Daniel [GM] 00:34 Welcome to Explorers Wanted. We are a weekly Numenera actual play podcast. I will be your humble GM, Daniel Andrlik. With me today is Marietta Jones. Marietta [Atalia] 00:45 Oh, that's me. I get to go first. Hi. Hi, I'm here. Daniel [GM] 00:49 Alex Finn. Alex [ChaCha] 00:50 Hello. Daniel [GM] 00:51 Stace Babcock. Stace [Nix] 00:53 I'm here today. The day I got a Valorant key. Marietta [Atalia] 00:56 Yeah. Congrats. Stace [Nix] 00:58 Thank you. Thank you. Daniel [GM] 01:00 And Sampson Davis. Sampson [Dili] 01:02 Tonight the part of Sampson will be played by the smoldering husk left behind the wake of finals. If you have any grievances you can shut it. Stace [Nix] 01:10 Oh. Daniel [GM] 01:10 Okay. Marietta [Atalia] 01:13 [crosstalk 00:01:13]. Okay. Okay. Don't mess with Dili tonight, guys. Daniel [GM] 01:19 Okay. Marietta [Atalia] 01:20 Dili's going to set the world on fire. Alex [ChaCha] 01:21 That's ChaCha's thing so let's try to keep some character separation, guys. Daniel [GM] 01:25 Chris will be cowering on a rooftop while everyone else plays. Sampson [Dili] 01:28 It'll be aggressive urination probably. Daniel [GM] 01:34 So speaking of Dili being alone on the roof, who remembers what happened last time? I am going to pick on Sampson. Sampson [Dili] 01:45 So last time, Atalia was given the choice of three very juicy contracts. One of them was to hand in Dili, the other to hand in ChaCha, and then the third boring one was like go talk to the realtor that we were already going to probably talk to. Daniel [GM] 02:02 Well, to kill him. Sampson [Dili] 02:03 Yeah, to kill him. But there was going to be talking involved as well. Regardless, she took the Dili contract for 600 shins. We planned for a bit, and then we decided to go investigate the realtor before another contractor sent by the handlers killed him. We went to that address, we got a card from him before having him run off to go save his life or whatever. Sampson [Dili] 02:31 That card gave us an address that he would use if he wanted to talk to Asidra. But it lead to a warehouse in Ward Ana, that had to be the warehouse that Dili was originally building his automaton, and also ended up being the warehouse where the auction was, that Karfa, I believe his name was ... That Karfa had talked to Stace about. Or, talked to Nix about. Sampson [Dili] 02:55 So ChaCha and Nix kind of bluffed their way in with some street shenanigans, and then Atalia left Dili alone in an alley way or a rooftop, or whatever, to go sneak in. And then the auction began, and we saw that Tamara fucking shows up. She's auctioning off the ruins of Karmathan Cypher that has been provided by Nino, the head of the Knyxos. Dun, dun, dun. That's basically where we left it. Atalia also gave Dili her super cool Cypher for me to use. Hopefully not use, but maybe I'll use it. Marietta [Atalia] 03:35 You don't die was the point of that, just to be clear. Sampson [Dili] 03:40 No promises. Marietta [Atalia] 03:41 [inaudible 00:03:41] I was like, "Oh man, I'm such a dick for leaving you, I guess here." This whole naked time. Daniel [GM] 03:50 I do want to follow up and award you all some XP. Sampson [Dili] 03:56 Yes. Daniel [GM] 03:56 You found out more information about the snake stuff. You've basically saved the realtor's life, as best you could. You actually got into Dili's shop and got out again. You didn't get what you wanted, but you still got in. So each of you has an additional two XP. Sampson [Dili] 04:13 Nice. Marietta [Atalia] 04:14 Dope. Sampson [Dili] 04:16 And re-roll so many ones. Stace [Nix] 04:20 And can I advance right meow? Daniel [GM] 04:23 Yes. Stace [Nix] 04:26 Heck yeah, we're cracking 20 with our might pool. I feel like I can breathe. Marietta [Atalia] 04:31 Yeah, I was going to ask, is it four or six? Daniel [GM] 04:37 It's four for each advancement. Marietta [Atalia] 04:38 It's four? Womp. Womp, womp. Yeah, we'll do that. Yeah, that's happening right now. Alex [ChaCha] 04:47 That's a good plan. Stace [Nix] 04:49 My intellect is much better, and now I have a double digit might pool. Because that was embarrassing. Daniel [GM] 04:56 Is ChaCha advancing at all? Alex [ChaCha] 04:57 Oh, I did last time, because I hoard XP like the hoarder I am. Daniel [GM] 05:02 Oh, okay. Great, okay. So where we ended last time, Tamara had just approached the podium and said, [As Tamara] The first piece we have tonight is taken from the ruins of Kamathan. It has been generously provided by Minos of the Knyxos. The bidding begins on this item at 600 shins. I realize that for most of the people in this crowd, this is your first time seeing this item. This item contains a number of plans for other artifacts. There will now be a 20-minute break, where those of you wish can talk to our knowledge pool sellers, to get any additional information you want about it. When we return, we will begin bidding. Those who are late, don't get to bid. Daniel [GM] 06:02 And there's a small flash behind her, and she steps away, and you see quite a few well-to-do people kind of skittering around. There are a few people that are here that don't seem to be that, necessarily interested in this particular piece. Maybe it's out of their price range, or not their interest. But there are a number of very clearly well off people that have sort of rushed to the stage to ask questions about this item. Daniel [GM] 06:37 So, that has just happened, and Nix and ChaCha, you saw that clearly. Tamara has just stepped away from the stage, there are some well-to-do people that have run up and are talking to a few individuals that are dressed well for the occasion, clearly in some sort of uniform. Not a uniform that you guys recognize, it's clearly some sort of generic uniform just to make them stick out against everybody else in the crowd. And yeah, so there are six people quite engaged with those individuals