Daniel [GM] (00:00:30):
Welcome to Explores Wanted. We are a weekly Numenera actual play podcasts. I will be your humble GM, Danial Andrlik, with me today is Sampson Davis.

Sampson [Dili] (00:00:40):
Fuck, I forgot to think of something to say.

Daniel [GM] (00:00:45):
Stace Babcock.

Stace [Nix] (00:00:47):
Oh, Samson forgot something to say.

Daniel [GM] (00:00:49):
Alex Finn.

Alex [ChaCha] (00:00:51):
Stace pointed out Sampson forget something to say.

Daniel [GM] (00:00:54):
And Marietta Jones.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:00:56):
Well, I'm having just a lovely evening. Thanks for asking.

Sampson [Dili] (00:01:00):
Ah, fucking combo break.

Daniel [GM] (00:01:06):
So let's see, who remembers what happened last time? This time I'm going to pick on Sampson.

Sampson [Dili] (00:01:12):
Oh, shit. So last time we got into visual distance of Shallamas, but it's still about two days away, but then stopped ChaCha from screaming destiny and just fucking booking it towards it. Nix and Jeskii at the command of Talia, run ahead and keep up with her, Dili tries to do a run but it's fucking evil so he stops after he throws up. Anyway, ChaCha eventually needs to rest, but Atalia and Dili get attacked by War Moths three miles back. Dili tries to help, with caustic storm, kills the moths, but also fucks up Atalia a little bit. Although I did give you a spee... I spent two Cyphers on you.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:02:00):
You did, I really appreciate that speedtale. I didn't really get to say that enough, but I want you to know that, that speedtale was clutched.

Sampson [Dili] (00:02:08):
Also Atalia has a face scar now.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:02:10):
Narly.

Sampson [Dili] (00:02:12):
Oh, yeah. Seeing giant blobs of caustic liquid get thrown around in the distance, ChaCha, Nix and Jeskii come back. Some tension created between Nix and Atalia, that was fun.

Stace [Nix] (00:02:29):
Oh yeah. Every episode.

Sampson [Dili] (00:02:32):
Party was split, even though Nix is all like, "Hey, let's be a family, as one." They split the party.

Stace [Nix] (00:02:39):
That's how we roll. That is this campus [crosstalk 00:02:42], we're going to change the name of the podcast to split the party.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:02:46):
Also known as salt campaign.

Sampson [Dili] (00:02:48):
Anyway, after that we travel a little bit make camp for, I think we're about like a day away from Shallamas because we had to walk because running someone decided to do that. During that camp, Dili had a dream, he had a dream that he was in the warehouse and he was hearing [Asudra 00:04:27] talk to Aces who now has a cane. Apparently they had got the glyph device worked out. Although Asudra is frustrated that all this trouble has been had over Dili. They can turn it on, but they don't know quite how it works. The machine that may also be Dili, I don't know, dreams, can talk but in clicky sounds and... Yeah, that's where Dan ended it.

Stace [Nix] (00:03:31):
Which Asudra, if that's her name, understood, which seems interesting...

Sampson [Dili] (00:03:36):
Did she understand it?

Stace [Nix] (00:03:37):
Like she understood the clicky language, I think?

Daniel [GM] (00:03:40):
I don't think it was clear to Dili one way or the other if she understood it or not, but she didn't clearly do either, so yeah.

Sampson [Dili] (00:03:49):
That's where we ended it.

Daniel [GM] (00:03:51):
So Dili, I would say you wake up in a cold sweat in the morning.

Sampson [Dili] (00:03:55):
That's fair.
Ah shit, fucking running dreams.

Daniel [GM] (00:04:00):
This would probably be during the Atalia's watch.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:04:03):
What's going on?

Sampson [Dili] (00:04:06):
I think the running stressed me out, nightmare.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:04:09):
Yeah? What was it about? War Moths?

Sampson [Dili] (00:04:15):
No, I had a dream I was back in the warehouse where I was building the automaton for the Knyxos. And I heard Asudra and Aces talk about like... They got the glyph object thing, cypher, artifact, words, whatever that was to work and they unlocked the automaton, but they don't know how it works yet. So I...

Marietta [Atalia] (00:04:38):
It seems really specific actually. It seems less dreamlike and more like memory...

Sampson [Dili] (00:04:48):
I don't remember that happening so...

Marietta [Atalia] (00:04:51):
I know, but like dreams are fucking weird, man. And that seems like a thing that definitely easily could happen.

Sampson [Dili] (00:04:57):
Yeah, nightmare. It was probably just my subconscious projecting.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:05:03):
Well, your subconscious is an anomaly that's very specific and situational. So maybe there's something else. Tell me more about this automaton thing, Bob, does it have any special capabilities? Do you have any action to it?

Sampson [Dili] (00:05:19):
Ah, I mean, I've been working on it for over a year, mostly just working on interfacing it with a larger body. I discovered the night that I locked it up and ran away that it was connected to weapon systems that I have no idea they were adding to it.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:05:37):
Was it supposed to have its own consciousness? What were you going for with it as far as... You said it was trying to communicate or something.

Sampson [Dili] (00:05:48):
I was given... What I know I was working on was a relentless Reaper, but like a very variation of it, a variation of the metal mind that stores all its processing and thinking basically. And I was hired basically to get it to work in a new body and they kind of kept me sequestered in that narrow space for most of the project.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:06:11):
Okay. Well, what does it mean if, what you dreamed was real? Like, what does it mean if that's really what happened? Just hypothetical. You know.

Sampson [Dili] (00:06:23):
I had a half hour at most when I found out what they were doing, what they had brought into this automaton. So I kind of... Not quite this just because it just gets a little weird when you're talking about the capacity of robots, but I kind of chopped it up and locked its portions behind different glyphs. So yeah, I also scrambled it's brain in a way. Messed with the architecture of it, made it hard to decipher what was going through. So if...

Marietta [Atalia] (00:06:59):
How did you do the glyphs? Is that an esoteric thing or what? Is there some connection between you and these glyphs?

Sampson [Dili] (00:07:06):
No. The glyphs are basically an encryption that I was able to do within the space of the metal mind. Yeah. That's just basic automation I've learned from my master. But hypothetically if this dream was true, I guess they unlocked all of the capabilities of the automaton, but they're still having trouble controlling it. So I guess they haven't de-scrambled the metal minds architecture.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:07:35):
Right. And how long did they have with it to do the glyphs? I'm just wondering if we could project, like how long until they hypothetically would have full control over this thing.

Sampson [Dili] (00:07:47):
I have no idea. It's wild that they even found something to de-code the glyphs that I didn't think were de-codeable at all. Because I just basically made those up on the spot. So that's wild, but they have resources I can't even imagine. So it could be tomorrow, could be a year from now, it could be never. So maybe they'll find another object to fix their problems. Maybe they won't. I have no idea. I definitely scrambled that thing with the intention that you can't unscramble it. So...

Marietta [Atalia] (00:08:18):
But you also glyphed it with the intention to not have it un-glyphed so... It seems like that artifact could do a lot.

Sampson [Dili] (00:08:26):
Yeah.

Daniel [GM] (00:08:27):
Dili, from what little you saw of the plan and Momma Jerrun's, as long as the artifact didn't deplete, it could do more than just decode a glyph.

Sampson [Dili] (00:08:27):
Shit.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:08:40):
How could they have used that artifact? Doesn't Momma Jerrun have it? Or did they use it and then try to sell it?

Sampson [Dili] (00:08:45):
No.

Stace [Nix] (00:08:46):
One was missing, that's why Dili power washed the floor with vomit.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:08:50):
Oh, right.

Daniel [GM] (00:08:51):
One had been accessed already. And Pollos had been contracted to go to the warehouse to work on a project, a prefab project where they already had the supplies.

Sampson [Dili] (00:09:03):
That's why we had to leave because Pollos wasn't dead. He was off somewhere.

Stace [Nix] (00:09:09):
When he gets home...

Marietta [Atalia] (00:09:12):
He's going to be unhappy, but he's going to be alive, so... I just don't see him surviving if we hadn't.

Stace [Nix] (00:09:18):
Oh, I meant the three key blocks.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:09:24):
We did that.

Daniel [GM] (00:09:24):
At this point I would say Nix and ChaCha are probably starting to stir because it is dawn.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:09:29):
Well, I don't know, man. Maybe that was just a dream, but it seems awfully specific.

Sampson [Dili] (00:09:36):
Yeah. I'm pretty sure it's just stress. I've never had a dream like that, seeing what's happening somewhere else, that's crazy. That happens in fairytales that doesn't happen to me.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:09:48):
You know what else is crazy? This entire situation and the ninth world and you expect... Yeah, anyway, it's an artifact man.

Sampson [Dili] (00:09:57):
Yeah. It was weird that I experienced the dream from... I guess the perspective of the metal mind, that's odd.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:10:03):
Well, maybe you should think about, is there a way to explain it from a rights perspective, not just some weird dream shit.

Sampson [Dili] (00:10:11):
I don't know, I'm not carrying a device. Anything, I would need a nano to explain what's going on.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:10:18):
Atalia just blinks at him.

Stace [Nix] (00:10:27):
Sun don't rise with that kind of shade.

Sampson [Dili] (00:10:31):
Dili will stare at a Atalia, just like in that silence. And then a little light bulb appears above his head. "Oh fuck, you're a nano! Explain this!"

Marietta [Atalia] (00:10:43):
Could, with the information that Dili has given me, could I explain it via Numenera basis? Or try to comprehend it?

Daniel [GM] (00:10:52):
Give me a 15 understanding Numenera role.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:10:57):
Okay, which I'm trained in. And I will definitely spend a level of effort because it is peculiar.
17.

Daniel [GM] (00:11:07):
It certainly sounds suspicious. You would probably have to scan him to figure out if there's anything that's really happening here, versus just his dream, versus a random anxiety dream.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:11:21):
How do you feel about a scan? Just to see if there's something... I picked up some things with Nix, why couldn't there be something here?

Sampson [Dili] (00:11:30):
You think I'm [AB 00:14:33] human?

Marietta [Atalia] (00:11:32):
I don't think you're AB human. I just am curious if there's something going on with your energy. You know, there could be a bunch of different things.

Sampson [Dili] (00:11:38):
All right, do I need to do anything?

Marietta [Atalia] (00:11:43):
Just lay there.

Sampson [Dili] (00:11:44):
All right.

Daniel [GM] (00:11:44):
It's a typical Reiki session, you just pay in advance.

Sampson [Dili] (00:11:51):
Be gentle. This is my first time.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:11:55):
Atalia will walk over and do the thing.

Daniel [GM] (00:11:58):
Once again, like before, this smoke seems to exude from your hands and surround Dili. Dili you can see this smoke surround you for a moment, but you don't see what happens next. Atalia sees moats of light in this smoke, circle around through your body. And they sort of go through as if they're going through all the veins and muscles of Dili's body. And then they come out, almost in a single beam to Atalia's mind. Atalia, You know these things, Dili is human, Dili has a lot of knowledge, one thing you're going to pick up, Dili's health is not great, he's not sick or anything like that, but he definitely needs more cardio. He's at risk. At some point in the future, if he doesn't get more cardio... He really needs to spend some time on that if he wants to avoid future health complications. The other thing that you noticed is that it's not like Nix, it's not as pervasive as Nix, but there is something there. And Dili, like any person of the ninth world, definitely has nanites inside him and certainly anybody who's of a certain Explorer type, like you guys, has nanites inside them. But he definitely has some that are tied to something else. You don't really have words for this. I don't know how Nanos would think of it in ninth world. You've come across a phrase in your studies, you've never seen an example of it before, of something called spooky action at a distance. Individual, from what you've read, subatomic particles that interact with each other over great distances. It's not clear how it happened, but there's definitely something there that is more active than just say a normal sub atomic particle. It's something that's tied to something very specific. And if you had to guess, based off of your previous Numenera role, there is something that's connecting him to this device. It's not particularly strong. It's more like it's a revenant from exposure to it and working so closely with it. And that's what you get.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:14:26):
Okay. Well, good news, you're not an AB human.

