Beam Saber - MEKONG: Symphony for the Devil, Episode 8 [The Eightfold Path]

[00:00:01] Speaker A: Song egg soon ten. Everybody. Welcome, and welcome all to episode eight of Mekong, a southeast asian space opera adventure. We are so glad you could join us for sticking with us as we dive into our last stretch of this campaign filled with political intrigue and passionate romance and generational trauma and most importantly, some giant robot fighting action brought to you by the folks here at Queensport Games. So our story focuses on a group of people this universe calls Tan on a case of pilots who operate uniquely powerful. You recognize chassis called the sea, say, Xin chao pilots. Through their deeds, decisions, and dice rolls, they will shape their fates in the stars that make up the seven sectors of the Mekong constellation and grapple with the obligations that drove them into this line of work and perhaps change the course of this cosmic river forever. I'm Jerry Law. I'll be directing this here picture with the help of our cast of amazingly talented players here today. So let's get. Let's say hi to them. Okay? First up, the king bitch, the doghouse, the magnanimous Kallaxin bulak lock. Say hello to Ryan Omega. [00:01:03] Speaker B: Hey, everybody. My name is Ryan Omega. My pronouns are he, him, and I play Kalaxin Bullock lock, a Kesey racer who also has a mad passion for dogs, or at least competing with dogs. So that's why king bitch. [00:01:22] Speaker A: Second, she's moody, she's broody, but if you catch her mech six hands, it's over for your sorry ass. Playing rupiah tieng, we have Pooja. Hello. [00:01:32] Speaker C: I am Pooja playing rupiah taiyang. So she, her, and, you know, like all aspiring actors, nothing fuels that passion like having your heart broken and then somebody smashing on all the pieces over and over and over again for seven episodes. Thanks, Jerry. [00:01:57] Speaker A: Next up, we got an ice cold can of WHOOP ass who cannot catch a break. This game playing Roman Maxim. We got Andrew Landy. [00:02:04] Speaker D: What is up, everyone? Andrew J. Landi here playing Roman Max alum. Pronouns for both of us. He, him. Yes, I am your space dad, but you know what? I just want to be a part of your world. [00:02:17] Speaker A: And finally, the princess without a kingdom, but the queen of our hearts, or di Voong, played by my dear friend and our incredible producer, Clara. [00:02:24] Speaker E: Hello, I'm Clara. My pronouns are she, they, and. Ah, so. And I am playing ordivung also. Well, she, her, probably. We've never experimented with a they. [00:02:39] Speaker A: Yeah. Okay. We'll be playing mekong using the beam saber rpg a forge in the dark system written by Austin Ramsey with additional supply drop playbooks written by J Lo file Hazzard and Alfe Danil. Finally one. Also, I'd like to thank our friend of the show, Arian Lee, for helping compiling the cultural, historical and religious research that went into creating the Mekong setting. We love you, Ariane. So you can find links to the cast assorted social media accounts by sending exclamation point cast to the chat. And if you'd like to purchase beam saber for yourself and your own gaming group, go ahead and type exclamation point system. The name of this campaign is Symphony for the devil, written by yours truly. It will contain themes that some viewers may find disturbing. There will be depictions of blood, gore, dismemberment, body horror, drug and alcohol use, violence, warfare, sexual themes, teen angst, existential crises, and lots of profanity, both in English and not in English. The cast and I have discussed our veils and lines and confirmed that everyone here is comfortable playing, but we want you watching from home to be safe as well. So without further ado, let's get straight into it. Long ago, when the light of the stars flowed like a river across the heavens, the Mekong Empire stands divided as the ancient Kunma bokgap din draws nearer and nearer. The three heirs of Chao Phraya, the empire's most stalwart of vassal planets, have set out on paths of their own, for better or worse. The eldest, Anusha Vung, abdicates her royal duties on the cusp of her coronation to pursue the middle path of the enlightened one. The youngest, Kanawa Vung, in conspiracy with the sectors wealthiest and most unscrupulous noble houses and corporate interests, seizes his parents throne, intending to fight off Bakatin himself with the might of the military industrial complex. Morals and ethics be damned, the constellations eyes fall to the middle child, the tandong pilot of the conquered Krasue Oradi Vuong, who has been tasked together with one of the kingdoms most loyal knights, Roman Maxillon, by the gilded order of the inevitable spring to locate Chandra Hasan, the sword of Rama. The two are joined by racer Kalaxin Bulakhlak and former honey smuggler Rupiah Taiyang, and chart a course for a distant world in frontier space, a terraformed planet called Celudan. There they must follow the trail of the last ta nang, tasked with locating the sword, Roman's former commanding officer Feng Hai minh calls sign maestro and ultimately bring back Chandrahasa back to Chao Phraya, before Ba Kap Tin can realize the end to her symphony. In choosing to protect the group's loved ones left behind in the Vyangchan sector, the bureaucrat Zhong Zi inadvertently discovered the true nature of Kanawha's plan to stop bok captain using the corpse of the Genma Kuntilanak to build a line of Gisi genma hybrids called Project Dark angel. The leak prompts Kanawha to send the imperial judiciary forces, aka the hornets, after the group seeking to take back the Krasue and finish the project once and for all. A battle ensues in the city of Banang Pradhu as team menagerie and their allies try to escape Lankaska. That climaxes in an emotional sortie between Roman Maxillon and the Guivungs apprentice pilot, a 16 year old Tan Nong, on a quest to avenge her birth despair. Maximum. After sustaining heavy losses, the group makes a successful retreat from Lankaska orbit. Following the sacrifice of Rupiah's old flame, Captain Devinder Cage, the group is on their last legs as they limp into Celadong's orbit. Two of their bajak lost boy companions, Devinder and Fife, are dead. Their Yantakara technician has sustained a critical gunshot wound and Roman is dying from radiation poisoning after the Apalachi's Seljade corps suffered a meltdown at the hands of the conquered morningstar. Out of the frying pan and into the fire, they've rescued passenger starliners, they've held back floods, fought privateers in the ruins of devastated space colonies, and have won the deadliest Gisi race in the constellation. But can they pull through and finish the mission they started? Or are they doomed to meet their fate hundreds of light years away from home? Find out on this week on Symphony for the devil. Our story begins on a classroom in Chowfraya's capital. One of the instructors looks out at a class of cadet, ten, non, many of them coming from the best that Chow Fryen society has to offer. Today, they learn everything from civics to classics to history to philosophy, and eventually, combat piloting. But today's assignment, the instructor tells this group, is a group one. And already you just found out that you have to do a group presentation with your brother, the really anxious, lonely kid in the back of the class who's also crown prince, but you know, he's. And it's just one of those sibling relationships of like, he I'll be cool over here and he'll be whatever over there, and things are fine. But as you're handed kind of like this paper for this presentation, the assignment says the question for this assignment that needs to be answered is Mekong is a space faring civilization with countless astral bodies settled with light years of space between her most central sectors and her farthest borders. Is our society surviving or thriving? Is the end goal to be at equilibrium with the cosmos? Or is it to master them, just as we did with the land, the sea, and the sky? Uh, you have two weeks. Uh, please, uh, go home and discuss this with your. With your partner. And you see your brother's name at the bottom, and everybody click, gets up and clamors, and they, like, talking excitedly about, like, how they're gonna put together their cool space PowerPoints and all that sort of thing, leaving the two of you in this classroom, and he's just kind of, like, by the window, staring out at the city. He doesn't have his visor on. So basically what Kanua looks like at this point, you guys are both, like, 1516. Yeah, and he's, like, a foot shorter than you because, you know, girls hit their growth spurt quicker than boys do, so he's just kind of, like, sitting in the back. [00:10:16] Speaker E: Yeah. Ordi definitely hit her growth spurt early as well. Anyway, so she was, like, the tallest in her class since fifth grade, and then everyone caught up, and now she's just waiting for her brother. It's unfair that they do this in alphabetical order by last name. I'm just gonna say it. I'm not doing the whole project for you. I need you to do something. [00:10:40] Speaker A: Why? [00:10:44] Speaker E: Because it's not fair. And I think it's fair. [00:10:48] Speaker A: Okay. All right. I. Like something. Something's off about him today. I mean, he's. Something's off about him all the time, but he. But today, especially. And. But not in, like, the usual, like, shit, like, shitty little youngest sibling kind of way. And more like something deeper is on his mind as he kind of, like, stares out the skyline of the city. He gets out of his seat, picks up his backpack. I'm gonna. I'm gonna go home, and I'm gonna. I'm gonna brood. You can do. Just, like, do your. I'll do some research after I'm done brooding, but I'm just. And we'll talk after dinner tonight, I guess. [00:11:37] Speaker E: You good? [00:11:40] Speaker A: No. They called me. They called me boy child today again. And then we went over to, you know, yesterday we went to our aunt's place. They were going on about, like, you think it's good that he's exposed to so much space radiation all the time? And I was, like, right there, you know? [00:11:56] Speaker E: Yeah. [00:11:56] Speaker A: So, no, I'm not good right now, Ordi. I don't think that I'm being treated respectfully as crown prince of this nation. [00:12:06] Speaker E: Oh, okay. Well. [00:12:10] Speaker A: I'm going home. I'm just gonna go home. No, if you want to come. [00:12:13] Speaker E: Yeah, I'll chase him out. I'll chase him out the door. [00:12:16] Speaker A: Like, it's a long chase. [00:12:18] Speaker E: You, like, you follow him through the. [00:12:20] Speaker A: Streets of the city. Like, you go, like, all up and down some hills, like, kind of cut through, and then all the way back to the palace. Like, you see him, like, go up the stairs past all, like, the shrines of Tandong. And as he's, like, walking up past the stairway of memorials, he, like, rips off the sabais off the shrines and just, like, tosses them behind him on the stairs. [00:12:45] Speaker E: As we're going, I'll kind of pick up a couple, but, like, I'm just gonna run after him. Hey, hey, hey. [00:12:54] Speaker A: You get to the throne room, like, you have to, like, push through the double doors. There's that long walkway. And you see him sitting on your dad's chair, like, splayed out. Like, not sitting on his butt, but more like, turn 90 degrees. We're doing one of these, like, staring up at the ceiling, like, throwing a ball. [00:13:17] Speaker E: You are one apple short of a teen drama. What are you doing? If it's about every auntie, assuming that, like, they. I get it too. I'm tall. Because space does weird things to your bones. New is full of shit. [00:13:38] Speaker A: Like, they're all, I talked to Anusha the other day. I was like, hey, sis, you're the oldest. How do you deal with this? And she said, detach. Be middle path. You know, all the religious. And, like, you see him kind of, like, adjust himself, and he reaches into his bag and kind of, like, puts on this mask that he's been trying to, like, make a thing forever. And he just. He just puts it on and he's like, don't look at me. Okay, what's the point? [00:14:18] Speaker E: What do you mean, what's the point? [00:14:19] Speaker A: I don't know. What's the point? Why do we do this? That's. That's what's been on my mind. Why? Why? Why? Right? Like, why do we got to get in these robots? Why do we got to go die fighting some space creatures? Why do we got to go be seen this way and feel like, you know, am I not enough for these people? [00:14:40] Speaker E: Because if we don't, no one does. And everyone has to fight for something. And we didn't get to choose being born here, but that's our choice. That's what we do now. And if we. And, you know, next time around, maybe you'll. Next time around, maybe you'll be a cat, and you can be the laziest cat on the planet. You can be the laziest cat in the sector. [00:15:10] Speaker A: I'm not sitting around waiting to be a fucking cat. Okay. I can ask you a question. [00:15:15] Speaker E: Yeah. [00:15:16] Speaker A: Dee Dee. He looks at you, and he doesn't take off the mask this time. He's just staring at you head on. And he's sitting in the chair. [00:15:25] Speaker E: Yeah. [00:15:26] Speaker A: What do you think this is? A memory? And you see the throne room kind of, like, start to, like, vibrate a little, and then you blink, and you are no longer 16 year old orty. You are present day already. And you're in your pilot suit, and you look up at the throne and you see present day Kanawha with the big makuta crown on his head and the visor. Do you think this was a window into the past? A dream? No. No, I answered the question already. And, you know, I'm just contacting you now across light years. One to flex, because. To show you that I can do this. Now that I'm in your head and you're in my head, and it's like one of those, like, dyad things. What do you think's happening? Oh, that's right. This is the part where I explain it to you. Yeah. You have void exposure, and so do I. You thought you can fight it off with meditation and all that stuff, but, you see, the real kunma, the room vibrates again at the word. The plane starts to shift, even beneath your feet. They were already here on Viongshan. They were the weak, the feeble, the short sighted, who told people like you and I didn't belong in this room or out there in the world. Whatever you think your little quest is doing, I have a much better solution. So why are you shaking your head like that? [00:17:00] Speaker E: If you wanted to do