Daniel [GM] 00:30 Welcome to Explorers Wanted. We are a Numenera Actual Play podcast. I am your humble GM Daniel Andrlik. With me today is Stace Babcock. Stace [Nix] 00:43 Oh, yeah, with you in body, but not in mind. Daniel [GM] 00:45 And Marietta Jones. Marietta [Atalia] 00:48 Me. Daniel [GM] 00:49 And Alex Finn. Alex [ChaCha] 00:51 Wow. Daniel [GM] 00:52 And Sampson Davis. Sampson [Dili] 00:55 Good morning. Marietta [Atalia] 00:55 Morning. Stace [Nix] 00:58 Sampson also not here. Daniel [GM] 01:00 Yes. So, as I mentioned, we're doing our podcast. This is the second recording of the night, so forgive us if we've got a little bit of that drunken energy. Who remembers what happened last time? I am going to pick on Alex this time. Alex [ChaCha] 01:21 Pick on me mid-drink, huh? Daniel [GM] 01:22 Mm-hmm affirmative. Alex [ChaCha] 01:23: Going to be that way, huh? Daniel [GM] 01:26 Yeah. Stace [Nix] 01:26 You're stalling, Alex. Alex [ChaCha] 01:28: Okay. So, anyway, we found the dead bodies. Oh, no. The Cypher was missing. Bigger oh, no. And then, Dili heard a noise. Oh, no. So we all cuddled together under an illusion to hide from the noise, which turned out to be some arcane horror bullshit. And Nix was going to be all like, "Aha! Watch me steal its stick." Alex [ChaCha] 01:55 And that did not happen, so we fought it and tried not to go crazy by looking at the horror, because it was ugly. Eventually, Nix killed it, punching it so good with a Chomp Chomp. After it exploded, we went through his possessions and got some Cyphers. Alex [ChaCha] 02:14 Then ChaCha saw a ripple. It was all, "Oh, my god, a ripple!" and ran away. And then people were like, "Maybe we should follow." And so we followed the ripple outside the dungeon ... I don't know, ruins? Marietta [Atalia] 02:29 Yeah, ruins, I think that's ... Alex [ChaCha] 02:31 And we found we were not where we thought we would be. We were in a forest near the main road with zombies. Time had passed faster than it should. And the ripple was gone, but there were footprints into the forest, so we went into the forest. As we were going through the forest, as night approached, we saw a pretty tree. The tree was super pretty and All... All... Marietta [Atalia] 02:59 Atalia. Alex [ChaCha] 02:59 Atalia ... I just need to remember Hentalia, Atalia. Stace [Nix] 03:02 Atalia what. Sampson [Dili] 03:05 Hentalia, that's your mnemonic for that? Alex [ChaCha] 03:11 Yeah. So Atalia was just like, "Yo, we should all sleep underneath this pretty, pretty tree." Dili and Nix were like, "Sure thing. Let's sleep beneath this pretty, pretty tree." Nix was like, "I got first watch, though." But ChaCha was just like, "You know what? I only see horrible, ugly things. Pretty things are suspicious." And then she saw, oh, no, what that? That dead body. Oh, no. That decomposing body. Oh, no. And as we ended the session, Atalia was sleeping under the tree and Dili was getting ready to bed down, too. Scene. Daniel [GM] 03:51 Yep, so that was ChaCha's last realization that something was iffy here at the [inaudible 00:03:57] remains. Sampson [Dili] 03:58 Quick question. Daniel [GM] 03:59 Yeah? Sampson [Dili] 04:00 Zombies? Where did that come from? Stace [Nix] 04:04 Monsters... Tales of monsters beneath the surface of the earth. Alex [ChaCha] 04:08 Zombies! Marietta [Atalia] 04:09 It was why we should stay on the trade roads. Sampson [Dili] 04:15 Oh. Okay. Daniel [GM] 04:16 So from a standpoint of story, ChaCha's the one that made this realization. Atalia is asleep. Atalia, please take one Intellect damage. We are... I would say we would start from ChaCha but since Dili was setting out a bedroll... Dili, make an Intellect defense roll, 15. Sampson [Dili] 04:36 Yeah, okay. Three. Daniel [GM] 04:42 Okay. You're going to take one point of Intellect damage and you are definitely going to roll, lie down and go to sleep. Sampson [Dili] 04:50 [inaudible 00:04:50] Finishes rollin’ out his bedroll, then he’s like, [As Dili] Ow, my head. Daniel [GM] 04:57 ChaCha. At this point you've realized what's going on. You're seeing Dili fall asleep. What would you like to do? Alex [ChaCha] 05:04 I think ChaCha is going to go get Nix because now we have two people down, and if we have to drag them away, two people is better than one for dragging two bodies. So ChaCha's going to kind of rush up Nix and be like, [As ChaCha] There's dead bodies in the tree, we should get out. Stace [Nix] 05:21 [As Nix] I'm sorry, I couldn't quite hear you. Alex [ChaCha] 05:24 [As ChaCha] There's some dead bodies in that tree. We can't sleep here. Dead bodies. Stace [Nix] 05:29 [As Nix] Oh, holy shit. I said we got to look down, but we should've been looking up! Alex [ChaCha] 05:35 [As ChaCha] They're also down. Stace [Nix] 05:36 [As Nix] All right, I'll wake up Atalia. Daniel [GM] 05:39 Both Nix and ChaCha, please roll an Intellect defense of 15. Stace [Nix] 05:47 Got a five. Alex [ChaCha] 05:48 17! ChaCha's paranoid! Daniel [GM] 05:51 Nix, you are definitely feeling very- even with the asset I would give you... you're feeling very sleepy. So you're like, "I don't know, maybe I should go to sleep." Stace [Nix] 06:02 [As Nix] Yeah man, I'm not... I mean... those bodies are dead, and have been for a while probably, so not really sure it's relevant, and I'm real tired, so I think I'm just going to take a snooze. Alex [ChaCha] 06:15 [As ChaCha] No, we can't sleep here or else we're going to all die. Stace [Nix] 06:17 [As Nix] I'm snoozing. She snoozes. Daniel [GM] 06:21 Do me a favor. ChaCha, give me a sort of Persuasion-social roll against Nix. If you have a skill, it'll be a plus three. Alex [ChaCha] 06:35 Nope. Daniel [GM] 06:35 Do you want to spend Effort? Alex [ChaCha] 06:37 What was the target? Daniel [GM] 06:43 This will be contested roll, in this case. So if you spend Effort, it will give you a plus three. Alex [ChaCha] 06:49 And it's Intellect? Daniel [GM] 06:51 Yup. Alex [ChaCha] 06:53 So I have a free edge in Intellect, so that brings it down to how many points? Daniel [GM] 06:59 It would cost you two points. Alex [ChaCha] 07:01 I'm going