Daniel [GM] 0:31
Welcome to Explorers Wanted. We are a weekly Numenera actual play podcast. I will be your humble GM, Daniel Andrlik. With me today is Stace Bacock.

Stace [Nix] 0:41
Hello!

Daniel [GM] 0:44
Sampson Davis.

Sampson [Dili] 0:44
It’s gotten hot recently and I hate it.

Daniel [GM] 0:48
Alex Finn.

Alex [ChaCha] 0:48
What up, motherf-. I’m just kidding. We’re not going to start the podcast that way.

Daniel [GM] 0:57
And Marietta Jones.

Marietta [Atalia] 0:57
I don’t have electricity right now and I’m really happy to be here.

Daniel [GM] 1:05
That’s right, Marietta has moved to the third world of Denver, Colorado and is without power at the moment.

Marietta [Atalia] 1:15
I’m sorry if you hear the jingles. It’s Jeskii.

Sampson [Dili] 1:17
It’s Jeskii.

Daniel [GM] 1:20
It’s just Jeskii. If you hear the jingles of the collar it is just Jeskii wearing her fancy-.

Alex [ChaCha] 1:25
Jingle collar.

Marietta [Atalia] 1:26
It’s like the Ninth World equivalent of a bear bell. You know, to keep away any sort of monsters as we’re travelling.

Alex [ChaCha] 1:34
So we get an asset of that.

Daniel [GM] 1:39
Or you draw them closer to you. It depends on what they are.

Sampson [Dili] 1:43
This feels like Monster Hunter.

Marietta [Atalia] 1:44
Yews.

Daniel [GM] 1:44
Yeah. So, who remembers what happened last time? I think I am going to pick on Marietta.

Marietta [Atalia] 1:53
My gosh. I almost asked you beforehand to dear god, please don’t pick on me because I really don’t remember what we did last time. Um, not that anyone’s ever used that excuse before. Where did we start last episode?

Stace [Nix] 2:09
I think we were still in the shop, right?

Marietta [Atalia] 2:11
We were still in the shop?

Sampson [Dili] 2:12
Nope.

Stace [Nix] 2:12
Nope! We were out of the shop.

Stace [Nix] 2:21
Breakfast question mark?

Daniel [GM] 2:24
Sampson, do you want to save your friends here?

Sampson [Dili] 2:28
Sure. It technically started with Atalia asking how Nix’s dad is so good-. But, overall, it started with Nix mid-seizure.

Daniel [GM] 2:37
Mhmm.

Marietta [Atalia] 2:39
Oh, yeah!

Sampson [Dili] 2:39
And then Atalia and ChaCha and Nix’s dad went up to help investigate.

Marietta [Atalia] 2:47
Was I here?

Sampson [Dili] 2:49
And then Atalia did a scan and figured out that Nix is now abhuman?

Marietta [Atalia] 2:54
I remember that part.

Sampson [Dili] 2:57
And?

Daniel [GM] 2:57
ChaCha figured out that-.

Alex [ChaCha] 3:00
The power of love.

Daniel [GM] 3:00
There was an emotional connection needed.

Stace [Nix] 3:05
Oh, yeah!

Sampson [Dili] 3:05
That Nix had to come back home?

Marietta [Atalia] 3:10
Uh, nope.

Alex [ChaCha] 3:13
And so, ChaCha shamed Nix’s parents on accident and we discovered ChaCha loves Nix the most.

Sampson [Dili] 3:22
Yup.

Marietta [Atalia] 3:26
I mean, yes, probably. I was there for that?

Stace [Nix] 3:28
Oh, yeah.

Sampson [Dili] 3:30
You’re the one that found out she’s an abhuman now.

Alex [ChaCha] 3:33
And we had that conversation.

Marietta [Atalia] 3:35
Okay, I remember that part. But that’s about all I remember. And I remember being like, Nix, bro, you’re not fucking human anymore and she was just like, that’s fine. Jeskii’s just trying to help me remember.

Daniel [GM] 3:51
Jeskii’s expectantly looking at you to answer these questions like a dog that’s been shown a magic trick.

Alex [ChaCha] 3:59
Yes.

Marietta [Atalia] 3:59
Yeah.

Sampson [Dili] 4:00
Well, after we got that all sorted out we went to the wayhouse. Nix talked to Pathfinder Jen, found out that she now has a 900-shin bounty on her.

Alex [ChaCha] 4:11
Under the name Nih-.

Marietta [Atalia] 4:13
Oh, fuck, I remember that now.

Sampson [Dili] 4:15
And also with that bounty there’s an accurate depiction of ChaCha, but I don’t think there was a name attached to that.

Daniel [GM] 4:22
Yes, there was. They knew it was ChaCha The Puppeteer.

Alex [ChaCha] 4:25
But they’re not associated with ChaCha’s real name with the other bounty. So aha!

Sampson [Dili] 4:35
Okay.

Daniel [GM] 4:35
She is a known associate of Nih-.

Stace [Nix] 4:39
Oh, yeah.

Sampson [Dili] 4:40
Yes. And then Nix kind of cleverly subverted this by taking the job that would’ve been posted so that now it doesn’t have to be posted, so she’s bought some time for herself.

Marietta [Atalia] 4:51
Hey, it’s like what Atalia did for you with the Handlers.

Sampson [Dili] 4:59
Yeah! And then kind of…undercut that.

Marietta [Atalia] 5:01
It’s fine, I’m sure. I mean there’s no wanted poster for Atalia, right?

Alex [ChaCha] 5:05
Yet. Or that we’ve seen.

Stace [Nix] 5:05
It hasn’t been publicly released.

Marietta [Atalia] 5:13
I mean, I had nothing to do with bitchface.

Sampson [Dili] 5:20
Then after that Nix also got her shoe deposit thing.

Alex [ChaCha] 5:22
Yes. Boot fund.

Stace [Nix] 5:24
Boot allowance.

Sampson [Dili] 5:25
Boot allowance, that’s what it was.

Stace [Nix] 5:26
I like shoe deposit, though, personally.

Sampson [Dili] 5:31
We talked a little bit about what we’re going to do, we went to the library, found a little scrap of something talking about the Guardians of Night’s Hope, that they’re stockpiling items for the salvation of humanoid kind. Important. Then we went to Momma Jerrun.

Marietta [Atalia] 5:48
And she offered us a new job.

Daniel [GM] 5:50
Which was?

Marietta [Atalia] 5:49
After we went to talk to her. It was to go to this city that’s far away and check on a caravan? Does that sound familiar? Or were we supposed to meet someone there and see if that actually happened?

Sampson [Dili] 6:13
Little bit of everything, yeah. We’re going to Shallamas because a caravan went missing so we’re going to go see what happened and return the caravan, or at least figure out where it-.

Marietta [Atalia] 6:25
Or, you know, maybe they’ll already be there when we show up, and we’ll just get paid for being there. That’s my plan.

Sampson [Dili] 6:25
I was going to make a joke like, oh, Dan would totally do that, but, actually, what if he did subvert us right there?

Alex [ChaCha] 6:38
Ooh.

Sampson [Dili] 6:40
Just be like, yeah, everything’s fine.

Stace [Nix] 6:39
We wouldn’t believe it.

Sampson [Dili] 6:42
We would fuck it up for ourselves, yes.

Stace [Nix] 6:46
Daniel, it would be a good no-prep episode for you, just be like, I’ll just tell them it’s there.

Alex [ChaCha] 6:49
And then they’re suddenly in a kitchen with two doors.

Daniel [GM] 6:56
You’ve been in G-ma’s kitchen this whole time!

Marietta [Atalia] 7:00
Thank you, Sampson, I’m so sorry. I have a new notebook to take notes with. I’m going to take notes, I decided. Finally.

Daniel [GM] 7:11
So, ChaCha at the end of receiving the job request as you guys were agreeing to it, ChaCha had a vision that was not similar to, it’s not like she was seeing something that was actually there but out-of-phase. It was more like a vision in the classic sense. It was of swarms of bees buzzing all around you.

Alex [ChaCha] 7:35
ChaCha’s now a prophet, so, if you could all treat her with that kind of respect.

Marietta [Atalia] 7:40
Is ChaCha’s name Cassandra?

Daniel [GM] 7:44
That’s worked really well for prophets in the past, so I’m sure….

Sampson [Dili] 7:51
We’ll treat you like a prophet in the classical sense.

Alex [ChaCha] 7:54
Listen. We may have a case of, you know, Cassandra’s tears or whatever, it’s fine.

Daniel [GM] 8:00
Yeah, yeah. ChaCha has had this vision and you guys are standing in Momma Jerrun’s home. Momma Jerrun is there with Merrick and they have just explained that you need to go and try to find out what happened to this caravan. Ultimately, what they want you guys to do is to find out what happened to it, ideally help it the rest of the way to Charmonde, which is where it was supposed to be going. It had the option of stopping in Shallamas if it wanted, but the intention was to get to Charmonde without being noticed. Ideally, if you find the caravan itself, if you can’t find the people there, similar to when you guys went to search for Mewin, if you can find the object they were transporting, that would be an acceptable solution to bring back to Charmonde. They just laid this information on you, ChaCha just had this vision. It’s up to you if you have further questions for them, if you want to just continue with your action. I know Nix was going to hire some guards for her home, or if there’s anything else you want to do in the city before you go and maybe you’re done with Merrick and Momma Jerrun, that’s totally up to you guys.

