yeah, but theyÕre sending it out towards you. So, youÕll be hindered by two steps on this, so that makes it aÉTwenty-seven to try to dodge this blast of force, and it would be Speed Defense.

ALEX
And absorbing Nature doesnÕt help?

DANIEL
Mm, not in the case.

ALEX
(grumbles)

DANIEL
That process is not far enough along.

ALEX
Yeah, yeahÉ 
(groans)
I guess she kind of has to just take it.

DANIEL
Yeah. Can you roll for me anyway? Because I need to know if you end up rolling a one.

ALEX
I got a five. Better than a one!

DANIEL
Okay. So you will take seven damage and the nature of this blast I will say is, probably, is going to be Intellect damage.

ALEX
Oh, thank God, because I have that pool. Oof. You had me worried there.

DANIEL
And itÕs now DiliÕs turn.

SAMPSON
DiliÕs going to put away the gun andÉ the objects that Packerest has been presenting Nix and Cha-Cha isÉ where is that? WhatÕs the stance on that one?

DANIEL
ItÕs still in PackerestÕs hand, extended towards Cha-Cha.

SAMPSON
Okay.

DANIEL
ItÕs still looks like that sort of silver lobed organ, but itÕs gyrating a little bit. Almost like it canÕt decide if it wants to stay in that shape or not. 

SAMPSON
OkayÉ DiliÕs going to try and take that out ofÉ their hand.

DANIEL
Okay, so youÕre going to try to, like, grab it and get out of the way?

SAMPSON
Just going to try to.

DANIEL
Okay. So, sheÕs hindered, so that will be a twelve. Might.

SAMPSON
Really want this to work, so IÕm going to put two levels of my meager Might in that.

DANIEL
Mmm, so that brings it down to a six.

SAMPSON
Dili has to start doing push-ups.

(Dice rolls)

ALEX
Mhmm.

SAMPSON
Sixteen.

ALEX
Ooh!

DANIEL
Nice. Okay, so you grab this and yank it out of her hand, and you find yourself standing in what appears to be an 8-bit cave, and you yourself appear to be, like, 8-bit pixel art of some human with a rather extravagant cape holding a comically large wrench.

ALEX
Nice. Is DiliÕs son there?

SAMPSON
Do I have a dark shadow?

DANIEL
Now thatÕs a good question. Not right now. ButÉ what color are DiliÕs eyes?

STACE
Look at the fanart, quick!

SAMPSON
There was kind of a color scheme I had when I first started this, heÕs either blue or greenÉ CheckÉ Dark green, nearly black eyes.

DANIEL
Okay, so, one of your eyes is dark green in this 8-bit world, and the other one glows a bright red. And itÕs very odd because these are like third person representations of you that youÕre aware of, itÕs like you guys are playing this side-scrolling adventure of your lives. AndÉ Cha-Cha, you shouldnÕt recognize that this avatar is Dili, yet somehow you do, just instinctively.

SAMPSON
Mhmm.

DANIEL
Nix, what you see is Dili grabs this item, pulls it out of PackerestÕs hand. ItÉ As soon as it gets just a couple inches away from her hand, Dili freezes. 
Now, itÕs NixÕs turn. Nix, your hand is still in her maw. SheÕs going to chew a little bit so youÕre going to take another four Might damage because sheÕs biting down, and itÕs your turn. What would you like to do?

STACE
Seems unnecessary, Daniel, all things considered.

DANIEL
YouÕve got a tasty hand, thatÕs not my problem.

STACE
(chuckles)
You said she looks bad, right?

DANIEL
Yeah, sheÕs not looking great.

STACE
Nix is going toÉ going to do left hand punch.

DANIEL
Alright, so sheÕs hindered, so that will be a twelve.

STACE
IÕll spend one level of Effort.

DANIEL
Okay, that makes it a nine.

STACE
Seventeen.