to do it just because I don't want that many people to have to re-roll new characters. Daniel [GM] 07:07 Okay. Sampson [Dili] 07:10 I've got seven on backlog so don't worry about it. Daniel [GM] 07:12 So it's a plus three to whatever you roll. Alex [ChaCha] 07:17 Got a 14, so 17. Daniel [GM] 07:21 Nix, make an Intellect defense roll. Trying to beat a 17. Stace [Nix] 07:25 I'm trained in Social Interactions. Daniel [GM] 07:28 Or rather, you're trying to... ultimately you're trying to fail a 17, but... Alex [ChaCha] 07:33 Yeah, I was going to say, you don't want to beat 17. Daniel [GM] 07:35 But since you are trained... Stace [Nix] 07:37 Oh, but I do. Daniel [GM] 07:38 It is a 14 to... Stace [Nix] 07:40 I got a 4. Daniel [GM] 07:40 Okay. Alex [ChaCha] 07:41 Yeah! Daniel [GM] 07:43 So ChaCha manages to convince you to not go to sleep. Stace [Nix] 07:47 [As Nix] Oh, god ChaCha if it was anyone but you I would be racked out but... dead bodies? Alex [ChaCha] 07:54 [As ChaCha] Yeah. Alex [ChaCha] 07:54 And she's going to point out the myriad of dead bodies in the root system and then the trees. Stace [Nix] 08:00 [As Nix] Man, I guess that is a fuck ton of dead bodies. Daniel [GM] 08:04 ChaCha, if you would like you could roll a Understanding Numenera roll of 15. Alex [ChaCha] 08:12 Okay. Daniel [GM] 08:12 That'd be a 12 for you. Alex [ChaCha] 08:12 Got 17. Daniel [GM] 08:14 Okay. You think that there are spores that are coming out of this tree, and they are trying to make people sleep. You see that there is... even though this looks like an organic tree, you can detect through these visions of other strange creatures and things like that, you can see elements of the Numenera through the phase and you can see how this tree is essentially fucking up minds and consciousnesses and storing them within itself. Alex [ChaCha] 08:52 I just kind of grab Nix and drag away. Daniel [GM] 08:52 With that you will also understand in advance that just getting a victim free of the tree is not enough, that it could cause definitely fatal damage, unless they're very hardy. On some level you need to figure out a way to convince the tree to let them go. Daniel [GM] 09:13 And with that, we're going to cut to Atalia and Dili. You two go to sleep, and the next thing you're thinking of, you're standing in this amazing city with these various spires, but the spires appear to be covered in vines. There's a sense of wonder and beauty here, there's no sign of the sun or the moon, it's just a city of twilight. Marietta [Atalia] 09:45 [As Atalia] Well this is pretty fucking weird. Sampson [Dili] 09:47 [As Dili] It's amazing! Marietta [Atalia] 09:48 [As Atalia] Yeah, it's really cool, it's just really weird. Sampson [Dili] 09:51 [As Dili] Do you... do you remember how we got here? Marietta [Atalia] 09:54 [As Atalia] Nope. That seems a little... conspicuous. Um, yeah I don't know, I guess we're here. Sampson [Dili] 10:00 [As Dili] Yeah. Let's go see if they have food carts. Marietta [Atalia] 10:03 [As Atalia] Weren't we with other people? Where did they go? Sampson [Dili] 10:05 [As Dili] I'm sure they'll catch up with us. Marietta [Atalia] 10:08 [As Atalia] Yeah? Sampson [Dili] 10:09 [As Dili] Let's go... Marietta [Atalia] 10:11 [As Atalia] Sure... Sampson [Dili] 10:12 [As Dili] This way, this seems like the center of the city I guess, I don't know. Marietta [Atalia] 10:16 I'll try to... stay with Dili. Daniel [GM] 10:20 So you guys walk along what seems to be the nature thoroughfare, and you see up ahead a towering figure. That figure appears to be a humanoid woman of bark and leaves, stem and bough, with hands of knotted root. She's standing there, and as you guys are walking the main thoroughfare and get closer, she says [As Humanoid Tree Woman] Welcome. Come closer, I am your salvation." Marietta [Atalia] 10:47 Can I detect falsehoods on that? Daniel [GM] 10:50 Sure. Sampson [Dili] 10:51 Can I as well? Daniel [GM] 10:51 Sure, it's a 15 prior to any skills or anything like that. Marietta [Atalia] 10:56 That's 12. Sampson [Dili] 10:59 I got 12 as well. Marietta [Atalia] 11:00 I'm trained in Perception and Detecting Falsehoods. Sampson [Dili] 11:04 I'm not. Daniel [GM] 11:05 Marietta, Atalia feels like at least whoever this figure is, they believe what they're telling you. Marietta [Atalia] 11:14 [As Atalia] Okay, well she certainly seems to think that she can help us. Daniel [GM] 11:19 [As Humanoid Tree Woman] Through me, you will survive the things that are to come. Marietta [Atalia] 11:24 [As Atalia] I mean I do like survival, what do you think, Dili? Sampson [Dili] 11:27 [As Dili] I would definitely prefer not to die. What is to come for us? Daniel [GM] 11:33 [As Humanoid Tree Woman] The world will change. Life will be not sustainable. But through me you will be preserved until we can find new vessels. Marietta [Atalia] 11:43 [As Atalia] New vessels. I like the vessel I have, actually. Daniel [GM] 11:47 [As Humanoid Tree Woman] It is inevitable. It is our purpose to save you from the inevitable changes. Marietta [Atalia] 11:53 [As Atalia] I don't know about what she's saying right now. Sampson [Dili] 11:57 [As Dili] What do you mean? Why would this stranger lie to us? Strangers never lie. Especially tree people. Marietta [Atalia] 12:03 [As Atalia] Have you talked to many strangers? Sampson [Dili] 12:06 [As Dili] I don't talk to a lot of people. Marietta [Atalia] 12:10 [As Atalia] Where are our friends? Where are we? Daniel [GM] 12:13 [As Humanoid Tree Woman] You are with me. You are in. You are safe. Sampson [Dili] 12:18 [As Dili] See? She says we're safe. It's fine. Marietta [Atalia] 12:20 [As Atalia] I don't feel very safe. Well, we need to get home, can you help us get home? Daniel [GM] 12:26 [As Humanoid Tree Woman] In time. But bodies, vessels, eventually die. You're in the dream. Can be preserved until new vessels can be found. Marietta [Atalia] 12:37 [As Atalia] Yeah but, we have our own vessels, and have... we need to report back. Daniel [GM] 12:43 [As Humanoid Tree Woman] Temporary vessels. Vessels that will decay. Vessels that eventually