S2 E12: A Kith Mistake

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.

Jenine (Hoku):

Dear, dad, we’re in Middledwell and let me tell you it's a little wild here. First off, they have no problems with gods because apparently there aren't any here? So the task Falon sent us on, not very useful. But there is this big machine in the middle of town. It looks like one of those caterpillars that work in the fields on the Marigold of Anino. It was all shiny and made noises that caterpillars would never. First the kith here were against the machine but then they started chanting, “The future’s Middledwell! The future is machines!” I was completely enthralled by the statement and joined in. Luckily Alma had some magic water to splash in my face. When I came to Chandler called me champ? This means friendship, right? Anyways Neu took a closer look at the caterpillar and the kith on top. I couldn't really hear the conversation but another kith joined in. Neu looked shocked and then they were pushed off of the platform. Fletcher, the amazing witch he is, conjured up some sort of cushion spell that gave me enough time to catch Neu. Right when I caught Neu, Alma, Kalix and Chandler started to do this intricate trap for the caterpillar that included rope and running around the legs of the caterpillar. Then everything went this purple smoke once the machine went down an this hooded figure appeared. Plot twist, it was Loren. Fletcher’s ex? Maybe? Well, Loren guided us to safety outside the city and took us to this airship. Well not airship - well not Loren’s airship but Professor Peppers’ airship. Sorry actually it's Loretta. (That’s what she wants us to call her.) And she's telling us about this group called the preservation.

 

Jenine:

And that gets crossed out.

 

Jenine (Hoku):

I don't know if you know let's talk about this. We don't know if we can trust them but we are staying safe, I promise. From the stars that wave to you, Hoku.

 

Harper (Guide):

We pick back up with the group on the airship that belongs to The Preservation. You've just found out everything that this group has been up to. What's the plan? What are we doing next?

 

Tatiana:

I want to see all the stuff they stole.

 

Jenine:

I can sneaky sneak.

 

Tatiana:

We don't need to sneak sneak. We are allies now thanks to my excellent lying capabilities. So I'm just gonna ask Professor Loretta Peppers if we can see all the goodies they got.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Hey, professor, so -  sorry Loretta. I was wondering since we're all allies now and we're, you know, endeavoring to work together and exchange information and so on and so forth, I was wondering if perhaps we could take a look at all of the items you acquired without permission so that we can maybe fill in some of the gaps that we were missing when we tried to locate those items.

 

Harper (Guide):

Go ahead and give me a heart roll.

 

Tatiana:




Damn, that's real bad. That is a five.

 

Harper (Guide):

She looks at you as kindly as possible and just says,

 

Harper (Loretta):

Maybe one day dear, maybe one day. But right now we have things to do. Didn't you all say that the people or kith of Middledwell were rioting and you have a friend you're concerned about.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Yeah it's like - it's really weird. We think there's some magical or chemical influence going on. Hoku fell under it for like a little bit but then I splashed water in his face and he was fine. But there's definitely something going on that's not - it's not them, you know? They're under the influence of whatever that fox is doing. Horace? What was it Neu?

 

Octa (Neu):

The one that was piloting originally. The one that has the magic that can manipulate people, that's Horace.

 

Tatiana (Alma):




And then Foster, we think, is being held hostage by Horace who is also unfortunately their cousin. Is there any magic that you happen to know that we can, you know, more easily combat with your skills?

 

Harper (Loretta):

Tell me what did the magic look like?

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Well… Hoku?

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Air.

 

Octa (Neu):

So from a little bit more close by, you know when someone looks super convincing? When someone looks like they can pull you in very, very magnetic. You really want them to like you? It's almost like this pull. But there is more to it almost like there's also anchors sinking into you and pulling you towards them. It is not much of a look but a feeling.

 

Harper (Loretta):

It could be magic but it could also be as Alma said, potentially a chemical. I think we need to get a little more information about this Horace character.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

I definitely agree.

