Daniel [GM] 0:30 Welcome to Explorers Wanted. We are a weekly Numenera actual play podcast. With me today is Sampson Davis. Sampson [Dili] 0:38 How do people think of goofs every week for this? Impossible. Hi. Hello. Daniel [GM] 0:43 Stace Babcock. Stace [Nix] 0:45 Present. Daniel [GM] 0:46 Alex Finn. Alex [ChaCha] 0:47 Hiiiii. Daniel [GM] 0:48 And Marietta Jones. Marietta [Atalia] 0:50 I'm here. Daniel [GM] 0:51 Okay, we are back. This is the first recording that we've done since our podcast actually released, so it's been an exciting 24 hours, essentially, for us. But let's go ahead and let's see, who remembers what happened last time? I'm going to pick on Marietta. Marietta [Atalia] 1:12 I sort of remember. I remember I went to my good pal Nix's house, after finding out that they weren't at the youth hostel. Multiple Speakers 1:22 [laughter] Stace [Nix] 1:26 My goodness. Whatever. You know what? I'll take it. I'll take it. Marietta [Atalia] 1:32 Sorry. And so then I guess ChaCha and Dili were also there and they, you guys all stayed the night at your house, at your mom's house? Correct? Didn't you, because of things didn't work out at the youth hostel. Stace [Nix] 1:47 Yes. Marietta [Atalia] 1:48 Okay. Cool. Anyways, and then I went there and I guess ChaCha had helped your mom after she had blipped out and she was very chilly. Alex [ChaCha] 1:58 Drowning. Marietta [Atalia] 1:59 Drowning. Drowning? Yes, not the chilly. That was the time before. And Nix's dad made the really dank breakfast that he's known for. And I showed up just in time to get some remnants of that. Pretty exciting. And then I think I creepily scanned your mother while she was sleeping. Daniel [GM] 2:21 Mmhmm. Marietta [Atalia] 2:21 And we found out that it was like sort of an energy thing. Question mark? I did not totally understand. I think the point was to not totally understand, but there's something about it that's somewhat similar to Nix, but not Nix. But something. And it was weird. Wasn't quite sure what was going on there. But there's something and it seems, didn't it seem Numenera or energy based? It wasn't like a disease. Daniel [GM] 2:46 It was Numenera based, yeah. Marietta [Atalia] 2:48 Okay. So I was wondering if it was like a cypher or something, I don't know. We don't know. Something we should probably explore further as a party. Stace [Nix] 2:58 As though we were explorers. Marietta [Atalia] 3:02 Yeah, it's like we were wanted or something - Daniel [GM] 3:04 It's funny how that works. Alex [ChaCha] 3:06 Now there’s gonna be that one person that’s like, “They said the name of the thing!” Multiple Speakers 3:10 [laughter] Multiple Speakers 3:10 [crosstalk] Marietta [Atalia] 3:10 Ooo also back it up. I had a letter from someone, with a note probably from James on it, invited me to a little get together in a part of town that I've never been to before. So I'll eventually have to go to that and I think I told you guys about it. Daniel [GM] 3:25 You did go to that. Marietta [Atalia] 3:28 Yeah, I just don't remember what happened between like being in the house and me going to that. Stace [Nix] 3:33 We staked it out. Marietta [Atalia] 3:34 Oh ok. Alex [ChaCha] 3:34 ChaCha made a new friend. Stace [Nix] 3:35 Dili leveled up. Daniel [GM] 3:38 And very importantly, Atalia had to make a choice. Marietta [Atalia] 3:42 Okay, but I was okay. Okay, then. So we stake out the place and eventually I'm like, [As Atalia] Okay, I'm gonna go I took, I brought this seskii with me who is Jeskii now. Multiple Speakers 3:51 [crosstalk] Marietta [Atalia] 3:55 Oh, okay. Yeah, so anyways, her name is Jeskii now. Forever and always. I'm so excited about this name that I really thought out and emotionally meant a lot to me, it was really carefully selected. So I leave Jeskii with you guys after we scope the place out and go to the meeting by myself. And it's kind of sketchy guys. It's a little culty. Marietta [Atalia] 4:20 Anyway, so I am like, hey, just like, you know, conflicting interests, really unfortunate and they're like, okay, you know, you should be careful asking questions. By the by, do you want to join us? And I was like, Whoa, I thought the whole point was that I wasn't gonna join you. And I'm like, No, and then they were like, well, he was wrong. And then they killed James. James looks very stressed at the beginning of the meeting, too. I should have known something was up. And then I think that's where we ended? Daniel [GM] 4:50 It is. In fact, James had died. They have said that you had a - Marietta [Atalia] 4:55 Ooo I've got the new handler. Daniel [GM] 4:58 Yeah, Murric said that you would meet your new handler in the same place as usual, tomorrow, and not to be late. And then everybody else left except for Tamara. Marietta [Atalia] 5:09 My least favorite. Daniel [GM] 5:11 Yeah, yeah. She came up to Atalia and said, "We're going to get to know each other real well." And that's where we ended. So I would say, what have the rest of you been doing on the roof while Atalia has been in there? Sampson [Dili] 5:26 [As Dili] We should get off the roof. I guess. We've been up here for hours. Stace [Nix] 5:32 Honestly, I mean I would think that, unless the other two convinced Nix not to, stay on the roof. Or are we like backtracking in time, are we acting this out? Daniel [GM] 5:44 So yeah, I'm going back to where you, what you guys were doing the whole time while Atalia was in that meeting. Sampson [Dili] 5:50 And it was about early evening? Daniel [GM] 5:52 It was about 8pm when the meeting was starting. Sampson [Dili] 5:55 So in universe it took Atalia eight hours to name the dog on the roof as we came straight from breakfast? Daniel [GM] 6:05 Essentially, yeah. Marietta [Atalia] 6:07 Umm, I thought - Stace [Nix] 6:08 We watched people come and go for a while. Marietta [Atalia] 6:10 Yeah, we like scoped the place out. Alex [ChaCha] 6:12 ChaCha did a little fun play. Daniel [GM] 6:14 Yeah, she inspired a child. Alex [ChaCha] 6:17 Yes. I'm not sure what, but maybe have a buddy cop movie. I don't know. Sampson [Dili] 6:22 Maybe that's your next character. Alex [ChaCha] 6:24 I guess she'll call that child Jorge. Daniel [GM] 6:27 Dili, Nix, ChaCha: What are you doing on the roof? You know, this is taking place just right after Atalia left you guys and you saw her cross the street and go into the building. Alex [ChaCha] 6:39 Sampson, evens or odds? Sampson [Dili] 6:42 Oh, okay. Evens. Alex [ChaCha] 6:46 Okay, good. Umm, ChaCha I think is just gonna be laying on her back. Like staring at the sky. Cause we're just on a roof. Daniel [GM] 6:55 Okay. So you look up at the sky and you see the multitude of stars up there. The moon is still in the sky. It's been a couple days, so it's not the same full moon you guys saw when you were on your way out to the ruins, but it is still most of the moon and you can still see that circle of green on it before that kind of fades into the shadows on the moon surface. Sampson [Dili] 7:21 How bright are glowglobes? Daniel [GM] 7:23 Think like a big ass flashlight. Like the kind of flashlight you really want like in a cave or something like that. Like not a small one on your head, but one like if you actually have to look around. Sampson [Dili] 7:34 Okay. Daniel [GM] 7:35 Except that the light goes in every direction, not just one. Sampson [Dili] 7:38 Right, okay. Umm, I think Dili is gonna try to make just a little, a little cave deal. He's trying to use this time to work on a cypher. Since we're just waiting so he's gonna, I guess try to put a cloak over himself and then light a glow globe under that. Like he's late night reading when he should have gone to bed. Daniel [GM] 7:59 Ok, just give me an Intelligence roll and beat a 6. Sampson [Dili] 8:10 Ok, let's see how we do this. 15. Okay. Alex [ChaCha] 8:13 Yay. Daniel [GM] 8:14 Okay. Yeah. You feel like you've got everything pretty well encased there, you guys will see this sort of like shadowy dome where Dili was. Sampson [Dili] 8:24 And then underneath that he's going to try to use the special ability extra use on the Still Field cypher because it should be running out at about this time. Daniel [GM] 8:34 Okay, so, how does that ability work again? Sampson [Dili] 8:38 I attempt to gain an extra use from an [Inaudible] or artifact without triggering a depletion. You could also try this on a Cypher without burning it out but the task is hindered. On a failed attempt to gain an additional use from a Cypher destroys it. Daniel [GM] 8:56 So what level is your Cypher? Sampson [Dili] 8:59 This is a level 4. Daniel [GM] 9:01 Okay, so since it is hindered it will now be a 15. Sampson [Dili] 9:06 Okay. And is this a Crafting Numenera? Can I apply any of that or is this apart from the skills? Daniel [GM] 9:11 Yeah, you could. You could. So you’re if you’re gonna do Crafting Numenera, because I think that would apply here, that would be then a 12. Sampson [Dili] 9:24 12. Extra use is 3 Intelligence points. But I get one off for Edge. And then I’m gonna put an extra level off effort into this. Daniel [GM] 9:33 So you’ll pay 5 total. Sampson [Dili] 9:36 Should it be 4? Daniel [GM] 9:39 No. The Edge only works for that same roll that you’re going for. So if it’s the same thing…. Sampson [Dili] 9:47 Ahhh. Daniel [GM] 9:48 That’s where it starts getting tricky. Because if you’re using a power that consumes your points and adding Effort you do have to spend points. Sampson [Dili] 9:58 All right, with that in mind I may have cheated a bit in our first campaign without realizing it. So apologies for that one. Stace [Nix] 10:01 I mean, we didn’t see any particular benefit. Alex [ChaCha] 10:08 Oooohhh. Marietta [Atalia] 10:09 Yeah, I was gonna say the same thing. Sampson [Dili] 10:10 Ouch, no that’s fair. Marietta [Atalia] 10:12 [Inaudible] That's a different story. Sampson [Dili] 10:12 That’s completely accurate. So, 9? I’m at a 9? Daniel [GM] 10:19 9. Sampson [Dili] 10:19 Okay. 17. Alex [ChaCha] 10:22 Yay! Daniel [GM] 10:25 Okay. You think that you have rigged this up for one more use, and you think that when it shuts down that you’ll be able to restart it. You might have to knock on it a little bit but you think you’ve got it pretty well set up to get a second use. Sampson [Dili] 10:40 All right, can I tell how many hours I have because it should be running out now, if not three hours ago. Daniel [GM] 10:47 Yeah. Let’s say you started working on it not just because you remembered but also because you could sort of tell from some of the sounds that were coming, that you were broadcasting out, are starting to get more loud so you had a sense that it was already winding down. Sampson [Dili] 11:05 All right. That’s all Dili’s gonna do for now. Daniel [GM] 11:07 Okay. And Nix? Stace [Nix] 11:10 Nix is totally focused on the house across the street, with the seskii. She obviously doesn’t know where Atalia went inside the house but she’s trying to see into the windows. She’s watching the guards outside looking at their posture, trying to get any indication at all of what’s happening. Daniel [GM] 11:34 Okay, so give me a 12 Perception roll. And you’re trained, right? Stace [Nix] 11:40 No. Daniel [GM] 11:41 Okay, just 12. Stace [Nix] 11:44 I got a seven. Daniel [GM] 11:46 Okay, yeah, so, you’re studying and you don’t see any sign. The seskii has kind of-. I’m assuming that this roof has a little lip or something like that and that’s what Nix is peering over. The seskii kind of scoots over, it seems to realize that it has to stay low. But then pushes its nose and head up so it can peek over the side of the roof and it looks at the door and it makes a little whining noise. Stace [Nix] 12:13 [As Nix] What do you see? Nix whispers. [As Nix] What’s going on? Daniel [GM] 12:18 Jeskii just kind of looks up at you for a second and looks back and just makes a little whine. And while that is all going on, we're going to cut back to Atalia. Atalia, Tamara didn’t really say much else, she just walked past you and took the elevator up. And now there’s just you and this same guy that escorted you down waiting for you at the elevator. Marietta [Atalia] 12:46 I'll try to keep my mask of perpetual indifference up and then I'll, you know, try to get ready to like leave or whatever. Daniel [GM] 12:56 Okay, so give me a Deception roll on the keeping the mask in place. It'll be a-. Yeah. So it'll be a 9. Marietta [Atalia] 13:06 13. Daniel [GM] 13:09 Okay. Yeah, you have it pretty well in order. And as you enter the elevator, this guy, just you know, in the other silently brings the elevator back up to the top and shows you to the front door. Marietta [Atalia] 13:22 Okay, I would like to kind of pay attention to details of like how this elevator functions. I'm just kind of like watch how he's like making this all work. So theoretically, I could try to get back to where we were kind of thing. Daniel [GM] 13:38 Interesting. Okay. Marietta [Atalia] 13:40 Try to get as much information about the area as I go through. Daniel [GM] 13:45 So jot this down, I'll try to remember as well, but if I forget, remind me. If you come back here and you’re trying to use that then you can have an asset to remembering details on it because you actually focused on it on the way out. Marietta [Atalia] 13:59 Okay. Daniel [GM] 14:00 If it comes up. I don’t know if it will. Okay. Marietta [Atalia] 14:04 Cool. Daniel [GM] 14:06 Nix, Jeskii whimpers a couple more times at it’s at that point that you see Atalia coming out the door. Jeskii’s tail starts going back and forth and actually wacks into you pretty hard because it’s got a scaly body. Stace [Nix] 14:25 Okay, and Atalia is coming out alone? Daniel [GM] 14:28 Yep. Out alone. In fact, you didn't see anybody else leave. Stace [Nix] 14:35 [As Nix] Hey guys, Atalia’s out. Sampson [Dili] 14:38 [As Dili] She is? Okay. Stace [Nix] 14:39 [As Nix] Yeah, let’s, uh-. Well, actually, um, I think Nix would wait and see what Atalia does. Is Atalia going to come to the roof? Is Atalia walking down the street? Marietta [Atalia] 14:48 So Atalia is gonna pretend to leave normally just to make sure she isn’t being tailed, then she’ll loop around back to you guys. Daniel [GM] 14:59 Mm hmm. Okay, okay, so let's do this then give me a 12 Stealth role to kind of hide this as you're going around. Marietta [Atalia] 15:11 Okay, and I am specialized in Stealth. Daniel [GM] 15:14 So it's a six. Marietta [Atalia] 15:14 Alright, that's a 14. Daniel [GM] 15:18 Yeah, you don't know if anybody was actually tailing you but if they were, they sure as hell aren't now. Marietta [Atalia] 15:24 Okay. I'll be confident in that and then I’ll go climb back on the roof. Daniel [GM] 15:31 Okay, give me a 6 climb roll. Marietta [Atalia] 15:34 And I am trained in that too. Daniel [GM] 15:37 That’s a three. Marietta [Atalia] 15:39 13. Daniel [GM] 15:39 to 313. Okay, so you get back up the roof, no problem. And Atalia comes over and Jeskii runs over and nearly knocks you over and starts licking your face. Marietta [Atalia] 15:48 All right, I'll be like, [As Atalia] Whose a good, sneaky dog-. I mean, a sneaky seskii. And I’ll vigorously pet the seskii while also simultaneously shushing it. Daniel [GM] 16:02 Yeah, and it’s wagging its tail back and forth really hard. In fact, Dili could you make a Speed Defense roll of 6? Sampson [Dili] 16:09 Uhh. Okay. Marietta [Atalia] 16:13 This is how we die. Sampson [Dili] 16:14 11. Daniel [GM] 16:15 Okay. Jeskii’s not really paying attention and her tail goes swinging through Dili’s dome of darkness. Sampson [Dili] 16:25 [As Dili] Ahh! Daniel [GM] 16:25 But Dili reacts fast enough to kind of recoil back as this scaled tail swings through his face. Sampson [Dili] 16:32 [As Dili] Oh, okay. That’s why we don’t allow pets at the shop. Marietta [Atalia] 16:40 I’m just like, uh, [As Atalia] Jeskii, shh. Jeskii, you gotta be a stealth seskii. Daniel [GM] 16:47 Yeah, so Jeskii actually does start to calm down and kind of goes down on all fours and does its hiding expression it was doing with Nix when they were watching you guys. Marietta [Atalia] 16:57 And I'll just give little pets and, [As Atalia] Aw, such a good stealth seskii. Stace [Nix] 17:04 [As Nix] So, Atalia, totally want to talk all about whatever just happened, but I think we need to get out of here first. Marietta [Atalia] 17:11 [As Atalia] Yeah, let’s go to my grandma’s house. Stace [Nix] 17:13 [As Nix] Your grandma’s? All right. I was gonna suggest the basement, but I think that’s a good choice. Marietta [Atalia] 17:19 [As Atalia] You know, I think in her retirement she just likes to be involved sometimes. Stace [Nix] 17:23 [As Nix] I-. Honestly, I would love to see your grandma. I haven't seen her in years. Marietta [Atalia] 17:29 Yeah. Daniel [GM] 17:29 Okay. So that’s where you guys are going? Marietta [Atalia] 17:31 Yeah, so I’ll try to help them be sneaky and hop down and all that. Daniel [GM] 17:39 Yeah, for the sake of expediency we’ll say you guys all get down just fine. And you’re leading them to your grandmother’s place. It takes a little while. Marietta [Atalia] 17:49 I would also like to, while we’re walking, to be looking around to make sure that no one’s spotted me or is tailing us kind of thing. Daniel [GM] 17:58 Okay, give me a Perception of 12. Marietta [Atalia] 18:00 Okay. 19. Daniel [GM] 18:03 Okay. You don’t see anybody tracking you guys. Marietta [Atalia] 18:08 Okay. Daniel [GM] 18:10 It doesn’t take long- well, it does take a little bit of time. It’s not a terrible neighborhood, it’s not like the slums or anything like that, but it is definitely much lower in income, it’s a very different class of citizenship. I mean, the cog couriers do come here but it’s like once a month as opposed to weekly or daily. Unless they’ve got a message that they’ve been sent to deliver, which doesn’t happen often going to this neighborhood. Because cog couriers are expensive to use. As you guys approach the house, Atalia, you can see that there is a light on inside where sort of the area of the house you guys think of as sort of the, the dining table, the dining nook. Marietta [Atalia] 18:53 Okay, I’ll knock on the door and stick my head in before I bring a herd inside. Daniel [GM] 19:01 Your grandmother is sitting there at the table just staring off into the middle distance. When you knock and open the door she looks very startled. She turns and she looks at you. [As Atalia’s Grandma] Oh, thank god. Marietta [Atalia] 19:15 [As Atalia] Yeah, um, I have some friends with me, like, actual friends. Is that-. Can I bring them in? Daniel [GM] 19:22 [As Atalia’s Grandma] I suppose. Marietta [Atalia] 19:25 And so I’ll open the door and gesture for them to come in. I’ll say, [As Atalia] Don’t worry, you know one of them. Daniel [GM] 19:31 Yeah, cuz as soon as Nix walks through the door she immediately jumps and is like, [As Atalia’s Grandma] Nix! It’s been so long! Wow, you’ve grown. Stace [Nix] 19:40 [As Nix] Ah, yeah, had spurt just after I left. How are you doin’? Daniel [GM] 19:46 [As Atalia’s Grandma] I’m well. Obviously, Atalia here is keeping my hands full. Marietta [Atalia] 19:51 [As Atalia] Sorry. Stace [Nix] 19:53 [As Nix] Oh, yeah. Marietta [Atalia] 19:53 [As Atalia] I’m just trying to be helpful. Per usual. Stace [Nix] 19:58 What would Nix call your grandma? Marietta [Atalia] 20:02 Um. Daniel [GM] 20:02 The help. Marietta [Atalia] 20:03 Maybe grandma? Stace [Nix] 20:04 I mean, I feel like would say G-ma. Marietta [Atalia] 20:06 Yeah. I think that’s fine. Stace [Nix] 20:07 Like short