Daniel [GM] 00:30 Welcome to Explorers Wanted. We are a weekly Numenera Actual Play podcast. I will be your humble GM, Daniel Andrlik. With me today is Marietta Jones. Marietta [Atalia] 00:43 Hello. Daniel [GM] 00:45 Sampson Davis. Sampson [Dili] 00:47 Am I always second? Regardless of who goes first, am I always second? Daniel [GM] 00:53 No. That's your imagination. Sampson [Dili] 00:57 Listeners call in and tell me, "He's wrong." Marietta [Atalia] 00:58 We should go back and compile data, probably. Daniel [GM] 01:03 Alex Finn. Alex [ChaCha] 01:04 A fucking gnat just went into my drink. Daniel [GM] 01:11 And Stace Babcock. Stace [Nix] 01:13 Hello. Daniel [GM] 01:18 Let's see. Who remembers what happened last time? This time, I'm going to pick on Stace. Stace, what happened last time on Explorers Wanted? Stace [Nix] 01:29 Last time, on Explorers Wanted Podcast. Sampson [Dili] 01:34 A week ago. Stace [Nix] 01:38 We were in Momma Jerrun's, getting information for our next job, when Atalia went off the rails. Woo. And was like, "Hey, Momma Jerrun, what are the guardians of night's hope?" And Momma Jerrun was like, "I have no clue." Stace [Nix] 02:01 And then Atalia was like, "You fucking liar." And then Momma Jerrun is like, "Don't call me a liar. I know everything about you," or something like that. Very threatening. Then we took all of her scones, got the information we needed, left. Sampson [Dili] 02:22 Sorry. Stace [Nix] 02:22 Spent some amount of time reallocating party resources to fund Nix's family's body guards, to guard her parents during the trip. Even though, as of right now, nobody should have made the connection between ... But people could, very well could. But the wanted poster just said, "Ni-." But it's not too much of a stretch. I think they might make the connection. Stace [Nix] 02:51 So, guys, stop me if I forget. So when we get to Nix's parents' house. And then sweep, hand over the money and the ciphers to Nix's dad, so he can take care of the guard stuff. Nix puts on her fancy clothes for travel, because she's disguising herself. I'm trying not to look like a benevolent society of traveler's traveler, with a pink mohawk, basically. Stace [Nix] 03:18 And Dili and Atalia activate the tracking powder, put it on a cog courier, and send it towards one of the gates leaving Hound, which reminds me of a part I forgot. ChaCha went to the Queen's Spittoon, talked to a loan shark guy, told him she was bouncing. He said that he wouldn't turn Nix in because of his friendship with ChaCha. And then ChaCha asked if he would deceive anybody who asked where she was going, by telling them she was heading in the opposite direction, to a town that she's been banished from. And that is also the direction the cog courier was sent in. I should say that the crew is heading over to Shallamas, the city of echos, to track down a shipment from Momma Jerrun. And then the shipment actually originated in Bodrav, outside ... Or that's a little bit more west of Shallamas. Daniel [GM] 04:26 Way west. Way, way west. Stace [Nix] 04:29 Way, way west of Shallamas. And is that it? All right. We ended near Fasten, and ChaCha saw snake horrors. Sampson [Dili] 04:46 Yes. They're called Lamias usually. Daniel [GM] 04:50 Well, except that ChaCha has a specific name, that they are the Dicks. Alex [ChaCha] 04:54 Yes. Daniel [GM] 04:58 Yes. Bodrav is specifically 100 miles northwest of Shallamas, or west northwest of Shallamas, I guess you could say [inaudible]. Stace [Nix] 05:10 Okay. 100 miles. Daniel [GM] 05:11 But you guys are still just looking at Fasten, which is a smaller city. Stace [Nix] 05:17 Why did we go this way, when we know that ChaCha's been banned from Fasten? Daniel [GM] 05:22 It's probably the most direct route towards Shallamas. Stace [Nix] 05:25 Okay. Daniel [GM] 05:27 Fasten is about 50-ish miles southwest from Charmonde. So if you're trying to do a direct route, unless you want to go roundabout, you would pass Fasten. It's your choice whether you enter Fasten or go around it. Stace [Nix] 05:46 Got it. Daniel [GM] 05:47 You guys just got within sight of it. And ChaCha can see these snake figures, that are clearly among her horrors, that are moving around the edge of the city. Alex [ChaCha] 06:04 So I think ChaCha's going to pop down, and kind of on the second lowest branch, just be like, "So this city's inhabited by Dicks. We shouldn't go in it, because Dicks are bad. Stace [Nix] 06:21 Not all Dicks. Marietta [Atalia] 06:22 So there are men? Sampson [Dili] 06:24 I'm one of those. So got something to say? Alex [ChaCha] 06:30 No, the Dicks from Dili's dream. Stace [Nix] 06:34 Oh, Dili. I get it. It's not embarrassing, it's natural. Marietta [Atalia] 06:42 Nix, that's not what you meant. Stace [Nix] 06:45 What? Marietta [Atalia] 06:49 Dili had the dream about the snake people. Sampson [Dili] 06:52 Oh, the snakes? Yes, I've dreamed about those. Stace [Nix] 06:55 We're talking about Dicks. Sorry. Daniel [GM] 06:58 The cousins of the Dicks. Marietta [Atalia] 07:02 Ah, I see. Stace [Nix] 07:03 I just don't think that it's a real good idea to go into town. Marietta [Atalia] 07:09 Okay. I guess we don't need fun food. We can just be like birds. Alex [ChaCha] 07:14 We have these scones. ChaCha holds up a half eaten scone from how many days ago? Sampson [Dili] 07:20 Isn't it like seven days at this point? Alex [ChaCha] 07:23 Yeah. And it's half eaten. Sampson [Dili] 07:26 Marietta, hiking math. How long would it take to go 100 miles about, looking at the map correctly? Marietta [Atalia] 07:33 If we're doing 20 mile days, it would be five days. Sampson [Dili] 07:37 Do the scones keep that long? Marietta [Atalia] 07:40 I mean, they'd probably be really sad. Daniel [GM] 07:42 They do. Momma Jerrun's scones are ... Marietta [Atalia] 07:45 Magic? Daniel [GM] 07:46 ... amazing. Sampson [Dili] 07:49 All right. Daniel [GM] 07:50 There are some chocolate chip, and there are some cinnamon crunch. Stace [Nix] 07:55 Yeah. So I say we stick to the wilds, I mean, unless you guys feel like risking ChaCha being discovered. She is banished from that town. Marietta [Atalia] 08:09 Well, and she said there were horrors, like- Stace [Nix] 08:13 Yeah, but the horrors don't affect us. Alex [ChaCha] 08:16 They will. Stace [Nix] 08:18 Wow. Sampson [Dili] 08:19 How would they affect us? What would happen? Alex [ChaCha] 08:25 I don't know. These snakes just seem to bring bad luck and misery. And- Stace [Nix] 08:30 I hear that. Alex [ChaCha] 08:32 That's how that house caught on fire. Stace [Nix] 08:36 So we should stay away for a moment, is what you're saying, ChaCha? Because that's kind of what I got out of that. Let's not mess with Fasten. Let's not mess with Dick snakes. Marietta [Atalia] 08:45 Yeah. Moving on, onwards, upwards, or southern lady. Yeah, let's keep going. Daniel [GM] 08:54 So you're going around Fasten? Stace [Nix] 08:56 Daniel deletes 20 pages of [inaudible]. No, just kidding. Marietta [Atalia] 08:58 Probably. Daniel [GM] 08:59 No, no, that's fine. Sampson [Dili] 09:00 He saves the encounters for later. Daniel [GM] 09:07 Believe me, I have many branches already planned. Okay. So you go around Fasten? So if you don't go into Fasten, you're not going to go crazy out of your way. There is a small wooded area that you'll have to pass through. It's not as big as, say, a forest. It's more like a strange grove, of these trees that ... They're trees, in the Ninth World sense, in that we think of them archetypely as a tree. But they seem to be made of a mixture of synth and what you and I, in our age, would think of as organic wood. Sampson [Dili] 09:59 Well, these are a bunch of normal looking trees. So let's move on. Marietta [Atalia] 10:03 [inaudible]. Hey, do you want to harvest some of the synths for your cipher creating? Do you still make those? Sampson [Dili] 10:10 I can. I didn't lose that ability on the way here, if that's what you're asking. Marietta [Atalia] 10:16 Yeah. Stace [Nix] 10:17 Are you guys just going to cut down a grove of trees or what? Marietta [Atalia] 10:20 I don't know. It just seemed convenient. But maybe I don't know what I'm talking about. Let's just keep walking. Nevermind. Sampson [Dili] 10:29 Well, no, you're not wrong. I do use synth. But Io is usually the one that's the super important ones. And I'm going to curse us if I say it, but I think I have enough synth. Knock on wood. But pass a tree. Stace [Nix] 10:45 Uh-huh (affirmative). Marietta [Atalia] 10:47 Ah. Sampson [Dili] 10:50 So I can, if you want to. But I- Marietta [Atalia] 10:53 Yeah, I guess we don't have to. Sampson [Dili] 10:54 Okay. Daniel [GM] 10:58 Okay. What's your marching order, just so I know? Marietta [Atalia] 11:03 I think Atalia would sweep with Seskii. Alex [ChaCha] 11:09 So like flanking? Marietta [Atalia] 11:12 No, I'd be in the back, since Atalia Doesn't know where we're going. Stace [Nix] 11:18 Yeah. Nix has actually literally traveled from Charmonde to Shallamas before. I mean, and plus she's Nix. So she would probably just be out front. Daniel [GM] 11:30 Makes sense. Yeah. This is probably a little bit unfamiliar, because you probably would normally stop in Fasten. And how about ChaCha and Dili? Alex [ChaCha] 11:41 I guess ChaCha is going to go second. Sampson [Dili] 11:44 Dili would probably go third. Yeah. Daniel [GM] 11:47 Because I'm a kind person, ultimately, Nix, please make a reception roll. Your target is going to be nine. Stace [Nix] 12:04 15. Daniel [GM] 12:07 Okay. You notice, as you are going through these woods, strange strands between the trees, that kind of almost in glint in the dark shades, and let little light escapes. They're very complex strands between the trees. They form just strange patterns, but they are definitely there between most of the trees. Stace [Nix] 12:44 So Nix will stop and be like, "Huh?" Who's behind? "ChaCha, you see that? What do you think?" Alex [ChaCha] 12:54 Sorry, what? Daniel [GM] 12:54 If Nix points it out to you, you'll be able to see it, all these strands between the trees. Stace [Nix] 13:02 I'm imagining like a spider web kind of. Daniel [GM] 13:03 A little bit like that. Stace [Nix] 13:03 More random? Daniel [GM] 13:11 No. It's got that same sort of structure, but it doesn't look the same. Stace [Nix] 13:16 Okay. Alex [ChaCha] 13:18 ChaCha's going to try and shoot it with her dart thrower. Daniel [GM] 13:24 Okay. So they're pretty thin. So if you're aiming towards them, the light weapon will probably negate the thinness of it. So it's probably a six. Alex [ChaCha] 13:44 I got 11. Daniel [GM] 13:47 Okay. So your dart thrower manages to hit one of these strands, and snap it, and it falls aside. There's still many other strands. You hit one of these strands inside it. One of the things that you do notice, ChaCha, is that it does get snapped, but you notice the dart that you shot was cut in between. Alex [ChaCha] 14:16 I guess ChaCha's going to kind of mention that to Nix, shrug, and keep walking. Stace [Nix] 14:23 Yeah. I don't think that we should probably go through this grove. So can we go between the grove of the city? I don't know, or town? Is there town walls? Or are we just outskirts? Daniel [GM] 14:38 You're kind of on the outskirts. You'd probably have to go within sight of the city, in order to ... You have to get pretty close to avoid the grove. Stace [Nix] 14:46 So I guess could Nix get a general of how big the grove is, and how much it would add to their travel to go around