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Alex, Esther, Fai, and Justin play the tarot-based, GMless monstrous dating TTRPG okcryptid by Tadhg Lyons.
Two gnomes, a tief-elf, and a talking dog walk into a bakery. This is their story.
Chromythica is a Pathfinder 2e actual play campaign about belonging, community, and the process of making meaning out of complex situations. Come for friends having boisterous fun, stay for the journey we go on together!
Chromythica Night of the Living Gays Screener Transcript
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This episode was recorded and produced on Lisjan Ohlone land. We give our great respect to the indigenous peoples of this land and the surrounding areas,
and to the indigenous peoples of all the lands that you are joining us from.
To learn more about how you can support Lisjan Ohlone land rematriation efforts, please read the information in our show notes.
Chromythica is part of the Rainbow Roll Network, an event-focused cooperative network for LGBTQIA-led, creator-owned Actual Play podcasts. To learn more about Rainbow Roll Network shows, please visit rainbowroll.network
Content notices for this episode include: mild sensual and sexual references; strong language.
Esther: Hello and welcome to Chromythica! Today we are recording a really special episode for the Rainbow Roll Network's Night of the Living Gays event! And we are usually a Pathfinder 2E actual play campaign, but today we're gonna be playing the game okcryptid by Tadhg Lyons.
I am Esther Wallace, my pronouns are she/her and zhe/zher. And I'm gonna turn it over to the rest of the cast to introduce themselves and then we'll tell you a little bit about the game and about our characters.
Alex: Hello, I'm Alex. My pronouns are they and them. And I usually play Professor Z in Chromythica.
Justin: Hello, I am Justin. My pronouns are he/him. I usually play Ember in Chromythica.
Fai: Hello, I'm Fairuz. My pronouns are she or they, and I usually play Temerity Vane on Chromythica.
Esther: So okcryptid is a tabletop RPG that is about the experience of being attracted to and tracking down and maybe even dating a cryptid or a creature that is aligned with the paranormal. So, we'll tell you about our characters for this game and then describe the creature we've come up with, and then we'll get into playing.
I am gonna be playing Kevin Devin Evins, a bro who loves the gym, hanging out with his buddies and playing Madden, and tracking down hot paranormal creatures.
Alex: I will be playing Lady Portlock. Lady Portlock is an aristocrat who has traveled the world looking for cryptids and other mysterious creatures. That is how she spends her time. She does not have to work. She only drinks from crystal when served over a tablecloth and travels by a private jet or wooden boat.
Justin: I will be playing Ruby from Ruby's Reviews: an influencer, professional selfie taker, and someone who goes around exploring just for views.
Fai: I'm gonna be playing Layla... named after the night with a soul as dark as it.
Esther: Wonderful. So, let's describe the creature we've come up with. We're calling this creature the Swamp Siren. And do y'all wanna describe some of the attributes?
Justin: I believe we decided that the swamp siren would be a bit of an algal, eerie, bioluminescent creature who lives in the swamp and who lures wayward souls with their siren song.
Esther: Love it. So maybe a couple things to know about this game before we get started: we each have a Kiss Me and Kill Me score, which we'll be tracking throughout the game. The Kiss Me score is what tells us if the cryptid, the paranormal being, is attracted to us. And the Kill Me score tells us if we are not doing so hot on that count. We each have three different stats: Curious, Charming, and Deft. And we can put a total of three points in our highest stat, and then two points, and then one point. So for instance, my highest stat is Charming, in which I have a score of three. My next highest stat is Deft, and my lowest stat is Curious, where I have a score of one. I think with that we'll just get into the game and hopefully you can get a taste for it through our playing.
Alex, I think you are gonna start us off!
Alex: I believe I am gonna start off. I will start by drawing a Scene Card, and these are from the Major Arcana of a tarot deck. So I'm going to pick a scene card: The Star. So the scene: "You're beginning to think this whole endeavor is fruitless. Many others have tried to find and prove the existence of the creature before. Why should you be the one to succeed? In a moment of doubt, what is it that renews your drive and inspires hope?" So I wanna set a little bit of like geographic context too. I think we decided that, we're in somewhere swampy probably like a bayou in Louisiana -- is that what, is that what we chose? And as Lady Portlock, you know, it's just been a quite a difficult journey so far. I mean, everybody else seems to be making much more progress in their pursuit of the Swamp Siren. They're all in airboats, but my canoe isn't quite going as fast and, you know, I've just been paddling around.
The sun has set, it's gotten dark and the stars have come out in the swamp. And off in the distance there's an -- a bluish greenish light. It looks sort of far enough away and around the corner that I can't really tell what it is yet, but just that site is renewing the hope that I might find the Swamp Siren. I haven't yet heard anything that proves it, but I'm gonna take my paddle and daintily dip it in the water and slowly start to make my way towards it.
Esther: And Alex, what is your Investigator's goal for this scene?