some. If you wanted to uplift people or take over, or whatever it was that you think you're doing now, you're not. You are hurting everyone. You hurt our family, and you're hurting Jaofriah. And I think now you are trying to hurt all of it. The whole empire, everything beyond. [00:17:23] Speaker A: Yeah, because I hate it. [00:17:24] Speaker E: Why? [00:17:26] Speaker A: Haven't you seen. Haven't you looked around you? You've come all this way, right? You've seen the galaxy. What have you seen? People starving. People getting cast out into space. People suffering and you know. And you know, that's the shit that Anousha told me, that, right? Life is suffering, okay? And I'm not accepting it. At least I'm not going to be the one doing the suffering. I'd rather be on the other end of that. That. Uh, so. [00:17:54] Speaker E: So for you, it is suffering or inflict suffering. [00:17:57] Speaker A: Yeah, that's the winning side of the losing side. [00:17:59] Speaker E: No. [00:18:00] Speaker A: Yes. That's. [00:18:01] Speaker E: You know, that's. That's never been what we possess. [00:18:06] Speaker A: The most advanced spacefaring civilization in the history of humanity. Okay? Did you get a chance to see my new project, the Morningstar? It's real nice, isn't it? [00:18:18] Speaker E: You took a good person with a lot of potential and made them terrible. [00:18:23] Speaker A: No, I am doing what we have done for centuries, okay? Look, before we went to space, before we even, like, conquered land, right, we were cavemen, and the wolves were our adversaries, right? And then we tamed them, and we turned them into little fucking pageant animals that walk around in little rallies, right? Now, the Khmer are our adversary. I am just doing what we have done all this time. I'm domesticating them, okay? And sure, maybe that requires us to give us up a part of ourselves, but how much of that have we sacrificed already, right? What makes that any different? [00:19:04] Speaker E: Because you're still hurting people. [00:19:07] Speaker A: Yeah, and they've hurt me, too, okay? They hurt all of us. And that's just the. That's just the way life is. [00:19:11] Speaker E: No, that. [00:19:14] Speaker A: And you know who showed me that? He takes. He taps the visor, and you see it click off the connections. And then his voice starts to do the same thing that despairs did. You should have walked away when you had the chance to know. You thought going on more than a lot of scene could stop my arrival. The mask starts to slip off, and you see his eyes now. They're no longer the baby browns that you saw when you were 15. No, he's. His pupils are not circular discs. They're in a silhouette of scorpions. You thought you voted your little license interest in home. Were you expecting a massive titan to come to terrorize your scenes? You were waiting me to arrive to battle. You enslaved me like a dragon. Right? I have been here the whole time. We have been here the whole time. And you see, like, the silhouette of despair appear next to her. And a silhouette of another tandong pilot, who you presume to be maestro. He's wearing the uniform of the dragon marshal or the commander of the Mekongi's armies. And outside the window of the throne, room. You see that? There's unrest in the city of Fafeng that makes what occurred on Lankaska look like a schoolyard brawl. There are barricades. There are riot police. Royal Marines clash with the protesters. Molotov cocktails are getting lobbed at Kisi Kesey. Fire robots back. And you hear that voice, the one you heard about in the stories of those. The creatures that your ancestors fought thousands of years ago. Do you really think you can help these people, princess? [00:20:59] Speaker D: Do you think you can prove to. [00:21:00] Speaker A: Yourself, to these people, when there's nothing left to prove that they'll never accept you? A child between worlds, hungry for an acceptance that will never fill your rumbling belly. You're no different than that. Demons. A thousand years we've destroyed each other. Whether you vanquished people, it makes you think you won't spend another thousand years doing it all over again. We, the demons who plague your empire, space. When they drink your blood and eat your flesh. But a christian humans seem to do a much better job destroying yourselves. Ordi, who do you think you're talking to right now? [00:21:29] Speaker E: I want to talk to my brother. [00:21:32] Speaker A: I believe he gave that up a long time ago. Saw. Princess. I am pleased to meet you. Finally, you got my message. And now we get to speak face to face. You know who I am, right, Botan? That's right. But I go by many names. I've tempted your buddhas under their Bodhi tree. I've made apostles betray their messiahs. You can call me Sitan, Mara Rang, da Yukwai. But Bo captain will do just fine. Give up while you can. [00:22:02] Speaker E: You keep leaning in, and everyone leans into the fact that my brother and I are kids between worlds. And you make that sound like it is a bad thing. You're wrong. You're right. Life was. This is suffering. Life is suffering. But that's not the lesson. That's not the lesson of the lotus. That's not the lesson of anything else. The lesson that we have learned through this suffering is that in spite of that, we make things better. That is why we do it. If I am somewhere between a person and the void, then it means that I can be a bridge and use that for balance, not whatever you think you're doing. And if that means fighting you for the next thing thousand years, then I'm going to do that. And if my friends want to help me, the people who tame dogs and fight alongside the rest of the people who aren't heard, and the people who put their family before themselves, that I'm going to because otherwise, suffering begets suffering. So, yeah, I do intend on punching you in the face. I do intend to come for you, all of you. [00:23:35] Speaker A: You might want to think about saving your friend first, though. And the throne room melts away, and you're in the cockpit. And guys, the rest of you, it's the end of the last episode, and Roman's actively dying outside of the marigold. It's that scene where you all are trying to pull and him back in Rupiah and Klaxon. You noticed that Ordi has suddenly, like, kind of, like, frozen in place. What are you doing to call her attention back out? Because there's currently a bunch of gunfire happening outside, and you have a hook onto Appalachia, and that's been. And Appalachia's been torn in half and it's already. [00:24:10] Speaker C: Snap out of it. We need you now. [00:24:13] Speaker B: Klaxon tries to transmit, like, a loud beep over to the kurasu, just in case she's not able to hear us on our mic. [00:24:24] Speaker A: Yeah, your ears are pinging already. And that pinging starts to recede when you hear that loud from Sparky. [00:24:36] Speaker E: Yeah, and Ordi forgets a little bit that she's in the mech, and so her movements are kind of mech movements, and so you actually see the full, like, Krasue. Like, whoa. Like, um, yeah, no, fuck. [00:24:54] Speaker A: Everybody pull, everybody pull. And then all of you start pulling on the grapple hook. Appalachia starts getting dragged up the landing. [00:25:00] Speaker E: Ramp as soon as he's in. And like, all of that, I'm just gonna hop out of the mech entirely and see if we can get Roman out. [00:25:10] Speaker A: And all that action happens. America jumps to FTL, and we cut to transit. Roman, you, uh, you are in a hospital bed with an iv, and you hear and you're awakened by your, like, the sound of a heartbeat monitor. And the rest of you are gathered around him, astounded that he's alive, but barely hanging onto a thread. [00:25:43] Speaker B: I look at the others and say, well, we. We don't want to sound depressed, so we have to talk about something that will get him up, because if we get depressed, then it just makes him lose the will to fight. And there's a whole hope thing. We need to come up with something. I don't know, maybe something food related. Food always works. [00:26:05] Speaker E: What does Roman like? [00:26:08] Speaker C: I mean, everyone like Olympia, let's just get some lumpia. [00:26:11] Speaker E: Okay. Makes a lot. He likes a lot. [00:26:15] Speaker B: He likes a lot. [00:26:16] Speaker E: Yes, a lot. [00:26:18] Speaker A: Can't eat those. Oh, shoot. [00:26:19] Speaker E: Yeah. Okay. [00:26:21] Speaker A: Yeah. One of the lost boys stands at the med bay door. It's Q tip is. Oh, yeah, it's Q tip. Mm hmm. Because fife's dead, and he says he likes a lot. Striker. [00:26:35] Speaker B: Uh, do you know what? Uh, let's get some food. [00:26:39] Speaker A: Let's walk him over to the machine. Let's just put him on the controls and see what happens. See if that. [00:26:44] Speaker B: Do you know what? Let's. [00:26:45] Speaker E: Why don't we put the controls on him? Like, why don't we hit. [00:26:48] Speaker A: Yeah, let me drag the d pad over. And you see, like, you to kind of, like, turn around. [00:26:52] Speaker E: Really just laying there on this test. [00:26:58] Speaker B: Kallaxon carefully puts his. Put Roman's hands around the controls. Like, all right, if you can feel this, just puts his hand on where the joystick is. Go ahead and make a movement, Roman. [00:27:13] Speaker A: As you put your hands on the separated second d pad to the arcade machine, you kind of, like, you're fading in and out of consciousness. And as you fade out of consciousness, you kind of go back to the laundromat across the street from the orphanage that you and Francis grew up in. And right now, you are also 15 or 16, and the screen is flashing at you. You just. It says, continue. 100. 2100. 19. 118. Like, it's counting down, waiting for you to insert a quarter. And you look to your side, and Francis is there, and he digs into his pocket and pulls out his last quarter. And he looks at you. Hey, buddy, I think this is my. This is my last one. [00:28:16] Speaker D: Yeah, but, bro, I'm right. [00:28:21] Speaker A: I'm right there. [00:28:22] Speaker D: Be my Sydney. Like, I gotta. [00:28:26] Speaker A: Okay, okay. First off, if I give you this quarter, I gotta go home, and I don't know how much more I can help you after this, because I know, I know I'm the better slot striker player than you, so. But this is. Look, look, you got me. [00:28:45] Speaker D: Be like, look, you're seven three against me, like, constantly. I know, I just. Look, man. Like, I've never gotten the chance to be. To be. To be, be my sin. I just did. Like, I'll owe you. Like, I'll get you double. Like, I'll pay you back, honestly. Just give me one chance, man. Like, I think I got it this time. Look, I learned from you. You. I know what you like, I can do this. And, dude, I promise I'll pay you back. [00:29:18] Speaker A: You know, I gotta pay me back. It's. It's. It's, um. [00:29:22] Speaker D: Bro, it's. I. [00:29:23] Speaker A: Look, I know, I know, but, like, it's the principle, the thing. [00:29:27] Speaker D: Listen, bro, like, but are you gonna say, like. Like, I'm gonna pay you back? But look, just spot me this one, spot me one and I'm gonna get you back later. All right? [00:29:38] Speaker A: Promise me one thing. [00:29:40] Speaker D: What's that? [00:29:41] Speaker A: Live a good life. [00:29:44] Speaker D: Hey, hey, come on. [00:29:46] Speaker A: I know. I mean it. I mean it. Because I don't know. Like, we've been through the shit together, man. And you've been there for a good long time for me. And I need. And live a good life. Make sure the people around you also live good lives, whether they. Whether you're friends with them, whether you're enemies with them, whether you're whatever the fuck, right? Like, if you're gonna play a good salat strikers game, you also gotta play a good roman game. [00:30:16] Speaker D: Hey, bro, come on, man. [00:30:18] Speaker A: Like, hey, this quarter comes with conditions, but that's. But it's like the kind of conditions that come with unconditional love and friendship, but, like. But it's still you. Yeah. So. All right, so I'm gonna hand this to you and then I gotta go home and. [00:30:32] Speaker D: All right. [00:30:34] Speaker A: And you might not hear back from me for a while. [00:30:37] Speaker D: Whoa. I'm here. Back queen. What are you. What are you. What are you talking about? I'm not gonna hear back from you, bro. Like, we're gonna hang out because we're. [00:30:43] Speaker A: Gonna go be mech pilots and then, you know, we don't know where we're gonna get assigned and all that stuff, but. So, come on, man. They're. [00:30:50] Speaker D: They got it. [00:30:50] Speaker A: They gotta assign us together for sure. [00:30:52] Speaker D: Good assignments together. [00:30:53] Speaker A: Good. Live a good life. Okay? Can you promise me that? [00:30:57] Speaker D: Look, I promise. Like, I'm living a great life, bro. Bro, I'm living a great life already because you're here with me and we're playing. This is a great little. [00:31:05] Speaker A: So. [00:31:05] Speaker D: So does that count? I'm already. We're already here. We're ready to live. Okay? [00:31:11] Speaker A: And he puts the. He puts the quarter in your palm. All right? Um. But when you go to the character select screen, pick up a locky. [00:31:21] Speaker D: Wait, why. Why wouldn't. Why would I pick up a locky, bro? Like. [00:31:27] Speaker A: Just. Just take my word on it. Stay my word on it, all right? [00:31:32] Speaker D: I mean, I've been practicing with everybody else. [00:31:34] Speaker A: Apalachi. [00:31:35] Speaker D: Yep. All right, let's. [00:31:40] Speaker A: He's got a special. It's a. It's the one that they don't include in the move list, but. And it's only unlocked by certain players. Think of it like a. Like a second rising sun. So if you, like, go down and you go down bad. You'll know what I'm talking about. I'll see you later. [00:32:02] Speaker D: Hey, man, thanks. [00:32:08] Speaker A: I'll see you soon. [00:32:08] Speaker D: All right. We're doing this. Like, I'm gonna see you, and we're like. They're assigning us together, man. But, look, I'm winning this time. I promise. [00:32:20] Speaker A: Take care. Yeah. And, uh, you put the. You put the. You insert the quarter, and then, Roman, you wake up gasping for air. What? [00:32:34] Speaker D: What the fuck? Where? And the words are really weak right now. Um, I would imagine that Roman being in bed and, you know, his, like, he would have probably jerked uncontrollably. So he's probably handcuffed. He's probably like, at least one arm is handcuffed to the bed to keep. [00:33:00] Speaker A: Him, like, well, you're