Stace [Nix] 9:22
One other thing besides hiring the guards that Nix would do is she would get a different set of clothes.

Daniel [GM] 9:27
Right. What do you guys want to do? Do you want to leave? Or do you want to inquire further?

Marietta [Atalia] 9:34
Did we already interrogate her about the Guardians of Night’s Hope thing?

Stace [Nix] 9:34
No.

Daniel [GM] 9:40
You did not ask her anything about that.

Marietta [Atalia] 9:41
[As Atalia]  Um, you know, we did some research on that Guardian’s of Night’s Hope thing and we were wondering if you knew anything more about it?

Daniel [GM] 9:51
[As Momma Jerrun] Did you now? Where did you come across that phrase?

Marietta [Atalia] 9:54
[As Atalia]  Oh, in the notes!

Daniel [GM] 9:56
[As Momma Jerrun] Oh, in the notes? You didn’t mention that, though, when you turned in the book to me.

Marietta [Atalia] 9:56
[As Atalia]  Did I not?

Sampson [Dili] 10:01
Remind Marietta we found Guardians of Night’s Hope after the fact.

Stace [Nix] 10:07
From the copied notes that we didn’t disclose-.

Marietta [Atalia] 10:09
Oh.

Stace [Nix] 10:09
That we had.

Alex [ChaCha] 10:15
It was written in a not-normal language.

Marietta [Atalia] 10:18
Oh my gosh. Okay.

Stace [Nix] 10:18
That ChaCha recognized.

Marietta [Atalia] 10:22
Can I just quit now? Okay, I think that she would Remember Pertinent Details and not do that.

Daniel [GM] 10:32
Okay. Okay, we can retcon that you didn’t do that.

Marietta [Atalia] 10:36
Okay. I guess she’ll say,

[As Atalia]  Have you heard of the Guardians of Night’s Hope before?

Daniel [GM] 10:46
Momma Jerrun looks at you and blinks and says,

[As Momma Jerrun] Guardians of Night’s Hope?

Marietta [Atalia] 10:50
[As Atalia]  Yeah, I think that’s it.

Daniel [GM] 10:52
[As Momma Jerrun] Hmm. Where did you hear about that from?

Marietta [Atalia] 10:54
[As Atalia]  Um, it was just, something in some notes in my grandma’s house and I was curious if you’d ever heard of it before.

Daniel [GM] 11:04
Nix, because you’ve got this sort of social sense, where you’re better at social interactions than everybody else? You’re not getting anything one way or another off of Momma Jerrun. But I would say that Nix would notice that Merrick is watching Momma Jerrun very closely about how she chooses to answer.

And she says,

[As Momma Jerrun] Hmm. I, they sound familiar. I’ve heard rumors of organizations with names similar to that, but I don’t know many more details than that at this point.

Marietta [Atalia] 11:38
Okay, I’m trained as heck in Detecting Falsehoods. What’s going on with that?

Daniel [GM] 11:46
Okay. With Momma Jerrun it’s going to be an 18 to start, and then it’s a 15 for you.

Marietta [Atalia] 11:52
Oh, man.

Daniel [GM] 11:53
It’s Intellect if you want to spend it.

Marietta [Atalia] 11:54
Yes.

Daniel [GM] 11:56
I will say this, separate from that. Nix, you notice that Merrick kind of relaxes a little bit when Momma Jerrun gives that answer.

Marietta [Atalia] 12:05
Okay. I’m gonna spend two levels of Effort. I would like to know, I would like to know.

Daniel [GM] 12:13
So that’ll cost you…. What’s your Edge?

Marietta [Atalia] 12:14
One.

Daniel [GM] 12:16
Okay, so that’ll cost you four points.

Marietta [Atalia] 12:19
We didn’t have anything else Intelligence-based that I needed to do today, right?

Sampson [Dili] 12:21
Don’t say that out loud.

Marietta [Atalia] 12:22
15. You’re right.

Daniel [GM] 12:25
Nice. Momma Jerrun definitely knows exactly what you’re talking about and she’s definitely lying about not knowing details about it.

Marietta [Atalia] 12:31
[As Atalia]  Lady, I do not understand you. You say one thing and you mean a different thing.

Daniel [GM] 12:38
[As Momma Jerrun] I’ve been told that’s part of my charm.

Marietta [Atalia] 12:42
[As Atalia]  I’ve known way too many people like you. It just screams [inaudible].

Daniel [GM] 12:46
[As Momma Jerrun] Wound you like a scone?

Marietta [Atalia] 12:47
[As Atalia]  No! You’re just as bad as The Handlers, just lying to me!

Daniel [GM] 12:53
Momma Jerrun goes very still. Nix, you notice Merrick tenses up. Not in the way that he wants to do something, but he looks like he’s afraid of what happens next. Momma Jerrun looks at Atalia, takes a step toward her, stops, looks at Nix. Nix, the look in her eyes is like, the most stern reprimand you’ve ever seen from when you were training at the monastery. It is telling you, don’t you fucking dare try to interfere with this.

She steps up to Atalia. She gets up, reasonably close. Not really looming over you, but closer than comfort. She says to Atalia,

[As Momma Jerrun] I would think very carefully of who you accuse of being dishonest or inappropriate or associated with that order, Atalia Stone. I know you, and I know your family’s history. Don’t you dare try to cast aspersions at me. I’m offering you a chance to make some money. Get the things you say you want so dearly but haven’t pursued in any way since you started. Don’t you dare make the mistake of assuming that I’m just an old lady you can push around.

Merrick takes a step forward like,

[As Merrick] I think we can calm down-.

And she looks at Merrick briefly and he freezes and takes a step back. She turns back to Atalia and says,

[As Momma Jerrun] I like your spirit. You’re good in a pinch. But I feel like you guys by now should have figured out, I know exactly what happened on this job. Watch your ass.

And then she takes a step back and she says,

[As Momma Jerrun] Does anyone else have any other questions for me for the time being? Or does anyone else need some tea, or scones, or does anybody in particular have questions about the assignment that are not focused around insulting my integrity when I have been-.

She takes a deep breath.

[As Momma Jerrun] Exceptionally fucking patient with all of you.

Stace [Nix] 15:32
[As Nix]  I would love a scone, Momma J. And some of that tea. That sounds wonderful.

Daniel [GM] 15:38
[As Momma Jerrun] Excellent. There are some chocolate chip on the table, the tea is Jasmine.

Alex [ChaCha] 15:44
ChaCha goes and stuff a scone in her mouth, looking at Marietta like the classic “other sibling” who does not get punished. Who’s just like, I told you not to do that. Didn’t I tell you? Hmm? Hmm? Hmm?

Marietta [Atalia] 16:00
Atalia is definitely just still standing there seething and just aggressively petting Jeskii’s head, just like, maybe I could kill her. Maybe I could do it, right here, and it would be fine.

Daniel [GM] 16:16
Jeskii looks up at you and it’s like Jeskii can tell what you’re thinking. Jeskii looks at you with very worried eyes and whines a little bit.


Marietta [Atalia] 16:26
[As Atalia]  Fucking fine.

And then Atalia will walk over, viciously grab a scone and throw it to Jeskii.

Daniel [GM] 16:33
Jeskii munches it happily up.

Marietta [Atalia] 16:34
Sans chocolate.

Sampson [Dili] 16:35
I was gonna say, seskiis can eat chocolate, right? That’s fine?

Daniel [GM] 16:39
Seskii’s do not have a problem with chocolate.

Marietta [Atalia] 16:41
Great. There’s a lot of chocolate in it then. It’s just a chocolate-.

Daniel [GM] 16:43
Of course there’s chocolate in the Ninth World. It’s sort of a pillar of civilization. I will admit that even as someone who doesn’t particularly enjoy it.

Sampson [Dili] 16:51
[As Dili]  Unless anyone else has any other questions, if we could get the name of the contact we’re going to talk to in Shallamas, a more specific location, as specific as you can give us on where the convoy got lost, um, any other pertinent details you think we should know and I think we’ll leave after that if that’s all good with everybody?

He looks at Atalia.

Daniel [GM] 17:21
Momma Jerrun nods, glances at Merrick and she just turns and watches the fire. Merrick steps forward and says,

[As Merrick] The contact in Shallamas is a merchant names Salah. He was supposed to let us know if the caravan chose to stop in Shallamas, that was an optional stop for them. In principle they were supposed to stay away from any obvious directions between Bodrov and Charmonde. They were originally going to cut down through the dark hills. We suspect that they would stop in Shallamas after that, they’d probably want to resupply, but I think the odds are very unlikely that they would continue straight forward because the next major settlement is Fasten and that’s almost on the way here. That’s almost here already, we would have heard something by now. The leader of the caravan is Clemuel. We don’t know about the rest of the caravan, Clemuel was simply given a budget to hire people directly.

Sampson [Dili] 18:24
Clemuen?

Daniel [GM] 18:26
Clemuel. C-L-E-M-U-E-L.

Sampson [Dili] 18:33
Clemuel with a C, okay.

Daniel [GM] 18:36
Marietta’s face right now.

Marietta [Atalia] 18:39
I was just trying to take notes so hard and it was not going well. I was like, what was that guys name? How do you do it, Sampson?

Sampson [Dili] 18:47
Very quickly.

Sampson [Dili] 18:51
So they’re coming from the city of Bodron?

Daniel [GM] 18:51
Bodrov.