Alex: So my goal is to quietly approach and be able to see the source of the green light. So I'm gonna try and do it very quietly, like just very gently paddle my, canoe.
Esther: And which, attribute do you think that would require you to roll from? Curious, Charming, or Deft?
Alex: I'm gonna go for Curiosity. This is renewing my interest. There's definitely a, a curiosity vibe going on here.
Esther: And how many dice are you rolling?
Alex: I will be rolling two dice.
Esther: 2d6.
Alex: Yes. Lady Portlock's greatest attributes are her Charm. She's really great at demonstrating the ladylike nature and just socializing with especially those who are a little bit more well-to-do than, say, Kevin over here. Her second best attribute is Curiosity. She really has not much Deft, not the most, strong and deft, more dainty and ladylike. So Curiosity is her middle attribute, and I will roll 2d6 to see if I can salve my curiosity.
I have rolled a six. "If the total of your roll is a six to eight, the investigator succeeds, but at some cost. As with major failure, players should discuss and decide on this cost together." You still can choose to help me or, or hinder me too.
Justin: I was thinking, 'cause I liked this idea of like, people ordinarily come here with airboats, but Lady Portlock is trying to approach more cautiously, that I don't imagine Ruby would try very cautiously. So I definitely imagine Ruby just kind of like, holding onto her like, sun hat holding her her phone in some kind of airboat and is like, "So we're here, we're like, we're getting closer. There's this weird eerie light in the distance and I'm gonna try to get closer. So I was thinking of rolling Deft to inhibit."
Fai: do we know what time of day it is?
Alex: The sun has set. That's why I can see the glow.
Justin: Okay. So my Deft score is two, so I will roll 2d6. That is also a six. So I succeed, but also at a cost. But my success gives a minus one, I believe, on your roll, unless someone else counteracts that.
Esther: I'm gonna try to counteract that. I'm rolling up in a kayak with like, a GoPro strapped to my head and Kevin Devin Evans thinks of himself as like, you know, a really sporting guy who's like, strong and has a lot of skill. And so is like paddling over and sees Lady Portlock maybe struggling a little bit and is like, "Don't worry bro, I got you!" And is gonna try to help you out and we'll see if that works. I rolled a two!
Alex: Failure with some significant consequence!
Esther: I'd like to fall out.
Alex: Of the kayak?
Esther: Yes. [cast laughs]
Justin: I also... well, I got succeed at a cost, right. So I think I will probably lose my sun hat and get a floating minus one going forward as I try to get it back.
Alex: Okay. That makes sense. What do you want your cost to be, Kevin?
Esther: Hmm? What do y'all think another good consequence would be? It's supposed to be major, so...
Alex: What skill did you use this time?
Esther: Deft?
Alex: Maybe because you're sopping wet you can't really be Charming next time. You like, have to choose Curiosity.
Esther: Oh, I like that. Let's do it.
Fai: But I mean, then again... If you're talking to the Siren, maybe that just makes you more hot.
Esther: We'll find out, won't we? Who goes next?
Fai: Buzzing by in my airboat, Kevin Devin Evans has amused me and therefore, I will offer some kind of aid.
Esther: Thank you.
Fai: I guess I'm gonna like, like I'm not gonna try to pull him up, but I'll be like, "You can climb on if you can." But like, he's all slippery and stuff. I'm curious to see where this goes. That's 3d6, yeah? I got a 12.
Esther: "If the total of your roll is above a 10, the Investigator succeeds and is granted a bonus. As with costs and consequences, discuss these with other players." So the most common choices for bonuses are that you can add an extra plus one to the Scene Leader's roll, or you can draw a card from the Clue Deck. Or if it's the final roll in a scene, which yours is, you can add a floating plus one to the next scene.
Fai: I want a clue! Ooh! Noted.
Alex: We need to conclude the scene. And I believe at this point, Ruby took a point from me... but Layla added a point, right? So I think I'm back where I started. So I think what's gonna happen here is that Ruby is gonna take out her phone and get kind of loud and start to try to record what's going on. Kevin falls out of the kayak trying to help and is like splashing around. And Layla comes by in the airboat, but the way the airboat is pointed, it like blows Ruby's hat off into the water and distracts Ruby. So Ruby is no longer able to ruin my quiet approach in the, in the canoe with the camera.
So I do succeed, but there is a consequence. And so I think in this consequence there's been like a whole bunch of ruckus going on everywhere, right? So I think the monster may have noticed me in this, like I didn't approach stealthily. And maybe I end up with even like a -- yeah, maybe we add an extra card to the meeting spread because we're not prepared yet because we made too much noise and we were not stealthy.
How does that sound to everybody?
Justin: Sounds good. I have added another card to the meeting spread, which -- as far as I'm aware, it doesn't mechanically matter what card it is -- it is the Ten of Wands, if anyone is curious.
