S2 E6: He-Man Beings

Tatiana Gefter:

Hello, everyone, my name is Tatiana Gefter. I use she/they pronouns and I am playing Alma of the Vale with The Gravedigger playbook.

Michi Zaya:




Hi, my name is Michi Zaya. I use any pronouns and I am playing Fletcher, The Witch.

Jenine Florence Jacinto:

My name is Jenine Florence Jacinto. I use they/them pronouns and I play Hoku Bayana.

Octa Delgado:

Hello, my name is Octa. I go by they/them pronouns. And I will play Neu Threestrings from The Weaver playbook.

Harper Sage Pettit:

Hi, my name is Harper Sage Pettit. I use they or she pronouns and I will be your guide for this season of queeRPG, Of Kith and Pen.

Kenzie Tartaglione:

The content warning for this episode includes complex and complicated relationships and brief horror imagery.

Tatiana Gefter (Alma of The Vale):

Dear Kiko, I know it's been a while and I'm sorry I haven't been able to commission you in a minute and that is going to continue, unfortunately. And I thought you might wanna be updated since I’m one of your more regular customers. I’m kind of out of The Lastings right now. That's pretty typical but I'm out with a bunch of us. I'm sure you've noticed all the weird stuff happening on The Lastings. So a couple of us are on a mission from the serval to figure it out. Our first stop is Portsmore which was a lot. They're having some of the worst storms I've ever seen so immediately as we were flying in the starboard engine broke and we had to be towed in there. It was a whole thing. Luckily we did get to meet with their serval, a little field mouse called Birch. Super adorable but a little high strong with everthing that’s going on. And the captain of the guard, Kalix, is the one who towed us in. And they've also been experiencing kind of the same weird stuff that's been going on in The Lastings. Their spiritual leaders haven't been able to commune with their gods either. So there goes my theory of having the gods just find new homes, I guess. They're all kind of gone, which is concerning. Sorry. Regardless obviously with everything going on the citizenry have been a little unhappy with the state of things so I decided to stick with Birch and try and help to mellow things out and talk to the council while Hoku and Fletcher go to Spirit Island to figure out what's been going on over there and talk to some of the spiritual leaders and see if they can figure anything out. You'll never guess who's on the ship with us. Chandler. Yeah I probably mentioned him once or twice to you. But he came along and poor, poor Neu got stuck with him. I think things worked out. I heard somewhere along the  grapevine that Neu did a whole like performance of storytelling and that it really helped to calm people down and bring some levity to the situation. And I guess Chandler really helped with that. As shocking as it is. There's also this mystery. Someone stole something from the library. Some of these old scrolls or texts or whatever so I'm going to try to figure out who did that as well. Anyway all this to say that I'm sorry I won't be able to commission you for a while. I hope things are well and I'll try to keep you posted if I can. Best wishes, Alma.

 

Harper Sage Pettit (Guide):

So yeah we pick up with the group leaving the library and we kind of flash over the town square and Neu and Chandler still performing. And then we start to go a little up, little northeast, and we kind of follow our eyeline down to where we see a little flying squirrel and bit taller otter, being led by a town guard toward the sort of like inlet river area. And yeah, we're down on the bank now. Our starboy Hoku, has a fresh pair of specs and you're being led to a little dock by the guard and he turns and says to you,

 

Harper (Town Guard):

Well how are you with one of those.

 

Harper (Guide):

And he points out at the end of a dock where a almost like - it's like one of those tree foil boats like up off the water a little bit. So it was kind of like up floating somehow. And it's attached to a giant water strider

 

Harper (Town Guard):

You ever ridden one of those before?

 

Michi Zaya (Fletcher Agaar):

What is it?

 

Harper (Town Guard):

It's a water striker.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

I have never seen anything like that before.

 

Harper (Town Guard):

And it has its water sleigh.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

A sleigh? I like sleighs.

 

Harper (Town Guard):

Yes well I guess I can go with you if you’ve never driven one of these.

 

Jenine Florence Jacinto (Hoku Bayani):

That would be much appreciated because the last time that I tried to move a ship in some way, my glasses came off and I'd like to keep these ones longer if possible.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Last time I was on a sleigh was that when I was learning to glide but that was off of a mountain so I don't think it's the same idea here.

 

Harper (Town Guard):

Well I was said to be with you and lead you here, I don't see why I can't take you up a little bit further. Alright step aboard!

 

Harper (Guide):

He starts to climb up the little three-step thing up into this platform ship. And it does have a little bit of a lip but it's not like a  complete like boat setup. You're not really supposed to sit down. Almost more like a paddle board and he helps the two of you climb on up and he goes up to the front, grabs like the two leather straps that are used as the reins and says,

 

Harper (Town Guard):

Alright you ready?

 

Jenine:

Do we grab on to - is there anything to grab?

 

Harper (Guide):

No.

 

Jenine:

Oh.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Do we each of us get a leather thing to hold?

 

Harper (Town Guard):

No it not too bad.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Oh okay.

 

Harper (Town Guard):

Just ready yourself.

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Fletcher, you might want to keep your arms down.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Oh yeah yeah.