up at the front. And Nix and ChaCha, what do you do? Alex [ChaCha] 07:18 Quick question, how much money did we make? Daniel [GM] 07:20 Roll me 1D6. Alex [ChaCha] 07:24 Okay. I got a five. Daniel [GM] 07:28 Five, so you guys made 12 shins. Alex [ChaCha] 07:32 Not bad, it's a way to go, made up for our investment to get in there. We each get six shins. Stace [Nix] 07:40 Fuck yeah. Alex [ChaCha] 07:41 Oh God, math. I'm not even drinking and I'm like, math. Stace [Nix] 07:47 I mean at this point, this is the artifact, right Daniel? Daniel [GM] 07:52 Yeah, when she showed it for the moment that it was visible, it was very much that pyramid. It looks very much like the drawing that you saw in the journal. Stace [Nix] 08:01 So, Nix tries to get ChaCha to take an intermission. Sort of taps her on the shoulder. Daniel [GM] 08:11 It's probably not hard, because honestly right now with all this commotion happening on the auction floor, there's not really anybody kind of wandering around where you guys would've been performing for the most part. Besides security or something like that. There were a few people wandering around, but it seems like the people who aren't bidding are still very interested in watching who is going to be bidding. Alex [ChaCha] 08:36 ChaCha puts out a we'll be back in 30 minutes sign. Daniel [GM] 08:40 Okay. Stace [Nix] 08:42 And we go to our trailer. No. Alex [ChaCha] 08:46 So, here's a question. So both Nix and ChaCha have read the journal, but do either Nix or ChaCha know how to activate this item? Daniel [GM] 08:57 No, there's nothing in there that was clear about that. Or at least, the person who started deciphering the code was Nix, and Nix wasn't able to work out the technical details. Alex [ChaCha] 09:08 Okay. Daniel [GM] 09:09 So it is an artifact, they have at least publicly stated at the auction that it is some sort of artifact itself that holds Numenera plans and can display them. But, beyond that, you would have to actually inspect it with your abilities and get time with it, in order to determine exactly what it does or how to activate it. Alex [ChaCha] 09:31 I mean, would it be weird for us to go look up at the item? Daniel [GM] 09:34 You're the entertainment, I don't know. What do you guys want to do? Stace [Nix] 09:38 So Nix says to ChaCha, quietly, [As Nix] Yo, that's it, so here's the thing though. I don't know about if we should try to just take it here, or if we should wait until it's in transport. Alex [ChaCha] 09:55 [As ChaCha] We could try both. Try and find the opportunity here. But if not, we go find the person who buys it, and beat them up outside. Stace [Nix] 10:08 [As Nix] Yeah, because I don't think ... No matter who gets it, if we just try to steal it here, all of these people are going to be pissed. So I don't think anybody's going to believe we have the shins to buy it. Alex [ChaCha] 10:22 [As ChaCha] We could do just like slight of hand, and be like, "Oh, here's shins. Look, more shins, shins, shins, shins, shins, shins, shins, shins." Stace [Nix] 10:31 [As Nix] I mean if you want to try that, ChaCha, I'll back you up. Daniel [GM] 10:35 Okay. Alex [ChaCha] 10:35 And we did. Stace [Nix] 10:40 [As Nix] What's plan A, though? Alex [ChaCha] 10:42 [As ChaCha] Plan A is intercept it in transport. And beat people up. Stace [Nix] 10:49 [As Nix] Dang, all right. Man, I kind of wish we had Dili in here. Alex [ChaCha] 10:53 [As ChaCha] If only Dili were here. Stace [Nix] 10:56 [As Nix] I hope I see that guy again. Daniel [GM] 10:58 I'm sure Atalia is taking care of him. Alex [ChaCha] 11:01 [As ChaCha] Good thing we left Atalia with him, to keep him safe and secure. Stace [Nix] 11:10 [As Nix] Yeah. Nix is going to try to check out the disposition of the security though. Because you said that they are uniformed, just like whatever to identify them. Daniel [GM] 11:22 So this will be, you're kind of sizing them up, but I would say you definitely ... So, this is what I'll say. Give me a 12. Stace [Nix] 11:34 Oh, sure. I got a five for you, Daniel, how's that? Daniel [GM] 11:39 You're not sure. There's definitely security. You're having a hard time paying attention to exactly how many there are and where they are in the room. But yeah, there's security around. Presumably, they might care. Stace [Nix] 11:56 Yeah, no, Nix is looking at them from a perspective of, could she get one alone? Or get their uniform or something. Daniel [GM] 12:05 Yeah, she can't really tell. Since you didn't get that roll, you don't even necessarily get things like their movements or anything like that. This is I guess one thing, you're not exactly sure. If you had to guess, they're fairly well, reasonably spaced to each other. Like they all should have at least one other guard that can see them. Stace [Nix] 12:28 [As Nix] Damn. All right, so you'll be the bidder. Oh yeah, because we kind of gave the strong impression that you're famous outside. Alex [ChaCha] 12:37 ChaCha is famous, but not for good reasons. Stace [Nix] 12:42 Yeah. Daniel [GM] 12:43 It's almost like there's a totally different word for that. Alex [ChaCha] 12:44 I don't know what you're talking about. ChaCha's famous. That's the word. Sampson [Dili] 12:52 It's definitely in it. Stace [Nix] 12:58 [As Nix] So should you be doing the bidding, or should I do the bidding? Because people would probably recognize my family. No, I don't want to bring them into this. This is a bad idea. Never mind. Yeah, you do the bidding. Alex [ChaCha] 13:13 [As ChaCha] Oh, okay. I'll bid. And I think ChaCha is going to slowly ... ChaCha is going to use hedge magic to give herself a luxurious mustache and walk towards the bidding people. Daniel [GM] 13:27 Okay. Now, by luxurious, does it have that wax quality, or is it just sort of wild and groomed, but wild? Alex [ChaCha] 13:36 I'm feeling like kind of wild, almost like Yosemite Sam, just like, so