Sampson [Dili] (00:14:31):
All right! No offense Nix.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:14:34):
Also, good news. Your intellect is hecking high man, congratulations.

Sampson [Dili] (00:14:40):
Thanks.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:14:41):
You should probably work out. I'm just saying like, maybe think about cardio a little bit more. I think all this traveling might be good for, but most importantly, you know how... You're right, you have these abilities and it's because of nanites? Yes? Well, some of your nanites have a connection to something further away and based on your dream, it seems like that would be the automaton perhaps? I can't tell exactly, but this sort of thing would be from exposure, maybe spending a lot of time with it? Like a year? So Nanites are weird man...I mean, I think that there's something there with that for me and Jeskii too. It's just... I think it's something that we don't appreciate enough studying Numenera, you know?

Sampson [Dili] (00:15:35):
How long have you had Jeskii?

Marietta [Atalia] (00:15:36):
Oh, well I don't mean the exposure part, but just the Nanite connection. I don't know. There's always more to... I'm going to stop talking now. Anyways, that's my hypothesis, that's what the scan says. At least some of your Nanites are connected to something.

Sampson [Dili] (00:15:36):
Okay.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:15:54):
And it's not super strong so it might make sense that it would be a dream thing and not like a consciousness 24/7 thing.

Sampson [Dili] (00:16:02):
So why now?

Marietta [Atalia] (00:16:04):
Is this the first dream like this you've had?

Sampson [Dili] (00:16:06):
Yeah! Oh, probably because it's unlocked recently. Fuck. I can never go back to Charmonde. All right, [inaudible 00:16:16].

Marietta [Atalia] (00:16:15):
Don't you feel like you have to go back to fix it?

Sampson [Dili] (00:16:17):
I don't. They seem to be doing fine without me. I would probably be just get crushed by [deuces 00:16:26] I think. That's why they keep them around.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:16:28):
You don't have any emotional attachment to this automaton is what you're saying.

Sampson [Dili] (00:16:33):
I mean, intellectually, I would love to study it and see what... Like just in pure academic sense yeah. But that's not really an option, it's being used for something else. So I'd rather not.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:16:46):
It just seems like a thing that could change hypothetically speaking.

Sampson [Dili] (00:16:50):
Yeah. I could probably change it, but we'd have to get past the Knyxos and that's probably not going to happen so...

Marietta [Atalia] (00:16:56):
They're getting stronger and have more allies now. I don't know, don't write anything off, things are changing too quickly to make any of those decisions. You make everything so concrete and I think it's because of your fear and you should probably stop that.

Sampson [Dili] (00:17:08):
Okay. I'll just stop being scared. I'll just stop that right now, dumb! Got it.

Daniel [GM] (00:17:14):
Sampson you sound like me with my therapist.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:17:25):
No, I understand being afraid, I'm also afraid, but you've got to stop letting it dictate all of your reasoning. You're supposed to be a [Wright 00:00:17:36], right? You're into how this all works, concretely and fear is not concrete. You know what I'm saying? Be open to other options, even if you're afraid of them.

Sampson [Dili] (00:17:48):
I don't see another option like these aren't people that can just fucking decode glyphs that should not be able to be decoded.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:17:56):
Because of the artifact they have because of the artifact that we have a connection to, if you recall.

Sampson [Dili] (00:18:02):
Like the same connection that is with the thing?

Marietta [Atalia] (00:18:05):
Well, I mean Momma Jerrun... Let me clarify. Are there two copies of this artifact?

Sampson [Dili] (00:18:11):
So the object was basically a repository for different plans and that the Knyxos accessed it and then with Pollos, was able to recreate it.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:18:22):
Okay. But they don't have the artifact anymore. So the artifact would still have those plans.

Sampson [Dili] (00:18:28):
Yeah. We don't know if there's other stuff in there.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:18:31):
Exactly. But we know Momma Jerrun's, there's at least one connection there. I'm not saying we'll ever see her again, but there is a possibility that, that could happen.

Sampson [Dili] (00:18:39):
It's a very slim possibility that's...

Marietta [Atalia] (00:18:42):
But it's never going to be possible if you don't seek that. If you're just like, "Oh man, that's too hard and scary and improbable so we're not going to try it." Are you ever going to progress or learn things that way? Is that how you approach the right activities of building your automaton?

Sampson [Dili] (00:18:57):
Well, for one thing with the automaton, my life wasn't at stake,

Marietta [Atalia] (00:19:01):
But it was! The whole time you were hurting for the Knyxos!

Sampson [Dili] (00:19:05):
I didn't really know that until that night. Well...

Marietta [Atalia] (00:19:09):
But the thing is there are so many things that you should be horribly afraid of that you're not aware of. And then you're letting that fear, once you're aware of it, impact... I don't know, like I understand Dili but things are changing here drastically. You are not in a position you were in a month ago, two months ago, even. This is very different. And if you keep thinking the way you were thinking before, you're never going to get past this. And you're so intelligent, you're capable of so much. You had that crazy dream last night, that showed you that connection. There's so much possible and because of your fear, you're just saying no? That should have made you so excited. You should be like, "Oh my gosh, how is this a thing that exists?" But instead you're like, "Nah, I'm just not going to investigate that any further, nope."

Sampson [Dili] (00:19:58):
My life is the only thing I really have left at the moment. You bring up I'm a Wright, but I'm not much of a Wright if I don't have a workshop and they've taken that...

Marietta [Atalia] (00:20:08):
This could be more than that.

Sampson [Dili] (00:20:09):
I don't have any family that... I don't have anything left for me in Charmonde so...

Marietta [Atalia] (00:20:14):
I don't either. But we'll see. I just don't think it's over with that. Just think about it, we've got a lot of walking still to do. You've got plenty of time, just give yourself some room to play in that space. See what's going on there, you know?

Sampson [Dili] (00:20:35):
All right.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:20:35):
Because taking care of that situation could also give you a potential place to work.

Sampson [Dili] (00:20:40):
There's still a whole systemic crime syndicate that we need to remove.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:20:49):
I mean, Nix is a snake. At this point, anything's possible.

Daniel [GM] (00:20:53):
Jeskii gives a big yawn and goes over to a rock and starts pissing.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:20:59):
Man, I wish I could just lift my leg and pee. Dudes have it so easy. I have to pull my pants all the way down and expose myself to the world and then somebody who always shows up!

Sampson [Dili] (00:21:10):
I don't know how to respond to that one! That's way above my head.

Daniel [GM] (00:21:19):
So like I said, Nix and ChaCha probably woke up for most of the last part of that conversation.

Alex [ChaCha] (00:21:23):
ChaCha yells out, get a funnel, there's a reason why when you travel, you keep a funnel.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:21:30):
Is that the secret?

Alex [ChaCha] (00:21:31):
Yes.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:21:32):
Y'all didn't tell me the secret! Now I know! I got to get me a funnel when we're in Shallamas.

Stace [Nix] (00:21:38):
It's not as great as it sounds. You probably know that.

Sampson [Dili] (00:21:42):
Could you just get a big leaf? Just kind of... I was going to say taco, but I felt bad.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:21:51):
They make classic versions of those actually. Yeah.

Daniel [GM] (00:21:55):
Moving on [inaudible 00:21:56] concent.

Sampson [Dili] (00:21:59):
One thing before we do move on, this has given Dili lot to think about it. Also, the dream and scarring Atalia has given him a clarity and he is going to advance and get an edge.

Daniel [GM] (00:22:14):
Love that. So you're putting an edge into intellect I assume?

Marietta [Atalia] (00:22:16):
Character growth!

Daniel [GM] (00:22:20):
Awesome. Okay. So it's morning, do you guys move on? Do you change direction completely? Just decide, "Fuck it. We're going to go to [inaudible 00:22:31] instead."?

Marietta [Atalia] (00:22:32):
Daniel's carefully laid plan, we're just going to [crosstalk 00:22:39].

Alex [ChaCha] (00:22:40):
ChaCha makes to power walk towards Shallamas, but looks at Nix like, "Yeah, we're going this time?"

Stace [Nix] (00:22:50):
You guys up to power walking? I tell you what, it's more of a workout than you think!

Marietta [Atalia] (00:22:56):
Just a little bit faster than yesterday. You know? Just give it a shot, just try.

Sampson [Dili] (00:23:02):
Fine.

Stace [Nix] (00:23:03):
You got to use your hips Dili. [inaudible 00:23:08]

Sampson [Dili] (00:23:07):
Tries to swing his hips and just his whole torso goes with it.

Daniel [GM] (00:23:17):
Now I need to see a GIF of Dili salsa dancing.

Sampson [Dili] (00:23:21):
The whitest thing you've ever seen.

Stace [Nix] (00:23:22):
Hmmm, I'd be here for it.
These hips do a lot!

Alex [ChaCha] (00:23:31):
Not that way.

Stace [Nix] (00:23:33):
Okay. So it does take you most of the day to get to Shallamas, it's fairly well fortified, but it's a city, it's not closed off. There are walls that surround it, but for the most part, the Gates are open. As long as you're not obviously a hoard of AB humans coming to attack them or a foreign army, the guards will let you through into Shallamas.
What about one AB human?

Daniel [GM] (00:24:01):
Well Nix isn't obviously an AB human, except for the fact that she's got green hair.

Stace [Nix] (00:24:08):
She had pink hair before.

Daniel [GM] (00:24:08):
And you can't really tell that it's scales on her hair unless you look really closely, especially since it's not particularly long yet, but as you guys come into Shallamas, you see... It's quite a big city. I mean, this is one of the other major cities of [inaudible 00:24:26]. It's a home for one of our many universities, one of the three big universities of [inaudible 00:24:32]. There's one in Charmonde, there's one in Shallamas, there's one in [inaudible 00:24:37] and there's probably lesser schools elsewhere, but they're not really accredited shall we say...

Marietta [Atalia] (00:24:45):
No, that's got a stone transfer.

Daniel [GM] (00:24:48):
Yeah. So Nix, this is very familiar to you. You know Shallamas pretty well, you went to school here for... How many years did you go to school here before you went and joined the [inaudible 00:25:01] society?

Stace [Nix] (00:24:48):
I think that Nix graduated.

Daniel [GM] (00:25:03):
So let's say it's a three...

Marietta [Atalia] (00:25:00):
I think that Nix graduated.

Daniel [GM] (00:25:03):
So let's say it's a three-year program.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:25:05):
Okay.

Daniel [GM] (00:25:06):
Especially since they get into the universities here, you had to have studied pretty hard. You would have had to learn in advance, which honestly your parents took care of for the most part.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:25:18):
Oh yeah. Oh yeah.

Daniel [GM] (00:25:20):
There were some palms greased. There's a lot of legacies that go through the university systems, various colleges, but still you got there. And Nix isn't lazy. She did what she needed to do. But the city, it's quite busy. There's a lot of trade going on as you come in. When you're coming in, the first place you encounter is the market square. However, there's also... And to Nix, this is no big deal because she spent three years here. But there are also, in addition to all the people milling about the market, there are also strange semi-transparent figures of both human appearance and very non-human appearance and going through various motions almost on a repeat. You'll see some humans meeting there and they look like young lovers. And presumably when they're meeting is a different time of day, because their meeting is that they're all alone and they're finding space next to a stall where they can essentially make out together and just get away from their families.
Then you also see stranger creatures. Creatures that you don't recognize as figures from the ninth world. Creatures with tentacles or creatures that are almost like some sort of polygon more than anything else kind of going through some sort of pattern or transaction in the midst of the square. Almost acting as if they were somewhere else. There's not a lot of detail. But I would say ChaCha, in particular, this is a very confusing situation for you because these half-faced echoes of Shallamas, they're extremely hard to differentiate from the horrors. It takes you a little bit to figure out that these are just shades repeating actions that they did before. Because everything about them registers to you the same way that you usually see the horrors. It's almost like it takes serious concentration and context to figure out what's an actual, independent, autonomous, or like you're used to seeing, versus the echoes that are within the city. It's somewhat disoriented.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:27:56):
Yeah. I think ChaCha's going to have that like [inaudible 00:28:01] glazed over look on her face for awhile while she's trying to figure it out. Then she's going to turn to Nix and kind of just make the hands up, "I need a ride again." And be like [inaudible 00:03:13].