Alex: So that was Curiosity. I can choose one of the creature's Like or Dislike cards to turn face up. So one of the suits?
Justin: Yes. So I just have the four cards laid out. So either pick a suit or pick a number one through four?
Alex: Well, actually -- Layla, I could help you. What gift do you have to bring the monster? And maybe we can figure out how much the monster likes or dislikes that particular gift. Be a little collaborative here.
So the gifts as a reminder for the four suits. Uh, if you have a Cups, that's an emotional gift. If you have a Wand that's a creative gift, like an art or a poem. If you have a Sword that's like a shared hobby. And if you have a Pentacle that's like a physical gift, like an item. Layla, if you want to share your gift with the group, then I will reveal the Likes and Dislikes of your gift card. If you don't, I'm just gonna pick randomly.
Fai: Oh, okay. I'll share with the group. It's Eight of Wands.
Alex: Eight of Wands. So it's a creative gift. What is it? Art? Is it poetry? Is it, a, like death metal song? Describe your creative gift.
Fai: [singing] "Well, you get down the fiddle and you get down the bow!" You know, that kind of thing. That's what I had in mind.
Alex: All right, so let's, let's reveal the monster's Likes and Dislikes in Wands. Ooooh... will not like your gift.
Fai: Monster's not about Louisiana Saturday Night? Damn! It was too obvious. It was too easy.
Justin: It is Five. So the Five of Wands is the the card, which means that the monster -- so, however you discern, the monster will not like this. All right. I think it's the Scene Leader who nominates the next Scene Leader.
Alex: I think I'm gonna have Ruby lead the next scene.
Justin: Okay. Okay. So Ruby... "The Wheel: luck, change, patterns. The creature seems to be going through some sort of intense transformation. Did they change physical form or their behavior? How did you learn of this change? Does this have any effect on my feelings for them?"
I imagine that as Ruby has been approaching this kind of eerie glow in the boat that perhaps there is the start of a song that is changing -- like, get into kind of earshot and there's this bit of song and it starts to sort of change a bit to something a little bit more -- faster tempo, a little bit more, let's say desperate, a little bit more intense.
Ruby is going to start recording and just be like, "So we're getting closer. I can hear it and I'm really, really excited for this. I'm going to try to sing out back to it because like, music is the connection here, so I'm going to connect with it with music. Of course when people are act together, like, we can actually make music together." And it's gonna kind of try to entice the group to like, reach out in songs. I'm gonna go for Charm. And will it have any effect on my feelings? Who knows? Uh, so I'll roll first. Oh. Oh, that was not good. Okay, that's a six. So, succeed at a cost, unless --
Fai: Unless Layla wants to sabotage you because her attempt didn't go well, so why should yours? You're not gonna outing me in this swamp, you bitch.
Justin: I'm really not. I, that's my three and I rolled really low.
Fai: I was hoping to roll Charming for this, 'cause it's my lowest stat. I don't know if how that works. Like, wait, if I rolled too low, that means I, I fail at --
Justin: You fail. And you would give me a bonus.
Fai: In that case, I'm going to help you by trying to sing badly.
Justin: Okay!
Alex: So you roll 1d6 if Charming is your lowest...
Fai: Two!
Justin: All right, well you fail! [Fai and Justin giggle] But you're trying to help me, so I'm down at five now. And you take a consequence, which I suppose could just be throwing away the, the fiddle since you know it isn't gonna help you.
Alex: Yeah. You, could lose the Clue Card.
Fai: Yeah, that's fine. If you guys wanna give me a better consequence, you're welcome to.
Justin: No, I think that's the most rational one.
Alex: Especially because that was a like, musical Clue Card that you had, too.
Fai: Okay.
Justin: Yeah. Yeah, makes sense. And I'm realizing that like, I think I took as my consequence last time, a minus one going forward.
Alex: Yes.
Justin: So I believe I am down at four now.
Alex: Four?
[cast laughs]
Esther: [Kevin bro voice] I would like to use my Curiosity to try to figure out what the creature is doing right now, 'cause it seems like, the Siren is like... just something is _up_ and I don't know what!" So I'm gonna roll Curiosity. Now.Did I have a minus one or was just that I had to roll Curiosity next roll?
Alex: I think it was just that you had to roll -- you couldn't be Charming because you were sopping wet.
Esther: I rolled an eight and so I succeed at some cost. What should the cost be?
Justin: Are you trying to help or inhibit?
Esther: I'll try to help Ruby.
Justin: Okay, so I get one more. So I'm up to five.
Fai: I think your cost should be, you fall out of the boat.
Justin: Again?
Alex: Again!
[Justin laughs]
Esther: In like, peering over in the water and like far ahead, I just tumble right on out.
Alex: Is it the same consequence again? You still can't be charming and you're just back to Deft and Curiosity?
Justin: I like it. It's funny.
Esther: Sure.