in zero gravity, so. Yeah, they kind of have to. Yeah. [00:33:04] Speaker D: Okay. Making sure. But, like, they really kept them on there. [00:33:09] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:33:09] Speaker D: And he's like. Like. But it's weak because he suffered slight radiation damage from everything. It's like. Like, where the hell am I? Like, hope, like, and the words are weak right now. Like, where hope? Like, where hell. Like, and he's trying to, like, loosen his arm, but it's not working. Like the hell. And he still doesn't understand where the heck he is right now. [00:33:38] Speaker E: I hug him, like, I don't care that he's recovering from an injury, like. [00:33:44] Speaker A: Full glomp or the. [00:33:48] Speaker D: What the hell happened? Like, what's. Where's. Where's everyone? Where's everyone? What. What happened? [00:33:57] Speaker E: Uh, according to, uh. Technically, um. According to Nina and Jackie, you died for, like, a second. Um. [00:34:11] Speaker D: No, no, that's. No, we were just. We were. We were in the city. We had just. We just were celebrating the victory. We won the race. Rupiah. Where Hope? Hope. I saw Hope. I saw Hope. [00:34:35] Speaker A: Ordie, where's Hope? [00:34:40] Speaker C: Um, Robin, we're gonna get her back. [00:34:44] Speaker E: She's. [00:34:45] Speaker C: We're gonna get her back. [00:34:46] Speaker E: Yeah, she's, uh. She's alive. Um, she. She's life. [00:34:58] Speaker B: We are going to work on getting hope back. We need you to get better so that hope has someone to return to. In the meantime, we thought that while you can't move from bed, we attached this controller to one of your hands, and we kind of jerry rigged this, these other buttons to your other fingers so you can play salad strikers here in. While recovering so that you will not be bored. Have something to do. We are also making lumpia. [00:35:32] Speaker E: Yeah. And there's so much hot sauce on this ship. It's. [00:35:39] Speaker B: Oh, so much. [00:35:41] Speaker E: So much. It's gonna be. It's. [00:35:48] Speaker D: Right, right. Thanks. Every. What I really feels, the. The controls of slot strikers. Oh, it's like back in the day, you know, used to. Used to go to the laundromat and, you know, it was all the quarters. You know, you scrounge up, you'd go in between the couch and, you know, maybe you get lucky or there you'd search. You try to. Oh, these are grand times. As Roman after that hour, starts fading back into unconsciousness because that was a little too much for him. And, you know, you see, like, the hands just slightly go loose and slot Francis, slot. [00:36:47] Speaker A: Bridge to tan on. This is Zone Z. You guys already. Rupiah, do you want to come up here? [00:36:57] Speaker E: Yeah. [00:37:00] Speaker A: Klaxon, you can stay with Roman, I'm sure. I'm sensing on this here that he's waking up here, so just stay by the side. [00:37:08] Speaker B: Yeah, I'll be here. I'll be here. He needs someone to play against. So we're gonna. We're gonna double fist this. [00:37:20] Speaker C: Okay? I don't think that meets what you think it means. [00:37:24] Speaker B: You know, I intended to say something and I think it came out wrong. I figured, like, two fists around, you know, two joysticks or to kind of control. I'm gonna shut up right now. This is not working. It's not working. We're just gonna get some lumpia. We're gonna play some slot strikers. [00:37:42] Speaker A: Like, you see, like, the camera, like, pans over to Jackie in the other hospital bed, who's, like, holding her gunshot wound. She's like, glaxon, you're gonna make him. We're gonna lose him again if you keep talking. [00:37:56] Speaker E: Yeah, we can go. [00:37:58] Speaker C: I just kind of, like, lean over and kiss Roman's forehead. [00:38:05] Speaker A: As the two of you depart from the med bay and you make your way through the ship, the tone of at least the thing in the air for the whole crew is a lot less lively than it used to. Everyone kind of feels the absence of two of your crewmates. The lost boys are all kind of like sitting in different corners, like with thousand yard stairs. It's kind of like silent on the way to the bridge. And when you get reached the bridge, Nina and Zung Zi are the only ones there. And Zhung Zi turns with his hands behind his back because he's an old asian man and he says, we're getting close to Seoul dong. We're probably gonna be in orbit in about 20 minutes. We still have a mission to go on, but I get the sense that morale is not all there. [00:39:03] Speaker C: We can't go without Roman. [00:39:08] Speaker E: Well, we can't go without Apalachi. [00:39:12] Speaker A: Fortunately, we will not be alone here. The imperial army is still on surface. If my intel is correct, is that. [00:39:26] Speaker C: Supposed to make us feel better? You are so bad at this. [00:39:31] Speaker A: Sorry, okay? I. You were the ones that told me to make some phone calls and. And to make sure that everyone on Chow Friar was safe, and I did. And unfortunately, the. There's no use playing this blame game, okay? The imperial army is gonna be. We're on the same side here. We're on the same side here, okay? Don't come at me. [00:39:52] Speaker E: Oh, what happened to hope so? [00:39:56] Speaker A: I don't know what they. What? I've never seen anything like that before. Okay? Not in this lifetime. Your brother already is working with a lot of forbidden, taboo things that none of us should be, that no Mekong yis person in their right mind should be doing with regards to the barrier between men and monsters. [00:40:34] Speaker E: You said not. Not in this lifetime. Has someone tried it before? [00:40:40] Speaker A: Yes, but not with. So your Gisi across. You are familiar that it is designed in the image of Akanma Akrasu. There's a certain amount of. There's a certain extent in which we can integrate the workings and philosophies of the adversary to our advantage, because that's just human intellect. But Bokapdin's different. She's very clever in the way that she. I guess you could say that she's been thinking about this for a thousand years. She's had a long time to formulate her counterattack against us, and that was from. And possession's a serious thing. [00:41:30] Speaker E: No, I understand. [00:41:32] Speaker A: No one's ever attempted a successful exorcism on a gun of that strength and. [00:41:42] Speaker E: Size and power level, but there are procedures in place that one could try only in storybooks. [00:41:54] Speaker A: And that's why I'm hedging all my bets on this sword. [00:41:56] Speaker E: We are currently looking for a storybook item. [00:42:00] Speaker A: Yes, I know. Yes. [00:42:03] Speaker E: This isn't just about the sword. And I know the sword is going to help, but Roman's daughter is there. And as much as he's a. As much as konoa is a piece of human garbage, in a lot of ways, he is. He's my brother. And if there are. If people. [00:42:30] Speaker A: He stops you. Nina, can you. You do the thing she's like? That doesn't narrow it down. You know, the thing that, like, the. You. You bring up a holographic projection of, like, a bunch of information I'm gonna give about what's about to happen. You know that thing? Oh, that thing? Yeah. Here. And she clicks. And there's a. You see the planet Celadang appear, and it rotates in the big hologram, and a red dot on one of the hemispheres flashes at you guys, and he zooms in on it, and you see the temple through the clouds. He says, this place will have some answers. This is Dakbar Wat, when the gilded order of the novel spring was at its highest. Basically, it's an old sanctuary built in the early days of the oblivion wars, when the ten nong were first fighting against the kunma. There used to be hundreds of these across the constellation for tandong of all shapes, colors to take shelter in, lick their wounds, find some peace and warmth from the unwelcoming cold of space. But then the emperor thought we were building a bunch of superweapons and scrapped a bunch of them. But Docbwa Wat is one of the few that remain. It'll have some answers for us. Basically, it's a giant asteroid that we carved into a temple and then brought it into low orbit. It has a lot of history, and it's a very good fortification against gunmah because as far as the intel reports go, the fight on Celadang is a losing fight right now, ever since Maestro disappeared. So as a bureaucrat, I can. I might have some pull with whoever's leading the imperial army right now, the dragon marshal, whoever has taken over since Maestro has disappeared. And I think they will have some support in locating this sword and getting bock up, then out of hope and out of your brother, if it is to believe that the possession has taken full root. [00:44:31] Speaker C: How sure? Are you? Very sure that they will give it to us if they find it and not run straight back to that fucking prick? No offense, or it ain't, but no. [00:44:50] Speaker A: You'Re right, because what other. What other option do they have? Because to be honest. Okay, you know what, rupiah? You're right. I don't know. But all I have is my faith in people, and maybe that faith has been shattered for you, and it's all I can hedge my bets on. And if you. And if you want. If you don't feel like this is a gamble we're taking, you can leave. You could. You can. You can. I'm sorry. That's. If you want to call it quits now, you can walk. [00:45:19] Speaker E: No, no, no, no. It's just we should be prepped for outcomes. In that vein, it sounds like Bokaptan and the rest. That influence stretches further than we expected, you know, speaks. [00:45:36] Speaker A: I was like, uh. All right, we're about to as FTL, so you might want to strap in. If you can relay this to your colleagues and your friends. [00:45:45] Speaker E: I know you probably have been thinking about this already. What are we going to do about Apolloqi? [00:45:52] Speaker A: I don't know. When Jackie gets back on her feet, we'll ask her and we can see what the next course of action is. But for now, let's prepare for landfall, and when we break atmosphere, we're gonna try to hail the dragon marshal and tell us. Tell him what? Tell them what our objectives are and then pray that the emperor's grace will allow us the spirit of cooperation. [00:46:22] Speaker E: Understood. Are we dismissed? [00:46:26] Speaker A: I mean, I'm not. I mean, I'm not like, Rubia just, like, turns around. Yeah, Rubia just leaves. Like, I think that answers your question already. [00:46:38] Speaker E: When we get back, as soon as we, like. Rupiah leaves already. Takes out his hurt, like, yep, bye. On the float back to Medbay, I want to Rupiah. Whatever is happening with Konoa and the. It's not magic. It's something, but it's just. It's. He can reach out. That influence has hit, obviously. Hope, but maestro as well. [00:47:18] Speaker C: We're in it alone as usual. Can't trust anybody. [00:47:25] Speaker E: I actually don't. [00:47:26] Speaker C: At least I'm used to that. [00:47:31] Speaker E: I don't want to say that's the case. I just don't know what else the case is. Already. [00:47:43] Speaker C: Our having our heads so far up our asses got two of our own killed. It's time to open your eyes. This is reality. This is how it is for everybody else in the universe. [00:47:58] Speaker E: Point of argument, everyone else in the universe is not on a magic asteroid looking for a mythological sword. [00:48:07] Speaker C: No, but everybody else in the universe is going at it with the resources they can scrape up with their own two hands. And that's what we're doing. And that doesn't mean we're giving up. That doesn't mean I get to symbolically walk away on the ship that I would be stuck on anyway. [00:48:25] Speaker B: Out in. [00:48:26] Speaker C: The middle of who the fuck knows? Nowhere. [00:48:30] Speaker E: But. [00:48:32] Speaker C: Think long and hard about the people you trust to have your back out here, because Lord knows I have. [00:48:43] Speaker E: In that case, at the risk of sounding particularly dramatic about it, keep that in mind as well as we move forward, Kanoa seems to have tapped into something. I don't know if I could ever do that. But we are both voidborn, so. [00:49:10] Speaker C: Noah made a choice. You can, too. And you can choose to be better than him. [00:49:19] Speaker E: I know. But as one of the three people on this ship right now that I trust, I just want you to keep that in mind. The Krasue is modeled after the konma. Let's let the other people know that we're about to make landfall. [00:49:54] Speaker C: And just, like, grabs your hand as you turn around. [00:49:56] Speaker E: It's, like. [00:49:58] Speaker C: And copper pot is modeled after Durga. I've lost as many people as I'm willing to lose in this life. [00:50:14] Speaker A: So. [00:50:15] Speaker C: Keep that in mind, too. [00:50:20] Speaker A: So you guys all strap in. By the time, like, the marigold kind of, like, begins to enter atmosphere, gravity starts to, like, kick back in again, and everyone kind of, like, looks out the viewports to see their descent into the planet. And you see airborne islands that are, like, lifted out of the surface, covered in dense foliage and jungle with, like, kind of, like, a dense rainforest mist below. And the islands move and they crash and they break apart and they merge almost, like, akin to, like, tectonic plate shifts, but, like, happening at, like, a speed that's far too fast for, like, how normal geology works. And you see several of these island moats that are, like, kind of, like, floating around. They are all shredded. They're cratered. There's, like, plasma burns. The artillery shell explosions there are true. That are split open and splintered. There are a lot of, like, dead animals that kind of, like, lay dead from drinking the river water that is now flowing with, like, slag and oil. And as you get closer, you can even see in the distance several smoke plumes wafting up into the sky, still alight from mortars and mass driver cannons. It's a war zone, all right. You're, like, kind of, like, flying through the sky, just kind of, like, passing by this absolutely devastated landscape of. They've been fighting the Kunmahir for a long time, and it seems like it's a losing fight. But the ship continues along, and it makes its approach to dok ba watt. So, yeah, it's exactly as Zung described it. It's an asteroid that they did a lot of carving out into. [00:52:21] Speaker D: Think of it. [00:52:22] Speaker A: It resembles halfway between Angkor Wat and a laputa miyazaki kind of situation, but it's just floating there in the