Daniel [GM] (00:27:56):
[inaudible 00:28:12].

Stace [Nix] (00:28:12):
Nix kneels down like, "All right. Get up here. What are you trying to see? Are you trying to see something?

Alex [ChaCha] (00:28:18):
No, the horrors are wrong here and there's too many of them. I have a headache. I need a ride.

Stace [Nix] (00:28:25):
Yeah. Yeah. I'll get you a ride, ChaCha. No worries. But you're talking about the echoes?

Alex [ChaCha] (00:28:32):
They're wrong horrors. We should get rid of them.

Stace [Nix] (00:28:35):
I don't know that we can, ChaCha. I think they're just kind of like memories. There's this really cool one that's by this fountain I used to hang out at. It's like you could see part of a pretty good bite. I don't know how it ends though so that's like a little disappointing, but if you're there at the right time, you can catch it.

Alex [ChaCha] (00:28:52):
But they're like stuck there forever doing the same thing over and over.

Stace [Nix] (00:28:56):
Oh, do you think they're like a lie?

Alex [ChaCha] (00:28:59):
Yeah. The same level as the horrors.

Stace [Nix] (00:29:02):
Oh shit. Yo Atalia, what do you think of these echoes? Do you think they're still alive?

Marietta [Atalia] (00:29:07):
Are they Numenera based at all?

Daniel [GM] (00:29:11):
It would be, yeah.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:29:12):
All right. Can I make an understanding human error rule to try to comprehend what's going on with these shades?

Daniel [GM] (00:29:19):
Sure. Your target is a 27.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:29:23):
Not a clue, man. Not a clue, my dude. It's pretty spooky though. It does seem like it might be Numenera, but that's way above my pay grade.

Stace [Nix] (00:29:34):
Do you have a book of Numenera and can you spend like two levels of effort to get that below a...

Marietta [Atalia] (00:29:39):
I do have a book of understanding Numenera. I could spend two levels of effort.

Stace [Nix] (00:29:45):
Yeah, and ChaCha's a nano.

Daniel [GM] (00:29:48):
And the mad gaming award for this session goes to Stace.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:29:51):
What is that? What would it be if it was three levels lower?

Daniel [GM] (00:29:55):
If it was three levels lower, it'd bring it to an 18.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:29:57):
Why not?

Stace [Nix] (00:29:59):
Maybe ChaCha could help. She's a nano. I don't know.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:30:01):
I have three assets.

Daniel [GM] (00:30:04):
Actually, could Dili help? No, you have three assets. Never mind.

Stace [Nix] (00:30:07):
No. We were spending two levels of effort. That's different than having an asset.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:30:11):
And the understanding Numenera.

Alex [ChaCha] (00:30:13):
Is it?

Stace [Nix] (00:30:14):
That's one asset.

Daniel [GM] (00:30:14):
So that brings it down to an 18. If you're going to use the book, that's another asset. You can have a max of two assets. So that would bring it down to a 15.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:30:25):
Which is what I just rolled.

Daniel [GM] (00:30:27):
Really?

Marietta [Atalia] (00:30:28):
Yes. That is exactly what I rolled. I said it earlier in the audio.

Daniel [GM] (00:30:32):
Okay. So you spent four points of intellect, right?

Marietta [Atalia] (00:30:38):
Yeah. Guys, I'm going to need a nap.

Daniel [GM] (00:30:42):
Sorry. Five points of intellect. Five points of intellect.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:30:44):
Yeah. I hope we're not fighting anything.

Daniel [GM] (00:30:47):
They're definitely Numenera based, and they are definitely repeating echoes of what they were. The things that they represent an echo of are not the same things as what they are. However, I will give you this. These echoes for the short moment that they exist are fully conscious, autonomous copies of whatever they were. Because they have the same memories, the same understanding of the world, they repeat the same choices over and over again, and then they fade away until it's time for them to come back. Then they're re-instantiated again at that same point, the same knowledge from their perspectives, the same circumstances and they make the same choices again and again and again.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:31:45):
I'll kind of say that really quietly while she stares at them, but like unfocused staring. So kind of like sit quietly. That's what it is.

Alex [ChaCha] (00:31:56):
Dang.

Sampson [Dili] (00:31:57):
Wow. Welcome to Shallamas. Look at our existential crises. Fuck.

Alex [ChaCha] (00:32:01):
As a player, I was hoping I was wrong with that statement. I was just going off what ChaCha believes is happening, but I didn't want to be right.

Daniel [GM] (00:32:13):
Atalia, it occurs to you because this is a pretty significant consideration because it means that species of many worlds all suffered from the same thing that given the same memories in the same circumstances, they would always make the same choice regardless of the consequences.

Alex [ChaCha] (00:32:31):
That's fucked up. So it is fate. It's fate. I think this proves that it's fate. I need to read like a whole dissertation on this. Maybe I could get a scholarship and go to school. Oh my gosh. Do you think-

Stace [Nix] (00:32:42):
No. This isn't fate. This is Numenera.

Sampson [Dili] (00:32:45):
I'm going to throw a snowball at you next time I see you.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:32:55):
Fuck, man. Wow. That was interesting.

Stace [Nix] (00:32:59):
That's pretty dope but kind of sad, I think.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:33:03):
Yeah. Kind of sad is a good way to describe that.

Sampson [Dili] (00:33:06):
Yeah.

Daniel [GM] (00:33:07):
All your faces right now.

Alex [ChaCha] (00:33:09):
Daniel, that was so good. Like I can't even. My mind is blown. You just fucking unlocked the secret of Shallamas.

Daniel [GM] (00:33:16):
I figured it out. Let's go.

Alex [ChaCha] (00:33:22):
Man, I got to tell that to my tutor, Atalia. Because that is definitely not what they told me if I see them here.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:33:30):
Well, I don't have a formal education and haven't run proper experiments so they probably wouldn't listen to me anyway.

Daniel [GM] (00:33:36):
Yeah. Incidentally between that discovery as well as the journey across the lands, including taking you into an unfamiliar path, you all have an additional 2 XP.

Alex [ChaCha] (00:33:49):
Do you know what that means?

Daniel [GM] (00:33:49):
You know what that means.

Alex [ChaCha] (00:33:52):
Sorry. That was a little excitement. It's all because of you, Dili. I would not be here without you today.

Sampson [Dili] (00:34:01):
Okay. That's a weird thing to say.

Alex [ChaCha] (00:34:06):
Don't worry about it. I'm just becoming more powerful.

Daniel [GM] (00:34:09):
More powerful than you can even imagine.

Stace [Nix] (00:34:12):
ChaCha is just snuggling, like baring herself into Nix's back because the confirmation of that knowledge, she just hates it. Sorry, ChaCha.

Daniel [GM] (00:34:22):
And definitely ChaCha as a nano, it makes total sense to you. Like when Atalia describes it that way, everything clicks into a logical place for you.

Alex [ChaCha] (00:34:32):
I guess she mutters, "This is the world. I must change. This is not right. This is why I had to hurry. I will burn the city down and it will be fine."

Sampson [Dili] (00:34:42):
Did you say something, ChaCha?

Marietta [Atalia] (00:34:44):
There's more than one way to save the city. With burning it down and saving it.

Stace [Nix] (00:34:51):
Me either. That's a really good point. Shit. Were we supposed to do something when we get here, guys? Do you remember?

Marietta [Atalia] (00:34:59):
Go meet with our contacts.

Sampson [Dili] (00:35:00):
Yeah, [inaudible 00:35:01], the merchant.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:35:02):
Yeah, let's go find... We're in the market. Right? That's where merchants are. Let's find this bro person, dude, lady, person. I don't know. [inaudible 00:10:11].

Sampson [Dili] (00:35:10):
This person is probably the same organization as Momma Jerrun, so [inaudible 00:35:16].

Marietta [Atalia] (00:35:14):
The guardians of Knights hope.

Alex [ChaCha] (00:35:16):
[inaudible 00:35:16] yell that in the middle of the marketplace.

Sampson [Dili] (00:35:17):
Don't yell that, Atalia. Damn. I was thinking we go to a back alley and try to find a similar office as Momma Jerrun's that's out of the way and doesn't involve people fucking yelling the name. God. What?

Daniel [GM] (00:35:35):
Merrick would have given you... Since the law is a merchant, he would have given you the information about where to find their shop in Shallamas. And certainly as you fall kind of in general the path, it doesn't take you long to find a shop with a sign that says [Sala's 00:35:54] Curiosities. So you're all standing outside of Sala's Curiosities

Marietta [Atalia] (00:35:59):
Guys, we just knock. It's a shop. We just knock. Okay? Or go in if it's open.

Sampson [Dili] (00:36:05):
Then do it. Go knock.

Daniel [GM] (00:36:07):
It has an open sign.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:36:08):
Okay.

Alex [ChaCha] (00:36:09):
All right. Let's go in.

Daniel [GM] (00:36:11):
Okay. So you go in. It's pretty quiet in here. As you come in, you see a wide array of smaller oddities behind glass on the shelves. There are a number of things. You just see one that looks like it might've been like a saddle, but the size of it is like as if it was a saddle that was supposed to be put on like a cat. You see a number of like smaller objects. It's harder to tell what their purpose is. There's of course a desk at the side whom there's a case that apparently probably has more valuable things, but you'd have to look closer.
But as you walk in the door, there's a small odd chime that seems to echo from every direction triggered by the door.

Alex [ChaCha] (00:36:57):
That's fancy.

Daniel [GM] (00:36:58):
And short man walks out behind. He's not as short as Dili. He's about five three, but he's five three blonde hair, very dark skin, sort of butterscotch eyes. He comes out in this sort of gray dress and he's like, "Ah, yes. New customers. How can I help you? I have all variety of strange things from prior worlds here for sale."

Sampson [Dili] (00:37:34):
What's Ciphers do you have?

Alex [ChaCha] (00:37:36):
Oh that's a-

Sampson [Dili] (00:37:37):
Oh wait. Right. We're on a job. Serious.

Alex [ChaCha] (00:37:41):
Well, I would actually kind of be interested in some ciphers that you may have, but yeah. We're here on a job from Momma J.

Daniel [GM] (00:37:48):
Momma J? Who's Momma J?

Alex [ChaCha] (00:37:51):
Does this guy not know what's up?

Sampson [Dili] (00:37:51):
Momma Jerrun. From Charmonde.

Daniel [GM] (00:37:55):
I'm afraid I'm not familiar with that name.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:37:57):
Is this Sala or not Sala?

Daniel [GM] (00:37:59):
It's the only person you see in the shop.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:38:01):
Hey, are you Sala? Can I insight check this person?

Daniel [GM] (00:38:05):
You sure can. It will be a 12.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:38:05):
All right. And I'm trained at detecting false heads so if this dude's lying.

Sampson [Dili] (00:38:05):
He hasn't said anything.

Daniel [GM] (00:38:05):
So it'd be a nine.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:38:08):
That's 11, which is [inaudible 00:13:19].

Daniel [GM] (00:38:18):
He's pretending not to know Momma J, but he looks a little nervous like he's not sure what the deal is, who you guys are.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:38:25):
We're looking for a missing caravan.

Daniel [GM] (00:38:28):
I see that. I'm curious why you would come here. So Atalia, it's clear to you that he's lying, but it's because he doesn't know if you guys are legit or not.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:38:46):
Oh, do we have a secret symbol to show him or something?