Fai: I thought the falling was the --
Justin: I think it's the narrative -- that's the narrative one and the mechanical --
Alex: "Well, as a lady, I have practiced my, my singing in the, in the parlor many times. I am going to sing along and really try to harmonize in a very charming manner. Charm is my best attribute. And so I'm going to roll 3d6 to see whether I can help Ruby in this task, even though Ruby was, uh, you know, kind of a... I don't know, I don't wana say that word. It's unladylike." Anyways, I have rolled my 3d6 and I have rolled a nine, so I succeed. And I think it's just a general success. So, you know, I'm just, I'm very competent when it comes to singing and I just harmonize along with, with Ruby. We just really, you know, get it going. And it maybe seems like the creature is starting to, you know, come into key with us.
Justin: So Ruby starts recording and Ruby, Layla and Lady Portlock all try to like, harmonize together. And there's kind of this, this change in the intensity of the Siren song that we're hearing that's kind of like starting to, to like draw us in. And Kevin, who is particularly curious, falls out of the canoe again.
Okay, so that is a success, but at a cost. So I'm going to use my success to get one Kiss Me point for doing Charm. And then my cost... what will my cost be? I'll say, in attempting to sing out Ruby, uh, accidentally sings with a little bit too much gusto and gets kind of a, a frog in her throat and gets a little bit hoarse. So I will take one die away from my next Charm roll. And I will nominate the very wet Kevin.
Esther: So I am in the water. I've fallen out of two boats at this time, and I'm treading water right now just looking at this eerie, glowing light in the distance, hearing this haunting Siren's call. And what I'm gonna say as I'm treading water is, I'm like: "When your team is down in the final quarter, that is not the time to give up. It's the time to fight!" And I'm just gonna start swimming towards this light as quickly as I can and I'm gonna use my Deft roll, which I don't anticipate will go too well. But I rolled a six, which is as good as I could have done.
And yeah, I draw a card for the scene. Cool. So I drew The Fool, and it is: "One of the basic facts Investigators thought they knew about the creature is proven to be false. Read through the traits that were assigned to the creature at the beginning of the game and choose one. How did you discover this piece of information was so demonstrably false? Did this revelation cause any major problems? Where do you think the false story came from in the first place?"
So I succeeded as I'm swimming. Uh, and I think I like to say that I notice a lack of algal bloom around the creature. Like, I'm just moving through water that's pretty clear. There's not a ton of algae. And so maybe that's what I discover, we discover is not exactly true. I'll wait to see what y'all may choose to do before I decide my consequence.
Justin: I think Ruby is going to, as we're getting kind of closer, uh, tentatively get out of the boat to try to get into this space and, and see what's going on.
So I think I will roll Curiosity to see if perhaps I can help you see what's going on. She'll take out her, her phone and like try to zoom in. Curiously. Ooh! Six! Succeed but at a cost. I'm like, I think I will zoom in and uh, and be like, "Oh, look at that!" Sploosh!
[Fai and Justin laugh] That's a big cost for a gal like Ruby, ain't it?
Justin: Oh, Ruby's, Ruby's phone is, is super waterproof. She's Just gonna have to like, dig through the muck to get it. It's fine. I'll just say a minus one going forward on the next one. [giggles] But, uh, that was a success, so plus one to you.
Esther: Wonderful. So that's me at a seven.
Alex: Ah, yes. Well, Lady Portlock is going to, uh, really try to help Kevin out to, to get a better view by paddling as hard as she can, Deftly, to really, uh... maybe Kevin can grab onto the gorgeous wooden boat and really just get propelled forward. I'm going to roll 1d6 and see what happens. I rolled a three. I suffer some significant consequence.
Justin: I think that cancels out my plus one.
Esther: Yeah. So I'm back at six.
Alex: You're back at six. I think this has really just worn me out so much that I will take a minus one to my next roll. I'm just too tired. Does that make sense?
Justin: Yeah, I think so.
Esther: I think so.
Fai: You've become weary.
Alex: "I've become weary. Somebody bring me my, uh, my tent and my fainting couch."
Fai: Your smelling salts!
Alex: "Yes. I'd love a tea and some toast as well. Maybe a piece of cake."
Justin: "I've got some trail mix!"
Fai: So she tried to help by just like, getting him and, and getting quicker to, closer to the source? Is that the vibe?
Alex: "Indeed. I put my whole back into paddling and I just threw it out on the first stroke, and so I didn't get very far. But I was trying to paddle to Kevin and really help him along."
Fai: I would like to try to use _my_ boat, you know, turn up the fan or whatever, and, uh, give hers like, you know, just a little love tap to help her! Like, not, not like crash into her, but gently bump into her so that you know, she won't have to -- she says she's tired! She won't have to like, row no more. I will provide the thrust, and we can just propel ourselves faster and maybe... into... kevin? But presumably our wake will help push him forward, you see?
Alex: That sounds wonderful.
Fai: Great. I will roll two Deft die. Nine!