middle of the sky. But it's not abandoned by any means because you see that there's a lot of, like, military infrastructure kind of, like, temporarily set up, attached to it. So, like, you see little prefab shelters. You see some barracks have been, like, erected, and at the very top of this kind of temple structure, you see the banner of the war, banner of the imperial ministry of Defense, which is like a big tortoise. So yeah, the imperial army is in fact here. And you see like a couple rows of like, of like, yisi. And there's also docked next to the kind of like, superstructure is a Sunda class battle carrier. Orda. You are familiar with these because, like, and so would Roman. If Roman is awake to see this, I imagine he's like up and like in a wheelchair at this point with like an iv attached. So it's like something halfway between like a modern day aircraft carrier and like one of those chinese war junks. There's like big boxy shapes, sharp angled solar sails, and it stretches like 900 meters long. So, like, these are truly flagships of the line and they're designed to, like field several thousand kisi into like, battle against the kerma. Right? But this is not like a glorious, like, military. It doesn't look like how it does in the military parades. For anyone who is not like a fighting teddog, it is seen some shit. Like the nacelles are all torn apart. There's like marks their scratches from, like, from engagements with grimat and everything. You guys kind of like land on that big landing strip on top of this carrier. That on the side it reads in script the MK's alacrity. And there seems to be a welcoming committee that is gathering to meet all of you. All of them are wearing like, kind of like a space age lamellar armor kind of situation with like, helmets plume up the top. So if you've seen like romance of the three Kingdom dramas, like, imagine those, but with like space stuff greeples attached to them. And they all kind of like line up on each side of the landing ramp to receive you. Everybody gathers in like the central hangar area before they head down to the ramp to meet her. And Zhong Zi kind of looks across at all of you. He walks up to you. Roman first, who has who? You're in a wheelchair. Klaxon. You're pushing this wheelchair, let's just say that. And you're like holding his iv and he's like, how are you feeling, Roman? [00:55:13] Speaker D: And Roman's just gonna blankly stare and literally look at, like, I like, turned his eyes to the iv, look at the wheelchair and shrug. [00:55:29] Speaker A: That's. That's all right then. That if he. If you. If that's the case, then, um. That's the case. [00:55:37] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:55:38] Speaker A: Yeah. I do have some good news for all of you. Um, which we're. I'm sure we're short of, but, um, the dragon marshal has indicated that they are willing to work with us on finding this sword. They've been trying to recover it themselves, but it seems like they are in need of some new perspective. So we're about to go meet with them now and discuss what's to come next. No one's in trouble. These are not hornets. That's a completely different ministry. So there's one particular formation here who actually has been waiting for your arrival. He looks to you, ord, and to you, Roman. So I will let them speak for themselves when we get down there. I really appreciate all of you for coming out all this way for entertaining this old man storybook delusion. I won't speak any further. All right, let's. Let's get down there. [00:56:33] Speaker D: Okay. [00:56:33] Speaker A: And kind of, like, adjust his robe. And. And all of you kind of, like, solemnly start heading down this ramp. What's going through your heads? Or what do you. What's going on with you guys right now? As you kind of, like, make your way down this ramp to this procession of other tandong who await you, Plaxen's. [00:56:50] Speaker B: Head is going a mile a minute. He's trying to think, okay, if Roman can't really move, is there a way? Similarly to how we attached the salat striker's remotes to his fingers in the bed, is there a way that he can control any kisi that way so that he can still participate in the fight, so that he has something to do? So he's kind of, like, just mentally doing that. So he's muttering to himself, just random, okay, if we did this, did that. So it's kind of not appropriate. But he's, like, just thinking right now, like, how can we get Roman still in action? [00:57:34] Speaker A: Your thought is interrupted as you descend the ramp, like, and you're taking in the sights as you guys like to set on the ramp. You smell burning gunpowder and, like, plasma and just the general ambience that comes with being in a military encampment. The thing that seems to pique your ears, though, is that in the distance, just beyond the cannonade, there's the pervasive sound of distant european style classical music. Violins, cellos, clarinets. There's, like, a ghastly choir, and it's like. And it's almost in rhythm with, like, the distant artillery fire. Like, the artillery itself is the percussion to whatever orchestra is playing far beyond your guys'like. There's no, like, band. You can see as far as you know, it just seems all around, almost like a symphony of some sorts. But Kallaxa and I particularly call this attention to you, because as you're descending this. This rampant, everyone else is hearing this canon, this late, this distant orchestra. You hear skittering of pause, and you're like. As you're pushing Roma down, and you look in the corner, your eye, and you see just around, like, one of the corners of this temple complex, there's a dog. And it, like. And it's like you make eye contact. It, like, run some circles. And the most interesting thing about this dog, though, is that it's a normal dog from, like, the head, torso, but as you, like, the feet just fade into nothing, like some sort of ghost dog. You're trying to. And you squint at it a little, and you're trying to, like, it's definitely like one of the. Like a. Like a prize dog. Like a dog you would see at a show, right? You know? And then it runs off. [00:59:29] Speaker B: He looks around for one of the lost boys and says, can you. Can you push this? Can you. Can you push this chair for a moment? [00:59:37] Speaker A: I take it? It's like, yeah, I got you. [00:59:39] Speaker B: And he immediately just starts walking in the direction of where the dog is. And, like, everyone, I'll be right back. I just want to check. I just want to check this out. [00:59:53] Speaker A: Okay. You follow after the dog, and you see that, like, the officer that's, like, waiting at the bottom of the ramp. Like, as you guys come down, you see Klaxon kind of, like, break away from the group and just go the other direction. And he, like, follows you. He's like, okay, bureaucrat z, if you could take your entourage this way, the dragon marshal will see you. All of you, kind of, like, walk through this camp into the structure of Dokbar wat. As you make your way inside this sanctuary, you see that the walls are, like, filled with carvings and frescoes, and so do several of the minarets. And they show the early history of the Tennon dating back to the first century, right? So you see different 2d representations of, like, guild, of, like, guild ta nong before. Like, before they all became freelancers and soldiers of empire. Their uniforms were a lot more bright, form fitting, unicolored, like, red, blue, yellow, black, pink, white. Their sabais are, like, worn across their chest instead of around their waist. And instead of the little wristlets you guys have, you see them holding them out in front of them like this. And their helmets all feature motifs of eyes painted or etched into their forehead. These are the first century that, and I'm looking at your guys's faces, and you're realizing that there's a joke here, and we're just going to move on from it. And Zung Zi, even comments like these are records from a time long past when the lines were more clear cut, when the stories were as honest as the people they were about. And the last fresco you kind of pass by, you see that the carvings of the mechs, they all combine into, like, a single form, too. And the word diwata is beneath them. You've heard about this in the stories that, like, you know, if the bonds between Pilate and kisi are strong enough and the pilots between Pilate and Pilate are strong enough, they've assumed something called diwata form. So, like, you invoke so much of the gods, the spirit of cooperation, all that it. But, you know, those are storybooks. No one could possibly do such a thing in this time and age, right? And then after you pass by that, there's also. In the center of the complex, there's a sacred pool, like. And it's surrounded by, like, a sand garden where you see, like, primordial robot arms quietly drawing mandalas autonomously around this pool. And each of them seem to play, like, audio of, like, monks chanting. Zhong Zi even says something like. And all. Every watt that the guild had built, they all featured. They all had a pool like this. It's said that every pool has a drop of the pond where Emperor Liloi was bestowed heaven's will at the, you know, the legendary gisi of old, possibly the first one. That's those. That's. It's been thousands of years. Who knows if that water has any effects anymore? And then finally, you all turn the corner and you reach, like, a command, like a makeshift command center where, like, in the temple structure, like, the Mekong Yi's army has, like, put. Put up several, like, command consoles and tables and everything like that. And the attendant says, like, the dragon marshal will see you now. And he, like, calls out to them, and a door opens and no one comes out. And the attendant's like, the dragon marshal will see you now, guys, do we know where she is? And he, like, goes into past the door, and there's, like, a minute or two pause. Who gets curious? Who wants to be curious about this? Or do you want to just wait for them to bring them out? [01:04:00] Speaker C: I think Rupi is actually more curious about the other thangs that are around. [01:04:06] Speaker A: Sure. Yeah. At this point, you guys have free autonomy here. If you want to stoop around for a bit while the attendant fetches the dragon marshal, you may. If there's any preparations for an impending engagement role you want to make, now is your time to do that. Whatever you want to do. [01:04:27] Speaker E: Like, I have an idea of who the dragon marshal is. I am not thrilled by. It is so I don't know that I want to look for that right. [01:04:35] Speaker C: Now, and I kind of want to scout the area. I want to see, like, I don't know. I don't have a lot of people I can trust, but, like, maybe someone I could trust is on this planet and out of character. Specifically, I have a contact. Reckless pilot. [01:04:55] Speaker A: Okay. Yeah. Ripper. Okay. That we can pilot spleen. Tap into that kallaxin. You follow after this dog, and, like, you see its tail kind of, like, move through this, like, navigate through, like, the maze of different frescoes and walls of this temple complex before it gets to the very bottom of this asteroid, where, like, a big platform goes down onto the surface. It gets onto the elevator and turns to look at you, starts going down. [01:05:26] Speaker B: Oh, you want me to follow you? [01:05:33] Speaker A: Okay. [01:05:36] Speaker B: And he just kind of follows along. He's aware that he's separated from everybody else, but something just kind of drives him to just follow this dog. And, you know, you get on the. [01:05:49] Speaker A: Elevator and you follow this dog, and as you look closer at it, the memories seem to come back to you and your mom, because your mom was also a big dog person, and she raised just as many dogs as you did. And you recognize that, like, this dog has, like, that same birthmark, like, in the same area as, say, I don't know. Who was Rubina senior's favorite pup? [01:06:16] Speaker B: Rubina Sr's favorite dog was a Pekingese. [01:06:20] Speaker A: It's a Pekingese. [01:06:21] Speaker B: It's a Pekingese. Yeah. [01:06:23] Speaker A: It's a ghost Pekingese. [01:06:24] Speaker B: It's a ghost Pekingese. Oh, okay. Because Ryan, in real life, owned a Pekingese, that's why. So, like. All right, so we'll just give the peonies the same name. Argo. [01:06:37] Speaker A: So you recognize it's Argo. Yeah. [01:06:40] Speaker B: Oh, wow. So he's even more compelled to follow Argo. It's like, all right, I don't know what your name is, so you're. So I'm just gonna call you Argo from now. Oh. Oh, you like that name? Amazing. Cool. All right, so. So, Argo, show me what you need to show me. [01:07:01] Speaker A: You get the elevator, makes it to the surface, and you see there's another gaggle of ghost dogs waiting for you at the bottom of this elevator, about like five or six of them. All of them you recognize too, from when you were a kid. [01:07:15] Speaker B: Oh, my God. [01:07:16] Speaker A: They're all sitting waiting loyally for you. [01:07:18] Speaker B: Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh. Oh. Okay. Um, that's Argo and your sing sing and your raven. And they all start getting excited when. [01:07:34] Speaker A: You say their names again. They start jumping up and down. [01:07:37] Speaker B: Oh, my God. Okay. [01:07:39] Speaker A: And they like, start like running circles around you. [01:07:42] Speaker E: Oh. [01:07:42] Speaker B: Oh, I. He is a combination of just very excited, very confused, and a little bit scared. So, but he doesn't want to transmit fear to dogs because they'll know, they'll know, they'll know. So it's like, hey, hello, I haven't seen you all in forever. How are you? And he just, yeah, just kneels down, just does a group hug with all the dogs and just kind of looking. [01:08:11] Speaker A: Like your hands pass through them, so you kind of just have to like. [01:08:14] Speaker D: And he's, do your best. [01:08:17] Speaker B: He passes through them. And so he wears that because they're not intangible, but he kind of, in his head feels like there is an aura about them. So he goes, all right. And it brings him back because he realized he cannot actually feel the dogs, but he feels like there's something there. [01:08:34] Speaker A: Yeah. And like, argo starts like jumping up again and starts like, kind of like running towards the deeper jungle, then running back to you to indicate you should follow them into the jungle. [01:08:45] Speaker B: Okay, let's let. Alright, puppies, we're gonna go on a trip. All right, let's. Let's