Daniel [GM] 0:25 Welcome to Explorers Wanted. We are a weekly Numenera Actual Play podcast. I will be your humble GM, Daniel Andrlik, and with me today is Stace Babcock. Stace [Nix] 0:42 I'm a rule follower who pays attention. Daniel [GM] 0:45 Alex Finn. Alex [ChaCha] 0:47 Aha. Daniel [GM] 0:48 Marietta Jones. Marietta [Atalia] 0:50 I'm a very good girl who never does anything wrong. Daniel [GM] 0:53 And Sampson Davis. Sampson [Dili] 0:55 I actually follow the rules and that pisses me off. Alex [ChaCha] 0:57 Ah! It's so annoying, isn't it? Daniel [GM] 1:04 So, who remembers what happened last time? I think this week I will pick on Marietta. Marietta [Atalia] 1:12 Oh, boy. Okay, someone help me. Where did we leave off? What was the beginning of last session? Alex [ChaCha] 1:18 Went to the bar. Marietta [Atalia] 1:18 Oh, we... Okay. We were at the bar. Okay. So, we were at Momma Jerrun's and she was like, "Yo! ChaCha's at the Queen's Spittoon. I'd really like to talk to all of you." We were like, "Yeah! We want to go see ChaCha. That sounds like a great idea." So, we went and we found ChaCha who was hanging out there, finishing up her puppet show rendition of our infiltration. Yeah, really exciting. Those air quotations that the broadcasters, listeners, can definitely see. Anyway. So, then we were like, "Yeah. We should go talk to G-ma and check on Nix's parents, because our faces were seen and we like family, that stuff, so... We head back to Atalia's grandma's house and the place is just totally ransacked and there's like a secret room in Grandma's room, like under the floorboards. It's like very secret-agent style, and there's three dead bodies. I presume that they're from the Handlers, but there's no like Handlers' insignia on them. And then, Atalia finds evidence that her grandmother... There was like a trail from leaving, and re-connecting to the road but she couldn't follow any further. So, Grandma's in the wind. Atalia closes up the house and Nix, Dili, and ChaCha had left a little bit before to go to Nix's house after it was clear that Atalia's grandma wasn't there. Daniel [GM] 2:57 Yeah, it was a really long five minutes, let's say. It was definitely... You were in the house for at least 30 more minutes. Marietta [Atalia] 3:03 Yeah. Stace [Nix] 3:04 You phrased it that like we left you. Marietta [Atalia] 3:07 Sorry. I forgot! I forgot! And I was trying to add it in because I forgot about you guys leaving before me. Stace [Nix] 3:14 No. Well, wait, wait. We left before you? Or you refused to leave with us? Marietta [Atalia] 3:18 Well, we'd only been there for like five minutes, and you're like, "I've got to go check on my mom and dad." And I'm like, "Yeah, definitely go do that. I've got to find out what the fuck happened to my grandmother. So, I'll meet you guys there." Stace [Nix] 3:31 I'm going to have to ask you to re-listen to the last episode when you get the chance. Marietta [Atalia] 3:36 Listen. Okay, this is Atalia's recollection. I'm sorry if it doesn't match Nix's standards. Stace [Nix] 3:42 Reality. Marietta [Atalia] 3:49 But the good news was that when Nix, Dili, and ChaCha got back to Nix's parents' place, they were totally fine! And everybody got to sleep in their own guestroom, and Nix got to sleep in her room that's across from her parents, so she could keep an eye on them. It was really nice relaxing recovery time. And then, Atalia eventually shows up and breaks in and sleeps on the couch with Jesse. Stace [Nix] 4:17 Missing something? Marietta [Atalia] 4:18 Oh! And then we go to the snake place in the morning. Yes. Well, in the morning, Nix's hand is really bad. Like really bad, so we go to Dili's old shop, and we break in, and the snake has escaped the container, and we have to fight it. And then, Nix eats it. She just- Daniel [GM] 4:44 Swallows it whole. Marietta [Atalia] 4:45 "I guess this is my mid-morning snack." And then, she suddenly feels great! She's like, "Hell, yeah! I'm just like Snake Lady now. So, she's just a snake, I guess? Plot twist? Stace [Nix] 4:59 Mm. Marietta [Atalia] 5:00 And then we find Pollos’ notes and I guess the snake was getting stronger, and he's like, "Oh, I'm going to put it in this glass container so it doesn't escape!" And then, it escaped that container, so... It just got so strong and I... Also, Atalia's scan said that it had the same energy as the corruption that Nix was experiencing, so... But, apparently, eating the snake was the solution the whole time. Just should have told her to eat that Cypher artifact sooner. Daniel [GM] 5:29 And now we know for next time. Marietta [Atalia] 5:30 Yeah. And I think... Are we still in the store? Daniel [GM] 5:34 Yes. Marietta [Atalia] 5:34 Okay. Daniel [GM] 5:37 Because the last thing that happened has been you suggesting that Nix try to spray saliva. And when she tried to do that, her jaw unhinged, two fangs appeared, and she spit some sort of sizzling venom across the room. And that's where we ended it. Marietta [Atalia] 5:53 Oh, man! I forgot I had that great idea. Daniel [GM] 5:56 I'll add one note. One of the bodies that you found in your grandmother's house, you did recognize- Marietta [Atalia] 6:04 Oh! Daniel [GM] 6:04 ... the face of. Marietta [Atalia] 6:04 Right, right. Daniel [GM] 6:04 He was the one who stepped out of the crowd and just slit James's throat. Marietta [Atalia] 6:07 So, we're thinking it was the Handlers. Daniel [GM] 6:10 So, Nix, you have just spit some sort of sizzling venom over onto a nearby table. It was pain and relief when the fangs came out? And now they've slid back in and, while the bumps are still there, they no longer feel sore. Stace [Nix] 6:24 Where do the fangs come out? In front of Nix's teeth? Or behind Nix's teeth? Daniel [GM] 6:29 From the bumps behind Nix's teeth. But your jaw unhinged while it did that. Stace [Nix] 6:34 Oh, yeah. So, Nix is going to bite people. It's part of her repertoire now. Yeah. I seem to remember Nix was just like, "Yeah, I ate the snake, and I'm a snake now," and pretty chill. I think we ended with we were going to look for Pollos' body. So, unless anyone else has questions about the snake thing... Daniel [GM] 6:56 So, you guys actually already looked for Pollos' notes, and you found out that he had taken one of those standard commissions, and then he also took some sort of commission for a prefab construction, and the customer address was the warehouse. That's Gilly's warehouse, the auction warehouse, and all that fun stuff. So, the actual last moment was when you spit the venom. Stace [Nix] 7:21 Oh! And it sizzled. Ah! All right. [As Nix] I feel better now, guys. Hoo! Marietta [Atalia] 7:27 [As Atalia] That was pretty wild. Sampson [Dili] 7:28 What the fuck? Alex [ChaCha] 7:28 So, out of character question. Are we going to like have to milk Nix now? Daniel [GM] 7:34 I don't think you know enough at this point to know. Alex [ChaCha] 7:37 Okay. Stace [Nix] 7:40 Nix prefers not to be milked. Alex [ChaCha] 7:42 Hey! You don't know about your snake powers now. You might need it. Sampson [Dili] 7:47 Yeah, but I think she can take care of that. We don't need to milk her. Alex [ChaCha] 7:50 Yeah, but that sounds like- Marietta [Atalia] 7:52 That sounds like a self-care, like a self- Alex [ChaCha] 7:55 Is that like having too many- Marietta [Atalia] 7:56 ... care- Alex [ChaCha] 7:56 ... Cyphers where, if she doesn't remember to milk herself that she becomes like crazy? Or- Daniel [GM] 8:02 Okay, kids. Alex [ChaCha] 8:02 ... injured? Stace [Nix] 8:03 Can we stop calling it milking? And can we just start calling it spitting? Marietta [Atalia] 8:08 Dude, that's what you call taking venom from a snake. You milk the snake. Stace [Nix] 8:13 