2026-2-10 — Akasha

Grant:Yeah.

Grant:Certainly.

Barlow:Yo, yo, yo.

Gamemaster:Hello.

Gamemaster:Goodbye.

Gage:Hello.

Barlow:Hello?

Gamemaster:Bye.

Gamemaster:No one was saying anything, so I was afraid I was being given the cold shoulder.

Barlow:Oh no, I just walked away.

Gamemaster:Likely story.

Barlow:You're right, I can't walk.

Barlow:I've never been able to.

Barlow:It's okay, I float.

Gamemaster:That's so sad.

Gamemaster:June.

Gamemaster:Do you need us to, like, raise money for you for something?

Barlow:Yeah, can you guys start a GoFundMe so I can get legs?

Gamemaster:Oh, you're just in the Metaverse.

Gamemaster:You should have told me.

Gamemaster:I mean, there are only, like, 28 total or something.

Barlow:Yes, yes, this whole time, I was the first meta, metaman.

Barlow:And I was number one.

Barlow:I don't know if that's a game I want to win.

Gamemaster:Good for you.

Gamemaster:You beat the Zugg at his own game.

Gamemaster:Are we going to have to move away from Discord?

Gamemaster:I think the answer is probably no, but I'm a little mad at them.

Barlow:Agreed.

Barlow:I'm hoping we won't do it.

Gamemaster:Because I'm not... I...

Barlow:I don't know.

Barlow:Do we have adult content in this Discord?

Barlow:Are we going to verify?

Gamemaster:I checked, and none of our channels are marked as 18+, because why would they be?

Gamemaster:It's really a question of if they roll out, like, you can't swear in non-18-plus chat rooms or whatever, which I think isn't the case right now.

Gamemaster:I mean, one second.

Gamemaster:Okay, so you still can swear in non-18 plus channels.

Barlow:Oh, great.

Gamemaster:So really the answer is I'm not going to go through the verification that marks me as 18 plus because I'm not doing anything that would require that on Discord right now.

Gamemaster:And assuming they don't expand the restrictions, I think we're fine.

Gamemaster:But I'm not sending Discord my ID.

Barlow:No, didn't they just have a data breach back in, like, October?

Gamemaster:So, yeah.

Barlow:Very bold.

Gamemaster:Yeah, where they lost tens of thousands of government IDs.

Barlow:Insane to be like, this is totally safe after just losing it all.

Gamemaster:Well, they already lost everything.

Gamemaster:Nobody would rob them twice.

Gamemaster:That'd be crazy.

Barlow:No one's ever been robbed twice.

Gamemaster:That's true.

Gamemaster:One and done.

Gamemaster:It's like lightning.

Gage:I'm so angry.

Gage:I was about to leave for work and I was like, oh, fuck, I have to make a character.

Barlow:Bye.

Gamemaster:Is it because you're quickly adding a bunch of feats to your character?

Gamemaster:Someone didn't have his free archetype.

Gamemaster:Listen, there is...

Gage:And I was like, I'm going to have to take my morning meetings from home then.

Gage:And I was like, whatever.

Gage:So then I hastily put it together.

Gage:They changed the screenshots that are pinned are no longer valid, by the way.

Gage:They changed the wording and the positioning of the checkboxes, which is why I missed the free archetype.

Gamemaster:Oh, I'm sorry.

Gamemaster:I was checking.

Barlow:I missed Josh just dropping fuck in the Discord to see if it was... Josh, so you're telling me that the ancient elf doesn't just give you an extra free archetype and that it's not the best ancestry of all time?

Gamemaster:The Ancient Elf lets you take a dedication at level 1.

Gamemaster:But the dedication trait requires that you can't take another dedication.

Gamemaster:until you've already taken two feats.

Gamemaster:So you get the dedication at level one, but then you need to spend your next two free archetype bonuses getting archetype feats before you can then move on to a new dedication.

Barlow:I was like, why are we not all playing this all the time?

Barlow:And now I know why.

Barlow:Like, this is just the best Ancestry.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Gamemaster:I mean, it is still pretty nice to be able to start your dedication at one, because it means that at level two, when everybody else is just getting their dedication, you get an additional feat, effectively.

Barlow:Are there... I don't think there are any archetype feats at level 2, though.

Gamemaster:But... Uh, maybe.

Barlow:Are there?

Gamemaster:Hello.

Grant:Hello.

Barlow:That's why I thought it was like, oh, it's just an extra one, because there are no level 2 archetype feats.

Gamemaster:I mean, let me double check if the ancient elf heritage, like, specifies that you don't need to.

Gamemaster:See, choose a class other than your own, you gain the multi-class dedication feat for that class, even though you don't meet its level prerequisite, you still must meet the other prereqs.

Gamemaster:Yeah, no.

Gamemaster:Multi, like, all of these dedications have the dedication trait.

Gamemaster:Once you take a dedication feat, you can't select a different dedication feat until you complete your dedication by taking two other feats from your current archetype.

Barlow:Wow, I thought it just like superseded that rule.

Barlow:I was like, oh, it's a level one.

Barlow:So obviously this is good to know going forward.

Gage:Thank you.

Gamemaster:Yeah, no, unless there's some rule that I've missed hidden somewhere, which is always possible.

Barlow:I mean, I did like 30 seconds of looking into this and I just went, this is the best ancestry.

Barlow:Ancient Elf.

Grant:Which one?

Grant:Oh, this is dope.

Gamemaster:Ancient Elf lets you take a dedication at level 1, but you still have to follow the other stuff.

Gamemaster:I'm just, like, reading through...

Gamemaster:Yeah, I guess this particular multiclass doesn't have anything at level 12.

Gamemaster:I mean, at level 2.

Grant:I know it's obviously beaten to death, but I am a favor of the versatile human, because then you get an extra class feat, so you get two.

Gamemaster:So... Don't you get a general feat?

Barlow:Natural Ambition is a feat, but then there's like Versatile Human, which also gets another feat.

Gage:you you

Gamemaster:Not a class feat?

Grant:Oh, is there also... I think there's like a natural ambition.

Grant:I think there's something to get two, because I remember... Yeah, so I've done this before in a character build, because with a cleric, so that I could get like multiple feats early.

Gamemaster:Maybe it is?

Barlow:So as a human, you can just get like 15 feats at level one.

Gage:you

Barlow:Here's a forum from ISO.

Gamemaster:saying that people don't like the ancient elf heritage oh good good yeah because part of the problem is the interaction with free archetype in particular is you can have an archetype

Barlow:Basically, everyone has given a different response.

Grant:Thank you.

Barlow:They're like, there are no official rules on how it interacts with free archetype, so everyone has a different opinion on this.

Barlow:Yep, there's no...

Gamemaster:That you just straight up don't have any valid feats to take for your first free archetype feat.

Barlow:Which is why I was like, oh, obviously I get another free archetype dedication.

Gamemaster:Understandable.

Gamemaster:Because even the ones that I'm looking at, like archetypes that do have a level 2 feat, they're skill feats.

Gamemaster:So you would take them under your skill feat selection.

Gamemaster:They're not valid to take under the free archetype selection.

Barlow:I think there should be a specification then that Ancient Elf doesn't work with free archetypes.

Gamemaster:So...

Barlow:Or that it's difficult.

Gamemaster:Or that it doesn't follow the two feet per dedication thing.

Barlow:Well, this is good.

Gage:Let's go.

Barlow:I only took this to archetype because I wanted to be able to do as much damage as possible.

Gamemaster:It's funny you say that because the three of you have a lot of overlap in your classes, in your character builds.

Grant:That's good.

Grant:I figured Mike was going to play a fighter.

Grant:Did he?

Gage:Figured wrong.

Grant:Oh, you don't have to tell me.

Grant:Oh, really?

Grant:So I didn't pick damage route.

Barlow:Are you a mega?

Barlow:Or just a full example?

Grant:I picked flavor because I figured I'm never going to pick damage in a real campaign.

Barlow:I've done so little damage in this campaign, I was like, I need to do as much damage as possible every turn.

Gage:I'm so curious on the overlap.

Grant:It'd be great if we're just like six or like three children.

Gamemaster:You have to give me a moment.

Grant:We're just... Hey guys, how's it going?

Grant:I'm for the minds.

Gamemaster:There's overlap.

Grant:I'm assuming we're all... Never mind, I don't want to spoil anything.

Grant:But by spoiling something, I was just going to talk about my character, which I guess is the same as you guys.

Gamemaster:Yeah, I don't really know if that counts as spoiling, given that we're going to introduce our characters in a half second anyway.

Barlow:Oh.

Gage:maybe me and Jorge have the same class oh that's boring

Gamemaster:You and Jorge...

Gamemaster:Partially share a class, I think.

Grant:All right, but one of the multi-classes is just broken, right?

Gamemaster:One second.

Gamemaster:So all three of you took a class and a multi-class dedication, correct?

Gamemaster:There are collectively two classes and two multi-classes.

Barlow:Yes.

Grant:It's just a broken multi-class.

Gamemaster:It matches up in a fun way.

Gamemaster:We do have two very similar builds, specifically.

Gamemaster:But it's fine.

Gamemaster:It's not going to affect the one-shot.

Gamemaster:You guys can do whatever.

Gamemaster:You didn't really plan to not have overlap, so it's entertaining.

Grant:So we're never going to stand up, right guys?

Gamemaster:But the three of you built the same character, effectively.

Gamemaster:Which will be a good time.

Barlow:Yeah.

Barlow:My character is built to be lying down.

Gamemaster:Let's see, what are you?

Gamemaster:An unexpected sharpshooter.

Gamemaster:At least you have one guy who's ranged.

Gamemaster:You've got one ranged, so you're fine.

Gage:OK.

Gamemaster:That's all you need, really.

Gage:I also swapped out my armor for studded leather.

Gage:I didn't realize that I wasn't meeting a strength prereq.

Gamemaster:Oh, okay.

Gage:I can add it in Foundry.

Gamemaster:It's too late!

Barlow:Oh, Mike's range.

Gage:OK, all right.

Grant:Now I know who's the ranged guy.

Barlow:Jorge, are you also a thaumaturge?

Gage:Wait, wait, you're both... No, no, no, hold on.

Gamemaster:Mm hmm.

Barlow:I was going to be a...

Gage:You're both Thaumaturges?

Gage:I thought Noah built a Barbarian.

Gage:That's why I was like, how does my character overlap with a Barbarian?

Barlow:This morning I was like, I could do more damage as a Thaumaturge, and so I rebuilt it at 6am this morning.

Gage:Now I... Oh, dear.

Barlow:My goal with this was like, I have done a total of like 20 damage this entire campaign.

Barlow:I need to triple digits this session, this one shot.

Grant:well it'll be dope

Gamemaster:Mike, while I'm doing this, your second level class feat, it needs to go into a specific one.

Gage:yeah uh oh um uh sorry the the

Gamemaster:Which one?

Gamemaster:I know Pathbuilder doesn't prompt you, but I'm prompting you.

Gage:The second one.

Gage:I didn't think about it because it doesn't require interaction with the thing.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Okay, that's fine.

Grant:By the way, Josh, I used Gemini to try to generate some names for this, and it's awful at it.

Gamemaster:That's me.

Grant:But I gave it your prompt to be like, can you help me come up with a name?

Gamemaster:Okay.

Grant:Like, does this name fit?

Grant:And it just gave me like super cliche thing.

Grant:But Gemini gassed you up.

Gamemaster:Nice!

Grant:Let me see.

Gamemaster:Thanks, Gemini.

Grant:Let me see if I can send this.

Grant:It was so funny.

Gamemaster:I mean, aren't LLMs supposed to do that?

Grant:No, no, I didn't ask it how the prompt was.

Grant:But then it was like, that's a fantastic prompt.

Gamemaster:We'll take it.

Grant:I'm like, all right, dude, I don't just just give me some names.

Grant:Give me some names.

Barlow:Whoever... Is your name Levmir... Last name?

Gamemaster:And does it give you any good names, though?

Grant:No, so I just kept whatever I'd had.

Gamemaster:That's unfortunate.

Barlow:I don't remember his last name.

Gage:I think it'd be really funny if we all have the same backstory.

Barlow:Levmir, what, Tolstoy?

Barlow:Kalashnikov?

Grant:Yeah.

Barlow:Molotov?

Grant:Molotov.

Gamemaster:I don't think you all have the same backstory.

Barlow:Levmir Molotov.

Barlow:I have dibs on Jorge's back.

Gamemaster:I don't really know what your backstories are.

Gamemaster:I know what one of your backstories are.

Gamemaster:Actually, we know.

Gamemaster:I know what two of your backstories are, and they're different.

Gamemaster:So... Well, yeah, yours is the one I don't know.

Grant:Well, I have a backstory.

Gage:For now.

Grant:I don't know how you know it, but I have a backstory.

Grant:Good.

Barlow:I have dibs on Jorge's backstory.

Barlow:It's mine now.

Barlow:I call dibs.

Gamemaster:Okay, that's fine.

Gamemaster:Jorge, you need a new backstory.

Grant:No.

Gamemaster:But first you have to tell Noah what his backstory is now.

Barlow:What do you think?

Grant:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Grant:So.

Grant:Never mind.

Grant:I was going to say, I guess I know what Noah's archetype is.

Gage:you

Grant:but I don't know.

Gamemaster:We'll get into that in half a second.

Grant:Is it a champion?

Grant:Oh, okay.

Barlow:No.

Barlow:It's also pretty broken, but a different kind of broken.

Grant:Okay, so you two might have the same archetype then.

Gamemaster:Well, OK, so Mike, I don't think actually Mike doesn't have a multiclass dedication.

Grant:Because I don't think Mike does, because he doesn't... Oh, he's a role player.

Gamemaster:Mike's regular class, Mike's regular class is Noah's multiclass.

Barlow:Oh.

Gage:very nice yeah

Gamemaster:for just, you know, full coverage.

Gamemaster:Which is a lot.

Grant:Well, I mean, backstory-wise, we're in the same underbelly, so it kind of makes sense.

Gamemaster:But... Yeah, no, it's not crazy.

Gamemaster:You guys are thematic.

Gamemaster:You're all from the same place, so it makes sense that you have generally the same training in all of the other stuff that your classes do.

Barlow:It's like you go to a farm.

Barlow:They all know how to farm.

Barlow:That's their thing.

Barlow:That's what they got.

Barlow:There's not like a bard.

Gage:Yeah, my, well, it's my background.

Gamemaster:Oh, that's another thing.

Gamemaster:Two of you chose the same background as well.

Gamemaster:Which is great.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Gage:Yeah, well, that's easy.

Gage:I mean, well, it's thematic, and it also fit the class.

Gamemaster:Is it?

Gamemaster:I don't know.

Gamemaster:What does this background give you?

Gamemaster:Or is it you just thought it was thematic?

Gamemaster:I just, I don't know when labor lore is ever going to be relevant.

Gamemaster:I, like, don't know what check I would call for labor lore.

Grant:Knowing how many hours you're allowed to work without a break.

Gage:How do we put goal?

Gamemaster:I... Sure.

Gage:We're effectively employment lawyers in this city.

Barlow:That's why we're being said to do a job.

Gage:We all have a law degree.

Grant:We're just union guys.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Gamemaster:You don't want to be union guys, though.

Gamemaster:They'd kill you if you were union guys.

Gage:No hard hats.

Gage:We're just OSHA representatives.

Barlow:They're breaking OSHA.

Gamemaster:Whenever somebody from OSHA goes on a work site, instead of being like, here's the OSHA rulebook, they have to say, according to the labor law, and then read off whatever violations they have.

Grant:hope so.

Gamemaster:So we don't need a recap this time, because we're not recapping anything.

Barlow:Thank you.

Gamemaster:Do I have anything that's...

Gamemaster:This music is too upbeat.

Gamemaster:I don't know if I have music that's less upbeat in a reasonable way.

Gamemaster:How's this?

Gamemaster:Oh, no, I know what to do.

Gamemaster:We'll do this one.

Gamemaster:Do we want to play some Pathfinder?

Barlow:Yes.

Grant:Yes.

Gage:Yes.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Gamemaster:Oh, one more thing.

Gamemaster:I just have to check if the dice bot is actually running.

Gamemaster:I have to restart it.

Gamemaster:The dice bot is dead and we've killed it.

Barlow:Laura.

Gamemaster:Yeah, I'll do that when you guys are introducing yourselves.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:So,

Gamemaster:We begin today's session in the man-made hulk of a mountain, a moving city with 100,000 residents, the largest of the striders of Istria, Iomenei.

Gage:you

Grant:you you

Gamemaster:Iomenei has walked through Istria avoiding curses, avoiding ancient beasts, weapons of War from wizards from before the Fracture, ancient magics, and effectively anything that could pose danger to a city of treasure hunters.

Gamemaster:This city was built almost immediately after the gods first came to Færrin.

Gamemaster:It is hundreds of years old.

Gamemaster:It's one of the oldest still operating structures on Færrin.

Grant:So.

Gamemaster:It has traveled across the Deadlands, the area that you're now in.

Gamemaster:It moves across the slip.

Gamemaster:It finds treasures.

Gamemaster:Sorry.

Gamemaster:It moves across the infinite horizon through slips, stopping only periodically to pick up ancient treasures, archaeotech, things from the Dark Ages that can't be replicated or forbidden to be researched into now.

Gamemaster:It is a symbiotic mass.

Gamemaster:The heroes, the upper class, literally upper in this case because they live on the upper floors, are showered with gifts for their heroic deeds as they're the ones who delve into these ancient dungeons, clear it of all of the dangers that live within and come back with the spoils.

Grant:Thank you.

Gamemaster:But these heroes don't operate Iomenei.

Gamemaster:They aren't the ones that keep the Strider moving.

Gamemaster:This is an ancient behemoth of a machine, and it requires constant maintenance.

Gamemaster:That's where all of you come in.

Gamemaster:You live in the Undercroft.

Gamemaster:You are the cogs that keep the Strider City moving at all times.

Gamemaster:When an engine needs to be repaired, when fuel needs to be synthesized, when there's cargo that needs to be put away, when anything...

Gamemaster:needs to happen on the city, you're responsible for it.

Gamemaster:You and the tens of thousands of other crofters that live below the surface.

Gamemaster:All of you were born in the Undercroft.

Gamemaster:You would have...

Gamemaster:likely never seen sun's light, as there are hundreds of labyrinthian levels in the Undercroft.

Gamemaster:No windows.

Gamemaster:Those are structural weaknesses that something could assault from the outside.

Gamemaster:So you are used to lumen light, magic lights studded throughout the metal decks of the inside of the Undercroft.

Gamemaster:But still, despite being in a pseudo-underground state, one can have a life down in the Undercroft.

Gamemaster:Maybe not a great one, but an existence, nevertheless.

Gamemaster:However, mysterious happenings have been affecting the great city of late.

Gamemaster:Fires starting, clan leaders of various groups in the Undercroft being killed, each of them under appearing to be natural circumstances, but together forming a pattern that speaks to more.

Gamemaster:The most recent event is...

Gamemaster:There was a pause in the Strider City when two of its six legs froze for just six seconds.

Gamemaster:Not quite enough for the stillness to catch up.

Grant:Thank you.

Gamemaster:but enough to cause concern, because if whatever caused them to seize up for six seconds isn't resolved, then what's to say it doesn't get worse next time?

Gamemaster:The Seneschal, the second-in-command of Iomenei, feels that there's foul play involved.

Gamemaster:Not wishing to endanger the heroes that live above decks, he has instead put out a command for the Undercrofters.

Grant:Peace.

Gamemaster:Find whatever's causing these issues, the traitor that is sabotaging Iomenei, and bring them to justice.

Gamemaster:Do so, and you earn a spot on the upper decks.

Gamemaster:The three of you, for the purposes of this one shot, we're assuming that you know each other.

Gamemaster:Perhaps you're all in the same clan.

Gamemaster:Perhaps you've just interacted with each other in some way.

Gamemaster:all likely want a chance to get out of the Undercroft.

Gamemaster:As competent as you may be at your individual jobs, nothing is worth staying down here when you have a ticket out.

Gamemaster:So you decide that you want to capture the saboteur.

Grant:Okay.

Gamemaster:As the three of you are taking an elevator down to the lower decks, down to subdeck 15B, which is the site of the most recent sabotage, I'd like you to describe yourselves to each other.

Barlow:I can go first.

Barlow:Yeah, you all see Barlow Crane, just about god down near, the oldest elf anyone's ever met.

Barlow:Physically looks sort of like a dark elf, so like purple skin, except so old that it's like faded to sort of a pale amethyst.

Barlow:still rocking a great head of silver hair, kind of swept back, and a very bushy, also silver, handlebar mustache, wearing like big overalls that go into workman's pants, just like filled with little doodads and stuff.

Barlow:Big shield on his back.

Barlow:There's a lot of padding, almost like armor.

Barlow:And at his side, he carries what looks like a little club, except it's ringed with teeth and claws taken from monsters and other nasty beasts that have gotten into the Undercroft.

Barlow:Because that's sort of my job.

Barlow:I just kind of kill whatever gets in here and shouldn't be like big rats and big cockroaches.

Gage:What was your character's name again?

Barlow:I'll drop it in the chat.

Grant:I can go next.

Gamemaster:Sure.

Grant:As you guys turn your heads, you realize you have to look down a little bit, and you see this really dense, short dwarf.

Grant:Dwarves normally have these really long beards, but the lower half of his face is kind of covered, almost in like a pseudo-steampunky hazmat.

Grant:And all of his suit is welded in places with different patches of metal.

Grant:On his left, he's holding this lantern that's emanating this blue light.

Grant:And he has a little shield right there, a little buckler.

Grant:And then on his right, he has a coiled metal whip-looking thing.

Grant:And then he has an eyepatch with a bright light.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Grant:And this is Grant FireEye.

Grant:And normally you've worked with them when you have to go into some parts of the tunnel that might be very dark or there's noxious fumes or something like that.

Barlow:Yeah, I've heard about the sun's light.

Grant:You bring in this guy.

Grant:I don't know if I want to go see the sunlight, but I guess it'd be nice to take this spot from someone who does.

Gamemaster:Why is his motivation spite?

Barlow:I don't know if I believe it.

Grant:I don't want anyone to get happy and see the sun, so I guess I'll just do it.

Barlow:I heard there aren't any suns, and if you go up there, you actually just die.

Barlow:You burn up.

Barlow:There is nothing outside the strider.

Grant:I hope it's really happy outside there so I can take some child spot.

Gage:Next in will walk the young gun of the party, the overly cocky... Okay, not that young.

Gage:Hold on.