will become nothing. Marietta [Atalia] 12:50 [As Atalia] Okay, so we'll come back when they're decaying, they're just not really decaying yet, you know? They're relatively exuberant. Daniel [GM] 12:59 [As Humanoid Tree Woman] Oh, well I disagree. I can read your genomes now. They are decaying. Marietta [Atalia] 13:09 [As Atalia] Yeah... Sampson [Dili] 13:09 [As Dili] What's a genome? Daniel [GM] 13:10 [As Humanoid Tree Woman] Surely you know of this. It is what makes you... you. Sampson [Dili] 13:16 Would we of the Ninth World actually know what a genome is? Daniel [GM] 13:18 Give me a science or Understanding Numenera roll of 12. Sampson [Dili] 13:27 9. Daniel [GM] 13:29 Okay. What about Atalia? Marietta [Atalia] 13:29 Oh. I'm trained in Understanding Numenera and I rolled an 8. Daniel [GM] 13:35 Okay, so neither of you know what she's talking about. Marietta [Atalia] 13:38 Cool. Excellent. Daniel [GM] 13:40 [As Humanoid Tree Woman] She says to you, "The things are coming. Your forms are limited. The world will end. I am here to preserve you from all that could happen." Marietta [Atalia] 13:53 [As Atalia] Okay, but there are some very important people who are missing, and we have places we need to be, so if you could let us go so we can go do the things we need to do that would be really helpful. Sampson [Dili] 14:01 [As Dili] Or better yet, could you save our friends as well? Daniel [GM] 14:03 Ooh. So both of you give me a Persuasion roll. The target is 15. Marietta [Atalia] 14:13: That's a 10. Sampson [Dili] 14:14 15. Daniel [GM] 14:17 Okay, Dili. Neither of you have training in Persuasion? Marietta [Atalia] 14:21 Nope. Sampson [Dili] 14:21 Nope. Daniel [GM] 14:21 The figure says to you, [As Humanoid Tree Woman] I will do my best to preserve your friends as well. At the moment they are... resisting, but I will redouble my efforts. Daniel [GM] 14:36 And with that, we're going to cut back to Nix and ChaCha. What are you guys doing? Alex [ChaCha] 14:43 Goddamn it. Sampson [Dili] 14:46 Oops. Alex [ChaCha] 14:49 I'm still trying to think of a way to convince it to let them go. I was trying to light it on fire. Stace [Nix] 14:56 We could light it on fire. Alex [ChaCha] 14:58 I think ChaCha's going to explain the best she can to Nix the issue with just dragging them away, and that they have to convince the tree to let them go. Stace [Nix] 15:12 So… Nix walks up to the tree and is like, [As Nix] Yo, Tree. Alex [ChaCha] 15:19 Does the tree respond? Daniel [GM] 15:21 There's just silence right now. Stace [Nix] 15:25 [As Nix] Hey... Tree. She knocks on the tree with her walking stick. Daniel [GM] 15:30 There's no response. Stace [Nix] 15:32 [As Nix] Tree doesn't want to talk, ChaCha. Alex [ChaCha] 15:36 [As ChaCha] I'm worried that we have to go in to talk to Tree. Stace [Nix] 15:38 [As Nix] You mean go to sleep? Alex [ChaCha] 15:42 [As ChaCha] Yeah. If it doesn't talk out here, it has to talk in there. Stace [Nix] 15:46 Daniel, has Nix ever heard something... anything about this tree? Daniel [GM] 15:50 Give me a... Biology, Nature, anything roll of 15. Stace [Nix] 15:56 I don't have any help with that, so I'll just do it straight. I got a 14. Daniel [GM] 16:02 Yeah, you don't know. Stace [Nix] 16:04 [As Nix] All right. I mean, it's what I wanted to do, then you kind of yelled at me, ChaCha. Alex [ChaCha] 16:10 [As ChaCha] We have to get them out. Unless we can leave them. Stace [Nix] 16:14 [As Nix] No. I'm... no, man, they're like family, right? So... we got to take them. Stace [Nix] 16:20 Nix lays down next to Dili and Atalia. Closes her eyes. Sampson [Dili] 16:28 Dili farts a little. Stace [Nix] 16:30 Nix moves away slightly. Daniel [GM] 16:31 So Nix is just going to give in to the sleep. ChaCha, I assume you are continuing to resist? Stace [Nix] 16:39 Yeah, I think for now, ChaCha's going to resist to be the one person awake. And make sure there's nothing out to attack them. Daniel [GM] 16:47 You managed to avoid the first encounter with it, so the difficulty's only going to be a 3 Intellect roll. Alex [ChaCha] 16:54 Watch me get a Nat 1. I got a 6. Daniel [GM] 17:00 You manage to stay awake. Nix, you are going into the dream and you find yourself shortly standing next to Atalia and Dili. Stace [Nix] 17:11 [As Nix] Hey guys. Daniel [GM] 17:12 There is this woman standing... towering humanoid woman with bark and leaves, standing above you. Marietta [Atalia] 17:19 [As Atalia] She says our genomes aren't good enough, so we're going to live here forever. Stace [Nix] 17:24 [As Nix] Oh my god, are you the tree? Daniel [GM] 17:28 [As Humanoid Tree Woman] I am The Preserver. Stace [Nix] 17:31 [As Nix] Okay, but did you feel me knocking outside? Because I was trying to get a hold of you. Daniel [GM] 17:37 [As The Preserver] I heard you knock. Stace [Nix] 17:37 [As Nix] And you didn't... Daniel [GM] 17:40 [As The Preserver] I left a door open for you here. Stace [Nix] 17:43 [As Nix] Okay, I mean... Daniel [GM] 17:45 [As The Preserver] I can preserve you until new vessels can be found. Stace [Nix] 17:50: [As Nix] I'm going to take a hard pass on that. Daniel [GM] 17:53 [As The Preserver] You are... Stace [Nix] 17:57 [As Nix] Kind of like... Daniel [GM] 17:58 [As The Preserver] Courting your own destruction. The goal is clear. The world will end and I must preserve for the next set of vessels. Stace [Nix] 18:10 [As Nix] Nah, Tree. I mean yeah the world's going to end, they all end. All that matters is the Journey we take while we're here, and you're stopping our Journeys. Daniel [GM] 18:27 [As The Preserver] But this is my purpose, I must store minds so that I can grow new bodies. Stace [Nix] 18:33 [As Nix] But have you been growing them? Daniel [GM] 18:35 [As The Preserver] I have changes, some have made things different. But I have no doubt that given time, I will be able to fulfill my purpose. Stace [Nix] 18:48 [As Nix] Nah, man, maybe you're confused about your purpose, because right now you're only fulfilling half your purpose, which is trappin’ people and taking their minds? I don't know, that sounds kind of right? So you're