You milk the snake. The snake does not milk itself. Sampson [Dili] 8:17 So... What? Marietta [Atalia] 8:18 Are you seeking the milking experience now? Daniel [GM] 8:21 Oh, the phrasing. That's... Okay, yeah. This is spiraling. This is spiraling. Back into your characters. Back into your characters. Sampson [Dili] 8:33 No, let’s talk about milking the snake some more. Daniel [GM] 8:34 It’s not that kind of podcast, Sampson. Marietta [Atalia] 8:39 Anyway. That was, I don't know, [As Atalia] How are you doing, buddy? Alex [ChaCha] 8:53 We broke Stace. Marietta [Atalia] 8:54 Anyway. Nix will examine the surface that she, whatever her spit landed on, "Sizzled," you said, to see if it did any sort of damage. Daniel [GM] 9:07 Okay. You don't even need to roll for this. It did make sort of a sizzling effect, and the venom is still sort of pooled there, although it's like it's gone flat. It was sizzling before. It doesn't appear to have damaged the surface. And you don't really have any feeling one way or the other about it. Like on some instinctual level, I think this is just spit. "This is mine, but I-" Stace [Nix] 9:07 Yeah. Daniel [GM] 9:35 ... you know, whatever. So, you don't really necessarily... It didn't seem to have any effect on a metal surface that it landed on. Whether it would have a different effect on something organic, I don't know. Stace [Nix] 9:47 Nix touches it. Daniel [GM] 9:48 You seem perfectly fine touching it. No big deal. Stace [Nix] 9:52 [As Nix] Yeah, it seems like it's pretty benign. I don't know. Alex [ChaCha] 9:57 ChaCha's going to stick a random object around her into it? Daniel [GM] 10:02 Okay. It doesn't seem to react to any object. Marietta [Atalia] 10:06 I’m going to sacrifice a finger. Sampson [Dili] 10:10 Dili's on one side of the room. It's just... Like almost looks like he's disassociating, just like, dd What? And around his head is like this ouroboros thing, but with Nix's face eating its own tail. And he's like, [As Dili] I can't... What is this? What? What? Stace [Nix] 10:26 Nix just sort of shrugs. She's lik [As Dili] [As Nix] I told you I was turning into a snake, guys. Marietta [Atalia] 10:32 Ah, so Atalia will bend down and poke the saliva. Daniel [GM] 10:32 With her hand? Marietta [Atalia] 10:42 With a- Daniel [GM] 10:42 Was she wearing a glove? Marietta [Atalia] 10:43 ... Yes. She'll take a glove off. Daniel [GM] 10:47 Okay. You touch it and, even before you feel anything... Like it doesn't even hit your brain. Like it's one of those instincts where it hits the spinal cord and immediately spins around and tells your hand to move before it goes to your brain. There's something bad about it. And you touch it for just a fraction of a second, and the tip of your finger where you touched it looks like it almost has like a chemical burn on it. It's not burning any more, but it hurts like a son of a bitch. Marietta [Atalia] 11:23 [As Atalia] Yeah. Just spit, my ass. Sampson [Dili] 11:27 Then he comes back to reality. [As Dili] Why would you touch it? What the fuck? Alex [ChaCha] 11:32 I mean, it could have been candy. Marietta [Atalia] 11:34 You just made it seem so normal, I had to make it not. Sampson [Dili] 11:37 [As Dili] Ah, yeah. I don't know what's... I'm going to get out of this room. What I'm going to do is going to shuffle into the shop. [As Dili] Okay? Alex [ChaCha] 11:46 So, what kind of role would it be to re-key the locks? Daniel [GM] 11:50 So, it's not really crafting Numenera, although I would give a bonus from crafting Numenera if you wanted it, but it is some sort of intellect-based tinkering to re-key a lock. You're not picking it, you're not doing something stealthy with it, and you're not trying to break in. You're trying to do something very delicate. Alex [ChaCha] 12:12 I guess ChaCha's going to go try and re-key the locks. Daniel [GM] 12:18 Okay. So, probably one for each of them. Alex [ChaCha] 12:19 Okay. Daniel [GM] 12:21 So, which lock do you want to do first? Alex [ChaCha] 12:21 The front door. Daniel [GM] 12:25 Okay! So, ChaCha does not spend much time in places. So, I'm actually going to hinder ChaCha on this. So, it would be a 15 intellect roll. Alex [ChaCha] 12:37 Okay. Daniel [GM] 12:37 And it will probably take you, since this is the first time you've done it, it's probably going to take you maybe 15 minutes to do it. Marietta [Atalia] 12:46 Can I assist her with the- Daniel [GM] 12:48 Yes, you could assist, and that would give her a 12. Marietta [Atalia] 12:54 Sure. Alex [ChaCha] 12:55 I got a 18. Marietta [Atalia] 12:55 Okay. Alex [ChaCha] 12:59 We don't know whether ChaCha can do this, but she can. Daniel [GM] 13:02 So, you think you have successfully re-keyed it to a key of your own design that, presumably, you made as part of the process. Alex [ChaCha] 13:10 And now, ChaCha re-locks the door. Daniel [GM] 13:13 She can, okay. So, it's locked? Alex [ChaCha] 13:15 ChaCha's going to go do the back door. Daniel [GM] 13:16 Okay. So, this will be... Now you've done this once. So, it'll be a 12 for you. Alex [ChaCha] 13:23 12. Daniel [GM] 13:25 Okay. So, you have successfully re-keyed the back door? Did you... can re-key it to the same key you just made? Or a different one? Alex [ChaCha] 13:33 The same key. Sampson [Dili] 13:34 Is there a body in the front shop area? Daniel [GM] 13:37 There is not. So, when you go in the front shop area it just appears to be his display model sitting out. You can see up near the front, there's not much light in here, except what's coming in the front of the windows, and there is that sign upfront that is... The Open sign is pointing towards you on the inside right now. Sampson [Dili] 13:55 And [inaudible 00:13:56] going to look around for some Cyphers that happen to be lying about, if any? Daniel [GM] 14:01 Oh! Oh, I see how you are. Sampson [Dili] 14:04 Yes. Because we also need to leave [inaudible]. Daniel [GM] 14:06 Yeah. So, roll 1d6. Sampson [Dili] 14:07 Add roll 1d6 and get another 5. Daniel [GM] 14:13 Okay? You guys find five Cyphers. Alex [ChaCha] 14:18 Oh, snap! Sampson [Dili] 14:19 Spicy. Daniel [GM] 14:20 The first Cypher... Hopefully, somebody's ready to write this down. Stace [Nix] 14:25 Oh, yeah. Always. I was already writing. Marietta [Atalia] 14:27 So ready. Daniel [GM] 14:28 ... is a Lie Eater. This biomechanical device feeds on brainwaves associated with deception. When a creature that it is pointed at lies, the tips of the tendrils light up and wave about. Once activated, it functions for 10 minutes. Sampson [Dili] 14:44 So, it's a lie detector? Or it attacks the liar? Daniel [GM] 14:48 It's just a detector. It's actually eating the brainwaves it's picking up, but it's not physically attacking. Sampson [Dili] 14:54 Oh, okay. Marietta [Atalia] 14:55 Is there a level? Daniel [GM] 14:57 It really wouldn't matter with this one. It just is what it is. Oh! I'm almost scared to give this to you. Marietta [Atalia] 15:06 Do it! Sampson [Dili] 15:06 Do it! Daniel [GM] 15:07 It is a pill- Alex [ChaCha] 15:09 Oh, no! Not drugs? Daniel [GM] 15:12 ... that is a Cypher of Datasphere for Knowledge. It allows the taker to tap into the datasphere and can learn the answer to three questions about one location. Sampson [Dili] 15:25 Awesome. Alex [ChaCha] 15:27 We got so many questions about Momma Jerrun that we're going to answer today. Stace [Nix] 15:31 It's not what I was thinking. Alex [ChaCha] 15:32 Listen. Stop trying to do plot points moving forward. We're wasting Cyphers here. Marietta [Atalia] 15:39 Yeah, I have some I haven't used. Daniel [GM] 15:41 So, the next Cypher is on a [inaudible]. It is called Foreknowledge. And this means that the user knows exactly what will happen in the next round, and