Gamemaster:Ha ha ha.

Grant:I was going to say.

Barlow:Thank you.

Gage:The overly cocky, but somehow charming, adorned in his classic dirty black studded leather with his piercing blue eyes is...

Gage:Gage the Cunning.

Gage:And Gage is known for fiddling with stuff, getting in and out quickly, hitting stuff from afar.

Gage:And I actually have a picture of Gage the Cunning.

Grant:Oh, I forgot to set mine.

Gage:Oh, and he does have a very distinctive crisscross scar under one of his eyes.

Barlow:Amen.

Gage:It's like a metallic blue.

Grant:Hmm.

Grant:Are all three of us faces?

Gage:Gage is not a face.

Gamemaster:Well, so as you guys know each other, I don't think your classes are a secret unless you explicitly want them to be.

Grant:Oh.

Gamemaster:So you can just... So we've got some overlap, but it's not the worst.

Grant:No.

Grant:I'm a thaumaturge champion.

Gage:Gage is an exemplar.

Barlow:I'm a thaumaturge.

Barlow:A thaumaturge exemplar.

Grant:Do you guys have raiments?

Grant:Regardless.

Barlow:I got whatever...

Gage:What's the predominant religion in Istria?

Gamemaster:This Strider's predominant religion would be the Pulse, because the whole deal is a machine that lives forever, effectively by expending humans as the fuel of keeping it going, but the Strider continues.

Gage:Right.

Grant:We all know this is the host doing, right?

Grant:They're definitely fucking with us.

Barlow:I don't know.

Barlow:I heard the host is just a myth.

Grant:What?

Barlow:I heard there's no host.

Barlow:I never met the host, so I can't say.

Grant:Forgot you were a conspiracist.

Barlow:Hey, you know, you've been around as long as me.

Barlow:You start to question everything.

Gage:I once denied a meeting with the host.

Grant:Did you?

Grant:What'd they want, do you know?

Barlow:Like you denied its existence?

Gage:I don't know.

Gage:I woke up.

Barlow:All right.

Grant:Alright, so we go do this shit?

Barlow:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Okay, so the elevator you're on, it's like 300 years old.

Gamemaster:It is clunky and slow.

Gamemaster:It was built in between a series of iron pipes that are constantly making banking sounds like they're under immense pressure.

Grant:As we're going down, I'm going to turn to Barlow and be like, you were here when this elevator was made.

Gamemaster:Sorry.

Grant:Why'd you make it so shitty?

Barlow:It wasn't shitty when I built it back when they had me work.

Barlow:Now, this is before I got moved down to a different project, but when I was working on this, it was smooth as oil.

Gage:oil have you worked on it in the last 300 years

Grant:I was just making an old person joke.

Barlow:Yep.

Grant:I don't think you're actually here to work on the elevator.

Grant:That's crazy.

Barlow:No, I worked on this elevator.

Barlow:Nah, I used to be on mechanics, but then we started getting a lot of critters from the outside coming in, and they decided that I would be better served there as some sort of elven fodder, except I'm still around, so obviously they got it wrong.

Grant:Well, if you ever need a labor representative, you can let me know.

Gage:Oh, you were fodder.

Gage:I've done my share of reading.

Grant:I'm an expert on that.

Grant:If you want to go back.

Barlow:Oh, dang, we finally got those.

Barlow:Good.

Gamemaster:You guys are both, the two of you with labor lore, the most well-read laborers down here.

Gamemaster:You would, you know what?

Gamemaster:Make a labor lore check, if you like.

Barlow:It's happening.

Grant:Are we experts?

Gamemaster:You are experts.

Grant:Alright, so... No.

Gamemaster:Did either of you build intelligence?

Gage:When you say either, do you mean any of the three of you?

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gage:$8 billion.

Gamemaster:Well, I mean the two of you that are currently rolling a lore check that's keyed off of intelligence.

Grant:Well, this doesn't work.

Gamemaster:Eight billion?

Gamemaster:That's too many.

Gage:Mm-hmm.

Gamemaster:What did you actually get?

Gamemaster:Oh.

Gage:It did.

Gage:The dice didn't roll.

Gamemaster:Oh, right.

Gamemaster:Okay, I'm sorry.

Gamemaster:You're going to have to roll it somewhere else.

Gamemaster:I don't know what's up with the dice bot.

Gamemaster:Now is not the time to debug it.

Gamemaster:I apologize.

Grant:I'm really going to Google.

Gamemaster:You can roll it in Foundry.

Grant:Six!

Gage:17. six okay i got a 17. i think we did i need a plate

Gamemaster:Oh, you can't roll it in Foundry because the server is off.

Grant:I got 16.

Grant:Yeah, I got 16.

Grant:Well, we both failed.

Gamemaster:Are you guys still around?

Gamemaster:You're back!

Grant:Oh.

Gamemaster:I don't know how this happened.

Gage:We're back.

Gamemaster:I touched my server and it caused my router to turn off and then turn back on really quickly.

Barlow:And.

Gamemaster:I'm not really sure how that happened.

Gage:Probably nothing.

Gamemaster:But you apparently can't use Foundry right now either because it's down.

Gamemaster:I don't know what happened.

Gamemaster:Everything broke.

Gamemaster:What did we get?

Gamemaster:Did I debug this?

Gamemaster:Sorry.

Gage:I don't know if you can hear me.

Gamemaster:17 was the highest?

Gamemaster:Okay, so you would know, as being experts in labor, that any attempt to unionize

Grant:I'm not saying unionize.

Gamemaster:that gets heard by people on the upper decks would immediately result in the deaths of everybody in that attempt.

Barlow:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Possibly their families as well.

Gamemaster:So, you know.

Grant:I was just trying to get him moved to a different team.

Gamemaster:You know, I was hearing talks about union reps.

Gamemaster:And I was, you know, I'm just letting you know, you can unionize if you like as a nice side story.

Grant:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Just know that you will be, actually, if you end up making it to the upper decks and you don't like it there, just tell them that you're trying to unionize and then you don't have to worry about it.

Gage:He's just wearing a wire.

Gage:He's like, you guys want to unionize?

Gage:I think we should unionize.

Barlow:Hey man, your boots look regulation.

Gamemaster:With that, there is a loud clunk as the elevator makes it to, not the ground floor by any means, but pretty close to the bottom of the Strider.

Gamemaster:As you are in Strider Leg Armature Containment Unit 14.

Gamemaster:which is one of a selection of openings near the bottom of the strider through which one of the legs enters into the body so that repairs can be done on an individual joint or, like, new lubricant can be fed into the leg from ports up here.

Gamemaster:It is here that the most recent sabotage occurred.

Gamemaster:Hold a second.

Gamemaster:The... I apologize.

Gamemaster:The room itself is this... It's one of the more open spaces down in the Undercroft.

Gamemaster:It is this large, like, 300-foot-across domed space dominated by...

Gamemaster:Offset slightly from the center is the massive metal leg of one of the Strider legs poking through a vent in the wall.

Gamemaster:Sealed, of course, to not let particulates get in from the exterior, but the leg itself has free motion within that joint opening.

Gamemaster:There's a number of rigging.

Gamemaster:There's a series of rigging attached around the exterior of the leg so that workers can get up to and work on different pieces of it.

Gamemaster:The piece of the leg that is inside the strider is about 200 feet long from where it enters into the room up to about the center of this domed area.

Gamemaster:There are a number of...

Gamemaster:The room itself is circular.

Gamemaster:The exterior wall has a number of different...

Gamemaster:like toolboxes and shelving for different material components, areas for putting scrap, a number of hoses bringing in various fluids used in the maintenance and repair of this leg, rigging and the like, and quite a few workers spread throughout.

Gamemaster:This particular sector has maybe 80...

Gamemaster:85-ish workers moving around the space doing different things, you would know that the actual issue is there was a blockage introduced.

Gamemaster:Somebody took a pretty large piece of scrap metal and wedged it into one of the lubricant lines of the leg so that over time it would run out of lubricant and then seize up if nobody caught it, which no one did.

Gamemaster:That would be close to the top of the rigging, where you can see it looks like there's the foreman of the local area as well as a handful of other people are currently crowding around it.

Grant:We start walking over there, boys.

Barlow:Can't we?

Barlow:Let's go.

Gage:I agree.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Gamemaster:You have to climb up the scaffolding.

Gamemaster:So I would like an athletics or an acrobatics check from everybody involved.

Grant:Sorry, so what is this?

Grant:Athletics or acrobatics?

Gamemaster:Athletics or acrobatics?

Barlow:I got a 19.

Gage:21.

Grant:Alright.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Grant:Sorry, let me roll.

Grant:Climb!

Grant:Can you roll this from here, Foundry?

Grant:Yes, you can.

Grant:Pathfinder.

Grant:Pathbuilder.

Grant:I got a... 32?

Grant:How is that possible?

Grant:Oh, it's... I have plus 14.

Grant:Okay.

Grant:32!

Gamemaster:Nice.

Gamemaster:OK.

Gamemaster:Second.

Gamemaster:I don't remember the level-based DC.

Gamemaster:This is a low level, so I'm pretty sure you will succeed.

Gamemaster:You do all succeed.

Gage:It's 12.

Gamemaster:It's not 12, unless you mean it's level 12, at which point the DC is 30, if you want to set that there.

Gage:Damn it.

Grant:Well, I passed, so I'm okay with it.

Gamemaster:OK.

Grant:Only for this thing.

Gamemaster:At level 6, it's 22.

Gamemaster:in case anybody was curious.

Grant:Damn, son.

Barlow:Cool.

Grant:I feel like the DCs get harder faster than you get better.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gage:No.

Gage:I think it's supposed to reward specialization.

Grant:Yeah.

Gamemaster:So yeah, all of you climb up the scaffolding without issue.

Gamemaster:It's a very haphazard climb.

Gamemaster:It looks like they used scaffolding with three different uniformities of measurements of how wide it should be, whatever they had on hand.

Gamemaster:So there's a bit of rickety nature where two different sets are attached to each other.

Gamemaster:But...

Gamemaster:It's holding, and you all managed to clamber up towards the top.

Gamemaster:You can see that up at the top now that you're closer.

Gamemaster:Actually, let's get a perception check from whoever would like to get a look around at the people who are collecting.

Grant:So I just want to call out Josh.

Gamemaster:Yes.

Grant:I have the Thaumaturge's Lantern, which sheds light in the radius, bright light, and then dim light after that.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Grant:And then also, where is it?

Grant:It will... Yeah, 20-foot light, after that's 40-foot.

Grant:It counteracts magical darkness, and then...

Grant:Plus one status bonus to visual perception checks.

Grant:To anything that's in it.

Grant:Also plus one to recall knowledges.

Grant:Sorry, there's something special here.

Grant:Oh yeah.

Grant:During exploration, even if you aren't searching, the GM rolls a secret check for you to find traps, environmental hazards, haunts, and secrets.

Gage:You're giving him homework?

Grant:So basically, if we're around any hidden things, traps, haunts, secrets, hazards, we automatically look.

Gage:I think his Wi-Fi disconnected in the middle.

Gage:Am I correct?

Gamemaster:It did.

Gamemaster:You're absolutely correct.

Grant:That's sad.

Gamemaster:My Wi-Fi disconnected around when you said my lamp grants bonuses to, and then it rejoined at traps, which I think was close to the end.

Gamemaster:But also, I know what your lamp grants bonuses to, so it's fine.

Gage:The music.

Grant:Yeah, but it also auto-detects traps, hazards, secrets, and haunts.

Gamemaster:Oh.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Grant:Well, you roll something in secret, and then we also get plus to our visual check.

Gamemaster:Sure.

Grant:Basically, just letting you know.

Grant:Harder for things to seek up on us.

Gamemaster:Which is disconnected.

Gamemaster:Oh, the music disconnected.

Gamemaster:How did that happen?

Gage:I like to think that Jorge was just silent the whole time.

Gage:The Lance Graham's bonus is to traps.

Barlow:At least that gets us something.

Gage:just like it just gives an advantage to us getting this jk

Gamemaster:Let's just wait.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:Oh, I think I got my server back up.

Gamemaster:I don't know how, because I don't know why I went down, but I can SSH into it now, which is good.

Grant:Okay.

Gamemaster:Is Foundry up?

Gamemaster:Foundry is up, which means I can turn on the Dicebot as well.

Gamemaster:Actually, is the Dicebot just up?

Gamemaster:It is.

Gamemaster:Great.

Gamemaster:No idea what happened there, but we should be all good now.

Gamemaster:OK.

Gamemaster:So what was the highest perception check that we got?

Gage:Oh.

Grant:Are we all allowed to roll?

Gamemaster:Yeah, for this I'll let all of you roll if you like.

Grant:All right, you guys get a plus one to visual perception checks.

Grant:I got a 31.

Barlow:Ooh.

Gamemaster:This is a visual perception check.

Grant:I got a 30.

Gamemaster:Technically it's a visual perception check within the area of the lantern, but that doesn't matter in this case because, you know.

Grant:All right, I got a 30.

Gage:What kind of a bonus?

Gamemaster:Okay.

Barlow:I got 10 lower than Jorge.

Gamemaster:Plus one status bonus.

Gage:Status?

Gamemaster:Right?

Grant:For my thaumaturge buddy, you get a plus one.

Grant:status bonus to recall knowledge against creatures within the aura.

Gamemaster:Which is very handy.

Barlow:That's really cool.

Gage:I got an 18.

Barlow:That's good to know.

Gamemaster:It's wild that there's thaumaturge-thaumaturge synergy.

Gamemaster:That shouldn't be allowed.

Grant:Do you have... Do you have a regalia?

Barlow:No, I got a weapon and a shield.

Grant:Damn.

Grant:Okay.

Grant:Because the regalia... Ooh, we could have been stacking about as heads.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Barlow:Next time when we do our oops all thaumaturge party.

Grant:Yeah, because basically with the Thaumaturge, you want something that has like an active, a passive, and then there's like a third option.

Grant:I forget what it is.

Grant:Because what's nice is the Lantern and Regalia just happen.

Grant:You just have it.

Barlow:Oh, that is there.

Gamemaster:The regalia is particularly nice because you don't need to dedicate a hand to using it.

Barlow:Oh.

Gamemaster:You're just wearing it.

Grant:Yeah.

Grant:Wait, but let me check something here.

Barlow:It's here.

Gamemaster:I believe you do need to dedicate a hand to the lantern.

Barlow:Wow.

Barlow:That was really cool.

Grant:Yeah.

Grant:You do, but I think there's a certain level where you can just switch for free action between your implements.

Grant:I think.

Gamemaster:Either way.

Gamemaster:With an 18, looking around, there are what looks to be, there are four people that are currently up here at the spot where the sabotage was found.

Gamemaster:There is what looks to be the foreman of this particular area, as dignified by his slightly better rags of clothing than anybody else's.

Gamemaster:And that the other people seem to be listening to him as he's talking.

Gamemaster:And then three others, two of them are normal-looking Undercrofters.

Gamemaster:One of them is a shorter-looking, some kind of...

Barlow:you

Gamemaster:You think a gnome, it's kind of hard to tell because they're so caked in, like, dried oil and metal shavings, and they're covered in mismatched clothing that it's a little difficult to get an actual view of their face.

Gamemaster:The other one is a human man.

Gamemaster:about middling height who is dressed in similar workers garb the third one can I get an occultism or I guess esoteric lore check for the third one I think what's going to happen is from now to the end of the session whenever I call for an occultism check I will accept an esoteric lore check in its place

Barlow:Uh, I don't know.

Grant:Are they within the lantern's light?

Gamemaster:Yes.

Gamemaster:So you are scaling up these, shoot, rafters?

Gamemaster:Scaffolding.

Gamemaster:To get up to where they are.

Gamemaster:The whole platform that you're ending up on is like 20 feet by 20 feet.

Gamemaster:So all of these people are within lantern light.

Grant:Should you have gotten a plus one then, Johnny?

Grant:Or, yeah.

Barlow:Yeah, it's Johnny Skyfall down here in the Undercroft.

Barlow:Yes, I got a 28.

Barlow:Yeah, I've been around for a while.

Barlow:I know this guy.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Grant:I'm holding the lantern in his face.

Gamemaster:I will... You know what?

Grant:Like, who are you?

Gamemaster:You get a 28, you know this guy.

Gamemaster:You know this guy.

Gamemaster:Specifically this guy.

Gamemaster:This is Brayro.

Gamemaster:They are... They were, at one time, a dwarf.

Gamemaster:But they've...

Gamemaster:kind of grown in a way that one wouldn't expect a dwarf to do.

Gamemaster:Their upper torso has kind of elongated and then turned.

Gamemaster:Their spine does like a 60-degree bend near the top, so they're permanently hunched over to the side.

Gamemaster:And you see that they have two arms on their right side, on like the longer hunched side.

Gamemaster:on top of the one that they have on their left.

Gamemaster:You know that this is a mongrel folk, which is a kind of mutant that arises from people in the Undercroft who work around Archaeotech that might have some kind of effect on the people who were born down here.

Gamemaster:Mongrel folk are notably not...

Gamemaster:treated very well, because there's a relatively fine line between a benign mutation that makes somebody look weird and a malicious mutation that's been affected by a malign force that's trying to twist people to its side.

Gamemaster:Because, you know, if you're picking up ancient technology from long-fought wars before the gods came, there's going to be some sentient devices capable of corrupting those around them.

Grant:Thank you.

Gamemaster:And so there's a bit of a vigilance needed.

Gamemaster:This particular one you can vouch for.

Gamemaster:This guy is fine.

Gamemaster:He just looks strange.

Gamemaster:If anything, the extra arm helps with the work that he's doing.

Gamemaster:So, you know, you're...

Gamemaster:He seems alright.

Gamemaster:But it's the three of them listening to the foreman talking as you guys approach.

Barlow:I'll scoot up beside him.

Barlow:Hey, Brayro, how's it going?

Gamemaster:Braybro will look at you, and you see as you approach and he turns to look at you, his eye, his right eye, the side that's on the misshapen bit of his face, is like three times the size a normal eye should be.

Gamemaster:It's uncomfortably seated in his face.

Grant:Do you guys know the Kevin Hart meme where he's like, Damn!

Gage:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Well, he turns one huge eye and one regular-sized eye, like, swivel to look at you.

Grant:How old are you?

Grant:I'm 41 now.

Grant:Damn!

Grant:That's Grant when he turns.

Grant:Damn!

Gamemaster:His mutations do actually make him slightly, like, his eyes are slightly clouded over, so it takes him a second to recognize you.

Gamemaster:And I, unfortunately, don't remember your name.

Gamemaster:What's your character's name?

Gamemaster:Barlow!

Barlow:Yeah, you know, yeah, pretty much.

Gamemaster:He looks over at you and he says, Barlow.

Gamemaster:Glad you could make it here.

Gamemaster:You're looking to do some kind of investigating.

Gamemaster:He looks over at the foreman.

Barlow:I'm working with these guys today.

Barlow:What's happening here?

Barlow:What's the foreman saying?

Barlow:What do you know?

Gamemaster:You can see he looks over at the foreman and says, Morgress is just kind of sermonizing right now.

Gamemaster:We have no idea who did this.

Gamemaster:There are like hundreds of us every day that interact with this area.

Gage:Thank you.

Gamemaster:And there's scrap right downstairs, so it's super easy to come in and plug it when no one's watching.

Barlow:He's already pointing fingers.

Gamemaster:So, kind of just going off of suspicion right now.

Gamemaster:The only reason I'm not on the chopping block is because I have an alibi.

Gamemaster:I was with the foreman when it was discovered.

Gamemaster:I'd be easier to just find whoever, or find someone who we think did it, hang them up, call it a day.

Gamemaster:Um, Morgris, I look...

Barlow:All right, well, I'll get this solved and get things back to normal.

Barlow:Hey, more gris!

Gamemaster:is insulted that he was interrupted in what he was saying to the other two people, which you caught bits of while you were talking to Brero.

Gamemaster:It was nothing important.

Gamemaster:He was talking to the two of them, kind of talking about how great he's been as a foreman and how terrible it was that this happened under his watch.

Gamemaster:and not actually doing anything necessarily to contribute towards finding someone.

Gamemaster:And he looks over at you and says, Excuse you?

Gamemaster:Who do you think you are to come onto my site and yell at me like that?

Barlow:I'm Barlow Crane.

Barlow:I work around here.

Barlow:We're investigating this.

Barlow:You mind if we take a look?

Gamemaster:Oh.

Gamemaster:Sure.

Gamemaster:There's not much to see now.

Gamemaster:We've removed the scrap.

Gamemaster:Otherwise we'd still be standing still.

Barlow:Alright, well.

Gamemaster:But if you want to look down a tube, be my guest.

Barlow:Yeah, we're professionals.

Barlow:I looked down lots of tubes before.

Barlow:Looked up tubes.

Barlow:Looked sideways around tubes.

Barlow:A lot of tubes in this place.

Gage:This guy knows tubes.

Barlow:I don't know about tubes.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:Go look at your tubes.

Gamemaster:And he'll step to the side so that you can look at your tubes.

Barlow:Josh, I would like to just like begin running my hands over all the tubes, like put my ear to it, lick it once, you know, really know the marble.

Barlow:And I would like to read psychometric resonance.

Gamemaster:Okay, one second.

Gamemaster:I just have to read what that does.

Grant:When he starts doing this... Mike, what's your character's name again?

Gage:Gage.

Gage:Yeah, I was about to say, I hope this guy really knows his tubes.

Grant:Gage.

Grant:I'm going to turn to Gage and be like, I know you're a little more new around here, but this guy's freaky with machines.

Gage:I kind of vouched for him there.

Gamemaster:Spend one minute concentrating on the object.

Grant:Loves licking tubes, what can I say?

Gamemaster:Get a vision of the face of the person.

Gage:You got to date the tubes.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Gamemaster:You don't roll or anything.

Gamemaster:You just get a vision of the face of the person.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gage:I was worried that we were going to be doing a detective story without an investigator, and then I was like, I just see the person's face that last touched it.

Gamemaster:Do you also learn the associated...

Gamemaster:yeah um okay so the two things you learn are you see the face of the person who imbued the item with an emotion and you feel the emotion they're feeling uh while they're feeling it i need you to roll a will save for me please

Barlow:Oh, gosh.

Gage:He just sees the foreman crying.

Gage:No, not on my watch.

Gage:It's the most powerful emotion on the fan.

Gamemaster:26 okay so you're doing you're touching you're licking you're smelling the tube you're doing all of the tube related activities that one needs to do to learn the emotion from it and

Barlow:26.

Grant:unzips his pants.