 

Harper (Guide):

So he kind of gives a good yip yip and pulls the reigns and the little water strider just takes off somehow. You don't know how. It's not moving its legs or anything it just starts to kind of glide out on the surface of the water, almost as if it was ice. And this boat kind of just very smoothly follows along and you see these waves kind of like coming towards the boat quickly, but because you're above the water a little bit, you just - it's almost in like two or three seconds you're to the other side and starting to disembark.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Can we do that again?

 

Jenine (Hoku):

That was cool, that was cool, that was cool, that was cool.

 

Harper (Town Guard):

Well it’s the only way back so yes

 

Michi (Fletcher):

I really like that.

 

Harper (Town Guard):

Well I enjoy it too if I'm being honest.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

That's like the gliding without the falling.

 

Harper (Town Guard):

Yes I could see that. Anyways the druids will be right over that ridge. I'll be here whenever you're ready to leave.

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Okay thanks!

 

Jenine:

And then Hoku starts walking and then waits and looks at Fletcher and just goes,

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Let's go!

 

Michi:

Fletcher will go with them. That was very fun.

 

Harper (Guide):

So the two of you go in the direction that he pointed and it's not too far from when the bank starts to - the sound of the water kind of crashing on the bank starts to fade and you start to hear like wild-ish sort of music and a sort of yelly, sort of screaming going along with it.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

So do you think the priests are musicians?

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Yeah that's kind of cool. Wait we don't - we shouldn't interrupt if they're doing music. They know we're coming, right?

 

Michi (Fletcher):

I think so. Did the serval tell them?

 

Harper (Guide):

You would remember the serval not telling or making any sort of note that he was gonna tell.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

We do have to figure out what's going on, so we might as well get closer.

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Yeah let's just watch from afar. Don't interrupt and be kind to their rituals.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Do you see any like really friendly druids anywhere?

 

Jenine:

Do you see friendly druids anywhere?

 

Harper (Guide):

So if you would like keep going up that little bit of a hill to like the plateau, you would begin to see like an altar seemingly carved out of the old fallen down log of a massive tree and on that altar or platform are four kith, in this like purplish cloak with gold sort of lining. And they are on this platform. Two of them have like a giant like fans and they're like fanning up this sort of, coloring in an interesting way, fire while one plays very rapidly on some sort of string instrument. And the other one is kind of dancing around and singing.

 

Jenine:

I am going to sit and enjoy this for like a couple of beats.

 

Harper (Guide):

Okay like actually sitting like on the ground –

 

Jenine:




Well I think I'm gonna - do you know you know like when you just kind of lay to hide. Just like fully like just spreads on the ground to like just stay level but still - because we're on a hill that's going… is it down? Can we see down to it?

 

Harper (Guide):

You kind of like so you went up like as a slight incline and it kind of plateaued and it goes down a little bit but not a lot. They seem like that it is elevated up some. So it's closer to flat than it would be looking down on them.

 

Jenine:




I’ll sit.

 

Michi:

When Hoku sits, Fletcher’s probably about the same height standing. So Fletcher is just gonna stay standing.

 

Harper (Guide):

And so as you carry on watching for a few moments, the music kind of like hits like a twang and they stop and you can tell that they start arguing amongst each other, but you can't tell exactly what they're arguing about. And as you sat in this moment to like pause as well, you notice like their robes are nice quality but they are soaked with sweat and dirt and they look very ragged, very tired as they’re kind of like on the platform and yelling back and forth.

 

Michi:

They start this argument like immediately after finishing?

 

Harper (Guide):

Yeah it was like the twang and then when you hear like a shriek and then they like kind of like stop doing what they're doing and turning in towards each other yelling back and forth.

 

Michi:

I think Fletcher’s going to start giving a little bit of an applause.

 

Jenine:

I join.

 

Harper (Guide):

Your applause sound as if they are amplified somehow and just kind of like echoes out over this plateau, almost as if like the wind that kind of was like nipping at your heels kind of going between your legs, underneath your arms - Fletcher kind of pushes you a little bit - and this like wave of clapping kind of goes to the platform and then they stop arguing and all look at you right away. And the one that didn't have anything they were like dancing and singing is a large bird, an ibis. I don't know if you're familiar with that. It's kind of like a stork and a flamingo mixex. So they go to the front of the stage and say,

 

Harper (Ibis Kith):

Well who are you?

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Hi, I'm Fletcher. I really like your music.

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Hi, I'm Hoku. We were sent by the serval.

 

Harper (Ibis Kith):

Oh.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Yeah Birch.

 

Harper (Ibis Kith):

Really now. Quite interesting.

 

Harper (Guide):

And the ibis kind of looked back and forth.

 

Harper (Ibis Kith):

Did you know that the serval was going to be sending us some people?

 

Harper (Guide):

And next to the Ibis is a ferret, the one holding the rustic stringed instrument. Loks kind of like a lute but instead of a nicely polished out wooden body, it's like a log - a piece of a log with these like four or five strings kind of like strung up. And he says,

 

Harper (Ferret Kith):

Uhhh no I did not, did not know anyone was coming. But I’m tired and a little delirious. Why are you here?

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Well we just got here. Uh we're from The Lastings and well we're in a bit of a complicated situation. I think you guys might be too.

 

Harper (Guide):

As you say The Lastings they kind of like whisper back and forth. And the ferret kind of whispers back,

 

Harper (Ferret Kith):

Teller, you know The Lastings right?’

