A very full-on session! I expected another slog into the angel but instead we got some major exploration, some chats with powerful quasi-allies, and a resolution to the Seraphim issue nobody anticipated!
The Lady is now in control of the Seraphim and marches on Fate.
A bunch of skeleton ghosts is maybe dead now? Idk. Need to review the Gambit rules now!
Grumpy has a coin that can summon Gifflewim.
The last dog on Earth is adorable.
Carter has done a smashing job of updating and beautifying the map of the local area. Check it out!
Session 240 - Find the Lady
Date:
15 years after the End.
15 years after the End.
May
New Characters:
- Edvaldus, a Fighter who owns a dog called Mossy who is possibly the last dog on earth. It is the happiest dog around! Edvaldus is a very good owner, he swears.
- Edvaldus, a Fighter who owns a dog called Mossy who is possibly the last dog on earth. It is the happiest dog around! Edvaldus is a very good owner, he swears.
New Backstory:
- Dargo came into a large sum of money when he ate a man and stole his identity, spreading the wealth generously and salvaging the man’s reputation. (+1 Charisma)
- Dargo came into a large sum of money when he ate a man and stole his identity, spreading the wealth generously and salvaging the man’s reputation. (+1 Charisma)
Character List:
Overland Exploration:
- 2 Random Encounters (100 exp)
- Explored 3 hexes (150 exp)
- First party to visit Azzle (200 exp)
Total: 450 exp
- 2 Random Encounters (100 exp)
- Explored 3 hexes (150 exp)
- First party to visit Azzle (200 exp)
Total: 450 exp
Dungeon Exploration:
- Lair cleared! (500 exp)
- Lair cleared! (500 exp)
Murders:
- A small child-ghost (20 exp)
- Lots of skeletons, killed by fiat (100 exp)
Total: 120 exp
- A small child-ghost (20 exp)
- Lots of skeletons, killed by fiat (100 exp)
Total: 120 exp
Salvage:
- Seraphim Cleared! (50000 exp)
Total: 50000 exp
- Seraphim Cleared! (50000 exp)
Total: 50000 exp
Events:
--- Fourth of May, Expedition Day 3: Slopworm Surprise
- Returning to their camp after the afternoon’s expedition into the crashed Seraphim, the party roll their claimed angel corpses into a pile and plop down to turn over the embers of their campfire.
- Zulu thrusts handfuls of Slopworm into Grumpy’s hands and insists that he cook it! It’s sure to be delicious! She departs into the nearby area to search for more, while Grumpy checks the stores and decides what they’re going to make today. He makes a simple dish of Slopworm and Long Potato that sounds truly vile, yet is fairly appetising and grants resistance to acid damage.
- Zulu returns empty-handed and turns up her nose at Grumpy’s meal, but eventually eats some anyway. Luckily for Grumpy nobody damaged their gear today! He actually gets to sleep for once!
--- Fifth of May, Expedition Day 4: Casual Exploration Day
- In the morning a well-rested Grumpy proposes a theory - the angels are acting differently to last time they came out this way. What if it’s down to the Gods above? Andromeda brings up an old rumour - that the angels go crazy on Sundays. Maybe they wait until then? There is general agreement, anything’s better than the general battle of attrition they’ve had until now.
- It’s Friday today, so if they have a general ramble around for a couple of days to fill the time it’ll be easy enough! Since it’s acid rain outside the dome, Grumpy decides to head out on his own. His faith will protect him and his gear from the rain. The others are going to head around the inside of the Storm Shell to see what’s up.
- As they prepare to leave, a noble looking man shows up with his dog! Apparently his dog sniffed out the group, and he wants to join! He is Edvaldus and, he assures everyone, he’s a good guy. Andromeda’s Void Pet is wary of the dog, forming into a shield shape to protect its master. Zulu’s antelope is above such tomfoolery, and looks down its nose at Mossy the dog.
--- Grumpy, Gas, and Gifflewim
- Grumpy sets off on his own, hefting his glaive onto his back. He plans to go north and check out the lay of the land. Rain pours down, and as he crosses through the Storm Shell the rain begins to sizzle and eat away at his armour.
- After a mile or so he comes across a road stretching east to west. To the east he can see a church steeple through the rain. Overhead, long-winged birds circle through gaps in the clouds. He wonders if there’s a way to bait them down.
- He heads to the town, hoping to head up the steeple, but as he gets closer he sees the place is wreathed with fog that spews from holes in the earth. There is a carved tower as tall as the steeple that towers over the fog, and he sees something crawling up the side of it. He smells the telltale bitter scent of Omnipoison and hears… bassoon music?
