Episode 56 - Skin Deep

Intro
Jason: Hello and welcome Celestial Expanse, a real play D&D podcast set in the Celestial Expanse universe. My name is Jason, and I'll be playing everyone's favorite heretic elf, Theran. Tonight, you'll witness much chicanery and tomfoolery, and if you're lucky, perhaps some ballyhoo. But now I want to introduce the Prime Minister of Sinister, the Foreman of Fornicating Skyward, the Numero Uno of rolling numero uno, the 57th most hated GM in podcast history, our friendly neighborhood GM, Matthew. How are you tonight, Matthew? Matt: Pretty good. It appears I'm back on the list. Jason: We had to remake the list after you broke it. Ben playing Rell, how's things old chap? Ben: Uh, hi. Jason: Rebecca, who's playing the kind and generous Martle. Matt: *cough* bullshit. Jason: Bore us with bunny facts, Rebecca. Rebecca: So, unspayed female rabbits develop something called a dewlap on their chest kinda below their chin, that is a spot where they can pluck fur to make nests from. Jason: Boston playing our favorite shrub Juniper. What's up? Boston: 0/10 way to gamble, don't do it children. Jason: Natalia playing Z. What ho, Natalia? Natalia: Uh, I have no response for Boston's stuff, but that was a very cool fact Martle. Rebecca. Jason: Lastly, Mitch playing Z-rial. What's up? Mitch: Hey hey. How's it goin. Jason: Take it away Matt.

Episode Description
The Crew return to the Terminal and Junipers Amethyst, trying to figure out their next plan on how to use the Catalyst.

Summary
After seeing Lilith in the CENN broadcast, the crew decides to ask Amethyst what he knows about their enemies. Jörmungandr opens a channel to his cell, where he was standing in the middle of the floor, looking straight at the camera. He dismisses zombies as a mere inconvenience, and says the crystal creatures were the true enemies of the empire. They could grow in such a way such that their facilities and armies had trouble destroying them. He mentions a base dedicated to researching Shedders, which the crew confirms to be Starbase Cronus. He says those shedders were only a sample of the possibilities. They ask about Lilith, but he doesn't recognize the name. He said there was no one in charge of the zombies, but their propagation increased. He is annoyingly smug during the conversation, and when he has provided the information, asks if he can rest. Martle tells Jörmungandr to blast extremely raucous music, but Amethyst takes a nap anyway, seemingly unperturbed.

Juniper asks Jörmungandr to hide the Catalyst, and make sure even Theran can't get it. He opens her room's safe, and they agree he will shock Theran unconscious if he attempts to open it. Then Juniper goes to see Amethyst, asking Jörmungandr to shut off the music when she arrives. Unlike Martle, Juniper accepts Amethyst's claim that they are the same race, and she tells him about the Inquisition. His racism becomes evident, and Juniper says she is aiming for equality, not superiority. He says she seems intelligent, but lacks the savagery necessary to kill thousands, if not millions for her goals. Juniper says she would if she had to; the Inquisition killed her family. He asks if she would be willing to kill the families of Inquisition members, and she says she doesn't think it would be necessary. His attitude shifts from teacherly to predatory. She tries to shocking grasp him, but hits the shielding of the cell. She then casts Shatter, and watches as his face regenerates. He tells her she has much to learn, and returns to his bed.

Juniper returns to the bridge and tells Martle how scary Amethyst is, and they talk about his superiority complex. Matt inserts himself into the campaign to say he has more than just a superiority complex, then exits. They talk to Jörmungandr and learn that his soul resides in the ship, but his body is elsewhere. Restoring him to his body would require rituals lost to time, and a humanoid body would not be able to hold him, even a Talon. Jörmungandr's soul requires an entire level of the ship to hold him. Jörmungandr says Talons are activated in certain ways unknown to him. Amethyst probably knows how. Z decides she needs a drink, and Martle objects, reminding her that Martle is trying to keep the crew safe. Zarial offers Z a beer, which she takes, but then puts down when Jörmungandr invites her to pilot the ship.

They return to the Terminal, where only five minutes have elapsed due to black hole time dilation. Demia has seen the broadcast and guesses they want to go to Parliament, and summons them to the map room. The crew are seen as heroes on the station at this point, and a crowd swarms around them. Theran takes a couple selfies and Zarial diverts to a bar where someone offered to buy him a drink, but Martle heads straight for the map room. Z sees Lelia drinking more of her booze and approaches her, axes out. Theran draws his bow on Z. Z offers to trade her empty beer for the booze, but Theran hits it with an arrow. They tell Demia about finding Amethyst, though don't say anything besides he's an asshole. They also say they found the Catalyst, and that Parliament is a relay station. Demia isn't happy about this, given that Parliament is overrun with zombies and doesn't like the crew since they broke Quin out of prison. She said Lelia could have handled that better, but Lelia said it was a chance to get Quin free, it was good for the other plan she had initiated, and that she knew Theran could do it, and trusted him.

Demia offers backup for them going to Parliament, but Rell and Martle point out that their ship is a literal god. At this, Demia grabs the booze from Lelia and goes to her office. Lelia promises them a squad as a distraction for whatever they might face at the Parliament asteroid. She says she thinks they'll really need whatever the Catalyst can bring, because they're losing the war. Martle still doesn't like the idea of sending off an unknown signal. Lelia says she feels awful sending people to their deaths, and sending her sister and boyfriend to the unknown, unable to go with them. Theran repeats the word "boyfriend," and Lelia reaffirms it. Even though she usually jokes about him, if the massacre on their moon hadn't happened, she thinks they would be married now. Theran balks and Lelia gives him a look, but Martle validates his fear of commitment.

Martle wants to go as soon as possible, but most of the crew want a break. Z, remembering she has a stash of booze at Parliament, is ready to go now. They decide to take the day for rest. Z and Zarial go to a bar, and Martle takes Lelia to go see Amethyst.

New Information
Talons were found in various ruins in the Age of Discovery, in millennium 95, year 383, about 100,000 years ago. The Talon in Parliament is called the Witness, and is always there when Parliament is in session.

Memorable Quotes
Ben: You're always the smartest person in the room when you're the only one there.

Martle: As the voice from above says, maybe he has more of a god complex. Natalia: Wow, thanks Overlord.

Demia: Your ship can go through a black hole. Martle: Yes it's a dragon god, keep up.

Trivia
On the first roll of the night, an Insight check on Amethyst, Mitch and Natalia got nat 1s while Rebecca got a nat 20.