Barlow:Listen, I've been around a long time.

Barlow:I got to process.

Gage:Look away for this one.

Grant:You don't want to see this one.

Gamemaster:And after a minute passes of you starting to resonate with this and feel out the strong emotions associated with it, I will say that yes, there is definitely like an underlying emotion of sadness that you do get coming from the foreman.

Gamemaster:As well as little bits of annoyance and surprise from what look to be, as you get flashes of their faces, the workers who found the blockage in the first place.

Gamemaster:But the strongest feeling is you are hit with a wave of...

Gamemaster:Exaltation is the best way to put it.

Gamemaster:Religious fervor.

Gamemaster:You see the face of... You think that they're an elf.

Gamemaster:They've got elven features.

Gamemaster:They're probably male.

Gamemaster:It's a bit androgynous.

Gamemaster:There's not a lot to differentiate from the spatial view here.

Gamemaster:But...

Gamemaster:There's clearly something wrong with them.

Gamemaster:Their jaw is kind of hanging a little off of their mouth.

Gage:So.

Gamemaster:and is split in the middle, so it almost looks like mandibles.

Gamemaster:And you can see that spotted around their eyes are slits of what look to be smaller eyelids that are currently closed, in such a way that you wouldn't notice them when they're all closed, but you have such a close-up view of this person's face while this is happening that you can pick them out.

Gamemaster:The emotion you're getting is just complete devotion that they're doing some holy act.

Gamemaster:Yes.

Barlow:Do I get a Raymond with that?

Gamemaster:Sorry?

Barlow:Would I get a Raymond too, or just their face?

Gamemaster:You only get their face.

Gamemaster:And unfortunately, you don't get their thoughts, so you don't know necessarily what they're thinking.

Gamemaster:You're just getting, like, religious satisfaction.

Barlow:I pull back and pull my pants back up.

Gamemaster:Don't M&M tube my leg.

Grant:It's imperative.

Gage:Too tight?

Barlow:Not too.

Grant:The cylinder is not harmed.

Barlow:Thank you.

Barlow:Nah, I figured out a few things.

Barlow:One, Foreman, I've been around a long time, and I want you to know, no one's going to forget that this happened on your watch.

Barlow:Everyone will remember this forever.

Gamemaster:We're so hostile.

Grant:I'm actually somewhat of an expert on labor.

Grant:And he's completely right.

Grant:No one's going to trust you again.

Grant:18.

Gage:This has already been written down.

Gamemaster:Make a lore check.

Gamemaster:We're going full in on labor lore.

Gamemaster:I'm going to make you roll labor lore checks.

Gamemaster:18.

Gamemaster:Yeah, the only reason this guy hasn't actively been executed for letting this happen on his watch is because they haven't gotten around to it yet.

Gamemaster:He's a dead man walking.

Barlow:I'll just grab him by the shoulders and I'll go, run.

Barlow:Run for your life, boy.

Barlow:Run!

Gamemaster:Roll an intimidation check.

Gamemaster:I'm going to give you a plus two circumstance bonus because of the labor lore check identifying that he's in danger.

Grant:Are you good at intimidations?

Barlow:I got a crit 37.

Gage:Apparently very.

Gage:Crit 37.

Gamemaster:What did you get?

Grant:Yes.

Gamemaster:Crit 37.

Grant:He's fleeing.

Gage:He blows up.

Gage:He's.

Gamemaster:You... I have to... One second.

Barlow:Man's never been more scared.

Gamemaster:I'm going to roll a will save for this man.

Gage:Oh, my God.

Gamemaster:this man is this man is so scared that he it's like all of a sudden he realizes that he's in danger and it kicks in his fight or flight so he starts clambering down the uh the like rafters um

Grant:Why is Josh's bot the god hope?

Gamemaster:And it looks like he's running towards the elevator to get out, but instead he stops next to the elevator and grabs a handful of rope off of the side of the thing, ties it around his waist, and jumps through the barrier that the leg is coming up through the exterior of the strider on, perhaps seeking some escape outside the strider.

Grant:You're gonna die to stillness.

Gage:It is going to die either way.

Gamemaster:Thank you.

Barlow:Anyway, I saw the face of the thing that did this, so it was pretty freaky deaky.

Grant:Alright.

Barlow:Like, elf sort of thing.

Barlow:Weird split mandibles going on.

Barlow:Like, blah, blah, blah.

Barlow:A bunch of little eyes.

Barlow:You guys ever heard of something like that?

Grant:Yeah.

Gage:Yeah, it was actually right before I denied the host the meeting.

Barlow:Oh, shit, really?

Gage:But if you do recall, I did wake up at the end of that.

Gage:So I've not seen that in real life.

Grant:Yeah.

Grant:Can I attempt to recall knowledge or an esoteric?

Grant:No, we'll check.

Gamemaster:I will allow it.

Gamemaster:I think the DC is pretty high, just going off that description.

Barlow:Can I also attempt to recall knowledge check if I've ever heard anything?

Gamemaster:Yes, you may.

Barlow:Yeah, I don't think I got it.

Grant:That's fine.

Grant:Yeah, I know what that is.

Gamemaster:What did you get?

Gamemaster:Oh, yeah, no.

Grant:72.

Gamemaster:Unfortunately, you wouldn't know much other than that sounds like a mutant of some kind.

Barlow:All right, well.

Gage:Well, I got an idea.

Gage:And Gage will turn to the other three that were there.

Gage:Well, looks like an opening for Foreman just came up.

Gage:So if any of you boys would like to help, I'm sure there'd be some upward mobility in it.

Gage:Do you guys remember seeing anything around the time that this went awry?

Gamemaster:Can I get a diplomacy check?

Gamemaster:Unless that was like meant to be threatening.

Gamemaster:Then I guess maybe an intimidation check.

Gage:They're the same thing.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Grant:Are they bad?

Gage:We'll do deployment.

Grant:You're wincing, but you're the one who just decided to talk to a group of people to ask for help.

Grant:What did you think would happen?

Gage:I was hoping the other... Why are we chit-chatting between ourselves?

Grant:You're like, oh no, I have to make a check.

Grant:Oh no.

Gage:Why aren't you guys going and gathering information?

Grant:Well, you could have said, hey guys, talk to them.

Grant:You don't have to judge everyone and be like, oh sorry, I'm a quant.

Grant:I don't know how to talk to people.

Gage:Eighteen.

Gamemaster:18.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:Do you share what you saw of the person to them?

Gamemaster:Or are you just, like, is that a separate realm of inquiry?

Gamemaster:Like, what are you looking for from these guys?

Gage:Just what they saw around that time.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:So, around the time that it was...

Barlow:Thanks.

Gamemaster:Around the time that the blockage was discovered, one of them, the human man, wasn't around.

Gamemaster:He says that he was in his quarters, which is up a few decks.

Gamemaster:He was off shift.

Gamemaster:He had four hours off.

Gamemaster:But the other one, the oil and soot and metal filings covered?

Gamemaster:No?

Gamemaster:Question mark?

Gamemaster:Says, yeah, I...

Gamemaster:I was around here.

Gamemaster:There were a few people coming up that day up to this particular junction.

Gage:Thank you.

Gamemaster:because it was the day that we swap out some of the old lubricant and do our checks of the joints.

Gamemaster:People who would have had access are It Be Me, and then there are two other fluid masters, that's the official term, that would have had access that day.

Gamemaster:I think both of them are currently off.

Gamemaster:So you'd have to go find them in their birthplace.

Gamemaster:I can give you their names, if that'd be useful.

Gamemaster:They are... Where's my list of names?

Gamemaster:Remiel and Gerhardt.

Grant:Now, are you a fluid master?

Barlow:Uh...

Gamemaster:I am.

Grant:All right.

Grant:As a person who's a fluid master, I need your expert opinion on something.

Gamemaster:Sure.

Grant:Who's the weirdest guy or lady that works here?

Grant:Bonus points if they're an elf.

Gamemaster:Weirdest guy that's an elf.

Gamemaster:Uh... I don't know.

Gamemaster:I mean, one of the other Fluid Masters, Gerhart, he's an elf.

Gamemaster:He's not weird, though.

Grant:That was pretty nice.

Gamemaster:He, uh...

Gamemaster:He held a surprise birthday party for me a few months back.

Gamemaster:That was kind of nice of him.

Barlow:Oh, that is pretty nice.

Grant:How old were you turning?

Gamemaster:43.

Gamemaster:I'm getting up there in years.

Grant:Oh, congrats.

Barlow:Oh, you're a youngin'.

Grant:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Grant:I turn around.

Gamemaster:No, I'm not.

Gamemaster:43 is very old for a gnome.

Gamemaster:I've seen a lot.

Barlow:Oh.

Grant:I turn around.

Grant:I'm just like, anyone else know a weird elf?

Barlow:I'm just looking around like this.

Gamemaster:The...

Gamemaster:The human will say, what's your criteria for weird?

Gamemaster:Like, heats up fish in the communal lunchroom?

Grant:No, that's just rude.

Gamemaster:Or like... I don't know anybody with multiple eyes.

Grant:I mean like someone that maybe has multiple eyes or a problem with their chin.

Barlow:Yeah, like mandibles.

Gamemaster:Well, I mean, I know lots of people with multiple eyes, but only two.

Grant:Who are those two people?

Gamemaster:Or... No, no, no.

Gamemaster:Sorry.

Gamemaster:That's my fault.

Gamemaster:Everybody I know with multiple eyes has two eyes.

Grant:you

Barlow:Hey, Brayro, I don't mean to be that guy, but do you happen to know any other mongrel folk with, like, mandibles or little eyes?

Barlow:You ever heard of that?

Gamemaster:I don't know any Mongol folk with mandibles, but...

Gamemaster:But I guess if you're looking for... There's a lot of mongrel folk in the Mutant Den, which you guys would know, no check necessary, is a reference to a part of the Undercroft that is, even as bad as it might be here, that's where they push all of the undesirables that necessarily aren't fit enough to work.

Gage:Bye.

Gamemaster:And a lot of mongrel folk do end up in that part of the Undercroft.

Grant:All right, so first go to the Fluid Masters.

Grant:Then there, if we don't see anything.

Barlow:Should we do one more quick scan here just to make sure we're not missing anything?

Grant:I hold out my lamp.

Gage:Sure.

Gamemaster:The lamp doesn't have enough reach to get the whole room.

Barlow:I'll just do one more quick.

Gamemaster:If it's just looking at the lubricant area, that's fine.

Gamemaster:What are you looking at?

Gamemaster:What are you checking right now?

Barlow:It's like one last visual inspection for you.

Grant:Sorry.

Grant:Could you just make sure we're not missing everything again?

Grant:Do you mind giving a high level description again of what happened here?

Gamemaster:So, you're...

Grant:Because sometimes like three hours into a one shot will be like, oh, my God, we didn't check this one thing.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Gamemaster:You're currently standing on top of the rafters that connect to a part of the strider leg that goes out of the strider, where there are a number of tubes here that are intake pipes for lubricant and fuel and the like that get fed into the legs.

Gage:Thank you.

Grant:Uh huh.

Gamemaster:You know that the actual incident is one of the tubes, the lubricant tube, had a piece of scrap metal kind of stuffed into it so that the lubricant wouldn't flow, which is what caused the leg to seize up.

Gamemaster:But the foreman, before he left...

Gamemaster:did mention that the scrap has already been removed and disposed of.

Gamemaster:So unfortunately, you don't have access to that piece of metal.

Gamemaster:So all you can see is the tube itself and the scratch markings of where the metal was stuffed into the tube to block the lubricant from flowing.

Grant:Okay.

Grant:And then that's what had the psychoresonance of the creep on it.

Grant:Okay.

Grant:So let's go talk to the fluid masters, I guess.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Grant:I want to talk to the elf first.

Gamemaster:Sure.

Gamemaster:So you're going to try and find Gerhart in the part of the hold where the people live, or where these particular areas do.

Gamemaster:You've got to go back on the elevator.

Gamemaster:You're going up a few floors.

Gamemaster:You're still in the Undercroft, you're just not so close to the actual bottom of the strider.

Gamemaster:but you make your way up a few floors to what you would know is the kind of...

Grant:Bye.

Barlow:Thank you.

Gamemaster:Homes is the wrong word.

Gamemaster:Nobody here has their own home.

Gamemaster:There isn't the space for that.

Gamemaster:Instead, what a piece of this floor has been dedicated to is just kind of collective housing.

Gamemaster:So what used to be a relatively large open room has turned into a bunch of tunnels where instead of walls on the side, it's...

Gamemaster:three or four mattresses kind of stacked on top of each other.

Gamemaster:Have you guys ever seen the hot swift, the hot shift beds in a submarine?

Gage:Thank you.

Grant:Oh.

Gamemaster:Where it's like five or six mattresses stacked on top of each other with like a foot of clearance.

Gamemaster:And nobody actually owns a bed.

Gamemaster:You just get a shift in a bed for eight hours or however long you're allowed to sleep before you move on to the next one.

Gamemaster:Because that is the deal in this part of the brig.

Gamemaster:Nobody here has their own room or anything like that.

Gamemaster:It's just...

Gamemaster:Beds that you can sleep in if you need, and communal areas where people might be cooking food that people can take from.

Gage:Thank you.

Gamemaster:It never looks particularly appetizing.

Gamemaster:In this particular area, it looks like a Giant vat has been put under what looks to be a gutter, where some kind of fluid runoff from further up in the strider is being collected and boiled into a stew of some kind.

Gamemaster:Looking into the vat itself, it looks like somebody's caught

Gamemaster:weirdly mutated-looking rat or two and put them in to supply some amount of meat.

Gamemaster:And there are a handful of people sat around it, consuming their bowls of stew.

Gamemaster:There's a bit of a crowd here.

Gamemaster:You're getting close to a shift change, so a lot of people are waking up and getting ready for

Gamemaster:taking their shift on the machinery elsewhere.

Gamemaster:So there are a lot of people that are waking up and, like, pulling themselves out of bed and getting situated and, like, maybe 200 people all told about getting ready in the space.

Grant:Maybe these people do need the host.

Grant:By the way, I'm part of a religion that worships a god polar bear and a god guy named Argyle who follows the judge.

Grant:If you ever see one of them, you have to give them everything you own.

Gamemaster:Chronologically, this one-shot takes place like eight months before the events of the campaign.

Gamemaster:So Argyle is still alive.

Gamemaster:So that's fine.

Gage:Gage will bump Barlow's arm and say, how do you know when someone worships a polar bear and some guy named Argyle?

Barlow:Oh.

Gage:Don't worry, it'll tell you.

Barlow:I like this guy.

Grant:All right, let's go find this fluid master.

Grant:We got to keep them away from Barlow, though.

Gage:You have to sift through 200 people to find Gerhardt.

Gage:Gerhardt?

Grant:Yeah.

Barlow:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Gerhard.

Gage:Gerhardt.

Grant:Yeah, can I just chat with people trying to figure it out where he is?

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Gamemaster:That is a society check to try and find Gerhard.

Grant:Can I make a diplomacy check to chat?

Grant:To gather information, that's diplomacy.

Gamemaster:I will allow that.

Gamemaster:Yeah, for gather information, I'll allow it.

Barlow:I'll do, for the fun of it, I'll do a society check just to see.

Gamemaster:Sure.

Grant:We'll do 23.

Barlow:Yeah, 15.

Gamemaster:Okay, with a 23, asking around looking after Gerhart, you would learn that Gerhart hasn't been around.

Gamemaster:Nobody here has seen him in, like, two days.

Grant:Anyone a good friend of him that I could chat with or seen him last or something?

Gamemaster:Um...

Gamemaster:You would be pointed off towards, like, one corner of this area as the spot where he usually tries to find a bunk to sleep for his shift.

Gamemaster:But you're told that nobody's seen him in the past, like, two days, so they don't think he's around now.

Gamemaster:So...

Gamemaster:Can I get a perception check from you to see if you pick out, like, an undertone in the vibes you're getting from these people?

Grant:Is this a visual perception check within 20 feet of me?

Gamemaster:No.

Grant:30.

Gage:It's a vibe check.

Gamemaster:I'm sorry.

Gamemaster:It's a vibe check.

Gamemaster:30.

Grant:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:With a 30...

Grant:I'm interrogating them with my lantern.

Gamemaster:He's just holding the lantern like two inches away from their face.

Barlow:How are you?

Grant:Yeah.

Gamemaster:The vibe that you're getting is a lot of people here are friendly with Gerhardt, like he's a nice enough guy.

Gamemaster:Nobody here is friends with Gerhardt.

Gamemaster:Um, like, asking around about him, everybody's like, yeah, he's a nice guy, he always does his work, he's friendly to chat with, like, small talk and the like.

Gamemaster:Nobody knows anything about his personal life.

Gamemaster:Um... Uh, I don't know if, like, these people necessarily have an explanation for you.

Grant:Is that because he's weird or is that because he's deceptively quiet?

Gamemaster:It's just a, like, yeah, we never got close type deal.

Grant:How long has he been here?

Gamemaster:Uh...

Grant:Okay.

Gamemaster:I mean, he's been on the ship.

Gamemaster:Everybody, like, he's been on the ship for as long as anybody here can remember.

Gamemaster:He's an elf.

Gamemaster:He's been on the ship.

Gamemaster:He was, as far as anybody's aware, he was born on the ship.

Grant:He's not like a new guy.

Gamemaster:No, he's not a new guy.

Grant:Okay.

Barlow:Mm.

Gamemaster:But, like, it's long enough that nobody here, like, remembers his parents.

Gamemaster:And it's, so they don't remember his childhood or anything like that.

Grant:Okay.

Grant:Do people go anywhere that's not work and sleeping here?

Gamemaster:Yeah, there are places one can go.

Grant:Like, would Gerhard have gone to other places?

Gamemaster:People here don't really have a lot of...

Gamemaster:currency to spare, necessarily.

Grant:Thank you.

Gamemaster:So really what happens is sometimes people will go to other parts of the deck and trade food ration cards for maybe some kind of entertainment.

Gamemaster:Not like movies or anything like that.

Gamemaster:But people will bet on fighting rings and the like.

Gamemaster:Or sometimes they'll do a void rat race where you take a bunch of void rats and then you...

Gamemaster:have them compete by racing around a little track and then bet on who wins.

Gamemaster:There are bars and the like where you can trade in your ration cards for some kind of homebrew swill.

Gamemaster:But there isn't... That's kind of the extent of the entertainment.

Grant:Is anyone with my 30, does anyone know he went to any of those or seen him there recently, anything like that?

Gamemaster:With a 30, I think what you would get is someone thinks they saw him over by one of the fighting arenas that are close to the center of the ship.

Gamemaster:Sorry, ship.

Gamemaster:Titty.

Gamemaster:It's the same thing.

Gamemaster:It's a vessel.

Gamemaster:They think they saw him.

Gamemaster:It didn't look like he was engaging in the fight that was going on.

Grant:Alright, so let's go to that.

Gamemaster:They thought they saw him just walking past.

Gamemaster:But they might have seen him there.

Grant:Let's see if he has another... Oh, let's check his area, I guess.

Grant:See if he has any things there.

Barlow:Look around his little corner.

Grant:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Gamemaster:Can we get a perception check to just look around the corner by the mattress that he usually slept in?

Grant:I'll hold up my light for my friends.

Barlow:Nice.

Barlow:19.

Gage:13.

Grant:17. yeah is that with the plus one

Gamemaster:Okay, sorry, 19 was the highest we got?

Barlow:That's what the plus one.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:With a 19... With a 19... Looking around... There are no personal affects here.

Gamemaster:There's a small bag that one attached to the mattress post that one could feasibly leave something in, but nobody does because it'd be stolen the second you fell asleep.

Gamemaster:But with a 19, if you pull the mattress off of the metal bands that the mattress is placed on top of, you can see that someone has, with a piece of metal, scratched a symbol into the bedpost.

Gamemaster:It looks like... Like a horn, maybe?

Gamemaster:Like a horn, the instrument horn.

Gamemaster:Not like the animal horn.

Gamemaster:With a circle around it.

Barlow:Is this a symbol I, in my very long life, might have seen before?

Barlow:I will.

Gamemaster:You can make an Esoterica check if you like.

Barlow:27.

Gamemaster:Unfortunately, a 27 is not enough.

Gamemaster:You do not recognize the symbol.

Barlow:Yeah, I've never seen this symbol before.

Gage:uh isn't it just a horn oh right yeah i don't know are they allowed to play instruments down here what if he was really good

Barlow:Well, it's got a circle around it.

Barlow:So.

Barlow:Feels special.

Barlow:I mean, you can.

Barlow:You probably get beat up.

Barlow:No one mentioned him being good.

Barlow:No one mentioned him being bad, though.

Barlow:I feel like that's the sort of things I'm going to mention.

Gage:I think it's some kind of longing or yearning.

Barlow:Maybe he really wanted to play a horn.

Gage:Maybe it's a button.

Barlow:Well, I probably...

Gage:Gage will push it as if it'll make a horn sound.

Gamemaster:Unfortunately, it is not a button and it does not make a horn sound.

Gamemaster:Make a wheel save.

Gamemaster:19.

Gage:Oh.

Gage:19.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:You push your finger onto the horn.

Gamemaster:It's not a button.

Gamemaster:It doesn't do anything.

Gamemaster:There is... It feels weirdly cold to you for a second.

Gamemaster:Like you press it and there's this sudden cold shock on your finger.

Gamemaster:Like your nerves go numb for half a second before it fades.

Gage:All right.

Gage:That was incredibly creepy.

Gage:It's cold.

Barlow:What happened?

Gage:It's cold, but it's not cold.

Gage:It just made me feel cold.

Gage:I would advise touching it, but you won't know what I'm talking about unless you do.

Grant:I don't get cold.

Gage:Try it then.

Grant:I'm OK.

Gage:so i thought no one ever does uh so he's somewhere i mean this is weird enough that this is our this is our guy

Grant:Embarrassing.

Barlow:Well, hey, good for you.

Grant:So what are we doing?

Barlow:I think we got all we could from this spot.

Barlow:I'm pretty sure this seems like our guy.

Gamemaster:Thank you.

Gage:All righty.

Gage:They said he disappeared, but they don't know where.

Gage:Does his lantern show us where?

Gage:My first day on the job.

Grant:I guess we'll go to the fighting pit?

Grant:I don't know.

Gage:Sure.

Barlow:They're on the other lead.

Gamemaster:Sorry, where are you going?

Gage:Fighting Pit.

Gamemaster:Okay, absolutely.

Gamemaster:You're told which part of the, like, which section the fighting pit is in.