Sampson [Dili] (00:38:49):
We have Momma Jerrun's scones. Unless ChaCha ate them.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:38:53):
I mean probably at this point.

Alex [ChaCha] (00:38:55):
There is half a scone left. ChaCha holds up half a crusty ass scone.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:39:01):
Do we have like a letter from Momma Jerrun or something?

Daniel [GM] (00:39:04):
No, Merrick didn't give you anything like that.

Stace [Nix] (00:39:07):
Guys, like Sala, we know that you're content for Momma Jerrun and Merrick and Sharman. So let's talk. We just need some direction. We're trying to recover this caravan.

Daniel [GM] (00:39:20):
Give me a 12 persuasion.

Stace [Nix] (00:39:22):
17.

Daniel [GM] (00:39:22):
Sala looks at you and says, "Momma Jerrun, you said?"

Stace [Nix] (00:39:28):
Yeah.

Daniel [GM] (00:39:29):
Where did you say you were from?

Stace [Nix] (00:39:31):
Sharman.

Daniel [GM] (00:39:32):
Oh, the collar. Yes. Okay. Well...

Stace [Nix] (00:39:37):
She might be a baller or a shock collar. I'm not sure.

Daniel [GM] (00:39:41):
He smiles. He's like, "Oh, she's definitely a collar. That's what she does." Yes. I assume you're here about the caravan itself. Very frustrating situation that one.

Stace [Nix] (00:39:54):
Why? What's like going on?

Marietta [Atalia] (00:39:54):
Have any information?

Daniel [GM] (00:39:58):
We sent [Glamuel 00:40:01] to bring back the caravan, gave them a budget and they left for [Bodrov 00:40:06] to pick up the shipment and to bring it back and Glamuel was the only one who showed up.

Sampson [Dili] (00:40:16):
I haven't been able to get a straight answer out of her.

Daniel [GM] (00:40:18):
I'm alone here at the moment.

Stace [Nix] (00:40:21):
So you think we should go talk to him? Where you got them?

Daniel [GM] (00:40:24):
He's staying at an inn. Seems to be trying to drink her cares away.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:40:30):
Well, she doesn't know us.

Daniel [GM] (00:40:33):
No, she probably doesn't. I've tried to reach her, get information out of her, but I haven't had much luck and it's been problematic. I need to report back in, but shall we say uncertainty is not looked upon fondly? So I need more information before I can really report, and Glamuel has so far refused to give me any of that information that I seek.

Stace [Nix] (00:41:00):
Why not? Is he scared or is he ashamed?

Daniel [GM] (00:41:05):
I don't know. When I've asked her to come meet with me, she's refused. When I went to the end to find her, she left and refused to talk to me. As of this point, I have not been authorized to use any more invasive techniques to get the information we need.

Stace [Nix] (00:41:26):
Yeah, I do prefer noninvasive techniques myself. So that's probably a good thing.

Daniel [GM] (00:41:33):
That makes sense. I'm sure. What did you refer to the collar [inaudible 00:41:38] Momma J? She'd prefer that as well.

Stace [Nix] (00:41:41):
Yeah. Momma J.

Sampson [Dili] (00:41:41):
I think ChaCha has a question. This is ChaCha, by the way. Nix.

Alex [ChaCha] (00:41:47):
Where's [Bodrov 00:16:48]?

Stace [Nix] (00:41:48):
Slightly northwest.

Daniel [GM] (00:41:50):
Yeah. Bodrov of is west, northwest, about 150 miles from Shallamas.

Alex [ChaCha] (00:41:55):
Is it on the map of places? ChaCha can't go.

Daniel [GM] (00:41:58):
It is not on her map. She's heard of it, but she doesn't know exactly where it is.

Alex [ChaCha] (00:42:04):
Snakes probably got them. They're out of numbers right now.

Daniel [GM] (00:42:09):
Sala kind of just like smiles has sort of like blank smile that any person that deals with customer service might get at a point where something is thrown in front of them that they don't know how to respond to and then they look back at Nix and Atalia and say, "So, if she sent you, I am sure that would be a high priority. I would deeply appreciate it if she's sending you that you'd be willing to maybe look into an additional matter for me."

Stace [Nix] (00:42:46):
Oh yeah, man. We're on the same team, right?

Daniel [GM] (00:42:52):
Possibly.

Stace [Nix] (00:42:53):
Oh, are we not on the same team? Because that has me concerned that maybe I shouldn't have talked to you about Momma J.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:42:59):
She should've been more explicit then.

Daniel [GM] (00:43:06):
Well, I guess the question is, what is the door?

Stace [Nix] (00:43:07):
God damn it. Are we not on the same team?

Daniel [GM] (00:43:12):
You're contractors? Okay, well...

Stace [Nix] (00:43:15):
Well, listen, don't hold it against us, man. We're just trying to make a buck. You know what I mean? We're going to help you. You're going to help us.

Daniel [GM] (00:43:22):
Well, don't get me wrong. If your contractors there's still money in it. There's somebody I need to track down and they were supposed to have been here by now.

Stace [Nix] (00:43:22):
Okay.

Daniel [GM] (00:43:34):
They were supposed to be coming from the North. The far Northwest, not Bodrov, somewhere else and [inaudible 00:18:43], she was always such a powerful person. I never expected anything back. She was on her way here. She should have been here by now. She's always been incredibly reliable reporting in. I've worked with her for years. I haven't been able to follow up to figure out what's going on because honestly, I haven't had access to colleagues or reliable contractors to look into it for me. But if a collar sent you here, I could offer some funds to try to find out what's going on there. Assuming that Glamuel hasn't hidden the caravan's shipment somewhere in the city, which seems unlikely. Presumably you'll have to leave the city anyway, so if you could look into this, I'd be very appreciative and be willing to offer some monetary compensation for it.

Stace [Nix] (00:44:39):
Oh, yeah. Let's talk numbers, dude. What you thinking?

Daniel [GM] (00:44:44):
Well, so they were somewhere between here and Bodrov. They were coming from the North. It's possible that they went through the Dark Hills with the caravan, though I don't know if that's likely or not. Her name was [Stanus 00:44:58] and she was coming back with a shipment from the Crystal Falls Sky Fields to the North of the Steadfast and she should have been here by now. I know that she was coming from the far northwest of it. She wouldn't have gone through Bodrov. She's too smart for that. Somewhere between here and there. She's at least a week overdue. That is not like her.

Stace [Nix] (00:45:25):
All right. Yeah. Well, I mean, what rate are you thinking for this?

Daniel [GM] (00:45:30):
Well, 200 shins a piece.

Stace [Nix] (00:45:34):
I don't know, man. I think you can do a little better than that.

Daniel [GM] (00:45:39):
Well, my discretionary budget only goes so far. What are you suggesting?

Stace [Nix] (00:45:42):
I don't know, like 250 a piece, make it 1,000.

Daniel [GM] (00:45:49):
Give me a persuasion roll. Your target is 12 to start, but I believe you also have training, so that's a nine.

Stace [Nix] (00:45:58):
17. I like this day.

Daniel [GM] (00:46:01):
Fine. 250 on delivery.

Stace [Nix] (00:46:04):
All right. You got it, man. And we'll try to get you some clarity as to what's going on with the Glamuel so you can make your report.

Daniel [GM] (00:46:17):
Okay. Excellent. Glamuel, last I heard, was staying at the [Magger's Beard 00:00:46:23] which is an inn from the Western side of Shallamas. And Nix, this rings a bell to you. Once again, it is a dive bar. It is not particularly great, but it is something that actually offers room and board, so it's not quite as down and out as the Queen Spittoon. It's not a great place. As far as you remember from your college days, there's not much to remember from except that if there was a show there, it was very cheap cover to get in.

Stace [Nix] (00:46:50):
Hell yeah. I'm sorry, what was the name of it, Daniel? I missed it.

Daniel [GM] (00:46:50):
The Magger's Beard.

Stace [Nix] (00:46:55):
The Magger's Beard. Oh yeah. All right. Yeah. I know that place. Anything else that you think could help us before we go?

Daniel [GM] (00:47:02):
Well, Glamuel is no contractor. So I'm deeply concerned that they're being so unresponsive.

Stace [Nix] (00:47:11):
Oh, I get it. He's like in the club and he's not acting like he's in the club.

Daniel [GM] (00:47:18):
She. But yeah.

Stace [Nix] (00:47:20):
Oh, well, that's nice.

Sampson [Dili] (00:47:24):
We can't take you anywhere.

Stace [Nix] (00:47:28):
Sweet. She. Thank you.

Daniel [GM] (00:47:30):
Now I'm happy to do other business with you if you wish if you have shins to spend.

Stace [Nix] (00:47:39):
I don't, but...

Sampson [Dili] (00:47:41):
Hello. Do you have any cyphers that we could maybe look at? Also, you said you can't apply any invasive methods, but if those would happen to be on sale, maybe things would go easier? I don't know.

Daniel [GM] (00:48:00):
Dili, make a social roll of 12.

Sampson [Dili] (00:48:02):
Shit. Intellect, right?

Daniel [GM] (00:48:06):
Yeah. Do you have any-

Sampson [Dili] (00:48:08):
No.

Daniel [GM] (00:48:08):
... assets or hindrances on social?

Sampson [Dili] (00:48:10):
No, absolutely not. Although I also ran a shop for a couple of years.

Daniel [GM] (00:48:18):
That's a good try, but this wouldn't work for this. This is not typical shop business that you're asking for.

Sampson [Dili] (00:48:26):
I feel like Dili's definitely had some experience with people. Just be like, "Hey, so what if I could do this for less?"

Stace [Nix] (00:48:33):
Who knows what the markup is.

Sampson [Dili] (00:48:37):
So level of effort in intellect to lower this.

Daniel [GM] (00:48:40):
Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Sampson [Dili] (00:48:43):
So I need nine. 14.

Daniel [GM] (00:48:46):
Yeah. I mean, I have cyphers. So yeah, I have some items here. My lowest ciphers, to be honest, are 300 shins a pop at minimum. Do you have that amount of funds on you? Now, Dili, with your 14, you will know that you can talk him down at least 100 shins on these.

Sampson [Dili] (00:49:09):
If I had 200 shins, I might be able to do that.

Daniel [GM] (00:49:12):
How many shins does Dili have?

Sampson [Dili] (00:49:12):
180.

Daniel [GM] (00:49:16):
I mean, you could try to negotiate further. You could know for sure that you can talk him down 100 shins.

Sampson [Dili] (00:49:22):
How do you feel about trade-ins or trades?

Daniel [GM] (00:49:25):
Depends on what you're trading.

Sampson [Dili] (00:49:27):
Well, what do you have to trade for? What you got in stock?

Daniel [GM] (00:49:31):
At 300 shins, I have a few options. I have this item, points to the shelf at a smallish item. It's actually about the size of like a baseball with a button on it. He's like, "This one affects time. Somebody who triggers it is... They and their companions are, as long as they're all within a good range of each other, are instantly transferred some period into the future. I have this spray, it's a fireproofing spray."

Daniel [GM] (00:50:01):
This spray is a fireproofing spray. If you spray it against any non-living object, it has armor against fire damage for up to three levels for 28 hours. And then I also have a corrosive swarm. It's a group of tiny machines that attacks for when you release it and attacks for a number of... random period of time, anyone within their cloud suffers damage. So mechanically Dili, all of these are level three. So when he's talking about damage, he's talking about three levels of damage, three damage.

Sampson [Dili] (00:50:40):
Roughly speaking cypher that's worth like a hundred shins is level one, and then it kind of goes up in levels of a hundred about that. Yeah. Yeah.

Daniel [GM] (00:50:40):
Yeah.

Sampson [Dili] (00:50:50):
Okay. What about Numenera plans? Any of those in stock?