 

Octa (Neu):

We could do that through Foster. If we take Foster out and use the position to get him to remember who we are, who I am, I'm sure that if Foster understands that everything is wrong. Foster is kind. He was always the kinder out of both of us. Well if we can’t get Foster, there was an ox, there was a raven, there were a few kith in there. I'm sure we can get to know at least one of them.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

I hope they were all fine after I knocked over the caterpillar. We can double agent someone I think this is a great plan!

 

Michi (Fletcher):

I don’t understand how we're gonna make two of somebody. We're gonna go find someone to make them a double agent ‘cause that's really complicated and I don't really think it's ethical to make a second person.

 

Octa (Neu):

I think it's all about making friends. We're good on that.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

I like making friends but Alma said we're gonna have a double agent and that's kind of scary to think about. Sometimes when I have nightmares, there's two of everybody and I get really scared.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

The more the merrier?

 

Octa (Neu):

No, no, I don't think that's quite what Alma meant Fletcher. A double agent is not someone that exists two times. It is just someone that plays several roles in in a given situation.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

So it’s a kith with two jobs?

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Yes! Exactly! One for us and one for them.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

That's a lot of work. We gotta be really nice to this kith if they're gonna be our friend working two jobs for us.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Good thing we have you on our side, huh pal?

 

Jenine:




Hoku finally understands what's happening. Hoku was also confused.

 

Harper (Guide):

Kalix clears his throat and says,

 

Harper (Kalix):

You see when I was in the military they made me about a double agent. Wecan get into that later but it just means that they'll be getting information for us while also pretending to be on the other side.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Isn’t that like dangerous though?

 

Tatiana (Alma):

If they get caught, so they're not gonna get caught is the idea.

 

Jenine:

Hoku raises a paw.

 

Jenine (Hoku):

So how do we communicate with whomst ever is going to be the one we double agent.

 

Octa (Neu):

So we could try and see if Puck can send them a dream or we could try and see if we can find one of them alone.

 

Octa:

So, did I see even the faintest bit of recollection from Foster or was there nada.

 

Harper (Guide):

I think I’m gonna need heart roll.

 

Octa:

That's a five.

 

Harper (Guide):

You’re honestly not sure. It could have been that he recognized you or it could have been that he's under some sort of spell, hit his head really hard, like you would have to interact with him some more.

 

Octa (Neu):

Does anyone know any remedies for when someone hits their head really hard or loses any memories?

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Well, if you hit your head really hard you don't want to sleep. That's all I got. What have you got, Fletcher?

 

Michi (Fletcher):

I can make a potion that helps with remembering things. I can also - if it's because you hit your head really hard, I can make a potion that makes your head hurt less. And if you forgot absolutely everything, it takes like about a month to make the potion but I can make a potion that makes you remember your entire life, even when you were a baby.

 

Octa (Neu):

How about the potion that helps you remember just like one person? One kith.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

I can try something, I’ll have to look over some of my notes. But I definitely have some memory potions that I can make.

 

Jenine:

Hoku write a note because they know they shouldn't blabber and they pass it to Alma.

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Do we talk about the memory well? Should we go there?

 

Tatiana:

Alma looks at the note like kind of under the table as inconspicuously as possible. There are two questions here Hoku, so it makes it hard to –

 

Jenine:

There's a check yes or no like when you send it to your crush. There's a yes or no box next to the first one and then yes or no box next to the other one.

 

Tatiana:

Alma’s gonna check no on the first one and yes on the second one. So no we shouldn't talk about it, yes we should go. Then she’s gonna fold it up and discreetly pass it back to Hoku.

 

Jenine:

I open it and then I pass it on to the next member of the group.

 

Michi:

Fletcher is so relieved because for a moment he thought that there was like some weird like romantic thing happening between the two of you.

 

Harper (Guide):

I’m gonna need a swift role from everyone who handled and read the note. So we had three, we had five, we had nine. What did Hoku get?

 

Jenine:

An eleven.

 

Harper (Guide):

I don't think any of y'all pick up on this, you think you're being very stealthy but you're not.

 

Harper (Loretta):

What s should our plan be? Well it would actually be our plan A, our first plan but what should the plan be? That's what I'm saying. I didn't think everyone needed that clarification but I thought some might.