DANIEL
Okay, so thatÕs plus one damage. What does it look like when you kill Packerest?

STACE
Ooh, I wanna say that Nix pulls with her right hand a little bit, distending the maw protrusion and when she punches, she punches right at the base. And, uhÉ

DANIEL
OoohÉ.

STACE
Ooh, would it be more interesting if she just died of internal bleeding over, like, a short period of time or if Nix just, like, punched the protrusion right off?

DANIEL
I think itÕd be cool if, like, you punched, like, the whole, like, jaw of this maw out of her body, likeÉ

STACE
OoohÉ

DANIEL
Like, you just hit this skeletal structure and it just comes splattering out of her body and just scatters across the room.

ALEX
That would be amazing.

STACE
On a spinning arc because, for a second, itÕs still attached to NixÕs right hand.

DANIEL
Okay. So, blood and Packerest tummy drool definitely splatters over the frozen Dili.

(Laughter.)

DANIEL
And misses Cha-Cha.

STACE
Nix will grab the cube.

DANIEL
Okay, well, that would be another action.

STACE
Okay. Next turn, next turn. Or sheÕs going to try to catch it, I assume this lady is, like, collapsing.

DANIEL
RightÉ Well, Dili has the cube right nowÉ or the organ.

STACE
Oh, I thought he froze a few inches from the square. 

DANIEL
No, he got it.

STACE
Got it!

DANIEL
And once he got it away from her just like a couple of inches, that touch brought him in there.

STACE
Okay.

DANIEL
So, we cut back to Cha-Cha. So, Cha-Cha, you areÉ here. I donÕt know what it looks like, youÕre riding an angry god.

ALEX
And Dili just showed up?

DANIEL
Yeah! I mean, youÕre riding an angry god, though, so I donÕt know how much Cha-ChaÕs going to interact with Dili. ThatÕs up to you, I guess.

ALEX
I guess weÕre going to try to absorb the Nature one more time?

DANIEL
Alright. So, letÕs see, I will allow Understanding Numenera to help you with this from a skills standpoint, and you have two assets from your prior Natural 20, and the base difficulty for this is a little higher because of the scale of what youÕre trying to doÉ SoÉ LetÕs seeÉ Now weÕre at a fifteen. And it would be Intellect if you want to spend Effort.

ALEX
Okay. AndÉ can I invoke the Fire Inside ability?

DANIEL
Yeah, IÕd give that to you. So that would bring it down to a twelve.

ALEX
Okay. Nineteen. Fuck you, Nature.

DANIEL
(chuckles) Okay. 
So, youÕre definitely going to start absorbing Nature, you can feel it almost getting smaller as its screaming, and it almost feels like itÕs being absorbed and pulled into your midsection. AndÉ what would you propose as a minor effect?

ALEX
Would it be a minor effect that, like, Nature is hindered? Because, like, itÕs being absorbed?

DANIEL
Yeah, thatÕs totally fair. Okay, soÉ ItÕs going to try to send its blast of energy at Cha-Cha again. Now, itÕs hindered and itÕs very scared soÉ I thinkÉ ThatÕs going to bring it down to a base of 21 instead of what it was before, and itÕs Speed Defense orÉ I should probably have let you do this the first time too, you can probably use Intellect Defense, since weÕre in a mental realm.

ALEX
OkayÉ Going to use two levels of Effort in Intellect. 

DANIEL
Okay, so that will be a fifteen.

ALEX
IÕm going to have to, like, take a nap after this fight.

SAMPSON
(laughs)
Food comma after eating Nature.

ALEX
Yeah, IÕm going to haveÉ like aÉ Nature baby?
(laughs)
ThatÕsÉ nineteen. 

STACE
Fuck yeah!

DANIEL
Nice.

ALEX
WeÕre getting Nature, guys!

DANIEL
Alright, soÉ youÉ since this is Intellect Defense, you somehow manage to resist this blast, youÕre so focused because of the Fire Inside. And, like, this blast does not distract you from what youÕre doing. You donÕt know how you recognized this weird symbol as Cha-Cha, but you do.