Daniel [GM] (00:50:55):
Those are a little bit more outside my area of expertise. You might be better off checking out or right. For those kinds of things.

Sampson [Dili] (00:51:03):
All right.

Daniel [GM] (00:51:03):
Do you still have any oddities?

Sampson [Dili] (00:51:05):
I do, but they're kind of lame.

Daniel [GM] (00:51:07):
What are they?

Sampson [Dili] (00:51:08):
Ones an object that just kind of forms, a little bit of salt on the bottom and then the other one's an antiperspirant crystal.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:51:16):
I think i have heard saltic is to get, that could be really good.

Daniel [GM] (00:51:20):
Remember Samson in the ancient worlds, like soldiers were paid in salt,

Alex [ChaCha] (00:51:24):
But don't give up the crystal, Dili might stank.

Daniel [GM] (00:51:28):
Dili does that every morning. He just rubs his whole body with that crystal. Dili never sweats. He just pants. It's why he can't run very far. He overheats it very quickly.

Sampson [Dili] (00:51:40):
I don't understand why I'm working out so hard.
Yeah. None of them really well on me. So I don't know if anyone else is interested in Patel's offering.

Daniel [GM] (00:51:50):
I mean, he has other stuff, but it's the only stuff that's like-

Sampson [Dili] (00:51:52):
Yeah.

Daniel [GM] (00:51:53):
Anywhere within reason for you to get to.

Sampson [Dili] (00:51:56):
I don't have a whole lot of leverage. So.

Daniel [GM] (00:51:59):
All right. Well thank you for your time. I guess anyone else wants to... Certainly, happy do business with anybody else who has shin's to spare.

Stace [Nix] (00:52:08):
Nah, I ain't got no money, man. Ain't me.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:52:11):
Are you interested in buying things at all?

Daniel [GM] (00:52:14):
Depends on what you're offering.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:52:16):
I'll pull out one of my oddities. It's a glass ball filled with fluid through which swims a bloodshot eye trailing its curve ending.

Daniel [GM] (00:52:25):
That's interesting. He takes a look at it and he starts looking over it and is like "Id offer you 50 shin's for this one."

Sampson [Dili] (00:52:33):
Insight.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:52:35):
I look at Dili.

Daniel [GM] (00:52:37):
So Dili, you will have an asset on this because you were a shop owner.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:52:42):
And I will assist him because I'm here. That's awesome.

Daniel [GM] (00:52:44):
Okay. So, that is a six then Dili. Before any effort on your part.

Sampson [Dili] (00:52:52):
I will apply a level of efforts, effort three, I roll a six.

Daniel [GM] (00:52:57):
Okay. You should be able to get 65 shins for this. He wasn't pricing it down too hard, but he was doing, a reasonable amount for business. He wasn't trying to screw you, but he was doing what's appropriate in a business setting for shopkeepers. What's typical.

Sampson [Dili] (00:53:16):
Okay.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:53:16):
Are you sure you can't just give a little bit more? We kind of got wiped out on our way here.

Sampson [Dili] (00:53:21):
We are also working for Momma Jerrun.

Daniel [GM] (00:53:24):
How about 60 shins?

Marietta [Atalia] (00:53:25):
I'll kind of look at him a little bit and then I'll hand him the oddity.

Daniel [GM] (00:53:36):
He hands you back. 60 shins.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:53:36):
So a little bit of spending money. I don't think I'm going to get rid of any of my cyphers, but when we leave the shop, I'm going to give Dili one of them.

Daniel [GM] (00:53:41):
Okay. So you guys leave from the shop and heading to the magers beard.

Alex [ChaCha] (00:53:45):
ChaCha goes where Nix goes. Cause she's literally attached on her back.

Stace [Nix] (00:53:50):
Oh my God, Still?

Alex [ChaCha] (00:53:51):
Yes.

Stace [Nix] (00:53:51):
Just like a backpack.

Alex [ChaCha] (00:53:52):
Yes.

Daniel [GM] (00:53:54):
Did you notice that, that she has a... Is that like [inaudible 00:53:58] on her back?

Sampson [Dili] (00:54:00):
You mean ChaCha?

Daniel [GM] (00:54:01):
On who's back?

Alex [ChaCha] (00:54:02):
ChaCha hisses at him. Just full on.

Daniel [GM] (00:54:07):
Oh god okay. Well anyway. Good luck. Now here's everything I know. And he gives you like sort of a rough sketch of where he expected his compact to travel.

Stace [Nix] (00:54:19):
All right, man. Thank you very much.

Alex [ChaCha] (00:54:23):
Thank you. We'll be back.

Stace [Nix] (00:54:24):
Maybe like or he might die.

Sampson [Dili] (00:54:27):
Why would we die?

Daniel [GM] (00:54:28):
That's always a possibility in business.

Stace [Nix] (00:54:31):
I know, yeah.

Daniel [GM] (00:54:33):
He nods to you and waves goodbye.

Stace [Nix] (00:54:36):
All right guys. Let's go.

Sampson [Dili] (00:54:37):
That was a joke, right? You were just being funny.

Stace [Nix] (00:54:40):
No, man. I mean life is fragile.

Sampson [Dili] (00:54:43):
Cool.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:54:44):
Speaking of life, being fragile, Dili, you know, you used two cyphers the other day. Why don't you hold onto this one and I'll give him my flame hand since he doesn't have any damage things. It's level three, a glove, with a large metal device put over it. You can't use your hand, but it shoots fire. You can affect multiple targets that are in range to each others. If you got a bunch of people like in close range. You could just.

Daniel [GM] (00:55:10):
Turn your hand into a flame thrower.

Stace [Nix] (00:55:12):
Dope.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:55:13):
And then just to note my dude's, we should probably, while we're adventuring, if we kill more monsters, loot them. Sometimes they have cyphers and I completely forgot because I was too busy being like my face.

Stace [Nix] (00:55:26):
Oh yeah, dude. Totally understand that. Yeah. Like you shouldn't feel bad.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:55:30):
I just think we should need to be start being a little more resourceful for on the road and adventurous.

Stace [Nix] (00:55:36):
For sure, dude. Like I don't have any cyphers and that's a good point.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:55:39):
I just have this one that tells lies, that tells why it's a lie eater. It tells me when people are lying, but I have to put it on my head and it's kind of conspicuous. But if we ever any do interrogate someone, you know, if we ever get the balls to interrogate Mamma Jerrun.

Stace [Nix] (00:55:39):
Okay.

Sampson [Dili] (00:55:55):
I think in the next few minutes we might need that. I think is what Nix is going towards.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:56:01):
Right. It says this-

Stace [Nix] (00:56:03):
First of all, I don't think that balls are prerequisite for interrogation, dude, but...

Sampson [Dili] (00:56:09):
What are we... What are we talking about?

Marietta [Atalia] (00:56:14):
The... It... Feeds on brainwaves associated with deception. When a creature that is pointed at lies, the tips of the tendrils light up and wave about let's activate the device functions for 10 minutes.

Stace [Nix] (00:56:26):
Dope.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:56:27):
So it's conspicuous is the real issue. Like maybe if we threw a suit over our shoulder and locked him in the room and you could just tie him to a chair and interrogate him, but in the middle of a bar, it might not be great.

Stace [Nix] (00:56:38):
Well, that bar it's like iffy, if anyone will really care. But I think that we should maybe just like try to talk to him first and be like his friend... Her friend, My gosh.

Daniel [GM] (00:56:52):
Examine your own biases Stace.

Stace [Nix] (00:56:54):
I know I do all the time.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:56:57):
It's an important part of the human condition or ab human condition.

Daniel [GM] (00:57:03):
See Talia is being inclusive.

Alex [ChaCha] (00:57:11):
Also like... This is Alex speaking, but we could tear ChaCha up and get her mind reading powers. Just saying.

Daniel [GM] (00:57:23):
It's true.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:57:23):
How much XP do you need?

Alex [ChaCha] (00:57:23):
No, I think I'm actually at it, I had to relook at my original character sheet. I've already done three advancements and now I got... I need two more XP to do the next thing.

Sampson [Dili] (00:57:35):
So should we go outside and grind some levels?

Alex [ChaCha] (00:57:38):
Yeah so if you could just grind some levels.

Daniel [GM] (00:57:41):
It's not going to help you to grind levels outside. You have to discover things,

Stace [Nix] (00:57:46):
Guys. Let's go. Let's just go Southeast. Let's just go discover ourselves.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:57:53):
Let's try to find this location on this carefully drawn map that he gave us.

Stace [Nix] (00:57:58):
Well that's North but West.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:58:01):
Or do we want to go... So caravan first and then the lady?

Stace [Nix] (00:58:05):
No, the lady first. Cause she's here in town and has probably answer... Oh, the other lady, status.

Daniel [GM] (00:58:12):
I think Clemuel first. We can at least talk to her first.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:58:15):
Telepathic break on.

Alex [ChaCha] (00:58:16):
What did you think her name is?

Daniel [GM] (00:58:18):
Clemuel.

Alex [ChaCha] (00:58:18):
Is that accurate?

Daniel [GM] (00:58:20):
Yes. It was Clemuel, Status and then some bullshit in the Dark Hills.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:58:27):
Okay. So Clemule with a G or with a C?

Daniel [GM] (00:58:30):
C.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:58:31):
Like Clementine, but like molecule and Clementine combined.

Daniel [GM] (00:58:36):
Yes.

Stace [Nix] (00:58:37):
All right. Let's go to the bar.

Daniel [GM] (00:58:40):
Okay. So you go to the magers beard. It is a rough and tumbled place. It is not quite as bad as the queen spatoon, the windows at least seem to have had repairs somewhat recently, although they are very dirty. And as you go in you can see a rough crowd. There aren't many people in at this time of day, most people are home, asleep. You see really only one person sitting at the bar drinking and it is a middle aged woman with dark brown hair with lines of gray. Correct. And she is tossing back shots of some sort of liquor over and over again. She has a bottle sitting next to her that she's just filling up.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:58:40):
Just going for it.

Stace [Nix] (00:59:26):
Nix comes up to the bar next to her with- she sets ChaCha down on a stool for this one.

Daniel [GM] (00:59:32):
Yeah. The bartender wanders over and looks at you like, "uh can I get you something?"

Stace [Nix] (00:59:37):
Yeah. Hang on Atalia.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:59:38):
Yeah.

Stace [Nix] (00:59:38):
You got any shins.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:59:42):
Yeah. And ill slide her 10.

Stace [Nix] (00:59:45):
Thanks dude. Yeah, whatever you're already serving.

Daniel [GM] (00:59:48):
So you're looking for the house brew.

Stace [Nix] (00:59:51):
Sure.

Daniel [GM] (00:59:53):
Okay. How many?

Stace [Nix] (00:59:54):
Guys do you want drinks?

Sampson [Dili] (00:59:56):
Sure.

Marietta [Atalia] (00:59:56):
Mh-hm

Alex [ChaCha] (00:59:59):
ChaCha vigorously shakes her head no.

Stace [Nix] (01:00:02):
No. "You want a drink?" Nix says and points to Clemuel. Well, or who I assume is.

Daniel [GM] (01:00:08):
Lone looks at you and says, "I'm good. I got enough here."

Stace [Nix] (01:00:13):
All right. Three drinks please.

Daniel [GM] (01:00:17):
Okay. That'll be a shin.

Stace [Nix] (01:00:17):
Here you go.

Daniel [GM] (01:00:20):
And the bartender goes, she fills three glasses of the house brew and brings it back to you guys.

Stace [Nix] (01:00:24):
Thanks. Appreciate it. Really could use a rest. Oh my God. On the way in we encountered some war moths. It was pretty gnarly.

Daniel [GM] (01:00:32):
Yeah. I'm sure. And she wanders off to another side of the bar and begins scribbling on a piece of paper. You're not exactly sure, but it looks like some sort of puzzle, maybe involves numbers.