for grandma because grandma’s so long. Marietta [Atalia] 20:10 Uh-huh. Daniel [GM] 20:10 Mmhmm. Stace [Nix] 20:12 [As Nix] Sup, G-ma. Daniel [GM] 20:13 [As G-ma] You’ve been all over, Atalia tells me that you didn’t just go to University? You went and joined a Society? You’ve been traveling around the Steadfast? Stace [Nix] 20:24 [As Nix] Oh, yeah. I’ve seen lots of stuff. I’ve beat a lot of people up. Explored a lot of ruins. I’m part of the Benevolent Society now. Daniel [GM] 20:33 [As G-ma] Ohh. Oh, yes, I remember your mother telling me about them at one point. She was showing me something in the house that she was very proud of and it has some symbol on it that she said was associated with that Order. Stace [Nix] 20:50 [As Nix] She did? Daniel [GM] 20:52 [As G-ma] Yeah, I mean she was a friend of the Society. Stace [Nix] 20:54 [As Nix] Do you, uh. I wanna come check this thing out because I’ve never seen it before, and, uh, some weird stuff’s going on. Not to make this about me, though, this is about Atalia, so we can touch on that later? Daniel [GM] 21:08 [As G-ma] Yeah. And who are your other friends? Marietta [Atalia] 21:11 [As Atalia] So that job I told you about. So this is Dili and this is ChaCha. And they went to those ruins with me where all the shenanigans started so they’ve been helping me try to find that item and they waited for me while I went to that meeting that you said to come back and talk to you after I went to. So I’m back to talk to you. Daniel [GM] 21:36 [As G-ma] So you had backup? Marietta [Atalia] 21:38 [As Atalia] Yeah, and they watched Jeskii. I finally named her. Daniel [GM] 21:42 [As G-ma] Oh, that’s a good name. I mean, a little simple, but sometimes the simple names are best. Marietta [Atalia] 21:47 [As Atalia] I was put on the spot, so. I had to make an important decision quickly. Sampson [Dili] 21:53 [As Dili] It took her hours. Marietta [Atalia] 21:54 [As Atalia] Because I apparently have to do…. Daniel [GM] 21:56 [As G-ma] Well, it’s been like three weeks since you first brought this animal to the house. Marietta [Atalia] 22:00 [As Atalia] It’s fine, it’s fine. Um. Daniel [GM] 22:05 [As G-ma] Dili, um, you look familiar, Dili. Sampson [Dili] 22:08 [As Dili] Oh, okay. Um. Daniel [GM] 22:11 [As G-ma] Did you have some sort of shop over near the University? Sampson [Dili] 22:16 [As Dili] Oh, yes. Yes I-. Daniel [GM] 22:18 [As G-ma] I think I actually picked something up at some point for the Sladeks. I don’t know what it was. I don’t think it was with you, I think you might have been visiting somebody’s shop next door. It was something relatively simple and it looks like something that might be a little bit below you. Sampson [Dili] 22:34 [As Dili] Oh. Well, yes I formerly had a shop. I might still, but that’s not really here or there. Um. But yes, that was probably me. Daniel [GM] 22:46 Atalia and Nix. Give me a Perception-ish, Insight-ish roll. It’s a 9 to start, but Atalia will have 2 assets. So it’s only a three for her. Nix, it’ll be a 9. Marietta [Atalia] 23:06 I am also trained in detecting falsehoods. Daniel [GM] 23:09 This isn’t really a falsehood but go ahead and roll. Marietta [Atalia] 23:13 I rolled a 9. Daniel [GM] 23:15 Okay, so you-. Stace [Nix] 23:15 Is this a social interaction? Daniel [GM] 23:16 Yep. Stace [Nix] 23:18 Okay, so I’m trained. I got a 19. Daniel [GM] 23:20 Okay. Alex [ChaCha] 23:21 Yay! Stace [Nix] 23:22 Or a 61. Daniel [GM] 23:27 As your grandmother is talking it becomes obvious to you guys. Something that is really weird. G-ma has always been charming with people and things like that but she always had a different tone to it. This is much more like an energetic and is less, necessarily, sincere. It’s not like she’s lying to Dili, she’s deliberately, sort of the Midwestern Nice to somebody that you don’t know if you care about or not yet. Marietta [Atalia] 24:01 Oh definitely. Definitely. I am her granddaughter, I mean, come on. There’s gotta be some social finesse there, let’s be real. Daniel [GM] 24:14 Yeah. So take that information and do with it what you will. And she says, [As G-ma] You…ChaCha I think she said your name was? Alex [ChaCha] 24:23 [As ChaCha] Yes. Yes, yes, yes. Daniel [GM] 24:26 [As G-ma] Yeah, you I don’t recognize you but you also seem to be maybe too young to have been working at that time. Marietta [Atalia] 24:36 [As Atalia] Oh, no, I don’t think she works with Dili. Daniel [GM] 24:38 [As G-ma] Mm. My mistake, my mistake. Marietta [Atalia] 24:41 [As Atalia] I don’t think she’s from around here actually, I think this is her first Charmonde experience. Daniel [GM] 24:45 [As G-ma] Well she is capable of talking, you could ask her. Marietta [Atalia] 24:51 Atalia looks like, she looks like a fish for a second. She just like-. Alex [ChaCha] 24:55 [As ChaCha] Burn. Stace [Nix] 24:57 [As Nix] Uh, yeah, ChaCha performs for children. Um, puppets seem to be her specialty. And Dili is wanted. Sampson [Dili] 25:08 [As Dili] I would-. Nix! Stace [Nix] 25:11 [As Nix] This is G-ma! Daniel [GM] 25:13 She turns and looks at you. [As G-ma] Wanted by who? Sampson [Dili] 25:17 [As Dili] I would rather not bring more people into this, apologies. Daniel [GM] 25:22 [As G-ma] Well, you’re in my house, so if you’re wanted you’ve already brought me into this. Sampson [Dili] 25:27 [As Dili] Oh. Uh, okay, yeah. I may have taken a bit of a rotten job for an organization and now they want me-. Daniel [GM] 25:39 [As G-ma] Which one? Sampson [Dili] 25:40 [As Dili] Uh, the Knyx [As Dili]. Daniel [GM] 25:42 She stands there for a second, there’s very clear recognition in her eyes and she turns to Atalia and says, [As G-ma] Was one not enough? One problem not enough? I’m gonna need a moment to process that, Dili, it is very nice to meet you-. Sampson [Dili] 26:04 [As Dili] I can leave, I feel like I should leave. Marietta [Atalia] 26:07 [As Atalia] Yeah, why don’t you guys take Jeskii out back for a little bit, I think she could really use some outside time. Daniel [GM] 26:15 [As G-ma] I think that’s a fine idea, dear. Why don’t you guys do that. If you put your hood up, it’s dark enough back there you should be fine. Sampson [Dili] 26:23 [As Dili] Thank you, I’m sorry, you have a lovely house. Daniel [GM] 26:29 [As G-ma] Atalia, have a seat. Let’s talk. Marietta [Atalia] 26:31 Atalia gingerly walks to the table and pulls the chair out and sits at the edge of the chair very straight and crosses her hands in her lap. [As Atalia] Like yeah, we should probably talk. Daniel [GM] 26:50 I see hands raised. Stace, yours came up first. Stace [Nix] 26:53 Nix wouldn’t go in the backyard unless G-ma asked her to by name. Alex [ChaCha] 26:57 Same. ChaCha would just stand there staring at them like, what is this? Daniel [GM] 27:03 [As G-ma] I do need to talk Atalia. Atalia, I mean its up to you, but this is probably something better to keep between us. Marietta [Atalia] 27:09 [As Atalia] Yeah, can you guys just give us a minute, I know it’s rude. Like, hey come to my grandma’s and go hang out in the backyard while I talk to her by myself. Stace [Nix] 27:18 [As Nix] All right, dude. Peace, good to see you G-ma. Marietta [Atalia] 27:21 [As Atalia] I mean you guys can come back in after we’re done talking, you don’t have to live outside. You will see Grandma again. Alex [ChaCha] 27:27 ChaCha’s gonna look at G-ma and be like, [As ChaCha] You’re never really alone, so…. And then leave. Marietta [Atalia] 27:36 [As Atalia] She’s just-. After the door shuts, she’ll be like, [As Atalia] ChaCha is especially a ray of sunshine. Daniel [GM] 27:43 [As G-ma] Yeah. Marietta [Atalia] 27:44 Atalia just looks ashamed, sitting there. Daniel [GM] 27:48 [As G-ma] So, I’m glad you had backup. I’m glad they were there for you. I’m hoping nobody saw them. Marietta [Atalia] 27:55 [As Atalia] No, I did a pretty good job of keeping a look out and making sure we weren’t followed back here or anything. Daniel [GM] 28:00 [As G-ma] Okay. Well, that’s good. Tell me everything you can about the meeting. Mmhmm, yeah, she saw the invite. Marietta [Atalia] 28:08 [As Atalia] There was a house across the street. I had them up there scoping it out, we scoped it out for a while. I left them there with Jeskii, then I doubled back around from sort of the center of town. Went to the meeting, gentleman led me down. There was an elevator. Daniel [GM] 28:32 [As G-ma] Yeah, I know the layout, honey. The meeting. Marietta [Atalia] 28:34 [As Atalia] Oh, the meeting. She looks conspicuously at Grandma after she says “I know the layout.” Daniel [GM] 28:42 [As G-ma] It’s just Stone. Marietta [Atalia] 28:43 She’s like, that might’ve been helpful information. [As Atalia] Yeah, so I, they were mad at me for asking questions, which full addendum to all of this, I don’t how they found out. James was…first of all, James is dead. But James is not such an idiot to get himself killed. He wouldn’t just be like, I’m questioning my contractor, you know? He’s not an idiot. So I don’t know how they found that out specifically. And then that lady they had tailing me, I guess she’s going to be my new handler which makes me just wanna run away. I don’t really want to be involved with her. She seems really aggressive. I didn’t really mean for that whole incident to turn out the way it did but I didn’t plan on getting ambushed in the bathroom, either. Marietta [Atalia] 29:32 [As Atalia] I don’t know, I don’t know, I didn’t tell them that I was emotionally upset about them murdering whoever, I don’t really care, honestly, at this point. I just said the part about the conflicting interest job thing, that it just made it difficult, it would have been helpful to know, you know, in the future in that kind of situation. And then they asked me to join them, which