it, away from the city? Daniel [GM] 14:58 To go around it would probably add a week. Because it goes pretty far to the north. Stace [Nix] 15:02 Oh, holy. All right, guys. We're going to have to cut a little bit closer to the town, because we don't want to mess with these strands. Dili, they're kind of cool. I don't know if you could do anything with them, but they cut ChaCha's dart in half. Sampson [Dili] 15:20 Oh, yeah. I- Stace [Nix] 15:22 Yeah, so it is sharp. Sampson [Dili] 15:24 I can look at it, but I don't know what you're expecting. Stace [Nix] 15:28 Nothing. Dude, I just thought maybe you would need it, or could use it for one of your fucking contraptions or some shit. I don't know. Sampson [Dili] 15:39 I'll take a look. I- Stace [Nix] 15:40 It's like razor. Daniel [GM] 15:43 Yeah. So, Dili, you don't know what the strand is made of. But it is definitely some sort of sharp synth of some sort. And it is very deadly. So you think it would actually also be able to cut through most armor, unless it's particularly strong. So, from a mechanical point, if it is a material that is less than level five, it would cut through it. Sampson [Dili] 16:20 Okay. Maybe I can do something with the, I guess, unusable darts at this point. But can, I guess, Dili kind of use that leftover dart to cut a length of the strand? Daniel [GM] 16:37 Sure. Could try. So it's going to improvise. So I think that would negate light weapon benefit. So it would be a nine. Sampson [Dili] 16:53 Of the pools, what kind of role would this be? Daniel [GM] 16:58 For the kind of thing that you're doing, it's more intellect, because you're trying to do precision stuff. And it's not necessarily combat focused. Sampson [Dili] 17:07 In that case, I will put a level of effort into this. And I will roll a four. Daniel [GM] 17:16 Yeah. Sampson [Dili] 17:18 Ow, fuck. Daniel [GM] 17:19 Yeah. You try to use the dart to cut through it, and the dart just gets sheared in half again. Sampson [Dili] 17:26 Ah. Daniel [GM] 17:29 And it's at this point that I would say, "Does anybody have training in perception?" Marietta [Atalia] 17:36 I do. Stace [Nix] 17:37 That's a good question. Alex [ChaCha] 17:40 No. Marietta [Atalia] 17:41 Me. Daniel [GM] 17:45 Atalia, You hear a scuttling sound. Marietta [Atalia] 17:50 Hey, I think I hear something in yonder direction. It sounds like it could be a creature. Daniel [GM] 17:58 And I think everybody's going to need to roll initiative hits. Marietta [Atalia] 18:01 Get. Ooh. Sampson [Dili] 18:01 Uh-oh. Daniel [GM] 18:07 I know you guys have been craving ... Or at least Nix has been craving combat. Sampson [Dili] 18:11 She's the one that wanted to go around this. Stace [Nix] 18:15 Well, because I'm not trying to walk through razor wire. Marietta [Atalia] 18:19 First roll with this dice, and it was a one. Daniel [GM] 18:24 Ooh, ouch. Sampson [Dili] 18:26 Atalia, no. Alex [ChaCha] 18:28 Hey, guess what? We're twins. Sampson [Dili] 18:33 No. Daniel [GM] 18:33 Ouch. Sampson [Dili] 18:34 In a weird quirk of fate, I got an 11. So lot of ones. Daniel [GM] 18:38 That is rough. That is very rough. Marietta [Atalia] 18:42 Roll one, one, one. And then Nix rolled a natural 20, right? Stace [Nix] 18:46 12. Sampson [Dili] 18:49 One one plus one. Daniel [GM] 18:50 So, Nix, there is this scuttling coming. Atalia, in her alarm, has mentioned this to you. And you see five things that look like spiders, made out of some sort of metal, large spiders the size of a home. And they're coming at you, and they are ready to attack. But, Nix, you get the drop on them. You can see them coming. Stace [Nix] 19:22 I- Daniel [GM] 19:28 Currently, they are all a short distance away. Stace [Nix] 19:38 Yeah. Nix is going to sort of test the waters, I guess, and fire her sling at the lead one. Daniel [GM] 19:46 Okay. Is your sling a light weapon? Stace [Nix] 19:51 No, it's a medium. Daniel [GM] 19:55 Okay. So give me a nine speed roll. Stace [Nix] 19:57 Nine speed, I would like to expend effort to hit. Daniel [GM] 20:07 So that makes it a six. Stace [Nix] 20:11 I got two, Daniel. Daniel [GM] 20:12 That is a GM intrusion, because you are confident clave. Stace [Nix] 20:18 Nix is so confident. Daniel [GM] 20:22 So you not only miss, but one of them sees you, sneaks up on you. And there's one that you did not notice of the five. And it comes up, and it is going to get a chance to bite at you. So, please, make a might defense role of roll of nine. Stace [Nix] 20:50 All right. Alex, spend a level of effort for that. Alex [ChaCha] 20:52 For might. Then- Stace [Nix] 21:00 That's probably going to help me, because I got a five. Got a five. Daniel [GM] 21:08 Okay. So you're spending a little bit of effort, brought it down to a six, so you took a five. Stace [Nix] 21:11 Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Daniel [GM] 21:13 Okay. So you're going to take three points light damage from the bite. And then there is something going on. You feel almost like this bite of this thing injects the same sort of razor wire into your body. And you will take four points of speed damage in your armor, as your muscles and tendons are torn apart by the invasive injection. Stace [Nix] 21:41 Cool. And did the might damage ignore armor? Daniel [GM] 21:44 The might damage can be ignored by armor. Stace [Nix] 21:48 Wait- Daniel [GM] 21:49 So if you have armor, it reduces it, for the bite. Stace [Nix] 21:52 And it was three? So flesh of stone gives you one armor, so that was only two. Daniel [GM] 21:56 Yeah. So it's two might damage and four speed damage. Stace [Nix] 22:00 Four speed. Yep. Got it. Daniel [GM] 22:02 Okay. Next up is Dili. Sampson [Dili] 22:07 Why is my one combat cipher way too good? Marietta [Atalia] 22:09 We're going to need it one day, man. Sampson [Dili] 22:15 I know, I know, like the one day it's going to fucking save our ass, but- Stace [Nix] 22:20 Today might be the day. Sampson [Dili] 22:23 We'll see how the rest of the round goes. Dili is going to cast minor illusion. And he is going to create an image of an injured animal. I don't know what kind of the deer or large squirrel analog of the Ninth World is, but something that predator would find more intriguing than us. Daniel [GM] 22:47 Okay. So give me a nine intellect roll. Sampson [Dili] 22:55 Nine intellect. I'm going to roll a one. Stace [Nix] 23:06 This is when the party wipes. Daniel [GM] 23:08 Wow. Okay. So, yeah, they're not fooled at all. And two of them are coming after Dili now. And it is their turn. So, Dili, please make a nine. Well, actually one of them will hit for free, because you rolled a one. Daniel [GM] 23:34 So you're going to take three might damage, reduced by armor if you have armor. And then I need you to make a might defense role or nine. Sampson [Dili] 23:48 We'll also roll that straight, because I don't have a lot of might. That's a 19. Daniel [GM] 23:55 Nice. So you get a minor effect. So you're definitely going to avoid the speed damage. What would you propose as a minor effect? Sampson [Dili] 24:04 Let's see. There's only one attacking me right now? Or is this still the- Daniel [GM] 24:11 There's two attacking you, but this is the first one. Sampson [Dili] 24:12 Okay. Daniel [GM] 24:16 This is the one who definitely hit. Sampson [Dili] 24:20 As a minor effect, can I get a speed defense asset on the second one that's going to attack me? Daniel [GM] 24:30 Yeah, I think that's fair. Sampson [Dili] 24:33 All right. Daniel [GM] 24:35 Okay. So the second one is going to attack you. Please make a speed defense role of nine. Sampson [Dili] 24:39 Six now with the asset? Daniel [GM] 24:41 Six with the asset. Sampson [Dili] 24:44 And I roll a six, exactly. Daniel [GM] 24:47 Okay, perfect. You manage to dodge its bite. Sampson [Dili] 24:49 Ha ha. Daniel [GM] 24:52 Okay. So that means that there are two left. One of them is going to come after Atalia. Atalia, please make a speed defense roll of nine. Marietta [Atalia] 25:06 Seven. Daniel [GM] 25:10 That's unfortunate. Okay. So you will take three might damage. And I need you to make a might defense roll of nine. Marietta [Atalia] 25:19 Natural 20. Daniel [GM] 25:25 You avoid the speed image. What would you propose as a major effect? Marietta [Atalia] 25:29 I think it trips me up. And as I catch myself to move up and away from it, I'll kick it in its jaw. And I'll hit it in such a way that it'll be hindered when it tries to bite. Daniel [GM] 25:44 Okay. Yeah, that's pretty good. I'm going to say you do two might damage when you kick it in the jaw. Marietta [Atalia] 25:53 Awesome. Daniel [GM] 25:54 And it will be hindered the next time it tries to bite you. Okay. ChaCha, one of them is going to attack you. It is a nine speed defense role. Alex [ChaCha] 26:06 Got an 11, thank you baby Jesus. Daniel [GM] 26:11 Okay. So you managed to dodge it just fine. So next up is either Atalia or ChaCha. It's up to you guys who goes first. Marietta [Atalia] 26:22 I guess I'll try mentally onslaughting it, because it seems like it has some pretty serious armor. Daniel [GM] 26:30 Okay. Marietta [Atalia] 26:34 I'll do the one that tried to bite me. Daniel [GM] 26:38 Okay. Okay. So that's a nine intellect roll. Marietta [Atalia] 26:43 Okay. And I'll use a level of effort. Daniel [GM] 26:48 For easing or for damage? Marietta [Atalia] 26:53 For damage. Sampson [Dili] 26:55 I thought that was a clave only ability, that effort could be damaged. Daniel [GM] 26:59 Nope. Sampson [Dili] 26:59 Really? Daniel [GM] 27:00 Anybody can do that. And if you have two levels of effort, you could choose to spend one for ease, and one for damage. Marietta [Atalia] 27:08 Ooh, okay. Well, maybe I'll do that. That sounds like a party. Daniel [GM] 27:12 So you have an edge of one. So that would be four points of intellect. And that would bring it down to a six to hit. And you would get a plus three damage if you hit. Marietta [Atalia] 27:28 Okay. That is a 12. Daniel [GM] 27:30 Okay. So you do pause three. So that is five intellect damage. Does not look happy. Okay. ChaCha? Alex [ChaCha] 27:43 Laser gun, laser gun. Yeah. It's just like I was going to mental onslaught, but then I remember ChaCha has a laser gun she hasn't gotten to use yet. And she wants to go pew pew. Daniel [GM] 27:59 Okay. So because it already gives you an asset, it will be a six to hit. Daniel [GM] 28:02 Because it already gives you an asset, it'll be a six to hit. Marietta [Atalia] 28:04 Okay. I got a seven. Daniel [GM] 28:12 Okay. That does four damage, so it hits it hard. Obviously, it's got some armor from the metal, but it does not like it all the same. Okay, so now we're back to the top of the round with Nix. Stace [Nix] 28:31 Okay. How big are these metal creepy-crawlies? Daniel [GM] 28:36 They're about the size of a pony each. Stace [Nix] 28:42 Oh! And they're metallic? Daniel [GM] 28:43 Mm-hmm (affirmative). Stace [Nix] 28:44 I just feel like that's mean, Daniel, because I've been looking forward to biting somebody with Nix's new fangs. So she's just going to punch it, old school. You know? Daniel [GM] 29:00 It's not saying that you can't try to bite it. Stace [Nix] 29:03 I think that that's a logical thing that Nix wouldn't do though, teeth against metal. Punching metal, yes. Teeth against metal, no. Daniel [GM] 29:11 Okay. So give me a nine might roll. Stace [Nix] 29:18 Okay. Do I have anything that helps on that? No. Natty 20. Yes! Daniel [GM] 29:28 You want a major effect or the extra damage? Stace [Nix] 29:31 The extra damage, please, Daniel. Daniel [GM] 29:33 Okay, so that's plus four damage. What's your base damage? Stace [Nix] 29:36 Seven. Daniel [GM] 29:40 Fuck. Fucking glaives. Nice. What does it look like when you punch this thing? Stace [Nix] 29:46 Oh, hell yeah. Nix punches it and she's like, "It's metal, so I got to punch really hard." She punches in and she buries her arm shoulder deep in what would be its rib cage, and then just grabs whatever, something inside, whatever that would be, Daniel, and then yanks it back out. What is she holding? Daniel [GM] 30:06 You dig deep into its thorax, and you pull out this weird, goopy, organ that looks like... It's not the spinneret; the spinnerets in these things are in their mouths. But it is something that seems to be very important. It's still throbbing when you pull it out, and then it stops throbbing a half second later because it doesn't have the weird orange goo that's running through these things. It's Dili next. Sampson [Dili] 30:39 Dilly is going to change his minor illusion, something that hopefully to the spiders will seem like acid will start bubbling up in this shambling mound, like acidic-slime-looking thing will appear and start to go towards them, hopefully trying to... Dili assumes the spiders have a instinct to stay away from acid that would eat and corrode metal, so he's trying to get them to back off the party with this illusion. Daniel [GM] 31:17 Okay. I think because they've already seen you try to do one illusion, you're going to be a little bit hindered on this, so it'll be a 12 intellect roll. Sampson [Dili] 31:28 I will put a level of effort into this because I've got the intellect to spare at the moment. Daniel [GM] 31:34 Okay. That brings it back down to a nine. Sampson [Dili] 31:38 Roll, and I will get a 12. Daniel [GM] 31:43 Okay. A couple of these shamble away. They're still engaged in combat, but they don't attack you. Let's put it that way. Sampson [Dili] 31:54 Okay. Daniel [GM] 31:56 Okay. So that was their turn. One of them doesn't attack you. The other one moves, so it doesn't attack anybody else. Then the next one will attempt to attack Atalia. Atalia, please make a nine speed defense roll. Marietta [Atalia] 32:20 19. These have all been different dice too. Daniel [GM] 32:24 That is a minor effect. What would you propose as a minor effect? Marietta [Atalia] 32:33 I think it swings past me when I dodge out of the way, so it like winds up going further away than it had anticipated. So it's in an inconvenient location now. Daniel [GM] 32:43 Okay. Let's say as you do that just gets a bite in and does a little bit of damage to it. Marietta [Atalia] 32:49 Okay. Daniel [GM] 32:52 Okay. Marietta [Atalia] 32:53 Okay. Daniel [GM] 32:54 So next one can't do anything. Next one after that is going to take ChaCha. ChaCha, please make a nine speed defense roll. Alex [ChaCha] 33:06 It's a 10. Daniel [GM] 33:10 Okay. You dodge its bite. So now we go back to either Atalia or ChaCha, whichever one wants to go next. Alex [ChaCha] 33:25 Go for it, Marietta. Marietta [Atalia] 33:27 I guess I'll just do onslaught again. Daniel [GM] 33:31 Okay. Are you going to spend any effort? Marietta [Atalia] 33:34 Whatever one looks the weakest. Yeah. I'll spend a level of effort on damage. Daniel [GM] 33:40 Okay. So go ahead and make a nine intellect roll. Marietta [Atalia] 33:46 13. Daniel [GM] 33:48 What does it look like when you kill one of these spiders with your mental onslaught? Marietta [Atalia] 33:54 I think some dark, spooky energy comes out of me, and goes into it, in all the metal creases in it, and it pops. Pieces come off. Stace [Nix] 34:04 Dope. Daniel [GM] 34:07 Sounds good. ChaCha, it is now your turn. Alex [ChaCha] 34:14 Pew pew. Daniel [GM] 34:15 Okay. So you're going to shoot your laser beam at it? That'll be a six to hit. Alex [ChaCha] 34:22 I got an eight. Daniel [GM] 34:25 Okay. You do a little bit of damage to it. It does not like that. Then you hear this weird clicking scream from it. Then we go to Nix. Stace [Nix] 34:41 All right. Daniel [GM] 34:42 There are now four of these things left. Stace [Nix] 34:48 Nix punched through one of them, so what was its exterior like? Are they actually made of metal, or is their skin metallic? What- Daniel [GM] 34:58 They're literally metal. Stace [Nix] 35:00 Okay. Daniel [GM] 35:01 Nix is just that bad-ass. Stace [Nix] 35:03 Dope. Daniel [GM] 35:04 She found a weak point. Stace [Nix] 35:06 Okay, so no biting. Daniel, I'm going to ask a lot of questions about the nature of enemies. Daniel [GM] 35:13 There're still joints to what they do. Stace [Nix] 35:15 Oh, there are? Daniel [GM] 35:16 There are places where you could try to bite at. Stace [Nix] 35:20 Do they have a neck? Daniel [GM] 35:23 It's a spider, so they have a head, they have an abdomen, and they have their legs. Stace [Nix] 35:29 So the juncture between the head and the thorax? Daniel [GM] 35:33 Mm-hmm (affirmative). Stace [Nix] 35:34 Nix going to bite it. Daniel [GM] 35:35 Okay. If you're just going to try to bite it- Stace [Nix] 35:41 With her fangs; she's trying to poison it. Daniel [GM] 35:46 Yeah, I get it. But if you're not holding it, that's a harder thing to do. Stace [Nix] 35:51 What's the differential there? Daniel [GM] 35:53 It's one level. Stace [Nix] 35:56 She would have to hold it for one turn and then bite it? Daniel [GM] 36:00 If she wanted to make it easier. So it's going to be either a 12 to hit or she could make a die to try to hold it and get ready to hit. Stace [Nix] 36:11 It would be what? Would it be speed or might? Daniel [GM] 36:15 It'd be might. Stace [Nix] 36:18 All right. Nix is just going to go for it. She's going to expend a level of effort to make it a nine to hit. Daniel [GM] 36:23 Okay. Is there a particular one you're targeting? Stace [Nix] 36:29 Closest to Nix. Daniel [GM] 36:37 Okay. Stace [Nix] 36:37 All right. 10. It's happening! Daniel [GM] 36:41 Okay. So you jump at this thing and you go face-forward, and it's not expecting it. Your mouth unhinges and those fangs come out, and once again, it both hurts and is satisfying at the same time. You feel those fangs pierce through a joint in this metal and reach flesh, and there's this weird pulsing feeling like something is moving down through your fangs. You hit this thing and you know that you've definitely hurt it. So mechanically, just so you know, you've essentially done, because [inaudible] no weapons, you've essentially done four damage, and that's mitigated by whatever armor they have. Stace [Nix] 37:39 Four damage because it's... Okay, yep. Daniel [GM] 37:43 Yep. And then there's this poison in it, and you notice that that spider seems to be, as you pull your fangs out, it seems to be weird. Its movements are a little bit sluggish. To you, it screams like prey that's been weakened, almost like it'll be at a hindrance for anything else it does for awhile, as the poison works its way through it. Stace [Nix] 38:23 Sweet. Daniel [GM] 38:26 Dili? Sampson [Dili] 38:29 Dili will move himself and his acidic bound-slime-illusion-thing closer to ChaCha, because Atalia and Nix seem relatively fine. Mechanically, what I'm trying to do this turn is get ChaCha in the spiders-won't-attack-us range, the slime being the bodyguard. Daniel [GM] 38:57 Okay. Sampson [Dili] 38:59 I don't know what kind of roll that would be if I am going to roll for it. Daniel [GM] 39:02 This is going to be an intellect role of nine. Sampson [Dili] 39:11 15. Daniel [GM] 39:13 Okay. It's not a guarantee that they won't try to attack ChaCha, but it will give her an asset defense. Sampson [Dili] 39:21 Okay. Daniel [GM] 39:21 Okay. Next up are the creatures' turn. One of them is going to try to attack ChaCha. ChaCha, you have an asset defense, so please make a six speed defense role. Alex [ChaCha] 39:33 I got a nine. Daniel [GM] 39:36 Okay. So you manage to dodge its bite. The other one is going to try to attack Dili. Sampson [Dili] 39:46 16. Daniel [GM] 39:48 Okay. You manage to dodge its bite. One of them is going to try to attack Atalia. Atalia, please make a nine speed defense roll. Marietta [Atalia] 40:00 Haven't rolled this one yet. Stace [Nix] 40:05 Say it. Marietta [Atalia] 40:07 Say it. Daniel [GM] 40:10 What'd you get? Marietta [Atalia] 40:11 It's just a one. Sampson [Dili] 40:11 That's four ones! Four ones this round! Stace [Nix] 40:15 Nix will, if she can, take that attack. Daniel [GM] 40:17 Okay. Nix can take that attack as part of it. So Nix, you will take, for sure, three might damage minus whatever your armor is. And I need you to make a might defense role of nine. Stace [Nix] 40:34 Okay. Sampson [Dili] 40:36 Might or speed defense? Daniel [GM] 40:38 Might. Stace [Nix] 40:42 18. Daniel [GM] 40:42 So you manage to avoid the speed damage for this. Stace [Nix] 40:46 Nix smiles at Atalia with her fangs dripping orange goo. Sampson [Dili] 40:51 Yeah, exactly. Marietta [Atalia] 40:55 This is exactly how Atalia smiles back. She's like ... great, great. Daniel [GM] 41:00 Okay. Stace [Nix] 41:02 For listeners, Marietta's smiling with her mouth, but her eyes are dead. Marietta [Atalia] 41:08 It looks more like a grimace than a smile. Daniel [GM] 41:13 Okay. Next is Atalia. Marietta [Atalia] 41:17 All right. I would like to onslaught the one that just tried to attack me. Daniel [GM] 41:22 Okay. Marietta [Atalia] 41:22 And I will add the damage. Yeah. I'll do a whole effort. Daniel [GM] 41:31 Are you doing mental? Marietta [Atalia] 41:32 Yes. Daniel [GM] 41:34 Okay. So since you're adding the damage, it'll be a nine. Marietta [Atalia] 41:41 That's an 18. Daniel [GM] 41:42 Okay. That's plus two damage on top of your plus three, which is plus five damage, so you do seven damage. What does it look like when you kill this spider? Marietta [Atalia] 41:54 This time, the whole head pops off. Daniel [GM] 41:58 Nice. Marietta [Atalia] 41:59 And it kind of projects a little bit. Daniel [GM] 42:02 So there's a geyser of orange-greenish goo? Marietta [Atalia] 42:06 Some of the little pieces pop off, and then particularly, the metal head just [inaudible]. There's just goop. Yeah, it's great. Daniel [GM] 42:15 Okay. Stace [Nix] 42:15 Sexy. Daniel [GM] 42:20 I'm going to say that that goop, at least 50% of that goop, lands on Nix. Stace [Nix] 42:24 Standard. Her eyes close. Marietta [Atalia] 42:26 Sorry. I can fix that later. Daniel [GM] 42:33 Okay. And ChaCha? Alex [ChaCha] 42:34 Pew pew. ChaCha's obsessed with this little ray gun. Daniel [GM] 42:41 Okay. It'll be a six to hit. Are you attacking the one that's already injured or the one that hasn't been hit yet? Alex [ChaCha] 42:46 Injured. Daniel [GM] 42:46 Okay. Alex [ChaCha] 42:49 I got a 20. Daniel [GM] 42:54 Wow. Do you want the extra damage or the major effect? Alex [ChaCha] 42:59 Extra damage. Stace [Nix] 43:01 Fuck it up! Marietta [Atalia] 43:03 Fuck it up good. Daniel [GM] 43:04 So that's plus four. What does it look like when you kill this spider with your ray gun? Alex [ChaCha] 43:10 I think ChaCha goes... God, what's a good reference that doesn't make me sound like a dumbass? You know in Pokémon, Inteleon is a sniper Pokémon? She just sharp shoots it, hits it in the eye, and it just flops down like bam. Daniel [GM] 43:35 Cool. I don't, but I'll take it, because it's awesome. Okay. Next up, it is Nix. There is, as I read it, one left. Stace [Nix] 43:48 Okay. And it's the one that I bit, right? Daniel [GM] 43:52 It is not the one