 

Harper (Teller):

Yes I've heard talks of The Lastings.

 

Harper (Guide):

And the seagull off to the side with one of the fans drops the fan.

 

Harper (Teller):

My grandfather said he went there several times. He would fly there. And it was also in my vision.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

A vision. When did you have a vision?

 

Harper (Teller):

Recently. The past two nights I've had this same vision.

 

Harper (Guide):

And you see that Teller, the seagull, out of all the other, the whole group of four, seems to be the most ragged. Like he's not slept in a little bit. And he kind of like stumbles back and an olm who was at the on the other side, had come over to the that side and grabbed Teller and kind of like pulled him down into a rock and says,

 

Harper (Rone):

Hey, hey, just settle down man. You've been going through a lot. Sorry I don't think any of us have really introduced ourselves. I’m Rone.

 

Harper (Teller):

I'm teller.

 

Harper (Rone):

This is Mist.

 

Harper (Guide):

And the Ibis sort of bows.

 

Harper (Tai):

Oh, I’m Tai.

 

Harper (Guide):

And the ferret next to them bows.

 

Harper (Tai):

We are spiritual advisors in this land and our friend, Teller here, gets visions sometimes.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Could you tell us about what you saw in the visions?

 

Harper (Teller):

Yes so, I saw The Lastings. They’re thriving. The crops growing, the people's celebrating. I saw things bright and bountiful but then I heard a crack and the main Lastings split asunder and started to sink into the ground, along with the other Lastings. Two nights in a row I've had this vision. I've never dreamed of The Lastings before.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Oh, that's not good. Do you have visions about anything else? Do your visions usually come true?

 

Harper (Teller):

Sometimes. Sometimes they don't.  ometimes I’ll see quite hit or miss at times.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Oh okay, do you have like a percentage or ratio of the levels at which your visions come true?

 

Harper (Guide):

So yeah Tai’s going to speak up and says,

 

Harper (Tai):

Yes Teller quite good, just never had something quite this big.

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Another clarifying question. Visions do they normally give you a time frame or are there like omens attached with them or is it just kind of a poof, could be happening tomorrow, could be happening in centuries, could have happened centuries ago?

 

Harper (Tai):

Considering he just started having these I'm not sure it would happen centuries ago.

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Optimistic.

 

Harper (Teller):

Yes I’m not confident when this would happen but probably within our lifetime.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Can you tell me about what you were doing before you know we came and saw you. Why are you all so tired? What have you been working on?

 

Harper (Guide):

And the olm speaks up, Rone, and says,

 

Harper (Rone):

Well we were trying to lure two of our gods back. We noticed that they had left so we were performing for them in the way they like us to perform usually. And they're still not back.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

I don't know how to tell you this but the gods on The Lastings have also left. And I would really like to know if Teller has any more visions about anything else.

 

Harper (Guide):

And Mist kind of clears their throat and says,

 

Harper (Mist):

I guess we will tell you if he has more but how would we contact you.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Oh um… I think there's a weird way to do it. So take a piece of paper, write the name Puck, and then burn it and then think really, really, really hard about me and within like a few days the message should get to us.

 

Harper (Mist):

Yes we’ve used that method before. Alright, I guess we could do that.

 

Harper (Guide):

The two of you gave me a heart roll.

 

Michi:

That’s four plus five plus what is my thing. I got I a 10

 

Jenine:

I also got a 10!

 

Harper (Guide):

The two of you noticed, as soon as you like kind of got a bit closer to the platform, and then when you got closer and closer to it, it just got more evident. As you take in this sort of orb of energy behind the spiritual advisors. It’s this purplish kind of hue but it kind of bounces back and forth to like a darker purple, to a lighter almost lavender color, and it's writhing. And you weren't sure, but it starts to look like it's growing smaller behind them. By the time they kind of go through what they had been experiencing and wrapping up that conversation about keeping up with each other and sending messages back and forth. And it just keeps shrinking. It's not a lot, but it was bigger and now it's a little less big since you've been standing there.

 

Jenine (Hoku):

What is - no mmm, huh. Hello, wow look at - look - wow look there!

 

Jenine:

Hoku points at the orb.

 

Harper (Guide):

And the four of them just look back and kind of look and stare back at the back for a little bit and then slowly look back at you and Teller says,

 

Harper (Teller):

I mean I feel a little weak but am I just not seeing something.

 

Harper (Guide):

And the three others are like,

 

Harper (Spiritual Advisors):

No I - what are you trying to - what are you trying to pull?

 

Jenine (Hoku):

This hasn't worked since I was like in very young years. So you don't - what does the color purple mean to you.

 

Harper (Teller):

Sometimes it means like regalness or opulence. Sometimes it means the times of grief. But why?

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Why do you wear – okay, so let's say that there was this orb that was that behind you… theoretically. Theoretically!

 

Harper (Guide):

And as you’re sitting there, shrinks a little bit low more.

 

Jenine (Hoku):

That looks amazing. Why wear purple?

 

Harper (Teller):

For us it's a sign of acknowledgements of those who we worship the most around here. Those who can see. I hope to see one day too.

 

Jenine (Hoku):

See? See what exactly?

 

Harper (Tai):

The thoughtsmores.