Stace [Nix] (01:00:51):
Sodoku.

Daniel [GM] (01:00:52):
It could be, its something involving numbers in a grid. She's very intent on it.

Stace [Nix] (01:00:52):
All right well...

Alex [ChaCha] (01:00:58):
I did just split the party.

Stace [Nix] (01:01:00):
Very welcoming here. What up ChaCha? What were you going to say?

Alex [ChaCha] (01:01:04):
So are you taking the one drinking or the one serving?

Stace [Nix] (01:01:08):
No, I don't know if we need to fight right now.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:01:11):
No one of us interrogates one. The other goes the other way. Hedge bets. You get information from one. And then we find out the same information from the other so we can compare and see who's lying.

Stace [Nix] (01:01:27):
You think that they both know? I mean like the bartender might not know anything.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:01:32):
Well, if Clemuel comes drinking here all the time, that meal talks. So-

Stace [Nix] (01:01:39):
Did Clemuel wander away or just like she's sitting right here.

Daniel [GM] (01:01:42):
She's still sitting there drinking.

Stace [Nix] (01:01:44):
Yeah. Okay. Go ahead, ChaCha I'm sorry.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:01:47):
So Cemule talks and lies to you. We talked... one of us talked to the bartender and see if Clemuel lies.

Stace [Nix] (01:01:57):
Cool. That sounds like a good plan. What do you think Clemuel?

Daniel [GM] (01:02:02):
Really? Okay. She looks up from her drink and looks over at you and says, "do I know you?"

Stace [Nix] (01:02:12):
Nah man... Actually, that's a good point. My name is Nix. Sometimes people call me Snix. This is the crew Atalia, ChaCha and Dili. Yeah. We're contractors.

Marietta [Atalia] (01:02:28):
Atalia is like face palmed.

Stace [Nix] (01:02:30):
Atalia is ashamed of something right now, I'm not really sure what it is. She does that sometimes.

Daniel [GM] (01:02:30):
I can't imagine.

Stace [Nix] (01:02:36):
I can hardly imagine it and I see it literally every other day minimum. But like you ever rolled with a crew, like-

Daniel [GM] (01:02:45):
Sure.

Stace [Nix] (01:02:46):
Shit's weird.

Daniel [GM] (01:02:47):
Sure I have.

Stace [Nix] (01:02:48):
Yeah. What do you, what do you do? What do you, what are you into?

Daniel [GM] (01:02:51):
Are you trying to be deceptive or are you just trying to be social?

Stace [Nix] (01:02:54):
Social, trying to make a connection. So kind of both, I guess I think you could make an argument.

Daniel [GM] (01:02:54):
Okay. Give me a 12 social role.

Stace [Nix] (01:03:05):
Okay. So nine and then I'm going to spend almost half of my intellect pool to make it a six. And I got a... not six.

Daniel [GM] (01:03:20):
What'd you get?

Stace [Nix] (01:03:22):
I got a three.

Daniel [GM] (01:03:25):
Unless you want to spend XP?

Stace [Nix] (01:03:27):
Am I ever going to tear up anyway? What even our tears? No.

Daniel [GM] (01:03:31):
Okay. So she looks at you and says, "maybe not everybody does different things during the course of their life."

Stace [Nix] (01:03:39):
That's so true.

Daniel [GM] (01:03:40):
And she pours herself another shot and drinks it.

Stace [Nix] (01:03:43):
Oh, you like liquor?

Alex [ChaCha] (01:03:45):
ChaCha's going to like, tug on Nix's sleeve.

Stace [Nix] (01:03:49):
What?

Alex [ChaCha] (01:03:50):
Maybe you should talk to the bartender. You're not doing well here.

Stace [Nix] (01:03:55):
All right. You think so? I don't know if I'm whispering loud enough. So all right, if you think so.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:04:02):
ChaCha just assumes, this is like loan shark guy, where for some reason there's been like a weird misunderstanding and they would be best friends if somebody hadn't miss said a word.

Daniel [GM] (01:04:14):
Okay.

Stace [Nix] (01:04:15):
Yeah.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:04:16):
So yeah. ChaCha's going to go sit like right next to Clemuel, like uncomfortably close, I think.

Daniel [GM] (01:04:24):
So she gives you the side eye and says, "you know there's a whole bar here."

Alex [ChaCha] (01:04:29):
Yeah. But you're going to trade me information. So why would I sit anywhere else.

Daniel [GM] (01:04:33):
What makes you think im going to do that?

Alex [ChaCha] (01:04:36):
Because I'm adorable.

Daniel [GM] (01:04:38):
Okay. So give me a social role of 12.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:04:39):
Well guess what, she is adorable with a 17.

Daniel [GM] (01:04:47):
Okay. This is interesting. What kind of information are you looking for? And more importantly, what information do you have to trade?

Alex [ChaCha] (01:04:57):
Are there any horrors around?

Daniel [GM] (01:04:59):
Ooh, good question. Evens or odds?

Alex [ChaCha] (01:05:02):
Let's go even.

Daniel [GM] (01:05:04):
Stace roll die tell me if you get even or odd.

Stace [Nix] (01:05:04):
Odd.

Daniel [GM] (01:05:08):
Yeah. So you don't see anything significant. Just the usual centipedes.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:05:11):
I can tell you where the centipedes are on your body right now.

Daniel [GM] (01:05:15):
What centipedes are you talking about?

Alex [ChaCha] (01:05:18):
They're just going in and out and in and out. You tell me about the caravan and I'll tell you about the centipedes.

Daniel [GM] (01:05:26):
I don't want to talk about the caravan.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:05:30):
What do you want to talk about?

Daniel [GM] (01:05:30):
Honestly how good this whiskey is.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:05:32):
Do you want to talk about before the caravan? Or after? Just not the caravan?

Daniel [GM] (01:05:38):
She looks both ways. And go ahead and give me another social role 12. This time you'll have an asset. So it'll be a nine.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:05:47):
I think I'm going to put effort into it just in case.

Daniel [GM] (01:05:50):
Good idea.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:05:51):
This is intellect, right?

Daniel [GM] (01:05:53):
Yep.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:05:54):
I have one edge. So that brings it... Okay. Least amount mind here getting an 18

Daniel [GM] (01:06:01):
Okay. She says "all I know is afterwards came here on my way to a bottom of a bottle. And as long as they keep bringing the bottle to me, happy to stay here."

Alex [ChaCha] (01:06:15):
But that's not your mission statement. You're supposed to help the people.

Daniel [GM] (01:06:16):
You don't know anything about my mission statement.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:06:16):
Your supposed to help humans and abhumans.

Daniel [GM] (01:06:17):
Listen, I tried to help people. I don't even know who you are, who are you?

Alex [ChaCha] (01:06:30):
I'm ChaCha and I'm going to change the world.

Daniel [GM] (01:06:38):
Okay. So I see. But who are you... How do you even know about a caravan?

Alex [ChaCha] (01:06:39):
A caller sent us to help. So you get a second chance.

Daniel [GM] (01:06:44):
She laughs for a moment and then there's like... You can see she's actually choking back a sob. And she says, "I did everything I could. I told them not to touch it. No, leave it alone. Just keep it in the wagon. And they didn't listen, I did everything I could. And I'm just lucky I got away. And I... I'm not going back there, im telling you I'm not going back there. I don't care how important it is. I'm not going back there after what I saw."

Alex [ChaCha] (01:07:16):
Chacha gets out her little map and says, "we'll go there and you'll help us fix it by telling us how to get there. And then you'll of done everything.

Daniel [GM] (01:07:25):
So give me a social role. That's going to be... with an asset, is going to be a nine.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:07:31):
14.

Daniel [GM] (01:07:32):
I picked them out myself, embedded them all myself. [inaudible 01:07:35] picked up the shipment, like we were supposed to was fine. Picked up a few statutes that we were supposed to, we went the way we were supposed to, they were good. They were all good. But I told them, not to touch any of them. And then they touched them and, and then it was just the grub and that was... They were gone, there's nothing left. And then all I could hear was these... And I ran, I ran as fast as I could and I found my way back here. And I found my way to the bottom of the bottle. And I believe in it, I believe in the mission. I did not sign up for this and she takes another shot.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:08:23):
ChaCha's Going to nod. And then say, "my friend Atalia said the wrong horrors, they keep making the same choices over and over again because fate. Maybe it's fate, you would be here for us to come find so we could make it all right. And then you can keep helping."

Daniel [GM] (01:08:44):
Maybe, it's not very comforting ChaCha.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:08:46):
I've got friends on the other side who will tell me what to do. It's fine.

Daniel [GM] (01:08:52):
One of those, huh? Yeah. The colors got a soft spot for those. They all do. I won't go back there ChaCha. I'm out.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:09:01):
Then just like teach children or something. Make kids happy. That's still helping.

Daniel [GM] (01:09:08):
[inaudible 01:09:08] And she takes another shot. And then she turns and she looks at you draw very steady gaze. She says, "How can I do that? I know what's out there, what's waiting for anyone that takes the wrong detour. I know that I believe in the mission. I know what's coming and I know what we need to do, but it's too much. I can't, I can't pay that cost. I can't do it anymore. I thought I could, but I can't. And I know what that means for me eventually, but I'm not sending anybody else to their death, they were good kids, ChaCha, good people. They didn't know any better and who knows, they may not have been any more aware of what they're getting into then you are. That loss was my mistake" and then she like lowers her head for a second and picks up a drink.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:10:11):
Its better to be prepared and still die than be unprepared and wish you had better circumstances. You're going to die anyway. But the way you're drinking, the centipedes are going to reach your brain. And they're not... they're harmless right now, but if they make it to the brain, then you're just gone and no one can help you. So you need to help other people first.

Daniel [GM] (01:10:36):
She pauses for a moment and she says, "honestly what's keeping it at this point?" and she leans over and she dragged across the map that you presented at one point and she leans over and she draws a circle, the Dark Hills. And she says, "there's the grove, that's what's left of it. And whatever gods there are, forgive me for telling you. But if you're after the shipment, this is where you'll find it. Now just let me drink in peace."

Alex [ChaCha] (01:11:13):
ChaCha holds up her map and kind of just hops off the stool and presents it to Nix, like "here you go".

Stace [Nix] (01:11:19):
Thank you. There was this cat. I was looking at it. So what's going on? Okay so, Nix then copies it onto the map she got from Merrick and hands ChaCha's map back to her.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:11:39):
She puts away the no-nos zone maps.

Stace [Nix] (01:11:42):
All right. Well, anything else we need ChaCha or?

Alex [ChaCha] (01:11:45):
No, she's just going to drink herself to death for good.

Stace [Nix] (01:11:49):
Fuck yeah. Good work, dude. You're fucking terrifying. In a good way.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:11:57):
I'm designed to be that and adorable.

Stace [Nix] (01:12:00):
Yeah, it really is a powerful combination, ChaCha. All right, sweet. Well guess I'll finish this beer.

Daniel [GM] (01:12:11):
You finish the beer. What else would you like to do?

Stace [Nix] (01:12:11):
That's it for Nix.

Marietta [Atalia] (01:12:13):
I could use a nap.

Daniel [GM] (01:12:15):
This place does have rooms.

Marietta [Atalia] (01:12:17):
Like I would like... I wouldn't mind sleeping before we head out. I guess.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:12:22):
Probably. That's a good idea.

Daniel [GM] (01:12:25):
So it's two shins per room, each room has two beds.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:12:29):
ChaCha offers to pay and trade.

Daniel [GM] (01:12:31):
What is she offering to trade?

Alex [ChaCha] (01:12:33):
A performance.

Daniel [GM] (01:12:35):
Give me a social role of 9.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:12:37):
17.

Daniel [GM] (01:12:38):
For performance, they'll give you one room.

Marietta [Atalia] (01:12:40):
I'll pay for a room.

Daniel [GM] (01:12:46):
Okay.