gloriously voluminous. Daniel [GM] 13:46 Right, right. Okay. So like a fumanchu that never stops? Alex [ChaCha] 13:50 Yes. Stace [Nix] 13:51 But did ChaCha change anything else about her appearance? Alex [ChaCha] 13:55 No. Daniel [GM] 13:56 There are pretty big limits to what hedge magic can do. Stace [Nix] 13:59 She just has this huge mustache on now. Matching the hair, or not? Matching hair color or not? Alex [ChaCha] 14:09 Evens or odds? Stace [Nix] 14:12 Odds. Alex [ChaCha] 14:15 I got a six, so no, it does not match. So it is probably a red mustache. Sampson [Dili] 14:25 Isn't ChaCha a red head? Alex [ChaCha] 14:25 No, she's blonde. Daniel [GM] 14:27 Yeah, ChaCha is blonde. Marietta [Atalia] 14:30 Atalia has reddish brown hair. Alex [ChaCha] 14:35 So there's a small blonde, almost child looking person with a giant red mustache, wearing a red cloak. Daniel [GM] 14:44 Okay. Stace [Nix] 14:45 They match? Alex [ChaCha] 14:48 Yeah. The drapes match the cape. Daniel [GM] 14:52 So ChaCha looks even more circus like now, because it's so dramatic at this point. So you go up and what are you trying to do, ChaCha? Who are you approaching? Alex [ChaCha] 15:03 So they said we could ask questions about the item? Daniel [GM] 15:06 Yes, they're not letting anybody on stage, but you can ask questions from the staff. Alex [ChaCha] 15:12 I think ChaCha is gearing to go up towards the staff, and just loudly proclaim, [As ChaCha] Does it change colors? Daniel [GM] 15:23 Okay. So, this has got to be a social roll, it would be a 12, but it would have ... This is kind of ridiculous, is going to be hindered, so it'll be a 15. Alex [ChaCha] 15:35 She doesn't get points for the amazing mustache? Daniel [GM] 15:39 She might later. But, you're interrupting people. Alex [ChaCha] 15:45 Just asking if this amazing artifact changes colors? Okay. So I got a 15. Daniel [GM] 15:51 Nice. Okay. So, the employee that's there is sort of a young woman, probably 25-ish with honestly sort of purple streaks through her blonde hair. And she turns to you, kind of startled, and she looks back and forth between the bidder who she was talking to, who is in mid question with them, and turns to you, and she says, [As Auction Employee] Well, just when it's activated, changes colors to display the plans in the air, like a hologram. And ChaCha, at this point, I will offer you an XP. Alex [ChaCha] 16:32 Yes. Daniel [GM] 16:34 Okay. Alex [ChaCha] 16:35 That is the right answer. Daniel [GM] 16:37 Who will you give the other XP to? Alex [ChaCha] 16:39 Dili for being a good boy on the roof. Sampson [Dili] 16:43 Good roof boy. Daniel [GM] 16:45 Excellent. ChaCha you notice that the guy that was interrupted is ... You don't recognize him, he's dressed really nicely. Nicer than most people here. But, he's also got his consort for the evening, next to him, on his shoulder. And you recognize the consort as the manager who's desk you set on fire, when you first got to Charmonde. Sampson [Dili] 17:15 I was going to get a drink, but now I'm going to stay right here. Alex [ChaCha] 17:25 Cool, cool. Cool, cool. Cool, cool. Daniel [GM] 17:27 So the employee has just answered you, and has lifted their eyebrows at you, sort of expectantly. [As Auction Employee] Okay, we do have a line for this process. Alex [ChaCha] 17:39 [As ChaCha] Does it cycle through the colors? Daniel [GM] 17:41 Sighs. Alex [ChaCha] 17:42 [As ChaCha] What if I wanted fireworks? Daniel [GM] 17:44 She looks at the other person that she was bidding with and says, [As Auction Employee] I'm sorry, just a second, sir. Yes, it changes with the colors. One of the things you noticed that the manager was sort of bored on this date, but with the commotion, he's starting to get, kind of turn to the conversation and wonder how much longer it's going to go on. Alex [ChaCha] 18:08 [As ChaCha] Listen, I'm clearly more important than all these other people, look at the mustache, it signals importance. You will answer all of my questions. Daniel [GM] 18:19 Okay, so I have a couple questions. I just need to verify, one, is that just ChaCha being ChaCha, or is that ChaCha deliberately trying to not appear to be ChaCha because of the manager? Alex [ChaCha] 18:36 I think she's just being ChaCha, this is a performance mode of, in ChaCha's brain, a luxurious mustache means you're important. And important people are kind of assholes. So she's just like, "This is what important people do." Daniel [GM] 18:52 Okay. Alex [ChaCha] 18:52 And Nix can go do something like else while ChaCha is being the important asshole, who distracts all. Daniel [GM] 19:02 So there's going to be two rolls here. One roll is going to dictate how the employee responds to you. The other roll is going to dictate whether or not the manager notices something is up. So the first roll is going to be purely, because for ChaCha, it's not really a lie or anything like that. She literally thinks this. So some sort of social or persuasion role for this, and that will be a target of 12. Alex [ChaCha] 19:31 I got a 12. I should probably put this by the light so I can see what I'm rolling. Daniel [GM] 19:41 The employee kind of looks at you and says, [As Auction Employee] That's right, one of the security guards mentioned you're a famous performer. ChaCha, right? That's what they said? Alex [ChaCha] 19:49 Yes, ChaCha the magnificent. Look at the magnificent mustache. Magnificent. And she does hold up her hand in the air like, "Look at me." Daniel [GM] 20:01 Okay. So now, so you're not actively trying to deceive the manager. So, you would've left an impression on him. I'll give you an asset for the mustache, but because you're not actively trying to deceive him, you're also hindered. So you end up back at a natural 15. Unless you want to extend effort. This will be deception. Alex [ChaCha] 20:30 Counter the hindrance, because they had a pretty crappy sketch of