 

Jenine (Hoku):

The thought spores? Spores? Smores!

 

Harper (Teller):

He’s saying thought – thoughtsmores. Do you not see – thoughts, mores. Thoughtsmores. More thoughts.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Why thoughtsmores?

 

Jenine:

Do I know what that is?

 

Harper (Guide):

You have never heard of that.

 

Michi:

Can we both see it?

 

Harper (Guide):

Yeah! Both Fletcher and Hoku see this.

 

Jenine:

When that is mentioned does the orb react?

 

Harper (Guide):

No, just kind of again gradually shrinking.

 

Michi:

Can I go touch it?

 

Harper (Guide):

And they see you like walk up to this space where you see an orb, and they're just kind of dumbfounded. Like they don't really know what you're doing as you walk past them. And you get a little bit closer and you hear this kind of like whispery sort of, high pitched sound. The orb starts to writhe a little bit more as you get closer and you do feel the air got a little bit colder around you.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Ugh.

 

Harper (Guide):

You go in for it and you go (sucking noise) you're like sucked in, like underwater. For Hoku it looks like he's just like touching this orb. And Fletcher you're kind of sucked in, almost like sounds like underwater. And you're on spirit island in this sort of like blue sort of haze. And you look down and you don't have a body anymore, you're just a point of view. And on the shore near where this platform is, is a giant horse sitting next to a giant elk. And the two of them are just in conversation. And you kind of drift over in that direction and you're able to start hearing what they're saying,

 

Harper (Gren):

So, Tor.

 

Harper (Tor):

Yes, Gren, what is it?

 

Harper (Gren):

We've been watching over the people of Portsmore for so long and I must tell you this has been the greatest pleasure of my immortal life.

 

Harper (Tor):

I definitely feel the same way. I love sending the storms that nourish their fields. I love sending the sunshine that warms their bones.

 

Harper (Gren):

Yes this has been such an honor to see them grow to the people they are.

 

Harper (Guide):

You kind of sit in on this conversation and they're just kind of like going back and forth about these kith of the country, the town, the city of Portsmore and all the things they've done over the years to kind of like grow into the civilization that they are now. And it seems like it goes on for a while and then you hear kind of like a crack and a sort of wooshing whirring sound and the two of them turn around to see kind of like on the ridge, looking down at them, a purple shadowy figure. Kind of undulating there in the wind.

 

Harper (Shadowy Figure):

Come with me, you fools, who slumber and gossip about the little trivial things you have. It is time. I need you.

 

Harper (Guide):

And so in that, the focus goes back on Gren and Tor and their faces are kind of like washed over with like this black cloud and they just walk towards the entity and they walk over the ridge and just keep walking and disappear. And so we snap back to the present where Fletcher you kind of feel like a coldness from your fingertips down to the tip of your toes, like you're just kind of chilled to the bone, but you hear Teller say,

 

Harper (Teller):

See, he didn't see anything. What are you - what are you coming on about?

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Fletcher, Fletcher,  Fletcher,  Fletcher, Fletcher, Fletcher, Fletcher.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Ahhhh! I know where the gods went. I know where the gods went. I know where the gods went.

 

Harper (Teller):

Wait, do you see? Do you see!?

 

Michi (Fletcher):

There was a giant horse and a giant elk and I think they got in trouble with their parents maybe. Something was wrong. They were so calm and it was a very nice conversation. I don't think they could see me, which was kind of rude because I wanted to introduce myself, but then this big purple giant something came out and got really upset with them for not doing enough, which I think they've done plenty enough, because look at this place it’s beautiful. And then they just got really sad and then followed them and disappeared.

 

Harper (Teller):

Ah. So you're saying you saw this in like a purple orb?

 

Michi:

Yeah, I went to go touch the orb because I thought it would smell good.

 

Harper (Teller):

You’re a seer. You see

 

Michi (Fletcher):

I mean, yeah I'm a witch and my moms are oracles.

 

Harper (Tai):

Oh that is quite interesting to say the least. Alarming and confusing. I just kind of -  you saw Gren and Tor?

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Yeah that's their names.

 

Harper (Tai):

And they went with someone.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Yeah there was a really loud crack sound and there was a lot of wind and the big purple shadowy figure had a really deep voice and told them to go with them.

 

Harper (Guide):

And when you say purple shadowy thingy they sort of all kind of like gasp and start to huddle up and start talking.

 

Jenine:

Is the orb still there?

 

Harper (Guide):

Yes Hoku, the orb is still there but it is shrinking kind of just ever so slightly.

 

Jenine (Hoku):

‘Cause I could also see it but I don't have any magic in my family. That I know of.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

I don't know. You can try touching, it's a little cold but I was fine.

 

Jenine (Hoku):

I got cold when you touched it.  

Michi (Fletcher):

You got cold?

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Yeah just a little, like I felt it from here and here.

 

Jenine:

Points from like - does like the whole track of like,

 

Jenine (Hoku):

You know from my head to like to beans.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Weird. I mean I can go check if anything else is happening.

 

Michi:

Sticks his hand in the orb again.

 

Harper (Guide):

And you’re just like watching the same thing over again. The same exact scene kind of plays out the same exact way and you're snapped back to reality. What feels like for you like thirty minutes to an hour, for everybody else just like a second, you're back.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Yeah nothing new happened.

