Daniel Andrlik (00:00:25): (silence) Welcome to Explorers Wanted. We are a weekly, Numenera Actual Play podcast. I will be your humble GM, Daniel Andrlik. With me today is Alex Finn. Alex Finn (00:00:41): I'm trying to convince my son that outside is overrated. It is not working. Daniel Andrlik (00:00:47): Stace Babcock. Stace Babcock (00:00:48): What is outside? Daniel Andrlik (00:00:50): Aren't there bears outside? And Sampson Davis. Sampson Davis (00:00:55): See, you got to teach him. You got to get one of those old, what are they? DDR flat mats, so he could play video games, so he never has a reason to go outside. Because it's the lack of thumbs. If I didn't have thumbs, I'd be like, "Fucking let me out." Stace Babcock (00:01:09): Right. Yeah. Alex Finn (00:01:10): I mean he knows how to hang up my phone on people. Sampson Davis (00:01:17): Let him prank call. Daniel Andrlik (00:01:18): That's a good talent to have. Stace Babcock (00:01:19): Yeah. Whoops. My dog hung up on you. Okay. Daniel Andrlik (00:01:21): So who remembers what happened last time? I am going to pick on Stace. Stace Babcock (00:01:32): Hell yeah. So last time on Explorers Wanted, this is probably what happened. So we were in the weird cave place, ChaCha was gone, we weren't sure where, she was down in the hole. Nix was armpit deep in a flesh wall, and- Daniel Andrlik (00:01:54): Good times. Stace Babcock (00:01:54): Yeah. Good times. Dili and Nix go over and look down in the hole, finally. Alex Finn (00:02:01): Oh, but every time you were in the hole, ChaCha got hurt. Stace Babcock (00:02:04): Yeah. No, every time Nix or Dili damaged the cavern, ChaCha took my damage. Alex Finn (00:02:11): That was great. Stace Babcock (00:02:14): Yeah. Alex Finn (00:02:14): Daniel's revenge for us splitting the partying constantly. Daniel Andrlik (00:02:17): It's not revenge. Stace Babcock (00:02:22): It's not revenge. Daniel Andrlik (00:02:23): I like to think of it as providing a rewarding challenge. Stace Babcock (00:02:23): Yeah, it's consequences. Sampson Davis (00:02:27): Fine. No more shopping episodes. Damn Dan. Stace Babcock (00:02:29): Gosh. Daniel Andrlik (00:02:32): You said it on recording Sampson. Sampson Davis (00:02:34): But sarcastically so it doesn't count. Alex Finn (00:02:36): No. Stace Babcock (00:02:37): So down in the hole, ChaCha is talking to some weird disciple of the nature God. And while she's doing that, Nix and Dili climb down the hole. And weirdly with this hole, there was a point at which you couldn't hear anything coming from outside the hole anymore. So as soon as Nix drop below that barrier, she heard ChaCha talking to the nature adherent. Dili ended up climbing down, and long story short, the crew was invited to go meet the God nature. And so Nix was like, "Yeah, sure. Whatever." So Nix goes in to see the nature God, and basically the disciple whose name I don't remember, had a cube and- Daniel Andrlik (00:03:29): Packerest . Stace Babcock (00:03:29): Packerest. Nix was transported inside the cube, or mentally transported inside the cube, which was an eight bit world. And Nix appeared as Nix for the upper body and a snake tail for the lower body. And the nature God is the being that cursed the Henderson's with the eating Synth curse. But it seemed that the nature God seemed to think it was more of an evolutionary event versus a curse. So Nix conversed with the God momentarily and then asked for a blessing. And instead of receiving a new blessing, Nix received acceleration of her snake transformation, because the nature God said that was already a gift. So Nix comes back out, ChaCha goes in, and as soon as ChaCha gets in there, she doesn't have an eight bit emoji. She comes up as an emoji unknown or whatever symbol. And the nature God freaks out is like, "Get out of here." ChaCha decides to try to absorb the nature God. Then Dili goes inside? Sampson Davis (00:04:37): A fight started out then Dili trying to help ends up going inside. Not on purpose. He was trying to grab the thing out of Packerest's hand, but then ended up going inside as a result. Stace Babcock (00:04:47): Yes. And so Dili goes inside, ChaCha absorbs the nature God. And thanks to Dili they managed to escape. Once they come back out in the open, Nix is fighting with Packerest who has a weird like, I imagine it's a belly button that's protruding with teeth, that's what I imagine, but coming out of her- Alex Finn (00:05:08): I imagine it like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle's boss. Stace Babcock (00:05:11): Oh. Alex Finn (00:05:13): That's like a brain and a belly I think. Daniel Andrlik (00:05:15): Yeah, Krang. Stace Babcock (00:05:19): Yeah. So Nix is grappling with her and manages to kill her. After ChaCha and Dili come back out and help, and then Nix eats the... Oh no, you guys don't come back out and help, you come back out when Nix is eating the body. Sampson Davis (00:05:33): Yes. Alex Finn (00:05:34): Didn't you try and eat the wall first. Stace Babcock (00:05:36): Yeah. Hang on, I'll back up to that. So Nix eats the body and immediately curls up and falls asleep. Prior to ChaCha trying the cube, there was a short conversation during which [Hubert 00:05:50] came out and Nix was mightily tempted to eat Hubert. Alex Finn (00:05:58): But he had a gun, so it's fine. Stace Babcock (00:06:01): Yes. So Hubert runs away into Dili's pocket and it has access to the pew pew gun. However, instead of eating the mouse, Nix through strength of will just took a big chunk out of the flesh wall and ate it. But probably an important note is that the rations tasted like ash to Nix as well after her transformation was accelerated. That's more than I thought I would remember. Sampson Davis (00:06:28): That's pretty good. Daniel Andrlik (00:06:29): That was good. So you tracked down Packerest, you tracked down this entity that was there. You've made your way to Mountain's Bone. You've discovered a lot of strange things at the town about the Henderson's, and door manufacturing, and things like that. So you all have an additional two XP. Stace Babcock (00:06:49): Hell yeah. Tiering up. Sampson Davis (00:06:50): More and more in secondary role. Daniel Andrlik (00:06:52): So is Nix tiering up? Stace Babcock (00:06:54): Hell yeah, she is. Boy. Let me just go look up what I want to pick. Yeah. Nix is tier three for her glaive fighting move. I chose obstacle running, which I think really fits nicely. So yeah, for three speed points for a minute, Nix can ignore obstacles that slow movement and allows her to travel at normal speed through areas with rebel, et cetera, and it includes things like sliding on a railing, or briefly running along a wall, or even stepping on a creature. So if an obstacle would normally require a role to complete, or speed, then Nix gets an asset or is trained in that particular task. Yeah. It's pretty cool. And then for the needs no weapons, I chose moving like water. You spin and move so that your defense and attacks are aided by your fluid motion. For one minute, all your tax and speed defense tasks gain an asset. Daniel Andrlik (00:07:55): Holly shit. Stace Babcock (00:07:56): Yeah. Alex Finn (00:07:58): Hell yeah. Stace Babcock (00:07:59): Hell yeah. Alex Finn (00:08:01): We might not die. Daniel Andrlik (00:08:02): Man, and you have fled a foot? Stace Babcock (00:08:02): I know. Daniel Andrlik (00:08:06): Man, this is rough. We might have to nerf. Stace Babcock (00:08:09): Yeah. Your enemies, Daniel. Daniel Andrlik (00:08:14): Dili, you've come back to this cave, ChaCha has come back to this cave. ChaCha, you saw the artifact that seemed to be associated with nature, had them flown up and embedded itself in ChaCha's body, almost phasing into it. It's not visible from the exterior, but Dili would have seen that happen. And you guys had just looked over and found Nix stretched out of the floor as these feet from Packerest go in Nix's mouth, Nix closes her mouth and just falls asleep. Sampson Davis (00:08:50): I'm imagining a very cartoonish like circular gut. And Nix is just sleeping. Daniel Andrlik (00:08:56): I love that image, but actually for some reason, there does not appear to be any bulging. It doesn't make sense that she could physically fit that whole body in there. Stace Babcock (00:09:08): Oh my God. Nix is the donkey. Sampson Davis (00:09:08): What? Stace Babcock (00:09:09): Nix is the donkey from Doom Patrol. Sampson Davis (00:09:17): Oh. Daniel Andrlik (00:09:17): Yeah. So what do you guys do? Nix is asleep, so it's up to Dili and ChaCha. Alex Finn (00:09:23): Should we take a nap here? Sampson Davis (00:09:26): I guess. Are you okay by the way? Because you had a meal, you ate a God. How do you feel about that? Stace Babcock (00:09:33): I don't know. How does ChaCha feel? Daniel Andrlik (00:09:38): It's very weird. So right now, ChaCha feels a little woozing, not in the hindering way, but just in like, something is off way. But weirdly you still feel okay about it. Alex Finn (00:09:50): I mean, I'm dizzy, but that might have been the mysterious pain I felt when I first came down in this hole, that might be causing it. Just suddenly I had this stabbing pain in my side, like someone was punching into my gut. It's really weird and hard to describe, but I think overall I'm fine. Sampson Davis (00:10:13): Wow. Weird. All right. Dili look over at Nix and be like, "Yeah, I guess we probably should take a nap because