ChaCha, so she didn't make that good of an impression. Daniel [GM] 20:38 That is a totally valid point. Yeah, I agree with that. So that'll be a 12. Marietta [Atalia] 20:42 But didn't the manager see her? Daniel [GM] 20:45 He did. He presumably gave the description of her too. Marietta [Atalia] 20:48 Oh, okay. Daniel [GM] 20:49 It wasn't a long conversation. Alex [ChaCha] 20:52 Just, there's this child with a red cloak, oh shit, my desk is on fire. 15. Daniel [GM] 20:59 Okay, the manager kind of looks at you for a second. And meets your eyes, and you see for a moment, puzzlement in his face, and then you see him kind of shake his head to himself, and kind of go back and looking off in the distance. What is Nix doing during this? Stace [Nix] 21:14 Nix is keeping an eye on ChaCha still. But she didn't necessarily follow her into the crowd. Nix is still trying very hard to figure out the security, really. And is like puzzling it out. Daniel [GM] 21:32 If you would like to do that again, now the situation hasn't changed. You don't have any other assets you can apply to it, so in this case, I would say, if you want to try to figure it out again, it will require you to spend effort. Stace [Nix] 21:47 Yeah. So I guess rather than attempting to re-figure out the security, Nix is going to try to get one alone. Daniel [GM] 21:59 Okay, so how would you like to go about that? Stace [Nix] 22:02 Yeah, so Nix is just going to walk up to one that she perceives as being close to an exit. Or, was there any outside that Nix would know about? Daniel [GM] 22:16 They were outside on the street, there were clearly some that were stationed in the windows up above, but beyond that, you didn't spot the others. Stace [Nix] 22:23 Is there anywhere inside that there's a back room area, or a kitchen? I know it's a warehouse, but storage? Just trying to identify where I'm going to try to have Nix pull the guard. Not pull, but lure. Daniel [GM] 22:38 Give me a perception roll of nine. Stace [Nix] 22:41 18. Daniel [GM] 22:41 Okay. Stace [Nix] 22:43 Oh, it's actually a 19, Daniel. Daniel [GM] 22:45 What would you propose as the minor effect? Stace [Nix] 22:48 I would like to ... So Nix is doing this to try and get a uniform. So I would like to use the minor effect to ... Unless this wouldn't be minor, but basically to be sure, not just that they're out of sight, but also somewhere where it's kind of muffled. Daniel [GM] 23:06 Okay. I would say you can identify where that would be. That it doesn't appear that they are going there on their own, they are seeming to keep an eye on their fellows, but keeping them in eye line. So you are going to have to somehow convince them to move out of sight, or force them out of sight. But they are, because you rolled a 19, you do spot somebody who is near the door to some sort of office in a corner. Most of the warehouse is wide open, with the exception of some segmented space for offices. There's also some areas of the warehouse that appear to be draped and roped off, and you think you see a glowing synth attached to that fabric. Stace [Nix] 23:53 Huh. Nix would pick an office that at the very least doesn't have lights coming out from under the door, so it appears deserted. Daniel [GM] 24:00 Yeah, for sure. I would say, at least as far as you can tell from where you are. Stace [Nix] 24:06 Yeah, all right. So, Nix walks up to this security guard and is like, [As Nix] Hey, I know-. She's going to try to do the, "I'm a security professional, you're a security professional [As Nix] [As Nix] Yo, when's the last time you checked these offices, man? Daniel [GM] 24:27 Actually give me a social roll before, because I need to use that to figure out how he responds. So, it will be a 15, since he's on alert that that's what he's supposed to be doing. But I think you have training, right? Stace [Nix] 24:30 I do have training. Daniel [GM] 24:30 So it's a 12. What'd you get? I've got two guesses. Stace [Nix] 24:30 One. One or a two? Daniel [GM] 24:33 Yeah, yeah. So are you keeping that are do you have XP to spend? Stace [Nix] 24:59 Mm-hmm affirmative). I do have XP to spend, but I'm going to live with this one. Daniel [GM] 25:04 Okay, so the guard looks at you, narrows his eyes, and say [As Nix] [As Auction Guard] Get back to the event, please. Go find your entertainer. Stace [Nix] 25:13 [As Nix] All right, you got it. Nix slinks away. And returns to I guess, within arms reach of ChaCha. Daniel [GM] 25:26 So that's really going on while ChaCha's having that conversation. Okay. So Dili, you have been on this roof for a little bit. Atalia kind of disappeared, as she said she was going to go over, so she and and Jeskii are somewhere over there, but you have no idea where. And you're just kind of alone out here, Nix and ChaCha are inside, and there are a lot of guards present. Sampson [Dili] 25:53 Yeah, so more or less the moment he was alone, Dili would throw up an illusion of I guess just kind of a common gargoyle statue, or flute player, just something commonly seen throughout the city of statues and stuff like that. And then he'd be looking out a little slit. At first he'd be nervous just waiting, but then he would select to try to occupy his mind, he would start to keep an eye on the guards, just see where they're looking, where they're moving, general patterns. Daniel [GM] 26:30 So let's do a couple things first. Let's come up with a how cunning your way of seeing through it is. So give me a 12 intellect roll. Sampson [Dili] 26:43 Okay. 10. Daniel [GM] 26:47 Are you going spend any effort? Sampson [Dili] 26:50 Not on this one, no. I think I have two. Daniel [GM] 26:52 So, yeah you have created an eye hole. It is probably larger than it needs to be. Nothing is going to happen right now. I'm just going to set that up that if it comes down to guards figuring out if there's somebody up there, if there's something that