 

Harper (Rone):

Yes the thing about the thoughtsmores, or the way moments of intense grief and also discomfort like real big time emotions happening, they are left in memory but only some people can see those memory.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Oh.

 

Harper (Rone):

And it's not as well as we've been able to tell indication of magical capabilities.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

I mean, Hoku do you wanna try touching it? It's kind of fun.

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Yeah sure okay.

 

Jenine:

Hoku pokes it.

 

Harper (Guide):

And Hoku, you feel that's that cold feeling that kinda like takes over your body as you go into that memory and you see the exact same thing that Fletcher saw. And now it just kind of makes sense.

Jenine (Hoku):

I don't know how I feel about the whole cold feeling when you poke it - it's a little weird, it's a little weird.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

It's not very nice.

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Sorry, you were going to ask them a question.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

You think light would be warm. Anyway do you all know who the purple person figure is?

 

Harper (Teller):

We’re not exactly sure of their, I guess, existence and when they came to be but we’ve had stories going back of something that we’ve just called the existence for so long. What came before basically.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

That's a little confusing. I think the world is very old and based on what the purple shadow said, what we know right now, our lives is a very, very small part of it.

 

Harper (Guide):

Now that the both of you have seen the purple shadowy figure, go ahead and give me an instinct roll.

 

Jenine:

Nine.

 

Michi:

I have a eight.

 

Harper (Guide):

So the two of you recall the shape of the purple shadowy figure and you didn't want to believe it, but the memories just kind of burnt into your head about the horror sort of show you were shown whenever you were little, through a local wizard who would do that sort of stuff. Kind of projections on the wall. And the monster in this movie that scarred you for so long, was the shape of a human – humanoid. Your parents said that they were what came before and that's what used to be here.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Human. It looked like a human.

 

Harper (Teller):

Wait how do you know that word?

 

Michi (Fletcher):

I learned it when I was little. It was just a really scary thing in something a wizard would show us.

 

Harper (Teller):

That was just something that we would call them here.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

You know about humans?

 

Harper (Teller):

Yes. You've seen these before?

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Not exactly.

 

Harper (Tai):

How have you seen them?

 

Michi (Fletcher):

It would just show up in like a projection that wizard would put up and be really scary and I would usually close my eyes but that's the shape of them.

 

Harper (Teller):

This is getting quite interesting to say the least. Common folklore from two separate places.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

I think we need to get our gravedigger involved. You said that these memories are brought on from grief?

 

Harper (Guide):

That's basically the long and short of it, yes. There are other theories but I'm sure you don't want to hear those.

 

Jenine (Hoku):

No I am very intrigued by what you were saying and this is very helpful information. That's all I got sorry.

 

Harper (Teller):

I thought you were going to say “but.”

 

Jenine (Hoku):

No!

 

Harper (Teller):

I guess thank you for coming out and if you need us we'll be here.

 

Harper (Guide):

And they point over to a tent, that you didn't notice at first, like off to the side on the platform. So yeah they're just staying here.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Oh, actually you guys can also write us. We’re a bit of a letter writing club.

 

Harper (Guide):

And the ibis that kind of seemed the most hesitant to engage with you says,

 

Harper (Mist):

Oh! You don't say. I love a good letter. Yes I will do that.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Yeah look at this fancy stationary I got for my birthday.

 

Harper (Mist):

Oooooh.

 

Harper (Guide):

And they sort of like whip their head back and dip down in a very dramatic way to kind of get closer to it. And they’re just like oohing it ahhhing all over it.

 

Michi:




And Fletcher will write all the contact information to get to them on a piece of paper and then hand it to them.

 

Harper (Guide):

The two of you would head back to the ship after that?

 

Michi:

Mm-hmm.

 

Jenine:

Mm-hmm.

 

Harper (Guide):

Alright so y'all get back on the water strider, glider thing and zip across in just a few seconds. And you’re led back to the town hall. The town has dispersed and Neu and Chandler are kind of walking back from the town square to the side where other - a few other ships are docked and the Flying Dutch-kith is docked. As you get there, you hear a clatter as a lot of the ship is kind of covered with these little lizards, dressed in little coveralls. And they're just like banging things, pulling out boards. The engines that are on the side or being like completely dismantled. I guess Alma, how are you responding, as Alma, and Birch and Kalix are kind of up on the on the deck just there.

 

Tatiana:

It's been a while since the ship has gotten a fixer upper per se. You know, so it's about time. So she's just kind of like kind of directing the little lizards to the more problem areas of the ship. There’s definitely been some landlord's treatment of the ship where alma has just kind of covered up things that are problems with like posters or artworks and like boxes. And just like oh you can't see the water damage, if it's not there! So she's just kind of directing them where to go to fix everything.

 

Harper (Guide):

So the rest of you climb aboard as Alma’s just giddily talking to Birch and Kalix. And Chandler speaks up,

 

Harper (Chandler):

We just did a performance of a lifetime! Neu was wonderful.

 

Octa Delgado (Neu Threestrings):

You weren't too bad either. And actually thank you for your support there. I was not expecting that Chandler.