was not what I had planned. Marietta [Atalia] 29:59 [As Atalia] I saw James when I walked in and he looked really stressed out and that must have been why because I think he knew I would say no, so I don’t know why they even asked me to begin with. They killed James when I said no and then told me that Tamara, or whatever the heck that bitchy lady’s name is, is going to be my new handler and to meet her at the same time as usual tomorrow night, same place. Daniel [GM] 30:24 When you look up kind of finishing that, you notice that your grandmother has gone very pale. [As G-ma] They asked you to join them? Marietta [Atalia] 30:30 [As Atalia] I don’t know why they would, though. I was pretty, I never wanted to join their organization. I was always pretty strict about being information, acquisitions, that sort of the thing. I’m not some, I just wanted to expand my knowledge and get money with the skills that I had and that’s how I knew, I don’t know. Daniel [GM] 30:50 [As G-ma] Well, you were always a talented girl. I guess they noticed. Okay, so you’re definitely gonna go to that meeting tomorrow. You’re definitely going to meet with your handler. You’re going to consider whatever contract they offer you. Doesn’t have to be, I’m not saying you do anything outside what your normal limits are but you’ve gotta keep it professional. You have to look like you’re willing to continue doing work occasionally. Marietta [Atalia] 31:22 [As Atalia] Grandma, do you know this lady? Have you heard of her before? Daniel [GM] 31:25 [As G-ma] No, I don’t know this particular person you’re talking about. Marietta [Atalia] 31:30 [As Atalia] I don’t know, she seems pretty kind of straight-up evil. Which is maybe a bold assumption on my part. What I’m trying to say is that I don’t think that I, I don’t know if I can play as well as I could play James. Part of me is tempted to just go buy a fancy bottle of wine and be like, “Hey, we got off on the wrong side of the foot.” Daniel [GM] 31:52 [As G-ma] If you think that would work, that’s fine, but I would say keep it professional. See how it goes. The way you describe this meeting makes it sound to me like she’s something more than just an average person of that organization. Sounds like some sort of enforcer. I suspect she’s going to be looking for ways in which you might misstep to suggest that any decision was made last night was not in error. With that in mind, you’re definitely going to meet with her. You’re going to consider whatever contracts they offer. Hopefully it’ll be more than one, because if at all possible you probably should at least take one of the things they offer you at this meeting. After that it becomes a little easier for you fade in the background, as long as you’ve delivered, post-that. That’s what I need you to do. Daniel [GM] 32:49 [As G-ma] The other thing I want to talk to you about is, you brought someone, did he tell you that he was wanted by the Knyxos? Marietta [Atalia] 33:01 Had I heard about that part? Daniel [GM] 33:02 You did. Marietta [Atalia] 33:03 Had I heard about the Knyxos part? Daniel [GM] 33:05 Yeah, cuz he asked if you knew what the Knyxos was. Marietta [Atalia] 33:08 But I didn’t know what that was. Did I? Daniel [GM] 33:12 You knew it was criminal organization. You didn’t recognize the name, but Dili later explained that they’re some sort of criminal group that was making weapons, essentially. Marietta [Atalia] 33:25 Okay. Stace [Nix] 33:26 Um, Stace is asking this. So wasn’t the, was the Merrick involved in both of these scenarios, or is are these different Merrick’s? Daniel [GM] 33:36 Two different ones. One is M-E, one is M-U. Stace [Nix] 33:40 Got it. Daniel [GM] 33:41 Yep. Sampson [Dili] 33:43 Is Atalia’s Murric M-U? Daniel [GM] 33:45 Yeah. Daniel [GM] 33:45 Yeah. Sampson [Dili] 33:46 Okay. Daniel [GM] 33:47 Murric. Marietta [Atalia] 33:48 Wait, what are we talking about? Daniel [GM] 33:49 The One who Tells the Story. Marietta [Atalia] 33:52 Oh. Daniel [GM] 33:51 At the event. The woman with the cut across her throat, Tamara, her title is the One that Asks the Questions. Marietta [Atalia] 34:01 Oh, okay. Daniel [GM] 34:02 And Murric is the One who Tells the Story. Marietta [Atalia] 34:06 Oh. Interesting. I guess my bad, I-R-L Marietta did not think about that. Atalia will just say, [As Atalia] I figured I was in enough of a pickle, seems rather small. I don’t know. It just seems like such a small thing compared to everything else and I could use the help at this point. Daniel [GM] 34:30 [As G-ma] I guess if they say judge you by your enemies, he’s probably helpful. They’re just dangerous, hon. They’re really dangerous. Marietta [Atalia] 34:39 [As Atalia] I guess I can ditch him, I don’t know. It just all seems so tangled up, you know? I’m really curious about this Momma Jerrun lady. It seems really conspicuous that we were all brought together like that. And that she brought this job to my attention. This job is what the whole problem was. Daniel [GM] 35:00 [As G-ma] That’s interesting. Marietta [Atalia] 35:01 [As Atalia] Yeah, I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. I guess I’ll just go back and try to play the game. Do I know the name of the organization for the people that I’m unfortunately working for? Daniel [GM] 35:13 Yeah, they just call themselves The Handlers. Marietta [Atalia] 35:16 The Handlers? Okay. Okay. [As Atalia] I don’t know, I’ll do what you want me to do at this point. I’ve clearly gotten myself into a rather large pickle. There’s just so many moving pieces. I don’t know which ones to write off, and, you know. Daniel [GM] 35:32 [As G-ma] Yeah. Do me a favor. After your meeting tomorrow, try to let me know as soon as possible how things are going. If you can’t make it right back here-. She reaches into her pocket and she pulls out a pouch of seven shins and says, [As G-ma] If you can’t make it back, here, use this. Send a cog courier. Just to let me know that you’re all right. Marietta [Atalia] 35:59 [As Atalia] Grandma, I have money, I can send you a courier without this, that’s fine. Thank you, though. Daniel [GM] 36:04 [As G-ma] Stubborn girl. Okay, I think we’ve left your friends out there long enough. Marietta [Atalia] 36:10 [As Atalia] Yeah, I am sorry about Dili, I should have thought that through. I really don’t think we were followed here, though. Daniel [GM] 36:16 [As G-ma] Okay, well, he really smells of desperation. Marietta [Atalia] 36:21 [As Atalia] He is very desperate. He also has no idea how the real world works and I am impressed that he got himself in such a pickle. Daniel [GM] 36:28 [As G-ma] Yeah. Maybe-. Marietta [Atalia] 36:29 [As Atalia] He seems intelligent, I don’t if worldly is the word I would use, but intelligent-wise, he’s extremely intelligent. Daniel [GM] 36:39 [As G-ma] If his shop is the one I’m thinking of, yeah, it would make sense that that would be the case. Let’s invite your friends back in. I think it probably looks worse the longer we talk. Marietta [Atalia] 36:48 [As Atalia] Okay. Daniel [GM] 36:50 [As G-ma] Let’s see what we can figure out for sleeping arrangements. I guess, I wonder if the living room would be enough for them to roll out bedrolls. I mean obviously, you and I have beds but I’m not sharing mine. Marietta [Atalia] 37:05 [As Atalia] Yeah. Maybe I’ll share mine. I don’t know. That’s a whole thing. Anyway, I’m gonna go get them. Daniel [GM] 37:13 [As G-ma] Okay. As you step up to go her face is already brightening into that Midwestern, cheery smile. You open the door, and-. Marietta [Atalia] 37:24 Wait, actually, I’ll hesitate as I open the door and I’ll be like, [As Atalia] Grandma, I’m really sorry I got into this, but it there anything I can do for you? Besides try to get out of this? Daniel [GM] 37:35 [As G-ma] Not right now, honey. Just try to get out of this. But let me know how things go because I really need to know how much more I need to get involved. Marietta [Atalia] 37:48 I’ll file that information away for later, too, but I’m not going to push her on that or anything. And then I’ll open the back screen door, I imagine, and be like, [As Atalia] You guys can come in. Daniel [GM] 38:03 So what are ChaCha and Dili doing out in the backyard? Alex [ChaCha] 38:07 ChaCha’s staring at a wall. Sampson [Dili] 38:08 Um, I think Dili is kind of playing with the seskii. He’s created an illusion of a little red dot. He’s laser-pointing, jumping around having that seskii chase it. Daniel [GM] 38:22 Yeah. The seskii’s having a good time. What about Nix. Stace [Nix] 38:25 Nix is leaning up against the doorjamb. She’s just leaning there. The door’s not gonna hit her, but right there. Daniel [GM] 38:35 Okay, yeah, so door opens and Atalia you are immediately face-to-shoulder with Nix. Marietta [Atalia] 38:43 [As Atalia] Hey, oh, hi. You guys can come in. Sorry. Thank you, thank you, I appreciate it. Stace [Nix] 38:48 [As Nix] Yeah. We’ll talk about this more-. What did Nix hear? Daniel [GM] 38:54 Oh, was Nix trying to listen in? Stace [Nix] 38:56 Nix wasn’t not trying to listen in. Yes. Daniel [GM] 39:06 So you were right by the doorjamb. Stace [Nix] 39:08 It’s a screen door. Daniel [GM] 39:10 And it’s not a big house. Marietta [Atalia] 39:11 It is a screen door. Marietta [Atalia] 39:12 No, it’s not. It’s like a two bedroom apartment. Daniel [GM] 39:15 Yeah. There’s not a lot of sound-dampening. So I would say for Nix, if you’re at the door, and you’re trying to, you’re not being obnoxious about it but you’re trying to listen, I would say it would be a 9 for you. Stace [Nix] 39:31 Okay. I would say that Nix respects privacy enough to not really, really try so I’m not gonna spend any Effort, but if it was audible she was listening. I got a nat 20! Alex [ChaCha] 39:45 