legitimately draws their attention there, you're going to be hindered in your hiding. Sampson [Dili] 27:15 Gotcha, okay. Alex [ChaCha] 27:18 That was really nice of you, Daniel. I was expecting something like, you made an eye hole directly in the statue’s titty. Sampson [Dili] 27:27 Well if I'm really on guard piece up there. Daniel [GM] 27:29 Yeah. Alex [ChaCha] 27:32 Missing a whole titty. Sampson [Dili] 27:33 Yeah, it was weird, a century ago. So every statue had to be symbolic. No I get it, because childhood doesn't leave the breast, you know, I get it. Daniel [GM] 27:47 Yeah, yeah. Marietta [Atalia] 27:49 Oh my god. Alex [ChaCha] 27:54 Welcome to our art critique. Sampson [Dili] 27:56 You know one of the guards is a drop out art major. You know. Stace [Nix] 27:59 I do know that. Marietta [Atalia] 28:02 Oh, good times. Stace [Nix] 28:04 Or I could've known that if he would've talked to me. Daniel [GM] 28:12 So, what is Atalia doing during all of this? Marietta [Atalia] 28:16 So where was I, exactly? I got into the warehouse, as I recall, with Jeskii. Daniel [GM] 28:22 Yeah, and you were relatively high up. Like you got basically to the point where you kind of slipped in, but you're basically way up in the ceiling. You are perched on some exposed beams up there. Marietta [Atalia] 28:37 Okay. Would I have seen any of this interaction down below? Daniel [GM] 28:43 You would've seen ChaCha go up there. You probably would've heard Tamara's statement. It probably would've been quiet, but you probably picked it out. And you probably saw ChaCha approach and engage in a conversation with the staff, and you saw Nix go off somewhere to talk to a guard, and it lasted a very short amount of time. Marietta [Atalia] 29:03 Okay, and was the item- Daniel [GM] 29:06 The item is on the stage. Marietta [Atalia] 29:08 Visible? Daniel [GM] 29:08 It is no longer visible, they have covered it back up again. But it is supposedly still on the stage. Right now, the bidders who are serious are up near the front, asking questions, which is seven, including ChaCha. Marietta [Atalia] 29:23 Okay. Daniel [GM] 29:25 Sorry, one thing I'll give you. To hear the conversation ChaCha is having is going to be difficult, we could see if you could at least hear ChaCha's side of it, since ChaCha was sort of being loud and important. So, that would be a perception of 15. Marietta [Atalia] 29:43 I'm not really looking to listen to conversation. I guess I will roll to see if I heard it. I'm not sure. That's a five. Daniel [GM] 29:53 Yeah, so you just saw ChaCha go up there, but that's it. Marietta [Atalia] 29:56 All right. Regardless of that, I do want to try and make my way over, so that I would be in the rafters above the stage, if that's possible. Daniel [GM] 30:05 Sure, give me a ... There's security, but they were expecting that somebody would see, regard the roof. So it's probably a 12 before your skills. Marietta [Atalia] 30:17 Okay, I'm specialized in stealth, I'm also trained in balancing, jumping, and climbing. Daniel [GM] 30:22 Yeah, so I don't think you have to worry about falling over or anything like that. So I think it's a six stealth roll for you. Marietta [Atalia] 30:30 Okay. 18. Daniel [GM] 30:31 Okay, yeah. You feel like you have gotten over the bridge without any problem. And in fact, part of it is that you kind of motion your head at Jeskii, and Jeskii kind of goes over, and you actually get some hints from her along the way about to ... The best way, because you can see the way she's balancing. It doesn't make sense to you that that makes sense. This is a four-legged creature that has a very different skeletal structure than you. But for whatever reason, you feel like you're going in something from the way she moves. And so, you follow the stealth seskii. Marietta [Atalia] 31:06 Stealth seskii, stealthskii. Okay, so my next question is how high above the item am I? Daniel [GM] 31:14 So I would say this is a big warehouse. You're probably 30 feet up. Marietta [Atalia] 31:19 Okay. And how close is the nearest obvious escape route, as far as is there a window? Is there a door? Daniel [GM] 31:29 So this is near the back where there are mostly offices. There is a curtained off area beyond, that has what seems to be tied off heavy dark cloth. There is a sparkle of synth along it. Marietta [Atalia] 31:49 Okay. So what I'm trying to scope out is if there's any way that she could just jump down, grab it, and then run immediately. Daniel [GM] 32:00 Give me a perception roll, your target is going to be 12. Marietta [Atalia] 32:03 Okay. Also trained in searching, and detecting falsehood and remembering details. If any of those help. Daniel [GM] 32:14 Well you're trying to figure out a path. So, I don't think those would necessarily apply here. Marietta [Atalia] 32:17 Okay. Okay, 13. Daniel [GM] 32:24 And you pass anyway. So you don't see an obvious easy way out. It's possible that there is a way beyond the curtains. At least from what you remember of how far, at least what the warehouse looked from the outside. But, you don't see anything obvious from what you can see from here. Marietta [Atalia] 32:42 Okay. So, these curtains, is there any ... you know those giant curtains that they have in theaters, where there's a rope on the side that they have to use in order to bring it? Is there a rope of some variety along one of the curtains? Daniel [GM] 32:59 That's a good question. You're looking for that, you will have an asset on it. So, with your asset for searching, let's make that a nine. Marietta [Atalia] 33:13 Okay. Natural 20. Daniel [GM] 33:13 So, I will add this then. In addition to seeing that there is a wall to the far side of the stage, it's like at the edge of the stage, there's probably another 20 feet to a wall, next to one of the offices. And that has a switch that you think is what moves the curtains. But, with a 20, I