 

Octa (Neu):

I think Hoku is raising their paw.

 

Jenine (Hoku):

I think some of us should go and get the potion material - it's material but you need materials to make a potion? We can go - because there's lots of farmland - while the other group goes and scouts out what's happening at the town hall.

 

Jenine:

And then they smile all innocently as best as possible.

 

Octa (Neu):

Yeah maybe all of you guys go check out the town hall and we go get the potion ingredients? Is that what you meant Hoku?

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Yes.

 

Octa (Neu):

Before that… I guess you guys have been around here for a while, do you know of the habits of these Terrara folks? Do you know where they stay? Where they do their shopping? Where they go get tea? Do you know anything about the smaller fox that is with them?

 

Harper (Loretta):

We've been doing some monitoring. Unfortunately I'm not sure if I know this Horace, but again if he is doing magic, we need to deal with that.

 

Octa (Neu):

Also, I guess. who amongst all of you can throw magical beams of energy that can destroy doors because that's pretty scary, I would like to know who can do that. The door in the library of Portsmore was pretty banged up.

 

Harper (Loretta):

Let's just say that Mist can be a bit more formidable than what they look.

 

Octa:

Neu kinda looks at Mist for the moment with a little bit of a scared face.

 

Harper (Guide):

They just are sitting there sipping on their tea.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Cool, that's cool. Okay, great! So I guess, you know, since we are not secret, we'll go out into the world and run all these little errands and since you guys are secret, you can stay here and do what it is that you folks do, which I don't know much about because you're very secretive people and that's a little scary.

 

Octa (Neu):

Do you need any snacks from the shops?

 

Jenine (Hoku):

We found a really good tea place that does really good bloods that we can bring over.

 

Harper (Loretta):

That would be wonderful. So we'll go monitor the downtown situation while you all go to run some errands? And you can meet us at the council chambers after you’re done?

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Sounds like a plan to us.

 

Harper (Loretta):

Alrighty I guess let's get on with it then.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Cool! Guys let's - let's go.

 

Octa (Neu):

Okay, see you later!

 

Harper (Guide):

You all head out and where are you heading to?

 

Jenine (Hoku):

We don't know where this is but we should take the weirdest route possible, right?

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Uh-huh. We should take the weirdest route possible and definitely not try to get tailed. Absolutely you are correct.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

If we stop by the tea place on the way back, they should have most of the ingredients we need, I just don't know if they'll have all the nuts and seeds that we want.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

I hope so. I don't think they’re a nut free establishment. Are we all going to the-  to the – to the place that we are going to?

 

Octa (Neu):

I would like to go there. I'm pretty interested in knowing how they store memories. Is it everything in thoughthsmores? Are they weaving it somehow? I'm pretty, pretty curious. But I also want to help you, Fletcher, on getting the ingredients for Foster’s potion. I'm happy to go anymore.

 

Jenine (Hoku):

I'm not really a magic kind of a kith so I can go team gather.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

I'm tangentially magic related? Not really.

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Well I think you have more - I mean you –

 

Tatiana (Alma):

I talk to ghosts.

 

Jenine (Hoku):

And that’s memories! Well they're associated with memories ‘cause they’re in the past so technically, technically –

 

Tatiana (Alma):

That's… that's true.

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Is this sound logic?

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Yeah, no, you're definitely making a point. I definitely see the point that you're making and I'm nodding in agreement with your point.

 

Octa (Neu):

We aslo know you two work great as a pair of kiths doing stuff together.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Neu, are we sure we want to leave the two of them alone?

 

Octa (Neu):

Kalix is going with them.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Okay, that's true, that does help a lot. Okay, if you say so… yeah, no, you guys will be fine! Neu and I and Chandler will go that way, you guys go that way, yeah?

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Alma, you wouldn’t happen to have have anymore - I don't think anything bad’s gonna happen just like if you possibly have any more –

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Just take my water bottle – just take my water bottle.

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Thank you!

 

Tatiana (Alma):

You're welcome. I hope it serves you well.

 

Jenine:




I hand it to Kalix because I know it's not gonna be good if Hoku or Fletcher has it.