Sampson [Dili] 18:54
Bodrov.

Daniel [GM] 18:55
B-O-D-R-O-V.

Marietta [Atalia] 18:57
Spelled that one right.

Daniel [GM] 18:58
I would say this. ChaCha would be at a hindrance on this, but the rest of you could easily make a History roll of 6. For ChaCha it would be a 9.

Sampson [Dili] 19:11
All right.

Stace [Nix] 19:13
14.

Alex [ChaCha] 19:13
14. Twins!

Sampson [Dili] 19:17
Nat fucking 20.

Daniel [GM] 19:20
Okay. I’ll tell you guys what everybody knows then I’ll tell Dili the details. Bodrov was intended as a gift to the Queen, it was constructed. It was supposed to be a alternative refuge city for her. Refuge in a way or an alternative place to be. It was designed to be defensible. It’s on the other side of Navarrene from Charmonde. It was designed to be on the top of a mesa that’s very hard to get to the top of. It was a beautiful city, wonderfully constructed. But the Queen never really went there and it was never clear why. She seemed to feel safer in Charmonde but it is another major city with Navarrene at least in terms of the map.

Dili, you know this and this is something you learned from your mentor, Master Aces I believe?

Sampson [Dili] 20:17
Astes.

Daniel [GM] 20:18
Astes. That is that Bodrov, while being very defensible, also proved to be somewhat impractical because it was so difficult to get from ground level to the actual city that it stifled trade and made it difficult to get up and down and get supplies up and down. And the Queen had never asked anybody to do that, this was some random noble’s approach to impressing the Queen so it was this huge investment that never had crown backing. She has never once visited there. In fact, while this isn’t common knowledge, Master Astes seemed to think that the fact that Bodrov has such a limited way to bring up supplies made it more vulnerable than it did safe because it was very susceptible to sieges. Because you could easily cut off its ability to bring in new supplies.

Sampson [Dili] 21:16
Okay. Anything else?

Daniel [GM] 21:20
That’s everything you guys know. I would say Nix, it’s unlikely that you’ve been to Bodrov, although your knowledge of it is a little bit from growing up in Charmonde and a little bit of you’ve seen it in the distance, you’ve never actually been there. Obviously, Atalia has not really left the city much and neither has Dili. ChaCha, you have probably heard about it in your travels, I doubt you’ve even been within visual sight of it though.

Marietta [Atalia] 21:46
[As Atalia]  I guess we should pick up some maps and a compass.

Alex [ChaCha] 21:52
ChaCha pulls out her map.

Marietta [Atalia] 21:54
[As Atalia]  Oh, handy.

Daniel [GM] 21:57
With all the X’s on it of places she can never go again.

Alex [ChaCha] 21:58
Yep.

Marietta [Atalia] 22:00
Conveniently not those in the direction we are going.

Sampson [Dili] 22:04
Actually, that would be a good thing to check.

Alex [ChaCha] 22:05
Yeah.

Sampson [Dili] 22:07
Can ChaCha go to Shallamas at least? And maybe also Fasten if we want to stop by there.

Alex [ChaCha] 22:10
The good questions.

Daniel [GM] 22:17
Alex, evens or odds.

Alex [ChaCha] 22:22
I guess evens.

Daniel [GM] 22:24
Okay. Marietta, roll a die and tell me if you get even or odd.

Marietta [Atalia] 22:26
13. Odd. That’s an odd number.

Daniel [GM] 22:30
Fasten is one of the towns that is crossed off on your list. Probably the largest city that is crossed off on your list. Usually you would go to smaller settlements.

Marietta [Atalia] 22:38
[As Atalia]  Look, we could just disguise you, it’s fine.

Daniel [GM] 22:40
Fasten is the town that is probably about 50 miles southwest of Charmonde along the way toward Shallamas.

Sampson [Dili] 22:52
[As Dili]  Do you have a date on that? Is the statute of limitations up on that or are you good?

Alex [ChaCha] 22:57
[As ChaCha]  I mean, it’s one of those things where mob mentality never expires. Or maybe it does. I don’t know. Usually X’s mean we never go there again.

Marietta [Atalia] 23:09
[As Atalia]  Well, we’ll just disguise you. It’ll be fine.

Sampson [Dili] 23:12
[As Dili]  What did you do in Fasten? Do you remember?

Daniel [GM] 23:16
It was a merchant’s birthday party. No, I’m just kidding. That was a different town we agreed on. Yeah.

Alex [ChaCha] 23:24
[As ChaCha]  I mean, they want to see magic but then they get upset when you do actual magic and accidentally burn down one house. It’s just like, hey, you said magic. I did magic. It’s not my fault you chose bad building material for your house and your children were hurt.

Daniel [GM] 23:42
And that the dicks came to visit that performance.

Alex [ChaCha] 23:47
Fuck dicks.

Stace [Nix] 23:48
Whores, right?

Sampson [Dili] 23:53
Arson. It was for arson. Okay. I don’t know if that will help. But now we know.

Daniel [GM] 23:58
Arson, child endangerment, you know, that kind of thing.

Alex [ChaCha] 24:01
Standard.

Marietta [Atalia] 24:02
[As Atalia]  I think we just disguise her it will be fine. Let’s just not make it a big deal.

Sampson [Dili] 24:07
[As Dili]  You know what, we’ll deal with it when we get there. It’ll be fine.

Marietta [Atalia] 24:11
[As Atalia]  I mean, that’s kind of how we’ve approached everything so far.

Alex [ChaCha] 24:15
I think ChaCha gives Atalia another side-eye, like the one who just got reamed by Momma Jerrun, hmm, oh, yes, you make great decisions.

Marietta [Atalia] 24:28
I didn’t see any of you guys stepping up for slaughter?

Stace [Nix] 24:31
Are you saying that in character? Cuz we’re still inside.

Marietta [Atalia] 24:36
No.

Alex [ChaCha] 24:39
Yeah, we’re like right next to her.

Daniel [GM] 24:41
To be clear, you are still sitting at Momma Jerrun’s table.

Marietta [Atalia] 24:45
No way in heck did she say that, no. Atalia is being the picture of calm, cool, and collected. She is kind of running through how she might be able to kill Momma Jerrun though, for sure.

Stace [Nix] 24:58
Nix is just like,

[As Nix]  Yo, Momma J, like I don’t know who the Guardians of Night’s Hope is, but we read that they protect humans and humanoids. So, unless that means something terrible they sound all right.

Marietta [Atalia] 25:13
[As Atalia]  Yeah, how do they feel about abhumans?

Sampson [Dili] 25:17
I punch Atalia in the side.

Alex [ChaCha] 25:20
ChaCha just gives her another stink-eye.

[As ChaCha]  Stop being so prejudiced.

Daniel [GM] 25:25
Dili, do you actually punch?

Sampson [Dili] 25:27
Uh. I’m not very strong so sure why not. Just like a quick jab in the side.

Daniel [GM] 25:34
Okay. It’s going to be a quick jab. Just for funsies, give me a basic Might roll.

Alex [ChaCha] 25:39
Can ChaCha give him an asset?

Daniel [GM] 25:39
What’d you get?

Sampson [Dili] 25:43
15.

Daniel [GM] 25:45
Okay. Atalia, roll Speed Defense of 15.

Marietta [Atalia] 25:49
11.

Daniel [GM] 25:50
Okay, so Dili does hit you in the side. He’s not trying to hit you hard, but it definitely makes contact, you can’t dodge out of the way or anything like that.

Marietta [Atalia] 25:59
I probably deserved that, that’s fine.

Daniel [GM] 26:03
And Momma Jerrun, she’s been staring into the fire. She doesn’t actually turn around and she says,

[As Momma Jerrun] Abhumans are a different species, but they are still a part of the parchment of humanoid kind. As are the mutants. They all have their own civilizations. They have their own ways of life. Some of them are diametrically opposed, but that’s not my job to judge them just because I happen to present as human. But, if you don’t mind, I have to get some rest. Merrick, can you please handle the advance for Nix and whatever they need in terms of general maps and whatnot?

And Merrick nods, almost sort of relieved to be given something to do. And he comes over and hands Nix a pouch of 100 shins and a rough map of where they need to go. And yes, I see Stace’s hand up.

Daniel [GM] 27:09
Momma Jerrun has asked you all to leave, essentially Merrick has given you what you need. He steps up, Momma Jerrun is still staring at the fire, and Merrick comes over and holds the door open for you guys to leave.

Alex [ChaCha] 27:26
Can ChaCha pocket the rest of the scones and scuttle out?

Daniel [GM] 27:31
Okay.

Sampson [Dili] 27:32
Who has the map officially, just in case that becomes a thing?

Daniel [GM] 27:35
Nix has it.

Sampson [Dili] 27:36
Nix has the map.

Alex [ChaCha] 27:38
So we have two maps.

Sampson [Dili] 27:39
Yeah, it’s the official map. Dili also leaves.

[As Dili]  Thank you, Merrick.

Daniel [GM] 27:44
As you’re heading out the door Merrick nods at you.

Sampson [Dili] 27:46
[As Dili]  It’s good to see you and not have you disappear. Have a good night!

Daniel [GM] 27:51
[As Merrick] I’m glad you’re not dead, Dili.

Sampson [Dili] 27:53
[As Dili]  Me too!

Marietta [Atalia] 27:54
[As Atalia]  You’ll have to tell us that story.

And Atalia will get up to follow Dili out.