only fulfilling half your purpose, which means you're not fulfilling your purpose at all. So why don't you just find a new purpose? Daniel [GM] 19:09 [As The Preserver] That was very good. That is a guaranteed asset on this. It is a 12 Intellect roll, some sort of Persuasion to try to see if you can get them to understand. Stace [Nix] 19:24 All right, I'm trained in Social Interactions. I will... Daniel [GM] 19:31 That's a nine. Stace [Nix] 19:31 ...rest after this, because I'm going to expend a level of Intellect Effort. Daniel [GM] 19:37 That'll be six. Stace [Nix] 19:39 Daniel, I would like to spend an XP to re-roll. Daniel [GM] 19:43 Tell me how you... what, story-wise, helps you re-roll there with the XP. Stace [Nix] 19:50 Nix starts off bad, right? She's like, [As Nix] Yeah, so what that really means is you got to let us go, man. Just clearly not convincing this tree lady, and then she pulls out her walking stick, and she compares what she's... [As Nix] Yeah, so what you're doing to us is kind of like this walking stick. Is it really alive? Does it really mean anything once it's been separated from the tree? That's just like us when we've been separated from our vessels, man. You got to leave us together. Daniel [GM] 20:30 Go ahead and roll. Stace [Nix] 20:31 I got a nat 20 this time. Alex [ChaCha] 20:33 Yeah! Sampson [Dili] 20:35 Yeah. Daniel [GM] 20:36 Nice. This old humanoid seems to consider carefully. It says, [As The Preserver] That is unfortunate but I understand your reasoning. It's true that I have many souls that I have been unable to create new vessels for, but even more that I can not bring to final fruition. Please, go in peace, but if you can find the means, please bring me the means to give them vessels." She waves her hand of roots and boughs. All three of you wake up underneath the tree, next to all these skeletons. Marietta [Atalia] 21:22 [As Atalia] Damn. Sampson [Dili] 21:23 [As Dili] Whoa. Marietta [Atalia] 21:23 [As Atalia] Damn. That was close. Sampson [Dili] 21:25 [As Dili] Have these bones always been right here? Alex [ChaCha] 21:27 [As ChaCha] Yeah- Daniel [GM] 21:29 Now that you're woken up, it's quite clear they've been there the whole time. You don't know how you missed them before. Sampson [Dili] 21:34 [As Dili] Oh my g... Oh. Marietta [Atalia] 21:41 [As Atalia] Yeah, let's sleep anywhere that's not here. Let's leave immediately. Daniel [GM] 21:45 This area, now that you are awake and aware of it, and you can kind of ignore the spores themselves, it honestly smells like that lab they have in the... I don't remember if it's Tennessee or wherever, where they have human bodies decomposing to study for forensics. Marietta [Atalia] 22:06 That's a thing? Stace [Nix] 22:07 I was like, Oh, that is a thing. Yes. Daniel [GM] 22:09: It is a thing. Sampson [Dili] 22:11 The bars near that place must be fucking weird. Daniel [GM] 22:17 You guys are all awake, and I assume that you guys move on, you don't stay there for camping? Marietta [Atalia] 22:24 No, though I do need a break, oh my gosh. Stace [Nix] 22:28 [As Nix] I mean, honestly the tree lady is totally with us now, and she's not going to take our minds/souls so I think this is really a good place to camp. Sampson [Dili] 22:39: [As Dili] Nix, I'm not sleeping on a pile of bones, can we... Stace [Nix] 22:43 [As Nix] You can sleep... Sampson [Dili] 22:44 [As Dili] Can we move over to the next tree or something? Marietta [Atalia] 22:49 [As Atalia] Yeah, just a little bit, but then we should definitely take a nap. Sampson [Dili] 22:52 [As Dili] This is a little dark for me, this is bad. Stace [Nix] 22:56 [As Nix] I mean sure, I guess. Hey, it's your life man. Marietta [Atalia] 23:01 [As Atalia] Yeah, exactly. Stace [Nix] 23:03 [As Nix] You do you. Marietta [Atalia] 23:05 [As Atalia] I'm in favor of moving on. Alex [ChaCha] 23:07 ChaCha’s up and trying to get the stuff together to move on. Sampson [Dili] 23:13 [As Dili] Also thank you for saving us, I almost... She was so convincing and so pretty. The city she was in was beautiful. Marietta [Atalia] 23:22 [As Atalia] It really was. Stace [Nix] 23:24 [As Nix] Hey. Marietta [Atalia] 23:26 [As Atalia] I think it would be good for us to move on, though. Let's go. Daniel [GM] 23:33 You guys move on and you are in pretty good shape, all things considered. Sampson [Dili] 23:42 Dili is not in good shape. Stace [Nix] 23:47 Nix has two Intellect points left so you just see her staring off. Daniel [GM] 23:50 So you guys get to the trade road, no problem. Marietta [Atalia] 23:54 Okay, can we set up close to the trade road, but you can't see us from the trade road kind of deal? And then I at least take my 10-minute rest, preferably. Daniel [GM] 24:06 I would say if you're setting up camp, you guys can all use recovery rolls up through your 10-hour recovery roll. Unless you're in a hurry to get back. Stace [Nix] 24:18 No, it's a two-day trip, right? Sampson [Dili] 24:22 Might be more than that, because we were farther North than the ruins, I believe. Stace [Nix] 24:27 It's a minimum two-day trip. Marietta [Atalia] 24:29 Now that we've reconnected with the road, is it clear that the path joins the road, and is it still followable? Daniel [GM] 24:37 You don't have any track of the device anymore. But if you're assuming that if they're heading toward Charmode, which is the closest city, it would get you there the fastest. Assuming that it was heading toward Charmonde. Marietta [Atalia] 24:52 Okay, but we were following the track of the individual, I found their tracks, remember? Daniel [GM] 24:58 I know but you followed as far as you can, before the tracks- Marietta [Atalia] 25:03 So now that we're to the road we can't actually see it, then. Daniel [GM] 25:06 Yeah, so it's up... There's too much traffic that happens on this road to tell. Marietta [Atalia] 25:10 Okay, cool. I mean not cool, but I understand. Daniel [GM] 25:13 Now, the thing is... I will say this. Atalia, you would know... Or rather, you're not aware of the organization that you contract for operating outside of Charmonde. Marietta [Atalia] 