will say that you also realize that it's not just something that moves the curtains. What it does, is it unlocks the electromagnetic synth connectors that holds the curtains shut. You realize in looking at this system, with a natural 20, that these curtains are actually as solid as walls, and probably have some sort of deadly defense built into them. And that switch turns it off, so that somebody could just part the curtains normally and walk through. Marietta [Atalia] 34:11 How many people are in this warehouse? Just - Daniel [GM] 34:17 So I would say since Atalia kind of scopes out the area, I think she probably has a decent idea. So there are approximately, including their dates, probably about 25 bidders in here. So there's one that going solo. And then you see Tamara, who is absolutely there. There are probably a couple of other people that appear to be in uniforms, about six of them. And then at least, what you can see here in this area for security, you think you count, in this room, 10 guards stationed evenly apart. Marietta [Atalia] 35:04 All right, and ChaCha is in with the bidders? Daniel [GM] 35:08 Yeah, she's in with the bidders, talking to one of those six employees by the stage. Marietta [Atalia] 35:12 Okay. And Nix is talking to that guard? Daniel [GM] 35:15 Nix is probably in the process of making her way back to within arms reach of ChaCha. Marietta [Atalia] 35:21 Okay. How far is the item from the curtain? Daniel [GM] 35:27 I would say probably 25 feet. Marietta [Atalia] 35:31 Is there anything between the item and the button? Daniel [GM] 35:34 Yeah, so the button is on the wall. So it would be about ... So that would actually be about 25 feet towards the side of the wall. So if you're looking at the item on the stage, going right, 25 feet from the stage, edge of the stage would be the button. 25 feet from the back of the stage is where the curtains stop. The item is the center of the stage. The stage is roughly 40 by 15. Marietta [Atalia] 36:08 Okay, next question. Is there a range on Onslaught? Daniel [GM] 36:13 It's short range. Marietta [Atalia] 36:15 Short range. Okay, and short range is like- Daniel [GM] 36:19 No, that's immediate range. So, short range is within the warehouse. So long range ... So the way I think of it, is like the difference is that long range is a long bow, or a rifle or something like that. Short range is most ranged attacks. It's not a crazy long distance or anything like that. And immediate range is anything that you could reasonably do in melee. Marietta [Atalia] 36:45 Okay. Daniel [GM] 36:47 Including moving to get to them. Marietta [Atalia] 36:49 What I would like to try to do is put myself into position, and I'm not sure if spatially this will work, over the item, the artifact. Daniel [GM] 36:58 Yeah, you can do that. Marietta [Atalia] 36:59 And then, I would like to physically onslaught the button. Daniel [GM] 37:04 Okay. So, this is going to be ... So it's a physically onslaught, so short distance is fine, but it is a very small target. So it's probably going to be a 15 intellect. Marietta [Atalia] 37:18 Okay. So I have an edge in intellect, and I'll put some effort into it. Daniel [GM] 37:22 So one level of effort? Marietta [Atalia] 37:24 Two, if I can. Daniel [GM] 37:26 As long as you can do two. Marietta [Atalia] 37:28 Can I do two? So that's how much your edge is in it? Daniel [GM] 37:30 That's how much your effort is in it. Marietta [Atalia] 37:32 My effort. Daniel [GM] 37:33 So what's your effort level now? Marietta [Atalia] 37:34 Oh yeah, I don't think, my effort's still one, because I haven't spent the XP. Daniel [GM] 37:38 So you can only do one. So you'll spend two intellect XP to bring it down to a 12. Marietta [Atalia] 37:44 Okay. Intellect points. Okay, that's fine. Daniel [GM] 37:50 Yeah, intellect points, that's right. Marietta [Atalia] 37:51 That's a 14. Daniel [GM] 38:00 Nice. Okay, so ... Oh wait, no. It was a 15, wasn't it? No, you spent effort. Marietta [Atalia] 38:06 But I ... Effort. Daniel [GM] 38:07 Yeah, so. Marietta [Atalia] 38:08 Please, please. Daniel [GM] 38:08 You hit the button and you notice that that sparkle to the synth in the fabric seems to go away. Marietta [Atalia] 38:15 Okay, does it appear as though this has alerted anyone? Daniel [GM] 38:18 Well, let's see how stealthy you were about it. It is a physical attack, so it does have concussive force. So it's a question of can you be stealthy enough in the way you tune it. So this is probably a 15 stealth, but you are specialized, I believe, so it's a nine. And it'll be speed if you want to try to lower it to a six. Marietta [Atalia] 38:41 Yeah, I do. Actually. I would like to lower that to a six, let me just do that. Okay. 18. Daniel [GM] 38:55 Okay. You feel like you have, like you managed to narrow this down to almost, being prickly, the force of it actually, you can see the button crack from the force of it, but it does turn off the force of the curtain, and you don't see any guards looking that direction, or seem to notice anything odd. Marietta [Atalia] 39:17 Okay. Daniel [GM] 39:18 At this point, you do see Tamara approaching the stage again. Marietta [Atalia] 39:21 Okay. As I see her approaching, I would like to do another onslaught. Physically into the crowd of the buyers. Whichever one looks the weakest and the one who might be the most upset. Daniel [GM] 39:36 Okay. Stace [Nix] 39:38 That's ChaCha. Marietta [Atalia] 39:40 Well I mean, I'm not going to hit ChaCha, but there was a group of people there, asking questions. Daniel [GM] 39:46 So honestly, Atalia, all these people, the one thing that you can tell about them is they've got more money than you. Marietta [Atalia] 39:54 I know they have more money than me, I'm just looking for the one that looks like he might cry a lot if he's suddenly hit by an onslaught. Daniel [GM] 40:01 So give me some sort