ALEX
You want to backpack in Nature?

DANIEL
And you donÕt know exactly what sheÕs doing up there, but you can tell this huge entity Ð which you assume is Nature Ð is very upset about it.

SAMPSON
I call out, ÒCha-Cha! How can I help with whatever this is?Ó

ALEX
ÒWeÕre absorbing Nature cause Nature wonÕt tell us whatÕs happening?Ó

SAMPSON
ÒHow do I help with that?Ó

STACE
How would Dili help with absorbing Nature?

DANIEL
He could try to weaken Nature somehow.

ALEX
(gasp) ÒJust hurt it!Ó

DANIEL
ÒAnd that wonÕt hurt you?Ó

ALEX
ÒNo, think about it like when Nix eats stuff.Ó

SAMPSON
ÒYeah. Fair enough!Ó
Dili will, if he can, pull out his pew-pew gun again.

DANIEL
Yeah, you can use your pew-pew gun. So, Nature is hindered, itÕs a light weapon, so that brings it down to a fifteen.

SAMPSON
ThatÕs speed, isnÕt it?

DANIEL
Yes.

SAMPSON
Alright. I want this to work so three levels of Effort.

DANIEL
Oh, and theyÕre also huge so I guess itÕs twelve.

SAMPSON
Wait, can I do that?

DANIEL
Yeah, that would bring it down to aÉ three.

(Dice roll.)

SAMPSON
Eleven.

DANIEL
Okay. Nice. So, youÕre mentally aware that youÕre pulling out your pew-pew gun and shooting it at Nature, but the way it appears in this realm is that you throw this oversized wrench at Nature.

SAMPSON
Hell yeah.

SFX: SOFT HIT.

DANIEL
And it hits it.

SAMPSON
(snorts)

DANIEL
And it cries out in pain and another wrench appears in your hand. Please roll depletion for me.

SAMPSON
Oh, boy. I did do that the first time I did roll one.

(Dice roll.)

SAMPSON
Fifteen.

DANIEL
Okay, cool. YouÕre all good. AndÉ Nix?

STACE
Join the party.

DANIEL
Nix, youÕre very hungry, by the way.

SAMPSON
(gasp) Hubert! WhatÕs his initiative order?

ALEX
(gasp) Yeah, whereÕs Hubert on this?

DANIEL
HeÕs at the bottom of the initiative. HeÕs after Cha-Cha.

STACE
How hungry is Nix?

ALEX
(laughs)

DANIEL
Very hungry.

STACE
Nix is going to harvest some organ meat. 

DANIEL
From where?

STACE
Mm, lady. 

ALEX
Packerest.

DANIEL
Oh, okay. IÕll explain what that looks like later. Cha-Cha you are on top of Nature. I assume youÕre going to try and absorb again?

ALEX
Yeah.

DANIEL
So, NatureÕs in even worse shape, so that brings it down to aÉ fifteen, including all your skills and assets and stuff, before you spend Effort. ItÕd be Intellect.

ALEX
Okay. Trying to think ofÉ Okay, IÕve got two levels of Effort.

DANIEL
Okay, so that makes it a nine.

ALEX
I just want this to happen, everybody. I just do. Eighteen.

DANIEL
Okay. There is a weird staticky sound from all around you, Cha-Cha, and you suddenly start feeling full, and this Nature figure is disappearing into you andÉ You feel like youÕve eaten the largest meal that youÕve ever eaten in your life. And there are all these strange thoughts racing through your head that you canÕt follow or even really understand. ItÕs at this point IÕm going to offer Cha-Cha and XP.

ALEX
Yeah.

DANIEL
Who will you give the other one to?

ALEX
Dili, for helping me eat Nature.