Daniel [GM] 27:59
Okay, so you head out the door. Nix, you’re the last one in there.

Stace [Nix] 28:02
Yeah, Nix was just holding the door making sure Atalia left, so she just leaves.

Daniel [GM] 28:09
As you go out the door, Merrick follows you out and shuts the door behind you. He pulls up his hood and he looks at you all and he says,

[As Merrick] Good luck. This is farther afield than some of you have ever been, I know, but it is important. Good luck.

He looks briefly at Atalia and with a slightly different tone of voice he says,

[As Merrick] Be careful.

And then he takes a couple steps back into the black and he’s gone. And you’re standing in the alley, just the four of you.

Marietta [Atalia] 28:46
[As Atalia]  I would like to learn how to do that. That would be nice.

Stace [Nix] 28:49
Nix pulls the cloak off the coatrack that suddenly appeared.

Sampson [Dili] 29:01
[As Dili]  We should leave.

Marietta [Atalia] 29:03
[As Atalia]  Yes.

Sampson [Dili] 29:03
[As Dili]  Before it gets weird. And bad.

Marietta [Atalia] 29:07
[As Atalia]  Yes. But where are we going. Are we leaving right now? Or do we want to leave in the morning?

Sampson [Dili] 29:14
[As Dili]  Sounds like Nix needs to make some arrangements.

Marietta [Atalia] 29:17
[As Atalia]  Yeah, how much money do you need for those guards, do you need more money?

Stace [Nix] 29:19
[As Nix]  I mean, yeah.

Marietta [Atalia] 29:22
[As Atalia]  Um, okay, well here’s a hundred shins.

Alex [ChaCha] 29:26
ChaCha pulls out her purse and just gives it to Nix.

Sampson [Dili] 29:29
What?

Alex [ChaCha] 29:29
Like, she takes all the money they made from the last job and gives it to Nix.

Stace [Nix] 29:33
[As Nix]  No, ChaCha, no, no, guards aren’t this expensive, and my parents can get the guards. It’s just that if they want to get the guards and pay for my mom’s treatment, then I would need a little extra.

Marietta [Atalia] 29:45
[As Atalia]  I keep forgetting about that fucking Nano!

Stace [Nix] 29:50
[As Nix]  She helps! You know, after she visits my mom is stable just like, for a little while.

Marietta [Atalia] 29:53
[As Atalia]  Is she? She doesn’t even know how to do a scan. Here is a hundred shins.

And Atalia will plop the bag on top of ChaCha’s.

Stace [Nix] 30:04
Nix takes whatever, Daniel, is the reasonable amount of gold and splits it between the two.

Daniel [GM] 30:11
For what?

Stace [Nix] 30:12
For the guards.

Daniel [GM] 30:13
So what are you trying to think of for the cost? And your mom’s treatment, or not?

Stace [Nix] 30:17
Yeah, so, Nix has enough for her mom’s treatment, so now she’s trying to take enough for the guards from Atalia and ChaCha.

Daniel [GM] 30:24
Yeah, so you’re assuming you’re going to be gone for two months, because it’s almost going to take you a month to get there. So you’re thinking about guards to cover for two months, plus your mom probably needs another treatment in a month.

Stace [Nix] 30:37
[As Nix]  Atalia, what’s the going rate for just a couple body guards?

Daniel [GM] 30:42
For two months?

Marietta [Atalia] 30:44
Yeah. What are bodyguards for two months? Two bodyguards, two months.

Stace [Nix] 30:48
Or like a day, and then. How much does a bodyguard expect to be paid a day?

Daniel [GM] 30:53
Honestly? It depends on the level of bodyguard you’re looking for. A bodyguard that’s on the up-and-up, but isn’t necessarily like a commando or anything like that? Is probably six shins a day considering what your father might be able to negotiate.

Stace [Nix] 31:13
So 360 shins just for guards.

Daniel [GM] 31:17
Mhmm. Well, and you’re counting two guards, right?

Stace [Nix] 31:21
Double that for two guards. There’s not enough.

Marietta [Atalia] 31:21
All right.

Marietta [Atalia] 31:28
How much do you need total?

Stace [Nix] 31:31
720 shins.

Alex [ChaCha] 31:33
Well, ChaCha gave you 190.

Marietta [Atalia] 31:35
[As Atalia]  I can only give you 50 more.

Stace [Nix] 31:40
[As Nix]  That’s fine, guys. I’m just gonna have to talk to Momma J and tell her I can’t go.

Marietta [Atalia] 31:42
[As Atalia]  Oh, yeah.

Sampson [Dili] 31:44
What cyphers do you have?

Stace [Nix] 31:45
Foreknowledge and Oversight.

Sampson [Dili] 31:48
Can Dili kind of guesstimate how much those cyphers would go for in the cypher market?

Daniel [GM] 31:53
Mhmm. I assume you guys have levels for them, right?

Stace [Nix] 31:56
Oversight we didn’t roll a level for, but I can because it’s sort of level-free. And then Foreknowledge is a level 5.

Daniel [GM] 32:04
Yeah. So Oversight, just give me a 1d6 roll.

Stace [Nix] 32:10
5.

Daniel [GM] 32:13
Okay. So Oversight is a level 7. You could sell, if you could find somebody, the challenge is you’re going to have to find a business that is legitimate. If you go through a black market approach you’ll get less. But if you go to a legitimate business, Dili, you think she could easily sell Oversight for probably 600 shins, 700 if she negotiated very cannily. Foreknowledge, she could probably, it’s the same sort of thing. It could be anywhere from 350 to 500 depending on how well she negotiated and how liquid the person buying it is.

Sampson [Dili] 32:56
Okay.

Stace [Nix] 32:57
Oh, I think what Nix will do is she will take a bag, she’ll put all the offered shins into, she’ll put her two cyphers into it, and she’ll just leave it with her dad.

Daniel [GM] 33:10
Mm.

Sampson [Dili] 33:11
[As Dili]  There’s another option that’ll at least get you like a month, maybe? I don’t know if you can go back in, but maybe leave a note for Momma Jerrun that once she hears back that we’ve complete the job, if at all, she just send the money straight to your parents? That way there’s no wasted time of us traveling back to Charmonde to confirm with her? So that’s 300 shins within a month assuming everything goes well.

Daniel [GM] 33:37
Well, 200, because she’s already got a 100 advance.

Sampson [Dili] 33:40
200, right.

Stace [Nix] 33:41
[As Nix]  I don’t think I wanna go back in there because she is very upset, but I will send a message to that effect.

Sampson [Dili] 33:49
[As Dili]  Or even just like, throw a note under the door.

Stace [Nix] 33:53
Nix gets out her journal and tears a page out and writes a note on it and tries to stick it under the door.

Marietta [Atalia] 34:00
[As Atalia]  I could give you one of my cyphers, too, if you want to leave that with your dad to try to sell.

Stace [Nix] 34:05
[As Nix]  Okay. Yeah, I’ll take whatever. 900-shin bounty, somebody is going to go after them. It is the smart thing to do.

Marietta [Atalia] 34:14
I’ll give her my Inflatable Suit.

Daniel [GM] 34:18
Hmm.

Marietta [Atalia] 34:18
It’s a level 4.

Daniel [GM] 34:21
So, Dili, that’d be anywhere from 300-400 depending on how well it was negotiated.

Marietta [Atalia] 34:21
And then I’ll also give her my 50 other shins. So I’ll give her 150 total.

Stace [Nix] 34:27
[As Nix]  Oh, my goodness. I….

Daniel [GM] 34:36
Do you have shins left?

Marietta [Atalia] 34:36
I have 20 shins left.

Daniel [GM] 34:39
Okay, because you guys also have not supplied for this journey whatsoever.

Marietta [Atalia] 34:44
I’m sure it’ll be fine. I’ve got an Explorer’s Pack.

Daniel [GM] 34:47
You’re going to be spending a month on the road.

Sampson [Dili] 34:47
I feel like between Nix and ChaCha they can find us the requisite rocks and sticks to eat.

Marietta [Atalia] 34:57
Sure, yeah. That’ll be fine I’m sure.

Stace [Nix] 35:00
Nix hardly ever travels with money. So, if ChaCha gave Nix the whole 140 like she said, and Atalia did that….

Alex [ChaCha] 35:09
She gave her the whole 190.

Stace [Nix] 35:10
That’s 625 in shins and then the cyphers. So that should be plenty.

Marietta [Atalia] 35:17
Mhmm.

Stace [Nix] 35:19
To at least have one guard. Okay, so that’s what Nix’ll do. She’ll collect them in a bag, be extremely grateful to everybody.

[As Nix]  You guys can roll with me if you want to back to the house.

Daniel [GM] [As Nix]  
I mean, for Dili, it’s that or the bridge, right?

Sampson [Dili] 35:36
[As Dili]  Yeah, clearly the safest place I know is right next to you so I will continue to be here.

Alex [ChaCha] 35:42
I think ChaCha’s going to go say bye to her new, I don’t…cohorts? At the Queen’s Spittoon.

Daniel [GM] 35:51
Are you going to go there and tell them you’re leaving town?

Alex [ChaCha] 35:55
No, she’s not going to say she’s leaving town, but she’s going to be like, I’m going to go hide somewhere. Because I think she’s smart enough to realize she shouldn’t tell people she’s leaving town. Like, I’m going to this address?