Alex: Ooh!
Justin: Ooh!
Alex: You succeed!
Fai: Hey!
Justin: It's a plus one on the final roll and no cost for you!
Esther: So that puts me at a seven. So I will succeed, but at some cost.
Justin: One thing Alex did, which was good, was the adding a card to the, to the meeting spread of like bumping up the timeline. So that's an option.
Let's do that.
Alex: Was this a Deft roll?
Esther: Yes, it was.
Alex: So you get to also like, draw a Clue Card.
Esther: Oh! I get to draw a Clue Card!
Alex: Yeah.
Esther: Okay. And let me write that down real quick. Cool. So we've succeeded in figuring out that the creature is not as algal as previously thought. I will turn to Layla as I'm treading water and catching my breath for a moment. And I'll be like, "I'm tagging you in, bro. And by bro I mean like, whatever gender you identify as. But you know, this isn't like a, it's not like a competitive race. It's a relay for me. So I'm tagging you in!" And I tag you in.
Fai: [giggles] Okay. So card time, is that how it works? Justice! Scroll, scroll. Hold on. "The creature experiences something which upsets them deeply. To you, the event seems harmless, but it has upset them all the same. What happened? What does this tell you about the creature's worldview versus your own?" Ooh, hmm. A car backfires in the distance? This is like, a normal thing to me, but like, the sounds of society upset and agitate the creature?
Alex: Let's go for it.
Justin:Okay.
Fai: all right, so what do we do from there?
Alex: Now you decide on which attribute you wanna use and like, what your goal is for the scene.
Justin: Do you wanna like, calm the creature or try to understand why, or, I don't know, chuck something?
Fai: I think I just wanna be curious and, try to glean any additional information possible from this. Does that make sense?
Alex: Yeah.
Esther: I like that.
Justin: I think I will try to help by consoling the creature of like, fishing my phone out of the water and trying to like, play some music that's like more along the typical Siren song. I'm gonna try with Charm, which I'm taking a minus one die on and a minus one on. Do you wanna roll first, Fai?
Fai: Yeah. I got five, a one, and a four for a ten.
Esther: Ooh!
Alex: Nice.
Justin: Ooh! I have... oh! Uh, so even though I was down a die and a minus one, that's an eleven.
Esther: Ooh!
Alex: Ooh!
Fai: Woo!
Esther: Wow.
Justin: That's not bad. So, I will take my Clue Card.
Esther: I am also gonna roll Charm to try to aid. Oh! That's a ten.
Fai: Ey!
Justin: Nice.
Alex: Nice.
Esther: Maybe I'll just -- I'll take another clue card. Yeah.
Alex: Why this is all so interesting. With the airboat going one way, I'm gonna try to go the other way and just see what the creature is doing. So I'm gonna paddle my canoe in the other direction, Curiously. And so I'm going to roll two die with a minus one. I got a six. Success, but with some cost. I think the consequence is actually that I've, uh, exerted myself so much now that instead of it just being a minus one, I'm gonna take a Kill Me point because I'm now more frail and easier to be destroyed.
Justin: [giggles] Ooh-ho-ho! So three successes for Fai. So, I'm pretty sure you definitely -- it's high enough that you would get a Clue Card if you want one.
Fai: Yeah!
Justin: All right. And, uh, you rolled, was it Curious?
Fai: I did.
Justin: So you get to turn over one of the remaining Likes and Dislikes. We get to learn more about what they like.
Fai: Oooh!
Justin: So we already know how much the Siren likes creative stuff, which is not that much.
Fai: Mm-hmm.
Justin: Uh, yeah. Five. So we can now ask about emotional gifts, hobbies, or like wealth.
Fai: I would like to ask about emotional gifts.
Justin: Lots! Queen! Queen of Cups.
Fai: what does that mean?
Justin: So anything less than a Queen is a gift that the Siren would like.
Fai: Okay.
Justin: Which is essentially anything except a King.
Fai: Okay.
Justin: The Siren does not want a King.
Fai:
So what does it mean that that's there?
Alex: We know that the Siren really loves emotional gifts.
Justin: So if you have any Cups in your hand, those will be good when it comes to like finally offer the gifts at the end of the game, unless it's the King. In which case, chuck that thing as far as you can.
Fai: Okay, got it.
Esther: Justin, can you remind me what the other one -- is it the Five of Wands?
Justin: Yes, the Five of Wands and the Wueen of Cups are the two that have been revealed.
Esther: Great.
Alex: So Layla, I believe you get to appoint the next Scene Leader.
Fai: I would like to take it back to you, Lady Portlock.
Alex: "Why, thank you." Lady Portlock will draw a car to see what the scene foretells.
Justin: The High Priestess.
Alex: "The creature demands a deep secret from each Investigator. How did this demand come to you? In a dream, in a cryptic visit, a crackly phone call? If the creature likes what you offer, gain a point on the Kiss Me Scale. If you refuse or lie and they see through your deception, gain a point on the Kill Me Scale."