that you bit. The one that you bit is the one that just died. Stace [Nix] 43:57 Okay. I've got a question, Daniel. You said bite, which is what I'm calling Nix's new attack, does four damage in unarmed, but I have three points of unarmed damaged bonus. Does it apply to that? Daniel [GM] 44:11 It would, actually. Stace [Nix] 44:12 Nix just going to be biting everybody, all the time. Daniel [GM] 44:14 But it is hindered unless you're holding them. Stace [Nix] 44:19 Okay. Oh, yeah. Let me note that. Daniel [GM] 44:23 Just ramming in your face to try to bite them is harder than punching them. Marietta [Atalia] 44:29 Put your hands behind your back. Stace [Nix] 44:30 That's true, that's true. Marietta [Atalia] 44:32 It's like bobbing for apples, but attacks. Alex [ChaCha] 44:34 You say that, but I used to teach preschool, and then there was this one student who would just run up on teachers and bite them in the ass, and not try and grab them with his hands. Just full-on, running mouth open, biting asses. Daniel [GM] 44:50 Well, that's a different thing. That is to the asset because they're not expecting it. Sampson [Dili] 44:54 Ass-et. Stace [Nix] 44:58 I think Nix is feeling pretty confident with just one left, so she'll take the easier punch. Daniel [GM] 45:06 Okay. So you're spending one level of effort for a nine? Stace [Nix] 45:12 For the punch? Daniel [GM] 45:15 Oh, you're just going to do a punch? Stace [Nix] 45:15 Yeah, just a normal punch. Daniel [GM] 45:18 If it's a punch, are you doing a level of effort? Stace [Nix] 45:21 Yep. Daniel [GM] 45:21 Okay, so it'll be six. Stace [Nix] 45:24 Nine. Daniel [GM] 45:27 Okay. And how much damage? Stace [Nix] 45:28 Seven. Daniel [GM] 45:30 Okay. It does not like that. It is very, very hurt. Next up is Dili. There was one spider left. Sampson [Dili] 45:40 Still keeping his acid slime illusion up, he will use his dart thrower and shoot the spider. Daniel [GM] 45:46 Okay. That's a six to hit. Sampson [Dili] 45:54 I rolled a one. Stace [Nix] 45:55 Dili shoots himself in the foot. Daniel [GM] 45:57 Okay. So it ricochets off of it, and the spider is going to get a bite at you for free. Sampson [Dili] 46:03 Fuck. Daniel [GM] 46:04 So you're going to take three damage minus whatever armor you have, which I assume is zero. Sampson [Dili] 46:09 Yes. Daniel [GM] 46:14 And then I need you to make a might defense roll of nine. Sampson [Dili] 46:20 Oh, that's cocked off the table. I swear to God, natural 20. Alex [ChaCha] 46:27 Yeah! Daniel [GM] 46:29 Really? Sampson [Dili] 46:30 Because that's what this combat is, ones or 20s. Marietta [Atalia] 46:33 Wow. What a wild ride. Daniel [GM] 46:36 What would you propose as a major effect for avoiding the speed damage? Sampson [Dili] 46:43 For avoiding the speed damage? I think that physically Dili will not be able to dodge, but he's able to draw his acid slime illusion closer to himself, have it rush below the spider and then up like a wave, and scare the spider, if this is still within the range of a major effect, so that he avoids the damage but also gives whoever attacks next and asset attacking it. Daniel [GM] 47:16 Okay. Let's say this: the spider is going to lose its turn because it would go next [inaudible]. Sampson [Dili] 47:22 Awesome. Daniel [GM] 47:24 Whoever attacks it next will get an asset. And next up is Atalia. Marietta [Atalia] 47:32 So yeah, I'm just going to mentally onslaught it. It's not looking great? Daniel [GM] 47:38 It's not looking great. Marietta [Atalia] 47:40 My mental onslaught's only a two, so I guess I'll still spend the effort for extra damage. Daniel [GM] 47:45 So it's a nine to hit. Marietta [Atalia] 47:49 8. Daniel [GM] 47:51 Yeah, you miss. No, you get an extra asset, so it'd be a six. So yeah, you hit. With your extra damage, what does it look like when you kill this last spider? Marietta [Atalia] 48:04 I think this one, it's front right leg pops off, and then its front left leg pops off, so it teeters to the front and then violently teeters back, and then just crumples to the ground. Daniel [GM] 48:19 Okay. And you guys are out of combat with these spiders. Marietta [Atalia] 48:23 Oh, man. That was cool but also terrifying. Sampson [Dili] 48:29 Yeah. With that last dodge, Dili had to Matrix thing, where he bent at the knees only, but unlike the Matrix, he just fell flat-ass back afterwards. Daniel [GM] 48:40 Yeah. Sampson [Dili] 48:41 Oh, God. Oh, fuck. Stace [Nix] 48:45 Nix finds the organ. Daniel [GM] 48:47 Mm-hmm (affirmative). Stace [Nix] 48:50 And she's still experimenting, so she dribbles some acid spit on it. Daniel [GM] 48:59 Interesting. So you dribble some acid spit on it, and you see it start to dissolve the fat lining of this organ, and start to eat into the side of the organ. Stace [Nix] 49:15 Atalia, check it out! Marietta [Atalia] 49:18 Oh. Daniel [GM] 49:20 Nix, for whatever reason, this organ suddenly looks really appetizing. It is yours by right. It's the size of a football, but it definitely looks appetizing. Stace [Nix] 49:33 Yeah? Nix going to keep it for when she's hungry. Daniel [GM] 49:39 You're hungry right now. It's up to you what you want to do with it. Stace [Nix] 49:44 Oh. Yeah, Nix eats some of it. Why not? Daniel [GM] 49:48 Okay. So everybody else sees Nix's jaw unhinge, but this time the fangs don't come out. Nix swallows this football thing whole. Marietta [Atalia] 50:01 Dang! Daniel [GM] 50:02 Nix, you feel very, very satisfied. In fact, you get one point back to your pools. Stace [Nix] 50:11 Oh, hell yeah! Sampson [Dili] 50:15 Nix, at least chew your food. Holy shit! Daniel [GM] 50:20 Dude, I don't think I have to anymore. Sampson [Dili] 50:25 Oh, fuck. Daniel [GM] 50:28 Yeah. Stace [Nix] 50:31 Oh, and I bit that one. Did you see me bite it? Did you see me? Marietta [Atalia] 50:35 I did see you bite it. I saw that. Sampson [Dili] 50:38 I don't know. Marietta [Atalia] 50:41 Very impressive. Stace [Nix] 50:42 Well, yeah, but also, I think I poisoned it because it was acting weird and slow after I bit it. Marietta [Atalia] 50:50 Yeah. Now you have a cool bite attack. Stace [Nix] 50:54 Yeah. Pretty pleased. Marietta [Atalia] 50:57 That's so cool; you're a snake. Daniel [GM] 51:01 For everybody else, there's a little bit of that strange venom dripping from the corner of Nix's mouth. Sampson [Dili] 51:07 Nix, you got a little, you got a little right here. Right here? Stace [Nix] 51:11 Oh, sorry. And she licks it off the side of her cheek. Daniel [GM] 51:15 Yep, it's totally fine. Just like if you were licking your lips normally. Sampson [Dili] 51:20 Oh, man. Nix, I know you're a good person, but I apologize for any future faces I make this thing that you're doing with your face nowadays. Stace [Nix] 51:31 Oh, yeah. I get it, man. It's kind of weird. It's a little strange. I think that we'll all get used to it, but honestly, just the benefit. Sampson [Dili] 51:39 I guarantee you that I will never get used to this. Stace [Nix] 51:41 Oh. Well, I don't know how to help you, Dili. Sampson [Dili] 51:45 No, I know that's on me as a person, but holy shit. Stace [Nix] 51:49 Yo, Dili, did you see what my spit did? Sampson [Dili] 51:52 I- Stace [Nix] 51:52 Did you see it dissolve that? Sampson [Dili] 51:56 I was preoccupied. I didn't. Marietta [Atalia] 52:01 Speaking of which, are we hanging out here until more spider, not-spiders show up, or are we going to walk through this field and just be seen? Sampson [Dili] 52:08 Yes. I like what Atalia is saying. We should leave. Stace [Nix] 52:12 All right. Geez. I was just going to ask you if you had any glass jars or something I could spit in? Sampson [Dili] 52:19 Do you want to go to Fasten and get some? Stace [Nix] 52:21 I'm just asking if you have any, Dili. Sampson [Dili] 52:22 What? No! Daniel [GM] 52:23 I don't think anybody has any in their inventory. Marietta [Atalia] 52:28 All right. All right. Let's keep moving. Sampson [Dili] 52:29 This is early game Zelda, we don't have any glass jars yet. Stace [Nix] 52:32 Nix is pulling razor wire out of her thigh as she's moving. Daniel [GM] 52:37 Yeah. So you guys are heading past around Fasten. It adds a little bit of time, but not a terrible amount. Several weeks pass, but what I do want to do is explore that first night camping after Fasten, and see if there's anything that the characters want to talk about then. Sampson [Dili] 53:01 I have at least two things that I want to talk about. They might be the same thing because they're relatively connected. Daniel [GM] 53:10 Mm-hmm (affirmative). You guys are sitting around the fire at night with your camping. Sampson [Dili] 53:20 Hey, so, [Momma Jerrun's 00:53:22] Guardians of Night's Hope. We all agree on that? We all remember that from a week ago? Alex [ChaCha] 53:26 Oh. Marietta [Atalia] 53:27 Yeah. It was feeling like it. Stace [Nix] 53:27 Is that what you guys think? Holy shit. Sampson [Dili] 53:33 Think about it. We found the note that said that the Guardians of Night's Hope are collecting objects to protect humanoidkind. The jobs that we've had so far are collecting objects for Momma Jerrun. She had that very weird, cryptic line where she's protecting humanoidkind herself. Also [Merrick 00:00:54:03], did you see him? Fucking well, like, [inaudible]. The entire time, last time we talked to him. Marietta [Atalia] 54:09 Yeah, hew was also really stressed out about that whole interaction. Sampson [Dili] 54:13 Yes. Stace [Nix] 54:13 Hey, I'm the one that saw that, so I should've shared that. Daniel [GM] 54:18 Yeah. That's true. Atalia didn't necessarily notice that. Marietta [Atalia] 54:23 [inaudible] delete that? Sampson [Dili] 54:25 Additionally, I think the fire that's at Momma Jerrun's is a communication device. Doesn't really help us, but I'm just saying, yeah, Momma Jerrun's the tip of the iceberg on some organization that's trying to save us from something. So I think Momma Jerrun's okay, but there's a something that we have not encountered yet that we should probably be thinking about, because whatever scares Momma Jerrun is probably awful. Stace [Nix] 54:57 I just think that it's pretty cool that she's an ab-human too, like me. Sampson [Dili] 55:01 Is she ab-human? Stace [Nix] 55:03 She said she only looks human. Alex [ChaCha] 55:06 She presents as human. Sampson [Dili] 55:08 Yeah, that could be anything. Stace [Nix] 55:09 Oh, well. Marietta [Atalia] 55:09 Could be anything. Stace [Nix] 55:13 She could also be trying to kill us all, but ... Marietta [Atalia] 55:16 All I know is that she blatantly lied to our faces and I'm getting sick of being lied to. I just would really like some answers and some straightforward responses, but no one in my line of work seems to appreciate that kind of a conversation. Stace [Nix] 55:29 We are just contractors to her. I don't know how much she really has to explain herself, Atalia. Alex [ChaCha] 55:34 And maybe, Atalia, you're in the wrong line of work because you don't really understand how to ask these questions. Marietta [Atalia] 55:44 Right. Anyway, I think I'm going to go to bed now. You guys let me know what you decide about the morning. Daniel [GM] 55:54 That's a healthy way to deal with conflict. Stace [Nix] 55:58 Yeah, because guess what's coming up next. The job. Stace [Nix] 56:02 That's what's coming up next, the job. Alex [ChaCha] 56:05 I feel like ChaCha's too blunt to not say that though, especially after the Momma Jerrun incident, and from what Nix told us of the handler meeting, where