thus can treat any task attempted in the subsequent round as routine as if the difficulty of the task does not exceed the Cypher level. If the task difficulty does exceed the Cypher level, the Foreknowledge gain is less certain, but the difficulty of any attempted task is reduced by two steps. So, Sampson roll 1d6 for me. Stace [Nix] 16:14 Oh, ask Sampson. Sampson [Dili] 16:14 2. Daniel [GM] 16:17 Okay. So, this is a level 5 Foreknowledge. So, any task that is of a difficulty 5 or below immediately becomes a gimme. Anything above that it's you get an asset of two steps. Before Cypher, I know who I think you should give this to. I don't know if you will. Oversight, for the next hour, the user can release a stream of fluid at a target within a media range that inflicts one point of damage, ignoring armor. At the end of the next round, the target obeys the instructions of the user. Sampson [Dili] 16:59 Oh, no! Whoa! Stace [Nix] 17:02 How much damages? Daniel [GM] 17:04 One point of damage, ignoring armor. Stace [Nix] 17:07 You don't even have to say, "ignoring armor," any more, Daniel. I just wrote it down. Sampson [Dili] 17:11 Do snakes even wear armor? Stace [Nix] 17:13 She has flesh of stone, so she has plus one armor when not wearing physical armor. Daniel [GM] 17:17 Oh, okay. Cool. Okay! The fifth and final Cypher... Ooh! Okay. This is a Ray Emitter. It allows the user to project a ray of energy up to 200 feet that opens a telepathic communication channel to the client for one minute. So, how are you guys get to divvy these up? Or is somebody going to get some Cypher sickness? Alex [ChaCha] 17:42 Well, I can take one more, but I'm leaving it to Sampson to... Or should I... Sorry, anybody else have an idea? Sampson [Dili] 17:50 I still have Atalia's Caustic Storm so, I guess, Marietta, do you want that back? Or what? Marietta [Atalia] 17:56 You can keep holding onto it. Maybe I'll take Lie Eater, I guess? Sampson [Dili] 18:03 Is there a Cypher that assuages you of guilt? Marietta [Atalia] 18:07 Having Dili have Caustic Storm would make me feel better, yes. Sampson [Dili] 18:11 And if I'm keeping Caustic Storm, I have one more slot. Stace [Nix] 18:18 I have two slots. Nix has no Cyphers. Sampson [Dili] 18:22 Marietta has slots. Atalia. Marietta [Atalia] 18:24 I'm full now, with Lie Eater, if I take Lie Eater. And I give you Caustic Storm. Sampson [Dili] 18:31 Okay. Does Cypher sickness happen immediately? Or do we have like a half hour or so till like- Daniel [GM] 18:36 After a day, we start rolling. Sampson [Dili] 18:38 Okay. Daniel [GM] 18:38 And it'll be a roll every day. Sampson [Dili] 18:41 And Cypher sickness ends immediately after we're free of our overloaded Cyphers? Or is there a comedown? Daniel [GM] 18:50 That wouldn't be any fun. Sampson [Dili] 18:51 I'm just- Marietta [Atalia] 18:52 I mean, it doesn't have to be a bad thing. Daniel [GM] 18:54 I think I would treat it as probably you need at least the rest of the day to recover from it. Marietta [Atalia] 19:00 You could like take it apart, really? If it's too many, you could take one apart. Alex [ChaCha] 19:04 Ooh, I have one, we could change it out for. If you like those, I have another Cypher that I'm kind of meh on? Stace [Nix] 19:12 We could sell one. Sampson [Dili] 19:13 Yeah, we can do that. Daniel [GM] 19:15 I mean, you don't have to steal all five Cyphers. You just found five Cyphers. Sampson [Dili] 19:18 That we're going to take, so... Stace [Nix] 19:20 [As Nix] I mean... Marietta [Atalia] 19:21 [As Atalia] We should... We could sell one though, and then you can use that money to pay off the Nano. Stace [Nix] 19:26 [As Nix] Me? Marietta [Atalia] 19:27 [As Atalia] Yeah! Stace [Nix] 19:28 [As Nix] But who's going to buy it? Marietta [Atalia] 19:30 [As Atalia] It's just I don't know what I think about this Nano. I mean, she seems like a fairly incompetent person, and 300 shins a session. Stace [Nix] 19:39 [As Nix] Well, yeah. But now that we've got this resolved, I think I'm going to look into it a little more, but I don't know. Like if Pollos' dead, then I don't think he would mind. He seemed nice if we take some Cyphers. Sampson [Dili] 19:54 [As Dili] He's likely not dead. Marietta [Atalia] 19:55 [As Atalia] Oh! Sampson [Dili] 19:56 [As Dili] He's on assignment at the warehouse that we robbed. Marietta [Atalia] 19:59 [As Atalia] It sounds like he works for the Knyxos though. Sampson [Dili] 20:03 [As Dili] He's at least been hired by them. Daniel [GM] 20:04 Yeah. And anybody that's ever hired by the Knyxos willingly should be considered evil and not to be trusted. Alex [ChaCha] 20:11 Pretty much. Marietta [Atalia] 20:12 That's convenient. That's kind of what I was thinking. So, I think we should not feel guilt about taking these... all of these... Cyphers. But we should leave now, actually, out the back maybe. Alex [ChaCha] 20:24 So, anyway. The Cypher I was saying we could take apart is like a butterfly, a parachute backpack? Sampson [Dili] 20:34 It sounds kind of [inaudible]. Stace [Nix] 20:34 That sounds dope. Sampson [Dili] 20:34 Yeah. Alex [ChaCha] 20:35 Yeah. Like you can only glide with it. Sampson [Dili] 20:38 I'm playing Breath of the Wild a lot recently. So, that kind of sounds awesome. Stace [Nix] 20:40 It's still dope, yeah. Sampson [Dili] 20:44 For now though, I'll take all the Cyphers, and then we can, when we're in a safer place, we can divvy it up, and I can look at whatever extras we have. Stace [Nix] 20:52 [As Nix] Just give me two, man, so you don't get sick, and then- Daniel [GM] 20:54 So, what two would Nix like? Stace [Nix] 20:55 [As Nix] I'll give them right back. Definitely would like Foreknowledge and, I don't know, is it Nix the one you thought should take Oversight? Because Nix can already spit fluid, but it's definitely on brand. So, Foreknowledge and Oversight. Daniel [GM] 21:13 So, Dili's taking the other two? Sampson [Dili] 21:15 Yes. Daniel [GM] 21:15 Okay! Alex [ChaCha] 21:16 ChaCha has an empty slot, so... Daniel [GM] 21:18 Oh! Well then, problem solved. You can have all of them. Alex [ChaCha] 21:23 Excellent! Daniel [GM] 21:23 So, which one of the left would ChaCha like: Datasphere for Knowledge or the Telepathic Ray Emitter? Alex [ChaCha] 21:30 Telepathic Ray Emitter? Daniel [GM] 21:32 It makes a telepathic communication channel to one target that's 200 feet away, for up to 1 minute. Alex [ChaCha] 21:38 I mean, that sounds like something hilarious to give to ChaCha. It does. Sampson [Dili] 21:44 Great, because I definitely wanted the pill. Stace [Nix] 21:47 So, Oversight does one point of damage, ignoring armor and the user can then what? Daniel [GM] 21:51 Oversight means at the end of the next round, the target will invade the instructions of the user. Stace [Nix] 21:58 Okay! Ha! Ha! Hoo-hoo! Daniel [GM] 22:01 So, in total, it's like two rounds to get that, right? Because you have to activate the Cypher, and then once you get to your next turn, then you can start spraying the fluid. And then, at the end of that round, that's when the target obeys you. Stace [Nix] 22:15 Yes! Daniel [GM] 22:16 Okay! So, you guys have Cyphers. Do you want to check anything else out in the meantime? Stace [Nix] 22:23 [As Nix] Do you guys think we should take these notes then, if you think this guy is Knyxos? Or should we leave them, so he doesn't like necessarily know we were here? Marietta [Atalia] 22:31 [As Atalia] We should at least copy them. Sampson [Dili] 22:33 [As Dili] Well, we're already stealing five Cyphers, so he'll know something's up. I think some of these are pretty good Cyphers, that he really shouldn't have been just leaving out on the counter. That's bad practice. Marietta [Atalia] 22:42 [As