Gamemaster:Fighting pits aren't completely legal within the bounds of Iomenei.

Gamemaster:They are allowed because they're...

Gamemaster:Excuse me, because they're generally a pretty good vessel for stress relief.

Gamemaster:Amongst the crew.

Gamemaster:But if they get out of hand, then you start losing workers because they get injured.

Gamemaster:And, you know, you're not going to spend any money on any resources on helping cure them.

Gamemaster:But at the very least, they're not around to help work on the machine.

Gamemaster:So if they get too dangerous, enforcers from other parts of the building tend to come and break them up.

Gamemaster:As such, fighting pits tend to try to go to areas that are less trafficked.

Gamemaster:so they're less likely to draw the ire of the enforcers.

Gamemaster:This particular fighting ring happens to be very close, if not quite inside of what's called a forsaken sector, which is a part of Iomenei that for one reason or another, people are forbidden from entering.

Gage:you

Gamemaster:Maybe there was an accident there that rendered that part of the ship just unlivable.

Gamemaster:Maybe there's dangerous technology in there that it was deemed not worth the risk of working with.

Grant:Mm-hmm.

Gamemaster:So on and so forth.

Gamemaster:This particular fighting ring is on the edge of one of these sectors, such that the only people who are coming around are people who are interested in the fighting pit.

Gamemaster:You're not getting much foot traffic or, like, throughfare of this particular area.

Gamemaster:Can I get a, as we're navigating, a survival check to actually find your way through the labyrinth that is the Undercroft to where this fighting pit is?

Gamemaster:Yes.

Barlow:Josh, I have a navigator's star tattoo, which as you hold up your hand and align the star in view, you learn which direction you're facing.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Barlow:Would that give us some sort of advantage to navigate?

Barlow:Cool.

Gamemaster:I'll give you a plus one.

Gamemaster:I'll give you a plus one item bonus to this survival check.

Grant:I cannot help people in this, so I'm just... Don't worry about it.

Gamemaster:So he's leaving.

Gage:I'll roll.

Gage:18

Barlow:will also roll mine probably will not be great it was not great

Gamemaster:um 18 okay 18 is enough uh this place is a little bit hidden but you guys were told by somebody who had visited it that they had seen somebody so in 18 18 is okay um

Gamemaster:You are... It takes you a little bit to find your way over to this particular fighting pit.

Gamemaster:You get turned around once or twice, but you do eventually make it to... Pit is the wrong word here.

Gamemaster:This is...

Gamemaster:an entry room into that forbidden sector area where the actual entrance, the area that you're in, is this massive metal grate that's being suspended from chains.

Barlow:Thank you.

Gamemaster:Above what looked to be a series of steaming outputs for some other part of the city.

Gamemaster:Looking over the railing into these Giant vats, you get a whiff of this caustic steam.

Gamemaster:It's thoroughly unpleasant.

Gamemaster:You feel that if you spent...

Gamemaster:Any amount of time in this area, any extended amount of time in this area, it would do irreversible harm to your lungs.

Gamemaster:But the people here don't seem to mind much.

Gamemaster:They're just kind of going about, you know...

Gamemaster:There is a part of this metal-graded area that has been cordoned off that people are collecting around.

Gamemaster:It looks like there are two people currently beating the shit out of each other in the middle.

Gamemaster:One of them is obviously winning.

Barlow:you

Gamemaster:There is a very tall—this is a mongrelfolk.

Gamemaster:Because they were at one time human, but it looks like something caused their muscles to never stop growing.

Gamemaster:They are a mass of torn skin as muscles have popped out of the exterior of their body.

Gamemaster:They move very slowly.

Gamemaster:It looks like they're exceptionally clumsy, but you watch as they land one hit on what...

Gamemaster:probably was at one time a dwarf, but their face is now so bloodied and bruised and swollen that the fact that they're even standing is perhaps a tribute to their tenacity.

Gage:you

Gamemaster:But with one final punch, you, from across the room, hear a very sickening crack, and they just collapse.

Gamemaster:After that happens, you see that what you assume to be a bookie of some kind goes around and is handing out slips that you would recognize to be ration papers, while it looks like somebody else is just kind of dragging the body of the dwarf that lost off the edge and pushing them down into one of the vats below, where there's a plop and a sizzling sound.

Gamemaster:And then the bookie looks around and says...

Gamemaster:And the Giant wins again!

Gamemaster:Can anybody beat him?

Gamemaster:Any takers?

Gamemaster:And they're looking around for another person to fight this mutated human.

Grant:I look at the elf.

Barlow:uh i feel like we should just like look for the elf this guy is pretty crazy look at that he's got muscles on his outsides and his insides same muscles

Grant:Does the vat look like the type of thing people were eating down below?

Gamemaster:Um, no.

Gamemaster:This is a vat of a different kind of liquid of some kind.

Grant:Okay.

Gamemaster:Whatever liquids are being brewed in these vats are clearly exceptionally caustic.

Grant:Let's go talk to the bookie.

Gamemaster:It looks like they fully dissolved the man that fell into them.

Gamemaster:His body is completely gone.

Gamemaster:No roll necessary.

Gamemaster:You would gather that these are some kind of predecessor components to the fuel that the city uses.

Gage:Okay.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:You guys can head over to the bookie if you like.

Grant:I'll wait a little bit to see if anyone will fight before we interrupt that.

Gamemaster:Yeah, if you wait a little bit, they will find somebody else who's willing to fight.

Gamemaster:The odds are really very good if you're the underdog here.

Gamemaster:So people are willing to effectively throw away their lives to try and make a massive payday.

Gamemaster:Massive relative, in this term.

Grant:How much money do I have?

Gamemaster:Let's say that you have 15 ration slips on you.

Grant:I'll bet three on the Giant.

Gamemaster:Okay, you can do that.

Grant:But then I talk to the bookie and I'm like, hey, he's seen this guy and I describe him as a fluid master.

Gamemaster:I might have, I might not have.

Gamemaster:I'm not really in the business of talking about the goings-on of my clientele.

Grant:Where do your clients go when they want to get mutated like that Giant guy to fight better?

Barlow:Hey, Barlow Crane, nice to meet you.

Gamemaster:I really don't feel comfortable.

Gamemaster:I don't know who you are.

Gamemaster:I'm not just going to talk about the people around here.

Gamemaster:What is this guy's name?

Grant:Grant FireEye.

Gamemaster:This guy's name is not Grant Fiery.

Gamemaster:That's your name.

Gage:Yes.

Gamemaster:Varian Khan.

Gamemaster:Are you looking to fight?

Gamemaster:Are you looking to place a bet?

Barlow:We're really just looking for this guy, this elephant fellow.

Gamemaster:I'm sorry, fellows, but you're going to have to go somewhere else.

Grant:So we're tasked.

Grant:So here's what's going to happen.

Grant:If you don't help us, this strider is going to stop because people are sabotaging it and we're all going to die.

Barlow:Specifically, this guy's sabotage.

Grant:So we are tasked.

Grant:I don't care about anything else about that.

Grant:Finding this guy.

Grant:That's who he is.

Grant:You need to help us.

Gamemaster:Roll a diplomacy check.

Grant:29.

Gamemaster:29.

Gamemaster:He'll say, listen, fellas, you know, it sounds like you're doing, I assume, important work.

Gamemaster:I just, I'm not really in the habit of talking about people who may or may not have been around here.

Gamemaster:You know, it's not really worth my while.

Barlow:Look, guy, what do you want for the information?

Barlow:Everything's out of price.

Gamemaster:You know, this is completely unrelated, but I have been thinking that these railings are a bit dangerous.

Gamemaster:People fall off of them sometimes.

Gamemaster:If somebody could...

Gamemaster:take, you know, somehow get some scrap metal from somewhere and then set up better railings.

Gamemaster:Or if I had the money to just go and buy the scrap metal myself, that would work too.

Gamemaster:But, you know, that's just stuff that I'm wishing for.

Gamemaster:I don't know.

Grant:How much is that?

Gamemaster:I couldn't tell you.

Gamemaster:How much do you think it is?

Grant:Three rations.

Gamemaster:No, I'm pretty sure that that wouldn't cut it.

Gamemaster:That's not even close.

Grant:So, are we, are we like federal agents or anything?

Gamemaster:No.

Barlow:Where's some dudes?

Gamemaster:You're just some guys.

Grant:So, they just, oh, there's basically just an open bounty on this.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Grant:Okay.

Gamemaster:You guys are taking the four hours you have not on shift doing whatever you normally do to go and try and figure out...

Gamemaster:Who this is is possibly a ticket out.

Barlow:Josh, do we know where to...

Barlow:Where do people even get that kind of money?

Barlow:Where do you get the scrap metal?

Gamemaster:Well, okay, so the scrap metal you could probably steal.

Gamemaster:Like, you guys wouldn't know where scrap metal is stored.

Gamemaster:You would just have to go to the effort of, like, going there, and you know that it's theft, so if you get caught, you'll be punished.

Gamemaster:I'll also say that you guys have some ration slips amongst you.

Gamemaster:If you pulled all of them together, that might work.

Gamemaster:But you'd have to probably sway him, if that's the plan.

Gamemaster:Or else you can ask around.

Gamemaster:You don't need to go through the bookie.

Grant:Or we just kill him.

Barlow:I don't know about that.

Gamemaster:I mean, you could kill him, but I don't know what that gets you, necessarily.

Grant:He's rude.

Grant:He should die.

Barlow:Okay, I don't know about that.

Gamemaster:Sure.

Barlow:I mean, there's always the option of one of us killing the Giant over there and then getting a big payday.

Grant:Can we use weapons in there?

Gamemaster:No.

Barlow:Oh, it's just fisticuffs?

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Barlow:Are you sure?

Grant:Do you want to do it?

Gamemaster:If you could use a weapon, you could just bring a gun in and then shoot the other person.

Barlow:Why don't you give him a weapon?

Gage:Thank you.

Grant:All right, give us a moment.

Barlow:Give us one moment.

Grant:Which one of us should go in?

Grant:Wait, can multiples of us go against this Giant at once?

Grant:All right.

Gamemaster:No.

Grant:Which one of us should do it?

Barlow:I mean... How does exploit vulnerability work?

Barlow:Do I have to hit him with...

Grant:No, I think it could be unarmed.

Barlow:Can it be unarmed?

Gamemaster:I think so, but I'll double check.

Gamemaster:Let's see.

Gamemaster:Oh, sorry, not exploit vulnerability.

Gamemaster:It's the other one.

Gage:you

Gamemaster:It is.

Grant:I think it is exploit vulnerability.

Gamemaster:Exploit vulnerability triggers it, but that's not the name of the thing.

Grant:Oh, there's the... Do you have Esoteric Warden?

Gamemaster:It's mortal weakness or personal antithesis.

Barlow:Oh, you're unarmed in weapon strikes.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Barlow:Magic.

Gamemaster:So yes, it does work.

Barlow:Um... I do have SO2.

Gamemaster:I believe he does.

Barlow:And... Uh... Josh, I can't switch my weapon icon to my hands really fast, can I?

Grant:Okay.

Gamemaster:No.

Barlow:I don't know how that works.

Barlow:Okay.

Gage:I don't think it's switch icons at all.

Barlow:Uh...

Barlow:Yeah, my weapon is a good thing.

Barlow:I mean, I don't know.

Gamemaster:I think you can switch your... Oh, your icon.

Barlow:I got a lot of stuff happening.

Gamemaster:Yeah, no.

Gamemaster:Right, I forgot you're also an exemplar.

Grant:I mean, I could Fist of Cuff.

Barlow:I don't know.

Barlow:What about you, FireEye?

Barlow:How confident are you feeling?

Grant:I don't know if I'll win, but... We get to bring our armor in there, right?

Barlow:I also could fisticuff.

Grant:I guess I wouldn't get my shield, but I get my armor.

Gamemaster:You wouldn't get your shield.

Gamemaster:I'll let you have your armor.

Gamemaster:If you like, can I get either a perception or I guess recall knowledge would work in this check to size up this guy.

Grant:yeah

Barlow:Got a 28.

Gage:We could also switch up the bet.

Barlow:What about three on one?

Gamemaster:Okay, with the 28...

Gamemaster:Unless you have some foul play you could do on the side, you're fairly confident that none of you can take this guy on in a one-on-one.

Gamemaster:Like, without weapons or anything like that.

Gage:So here's...

Gamemaster:Uh, three-on-one maybe, but that's not how the thing works.

Gage:Here's what we can do.

Gage:I can get within 60 feet of him concealed.

Gage:Maybe take some shots.

Gage:Although it'd be very difficult to obscure arrows through the Giant.

Gage:We can also attempt to flip the bet.

Grant:A minute's 10 rounds.

Gage:The Giant's a big, big... The Giant's a big, big favorite.

Gamemaster:It punched him so hard an arrow stuck out of him.

Gage:What I could do, or what we could do, is attempt to convince the bookie in the crowd to say, how about we see if this guy can last a minute with the Giant, and then we put one of us in there and just have us last a minute.

Barlow:Oh.

Grant:That's a lot of rounds.

Grant:I think we just died.

Gage:I don't know if they're going to go.

Gage:30 seconds, I guess.

Gage:What do you think the audience will go for?

Grant:12 seconds.

Gage:12 seconds.

Gamemaster:We let him punch us once, and if we survive, we win.

Grant:Yeah.

Grant:Could we...

Barlow:All right, guys, here's another thing.

Grant:Well, if you want to fight him from the crowd, I can just be a... I can insult him.

Barlow:How confident are we that we're going to solve this?

Barlow:Because if we figure it out, we're going to go up to the top and we won't even need these meal tickets.

Gage:true.

Grant:That's true.

Grant:I'll give him 10.

Gage:I'll put my ticket down.

Barlow:Okay.

Barlow:Hey, bookie guy.

Gamemaster:I'm going to need a diplomacy check.

Barlow:Alright, we got... You said we each have like 15 meal tickets?

Grant:We got 30 for you.

Grant:22.

Gamemaster:Because 30 isn't quite enough, but you could maybe talk him into accepting that.

Gamemaster:Uh, one second.

Gamemaster:What is this guy's natural stance?

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:Uh, 22, you said?

Gamemaster:He, uh, just sticks out his hand.

Grant:So this is probably just a pass-through for him.

Gamemaster:He says, yeah, I think I know who you're talking about.

Gamemaster:He's not one of my regulars.

Gamemaster:He didn't come to watch the fights.

Gamemaster:I did see him coming from further into the sector, though.

Gamemaster:Every once in a while, he walks in and comes back out a few hours later.

Barlow:Oh, which, uh... Which record?

Gamemaster:Sorry?

Grant:This might just be a pass-through for him.

Gamemaster:He doesn't stop here.

Grant:Which way do you see him going?

Gamemaster:Last time I saw him, I think he was heading into the Forsaken sector.

Gamemaster:I want to say yesterday.

Gage:And when was that?

Barlow:Oh.

Gamemaster:Or...

Grant:Round time.

Grant:Let me see.

Gage:Thank you very much.

Barlow:Yeah, thanks.

Grant:Hey, do you want to like get a beer later or something?

Grant:Cool.

Grant:All right.

Gamemaster:He's very confused by the offer.

Gamemaster:He's trying to figure out what the... How you're trying to swindle him.

Barlow:Yeah.

Gamemaster:But, sure.

Grant:Fire is just like, hey, he seems chill.

Grant:Let's get a beer.

Grant:All right.

Gamemaster:So you guys are following the trail further into the Forsaken sector?

Grant:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Barlow:Yeah.

Gage:Okay.

Gamemaster:You continue over the...

Gamemaster:the grates out of the caustic air, which, if you had spent much longer in there, you would have needed to start rolling fort saves, into the dark, like, unlit area of this particular sector.

Grant:Can I unlight it, guys?

Gamemaster:You do... I know some of you have darkvision.

Barlow:Yeah, I don't think...

Gamemaster:I also know one of you is carrying a lit lantern around at all times.

Gamemaster:So...

Grant:Alright, I'll unlight it.

Grant:So, Josh... Yeah.

Gamemaster:You can use your mind to light it and unlight it.

Gamemaster:So... So you have greater darkvision?

Grant:So I'm going to unlight it.

Grant:And Josh, I not only have dark vision, I have the feet defy the darkness.

Grant:I have greater dark vision enables me to see through magical darkness.

Gage:I have low light vision.

Grant:I have to think Tanner had that in that one shot.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:Sure.

Gamemaster:Yeah, that really messed up my plans.

Gamemaster:It was rude of him to take, so you also took it.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Gamemaster:Do the rest of you have darkvision?

Barlow:I also have low light vision.

Gamemaster:Okay, so it's just the dwarf with the unlit lantern leading the two blind folk along the path here.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gage:Yep.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Gamemaster:As you head in, I would like a perception check from everybody who would like to.

Gamemaster:The one who has functioning eyeballs, this is like sight-based.

Gamemaster:You can look around.

Gamemaster:The two of you, this is sound-based.

Gamemaster:You have a minus four to this particular check.

Gamemaster:Minus four circumstance bonus.

Grant:That's okay.

Gamemaster:Minus four circumstance penalty.

Grant:I'm really good in the dark.

Barlow:Sky is very good in the dark.

Gage:He's great in the dark.

Gamemaster:What do you get?

Grant:31.

Gamemaster:31.

Gamemaster:You are pretty good in the dark.

Gamemaster:One of you knows tubes.

Gamemaster:One of you is pretty good in the dark.

Gamemaster:Okay, with a 31, you have this area.

Gamemaster:is the floor is made out of the same metal that the rest of the city is made out of, like this patchwork slabs of metal that have been put in place and replaced many times over.

Barlow:Bye.

Gamemaster:There are boxes and, like, fabrics and stuff strewn up, like strewn around the different hallways that you're walking through.

Gamemaster:Like,

Gamemaster:whatever reason they needed to abandon this particular area, people left kind of in a hurry.

Gamemaster:You do actually, with that ridiculous perception check, as you're walking by, you can see what look to be bits of

Gamemaster:dried blood on the ground in places.

Gamemaster:Very old dried blood.

Gamemaster:It's turned this sickly brown color, but you can notice from how it's splattered that it was at one time blood.

Gamemaster:There are also strange scratchings on the floor and on the wall.

Gamemaster:Like...

Gamemaster:Sharp, short claws scrabbled on the ground in places.

Gamemaster:Things that you haven't really seen in other parts of the city.

Gamemaster:With that rule, I will also note that it's never quiet.

Gamemaster:In the Undercroft, there are machines humming and gears shifting and pistons firing all the time.

Gamemaster:Not to mention that every 12 seconds, there is this loud thud as one of the Strider's legs makes contact with the ground again.

Gamemaster:Um...

Gamemaster:So it's never quiet.

Gamemaster:But amidst all of the mechanized chatter that you're used to at this point living in the Undercroft, there is a scrabbling sound from the other side of the walls around you.

Gamemaster:Like there's something or some things that are moving around in them.

Gamemaster:in the vents behind the walls underfoot.

Gamemaster:It's soft, it's deadened by the walls around you, but there's a lot of it, and it's hard not to notice.

Barlow:Sounds pretty freaky.

Grant:I really this.

Gamemaster:With that, so that you can visualize the space for no other reason, can we go to https://btl.iridi.cc.Aurideon.cc?

Barlow:Oh.

Grant:Yeah.

Grant:Did these scratches line up with the scratches we saw in those pipes?

Gamemaster:The scratches that you saw on the pipes were from a specific piece of metal that had been shoved in the tube.

Gamemaster:These look like claw marks, if nothing else.

Gamemaster:They look organic in some way.

Gamemaster:Or they look like they had been left by something organic.

Barlow:Yes.

Gamemaster:Can we see?

Gamemaster:Oh, for the two of you that are thaumaturges...

Gamemaster:Can you do me a favor?

Gamemaster:On the right side, there should be a button that says macros.

Gamemaster:It looks like an HTML tag.

Barlow:Yes.

Gamemaster:Do you see, if you click on that, an exploit vulnerability macro?

Grant:Sorry, so where are we looking?

Gamemaster:Can you drag that?

Gamemaster:On the right side, there should be a button that says macros when you hover over it.

Gamemaster:It looks like an HTML tag.

Grant:Oh, yes.

Gamemaster:If you click on that, you should see exploit vulnerability.

Grant:Oh, I see those.

Grant:Uh-huh.

Gamemaster:Take the exploit vulnerability and drag it into your hotbar, like the macros on the bottom, so that you can use it.

Grant:Mm-hmm.

Grant:Oh, yeah.

Gamemaster:We'll see if it actually works.

Gamemaster:But the way it's supposed to work is if you target an enemy and select yourself and click it, it should roll exploit vulnerability on them.

Barlow:I've exploited vulnerability on Grant FireEye.

Grant:No!

Barlow:It's Water Noses.

Gamemaster:Oh, no.

Barlow:Water Noses are his vulnerability.

Gamemaster:What?

Barlow:Dang, that was a good roll.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Grant:You guys want, like, the lantern or something, guys?

Gamemaster:Okay.

Grant:It's kind of spooky shit.

Barlow:I got... Yeah, maybe turn on that lantern.

Gage:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Grant:Yeah, I'll turn it on.

Gamemaster:We will... I have turned on the lantern.

Gage:Although I couldn't really see how spooky it was because I can't see.

Gamemaster:You are now lit.

Gage:Oh.

Barlow:I was trying to move stuff around and I think I did that.

Gamemaster:Because you rolled so high on your perception, you are not... Barlow Crane is now a twice-nimble elf.

Gamemaster:Okay, well, you're a nimble elf.

Barlow:Not bad.

Gamemaster:You are not surprised, as your presence appears to have awoken the local wildlife.

Gamemaster:As out of the vents in front of you and in one part of the hallway to the side, you see this insectoid-like creature clawing its way out.

Grant:Damn it.

Gamemaster:three claws per hand, this weird purplish-orange-ish insectoid chitinous body, a hard-looking head, and nasty-looking fangs as they swarm out of the vents.

Barlow:Okay.

Gamemaster:And with that, I think we're going to need to roll initiative.

Gage:old oh i can't take uh they can't take uh ownership of gage

Barlow:Are we in the lantern light?

Gamemaster:Oh, one second.

Gamemaster:Let me see.

Gamemaster:Player character.

Barlow:I'd give us a bonus to this.

Gamemaster:Can I do that?

Gamemaster:Harlow.

Gamemaster:And Benny.

Gamemaster:It's not Benny anymore.

Gamemaster:Why are you not here?

Gamemaster:Did I not?

Gamemaster:Oh, I think I didn't assign gauge to you, Mike.