Nix is holding mass for two people at the moment, I think." Alex Finn (00:10:25): Yeah. Daniel Andrlik (00:10:26): And meanwhile, the saliva purses, continuing to drip down in several spaces from those jagged teeth in the cave wall. Alex Finn (00:10:36): Did we take turns doing watch? Sampson Davis (00:10:38): Wait, do you want to take a long rest? Alex Finn (00:10:43): I feel like if we took an hour, that'd be okay, but I don't know when Nix is going to wake up and I honestly can not carry Nix up that rope. Sampson Davis (00:10:53): Same, yeah. Alex Finn (00:10:54): I don't think either one of us can pull her up by themselves. Sampson Davis (00:10:59): No. Definitely not. Oh, by the way, here's a Hubert back, that pulls out Hubert. Alex Finn (00:11:04): Awesome. Sampson Davis (00:11:05): I think he's fine. Alex Finn (00:11:07): I mean, trauma does the soul good sometimes. It might make him stronger or it might break him emotionally and he'll then become our greatest villain. We'll find out. Sampson Davis (00:11:21): I still don't know how to respond sometimes. Do you think I would have enough practice by now? Daniel Andrlik (00:11:25): So as you hand Hubert over, he definitely poops in Dili's hand. Sampson Davis (00:11:30): Well, I feel like I still got off. Dili brushes it off. Daniel Andrlik (00:11:35): Yeah. You guys are going to hang out [inaudible 00:11:38]. So you guys are basically going to use your up to hour recovery roles is what you're telling me. Alex Finn (00:11:42): Yes. Sampson Davis (00:11:43): Yeah, I guess so. Daniel Andrlik (00:11:45): Right. And you're keeping watch. Okay. Sampson Davis (00:11:48): Wow. Stace Babcock (00:11:49): Good or bad Sampson. Sampson Davis (00:11:51): Two, two and one. Stace Babcock (00:11:51): Yeah. Daniel Andrlik (00:11:55): Ouch. Dili and ChaCha are doing up to one hour recovery roles. About an hour and a half later, Nix, you wake up. You feel a little drowsy, but otherwise pretty good. Nix, if any of your pools were depleted, they're now full. Stace Babcock (00:12:11): What? Oh, dang. Nix sits up and stretches obnoxiously, like be gun, pooh. Daniel Andrlik (00:12:19): Yeah. Stace Babcock (00:12:22): Oh, Hey guys. Sampson Davis (00:12:23): Hey, how are you feeling? Stace Babcock (00:12:28): A little bit still sleepy. That's why a long nap is so dangerous. You sleep a little bit too long and you should have just slept eight hours or whatever, but yeah. I'm feeling pretty good. Alex Finn (00:12:38): Yeah. You can't disrupt the sleep schedule. Stace Babcock (00:12:41): Yeah. So what happened you guys in the cube? Alex Finn (00:12:47): Oh, I thought you were going to say, what happened with you eating that person, but cube. Sure. Stace Babcock (00:12:52): Oh yeah, no. I mean, I ate the person. Alex Finn (00:12:56): Did they taste good? Stace Babcock (00:12:59): They tasted like person. I mean like life. Alex Finn (00:13:04): I hear people taste like certain kinds of street meat. Stace Babcock (00:13:08): Well, it's more like I tasted the outside of the person because I wasn't chewing. You know what I'm saying? So it's very like fabric, a little bit of sweat maybe, she uses a lavender soap which not my favorite. Alex Finn (00:13:24): Yeah. That doesn't sound tasty. Stace Babcock (00:13:26): No. And she had a bar of it in her pocket. Alex Finn (00:13:28): Oh. Stace Babcock (00:13:29): [crosstalk 00:13:29]. Daniel Andrlik (00:13:29): Very complex flavor profile you have there. Stace Babcock (00:13:35): I know. Daniel Andrlik (00:13:38): I'm just imagining this NPC that's going around willfully mutating people. And she's just got this bar of soap in her pocket just because she never knows when she's going to need it. Sampson Davis (00:13:48): I mean, her stomach drooled when she got excited. Stace Babcock (00:13:54): Yeah. Maybe. Daniel Andrlik (00:13:54): It's true. Stace Babcock (00:13:57): That was a little weird. Yeah. Alex Finn (00:13:58): I mean, yeah. Stace Babcock (00:14:00): Not my favorite sauce. Alex Finn (00:14:01): Yeah. We'll find a better one next time. Stace Babcock (00:14:06): It wasn't worse than rations, if you guys were wondering. Alex Finn (00:14:11): Maybe we should try eating people instead of rations. Sampson Davis (00:14:15): No. I'm good with the rations. Stace Babcock (00:14:18): I think I'm only going to eat dead people. Sampson Davis (00:14:21): Okay. Or prisoners, well find some real criminals or something. Alex Finn (00:14:27): Yeah. We could clean up the streets. Like you eating criminals. Stace Babcock (00:14:32): Only if they're already dead. Alex Finn (00:14:34): What if we help them to the death? Stace Babcock (00:14:36): I mean, if we kill them in the matter of course of our work, and in order to achieve our goals, then maybe. I mean, I would be fine with that. Like this situation, she was going to kill me so I killed her and then I ate her. That's ideal. Less ideal is hunting people down to eat them, that just feels a little bit wrong. Alex Finn (00:14:56): If they're criminals, it shouldn't matter. Right? Stace Babcock (00:14:59): Well, no. Because not every criminal deserves to die ChaCha. Alex Finn (00:15:03): I mean, haven't you heard all the good news about vigilante justice? Stace Babcock (00:15:08): Been living it ChaCha. Alex Finn (00:15:10): Exactly. Stace Babcock (00:15:13): Right. So what went on in the cube? Alex Finn (00:15:16): Oh, so when I got in the cube, it's weird because I didn't see me, I saw this box with a little red X in it. Stace Babcock (00:15:27): Huh. Alex Finn (00:15:29): And then nature got angry and nature wouldn't answer any of my questions. I guess I ate nature. Stace Babcock (00:15:38): That is pretty cool ChaCha. So we've both eaten things today. Alex Finn (00:15:44): Right. So it's Dili's turn. Sampson Davis (00:15:47): No, I had a full breakfast, I'm good. Alex Finn (00:15:51): But- Stace Babcock (00:15:52): Where did you get a full breakfast? Alex Finn (00:15:55): Yeah, actually. Sampson Davis (00:15:56): At the inn that we stayed at. [inaudible 00:15:59]. Also at the campfire that I assume we had. Stace Babcock (00:16:02): Holding out on us Dili. Sampson Davis (00:16:04): But you weren't there. Also you don't like rations anymore, so whatever. Alex Finn (00:16:08): Yes, people. Sampson Davis (00:16:08): That too. Stace Babcock (00:16:12): No, I said it was as good as rations. Alex Finn (00:16:13): I mean, I guess. Yeah. So I guess I'm nature now. Sampson Davis (00:16:18): Can you mutate people? Stace Babcock (00:16:21): Mutate Dili. Alex Finn (00:16:22): Yeah. Dili, I'm going to try and mutate you. Okay? Sampson Davis (00:16:31): Okay. Do my feet, I need my hands. Try mutating my feet. Daniel Andrlik (00:16:35): Dili sticks out one of his feet. Stace Babcock (00:16:37): ChaCha is going to try and mutate one of Dili's feet. Wait. Okay guys, hang on. Actually after the arch, Dili are you sure about this? Because I was really joking. Sampson Davis (00:16:47): Oh yes. Until he pulls back his feet. ChaCha can you control the mutation? Can you give me another pair of arms? Can you specifically do that? Alex Finn (00:16:59): Maybe. That would be really useful. Let's try it. Sampson Davis (00:17:03): I agree. Dili puts up his hands like, "Mutate me." Stace Babcock (00:17:13): Daniel. Can ChaCha mutate Dili? Daniel Andrlik (00:17:22): I would say you reach out and you touch Dili, and nothing happens. Alex Finn (00:17:27): I think it's broken. Stace Babcock (00:17:29): And she just starts poking Dili in the armpit? Where she assumes the second set of arms would have come out? Sampson Davis (00:17:35): Dili is trying not to be ticklish. Daniel Andrlik (00:17:37): Yeah. I would say, as you're doing that poking around ChaCha, I guess, are you just curious as you're doing it or are you frustrated? Alex Finn (00:17:47): I think curious, unless she feels like she should be able to do it, then she'll get angry. Daniel Andrlik (00:17:54): I think ChaCha feels like she should be able to do it, in her head, that makes sense that she could do it. Sampson Davis (00:18:00): Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch, it starting to hurt, ouch, ouch. Alex Finn (00:18:03): You have to accept it. Daniel Andrlik (00:18:06): So as you get frustrated, ChaCha, and as your heart starts to race, you feel a strange fluttering inside your chest. And this time when you poke Dili, Dili, I'm going to need you- Alex Finn (00:18:19): Oh no. Daniel Andrlik (00:18:19): ... to roll, 1D 2020. Sampson Davis (00:18:21): 12. Daniel Andrlik (00:18:24): Sampson, roll me 1D6. Sampson Davis (00:18:28): 1D6. Three. Daniel Andrlik (00:18:31): Okay. And 1D 100. What is that? Sampson Davis (00:18:36): A two. Daniel Andrlik (00:18:37): Okay. Dili, you're in this fleshy cave here and you've got glow gloves, and all of a sudden the light seems almost too bright for you, and you shut your eyes for a moment, just instinctually. And then you noticed as you're looking around, as you look away from the glow glove directly, you notice that some of the shadows around you, you know the shadows are there, but it's as if they're immaterial, you see right through them. Dili now has a permanent mutation of dark sight. You see in complete darkness as if it was light. Alex Finn (00:19:13): Fuck yeah. Stace Babcock (00:19:14): Oh my God. Alex Finn (00:19:16): That's amazing. Daniel Andrlik (00:19:17): It's an enabler. It's always on. Stace Babcock (00:19:19): It's way better than a wattle. A moist wattle. Sampson Davis (00:19:25): Holy shit- Alex Finn (00:19:26): [crosstalk 00:19:26] Sampson Davis (00:19:26): ... guys, I think it worked. I'm walking through all the arches now, this is great. I can see through shadow, I can see into shadow. [crosstalk 00:19:34]. Stace Babcock (00:19:33): What? Alex Finn (00:19:33): This is amazing. Daniel Andrlik (00:19:36): So one of the things I'd say you guys noticed is that when Dili, if his eyes are pointed at a dark spot, you notice that his pupils widen to the point where his eyes are almost all black, and then there's almost a crinkling of his face around his eyes and his eyes almost open up even farther than they should. The skull is moving aside and his pupils go wide, he can see in the dark. But then as he move back to light, it just very quickly snaps back into a normal shape. Stace Babcock (00:20:05): Dili, it looks wild. Sampson Davis (00:20:06): Oh, can you tell that? Can you tell when it happens? Stace Babcock (00:20:10): Oh yeah. Your eyes basically turn black. Daniel Andrlik (00:20:15): And you probably still have a little bit of that glow in the dark ink on you. Alex Finn (00:20:17): This is awesome. Sampson Davis (00:20:19): Wait, from ChaCha's painting me? Stace Babcock (00:20:21): Yeah. Sampson Davis (00:20:22): Okay. Stace Babcock (00:20:23): Like a French woman. Yo Dili, can I have your glow gloves? Sampson Davis (00:20:28): Sure. Have you broken all yours? Stace Babcock (00:20:31): No, not yet. Sampson Davis (00:20:37): A question about dark sight in general, does it work like dark vision where everything goes gray scale and shadow or do I see color as well? Daniel Andrlik (00:20:44): So Dili, it does not make any sense whatsoever biologically that you should be able to see color, like sky for dark vision with it being more black and white is what would make biological sense. But with your dark vision, you're seeing all the colors. Stace Babcock (00:21:00): Fuck yeah. Sampson Davis (00:21:01): Dope. Yeah. I'm still going to keep one just in case, but yeah, here's one glow glove. Stace Babcock (00:21:07): All right. Hell yeah. Now I got two. Alex Finn (00:21:10): I totally understand why she was changing everybody. This is addicting. Sampson Davis (00:21:14): A question, were you able to influence that? Were you able to choose that mutation? Alex Finn (00:21:21): No. I just got angry and wanted to poke you in the armpit again. Sampson Davis (00:21:25): Interesting. Alex Finn (00:21:26): I was thinking maybe you'd get a finger or something. Sampson Davis (00:21:28): Well, I'm happy with the eyes. So thank you very much, this is great. Stace Babcock (00:21:32): Yeah. It's the biggest rash, right Dili? You don't know what's going to happen. Sampson Davis (00:21:37): What did you get? Stace Babcock (00:21:39): Oh, I don't know. But I'm going to get snakier, faster. I think that's why I could eat the whole body. Because I couldn't do that yesterday. Not that I tried, I guess. Also you're right though, the rations did not taste good. I think I have a taste for flesh now Dili, more so. Alex Finn (00:21:58): Well- Sampson Davis (00:21:58): Yeah. I could tell, you where eyeing up Hubert. Stace Babcock (00:22:03): Yeah. Could need a steady supply of rodents. Alex Finn (00:22:05): I mean, we could use him as bait to lure out friends. Sampson Davis (00:22:08): Friends for Hubert? Alex Finn (00:22:08): Yeah. Stace Babcock (00:22:10): Friends for me Dili. Alex Finn (00:22:12): Yeah. I'm sure he will accept this as the cost of freedom. Sampson Davis (00:22:21): That seems a little dark. Stace Babcock (00:22:23): Also not freedom. Because ChaCha, we're not letting him go. Alex Finn (00:22:28): I mean, yeah, but- Sampson Davis (00:22:29): It's very dark though. Alex Finn (00:22:30): I feel like we have a mutual understanding that, if he leaves it'll be okay, but I can't protect him if he leaves. This is dark. Stace Babcock (00:22:40): Are we going to leave? What are you guys thinking? Alex Finn (00:22:43): I mean, we're flesh cave. If you still hungry, eat the flesh cave, then we leave. Stace Babcock (00:22:54): No. Daniel, I assume that Nix isn't hungry. Daniel Andrlik (00:22:54): You're not. No. You feel very satisfied. Incidentally, Nix as you're looking around, I would say, you're going to notice something. In that, as you look at different parts of the cave, you'll look at it and you'll see how much light is on it and things like that. But there is a part of you that is also in the back of your mind, going colder, warmer, colder, warmer, warmer. And then when you look back at ChaCha and Dili, you also have this thought in the back of your head as like, "Hot, hot." Sampson Davis (00:23:32): Can you hear heartbeats? Like Deuces did? Stace Babcock (00:23:35): That would be amazing. Daniel Andrlik (00:23:36): No. She doesn't hear anything. It's just like, she instinctively knows where warmth and cold is in the room. Almost as if she senses the heat of the creatures in the environment around her. Alex Finn (00:23:51): Can she taste it? Daniel Andrlik (00:23:54): Could be like a flavor, but it's not the way flavor Nix would know prior to this point. Stace Babcock (00:24:00): That sounds really cool, And it might come in handy. All right. When Nix passes out from being cold or whatever. So the grappling hook, did Nix ever tug it down? I don't think so. Daniel Andrlik (00:24:11): I don't think so. Because Dili climbed down, but I think too. Alex Finn (00:24:14): Yeah. Dili was last. Stace Babcock (00:24:16): Well, you guys want to go first so I can catch you if you fall or what are you thinking? Sampson Davis (00:24:22): Yeah, I guess. Stace Babcock (00:24:23): All right. Alex Finn (00:24:25): Dili first, I'm pretty good at climbing. Oh wait, should I go up so I can give Dili a hand when he gets up? Kind of a sandwich of scales. Sampson Davis (00:24:32): I guess I would appreciate that. Thank you. Alex Finn (00:24:36): Okay. Sampson Davis (00:24:37): Okay. Daniel Andrlik (00:24:39): The ropes help, because it would be at nine to start, but the ropes help with the six and I believe ChaCha is trained in climbing. So that's a three. Stace Babcock (00:24:46): Oh God damn it. I got a nine at 20. Son of a bitch. I love how I've wasted it on climbing for a three, and ChaCha just elevates up there like, [inaudible 00:24:59]. Daniel Andrlik (00:24:59): Yeah. So you easily climb up to the top, what would you propose as a major effect? Alex Finn (00:25:05): That even if Dili fails ChaCha can catch him, or Nix can catch him. Just a gimme. Daniel Andrlik (00:25:10): It's a good call. Yes. Okay. A get out of damage free card essentially. Okay Dili, it's a nine. The rope makes it a six. Excellent. Sampson Davis (00:25:21): 11. Daniel Andrlik (00:25:22): Dili gets up the rope. Nix, I believe it's a three for you because of the rope, and I think you're trained in climbing or at least physical tasks or something like that. Stace Babcock (00:25:32): Yes. Climbing. Nix gathers up the rope behind her and I guess I'll roll. One. Daniel Andrlik (00:25:42): Wow. Okay. So Nix begins climbing up the rope, and I would say maybe it's that you guys are pretty confident that Nix is going to be okay, that Nix doesn't really have to worry about it. But Nix gets about halfway up and then the grappling hook comes loose and she starts falling. Nix hits the ground and slams right against one of those jagged teeth [crosstalk 00:26:09]. So she'll take five my damage- Stace Babcock (00:26:14): Damn. Daniel Andrlik (00:26:14): ... and be very uncomfortable because she's got this tooth embedded in her. Stace Babcock (00:26:17): Oh, it broke off. Sampson Davis (00:26:17): Shit. Daniel Andrlik (00:26:21): No, it didn't break off, you're pinned against it. Stace Babcock (00:26:24): Oh, I thought she was impaled and like, oh no. Daniel Andrlik (00:26:27): Yeah. She's impaled through her shoulder, or whatever. Stace Babcock (00:26:30): Oh. Alex Finn (00:26:30): Oh, this is Tomb Raider all over again. Stace Babcock (00:26:33): Nix will reach up with both hands and grab the tip and try to break it off. Alex Finn (00:26:38): Why wouldn't you just hook back through? Stace Babcock (00:26:41): Oh, I imagine that there's a significant extrusion. Daniel Andrlik (00:26:46): Yeah. Well actually, these teeth aren't that large. I mean, it's big enough that it's sticking out the other side, but it's probably only a couple of inches [crosstalk 00:26:55]. Stace Babcock (00:26:55): Then Nix pulls it up. Daniel Andrlik (00:26:59): Flesh. Okay. Actually roll [inaudible 00:27:05]. Tell me if you get even or up. Stace Babcock (00:27:06): Even. Daniel Andrlik (00:27:08): Okay. So you managed to get up, you're careful enough that you don't get cut up more by taking it out. Of course blood is flowing now, there's nothing blocking the blood. Sampson Davis (00:27:18): Nix, are you okay? Stace Babcock (00:27:21): Yeah. Yeah. Sampson Davis (00:27:22): What did she say? Daniel Andrlik (00:27:24): That's right. You won't be able to hear each other because of the bubble. Stace Babcock (00:27:28): Nix will take a piece of handler outfit, which I believe is linen wraps, tear the filthy scrap off, just stuff it in there. Sampson Davis (00:27:38): Wait, handler benevolent traveler. Stace Babcock (00:27:42): Handler. Sampson Davis (00:27:42): Handler. Stace Babcock (00:27:43): Because she traded clothes