Atalia] Well- Daniel [GM] 22:43 You say, "leaving on the counter," and like when we have a flashback of the camera of like Atalia doing contortionism to get these Cyphers out of all their hiding nooks and crannies. Marietta [Atalia] 22:56 [As Atalia] Oh, hey! There's another one! Look at that! Stace [Nix] 23:02 [As Nix] I'll leave the notes, because he knows that I was interested in the notes. That just seems like good crime. Am I right, Atalia? Or... Marietta [Atalia] 23:09 [As Atalia] Yeah. Atalia's like scribbling down the notes, say, and like in quick roadie shorthand. You know, I really got good at this, with all the reading I did out of those stolen books. It would be nice to not have to steal books about Numenera and Esoteries and shit. If I could just go to school for it instead, that would be cool. [As Atalia] Anyway. Look! Notes! Sampson [Dili] 23:34 Actually then, another quick look around. Is there is a book of crafting Numenera somewhere nearby in the shop? Daniel [GM] 23:40 It's, unfortunately, with him right now. You see a spot on the shelf where it would be, but... Ah! Sampson [Dili] 23:46 No more salvaging, just asking questions. Daniel [GM] 23:48 No. Well, this doesn't seem to salvage... He doesn't have to do that himself. He has people for that. Sampson [Dili] 23:58 [As Dili] What a sellout. Alex [ChaCha] 23:59 [As ChaCha] He doesn't deserve this shop. Sampson [Dili] 24:01 [As Dili] He doesn't, but we can't really do anything about that at the moment. So... Stace [Nix] 24:05 [As Nix] He seemed like a nice guy, and he was helpful to me, so I don't know, the guy's like... Marietta [Atalia] 24:10 [As Atalia] He's with the Knyxos. Sampson [Dili] 24:11 [As Dili] But he's been hired by the Knyxos. He's not with them. Marietta [Atalia] 24:11 [As Atalia] He got this shop- Alex [ChaCha] 24:16 [As ChaCha] He was also hired by the Knyxos. Sampson [Dili] 24:18 [As Dili] Yeah. Marietta [Atalia] 24:19 [As Atalia] Okay. But how do you think this dude came by the shop, you know? Daniel [GM] 24:24 Dili, give me an intellectual role of 6. Sampson [Dili] 24:28 8. Daniel [GM] 24:28 Okay. Something occurs to you. You have a moment where you flashback to the conversation with the realtor, and about how the realtor said, "Yeah, whoever owned that place probably had no idea that they were paying rent to a criminal organization." Sampson [Dili] 24:44 [As Dili] Son of a bitch. Marietta [Atalia] 24:48 [As Atalia] Yeah. So, we should leave. Sampson [Dili] 24:48 [As Dili] Yeah, we should- Marietta [Atalia] 24:48 [As Atalia] All right. Next [inaudible] out back. Sampson [Dili] 24:51 [As Dili] Out the back door. Daniel [GM] 24:52 And does ChaCha lock it behind them? Alex [ChaCha] 24:55 ChaCha holds up this key that she re-keyed the entire store with. Stace [Nix] 25:00 Oh, right. We changed the locks. Sampson [Dili] 25:05 That's real incognito, guys. Alex [ChaCha] 25:07 Does anybody go like, "ChaCha, why did you re-key the locks?" Or, "ChaCha, can I have that key?" Marietta [Atalia] 25:17 You seemed pretty intent on it, though. I wasn't going to tell you no." Daniel [GM] 25:17 Well, you actually helped her with one. Marietta [Atalia] 25:17 Yeah. Stace [Nix] 25:24 I know! Exactly! Daniel [GM] 25:26 Where are you guys going to go now? You've got some stolen Cyphers. Alex [ChaCha] 25:31 Well, since nobody asked for the key, ChaCha's going to chuck it over into the next alley. Sampson [Dili] 25:35 Oh, okay. Marietta [Atalia] 25:38 All right. That's fine. I'm confident I can pick these locks again, if we need to. Alex [ChaCha] 25:44 ChaCha's just being a dick. Daniel [GM] 25:45 Do you feel I give Dili a thumbs up too? Like- Alex [ChaCha] 25:48 Yeah, like, "We did it!" Sampson [Dili] 25:51 I'm completely ambivalent about this. [As Dili] Ah! We should probably not come here again for a few days, just to be safe. Marietta [Atalia] 25:59 We get bonus points if we never come back. But were we supposed to meet Momma Jerrun at a certain time? Sampson [Dili] 26:04 [As Dili] This evening. Marietta [Atalia] 26:05 Is it evening? Because we had a really long rest to fully recover. And then, we had to walk to the store. Daniel [GM] 26:11 It's about midday. Marietta [Atalia] 26:12 Oh, we were gone pretty early. Daniel [GM] 26:15 And you didn't have breakfast yet either. Marietta [Atalia] 26:17 [As Atalia] Yeah, we should go get brunch. Stace [Nix] 26:18 [As Nix] I already ate. Marietta [Atalia] 26:22 Atalia turns and leaves. She just walks away. Stace [Nix] 26:25 [As Nix] You guys can do whatever. I want to go back and follow up on my mom's stuff with that thing your grandma said, Atalia. So... Marietta [Atalia] 26:36 [As Atalia] Yeah. Also, that other Nano person, the deal with that? It's all theoretic. Sampson [Dili] 26:43 [As Dili] The Doctor Nano? Stace [Nix] 26:45 [As Nix] Eventually? I don't know. What do you want to do, Atalia? Like what do you mean, "deal with her?" Marietta [Atalia] 26:52 [As Atalia] Well, I just feel like she's charging you up the wazoo, and she didn't even... She was saying it was some disease, and it's clearly like Numenera and Cypher-based. Stace [Nix] 27:01 [As Nix] I don't know. Like all my parents' friends go to her for weird shit that they can't figure out. She's pretty... She's got a good reputation, dude. Daniel [GM] 27:10 She goes by Dr. Oz? Marietta [Atalia] 27:18 Just to say, that's not making me more confident, actually. Daniel [GM] 27:21 Sorry. That is not canon. Stace [Nix] 27:30 I kind of like it, Daniel. I'm not going to lie. It's just like, yeah. Alex [ChaCha] 27:38 She's like, "My services always cost this much. Everyone is-" Stace [Nix] 27:42 Yeah, to... Who the rich people go to for their not real problems, and then also their real problems. And it doesn't work out. So, do you... I mean, would her shop be around here, actually? Daniel [GM] 27:55 No. She doesn't have a separate shop. She doesn't need one. It's just her residence. Stace [Nix] 28:02 Oh, my goodness. [As Nix] We can drop by there, if you want to, Atalia. Marietta [Atalia] 28:09 [As Atalia] I guess we... I don't have to. I wonder if she saw your mom though. Wasn't she supposed to see her yesterday or something? Stace [Nix] 28:12 [As Nix] Was that yesterday? Damn. Marietta [Atalia] 28:16 [As Atalia] Or the day before yesterday? I don't remember. Stace [Nix] 28:16 [As Nix] Time flies when you're robbing the Knyxos. Marietta [Atalia] 28:16 [As Atalia] Eating snakes. Alex [ChaCha] 28:16 [As ChaCha] Eating snake. Stace [Nix] 28:21 [As Nix] No, that didn't take very long at all. It was pretty simple. Yeah, honestly, it felt really natural and right. So... Daniel [GM] 28:30 And it did thrash around in your stomach a little bit before it finally died and you felt better. Stace [Nix] 28:36 [As Nix] Oh, yeah. It did take a while to die. That was probably the weirdest part. But, honestly, I'd do it again. Sampson [Dili] 28:42 [As Dili] What? Really? Marietta [Atalia] 28:43 [As Atalia] Glad your hand is better. Stace [Nix] 28:45 [As Nix] Me too, man. I was real worried that it was going to turn into a snake. But instead, I just turned into a snake. Marietta [Atalia] 28:50 [As Atalia] Do you feel like you want to eat a small rodent now? Stace [Nix] 28:54 [As Nix] I've eaten rodents before, man. Like sometimes, when you're out in the wild, you don't really have a choice. Like if it moves, you eat it, and you hope for the best. You know what I'm saying? Bugs-. Marietta [Atalia] 29:05 [As Atalia] Right. So, you want to go back to your house. Why don't we get pizza on the way? Sampson [Dili] 29:11 [As Dili] Well, where are we going? Marietta [Atalia 29:11 [As Atalia] It would probably be good pizza. Stace [Nix] 29:13 [As Nix] Back to my