Fai: Ooh.
Alex: I guess this means we each have to roll? Because 'from each of you,' right?
Justin: You know, it's a little unclear. I like that. That makes sense.
Esther: Yeah.
Alex: I think at this point the Swamp Siren is gonna rise gracefully, listening to our beautiful music, sort of a little bit askance from the car backfiring in the distance. And perhaps it's going to... hmm. How will it demand a deep secret? I think it will reach out with one of its, you know, swamp... _things_? And touch each of us. And through that we will understand that we must give it one of our deepest secrets.
And I will say: "One of my deepest secrets and one of my points of great shame is that I failed Physical Education in high school." But I'm going to do that in song. So it's going to be a very Charming way of doing this. So I'm going to roll 3d6. I have rolled an eight.
Justin: I would like to help, but considering that my voice is a little hoarse, I'm going to try to aid in the singing by adding a bit of rhythm. Not quite tap, but you know, like, kind of like, slapping thighs and such.
So I'm going to go for Deft. And I think the secret that I'm going to offer is that I am not very good at providing rhythm. So, we'll see. Eight! That's not bad. Succeed at a cost. So take a plus one from me. And I think as my cost, as me not giving a very deep secret, I will take a Kill Me. But I don't think Ruby would really offer -- she doesn't really offer deep secrets. She keeps those.
Esther: I am touched by this, like, Swamp Siren's... tendril? I look at this as I'm swimming and I'm like, deeply affected. And I realize that I must look deep within myself, so I'm gonna roll Curiosity. And uh, that's an eight. So also success, but at a cost. And the secret I'm gonna offer is I'm gonna start treading water for a moment and say, "Wow, this is a really gorgeous, like, tendril thing. And like, I guess the truth is... I've never really told anybody this, but when I was a kid, I took a year of ballet. And honestly, it went pretty hard. And I really loved it. I wish I'd stuck with it, but I was just too embarrassed once the guys in my class started making fun of me. So, you know, I like, I left it behind and like that's one of my deepest regrets." And that is a pretty deep secret, so I think my consequence will be that I'd like to give away one of my cards. And I want to give away the Six of Wands.
Justin: Good choice.
Fai: Layla's going to be very moved by this request for, a deep truth when touched by this swamp tendril. And will say, "I tell everybody that my favorite album is Disintegration by The Cure, but actually it's Baby One More Time by Britney Spears."
Justin: Oh, I love it! I dig it.
Fai: I did Curious at the top of this one, so it has to be something different. Is that right?
Justin: Yeah.
Fai: I'm gonna try Charming even though it's my lowest one. Let's see how it goes! Four.
Justin: So I think that's just failure with no cost. Yeah. The cost is incurred on one through three and six through eight.
Fai: That's interesting.
Alex: So I think that means that I get a net bonus of one. I got one from Kevin and one from Ruby and Layla just couldn't quite do it.
Fai: "Well you know what? It took a lot to tell that deep of a truth out of me and um, let's be real. Not that charming a person to begin with."
Alex: "Well, I can teach you sometime if you'd like."
Fai: "Actually, that would be dope."
Alex: Anyways, since I have succeeded in my Charming with a nine total, I don't think I need to add to the Meet Spread because we've already got like, six in the Meet Spread, right? So...
Justin: We have seven, actually. If you put one more card, we're in the Meet Creep.
Alex: Oh. Do we wanna be there already?
Fai: I think we should probably be there already.
Justin: Yeah. Okay!
Alex: Let's go to the Meet Creep. I'm ready for it. I mean, I'm really not ready for it, but...
Justin: All right. The Six of Swords! So this is the climactic scene.
"You have concluded your investigation. It's time to come face to face with the creature. It's is the climactic scene of the game. In this phase, your goal is either to fill your four Kiss Me points faster than your four Kill Me points." No one, I believe, has it already full. So the "beginning with the player who added the last card to the meeting spread players will take turns drawing from the top of the remaining Clue Deck. The number on the card they draw will set a difficulty for their next action in the scene." Or you can do that, or you can offer a gift of one of the Clue Cards in your hand. Well, the uh, top card is the Page of Swords, so that is an eleven that you have to beat.
Alex: Lovely. It's an eleven that I have to beat. Well, that's really quite exciting. I believe that I just used Charm, which is in fact my best trait. You know, I think at this point I'm going to, with all of my might throw a very aggressive punch. [cast laughs loudly]
I'm not really sure what this is going to achieve, but I'm pretty sure that I'm just gonna fall flat on my face.
Justin: For each point already on your Kiss Me score, add plus one. For each point on your Kill Me score, take minus one.
Alex: Well, that'll be great. I'll take minus one from this 1d6 that I'm rolling and it's just gonna go really, really well. I rolled a two. That means I got a one. I believe that means I get another Kill Me point.