Gamemaster:One second.

Gamemaster:Configure ownership observer.

Gage:Yes.

Grant:you

Gamemaster:Over.

Gamemaster:Now I can make U-Gage.

Gamemaster:And I can make not Arctos, but Hyri.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:Now can we all roll initiative and move our characters around and all that fun stuff.

Barlow:I think so, hopefully.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gage:Do we get a surprise round on them?

Gamemaster:You don't get a surprise round on them, but they don't catch you by surprise because good perception checks.

Grant:Bye.

Gage:Good trade.

Barlow:Oh no.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Barlow:I just saw what the tokens are.

Gamemaster:What?

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Fun.

Gamemaster:Little bug guys.

Gamemaster:Uh, we will begin the encounter with the first set of Swarmchildren.

Gamemaster:Okay, what is this guy's movement?

Gamemaster:Ooh, good.

Gamemaster:You know what?

Barlow:All right.

Gamemaster:They get that far with one movement, and then they will reshape with the second movement to get up to you.

Grant:I have reached 10.

Grant:So I would attack once they get it close.

Gamemaster:Uh-huh.

Gamemaster:You can do that, because Thaumaturge Reactive Strike.

Gamemaster:I assume you have Reactive Strike.

Gamemaster:Do you have reactive strike?

Grant:Mm-hmm.

Grant:Weapon.

Grant:Implement.

Gamemaster:That implements interruption, which requires that you exploit vulnerability.

Barlow:Thank you.

Grant:Oh, yes, yes, yes.

Gamemaster:Do you have something that you get to exploit vulnerability when an encounter starts?

Grant:Nope, I didn't take the champion one because I forgot about that different caveat.

Gamemaster:If not... Okay, so then...

Gamemaster:They are running up to you, and they are going to attempt to attack you.

Gamemaster:They're going to do a mandible frenzy on you.

Gamemaster:Unfortunately, they can only spend one action on it.

Gamemaster:So you need to make this reflex save.

Grant:Wait a second.

Grant:Just double checking one of my stuff.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:You succeed, so you're going to take half damage.

Gamemaster:I rolled max, so you're going to take two points of slashing damage.

Gamemaster:Okay, that is it for their turn, unfortunately.

Gamemaster:Gage, it's your turn.

Gage:I just have to spend an action to use this?

Gage:Hell yeah.

Gage:I will pluck a string from the decorative string I have tied around my bow and I will wrap it around my wrist for the future.

Gage:And then...

Gamemaster:Okay.

Barlow:Thank you.

Gamemaster:Where are you moving your transcendence to?

Gamemaster:Yeah, so we start out with Divine Spark, I guess, in the Unfailing Bow, if you like.

Gage:Oh, this is transcendence.

Gage:I see.

Gage:That's why it's just a letters in action.

Grant:you

Gamemaster:And then when you do that, it moves to one of your other icons.

Gage:Yeah, yeah, never mind, never mind.

Gage:I need the bow.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:The exemplar is a really cool class.

Gage:Also, the icons are...

Gamemaster:Having never seen a full going through, the idea of moving from icon to icon is cool.

Gage:the the passives they afford are kind of crazy um but yes uh we're just gonna plow right into these folk no ammunition oh to get myself ammo sure

Barlow:Yeah, really good.

Gamemaster:Oh, one second.

Gamemaster:Let me give you... Is it arrows?

Gamemaster:Can you just use any arrow?

Gamemaster:I... For guns, for some reason, there's a specific bullet kind for every gun.

Grant:man yes

Barlow:Bye.

Gamemaster:But I think for a crossbow, you can just use... Or for a bow, you can just use arrows.

Gamemaster:Yes, I've given you arrows.

Gage:is the target within the lanterns a bright light perfect we shall strike perfect uh 13 points of damage and this is also going to do

Gamemaster:Yes, it is.

Gamemaster:That hits.

Gamemaster:Oh, damage.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gage:If I recall this correctly.

Gage:Where's the passive for my bow?

Gage:I have to look this up.

Gage:The unfailing bow deals one additional spirit damage per weapon die to creatures it strikes.

Gage:Oh, wait.

Gage:I thought this one did.

Gamemaster:You did that.

Gage:OK.

Gamemaster:You have plus two spirit damage.

Gage:There must be something that does.

Gage:splash damage maybe i four four went that one but that's fine perfect uh and then yeah why not we'll just go with this guy let me double check what else i can do here

Gamemaster:Well, 13 points of damage...

Gamemaster:you loose an arrow, and it flies straight through the head of one of them, and then hits another one, kills that one as well.

Barlow:you

Gamemaster:You take out two.

Gage:Yeah, I don't really need to move anything.

Gage:And I'm going to make another attack.

Gage:So I could lay down to miss.

Gamemaster:You can lay down, if that would help.

Gamemaster:Unfortunately, a 20 does miss.

Barlow:possible.

Grant:That actually is optimal.

Gamemaster:The arrow just kind of dings off the side of one of the armored carapaces of these insect creatures.

Gamemaster:Anything else?

Gage:Fair enough.

Gage:I will, what is it even called?

Gage:Unravel the future now.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:And where are you moving your spark?

Gage:I'll move it to my face.

Gage:What is it called?

Gage:The eye-catching spot.

Gamemaster:Eye-catching spot?

Gamemaster:Or gaze sharp as steel, which I think is also your face?

Gage:Yes.

Gage:Yeah, this is true.

Gage:Eye-catching spot.

Gage:Yes.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Barlow:Got exemplar.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Gamemaster:Would you like to create a diversion or feint as a free action?

Gage:I would like to...

Gage:Create a diversion.

Gage:Can I faint from this far away?

Gage:No, right?

Gamemaster:Now you have to be within melee reach.

Gage:I think they have to be adjacent.

Grant:Yeah, I mean, also, even if you succeed on the feint, it just makes them off guard to your melee attack.

Gage:Yeah, I'll create a diversion.

Gage:True.

Gage:I'll create a diversion.

Barlow:Thank you.

Gage:I'll just yell.

Gage:My biggest fear is insects!

Gage:which is not true, but it is distraction worthy.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:Make a deception check.

Grant:It's really sad that the bad guys in this one shot are mutants.

Gamemaster:It happens.

Barlow:I was ready in case it was constructs.

Gage:Four.

Gamemaster:Unfortunately, no one is diverted by your diversion.

Gage:Fair enough.

Gamemaster:Are you some kind of mutant sympathizer, Jorge?

Grant:No, I just figured it'd either be mutants or...

Grant:constructs.

Grant:And I was hoping for constructs.

Gamemaster:Do you have anti-construct measures?

Grant:And I was hoping for... Yes, but also... Yeah.

Barlow:The titan breaker does spirit damage that constructs do not get to bypass.

Gamemaster:Unfortunately not.

Gamemaster:It's insect swarms.

Grant:I figured, because you also mentioned that from, like,

Grant:the strider walking around, but I was like, there weren't any runes that gave me damage besides a juicy one for constructs, the demolishing rune, so I was like, fuck it, I might as well take it.

Gamemaster:Just in case.

Grant:Just in case.

Barlow:Just in case.

Gamemaster:Barlow, it's your turn.

Barlow:We're going to start off by exploiting vulnerability on these here bugaboos.

Gamemaster:You should.

Barlow:And I think I get, do I get a plus one because they're in the lantern?

Grant:Yes.

Barlow:Neat.

Grant:Yes.

Barlow:A success.

Gamemaster:That is a success.

Barlow:I'm being told that this thing's weakness is Splash Damage 7.

Grant:Do they have weaknesses?

Grant:Oh, I guess I already told him if he could do mortal or the other one.

Barlow:So would I just use Mortal Weakness on this?

Barlow:Is that how that works?

Gamemaster:yes I think that's the mortal weaknesses that yeah you would prefer mortal weakness over personal antithesis

Barlow:Okay.

Barlow:And then because I have Esoteric Warden...

Barlow:Oh, that's so cool.

Grant:You'll see an AC bonus.

Barlow:Okay.

Grant:Did you pick up shared vulnerabilities or no?

Barlow:I did not.

Barlow:My apologies.

Barlow:But I will step.

Barlow:And then I will strike this guy.

Gamemaster:Okay?

Gamemaster:Alright.

Gamemaster:Go for it.

Barlow:With my striking Leo mono.

Gage:Oh dear.

Barlow:Oh, I don't think that's going to hit.

Barlow:What a bummer.

Gamemaster:Unfortunate.

Barlow:That was a bad roll.

Barlow:That's my turn.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:Then we will move on to Grant Fireye.

Grant:Grant's going to step over here.

Grant:And then he's going to exploit vulnerability on one of the swarms.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:Alright.

Grant:They're in the lantern.

Gamemaster:I like how you can tell the distinction between the two swarms because of which status effects get applied to which.

Grant:Sorry, so I want to do mortal weakness, right?

Grant:Is that what we said?

Gamemaster:That would be the better one if you succeeded.

Barlow:Thanks.

Grant:Yes.

Grant:Mortal weakness.

Gamemaster:Because mortal weakness will also apply to the other swarm that's coming for you.

Grant:Yes.

Grant:Well, I also have shared vulnerabilities, so I think they apply both anyway.

Grant:But mortal will give me seven damage, while personal will only give me five.

Gamemaster:Yeah, so...

Grant:All right.

Grant:I don't take a swing.

Grant:You'll see as Grant...

Grant:there's like a coiled up like electric arc thing that when he flicks it, it turns into a solid sword and then he flicks it again and it's a coil and he reach attacks.

Gamemaster:absolutely that hits 14 points of damage uh 14 points of damage bumped up to 21 because they are weak to you uh which is enough to

Barlow:That's cool.

Grant:Hit.

Grant:Damage.

Gage:Thank you.

Grant:14 parts of damage.

Grant:Um, I was then.

Grant:I don't know.

Grant:It's very nice.

Gamemaster:fully kill three of the swarming uh uh insectoids as they're coming at you

Grant:Great.

Grant:Great, great, great, great.

Grant:And then one final thing I will do is.

Grant:The we just don't share.

Grant:Well, you have a plus one.

Grant:Okay.

Grant:I guess I will just... Raise my shield.

Barlow:No, it's okay.

Gamemaster:I mean, do you have the action for that?

Grant:Step... Oh!

Grant:Vulnerability is not a free action.

Gamemaster:Exploit isn't free unless you have the feet.

Grant:No, I don't have that.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Grant:I'm not that high level again.

Grant:I forgot.

Grant:I'm sorry.

Gamemaster:Alright, it is the other swarm children's turn.

Gamemaster:I think these guys have enough to just fully crash into you.

Barlow:They don't have to.

Grant:Now, can I, since I have mortal, the guys and I have shared weakness, do I get to attack of opportunities people?

Gamemaster:One second.

Gamemaster:Let me read.

Gamemaster:Implements interruption.

Gamemaster:The target of your exploit vulnerability.

Gamemaster:No, unfortunately.

Gage:So these guys entered my space, so I'm going to reactive strike them.

Grant:Even with shared vulnerability?

Gamemaster:Because they're not your target.

Grant:Or sympathetic and sympathetic?

Gamemaster:Or a sympathetic?

Gamemaster:No.

Grant:I have sympathetic vulnerabilities, but yeah, never mind.

Gamemaster:I don't think that helps you in this case.

Gamemaster:What are you saying, Mike?

Gamemaster:They did enter your space, so you can reactive strength.

Gamemaster:That's acceptable.

Gage:Yes.

Gamemaster:You hit.

Gamemaster:A little damage.

Gage:Get fucked, idiots.

Gage:Take four damage.

Gamemaster:Four points of damage.

Gamemaster:Unfortunately, that isn't enough to take any of them out, but you have done some damage there.

Grant:I really hope I'm the green one.

Gage:Perfect.

Gamemaster:They used one action to move.

Gamemaster:They're going to use another action there next to all three of you.

Gamemaster:So all three of you need to attempt this reflex save to face off against their mandible frenzy.

Barlow:Oh, gosh.

Gamemaster:Ooh, two successes and a critical success.

Grant:Oh.

Gamemaster:So those of you who just regularly succeeded are going to take half of this damage.

Gamemaster:I've rolled 3d8 so far, and they've all been 8s.

Grant:I think somebody needs to inspect your browser.

Gamemaster:Yeah, honestly, I need to get an auditor to come in and double-check.

Grant:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Because I've been on a streak of good luck, or bad luck, depending on your perspective.

Grant:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Either way, it's the top swarm's turn.

Gamemaster:They're going to do something similar.

Gamemaster:You guys are, like, fully being swarmed by these things as they scrabble onto you.

Barlow:Wait.

Grant:Well, now I get to attack them now.

Barlow:I also get to attack them.

Gamemaster:You do.

Gamemaster:If you also have Implements Interruption, which you do, then yes, you can.

Gamemaster:That's a hit, Grant.

Grant:Ish.

Gamemaster:And that's a hit, Barlow.

Grant:Boo.

Grant:Low damage.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Barlow:Ratcher Mountain.

Barlow:Ooh, also low damage.

Barlow:Oh no, still 18.

Gamemaster:So that's two away from Grant.

Gamemaster:And that is four away from Barlow.

Gamemaster:Which you guys have both managed to clear out the ones that were adjacent to you.

Barlow:Thank you.

Grant:Dope, dope, dope.

Gamemaster:So

Grant:Sorry, Gage.

Gamemaster:Yeah, so it's just Gage.

Gage:Okay.

Gamemaster:Gage, you have to attempt this reflex save.

Gamemaster:That is a success, so you only take half of the damage.

Gamemaster:okay and gage is your turn now okay

Gage:Perfect.

Gage:I am going to draw my rapier first.

Grant:Pack the top one.

Barlow:Oh.

Gage:The top one is bloodied.

Gage:A lot of these guys are bloodied.

Gage:And we're going to take the top one.

Gamemaster:That hits.

Grant:Ooh, good dice, good dice.

Gage:Perfect.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:That is enough to... You just pierce right through the two directly in front of you, leaving only two of that swarm remaining.

Barlow:one okay

Gamemaster:You note that as you guys take out more and more of the top swarm, that first swarm, that those that remain seem to be less coordinated now.

Grant:So swarms, you don't need to dogpile on one.

Gamemaster:They're not matching the movements of the other ones nearly as well, even if they hadn't specifically been attacked.

Grant:Good to know.

Gamemaster:These guys are a modified version of the troop rules.

Barlow:you you

Grant:Hmm.

Gage:I'm going to shift imminence back into the bow.

Grant:It's also interesting they have a negative.

Grant:damage modifier and single action ones.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:Alright.

Gage:And then I'm going to feint the one to... Yeah, the one to the right.

Gamemaster:All right.

Gage:Have to roll a deception check.

Gamemaster:Sounds right.

Barlow:you you

Gage:Deception.

Gage:OK.

Gamemaster:Yes, it is a deception check against their perception DC.

Gamemaster:Unfortunately, that is a failure.

Gamemaster:But it's not a critical failure, so you're not off guard to their attacks.

Gage:I forgot that was there was an option.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gage:I'm going to attack the guy to the right.

Gage:Oh, come on.

Gage:It was showing 14, and then it flipped to a 4.

Gage:All right, that's the turn.

Gamemaster:I'm terribly sorry.

Gamemaster:Barlow, it's your turn.

Barlow:Yeah, I'll turn this other guy.

Barlow:Even though they're the same creature, I have to exploit vulnerability on this one specifically, right?

Grant:Unless you have sympathetic vulnerabilities.

Gamemaster:Correct.

Barlow:Ah, that's good.

Barlow:Well, that's good enough for the future.

Barlow:Exploit vulnerability!

Barlow:Oh, God.

Barlow:On this fella.

Barlow:Ooh, a crit.

Gage:Thank you.

Gamemaster:Nice.

Barlow:mortal weakness and then uh uh splash damage and area of effect stuff then i will uh yeah i'll just strike hard once my leo mano

Gamemaster:Wordle weakness.

Grant:So you also get to learn all of the weaknesses.

Gamemaster:OK.

Barlow:A hit.

Gamemaster:These guys, unfortunately, have a pretty high AC.

Barlow:I think I'm going to quit with this thing.

Barlow:18 points again.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Gamemaster:18 points bumped up to 25 because of your exploit vulnerability, which is enough to kill four tokens around you.

Gamemaster:That one died, but that one's important to the function of the troop stuff, so I'm going to swap them out.

Gage:you

Barlow:Kill the big guy.

Grant:Kill that one, guys.

Grant:Kill that one.

Gamemaster:If I removed that token, all of the other ones would cease to exist.

Gamemaster:But mechanically, that's not true.

Gamemaster:Anything else?

Barlow:Yeah, for my fellows, I will attempt to enter my inspiring martial stance.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gage:Oof.

Grant:Ooh.

Barlow:I have entered my inspiring martial stance.

Barlow:So you get a plus one status bonus to attack rolls.

Gamemaster:Which grants a... All righty.

Barlow:And saves against fear.

Barlow:That's my turn.

Grant:Okay.

Gamemaster:That brings us to Grant.

Gamemaster:Grant, it's your turn.

Grant:Cool.

Grant:I'm going to step over here.

Gamemaster:All right.

Grant:And then if I do the instructive strike, can I make... It says I can make a recall knowledge check.

Grant:Does that mean I can make an esoteric check or no?

Barlow:Thank you.

Gamemaster:You attack your foe, make a strike.

Grant:Oh.

Gamemaster:On a hit, you immediately attempt to recall knowledge.

Grant:That wouldn't exploit vulnerability, though.

Gamemaster:Yeah, you can do a recall knowledge.

Gamemaster:It's just not exploit vulnerability.

Grant:Okay.

Grant:So I'll attempt another one, just to have a tandem.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:Are you guys seeing a bunch of errors about something not existing popping up on your screen, or is that just me?

Grant:I see the other thing.

Grant:I will reroll that with my mythic.

Gamemaster:I assume it's just me, so that's fine.

Gage:Yeah I don't think I see that.

Gamemaster:Great.

Barlow:I quit.

Grant:And we want to do mortal again, right?

Grant:Yes.

Grant:All right.

Grant:Then I will strike.

Grant:Good.

Gamemaster:Roll damage.

Grant:Damage.

Gamemaster:Ten bumped up to seventeen.

Grant:All right.

Gamemaster:Which takes out three of them.

Grant:Cool.

Gamemaster:Is that the end of your turn?

Barlow:I also will opportunistically attack.

Grant:Yes.

Gamemaster:It is the swarm's turn.

Gamemaster:The swarm has to, because you keep killing them between turns, they have to spend a movement action to get up to you.

Grant:Attack of Opportunity, since I've re-upted on these.

Gamemaster:You may do that if it pleases you.

Grant:Nah.

Gamemaster:Okay, opportunitively attack.

Gamemaster:Unfortunately, that does not do anything.

Grant:Well, I got the hero point back.

Gamemaster:You do get a hero point.

Gamemaster:And then that hits Barlow.

Barlow:Oh, what a poor roll.

Barlow:16 points.

Gamemaster:Okay, 16 points of damage.

Gamemaster:That is enough to remove four from around you, though.

Grant:Kill that one.

Gamemaster:Okay, well, they spent... They spent one action to get up to you.

Grant:Kill that one.

Grant:That's left.

Barlow:This is the guy.

Gamemaster:You killed a few of them, but they still can do their mandible frenzy attack.

Gamemaster:So I need all three of you, because all three of you are adjacent to one, to make this reflex save.

Gage:Wait, did this one that's top left of me just move?

Gamemaster:It would have had to walk past you, so you can also make an attack of opportunity if you'd like to spend the reaction.

Gage:Reaction, yes.

Grant:Wait, do we have Esoteric Warden on this?

Gamemaster:Probably?

Grant:I got a critical success, so it doesn't matter for me.

Barlow:Oh, would a 29 have been a crit?

Gamemaster:Do I have to tell you?

Gamemaster:Oh, no.

Barlow:I don't think I added Esoteric Warden.

Barlow:Okay.

Gamemaster:29 would not be a crit.

Gage:what a twenty one of it

Gamemaster:21 would not have hit, no.

Grant:Where?

Grant:This is so stupid.

Grant:So we get a plus one status bonus to AC against a creature's nest attack and a plus one status bonus for saving throws.

Grant:If you critically succeeded, these bonuses are plus two.

Gamemaster:Oh, nice.

Grant:What's the point of that?

Grant:Oh, I guess if they crit attack you, then your AC might be able to knock it off one.

Gamemaster:No, don't you get a plus two to your AC from the next attack instead of a plus one to your AC from the next attack?

Barlow:Yeah, that's how I read it.

Grant:Oh, never mind.

Grant:Never mind.

Grant:Yeah, yeah.

Grant:Okay.

Grant:I thought this was if your vulnerability AC succeeded in helping you, then you get... I was like, alright, that's kind of stupid.

Gamemaster:All right.

Gamemaster:Oh, no.

Gamemaster:No, no, no.

Grant:Yeah.

Gamemaster:You just get a bonus to your AC.

Grant:Did you crit on that?

Grant:Would a 30 have changed?

Grant:I thought he critted.

Gamemaster:What?

Grant:I thought Barlow... Oh, but I thought you got a crit on the exploit vulnerability on them.

Barlow:Oh, no, I got it.

Gamemaster:Thought who crit?

Barlow:I got a 28, but it would have been 29 if it wasn't for it.

Gamemaster:He... Oh, you did... No, you're right.

Gamemaster:You did get a crit, which means that you would have gotten a plus two on this attack instead of a plus one to your AC.

Barlow:Oh.

Gamemaster:Oh, wait.

Gamemaster:It's to your AC.

Grant:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Esoteric Warden doesn't apply.

Grant:No, and saving throws.

Gamemaster:This is... Oh, and saving throws?

Grant:And saving throws.

Gamemaster:Okay, then you would have gotten a 30, which would bump it up to a crit.

Grant:Yeah.

Barlow:Oh, amazing.

Grant:Okay.

Grant:Yeah.

Gamemaster:So then the only one that's taking any damage is Gage.

Gamemaster:You take eight points of damage.

Gamemaster:You take half that 16.

Gage:half curses

Gamemaster:And then that brings us to the other Swarm Children, of which there are only two.

Gamemaster:But they finally don't have to move their turn, so they're going to do a three-action Mandible Frenzy.

Gamemaster:Only on Gage.

Gamemaster:I'm sorry.

Grant:I love how Gage's name, I didn't realize, had a comma.

Barlow:you you

Grant:It wasn't Gage the Cunning, it's Gage the Cunning.

Gamemaster:It didn't have a comma when Mike sent it to me.

Gamemaster:I added the comma in there.