SAMPSON
(laughs)

DANIEL
Alright, so Cha-Cha, this is happening and youÕre not even sure if you wanted to that you could stop this absorption at this point.

ALEX
IÕm just going to eat things in this void?

DANIEL
Yeah, Cha-Cha you are standing there and, Dili, you see Cha-Cha in there, this strange figure and you feel this gravitational pull towards her. And not in the good way like you want.

SAMPSON
(nervously)
ÒUh, Cha-Cha? HowÕre you doing?Ó

ALEX
ÒI would try to run.Ó

SAMPSON
How would Dili try to escape the 8-bit world?

DANIEL
So, thereÕs a couple ways you could go about that. One is to just try to run away in the 8-bit world, thatÕs a bit more standard. Or you could try to escape the 8-bit world completely, which would be cooler, but itÕs probably more difficult.

ALEX
Mhm.

DANIEL
SoÉ That would be a 15 Intellectual?

ALEX
Now would Cha-Cha be hindering or helping?

DANIEL
Cha-Cha probably couldnÕt assist because heÕs trying to escape your gravitational pull.

ALEX
Okay.

DANIEL
Like, youÕre sort of unconsciously pulling him towards you as you try to absorbÉ

ALEX
Yeah.

DANIEL
Éjust about everything in this 8-bit world.

ALEX
Oh, yeah. We got two hungry, hungry people in this campaign now.

SAMPSON
Alright, well, Dili is going to call out: ÒWeÕll wait for you on the other side!Ó
And is going to try to escape with three levels of Intellect Effort which is much better for him. That a six now?

(Dice rolls.)

SAMPSON
Nine!

DANIEL
Alright, so, somehow, maybe its tied to your background, maybe itÕs some training that Master Astus gave you.

SAMPSON
Mhmm.

DANIEL
Talking about different Numenera types and how they might have mental influences and how to escape their mental influences andÉ who knows? Knowing Dili, it might have been the kind of thing that he blew off as superstition, but those techniques help you here, and it takes significant effort, but then you find yourself back in your body.

SFX: RUMBLING.

DANIEL
And a moment after youÕre there, you see this weird, gyrating, shifting, silver-lobed thing float out of your hand, and it goes flying at Cha-Cha, like a bullet. And Cha-Cha, you come to on your own body as this artifact pierces your body with your flesh healing and closing behind it. 

AUDIO: BACKGROUND MUSIC FADES AWAY.
AUDIO: CAVERN AMBIANCE RESUMES AT A QUIET VOLUME.
SFX: MEATY SHIFTING NOISE OF A WOUND BEING HEALED.

DANIEL
But you will take four Might damage.

ALEX
(whispered)
God damnit!

SAMPSON
(laughs)

AUDIO: REBIRTH BY MONUMENT STUDIOS.

ALEX
Okay, IÕm out of Might.

DANIEL
And you guys are standing there in this cavern, all alone, two glow globes flickering.

SAMPSON
ÒCha-Cha, are you okay? Nix are youÉ?Ó

DANIEL
As you call out to Nix and look to find her, you look over and see her belly-down on the ground, her jaw distorted widely as you see just the last tips of PackerestÕs boots sliding into NixÕs mouth. She shuts her mouth, closes her eyes, and begins to snore.

And thatÕs where weÕll end this episode.

AUDIO: REBIRTH STOPS PLAYING.

ALEX
Nix ate the whole lady?

STACE
Yeah!

ALEX
DangÉ you hungy.

SAMPSON
(giggles)

DANIEL
Okay! So, Cha-Cha, or, not Cha-Cha, youÕre a real person. Alex, something about this episode.

ALEX
I mean thatÕsÉ Still in question if IÕm a real person or not. I mean, eating Nature was fucking wild.

DANIEL
Yeah, I mean, you ate an entity that, at least Packerest, considered a god.