with the handler. And I do not believe ever, I found another set of clothing. Alex Finn (00:27:52): No. Stace Babcock (00:27:54): So the grappling hook came down. Daniel Andrlik (00:27:56): Yes. Stace Babcock (00:27:56): Oh, so Nix will pick it up and try to throw it back up. Daniel Andrlik (00:27:58): Yeah. So it's a pretty far distance and you're trying to get it on there. So it be a 12 to start. Stace Babcock (00:28:07): Okay. Sampson Davis (00:28:10): Who's rope do you have? Do you know? Stace Babcock (00:28:12): Nix's own rope. Sampson Davis (00:28:13): Okay. I didn't- Stace Babcock (00:28:14): The rope that was attached to the grappling hook. Or if you want to say, Nix attached one of her own ropes to the grappling hook, surely it's the 50 foot rope. Sampson Davis (00:28:25): Okay. That's what I wanted to make sure. Dili is going to try to help a little bit by lowering his own rope. Just a little loop at the end to catch the grappling hook if Nix couldn't hit it. Daniel Andrlik (00:28:31): Okay. So Stace, did you get a chance to roll it yet? Stace Babcock (00:28:41): Oh no. Sorry. I was trying to decide if I wanted to spend effort, which I do. So that's a nine. Then let me roll, 19. Daniel Andrlik (00:28:48): Okay. So it flies up and manages to hook on the side just fine. It actually just barely misses hitting Dili in the face. It seems a lot of [inaudible 00:28:54], what would you like for a minor effect? Stace Babcock (00:28:59): Nix just can climb up the rope. Daniel Andrlik (00:29:02): Sure. I'll give it to you. You get up the rope, and you're up at the top of this cave structure. Sampson Davis (00:29:08): Are you okay? Stace Babcock (00:29:09): Oh yeah. I've been climbing my whole life Dili. Daniel Andrlik (00:29:12): There's blood pulsing against that cloth she's got there. Alex Finn (00:29:17): Oh, do you need me to look at that? Stace Babcock (00:29:21): Yeah, actually ChaCha, if you would. It's the weirdest thing, I was climbing and then I was falling, and I fell on a rock. Alex Finn (00:29:29): Yeah. That happens when you fall when climbing. Sampson Davis (00:29:33): That's not super weird. Alex Finn (00:29:34): It happens a lot actually. Stace Babcock (00:29:36): What? No. It never happens. Sampson Davis (00:29:39): I do that all the time, are you kidding me? Stace Babcock (00:29:41): Well, it's never happened to me before guys. So this is a new experience, strangely a little bit embarrassed, that's weird. Daniel Andrlik (00:29:50): ChaCha, are you doing a healing check looking at it? Alex Finn (00:29:53): Yes. Daniel Andrlik (00:29:53): Okay. So it's a nine and then a six for you since you're trained. Alex Finn (00:30:00): Okay. 16. Daniel Andrlik (00:30:01): The cut is relatively clean, but there appears to be a pretty big risk of infection because it occurs to you that those things sticking out of the ground are not so much rocks as they were teeth that were dripping purse. Alex Finn (00:30:17): Good news, bad news. Good news, right now it's clean, bad news, those rocks, you didn't fall on a rock, you fell on one of those tooth things that have the purse. Daniel Andrlik (00:30:30): And the pluck. Alex Finn (00:30:34): And the tartar and the gingivitis. What I'm saying is, we should probably treat you so you don't get infected and then die of that brain disease. Stace Babcock (00:30:45): Oh yeah. And don't really want to lose another part of my body. Alex Finn (00:30:51): Well it's your shoulders, so you die because it's torso, we can't really cut off torso. Stace Babcock (00:30:56): No. All right ChaCha, take a look, will you? What do you want to do? Daniel Andrlik (00:31:15): So I would say this ChaCha, this is the thing that you would probably need to cut a lot around the wound and then cauterize it, prevent the spread of infection. And ChaCha, you would remember this because of your healing check. One of the villages you visited, you remember these two men at the village getting into a fight and one punched the other and broke a tooth. But the tooth got stuck in his arm and he nearly died from the black infection. Sampson Davis (00:31:33): And evil technology. Alex Finn (00:31:34): Oh boy. Oh boy. So what we can do is, I give you this dagger to bite on the handle while we take another dagger and clean up that wound you got there. And then we take a little bit of fire and put that on there and it'll be good as new. Stace Babcock (00:31:55): I mean, do you want to do that here? Sampson Davis (00:31:57): Yeah. We're only two miles out of town, so we could at least get proper supplies. Daniel Andrlik (00:32:03): I would say ChaCha, since this is a potential blood infection, you would know that there's not a lot of time if you're going to try to prevent it. Alex Finn (00:32:11): So the last time I saw this, it was a drunken bar fight, and this guy got a tooth stuck in his arm, and he's like, "Don't worry about it. I'm a big, strong, manly man. And I'll just go see the doctor the next day." And then it was too late because it had gotten into his blood and then he just... Oh man. I couldn't finish watching the story but I think he lived. But he lost that arm. Stace Babcock (00:32:40): Before ChaCha's done with the story, Nix has her shirt and clock off. Daniel Andrlik (00:32:43): Okay. Then at that point you can see Nix's tattoo much more clearly. Stace Babcock (00:32:56): Oh yeah. Daniel Andrlik (00:32:56): You can see on her back at the center of that same compass rose symbol, and then all those geometric lines and right angles spreading out from that epicenter all over her torso and down really as far as you can see and down her arms like sleeves. Sampson Davis (00:33:10): Wow. Alex Finn (00:33:15): That's so cool. Stace Babcock (00:33:15): Oh yeah, thanks. Took a lot of time. Sampson Davis (00:33:15): It's a travelers thing or is that just a you thing? Stace Babcock (00:33:18): Oh no, most travelers. Yeah. Who graduate. Sampson Davis (00:33:22): Oh, very pretty. Stace Babcock (00:33:24): Yeah. Everyone has a partial tattoo on the back, at least. Sampson Davis (00:33:28): Yeah. So anyway, ChaCha... Alex Finn (00:33:31): They get matching tattoos? Sampson Davis (00:33:34): ChaCha, don't draw on me again, please. I don't- Alex Finn (00:33:37): No real tattoos. Once we finish this mission, we'll all go out, get drunk, and get matching tattoos, and I'll say no regrets. Sampson Davis (00:33:49): No, regrets. Alex Finn (00:33:50): Right. And it'll- Stace Babcock (00:33:50): ChaCha- Alex Finn (00:33:50): ... be our thing. Stace Babcock (00:33:53): We can discuss later, but is this time sensitive? This whole- Alex Finn (00:33:58): Oh yeah. Dili, hold her down. Sampson Davis (00:34:03): Nix could you pretend. Stace Babcock (00:34:04): Just sit on me Dili, it's fine. Just sit right on my stomach. Yeah. Sampson Davis (00:34:09): Okay. Dili sits on her stomach. Stace Babcock (00:34:12): It's not comfortable, it's very frantic. Sampson Davis (00:34:16): Okay. It's scaly. I can't- Daniel Andrlik (00:34:19): I got things here. So let's first make sure that Nix can deal with... Yeah, I think this is the best order of operations. So basically, we're going to try to roll pain resistance for Nix, because Dili is trying to hold you down as best he can. You'll have an asset on this because the goal is that, it's a my defense role to keep yourself from lashing out or lashing away. So it's my defense with an asset from Dili which makes it enough. Stace Babcock (00:34:51): Okay. Nix has three edge, and right now. So six with that level of effort, boy. Yeah, whatever. We'll just do that. 14. Daniel Andrlik (00:35:03): Okay. You managed to hold yourself still as ChaCha is into you now. ChaCha, because Nix is able to hold herself still, you're going to get an asset on this. You know you need to cut out all the infection and cauterize the wound. Well to start, you're going to get an asset from Nix holding still while you're digging around inside her with a knife, and you'll have an asset from your healing. So it's a six. Stace Babcock (00:35:32): Jesus, I got a 14. Daniel Andrlik (00:35:32): Okay. Stace Babcock (00:35:35): [inaudible 00:35:35]. Daniel Andrlik (00:35:38): Yeah. It takes a little while, but you slice off everything that you think could be a potential area for an infection and you use head's magic to cauterize the wound. Nix, this surgery will cause some damage to you, it won't necessarily be as bad as if you couldn't hold still. So it'll only be three my damage from the surgery. Alex Finn (00:36:02): Yay. Stace Babcock (00:36:03): That's going to be like, what about armor? But then again like, what about armor? That seems like it would hinder surgery. So let's just forget about [inaudible 00:36:09]. Daniel Andrlik (00:36:11): Yeah. An armor doesn't help when she's digging around inside you. Stace Babcock (00:36:15): Yeah. True. Daniel Andrlik (00:36:17): Once those raccoon hands come into play. In my head, it's getting very hard not to picture ChaCha as a little cartoon raccoon. Okay. So Nix, you have got that damage, but ChaCha you feel confident you've cleared out any potential for infection. Alex Finn (00:36:46): I am feeling pretty good about it, but I don't think we should close it up. We should let it breath, but if you want, I can give you the same signature I gave Dili later. Stace Babcock (00:36:53): No, I don't want to mess up my tattoos too much. Alex Finn (00:37:02): That is also [crosstalk 