Episode 72 - Z's taxi service

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 will witness much chicanery, tomfoolery, ballyhoo, and if you're lucky, maybe even some skullduggery. But now I wanna introduce the Prime Minister of Sinister, the Foreman of Fornicating Skyward, the Numero Uno of rolling numero uno, Matthew. How are you doing tonight, Matthew? Matt: In slight pain, but overall pretty good. Jason: Suck it up princess, we have a long ride tonight. Matt: Mm. Rebecca: No! Jason: Ben! Playing Rell. What's the square root of 144? Ben: 12. Jason: Thanks, I got that - hold on lemme write that down, it's my son's homework. Okay. Boston, playing our favorite shrub Juniper. How was work tonight, Boston? Boston: *thud of mic* Jason: We'll take that as great. Rebecca! Playing the kind and generous Martle. How are you Rebecca? Rebecca: Depressed. Jason: Expresso depresso? Rebecca: No, just depress. There is no fun flavor here. It's just depress. Jason: Just plain vanilla depression. Rebecca: Yup. Jason: Is it covid depression or just your basic run of the mill bleuh? Rebecca: It's rainy day depression. Jason: Understood. I would tell you I hope you feel better but that always sounds so trite and makes me want to punch myself in the face. Rebecca: "Ooh, it's all in your head, uh nuh nuh nuh" yeah where else would it be coming from. Jason: Yeah, where else. Where else is reality. Natalia! Playing Z. How's your fiverr going, Natalia? Natalia: So far we do not have any dings, but it's only been up for like four hours, so hanging in there. Jason: Your work is great, I have no trouble believing in you. Natalia: Aww, thanks! Jason: Mitch playing Zarial! Tell us about those cookies you're so famous for, Mitch! Mitch: Ahhhh, I'm not really famous for cookies but I can make some pretty damn good cookies. Jason: Oh yeah, like what's your favorite kind? Mitch: Ooh, snickerdoodle. Jason: No shit. Rebecca: Ohhh, snickerdoodle's good. Mitch: Snickerdoodle's top notch best cookie. Jason: You're on, the first time I meet you dude, bring the snickerdoodles or it's a punch in the bag. Matt: Especially if they're like fresh out of the oven. Jason: Or, fresh out of your pocket. That's okay too. I'm alright with that. Mitch: Chocolate's a little gooey - Rebecca: No! Jason: Pocket cookies, baby! Back to you, Matt!

Episode Description
The Crew rush to complete their mission to prevent the Fabricator in falling in enemy hands. It's a dangerous job and the party is just getting started.

Summary
The episode begins with Martle and Theran facing down a red monstrosity in the Fabricator's room. They see a floating device surrounded by some sort of bubble, connected to a power generator. There are also plants growing directly on the ground, without soil. They fight the golem, called a Goliath, who creates a crystal wall between them and shoots them with a crystal needle cannon. Theran plants a charge near the power source and they retreat, blowing it as they go, shattering the Fabricator and the goliath and collapsing the room.

Zarial is back at the hospital. The rest of the crew is in the APC, Z driving, Marcule firing the gatling gun on the roof. Rell notices controls for the APC's cannons by the copilot's seat, and presses a big red button labeled "AR targeting system." His seat lowers to below the APC, where he can see the cannons directly. He takes five shots, doing considerable damage, but after the fifth shot smells something burning. The cannons are red hot and there's an alert that something short circuited. Apparently it hit the battery bank of the APC. One of the hover thrusters explodes. Z fails to land on top of the building, and instead the vehicle crashes through the side and falls down to the ground floor.

Theran and Martle are running up to the roof when the APC crashes through the wall. Theran gets out of the way, but Martle is pinned against the wall. She wiggles out with Theran's help, and they jump onto the vehicle. Z and Rell manage to divert enough power to two working engines to take off. They kill more golems, but see that there are more pouring out of the crystal globe. Marcule recommends retreat, and Z starts back to the hospital. Theran lets Marcule know that the Fabricator simply broke apart rather than exploding, but Marcule says they wouldn't have the technology to repair it.

Martle feels someone's eyes on her and sees the Harlequin. She tells Theran to shoot him, and flips the Harlequin off as he does so. The Harlequin catches the photonic arrow, and blows Martle a kiss.

On the way back to the hospital, Marcule tells them the colony is done for, and they will need help evacuating. Martle offers to help however they can, and Marcule says they may have something for the crew in turn. He'll meet them at the center where they first met.

The hospital is in chaos. Wounded are everywhere, and some people have crystal growing on their bodies, treated with amputation. Martle uses Lay on Hands on 45 people, and Juniper uses Shocking Grasp on crystals. Juniper gives magic users the designation for the teleportation circle on the Jörmungandr, and people start evacuating to the ship.

They meet with Marcule, who is accompanied by a gnome bodyguard, Jax. Marcule gives Martle a black box, which holds the gravity device. He asks Martle to promise him that she'll use it to get rid of Amethyst. She says she intends to, and grows stronger with the new oath. The rest of the crew also feel stronger.

Memorable Quotes
Matt: Does a surprise round give advantage? Ben: You said call high or low.

Jason: So Matt just switched us to a new map, where there's like 80 billion bad guys out here.

Rebecca: Is there another gun? Matt: Uh, somebody blew that one up. Ben: *nervous laughter*

Trivia

 * The APC cannon is a rapid fire weapon, meaning you can keep firing on your turn, but take a stacking -1 after each shot. It does 5d10 damage. Rell took five shots, ending in a nat 1. He called low and Matt rolled a 78, resulting in the damage to the ship.
 * Everyone leveled up at the end of the episode, gaining a level in their Legacy class.