25:28 Okay, I'll keep that in mind and... Well I presume that's the lead to follow, then. I'll share that information that I think they must be going back to Charmonde. Stace [Nix] 25:41 [As Nix] I mean if we're going back anyway, should we take this... and Nix holds up the sheet that's in code. Should we take... it mentions Momma Jerrun I think, so should we take it to her and see if she knows... she can give us more clues? Sampson [Dili] 25:57 It would be proof that Mewin’s dead. Marietta [Atalia] 25:59 [As Atalia] Yeah... but also maybe we should make our own copy? I'm just... look, in any sort of business arrangement, it's important to have checks and balances and we just don't know who's on what side or what. We were just hired for a job, you know what I mean? So cover all bases, maybe? Stace [Nix] 26:19 [As Nix] Yeah, I mean you've always been kind of smart so, you could copy it or memorize it, I don't give a... it's a good idea. Marietta [Atalia] 26:27 All right, I will attempt to do that. I have an explorer's packet, a book about Numenera. Daniel [GM] 26:34 I think... Recording character per character the cipher is not a problem. Marietta [Atalia] 26:37 Okay, cool. I will... Stace [Nix] 26:40 Nix is pointing out the parts of the code that she knows. Or that she figured out. Marietta [Atalia] 26:45 Okay, and I'll make notes about that. Daniel [GM] 26:49 Okay, so you manage to do that. You guys will get through your total of 10-hour rests, so anybody that wants to do recovery rolls can. Alex [ChaCha] 27:02 Yeah! Sampson [Dili] 27:02 Can we do that and also take a shift on watch? Daniel [GM] 27:05 Technically if you're taking a shift on watch, you can't take the 10-hour. Stace [Nix] 27:10 Well then who's doing well, because Nix needs... Does it... Daniel [GM] 27:14 Dili has been trained on watch. Stace [Nix] 27:16 Well does it... Marietta [Atalia] 27:17 Yeah. Daniel [GM] 27:18 Nix trained him how to do watch. Stace [Nix] 27:21 He's... Dili's also not doing well, though. Would it still count as a rest for the purposes of resetting an ability? Daniel [GM] 27:29 10 hours would be required for a rest to reset ability, because deep down I'm still an asshole. Stace [Nix] 27:35 Well yeah, I... Marietta [Atalia] 27:38 [As Atalia] I can do a watch. Sampson [Dili] 27:42 I did okay on my second roll, would the Impaired? Daniel [GM] 27:47 As soon as you got some points back, your Impaired goes away. Sampson [Dili] 27:51 Okay. Then I can take a watch. Alex [ChaCha] 27:54 ChaCha I think can take a watch. Stace [Nix] 27:56 Cool, Nix is going to sleep then. Sampson [Dili] 27:59 I get nine back. Daniel [GM] 28:01 You guys are on the trade road when you wake up the next day as you head back to Charmonde. The trade road is much faster, and you get back to Charmonde without any other kind of incident. You get back to the city, are you guys going to report to Momma Jerrun right away, or are you going to do something else? Alex [ChaCha] 28:19 ChaCha's going to put her head put up and go to Momma Jerrun’s. ChaCha did some crimes there. Sampson [Dili] 28:27 Dili's also going to put his head up and... Actually, he's going to activate one of his Cyphers. I am activating the still field at level four. Let's find the description real quick. When the vest, it is a vest, is activated, it creates an artificial stillness around the user. For the next 28 hours the user does not register in any device that senses, tracks movements, or uses sonar or similar means. So I am invisible, I guess, to any bullshit Dan's going to try and throw at me. Marietta [Atalia] 29:03 Cool. Sampson [Dili] 29:03 But probably not. Daniel [GM] 29:07 Okay, so I take issue with the description there, but... Sampson [Dili] 29:10 That is what you told me. That is what I... you were sent. What you sent to me. Stace [Nix] 29:16 I think the description of it as bullshit might be the description Daniel has an issue with. Sampson [Dili] 29:24 Well, unless he's offering XP, that's too bad. Daniel [GM] 29:32 You're pretty well hidden. So I know ChaCha's going to Momma Jerrun. Who else is going to chat? Stace [Nix] 29:37 Yeah of course, Nix is. Sampson [Dili] 29:40 Dili is as well. Marietta [Atalia] 29:43 I feel like we should all report together. I mean we were all in the... Daniel [GM] 29:44 So you find your way to that alleyway, yeah? You knock on the door. Momma Jerrun opens the door and she says, [As Momma Jerrun] Oh. Come in, come in, I'm eager to hear how your quest went. I... And then her face falls and said, [As Momma Jerrun] I assume that there must be bad news since Mewin is not with you." Stace [Nix] 30:03 [As Nix] Yeah, I'm... Marietta [Atalia] 30:03 [As Atalia] Yeah... about that... Stace [Nix] 30:09 [As Nix] I'm afraid Mewin is dead. Daniel [GM] 30:10 [As Momma Jerrun] That's a shame, [crosstalk 00:30:12]. Stace [Nix] 30:12 [As Nix] We... Daniel [GM] 30:13 [As Momma Jerrun] And the item? Stace [Nix] 30:14 [As Nix] ... didn't find it. We think someone ran away with it. We found this note, can you... Do you know anything about it? It mentions you. Nix shows her the note. Daniel [GM] 30:27 She looks at that journal, she looks and she kind of reviews it carefully. She says, [As Momma Jerrun] Hm. Doesn't look like anything to me, but I can take a look at it later. Stace [Nix] 30:40 [As Nix] No, it mentions you right here. Daniel [GM] 30:43 [As Momma Jerrun] Really? I wasn't aware. Stace [Nix] 30:44 I'd like to fucking Insight Old Granny Cookies. Sampson [Dili] 30:49 Me as well. Daniel [GM] 30:50 Okay, go ahead. So this is going to be an 18. Stace [Nix] 30:54 Is this Social, would you consider? Daniel [GM] 30:58: What? I will give you each an asset because you already know a little bit about what the Cypher says. So it's a 15. Stace [Nix] 31:0 3. Sampson [Dili] 31:06 10. Daniel [GM] 31:09 Okay, yeah. Sounds legit. You'll research it more. Stace [Nix] 31:12 [As Nix] Well, here, let me tell you what I know. Nix gets in there and points out all the code phrases she knows, just like she did for Atalia. Daniel [GM] 31:23 She looks at it with you and she says, she kind of