Justin: You do.
Alex: Exciting. I really think that Kevin has put us all into this. So Kevin, it's your turn.
Justin: Your difficulty is the Eight of Cups. So you have to beat -- yeah, you have to beat an eight.
Esther: So I'm gonna shake my hair out, you know, like a mid-2000s kind of bleached tips, long shaggy like, and the water goes everywhere, and I'm like, "Siren, it's really nice to meet you." And I'm just gonna turn on my most charming grin. Okay. Okay. 11.
Justin: Wow, that succeeds. You get a Kiss Me point.
Esther: I pucker my lips. [giggles]
[Justin makes a kissing noise] Gotta pucker up your lips...
Esther: "I would be honored for your tendrily appendage to go in my mouth." Okay.
Alex: "Wow, Kevin, that was so amazingly charming".
Esther: [laughs] "Thanks."
Alex: "How has no girl already fallen for you?"
Esther: "You know, it's a question I've often wondered about. One of my exes told me that I would be way better off dating cryptid, so that's kind of how I got into this. Anyway, Ruby, lay down your game!"
Justin: I think I'm gonna play my Clue Card. I think Ruby is going to be completely taken by this creature and just break out into this poem of describing the beauty of this creature's scales, of how they scintillate like glass at the bottom of the lake or how their, their tends remind her of like living coral and such.
And so I will just succeed 'cause that is a Four of Wands, which beats the Five of Wands. So I'll take one Kiss Me point, and I will nominate Layla.
Fai: Great! I have a Six of Cups.
Justin:
Oh, that's an automatic success. It is an emotional gift.
Fai: Yes. I will give a heartfelt speech. "You're a creature of the Night, and so am I. I was named after it. I really think that there could be something here, and I too have been shunned by and am disinterested in society. And I just really like swamps and moss and stuff." That's my heartfelt speech.
Justin: "I wish I was recording. That was glorious."
Fai: "Oh my god, thank you, you guys."
Alex: "Alas, I just don't feel that I'm really connecting with this particular cryptid, but I'll give it another go. What is the difficulty of my roll?"
Justin: Your difficulty is... oh! The Ace of Swords. You have to beat a one.
Alex: I think then, I will be, uh, Curious. And my curiosity is to just tell the Swamp Siren "You seem really very unique, and if you could just tell me about your soul -- you asked for our dark, deep secrets and I just, you know, I think we could share in this moment." And I'm gonna roll 2d6. And I got a four, but I lose two points, so I got a two. But I do get a Kiss Me point now. That was a little bit closer than I really wanted to be, but you know, my two Kill Me points are really not helping at this point. Yes, onto you Kevin.
Esther: I'm feeling a little cocky from the results of the last roll, and I'm gonna do something that Esther knows is a bad idea, but Kevin does not. I wanna burn my Ten of Swords.
Justin: Ooh, okay. It's the Nine of Swords!
Esther: Oh damn! So I just like cockily start flexing. And I'm like -- What kind of a gift is it?
Justin: Hobby. Like a shared hobby.
Esther: "So I feel like you probably would be really great at lifting. Let's pump some iron together!" I start like flexing and, um, I'm guessing this does not impress the creature and I take a Kill Me point.
Justin: It does not! You take a Kill Me point. My turn. King of Cups... so that is a little high. That's a fourteen I have to beat. So we're gonna have to roll Charming. I am going to attempt to beat that gun show with just the, like most flattering I can be. Uh, that's a nine -- oh, but plus one from my Kiss Me. But the ten is insufficient. Uh, and I will be completely drowned out by the bouncing sounds of Kevin's biceps. I will take one Kill Me point. I am two for two. It's the Nine of Cups for you. You have to beat to nine.
Fai: I am going to use Deft to try to impress this creature with a feat of dance. I'm just gonna let my feelings express themselves through that art. And we have... seven. I have one Kiss Me.
Justin: So it's eight. But that is still not enough.
Fai:
Still not enough, is it? So I get a Kill Me, right?
Justin: Yep.
Fai: woo-hoohoo!
Justin: The rich keep getting richer!
Alex: what is my task?
Justin: You have an Eight of Pentacles to beat.
Alex: An Dight of Pentacles! I am a charming lady, so I'm going to, uh, stand up in my wooden canoe and with my dress, I'm going to do a curtsy. I rolled a twelve. I lose two points from my Kill Me and I gain one from my Kiss Me. So I believe that's an eleven in total.
Justin: That succeeds. Three of Wands!
Esther: I have one Kiss Me and one Kill Me, so they cancel each other out. And I think I'm gonna go with Curiosity. I rolled a seven in total.
Justin: Seven beats it!
Esther: I pucker up my lips again and wink at the creature. "I would love to know more about your bioluminescence!" And I will pass it off to Ruby.