- Backing rapidly away from the poison in case it blows in his direction, he follows the soothing sounds of the bassoon and sees a bubble of good weather! It’s Gifflewim, of course. He’s holding a closed umbrella in one hand, and playing a bassoon with two others - one of them a filigreed wooden arm.
- Gifflewim hails Grumpy and apologises for insulting him last time, and alludes to his alter-ego as the Shovelman who menaces the miners at the Power-Dragon skeleton. Grumpy is somewhat irritated to find that he left all his best tradeable stuff at home!
- After some haggling, Grumpy trades a saviourbone-infused ink for a double-headed coin with Gifflewim’s face on it. Flip the coin and if it lands on heads, Gifflewim shall appear! Good enough for now! Grumpy heads back out into the rain, promising to have some good stuff to trade next time.
- On the way back to the camp, he sees a couple of angels patrolling the outside of the Seraphim. He briefly runs in to attack one on its own, but it runs away and he retreats back to camp.
- Returning to their camp after the afternoon’s expedition into the crashed Seraphim, the party roll their claimed angel corpses into a pile and plop down to turn over the embers of their campfire.
- Zulu thrusts handfuls of Slopworm into Grumpy’s hands and insists that he cook it! It’s sure to be delicious! She departs into the nearby area to search for more, while Grumpy checks the stores and decides what they’re going to make today. He makes a simple dish of Slopworm and Long Potato that sounds truly vile, yet is fairly appetising and grants resistance to acid damage.
- Zulu returns empty-handed and turns up her nose at Grumpy’s meal, but eventually eats some anyway. Luckily for Grumpy nobody damaged their gear today! He actually gets to sleep for once!
--- Fifth of May, Expedition Day 4: Casual Exploration Day
- In the morning a well-rested Grumpy proposes a theory - the angels are acting differently to last time they came out this way. What if it’s down to the Gods above? Andromeda brings up an old rumour - that the angels go crazy on Sundays. Maybe they wait until then? There is general agreement, anything’s better than the general battle of attrition they’ve had until now.
- It’s Friday today, so if they have a general ramble around for a couple of days to fill the time it’ll be easy enough! Since it’s acid rain outside the dome, Grumpy decides to head out on his own. His faith will protect him and his gear from the rain. The others are going to head around the inside of the Storm Shell to see what’s up.
- As they prepare to leave, a noble looking man shows up with his dog! Apparently his dog sniffed out the group, and he wants to join! He is Edvaldus and, he assures everyone, he’s a good guy. Andromeda’s Void Pet is wary of the dog, forming into a shield shape to protect its master. Zulu’s antelope is above such tomfoolery, and looks down its nose at Mossy the dog.
--- Grumpy, Gas, and Gifflewim
- Grumpy sets off on his own, hefting his glaive onto his back. He plans to go north and check out the lay of the land. Rain pours down, and as he crosses through the Storm Shell the rain begins to sizzle and eat away at his armour.
- After a mile or so he comes across a road stretching east to west. To the east he can see a church steeple through the rain. Overhead, long-winged birds circle through gaps in the clouds. He wonders if there’s a way to bait them down.
- He heads to the town, hoping to head up the steeple, but as he gets closer he sees the place is wreathed with fog that spews from holes in the earth. There is a carved tower as tall as the steeple that towers over the fog, and he sees something crawling up the side of it. He smells the telltale bitter scent of Omnipoison and hears… bassoon music?
- Backing rapidly away from the poison in case it blows in his direction, he follows the soothing sounds of the bassoon and sees a bubble of good weather! It’s Gifflewim, of course. He’s holding a closed umbrella in one hand, and playing a bassoon with two others - one of them a filigreed wooden arm.
- Gifflewim hails Grumpy and apologises for insulting him last time, and alludes to his alter-ego as the Shovelman who menaces the miners at the Power-Dragon skeleton. Grumpy is somewhat irritated to find that he left all his best tradeable stuff at home!
- After some haggling, Grumpy trades a saviourbone-infused ink for a double-headed coin with Gifflewim’s face on it. Flip the coin and if it lands on heads, Gifflewim shall appear! Good enough for now! Grumpy heads back out into the rain, promising to have some good stuff to trade next time.
- On the way back to the camp, he sees a couple of angels patrolling the outside of the Seraphim. He briefly runs in to attack one on its own, but it runs away and he retreats back to camp.
--- Rain, Rot and Revenants
- In the morning, after Grumpy peels off to the east, the rest of the party follow the curve of the Storm Shell to the north. Edvaldus’ dog is super playful.