ALEX
Yeah! The implications are going to be quite unique, but likeÉ I enjoyed learning about the visualizations that each character had in the 8-bit world. Like, IÕm really happy that Dili came in, which is like, ÒIÕm here too! HereÕs my 8-bit persona!Ó

DANIEL
(chuckles)
Okay, cool. 
So, we have a segment that we do each week called ÒPlayer Intrusions.Ó ThatÕs where we offer you, the listener, an XP to check out something we think you would really dig. This week it is AlexÕs turn. 
Alex, what would you offer our listeners an XP to check out?

ALEX
ItÕll sound really weird, but those solar powered path lights.

DANIEL
Mm, okay.

ALEX
Like, IÕd been resisting getting them. Like, I bought a house and IÕve just beenÉ What, not natural but, like, built-in lightning for the house, like, light areas? 
And with Max, since heÕs black and white, I canÕt really see him when he goes outside at night? I mean, he has his disco collar, that little LED light collar? But, like, itÕsÉ he doesnÕt like it all the time.
So, what I did was I bought some of those little glow lights at Target. Yes, we all good olÕ Target. AndÉ (laughs) They justÉ ItÕs kind of magical to look outside now? And just see, like, all these little orbs in my backyard?

DANIEL
Mmm.

ALEX
And, like, so, if you have, like, the ability to get them? IÕd say get them because, like, itÕs kind of cool to just, like, see them.

DANIEL
Mhmm.

ALEX
Lighting up by themselves, because solar power.

STACE
Have you seen the, like, solar light sculptures, Alex? Where, like, the lights are like frog eyesÉ?

DANIEL
Ooh!

ALEX
No, I have not!

STACE
Or animal eyes? Yeah. TheyÕre really creeping during the day! But I bet they would be magical at night.

ALEX
I mightÉ IÕm going to have to look into these, because that would be amazing, and IÕm going to have to buy more because my backyard is very dark and spoopy.

SAMPSON
Oh, thereÕs one with a dragon holding an orb.

STACE
Oooh!

DANIEL
Oh, fuck yeah!

ALEX
Fuck yeah! Put the link!

SAMPSON
For a hundred and thirty bucks? Oh. Dang.

ALEX
Oh.

DANIEL
Oh, yeah. They can be expensive sometimes.

SAMPSON
Yeah.

DANIEL
We actually have a bunch of solar lights in our backyard that we quite like.

ALEX
Mhmm.

DANIEL
We actually used to have sort of likeÉ all these, like, string lights? Like, you know, almost likeÉ Christmas lights that were solar out there to light things up. But then, Larry decided that they looked too much like pee vines and he threw them.

ALEX
Ah, son of a bitch, Larry!

SAMPSON
I got aÉ fucking body horror one for ya. WellÉ ItÉ

DANIEL
Okay.

SAMPSON
ThereÕs a lot. ThereÕs a lot going on in this one.

STACE	
I wanna see it.

ALEX
Okay.

SAMPSON
(laughs)

DANIEL
Oh no!

STACE
(bewildered)
Naughty groundhog?

DANIEL
God no!

ALEX
Oh!

SAMPSON
HeÕs fucking flipping you off!

DANIEL
Oh god!

ALEX
Oh my gosh! Daniel, put this in the show notes.

STACE	
ZekeÕs Naughty Groundhog Solarized?

DANIEL
Yeah, thatÕs nightmare fuel right there.

SAMPSON
(through laughter)
ItÕs terrifying.

ALEX
I mean, like, itÕs weirdly Numenera. You know?

STACE
ThatÕs aÉ IÕm offended. Do you see the gesture heÕs making?

SAMPSON
(laughs)

DANIEL
Yeah, heÕs very rude.

SAMPSON
(through laughter once more)
Yeah!
(wheezes)

ALEX
I mean, yeah. Ooh! Wait! I found one that I might actually get and IÕm putting in chat. ItÕs a peacock, listeners, with the lights on its tale!

SAMPSON
Oh!

DANIEL
Oooh! Well, that is pretty.