Daniel [GM] 36:08
So, you’re going to, by cohorts you mean Loan Shark Guy, right?

Alex [ChaCha] 36:11
Yeah.

Daniel [GM] 36:15
He looks at you and he says,

[As Loan Shark Guy] Listen, I heard the news and I saw the description. And, if you weren’t involved, I would turn in your friend Nix without a second thought. But, I like you ChaCha, you stay safe. Because I guarantee this one comes from Minos and his crew.

Alex [ChaCha] 36:34
[As ChaCha]  Yeah, they’re kind of dicks.

Daniel [GM] 36:37
[As Loan Shark Guy] Yeah, they’re also the one group that I can’t easily protect you against, so just be safe and me and my crew will keep our mouth shut.

And he looks over at his guys and he says,

[As Loan Shark Guy] If we all know what’s good for us.

And they all kind of clearly flinch.

Alex [ChaCha] 36:56
[As ChaCha]  I think you should tell them I went here.

She pulls out her map and points out a city with an X in it in the opposite direction that they’re going.

Daniel [GM] 37:06
[As Loan Shark Guy] Oh, yeah. I can tell them you said something about going there, sure.

Alex [ChaCha] 37:12
[As ChaCha]  Get some money for yourself.

Daniel [GM] 37:11
[As Loan Shark Guy] Yeah. Sure thing. Tell you what, if they pay up, you and me, we split it 50/50 when I see you next.

Alex [ChaCha] 37:21
[As ChaCha]  That’s a good deal.

Daniel [GM] 37:22
[As Loan Shark Guy] You just be safe, ChaCha. I want to be able to see your next show.

Alex [ChaCha] 37:26
[As ChaCha]  I’m getting more material, it’ll work.

Daniel [GM] 37:31
Okay. So I assume you all meet up at Nix’s house and sleep for the night? There are enough guest rooms for all of you, because there are four guest rooms here and Nix has her own room. With….

Stace [Nix] 37:43
Turko.

Daniel [GM] 37:43
Turko, it was Turko. So you all sleep in separate rooms?

Marietta [Atalia] 37:49
Yes.

Sampson [Dili] 37:50
I think so.

Daniel [GM] 37:51
Unless you guys want to have some sort of dialogue beforehand.

Stace [Nix] 37:59
Nix will just reiterate that we don’t say anything about our true destination.

Sampson [Dili] 38:03
[As Dili]  Actually, I may have something that may help with that a little bit. I have that glitterbomb transmitting thing? I was thinking, I might be able to set up a timer, attach it to the glitterbomb transmitter, put that on a cog courier, just send it to the other side of the city and that may buy us half a day maybe that the Knyxos are looking elsewhere as we leave tomorrow morning.

Alex [ChaCha] 38:30
I think ChaCha’s going to pull out her map and say,

[As ChaCha]  Send it to where it’s this.

And indicate the same city that she told Loan Shark Guy to tell she was going to.

Daniel [GM] 38:41
I love that idea, but a cog courier will not leave the city.

Alex [ChaCha] 38:43
Well, no, like have it go near that exit of the city.

Sampson [Dili] 38:50
[As Dili]  Okay, okay.

The city that ChaCha pointed too, would that happened to be along a river route?

Daniel [GM] 38:59
Because I knew that I was going to be talking to you Sampson, I made sure that I had my map open. So, there is a river route. The river leads either west in roughly the direction you’re going or east toward the Black Riage. So we could say that the city that, well ChaCha’s already established that one of the cities she visited was in the mountains, so it could be east of Charmonde.

Sampson [Dili] 39:31
[As Dili]  Okay, because I had this idea. Maybe not a cog courier, but maybe we could put this as a package on a boat that may be leaving the city toward the east, going toward the river? A pretty standard way to escape the city is on a boat.

Stace [Nix] 39:47
[As Nix]  Yeah, Dili, if you think it’s a good idea and you think we have time for it. I’m good. I just gotta give this money to my dad and say bye and tell him I’m wandering again.

Sampson [Dili] 39:58
Yes, and I’d give your dad some pointers on how to sell on the cyphers as he goes to sell those.

Stace [Nix] 40:06
[As Nix]  Cog couriers come here all the time, so for speed a cog courier would be fastest to do, otherwise we gotta get to the docks.

Marietta [Atalia] 40:16
[As Atalia]  We could divide and conquer, I could go with Dili and we could drop that cypher off and we could loop back around to your place and we could leave from there?

Stace [Nix] 40:26
[As Nix]  All right, I’m here for it.

Daniel [GM] 40:28
Okay. You guys are going to pay a cog courier to take it over there?

Sampson [Dili] 40:35
Yeah. And the night before Dili will construct, using Right Tool for the Job, this timer that he will attach to the glitterbomb transmitter.

Daniel [GM] 40:46
Yeah, just spend the Intellect, I don’t think we even need to roll for something like that, that should be relatively simple.

Sampson [Dili] 40:52
All right. That’s my last Io so nobody do anything dumb. Including me.

Daniel [GM] 41:03
Okay. You guys sleep and you have ten hours of sleep if you want to do recovery rolls you can.

Alex [ChaCha] 41:10
Whoo!

Marietta [Atalia] 41:10
Yes. Cool. Some Intellect, we like the Intellect.

Sampson [Dili] 41:20
Two ones in a row.

Daniel [GM] 41:23
We call that a Sampson special.

Sampson [Dili] 41:26
This was on the d6.

Daniel [GM] 41:28
Although, I don’t know, it might be a Stace special at this point.

Sampson [Dili] 41:35
Yeah, you’ve been having my bad luck.

Stace [Nix] 41:35
Have. I’m using digital dice this time. Not because I’ve been rolling poorly but because I left my dice in the other room again.

Daniel [GM] 41:45
You guys wake up the next morning after you’ve done whatever recovery rolls. Are you guys waiting around to try to get breakfast with Nix’s dad or are you guys just going to head out right away?

Sampson [Dili] 41:55
How long has that breakfast taken in the past?

Daniel [GM] 41:55
He makes a big spread so you’re going to commit to a meal that lasts at least an hour when you include conversation. That’s not including prep time.

Alex [ChaCha] 42:08
I feel like we should leave.

Sampson [Dili] 42:11
Dili will defer to Nix because this will be the last meal she will have with her family for the next two months.

Stace [Nix] 42:16
[As Nix]  Yeah, nah. Breakfast is good and all, but we should really hit the road.

Marietta [Atalia] 42:22
Gotta make those miles.

Daniel [GM] 42:25
Okay. We’ll fast forward where you give the money to your dad and the tips on how to sell it, that kind of stuff.

Stace [Nix] 42:32
Nix will grab out of her closet her fanciest travel suit and I’m assuming it comes high in the neck and long in the sleeves to cover up her tattoos.

Daniel [GM] 42:41
Yeah, I think that’s fine. Tell me in more detail what it looks like though.

Stace [Nix] 42:47
I think that it’s like, definitely, she’s wearing a shirt under it, but a sleeveless sort of tunic thing. It’s clearly meant to be a travelling outfit but it’s a fancy-people traveling outfit. It’s made of sturdy but fine materials. It’s dark blue, but its embroidered in such a way that in the light you can see a pattern in the material. Yep. Black pants. She is wearing the same boots, but basically she just wants to look nothing like a Traveler.

Daniel [GM] 43:24
What’s the pattern in the embroidery.

Stace [Nix] 43:27
Um, I think kind of like, I don’t know what they’re called. You know how it’s like, tilted squares?

Daniel [GM] 43:36
Yeah, yeah.

Stace [Nix] 43:35
Yeah.

Daniel [GM] 43:36
Here’s a question for you. Obviously, while the Sladeks aren’t like crazy old money, they’re still old money. If you’re going for finery is there any symbol of your house there?

Stace [Nix] 43:50
Oh. Sure. Yeah, she’s got a little pin that she puts on the left side.

Daniel [GM] 43:59
Okay. What is your family’s symbol or coat of arms look like?

Stace [Nix] 44:06
So it’s very bureaucratic. It’s like scroll crossed with a pin and it just says Sladek underneath. Or a quill? Would it be a quill? Would that be more accurate to the setting?

Daniel [GM] 44:19
Quill or pen. It’s the Ninth World, so who knows what they’ve got.

Stace [Nix] 44:25
Or we can say instead of the last name there’s the motto there, but I would want to spend a little time to think of the motto.

Daniel [GM] 44:32
Sure. Yeah. We can cut that part and then if in a later episode we can address it at that moment. So just think about it in the background.

Stace [Nix] 44:43
Okay.

Daniel [GM] 44:45
You are dressed, Dili you’re going to pay the 7 shins to have a cog courier take it over to the docks for you?

Sampson [Dili] 44:54
Yes.

Marietta [Atalia] 44:55
Yeah, or did you want us to go do it? I don’t know.

Sampson [Dili] 44:55
Well, before he pays that are we going to go shopping beforehand? Or are we going to shop outside town?

Daniel [GM] 45:07
Nearest one would be Fasten.

Sampson [Dili] 45:09
Not even a village between the two?

Alex [ChaCha] 45:11
ChaCha has a pocket full of scones, so ChaCha’s good for like two days, three days?

Daniel [GM] 45:19
Yeah, Momma Jerrun’s scones, they’re like Lembas bread.

Marietta [Atalia] 45:21
Okay.

Stace [Nix] 45:25
Okay, so, I think it would be more a matter of, do we want to do a shopping session or do we just want to say what we got?