looks at you with sort of a steadied gaze, and says, [As Momma Jerrun] That's very good, Nix. That's very well done, better than I expected. Sampson [Dili] 31:39 You won't die last. Stace [Nix] 31:44 [As Nix] Thanks, so no ideas as to what we should do? Daniel [GM] 31:50 [As Momma Jerrun] Did you find anything else at the scene? Do you know how she died? Marietta [Atalia] 31:55 [As Atalia] Yeah, someone from an organization with this patch, and I'll throw it at her, seems to have been involved. Daniel [GM] 32:03 She takes a look at the patch, and there's long pause. Then she looks at Atalia, and then it's a long gaze at Atalia, and she says, [As Momma Jerrun] This is very interesting. Marietta [Atalia] 32:18 [As Atalia] Yeah, I thought so too. A little odd. Daniel [GM] 32:21 [As Momma Jerrun] Yeah. Concerning, if I may say. But thank you for sharing it. Did you get any other information about the site? Marietta [Atalia] 32:32 [As Atalia] We mapped some of it. Sampson [Dili] 32:34 [As Dili] We did. Dili is trained in memory and memorizing, so can he, with this mind or illusion ability kind of throw up a little hologram? Not to scale, but basic layout of the area that we explored. Daniel [GM] 32:50 Yeah, just give me a... With your training, give me a six Intellect roll. Sampson [Dili] 32:57 Six Intellect... 10. Daniel [GM] 33:00 Okay, you bring up a pretty good hologram of the situation, and she looks at it, she's like, [As Momma Jerrun] Very, very interesting. Well you've all done well. I think you've all earned your payment by far. I think what I can arrange is... In fact, I have a question. Are you all available should I have need of you again?" Sampson [Dili] 33:26 [As Dili] Yes. Stace [Nix] 33:27 [As Nix] Yeah. Marietta [Atalia] 33:27 [As Atalia] I suppose. Daniel [GM] 33:28 [As Momma Jerrun] ChaCha? Alex [ChaCha] 33:29 [As ChaCha] As long as it's safe. I can't stay here too long. I did... I Might be bad. Daniel [GM] 33:35 [As Momma Jerrun] Ah, yes. No, don't worry, I know all about your complications. Stace [Nix] 33:3 Why you got to go and make things so complicated? Daniel [GM] 33:47 [As Momma Jerrun] I'll be in touch soon, but... She goes to Nix and hands her a small pouch. Stace [Nix] 33:5 Yeah, oh, sweet, sorry, I was not reading the Cypher description from the Cypher I earned last episode. Nix weighs it, does it seem like the full amount. Daniel [GM] 34:11 It definitely feels like 40 shins. Stace [Nix] 34:15 [As Nix] Thanks. Definitely, and... My husband's closing the door. [As Nix] Thanks, yeah definitely hit me up if you need another job. Not too big, not too small, you know what I'm saying? Daniel [GM] 34:29 [As Momma Jerrum] Mm-hmm. Yes. And she hands Dili a pouch as well. Sampson [Dili] 34:35 [As Dili] Oh, thank you. Daniel [GM] 34:36 Definitely seems like 40 shins. She hands the same pouch to ChaCha, with shins. Alex [ChaCha] 34:47 ChaCha puts it in a random pocket. Daniel [GM] 34:47 [As Momma Jerrun] And Atalia, of course, our arrangement is different. I will send the payment through a different route, but you'll be able to get it from your contact. Marietta [Atalia] 34:59 Atalia makes a bit of a face. Excellent. Daniel [GM] 35:04: [As Momma Jerrun] There is a task that I could use some help with. Stace [Nix] 35:0 [As Nix] Girl, I got you. Daniel [GM] 35:10 [As Momma Jerrun] Someone has this item, and I know they should not have it. We need to find who it is. We need to get it back from them. I realize... she turns to Atalia... that I will have to discuss this in term of an addition to the contract, so I realize you're not in a position to commit to this at this moment. But, the rest of you. I need this item, and I need it soon. Sampson [Dili] 35:41 Okay. Daniel [GM] 35:43 [As Momma Jerrun] I'm willing to offer 70 [shins 00:35:46] each, and an opportunity for even more beyond that, should you succeed. But I suspect based off of what you've told me, that this device is somewhere in Charmonde. Find it for me, bring it to me, you'll each be paid. Stace [Nix] 36:05 [As Nix] All right... Sampson [Dili] 36:07 [As Dili] Okay. Stace [Nix] 36:08: [As Nix] But... why is it so bad that these people have this device? Daniel [GM] 36:14 [As Momma Jerrun] This is a powerful artifact. Should not be in hands that don't understand how it is to be used. Stace [Nix] 36:21 [As Nix] How is it to be used? Daniel [GM] 36:25 [As Momma Jerrun] That is not your concern. Your concern is I'm offering you 70 shins to find it. Sampson [Dili] 36:30 [As Dili] expecting, it would be better for us to know what it does. Daniel [GM] 36:39 [As Momma Jerrun] I can't tell you with certainty what it does do. I know only that it is powerful, and I know only that one of my trusted companions was killed [inaudible 00:36:52] steal it from her. Sampson [Dili] 36:55 Dili's going to quickly grab Nix and pull her aside real quick. [As Dili] Just give us one moment. Sampson [Dili] 37:01 [As Nix] Nix, do you still have those... I'm going to stage-whisper... [As Dili] Do you still have those googly-eye things that you put through the hologram thing? Should you give one of those to Mama Jaren? Maybe that's connected to this device? Stace [Nix] 37:15 [As Nix] Yeah, I can. Sampson [Dili] 37:15 [As Dili] Will this get us more shins? I don't know. Stace [Nix] 37:21 [As Nix] Okay. Had Nix at more shins. Nix pulls out one of her sling racks that now has googly eyes and show it to Momma Jerrun. [As Nix] Something in the ruins put eyes on my stuff. I don't know if it's... Well we couldn't figure out, is it the device that you're looking for? Is it related? Daniel [GM] 37:45 She takes a long look at it, she's like, [As Momma Jerrun] It appears to be unrelated. But it is an interesting find. I'm sure the right kind of shopkeeper would offer you fair shins for such a thing. Sampson [Dili] 38:00 [As Dili] You put that object through... Nix, you put that object through the other part of it, right? Stace [Nix] 38:05 [As Nix] Oh, no, man. Just ChaCha. Sampson [Dili] 38:07 [As Dili] Then never mind. Thought I helped. Daniel [GM] 38:14 [As Momma Jerrun] I will see