00:37:02]. Daniel Andrlik (00:37:02): It's already going to be a little messed up. Stace Babcock (00:37:02): Yeah. And you know what ChaCha? I might need your tattoo artist skills on my new leg because... Daniel Andrlik (00:37:08): That's fair. Yeah. Alex Finn (00:37:09): Very true. Daniel Andrlik (00:37:10): Two is like any other canvas, that's good. Stace Babcock (00:37:14): Cool. Nice to be alive. Daniel Andrlik (00:37:16): Okay. So at this point I would like to offer Dili an XP. Stace Babcock (00:37:21): Oh no, do it, [crosstalk 00:37:22]. Sampson Davis (00:37:22): Okay. I'll take it. Daniel Andrlik (00:37:25): Who do you give the other one too? Sampson Davis (00:37:28): Give it to ChaCha. Daniel Andrlik (00:37:29): Okay. Stace Babcock (00:37:30): Why do you hate me? Daniel Andrlik (00:37:31): You just teared up, you're fine. And she just saved your life, she gets the XP. So what are you guys doing? Stace Babcock (00:37:41): Wow. This is dire. This fills me with trepidation. Alex Finn (00:37:46): I feel like we should go back to the village, but can't give back that artifact anymore because I ate it. Sampson Davis (00:37:59): Well, we should definitely tell Vlad that it's under control for sure. Stace Babcock (00:38:05): And also watch for, if you pass it. Sampson Davis (00:38:07): We should also get some steel softeners just in case because- Alex Finn (00:38:07): It be like rock candy? Stace Babcock (00:38:19): Yeah. And I got a lot of experience with that ChaCha, so I could talk you through it. Alex Finn (00:38:23): Oh, okay. It's a big cube. Stace Babcock (00:38:26): Is it big? I thought it'd fit in the palm of her hand. Alex Finn (00:38:29): It's still big. Sampson Davis (00:38:32): For optics passing that's pretty big. Stace Babcock (00:38:33): I mean it's big. Yeah. I'm just saying. Sampson Davis (00:38:37): More corners that you want, for sure. Stace Babcock (00:38:39): [inaudible 00:38:39]. Alex Finn (00:38:39): Oh, God. Sampson Davis (00:38:43): ChaCha you're going to be fine, it's going to be fine. Stace Babcock (00:38:46): It could have been a sphere, but it wasn't. Yeah. So Nix finishes reassembling her clothing and it's not great, because she doesn't know how to wear handler clothes. Sampson Davis (00:38:58): Actually, I forget Dili has scaniotum. Dili is just going to scan ChaCha for iotum to see if that thing is still its own object within her or if it's absorbed. Daniel Andrlik (00:39:11): Okay. So with your skill insludging Numenera, with your scaniotum, you're always going to get something out of scaniotum. I think that brings it down to a three to see if she can get more information. Sampson Davis (00:39:25): Natural 20. Daniel Andrlik (00:39:27): Okay. So here's what you know, you can't necessarily detect a separate object there. There's a separate object there, but it's hard to distinguish it from ChaCha. You do know that if you were to salvage ChaCha, you could possibly get up to three IO, two mimetic gel, three biomechanical circuitry, and possibly two units of Thaum energy. Thaum dust. Sampson Davis (00:40:02): Tom energy? Stace Babcock (00:40:02): From those two Tom's she ate? Daniel Andrlik (00:40:04): Thaum. Thaum. T-H-A-U-M. Sampson Davis (00:40:04): Thaum, okay. I like Tom better. Stace Babcock (00:40:04): Just Tom and Thaum. Daniel Andrlik (00:40:11): Thaum yeah. Thaum dust. Listen, there's a lot of words that I've read and I've never said. Stace Babcock (00:40:19): I don't even know. Alex Finn (00:40:22): You said we're going back to town. Daniel Andrlik (00:40:24): Okay. So you're going back to town. You guys get back to town. Sampson Davis (00:40:27): Hold on. I want a major effect off of this. Stace Babcock (00:40:29): Oh yeah. True. Daniel Andrlik (00:40:31): Oh right. I'm sorry. Stace Babcock (00:40:31): True, true, sorry. Daniel Andrlik (00:40:32): Sorry. I got so distracted by everything else. Sampson Davis (00:40:38): For a major effect, I want a little bit more information off of the extra dimensional bracelet that ChaCha may or may not be wearing that Atalia got a little bit off of. Daniel Andrlik (00:40:51): Yeah. So you don't necessarily recognize the bracelet, but you do detect a flicker of some iotum attached to it. It doesn't come back as a specific type of iotum because it's not really completely in face. You're not sure what it is, you're not sure what type of IO it is, but it is somewhere between one and seven IO, that's powering that bracelet. Stace Babcock (00:41:23): Damn. Sampson Davis (00:41:24): ChaCha you got a lot of IO attached to you. Do you? While also I think we're walking and talking [inaudible 00:41:30]. Daniel Andrlik (00:41:29): Dili, by the way, because you did scaniotum, because you are very aware of, if you were salvaging ChaCha's body, exactly how you would have to dig in to remove the IO you need to. Alex Finn (00:41:42): Who's the raccoon now? Sampson Davis (00:41:44): I learned from the best. Alex Finn (00:41:45): Oh. Daniel Andrlik (00:41:47): I'm not saying you attempted to do it, I'm just saying, you were just intellectually very aware of what you would do. Alex Finn (00:41:53): If you wanted to. Sampson Davis (00:41:56): Even bracelet one? Daniel Andrlik (00:41:57): That, you know you couldn't reach because it's not phased into our reality. Alex Finn (00:42:01): I mean, there's the voices in my head, there's the horrors and now I ate nature, so I am nature, and I mutated you. I feel like this is just an average day, right? Sampson Davis (00:42:14): Yeah. Stace Babcock (00:42:15): No. I mean, I feel like an average day is pretty boring. You're walking or you're like- Sampson Davis (00:42:22): No. I- Daniel Andrlik (00:42:22): Meanwhile, Nix is just picking culters out of her teeth. Sampson Davis (00:42:29): I think I may have to agree with ChaCha because, she ate a God and that seemed pretty easy. So maybe this is just the average. Maybe it's just- Alex Finn (00:42:38): I mean, I'm saving the world. What else am I supposed to do besides eat nature? Stace Babcock (00:42:43): No. Yeah. I'm not saying, make a note in your journal or anything guys. I'm just saying, we just spent several days/weeks on the road. So think of those days, those are also average days. Alex Finn (00:42:56): You mean that day where the bug guy showed up and wanted to kill us all? Stace Babcock (00:43:01): No, the days in between where we didn't see anybody or do anything. Daniel Andrlik (00:43:07): Just wander and stink river by yourselves. Stace Babcock (00:43:14): Stink river was interesting. Yeah. Alex Finn (00:43:14): Stink river is pretty cool, actually. Sampson Davis (00:43:16): The first 15 minutes and then it was just oppressive. Alex Finn (00:43:19): But then you found out all the dead things and stink river and it was like the circle of life. Stace Babcock (00:43:25): You're born, then you die Dili, and you draw a circle around those two dots. Alex Finn (00:43:32): One day we will all be skeletons. Sampson Davis (00:43:36): What? How do you know if that's true anymore? Can you hear nature? Can you change that now? Alex Finn (00:43:39): I mean, I feel like if I get stronger, yeah. We won't have to be skeletons, I don't know. Maybe we'll die and be mushrooms. That could be fun. Daniel Andrlik (00:43:50): By the way ChaCha, roll me a 1D20 for me. Alex Finn (00:43:53): Oh Jesus. 12. Daniel Andrlik (00:43:55): Okay. As you were. Sampson Davis (00:43:59): So this cryptic shit Dan. Stace Babcock (00:44:02): All right guys. So do you want to go back and see the lab? Or do you want to stop at a shop? I think I smell. Alex Finn (00:44:12): Yeah. I mean, maybe we should get you some new clothes because that was the hole in the chest. And that's eye catching. Sampson Davis (00:44:20): I mean, we should definitely tell Vlad because he's our trainer now. So I guess we just check in with him. Alex Finn (00:44:26): Oh, and then he can pay me and we can get paid. Stace Babcock (00:44:29): All right. You guys want to get paid first? But Dili will you put up some disguises? Sampson Davis (00:44:33): Sure. Alex Finn (00:44:35): Make me baby pack. Stace Babcock (00:44:36): I'm Carlyle. Sampson Davis (00:44:38): I remember. We're all disguised. The same disguises we had when we entered into town. Stace Babcock (00:44:48): Sampson just did magic jazz hands. Sampson Davis (00:44:48): Yeah. Daniel Andrlik (00:44:49): I'm already thinking about how I need to try to take the Zoom video of this and try to turn it into a game. Stace Babcock (00:44:52): Dig Dili energy. Daniel Andrlik (00:44:59): So you're all disguised and you come back to town. Yes. Stace Babcock (00:45:03): And we go to find good man. Daniel Andrlik (00:45:05): Vlad? Stace Babcock (00:45:06): Yes. Daniel Andrlik (00:45:07): Okay. So you find Vlad at the tavern. He is sitting in a corner both, he is currently eating some sort of sandwich. Stace Babcock (00:45:16): Nix slides into the booth. Sampson Davis (00:45:18): Dili as well. Daniel Andrlik (00:45:18): So Vlad looks at you with his eyelid, looking hazel eyes and says, "Did you have any luck finding her? Alex Finn (00:45:26): Oh yeah. Sampson Davis (00:45:29): Yes. Stace Babcock (00:45:30): Yeah. Alex Finn (00:45:30): Just a little bit. Stace Babcock (00:45:31): Found her, killed her. Alex Finn (00:45:33): Ate her. Daniel Andrlik (00:45:34): Okay, so you've the item? Stace Babcock (00:45:36): Well, only- Daniel Andrlik (00:45:38): Technically, you ate her. Alex