Sampson [Dili] 45:35
Dili probably can’t go into any cypher or artifact oriented places, so it would really just be like, we get the nebulous amount of rations we need to make it to Shallamas.

Daniel [GM] 45:46
I mean, I will say this. You don’t need to roll for this, you guys are very aware of the face that doing anything in public which would require you guys to pull hoods down or something like that would be highly dangerous for someone picking up your trail. Obviously, shopping in any way is going to damage Dili’s attempt to mislead people. You can shop, but just be aware that it’s going to be extremely difficult to avoid anybody noticing that you are.

Marietta [Atalia] 46:22
Can we grab some food from Nix’s kitchen and we could also raid whatever’s left at my grandma’s house.

Daniel [GM] 46:31
Yeah.

Sampson [Dili] 46:31
Can we still do that morning after?

Marietta [Atalia] 46:34
I shut the door.

Daniel [GM] 46:36
I’m sure nobody’s watching to see if anybody comes back.

Marietta [Atalia] 46:40
They don’t even know who Atalia is.

Daniel [GM] 46:43
This is a thing I’ll mention. Atalia does not necessarily have a bounty out on her publicly, but Atalia, this is something you know about the Handlers is, they wouldn’t want it obvious that one of their own went rogue.

Marietta [Atalia] 46:58
Oh, okay.

Daniel [GM] 47:00
So, this is something they would take care of quietly.

Marietta [Atalia] 47:04
Well.

Daniel [GM] 47:05
And internally as fast as they could.

Marietta [Atalia] 47:07
[As Atalia]  I guess we just leave and wing it, then.

Stace [Nix] 47:09
[As Nix]  Yeah, guys, it’s like it’s semi-civilized. You know, between here and there. We’ll be all right. I never take rations or anything.

Sampson [Dili] 47:20
[As Dili]  All right, well, I never lived outside the city so I’m going to trust you on this.

Marietta [Atalia] 47:26
[As Atalia]  Okay, I guess we’re doing it, I guess we’re going.

Stace [Nix] 47:26
So I guess Nix doesn’t take two months of rations, but she does grab some non-perishable food from the basement. Okay, so we’ve got some food.

Daniel [GM] 47:34
Okay, that’s fine. Yep. I would say you’ve got a reasonable amount of food. I’d also say this, Nix is skilled enough with it that I don’t think you guys are going to have to worry in the short term about the ability to hunt and get food on the road. Your main concern is if you run into something else. With Nix at your side, as well as ChaCha, who has had to deal with some dire straits, you guys are going to be able to fend for yourself. If you’ve got some nonperishable food from Nix’s basement, you guys are going to have enough food for the journey.

Sampson [Dili] 48:10
All right.

Marietta [Atalia] 48:10
[As Atalia]  And we’re going to stop in that one town that ChaCha….

Sampson [Dili] 48:13
[As Dili]  I think we’re playing that one by ear, but that is possible.

Marietta [Atalia] 48:17
[As Atalia]  Well, I’ll at least run in and get some food or something. That seems reasonable.

Daniel [GM] 48:22
Okay. You guys leave Charmonde.

Sampson [Dili] 48:27
Yes. Can I do the thing with the cog courier?

Daniel [GM] 48:33
Yeah, I already took care of that so make sure you mark off 7 shins to have the courier deliver it. Oh, you probably had to deliver a shipping fee, though. Let’s say it was-.

Sampson [Dili] 48:41
You know what, depending on how long it takes the cog courier to get there, and how long it actually takes for us to actually leave the city, I don’t think I really need to. I just need the transmitter to go off when we’re not around.

Daniel [GM] 48:55
You just want it to end up on the eastern side of the city?

Sampson [Dili] 49:01
I think so, yeah.

Daniel [GM] 49:02
You pay your 7 shins for that. The rest of you guys are leaving to the west and heading in the rough direction of Shallamas I assume. That’ll bring you within spitting range of Fasten. Fasten is about 50, wait, so depending it’s 50-70 miles, whatever, to the southwest. You’ll get, for the most part the initial part of this journey is relatively without incident, until you can see Fasten on the horizon. It’s not a huge town, it’s established, but it’s nowhere near Charmonde. It’s totally different from what Atalia or Dili are used to. You guys, it looks like a podunk, like somebody built a couple buildings in the middle of nowhere, whereas Nix and ChaCha would recognize it as a fairly established settlement. It’s not a big city or anything like that, but this is an established location. It’s up to you whether or not you go into that location or whether you try to go around.

Marietta [Atalia] 49:02
[As Atalia]  Do you guys think we need more food?

Sampson [Dili] 50:17
[As Dili]  I mean, it wouldn’t hurt to look, because if I have to eat these fucking nuts again, I might throw up.

Marietta [Atalia] 50:23
[As Atalia]  I mean, if you guys are willing, I could try to just go buy stuff and leave.

Alex [ChaCha] 50:30
[As ChaCha]  This isn’t an Xed-out town.

Marietta [Atalia] 50:32
[As Atalia]  This isn’t?

Daniel [GM] 50:34
Fasten is an Xed-out town.

Alex [ChaCha] 50:36
Oh, then ChaCha goes and climbs the nearest tree.

Sampson [Dili] 50:44
All right.

Daniel [GM] 50:43
So, ChaCha, you climb the tree and you look at this city of Fasten in the distance and it looks very familiar. But at this distance it doesn’t make sense that you can see it clearly. They should just be amorphous blobs at this distance, but you can see them with perfect, sharp clarity. These serpentine forms, moving about the edge of the city, with faces that are almost human except they are distorted [inaudible] as they parade around the edge of the city. For a moment, one of them turns, and even from a quarter-mile away, you think it meets your eyes. And that’s where we’ll end this episode.

Alex [ChaCha] 51:35
So, we end the episode with ChaCha getting a long-distance finger from a snake?

Daniel [GM] 51:44
Yeah, it’s unclear what kind of finger, but yeah.

Sampson [Dili] 51:47
I interpret it more as bedroom eyes. Like, oh you want to come here?

Daniel [GM] 51:52
Maybe it’s the come-hither look. I don’t know. We’ll leave it vague.

Daniel [GM] 51:59
I think it’s only appropriate to ask Marietta if there’s anything that stuck out to her that Atalia did this episode?

Marietta [Atalia] 52:08
I think just the interaction with Momma Jerrun was pretty good as far as intensity is concerned. Definitely a smack in the face for her, but it’s the memorable moment of the episode for me for sure.

Daniel [GM] 52:27
We have a segment we do each week that we call Player Intrusions, where we offer you, the listener, an XP to check out something that we think you would absolutely dig. This week it’s Alex’s turn. Alex, what would you offer our listeners an XP to check out?

Alex [ChaCha] 52:43
For posterity’s sake, we are recording this in the month of June in our year 2020. Do not come for me, should new facts arise. I don’t want to hear it at this moment. We will give you an XP if you will go and try my delightful, childhood TV show of Murder She Wrote, with our Lord and Savior Jessica Fletcher. The level of stanning I have for this woman, because I actually rewatched some of the original episodes, it aged well. It was filmed ’80s/’90s? The level of wokeness in this show was actually quite amazing for that time, and it’s this single geriatric white lady going around the world, seducing the mens, solving the crimes, making bank. How could you not want to be Jessica Fletcher when you grow up? It gives you time to get there. So maybe by the time you’re 50, you could achieve this. These are reasonable goals? Why are you all not seducing the mens, solving the crimes, making bank in you 50s? So please, try Murder She Wrote.

Daniel [GM] 54:07
I remember watching it a lot as a kid with my grandma but I don’t remember the individual episodes very well. Do you have a favorite episode or storyline for Murder She Wrote?

Alex [ChaCha] 54:19
I think my favorite episode is when she went to Europe and she was doing a double role. One as like, Jessica Fletcher, and another one of her characters that was like a drunken tart, and it was just amazing. You don’t realize the range on Angela Lansbury until you start looking into her career, because people my age are most familiar with her from Beauty and the Beast as Miss Potts and maybe Murder She Wrote? And later on in Upton, Uptown…what is that show called? I never watched it. Downton Abbey? I don’t know. That old white people show where, oh we’re rich in the ’40s or something?

Stace [Nix] 55:06
No, yeah, that’s Downton Abbey. Yeah.

Alex [ChaCha] 55:08
Okay, yeah. I never watched it because I just can’t relate, because I’m not a rich, white person in the ’30s/’40s. Yet I can relate to this old white woman in the ’80s and ’90s.

Daniel [GM] 55:23
Angela Lansbury is badass. She is amazing. I remember as a kid, I was obsessed with her performance in Bedknobs and Broomsticks as the witch who was trying to lead a British battle against the Nazis in World War 2. She was also the first one on Broadway who played, um, in, uh, what is the demon barber of-.

Alex [ChaCha] 55:51
Sweeney Todd.

Sampson [Dili] 55:51
Sweeney Todd.

Daniel [GM] 55:53
Yeah, she played Sweeney Todd’s mother, the one that [inaudible] the meat pies in the initial Broadway thing, she was amazing.

Alex [ChaCha] 56:00
Hmm. But yeah, the range on Angela Lansbury is amazing. She’s up there with Betty White for me. Just amazing people. I think the only way I could love Angela Lansbury more is if she was super into activism.

Daniel [GM] 56:19
Mmm. Yeah.

Sampson [Dili] 56:18
I didn’t realize she was still alive.