 

Harper (Guide):

You all kind of split up and head out to the various places. Alma and Chandler to the memoriam. Fletcher, Hoku, and Kalix to gather materials. So the material gathering group, you said you wanted to go back to the tea-vern?

 

Michi:

Yeah.

 

Harper (Guide):

You guys have to go back through the sewers if you want to get back into the town secretly or you can just kind of walk into town from the outskirts.

 

Jenine:

I wanna say outskirts because I don't trust Hoku trying to navigate something where they cannot see the sky.

 

Michi:




That's a good call.

 

Harper (Guide):

And is that both groups going that direction?

 

Tatiana:

Yeah, I don't see why not.

 

Octa (Neu):

It's gonna be better if they don't see us split up yet.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Get lost in the crowd as it were.

 

Octa (Neu):

Yeah, that's a good idea. Almost as if we didn’t plan for it. Guy, we're so stealthy.

 

Harper (Guide):

It's about a ten minute walk to get back into town and as you do, I’m gonna need someone to make me an instinct role or just explain really well how y'all decide on which crazy route to go.

 

Michi:




I rolled a ten.

 

Harper (Guide):

You're able to figure out the best path for both groups.

 

Michi:




Fletcher takes out a piece of paper - it's the back of one of the spare pages of Loren’s novel that doesn't have a lot of information. And then he draws a little map on the back of this page and then he realizes we need two maps so he tears it in half and then draws like smaller maps in the upper corner. And the maps are just kind of like vague, little like maze shapes. And they're kind of hard to read because they're based on Fletcher's view of when he took that flight earlier. So no one else has really seen the layout of the town the way Fletcher has. But he disperses these maps of like little like maze shapes and yeah, that's the map. And the maps are sticky and full of stains.

 

Harper (Guide):

We'll say gather group heads out in one direction to go to the tea-vern. memorium group heads out in a different direction to go to the memorium.

 

Michi:

I’d like to think that with our group Kalix is normally walking and doing like his average like knows how to look around stuff and Hoku and Fletcher have sort of linked arms and keep like swapping sides of which way they're looking, so they're like back-to-back so that they have a 360 view.

 

Tatiana:

I think for our group at least, Alma has Neu in the front kind of leading and she's watching our backs.

 

Octa:

Yeah, Neu will be on the front looking at the maze map, trying to follow it, but also not very much of a map person, of a map kith. Walking slowly, trying to do the right thing. Just not fully understanding the full diagram.

 

Harper (Guide):

I'm gonna need an instinct row from Neu and then a heart roll from Alma, Fletcher and Hoku.

 

Octa:

That’s a seven for Neu.

 

Harper (Guide):

For your map reading, you end up running into a couple complications. You accidentally turned down a wrong way and then another wrong way and it ends up being like a dead end so you have to like double back. You don't waste too much time. You could have been a little quicker but you're able to lead the group to the memorium.

 

Tatiana:

I also wrote a seven.

 

Harper (Guide):

Out of the corner of your eye you can't help but think you just saw like a shadowy figure on one of the roofs and just kind of like disappear as soon as you see them. So you're not really sure if it was that or if that was just a shadow.

 

Tatiana:




I think she wouldn't want to take any chances so she would kind of nonchalantly grab Neu’s hand and just be like,

 

Tatiana (Alma):




Oh, look at this over here!

 

Tatiana:

And kind of lead it Neu into a particularly like crowded part of the street until she's like confident that they're no longer in the eye line of the roof. And then Alma’s gonna like lead them to double back and go around a different path.

 

Michi:

Eleven.

 

Jenine:

Also an eleven.

 

Harper (Guide):

You both clearly see Force, the field mouse kind of peeking up behind a crate following you, and it looks like they didn't notice that you noticed them.

 

Michi:

I think Fletcher would whisper,

 

Michi (Fletcher):

I think we should take a detour.

 

Jenine:




When Hoku hears that, they just do like - you know how like a road is pretty wide? They just curve out and then curve right back in.