house, Dili. Unless you got somewhere you need to go? Sampson [Dili] 29:13 [As Dili] I have nowhere else I could go. Stace [Nix] 29:15 [As Nix] Oh. Right. Daniel [GM] 29:17 You could go back and visit the lampreys. Sampson [Dili] 29:22 [As Dili] No! Dili says no just to whoever God you just talked to. Stace [Nix] 29:29 Nix starts a light jog now that she's feeling better. Back to her-. Sampson [Dili] 29:33 Oh, God. Please don't! Marietta [Atalia] 29:34 [As Atalia] Bro! Bro! What are you doing? No! People don't jog around places. Stace [Nix] 29:40 [As Nix] I didn't get my run in this morning, you guys, like... Marietta [Atalia] 29:43 [As Atalia] You got plenty of exercise in. Do you recall the whole snake situation? Stace [Nix] 29:50 [As Nix] I just ate it. You guys did all the work. Sampson [Dili] 29:52 [As Dili] You also had a run last night, if you think back? Stace [Nix] 29:56 [As Nix] If my run yesterday was good enough, I would have never run again. This doesn't make any sense, Dili. You've got to run every day. Sampson [Dili] 30:03 [As Dili] Why? Stace [Nix] 30:03 [As Nix] Or most days. To stay strong. Sampson [Dili] 30:06 [As Dili] But at what cost? Stace [Nix] 30:08 I'll assume you guys are just keeping up with Nix. Daniel [GM] 30:08 Yeah. Alex [ChaCha] 30:10 ChaCha is. Sampson [Dili] 30:11 I don't think Dili can. Alex [ChaCha] 30:14 ChaCha's trained in running. Stace [Nix] 30:15 [As Nix] Fine! All right. Well, we'll walk briskly then, guys. But like, you're killing me. You are killing me. Daniel [GM] 30:25 Okay. Marietta [Atalia] 30:26 [As Atalia] I think we've been saving you, actually. But okay! Stace [Nix] 30:30 [As Nix] What did you save me from, Atalia? I want you to be clear. Marietta [Atalia] 30:34 Atalia walks faster- Stace [Nix] 30:36 Was it Tamara? Oh, no. Was it Aces? No. Alex [ChaCha] 30:42 [As ChaCha] Responsibility. Stace [Nix] 30:42 [As Nix] I'm sorry, dude. Marietta [Atalia] 30:45 [As Atalia] Oh! Stace [Nix] 30:47 [As Nix] All right, guys. Let's roll. Daniel [GM] 30:48 So, as you approach your house, you see a familiar figure walking towards the building. And, as you're approaching, they stop and they look at you and like, [As Hey You] Nix! Hey! How's it going? Stace [Nix] 31:02 [As Nix] Good, Hey You! Daniel [GM] 31:04 [As Hey You] I'm glad to hear it, glad to hear it. Pathfinder Jen asked me to come here and drop off a message for you. Stace [Nix] 31:10 [As Nix] Oh? Daniel [GM] 31:10 [As Hey You] Yeah. I'm glad I ran into you. Stace [Nix] 31:13 [As Nix] Yeah, man. Always good to see you. What's Pathfinder Jen got for me? Daniel [GM] 31:16 [As Hey You] Oh, I don't know. She put it in an envelope. Here you go. Stace [Nix] 31:21 Nix opens it. Daniel [GM] 31:21 And the note from Pathfinder Jan says, "I have some news. Need to see you a.s.a.p." Stace [Nix] 31:29 [As Nix] All right. I will be out there... I don't know. Are you heading right back there now, Hey You, or- Daniel [GM] 31:34 [As Hey You] I suppose I could swing back that way. I'm actually going to be heading out of town after this but, you know, my house is- Stace [Nix] 31:34 [As Nix] Oh! Daniel [GM] 31:40 [As Hey You] Near the edge of the entrance, so I can always swing in, if you need me to? Stace [Nix] 31:44 [As Nix] Nah, I was just going to walk with you, but here, final fist bump. Daniel [GM] 31:49 He raises his fist. There's the initial fist bump, and then I assume you guys go into your bro handshake. Stace [Nix] 31:56 Yes. Ending with a chest bump. Daniel [GM] 31:59 Yeah. Okay. Marietta [Atalia] 32:00 [As Atalia] Is that what you went to school for? Daniel [GM] 32:05 And Hey You is like, [As Hey You] Hey, peaceful journey, Traveler. Hopefully, I'll see you on the road again. Stace [Nix] 32:09 Yeah, man. Same to you! Peaceful journeys. Daniel [GM] 32:19 And kind of nods at the rest of you with a big grin, and he wanders off. The dude hides his face. Stace [Nix] 32:20 Nix hands ChaCha the note and she still goes inside her parents' house, because she wants to kind of find this Society object. Daniel [GM] 32:28 She goes inside. At this point, both your father and mother are up. Your mother is sitting in, essentially, the equivalent of the living room, the couch that Atalia slept on that night. And she's sitting there and drinking tea, and reading from a book. And your father is currently tidying up the kitchen and occasionally wandering around, but he is acting a little bit odd. You can tell that without- Stace [Nix] 32:58 Okay. So, Nix is like, [As Nix] Make yourself comfortable, guys! And heads over to her dad, and kind of pulls him aside and says, [As Nix] What's going on, Dad? Why are you being weird? Daniel [GM] 33:14 [As Nix’s Dad] It's nothing you have to worry about, hon. It's nothing. It'll be fine. Stace [Nix] 33:16 [As Nix] Dad? Something's going on. I can tell. Daniel [GM] 33:21 [As Nix’s Dad] It's fine. It's just work stuff, honey. Stace [Nix] 33:25 [As Nix] What do you mean work stuff? You haven't been going to work. Daniel [GM] 33:27 [As Nix’s Dad] And his face kind of tightens up a bit, and he's like, "I know. I know. Don't worry about it. I'll handle it." Stace [Nix] 33:36 [As Nix] Dad, I'm not a kid any more. Like you can tell me what's going on. And Nix is trying to persuade. Daniel [GM] 33:51 Okay. So, it's your dad. So, this is going to be a 6 before your training, so it's a 30 after your training. Stace [Nix] 33:51 11. Daniel [GM] 33:51 He motions over to an envelope sitting on the kitchen counter that's been opened. Stace [Nix] 33:58 Oh. Nix opens it, reads it. Daniel [GM] 34:03 It is a letter, pretty formal, and it is addressed to Lashir Sladek. And it is a request for him to return to his post. There is need at the city level for assistance in management, and it is essential that he returns to his post within 10 days or they will be forced to treat it as vacant and open for filling. Stace [Nix] 34:31 [As Nix] Ah, shit! Well, so we got 10 days to figure this out. Daniel [GM] 34:36 [As Lashir Sladek] It seems like that. I'll figure out something, honey. I'll try to talk to somebody. I'll see what I can do. Stace [Nix] 34:42 [As Nix] All right. But, yeah. I'm going to work some stuff too. I think I got a lead on what's going on. And Nix will catch him up to speed on like what G-ma said, and Atalia's scans and stuff. So, Nix draws the lines between the society thing, the Nix-like energy, and like the fact that it's not a disease for her dad. Daniel [GM] 35:06 Okay. It's kind of of throwing your father for a loop, and he's like, [As Lashir Sladek] I'm... This is a lot to take in now. I... He takes a moment, he shakes his head. He's like, [As Lashir Sladek] There's an item inside? I don't know what she's talking about. And so much of the stuff has... we've sold. Your mother might know about." Stace [Nix] 35:29 [As Nix] All right. So, basically, what I'm saying is, yeah, you work with what you've got too for your job. I'll work this and, hopefully, you know, we figure it out. Daniel [GM] 35:37 [As Lashir Sladek] Oh, okay. Okay. I'll try. Would you and your friends like some tea? Stace [Nix] 35:44 [As Nix] Yeah, we would love some tea, Dad. Thank you. Daniel [GM] 35:46 [As Lashir Sladek] Okay. Have you guys eaten yet? Stace [Nix] 35:49 [As Nix] I ate, but the rest haven't. Daniel [GM] 35:53 [As Lashir Sladek] Okay. Stace [Nix] 35:53 [As Nix] Oh! Dad! No, nevermind. I'll tell you later. But, yeah, I already ate. I'm not hungry. Daniel [GM] 35:58 [As Lashir Sladek] Okay, okay. I'll... Yeah, I'll make some food for everyone. I'm afraid we're low on bread and whatnot. Do you think they'd mind if I made breakfast food? Stace [Nix] 36:12 [As Nix] Nah, Dad. Nobody minds if you make breakfast food. Daniel [GM] 36:15 He kind of grins at you, like a big smile, like this is like an in joke forever between the two of you. And he's like, [As Lashir Sladek] All right. I'll get on it. Stace [Nix] 36:15 [As Nix] All right. Daniel [GM] 36:27 Okay! So, yeah. Your dad gets to work making breakfast food. Sampson [Dili] 36:27 [As Dili] Is everything all right, Nix? That seemed a little tense. Stace [Nix] 36:33 [As Nix] Yeah, my dad might have to go back to work a little sooner than we'd hoped, so really trying to figure out this stuff with my mom. Daniel [GM] 36:42 Your mother looks up from the couch and says, [As Nix’s Mom] What? Stace [Nix] 36:42 [As Nix] Oh... Daniel [GM] 36:42 [As Nix’s Mom] What's going on? Stace [Nix] 36:56 [As Nix] Dad might have to go back to work soon-ish. So, like we're really like trying to figure your shit out, Mom. Daniel [GM] 37:03 [As Nix’s Mom] Lashir? And... Stace [Nix] 37:06 Nix like goes away. Daniel [GM] 37:08 ... And he walks in the room, and he's like, [As Lashir Sladek] Ah, what's going on, honey? [As Nix’s Mom] What is this that Nix tells me about you having to go back to work sooner, rather than later? [As Lashir Sladek] No, I'll work it out. I'll work it out, hon. [As Nix’s Mom] Honey, I understand, but like you can't mess around with these people. I've told you over and over again. Like it's... It is way rougher the higher up you go, and messing with them. Not... We need to have a talk. Could you all excuse us? Stace [Nix] 37:46 [As Nix] Yeah! Sampson [Dili] 37:46 [As Dili] Like we leave, or they leave? Daniel [GM] 37:48 [As Nix’s Mom] I think... Please, if you guys could go to the guestroom. We'll let you know when breakfast is ready. Or when lunch is ready. Sampson [Dili] 37:55 [As Dili] Okay. Alex [ChaCha] 37:56 ChaCha goes and climbs underneath the bed she slept under. Daniel [GM] 37:59 [As Nix’s Mom] Nix, please go to your room as well. Stace [Nix] 37:59 [As Nix] Okay, Mom. Sampson [Dili] 38:05 [As Dili] Is this a punishment or something? Stace [Nix] 38:06 [As Nix] Just go upstairs, you guys. Daniel [GM] 38:09 Okay. So, you guys go upstairs. Nix, I can guarantee you, because I'm sure you're listening, all you can hear is that whisper/yell argument that some married couples get when they don't want anybody to hear them, or they're just like I don't know. I don't remember. It's just indistinct, but you can tell that people are upset, and talking. And, after a while, you hear steps coming up the stairs, and then the door to your parents' room close, and about five minutes later, you smell sizzling meats downstairs. Stace [Nix] 38:46 Did they... Nix isn't leaving her room until someone tells her breakfast is ready. Daniel [GM] 38:49 Okay? Stace [Nix] 38:51 She's just sitting in there like, "I'm in trouble." Daniel [GM] 38:53 What's everybody else doing? I know ChaCha crawled under the bed, but- Sampson [Dili] 38:58 So, we're all in ChaCha's room? Daniel [GM] 38:59 No, I thought you guys all went to your own guestrooms. Except for Atalia. Stace [Nix] 39:03 Nix went to her room. Daniel [GM] 39:05 Yeah, Nix had to go to her room. To think about what she'd done. Stace [Nix] 39:15 Nix is just spitting on different surfaces to see what happens. Daniel [GM] 39:20 Nothing seems to happen. Sampson [Dili] 39:23 Well, assuming I'm... Can I assume that I'm in ChaCha's room? Daniel [GM] 39:27 Sure! Sampson [Dili] 39:28 That I was going to ask a question. [As Dili] Hey, ChaCha, you travel, right? Alex [ChaCha] 39:32 [As ChaCha] Yeah. Sampson [Dili] 39:34 [As Dili] How much is it to get to Stearoff Hall? Like money wise? Alex [ChaCha] 39:38 Like out of character, I'm wondering like would ChaCha understand that conduct or is she's just like, "You don't pay money, you walk." Daniel [GM] 39:45 I think the latter probably makes more sense from ChaCha. Alex [ChaCha] 39:49 Yeah. But how long would it be in distance-wise? Daniel [GM] 39:54 Dili, you were just asked about a location that is probably, just eyeballing it, at least 600 miles away if you could fly as a crow. Marietta [Atalia] 40:04 You know? Two months, if we do 20- Daniel [GM] 40:06 Yes, the hiker! Marietta [Atalia] 40:06 ... miles a day. Daniel [GM] 40:07 The hiker that can answer that question for us. Thank God! Because I have no fucking idea how far somebody can walk in a day. Marietta [Atalia] 40:15 I think 10 to 15 is probably a little more reasonable. Alex [ChaCha] 40:18 ChaCha's just going to like poke her head out from underneath the bed at Dili, and is like, [As ChaCha] That's not money, that's time. And like two... two months? Though I don't know what that means in money, but that's two months walking. Sampson [Dili] 40:34 [As Dili] What about by boat? Alex [ChaCha] 40:35 [As ChaCha] I don't think I've ever been on a boat. Sampson [Dili] 40:38 [As Dili] Really? Alex [ChaCha] 40:38 [As ChaCha] I walk. Sampson [Dili] 40:39 [As Dili] Oh. What do you do when you come across a river? Alex [ChaCha] 40:42 [As ChaCha] Swim. Sampson [Dili] 40:44 [As Dili] Oh! Oh. Okay. Alex [ChaCha] 40:46 [As ChaCha] I mean, I don't want to try getting thrown off a boat either. So, it's kind of a go where you can get by foot, or else it might be bad. Sampson [Dili] 40:56 [As Dili] Right. Yeah. Daniel [GM] 40:56 ChaCha- Sampson [Dili] 40:56 [As Dili] Okay. Daniel [GM] 41:00 ... Give me a geography roll, which is going to be an intellect best roll. It's 9, but you'll have an asset because you've wandered so much. Alex [ChaCha] 41:10 15? Daniel [GM] 41:12 Okay. So, when Dili says by boat, it's even more confusing, because there is literally no way to follow linking bodies of water to get there. Like either that you're aware of. There's no way to get there via just water. None of the rivers go the right way. Alex [ChaCha] 41:33 I think ChaCha's just going to give him like a weird side eye like, [As ChaCha] Have you never been outside before? Kind of a... Kind of, ChaCha will remember that tuck it into the pocket of, "How much has Dili traveled? Maybe he is more than just short, nervous boy. Maybe he is soft, short, nervous boy that needs more protecting." Daniel [GM] 41:55 He's probably traveled from the merchant district to his childhood home, and to whatever the nearest pizza place is. Alex [ChaCha] 42:02 He ain't got no passport. I don't know what you're talking about. Sampson [Dili] 42:08 Dili knows the best route to the street meats street. At any time of day, he knows the way there. Stace [Nix] 42:16 Is pizza like humans in that it has reemerged in the 9th World? Daniel [GM] 42:22 It's different. The toppings are very different than they were. Sampson [Dili] 42:22 I mean, it's just bread they can put stuff on it, so it's not like that's a great discovery to make. Once you've got bread, you're already there, like, "Oh." Stace [Nix] 42:35 Fine, Dili. It's not cool. I mean, not Dili, you're Sampson. Sampson [Dili] 42:38 I should leave this room. Daniel [GM] 42:45 Okay. So, ChaCha has sold him that. Sampson [Dili] 42:47 Okay. Daniel [GM] 42:47 What are you guys doing now? Sampson [Dili] 42:48 Time. Daniel [GM] 42:49 I guess did Atalia go to the same room or did she wander off to a different room? Alex [ChaCha] 42:54 I guess she would have followed them in. Daniel [GM] 42:55 Where did Atalia stay when she did sleepovers as a kid? I mean, I know you guys met in your teens, but I assume there were still stay-overs. Marietta [Atalia] 43:03 I assume she like slept in Nix's room. Stace [Nix] 43:06 Nix has got a little trundle bed. Marietta [Atalia] 43:08 Pull out that little... Now I have a dog too! Daniel [GM] 43:13 Oh! Nix and Nix's childhood stuffed animal collection. And the highlight of that collection was what? Stace [Nix] 43:19 The highlight