Finn (00:45:40): I mean, we technically have the item. It's in a safe place. Daniel Andrlik (00:45:44): It's pretty dangerous. I mean, he looks at Nix and Dili and says, "We should be putting it away for safe keeping." Stace Babcock (00:45:54): No I mean- Alex Finn (00:45:56): We put it away. Sampson Davis (00:45:58): Hey oo, high five. Stace Babcock (00:46:00): ChaCha, we have to make a full report, this is our job. Sampson Davis (00:46:05): Oh, should I put the [crosstalk 00:46:06]. Stace Babcock (00:46:05): That is not how Nix talks, I don't know what I was doing. Sampson Davis (00:46:08): Well then Stace, we could [inaudible 00:46:14]. Should I put the bubble up around ChaCha real quick or? Stace Babcock (00:46:21): Well, no. I mean, he'll listen. Vlad, ChaCha absorbed the artifacts. Daniel Andrlik (00:46:27): He looks over at ChaCha and says, "How large was it?" Alex Finn (00:46:32): I mean, it fit in the palm of my hand and now when I'm angry, I can mutate people. Daniel Andrlik (00:46:37): He nods for a moment, he says, "Pardon me for a moment ChaCha." He flicks his hand and a bubble appears around ChaCha's head blocking out sight and sound. He turns to Nix and Dili and says, "How did you two fuck the Seskii so hard on this mission?" Sampson Davis (00:47:03): Honestly, this was pretty good for us. That feels a little harsh. The artifact's in our control. Daniel Andrlik (00:47:12): You have turned your contractor into a weaponized mutation artifact. Stace Babcock (00:47:20): Well, yeah. And I can see how that would be concerning, but ChaCha was already very dangerous. So I don't really think there's [crosstalk 00:47:28]. Daniel Andrlik (00:47:28): Absolutely. Yeah. So your argument is that she was very dangerous and you've now made her even more dangerous. Stace Babcock (00:47:35): Yo, listen, first of all, I guess all of your missions out into the wild go perfectly. Come on. Daniel Andrlik (00:47:44): I've never created as much danger as this. Stace Babcock (00:47:49): What is so dangerous about this? Mutations happen all the time. Daniel Andrlik (00:47:52): Yeah. But everything that I have read about your contractor from the caller's reports suggests that she's a little unstable. Stace Babcock (00:48:06): But she is very loyal. So if you guys could actually help her, I don't know, decide to join you, maybe you would have a little bit more influence over her actions, honestly. Daniel Andrlik (00:48:19): The callers are very strict about not coercing people and everything that I see here from your caller is that, ChaCha rejected joining the order twice. Stace Babcock (00:48:31): But your order finds her valuable enough, I guess our order, sorry, finds her valuable enough to keep around as a contractor. So listen, how are we supposed to know that the artifact contained a nature God that could be absorbed by ChaCha. How are we supposed to know that? Sampson Davis (00:48:49): Also how are we supposed to know that the nature God would reject ChaCha? Because that's what it sounded like. That she and this nature God talked and the nature God freaked out and- Stace Babcock (00:48:58): Attacked. Daniel Andrlik (00:49:00): I don't know. In our work, you're going to encounter more and more of the previously unknown. I'm just saying, if you're coming in to report to me or anyone, and you've created something more dangerous, I would ask you to do it. But the professional honesty of this is a bad mistake and we're not sure how to fix it as opposed to trying to make it play off as it's all okay. Stace Babcock (00:49:29): So no. Daniel Andrlik (00:49:31): No. Stace Babcock (00:49:32): Yeah, no. I don't know why you're coming in so hot on this, we've been handling our shit for a long time as a team, and when I tell you that we were attacked by the nature God and we survived, I view that as in the plus column, not in the minus column. Daniel Andrlik (00:49:49): It's definitely a plus, but also, I have to be dealing with the consequences of this. And that is that your friend is now incredibly dangerous. Does she do it on command? Is it involuntary? Do you know the answers to any of those questions? Stace Babcock (00:50:06): Well, not yet. We came back and we delivered our report to you of course, first thing, we didn't even shop first. Daniel Andrlik (00:50:12): Okay. So the first thing we need to do is make sure if it is something that she actually controls or if it is involuntary. Stace Babcock (00:50:21): No, that sounds good. Yeah. Sampson Davis (00:50:23): She can control it. We can eat from that, or it's possible for her to control it. Stace Babcock (00:50:28): All right. Well, in the interest of transparency, Dili, she was trying to give you an extra set of arms when she gave you night vision. Sampson Davis (00:50:36): That's true. Yes. But she was still able to do it. Daniel Andrlik (00:50:39): It's a useful mutation to have. Sampson Davis (00:50:41): Oh, [inaudible 00:50:42] controlling it. Daniel Andrlik (00:50:43): All right. We'll figure out if it's voluntary or involuntary, assess the danger, and then we can figure things out from there. Does she have any ability at all to reverse some existing mutation? Stace Babcock (00:50:57): We haven't tried. Yeah. I figured we'd find the Henderson's next and see. Daniel Andrlik (00:51:05): All right. That's not a terrible idea. Why don't you go and try that out. Race is supposed to be back tonight. So if you can circle back tonight, we can all get together and discuss. Stace Babcock (00:51:15): Yeah, no for sure. Vlad, you seem really stressed out and just remember that this is all a journey and you don't know where it's going to go, or where it's going to take you, but it will end someday. All right. Let's go find Henderson's. Daniel Andrlik (00:51:33): All right. And so you guys go off to find the Henderson's. Alex Finn (00:51:35): ChaCha's still bubbled? Sampson Davis (00:51:39): As we're going out, Dili is actually going to ask about that. So can you create illusions as well? And Dili does a little flourish of light and shapes. Can you [inaudible 00:51:49]? Daniel Andrlik (00:51:48): Of course, and he drops the bubble around ChaCha, and then he flicks his fingers a little bit, and you see a little bit of light and shadow, and you even smell illusory gunpowder. Sampson Davis (00:52:03): Wow. I've never met anybody else who could do it too. So this is just very exciting for me that I'm not the only one. Wow. Daniel Andrlik (00:52:10): It's a good talent to have. It's got lots of practical applications. Smiles. Maybe we could learn a few tricks from each other at some point, but you should go check on your lead. Sampson Davis (00:52:21): Right. Yeah. See you later. Daniel Andrlik (00:52:23): At least. Sampson Davis (00:52:25): We'll prep next time. Stace Babcock (00:52:26): Once they get outside Nix is like, "Yo, I am worried about that guy." Sampson Davis (00:52:30): Why? I mean, it's fair. I mean, we definitely got off easy because I can't imagine the world ending shit he's had to deal with. And probably with people less predictable than ChaCha which is hard to imagine. But I imagine that's his reality. Stace Babcock (00:52:50): Yeah. And he's not handling it well, I don't think. Alex Finn (00:52:54): Why isn't he handling it well? What happened? Stace Babcock (00:52:57): Oh yeah. We can't tell you ChaCha. Sorry. You know what? That was really rude of me to talk about it in front of you. Alex Finn (00:53:02): Do we need to kill him because he's not handling it well? Sampson Davis (00:53:05): No, no, no, no, no. Stace Babcock (00:53:06): No, no, no, no, no, no. Sampson Davis (00:53:06): No, no, no. No, no. We have a lot to learn as new members of this order that we're in, is all. Stace Babcock (00:53:13): I feel like though, he's taking the whole supervisor thing a little bit too seriously. Sampson Davis (00:53:20): No, I think he was pretty chill for a supervisor. That's- Alex Finn (00:53:23): Creating a toxic work environment. Sampson Davis (00:53:25): He is setting boundaries. Alex Finn (00:53:28): And what are these boundaries? Stace Babcock (00:53:33): Well- Sampson Davis (00:53:34): To not make you any more dangerous than you already are. Stace Babcock (00:53:38): Yeah, he would prefer that we didn't absorb artifacts in the future. Alex Finn (00:53:48): You have to show dominance. That's how things work. Stace Babcock (00:53:52): Yeah. ChaCha, whatever. Daniel Andrlik (00:53:54): Dili, you hear a voice in your head and it says, "That's right father, you have to assert dominance." Sampson Davis (00:54:03): Dili just shivers visibly. Stace Babcock (00:54:07): All right. So ChaCha, do you want to go right now and find the Henderson's and try to reverse their rock eating mutation or can we hit the store? Alex Finn (00:54:19): I mean, it's up to you, you have the more experience with the rock candy. And so you'll know what situation they're in, but take rock candy and make it metal Synth. Stace Babcock (00:54:31): We should go help them first. Yeah, for sure. To the Synth thing, the Synth [inaudible 00:54:38] whatever. Daniel Andrlik (00:54:38): Yeah. You get there, it's the middle of the night but the Henderson's are still hammering away, and chewing, and bleeding, and weeping, and moaning on top of the structure. Sampson Davis (00:54:49): Hello? Daniel Andrlik (00:54:50): I assume Dili these are your no Synth visible disguises again? Sampson Davis (00:54:55): Correct. Yes. Daniel