Yeah! Marietta [Atalia] 39:45 Oh my gosh. Sampson [Dili] 39:45 Wow. Daniel [GM] 39:45 You heard every bit of that conversation. You heard it so clearly and you know both of them so well you could almost picture their expressions in every part of it. Stace [Nix] 39:55 Sweet. I don’t know what to do with this. Uh, oh yeah, so she just looks at Atalia and she’s like, [As Nix] I just wanna to clear some things up about exactly what our working-slash-personal relationship is but we can do that, like, another time. Marietta [Atalia] 40:11 Atalia just drops the screen door and turns around and walks back inside. She’s like, [As Atalia] I don’t even know what life is right now. You guys can come in. Sampson [Dili] 40:20 [As Dili] That was cryptic. Stace [Nix] 40:25 Nix goes inside. Daniel [GM] 40:26 Okay, I’m assuming everybody goes inside. G-ma kind of shows where, she kind of moves the dining table aside so there’s some room for bedrolls. Marietta [Atalia] 40:37 We move the dining table aside. Daniel [GM] 40:40 Okay. Marietta [Atalia] 40:42 I’m, like, nah. Alex [ChaCha] 40:44 You don’t want Grandma moving a dining table by herself? Marietta [Atalia] 40:47 No. We must do everything for Grandma. Daniel [GM] 40:51 There’s probably room in that living room for two of you to be somewhat comfortable-ish. If you wall want to be uncomfortable you could try to fit a third person there or a third person-. Marietta [Atalia] 41:05 [As Atalia] Someone can sleep in my room. Daniel [GM] 41:07 Yeah, like on the floor there’s room for a bedroll. Stace [Nix] 41:10 How many doors are there to the outside? Daniel [GM] 41:13 Two. Marietta [Atalia] 41:15 There’s a front door and a back door. Stace [Nix] 41:16 Nix is gonna sleep outside G-ma’s door. Like right outside because she’s worried about the Knyxos. Daniel [GM] 41:25 Okay. Stace [Nix] 41:27 So she’s just on the floor in front of the door. Daniel [GM] 41:30 It’ll be a bit uncomfortable but you’ll be fine. Okay. So the rest of you sleep as well as you can. I assume Atalia is hopping up in bed with Jeskii? Marietta [Atalia] 41:41 Yes. Jeskii and Atalia are, like, spooning. Daniel [GM] 41:48 Okay. You guys wake up the next morning but before that I want to address something specific with Nix. While you are sleeping, you have a strange dream. In this dream you are standing by the side of a stream. It looks like a stream that you’ve walked past before. You don’t remember exactly where, but it’s familiar to you. It’s something you saw in your travels. You hear this strange rattling sound, kind of seems to be all around and seems to be coming behind you. Daniel [GM] 42:29 When you look over your shoulder to see what it is, it looks like this creatures…like a scorpion tail that’s rattling. And you look down because your right arms starts to feel a bit numb. When you look down it’s like your right arm is a serpent that lifts up and opens its mouth displaying fangs as its leaping towards your face and that’s when you wake up in the morning. Stace [Nix] 43:00 Dang. Rad. Daniel [GM] 43:01 Also, your hand is leaking a little bit of pus again. From those two puncture wounds. Stace [Nix] 43:09 She wipes it on her pants. Daniel [GM] 43:12 Okay. You guys all get up. What’s your plan for the day? Marietta [Atalia] 43:16 Atalia is trying to be hostess really hard. She’s making the tea, she’s trying not to burden Grandma whatsoever. Really trying to compensate for the amount of guilt that she’s feeling. Daniel [GM] 43:29 Okay. Marietta [Atalia] 43:29 [As Atalia] Sorry, we only have five eggs, so. Sampson [Dili] 43:33 [As Dili] Okay. Marietta [Atalia] 43:33 [As Atalia] Grandma gets two. Daniel [GM] 43:39 [As G-ma] All right, hon. Daniel [GM] 43:41 She looks at you all. [As G-ma] I assume you all have a big day. She turns to Atalia. [As G-ma] What time do you need to go to that thing? Marietta [Atalia] 43:53 [As Atalia] Um, just after dark. I’ll be back after that. Daniel [GM] 43:59 [As G-ma] Okay. Remember what I said, though. Marietta [Atalia] 44:03 [As Atalia] Yeah. I will, definitely. Do. That. Daniel [GM] 44:06 [As G-ma] Okay. I’m going to go in that back and I want to do some weeding. If you, feel free to make yourselves comfortable, and yeah. Marietta [Atalia] 44:20 [As Atalia] Oh wait, Grandma? [As Atalia] Do we want to ask her advice on our own quest? I say, looking at Dili and ChaCha and Nix. Sampson [Dili] 44:31 [As Dili] Well, first you should tell us what happened in there because I don’t know what you two conversed about last night, but we don’t know where you’re at with your people. Marietta [Atalia] 44:41 [As Atalia] I have to go to a meeting again tonight. Sampson [Dili] 44:45 [As Dili] What happened last night? Just because in-universe you haven’t told us what happened. Alex [ChaCha] 44:49 We’re just, like, so you went to a meeting and now we know nothing. But we’re at your Grandma’s house. Marietta [Atalia] 44:55 I’ll hesitate. I’ll kind of look at my grandma and I’ll look back at them. I’ll be, like, [As Atalia] Um, they decided that my handler should no longer be in the position and remember that lady from the bathroom? Alex [ChaCha] 45:11 [As ChaCha] No. Sampson [Dili] 45:12 [As Dili] Ah, yeah, the pee pervert. Alex [ChaCha] 45:13 [As ChaCha] There was a pee pervert? Marietta [Atalia] 45:15 [As Atalia] Yeah. She’s my new handler. Sampson [Dili] 45:17 [As Dili] Oh. Alex [ChaCha] 45:18 But wait, Deception check! Marietta [Atalia] 45:20 No. There’s no deception. Atalia mumbles as she says it, though, for sure, like, [As Atalia] She’s my new handler. It’s fine. Stace [Nix] 45:30 [As Nix] Uh. Are you sure, cuz I thought that you went down there, they invited you to join them. You said no, so they killed James. And now you have a new handler you’re meeting tonight. Is that accurate, Atalia, or am I off? Marietta [Atalia] 45:48 Atalia looks extremely uncomfortable, she’s just looking from person to person to person. It’s like she’s a cornered rat or whatever. Stace [Nix] 46:00 [As Nix] I just wanna make one thing, like, real clear, dude. We’re travelling together or we’re not. And if we’re travelling together, I will kill for you and I will die for you. Because you’re my family. If we’re not travelling together, then it’s everyone for themself, you get what I’m sayin’? Marietta [Atalia] 46:20 [As Atalia] Mmhmm. Yeah. Daniel [GM] 46:21 Uh, Dili, because of where you’re positioned, obviously Nix is focused on Atalia but you can see that G-ma kind of nods almost approvingly in the background. Sampson [Dili] 46:37 [As Dili] Oh, man. Marietta [Atalia] 46:38 [As Atalia] Sure. Yeah. I didn’t want to get you guys more involved than you needed to be. Stace [Nix] 46:44 [As Nix] I get that and I appreciate that, dude, but we are involved. We kept watch outside that house last night for you, we’re gonna keep watch outside tonight. And, your organization knows something about our regular job, so. Marietta [Atalia] 46:59 [As Atalia] Yeah. That’s why I wanted to tell Grandma about it because she seems more knowledgeable. Stace [Nix] 47:09 [As Nix] Yeah. G-ma’s knowledgeable as fuck. That’s why I’m glad you said that we were coming here last night. Marietta [Atalia] 47:14 [As Atalia] Anyways, um, I really want out of this organization but I’m definitely going to have to play the game in order to get out if you know what I mean. Stace [Nix] 47:22 [As Nix] Yeah, especially that’s, you know, sound advice. Are we in this together Atalia? Marietta [Atalia] 47:28 [As Atalia] I think we have to be. Stace [Nix] 47:31 [As Nix] All right. Daniel [GM] 47:33 G-ma looks at you Atalia and shakes her head and lowers her head. Then she kind of lifts it up and at this point she actually says something, she’s like, [As G-ma] That’s not an answer, Atalia. Marietta [Atalia] 47:47 [As Atalia] I, uh. Look, I might have some of my own trust issues, thank you. I don’t like this situation. I want to say yes and have it just be fine. But, I don’t know if you realize this, but you kind of just, up and left. For like, a minute. And now you’re just like, we’re family again. I want that to be true so bad. But it just, but it feel like it’s not safe to trust, you know. Stace [Nix] 48:17 [As Nix] Yeah. I get that concern, but let me de-personalize this for you because one of the tenets of my Order is “Our Family Travels Beside Us.” So if you’re travelin’ beside me you’re my family, ChaCha’s my family, Dili’s my family. Get what I’m sayin’? Marietta [Atalia] 48:33 [As Atalia] That’s pretty deep, man. Stace [Nix] 48:34 [As Nix] Yeah. Up to you. Marietta [Atalia] 48:36 [As Atalia] Yeah, yeah. We’re in this. Well, I want to get out of this, I want to solve this, I want to find the item, I want to have different life. It seems like this could maybe be an opportunity even if it’s also terrifying. Stace [Nix] 48:51 [As Nix] All right. Daniel [GM] 48:54 Your grandmother kind of stops for a second, she kind of looks at the sky. And she says, [As G-ma] What’s Dili’s bounty, by the way? Stace [Nix] 49:00 [As Nix] Time to go. Marietta [Atalia] 49:05 [As Atalia] Dili can-. Atalia goes back into her room and gets another cloak and drops it onto Dili. And she’s like, [As Atalia] Come on, man. Sampson [Dili] 49:14 [As Dili] Thank you. Marietta [Atalia] 49:18 [As Atalia] This one’s darker. Sampson [Dili] 49:21 [As Dili] Thank you. Dili will pull out, I guess he has the wanted poster and put that on the table for G-ma to look at. Daniel [GM] 49:30 She looks at it and she says, [As G-ma] 500 shins? I guess that’s an honor of its own, isn’t it? Sampson [Dili] 49:37 [As Dili] I guess? It’s my first time. I don’t know. Daniel [GM] 49:43 [As G-ma] Oh, we’ll be gentle then, dear. Marietta [Atalia] 49:46 [As Atalia] Grandma, he wasn’t even trying. Stace [Nix] 49:51 That was