 

Harper (Guide):

Neu, Alma and Chandler kind of standing at the bottom of like a pretty grand stairway that leads up to almost what looks like a lighthouse but at the top of the lighthouse is more of like an orb or a globe instead of like just a window kind of like panoramic view. And in that is like a big thoughtsmore undulating,

 

Tatiana:

Can I see that?

 

Harper (Guide):

You can't. It’s only Neu.

 

Octa:

Neu will point out,

 

Octa (Neu):

Hey, Alma, that one is pretty big, maybe you can see that one. There's a thoughtsmore up in the, at the very top of this of this tower. Anything at all? Nothing? Can you try squinting?

 

Tatiana (Alma):

I don't think this is working.

 

Octa (Neu):

Okay.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Sorry.

 

Octa (Neu):

As far as I know thoughtsmore tend to shrink with time.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Is it like big?

 

Octa (Neu):

It’s pretty big.

 

Octa:




And Neu begins to like open up their small arms and then like max out. Is it bigger than their arms fully open?

 

Harper (Guide):

Yeah.

 

Tatiana:

Neu is just a little guy!

 

Octa:

And then just like twirls the fingers a little bit, stretches a bit more.

 

Harper (Guide):

Basically Neu, it almost completely fills that giant orb.

 

Octa (Neu):

It’s giving me the same vibes as what happened in the in the crystal tower. Maybe we should go up there. Maybe they do have gods. But also, maybe they just found a way to stabilize the thoughtsmores and they are keeping that up there. It looks pretty cool.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

If you say so. We should definitely go up there and talk to someone. I don't know. Maybe they have a head memoriumer.

 

Octa (Neu):

We’re looking for Flower, right?

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Yeah! So let's just go up. Maybe they have a front desk or something and we can just be like, “Hey!”

 

Octa (Neu):

Are you still carrying Falon’s letter of introduction?

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Yeah of course!

 

Octa (Neu):

Super!

 

Tatiana (Alma):

I just kind of have it. I do forget that I have it but it's helpful to have most of the time.

 

Octa (Neu):

I'm currently balloon.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Maybe they could like take a look at it?

 

Octa (Neu):

Yeah.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

We want them to take a look at it we don't really want The Preservation to take a look at it that's for sure. Cool! After you my friend!

 

Octa:




Neu will kind of like go in through the door if it isn't - if it's openable. If it's a human door may need a bit of a bigger jump and then just try to unlock it. And open.

 

Harper (Guide):

The door swrings open and it's a tower with like a spiraling staircase up to different levels. But like the floor to ceiling is probably like thirty feet to the next level and like lining the walls are just a bunch of these like small like round bottom vases stuck to the wall with thoughtsmores in them, which again only Neu can see.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

I'm sure I would be very impressed I could see whatever was going on right now.

 

Octa (Neu):

Everything is beautiful.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

I mean the architecture looks stunning like that's very nice, very well made.

 

Octa (Neu):

You can see the glass work.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

It's beautiful. This is really cool.

 

Octa (Neu):

Is there anyone around? Hello, hello?

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Is there a bell?

 

Harper (Guide):

And your voice kind of like echoes, “Hello, hello, hello.” And then you hear a door creek open and in like a little side room - or I guess out of a little side room comes a raccoon dressed in a long flowing white robe. It's kind of like silky and like ethereal and like flows in like a very like mystical way. And they peek their head out and say,

 

Harper (Raccoon-kith):

Yes can I - can I help you?

 

Octa (Neu):

Hello, I guess you must be Flower. We come from far away. I am Neu. They are my friend, Alma. And we're looking for Flower.

 

Harper (Flower):




Yes, I am Flower. Yes what is it that you need.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Lavender sent us.

 

Harper (Flower):

Oh, Lavender. Yes, yes, yes, yes. How's my old friend doing?

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Pretty good, pretty good, could be better. There's kind of a lot going on in Porstmore right now. I mean I don't know if you know, that's kind of why we're here to figure that out. I don't know what your personal relationship is to the big and small gods of our world but the big gods from Portsmore are gone. And the big gods from The Lastings are gone and we are here to try and figure out what the problem is. There's no color in Portsmore right now which is a little unfortunate because you know color is so cool. But it is just kind of monochrome black and white over there. We don't think that's spreading. We come to you specifically because we have some questions regarding thoughtsmores and memories in general and locating perhaps a specific person's memories. Does that sound up your alley?