Gamemaster:I don't know if I took artistic liberty or not, or if that was... Okay.

Gage:That's fine.

Grant:Gage the Cunning.

Gage:That's probably more fitting.

Gamemaster:You take half of this damage.

Gamemaster:You take six points of slashing damage as they claw into you.

Gamemaster:And then it'll be your turn to respond, if you so choose.

Gage:Fantastic.

Gage:I don't think I have any

Gage:i guess it's a manipulate but i don't know if these i don't know if these guys can uh oh no it's not a manipulate yeah attacking with the short bow is not manipulate because it's not a real it's the reload that gets people i think i can attack with a short bow without penalty at this at this range right perfect

Grant:You've done a couple of manipulate, I think, like the draw sort.

Gamemaster:Uh, yeah.

Gage:Really?

Barlow:Oh no!

Gamemaster:I'm sorry, that messes.

Gage:Yeah, we'll do it at Mythic because I need these people gone.

Gage:Oh, nice.

Grant:Oh my God.

Gamemaster:I'm sorry I'm so sorry Is that the end of your turn?

Gage:um yeah we're just gonna have to go again i guess there's some retreat i could make i don't know they're not doing like that much damage okay that's fine uh no

Barlow:What is happening right now?

Grant:Josh got tired of us being happy about Thessian stuff, so he installed a thing to make his rolls higher than ours lower.

Gamemaster:I'm pretty sure I have a module that looks at dice frequencies in a session, so we can see exactly how much I'm clearly cheating.

Grant:Yeah.

Gage:What's the rules around tumble through?

Gage:I just stride and then at some point I have to make a check to tumble through?

Gamemaster:Tumble through.

Gamemaster:Stride up to your speed during the movement.

Gamemaster:Make an acrobatics check against the enemy's reflex.

Gamemaster:If you succeed, you walk through their space, treating it as difficult terrain.

Barlow:you

Gage:Okay.

Gamemaster:If you fail, you just can't walk through them.

Gamemaster:You stop moving.

Gage:uh this is 20 feet what's my movement 25 all right so i'll make the reflex very acrobatics trick i hope that would be the reflex perfect that is gauges turn

Gamemaster:Acrobatics check.

Gamemaster:A 27 beats their reflex, so you get through.

Gamemaster:And it's Barlow's turn.

Barlow:All right.

Barlow:I'm just gonna... I'll swing on this guy.

Barlow:And... Yeah, why not?

Gamemaster:All right.

Barlow:I will attempt to fracture mountains.

Grant:Hell yeah.

Gamemaster:Of course, as one does.

Barlow:I hope it works.

Barlow:I really hope I hit.

Barlow:I did hit.

Gamemaster:You hit?

Barlow:This is a Fracture Mountains.

Barlow:God, I want to crit so badly with this thing.

Barlow:These are okay rolls.

Barlow:21.

Gamemaster:Well, it's a 21 bumped up to 28, which kills... We're going to have to do a little bit of a swaparoo again.

Gamemaster:Kills four of these things, which leaves only one left in that swarm.

Barlow:Then... That's two actions.

Gamemaster:But you've just wiped out all the ones around you.

Barlow:I'll just... I feel like Gage has been taking a lot of heat.

Barlow:I'll just jog on up here.

Barlow:Next to my guy.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Barlow:That's my turn.

Gamemaster:It's Grant's turn.

Grant:All right.

Grant:I'll take a swing at this guy.

Gamemaster:Sure.

Grant:Right next to me.

Gamemaster:That hits.

Grant:Hit.

Grant:Come on.

Gamemaster:That is enough to kill the last member of that swarm.

Grant:Alright, cool.

Grant:Now I will exploit vulnerability on this one.

Grant:It doesn't let me target any of them for my exploit vulnerability.

Grant:I think they already have it, so let me turn that down.

Grant:Yeah, it doesn't let me exploit vulnerability on them.

Gamemaster:What happens?

Gamemaster:What is it doing?

Grant:Oh, it says select one thaumaturge.

Grant:Never mind.

Grant:It might be.

Grant:Alright.

Barlow:Thank you.

Grant:Oof.

Gamemaster:You can only exploit its personal antithesis.

Grant:Okay.

Grant:So it's still... Okay.

Grant:It still happened.

Grant:Why not?

Gamemaster:Yeah, you still get something out of failure, it's just not the moral weakness.

Grant:Yeah.

Grant:How much health does he have?

Grant:Oh, he has more health than me.

Grant:I'm going to move right over there.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:It is the Swarm Children's turn.

Grant:There you go.

Grant:Attack!

Barlow:Yeah, come at me, motherfuckers.

Grant:I have reach.

Barlow:I also wasn't.

Gamemaster:Oh shoot, you do have reach.

Grant:I didn't go too far.

Gamemaster:Barlow, you can't because these guys aren't the target of your exploit vulnerability.

Gamemaster:But Grant with his 10 reach absolutely does hit.

Barlow:No.

Gamemaster:8.

Grant:Yes, yes.

Barlow:Get him, Grant.

Gamemaster:Bumped up to 13.

Gamemaster:Takes out all but one of them.

Grant:I tried, Barlow.

Grant:I tried.

Gamemaster:There's one remaining.

Barlow:It's all right.

Gage:Thank you.

Barlow:You're doing good, little guy.

Gamemaster:Yay!

Gamemaster:Uh, this is just for Barla.

Gamemaster:You gotta make this reflex save.

Gamemaster:No damage.

Gamemaster:Oh, some damage.

Gamemaster:That's just regular success.

Gamemaster:I assumed looking at that roll that it would be a crit.

Barlow:It's still pretty good.

Gamemaster:Uh, you're going to take half of that.

Gamemaster:And that's the end of its turn.

Barlow:Ow.

Gamemaster:Gage!

Gamemaster:Would you like to do the honors?

Gage:Hill.

Gage:If I hit, I guess.

Gamemaster:Hits.

Gamemaster:He has two hit points.

Gamemaster:Can you do it?

Gage:Yes.

Gamemaster:Yes.

Grant:The unfailing bow did, in fact, do it itself.

Gage:True.

Gamemaster:And you take out the last of the swarm children.

Gamemaster:And for a moment, it seems like you're clear.

Gamemaster:You still do hear some scrabbling in the floors and in the walls around you.

Gamemaster:that nothing further seems to be coming out of the vents from around you.

Grant:Cool.

Barlow:That's crazy.

Barlow:Everyone good?

Barlow:Should we take a moment?

Grant:Do you guys know how to heal?

Grant:Any of you guys know medicine?

Barlow:No.

Gage:If I knew medicine, I probably wouldn't be down here.

Barlow:Yeah.

Barlow:Do any of us know medicine?

Grant:All right, well, I'll lay on hands myself.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Barlow:I will.

Barlow:Whatever I have to do to re-divine my lay-o-mano.

Gamemaster:I have no idea what you're talking about.

Barlow:Don't have to do something with a divine spark to make it shift eminence Amazing I do that Cool

Gamemaster:Oh, you shift imminence as a free action when an encounter starts, so there's no additional work that needs to be done there.

Gamemaster:If you're a full exemplar, you have to choose which icon gets the imminence back, but since you only have one icon, it's a pretty easy choice.

Gage:uh i'm gonna try to treat wounds on myself because that's a thing that humans are allowed to do

Grant:Alright, I will take ten minutes to focus.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:You guys are going to hang out here if you like.

Gamemaster:Are you trained in medicine?

Barlow:I'll just kind of stand here.

Grant:Wait.

Barlow:And find out.

Grant:Don't treat wounds on yourself yet.

Grant:Take these.

Grant:And I take off my gloves and I pass them to him.

Grant:I have healer's gloves.

Gage:don't need to be i don't need to be josh i'm a i'm a human i'm a clever improviser no that's untrained improvisation i'm clever improviser which is a human you gain the untrained improvisation general feat in addition you can attempt skilled

Grant:Well, he's treat wounding himself, so might as well give him a plus one, right?

Barlow:Oh.

Gamemaster:Uh, is that true?

Gamemaster:Yeah, this doesn't allow you to use the skill's trained actions.

Barlow:I'll just kind of stand here and make like some mouth sounds.

Gamemaster:Oh!

Gamemaster:In addition, you can attempt skill actions that normally require you to be trained, of course.

Gamemaster:Yeah, go for it.

Grant:Should I give you the medicine gloves?

Grant:That's going to give you a plus one to it.

Gamemaster:Grant, why did you have healer's gloves?

Gamemaster:You're also not trained in medicine.

Barlow:They give you a heel.

Grant:They have an activation.

Gamemaster:You could use them!

Grant:No, they have an activation.

Gage:Wait, this won't let me roll.

Gamemaster:Oh, okay.

Gage:I'm just going to... It won't let me roll because I'm not trained in it.

Gamemaster:What do you mean it won't let you roll?

Grant:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Oh, sure.

Gage:Four, really?

Gamemaster:Well, you did fail.

Gage:We'll take another ten minutes.

Grant:Alright, what's... It's just 10, right?

Gamemaster:Okay, well, if you're... Wait, what do you mean take another 10 minutes?

Gage:Wait.

Gage:Oh, I'm immune regardless of if I... Alright, that's fine.

Gamemaster:Yeah, you're immune for the next 50.

Grant:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Also, also, you guys are sitting around for 10 minutes.

Grant:We just took 10.

Gamemaster:Can I get a... Let's do one D6 roll, please.

Barlow:Oh, no.

Grant:Should we sit in the dark or in the light?

Gage:Ooh.

Barlow:I feel like maybe in the dark.

Gage:The dark.

Grant:Okay.

Gage:We can hear stuff.

Grant:I can see.

Gage:Yeah.

Grant:Alright, we should go.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:You hear skittering from behind the walls.

Gamemaster:Nothing seems to have approached you yet.

Gamemaster:Your show of carnage seems to be scaring them off.

Grant:What seemed to be scaring them off?

Barlow:We should...

Gamemaster:You murdered two groups of them, so you seem to have made the others wary of you in some fashion.

Grant:Yeah.

Barlow:We should... Yeah.

Grant:Alright, so now we need to go look for signs of this guy.

Grant:Is there any other doors in this area?

Grant:Or is this just closed off?

Gamemaster:so no so you uh came in from this bottom area uh it's not obvious from this particular image uh these images are taken from a video game where the camera is just moved so it's bird's eye but you can pass through underneath these like big black areas those are doors that you can walk through

Grant:Uh-huh.

Grant:Okay.

Grant:Do you guys want to go to the bottom or top one first?

Barlow:Oh, let's go bottom.

Gamemaster:If you like, you can... So the bottom area, the area that you first walked into had a bunch of crates and stuff.

Grant:Bottom.

Gamemaster:The bottom room on the bottom right has lockers.

Gamemaster:It looks like it was an area for workers to store things before they go to work further into the sector.

Gamemaster:You can, if you like, make a perception check to look around and try to figure out what they were doing here.

Grant:Well, since also these rodents know we're here, I'm turning on my lantern.

Grant:And then what did we get off his area again?

Gamemaster:Okay.

Grant:There was like the cold thing.

Barlow:There's the, like, horn.

Gamemaster:Oh, you saw a symbol of, like, an English horn in a circle.

Grant:Yeah.

Gamemaster:That was the only thing that you found in his living area.

Barlow:Oh, God!

Barlow:Oh, no!

Barlow:It took me a second to... It took, like, an hour for me to connect what that symbol was, but I got there.

Grant:What?

Gage:Oh, the horn.

Gage:Yeah.

Barlow:Yeah.

Grant:What is it?

Barlow:It took me a little bit.

Gage:The Herald.

Barlow:It's... Yeah, it's Herald.

Gage:From the from gray slash.

Grant:Oh, the evil bosses?

Gage:Yeah.

Grant:Okay.

Grant:Sorry, let me just... Plus one.

Gage:Mm hmm.

Grant:You can add a plus one to this if it's Anaïs perception check.

Gage:Herald.

Barlow:That was a good perceiving.

Grant:32 if this is visual perception.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gage:They do be perceiving.

Gamemaster:31.

Gamemaster:Or 32.

Gamemaster:You are using your eyeballs.

Gamemaster:I will give you the plus one.

Gamemaster:32.

Gamemaster:Looking around in here, I... I will say you find...

Gamemaster:A rotting handful of papers coming out of these lockers that look like they might have been ration slips at some point, but they are old.

Gamemaster:They aren't the same style as the ones that are used nowadays.

Gamemaster:Oh, actually, one of you is a very, very old man and would recognize these.

Barlow:Bye.

Gamemaster:These are ration slips that the style was used around 200 years ago.

Gamemaster:they've gone out of style as of late because they were easier to counterfeit than the current ration slips.

Grant:Are they still legal tender?

Gamemaster:But that gives you a vague dating period for when this area was last used.

Gamemaster:It's been some time that this particular sector has sat.

Gamemaster:Probably.

Grant:Grab them.

Barlow:Thank you.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:You get a stack of 30 old ration slips.

Gamemaster:Other than that, looking around, the stuff in here is... Can I get an Occultism or Esoteric check?

Grant:Yes.

Gamemaster:Or Arcana, actually.

Gamemaster:Arcana would have a lower DC.

Grant:Wow.

Gage:Try me, Arcana.

Gage:22 for Arcana.

Grant:All right.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Grant:Well, the esoteric or recalled knowledge, they get a plus one inside the light.

Grant:I don't even know how to roll an esoteric.

Barlow:31 for esoteric lore.

Grant:Well, I'm just going to let that slide through.

Gamemaster:Okay, so two different things then.

Grant:Actually, you know what?

Grant:I'll roll.

Gamemaster:Gage, you would actually notice this, especially with the Arcana check and your history in the city.

Gamemaster:There are a number of materials in some of these lockers, sacred unguents and magical seals and the like that are familiar in the rituals used with dealing with an engine heart of some kind, one of the spirits that power the city as it moves through and handles some of the logistics there.

Gamemaster:I will note, though, that some of the ingredients here don't match with what you would be familiar with are used with an engine heart.

Barlow:Hmm.

Gamemaster:There's clearly a difference here.

Gamemaster:I don't think you would know if it's because over time the set of materials used has changed, or if the engine heart that these were being used for is different than the normal engine heart.

Gamemaster:The other thing that we'll get from the esoteric check is there is evidence here that, like, humanoid hands have interacted with these lockers into the area around here.

Barlow:It's a Tanner.

Gamemaster:An interloper.

Gamemaster:Get him!

Archie:What do you mean they're all dead?

Archie:Who's day?

Barlow:Oh.

Gamemaster:They're all dead.

Gage:The insects.

Barlow:We're doing good.

Barlow:We're winning.

Archie:Oh, not, I thought you meant the three of you.

Archie:I was like, oh no.

Gamemaster:No.

Gamemaster:He's being inflammatory.

Gage:He doesn't speak in the third person.

Grant:Do you have a level 6 character, Tanner, that you want to ruin Josh's balancing with right now?

Gamemaster:That's fine.

Archie:I don't.

Archie:I do not.

Grant:No.

Grant:Oh.

Barlow:Tanner, happy birthday to your mom.

Gamemaster:I'm sorry.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Grant:Happy birthday to you, Moe.

Gage:No exemplar.

Barlow:He's gone.

Archie:Oh, we had a lovely dinner.

Gamemaster:That's nice.

Archie:Alright, sorry to interrupt.

Archie:I'll let you guys get back to it.

Grant:We can also add a level to Mindburn.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Grant:I don't know why I'm just offering to ruin Josh's balancing.

Archie:Mindburn!

Grant:I'm sorry, Josh.

Gamemaster:It's fine.

Gamemaster:I can fix the balancing if we add another person if Tanner wants to play.

Gage:He's going to double the number of opponents.

Grant:Ioana?

Grant:Diana?

Archie:Um... Oh, no.

Gamemaster:You're also allowed to say no if you're not in a position to play right now.

Grant:Yeah, you don't have to.

Gage:But he's taking a poop.

Archie:Well, you're not even thinking about it.

Archie:I'm like, hmm.

Gage:He's taking a poop.

Barlow:It's Jennifer.

Archie:No, but the lore, though, Josh, I'm going to break the lore.

Gamemaster:I think we can work around it if you want to play.

Gage:Break the law.

Archie:All right, give me two minutes.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Grant:The bookie.

Gamemaster:Uh, alright.

Gamemaster:Um, okay.

Gamemaster:So, uh, there have clearly been humanoids.

Gamemaster:What?

Grant:The bookie comes for the drink.

Gamemaster:Yeah, that's it.

Gamemaster:He's the monkey.

Gamemaster:Um...

Gamemaster:Clearly, humanoid hands have interacted with this area with these tools and stuff recently, and those insect creature things that you fought off earlier don't have fingers.

Gamemaster:So there's evidence that there was somebody around here that can.

Barlow:Hmm.

Grant:Just calling out again, if there's any secrets or traps, secret doors, traps, anything that I... Alright.

Gamemaster:There are no traps in this room.

Gamemaster:There are no secret doors either.

Gamemaster:I'm sorry.

Grant:Shall we go to the next room?

Gamemaster:I did not plan this encounter with you being able to identify secret traps and secret doors.

Gage:facing to the wall.

Gamemaster:I do want a perception check as you guys go into this area.

Barlow:Perceive, perceive, perceive.

Barlow:Perceive.

Gage:Step aside.

Gamemaster:He's returned.

Archie:Oh, thank you.

Barlow:I perceive a bird with psychic powers.

Grant:You should have added the lantern gauge.

Gage:I can't.

Grant:Why not?

Gage:because I already have a plus one.

Gamemaster:Because he already has gaze sharp as steel.

Grant:Ah, stupid.

Grant:Hello, Tanner.

Barlow:This guy's...

Grant:Nice haircut.

Barlow:Oh, tenor.

Barlow:Here's nice.

Archie:I think that we already clocked this haircut.

Archie:But I appreciate it.

Grant:Yeah, it just looks good from the side.

Gamemaster:Cool.

Grant:I was commenting on the quality, not the temporal nature.

Grant:So.

Archie:Fair.

Archie:Okay.

Gage:There's time.

Archie:Am I not being incredibly disruptive?

Gamemaster:No, that's fine.

Gage:No.

Gamemaster:If you want to.

Barlow:We're just looking around the room.

Gage:I mean, we're doing well, so if you fuck it up, that's okay.

Archie:That's true.

Gage:We're all the same person, so you only have to learn one...

Archie:What do I...

Barlow:We are.

Barlow:There was a lot of overlap in character creation here.

Barlow:No, I swapped last minute to Thaumaturge because I wanted to do more damage and turned out Jorge was already a Thaumaturge.

Archie:Well, Noah, you had called out barbarians, so did everybody else go in and make big, beefy boys as well?

Archie:I see.

Archie:Sure, sure.

Grant:Yeah.

Gamemaster:So unfortunately, we have a thaumaturge champion, a thaumaturge exemplar, and an exemplar.

Barlow:So if you're a champion exemplar or a champion, you can, you can just kind of get the full circle.

Archie:It completes the cycle.

Gage:yeah or you can take gauge and i'll put penny level six in okay

Archie:Have we done a level 6 one-shot before where I might have another character lying around?

Gamemaster:One second.

Gamemaster:Let me check my compendiums.

Grant:You could also be Mind Bird and just add a level if you've mapped it out.

Gamemaster:What level?

Archie:How do I look at it?

Gamemaster:13.

Gamemaster:Okay, so we could take your level 9 character from the Velvet Mark one-shot and then just knock off a few levels if you want to.

Archie:Oh, the rogue.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Archie:I have that.

Archie:Sure.

Archie:That sounds good.

Grant:What are your thoughts on being a bookie?

Barlow:you

Gamemaster:If you like.

Gamemaster:If you'd rather do that instead of doing Mindbird.

Gamemaster:Okay, we'll do that then.

Gamemaster:You were Archie, right?

Archie:Archie.

Grant:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:Let's make Archie level six.

Grant:Modern tech is crazy.

Gamemaster:And there we go.

Gamemaster:There's Archie.

Gage:I wouldn't say modern tech doesn't exist.

Grant:Yeah.

Gamemaster:What?

Barlow:Hmm.

Gage:Because he got the shard.

Gamemaster:Oh, yeah.

Gamemaster:You're totally right.

Grant:I have a 75 pound lap dog right now.

Gage:I think it is a testament to his stealthiness that I cannot see him lest he have swallowed tungsten.

Archie:That'll happen, yeah.

Gage:There he is.

Grant:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Oh.

Grant:Alright.

Gamemaster:Does anybody want to do a 30-second recap of everything that's happened and where you are and what's going on?

Gage:Yes, but I'll tell it backwards.

Grant:Sure, I'll do it for a mythic point.

Grant:I'm kidding.

Gamemaster:Okay, that's not helpful.

Gage:We killed some bugs.

Gage:We talked to a bookie to find the bug person that we want to kill.

Gage:We went to the bookie because we heard from people in a common area that that's where the person who looks like a bug went.

Gage:At the person's common area, we found their bed, and their bed has the horn.

Gage:We as people know that it's the horn of the Herald.

Gage:We're looking for this person because we think that they stuck a bunch of metal into one of the legs of this strider.

Gage:We think that because one of us has psychometric resonance and looked at the face and saw a weird bug person.

Grant:And fuck the bike.

Gage:And we're doing all this because we're on our break from our shifts and we want to go to upper decks.

Gage:So this is our one chance to get to upper decks.

Gamemaster:Did you get that?

Archie:If we could get it in the other direction just as briefly, I think I'll really be able to synthesize the two and have a full understanding.

Gamemaster:Would it be useful if somebody else went over it in a reasonable way?

Grant:We were investigating an error in the pipes that was going to break the Strider.

Grant:Someone psychometrically resonated.

Grant:We saw the face of an elvish dude that looked like a bug hybrid.

Grant:We went to where he lives.

Grant:They're like, we haven't seen him for a few days, but he went by this fighting pit.

Grant:We went to the fighting pit.

Grant:They're like, hey, for some money.

Gamemaster:The rats were swarms of two foot tall insectoid creatures.

Grant:Yeah, sure.

Grant:And the bookie then pointed us in the direction of where he went.

Grant:We went in that direction.

Grant:We fought some rats.

Grant:Now we're investigating him.

Archie:Did you just finish fighting the rats?

Gage:Weird rats.

Gamemaster:But rats is probably an accurate term.

Archie:Okay.

Grant:All right.

Archie:Can Archie walk into the room?

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Archie just walks into the room.

Gamemaster:Okay, so to clarify, you are currently in a part of the city that has been forbidden from entry for the past two centuries because of some dangerous thing living in there.