of Insight roll then. Marietta [Atalia] 40:03 Okay. Daniel [GM] 40:04 It'll be a 12. Marietta [Atalia] 40:08 14. Daniel [GM] 40:09 Okay. It's not a particular bidder, but you do notice that ... So it's your choice, it's probably the weakest bidder, but not super weak. He still looks pretty strong, and is a little bit farther away from ChaCha. Kind of on the other side. He looks like he might be sort of one of those self-made people from Ward Kala. Marietta [Atalia] 40:36 Self-made. Daniel [GM] 40:37 The other one that sticks out to you, is you could attack somebody's date. The only one that's probably close enough for it to be a distraction is the one, the date of the one that's over by ChaCha. Marietta [Atalia] 40:48 Yeah, I'll go for the guy by ChaCha, for sure. Daniel [GM] 40:51 Okay. Marietta [Atalia] 40:53 I'm going to Onslaught that person. Daniel [GM] 40:55 We're not mixing player, character knowledge, right? Marietta [Atalia] 40:56 No. Daniel [GM] 40:57 Okay. Marietta [Atalia] 40:58 Not at all. Yeah, so I will physically Onslaught that person. Daniel [GM] 41:07 So I will tell you this, you would know from your experience with your ability, you are not going to be able to stealth this. If you hit this person, everyone will know where you are. Marietta [Atalia] 41:19 Oh, okay. Daniel [GM] 41:22 You are shooting into a crowd. Marietta [Atalia] 41:25 Okay, okay that's fair. Shoot, did my cyphers do anything? I gave that one away. Daniel [GM] 41:36 You still have your inflatable suit. Marietta [Atalia] 41:38 Yeah, I was thinking about that, actually. No, I don't want to be that hindered. Shoot. How close is Tamara? She's just coming out? Daniel [GM] 41:48 She's about to approach the stage to presumably close out bidding. To clarify, to close out the question period, so that bidding can begin. Marietta [Atalia] 41:57 Okay, so one of my oddities, is a glass ball filled with fluid, through which swims a bloodshot eye, trailing it's nerve endings. So, I'm going to chuck that at the crowd. And then I'm going to jump down as I throw it. Daniel [GM] 42:16 You're going to jump down 30 feet? Marietta [Atalia] 42:18 Yeah, I'm trained in jumping. It's fine. Daniel [GM] 42:24 What about landing? So jumping from a rafter to solid ground. Marietta [Atalia] 42:29 What's a 30-foot drop damage in Numenera? Daniel [GM] 42:31 I'm checking. I had to look this up for a previous session, that wasn't this campaign. Stace [Nix] 42:42 That other campaign. Daniel [GM] 42:42 Yeah, so it looks like, yeah. So falling. It would be, if you fail to somehow cushion this fall, since it's 30 feet it would only be probably three points of damage. Stace [Nix] 42:57 You'll bounce back, trust me. Marietta [Atalia] 42:59 Yeah, I think she's going to jump down, grab it, and make a run through the curtains. That's what she's going to try to do. Daniel [GM] 43:04 Okay, so first let's see, are you trying to break your fall at all? Marietta [Atalia] 43:08 Yeah, she's trying to land and do the little tumble thing with her climbing, jumping, balancing skills. Daniel [GM] 43:15 Okay, so with that factored in, it's probably a nine. Marietta [Atalia] 43:21 Okay. 11. Daniel [GM] 43:25 Okay, so yeah. You managed to cushion your fall. So you'll actually only take two points of body damage. And so you are on the stage. There are now guards that are alert, people are starting to freak out. Tamara looks right at you and meets your eyes. Marietta [Atalia] 43:43 I grab the item. Daniel [GM] 43:45 Okay. Marietta [Atalia] 43:45 I was supposed to fold my face mask up beforehand, because obviously that would hide me. But I'm sure it's fine. Daniel [GM] 43:54 Yeah, so you pull up the drape, and you pull out the item, and as you're doing that, you see Tamara [inaudible 00:44:04] and there are guards starting to turn arrows towards you. Marietta [Atalia] 44:08 Yeah, she's going to grab it and try to run. Daniel [GM] 44:10 Okay. Marietta [Atalia] 44:11 For the curtain. Daniel [GM] 44:14 So, with that happening right there, so Nix and ChaCha, this has all happened in a moment in front of you. But at this point, I will offer Sampson an XP. Sampson [Dili] 44:24 Oh fuck. Marietta [Atalia] 44:24 Oh no. Sampson [Dili] 44:26 Oh shit. Alex [ChaCha] 44:27 Do it. Do it. Sampson [Dili] 44:30 Okay, yeah, I'll take it. Daniel [GM] 44:31 Okay. Stace [Nix] 44:32 Unrelated, does XP roll over when you die? Daniel [GM] 44:36 No. Stace [Nix] 44:36 Okay. Daniel [GM] 44:41 So Sampson, who are you giving the other XP to? Sampson [Dili] 44:46 Atalia, because she might need to use it. Marietta [Atalia] 44:47 Thank you. Sorry. Daniel [GM] 44:51 Dili- Alex [ChaCha] 44:53 It's a good plan. Daniel [GM] 44:53 From behind you on the roof, you hear a familiar sort of higher pitched slimy voice from behind you, saying, [As Aces] Oh, Dili, it's good to see you again. As you hear Aces approaching from behind you. And that's where we'll end this episode. Alex [ChaCha] 45:18 Already? No. More. We need more. Sampson [Dili] 45:24 Oh shit. Daniel [GM] 45:26 So, Alex, was there anything in this episode that stuck out for you, for ChaCha as a player? Alex [ChaCha] 45:36 I liked her decision to be like, "Yes, a giant mustache will help this situation." And just like, this is my life now. We have a giant mustache, we're important. We're just interrupting people and we don't give a fuck. Daniel [GM] 45:54 Yeah. I'm curious though, before we kind of leave too, Stace, what is Nix thinking right now, seeing all this happen? Stace [Nix] 46:03 Fuck yeah. Let's do it. Daniel [GM] 46:07 Okay, okay. Marietta [Atalia] 46:07 Okay, good. Alex [ChaCha] 46:15 Alex the player is happy and is coming up with an escape plan. It's okay. Marietta [Atalia] 46:20 I think Atalia's like, "Well, I guess we're doing this. Sorry, guys." Poor seskii. Poor Jeskii. Sorry. Alex [ChaCha] 46:30 I'm just worried about Dili. Marietta [Atalia] 