 

Harper (Flower):

You did throw a lot of information at me but I can pull the bits and pieces of this together.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

It's like an information sandwich. I give you the good news and then the bad news and then tell you what we need and it usually works out.

 

Harper (Flower):

Yes, where shall we start? My thought on this predicament or examining some of the thoughtsmores we have here?

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Whaddaya think?

 

Octa (Neu):

I think - well first of all thank you for wanting to help us. You seem really kind Flower. Basically I think first things first. You know you have a massive thoughtsmore at the top of the tower, right?

 

Harper (Flower):

Yes that is our most celebrated thoughtsmore. It shows the creation and development of where Middledwell started.

 

Octa (Neu):

That's pretty cool. I guess important thing before we go into checking up a bit of other things. Are there any new thoughtsmores that have appeared in town lately? Especially in places of cultural significance?

 

Harper (Flower):

Yes, they appear every now and then but honestly most of the time it's really just when big things happen. We usually only store what is most relevant to our history.

 

Octa (Neu):

Otherwise you will end up with no space for more glass bottles.

 

Harper (Flower):

We're getting kind of low on capacity as well.

 

Octa (Neu):

So I think we've come the first reason for us to come here… maybe we start there, Alma? Try to get the thoughtsmore of the prophecy that Mammy had.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

I think that's a good idea. Mammy the chicken. I don't know if that helps narrow it down at all. She was a seer. I guess, you know, when she was younger she saw a thoughtsmore with a pertaining to he-mans?

 

Harper (Flower):

Yes, I think I know which one you're talking about. Not based on their name but based on the description. Come with me.

 

Harper (Guide):

And they start leading you to one side of the room across from the room where that he just came out of. And pulls a giant like rod thing out that like has a hook on it and hooks around one of the vases and pulls it down.

 

Harper (Flower):

Probably want to examine this one.

 

Octa (Neu):

I think that's gonna be on me to do that.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Yeah I don’t see anything so good luck. You got this.

 

Octa:

And Neu will like tentatively extend a hand towards the thoughtsmore. Really slowly. Really not really wanting to do this too much, knowing thoughtsmores with human stuff are a danger.

 

Harper (Guide):

And so you feel that cold. You sort of fade out and we will jump over to Hoku, Fletcher and Kalix, at the teavern. What are the ingredients you're looking for in here, Fletcher?

 

Michi:

How does our lovely tea brewer reacts to Fletcher walking back in here.

 

Harper (Guide):

He sees you coming, he just sort of like crosses his arms and just like slides over the little order sheet.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

I prefer to get these ingredients dry if possible. So what I'm gonna need is a lion’s mane mushroom, some spearmint, some ramie, ashwagandha, ginko, rosemary and then this one's a little weird, it's called gotu kola, but you should be able to find it if you have everything but it's okay if you don't, we can look for it somewhere else. Do you have nuts and seeds?

 

Harper (Guide):

As soon as you like start giving out the ingredients you want, he turns around, pulls out like a little wax bag and starts divvying out the different ingredients as you called them out. And last one, he just sort of turns around and shakes his head,

 

Harper (Vulture-kith):

No don't have that one and nope, don't have nuts and seeds.

  Michi (Flethcer):

Okay. Well then could I get a jar of storm water? If you don't have stormwater, regular rainwater is okay too.

 

Harper (Vulture-kith):

We don't have either of those either. You might want to try the potion shop though. Beasley Botanicals.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

There's a potion shop?

 

Harper (Vulture-kith):

Yes.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Who runs your potion shop?

 

Harper (Vulture-kith):

It's a kith named Ludo.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Ludo?

 

Harper (Vulture-kith):

Yes.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

I’ll go look for Ludo’s potion shop. Thank you for these ingredients. Oh also, on the side, can I just have a sprig of lavender for me.

 

Harper (Vulture-kith):

I guess so, what's one more thing?