delayed, sorry, Daniel. Daniel [GM] 49:57 [As G-ma] Yeah, I mean 500 shins. It’s the kind of thing that could buy you out of one problem but not two problems, I understand. She let’s that sit for a moment, she’s like, [As G-ma] I’m kidding by the way, I’m not saying that you should sell your friend. Because if you believe what you’re saying, and I think you do, to your friend Nix, here, Atalia, then I would say you’ve made these three, their part of your line now. They’re one of your lines, so, remember that. Marietta [Atalia] 50:30 [As Atalia] Okay. I’ll try this not-solo approach and see how it goes. Being a lone wolf was working so well for me. Daniel [GM] 50:39 [As G-ma] Yeah. Stace [Nix] 50:40 [As Nix] Dude. It’s gonna be dope. Marietta [Atalia] 50:43 [As Atalia] I hope so. Anyway, so we gotta find this item. PS, can we still be in the kitchen and not, like, in the middle of the street. Daniel [GM] 50:51 Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. In the kitchen. Marietta [Atalia] 50:54 Okay, good. Daniel [GM] 50:54 I’m assuming this is all happening in the kitchen. Stace [Nix] 50:57 Me too. Daniel [GM] 50:57 Your grandmother is still drinking tea and you guys have been talking. Alex [ChaCha] 51:01 ChaCha’s watching the conversation like at a tennis match. Daniel [GM] 51:06 Yeah. Marietta [Atalia] 51:07 [As Atalia] We’ve got to find this item. First of all, I want to throw on the table that this Momma Jerrun lady is slightly conspicuous because she did bring us all together. So we have the four-. I think we’re the pieces. Kind of. Sampson [Dili] 51:22 [As Dili] Counterpoint. That’s probably right, but probably not the main issue. That’s like number ten on a list of five. Marietta [Atalia] 51:30 [As Atalia] Well, it’s just the piece I’m putting on the table. I have to go meet…Tamara’s her name apparently. Neck scar lady. Pee pervert. Sampson [Dili] 51:42 [As Dili] I’m familiar, yeah. Marietta [Atalia] 51:42 [As Atalia] And you’re wanted for a lot. Enough money that, you know. Yeah. Sampson [Dili] 51:50 [As Dili] I’m just saying, like, Momma Jerrun is suspicious but there’s more, deeper problems I think. I think she would be a distraction. Marietta [Atalia] 51:58 [As Atalia] Oh. Sampson [Dili] 51:59 [As Dili] At this point in time. Marietta [Atalia] 52:00 [As Atalia] Oh, that’s fair. How do we go about finding this item, though? I can’t really use my resources to pull string at the moment. Alex [ChaCha] 52:09 I mean, could ChaCha try and find that trail now that they’re in the city again? Daniel [GM] 52:15 Mmm. That’s a really good question. Alex [ChaCha] 52:17 Could she call on her new best friend? And offer Dili as a snack? Like, hmm? He’s tasty. Daniel [GM] 52:27 He’s so nervous right now. Alex [ChaCha] 52:28 He’s so nervous, help us. Daniel [GM] 52:31 ChaCha, I would say this. I was just checking your foci. It looks like [Inaudible] through Space and Time is actually like a Tier 3 ability. So I think, story-wise, that ChaCha knows that there was something extraordinary, hence the natural 20 that you rolled, that allowed you to kind of like, leap up and do something that normally would be beyond you. You don’t think you could necessarily go around and try to find the vibrations and whatnot, but there are lots of other strategies you could try. You don’t necessarily know how to call specific things that you would see, but looking around you see the usual centipedes. You see at least one creature that looks like it’s some sort of, it’s got four really tall spindly legs like a spider, but it’s got this very sharp-edged mechanical looking body. And it’s just sort of casually walking between buildings in the city. Alex [ChaCha] 53:40 I think she’s gonna run at it and be like, [As ChaCha] Hey, hey, hey. He’s tasty. Give me a hint. Daniel [GM] 53:46 Oh. Okay. Give me a Persuasion or Social roll for 12. Alex [ChaCha] 53:57 Ohh. I’m not trained in this. Sampson [Dili] 54:00 Did ChaCha just like run out of the house? To go talk to this creature? Alex [ChaCha] 54:02 Yeah. Marietta [Atalia] 54:04 Mmhmm. Like we’re still in the middle of discussing it and we’re just like, [As Atalia] Goodbye? Alex [ChaCha] 54:08 Yep. 17. Daniel [GM] 54:11 Okay. You say that and the creature that you’re yelling at, nothing happens, but you feel like this sort of cold vibration and you can see to your left, floating about ten feet away is the figure from the breakfast at Nix’s house. Alex [ChaCha] 54:32 [As ChaCha] Best friend! Daniel [GM] 54:33 And it once again moves it’s mandibles, then a moment later you hear it’s voice and it says, [As the Horror] I won’t always be able to just show up because you start yelling at a random creature. Alex [ChaCha] 54:46 [As ChaCha] He’s more nervous, so he tastes better now. We don’t know what to do. I mean, we could eat breakfast for hours and hours until the next meeting, but that doesn’t seem like a good idea. Because eventually there’s not enough food, or I get a tummy ache. Daniel [GM] 55:02 [As the Horror] Yes, I’m aware. What are you asking for? I’m sure your friend, he does look delicious, but what are you asking me? Alex [ChaCha] 55:14 [As ChaCha] Do we go confront the pee pervert or do we go look for the item? Because I don’t know how to find the item anymore. It happened once but I don’t think it’s gonna happen again. And then if we’re lost, then I don’t know what to do. Daniel [GM] 55:29 [As the Horror] Maybe you, instead of trying to figure out where they took it, maybe figure out where they’re trying to get it to. Alex [ChaCha] 55:40 [As ChaCha] Maybe they’re going to destroy all juggling and so they’re taking it to the Queen. But we’re not allowed there. Daniel [GM] 55:48 [As the Horror] Yeah. I’m sure you feel that that was correct. The figure kind of looks over at the door with your companions kind of staring out at you. And the creature looks back to you and says, [As the Horror] Don’t worry, ChaCha. You’re going to have fun. And then he fades into nothingness. Alex [ChaCha] 56:14 ChaCha kind of pouts and walks back and sits back down at the table. Sampson [Dili] 56:18 [As Dili] Are you okay? Alex [ChaCha] 56:19 [As ChaCha] Apparently, you’re not delicious enough for us to get a hint, so we need to think of not where they took it but where they’re taking it. Marietta [Atalia] 56:29 [As Atalia] We don’t even know what it is, technically, do we? Sampson [Dili] 56:32 [As Dili] No, we don’t. Momma Jerrun’s was very coy about that. Stace [Nix] 56:35 [As Nix] Hey, Atalia, you copied that book, right? Marietta [Atalia] 56:38 [As Atalia] Yeah. Stace [Nix] 56:39 [As Nix] Should we show it to G-ma? Marietta [Atalia] 56:42 I’ll do that. Daniel [GM] 56:44 Okay. G-ma looks at it. She’s like, [As G-ma] Um, this would be something more on your mother’s side of things than mine, dear. I never really had the same interest that you and your mother have for this spooky stuff. Stace [Nix] 57:01 [As Nix] Uh, but, uh, do you recognize the code at all? Daniel [GM] 57:06 [As G-ma] Why would I recognize the code? Stace [Nix] 57:08 [As Nix] I don’t know, I did. See, this one here says Momma Jerrun, she’s who we’re workin’ for. You know, this is, I think, references the object. So, like, you’re smart. Daniel [GM] 57:22 [As G-ma] Well, I mean. She kind of leans back and she’s giving you a measured glance. Nix, give me a social roll of 9. Stace [Nix] 57:36 Oh, yeah. Now, I think it would actually not be too illogical based on the conversation Nix overheard to think G-ma knows a lot more than she’s letting on. Daniel [GM] 57:43 Yeah. Stace [Nix] 57:45 I just forgot about that. I got a 4. Daniel [GM] 57:48 Okay. She’s, like, I wouldn’t have any idea how to go about that. Stace [Nix] 57:54 [As Nix] All right, G-ma. I was just a little surprised about how much you knew last night. I guess I was kind of hopin’? But I get it. Yeah. No worries. Daniel [GM] 58:02 Mmhmm. Atalia, give me an Insight roll. Because it’s your grandma and you know her, or at least you felt like you knew her for a while, it’s a 6. Marietta [Atalia] 58:16 Natural 1. Stace [Nix] 58:19 Oh my god. Marietta [Atalia] 58:20 Apparently I’m not understanding Grandma today. Daniel [GM] 58:23 Okay, so. Stace [Nix] 58:25 Grandma’s gonna kill us. Daniel [GM] 58:26 With a natural 1 I think you’re more confused than ever. And while G-ma seems to know an awful lot about what’s going on, like the whole thing about not knowing the code thing, that trips all the “Oh, that makes sense buttons because she’s my Grandma, she’s not some espionage master or anything like that. She’s my Grandma, maybe I’m overreacting. Maybe it’s just stuff she learned from my mom over time.” Marietta [Atalia] 58:55 Uh-huh. Yeah, that’s what I think. Daniel [GM] 58:59 Mmhmm. Marietta [Atalia] 59:00 Uh-huh. Okay. That’s what I think, that’s what I think. Daniel [GM] 59:06 Mmhmm. Alex [ChaCha] 59:06 Oh, I was wondering if ChaCha had ever looked at the book. Daniel [GM] 59:09 I don’t think ChaCha ever did, no. Give me an Intellect roll. It could be, I think it’s scholarly. Basically I’m trying to figure out if there’s this bit that you’ll recognize or not. It would be a 12. Alex [ChaCha] 59:28 Okay. Daniel [GM] 59:30 Now, that’s including I’m giving you an asset because Nix has already pointed out some of these bits that she’s figured out [Inaudible]. Alex [ChaCha] 59:39 18. Daniel [GM] 59:40 Okay. You don’t necessarily decipher more of the code, but what you do see is a reference to something that isn’t code, but it’s one of the strange, ancient languages that you’ve encountered in your travels as you were, kind of, not something you may have necessarily sought out but maybe something that nobody else could see chose to show your or teach you. It’s odd, because it appears sometimes written out, and sometimes