Marietta [Atalia] (01:12:46):
Atalia will immediately go and collapse on the bed with Jeskii.

Daniel [GM] (01:12:50):
So ChaCha, please give me a performance role. Your target is going to be a 12.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:12:54):
16.

Daniel [GM] (01:12:56):
You earn an additional six shins for your performance from people tipping you.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:13:00):
Woo.

Daniel [GM] (01:13:02):
What is the performance that you're doing?

Alex [ChaCha] (01:13:04):
I think-

Daniel [GM] (01:13:06):
keeping in mind, you don't have score ups anymore, cause they're all gone.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:13:09):
I know. I think she's... Because she's going to take a nap soon anyway, she's going to use hedge magic to try and help illustrate a tale. I can't remember what that person's name is, but Clamantha or whatever her name is.

Daniel [GM] (01:13:24):
Clemuel.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:13:25):
Yeah, Clemuel. I think Chacha wants to like inspire Clemuel, to not give up and kind of go with like the tale of like... Semi tale of ChaCha, that she just wants to help people but keeps getting like bucked down, but eventually she's going to help people and change the world.

Daniel [GM] (01:13:43):
Okay. I would say Clemuel probably passes out drunk partway through the performance, but it is a good performance. And that's where you earned your shins from. Cause Clemuel's in a pretty bad place.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:13:43):
Yeah.

Daniel [GM] (01:13:55):
Like turning her around from that is not going to be easy.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:13:57):
Oh yeah. She wants to put the little seed in there.

Daniel [GM] (01:14:02):
So you're all getting a full night's sleep in an inn, which means you don't have to keep watch so everybody can do, if they want, recovery rolls up to their 10 hour.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:14:11):
Heck yeah.

Sampson [Dili] (01:14:12):
Before Clemuel all passes out. It's kind of when the party is dispersing a little bit. Can I ask Clemuel a question?

Daniel [GM] (01:14:20):
You can try, sure.

Sampson [Dili] (01:14:21):
So Dili's going to go up to her compassionately as Dili can and he's going to go, "hey, what is the door?"

Daniel [GM] (01:14:28):
She looks at you and says, "fucking contractors. You have no idea what's coming, no idea what you've gotten yourself into."

Sampson [Dili] (01:14:41):
Mind if you told me?

Daniel [GM] (01:14:43):
But she grabs an extra shot glass from behind the bar, pours a drink and passes it to you and says, "have a shot little man. You're going to need it eventually."

Sampson [Dili] (01:14:52):
Thanks. I guess he'll take it.

Daniel [GM] (01:14:55):
So you guys have a nice sleep.
Dili.

Sampson [Dili] (01:14:58):
Hey.

Daniel [GM] (01:15:00):
You have another dream.

Sampson [Dili] (01:15:01):
Oh shit.

Daniel [GM] (01:15:02):
And in this dream-

Daniel [GM] (01:15:00):
Have another dream.

Sampson [Dili] (01:15:01):
Oh shit.

Daniel [GM] (01:15:02):
In this dream once again, you open your eyes, you can't move, but you're in the warehouse. But on the other side of the room, you see somebody there against the wall. It's Pollos, except that his body has been torn into three pieces and you see a Sidra standing there saying "The first test went well." Then a huge, hulking figure of a man walks into view. He's easily seven feet tall, enormously muscular, and with all sorts of strange synth grafted against his neck. He looks at the Sidra and says, "Well, it's one loose end taken care of. I need a real test." She says, "Another one? We've already done everything else we needed from, seems like a waste." Minos looks at her and says, "I need a real test." The Sidra pauses, she takes a step back and she looks at you in this dream and says, "Well now, I guess you have a new target." There's like a chittering response from you. Let me tell you all about [inaudible 00:01:23]. Then your dream fades and you guys all wake up the next morning.

Sampson [Dili] (01:16:28):
Fuck.

Daniel [GM] (01:16:29):
So you guys have woken up in the morning and it's up to you guys to decide, what are you guys going to do next?

Marietta [Atalia] (01:16:35):
Well, I would like to find some more provisions that aren't mushrooms before we leave, then I guess.

Sampson [Dili] (01:16:42):
The bar might have provisions.

Daniel [GM] (01:16:48):
They do. It's stuff that they prepare there, they're not going to have provisions for the road. You'd have to go to a [inaudible 01:16:50] store for that.

Sampson [Dili] (01:16:51):
Ah damn.

Daniel [GM] (01:16:52):
Let me put it this way, to fast forward through this, the logistics of stuff that's not necessarily story-based. Probably for about five, six shins you guys could get a very good larder for the journey of stuff that's actually packaged for travel and ready to go.

Marietta [Atalia] (01:17:10):
Atalia goes for it. She goes hard for it. She's like, "Nope. There's too many shitty things. Shitty food on top of it does not need to be one of them."

Sampson [Dili] (01:17:18):
Dili will give Atalia two shins towards that.

Marietta [Atalia] (01:17:23):
Thank you.

Daniel [GM] (01:17:23):
Okay. So you guys have a good supply of food.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:17:26):
ChaCha doesn't see the hate towards the mushrooms. That's nature just giving.

Daniel [GM] (01:17:32):
Because it's what she lived off of for years, honestly.

Stace [Nix] (01:17:34):
Yeah. Nix doesn't buy any pre-packaged trash.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:17:37):
Nix doesn't want that garbage.

Stace [Nix] (01:17:40):
She buys a couple of basic ones, just in case.

Daniel [GM] (01:17:44):
True to Nix's privilege, she only looks for organic solutions, or stuff that she's grown herself.

Marietta [Atalia] (01:17:52):
Oh, Atalia is all about it. Just because these guys are like "Mushrooms, berries. I'm so excited."

Stace [Nix] (01:17:58):
I just want to say that every morning when traveling, you guys have woke up and looked, turned around for Nix and she's been running back with Jeskii, like "Hey."

Daniel [GM] (01:18:11):
Oh yeah. That's good. Nix has definitely been getting in her morning parkour runs with Jeskii. Let's say this, the neighbors in the area have definitely talked about the strange woman who has been running along the buildings. Along the buildings, not just down the road with a seskii.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:18:33):
In a hot dog costume.

Daniel [GM] (01:18:35):
At first we thought she was the echo, but if she's far too solid for that.

Stace [Nix] (01:18:40):
Just for the run.

Daniel [GM] (01:18:42):
Whenever she gets back, Jeskii is very excited to return to Atalia.

Stace [Nix] (01:18:46):
Yeah. There's no doubt. No doubt whatsoever.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:18:51):
Just the subcontractor for walks.

Daniel [GM] (01:18:53):
It's almost like Jeskii has a relationship with Nix that you wish you had.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:19:03):
[crosstalk 01:19:03] Burn.

Marietta [Atalia] (01:19:08):
Atalia loves her life so much. So much, so much life love.

Stace [Nix] (01:19:12):
I hope Atalia can find happiness, I really do.

Daniel [GM] (01:19:16):
Okay. What do you guys want to do?

Marietta [Atalia] (01:19:18):
I've got some dope provisions.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:19:21):
Ruins [inaudible 00:04:23].

Marietta [Atalia] (01:19:22):
Are we going to walk off into the sunset?

Stace [Nix] (01:19:24):
I don't want to wait until sunset, I think that we should get on the road.

Marietta [Atalia] (01:19:28):
Yes. Let's leave now so we can beat that sunset.

Sampson [Dili] (01:19:32):
I think the dark Hills are also in the South, so let's not go West. Southwest. Not quite the sunset.

Daniel [GM] (01:19:38):
Sampson's got his map open.

Sampson [Dili] (01:19:40):
I just remember where the sun sets.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:19:42):
ChaCha has an oddity for that.

Marietta [Atalia] (01:19:44):
Also since I slept, would I have tiered up then?

Daniel [GM] (01:19:48):
Sure.

Marietta [Atalia] (01:19:49):
Or do we want to do that next time?

Daniel [GM] (01:19:50):
No. Go ahead and talk about what did you tier up with right as you slept?

Marietta [Atalia] (01:19:54):
I haven't decided. I'm stuck between flash and hover for my esotery.

Daniel [GM] (01:19:59):
Oh. They're both good.

Marietta [Atalia] (01:20:02):
I'm reading flash again. "You create an explosion of energy at a point within close range."

Alex [ChaCha] (01:20:07):
I feel like hover goes better though with that super [inaudible 01:20:12] spy aesthetic. Flash kind of like a, look at me.

Marietta [Atalia] (01:20:17):
Yeah. She's been hitting stuff hard though. I just don't see anything else that's damage other than flash.

Daniel [GM] (01:20:25):
Yeah. If you're going for damage, flash definitely sounds like the nano choice.

Marietta [Atalia] (01:20:32):
It's actually not that much damage, but it's an area of effect. Well, I mean, you hit more people.

Daniel [GM] (01:20:36):
That would make sense because there are, believe it or not, I think as a nano, you would understand. There are extra dimensional creatures that are basically immune to direct attacks and only are affected by area of effect.

Marietta [Atalia] (01:20:51):
Interesting.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:20:51):
So wait, what that area effect include us?

Daniel [GM] (01:20:55):
Maybe.

Marietta [Atalia] (01:20:58):
Well, it explicitly say AOE. It says it hits everything within a range.

Daniel [GM] (01:21:01):
That means your companions as well, yeah.

Marietta [Atalia] (01:21:05):
Blast inflicts two points of damage to all creatures or objects within the area. Okay, fine. I'll just do hover.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:21:09):
No, you guys can do flash. I'm just like, okay, we can plan this.

Sampson [Dili] (01:21:13):
I've already started Atalia for life.

Marietta [Atalia] (01:21:14):
No.

Stace [Nix] (01:21:16):
Yeah, I think-

Marietta [Atalia] (01:21:16):
She'll do hover. Man, I wanted something else that like went kabam! Pow!

Daniel [GM] (01:21:22):
You can do flash.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:21:22):
Yeah. We're not stopping you.

Daniel [GM] (01:21:24):
It makes sense to me that Atalia would be looking for something that's offensive.

Marietta [Atalia] (01:21:28):
I can do it within close range and then it affects an area up to immediate range from that point. As long as I can see the location or I'm intending to center the explosion.

Daniel [GM] (01:21:40):
There you go. Make sense?

Marietta [Atalia] (01:21:41):
Okay. I will do flash then.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:21:44):
I just figured I would ask that question so we didn't get the surprise, guess what just happened.

Marietta [Atalia] (01:21:49):
Yeah. She can also see in the dark. I see in total darkness as though as though it's dim light and in dim light I see as though it's bright light, or regular light.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:22:01):
No, my brain is just like, so would flash super blind Atalia, because [inaudible 01:22:07] of nature?

Marietta [Atalia] (01:22:09):
It's called eyes adjusted.

Daniel [GM] (01:22:11):
Yeah. She's like really good at working with that.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:22:11):
Okay.

Marietta [Atalia] (01:22:16):
Then I also have superb infiltrator so I can do lock picking and tinkering with devices in an effort to make them work or at least work for you.

Daniel [GM] (01:22:24):
Okay. What are you guys going to do?

Alex [ChaCha] (01:22:26):
Ruins.

Sampson [Dili] (01:22:27):
Pick up some breakfast burritos on the way out of town.

Daniel [GM] (01:22:31):
There are definitely some great burritos on the way out of town. They're mostly insectoid, but they are delicious and savory. The way they spice them in Shallamas is, for Nix it's sort of like she's missed it. It's been sort of her late night drunk food when she was in college. But for the rest of you, it is a revelation in the way they spice these breakfast burritos.

Sampson [Dili] (01:22:59):
You know, I couldn't get street food back in Charmonde because I was wanted, but oh, fucking great. Love it.

Daniel [GM] (01:23:07):
Because it's amazing. The meat is spiced in a way that kind of has a bite, but it also has this cream sauce on it that's not unlike to tzatziki sauce. It's as if you were, once again, if you were drinking late at night and coming out and hitting up a gyro stand, a really good one.