 

Harper (Chandler):

Yes well I was on stage too so it could have made me look bad. Butt yes I did enjoy it.  Besides those three little possum babies that fell asleep during my star talk ,but they were babies so…

 

Octa (Neu):

Yeah um I did actually find it quite interesting. You do have a bit of a different angle to it than Hoku usually talks about it. But still quite interesting.

 

Harper (Guide):

And he says,

 

Harper (Chandler):

Well speak of the devil.

 

Harper (Guide):

And points back to Hoku and Fletcher as they they're on the ship now too.

 

Octa:

As they closer, I’ll just like get - we're probably same similar kind of height, I'm just going to get closer to Chandler's ear and I'll just say,

 

Octa (Neu):

And just and - I think if you try and be a bit more mindful of how you communicate where you see yourself with respect to others, that could happen more moving forward .

 

Octa:

And then I'll take a couple steps back, letting him process that eventually.




Harper (Guide):

You hear him audibly like,

 

Harper (Chandler):

Hmmmm. I should start considering what others…

 

Harper (Guide):

Fletcher and Hoku, is your thought process, is the emotion you're going through right now visible?

 

Michi:




I think a little bit. I think Fletcher looks uncomfortable a lot of the time so it might be hard to tell beyond the typical uncomfortable.

 

Jenine:

Yeah, you just see Hoku in a little notebook just making constellations that aren't real constellations. Just now playing connect the dots in in their notebook.

 

Harper (Guide):

Neu and Alma would notice so that their friends aren't quite right when they're stepping up into the half circle that has now formed into a full circle.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

How was the island guys?

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Hoku got new glasses.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Those are really nice. Yeah I did they did notice those.

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Yeah new glasses!

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Really suits you.

 

Octa (Neu):

Such an improvement!

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Wasn’t what I asked  though…

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Wow, look at the glasses!

 

Tatiana (Alma):

That doesn't work on me anymore, Hoku.

 

Jenine (Hoku):

It worked today!

 

Tatiana (Alma):

What happened on the island?

 

Michi (Fletcher):

We think that the gods were kidnapped by a human.

 

Jenine (Hoku):

You know the scary ones that we watched in Mr. Twinkles visual show.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Isn’t it pronounced he man?

 

Michi (Fletcher):

He man. Human.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

I distinctly remember it being he man.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

The thing was like no fur and it's just plain skin.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Yeah!

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Ohhhh.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Yeah!

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Yeah.

 

Octa (Neu):

Are those the ones that like from before right?

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Yeah.

 

Octa (Neu):

From like before before.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Yeah.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

In theory.

 

Octa (Neu):

Are they even - so they're the ones that made those scary, scary black dark things that that we passed on the way here with all of the metallic things reaching up.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Yes.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Yeah if you wanna believe the stories but…

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Alma.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

What!? Come on!

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Alma, I know you kind of don't believe in humans but in your work have you ever come across like a orb of energy that's kind of like cold and whispers a lot.

 

Jenine (Hoku):

And it goes from like this and it goes to like this.

 

Jenine:

And like shows the motion of the orb shrinking.

 

Tatiana:

Have I encountered such a thing?

 

Harper (Guide):

Give me a wild check. Oooh two ones!

 

Tatiana:

There’s a reason why Alma’s a human denier.

 

Harper (Guide):

Alma has no idea what Hoku and Fletcher talking about. And thinks the two of them are a

little crazy.  

Jenine (Hoku):

What is your relation to the color purple nice?

 

Tatiana (Alma):

It’s nice…?

 

Jenine (Hoku):

What does the color purple mean to you.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

I don't know it's you know -  I just think of like lilacs, you know, flowers. Why?

 

Michi (Fletcher):

There was a glowing energy thing and then when we touched it, it was like –

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Sorry you touched a weird glowing energy thing?

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Yeah why not?

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Yeah. I wanted to see if it smelled good.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

What!?

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Fletcher did and he was fine.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Why would you - why would you touch it?

 

Michi (Fletcher):

I touch everything.

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Science.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

What did the magical purple or tell you?

 

Michi (Fletcher):

It made me feel like I was a ghost and I saw two actual real gods. A giant horse and a giant elk. Their names are Tor and Gren and then the big purple shadowy human thing showed up and got mad at them and took them away.

 

Harper (Guide):

Neu, go ahead and give me a while roll.

 

Octa:

I was I was thinking that maybe in terms of like understanding color, understanding memories and the capturing of all of. That’s two sixes and my wild is one so that’s thirteen.

 

Harper (Guide):

Your teacher, who taught you how to weave, mentioned these thoughtsmores before. They didn't call them by that, they just called it memory weaves. And you would think about those in envision those in your weavings and literally try to put those thoughts and feelings into those. And so yeah, it wasn't the exact same usage and way it would take place, but still in that same vein and founded on those like purple memory orbs.

 

Octa (Neu):

I think that what you saw my old mentor Kore, he's spoken to me about them and at points he's made some - he's made them in a kind of very small way so that we could practice capturing them, so that we could practice understanding them. But we only did that a couple times. He called them memory weaves. They are definitely a thing, Alma, like for sure.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

The advisors there called it a thoughtsmore.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

The purple orbs might be a thing. I believe the purple orbs could be a thing. Fine. Just saying what actual evidence do we have that the he mans, you know, made stuff outside. Or like stole a god. And even if there was a he man today, why kidnap the gods after so long. I mean how long has it been since you know the he mans were walking around.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

I don't know but the human - the hu-man, said to the gods, he said that they weren’t living up to their potential and that they had to go with them. And they got really sad and walked away and like when the purple human showed up, there was like a big crack. Speaking of which, one of them had a really scary vision about The Lastings!