Grant:Don't worry about that, Archie.

Gamemaster:Archie walks in.

Grant:Hey, Archie, come help us solve this.

Archie:Hey... Yes, somebody told me I should come here and fight some bugs for some cash, so...

Grant:You can come up topside.

Barlow:Thank you.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Grant:Alright.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:And with Archie popping up, he got a tip from the bookie that you guys walked in here so he could just kind of follow it along.

Gamemaster:What did we get for the perception checks looking in this room?

Grant:We got a... 29 is the highest.

Gage:29.

Archie:Thank you.

Barlow:Yeah.

Gamemaster:29.

Gamemaster:Not bad.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:So this is what looks to be...

Grant:Dogs.

Gamemaster:Dog!

Gamemaster:The last preparation room before moving into... This is also very familiar to Gage.

Gamemaster:This area looks like... Anti-chamber is the wrong term.

Gamemaster:Like a mudroom, kind of?

Gamemaster:Like an airlock-type area that separates the rest of a sector from wherever an engine heart is stored.

Gamemaster:Of interesting note here is a...

Gamemaster:There are weird distortions in some of the metal flooring and the piping on the side of the wall.

Gamemaster:Can I get a religion or an, I guess, or an esoteric check looking at these weird diversions in the piping?

Barlow:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Does Archie fill a niche?

Gage:Religion.

Barlow:Esoteric.

Barlow:Yeah, Archie, can you heal?

Gamemaster:Archie is trained in medicine.

Archie:Uh oh.

Barlow:Yes.

Grant:Wait!

Barlow:You're the doctor.

Grant:You get a plus one to that if you didn't add it.

Barlow:Oh, I got a 21.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Grant:Wait!

Grant:I got a 33.

Gamemaster:All right.

Gamemaster:A 33.

Gamemaster:The warping that you see in the floor and the walls, you've seen versions of that to a lesser degree around the ship.

Barlow:you

Gamemaster:Sorry, around the... I keep calling it a ship because it's basically a ship.

Grant:That's fine.

Gamemaster:Around the city.

Gamemaster:That you would identify as what can happen when...

Gamemaster:moving to another part on the horizon goes wrong.

Gamemaster:Sometimes in order to get around to the fact that you have to step one horizon at a time, in order to make the journey faster, if you're trying to get farther down the line, you can attempt to skip a world or two per step.

Gamemaster:But the greater the distance you try to skip, the more dangerous it becomes.

Barlow:Thank you.

Gamemaster:Sometimes you don't make it all the way.

Gamemaster:You lose pieces of the vehicle that attempts the transition.

Gamemaster:Bits get warped around or shifted.

Gamemaster:That might be where some of the mutants come from.

Gamemaster:So places... Oh, I'm going to end this encounter so you guys can move around without triggering all of these you-have-too-many-actions things.

Grant:Thank you.

Gamemaster:Big cities like this will try to avoid making those jumps if they can because it's dangerous.

Gamemaster:The warping route here is way more severe than you've seen in other places in the city.

Gamemaster:Like a particularly bad jump when it went very wrong.

Gamemaster:They tried to move a long distance and something bad happened.

Gamemaster:Most of the concentration you can see in the weird piping and affecting is further into this particular sector, past this airlock area into the next area.

Barlow:Yeah, let's do it.

Grant:All right.

Grant:I guess we're going that way, huh?

Gage:yes i would like some healing give it a shot

Gamemaster:Okay, so the door is up here.

Gamemaster:You don't need to physically move your characters there.

Grant:Does anyone need to be healed before we go further in?

Gamemaster:It's fine.

Barlow:I got bit by one of them bugs but I think I'm pretty fine.

Grant:All right.

Archie:It's a good thing that I showed up when I did.

Archie:I tell you what, I did some first aid practice the other day.

Archie:I could totally help you out.

Barlow:a uh we got yeah there's a lot of yeah we're right man

Gamemaster:Are you going to spend the 10 minutes doing the treat wounds?

Archie:Tanner has no idea if we have time for that, but is willing.

Gamemaster:I don't know.

Grant:Um, we might get jumped by bugs if we do.

Grant:Do you have battle medicine?

Archie:No.

Archie:Do you want a lesser healing potion?

Gage:i guess we could probably just keep it moving then we'll gamble but we're no longer surrounded by a corpse or a bunch of corpses so we're not in a yeah that would actually uh be helpful

Grant:Alright.

Gamemaster:You can take the 10 minutes if you want.

Grant:Nah, it's fine.

Grant:We're not mogging.

Barlow:This guy showed up ready.

Grant:I had a nerd brought a healing potion.

Barlow:You didn't just bring cool stuff.

Archie:It's a level 3 item, so... There's 9 hit points.

Grant:You didn't bring healer's gloves without healing?

Gamemaster:Jorge brought healer's gloves, but is not trained in medicine.

Grant:I took the gloves back from Gage, by the way.

Gage:I feel great.

Gage:Wait, what's a cage?

Grant:I took the gloves back from Gage.

Gage:Oh.

Grant:Yeah.

Gage:They're different gloves.

Grant:Alright.

Grant:Let's go.

Barlow:Thank you.

Grant:No.

Archie:I guess we'll go in this way.

Gage:They're decoy gloves.

Grant:Yeah, going deeper in.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gage:When the sun...

Gamemaster:Can I, as you open up this door, this door is sealed.

Gamemaster:It requires a pretty hefty turn of the wheel in front of the door.

Gamemaster:I forget what the actual term is for it.

Gamemaster:I need an athletics check if somebody can actually pull it open.

Gamemaster:It's been 200 years and nobody has come back to grease this particular door.

Gage:Who's going to be a gentleman?

Barlow:23.

Barlow:I remember when this door still opened.

Barlow:Oh, Tanner, I'm a very old elf.

Archie:See.

Gamemaster:He's so old.

Gage:Oh, hell yeah.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Grant:the little dwarf jumped up with his heavy armor and just holds the top, but just the weight spin it.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Gamemaster:With a 30, that is more than enough strength.

Gamemaster:You just hold on to it and your weight just dislodges it and it turns.

Gamemaster:Notably, if it's difficult to open this, it implies that whatever the humanoid figure that you're tracking has some other way to get beyond it.

Grant:Yeah, should we look around more or should we just send it?

Gamemaster:But you're going through the door.

Barlow:I thought we could just send it.

Gamemaster:Can I get a perception check?

Barlow:Easy.

Barlow:Nothing bad can happen.

Grant:All right.

Gage:I mean, we got some weird ingredients, so some ritual maybe is going on, but maybe not.

Barlow:It could be a ritual.

Barlow:Who knows?

Gage:What even is a ritual, you know?

Gamemaster:Wow.

Barlow:Is the lantern on?

Barlow:Are we lanterning?

Grant:Yeah.

Barlow:Yeah.

Gage:Oh.

Barlow:Oh, no.

Barlow:All right, grandfather.

Grant:call Grant Fireye for a reason.

Gamemaster:Grandfire, I got a 33 crit.

Grant:And I have the Dark Bishop.

Gamemaster:Okay, so you can see.

Gamemaster:I mean, if the lantern's on, then you can see anyway.

Grant:But I guess he passed the Lantern.

Barlow:And really.

Gamemaster:Sure, true.

Gamemaster:You...

Gamemaster:You walk past, or you look past.

Gamemaster:You don't actually have to enter to see in.

Gamemaster:The interior of the room that you move into is more expansive than rooms that you are used to in the Undercroft.

Gamemaster:This is maybe 500 feet across.

Gamemaster:It is built almost like a cathedral.

Gamemaster:on the inside of the city, to the point that it's flat walls on the side, but they go into a curved back.

Gamemaster:And all along the walls in the back, there are stained glass frescoes.

Gamemaster:No particular pattern that you can see on them.

Gamemaster:It just seems to be, like, aesthetically pleasing.

Gamemaster:But it's clear that some amount of resources were put into this area.

Gamemaster:There are, in the very back of the room between two of the stained glass windows, is a massive, it looks to be...

Gamemaster:You know a player piano has that spinning wheel with the indents in it that the paper leaves the holes in to play the notes?

Gamemaster:It looks to be, in the back of the room, a player's organ.

Gamemaster:There is a Giant wheel with indents in it and a number of armatures laid on top.

Gamemaster:And it looks like as it rotates, it would push air through a number of organ pipes that are twisting throughout this room.

Gamemaster:Um...

Gamemaster:Without making a check here, it is obvious that this is some flavor of Engine Heart, albeit one that is more ornate and decorated than any of the ones that you guys would have come into contact with.

Barlow:you

Gamemaster:That said, you don't feel a Fane presence as you look through, so it seems that this particular Engine Heart is...

Gamemaster:dead or or perhaps just out of commission in some way um which is exacerbated by the fact that wrapped around a central pillar in this room is a conservatively 80 foot long uh insectoid

Grant:nope

Gamemaster:a creature of some kind.

Gamemaster:This one looks to be like a mother of some kind.

Gamemaster:It is in the act of emitting more of these insectoid creatures just as you look on.

Gamemaster:In fact, it looks like there's quite a few of these roaming insect creatures throughout the space.

Gamemaster:They have claimed this area as their own.

Gamemaster:If it's useful for you to visualize it, we can just switch over to it in a foundry.

Barlow:Oh, gosh.

Barlow:Oh, it's horrible.

Barlow:Is there a horn coming out of its mouth?

Gage:Maybe I should have gotten that treat once.

Gamemaster:Yeah, there is.

Gamemaster:Yeah, it's a different kind of bug.

Barlow:Oh, God.

Barlow:Oh, they're a different bug.

Barlow:Oh, God.

Gamemaster:Sometimes there's more than one kind of bug, okay?

Gage:A whole different bug.

Barlow:No, there's only one bug.

Barlow:Only one bug.

Gamemaster:No.

Grant:Does it?

Grant:Yeah.

Grant:So I guess we got to jump in towards this.

Gamemaster:Nothing has reacted to just opening the door.

Barlow:Different bugs, different bugs.

Gamemaster:So you guys are currently still standing outside this area.

Grant:Okay.

Archie:Are these the bugs that I was told about?

Grant:Should we close it?

Grant:Should we close the door?

Gage:Different bugs.

Gage:Do we have anything to do to prepare or are we just going to hit the gas?

Grant:I'm going to, I'm going to activate my dashing bracelet when I'm ready.

Grant:And then you just kill the mom.

Grant:That's probably the best bet, right?

Barlow:Josh, does something know if you exploit vulnerability on it?

Gamemaster:Nope.

Grant:Yeah, so I'd also like to do that.

Barlow:I would like to exploit vulnerability.

Grant:We run at it.

Grant:If we all stay near each other, I can lay on hands, you guys.

Grant:I got three lay on hands.

Grant:That's it.

Barlow:We should flank it though so we get the best chance of, you know, murder.

Grant:If we flank it, I cannot lay on hands, you.

Barlow:All right.

Barlow:Well, that's a bummer.

Barlow:I guess we won't do that.

Grant:All right, so I'm going to exploit vulnerability, activate my dashing bracelet, and then we go in.

Gage:Mm-hmm.

Barlow:I have success.

Barlow:It's got known weaknesses.

Barlow:Oh, God.

Grant:That's fine.

Grant:We can still give it five.

Gamemaster:Oh, it's just developed a personal antithesis to Barlow Crane and Grant FireEye.

Gamemaster:No, my one weakness.

Grant:Also, for motivation standard, just so you fully understand our characters, Barlow, I don't think, believes in the sun.

Gamemaster:No, my other one weakness.

Archie:Mm hmm.

Grant:Because if we go up topside, we'll actually be able to see the sun.

Grant:And he's a really old elf, and he doesn't believe in the sun.

Grant:Grant hopes there's a sun so that he can win this and take the spot from a young person who might be able to go and enjoy the sun.

Grant:He's a very bitter man.

Grant:I have no idea what Gage wants.

Gamemaster:Are we ready?

Barlow:I think Gage doesn't want to be in poverty.

Barlow:I think that's his motivation.

Gage:It is.

Barlow:All right.

Archie:Thank you.

Grant:Yes.

Grant:I don't know how to activate my thing, but... Okay.

Gamemaster:I will, because this feels like it's a surprise round.

Gamemaster:I will allow you guys to roll stealth, if you like.

Gamemaster:I don't know if that's useful to anybody, instead of perception.

Gamemaster:but I am going to need us to roll initiative.

Grant:Cool.

Barlow:That was a good roll, Grant Fireye.

Gage:Give me, give me, give me, give me, give me, give me.

Barlow:Oh, my gosh.

Grant:Thank you.

Gage:Oh, that's okay.

Barlow:That's just a mediocre roll.

Archie:I don't know how to really play this character.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:You've been thrown in the deep end.

Gamemaster:wait does Archie have is Archie a thaumaturge yes he is oh wait maybe not maybe it happened because when I reduced yeah

Barlow:yes yes

Archie:Let me look.

Archie:I think he's a thaumaturge later.

Archie:Yeah, he becomes a thaumaturge at level 9.

Gamemaster:Yeah, he used to be a thaumaturge.

Gamemaster:He is no longer a thaumaturge because we weakened him.

Gamemaster:Give me a second.

Archie:I did, like, one dip.

Grant:That's so funny.

Gamemaster:I just, I opened up his character sheet and it said, exploit vulnerability inactive.

Gamemaster:And I was like, what?

Gamemaster:What do you mean he gets exploit vulnerability too?

Archie:No, no, no.

Gamemaster:I'm just going to remove the later feats that... I thought it would just take them off of the character sheet, but apparently it just moves them to a different part of your character sheet when I reduce the level.

Barlow:Thank you.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Archie:I removed two of my higher level items.

Gamemaster:So that should be fixed.

Archie:I don't know if my rapier is over leveled or not.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Archie:I can't really tell.

Archie:Okay.

Gamemaster:It isn't.

Gamemaster:I mean, it technically is, but it's not.

Gamemaster:Because the cold iron isn't going to affect this particular battle.

Gamemaster:So it's fine.

Grant:All right.

Grant:I'm kidding.

Grant:I don't actually know if I can move yet.

Gamemaster:No, it is the swarm hive mother's turn.

Barlow:um you

Gamemaster:She has tremor sense, but no actual eyeballs.

Gage:Thank you.

Gamemaster:But that means that she senses you guys as you run into the area.

Gamemaster:So I think her first action, or her first two actions, is going to be a frenzy pheromone, where she screeches and releases a pheromone that doesn't affect you guys, but does put all of the other insects into a bit of a frenzy.

Grant:Thank you.

Gamemaster:So let's frenzy them.

Gamemaster:I don't know if they're technically insects.

Gamemaster:I don't think they have six legs.

Gamemaster:But it's fine.

Gamemaster:And then we'll see when that pheromone recharges.

Gamemaster:I rolled too high.

Gamemaster:And then for her third action, I guess... Barlow, you're in front, so I'm going to acid spit at you.

Gamemaster:I rolled very well.

Barlow:Hey, that's not cool.

Barlow:Oh, come on.

Barlow:24.

Grant:What's Barlow's AC?

Gamemaster:I'm sorry.

Barlow:26 with a shield raised.

Gamemaster:You're going to take 38 points of acid damage.

Barlow:Ow.

Gage:okay uh oh uh okay um we're going to come out swinging um

Gamemaster:Gage, it's your turn.

Gamemaster:What'd you do?

Grant:I thought.

Grant:I wrote.

Grant:I thought I rolled a 28 on my initiative.

Grant:Why am I at the bottom?

Gamemaster:Oh, because you didn't roll initiative.

Gage:If they sit this fight out.

Gamemaster:Yeah, I'm sorry.

Gamemaster:I will put you at 28, and then you can go before Gage.

Gamemaster:But, you know.

Grant:Cool.

Grant:Yeah, no, that happened.

Grant:I'm going to run up here.

Grant:And then I'll strike!

Gamemaster:Okay.

Grant:Uh, wait a second.

Gamemaster:No.

Grant:I have a reach weapon.

Grant:I'm just over here.

Gamemaster:That is true.

Gamemaster:You have a reach weapon.

Gamemaster:You don't need to stand directly in front of it.

Grant:Wait, sorry, so that was just double check.

Grant:I have 35 movement that was.

Grant:Yeah, that that's that was one action, OK?

Gamemaster:Yeah, fine.

Gage:Okay.

Gamemaster:That hits.

Grant:29

Grant:Oof, bad rolls.

Barlow:um um

Gamemaster:Snake Eyes.

Grant:Alright.

Gamemaster:It takes 11 points of damage.

Gamemaster:Anything else?

Grant:And I'll strike again.

Gamemaster:OK.

Grant:Miss!

Grant:Alright.

Gamemaster:Unfortunate.

Gamemaster:That's the end of your turn?

Grant:Yeah, now Gage can go.

Gamemaster:Now it's Gage's turn.

Gage:Accidental shot.

Gamemaster:All right.

Gage:Startled by the quick pace of this fight, even though we were the ones that had surprise.

Barlow:Thank you.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gage:Gage will accidentally shoot.

Grant:Crap, crap, crap.

Gage:How do I give myself a keep higher?

Gage:Here we are.

Gamemaster:There you go.

Gamemaster:That's a crit.

Gage:Very nice.

Gage:And then I roll the damage twice, and I keep the highest.

Grant:Deadly, deadly detail.

Gamemaster:Correct.

Gamemaster:You have advantage on damage which is a wild thing to have.

Barlow:Wow.

Gamemaster:Okay, so the 30 points of damage.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Gage:Perfect.

Gamemaster:That's a good chunk of health.

Gamemaster:Anything else?

Gage:And arrow splits arrow.

Gage:So I make this same attack with the same d20 roll, and I get map.

Gamemaster:Okay, so you crit.

Gage:Well, it's a 30.

Gage:No, actually, the crit doesn't apply.

Gage:That's the annoying part here.

Gage:I'll send it.

Gage:Oh, I already sent it.

Gage:Apply normally to this shot, and you don't automatically Yeah.

Gamemaster:Oh, don't automatically adjust.

Gamemaster:Okay, sure.

Gamemaster:So you got a 30, which is still a hit.

Gamemaster:It's just not a crit.

Gage:Perfect.

Gamemaster:That's a fun action.

Barlow:Thank you.

Gage:Yes.

Gamemaster:Another 10 points of damage.

Gage:Ten more damage.

Gamemaster:And where are you moving your icon to?

Gage:I'll move it to my eyeball.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gage:And... No, no, the eyeball.

Gamemaster:Both of your icons are in your eye.

Gage:One of them is on my cheek.

Gamemaster:Eye-catching spot and gaze sharp as steel.

Gage:Eye-catching spot doesn't mean it has to be on the eye.

Grant:Thank you.

Gamemaster:Okay, so it's gaze sharp as steel.

Gage:Yeah, yeah.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gage:And then I'd like to create a diversion.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gage:Distracting words.

Gage:A trick.

Gage:Yeah, distracting words.

Gage:We'll pick that one.

Gamemaster:You yelp.

Gage:Gage will go...

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Barlow:um oh

Gamemaster:Unfortunately, no one is distracted by your distraction.

Gamemaster:I apologize.

Gamemaster:Did you know it's a free action to go because it is?

Gage:Reaction.

Gage:I'm just using them to use them.

Grant:Hehehehehehe.

Gamemaster:It is the Swarm Hive Warriors turn.

Gamemaster:They're going to swarm.

Gamemaster:What's their movement speed?

Gamemaster:Not good.

Gamemaster:Okay, one second.

Gamemaster:That's one action.

Gamemaster:That's their quickened action because they're frenzied.

Gamemaster:That's a second action.

Gamemaster:That's a third action.

Gamemaster:So we know that some of them can get to gauge.

Gamemaster:And that's all that really matters.

Gage:Let me just double check.

Grant:Are these all the same type of thing?

Gamemaster:Yeah, they are.

Grant:Oh, so my sympathetic vulnerabilities works.

Gamemaster:It should.

Grant:Good, good, good.

Gamemaster:It doesn't look like it applied, but I can force it to apply.

Grant:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Just for you, right?

Gamemaster:That doesn't also work for Barlow?

Grant:Yeah, just for me.

Gage:Thank you.

Gamemaster:I think I have to select all of these individually.

Gamemaster:Oh.

Gamemaster:That's how I do it.

Gamemaster:I have to target each of these.

Gamemaster:One second.

Grant:That's fine.

Gamemaster:I'm just manually targeting all the bugs.

Grant:Well, I have to attack the swarm for it to be worth it.

Gamemaster:It doesn't matter.

Grant:It doesn't give me reaction strike, so I can just let you know when I'm going to do it.

Gamemaster:I've already selected like 3 quarters of them.

Grant:Okay.

Gamemaster:I don't even know if that worked.

Barlow:Oh.

Gamemaster:Okay, well.

Gamemaster:Oh no.

Gamemaster:How do I untarget now?

Gamemaster:Okay, Ctrl-T doesn't do it.

Gamemaster:That just opens a new tab.

Grant:Reload the tap.

Gamemaster:Alright.

Gamemaster:I could probably just do that.

Gamemaster:I'm just going to do that.

Gamemaster:That's a good callout.

Gamemaster:We're going to reload the tab, and then after that, these guys are going to spend two actions attacking Gage the Cunning, which means that they're going to make an attack on Gage the Cunning.

Gage:these guys attack interesting

Gamemaster:These guys attack.

Gamemaster:Oh, but I rolled low, so that's not even going to hit.

Gamemaster:So that's the end of their turn.

Gamemaster:Archie's here.

Archie:Okay.

Archie:So my speed only says 25 feet, but my level one fleet is not here, so it should be 30 feet.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Archie:But anyway, I'm going to use that and move to this position.

Gamemaster:Even your fleet.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Barlow:Hello?

Archie:And then I'm going to faint.

Grant:No.

Gamemaster:Somebody catch him.

Archie:I have to make a deception check.

Gamemaster:Yes, sir.

Archie:I've thrown it out there.

Gamemaster:That's a success.

Archie:Okay, so it's off guard against my melee attacks until the end of my turn.

Gage:Thank you.

Archie:It's also got a circumstance penalty to perception and reflex, but you don't need to apply that because it'll be over before it matters, I think.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Archie:Because with my last action, I will strike with my rapier.

Archie:Orly.

Grant:Mythica?

Barlow:you

Grant:I don't know.

Grant:Is it worth it?

Gamemaster:uh yes a 19 definitely doesn't have okay absolutely uh

Archie:I assume the off-guard was applied.

Archie:Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Archie:Sorry.

Archie:I don't think I'm going to mythic that.

Grant:Okay.

Archie:I will allow my turn to end.