Justin: Okay. Four of Cups. I might be able to beat that. I'm gonna roll Deft. Ruby is actually rather physically fit and so is going to take a page out of Kevin's book and is going to attempt to show off her abs, which are quite impressive. So we'll see if that works. Six... plus two minus two... succeeds! I will take a Kiss Me point. And then I think it's off to Layla. Ace of Cups, so one.
Fai: I'm going to, seeing that other people's Charm is like helping, I'm gonna go ahead and try mine. It might look a little bit like Wednesday Addam's smiling in Addam's Family Values. You know, like really forced. But we're doing our best. Like, Layla wants this and I rolled a one! And I have one Kiss Me and one Kill Me, so...
Justin: It works!
Fai: Yay!
Justin: Yep. Equal or greater. You succeed -- the skin of your teeth.
Fai: Be very scared of my cringing, smiling teeth.
Justin: It's sincere though.
Fai: Yeah, it is.
Justin: All right, Lady Portlock. Three of Pentacles.
Alex: Oh, how exciting. It's clear that this creature really loves a good set of abs and, you know, a wonderful thick arm muscle. So I'm gonna show off my arms, which, uh, look a little akin to, you know, one of those, uh, skeletons you see in a classroom. But that's really just showing off the, the muscular abilities I have. I rolled a three and I had two bonus points and two taken away, so that's still a three.
Justin: Success!
Alex: Wonderful. The creature's just really impressed with my arms. Got some good guns going on here.
Justin: Got some good guns. Kevin, Ten of Pentacles/
Esther: Ooh, it's gotta be Charm then. Oh! I got to a ten.
Justin: Nice.
Esther: So, uh, there we go.
Alex: What about your Kiss Me and Kill Me points?
Esther: Oh, yeah, I got to an eleven ultimately.
Justin: Nice.
Esther: Because I had two Kiss Me and one Kill Me. And now I'm sitting at three Kiss Me.
Justin: Okay.
Fai: Does that mean you win or is it four?
Justin: No, you gotta get up to four. One more. So let's see, Ruby... Seven of Cups. I would roll Charm, which I'm good at. And I have three Kiss Me right now, so this could be it. We're charming... that is a eleven. Adding the plus three minus two, so eleven total!
[Alex, Esther, and Fai] Ooh!
Justin: Yes! How do I want to do this?
Fai: The Siren probably wants to go and be an influencer with you!
Justin: [laughs] Yeah. So it's kind of this like, I'm just envisioning this scene of this creature who looks alien with kind of like fully dark eyes and then just kind of the, tends just kind of come back into like a well-coiffed kind of like hair. And is like, "So, this show you're doing..."
Fai: Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. One of her, one of her tentacles has got to get your phone out and present it to you. Come on.
Justin: Oh, yes. And the other one kind of curls around her mouth as like a microphone. I think Ruby is going to be like, "Well, Ruby's reviews, turns out going forward it's going to be kind of a dual gig. So come and join us next time as we go out to take our little trip out to Paris to see what lurks in the Catacombs. Tootles!"
Esther: Amazing!
Alex: This is amazing.
[Justin laughs]
Alex: "What a wonderful broadcast."
Esther: "Smash that subscribe brah!" So I think the three of us also get to figure out what the endings for our Investigators are. The rules say, "Decide together what happens to any remaining Investigators after one investigator has successfully filled their Kiss Me score. Do we give up and leave? Or do each of them suddenly have full Kill Me scores? Once the Meet Creep has been resolved, players should discuss an epilogue to the story. Remember, there are many different types of relationship dynamics and every Investigator deserves an ending." So I'm okay if we like meld those two things.
Fai: I love the idea that the three of us become like a weird group, you know? Oh no, I have a great idea. Ruby, desides to expand her channel and she taps us for a reality show that's like the odd couple, but it's all three of us living in one house.
Esther: I love that.
Justin: Yes, absolutely. .
Alex: "What a charming idea!"
Esther: I would love to have a snapshot of like, our reality show where we wind up like, going in search of various monsters.
Justin: I like the idea that though the place they're staying just turns out to be haunted.
Esther: "So as you can see, you can see the orb is hovering above the stairs and it's like, bro, what are you trying to tell us? What do y'all think?"
Alex: "I just like to bask in its glow. I think it makes my skin look lovely."
Fai: "I really wanna go to Texas next because I truly believe that the Chupacabra left me a voicemail..."
Esther: Thanks so much for joining us for this special episode of Chromythica.
We were playing the game okcryptid by Tadhg Lyons.
And if you liked the game and want to purchase a copy for yourself, you can do so at tadhgthebard.itch.io. That's T A D H G the bard.itch.io.
And if you enjoyed what we served up, we'd love to have you join us for our regular show. You can find us on YouTube at Chromythica or on most major podcast feeds. You can also follow us on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram at Chromythica, and visit us on the web at chromythica.com
From all of us here at Chromythica: we hope you tell the stories you most want to encounter in the world.