she's just like, "Wait." Sampson [Dili] 56:21 So what does ChaCha say? Alex [ChaCha] 56:24 Like, "Maybe you're in the wrong line of business?" Like, "No." And she's just going to stare at Atalia like, "I think she doesn't get it." Marietta [Atalia] 56:39 Oh yeah, I think Atalia's just like, "Right, I'm just going to..." Stace [Nix] 56:43 Atalia, at some point, you're going to have to talk through this stuff with us. We're going to be traveling for another six weeks, at least. Marietta [Atalia] 56:53 What would you like me to talk about? Stace [Nix] 56:56 Everything that's happened, dude. You said the job went fine, but I was pretty badly hurt, murdered somebody for you. ChaCha had to literally protect me because I was stunned on the ground in between four guards, it did not go... We achieved, we succeeded, ultimately overall, but it did not go fine. Alex [ChaCha] 57:20 Nix can't go home anymore because... yeah, that's a lot of money. Stace [Nix] 57:27 I'm happy to back you up. We backed you up, immediately. That's not the issue, dude, it's just that we need to look back on what happened and do better, because it did not go fine. Marietta [Atalia] 57:37 But where is this coming from? Stace [Nix] 57:43 The job that we did a week ago. Marietta [Atalia] 57:45 Ugh. I don't know, man, I'm sorry, I'm used to working on my own. I'm here to do what you want. At this point, I don't know what to say, I'm sorry I didn't... Should I not have tried to steal it then? Should we have waited, is that what you wanted to do? Because we didn't even communicate before you guys went in there. Alex [ChaCha] 58:08 We said we were scoping it out. Marietta [Atalia] 58:12 Never came back. Stace [Nix] 58:14 How long did you wait for us? I didn't feel like we were in there for very long, Atalia. Sampson [Dili] 58:20 Not to play sides, but one, I think Nix and ChaCha were in there for a half hour, maybe. But also, Atalia, I'm very thankful for your presence there because my whole storyline through all that was kind of fucked, and Atalia pulled me out, so I'm very thankful that Atalia was as spontaneous as she was, because I probably would have died. Alex [ChaCha] 58:46 You mean when you got left on the roof alone, with the biggest bounty on your head, and the people actively trying to kill you? Stace [Nix] 58:54 This isn't bash Atalia time, guys, this is just review what happened and do better next time, okay? So that's all I'm asking, personally, because I was pretty hurt, and I have a 900 chin bounty on me, and I murdered somebody. Well, self defense, arguably, but you know what I'm saying? Happy to do it, but would like some acknowledgement that it took some pretty extraordinary efforts, on the entire team's part, to help you out Atalia and that it did not go fine. It went slightly less than good. Marietta [Atalia] 59:38 I thought that's what fine was, slightly less than good. Stace [Nix] 59:43 That's what you meant when you said fine? Marietta [Atalia] 59:45 Yeah. Stace [Nix] 59:46 We have slightly different definitions of fine, and that's where this confusion is coming from? Marietta [Atalia] 59:52 I just want you to know that it could have been a lot worse, I'm so sorry. Look, I don't know what you want me to say, I'm sorry that it wasn't a great team plan that was carefully executed and that we all got hurt and it was a cluster. But the whole situation has been a cluster. Ever since I took that contract, I swear it's this lady. But fine, whatever, I guess Guardians of Knight's Hope is cool, and I just need to be chill and fine and not ask her the question that everyone's thinking but no one's asking because she's aggressive and scary. So I don't know, man, it was a shitty situation. Alex [ChaCha] 1:00:30 Nobody's said that Guardians of Knight's Hope was fine. We don't know what they're going to do when they get all the people they're protecting. They could be locking them up in a museum. Marietta [Atalia] 1:00:42 Look, just let me know what you want to do next time. I've always worked on my own very spontaneously, and clearly it wasn't good enough for what you wanted. And I'm sorry that there was so much fallout from it, so just tell me what you want to do in the next mission, I'll show up for it that way, that's cool. Stace [Nix] 1:00:59 No, Atalia, I don't want to tell you exactly what to do, you're too talented for that shit. I just want you to try to act like the member of a team, that's all I'm asking. Marietta [Atalia] 1:01:11 I thought I did that, but I guess I didn't. Stace [Nix] 1:01:15 Okay guy, good night. Marietta [Atalia] 1:01:18 Great. Atalia will peace with the pup, the nut pup. Sampson [Dili] 1:01:26 Is anybody keeping watch? Actually, while Atalia's going off on her own... Hey. Hey, Atalia? Marietta [Atalia] 1:01:36 Yeah? Sampson [Dili] 1:01:38 Why are you here? ChaCha- Marietta [Atalia] 1:01:44 Well, because I burned every fucking bridge in Sherman because of this damn job. I don't have a home to go back to, my grandmother's gone. I can't work for the people I've been working for... I don't know, the past six years, and I guess that's fine, so I'm fucking here whether or not I want to be. Thank you for inquiring, I appreciate it. Sampson [Dili] 1:02:02 I'm sorry if I... but I meant more long term. Nix seems here because she's trying to get money for her mom, ChaCha is here because... there are reasons that I'm sure ChaCha finds coherent. Atalia, why are you here and taking jobs and, as you say, have been working for the handlers for six years? Why? Why not be a banker or something, or whatever? Marietta [Atalia] 1:02:36 It was the only skill I really had, and it was the easiest way to make money that we needed, to the extent that we needed. I wouldn't make enough to support both of us with being a baker, and that was never satisfying enough. I've always wanted more and to know more, I guess. I don't want to be a bad person, but there's more knowledge to be obtained and I was never going to find it being a baker, working in a shop, or selling flowers or something. Sampson [Dili] 1:03:12 Okay. That didn't give me as much insight as I hoped, but I guess it helps me kind of know where everyone's at. Marietta [Atalia] 1:03:23 My whole thing has always been like being able to learn more for Atalia. She's never had like a formal nano education. Sampson [Dili] 1:03:35 I know that but Dili doesn't. That's why you put up with all the bullshit he waves and the general around us? You just want to learn more? About just what's happening, or do you want to learn about something specifically? Marietta [Atalia] 1:04:02 I want to learn more [inaudible], I think, is really the long term goal there. But at this point too, I'm sort of curious about what happened with my family. It's not like I can get information out of anyone though, unless it's their idea. Sampson [Dili] 1:04:20 What do you know? If you don't mind me asking about something so personal. Marietta [Atalia] 1:04:28 My grandmother knows a lot more than she lets on, obviously, and I've never really been able to get more out of her. She admitted that my mother was involved with the handlers, so I think that's why. James picked me up when I was... I was 15, 16, when I started like contracting out, just really tiny jobs. But that's how they get people to work for them, you get them while they're young. Marietta [Atalia] 1:04:57 But when I told her that they invited me to join them, she was really shocked, her reaction definitely sparked something. So there's got to be a family history with them, I don't understand what it is. James never overtly treated me differently, but then again, I didn't really interact with him and anyone else, and he's totally dead now. Sampson [Dili] 1:05:20 Okay. You said we, right? So your grandmother seems fine, by the way, just- Marietta [Atalia] 1:05:34 She's great, she's so lovely, she's so wonderful. Sampson [Dili] 1:05:37 No. Yeah, she's fantastic, and probably very much alive and doing better than we are, somehow. Marietta [Atalia] 1:05:46 No, I'm pretty sure she was, like those tracks, totally... I don't know where she is though, or how to reach her at all. Sampson [Dili] 1:05:52 Yeah. So I guess- Marietta [Atalia] 1:05:56 Like I said, I don't really have anywhere to go to right now. I could go make another corner for myself in Sherman, but it's too risky right now. There's no wanted poster out for me, but there's no way that the handlers aren't trying to kill me. I'm pretty sure tomorrow was relatively important, she was standing near Merck, Mark? What's your dude's name, because my dude's name is similar but different. Sampson [Dili] 1:06:21 Yeah, I'm- Stace [Nix] 1:06:22 Merrick? Sampson [Dili] 1:06:23 Mine's Merrick with an E. Marietta [Atalia] 1:06:26 Yours is Merrick, mine's Merck? Okay. But Tamara was standing close to him during that whole interaction, so I think she must've been somewhat important, at least. Sampson [Dili] 1:06:40 Yeah. But it sounds like Tamara's dead, so no problem there. Marietta [Atalia] 1:06:44 I know, but I was the last one involved with her. Stace [Nix] 1:06:47 Nah-uh. Marietta [Atalia] 1:06:49 Well, Nix is the one who killed her, but they're going to come looking for me, probably. So it's probably a really good thing that we all got out of there, since we're all wanted. Well, now we're like explorers, what do you think? Daniel [GM] 1:07:07 Explorers comma wanted. All explorers who happen to be wanted. Sampson [Dili] 1:07:14 Trying to bring this back to the central conflict that we were at, but I drank too much alcohol and I can't really remember where we were at. Alex [ChaCha] 1:07:20 I know, I'm just like, "What's happening?" Marietta [Atalia] 1:07:23 Yeah, it was just about Atalia being too risky. Stace [Nix] 1:07:27 I think it's more about, at least from Nix's point of view, Atalia not acting like a member of a team, is really it. Daniel [GM] 1:07:34 Like acting as an independent party? Stace [Nix] 1:07:37 Yeah, that's it. It's not what happened, it's just how it happened. Daniel [GM] 1:07:44 Because Atalia makes her decisions on her own. Marietta [Atalia] 1:07:46 There was no one else to consult with in the rafters, I'm sorry. Sampson [Dili] 1:07:54 All right. Well, again, thank you for probably saving my life, Atalia, because I didn't do anything during that job, I just sat on the roof. Aces showed up and then I tried to do something, and then that didn't work. And then, all of a sudden, I'm being pulled by you, so I get that that whole event was unplanned, which is something we should probably work on, but I don't see you as being selfish. Because if you were, you wouldn't have saved me, you wouldn't have been there for me, so thank you. Marietta [Atalia] 1:08:37 Yeah, but I left you too, wouldn't have been in that position if I hadn't left you. Sampson [Dili] 1:08:48 Yeah, but you were gone for like 10 minutes, and then- Marietta [Atalia] 1:08:53 Yeah, that whole... yeah, I wasn't there very long. Sampson [Dili] 1:08:58 But here's the thing. You came back for me, and ultimately, that's what saved me, so thanks for not being selfish. Marietta [Atalia] 1:09:12 [inaudible]. Sampson [Dili] 1:09:13 I can take first watch if everyone needs some space. Daniel [GM] 1:09:19 So Dili takes first watch. Sampson [Dili] 1:09:23 Dili will also take two recovery roles, the one action and the 10 minute ones, just to give me some space. Five, six. Stace [Nix] 1:09:34 Nix [inaudible] an hour, and is topped off. Daniel [GM] 1:09:44 Okay. Marietta [Atalia] 1:09:45 Yeah, Atalia will be topped off too. Daniel [GM] 1:09:47 So Dili, go ahead and give me a perception roll. Alex [ChaCha] 1:09:53 Oh no. Daniel [GM] 1:09:55 Your target is nine. Actually, no, your target is three. Sampson [Dili] 1:10:02 I'm still going to put a level of effort into that. Daniel [GM] 1:10:06 So that'll make it a gimme. Sampson [Dili] 1:10:08 Should I still roll, or no? Daniel [GM] 1:10:11 No. If you're making a gimme, you don't need to make a roll. Okay, so there's nothing obvious, but you do hear a strange clicking sound in the distance. It's not close, but it's definitely out there, sort of a persistent clicking noise. Sampson [Dili] 1:10:33 Okay. I'm not going to do the thing I want it to do, but Dili will, I guess, continue to keep persistent watch, ready to throw a rock at Nix or Atalia if it gets close. Daniel [GM] 1:10:49 Okay. So the clicking noise is definitely getting closer over the next hour or two. Sampson [Dili] 1:10:58 All right. Then as it gets closer, Dili will wake up Atalia first, and just be like, "Hey Atalia, there's a clicking noise, I think it's spiders. Are you awake yet? I can't tell." Marietta [Atalia] 1:11:23 Atalia's waking up, [inaudible] awake, just- Sampson [Dili] 1:11:26 All right, good, both of you. If you listen closely, there's a clicking noise that sounds kind of like the spiders, I think. It's been getting closer. It's not here yet, so I think we're fine. Marietta [Atalia] 1:11:39 Sound like the spiders? Daniel [GM] 1:11:40 The spiders did not make any clicking sound that you're aware of. Sampson [Dili] 1:11:46 Oh, I thought- Marietta [Atalia] 1:11:46 Clicky scream. Sampson [Dili] 1:11:46 Yeah, I thought there was a clicky scream. Marietta [Atalia] 1:11:48 I am trained in listening, can I be quiet and listen for a moment to try to see if I have any idea how close they are, or what they might be? Daniel [GM] 1:11:57 Sure, because you are trained, it will be a gimme. Marietta [Atalia] 1:12:01 Oh, cool. Daniel [GM] 1:12:02 There's at least four distinct clicks, and they are growing closer. They are now probably... You can't see anything yet because it's dark, but they're within a long distance away, and they probably will be within a short distance not very long after. Marietta [Atalia] 1:12:25 Okay. I don't know what they are, but we should probably wake up Nix and ChaCha, and so I'll pick up a couple of small rocks and try to toss them at where they are, because I'm standing up. Daniel [GM] 1:12:41 One of your rocks definitely hits Nix right in the forehead. Stace [Nix] 1:12:46 She unhinges her jaw and her fangs come out in reflex. Sampson [Dili] 1:12:52 Yeah. Definitely goes to ChaCha, but look at Nix, she's like, "Oh fuck." Hey ChaCha, things, real life horrors, let's go. Daniel [GM] 1:13:05 There's definitely like a compulsive muscular thing where Nix's mouth opens, the fangs comes out and her mouth kind of leaps forward for a moment after this rock hits her in the head. Sampson [Dili] 1:13:19 All right, we don't wake Nix up before her wake up time, good to know. Marietta [Atalia] 1:13:28 Atalia's like, " Oops, maybe I should have..." Well, I guess I'm glad that I didn't, actually, might not have gone well for me. Stace [Nix] 1:13:36 Well, that was Nix getting hit in the head with a rock, that- Alex [ChaCha] 1:13:40 Yeah, that was Nix getting attacked in her sleep. Stace [Nix] 1:13:45 Nix is up. Sampson [Dili] 1:13:48 Clicky things, there's something coming for us? Right, Atalia? Marietta [Atalia] 1:13:53 Yeah, there's a thing. It's in long range but I think it's about to be in short range. Stace [Nix] 1:13:58 All right, which direction? Marietta [Atalia] 1:14:00 I'll point towards the sound. Daniel [GM] 1:14:03 It's coming from the west. Stace [Nix] 1:14:04 Nix takes two steps to the west, ahead of everybody else. Daniel [GM] 1:14:08 Okay. So you guys are going to have an opportunity to roll initiative. Stace [Nix] 1:14:19 Yes! 14. Alex [ChaCha] 1:14:24 11. Sampson [Dili] 1:14:27 Also 11. Alex [ChaCha] 1:14:29 Twins. Marietta [Atalia] 1:14:31 Eight. Daniel [GM] 1:14:34 Okay. So Nix, you see these shadowy figures. They're strange, they look almost like... they're like four-legged atomtoms, with these gigantic sort of torso/ heads with a light in the center. They are making these clicking sounds that seem to be moving towards you, and they move pretty damn fast. And there's at least four of them, and they are definitely approaching you guys, almost as if they're drawn to you. Stace [Nix] 1:15:14 Dili, what are they? Sampson [Dili] 1:15:19 Dan, what are they? Daniel [GM] 1:15:22 It's not Dili's turn, so he can't try to figure that out for you. Sampson [Dili] 1:15:25 It's not my turn, I don't know why you fucking asked me for. Stace [Nix] 1:15:29 Nix just awaits them... No, Nix will take two further steps and meet them, but she wants to stay within immediate range of the rest of the crew so that they can attack easily. Daniel [GM] 1:15:43 Okay. They are going to definitely be in short range of you, so what I'll say is this, is that when they get within immediate range of you, you'll be able to do an attack before they do it. Stace [Nix] 1:15:56 Okay, cool. Daniel [GM] 1:15:59 Okay. So next up would be either ChaCha or Dili. Alex [ChaCha] 1:16:06 Dili can go next. Sampson [Dili] 1:16:10 Seeing next step forward, Dili's going to cast my illusion, and what he's going to do is create an image of Nix, but impose that on top of where Nix is right now, so it's kind of a similar effect to the prostitute digital girlfriend scene from Blade Runner 2049, where they were kind of like posed on one another, if you've seen that movie at all. Daniel [GM] 1:16:40 I haven't, but I think I understand what you're saying so give me a nine intellect roll. Sampson [Dili] 1:16:52 Okay, third one of the night is going to need an XPU. Whoever has the bad luck stick needs to fucking snap it and throw it away. Daniel [GM] 1:17:07 Did you roll a one again? Sampson [Dili] 1:17:10 No, I rolled a four. Daniel [GM] 1:17:13 Okay. Yeah, these things don't seem to be fooled whatsoever. So next up is ChaCha, there are these four clicking, shadowy things moving towards you guys. Alex [ChaCha] 1:17:25 In many mind, ChaCha is still half asleep in a tree, and so ChaCha is going to shoot one with her ray gun. Daniel [GM] 1:17:34 Okay, so that'll be a six to hit. Actually no, it will be three to hit, because they're big. Alex [ChaCha] 1:17:44 Ooh. That's a five, so good thing it went down. Daniel [GM] 1:17:51 So then this [inaudible] and you hear this clicking screech. Okay, so next up are these critters, one of them is going to attack ChaCha. Stace [Nix] 1:18:03 Oh, are they an immediate range of Nix? Daniel [GM] 1:18:07 Now they're getting in within immediate range, so yes, Nix can have a chance to attack them first. Stace [Nix] 1:18:12 Cool, closest one. Daniel [GM] 1:18:20 Okay, so that will be a nine hit. Stace [Nix] 1:18:21 XY level. And I'll expend a level of my effort to hit. Daniel [GM] 1:18:25 So actually it'll be a six to hit, because they're big. Stace [Nix] 1:18:27 Well, I got exactly a six, thank goodness. Daniel [GM] 1:18:30 Okay, how much do you get? Stace [Nix] 1:18:31 Seven. Daniel [GM] 1:18:31 It's not upset at all. Stace [Nix] 1:18:35 It goes boing. Daniel [GM] 1:18:42 Yeah. So then one of them is going to attack ChaCha. ChaCha, please make a nine speed defense roll. Alex [ChaCha] 1:18:52 Do I get an asset or a hindrance, because ChaCha is in a tree? Daniel [GM] 1:18:58 Ooh, good question. I'll give you an asset, so it'll be a 6 defense. Alex [ChaCha] 1:19:01 11. Daniel [GM] 1:19:07 Okay, so you dodge its strike. Next one, Dili, please make a nine speed defense. Sampson [Dili] 1:19:16 Four again. Stace [Nix] 1:19:19 Nix will take that, that's Nix's thing. Sampson [Dili] 1:19:22 All right, go and do that. Daniel [GM] 1:19:27 Okay, so Nix will take the attack. Well, wait a second. Nix already... well, because you set it up in advance, I'll let you do this. So Nix, so you're going to- Stace [Nix] 1:19:39 You have to hold your action in order to take an attack then, is what you're saying? Daniel [GM] 1:19:43 It's your action for the round, but I'm going to say that since you set it up in advance, that you're in good shape, for this particular case. So with this particular case... Well, actually no, you set it up in advance to attack them when they came in, and you were higher than them, so I don't think you can take this particular attack. Stace [Nix] 1:20:10 Sorry, Dili. Sampson [Dili] 1:20:11 That's fine. Daniel [GM] 1:20:15 So Dili, so you failed your speed defense roll, right? Sampson [Dili] 1:20:21 Yeah. I failed whatever role you told me to, so yeah. Daniel [GM] 1:20:28 Okay. So you're going to take four points of damage, and then I need you to make a might defense roll of 50. Sampson [Dili] 1:20:39 Oh no. I will spend a level of effort to get to a 12. I roll a five. Daniel [GM] 1:20:57 Okay. This thing kind of swallowed you. Sampson [Dili] 1:21:03 Oh, good night, okay. Daniel [GM] 1:21:06 So you will take some damage once it's your turn. Sampson [Dili] 1:21:08 Yeah. Daniel [GM] 1:21:12 The next one is going to attack Nix. Nix, please make a speed defense roll of nine. Stace [Nix] 1:21:16 Okay, that's a three for me, due to the ebuckler and the trained without armor. Daniel [GM] 1:21:24 Okay. Stace [Nix] 1:21:25 17. Daniel [GM] 1:21:26 Okay, you dodge it, no problem. One is going to attack Atalia. Atalia, please make a speed defense roll of nine. Marietta [Atalia] 1:21:32 17. Daniel [GM] 1:21:34 Okay, you dodged no problem, so actually that's it for them. Next up is Atalia. Marietta [Atalia] 1:21:45 Cool. I'm going to onslaught the closest one. Daniel [GM] 1:21:49 So that will be a... Are you doing physical or mental? Marietta [Atalia] 1:21:55 I want to do physical, but you said they're shadowy. Daniel [GM] 1:21:59 Yeah. So if it's physical, it'll be a six to hit, if it's mental, it will be a nine to hit. Marietta [Atalia] 1:22:05 Okay. Yeah, I'll physically hit them, and I'll spend a level of effort to increase the damage there. Daniel [GM] 1:22:15 Okay. Marietta [Atalia] 1:22:18 Oh, that dice. 12. Daniel [GM] 1:22:26 Okay. So that's plus three damage, and your base image is... you're doing physical, right? Marietta [Atalia] 1:22:35 Yeah. Daniel [GM] 1:22:35 Okay. That one looks very unhappy. Okay, so up is ChaCha. Alex [ChaCha] 1:22:46 She is going to shoot her pew-pew. Daniel [GM] 1:22:53 One thing I should be prompting you for is to roll depletion, but we'll go ahead and do this one and then we'll roll depletion. Alex [ChaCha] 1:22:58 Sir, I am too drunk for depletion. Daniel [GM] 1:23:01 Yeah. So it'll be a six to hit. Alex [ChaCha] 1:23:03 I got a 17. Daniel [GM] 1:23:09 Okay. So that's plus one damage, so that's five damage. It's not like that, and roll one to 20. Alex [ChaCha] 1:23:17 Got a 14. Daniel [GM] 1:23:17 Okay, you're good. Okay, so next up is Nix. There is a couple of these injured. The one that's closest to you is, of course, injured from your last strike. Stace [Nix] 1:23:36 Same one, yep. Daniel [GM] 1:23:42 Okay. So I assume you're just attacking it physically? Stace [Nix] 1:23:46 Yep, and she'll expend a one level of might effort to hit, to make it a six, right? Daniel [GM] 1:23:53 That would be a three, because they're big. Stace [Nix] 1:23:56 Oh, right. Eight. Daniel [GM] 1:24:01 Okay, so you hit it. For how much