go further into this place. He, he looks around. Is there a way to leave? Because he's starting to feel a little weird about this. [01:09:05] Speaker A: What do you mean by leave? Like, is there a way to just. [01:09:07] Speaker B: Like, get to go, to go all the way back? Because I feel like he's gone so far down that he's either gonna have to follow them or he has to kind of make a decision right now. And I think he's. [01:09:19] Speaker A: You said his mind's going a million miles an hour, so go with the strongest impulse Klaxon has at this point. [01:09:24] Speaker B: The strongest impulse is, let's see where this goes. [01:09:29] Speaker A: Okay. You follow after the dogs. Okay. And you walk into a clearing, into the jungle, and where there's that, we cut back to the meeting room. Ordie, as you're looking at where the attendant went into, you see a flask get yeeted out from the room and it kind of like clatters on the floor and slides and bumps into Roman's wheelchair. [01:09:52] Speaker E: Yeah, I definitely check that. [01:09:55] Speaker A: The flask has your academy's emblem on it. [01:10:01] Speaker E: Who do I know? Because there are two options, and neither of them are options I want here. [01:10:09] Speaker A: All rise for the dragon marshal. And Nintendo kind of comes out, and then hand on the doorway peeks out. Everybody just give me a second. There's a clean shaven head, same kind of, like, space lamellar armor, but. But the. This. [01:10:37] Speaker D: The. [01:10:37] Speaker A: There's a. The pattern on the lamellar itself has, like, a long dragon going around. Like, not. No, sorry, not the pattern. But, like, what are those, like, rope things called that go around the shoulders? Tacit tassels or whatever the fuck. Right around the shoulders. Indicating that this person is indeed the highest military position one can be appointed in the empire. And it's, uh, uh, it's. It's. It's pre to dying. The last time you saw this person, they were storming the palace on Chow Freya, and now they are rocking, like, a good seven out of ten buzz as dragon marshal of the Mekong Imperial army. Oh, already? She looks at the attendant. She's like, can we get the room, please? And she's like, of course. And everybody disperses. How was your race? I really could have used someone like you out here, like, I don't know, four weeks ago. You're kind of confused, too, because, like, last time you saw them, they were again storming the palace, overthrowing your parents. [01:11:56] Speaker E: It's. My first instinct is to go up and just punch her. But obviously, this is a commanding officer situation, so I'm gonna be honest. Preeta, you look like shit. [01:12:11] Speaker A: I know. I've been overseeing a losing battle for about three weeks. I got blackmailed into overthrowing the king of Jaofriyah, and now that I have my dream job, I don't want it anymore, so. [01:12:25] Speaker E: Yeah, you also. I think you have a new brother. [01:12:31] Speaker A: I didn't have a father. We're both adopted, in case you forgot, by the way. So it's a family of convenience, not a family of blood. Thank you. Give me a second. I need to yak. I just. And she kind of, like, walks over to, like, a corner wastebasket, and then you hear her start crying. [01:13:00] Speaker E: Oh, no. [01:13:00] Speaker A: You're the dragon master. You are the emptiest pull through to command the forces. [01:13:08] Speaker C: So you know her, right? [01:13:13] Speaker E: Yeah, we went to school together and kind of grew up. She. Her. Our families have beat so much pressure. I can't. Also, technically, she helped depose us. Me. It's complicated. [01:13:41] Speaker A: As Dragon Marshall, she's like. Like, sobers up again. She's like, it is my. Not my business. Whatever feuds, disputes the vassals have amongst themselves, my responsibility is defend the empire from all enemies, foreign and domestic. Already I. Look, I'm tired. Okay? I'm really tired. And I'm tired. And look, I'm tired, too, of our dads having sword measuring contests with each other all the time, and I hate living under that. And. But, you know, and I thought maybe, you know, there would be. I'd be done with that when I became. When the emperor put me in this position. But really Ember didn't put me in this position. My dad made some called, made some phone calls and pulled some favors, and now I didn't feel like I haven't really earned what I am. And it's imposter syndrome. Really tough right now, and there's a lot of people dying right now, and I'm glad. [01:14:24] Speaker D: Yeah. [01:14:24] Speaker A: Yeah. Okay, okay, okay, okay. [01:14:29] Speaker E: Look at me. Look at me. [01:14:30] Speaker A: I'm looking at you. I'm looking at you. I'm looking at you. [01:14:32] Speaker E: I'm gonna. [01:14:33] Speaker A: The emperor's gonna have my head if I don't kill Bakap, then, okay. He's going to chop my head off, and it's. [01:14:37] Speaker E: Yeah, that's not. Yeah, I know. No, yeah, no, yeah, yeah, yeah. [01:14:45] Speaker A: That's really. [01:14:47] Speaker E: I don't know if you remember the part where I gotta. We're in the same boat here. [01:14:53] Speaker A: I know. [01:14:54] Speaker E: Yeah. [01:14:54] Speaker A: I'd want to get off this boat really badly, but I can't. [01:14:57] Speaker E: I also want off the boat. We are boat people together. We are here to help. [01:15:02] Speaker A: Okay? [01:15:04] Speaker E: That is the current plan. I don't know if you noticed, my dear friend is rocking a Geiger count of more than a human should be having. [01:15:20] Speaker A: Oh, they were telling me about you. And she turns to look at Roman. That's the seraph of Milan, is it not? She says, like, she. Like, with the way she says his call sign. Like, it seems like there's an air of mythos to the pilot of the archangel, at least in this circle of mecon society. It's the Seraphim Lang. He's in a wheelchair, and that's ableist. I'm so sorry. Okay, I'm going to rewind. I've been requesting reinforcements for days, and I get one ship, six mechs. This fucking music, man. It's driving me insane. Okay? It's. It's. [01:16:12] Speaker C: Music is weird, yeah. But maybe, like, they've been. [01:16:16] Speaker A: They've been attacking in synchronization. Like, she so you see Preeta, like, stumble over to, like, this big table in the middle, and she, like, activates, like, a sound, like, you see the waveforms, and she overlays it on a tactical map of the area. And first movement, I lost three companies here. Second movement, lost three companies here. And the music only started after maestro disappeared and I had to take over his old job. And if my tactician's analysis is correct, there's a crescendo in this part of the movement here, and it's centered on Doctor Balwatt. There's gonna be an attack very soon. And if my music theory is correct, and if all my years of being forced to play violin by my dad is correct, they're gonna throw everything they got at us. And when she says everything they got, you see several, like, you see several different intelligence profiles of different grammar types kind of float by. You see monongagal. You see kuntula nak. You see. You see, like, shadow form wasps, which are, like, you see, like, pools of black honey, and they create a bunch of wasps and horrors beyond your imagination. And you see, like, another, like, chart of, like, statistics of all, like, the major tandong military formations that have floated by. And you see them get xed out one by one as the war has gone on. I am down to two companies at this point. Either everyone's dead, or they've retreated back to their homeworlds because they think Bokaptin is loose and they're gonna go fend for themselves there. And I'd rather be drunk than have to admit defeat. So that's where I'm right now. The problem with fighting on a terraformed planet is that we have no sense of. We can't agree on the geography because everything's moving. And I know. I know where the sword is. I know you guys are here for. Okay, I've been looking for it too, all right? And you want to know why the planet's tearing itself apart? When Bokap thin broke free, originally, we buried her here, right, 1000 years ago. And then she broke free, and she wounded the planet. She killed one of the local tribes. Say there's two gods that. That run celutag, right? There's Aranyani, and there's Deofu. Aranyani controls the nature, the animals, the weather, all that shit. Deafu controls the earth, right? Deerfu fucking died when Bokapdin broke free. And so now Aranyani is down a lover and is current. And as, while she's grieving her, her fucking lost lover, she's tearing the planet apart. Okay, but we know where. We don't know where the exit wound is. We know there is an exit wound, okay? And we know that's where the music is coming from. But the tectonic plates shift here every 20 minutes, so we can't find it. And the local tribes, the charia, they know where it is. I know they know where it is. I asked them where it is and they won't fucking tell me. And she picks up the flask and eats it at the wall. [01:19:43] Speaker C: Ah, yes, because you definitely inspire so much trust and confidence. [01:19:50] Speaker A: I really wanted this job, okay? I really thought I could do a good job, okay? I I. You know, I was top of my class. I got. I got straight a's every day. I have all these achievements and. And then they throw. At least the seraphs here. Aren't you glad you're here, huh? Roman Maxwell, war hero. You're. You're old. You're old like. And you got your old buddies in that exit wound fucking playing music and whatever the fuck, and he won't end with the sword. And I'm losing it. I'm losing it. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I should not be yelling at you. You're in it. You are. Maybe you go talk to them already. You're. You're a statesman. [01:20:30] Speaker E: All right, the locals. [01:20:32] Speaker A: Yeah, locals. Like, they were talking to us and then they stopped talking to us about, like, a couple weeks ago because they said some. Some shit about Maitreya or whoever or whatever the fuck. Whatever. Religious mumbo jumbo. Maitreya click clicks with you? No, wordy. Because the. The people around the lake where Armin law crashed and a sage showed up also said that was my Treya. [01:21:07] Speaker E: Do we have time? [01:21:08] Speaker A: I don't know anymore. They could be here in an hour. They could be here in twelve minutes and 24. They're moving. So. [01:21:18] Speaker C: Yeah, not to interrupt the Jim and gloom pity party that you have been throwing for yourself. [01:21:23] Speaker A: I'm not throwing a pity party. I'm just. I. [01:21:25] Speaker C: Smells like 48 hours, maybe 72. Uh, but you have the pattern of their attack. You know where they're coming from. You know that they have overwhelming forces compared to your numbers. It's enough for actual tactical thinking. [01:21:47] Speaker A: Yes. The best I've got is we sit here in dockball wat. We let them come and then we hold out and then we leave. At least that was my plan before you guys showed up, and now I'm hedging my bets on, you know, maybe your bureaucrat friend had something. But I. [01:22:06] Speaker C: Not to belabor the point, but, you know, the position that we're in seeing is you were part of the charge that overthrew the rightful rule of. [01:22:21] Speaker A: I know. I know. Okay. I sold my soul to get a job that I thought I really wanted and only to find out that it's not all cut up that it's supposed to be. But at least I earned it. Or at least I think I did. I don't know. This is. That's part of the existential problem crisis that I'm having in the. Okay, so I'm gonna stop rambling. I'm gonna stop rambling. I'm stopping. [01:22:40] Speaker E: I'm gonna actually grab Preeta's face for a second. [01:22:43] Speaker A: She, like. She catches your hands and she's like. [01:22:47] Speaker E: Hey, I'm gonna just. I'm gonna say a thing and then we're gonna get back to actual business. Cause you keep doing this little spiral thing. And I respect your feelings right now, but we have bigger problems. Right? Yeah. Okay. Look at me. [01:23:04] Speaker A: I'm looking at you. [01:23:06] Speaker E: Get away with it. You. You got this position because you think that some strings are pulled, right? [01:23:15] Speaker A: No, because strings are pulled. Like my dad have a job unless. [01:23:18] Speaker E: I. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So not only does your dad not believe in you, because obviously he put someone who isn't qualified on the. On, like, on. And also the entire Mekong empire, government officials who also approve these things, and also all of our teachers in school and all of the students who also fought you and worked with you, and your teachers who graded you, and your captains and your superior officers, all lied to trick you into this position because they felt sorry for you or because. [01:23:57] Speaker A: They needed a fall guy. [01:23:59] Speaker E: Yeah, sure, because they needed a fall guy. You really think this is where they put a fall guy? Listen, let's say that's true. You've tricked everyone into being. Into thinking that you are qualified enough or whatever, then get away with it. [01:24:18] Speaker A: I hate it when you're right. Can you talk to these tribals for me, please? I think I'm at my rope's end here. [01:24:27] Speaker E: Okay, I will talk to the locals. [01:24:30] Speaker A: Okay, great. [01:24:34] Speaker E: We are going to talk to the locals. We need to be able to. I assume this is a situation where we should not. We cannot bring the Mexican. [01:24:47] Speaker A: That's at your discretion. They have DC of their own. There's this one formation. They have the scouts of Wukong. They're big Hanuman class, so they swing from the trees and that sort of thing. You'll know exactly who they are when you see them? They've just been awfully quiet, and they're not privy to share the intelligence with us when we really need it. And that really pisses me off. [01:25:09] Speaker E: I understand. [01:25:10] Speaker A: You keep doing this thing. [01:25:11] Speaker E: Keep nothing. [01:25:14] Speaker A: Maybe it's the side of you and. Because. I know, because, like, just looking at you pisses me off, but I. No, no, don't put your mouth. [01:25:20] Speaker C: Don't put your hand on her mouth. [01:25:22] Speaker E: She just vomited. That is true. [01:25:24] Speaker A: I just vomited, dude. [01:25:27] Speaker E: Okay, well, we have a slight inconvenience in that this seraph is in a wheelchair, and. And while not inconvenient for most, Roman is not used to that. [01:25:41] Speaker