46:33 I'm also worried about Dili. Daniel [GM] 46:35 Totally reasonable concern. Sampson [Dili] 46:37 Yeah, seriously. Daniel [GM] 46:39 So, we have a segment that we do each week called player intrusions. Where we give you an XP to check out something that we think you would absolutely dig. This week it is Sampson's turn. Sampson what will you give our listeners an XP to check out? Sampson [Dili] 46:54 All right, so I like anime, and at about the time that we were recording, an anime is coming out called Tower of God. I like it, but the point I want to make about it is that it was originally Korean manga, which is kind of the Korean analogy for manga. The entire Tower of God series is currently available on Web Tune. But what I want to talk to you about is just kind of Korean manga in general. Sampson [Dili] 47:22 Because after Tower of God has been released and is running right now, three other Web Tune originals are now in production to be animes. God of High School, Noblees, and The Breaker, I think. So I would take this XP, God damn it, to go look up Korean mangas, mostly on Web Tunes. Specifically the one I'm stuck on is called Solo Leveling. Which is ... So it's kind of that anime cliché, where the weakest character in the world suddenly becomes the strongest character. But the magic about it coming from a Korean background is that all the cliches and all that stuff is a lot different. So there isn't like a Pseudo Ray character, or other characters that I don't remember the labels of. Sampson [Dili] 48:19 So it's a completely different dynamic, while staying the exact same, Solo Levels specifically, is a very good comic, because it does the overpowered character very well. It has the kind of character growth with it, but then once they get past a certain power level, then it's like every uptick in their power is also an uptick in the world building and the stakes involved. Sampson [Dili] 48:44 Yeah, they're the biggest fish in the pond, but then you'd also see the ocean being mapped out on the site. And it's just like, "Oh, I hope they're powerful enough for all of that." Sampson [Dili] 48:55 So Solo Leveling is very good. A lot of the stuff that I've been reading is kind of shown in jump-esque. But I've also heard good things about Let's Play, which is a kind of romance comic. Also on Web Tune. A lot of these are on Web Tune. So I didn't really have a point to that, except go read Korean manga, I like Solo Leveling, I've also been reading Tower of God, God of High School. I have Noblees on my- Daniel [GM] 49:21 And Solo Leveling is available in Web Tune? Sampson [Dili] 49:25 Solo Leveling is actually on its own site, but it's free. So if you just look up Solo Leveling, you'll hopefully find it. Daniel [GM] 49:34 Right, you'll actually send me the link for the show notes, right? You're not going to make me dig for it? Sampson [Dili] 49:39 I will. I will do that, yes. Daniel [GM] 49:41 Sounds like a great pick. Awesome. If you would like to reach out to us and tell us what you thought about the episode, what are the many ways that they can reach us, Marietta? Marietta [Atalia] 49:54 We have social medias, and we like to interact with people. Because we're lonely and desperate. So you can find us on Twitter @explorerswanted. And Instagram @explorerswantedpodcast, and Facebook @explorerswantedpodcast. I guess there's not an @ on Facebook, it's just like a back slash. And then, we also have our website, our very own website, that's great. It's explorerswanted.fm and then, if you really want to hang out with us, the best way to do it is to get on our Day Scored. Which I think there's links to in all the social medias. We're pretty active on there, and would love to hang out with you. So come hang out with us, please. Daniel [GM] 50:35 Outstanding. And we are a new podcast still. I mean, I think new podcast is at least for a year, but even if we weren't a new podcast, the most important thing you can do, if you wanted to help us, if you liked what you heard, would be to tell a friend. Tell them what you liked about us. And why they should listen to us. Daniel [GM] 50:54 If you didn't like the podcast, if you hated it or you thought it was just sort of meh, I unfortunately have to be the messenger on this. The cats in your neighborhood would like to have a word with you. You may not see them all the time, but I promise you that they are there. Stalking in the shadows that gather around your home. And I just want to say that I'm sorry, I cannot stop them. Daniel [GM] 51:21 If you want to reach out to us individually on the social medias, you can. You can find me on Twitter @andrlik, A, N, D, R, L, I, K. Stace [Nix] 51:30 You can follow me @stacewindu, especially if you like wine-fueled random replies to your tweets in the middle of the night. I got you. Marietta [Atalia] 51:39 That's my favorite kind. Sampson [Dili] 51:40 You can give me your recommended Korean mangas @slampotato. Alex [ChaCha] 51:48 I mean most of my Twitter is just full chaos energy and that's whatever I'm feeling at the moment, or eating at the moment. But if you're interested in more chaos in your life, in this wonderfully chaotic times, you can follow me @realtyunicorn on Twitter. Marietta [Atalia] 52:11 And I'm trying to Twitter really hard. Stace [Nix] 52:14 Are you trying that hard, Marietta? Marietta [Atalia] 52:16 No, it's hard to develop new habits. Alex [ChaCha] 52:19 30 days. Marietta [Atalia] 52:21 Okay, I've got to try to Twitter harder. But I'm on the Twitter now, and I'm on Hike. If you actually want to interact with me though, I'm a little more active on Instagram these days. Same handle, okay, love you all. Bye. Daniel [GM] 52:37 Okay. Thank you everyone. Hope you enjoyed the show, we will be back next week, as we will for every week in the foreseeable future. Have a good night and-. Multiple Speakers 52:38 Bye!