Andrlik (00:54:56): Okay. So they look up at you and say, "Oh." But are they the same disguises you had before? Sampson Davis (00:55:02): Yeah, they're the same disguises we had going into town. Daniel Andrlik (00:55:05): Okay, cool. So they look up and they say, "Oh, are you here to help? Is there a way to satisfy the hunger? Sampson Davis (00:55:12): We have something that might work. Daniel Andrlik (00:55:15): And their tunics at this point are all stained with blotches of both fresh and dried blood as are their trouser likes. Sampson Davis (00:55:27): This is Baby Pack, and she has a hot new homeopathic method for helping you with that situation. Alex Finn (00:55:37): So nature really absorbed nature and we've got a plan. Daniel Andrlik (00:55:44): Honestly, anything could help. Stace Babcock (00:55:46): Would this be a healing check or what check would this be to try and make them stop? Daniel Andrlik (00:55:54): I would say when you first try to touch them, nothing seems to happen at first. Alex Finn (00:55:59): Dili, can you slap me? Sampson Davis (00:56:03): I don't know who Dili is, but I Bork, will try that. Carlyle, can you make sure that I am not immediately disintegrated if this goes right? Daniel Andrlik (00:56:12): [inaudible 00:56:12] Nix is just staring at a distance. Sampson Davis (00:56:20): Completely forgetting her pseudonym. I'll be fine. All right. I will now slap you, I guess. Daniel Andrlik (00:56:27): Okay. So ChaCha, isn't trying to resist or anything like that. So it's going to be a three, my role. Stace Babcock (00:56:32): I'm going to be the last to get a one. Sampson Davis (00:56:34): 18. Stace Babcock (00:56:34): Oh, fuck. Extra damage. Sampson Davis (00:56:38): [crosstalk 00:56:38]. Daniel Andrlik (00:56:39): Two extra points of damage for an 18. Stace Babcock (00:56:42): Yeah. bonus starts at 17. Daniel Andrlik (00:56:44): 17 is plus one. Oh. Yeah. So you hit ChaCha for a total of three damage. Stace Babcock (00:56:53): Okay, fair. Alex Finn (00:56:54): Cool. Cool, cool, cool. Daniel Andrlik (00:56:55): ChaCha, you feel that instinctive anger response. Sampson Davis (00:57:04): Dili immediately backs away just like, "Let's go. Let's get [inaudible 00:57:11]." Alex Finn (00:57:11): I think ChaCha's going to try and feel that rage at the Henderson's to make them stop eating Synth or maybe gave them the Synth like a system that's able to process Synth. Either they stop eating the Synth or they can now fully process and expel the Synth safely. Daniel Andrlik (00:57:33): Yeah. We'll see how that works out. Roll 1D 20 for me. Alex Finn (00:57:36): Dili. Do I get any advantages or? Daniel Andrlik (00:57:42): No, this is just a flat roll. Alex Finn (00:57:46): Okay. 10. Daniel Andrlik (00:57:48): Okay. Roll 1D6 for me. Alex Finn (00:57:50): Five. Daniel Andrlik (00:57:52): Okay. And roll 1D 100 for me. Alex Finn (00:57:55): 64. Daniel Andrlik (00:57:57): This individual that you're touching from the Henderson's you're touching the Henderson's, right? Alex Finn (00:58:03): Yeah. Daniel Andrlik (00:58:04): Okay. This individual, let's say he's the older male, a person to play the father. You noticed that his right arm starts deflating and wilting and absorbed back to his body. And you notice now there's just no right arm on his body, just a flat end to a stubby shoulder. Sampson Davis (00:58:28): Dili thinks about how that could have been him. Are you still hungry? Daniel Andrlik (00:58:41): ChaCha, give me an understanding Numenera role of 12 with your training, it will be a nine. intellect if you want to spend effort. Alex Finn (00:58:51): Nine. No. Fuck yeah. Daniel Andrlik (00:58:53): Okay. ChaCha, you realize that one, this is connected to your emotional state, it only seems to work when you're agitated. In fact, you're not certain if when you're agitated, you could even prevent yourself from doing it if you touch someone. And you realize that there's enough variety in the biological makeup of this, that the mutation could be anything from temporary to permanent, beneficial, powerful, harmful, or debilitating, and it will be random every time. It's a power that can't be controlled or dictated what it will do. Alex Finn (00:59:37): I guess one of them just stopped eating Synth, but I guess stop them from eating Synth, nature took your arm. Daniel Andrlik (00:59:42): The guy says, "Excuse me." And he goes back to trying to get Synth with his one functioning arm to eat it. Alex Finn (00:59:49): This is sadly an improvement. Sampson Davis (00:59:52): I mean, at least he's not upset or not more upset. Alex Finn (00:59:57): Yeah. And when we leave, I have something to tell you too. But I think this is the best I can do for them and meddling further might be worse. Daniel Andrlik (01:00:12): Okay, cool. Whatever. I guess- Alex Finn (01:00:13): We're going to go do more research and come back later with another cure. It's very experimental at these stages. Daniel Andrlik (01:00:20): "All right." One of the people says, blood coming through their mouth as they bite down on Synth. Yeah. You guys start heading back to town, I assume. Alex Finn (01:00:32): Yeah. So this isn't really good news, bad news, it's more of an oopsie news. So "helping" quote unquote, the Henderson's made me realize that this really is like, when I get angry, it happens, and it's probably going to happen whether I want it to, or not. When I'm touching somebody and it's random. There is no control. It's like you could lose an arm, get dark vision, maybe grow an extra set of abs or just die. Sampson Davis (01:01:11): Death is a mutation? Alex Finn (01:01:12): I think, yeah. Sampson Davis (01:01:18): Huh? Right. Daniel Andrlik (01:01:19): It was for those people and Ward Maras. And you destroyed the Handler vault. Alex Finn (01:01:20): Remember that big old explosion, that mutation that died? Because I think they lost their bones or something. Stace Babcock (01:01:26): No, it was like, they lost their skin ChaCha. Alex Finn (01:01:29): Oh yeah. They were crispy, Dili. Sampson Davis (01:01:33): I guess I tried to block that part out. Didn't really recall until now. Thanks. Stace Babcock (01:01:37): Yeah. And Sampson knows all about the crispy gooey. Sampson Davis (01:01:43): Oh yeah. Daniel Andrlik (01:01:44): Nice callback. Stace Babcock (01:01:45): Fuck. So guys, I don't really want to go back to Vlad, but we have to, and I guess he was right. We failed. Sampson Davis (01:01:56): Well, how about this, we did not fail, we just didn't succeed in the way that he imagined we would have succeeded. Stace Babcock (01:02:03): Well, I mean, I don't really care about whatever he thinks, but I care that we haven't been able to help the Henderson's because that looks rough. Alex Finn (01:02:14): Yeah. That's the biggest disappointment I think we're having right now. The, we can't really help them. And I'm not sure how to help them. Even if we broke all their teeth, I think they'd still try. Stace Babcock (01:02:26): And nature wasn't going to help them even if we brought back the artifact intact, so I don't know. Ideas people. Alex Finn (01:02:36): I mean, we saved future, people, by killing nature like you should. Sampson Davis (01:02:42): Well, for now I'm thinking, we actually go shopping and get Baby Pack here, elbow length gloves because then you can at least have a little bit more control of who you touch. Daniel Andrlik (01:02:56): Fancy opera gloves. Sampson Davis (01:02:58): Yeah. Alex Finn (01:02:59): You think they have those out here? Are we just going to have to buy oven mitts? Sampson Davis (01:03:05): We'll get you some really nice oven mitts. Alex Finn (01:03:07): Okay. We'll bedazzle them and stuff. Synth. Daniel Andrlik (01:03:13): Dili do it even occurs to you that you could probably shave a little bit off of your Synth since it's reflective enough? And if you paused her the right way, you could bedazzle a set of gloves. Sampson Davis (01:03:23): All right. If that's a thing. Maybe not until after we get out of town, just in case the Henderson's treat it as a nice snack. Alex Finn (01:03:34): What if we could make food that looks like Synth for them? Daniel Andrlik (01:03:40): Nix, as you guys are walking back to town, one of the things you notice is, it occurs to you that Dili has been scratching his left elbow repeatedly ever since the cave. The inside of his left elbow. Dili's scratching at it unconsciously almost like it's a bug bite. Stace Babcock (01:03:58): Yeah. What's up with your elbow? Sampson Davis (01:04:00): What's that Nix? What's that? Stace Babcock (01:04:02): What's up with your elbow Dili? You keep itching it. When I was in elementary school, I got this weird rash on the inside of my elbow one time. Sampson Davis (01:04:10): I don't know. Probably a bug bite on the walk. I don't know. Maybe we walked through poison ivy again. Daniel Andrlik (01:04:19): Dili when you look at it, you realize that your fingernails have dug a little bit into your skin and there isn't much blood, but underneath that little bit of skin on your elbow, that you've torn through with your fingernails, there is a slight shine of Synth. And that's where we'll end this episode. Alex, something about this episode. Alex Finn (01:04:44): That Dili's turning into a cyborg. Yeah. I mean, also that people were just like, "Hey, maybe don't make the angry child more dangerous when she's angry. Maybe think about these