of the collection was a stuffed flesh pup. Daniel [GM] 43:23 So, those things that infect your body and try to grow, and spread out. Stace [Nix] 43:27 Yeah! Alex [ChaCha] 43:28 Yeah, we have fond memories of that. Daniel [GM] 43:30 Okay. What was its name? Stace [Nix] 43:32 It was definitely Turko. Daniel [GM] 43:36 Turko? Okay. That's a good name. Stace [Nix] 43:38 Yeah, Turko the flesh pup. Daniel [GM] 43:40 Okay. So, where did Atalia go? She tried to follow Nix to her room out of habit? Or did she follow Dili and ChaCha? Marietta [Atalia] 43:47 I think she did start to follow Nix, and then it was like to keep going behind her and then it was like... But quiet about it and then it was like, "Great, there." Daniel [GM] 43:59 Okay. So, that answers my question. Atalia is... Yeah. Atalia is in the same room as ChaCha and Dili, then. Marietta [Atalia] 44:12 [As Atalia] Why are you interested in that place that's 600 miles away? Sampson [Dili] 44:18 [As Dili] Well, see, because it's 600 miles away. I need to get out of Charmonde. It's kind of not working for me very well at the moment, if you haven't noticed. Marietta [Atalia] 44:28 [As Atalia] Yeah. You know, I think it's really working out for me. My house has been ransacked and my grandmother's missing, so- Sampson [Dili] 44:35 [As Dili] Yeah. But you're not being chased down by the criminal organization. Marietta [Atalia] 44:38 [As Atalia] Oh, I'm not? Sampson [Dili] 44:39 [As Dili] No. Nix killed the only person who would have seen. Marietta [Atalia] 44:43 [As Atalia] Oh, which is why the house is ransacked and Grandma's missing. Sampson [Dili] 44:46 [As Dili] Yeah. I feel like that was a separate thing, just getting that vibe thing. Marietta [Atalia] 44:51 [As Atalia] One of the dudes was the guy who killed James, like one of the bodies in there. It was someone somehow involved with the Handlers was responsible for whatever happened there. Sampson [Dili] 45:00 [As Dili] But haven't you said that Handlers get hired out? So, it may not be from the Handlers. It was just... Marietta [Atalia] 45:07 [As Atalia] It's still a Handler's contract though. Sampson [Dili] 45:09 [As Dili] Yeah. So, maybe someone took a contract on your grandma because she was obviously some crazy badass in a past life. That's come back to bite her. Marietta [Atalia] 45:18 [As Atalia] Oh, I think she's still a crazy badass if she managed to kill those three. Sampson [Dili] 45:23 [As Dili] Oh, sorry. Working crazy badass. Marietta [Atalia] 45:23 [As Atalia] Ah! Yes. Stace [Nix] 45:26 She's a working lady. Marietta [Atalia] 45:27 No. I should have asked more about that backstory, but I didn't feel like I had two feet to stand on, so... Regrets! Here we are. [As Atalia] Oh, yeah! I'd like to find Grandma one day, but I'm probably not super safe in Charmonde either. Sampson [Dili] 45:44 [As Dili] Yeah. Daniel [GM] 45:44 [As Lashir Sladek] Nix! Breakfast is ready! Let your friends know. Brunch, I guess. Stace [Nix] 45:50 Is it Dad? Daniel [GM] 45:50 Yeah, it's your dad. Stace [Nix] 45:52 [As Nix] Okay, Dad! Yeah, Nix like kisses Turko on top of the head before she goes downstairs. Daniel [GM] 45:58 God, I need to see fan art of Nix and Turko. Stace [Nix] 46:02 She goes and knocks on the guestroom, ChaCha's, and, [As Nix] Hey, guys! Breakfast is ready! Sampson [Dili] 46:07 [As Dili] All right. Stace [Nix] 46:08 [As Nix] Head on down. I'll be right there. Nix is going to knock on her parents' bedroom door. Daniel [GM] 46:16 Your mother calls out and says, [As Nix’s Mom] Who is it? Stace [Nix] 46:19 [As Nix] Nix. Daniel [GM] 46:20 [As Nix’s Mom] Oh, I'm tired, honey. Can we talk later? Stace [Nix] 46:26 [As Nix] Yeah. Can you... I just got one question about a Benevolent Society thing that was in the house? Daniel [GM] 46:35 [As Nix’s Mom] I don't understand. Why don't you come in? Stace [Nix] 46:38 [As Nix] Okay. So, Nix goes in. Daniel [GM] 46:38 And your mother is lying in bed kind of staring at the ceiling, and she's lik[As Nix] [As Nix’s Mom] Well, I didn't understand your question, dear. Can you repeat it for me? Stace [Nix] 46:50 [As Nix] So, G-ma... You remember G-ma? She was our gardener for a long time? Daniel [GM] 47:09 [As Nix’s Mom] Oh, yes. Yes. Yeah. It killed me but, you know, when money started getting tight with my treatment, we couldn't afford to pay for that kind of service any more. I mean, and... I mean, she was close to retirement anyway. She said that was fine. Stace [Nix] 47:13 [As Nix] Yeah. She seems to be doing all right, Mom. So... And Atalia's with her. Daniel [GM] 47:17 [As Nix’s Mom] Oh, that's nice. That's nice. Stace [Nix] 47:20 Yeah. Daniel [GM] 47:20 [As Nix’s Mom] But I thought you said Atalia was caught up in something not great? Stace [Nix] 47:25 Well, yeah. But Gema seems like she can handle herself. Daniel [GM] 47:31 [As Nix’s Mom] I guess. I mean, she seemed like an upstanding woman. She did a great job here. She was always good to us. We always tried to be good to her in ours. Stace [Nix] 47:42 Yeah! And she seems like she felt that way too, so I think that everything is fine there. But I don't... If you're tired, Mom, I don't want to bother you too much, but Gema said that there was a benevolent society, like object? Or like display, wall hanging, that used to be in the house. I mean... Daniel [GM] 48:06 [As Nix’s Mom] Ooh, I'm tired, honey. I'm having a hard time. Let me think. I'm not sure. I'm not sure. Stace [Nix] 48:12 [As Nix] Okay. I insight my own mother. Daniel [GM] 48:16 Okay. So, it's a 6 to start, and it'll be a 3 for you. Stace [Nix] 48:20 I got a 1. Sampson [Dili] 48:22 Stacey! Daniel [GM] 48:22 Oh, man! Sampson [Dili] 48:22 Why? Daniel [GM] 48:22 Are you going to keep it? Stace [Nix] 48:23 Why? Daniel [GM] 48:23 Are you going to ask for somebody else's XP? Stace [Nix] 48:28 I'm not! Yeah. I'm going to keep it. Daniel [GM] 48:28 Okay. Marietta [Atalia] 48:29 Are you sure? Because I'll give you an XP. Stace [Nix] 48:32 I mean, I'll take an XP. But I'm not going to ask for an XP. Marietta [Atalia] 48:35 Okay. I'm going to give Stace an XP, because I want her to help her Momma. Stace [Nix] 48:42 All right. Thank you. I got a 3 exactly this time. Daniel [GM] 48:46 Okay. So, how in the story, does Nix do this recall? Stace [Nix] 48:52 Well, so Nix is almost... Like Nix errs on the side of accommodating her mom because of her mom's illness. But Nix has seen this before. So, for a second, she's like, "Okay, she's tired. I should leave," but she remembers the last time she was asking uncomfortable questions that her mom just went like, "No, I'm too tired, honey," and so she's... Yeah, she's seen it before. Daniel [GM] 49:20 Okay. Your mom knows exactly what you're talking about. And she's hesitating to tell you any more about it. Stace [Nix] 49:29 [As Nix] Listen, Mom. I just told Dad this literally this morning, but I am not a kid any more. You can tell me stuff. I'm helping. Daniel [GM] 49:40 There's a pause. Then she says, [As Nix’s Mom] Yeah, there was, but it's part of our family tradition. You probably don't remember your Aunt Tali. You were pretty young the last time she was able to be back. But she left her family to go join the Society. The only difference is that she really ever come back. But, yeah. I mean, everyone in the family got one of those when she left, and it was beautiful. It was this plate that had been glazed with the Compass Rose, and it had been inlaid with synth that every autumn, every time that season came, it would glow for one hour at night. It was a beautiful thing. Wonderful. And this, I have to ask you to promise that you won't tell anyone about this next thing. Stace [Nix] 50:33 [As Nix] I