what I can find out through my contacts. I will send you guys information when I have it, but I expect you guys to find this item. The sooner you can, the better. Stace [Nix] 38:28 [As Nix] You got it. Let's go? Sampson [Dili] 38:30 [As Dili] Do our best. Stace [Nix] 38:36 [As Nix] Can I have some cookies though? Daniel [GM] 38:37 [As Momma Jerrun] Sure. She hands you some scones. Stace [Nix] 38:39 [As Nix] Thanks. Daniel [GM] 38:41 She kind of waves you guys out, except for as Atalia is leaving, she puts a hand on her shoulder and says, [As Momma Jerrun] One moment. Sampson [Dili] 38:51 Ooh, Atalia's in trouble. Alex [ChaCha] 38:52 Ooh. Stace [Nix] 38:52 Oops. Daniel [GM] 39:01 [As Momma Jerrun] Do you happen to know anything about this item, or where it may have disappeared to? Marietta [Atalia] 39:05 [As Atalia] We followed some tracks to the trade route that lead back here, and based on the patch I showed you I feel like if that's what's affiliated they would be here, but I'm not why they would be involved. I'm strictly in acquisitions so this is above my pay grade and I have no idea what's going on or why they would contract me out to [inaudible 00:39:29], if ulterior motives seems a little silly. Daniel [GM] 39:34 [As Momma Jerrun] Have a seat, Atalia. Marietta [Atalia] 39:36 I'll sit down and I'll have one leg crossed over a knee and be looking confident even though I might not be feeling it. Daniel [GM] 39:43 [As Momma Jerrun] I knew it was a risk, contracting them to involve you, but I'd heard good things about your capabilities. You swear you know nothing about these? About this situation? Marietta [Atalia] 39:56 [As Atalia] All I can say is that it was pretty stupid to brief me and then have this be on the mission if I was if I wasn't supposed to know about it. So I thought I would just play that hand and see how you reacted, but I don't know. If either side didn't want me to know, then they should have covered it up a little bit better. That was pretty blatant. Daniel [GM] 40:18 [As Momma Jerrun] I agree. I'm going to ask you something indelicate now, Atalia. I realize that our arrangement is that I pay your organization, they pay you. I would like to offer you double that fee directly, should you uncover where your organization has taken this item and placed it. Retrieve it with the rest of the group. Marietta [Atalia] 40:46 [As Atalia] Well how about you hold on to that patch then, and I'll see what happens. Daniel [GM] 40:51 [As Momma Jerrun] I need a little bit more than that. The commitment, Atalia, because this is something your organization can not know about. I'm asking you to make a change, make a choice. Marietta [Atalia] 41:06: [As Atalia] Look, I have allegiance to myself and that's about it. If you want to pay me for a job, I will happily do a job. My allegiances to them only go as far as my contract work, and I'm pretty hard on my lines there. And they know that. That's kind of where I'm going to be with it. Money is incentive, if you want me to do a job, I'll happily do it. I'll investigate this item for you, they have not told me anything about it so if they're not going to direct me to protect it or otherwise not give you information on it, then that sounds like a personal problem on their part. Daniel [GM] 41:40 [As Momma Jerrun] Excellent. She spits in her hand, and she says, "140 shins, then." And she extends her hand as if to have a handshake. Marietta [Atalia] 41:55 Atalia will gingerly reach out her hand and shake it, I guess. Daniel [GM] 41:57 She holds back her hand a second and is like, [As Momma Jerrun] We both need to be in this together. She's expecting you to spit in your hand. Marietta [Atalia] 42:08 She sort of does it. She's not happy about this situation. [As Atalia] Look, I'll try to find this thing for you, but that's what they contracted me out to do anyway. I'll shake her hand. Daniel [GM] 42:23 So you spit in your hand and you shake her hand, and one of the things you notice is that her grip is far stronger than you would expect from somebody of her age. Her gaze appears to be very steely. She says, [As Momma Jerrun] We have a compact, Atalia. I look forward to seeing results. She looks at the fire for a second, then she turns back to you and she's like, [As Momma Jerrun] Good hunting. That's where we'll end the episode. Stace [Nix] 42:52 It's time already? Sampson [Dili] 42:56 Damn. Daniel [GM] 42:56 Mm-hmm affirmative. It is. Marietta [Atalia] 43:00 Man, I don't know if I made the right decision there, but it's a decision that I made, so. Sampson [Dili] 43:05 She's got your DNA now. Marietta [Atalia] 43:07 I did not like that part. I would maybe rather not have done that part, but I think she was just like, "Fucking fine! Let me just get the fuck out of here." Sampson [Dili] 43:15 Yeah. Alex [ChaCha] 43:16 I'm just so suspicious of her. Marietta [Atalia] 43:21 Yeah, I'm also suspicious that they're setting me up on purpose, but it's also why the fuck [inaudible 00:43:26] there, was always straight up about who I was as a person. I don't know. Sampson [Dili] 43:32 Yeah, but contractors are replaceable. I speak from experience. So... Marietta [Atalia] 43:40 But I'm good and reliable. Until you don't tell me the whole story and someone else hires me to steal things from you, and then what the fuck, you should have thought it through! Daniel [GM] 43:48 I guess we'll have to find out more about it next week. Daniel [GM] 43:51 We have a segment we do every week called Player Instrusions where we tell you about something that you should absolutely check out. This week it is Marietta's turn. Marietta, what would you give our listeners an XP to check out? Marietta [Atalia] 44:05 I would give you an XP to check out this board game I'm pretty in love with, it's called Seven Wonders. It's been around for a minute but it's a board game you play with your friends. You need three people, though there is a dual version if you're one of those desperate people and you need a board game for two people, the dual version of Seven Wonders is really great. But it's strategy based, and