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Way to bury the lead Fletcher.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

I forgot!

 

Octa (Neu):

So humans can scold gods?

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Well, in the vision that Teller had, their name is Teller, they saw The Lastings and it was, you know like how The Lastings are, they're wonderful. And then there was a big crack and The Lastings sunk.

 

Octa (Neu):

You know the thing about visions, sometimes they're just a little bit of bullshit sometimes.

 

Jenine (Hoku):

He had it twice in a row in the past two nights.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

What’s the ratio?

 

Jenine (Hoku):

They didn't really give a straight answer.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Oh good.

 

Jenine (Hoku):

So memory weaves, do they always end up the same color? And who can see them.

 

Harper (Guide):

So Neu would recall that his teacher actually said that they didn't actually exist. Like nobody's ever seen them, but they felt the energy before.

 

Octa (Neu):

In terms of like actually actually seeing them…

 

Octa:

And Neu will try and avoid Alma's gaze at this point.

 

Octa (Neu):

No one has seen them, seen them. But if you get like really close to somewhere where there may be one and you try to connect to it, that's how you can - that's how you can try and get an understanding of what that memory is holding.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

That could just be a spirit! Spirits hold onto memories all the time. That's kind of their whole schtick.

 

Octa (Neu):

It's more like moments.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

But I know what spirits look like!

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Bud do spirits also just kind of like shrink continuously?

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Not on purpose.

 

Jenine (Hoku):

And stay a singular color?

 

Tatiana (Alma):

No.

 

Jenine (Hoku):

And is in a ball form?

 

Tatiana (Alma):

You know, you're asking a lot of really good questions that I don't have the answer to. But we weren't there. Not that we don't trust you and believe you, but like this is a lot.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Okay well then –

 

Tatiana (Alma):

So now we just don't have only the gods to worry about we also need to worry about these mythical beings from way before that somehow are back.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Maybe it's part of the same problem. Maybe the human took our gods too.

 

Octa (Neu):

If it's shrinking maybe we could try and understand it fully. Or maybe stop it from shrinking. Or try and capture it somehow before it goes away. It's something we could maybe bring back to Falon. If we're going to try and tell people that there is a human and he’s scolding the gods and taking them away, we kinda need some proof maybe.

 

Jenine (Hoku):

So we go back to Spirit Island and get the little orb.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Okay, you know, now that you bring up the he mans I was – I went to the library, right? With the serval to talk to the council of guild leaders and see what's up. A librarian mentioned that a couple of things have been stolen. Like really old, old, old, tomes and texts. One of them is like huge, like huge! And no one's been able to translate it. And the other ones about something called The Great Uprising. Does that sound familiar to any of you?

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Maybe I’ve heard of it in school.

 

Harper (Guide):

You can give me an instinct check.

 

Michi:

I got an eight.

 

Jenine:

I rolled a two but I have a plus two so it’s a four.

 

Harper (Guide):

The Great Uprising makes the two of you, especially Hoku, think of another protection story of a great uprising in space. And it was like a sort of future magic sort of projection. And that's what the two of you just kind of start thinking about. And Fletcher, you think about like the stories of the old wars and the quote unquote “Great Uprising” was, I mean, very tropey, but when the machines took over.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

I think the Great Uprising is about the machines at war.

 

Harper (Guide):

Alma, does she go to the projections? Like would she have seen this this older movie?

 

Tatiana:

She was never allowed to go to the projections.

 

Jenine:

We didn't sneak you in? I think we would have snuck you in.

 

Tatiana:

You would have certainly tried. The first time you guys tried to sneak, Alma into a projection, you guys got caught, and Alma wasn’t allowed to leave the house for a week straight.

 

Michi:




Clairvoyant moms.

 

Tatiana:

Clairvoyant moms!

 

Jenine:

Oh yeah, I forgot!

 

Tatiana:

They're not exactly easy to trick so…

 

Michi (Fletcher):

I don't know what the deal is with people stealing tomes. It's like a trend going on.

 

Tatiana (Alma):




What do you mean?

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Oh! Zelle got robbed like right before we left.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

What!?

 

Jenine (Hoku):

What? Sorry.




Michi (Fletcher):

Yeah it was crazy. I went home to pick up my stuff so we could all leave for the trip and there was just a bunch of security all around and I couldn't get in. And then I finally got in. It apparently was some like old magic or some old family texts. But yeah someone came in and stole it from that one locker that not even I was allowed to open. And there's was like a big talon marking on it but it wasn't Loren, I checked.

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Why would Loren do it? Why would you think Loren would do it?

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Oh, Loren and I kind of broke up.

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Do we need to - do we need  - do we - do we - do we need to earmuff someone in the circle? Yes or no?

 

Tatiana:

Right. Chandler’s still here.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Oh, um, Chandler go to your room! (laughs)

 

Harper (Guide):

And he's just kind of like looking back and forth.