 

Harper (Guide):

He walks over to like that little drawer, pulls out a sprig and hands it to you.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Thank you.

 

Michi:




Fletcher turns to Hoku and Kalix.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Do guys want anything?

 

Jenine (Hoku):

I’m – I’m – I’m cool. I’m good. I’m good.

 

Harper (Kalix):

I'm I'm fine as well.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Thank you so much. I'd love to come back sometime.

 

Harper (Vulture-kith):

Absolutely.

 

Michi:




We'd have to ask where the potion shop is from there.

 

Harper (Guide):

You'd get the directions and the directions lead you over to a little hut on the corner of an alley way that leads close to the town center so not too far. And again it's kind of like a small squat building just based on the corner. Little smoke stack going with something brewin over the fire. So you go inside. It reminds you of Zelle’s shop. Floor to ceiling shelves with like lots of different ingredients. The person who owns this knows where everything is but no one else knows where anything is at. Just kind of one of those things. And you hear kind of like something like bubbling off in the back where the fireplace is. And very similarly to Zelle’s shop the place where all the potions are brewed is on a little bit higher of a level, it's like a split level sort of situation. So you see this like taller kith, you can't really make out what sort of kith they are because their back is turned to you, but they're definitely taller than Hoku, who's the tallest among you.

 

Michi:

Is there like a bell or anything or like something to alert the presence of a customer?

 

Harper (Guide):




Yes.

 

Michi:




Fletcher will ring it but it really gentle and it doesn't make it so.

 

Harper (Guide):

And even though like it doesn't make a sound, you hear a deep voice coming from the direction of the figure,

 

Harper (Ludo):

You can just come up here. What can I help you?

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Hey, I’m Fletcher. I'm a witch. I have my which certification if you need to see it. I went to Witch Academy. I am making a potion for memory and I have most of my ingredients but I still need a few. Are you Ludo?

 

Harper (Ludo):

I am Ludo.

 

Harper (Guide):

There's a couple more stirs and then a little tap on the edge of the cauldron. Hangs the wooden spoon up on the wall and starts to walk over with these big footsteps. Ludo is a borzoi. Like one of those dogs. They're like huge but they're just like kind of wiry gray fure, these like intense but kind of like sleepy eyes.

 

Harper (Ludo):

What do you need? Kith tell me they have a hard time finding things in my shop. I know where everything is.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

That’s really good. I have trouble keeping track of where things are even in my pocket. I need an herb called gotu kola and I need some nuts and seeds and storm water. And spring water if you have it!

 

Harper (Ludo):

This shouldn't be all too difficult to get. Come with me.

 

Harper (Guide):

Starts to like walk around the shop, pulling things off the shelf one by one and handing them to you. And says,

 

Harper (Ludo):

What is it that you're doing?

 

Michi (Fletcher):

I’m just making a memory potion because a friend of mine friend forgot that that friend - who they are and uh… I don't really know exactly what's going on but we're just trying to make someone remember someone.

 

Harper (Ludo):

Well I don't know what your recipe looks like but I do have my own personal recipe that I give away for the right situations.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Oh, have you used it to make a friend remember one of their friends before?

 

Harper (Ludo):

Yes and it's a fast potion. I try to do fast potions every now and then.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Fast potions are good. Do you have any of that potion ready?

 

Harper (Ludo):

I do not but I do have the recipe and if you want I could add another cauldron here and you could start cooking up your potion here.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

That would be great. What's the recipe for your potion?

 

Harper (Guide):

And he kind of walks over to the counter, pulls out his book, thumbs through it, slides the book around and puts it like right in front of you. And it's got like a lot of the similar ingredients but instead of using storm water, it uses specifically water from a monsoon. And then something else that would make it fast, is spring water when it’s been blessed by moonlight.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

And you have all of these things?

 

Harper (Ludo):

Yes, if you want to do this instead.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Yeah I can make your version. The only thing that I don't have remaining for this is I need one pumpkin seed. I guess I can gather you a pumpkin seed as well but that one is a stretch.