ALEX
And it looks very majestic as fuck.

DANIEL
Yeah, thatÕs pretty cool.

ALEX
Like, a classy bitch.

DANIEL
Very nice.
Well, if people had solar garden lights to recommend to us or wanted to talk to us about the podcast, how would they do that, Sampson?

SAMPSON
Well they can to explorerswanted.fm, from there they can access all the bullshit we have placed on the Internet with our name. 
Specifically, on Twitter we are at explorerswanted. On Instagram and Facebook we are at explorerswantedpodcast. 
If youÕd like to us directly and show us the things that you find, explorerswanted.fm/discord will bring us to the Discord. We are very active there. ItÕs a lot of fun in there, a lot of very nice people.
Additionally, if they would instead like to give us money, patreon.com/explorerswanted. Release the butthole cut!

STACE
There is not oneÉ

ALEX
Yes!

STACE
It doesnÕtÉ There isnÕt one!

ALEX
Release the butthole cut!

SAMPSON
(coughs)

ALEX
Yes, there is. DonÕt lie to the people.

SAMPSON
We havenÕt been paid enough money to make it yet, and when we doÉ

ALEX
Yeah! We will make a butthole cut for you, listeners!

STACE
There were noÉ buttholes viewed during the recording of the Secret of Cats.

ALEX
Oh, no. ItÕs not our buttholes, itÕs cat buttholes. Listeners, not our buttholes, cat buttholes. I guess we do have to clarify that, you know, so weÕre not false advertising.

STACE
(sighs)

SAMPSON
Yeah, thatÕs where you can find us.

DANIEL
Alright, well, if you enjoyed the show, the thing that you could do that would help us the most would be to tell a friend and to tell them why you like the show and why they should listen to it.
The second best thing you could do is to leave us a five-star written review on a podcast directories, specifically Apple Podcasts, Podchaser or Stitcher. Those reviews give podcasters like, they make a huge difference in trying out the show. DonÕt just review us, review all the podcasts that you love. It makes justÉ I canÕt express how important it is for every podcast, and itÕs a form of much needed encouragement in this weird art and hobby that weÕre engaged in. 
If you didn't like the show, or if you just thought it was meh, well, I need to tell you something: 
There is a beating heart of this world. They tell you that the world is rocky crust floating on magma seeds with an iron nickel center, but you know better. The mantle of the Earth is an ocean of blood, and if you could dig deep enough, you would expose a massive ribcage that spans the hot depths, like the bridges of giants. 
And in the center of that ribcage, is the pulse, that relentless rhythm. It beats, whether you will it or no, and does not care about your life, but I do not fear the heart of the world. And you should not either.
Fear its maw.

(lightly)
If you want to reach out to us individually on social media, you can!
You can find me on Twitter  @andrlik, a-n-d-r-l-i-k.

STACE
You can find me on Twitter @StaceWindu. 

SAMPSON
It is a hellsite! But, IÕm @SlamPotato. 

ALEX
I mean, release the butthole cut. IÕm @realteaunicorn on Twitter and I do @teawithaunicorn on Twitch! 

AUDIO: NINTH WORLD BY DAVE STERLING.

DANIEL
Alright, thatÕs it for us! Hope you enjoyed the show!
We will be back next week as we will for every week in the foreseeable future. Have a good night, day, weekend or whenever you will sync into this, andÉ

ALL TOGETHER
Bye!

AUDIO: NINTH WORLD FADES AWAY.

SFX: BEEP!

ALEX
Can you guys hear that screaming?

(Laughter.)

SAMPSON	
So ominous, but no.

DANIEL
No. That oneÕs just in your own head

SAMPSON
(chuckles)

ALEX
No, theÉ There are kids next doorÉ
SFX: BEEP!

ALL
Bye!

STACE
Nailed it.

SAMPSON
(laughs)

ALEX
(playfully)
ItÕs beautiful.