 

Harper (Chandler):

I don't want to. I want to hear what you’re talking about.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Well this is kind of none of your business so…

 

Harper (Guide):

He's just going to like cross his arms and huffs and stand there.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Oh well if you're not going to your room, everyone come to my room.

 

Jenine:

Do we just run? Do we just run?

 

Harper (Guide):

I would say everybody except just like keeps going and Neu looks back at Chandler. And he's like lost like that little bit of bravery he had and he just looks totally sad and dejected. And kind of like walks over to the post, ‘cause he catches eyes with you, and starts examining the mast where he had like put grease on earlier.

 

Octa (Neu):

I'm sorry, buddy, but when someone needs to talk about personal stuff, they've got the right to choose who listens to them. See you later.

 

Octa:

And Neu kind of guiltily scuffles away.

 

Harper (Guide):

So yeah the four of you end up down in Fletcher’s room.

 

Michi:




So, Fletcher bring out the parcel with all the letters and hands them out like they’re little classroom assignment things. And he explains that like this dramatic scene that Loren and Fletcher went through of like breaking up seconds - like in seconds and how Loren just took off. And then also like describing like the descriptor of the suspect around Zelle’s theft and everything.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Oh and I've been sending him dreams through Puck.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Who’s Puck?

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Puck is a Dreamweaver I met right after we got assigned this big mission.

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Did anyone else do anything exciting before we left that we haven't touched base on.

 

Tatiana:

Alma points at Neu.

 

Octa (Neu):

I don’t know. I was kinda high.

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Uh-huh, yeah, I didn't notice.

 

Octa (Neu):

Right? I mean it wasn't that much, I guess. I mean nothing that has anything - nothing of actual relevance to what we're doing to be honest.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

See you say that, you think that in your brain, but Fletcher was holding on to information about something being stolen. Ancient documents!  You never know what could be relevant is what, the point I’m making. SO lay it on, lay it one us.

 

Octa (Neu):

If you think that's important I can share a little bit but yeah, then it's your turn to share what happened. So firstly I think, as you guys knew, I was going to go see and my boyfriend - my ex and I did found him and then he was - and then he behaved like a dick so I dumped him.

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Okay.

 

Octa (Neu):

And then I dumped all of his stuff outside of my window. Low key scared of what's going to happen when we go back? I don't know if he will have left the flat, if he will still be there. I hope he's gone but again he will have free rent for a while now so I don't see him going. But like none of that is actually important to what we're doing.

 

Harper (Guide):

As y’all are sitting there, catching up, filling in the gaps of your personal lives but also what's going on, what you're uncovering, and then you hear like a hundred like tiny screams. The lizzards start screaming along with probably Birch and a few other people just like scream out, and you hear shuffling about and someone running down the stairs real quick. And then a banging on your door.

 

Jenine:

I open the door.

 

Harper (Guide):

And it's Kalix sitting there, hand on the door frame trying to catch his breath.

 

Harper (Kalix):

There’s no color out there.

 

Harper (Guide):

And you see this sort of like (whooshing noise) wave of grey. Like a shadow coming towards you and it takes over Kalix, his bluish purplish kind of leather garb that he was wearing turn gray. His gray fur turns almost black and the wave just goes through the room. And the same thing happens to you.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

What the fuck!

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Neu, Neu, are you okay?

 

Octa (Neu):

The colors are gone!

 

Octa:

Neu looks towards Kalix. So you said we saw two gods, who are your gods? What are they gods of?

 

Harper (Guide):

Gren, the god of tides and Tor, the god of storms.

 

Octa (Neu):

Why would this happen?

 

Octa:

Neu will try and run up the deck and see if this is extending in all of the horizon - if this ever stops.

 

Harper (Guide):

Yeah so you get out and you do see color out in the horizon but as this gray, you look over to the northeast, kind of emanates from Spirit Island out and is taking over the city, starting to take over the countryside, spreading into the mountain. Neu you also just hear, again like the screams of the lizards start to die down, but you hear kind of throughout the city echoing down  the streets different people streaming, kind of freaking out that the color is gone.

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Um, Kalix, quick question. God of colors, where would that shrine possibly be?

 

Harper (Kalix):

We don't have a god of colors. Did you?

 

Jenine:

I don't think we do. Do we?

 

Tatiana:

No no no. We have -

 

Jenine:

No. We have crafts, right?

 

Michi:

Not colors specifically.

 

Tatiana:

We have a lot of gods but none of them really have to do with colors. Maybe Aoife but they're the grandgod of muse and not so much color. This is entirely unexpected.

 

Harper (Guide):

As y'all sit there and think, again just painting this picture of like silence but screams just off in the distance bouncing down the streets. But it's getting quieter and quieter. Not that like it's stopping but maybe you're just getting desensitized to it or something. Everything's just starting to feel so lifeless.

Michi (Fletcher):

I think we have to go back to Spirit Island.

Kenzie:

Hey everyone! Thanks for listening. You can follow queeRPG on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok @queeRPGpod. queeRPG is made possible by all of you who listen and share the show! If you like what you hear please rate and review. It helps other people find the pod. You can also support the show by signing up for our Patreon at patreon.com/queeRPG. If you’re interested in seeing transcripts for the episode, all of those from previous episodes and episodes to come can be found on our website queerpg.com! Until next time!