A: So I'll have my people take a look at it. One of the units that has remained here is the Chow Phryan existellar legion. So, Ori and Roman, you know this unit because, one, you fought alongside them before as Gisi and particularly Roman. This was your unit. This was you and Francis's unit. Right? So, like, um, maybe, sure, the membership's different, but they. They know your names. Rip. Ripper's the, uh, the CEO of that outfit. So talk to him and he'll get you looked at. Alex, as you're walking through the jungle, uh, uh, behind this, like, flock of dogs. Or, like, at least in this flock of dogs, right? Um, yeah, a pack. See, that's the word I'm looking for. As you're walking in with this pack of ghost dogs, you, uh, you see more of, like, what, uh, uh, Preeta was talking about and that, like. Yeah, it's very evident that this planet is tearing itself apart. And the nature, like, at least, like, you can feel that. Like, in the trees, in the bushes, in the wind, the planet is mourning. You hear whispers. So it's possible that the fact that you're seeing these ghost dogs means that, like, on this planet, the barrier between the realm of the living and the dead has thinned. The dogs kind of like, bring you to a clearing and there's, like. And at the end of this clearing, there are smaller island moats that only fit one person. And they make, like, a little, like, bridge to, like, another larger moat. Right? And you see the dogs kind of, like, skip across each one. Like, the ground kind of like, bounces as they. As they move across. But yeah, you get to this edge and you see this trail of small rock, floating rocks that have just barely enough surface area to stand on. What do you do? [01:27:42] Speaker B: I see all these dogs knowing that they were my mother's dogs. And I instinctively just look around and go, nah. Asking for my mom. Maybe she might be here. Nah. [01:28:01] Speaker A: Are you. [01:28:03] Speaker B: Nah, I'm here. Can you hear me? And just trying to see if there's any kind of response. He's still following the dogs. Yeah, but he thinks his mom is here, if that is what is happening. And he could use his mom right now. [01:28:24] Speaker A: Yeah. So you make your way across each of these little floating moats, following these dogs, and you get to this other larger island, and there's a large. [01:28:39] Speaker D: Pillar. [01:28:39] Speaker A: Or minaret isn't the word to describe it, like, because at the very top of it, there looks to be what used to be ignition thrusters. Like this was some sort of warhead, right? But not even a warhead, because the whole point of a warhead causes destruction. This looks like a terraforming rocket, the kind they used thousands of years ago. And you squint at the text on the side that's like, mostly covered in moss at this point, but you can still make it out to. And it reads Kalpa of rickshaw, the tree of life. Beneath that there's a tree. And sitting beneath the tree, it's not your na, but definitely someone with a motherly presence. Just kind of like sitting beneath it. Vague glow around her, hands clasped together, sitting criss crossed, all neat. She opens her eyes, sees the dog circling around, and they all kind of like, gather around her at her feet. [01:29:41] Speaker B: And I can't help but smile because I think even though this is very otherworldly, this is kind of adorable. [01:29:55] Speaker A: She sits there for just like a, like, very tranquil. [01:30:02] Speaker B: KLaxon automatically extends his hand to her in the case that she takes it and he intends to put his forehead to her hand. [01:30:17] Speaker A: He allows you, you must be in. [01:30:25] Speaker B: Front of my sisters, a friend, Oradi. [01:30:30] Speaker A: Yes. I see your companions, or at least your furry companions, have brought you here. You see, the thing about saluda is the barriers between the realm of the living and the dead are thin here. Think about spirit dogs, or just the thing about dogs in general. They're just so loyal to their caretakers that they'll patiently wait in the plane in between for their masters to pass before they pass on their own. So. [01:31:02] Speaker B: Klaxon just takes a very deep breath, knowing how many dogs he's had in his life and his family's life, and just nods and says, they are some of my best friends. Are you Anousha? [01:31:28] Speaker A: That is the name they called me, yes. That's the name my parents gave me. Yes. [01:31:32] Speaker B: What is the name you would like to be called? [01:31:36] Speaker A: Well, most of the times, people just call me teacher, but you can just call me friend. I think you have. You got that friend energy, as the young folks say. These games, you've come here on a quest? Yes, yes, I, too, am here on a quest, but mine is much different than yours. But I think we can aid each other. You see, the goddesses here, they're in white disarray. And I'm trying to help them let go of, or at least the one that remains to let go. What are you here for? [01:32:21] Speaker B: Well, several things. One of them was just curiosity. Led me to follow these dogs that I knew were long past. So there had to be a reason. I know that we're trying to find the chandrahasa. [01:32:40] Speaker A: Ah, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. [01:32:44] Speaker B: And we're trying to help your sister reclaim her rightful place to that throne. To help serve me Kong. But that's been complicated in so many ways. [01:32:59] Speaker A: Oh, I'm sure. I'm sure that has. It was complicated for me, too. [01:33:05] Speaker B: And there's a lot of fighting going on with a lot of these creatures that I don't know. And our friend Roman has been sick. [01:33:14] Speaker A: So. [01:33:14] Speaker B: Sorry, I didn't mean to lay all of this on you to just. [01:33:16] Speaker A: No, no, no. Please, please, no. I didn't hear to listen. [01:33:22] Speaker B: But I've said. I've said a lot. How can I help you? You've brought us here. Or brought me here. [01:33:30] Speaker A: Do you know what this tree is? She points at the tree above her. [01:33:35] Speaker B: I think according to this terraforming rocket, it's supposed to be the tree of life. [01:33:39] Speaker A: Yes, but there's another tree that I'm sitting right under here. That rocket's its own thing. This. This is a manzanita tree. I don't believe it's not. It doesn't grow on very many planets out here in Mekong, but manzanita trees are fascinating because it requires. Their seeds require fire to activate. [01:34:01] Speaker B: Hmm. [01:34:02] Speaker A: I think that's a lesson I tried to convey to my sister when I last saw her. Or maybe I forgot. I don't know. I do regret not being a more present sibling for her. These are tumultuous times. [01:34:16] Speaker B: And that's interesting, because for a manzanita tree to even blossom, the place itself must have fire in it in order to survive. Which means that there has to be a lot of chaos or volcanoes, right? [01:34:35] Speaker A: Things in Mekong, they work on cycles. The dry season brings wildfires, the wet season sprouts the trees, and things repeat. I think Mekong is at the. The precipice of a very, very dry season. And now the fires have come. And I do admit, for many folks, fire is scary. It burns, it singes, it destroys. But from it, things grow, too. And there are a lot of biological processes that facilitate that growth. Us human beings are part of it. She kind of, like, digs into, like, the litter sack and pulls out a quarter. It has the emperor's face on it. She, like, flips it, catches it, rolls it around in her hand. I get the sense this is important for you. For one of you, I'm going to hand this to you. [01:35:36] Speaker B: I know exactly who should receive this. [01:35:39] Speaker A: Hands doesn't do that. [01:35:41] Speaker B: And he respectfully takes it and palms it, puts it into his pocket. [01:35:47] Speaker A: There's something you need to know. Chandrahasa is not a weapon of destruction. It is a weapon. It's not even a weapon at all, really. Think of it more like. She's, like, trying to find the right metaphor to describe what it does. When you think of the kunma for the first time, when she. When she says Kunma, nothing happens, because she's just so, so Zen right now. [01:36:18] Speaker B: That, like, when she said it, I didn't even think to jump. Just, oh, I'm in this calm with. [01:36:27] Speaker A: They are a byproduct of, you know, the most. The oldest truth of the universe, and that they're created from suffering, and from suffering is created by attachment. We have a lot of them, even me, and I'm still learning to get over them. I may have mastered quite a few of them, but it's not a perfect process. What Chandra hasa does is it severs those attachments in a way that even the most vacuous, lonesome creatures in the universe cannot resist. It doesn't kill. It does not maim. All it does is it facilitates understanding. [01:37:20] Speaker B: And the dog facilitates understanding by separating one from attachments. [01:37:29] Speaker A: Not attachments, plural. Usually, many of us have a singular one that defines us the most. They call them the three poisons. There's. You've seen representations of them along your journey. There's the bird, which represents attachment. There's the pig. You remember the pig from your race, which represents ignorance. And there's a snake that represents hatred. But those can be answered through wisdom, understanding, and compassion. Those are. These are. Sure, it's very easy to say out loud, but to put it into practice is much more challenging. So Chandra Hassan will help in that process, I can assure you. [01:38:18] Speaker B: So how do we go about finding the chandrahasa? [01:38:25] Speaker A: It's still embedded in Bokap den's carapace because when humanity defeated her last, she shed and we buried her down there. The one that represents the bird, he is standing guard in front of it, deep within the sinkhole that they refer to as the exit wound, where Bachathan broke free. When the time comes, when that final movement of this plays heaven, she points at Dokbal Wat earth. She points bundle ether and hel. She points to the egg. She like, points further down, will align. That is when you will be able to get chandrahasa. [01:39:16] Speaker B: So we have to wait for the right timing before we acquire Chandrahasa. [01:39:25] Speaker A: There will be great hardship, possibly the most you've endured this entire journey. But I want you to relay this to my sister in particular. The flower of liberation must grow from the soil of suffering. We cannot be free until. We cannot be free until we are. Until we understand what it takes. [01:39:48] Speaker B: For that, you've given me a message and ways to handle Chandrahasa. And what Chandrahasa is. Is there anything that we can do for you? [01:40:05] Speaker A: I think you know that already. [01:40:08] Speaker B: Duly noted. Um, one last favor before I depart. How do I get out of here? [01:40:19] Speaker A: Oh, just back away again. [01:40:20] Speaker B: Oh, okay. I will. I will have. I'll have. Argo. Argo, do you know the way out? Perfect. All right. Perfect. Klaxon doubles. Checks its pocket to make sure the quarter is still there. He removes it and he actually puts it at his chest pocket. I'm like, okay, just to make sure I have that. And then he's kind of. As he was listening, he was mentally taking notes and realized, I'm going to. Without having to repeat things. He just takes something in his pocket, which looks like. Which is essentially his phone, so that he was able to record. Okay, so you'll have to repeat everything to me so that we can. So I can record it, because I'm not going to remember all of this. This is very, very intense. Is that okay? I have most of it in my head, I swear. [01:41:26] Speaker A: I get that. I get that. Yes. [01:41:30] Speaker B: This is so important. I am so sorry that I have to get exact, because you said. You said, deliver the message, you know, flower of liberation, of soil, of suffering, and then you said two other sentences, and I need to make sure. [01:41:44] Speaker A: The most important part is the flower of liberation must grow from the soil suffering. She'll get the rest. Okay. [01:41:47] Speaker B: Okay, great. [01:41:48] Speaker A: Okay. Yes. Look, this is not the last time you. You will meet an enlightened one. Klaxon Bulak. Like, I promise you. Okay? [01:41:55] Speaker B: Okay. [01:41:56] Speaker A: Yeah. You, um. You have a good heart. [01:41:59] Speaker B: Well, you know, thank you. I try, but I know how much is writing on this, and I can't get any of this wrong. I want to make sure that everyone has you the information that they need. [01:42:18] Speaker A: You won't get it wrong. [01:42:19] Speaker B: Okay. Thank you, teacher friend. Um, he goes up to Anusha again, puts his. Takes her hand, puts it to his forehead. [01:42:38] Speaker A: He's like, bats it away, and she hugs you. You. [01:42:40] Speaker B: Oh, oh. [01:42:43] Speaker A: You should also relay this to my sister, too. [01:42:45] Speaker B: I I will. Hopefully she likes hugs. [01:42:52] Speaker A: She doesn't, but, um, it's the. It's the. It's the thought of the. It's the thought that counts. All right, Argo. She, like, gestures us down, and the dog starts running off. [01:43:04] Speaker B: Um, there wouldn't be any chance that my mother would be here. I'm like, I'm not saying that she has to be, but I know my. [01:43:15] Speaker A: She will always be with you, as all of our ancestors are at some point or another. [01:43:21] Speaker B: Then if you can deliver a message, please tell her that Rubina needs guidance. She really does. I hate that out of her. But if she can at least make sure that her head is right. [01:43:44] Speaker A: That. [01:43:45] Speaker B: Is all I can ask. All right, Argo, let's go back and see my friends. [01:43:53] Speaker A: And you depart. And that is our first half of our session. Everybody, thank you for joining us for Mekong episode eight. We'll be back after these messages. So I'll see. See you back here. Welcome back, everybody, to Mekong episode eight. Man, really? Are you guys okay? [01:44:27] Speaker D: Yeah, it's a very pointed statement. [01:44:30] Speaker A: Oh, yeah, I'm known for those. Okay, so without further ado, I think we're just gonna get straight back into it. So we come back to the central meeting room in Duckball wat after dragon Marshal Prita has just told Ordi to go meet up with the locals. And also that one particular tandong formation has remained with the army after all others have either retreated or have been totally demolished. And