just with initials. It isn’t code in that spot. It’s just using this other language that characters look like it, and you see multiple references to something called Guardians of Night’s Hope, you think. Alex [ChaCha] 60:31 I think she’s just going to point at it in the book and say, [As ChaCha] This is wrong, this isn’t code. This is wrong. It’s about the Guardians of Night’s Hope. It’s wrong, it’s not code. Sampson [Dili] 60:47 Night as in not day? Daniel [GM] 60:48 Night and day, yeah. Stace [Nix] 60:52 [As Nix] Oh, you know, do you know what language it is? Alex [ChaCha] 60:54 [As ChaCha] No, just they showed it to me one day. Stace [Nix] 60:59 [As Nix] “They” is your horrors, or? Alex [ChaCha] 61:03 [As ChaCha] Yeah. Sometimes they help, sometimes they don’t. Sampson [Dili] 61:04 Does Guardians of Night’s Hope mean anything as folklore thing to any of us? Daniel [GM] 61:11 No, I don’t think any of you would be in a situation where you could even roll for it at this point. Marietta [Atalia] 61:15 What about my grandma does that ring any bells to her? Alex [ChaCha] 61:20 Do we need to do a Deception check on G-ma? Stace [Nix] 61:23 Insight G-ma again. Daniel [GM] 61:24 I guess, yeah, so give me an Insight roll of 9 with an asset since she’s your G-ma. Marietta [Atalia] 61:31 12. Alex [ChaCha] 61:32 Yeah. Daniel [GM] 61:32 Okay. It doesn’t ring a bell for her. There’s no sense of recognition from her about that. Marietta [Atalia] 61:41 I guess Grandma can’t know everything. Alex [ChaCha] 61:44 Is there a library we could go to? Stace [Nix] 61:46 To the library. Sampson [Dili] 61:48 Dili perks up and goes, [As Dili] Library? Marietta [Atalia] 61:51 Is there? I don’t know. Daniel [GM] 61:55 I mean you guys could certainly try to locate something like that. I mean there is an official library in Charmonde, of course. But it depends on if you’re looking for that or if you’re looking for say, Order of Truth or some organization like that. Those are the only things I would think of unless Dili you have connections with the University somehow. Sampson [Dili] 62:16 I feel like Dili would be aware of the best place to find Cypher knowledge. Daniel [GM] 62:22 Mmhmm. Sampson [Dili] 62:22 Maybe some Numenera stuff connected directly to Cyphers but I don’t think he would know specifically of anything beyond that. Daniel [GM] 62:31 Okay. Sounds good. You guys could go to the library, you could do whatever. Is that what you’re going to do? I’m not forcing a decision on you. Marietta [Atalia] 62:40 I just don’t know what else to do to follow this item. Stace [Nix] 62:45 [As Nix] Not that you guys seemed at all enthralled with the Queen’s Spittoon, but I do know this guy there who might hear about shady people doing shady things like stealing objects and bringing them into the city. Marietta [Atalia] 63:00 [As Atalia] Yeah, let’s go gather some data I guess. Alex [ChaCha] 63:03 [As ChaCha] Get more scorps. Sampson [Dili] 63:04 [As Dili] We can do that and then if that doesn’t get us anywhere we can go check out the library. Marietta [Atalia] 63:09 Does Dili have facial hair? Daniel [GM] 63:12 Not anymore. Sampson [Dili] 63:13 Oh. Alex [ChaCha] 63:13 Yeah. Marietta [Atalia] 63:14 Okay, I was gonna say. Is there anything we can do to make him look different? Alex [ChaCha] 63:19 Hedge magic? Again. Sampson [Dili] 63:21 Dili hasn’t had access to hygiene products for a couple weeks so I think he has kind of-. Alex [ChaCha] 63:27 A neck beard? Sampson [Dili] 63:27 The beginnings of a patchy something. Daniel [GM] 63:31 He has something. It’s not a beard, but it’s something. Marietta [Atalia] 63:34 He’s got some good scruff goin’. Stace [Nix] 63:35 Nix pulls out her oddity, which is this little thing that refills with green paint every 28 hours. She’s like, [As Nix] We could paint your face, Dili, green. Sampson [Dili] 63:46 [As Dili] Well, uh, I feel like that would make me more conspicuous. Stace [Nix] 63:50 [As Nix] But you’re not green. Sampson [Dili] 63:53 [As Dili] I still have the same face. Marietta [Atalia] 63:54 [As Atalia] Uh, who is green? Stace [Nix] 63:57 [As Nix] All right. Daniel [GM] 63:58 ChaCha, you can think of at least 50 individuals who are green. Alex [ChaCha] 64:02 I think she starts listing off just random names to everybody. Daniel [GM] 64:08 And some of them aren’t names, they’re just weird descriptions she made up for something that she saw. Alex [ChaCha] 64:14 Mmhmm. Like, [As ChaCha] Green. Dillard. Green. Spooky elephant. Green. Marietta [Atalia] 64:17 [As Atalia] I think we’re gonna head to the Queen’s Spittoon then. Daniel [GM] 64:21 Okay. Sampson [Dili] 64:21 [As Dili] Yeah. Marietta [Atalia] 64:23 [As Atalia] I think that makes the most sense. Do we have literally any other leads? Stace [Nix] 64:28 This is barely even a lead. Marietta [Atalia] 64:29 Right? Sampson [Dili] 64:29 Not on the main quest but we do have some side quests we could check out if we wanted. Marietta [Atalia] 64:34 [As Atalia] Nix do you want to talk to that Nano lady? Stace [Nix] 64:36 [As Nix] Uh, I don’t know, I mean we could see if she knows anything about this. Sampson [Dili] 64:41 [As Dili] What? What about for your own shit, though? Stace [Nix] 64:45 [As Nix] I mean, honestly, I want to go try to find this thing that G-ma was talking about, this Benevolent Society thing in my house because I don’t remember anything like that. Sampson [Dili] 64:53 [As Dili] Fair. Stace [Nix] 64:55 Nix is feeling the pressure to get some cash, so she’s going to go to the Queen’s Spittoon. Stace [Nix] 65:03 [As Nix] Listen, I’m gonna be hon-. Oh, are we still in the kitchen? Alex [ChaCha] 65:06 Yep. Daniel [GM] 65:08 Yeah. Stace [Nix] 65:08 Okay. Daniel [GM] 65:09 I’ve been waiting for you guys to leave the kitchen for a while. Daniel [GM] 65:13 You almost got out. You almost got out, ChaCha got out and you escaped temporarily. Stace [Nix] 65:21 This is a kitchen episode. So Nix-. Marietta [Atalia] 65:21 So we’re trying to fish for some breadcrumbs from a certain GM, but, you know. Stace [Nix] 65:27 [As Nix] Yo, uh, we’re totally going to end up back at my family’s house and so, I think that during the day we should just head down there, see what we can find out. Especially before Atalia’s meeting, so let’s just do that. Marietta [Atalia] 65:43 [As Atalia] Sounds like a plan. Sampson [Dili] 65:43 Makes sense to me. Stace [Nix] 65:45 [As Nix] Appreciate the hospitality, G-ma. Marietta [Atalia] 65:48 [As Atalia] I’ll come back tonight. Daniel [GM] 65:50 [As G-ma] Okay. And she turns to Nix and is like, [As G-ma] Nix, it was good hearing you today. You were always a good kid but it’s nice to see that you’ve grown into a good woman, too. Stace [Nix] 66:05 [As Nix] Ah, thanks, G-ma. Daniel [GM] 66:07 [As G-ma] Well, off you go. You guys have lots of things to do. Marietta [Atalia] 66:12 [As Atalia] Mmhmm. All right, come on Jeskii. Daniel [GM] 66:14 Okay, Jeskii hope down at comes happily along with you. Stace [Nix] 66:18 Nix leaves two of her googly-eyed oddities on the table for G-ma as she walks out. Daniel [GM] 66:24 Okay. So she leaves it there. You guys go out the door and as your walking away, about twenty seconds later, you hear a surprised shriek. Sampson [Dili] 66:41 [As Dili] [Inaudible] She’s fine, right? Stace [Nix] 66:45 Nix totally, too, was like, these are worth shins, G-ma needs shins, I’ll leave them here. Daniel [GM] 66:53 So you guys are heading to the Spittoon? Alex [ChaCha] 66:55 Yes. Marietta [Atalia] 66:56 Yes. Stace [Nix] 66:56 Yep. Daniel [GM] 66:58 Okay, it’s the typical noontime Spittoon. There are still plenty of people in there drinking. The people in there right now are sort of a combination of people who are always there, that make it there business to be there, and then people who just look really strung out and in bad shape. But either way, you guys can still smell scorpions cooking, you can still see beer being poured into glasses. Yeah, there is the huge Loan Shark Guy who looks up and glares at Nix and then looks back at what he’s reading. Stace [Nix] 67:34 As always, Nix thrown up the deuces. Daniel [GM] 67:39 Mmhmm. And Karfa is currently in the corner. Actually, he doesn’t notice you come in initially. He looks like he’s busy writing in some sort of book. Stace [Nix] 67:47 Is he in a booth? Daniel [GM] 67:50 Mmhmm. The same booth. Stace [Nix] 67:54 Nix slides in in such a fashion that she’s still keeping an eye on Loan Shark Guy. Daniel [GM] 67:57 Okay. It’s a little awkward because they’re kind of on opposite sides of the room. But yeah. Stace [Nix] 68:02 Oh, was he already sitting on the side of the booth with a view of, like there’s no way for her to watch Loan Shark from this booth? Daniel [GM] 68:08 No, she could, but it’s more like, to sit in the booth you would be perpendicular to Loan Shark, who is right across the way. Stace [Nix] 68:18 Okay. That’s fine. Daniel [GM] 68:21 ChaCha? Alex [ChaCha] 68:22 Can ChaCha just go up and sit next to Loan Shark Guy? And stare at him? Like the creepy little child she is? Daniel [GM] 68:32 Okay, she can. So you can go up there and have a seat. And he looks up and he looks over to you and is like, [As Loan Shark Guy] You’re new. Alex [ChaCha] 68:41 [As ChaCha] Yeah. Daniel [GM] 68:43 [As Loan Shark Guy] Oh, wait, you did the puppet show didn’t you? Alex [ChaCha] 68:45 [As ChaCha] Yeah, it was the best puppet show you’d ever seen. Daniel [GM] 68:47 [As Loan Shark Guy] It was good. It was a very good show. Alex [ChaCha] 68:48 [As ChaCha] It was the best you’d ever seen. Daniel [GM] 68:52 [As Loan Shark Guy] I don’t know if I’ve seen another puppet show before to be honest, so by default, yes. But, wait a minute, weren’t you hanging with that, with that tall one over there? The other