things." We're just like, "What are you talking about? She's perfectly fine." Sampson Davis (01:05:06): I refuse to agree with anybody who doesn't want to make ChaCha more dangerous. Stace Babcock (01:05:11): Right? [crosstalk 01:05:11] I feel like you got off on the wrong foot. Alex Finn (01:05:15): Yeah. But I mean, imagine it like in the X-Men movie where you have juggernaut, and you point them at something and just boom. That never ends well. Daniel Andrlik (01:05:24): Yeah. ChaCha is my checkout scan apparently. Alex Finn (01:05:26): Yeah. They got this. Don't worry about it. Don't worry. Don't worry. Daniel Andrlik (01:05:32): We have a segment that we do each week called player intrusions. That's where we offer you the listener in XP to check out something that we think you would really dig. This week it is Sampson's turn. Sampson, what would you offer our listeners in XP to check out? Sampson Davis (01:05:46): All right. So this one's special because this, I was turned on to, from one of the users in our discord. If you'd like to see other things that other cool people in discord have shown us, come to our discord, explorerswanted.fm/discord will bring you to that link. This comes by way of Celadon Cistern. Thank you Celadon Cistern. This is, Kill Six Billion Demons. It is a web comic by this creator called Abbadon. And it is about a lot of things. At the start it is about this college girl who, while making out with her boyfriend gets plucked out of this world and dropped into this extra planar city that's at the center of all reality. Basically her boyfriend is chosen one, but she got the power of that chosen one. So now she's in this strange world, that's just this incomprehensible thing. There's demons, angels, and other creatures everywhere. Sampson Davis (01:06:47): And part of what I love about it is the world building. It combines so many different things from so many different cultures, but in a way that makes it seem like this is where all those cultures came from rather than being a combination of all those cultures. If that makes sense. Alex Finn (01:07:03): Yeah. Sampson Davis (01:07:03): It is also beautifully illustrated. There's so much detail. They occasionally have these huge panoramic panels where it's just so much detail of this city and it's so well thought out. There's also a lot of good characters, the main characters are all women, so representation is great. You ever want to read a story about an angel going through a gender identity crisis? This is the web comic for it. As of recording, it has just started its fifth and final book. So hopefully by the time you hear this, great time to get on and read all the way through. It is just a phenomenal book about a girl learning how to be an extra dimensional monk. I can't really say more. It's so good. It's so good. Alex Finn (01:07:54): Okay. So what is it called? Sampson Davis (01:07:55): Kill Six Billion Demons. Kill Six Billion Demons, no numbers.com. It's incredible. I love it. Daniel Andrlik (01:08:04): Very cool. Well, if people wanted to tell us what they think about Kill Six Billion Demons for the podcast, how would they do that, Sampson? Sampson Davis (01:08:11): As I said, you can come to our discord, which you can find the explorerswanted.fm/discord. But hey, while you're at exploreswanted.fm, which happens to be our website, that is a hub for all the other stuff that you can find us at, like Twitter. On Twitter, we're at Explorers Wanted, on Instagram and Facebook, more examples, we are at Explorers Wanted Podcast. And if anything we've done here today in your ears, you feel is worth monetary value, prove it, prove it cowards at patrion.com/explorerswanted, but only prove it if it's within your means. But if it is, prove it cowards, come on. Daniel Andrlik (01:08:46): Yeah, exactly. Give us money. Alex Finn (01:08:49): You cowards. Daniel Andrlik (01:08:53): We're kidding. If it's not within your budget, don't try it. Alex Finn (01:08:55): Exactly. Daniel Andrlik (01:08:56): Because honestly, the best thing that you could do for us is, if you enjoyed the show, tell a friend about it and tell them why you like the show and why they should listen to it. What really connected you to it. The second best thing you could do is to leave us a five star review on a podcast directory. Specifically Apple Podcasts, Podchaser, and Stitcher. Those make the biggest impact for a show our size. And especially if you provide a written review where you say, why somebody should listen to us, that is huge. If you didn't like the podcast or if you thought it was [inaudible 01:09:34]. Well, I want to tell you a little something about a notion in Tibetan Buddhism, which is that of a Tulpa, an external manifestation of any celestial being, which is summoned into being by meditative practice. Daniel Andrlik (01:09:49): Now, Western occult traditions have further adopted this idea into the notion of a thought form, which can be an embodiment of any components of a magician psyche, possibly even physically manifesting. Modern practitioners of chaos magic, refer to this thing as a servitor, which is similar to a thought form, but which is designed as an autonomous entity capable of completing a subset of tasks. Servitors are usually created through a combination of ritual meditation and the firing of a complex sigil to represent the servitor. Now, a common warning in all of these practices is that, a thought form could potentially become a fully independent being of its creator and may even deny its prior existence. It becomes its own creature fueled by a steady siphon of energy from the psyche of the creator. Daniel Andrlik (01:10:36): So I ask you, what's the first symbol that you remember seeing that spoke to you, truly touched you, or have you already forgotten. Maybe you don't recall and it doesn't mean anything, or maybe it does, and it's just a matter of time before your magus arrives to clean up their old mess. Either way, strengthen your words just to be sure. If you want to reach out to us individually on social media, you can. You can find me at @Andrlik, A-N-D-R-L-I-K. Stace Babcock (01:11:04): You can find me on Twitter, @StaceWindu. Sampson Davis (01:11:07): Talk to me about Kill Six Billion Demons @slampotato. Alex Finn (01:11:09): Find me not sleeping because I'm reading all the web comics @realteaunicorn on Twitter. And probably mass talking about them on Twitch at teawithaunicorn. Daniel Andrlik (01:11:21): All right, that's 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 listen to this and bye. Alex Finn (01:11:35): Bye. Stace Babcock (01:11:35): Bye. Sampson Davis (01:12:07): Bye. (silence) Alex Finn (01:12:07): Weirdo. Stace Babcock (01:12:08): I really wish Alex wouldn't talk to me like that. Alex Finn (01:12:11): [crosstalk 01:12:11]. Stace Babcock (01:12:11): Oh God, that's a toxic butthole. Daniel Andrlik (01:12:16): Thaum dust. Listen, there's a lot of words that I've read and I've never said. Stace Babcock (01:12:21): I don't even know. Listen, and then there's the words that you never said, and you read a certain way for so long that even when you learn the right way to pronounce it, [crosstalk 01:12:31]. Alex Finn (01:12:30): Yes. Daniel Andrlik (01:12:30): Yeah, it just sounds dumb, the new way. Alex Finn (01:12:34): Oh my gosh. It's like the osmometer issue we had at work. Me and my friend both called it an osmometer and it's really an osmometer. And we were just both like, "Science." Stace Babcock (01:12:48): Who knew. Alex Finn (01:12:49): Who knew. Sampson Davis (01:12:50): Yeah, I like osmometer. It's- Alex Finn (01:12:51): I know. Sampson Davis (01:12:53): It's got a pulp 50 sci-fi to it. Alex Finn (01:12:55): I know. Daniel Andrlik (01:12:56): Yeah. It's weird for somebody who played D&D from the age of 12, it wasn't until I played Star Trek, not Star Trek but Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic, the first time that one of the NPC says Melee instead of Melee, that I understood how that word was pronounced. Alex Finn (01:13:18): I can see it as Melee. Yeah. Daniel Andrlik (01:13:23): I broke Sampson. Sorry. Alex Finn (01:13:24): Melee. Stace Babcock (01:13:25): In your defense, I think that there is more than one way to pronounce that word. Alex Finn (01:13:32): Which camp are you going with Stace? I want to know. Stace Babcock (01:13:35): I do Melee, but I think I started pronouncing it, how Daniel, because that's not how he always said it, and I also learned that. Alex Finn (01:13:41): I mean, we could all switch to Melee. Stace Babcock (01:13:43): I looked it up as recently as three months ago to be sure I knew how to say it. And I think that's where I saw the different ways to say it. Yeah. Alex Finn (01:13:52): Okay. So we're camp Melee now, let's do some Melee. Sampson Davis (01:13:56): I don't think it was until I played Super Smash Brothers, that I heard it pronounced Melee. Stace Babcock (01:14:01): Oh, that might've been my moment also. Alex Finn (01:14:13): Vehicle. You said we're going back to town. Daniel Andrlik (01:14:14): Okay. So you're going back to town. Sampson Davis (01:14:16): Just a quick reminder Dan, out of podcast, you still haven't vocally given us the two XP points. Daniel Andrlik (01:14:21): Maybe I changed my mind Sampson. Did you ever think about that? Sampson Davis (01:14:25): Sorry Stace, guess you got to backtrack. Stace Babcock (01:14:27): Can't. I saved it.