Alex [ChaCha] 56:20
Do not wish that.

Sampson [Dili] 56:23
At this point in recording she is still alive, so, apologies to the audience.

Alex [ChaCha] 56:29
That will be a rough month if that happens. And we’ll just all watch her repertoire in solidarity.

Daniel [GM] 56:40
I will second your pick. I remember really loving watching it when I was a kid with my grandmother on daytime TV and stuff like that. Seeing this murder mystery novelist solving crimes and things like that, she was always amazing.

Alex [ChaCha] 57:02
She doesn’t have superpowers, she doesn’t use money to solve her problems. She just is a retired schoolteacher who wrote this book as a lark and accidentally became famous.

Daniel [GM] 57:20
It’s good times. It’s a very good time. It’s great in a sense that it reminds it a little bit of Ms. Marvel updated. It’s somebody who, she operates in a very similar vein to like Columbo the detective, except she is in every way not part of the standard narrative, because she is a middle-aged older woman solving all these mysteries and that’s awesome.

Alex [ChaCha] 57:51
Yeah.

Daniel [GM] 57:51
Very cool, very good pick. If people wanted to tell us about, say, what they thought about the podcase, or what they think about Murder She Wrote, how would they do that, Marietta.

Marietta [Atalia] 58:03
Man, they could reach out to us on our social medias. We have our very own website where you can find everything if you’re like, I can’t remember this spiel, go to explorerswanted.fm. We have Twitter, we’re @explorerswanted. We have Facebook, we’re Explorers Wanted Podcast there, and we’re also explorerswantedpodcast on Instagram. We have Patreon, come back us we’d really appreciate that. We’re Explorers Wanted on there and there’s some great benefits.

Daniel [GM] 58:33
Yeah, absolutely. And if you back us on Patreon, the more support we get the easier it is for us to continue to do this thing as well as to do more types of content for you. We have some goals set aside for not just kind of meeting our base expenses but for also enabling us to do more things like livestream one-shots, things like that. This month when we’re recording, which is June, we’re actually going to get a taste of Atalia’s personal journal. There’s a segment of that which will be included for our patrons.

If you enjoyed the podcast the best thing you could do for us is tell a friend. And tell them why they should listen to the podcast. The second best thing you can do for us is leave a five-star rating and review on a podcast directory. Whether that’s the Apple podcast directory, Podchaser, or Stitcher, anything that allows you to rate podcasts and review them. Those reviews in particular make a difference in people trying out the podcast, so while we deeply, deeply appreciate those of you who have gone ahead and given us those five-star ratings, writing a review will make a big difference to people checking us out and getting to experience the strangeness that is Numenera and that this wonderful cast of characters is able to provide you in terms of story.

If you didn’t like the podcast…. Let me take a moment. Before I continue, I want to assure you that magic is not real. So along as we’re all clear on that, we’re good. Agreed? Great. If you didn’t like the show, no hard feelings, we can’t fit everyone’s taste. Knowing that, we have finely tuned our protective wards to eliminate false positives. In fact, I can prove it to you. Tonight, when you are waiting in bed waiting to fall asleep, look carefully at the ceiling. Now, remember, magic is not real. So again, look carefully at the ceiling. Just a normal ceiling, right? Maybe you’ve got a weird shadow up there, but I can assure you that has nothing to do with our protective wards. In fact, I can confidently tell you that if you stare at that spot intently, you will not see anything besides a completely still surface with no variation. There won’t be any floating spots in your vision and no motion undulating across the surface of your bedroom. Because, as discussed, magic is not real and our wards are finely-tuned. Which means that you have nothing to worry about and those shadows, motion, or visions, hisses-slash-whispers are purely the product of your imagination.

If you want to reach out to us individually on the social media you can. You can find me on Twitter @andrlik, A-N-D-R-L-I-K.

Stace [Nix] 61:29
You can also find me at Twitter @StaceWindu.

Sampson [Dili] 61:33
You can give me a reason to be more active on Twitter @slampotato.

Alex [ChaCha] 61:37
You can tell me your favorite episode or man she seduces on Murder She Wrote @realteaunicorn.

Marietta [Atalia] 61:49
I guess you can tell me Aang or Korra on Twitter @imonahike.

Daniel [GM] 61:54
Okay. Looks like that’s some conflict that’s been entered in.

Sampson [Dili] 61:57
What’s the contest?

Stace [Nix] 61:59
Yeah, I could tell you right now. We don’t have to wait for Twitter.

Daniel [GM] 62:06
We’ll leave the listeners in suspense though as to Stace’s answer. Thank you all, I hope you enjoy the show. Have a good night, or day, or morning, whenever you’re listening. We will be back next week as we are for every week in the foreseeable future. Have a good day and,

Multiple Speakers 62:22
Bye!

[Beep]

Daniel [GM] 62:55
Atalia.

Marietta [Atalia] 62:55
Yeah, so, wait, didn’t ChaCha roll higher?

Daniel [GM] 63:00
ChaCha rolled a 14.

Marietta [Atalia] 63:01
I rolled a 14.

Daniel [GM] 63:04
Okay, then, so it is mixed up. ChaCha goes next.

[Beep]

Stace [Nix] 63:05
Would you guys to like to know how Nix is actually doing?

Marietta [Atalia] 63:08
Yeah, tell us.

Stace [Nix] 63:09
6 Might. 8 Speed. 2 Intellect. Don’t tell Daniel, he can smell weakness.

Daniel [GM] 63:16
Those are rough stats.

Stace [Nix] 63:19
Oh, hi Daniel.

[Beep]

Daniel [GM] 63:23
So, now it would cut to Stace, but Stace is stunned.

Alex [ChaCha] 63:27
What about Atalia?

Daniel [GM] 63:29
So now it goes…. Atalia goes, is at the beginning, is after-.

Marietta [Atalia] 63:29
I go after ChaCha.

Daniel [GM] 63:34
Oh, that’s right, you do. I’m sorry.

[Beep]

Daniel [GM] 63:36
Is it Stace’s connection or is it just my perception of a pregnant pause there?

Sampson [Dili] 63:41
No, she is not moving.

Alex [ChaCha] 63:43
Yeah, even Stace isn’t that good. It worries me, cuz now I’m just like, how often will Stace do this to us?

Stace [Nix] 63:50
Sorry, guys, I don’t know what’s happening.

Alex [ChaCha] 63:53
Scared the poop out of me.

Stace [Nix] 63:55
The midnight internet [inaudible] sorry, friends.

[Beep]

Stace [Nix] 64:01
Nix is snek. Snek-snek-snek-snek-snek-snek.

Daniel [GM] 64:05
Stace. Obey the bar.

[Beep]

Multiple Speakers 64:12
Recording!

Stace [Nix] 64:14
Daniel, I kind of yelled that, so I’m sorry about that but I was trying to say it at the exact same time as you.

Marietta [Atalia] 64:19
I just wanted to be cool like you, Daniel.

Daniel [GM] 64:20
It’s okay.

Stace [Nix] 64:20
Yeah, I wanna be cool like you, Daniel.

[Beep]

Daniel [GM] 64:26
Yeah, it is funny. It’s very rare, there’s only been a few times when you’ve eaten something during recording, but it is interesting to be like, wow, I know what every one of your mouths sound like.

Stace [Nix] 64:39
Have I actually eaten on recording?

Daniel [GM] 64:42
Actually, you haven’t, but what I do recognize is when you have a glass when you have a glass up to your mouth to drink at the same time as you answer a question.

Stace [Nix] 64:48
When I’m talking, just like, yeah, my favorite thing to do?

Daniel [GM] 64:54
Whether it’s a Claw or wine.

[Beep]

Daniel [GM] 64:57
No shit, there’s a place by me that does like a poundcake french toast for their brunch buffet, it’s fucking amazing. Anyway.

Alex [ChaCha] 65:04
I want french toast so bad, I’m so angry right now.

[Beep]

Daniel [GM] 65:10
Is he now?

Sampson [Dili] 65:10
Hold on, Stace is frozen.

Stace [Nix] 65:13
Fuck. Midnight internet disconnection, everytime. It’s gonna happen, guys. It’s gonna go out.

Sampson [Dili] 65:21
Come on, Stace internet. You just need to hold out a little bit longer.

Daniel [GM] 65:25
Almost there, so close. Yeah, she’s just reconnecting now. I can see that. So close.

Stace [Nix] 65:32
All right.

Sampson [Dili] 65:34
Hey!

Daniel [GM] 65:34
There she is!

Marietta [Atalia] 65:36
Hello.

Stace [Nix] 65:36
I don’t know why it happens on this computer, at midnight. Only this computer.

Marietta [Atalia] 65:42
Because you’re trying to record a podcast.

Sampson [Dili] 65:44
Something, something gremlins reference.

Stace [Nix] 65:44
Bye, guys. See you when I get back.

Sampson [Dili] 65:51
Is she gone again?

Marietta [Atalia] 65:52
And she froze again.

[Beep]

Daniel [GM] 65:53
Welcome to Explorers Wanted. We are a weekly actual play Numenera podcast. No, shit.

[Beep]

Alex [ChaCha] 66:02
All the evil plotting we’re doing on our secret Discord chat.

Marietta [Atalia] 66:09
I want to fast forward to meeting Momma Jerrun.

Stace [Nix] 66:11
No, Nix is 100% try to convince everyone to go after-.