 

Harper (Guide):

He sort of like laughs under his breath as he shuffles by and gathers the last few things and hands them to you.

 

Michi:

Fletcher’s gonna start brewing.

 

Jenine:




Hoku heard too many words that they did not understand so they stood outside to stand guard.

 

Harper (Guide):

So not even in the shop, just kind of there at the front. I guess as Hoku is standing there what might catch his eye? What might he see?

 

Jenine:

I think Hoku, even though they know that there aren't any major gods I think Hoku still has like hope that there is maybe just a little guy wandering around. Just wanting to be remembered in some way and is trying to look for like one of the tiny gods. Like they saw Sparky earlier so they want - they're hoping there is like that chance of something around, hiding.

 

Harper (Guide):

While you're standing there in kind of the middle of the day, sun kind of beating down from above, a little bit of water kind of like splashes out from somebody like throwing out some water from and old potted plant. And it's like splashes on the the pavement near you and as it does it creates a mist and you see a little bit of a rainbow and like a tiny bit of a shimmer of what could be a small and forgotten god, but not fully manifested.

 

Jenine:

Hoku just goes,

 

Jenine (Hoku):

I don't know if anyone's out there but if you are, I think it's pretty cool if there's some cool colors that are shimmering. You know there's a god from back home that is - who in the early, early mornings you can see them like in the shadows in the morning light. They’re pretty cool. I got to see them a lot sometimes because I like to sleep through the night. But, when it's daytime, you get to see some shimmers of maybe a little, little rainbow. If there's someone out there that's likes little rainbows, it’d be kinda cool.

 

Harper (Guide):

As you sit there and kind of talk under your breath in that whisper, you do start to see that shimmer again as somebody dumbs up more water and the shimmer lasts a little bit longer almost as if it was waving to you.

 

Jenine:

Hoku’s going to collect these little forgotten gods like Pokémon. There's spend a token to listen to the shared knowledge of the many small and forgotten gods and ask the table what they think, what they tell you. Could that possibly happen?

 

Harper (Guide):

Yeah I love it.

 

Jenine:

Yes! I think specifically what Hoku is trying to listen for is like why there aren't - why there aren't those beings here anymore. If this is one of the first places that the gods were taken away if possible and this is like the last remanence… that's what the token is, in this small moment of - thinking back of like the token that they're using is the one that was used for Sparky when they left an offering for Sparky and wants to use that like memory of like trying to get more of that information from here.

 

Harper (Guide):

And that's for the table to answer, not for me.

 

Michi:

What is this the small and forgotten god of?

 

Harper (Guide):

Tiny rainbows.

 

Octa:




In this sparkle and the shimmer you get a bit of a sense or the absence and the feigntness of the small gods of these of this land. And we just learnt a little bit about how gods and belief work and this almost serves as confirmation. And you feel like their presence isn't welcome, isn't wanted specifically. And maybe this small god is giving you a feel of I'm being ignored. I'm not being listened to. I'm not being cared for and it's like teetering on the edge of this disillusion.

 

Jenine (Hoku):

I'm caring for you. I'm not really a kith that is in sunlight a lot but I would like to stay outside in the sun just to see you every so often, so know that even if I'm not with, you are still welcomed in this space.

 

Harper (Guide):

That's beautiful. I think you also get a token. We jump back over to the memoriam. Neu touches the thoughtsmore and essentially what you see is a group of kith around a fireplace. Several ones that are around like early twenties, maybe like mid-twenties and amongst them is a very, very young chicken. A chicken kith. All sitting around the fire and they are working around a book, a very old book. And they're reading through it. And you kind of like look at the book and it's written in a language that you don't really recognize. And they're using the other piece of paper that they have to literally translate. And they eventually finally like piece something together and one of them reads out a poem, “In twilight shroud a haunting tale unfurls. Where shadows dance and the silence swirls. In whispered winds the echoes start to grow, a haunting verse of humans lost.” And they continue to read until they're disrupted by a purple shimmering phantasm of a human who appears. The very vague shape of it,

 

Harper (Human):

Oh you have made a grave mistake. I will return one day to take back what is mine.

Kenzie:

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