promise, Mom. Daniel [GM] 50:35 She's watching you very closely. Is Nix being honest about this? Stace [Nix] 50:38 Yeah. Yup. One of the tenants, so she's not going to tell anybody. Daniel [GM] 50:43 She says, [As Nix’s Mom] It's the one thing I took off the wall to make sure it didn't get sold. And she points over to a sort of secretary-style desk with like a rolling cover. And she says, [As Nix’s Mom] The left drawer. Stace [Nix] 50:59 [As Nix] Oh. Nix goes and gets it out. Daniel [GM] 51:02 There is, in fact, a plate. And it's beautifully glazed, beautifully made. We would think it would look something like porcelain, but you are acutely aware that this is somehow specially molded synth. It's very uncommon. In fact, you saw it sometimes in like very official decorations at the monastery when you were training, this material. But it's, even then, it wasn't very common. Like it's something that it's rare somebody has formed synth in this beautiful shape. And it's gorgeous. And as you hold it in your hand, there's this long stretch of time. And then, you hear your mother distantly crying out, as if she's coming from afar, far away, [As Nix’s Mom] Nix, are you okay? Nix, come back to me, Nix. As Nix, this solid plate next to her on the ground, convulses, and that's where we'll end this episode. Sampson [Dili] 52:13 Oh, fuck! Stace [Nix] 52:13 What? Daniel [GM] 52:16 So, Nix... or Stace, rather, what did Nix do this episode that made you feel awesome? Stace [Nix] 52:22 All right. So, it's kind of stupid, but I have liked that Nix just like is this badass fighter, and her parents told her to go to her room. And she went to her room. So, I don't know if badass is the right word, but if we're looking at bad-assery, I think that the chill reaction to this snek stuff... Daniel [GM] 52:48 Yeah. Stace [Nix] 52:48 But, yeah. Daniel [GM] 52:51 Yeah. Very cool. So, we have a segment we do each week called Player Intrusions. That's where we offer you, the listeners, an XP to check out something that we think you would absolutely dig. This week it is Stace's turn. Stace, what would you give our listeners an XP to check out? Stace [Nix] 53:08 All right. I'm going to give our listeners an XP to check out the Warhammer Online, private server, Return of Reckoning, which those of you in the know, know that Warhammer Online has been a thing since, I don't know, like 2013? Or maybe 2012, it shut down. But these fans out there, they put a lot of work into it, they rebuilt it, and there's a private server that's got a few thousand players on it. And it is an amazing game. I never played it live, but if you like Dark Age of Camelot style PVP, or some really interesting... They're called scenarios in this game, but they're like battlegrounds. I got to recommend it because, honestly, I've been in kind of an MMO slump. I would even... I played other scrolls online until I felt like I, essentially, beat the game because I just got to like level cap and it was just the gear that I kept changing and I just kept recycling. And then I played Wow Classic for a while. It wasn't doing it for me, but I found this game, and I just love it because it is PVP-focused, it's easy to get into, it's a good community. They really enforce being civil in the chat. I mean, you have some standard toxicity stuff that, unfortunately, seems to be present in a lot of online games. But, for the most part, like this community is a good one. Everyone's very helpful. And it's free! Daniel [GM] 54:42 Nice. Stace [Nix] 54:43 So... Right. So, yeah! I recommend that you guys go check out Return of Reckoning, the Warhammer Online private server. You can be destruction if you want to, but if you're cool, you'd Order like me, I play a Runepriest, a little baby Runepriest, so having a blast. Daniel [GM] 55:03 Very cool. Very cool. And you mentioned it's free. Is there anywhere where they can donate to the server there as well, to keep it running? Stace [Nix] 55:10 I haven't found open donations, but they seem to generate revenue through advertisement on their site and on their forum. So, turn your ad blocker off, or like white-list it for those sites or for the Return of Reckoning sites when you visit to help them out. Daniel [GM] 55:26 Okay. Very cool. Stace [Nix] 55:28 But it is... Yeah, specifically not trying to generate a profit so that it can stay open. Daniel [GM] 55:34 And if I remember right, Warhammer is really dark, right? Stace [Nix] 55:34 Is it? Daniel [GM] 55:39 Oh, yeah. Stace [Nix] 55:41 Honestly, like I'm just playing Warhammer online and I'm just leveling through PVP, so I'm not really getting a ton of the lore. Daniel [GM] 55:50 Okay. Okay! Cool! Sounds like a fun pick. If somebody wanted to reach out to us to tell us about what they think of the podcast, or even if they are a fellow Warhammer Online player, and what they think of that, how would they do that, Marietta? Marietta [Atalia] 56:07 Oh, you know, you can interact with us via our social media. Or our website, which is explorerswanted.fm and it has links to all of our social medias. But if you want to just like get on Twitter, we're at Explorers Wanted. And on Instagram, we're at Explorers Wanted Podcast. And Facebook, we're Explorers Wanted Podcast. And we also have a discord server, and there's links to all that on the website and from the other social media. So, please, reach out, say hello, interact. We're super needy and like any interaction reinforcement. Just it will help us keep going in these dark, dark times. Daniel [GM] 56:49 Yes. Because this is... We're recording two months in the past, and so, hopefully, future you listening to this is no longer in the midst of a COVID pandemic. But things aren't looking great for that! Marietta [Atalia] 57:02 It'll be a fun surprise! Daniel [GM] 57:04 Yeah. Let's put it that way. If you like the podcast today, the best thing that you could do for us if you want to support us is to tell a friend. Tell them what you enjoyed about the podcast. Tell them why they should listen to it. That's the best thing. The second best thing you could do is to leave us a five-star rating and review on a podcast directory. Whether it's Podchaser or Apple Podcasts, having an actual review that explains why you like it is even better than rating. For all, once again, thank you so much for those of you who have already given us those five-star ratings. But anything you could do review-wise, if you... I know it's a bit of a hassle, but if you could take the time to do it, it helps us a ton. If you didn't like the podcast or if you thought it was maybe just so-so, then congratulations, welcome to our alternate reality game. You've completed the prologue. Now it's time to make important decisions about your character before you move on to the next part. Now, you have to pick a class. You could be a hacker, a golf punk, a snake, or a heavy. The mechanics will become clear as you play. So, jot your class down and wait for the signal on our Twitter account for the start of the first arc. If you want to reach out to us individually, you can. You can find me on Twitter at Andrlik, A-N-D-R-L-I-K. Stace [Nix] 58:36 You can find me on Twitter @StaceWindu. Sampson [Dili] 58:39 You can show me the first objects you found in your parents' house @slampotato. Alex [ChaCha] 58:44 You can tell me what you thought Sampson was going to say you can show him @realteaunicorn. Marietta [Atalia] 58:55 You can tell me how to Twitter better @imonahike. Daniel [GM] 58:58 Okay. That's it for us. We'll be back next week, as we will for every week in the foreseeable future with more Numenera shenanigans. Thank you. Have a good night or whenever you're listening to this. Multiple Speakers 58:58 Bye!