they have expansions for it, so it's a great group game, and I feel like every time I play it, it's a little bit different. Marietta [Atalia] 44:39 It's the Seven Wonders and you have a little board, and you try to strategy win over your table members. Sometimes it helps if you get intoxicated, but if you get too intoxicated it can impede successful gaming. Daniel [GM] 44:53 I played it before, but can you talk a little bit about the premise? Marietta [Atalia] 44:59 Oh, yeah. You get a wonder that you have to build, the pyramids are on there, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, there's a bunch of different ones. Then you have to build it through a series of ages, and you're also trying to build up your army and progress in science, and the more you build your wonder, the more points you get from those different areas. There's lots of tokens, those are nice. You get little boards. There's cards that you pass. I don't know, all of the board game things. There's cards, there's tokens, there's boards, I don't know what more you could want. Daniel [GM] 45:37 What is it about Seven Wonders and playing it specifically that gets you stoked when you're playing it? Marietta [Atalia] 45:4 I think I like that there's so many different strategies that you can do to win, and I feel like that first age really sets the tone based on what other people are doing and how you set it up. But you've got to think ahead in what you're trying to do with it, and it can turn out so many different ways. Daniel [GM] 45:59: Very cool. Marietta [Atalia] 46:00 I really like that. Anyways, I'm obsessed, you should check it out and also become obsessed, and tell me about how obsessed you are with it. Daniel [GM] 46:08 Outstanding. Awesome. We are a new podcast. If you like what you heard today, the best thing that you could do is tell a friend about it, and tell them what you liked about our podcast, and encourage them to listen to it. Daniel [GM] 46:24 The second best thing you could do is to leave us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, or your podcast directory of choice. That makes a huge difference. I know it seems like a silly thing, but it makes a huge difference in terms of how new podcasts get started. So doing that will be a huge thing. Daniel [GM] 46:46 The other thing that we would love to do is hear you talk to us about what you liked, what you love, what you want more of. Marietta, where can people find us on social media? Marietta [Atalia] 46:59 Oh man, they can find us all over on social media! We got the Instagram which is @explorerswantedpodcast, we've got @ExplorersWanted on Twitter, we've got @explorerswantedpodcast on Facebook, we've got explorerswanted.fm for our own fancy-pants website. So check us out and message us, like us, follow us, share us, interact with us, pay attention to us. We like attention, I like attention. Daniel [GM] 47:28 Really the reason that were doing this is, partially on some level, we desperately crave your attention and approval. Stace [Nix] 47:34 That mostly. Sampson [Dili] 47:36 I may be an introvert and don't want attention, but I want the attention. Marietta [Atalia] 47:42 That is accurate. Yes, exactly. Alex [ChaCha] 47:47 Notice me, Senpai! Daniel [GM] 47:49 Yeah, exactly! Notice me, Senpai. Okay, so absolutely we've [inaudible 00:47:54] of the socials, we'd love to hear from you. You can also find us individually on the socials. If you're looking for me you can find me @andrlik, the name that has far too few vowels. That's a-n-d-r-l-i-k. We're Czech, we can't afford it. Stace [Nix] 48:10 You can shower me with attention and affection on Twitter, @StaceWindu, it's like Mace Windu, but Stace Windu. Alex [ChaCha] 48:20 You can find me almost everywhere, @teawithaunicorn. I'm experimenting with Twitch, so if you get bored and have no life like me, come find me there. Twitter I am @realteaunicorn, because I'm the real teawithaunicorn. Marietta [Atalia] 48:32 I'm not on the Twitter so, sorry. Alex [ChaCha] 48:43 Yes, you are. Marietta [Atalia] 48:44 Oh, I am on the Twitter now. Forgot about that. Stace [Nix] 48:45 It's for lurking purposes. Marietta [Atalia] 48:49 You can find me on Instagram @imonahike, all one word. Sampson [Dili] 48:54 You can tell me your favorite anime @SlamPotato on Twitter. Daniel [GM] 49:00 That's an obvious one, that's Demon Slayer right now. Marietta [Atalia] 49:04 So quality. Sampson [Dili] 49:05 Incorrect. The best one is Vampire Hunter D. Bloodlust, typically. Stace [Nix] 49:11 What does the D stand for? Marietta [Atalia] 49:12 Have you guys watched Dr. Stone? Sampson [Dili] 49:17 You got to watch it to understand the not-very-obvious implication of D stands for. Alex [ChaCha] 49:21 Dick. Sampson [Dili] 49:21 No. Although kind of. Daniel [GM] 49:29 Yeah. Marietta [Atalia] 49:30 Have you guys seen Dr. Stone? Sampson [Dili] 49:33 I watched the first two episodes. Marietta [Atalia] 49:35 Oh man, it's worth. We binge-watched it pretty hard. Dr. Stone? Check it out. Anyway... Daniel [GM] 49:45 I guess Castlevania doesn't count as anime. That would be my other choice. So, anyway, reach out to us individually on all the socials, or as a group on the socials, we'd love to hear from you. Like I said, if you like this show, tell your friends, review the podcast. If you didn't like the show, tell the mouse in your pocket, or tell that little groundhog that's hiding in your backyard. I guarantee it's there, even if you haven't seen it yet. Marietta [Atalia] 50:13 Or journaling, write about your feelings in private. Daniel [GM] 50:16 Absolutely. Get yourself a worry stone. Just rub out your hate on that particular thing. Rub out is a terrible turn of phrase. Alex [ChaCha] 50:24 Rub one out on that worry stone. Sampson [Dili] 50:29 Rub one out, always helps. By the way, you have a rodent problem apparently. Sorry you had to hear from us. Daniel [GM] 50:31 Please, reach out to us. Tell your friends. We will be back next week, as we will be for every week on the podcast. So until that time next week, have a good night and- Multiple Speakers 50:47 Bye!