Gamemaster:They are off-guard until the next melee attack that you attempt.

Gamemaster:Okay, so they're no longer off-guard to you.

Gamemaster:They are still distracted because that lasts... Oh no, while it's off-guard to your faint.

Gamemaster:Never mind.

Gamemaster:They're not distracted either.

Gamemaster:Barlow, it's your turn.

Barlow:Yeah, I will run in.

Barlow:I'll run in right over here, and I'll yell to Grant, keep me alive for one turn!

Barlow:I got a big turn next time, but I gotta set it up.

Barlow:And then I will strike with my striking leo mano against this big gal.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Barlow:26 misses.

Gamemaster:That doesn't count.

Gamemaster:26 misses.

Barlow:Wow, you hate to see that.

Barlow:Definitely not going to trade against this person.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Grant:Well, if we kill the smaller bugs, maybe it gets weaker?

Grant:I don't know.

Barlow:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Are you doing anything else?

Barlow:Yeah, I'll raise my shield.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Barlow:That's my turn.

Gamemaster:It is this hive's turn.

Gamemaster:That's 30 feet.

Gamemaster:Okay, so it can do that.

Gamemaster:That's 40.

Gamemaster:That's its max range.

Gamemaster:These guys are going to pile up on you.

Gamemaster:You are quickly being swarmed by these things as they attempt to grab you.

Gamemaster:So many bugs.

Archie:How many bugs?

Gamemaster:they would like to murder.

Gamemaster:There's a lot of bugs.

Barlow:it's a lot of birds

Gage:Thank you.

Gamemaster:It's bug time.

Gamemaster:Okay, so they are adjacent to Archie and Grant and Gage, so this attack is going for all three of you.

Gamemaster:Let's see, if I target all three of you, does that just work?

Archie:Oh, I see all three are selected.

Gamemaster:I don't know how the output is going to look.

Grant:It doesn't hit me.

Gamemaster:Okay, it seems to have only selected Archie.

Archie:I'm hit.

Gamemaster:It's a 24.

Gamemaster:Yeah, that would make it so it no longer hits you.

Archie:Do I have anything that can... What does Nimble Dodge do?

Gage:It does.

Grant:It misses!

Archie:Oh, I think I can make this miss me.

Archie:Nimble Dodge reaction.

Archie:Gain a plus two circumstance bonus to AC.

Barlow:Cool.

Archie:Right?

Gamemaster:Does it hit gauge?

Gamemaster:Okay, we're going to roll damage for gauge then from these mandibles.

Gamemaster:You're going to take nine points of piercing and acid damage.

Gamemaster:I think you took that twice.

Grant:Okay.

Gage:Oh, I clicked it once, though.

Gamemaster:You just get it twice for fun.

Gamemaster:Okay, and it is these last guys' time.

Gamemaster:They're...

Gamemaster:unlikely to get to you uh over the the other ones they have a ranged attack right 30 feet oh from 30 feet away they can get barlow they're gonna make attack on barlow

Barlow:It critically does not.

Gage:Is there any cover for being with two to three layers of...

Gamemaster:Yeah, he's partially covered, so he gets a plus one to his AC.

Gamemaster:Partially obstructed.

Gamemaster:They're going to acid spit at you.

Gamemaster:Does a 13 hit.

Gamemaster:Okay, well, that's unfortunately the end of their turn.

Gamemaster:Grant, it's your turn.

Gamemaster:You're beset on all sides by insects.

Barlow:I'm going to take the bugs out.

Barlow:Little bugs.

Grant:I will start with.

Grant:Oh, I should.

Grant:This should be refocused.

Grant:I don't know how to.

Grant:I'm trying to rest.

Gamemaster:What are you trying to do?

Grant:There it is.

Grant:Yes.

Grant:Feeling.

Gage:been in a circle.

Grant:That's for my boy Barlow.

Barlow:Thanks.

Grant:Yes.

Grant:um and then i will constructive strike the head honcho mother hit damage okay

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:Were you instructively striking?

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:That hits.

Gamemaster:20 points of damage.

Barlow:Well.

Gamemaster:Is it bloodied?

Gamemaster:It is bloodied.

Gamemaster:It doesn't have a bloodied effect, but it is good to know that it's bloodied.

Grant:Okay, okay, okay.

Archie:what weapon is that

Grant:And then I will... So that's my recall knowledge on it.

Gamemaster:But you've never heard of a striking, demolishing, shifting asp coil?

Gamemaster:Have you seen Noah's character's weapon as well?

Gamemaster:His Leomano?

Barlow:That's a real thing.

Gamemaster:Um... Okay.

Gamemaster:You just... You just fell.

Grant:I have dubious knowledge.

Archie:Leo Mano.

Grant:When you fail, you don't critically fail.

Grant:All right.

Gamemaster:You learned the correct answer and an erroneous answer.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:Its highest AC... Sorry, its highest DC is its AC.

Gamemaster:And its lowest save is Fortitude.

Barlow:Oh.

Grant:Fortitude is not its lowest save, it's a bug thing.

Grant:So it's good at something, guys.

Gamemaster:Anything else?

Grant:I think I get one more attack, or one more thing.

Grant:I will actually just raise my shield.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:It's the Hivemother's turn.

Gamemaster:The Hivemother is going to Spray Acid.

Barlow:Is that a manipulate?

Gamemaster:No, the only trait it has is Acid.

Grant:Damn.

Gage:I can attack if I was close.

Barlow:Like, does it have a manipulate?

Grant:It's not even concentrate?

Grant:Okay.

Gamemaster:It's the only thing is acid.

Grant:Alright, alright.

Barlow:A movement, maybe?

Gamemaster:It's going to acid you.

Gamemaster:So all of you need to attempt this reflex save.

Grant:Alright.

Archie:I failed.

Gamemaster:Good roll.

Barlow:Very high rolls that are not getting crits.

Barlow:This is a bad bug.

Barlow:Oh, that's a lot of acid.

Gamemaster:It happens.

Gamemaster:37 points of acid halved for those that succeeded.

Archie:Oh, my God.

Gamemaster:And also you are persistently acidified.

Archie:What have I gotten myself into here?

Gamemaster:Archie would have been so much better off if he just didn't show up.

Gage:Jesus.

Gage:Pulled out his one shot and murdered.

Grant:Oh yeah.

Barlow:It's persistent acid and wild.

Gamemaster:You know, canonically, this could be Archie.

Gamemaster:Like, the way that the timeline works out, this is just Archie.

Gamemaster:It is Gage's turn.

Gage:So I did some reading.

Gage:You can only tumble through one enemy's space at a time.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:So for the sake of tumble through, each swarm is considered one enemy.

Gage:Oh, okay.

Gamemaster:So you can't tumble through two swarms worth, but you can fight your way through 16 of them in one go.

Gage:Fair enough.

Barlow:you

Gage:I'd like to tumble through... I think this is my full movement, then.

Gage:Because if each square is still difficult... Yeah.

Gamemaster:Yeah, so yeah.

Gamemaster:That's your full movement, but if you like, make an acrobatics check.

Grant:Thank you.

Gamemaster:What are these guys' reflex DCs?

Gamemaster:I mean, I'm pretty sure that beats it.

Gamemaster:That does beat it.

Gamemaster:You critically succeed.

Gamemaster:You tumble through.

Barlow:you you

Gage:Perfect.

Gage:So that's one.

Gage:It is one action, right?

Gage:Stride and, it's not stride and tumble through, it's just stride and then tumble through.

Gamemaster:Yes.

Gamemaster:No.

Gamemaster:Striding is part of tumbling through.

Gage:I see.

Gage:And then I will, a moment unending, which will give me one d6, whatever, precision.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gage:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Where are you moving your icon to?

Gage:And then

Gage:the bow and then i will strike with the bow it does miss uh no i roll i use my mythic and then i roll the one i've not rolled any other ones um wait also

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:You missed.

Grant:Do you have a mythic?

Gamemaster:I'm sorry.

Grant:Oh, I thought you got it back, I guess.

Grant:Never mind.

Gage:Actually, hold on a second.

Gage:What's the bugs reflex DC?

Gamemaster:Do I have to tell you that?

Barlow:Thank you.

Gage:If I critical succeed on the acrobatics check, I get a mythic point.

Gamemaster:Oh, you did critically succeed on your acrobatics check to tumble through.

Gage:Oh, I do have a mythic point.

Gamemaster:Are you using it or did you just want to announce that?

Gage:Oh, I have to give myself the mythic point.

Gamemaster:That's a good rule.

Grant:Yes.

Archie:Dang.

Gage:yeah uh what did i wrote for the 17 28 oh oh is it normally whoops uh

Gamemaster:38 is a hit.

Grant:No.

Barlow:I'm going to try and kill this thing on the next hit.

Grant:That's not good.

Archie:I'm gonna have to roll high to hit this thing.

Grant:I'm also trying to kill it on the next hit, so...

Gamemaster:28.

Gamemaster:Why did you double?

Gamemaster:That's a normal hit.

Gage:i'll just reload 10. that is the turn

Gamemaster:No double.

Gamemaster:Ten points of damage.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Gamemaster:It is still alive, but it's worse for wear.

Barlow:um um

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:Gage, you have acid on you.

Gamemaster:You take one point of acid damage.

Gamemaster:You may make a recovery check to see if you can remove the acid.

Gamemaster:You cannot remove the acid.

Archie:Actually, I think you can spend all of your mythic points to stabilize when you hit zero hit points.

Gage:Yes, give me another mythic point.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Actually, you would trade one hit point for a mythic point, right?

Gamemaster:That's a pretty good deal.

Gage:Can I get 57 mythic points?

Grant:Thank you.

Gamemaster:No.

Gamemaster:Don't you do that?

Gamemaster:You instantly drop dead, but you have 57 mythic points?

Gage:Guys, get me up.

Gage:Get me up.

Gage:Trust me.

Barlow:Thank you.

Gamemaster:Oh, true.

Gamemaster:So the action is Gage immediately falls unconscious and stabilizes and nothing else.

Gage:gage has found the best sleeping pills on the planet no

Gamemaster:It's the swarm's turn.

Gamemaster:The swarm is attacking.

Gamemaster:These guys are adjacent to Gage and Barlow and Grant, so they're just going to make an attack against Gage and Barlow and Grant.

Barlow:Don't do it.

Gamemaster:Does a 20 hit any of you?

Grant:Fail.

Gamemaster:Not bad.

Barlow:Nope.

Barlow:Ooh.

Barlow:Get wrecked, bugs.

Gamemaster:Yeah, the Bucks will try one more time, but they're...

Gamemaster:With map, it's going to be very hard for them to hit you.

Grant:No.

Gamemaster:22.

Gamemaster:Does a 22 hit?

Gamemaster:Okay.

Grant:No.

Gamemaster:If a 22 doesn't hit any of you, that's the end of their turn.

Gamemaster:That's it.

Gamemaster:They're done.

Grant:Good.

Gamemaster:It's Archie's turn.

Grant:Archie, go for it.

Grant:Kill the buck.

Grant:That's why we're paying you.

Archie:Okay, I'll go for the big one.

Gamemaster:Is Archie being paid?

Archie:That's not a critical success.

Barlow:Dang, this is a big one.

Grant:Yeah, we're gonna give him 30 food things.

Grant:30 rations.

Gage:No, we're going to give them 15.

Gage:That's all the rations we have left because each of us had 15.

Grant:No, no, we found 30 more.

Grant:We found 30 old ones.

Gage:Oh, right, right.

Gage:We'll keep the five each for ourselves.

Gamemaster:A 35 is a hit.

Gamemaster:That's not a critical success.

Gage:No.

Gamemaster:This guy is a high enough level above you guys that if you want to crit, you need to debuff him.

Archie:I'm going to double slice.

Gamemaster:Or roll a 20, I suppose.

Barlow:Oh.

Grant:Yeah.

Grant:Oh.

Gage:That's what I would do.

Gamemaster:So, technically...

Gamemaster:You are supposed to declare that you're double slicing before you make the attack roll, but I will allow it.

Archie:I haven't made an attack roll.

Archie:That was the faint.

Gamemaster:Oh, that was just a feint.

Gamemaster:I thought that was an attack.

Gamemaster:I gotcha.

Gamemaster:Never mind.

Gamemaster:Okay, he's double slicing.

Archie:So I think...

Gage:That was a really good fade.

Archie:It's only off guard against the first attack of the double strike.

Archie:Because I only regular succeeded.

Gamemaster:Um, no, because double slice adds together the damage of both attacks at the same time.

Barlow:Yeah.

Gamemaster:I would consider them one attack for the sake of this.

Grant:Benny's going to start fainting.

Archie:Whoa, crazy.

Grant:He's going to start dabbing.

Gage:Oh.

Archie:All right, I hit with the first.

Gamemaster:That's a hit.

Archie:And then let's see if the second one hits.

Gamemaster:Yep.

Gamemaster:Mm-hmm.

Grant:Ooh.

Gamemaster:That hits.

Archie:I've hit with that one as well.

Gamemaster:That's two hits.

Barlow:Wow.

Barlow:Kill it.

Archie:I don't know if this is going to apply.

Archie:Oh, it does have sneak attack for this one.

Archie:Okay.

Barlow:Kill the bug.

Archie:First attack.

Gamemaster:Sneak attack only gets applied to one of them.

Archie:Correct.

Archie:22 points.

Gamemaster:Nice.

Archie:Second attack.

Archie:We turn sneak attack off.

Gamemaster:Another five points.

Archie:Alright fellas, I hit it pretty good.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Gamemaster:It is still alive, but you have taken it much closer to death.

Grant:Barrow might actually be able to kill it.

Archie:Let me see what you can do.

Gage:Thank you.

Gamemaster:And now it's Barlow.

Gamemaster:Oh, wait, sorry.

Gamemaster:Before it's Barlow's turn, Archie, you take two points of acid damage.

Archie:Ah!

Grant:I like that reaction.

Barlow:You.

Gamemaster:Oh, and you clean the acid off.

Gamemaster:You're fine now.

Archie:I kind of... The hell is this shit?

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Gamemaster:Barlow, it's your turn.

Barlow:Yes.

Barlow:I will use my scroll thaumaturge.

Barlow:My one scroll per day to cast true strike.

Barlow:Sure strike.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Barlow:I'm not seeing things.

Gamemaster:If you go into your item center consumables, you should be able to use this roll.

Barlow:Oh, no, my browser is freaking out for some reason.

Gamemaster:Oh.

Gamemaster:It doesn't want you to kill the bug.

Grant:You can also just roll twice, and we can do it ourselves.

Barlow:No, I just tried to reload, and my screen has gone black.

Gamemaster:That's true.

Barlow:One moment.

Gamemaster:Nice.

Barlow:Well, this is taking a moment to load.

Gamemaster:It takes advantage of the fact that your screen is loading and it attacks you.

Barlow:I'm sorry.

Gamemaster:You die.

Gamemaster:I'm sorry.

Barlow:Oh, no.

Barlow:Oh, wait.

Barlow:Wait.

Barlow:Something's happening.

Gamemaster:It has a reactive strike that only works when you reload the page.

Grant:It's an IRL reactive strike.

Barlow:Oh, no.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Barlow:I know a name and get hit.

Barlow:Great.

Barlow:There we go.

Grant:Ish.

Barlow:I will use this to give myself a sure strike on this guy.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Barlow:And then I will...

Barlow:Fracture Mountains!

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:Make a melee strike with your Titan's Breaker.

Barlow:Wow, those were both not great.

Gamemaster:That misses.

Gamemaster:I'm sorry.

Barlow:I'll use my Mythic Paint.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Barlow:I don't really know how this works.

Barlow:Does it just reroll once with Mythic Point?

Gamemaster:I have no idea.

Gamemaster:Try and we'll find out.

Barlow:Well, the option to reroll with Mythic is not even popping up.

Grant:Do you have a mythic?

Barlow:So... I do have...

Gamemaster:Okay, so then... He does have a mythic.

Grant:I guess not.

Gamemaster:So just make another attack.

Gamemaster:I think we'll say that it rerolls one of them.

Barlow:What do I get at this level for a mythic roll?

Gamemaster:You're trained, so you get another eight, I believe.

Grant:You're trained so that.

Grant:Pick money, no whammies.

Gamemaster:That hits.

Grant:Yes.

Gamemaster:It's unfortunately not a crit, but it does hit.

Barlow:Wow, that was so low.

Gamemaster:22 points despite being low is enough how do you want to do this

Barlow:I just pull back with the one-handed Leo Mano and it glows with divine power of which god is the pulse?

Barlow:It pulses with

Barlow:this bright red lightning around it, and I will just flash through it, and as I do, the entire thing splits in half like a Giant slash through it, and I will just tear free.

Barlow:...

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Gamemaster:With the cut through it, as it splits into its two halves, all of the other insects in the room just collapse onto the ground.

Grant:Good.

Grant:Otherwise, it would have been really bad.

Grant:We were really hoping for that.

Gamemaster:And with that, you have slain this strange bug creature that had taken a hold in a part of Iomenei.

Gamemaster:We're at the end of our time slot here, so just to go through the last pieces.

Gage:Thank you.

Gamemaster:You guys search through the interior of this cathedral area.

Gamemaster:It's clearly a receptacle for an engine heart of some kind, although you guys wouldn't be able to figure out what.

Gamemaster:You also...

Gamemaster:don't find the elven insectoid person that you had been tracking down, the one that had actually caused the sabotage, which is interesting.

Gamemaster:It implies that more of these insect-like creatures have taken root somewhere else within the city.

Barlow:Yeah.

Gamemaster:But for the time being, you have stopped what was clearly amassing into a problem that would have eventually spread out into the rest of the city.

Grant:in infestation.

Gamemaster:An infestation.

Gamemaster:And you have something to show off to people on the upper decks to speak to your prowess and maybe get a reward.

Gamemaster:If not, you'll have to just keep looking for the saboteur.

Gamemaster:Maybe we'll pick that up next time.

Gage:Sure.

Gamemaster:And that's it for this session.

Barlow:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Thank you, Tanner, for joining us near the end.

Gamemaster:Archie was actually pretty pivotal in that last combat, so it worked out.

Archie:Yeah, no problem.

Barlow:Wait, I just want to roll one crit and see what the damage would have been.

Grant:That's crazy.

Archie:Nope.

Barlow:I didn't get a crit with this thing.

Gamemaster:So, if you had just tried to attack one of the bugs, you definitely would have crit.

Gamemaster:The problem is that you were going for the Hivemother, which had an AC of 29.

Barlow:would have done so much damage.

Archie:Whoa, that's big damage.

Gamemaster:77 damage would have been enough to fully kill one of the swarms.

Gage:Oh yeah, because it's because it's the Leo mono.

Gamemaster:Like, if you made contact, the entire swarm would have been wiped out.

Barlow:I'm so mad.

Archie:Is it like built to crit hard or something?

Barlow:Yeah.

Barlow:Yeah, it's got... It's technically a D6 weapon, but it has a fatal D10, like Benny's pick.

Archie:Oh, my god.

Barlow:And then it's got the Thaumaturge stuff.

Barlow:the titan breaker from the exemplar basically does like a massive fighter power strike it's it's the it's so nasty she was just spitting so much acid

Archie:Uh-huh.

Gamemaster:Yeah, unfortunately the Hivemother was a level 8 creature.

Archie:Damn.

Gamemaster:It just had a much higher AC than you guys.

Gamemaster:The bugs were level 3.

Grant:If we go.

Gamemaster:It happens.

Gamemaster:Sometimes a bug spits acid at you.

Barlow:Okay, next time we come here, Barlow will return to crit.

Archie:Heck yeah.

Gamemaster:I hope you guys liked the setting of the interior of Iomenei, because if you get the...

Barlow:This was a really cool setting.

Barlow:This is pretty cool.

Gamemaster:If you get the crystal, you guys are riding along in a strider for the pilgrimage.

Gage:I liked it.

Gamemaster:So... This was a little sneak peek.

Gamemaster:If you go.

Gamemaster:You don't have to go.

Gamemaster:No one's telling you you need to.

Gage:Question.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Gage:Did we level up?

Gamemaster:Uh... Yeah.

Gamemaster:Sure.

Barlow:Yeah.

Gamemaster:All of your characters.

Gamemaster:So this takes place like a few months before the actual campaign.

Gamemaster:So I think Archie after this probably leaves and then joins up with the velvet mark.

Archie:I've had enough of these bugs.

Archie:Now it's disgusting.

Gage:It was a good deal.

Archie:I'm moving all the way across the country.

Grant:Yeah, nothing bad can happen over there.

Grant:Don't say we, it was you two.

Gamemaster:No.

Barlow:Is this the one where we turned against each other?

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Archie:Yeah.

Archie:Pyre.

Barlow:We, me and Mike against you two.

Archie:Whatever.

Grant:And also, Archie is a, like, is a... Archie's like the Judas pig.

Gamemaster:Thanks.

Barlow:That's a we.

Grant:He just keeps running around invoking these false gods.

Grant:This one with

Grant:The Herald.

Grant:And then he goes over to Pyre.

Archie:Archie made it out of that one, too.

Grant:Yeah.

Gage:He's the forest.

Gamemaster:Yeah, he did.

Grant:Yeah.

Gamemaster:So Archie will show up again randomly somewhere else in the world.

Gamemaster:Eventually he'll find some place to settle down.

Grant:Or die.

Gage:Archie's behind everything.

Gage:He sits above the narrative.

Grant:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Archie is the one who's giving Mike, the member of the narrative, info on what to do.

Archie:After this, he was like, all right, no more of those bugs.

Archie:No more bugs.

Gage:Archie's like, now make him go find all these stones.

Grant:Is Archie just the... Is he just Uriel?

Gage:Yeah.

Grant:Just thrown around?

Gage:People pointed Archie and they think he's a crisis actor.

Gage:look you're telling me he was at the spark and he was when that shit was going down these are all these are false flags

Gamemaster:Archie is canonically from Brooklyn.

Grant:Yeah.

Gamemaster:He survived.

Gamemaster:He made it through.

Gamemaster:Thank you all for doing the one-shot.

Grant:Well, good night, gentlemen.

Gamemaster:I guess we will pick this up next Monday with our regularly broadcast campaign.

Archie:I think so.

Archie:I should note that it's President's Day, which is sometimes a day off for people.

Archie:I'm available.

Archie:All right.

Barlow:Come around.

Gamemaster:I don't like presidents, so it's fine.

Gage:I think I'm also available.

Barlow:Sure.

Archie:I'll see you then.

Grant:Yeah, perhaps it

Barlow:Bye.

Gage:Peace.