night? Alex [ChaCha] 69:04 And she kind of looks at him blankly, like everybody’s tall compared to ChaCha, really. Daniel [GM] 69:09 [As Loan Shark Guy] I suppose that’s right. The Traveler. Alex [ChaCha] 69:12 [As ChaCha] You don’t travel? You just stay here? Daniel [GM] 69:15 [As Loan Shark Guy] Nix. Nix is her name. Alex [ChaCha] 69:17 [As ChaCha] Oh, yeah, Nix is my friend. Nix looks at you weird so I wanted to look at you weird, too. Daniel [GM] 69:23 [As Loan Shark Guy] Yeah, well, is there something else I can help you with? Are you in need of something? Or are you looking for work? Alex [ChaCha] 69:32 [As ChaCha] You know about shady things? You can tell us about shady things? Daniel [GM] 69:36 [As Loan Shark Guy] Depends, I mean, everything has a cost. Alex [ChaCha] 69:39 Does he have any scorps? Daniel [GM] 69:40 He does not. Alex [ChaCha] 69:43 ChaCha whips out her scorps from her pockets. Daniel [GM] 69:47 Okay, they smell terrible. Alex [ChaCha] 69:48 [As ChaCha] I will pay you in the next amazing installment of this puppet show. Daniel [GM] 69:54 So he lifts his hand and he’s like, [As Loan Shark Guy] You don’t need to do that. But I think ChaCha starts anyway? And then the camera cuts back over to Karfa and Nix. Stace [Nix] 70:04 Nix waits for Karfa to look up from his writing. Daniel [GM] 70:08 It only takes him a moment. He looks up and he smiles like, [As Karfa] Nix. It’s nice to see you again. Stace [Nix] 70:14 [As Nix] Oh, yeah, dude, the craziest shit happened. Daniel [GM] 70:17 [As Karfa] Oh? Stace [Nix] 70:19 [As Nix] Yeah, remember that snake thing? Whatever the hell that thing was? Daniel [GM] 70:23 [As Karfa] Ohh, yes, the brooch. Stace [Nix] 70:25 [As Nix] Yeah, remember it bit me? Daniel [GM] 70:27 [As Karfa] Yeah, I’m so sorry about that still. Stace [Nix] 70:29 [As Nix] Yeah. I mean I just couldn’t let it bite you, man. But check it out. And she shows him the swollen wound. Daniel [GM] 70:37 Mmhmm. Nix, when you look at that and show him the swollen wound, you notice that both the puncture marks, while they are usually sort of an aggravated red, they look black. And that’s where we’ll end the episode. Sampson [Dili] 70:51 Bweh. Marietta [Atalia] 70:54 Spooky. Daniel [GM] 70:56 Apologies to Sampson and Alex, we didn’t get a chance to do a whole lot with Dili and ChaCha this episode. Sampson [Dili] 71:01 Totally fine. Alex [ChaCha] 71:02 I mean, I was happy that Sampson picked evens and I got evens, because the other thing was that ChaCha was going to try to lick Dili in the face to see if he tasted delicious. Sampson [Dili] 71:14 I honestly thought like you were gonna try to push me off the roof. Alex [ChaCha] 71:18 Oh no. Sampson [Dili] 71:18 That’s what I was prepared for. Daniel [GM] 71:22 So, Marietta. Was there something that stuck out to you for Atalia in this episode? That was either something that you enjoyed playing through, not necessarily good or bad for the character. Marietta [Atalia] 71:33 I enjoyed being really uncomfortable. I feel like Atalia’s having to deal with a lot of the decisions she’s made that she thought she was making good ones and she still managed to get into a pickle so kind of like, having to uncomfortable as a character because you’ve done things wrong is really, I don’t know. Daniel [GM] 71:52 Yeah, that’s fun. Marietta [Atalia] 71:53 It’s not unpleasant, but it’s an experience. Daniel [GM] 71:54 Yes. Yes. Very cool. Sampson [Dili] 71:57 Kind of on that. I don’t feel like jilted for not participating because Marietta interact Grandma and Nix that was like, yes, so good. Alex [ChaCha] 72:09 That was good. Sampson [Dili] 72:12 I loved it. Marietta [Atalia] 72:12 We’re here to provide the content for you, man. Alex [ChaCha] 72:17 Yeah, that’s cereal I found. Daniel [GM] 72:21 So, we have a segment that we do each week called Player Intrusions. It’s when we tell you guys something that you should absolutely check out because we think you would like it. This week it is my turn again, and I’m going to be talking about a book. Well, actually a series of books. So I would give you guys an XP to check out the book “The Fifth Season” by MK Jenison. It’s the first book in her Broken Earth Trilogy, it’s amazing, it’s lauded. She actually became the first writer in history to win the Best Novel Hugo Award for three years consecutively. Which is also incredibly impressive because she’s the first author to do that and she’s also a woman of color. Daniel [GM] 73:11 “The Fifth Season”, is, first of all, full of post-post-apocalyptic goodness. “The Fifth Season” takes place very far in the Earth’s future. It is a situations where things have gone dramatically wrong. Humanity is kind of living on the fringes with what they can build up because what’s happening is, every once in a while they have a season, which by season can last years, where it becomes apocalyptic weather conditions. It could be rain, like literal sulfuric acid. It could be massive earthquakes tearing everything asunder. It could lava eruptions, things like that. Tsunamis. Poisonous gasses being released. Daniel [GM] 73:57 That is, in this world, the community’s become incredibly important. But they main character is this mother which is a what’s called an Orogene in the books. Someone who can actually control the Earth and cause earthquakes. They can tap into it, they can do those things. They are incredibly powerful, but they are also completely oppressed because they are considered highly dangerous. In fact, there are a whole caste of people that are tasked with finding them, arresting them, and either making them servants of the state or killing them. Daniel [GM] 74:40 The story is really about this woman who is an Orogene, who has been in hiding for a long time, and she comes home one day to find out that her husband has killed her son because he displayed some sort of power of this Orogene and that her husband has left with her daughter. It’s all about her search to try to find her daughter in the midst of all this. It has a lot to say about systemic oppression and how it applies and it’s really just beautifully written. It uses a technique that I think is very cool, I haven’t seen it used well very often, but the narration goes back and forth between a third-person limited and a second-person where somebody is talking to somebody. And it actually takes you quite a while before it’s explicitly revealed what’s going on. Who they’re talking about. And who’s talking to her. Daniel [GM] 75:41 It’s a really good book. I’ve been doing a terrible job selling it. It’s really brilliant. Probably some of the most important spec fic that’s been written in the last ten years. I highly recommend it, the whole series is great and it is deserving of everything it’s lauded for. And they’re turning it into a mini-series apparently. I can’t remember who optioned it, but I saw that in the news. They even made an RPG of it. Sampson [Dili] 76:11 Oh shit. Alex [ChaCha] 76:12 Wow. Daniel [GM] 76:13 Yeah. Marietta [Atalia] 76:14 And then you did say several Hugo awards, so. Stace [Nix] 76:17 Yeah, it feels like that kind of sold it for you, Daniel. Daniel [GM] 76:20 Yeah. Yeah. But she’s a great author. I know she also has a new book out about New York City and Eldritch Horrors. I’m not exactly sure what’s going on there, but I’m looking forward to it. So, anyway, that’s my Player Intrusion. Pick up “The Fifth Season.” Marietta [Atalia] 76:39 I have this book downloaded so maybe I’ll actually read it. Daniel [GM] 76:42 Yeah, there you go. We are a new podcast, and as we’re getting started, thank you to those of you who have reached out. It’s nice feedback since we launched. We are a new podcast, and it’s really important for us to build up and audience so that we can keep doing this. If you liked the show, the best thing that you could do is tell a friend. Let them know what you liked about it and why they should listen to us. The second best thing you could do is to leave us a five-star rating and review on the podcast directory of your choice, whether it’s Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Google Music, whatever. Those things make a huge difference for people finding us. If you want to reach out us on social media, you can. Where can they find us, Marietta? Marietta [Atalia] 77:31 Oh, man. We have all the social medias. We’ve got Facebook which is Explorers Wanted Podcast. We’ve got Instagram which is also @explorerswantedpodcast. And then we have Twitter, which is @explorerswanted. And then we have our fabulous website, explorerswanted.fm. And you should interact with us there. On all of them, please, please. Daniel [GM] 77:54 On all of them. Consecutively, all at once, however. If you didn’t like the show, then congratulations, you’ve solved our puzzle. Use the clues from the first nine episodes, combined with the five season run of Babylon 5. Once you do that, if you link up our clues with the clues that were written into that script, you will unlock our eight-word puzzle and be our lauded victor. So get right on that. If you want to talk to us individually on social media, you can. You can find me @andrlik, A-N-D-R-L-I-K. Stace [Nix] 78:33 You can also find me on Twitter @StaceWindu. No relation to Mace Windu. Sampson [Dili] 78:40 You can give me cryptic clues to my secret past I’ve forgotten @slampotato on Twitter. Alex [ChaCha] 78:48 You can find me tweeting random stuff @realteaunicorn on Twitter. Yes, that’s on Twitter isn’t it? Yeah, that’s Twitter. Daniel [GM] 78:57 Mmhmm. Marietta [Atalia] 78:58 And then you can find me on Instagram @imonahike. Daniel [GM] 79:02 Okay, great. Thank you everyone for listening, we’ll be back next week with more shenanigans and fun. Have a good night. Multiple Speakers 79:11 Bye.