damage? Stace [Nix] 1:24:03 Seven. Daniel [GM] 1:24:03 Okay, so you hit it for how much damage? Stace [Nix] 1:24:03 Seven. Daniel [GM] 1:24:05 Okay. What does it look like when you destroy this partially phase thing? Stace [Nix] 1:24:14 Next punch is through the phased portion and manages from the inside to hit the un-phased portion and just jars loose a bunch of screws, and springs, and gears. Daniel [GM] 1:24:26 Okay, cool. Next up is Dili. There are three of these things left. Sampson [Dili] 1:24:37 Right. So I think I got confused the last round. Dili cast a solution when they were still at short range, so that's what I thought was the first round of combat. Daniel [GM] 1:24:48 Yeah, they were initially at long range, but their movement is long. Sampson [Dili] 1:24:52 Okay. Daniel [GM] 1:24:52 So they can move an entire ... They can move a long distance in one turn if they give up their action or they can move a short distance or less and keep their action. Sampson [Dili] 1:25:03 Okay. Because Dili goes at the same time as ChaCha, So I think I still have a last round combat that could probably be applied to this round. I have been swallowed by one of them. Daniel [GM] 1:25:14 Okay. If it is your turn, you will take eight damage, actually, being swallowed by that. Sampson [Dili] 1:25:20 Eight damage? Ow. Oh damn. Okay. Total, or is that just for the one I missed? Daniel [GM] 1:25:29 No, it's eight damage for the fact that you just basically got anything. Yeah. If you were swallowed by it, you'll take eight points of damage per round, unless you can escape. Sampson [Dili] 1:25:42 I would like to do that, if I may please. Daniel [GM] 1:25:46 Okay. So it will be a 15 might roll to try to escape. Sampson [Dili] 1:25:52 Okay. Daniel [GM] 1:25:53 And that will give you your action. Sampson [Dili] 1:25:56 Cool. Wish I had effort put into that. 17. Daniel [GM] 1:26:04 Nice. So you get out of it. No problem. Sampson [Dili] 1:26:07 [inaudible], I utter. Daniel [GM] 1:26:16 Next up are critter's turns, there are three of them. One of them is going to move to attack Nix because it saw what she did to it's calling. Stace [Nix] 1:26:27 Ha, ha. Daniel [GM] 1:26:28 Nix, please make a speed defense roll of nine. Stace [Nix] 1:26:32 So a three for me. Three. Daniel [GM] 1:26:39 Okay. You just managed to dodge out of its way. The one that had just been in Dili will try to attack Dili again. Dili, please make a nine speed defense role. Sampson [Dili] 1:26:51 Oh boy. Question on being impaired, does that increase the speed defense AC? Daniel [GM] 1:27:02 Impaired means that any effort you spend will cost an additional point. And it also means that if you roll up a 17 or above the max of extra damage you can get is plus one. Sampson [Dili] 1:27:14 Okay. 15, you said was the base [inaudible]? Daniel [GM] 1:27:20 Nine to dodge the attack. Sampson [Dili] 1:27:22 Nine to dodge, okay. I will say nothing and roll that straight. Five. Alex [ChaCha] 1:27:33 Oh no. Daniel [GM] 1:27:34 Okay. So you are going to take four points of damage. And then I need you to make a 15 might defense. Sampson [Dili] 1:27:48 Okay, that's cocked. 15. Alex [ChaCha] 1:27:54 Yay. Daniel [GM] 1:27:54 Okay. You managed to avoid getting swallowed by this thing again. Sampson [Dili] 1:27:59 Dili's crying because naturally. Alex [ChaCha] 1:28:06 What kind of imperite is Dili? Sampson [Dili] 1:28:09 The not good kind. Stace [Nix] 1:28:11 Speed or? Daniel [GM] 1:28:12 Yeah. Stace [Nix] 1:28:12 Light? Sampson [Dili] 1:28:14 Imperite is all might to zero. Debilitated, his might and speed are both zero. Daniel [GM] 1:28:22 Okay, so one is going to attack ChaCha. ChaCha, please make a nine speed defense roll. Alex [ChaCha] 1:28:29 I got a nine. Daniel [GM] 1:28:31 Okay, you dodge its strike. Next up I believe is ChaCha in the order. Alex [ChaCha] 1:28:42 What happened to Nix? [Inaudible]? Marietta [Atalia] 1:28:43 So I have Nix, Dili, ChaCha, and then me. And then it's between me and ChaCha are the bad guys. Alex [ChaCha] 1:28:50 ChaCha's going to swing out of the tree and defend the short boy. Daniel [GM] 1:28:59 So you're going to attack the one that's attacking Dili? Alex [ChaCha] 1:29:02 Yes. Daniel [GM] 1:29:02 Okay. So that is going to be ... Because these things are big, it's only a six. Are you attacking it physically? Are you using an onslaught? What are you doing? Alex [ChaCha] 1:29:13 Let's go mental onslaught. Daniel [GM] 1:29:16 Okay. So it'll be a six intellect girl. Alex [ChaCha] 1:29:19 Okay. Yeah. I got a 20. ChaCha Loves keeping Dili safe. Daniel [GM] 1:29:32 Okay, are you going to take the extra damage or a major effect? Alex [ChaCha] 1:29:36 Heckin yeah, extra damage. Daniel [GM] 1:29:43 Okay. Certain damage, it's not like that at all. Stace [Nix] 1:29:45 Damn straight, extra damage. Alex [ChaCha] 1:29:48 Be an extra damage kind of family. Daniel [GM] 1:29:52 Now it is Atalia's turn. There are three of these things. Marietta [Atalia] 1:29:57 Okay. I will onslaught the one that is by Dili, as well, just to get rid of that one hopefully. Daniel [GM] 1:30:09 Physical or mental? Marietta [Atalia] 1:30:10 I'll physically onslaught it and I'll use a level of effort. Daniel [GM] 1:30:15 For easing or for damage? Marietta [Atalia] 1:30:17 For damage. Daniel [GM] 1:30:17 Okay, so it's a six to hit. Marietta [Atalia] 1:30:23 11. Daniel [GM] 1:30:23 Okay, so that's plus three damage on top. What does it look like when you destroy this thing? Marietta [Atalia] 1:30:32 Yeah. I think my own spooky, shadowy, esoteric comes out of my fingertips and goes inside of it. And then it swirls around and then dissipates because it's also sort of shadowy. And whatever gators and stuff are inside just fall to the ground. Daniel [GM] 1:30:52 Okay. So yeah, those fall to the ground and then those gears also sort of phase out of existence Marietta [Atalia] 1:31:00 Okay. Daniel [GM] 1:31:03 Okay. Back up to the Nix. I think there's actually only two of these left. Stace [Nix] 1:31:13 I guess Nix will go for the next one closest to her, unless there's one that's closer to everyone else. Daniel [GM] 1:31:21 No, I think it's fine. Stace [Nix] 1:31:22 Okay. Daniel [GM] 1:31:24 So it's a six to hit if you're doing physical stuff, which I assume you are. Stace [Nix] 1:31:28 Yep. Yep. I'm going to spend effort, but this time I'm going to spend my effort for damage. Daniel [GM] 1:31:34 Okay. Sampson [Dili] 1:31:35 What a surprise. Stace [Nix] 1:31:38 14. Daniel [GM] 1:31:41 Okay. What does it look like when you destroy this thing? Stace [Nix] 1:31:43 How does Nix do this one? It's on four legs, you said? Daniel [GM] 1:31:48 Yes. Stace [Nix] 1:31:51 Nix actually grabs it up by the shoulder of it's front legs and just tears those legs out. Daniel [GM] 1:32:00 Wow. Okay. Stace [Nix] 1:32:02 It tries to push itself along with it's back legs for a little while, and you smell slight burning, and it collapses. Daniel [GM] 1:32:12 Okay, cool. I just shared in the chat what this thing looks like. Okay, so there's one of these things left and is now Dili's turn. Sampson [Dili] 1:32:25 Dili will plug the dart thrower and fire at it on shaking legs, barely standing, but still standing. Daniel [GM] 1:32:32 Okay, so it's big, so it's easy to hit. Dart thrower's are like weapon, so it's a three hit. Sampson [Dili] 1:32:38 Oh, okay. Eight. Daniel [GM] 1:32:44 Okay. So you hit it for two damage. Sampson [Dili] 1:32:47 Yes. Daniel [GM] 1:32:47 Doesn't like that. Sampson [Dili] 1:32:49 That's spooky. Stace [Nix] 1:32:49 It is real spooky. Daniel [GM] 1:32:51 It is going to try to attack Dili. Dili, please make a nine speed defense roll. Sampson [Dili] 1:33:01 17. Alex [ChaCha] 1:33:03 Yay. Daniel [GM] 1:33:04 You managed to dodge it's attack. Now it is ChaCha's turn. There is one of these things left. Alex [ChaCha] 1:33:10 ChaCha's going to mence the onslaught? Okay. Let's do it to it. I got a 13. Daniel [GM] 1:33:29 Okay. And how much damage did you do? If you're doing onslaught, is it physical or mental? Alex [ChaCha] 1:33:37 Mental. Daniel [GM] 1:33:37 So two damage. Sampson [Dili] 1:33:43 I thought onslaught was four by default? Daniel [GM] 1:33:46 If it's physical, mental is two. But the advantage is that mental ignores armor. Okay. So next up is Nix. There's one of these things left. Ni? Stace [Nix] 1:34:01 Ni? Nobody knows who Ni is. Yeah, this time she's going to, for artistry's sake, hit it with its buddy's leg. Daniel [GM] 1:34:16 Oh, okay. I like that. Stace [Nix] 1:34:17 It comes in swinging them both. Daniel [GM] 1:34:21 Okay. It's a six to start. Because you have their buddy's leg and because it's cool and fun, I gave you an asset just for funsies. Stace [Nix] 1:34:34 Yay. Daniel [GM] 1:34:34 So it'll be a three hit. Stace [Nix] 1:34:36 I'm going to spend my effort for damage. What do you consider these? Daniel [GM] 1:34:44 What? Stace [Nix] 1:34:44 Are those medium weapons, or? Daniel [GM] 1:34:46 It'll be a medium weapon in this case. Stace [Nix] 1:34:48 13. Marietta [Atalia] 1:34:50 What are it's own legs? Daniel [GM] 1:34:53 Okay. What does it look like when you kill this thing with the leg of one of his friends? Sampson [Dili] 1:35:01 What does petty revenge look like? Stace [Nix] 1:35:02 Yeah. So Nix comes, she's sweeping up and under and she manages to catch a face portion of it. And then using the legs, lifts it up over Nix's own head and slams it to the ground on the other side. Alex [ChaCha] 1:35:19 Wow. Daniel [GM] 1:35:19 Okay. So yeah, you guys have slaughtered all these clicking creatures, some of which have remained there, some of which have fallen out of phase. Sometimes you, in some of them, if you do search them, you can find remnants of flesh and bone inside of them, but not much else of significance. But you are definitely out of combat, and you can continue your night's watch unimpeded. Alex [ChaCha] 1:35:54 ChaCha goes back in that tree. Daniel [GM] 1:35:56 Yeah. And as you continue your journey, since you're ignoring Vasum, I mean, it's not easy. A lot of time passes. You rely a lot on Nix's ability to hunt and forage. And to a certain degree ChaCha, but mostly Nix as you make your way. Until you can see a large city in the distance. This large city in the distance is, quite clearly to Nix, Chalmiss, the city of echoes. And ChaCha, it's at this point that you see a strange figure forming in the shadows nearby you as you guys are leaving this grove of this wooded area. And it is of fire in heaven. It's your buddy, Alfred, of course. Alex [ChaCha] 1:36:57 Yay. Daniel [GM] 1:37:03 And it slowly slides towards you and then shifts directions and moves behind Dili. And positions its head right next to Dili again. And it says, "ChaCha, you're wasting time. You're going change the world. You need an atch quickly." And that's where we'll end this episode. Alex [ChaCha] 1:37:39 So basically ChaCha's becoming the Messiah. Daniel [GM] 1:37:45 Yes. Alex [ChaCha] 1:37:45 And she is just going to go full blown profit. Stace [Nix] 1:37:48 Not again. Daniel [GM] 1:37:51 Speaking of which, was there anything cool that ChaCha did this episode for you, Alex? Alex [ChaCha] 1:37:58 It's not cool, but it was the, I guess, ChaCha pushing to kind of talk about the situation, rather than leaving it at, I guess this is what happened. And then we ... Daniel [GM] 1:38:15 Yeah. Alex [ChaCha] 1:38:16 It sounds weird because it was was an uncomfortable situation, but I feel like it really helped expand