that would be the chao phraya exo stellar legion, which is basically like Chowfreia's version of the French Foreign Legion, albeit its numbers are constructed with basically everyone around the empire, more or less. Diversity is a strength in this unit. So, as that meeting concludes, and you guys kind of, like, walk back out into the rest of Doc Bah Watt, you see that some support technicians have, like, unloaded your mechs out of the marigold, and to fall in with, like, the rest of the group, the banner of the chow fry existellar is. Are the. The twin elephants of the Trunk sisters. So it's like legendary tae nong from way back when. Fended off a bunch of Conrad in this huge battle. And that's kind of like the legacy that this unit kind of honors as copper pot gets unloaded. Rupiah, you do see a woman kind of like, standing at the base of your mech's feet. Kind of like watching it get unloaded and, like, loaded up next to the. The rest of the gisi of this particular unit. She wears a sabai and a sarong. Short. [01:46:29] Speaker D: Short. [01:46:29] Speaker A: Much more like short military hair. Her skin's a bit worse for wear as soldiers are. And she's just, like, kind of like watching it with, like, her hands behind her back. She turns, and when you see, like, the outline of her face, the last time you saw her was at a chicken joint listening to records. You see, like, the little patch on the side of her sarong. It's like a military that says. That has her call sign on it. Ripper. You make eye contact. Did you not get a different paint job like I told you? Like, it's so ugly. [01:47:20] Speaker C: It's iconic. [01:47:22] Speaker A: It's. No, it's ugly. It's like it's not even camp. Like, if I got in a different. [01:47:27] Speaker C: Paint job, you might not have recognized her when she came down. [01:47:31] Speaker A: You have a lot of nerve showing up around here at the end of the universe and seraphs with you. [01:47:42] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:47:43] Speaker E: Yes. [01:47:44] Speaker A: You see other tae nong, kind of, like, come out from between the mechs as they see Roman, you will kind of, like, roll out in your wheelchair. Or do you kind of. Or do you, like, come up right behind Roman? And you see, so, basically as you, the chow fry, exosolar. They're unique in that their numbers consist of Taandmong, whose bloodlines hail from offworld. But many of them, actually, all of them, are war orphans. People abandoned by society. All kind of, you know, your rat. Everyone knows that cliche of your ragtag band of outcasts. But none of these faces are familiar to you, Roman, but they know who you are in that. Like, the old guard that they served with told stories about you. And some of these kids, some of these young pilots, they. They even walk up to you and, like, kind of, like, grab your hand out of respect. Uh, hi. Hello. Um, Charaine says, uh, I'm, uh, Lieutenant Commander Ripper. [01:49:04] Speaker D: These are the. [01:49:08] Speaker A: These are your. Your. [01:49:10] Speaker D: Your troops. [01:49:11] Speaker A: You're at your highness. And she looks at you already and refers to you as your highness. [01:49:18] Speaker E: Uh, thank you. That cool? We have. [01:49:31] Speaker A: We've been praying for you to get here. [01:49:34] Speaker E: Sorry it took so long. [01:49:38] Speaker A: Well, you know, seeing that you brought rupiah with you, she kind of slows everybody down, but that's. That's not your fault. And she kind of like side eyes. You rupiah? [01:49:51] Speaker C: Nah, that's all good. We all know who the lightest on our feet was quickest to get out. [01:50:02] Speaker E: Okay, well, yes, yes, yes. [01:50:06] Speaker A: Okay, well, everyone's attention turns to you now. Roman and some pilot say, like, you've saved a lot of us either. Our dads, our uncles, our aunts. It sounds like, according to what dragon marshal predis said, we could return the favor for you, sir. [01:50:31] Speaker D: Return a favor? Look at it as not just returning a favor, but I guess building something better. You know, you're all brave for doing what you're doing. I don't doubt that you'll be okay out there. Do what you need to do. And you can still hear that Roman's voice is not. He's not fully there yet. [01:51:09] Speaker A: And then, Kalaksa, you finally make your way back to duckball lot. You get to the elevator, you go up. Some soldiers try to stop you, but you see everyone's kind of, like, gathered in this kind of central courtyard area, where many kisi are gathered. What are you doing? These are like. Okay, hold on. Do you have identification? Could we. [01:51:35] Speaker B: And he just kind of stops and assesses the situation, realizing that the last time they saw him, he was chasing after a dog. So there has to be a good reason for him to just reintroduce himself back. [01:51:51] Speaker A: The rest of you hear the commotion from just beyond this gathering of Taednong. You see Kallaxis kind of getting stopped by these two soldiers, straw hats and carrying aks. [01:52:02] Speaker B: And he immediately then goes into the. Listen, I was here along with Roman, Rupiah, and Ordi, and I just needed to go to handle a little business. You know, what kind of business that is? And then rejoined because, you know, a bladder doesn't have limits. So if I can rejoin my group, please. [01:52:28] Speaker A: Ripper's, like, just let him pass. We know him. Okay, thank you. Thank you, boys. Appreciate it. Can we, like, clear out? And they, like, part ways clocks. And you finally returned to the group, and everyone's, like, looking at you now, like, where were you. [01:52:43] Speaker B: Already? We should talk. I mean, I want the group of us to talk, but we should definitely talk. I just saw your sister. [01:52:55] Speaker E: Um, yeah, no, yeah, let's. Um. I can. [01:53:03] Speaker A: Can. [01:53:03] Speaker E: Can we. Can we do this briefing first and talk on the way out? [01:53:07] Speaker B: Um, some of the information might be relevant to your briefing. Um, especially the location of our, uh, Chandrahasa. [01:53:19] Speaker A: All the other ten, not kind of like, just like, they all start, like, looking now they all turn to eucalaxan, and then rip is like, what about Chandra Hasfan? [01:53:31] Speaker E: I guess the floor is yours. [01:53:34] Speaker B: All right, so, first of all, Soledang. Wonderful place. Very, very strange, the information that I got in regards to the location of the chandrahasa. First of all, it is not a weapon the way we think it is. At least that is how it is described to me. But the location is. There is the bird, I think, the kunta Lanak standing guard in front of it at the exen wound, where the bog captain broke free. So that is what I was told. In terms of the actual location, it's not a bird. [01:54:19] Speaker A: A ripper. Says it's maestro. [01:54:23] Speaker B: Oh, okay, okay. [01:54:26] Speaker A: So when we first got to this planet, it was after maestro had had assumed command. He went in, into the jungle. He went with the locals, tried to work something out with them to help locate Bob captain. There was a big flood. Washed half of our numbers away. And then they said that he gave himself over to her, and that. And when dragon Marshal Preta took over and we tried to go into the exit wound ourselves, she turns and looks at cockroban. He pilots. Not Durga, but Kali. It seems like he's sealed himself in his cockpit and is standing guard in front of the sword. And then other reports say that somebody saw his disembodied spirit conducting a symphony down there. And that same symphony that is now coordinating all these attacks of gunmai against us and has been picking us off one by one. I guess that's where you come in, Roman. She turns to you. Sir, you've saved a lot of us, or in our forebears before. We need you to be the seraph one more time and get him out of there. It's just none of us. None of us match his skill or his. Any of that. Not as long as he's been a ten, mom. I mean, there's a reason why the emperor put him in charge. Initially, to go kill Bocap, then and now he's under some sort of thrall. [01:56:25] Speaker D: I I don't know if I can do this. And you hear this ample doubt in Romans, in roman speech, I don't know if I got what it takes to continue anymore. I don't even have a mech. I'm stuck in this damn chair. I mean, by all accounts, I shouldn't even be alive right now, so I don't know how much use I'm gonna be to you right now, in this state. [01:57:07] Speaker A: You see everyone kind of like their gazes all turned to the ground now, it seems like they were holding out for you, and this is probably the worst news they've received their entire campaign on this planet. [01:57:25] Speaker B: Roman, first of all, you are alive, so don't tell us you shouldn't be alive because you are here, all right? Secondly, just because you are confined to a chair, you know, last time I checked, many of us who board the kisi are usually sitting. [01:57:50] Speaker A: So. [01:57:51] Speaker B: And thirdly, um, you know, even if maybe some of your hands or some of your motion is. Isn't, you know, 100% we have access to technology. We can make sure that all of what you need to access is accessible in regards to mech and. Okay, mechs, we will have the mech for you. Just because you don't have one. Now, maybe it doesn't have the name Appalachia, right? Or even Archangel, but we will get you a mech if you want to fight. That is all we require of you. We will get you everything else, but I cannot make you fight unless you want to. Do you want to fight in this campaign. [01:58:44] Speaker D: Kalex? And I. Look, I. I want to fight. Don't get me wrong, don't get me wrong. I I I just. You know, I just wish I had enough to continue right now. [01:59:03] Speaker B: What do you need? We will get it for you. [01:59:09] Speaker D: It's funny you mentioned that, you know, look, when I was. When I was out, you know, I just had this memory of. I had this memory of being in a laundromat, and Francis was there, and all I remember is it was salut strikers. I love that game. Back then, you had to pay a quarter every game. Yeah, it feels like I'm out of quarters right now, you know, like I've done spent everything I've had, and. I don't know, I just. That's just how. That's just what it feels like right now is, you know, I got. I got a quarters left, man. [02:00:01] Speaker B: Kallaxon reaches into his chest pocket and pulls out a quarter. [02:00:09] Speaker A: This quarter. Now, at first, it had the emperor's face on it when you got it, Kolaxen, but as you hold it up, there's a single eye on it, but not like. Not like a fleshed out eye, but just like a carving of what you would recognize as, like on many hindu buddhist scriptures, as, like, a third eye. [02:00:33] Speaker B: And he extends the quarter out to Roman. [02:00:40] Speaker D: Roman's gotta take the quarter. Where did you get this? [02:00:47] Speaker B: Does that matter? [02:00:49] Speaker D: And Roman hasn't held a quarter like this in years, not since he was a kid. And all those memories come flooding back. The memory of the laundromat, the memory of, you know, like I said, scrounging with Francis, the fine quarters to go play and spend time, and the days where you'd run out of quarters and you just sit outside, reminiscent on the games. And, you know, he's holding. And then immediately he hears, you know, the continued and the timer going down and the image of putting one more quarterback in, the image of an embattered fighter lighting back up, color back in their faces, because usually they're. They're black and white and bloodied. And then when you hit start to continue, you hear them yell, ready to go. And there's a spark in Roman's eye. All right, if this is what you're telling me to do, put the quarterback in and hit start. One last shot. One last shot. [02:01:58] Speaker A: The technician from the. One of the exosolar technicians, you see them unloading what remains of Apalachi off the marigold. Its cockpit is still intact, though. And you remember Francis words that day at the laundromat, that when you put that quarterback in, when it goes to the character select screen to pick. [02:02:22] Speaker D: Pick appalachia. [02:02:27] Speaker A: Such a nerd. He fucking named his mech after his favorite fighting game character. [02:02:34] Speaker D: Ah, you asshole. [02:02:37] Speaker A: You asshole. [02:02:42] Speaker D: And Roman is slowly gonna take his feet off of the footrests of the wheelchair and just slowly, like, slowly stand up. He's still got I'm. He's still got the iv, like, attached to him, right? And he's just gonna slowly, like, creak up and just see, like, okay, you. [02:03:09] Speaker A: See, it's a couple of the other. They, like, kind of rush up next to you and, like, grab you by the shoulders and, like, support you up. [02:03:17] Speaker D: Hey, thanks. Thanks. [02:03:19] Speaker A: And, yeah, you got a coach. [02:03:21] Speaker D: Yeah, coach. Yeah, let's listen. Look, all I can say is thank you to everyone, every single one of you, from those of you supporting me right now, to everybody who's been with us on this journey. [02:03:44] Speaker A: You see the lost boys standing on the corner. [02:03:49] Speaker D: We have a chance to do something great here. And if I gotta give every single last breath I have, every single inch of my body, every single inch of my being, you know damn well that I gotta do it. So I'm in. And, uh, Roman's got a little pouch with him, and I'm pretty sure he's gonna reach into that pouch and pull out a little bottle of whatever Medici meds he's got. Left. And totally take two, dry swallow them. It's probably. It's probably hydrocodone to. To help with the pain. Cause you know why? Cause Roman's gonna go hard like that. So you know what? Fire up whatever we got. Throw me in a piece. I'm picking Apollo key, and we're going out there. [02:04:44] Speaker A: They bring you over to Apalachi, and they sit you in the cockpit. You notice something in the console you didn't notice before. It seems like part one of Francis's modifications was there's a coin slot, light red, insert order here, and it's covered by, like, a plastic glass of, like, in case of emergency. [02:05:08] Speaker D: And so Roman's gonna look at the coin. The coin slot as. You fucking nerd. God damn it. An insert coin here. [02:05:20] Speaker A: You open it up, and you insert the coin. There's a moment where nothing happens, and then everyone's, like, staring up at that legless Apalachi, who's just kind of, like, hung there on, like, basically mechanical