Sampson [Dili] (01:23:07):
I like that.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:23:07):
I'm hungry now.

Sampson [Dili] (01:23:31):
All right, which way are we going? I say to the people with the map.

Daniel [GM] (01:23:33):
What are you guys doing? Are you going to where the missing agent was? Or are you heading to the caravan?

Stace [Nix] (01:23:39):
Vaguely the same direction or not?

Daniel [GM] (01:23:41):
They're close. They're not exactly the same direction. At a certain point, you'll have to choose one way or the other. They're probably, depending on how far off, you don't know how far the operative got along her path. It could be that they're a day apart, it could be multiple days apart.

Marietta [Atalia] (01:24:01):
Let's do the one we came for. Huh?

Sampson [Dili] (01:24:03):
Yeah, I vote for Momma Jerrun quest, just because we have a location for that and-

Stace [Nix] (01:24:09):
A timeline.

Sampson [Dili] (01:24:10):
That too. Yeah.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:24:11):
ChaCha repeats the story that [Clemuel 01:24:14] told her, to kind of go, "Hey, this is what we're dealing with." Because she's not sure how much everybody else heard.

Marietta [Atalia] (01:24:21):
That is kind of horrifying. Good point.

Sampson [Dili] (01:24:23):
Yeah. I tried to ask her what the door was. She knew we were contractors, so it was annoying.

Marietta [Atalia] (01:24:30):
I'm really over these people not just being clear. I don't know.

Stace [Nix] (01:24:34):
I mean, I kind of feel like they're paying us to do a job and that they don't have to tell us everything.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:24:41):
Asking questions can be tricky.

Marietta [Atalia] (01:24:44):
Yeah. They just upended my life sort of.

Sampson [Dili] (01:24:48):
Was that Guardians of Night's hope or was that really just the handlers being shitty? Seems like the handlers were mostly shitty.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:24:54):
I think that was the handler's being shitty.

Sampson [Dili] (01:24:58):
[inaudible 01:24:58] Atalia make decisions on her own.

Daniel [GM] (01:25:01):
I would never say that out loud.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:25:02):
Did you guys hear that pigeon?

Marietta [Atalia] (01:25:04):
Atalia just keeps walking. Just keeps walking.

Stace [Nix] (01:25:08):
Atalia never wants to talk about anything ever.

Marietta [Atalia] (01:25:12):
That's because every time she tries to express her feelings, it's not in the way that you guys want her to, so then you beat her up for it. Then she's like, "Right. I shouldn't express my feelings."

Stace [Nix] (01:25:20):
What?

Sampson [Dili] (01:25:20):
What?

Stace [Nix] (01:25:22):
I feel like you drop bombs and then refuse to talk.

Sampson [Dili] (01:25:28):
Dili has been open. Dili's been talking and taking Atalia seriously, I think.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:25:33):
I'm just going with a theory that ChaCha doesn't understand most normal emotion. She's just like, "I don't understand what is happening." This isn't as simple as loan shark guy.

Daniel [GM] (01:25:45):
Yeah. That makes sense. You guys are going towards where Clemuel directed you, right? Walking and talking the whole way?

Marietta [Atalia] (01:25:52):
Yes.

Daniel [GM] (01:25:54):
It takes you a few days to follow this path. You know that there's a town along the way, even before you see it, you can see the town, but to the South, you see where the spot is that Clemuel circled, called the grove. You see this tops of, they look like trees, except they're mostly transparent. They're are made of sort of a translucent material. It looks almost like strong glass, but it's not as clear as strong glass.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:26:29):
ChaCha shoots it with a dart thrower.

Daniel [GM] (01:26:31):
Really?

Alex [ChaCha] (01:26:32):
Yeah. It worked for the spiders.

Daniel [GM] (01:26:35):
Okay. Give me, it's pretty easy to hit. With your light weapon, it's only a three.

Sampson [Dili] (01:26:43):
Question Dan, are you saying the growth?

Daniel [GM] (01:26:44):
The grove. What did you get, Alex?

Alex [ChaCha] (01:26:47):
Got a 10.

Daniel [GM] (01:26:48):
Okay. Your darts hits one of these translucent trees and embeds in its side.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:26:57):
Hmm. So the trees are real.

Stace [Nix] (01:26:58):
Is the clear thing Numenera base? Can I examine it and see if I can see what's going on?

Daniel [GM] (01:27:04):
You have to get closer than that, [inaudible 01:27:05] range. You have to get pretty close.

Stace [Nix] (01:27:08):
Okay. Can I look around to see if there's any obvious danger in approaching it?

Daniel [GM] (01:27:13):
Give me a perception roll of ... nine.

Stace [Nix] (01:27:17):
Okay. I'm trained in perception. That's a four.

Daniel [GM] (01:27:21):
You don't see anything.

Stace [Nix] (01:27:22):
Okay. I will gingerly approach and try to examine what's going on here.

Daniel [GM] (01:27:27):
Okay. You see the dart in the side of this translucent tree. The material that you don't recognize, it synth like, but not synth. Give me another perception roll. Your target is six.

Stace [Nix] (01:27:44):
I rolled a six.

Daniel [GM] (01:27:46):
In this Grove of trees, you see something that looks dark and red amongst these trunks.

Stace [Nix] (01:27:54):
Does it look like liquid or ...

Daniel [GM] (01:27:56):
You would have to approach to get more idea.

Stace [Nix] (01:27:58):
Okay. I guess if I can't examine it from here, I will approach closer to see what it is.

Daniel [GM] (01:28:06):
It looks like one of these translucent trunks, but you see it embedded through the body of somebody who appears that at least they were once human. They have tan skin and blonde hair and they are nobody that you recognize. But you see the trunk is embedded through their body and there are tendrils of their branches that are running outside, in fact running out of their arms, holding them as if they're in some way almost crucified deeply through this branch.

Stace [Nix] (01:28:42):
Oh my gosh.

Daniel [GM] (01:28:43):
As you're staring at it, that head lifts up and they open with bloodshot eyes and they look you in the eyes with such focus and say in raspy voice, "Kill me." That's where we'll end this episode.

Sampson [Dili] (01:29:03):
Damn.

Marietta [Atalia] (01:29:05):
Oh, okay. Lovely.

Daniel [GM] (01:29:06):
Nix, is there anything that stuck out to you for Nix, for this episode Stace?

Stace [Nix] (01:29:10):
I feel like Nix wasn't very effective during this episode. I like when Nix does talk. I think I've said that before. I'm trying to think of anything. Discovering the echoes, what they were, was pretty awesome. That was real cool and still noodling on that one.

Daniel [GM] (01:29:34):
Cool. We have a segment that we do every week called Player Intrusions, where we tell you about something that you should check out and we will even offer you an XP for it. This week it is Stace's turn. Stace, what would you offer our listeners an XP to check out?

Stace [Nix] (01:29:51):
All right. I'm going to offer listeners an XP to check out the Cypher Unlimited discord server. Cypher Unlimited is a community around the Cypher system. Real cool crew over there. We actually did an interview with them, gosh, it's mid June, so ...

Sampson [Dili] (01:30:12):
Beginning of June, I think.

Stace [Nix] (01:30:13):
Beginning of June on their YouTube channel, but just a real cool crew. On the discord server you can talk about any variation of the Cypher System that you want to it's all on there. I played Vert for the first time through a game that was organized through the server. There are always GMs looking for groups for one shots or campaigns. If you're looking for Cypher games, that's definitely worth checking out. You're going to be able to hop in and try it out with a one shot. Like I said, the community, I think it's managed really well. It seems to be very inclusive and welcoming, and yeah. If you like the Cipher System at all, if you like talking to people about the Cypher System, if you just want to learn more about the Cypher System, go to the Cypher Unlimited discord, which we'll put a link. Daniel, I'll find the link or you can get the link yourself because we're both members. Who else is? Are we all?

Marietta [Atalia] (01:31:10):
I think so.

Daniel [GM] (01:31:11):
Marietta is definitely in there. Sampson is in there.

Stace [Nix] (01:31:14):
That is the place to be too, to check out and learn more and hang out with other people who like Cypher.

Daniel [GM] (01:31:21):
Cool. I've been a member for a long time and there's a lot of traffic in there. It seems like I've got games going on all the time. If you don't have a group that you're working with, not everybody's as lucky as we are to have a group that does Cypher this easily, they have one shots going on all the time and it's a great way to dip your toes in. Especially for me as a GM, I've joined them multiple times to ask questions about what to do for certain situations. It's a little more complicated now that my players are part of it. It's a great server and they do a good job. The interview we had with them was really fun.

Stace [Nix] (01:32:03):
It was a lot of fun. Yeah. Just the ability to find games, I feel like that's the hardest part of being a tabletop RPG fan. I've played more than one, one shot through there, I'm always looking. It's just a matter of schedule, but I've been able to find a few that fit right with my schedule. Played with some really cool people, check it out.

Daniel [GM] (01:32:24):
Absolutely, great pick. If people wanted to reach out to us to tell us about what they thought about the podcast, or even if they're a Cypher Unlimited member and want to tell us about what they love about the community, how would they do that Marietta?

Marietta [Atalia] (01:32:37):
Oh, man. The best place to start would be our website, which is explorerswanted.fm and there's links to all of this on there. But we are actually on Twitter @explorerswanted and we have Instagram, an explorers wanted Podcasts and Facebook explorers wanted podcast. Then we have a Patreon now and we're Explorers Wanted on there. We would love it if you'd come support us, if you are able. Then the biggest place that you will really get good interaction with us is our discord server, very active in there and we love to have new people to interact with because we're lonely and like attention.

Daniel [GM] (01:33:14):
Okay, cool. Yeah, we would deeply appreciate it if you would consider supporting us on Patreon if it's within your financial means. If not, we totally get it. If you like the podcast, honestly, the best thing that you could do for us is tell a friend and tell them why you like the podcast and why they should listen to it. The second best thing you could do for us is to leave us a rating and review on a podcast directory, Apple Podcasts, Pod Chaser, Stitcher, any of those things, anything that allows you to leave a review, especially a written review. That really helps us build an audience, which is, I can't emphasize enough, so critical in these early days of a podcast. We really want to make sure that we build a strong community of cool people that listen to the podcast and honestly can dig the story that we're telling and dig Numenera and the Cypher System.
If you don't like the podcast, if you didn't like today's episode or you didn't like it in general, well, I've been waiting for this moment for a long time. You have to understand, time travel is complex and I have crossed an abyss of time to find you, to get past this next bit. If my history is right, it should be you that this applies to. Get a pad of paper or notebook and a pen that writes smoothly. After sun sets and the gloaming has faded to darkness, take a seat at your dining table and turn off the light. Without looking at the paper, allow your hand to move at its own inkling, letting the spirit of the room moves your pen freely. You may have a message at the end of it. In which case he didn't let go enough and try again. You'll know it's right when you see a strange glyph. It will be blocky, with few curves, but you'll see the obvious symbolic inspiration for the sigil by the time you turn it back on lights. Now take that piece of paper and keep it with you for a year. Don't lose it and do not let it become damaged. It needs to be kept pressed against your skin. This is the only way that you'll be safe.
If you need to reach out to us individually on social media, you can. You can find me on Twitter @andrlik. A-N-T-R-L-I-K.

Stace [Nix] (01:35:34):
You can find me on Twitter @stacewindu.

Sampson [Dili] (01:35:36):
You can bother me @slampotato.

Alex [ChaCha] (01:35:38):
You can tell me what is dog @realteaunicorn.

Marietta [Atalia] (01:35:43):
I have the Twitter that I should use more, and it's @imonahike.

Daniel [GM] (01:35:48):
Okay. That's it for us. Hope you enjoyed the show. Have a good night. We will be back next week as we will for every week in the foreseeable future. Have a good day and bye!