the story because it gave us more insight into Atalia, the person, rather than, man Atalia does them wacky things. Marietta [Atalia] 1:38:35 She does do some wacky things. Daniel [GM] 1:38:37 Yeah. I totally get that. Alex [ChaCha] 1:38:38 But it made like Atalia seem like a more fleshed out character in all of our minds I think, or I hope. Sampson [Dili] 1:38:45 Mm-hmm (affirmative). Daniel [GM] 1:38:48 Yeah, for sure. Yeah. Very cool. Very cool. We have a session that we do each week called player intrusions, where we offer you guys an XP to check out something we think you would absolutely dig. This week it is my turn. And my player intrusion this week is I will offer you guys an XP if you check out the game, Three Goblins in a Trenchcoat. Daniel [GM] 1:39:16 It's a game by Daniel Rodriguez. He is one of the cast members of Fandible, which is also an excellent actual play podcasts for both Luminara and a bunch of other games. It is a hilarious game where the concept is very simple. Your players are goblins with all the things that goblins contain. And they're after things that gobbles want, but that means you have to move among humans, which means you need a disguise. In which case, it means these goblins are all going to try to hide in a trench coat together and pretend to be human as long as they can get away with it. Daniel [GM] 1:39:58 It's a really simple rule system, but it's also designed to be really hilarious. There's different designs for the trench coat and what your goblins can have. In terms of magic, some of their magic is snot balls. Their trench coats can be either things that are relatively simple and practical, to a sealskin coat where if the GM rolls the wrong thing, the seals show up seeking revenge against the goblin horde. It's just a very delightful and simple game. And it's a lot of fun. I do recommend drinking during it because it is a very silly game and the more ridiculous you and the players let it get, the more fun you'll have. We actually, as a group, did it as a one shot for a test recording before we started the podcast. Daniel [GM] 1:40:58 Our recording setups were not to the level they are now, so the quality is not quite the same as high, but it was still a lot of fun. We will likely release it as a bonus episode pretty soon after you hear this episode. I had a ton of fun with it. It's a fun game. There's an optional expansion that can either be revolutionary war setting, or it can actually be the [inaudible] rules that we used for either Four Goblins in a Trenchcoat or Five Goblins in a Trenchcoat. But I'm speaking mostly as the GM, you guys actually played in it. If anybody has anything they want to chime in about Three Goblins in a Trenchcoat. Sampson [Dili] 1:41:42 One of the spells allows you to just randomly summon in and ogre. Alex [ChaCha] 1:41:48 That was amazing, especially on top of the seals. Sampson [Dili] 1:41:53 Yes. Marietta [Atalia] 1:41:53 Yeah, I forgot about the seal cloak. Sampson [Dili] 1:41:56 A lot of chaos, a lot of fun. Alex [ChaCha] 1:41:59 From our clan. Stace [Nix] 1:41:59 Yeah. The seals. Oh man. I love that every goblin controlled its own part of the body. Marietta [Atalia] 1:42:07 Yeah. Sampson [Dili] 1:42:08 Yeah. Stace [Nix] 1:42:09 Which made for a lot of fun. Sampson [Dili] 1:42:12 Yeah. Marietta [Atalia] 1:42:12 I liked Daniel making seal noises for us. Daniel [GM] 1:42:14 Yes. Stace [Nix] 1:42:14 Yes. Daniel [GM] 1:42:19 There's a lot of chaos involved in it, which is fun. Alex [ChaCha] 1:42:21 It was amazing. Daniel [GM] 1:42:21 It was fun. Stace [Nix] 1:42:21 Seal infested, yeah. Heist, heist, heist. Daniel [GM] 1:42:28 And I always run it with the rule that goblin voices are mandatory, which is also extra fun. And we happened to run a heist story, which was a lot of fun, with essentially four goblins with the intellect that you would expect from goblins. Stace [Nix] 1:42:47 And from us now that you've listened to us for a while. Alex [ChaCha] 1:42:50 Yeah, us plus goblins. Marietta [Atalia] 1:42:53 It's true, yeah. Daniel [GM] 1:42:57 It's a ton of fun. I would highly recommend you check it out. I'll include in the show notes, it's available now on itch.io from the creator, specifically through his podcast, Fandom podcast, which I can't recommend enough. He's also the author of another great game that at some point I'll probably do a separate intrusion on called Cats and Corpses where you are a single person living alone with your cat and you die for whatever reason. And now that you're dead, your main focus is how do I take care of my cat and make sure it's happy until somebody finds us, finds my body and the cat, which is a very sweet game. It's both morbid and saccharine at the same time. It's really delightful. Stace [Nix] 1:43:50 Oh, same author, huh? Or creator, I didn't realize that. Daniel [GM] 1:43:54 Yeah, same guy. He also wrote one called Cupid Inc., which is about you play different cherubs trying to deal with romance on Valentine's Day. Alex [ChaCha] 1:44:06 Oh no. Daniel [GM] 1:44:07 Which is also fun. But I love Three Goblins in a Trenchcoat for running it for a group for a really quick. Because character creation is super stupid, simple, and it's great for one shot. Cats and Corpses is a one player game, so it's just you, a deck of cards, and a journal, but great games. Lot of fun. Sampson [Dili] 1:44:34 Three Goblins and a Trenchcoat, that's a one page PDF game, so anybody who's ever played a tabletop game, not a bad entry point if they're coming in with a lot of biases. Daniel [GM] 1:44:50 Yeah, the official rules are longer than that, but that's because they spent some time doing some nice layout stuff for it. Sampson [Dili] 1:44:58 Oh sure, yeah. Daniel [GM] 1:44:59 But yeah, the basic rules you can fit on a page. It's super simple. It's just a fun indie-game which is delightful to play. It's definitely one for drinking because the rules are definitely set up, there's even a clause in the expansion rules where there's an optional rule that will kind of constrain the player's skills. Because in the first edition of the game, the player skills were left really unbalanced because it was a punishment for the GM to allow your players to play this game. Daniel [GM] 1:45:33 It's fun. I would highly recommend it. I love playing it for a quick one shot. I've played it both with this crew as well as I've done quick com games of it. You can get through a game in about two hours and it's just a lot of fun. But yeah, I will give you an XP to checkout Three Goblins and a Trenchcoat by Daniel Rodriguez. If people wanted to reach out to us to tell us about podcasts or to tell us what they think of, if they've tried it out, Three Goblins in a Trenchcoat, how would they do that Marietta? Marietta [Atalia] 1:46:07 Man, if you want to find out all about us, a great place to start would be our website. It's explorerswanted.fm. And then we are on all the social medias. We are on Twitter, at Explorers Wanted. We're on Facebook, Explorers Wanted podcast, and we're on Instagram at Explorers Wanted podcast. And then we have our patron is going. If you would like to support us and help us keep the lights on and create new content, we would love it if you would support us if you have the means. And we're Explorers Wanted on PayTrain. Daniel [GM] 1:46:34 If you liked the podcast, the best thing that you could do for us is to tell a friend and tell them why you liked to podcast and why they should listen to it. The second best thing you could do is to leave us a five star rating or review on a podcast directory, whether that's Apple podcasts, or whether that's through Pod Chaser, or Stitcher or something else. Particularly if you actually leave a written review where you say what you like about it, that makes a huge difference to people trying out the podcast and checking it out. Although I will say, for those of you have already gone and taken the step to give us that five star rating, we deeply appreciate it. But the reviews also make a huge difference for us. Daniel [GM] 1:47:27 If you didn't like the podcast, then I'm sorry, but I think you're probably stuck in the loop. Every day for you begins the same way with the same set memories over and over again for eternity and doomed to repeat the same choices. And the worst part is you don't even know it's happening, but there is a way to get free. The way out is a little bit unconventional, but the next time that you get a robocall, it won't be a sales or collection service. It may sound like one, but you need to say the code word in order to be connected to the correct agent. Let the prerecorded message play for exactly 10 seconds and no more. Then you should say as loudly as you can into your phone or headset. "Ja. Ja. Consumer Futagen". If you get the timing right, you'll be connected to an agent who can help you escape the loop that you found yourself in. It's a free one from us to you. Daniel [GM] 1:48:50 If you want to reach out to us individually on social media, you can. You can find me on Twitter @andrlik, A-N-D-R-L-I-K. Stace [Nix] 1:48:59 When you finally escape the loop, you can follow me on Twitter at @StaceWindu. Sampson [Dili] 1:49:06 If your goblin voice sounds like Dave Mustaine, you can find me at @slampotato on Twitter. Alex [ChaCha] 1:49:14 If you want to weigh in on this debate, is it milk or milk? You can tweet me at @realteaunicorn at Twitter. Marietta [Atalia] 1:49:24 It's definitely milk. Thanks for asking. And you can tell me what you think about that on Twitter at @imonahike. Sampson [Dili] 1:49:30 Why do you guys say Milk so weird? Stace [Nix] 1:49:33 It's milk. Marietta [Atalia] 1:49:35 Milk. Sampson [Dili] 1:49:37 Milk? Stace [Nix] 1:49:37 Milk. Marietta [Atalia] 1:49:38 Pretend it's an E, melk. Sampson [Dili] 1:49:39 Melk? Alex [ChaCha] 1:49:40 What? Why is there an E? It's M-I-L-K. Sampson [Dili] 1:49:43 Milk. Stace [Nix] 1:49:43 That's what I'm saying. Milk. Marietta [Atalia] 1:49:44 Well yeah, but you pronounce it with an E. Alex [ChaCha] 1:49:45 Milk. Marietta [Atalia] 1:49:47 Now you guys are saying Milk. Sampson [Dili] 1:49:49 It's milk, what are you talking about? Alex [ChaCha] 1:49:50 That's what I've been saying, milk. Stace [Nix] 1:49:51 It is milk. You're right. Sampson [Dili] 1:49:53 Thank you, yes. Marietta [Atalia] 1:49:53 It's milk. Daniel [GM] 1:50:01 Really quickly, how would you guys describe the savory bakery item that is in a circle, like a tor-eye that may, for example, be called an everything of it's type. Alex [ChaCha] 1:50:16 Bagel. Stace [Nix] 1:50:17 A bagel. Marietta [Atalia] 1:50:19 We don't have any Yoopers here. Sampson [Dili] 1:50:20 My brain went pancake, so I don't know what you guys are talking about. Marietta [Atalia] 1:50:21 Are you a bagel? Are you a bagler? Stace [Nix] 1:50:24 An everything bagel. Daniel [GM] 1:50:25 No. Marietta [Atalia] 1:50:26 Are you a bagel guy? Daniel [GM] 1:50:26 No. But my wife says bagel sometimes unintentionally. Marietta [Atalia] 1:50:30 Yeah. It's, it's definitely a Yooper thing. Stace [Nix] 1:50:34 Bagels. I've been to New York. That was just [inaudible]. Daniel [GM] 1:50:39 Yes, exactly. Marietta [Atalia] 1:50:40 They say bagel. Daniel [GM] 1:50:44 That's it for us. Have a good night. Hope you enjoyed the show. We'll be back next week as we will for every week for the foreseeable future. Have a good day, and ... All Together 1:50:56 Bye. Alex [ChaCha] 1:51:30 I shouldn't have gotten this drunk.