tethers. It, like, awakens. Its eyes glow, and it starts moving on its own. [02:05:52] Speaker D: Hmm. [02:05:54] Speaker A: Like, it kind of, like, takes the tethers off, and it falls down a little bit, and everyone kind of, like, clears out of the way, and it starts kind of, like, walking on its hands into the temple complex. And it's almost like everyone's, like, watching this. Like they're witnessing, like, a miracle of some sorts, right? And Apollo walks on its hands into that area of Dakbal wat where there was that pool and those robot arms drawing mandalas. The robot arms stop, and Appalachi kind of, like, crawls into the pool and just kind of, like, lays there for a sec. Roman, you're sitting in this cockpit, and Francis talks to you one last time. Hey, after I give you. After you use that last quarter, I gotta. I gotta go. You gotta let me go. But thanks for bringing me here, man. [02:07:00] Speaker D: I know, man. I'm gonna do my best. [02:07:07] Speaker A: You are gonna do your best because you followed my advice. You told you picked up a locky and, you know, remember I told you as that special, that, like, only certain players can unlock. I think you were that certain player. I think that's why we're friends, right? [02:07:21] Speaker D: So. Hey, it's only because you gave me that quarter, man. It's only because you gave me that quarter. [02:07:29] Speaker A: Listen, before I go, I just want to let you know that, um. Hope you know her better and longer than I ever have. You will face her again. You have to be the one that brings her home. [02:07:59] Speaker D: I promise, man. For our daughter. [02:08:05] Speaker A: All of you are looking at this pool with Apalachi just laying there. And the water starts glowing gold, and the robot arms start printing very fast. And all of you are just kind of, like, watching in awe at this site. And Roman, inside the cockpit, you see, you're looking at the view screen, and you and the reflection that usually looks back you is not your reflection. It's just Francis's face. And he says, like, all right, he starts to fade. And the arms start moving parts into the water and attaching it, replacing, filling in the gaps of apolloqi, but not rebuilding. Apalachi, more or less, but almost creating something new, something like the gods are intervening. And even Jackie kind of, like, limps over to witness the birth of a new concord. The arms continue to attach, and Apalachi, God of the sun, just as night, just as day comes to night, day comes again. And you feel like even though Francis is gone, he's left one last gift for you. All of you, kind of, like, watch. [02:09:34] Speaker D: As. [02:09:38] Speaker A: This machine rises out from the water, reborn anew, with a pair of angelic wings on its back, and its eyes glow so bright. And Orody Rupia Kallaxin, as you watch this entire process. And Roman, as you're experiencing this whole process, your eyes also start glowing, and a light forms right here on all of your foreheads and opens up. And as you kind of, like, look at this, this new mech behind it, eight arms kind of form behind of. It's almost resembling the bodhisattva Guanyin. And you hear an ethereal voice announce, ta nang, protectors of the interstellar Sangha. I grant you the guidance of the lotus. May the opening of your middle eye set you and the world you build after down a nobler path than your predecessors. All beings are cut from the same clothes. From Stardust we began. From stardust we return. And even though our ghosts have no corporeal material form, they do not come from nothing. They just were, as we all have been existing here in the same ever flowing river. But as we die and reincarnate and return and die, it is with each turn of the wheel that we take our steps closer to freeing ourselves from it. Even the quenra, as ancient as they are, subject to the entropy, as gods, assuers, or men. Underneath all of us lies an empathy accumulated from all of our collective experiences across the realms. The multi armed form recedes, leaving behind the wings. On the back of you see the view screen display. Concord, malaika, Malaika, and everyone the other ten are kind of, like, all back up around you guys. Three of you who just watched this whole thing as your pilot uniforms are completely replaced by mono colored, almost the ancestral garb of the first Tanrong, the ones that were part of the guild that built this place after you are all just had this moment of divide intervention in this. In this pool. The tandong, the other tandong of the chaofry exosaular. Like, they part to make way for Zhongzhi as he. And you guys turn with your brand new spanking uniforms and your. And he crosses his arms and looks at you. Ordi's like, now, do you believe in storybooks? [02:12:40] Speaker E: I mean, it's a little hard to argue with now. [02:12:47] Speaker A: I rest my case. I rest my case. I rest. He looks at the other tando like, I rest my case. I rest. [02:12:53] Speaker E: But, no, we're gonna go ahead. [02:12:55] Speaker C: Wait while you're ahead, man. [02:12:58] Speaker A: I know. I know. I I just had. I knew my faith in all of you was placed and was in the right place. And I'm. I'm very grateful that we live in a universe where this kind of thing is still possible. Now, the first tether, maestro, Ripper, what do you know? And charade. She's like, okay, so the last time we fought, maestro, it didn't go very well, that's for sure. According to the testimony of the men that he brought here initially. I don't want to say he's gone mad, because that implies that this is a binary thing, and it's not. There's actually more complicated factors that go into it. But, um, he's still in there. And we were thinking why, when the battle comes and when the kunma start flooding out of that exit wound, the four of you, we can hold it down here, and the four of you go down there, talk him out of it, make him stand aside, get the sword, and then maybe bring him home for us. Gonna happen. They look up at the malaika. [02:14:45] Speaker D: We're gonna do it. We're going to do it. Whatever it takes, everyone. [02:14:52] Speaker A: We're gonna do it anyway. Before the moment could continue to sit, all of you hear, like, the sounds of an alarm. Klaxon. Kickoff. All the ten non look at each other. Maybe it's happening now. It's happening now. It's. And everyone starts, like, I like rushing off to each other. Shireen even, like, stops at you, Ruthia. And she says, like, okay, I wish we could catch up more, but I think we all have jobs to do. [02:15:36] Speaker C: We'll have all the time in the world from the other side. [02:15:41] Speaker A: Everyone begins rushing to their machines. Yeah. [02:15:46] Speaker C: We may have broken the last time we threw ourselves against it. But we won't break now. [02:15:54] Speaker A: We won't go. [02:15:57] Speaker C: Show me how your dancing skills are, Ripper. [02:16:04] Speaker A: You know it. And she kind of, like, runs off. All right, boys, let's get on. Let's get on. Let's get a move on. We got. We got. We got command bound. The rest of you, you look around and you see that on the walls of Duckbau, what? A couple of mechs have showed up. Their silhouette is meant to evoke monkeys. These are Hanuman class of the locals. And they shout, ordi vug. [02:16:42] Speaker E: Everyone fucking wants my attention. Running outside. [02:16:45] Speaker A: You run outside and you see, you know, there's three mechanical looking sun wukongs, all kind of like, sitting on a wall looking down at you. And they say, we bring a message from Maitreya. We, the charia, come to you as your sister came to us to offer you. They're trying to find the word for it, because clearly Mekong ease is not their first language. Seeing that your associate, the dragon marshal, does not speak, doesn't seem to have the facilities to speak on behalf of your empire. We come to you asking for a promise. The history of our people is tense. We came to this planet to be free of your emperor's bloody and deathly feudal system. And when your maestro came to us, we thought by working with him that the promise would be maintained, but it seemed like it wasn't, seeing that he's given himself over to the adversary. Can you promise us that when you take this sword, you will make this right once and for all? [02:18:16] Speaker E: I will. [02:18:20] Speaker A: On your word? [02:18:23] Speaker E: Yes. To the best of my ability. [02:18:26] Speaker A: Your journey is near complete, and all three Sun Wukong mechs, kind of, like, hop off the wall and start swinging back. [02:18:38] Speaker E: Well, I have no idea what I just agreed to, but sounds like a good idea. [02:18:42] Speaker A: Let's. [02:18:43] Speaker E: This cannot bite me in the ass in any way possible. You want to go fight some. [02:18:55] Speaker A: You see everyone suiting up and preparing for battle. And you see, as you look out from the walls, you see that the clouds beneath Daqbalwat begin to part. And you see a massive gash inside along the crust of this earth that kind of, like, forms into, like, a sinkhole. And as dokbaw walk draws closer to it, it begins to display stranger and stranger properties within. There's, like very. There's towering trees that form the walls of, like, an amphitheater, and there's, like, layered vines draping as curtains. And there's like a mist that kind of like obscures further back as you kind of look closer and you can hear from this hole the screams of the dying of agony and of pain acting almost like as a choir for this cathedral of ignorance and self hatred. And their voice echo through the sky, heralding the final gasps of peace in your time. Then you see the claws begin to pry themselves out of this hole as Kunma start flooding out. You see Manananggal, you see Kundalinak birds flying out. You see this black tar kind of begin bleeding out from the surface and they turn into thousands of hornets. And then also surrounding this wound, there are several fallen Gisi chassis from battles before that Ripper mentioned. And they also start rising like revenants. Seems like the pilots were not properly buried and now they have taken them too. And you hear them and everyone on Dqbalwat as like this fortress is floating over there, like looking down, like okay, this is the battle where heaven, earth and hell align. The clash between men, machines and monsters, between daevas, sanghas and the asuras, it's definitely the stuff out of legends. Alright, this will possibly determine the fate of all of me Kong here and now. But fortunately for you, you have been blessed with the gifts of your ancestors, really ready to face what comes next for this burgeoning constellation. And so we will see what comes of you next episode, because that's our episode today. Thank you so much for tuning into Mekong. If you like this game, please be sure to check out the beam Saber RPG on itch IO. If you like us and you want to see more, please be sure to follow Queen's court games on all the socials and on Patreon. Be sure to join us again in our next installment of Symphony for the devil as we prepare for the battle of Celadon. I'm Jerry. It's been an honor and a privilege telling the story for you all. Everybody else, if this is your time to this is your time to put your hands together, first off for our lovely cast, and then shout out your socials, projects and other work you got going on, now's your time. [02:22:16] Speaker B: All right. Hi, my name is Rhino Mega. He himself could find me on whatever that bird thing is named under Ryan Omga Kotila Neck. Yeah, you can find me under the kunta delac app under Ryan Omga. [02:22:34] Speaker A: I mean, yeah, the CEO is basically a space demon anyway, so. [02:22:38] Speaker B: And in other places, you could just find me under Ryan Omega. You could find me at various conventions or sometimes I am hosting things possibly at a city near you, since I travel around the country. Except for this, I do come back for this game. [02:22:56] Speaker D: What's up, everyone? Andrew J. Landy checking in here, playing Roman Maxillon. Pronouns for both of us, he, him. Again, you can find me Instagram and whatever we're calling it now, X or Twitter or shy. I don't know what it is, but Andrew J. Landi is me. Again, first name, fiddle, initial, last name. It's been a pleasure playing and in Mekong. And, yeah, as you can see here, it gets real. So again, we're thankful to have you all here along for the ride with us. And again, find me there also on threads as Andrew J. Landi, because, you know, the whole wave of social media, like, you know, we got, like, a whole bunch of them. And then blue sky as Duralath, which is my actual fighting game, my gamer tag, because I do play Street Fighter competitively, so. But anyway, hit me up there. Would love to chat with you all and would love to network with you. I'm going to pass to the princess Clara yellow. [02:23:56] Speaker E: I'm Clara. I've been playing already vung the. Oh, God. I was gonna say, like the exile playbook, which is actually what I'm playing the Zuko. You could tell. We pre record these and have been pre recording them for a while because I am all over the Internet. It's clearly golden. And I'll tell you to find me around Twitter, but by the time we've recorded this one, Twitter has turned into a raging fire of nonsense. It was before, too, but now it changed its name. So Twitter's having a midlife crisis, and that's fine and normal for Twitter, I'm sure. Anyway, contila, knock. You can find me over there. Golden. And frankly, everywhere else, I'm also. I'm here playing games on Queen's court games, and we're at happy jacks playing games over there. I'm so tired. I spend most of this game crowd, so I'm tired. Pooja, please save me. [02:25:02] Speaker C: It's such a mood. Hi, I'm Pooja. You can find me on the Internet as forgotten saves. And I also play games with Happy Jack. There's less crying in those, Gibbs. I don't know if that's a positive or a negative now, morally neutral, but, yeah, thanks for watching and wish us much luck in this massive fight for the entirety of Mecon. [02:25:39] Speaker A: And I'm Jerry. I torment these players all the time, and you can continue to find me tormenting people on social media under myjeri. Amor on Instagram and the social media formerly known as Twitter. And, yeah, so thank you so much for participating, for being with us, for just, you know, sticking around, because I really love this project, and I also love these people, these players and these people. So, yeah, thank you so much. Fare thee well. Stay hydrated. Tell someone you care about you love them, and peace.