Marietta [Atalia] 66:15
The Knyxos?

Stace [Nix] 66:15
The Knyxos.

Marietta [Atalia] 66:17
Dili’s gonna be really excited about that plan.

Stace [Nix] 66:21
And then we can execute our secret plan from our secret Discord.

Alex [ChaCha] 66:25
I know.

Marietta [Atalia] 66:26
You guys have a secret Discord?

Stace [Nix] 66:27
Oh my god.

Alex [ChaCha] 66:28
Listen, we have a separate chat that doesn’t have you in it sometimes, but you have to look at the main chat that all four of us are in so we can plot against Dan.

Marietta [Atalia] 66:42
Yeah, do we have our own chat without Daniel?

Stace [Nix] 66:46
[Heavy sigh] It was just a bit.

Alex [ChaCha] 66:50
Yeah. We were going to see how long we could keep on….

Marietta [Atalia] 66:51
We should have our own chat without Daniel, though.

Stace [Nix] 66:54
I mean, I don’t think we should. Honestly.

Alex [ChaCha] 66:55
Meh.

Daniel [GM] 66:57
I agree.

[Beep]

Stace [Nix] 67:00
Nix imagines it as a baby bird.

Daniel [GM] 67:03
It doesn’t make a difference.

Stace [Nix] 67:05
[Sounds as though talking with a mouth full of food]

Daniel [GM] 67:06
Although, to be fair, I can unhinge my jaw.

Alex [ChaCha] 67:11
Ohh.

Marietta [Atalia] 67:12
I’m intentionally not watching the stream right now.

Stace [Nix] 67:16
That’s impressive.

Alex [ChaCha] 67:16
Is that what that popping noise is when you open your mouth really wide?

Daniel [GM] 67:21
Yeah.

Alex [ChaCha] 67:20
Oh, so I can do it, too.

Daniel [GM] 67:22
Yeah, I pop it out of joint and, yeah.

Stace [Nix] 67:25
I cannot do it.

Alex [ChaCha] 67:26
Do you have loose ligaments as well?

Daniel [GM] 67:30
I don’t think so. Or at least, if they are, they’re only in my jaw.

Stace [Nix] 67:36
Nope. My jaw stays stubbornly in place. That’s kind of cool.

Alex [ChaCha] 67:40
You can put a lot in that mouth, though. Sorry.

Daniel [GM] 67:48
Had to get through college somehow. Um, anyway.

Stace [Nix] 67:57
Are we sure this isn’t that kind of show?

Marietta [Atalia] 67:58
It’s only funny because it’s true.

Alex [ChaCha] 67:58
We went from a very pure moment of love-solves-all to “What that mouth do?”

[Beep]

Daniel [GM] 68:07
Next up is ChaCha.

Stace [Nix] 68:10
Nope.

Alex [ChaCha] 68:10
ChaCha’s gonna keep booking it.

Stace [Nix] 68:11
Wait, I thought it’s me.

Daniel [GM] 68:13
No, ChaCha rolled higher than you.

Marietta [Atalia] 68:16
ChaCha goes before me.

Daniel [GM] 68:18
Oh, yeah, I’m sorry, you’re right.

[Beep]

Multiple Speakers 68:20
Recording!

Marietta [Atalia] 68:23
Hello, hello, hello. Welcome to tonight’s episode of Numenera. On tonight’s episode, we go on an [inaudible]. Anyway. Sorry.

[Beep]

Sampson [Dili] 68:38
Actually, hold on, Dan-.

Daniel [GM] 68:39
Welcome to-!

Sampson [Dili] 68:39
The Zoom recording.

Daniel [GM] 68:42
Holy shit, I didn’t even record the first one. Okay.

Sampson [Dili] 68:45
Sorry to break protocol.

Daniel [GM] 68:46
Nobody can fail to upload their shit.

[Beep]

Daniel [GM] 68:50
Okay, so, is Stace recording again?

Stace [Nix] 68:50
Yes.

Sampson [Dili] 68:53
I thought Stace froze up for a second.

Marietta [Atalia] 68:54
She did.

Stace [Nix] 68:54
Guys? Can you hear me?

Daniel [GM] 68:55
I saw her eyes move and now she’s frozen again.

Marietta [Atalia] 68:58
That’s creepy.

Daniel [GM] 69:02
Unless she’s deliberately messing with us this time.

Stace [Nix] 69:04
No!

Marietta [Atalia] 69:05
That’s some dedication.

Stace [Nix] 69:06
You can’t hear me?

Alex [ChaCha] 69:08
That would be amazing.

Sampson [Dili] 69:09
Is it military training or internet lag, I can’t tell.

Stace [Nix] 69:14
I can hear you guys. My god.

Daniel [GM] 69:17
Now we can hear you.

Alex [ChaCha] 69:17
There you go.

Stace [Nix] 69:20
Good. Lord.

[Beep]

Sampson [Dili] 69:21
[As Dili]  You’re checking out Momma Jerrun?

Marietta [Atalia] 69:22
[As Atalia]  Um, yeah. Yeah, obviously!

Sampson [Dili] 69:25
[As Dili]  All right.

Marietta [Atalia] 69:27
[As Atalia]  Don’t you check out your employers?

Sampson [Dili] 69:29
[As Dili]  I-.

Marietta [Atalia] 69:30
[As Atalia]  You should check out your employers!

Sampson [Dili] 69:32
[As Dili]  I keep it professional.

Alex [ChaCha] 69:34
[As ChaCha]  It’s called sexual harassment.

Stace [Nix] 69:36
[As Nix]  Yeah, according to our handbook, we really should not.

Sampson [Dili] 69:39
[As Dili]  That’s one of the first lessons Master Astes taught me. Don’t, just keep it professional. So much easier.

[Beep]

Daniel [GM] 69:46
Right, and you’ll actually send me the link for the show notes, you’re not going to make me dig for it?

Sampson [Dili] 69:50
I will, I will do that, yes. I’ll actually send that to Stace as well for blog post if you’re doing that still, or no? Or?

Stace [Nix] 69:59
Wow, way to note that I dropped the ball this week, Sampson. But, yeah, send it to me.

[Beep]

[Squeaky toy sound]

Marietta [Atalia] 70:13
Um, Daniel, you can just delete it if she’s squeaking when I’m not talking, right?

[Beep]

Sampson [Dili] 70:20
I was kind of hoping that stayed vague enough that in the postmortem episode we could be like, turns out we were winging it the whole time!

Marietta [Atalia] 70:30
Yep.

Alex [ChaCha] 70:30
You thought we had plans. It was winging it.

Sampson [Dili] 70:35
You thought those were well-thought-out decisions? No.

Daniel [GM] 70:40
I guarantee, the listeners do not think that.

Marietta [Atalia] 70:43
Rude! Rude!

Daniel [GM] 70:47
I guarantee, whatever we think is happening in these games, the listeners are picking up on at least 75% more of whatever we think we are.

Stace [Nix] 70:56
I wish they would tell me.

Alex [ChaCha] 70:58
I know. I’m so confused half the time.

Daniel [GM] 70:58
Well, you won’t know for like two months.

Stace [Nix] 71:03
I feel like, there’s gotta be clues.

Marietta [Atalia] 71:07
There are clues! We need to go talk to people who know the answers, though!

Alex [ChaCha] 71:12
Also, there’s now a tier ranking system where ChaCha loves Nix the most, and then there’s Dili and Atalia. So y’all need to step it up if you want to make it to the next tier.

[Beep]

Stace [Nix] 71:23
…to be open and honest about her thievery. So she steals it.

Marietta [Atalia] 71:27
There’s a plot twist later on, spoiler alert.

Stace [Nix] 71:30
I’m telling the story, Marietta.

[Beep]

Daniel [GM] 71:34
So, can you tell me what the cypher is?

Sampson [Dili] 71:38
I can tell you it is…I’m going to mention it in Discord.

Daniel [GM] 71:44
I don’t have Discord open because we shouldn’t have Discord open….

Alex [ChaCha] 71:48
Unless it’s on your phone.

Stace [Nix] 71:49
Uh, I don’t look at my phone when we’re recording so I stay laser-focused.

Daniel [GM] 71:56
Some of us are professionals.

Alex [ChaCha] 71:59
Listen, if-.

Marietta [Atalia] 72:00
Okay, just because you and Stace are the most professional here, doesn’t mean you have to drag us through it.

Alex [ChaCha] 72:06
Some of us have to clear off Bumble.

Daniel [GM] 72:09
No, Alex is up there, too.

Stace [Nix] 72:10
Yeah. No, I definitely posted a picture of my cat to Twitter while we were playing last session, so. Please like it.

[Beep]

Marietta [Atalia] 72:17
Is there a range on Onslaught?

Daniel [GM] 72:21
Onslaught, is, actually, I don’t know. I don’t remember if it’s short or long. These are the parts I edit out while I look up rules.

Marietta [Atalia] 72:33
[Humming]

Sampson [Dili] 72:36
So we can say anything during these times.

Daniel [GM] 72:36
Mhmm. It absolutely won’t end up in the blooper reel.

Marietta [Atalia] 72:41
Anyway want to tell me not to Atalia this?

[Beep]

Marietta [Atalia] 72:45
Oh, man, guys, I’m noticing that the air conditioning is no longer on. It is here. I’ve got sweaty butt syndrome. This is everything you wanted to know about my life, listeners, thank you for being here.

[Beep]