- They go up into the hills, and find themselves amongst fractures and rills filled with a foul-smelling goop. Mossy loves it, and Edvaldus has to stop her rolling around in the muck. They soon find the source - the rotting remains of a tentacle, preserved inside the Storm Shell after the End War.
- Dargo gets excited and devours some of the tentacle, absorbing it into his form! Even though it’s long-dead, he absorbs some of its meatiness and increases his own Meat Points.
- They keep walking around inside the edge of the Storm Shell and come to an area of shimmering ghostly farmland. Ghostly cows watch dolefully from the ghostly fields. A farmhouse is close by. They climb over a spectral stile to approach a cow.
- Zulu shoots her beam rifle at the cow and finds it doesn’t affect it at all! DJ approaches it and finds that silver touches it as if it were real.
- They head to the farmstead and a ghostly child approaches. He’s extremely misogynistic and greatly offends Andromeda, who zaps him with her lightning hammer! He flies backwards into a hedge and cries, making his parents come running! They’re not impressed by his sniffling.
- They go up into the hills, and find themselves amongst fractures and rills filled with a foul-smelling goop. Mossy loves it, and Edvaldus has to stop her rolling around in the muck. They soon find the source - the rotting remains of a tentacle, preserved inside the Storm Shell after the End War.
- Dargo gets excited and devours some of the tentacle, absorbing it into his form! Even though it’s long-dead, he absorbs some of its meatiness and increases his own Meat Points.
- They keep walking around inside the edge of the Storm Shell and come to an area of shimmering ghostly farmland. Ghostly cows watch dolefully from the ghostly fields. A farmhouse is close by. They climb over a spectral stile to approach a cow.
- Zulu shoots her beam rifle at the cow and finds it doesn’t affect it at all! DJ approaches it and finds that silver touches it as if it were real.
- They head to the farmstead and a ghostly child approaches. He’s extremely misogynistic and greatly offends Andromeda, who zaps him with her lightning hammer! He flies backwards into a hedge and cries, making his parents come running! They’re not impressed by his sniffling.
- His dad has a musket but when he sees his son isn’t wounded he invites the party in. According to him, it’s May 1601 - a month before the end of the world.
- Edvaldus realises that his dog can’t see the farmstead, implying that this is all illusory. DJ lights up a blunt and smokes it and the farm fades away, revealing that the ghosts are really walking skeletons! He tells the family that they’re dead bones and they get angry at hearing the truth!
- The ghost dad shoots DJ, and the others see him fall to the floor and die! DJ himself sees no such thing, still standing, when suddenly the kid jumps on his back and tries to bite him!
- He manages to chuck the blunt to Andromeda and kicks off the child! He suddenly realises that there are hundreds of skeletons standing stock still in the “fields” that have now become barren earth. They’re everywhere!
- Andromeda smokes and puts up a couple of layered Storm-Shells. Dargo tries to talk down the ghost mum, who goes for a kitchen knife. Zulu whistles for her antelope and jumps on! DJ brings his silver hammer down on the kid, killing him.
- Red wanders in, soulless and thus unable to see the ghosts. She raises her gun. There is a click. And then -
--- Red’s Birthday
- “Hello everyone!” beams Sir Robyn, his raccoons Scamps and Snuggles capering around his feet. They’ve returned to the camp in a flash. Grumpy is here too. There is a massive cake on a long table with candles.
- He snaps his fingers and the rain is replaced by a bright sunshiny day. Zulu flirts with him, and he implies that she’s part of his future harem. Also her world is crabs now.
- When asked about Sir Arach-Nacha in New Moondin, he has no idea when that happens. It hasn’t happened yet, from his perspective! The tower Red heard about is where he plans to die. Red asks to go to the moon but Sir Robyn says she’ll have to double her age first!
- He leaves them the cake which grants one who eats it the ability to pass any sort of legal test. Basically if you eat it you’ll pass the bar. He beckons to Scamps and Snuggles and they pull out strange stones and clatter them together… and he’s gone!
--- Sixth of May, Expedition Evening 5: Time Skip??
- The party, sans Grumpy, reappear at the ghostly farmhouse. The skeletons are all gone, somehow. They have to walk back.
- They get back to camp and find Grumpy crucified right next to the cake! He has no idea why. “Maybe it’s something you’re going to do”, says Red. The cross is somehow absorbed into Grumpy’s body and his weapon emerges from his chest. What a strange occurrence!
- Edvaldus realises that his dog can’t see the farmstead, implying that this is all illusory. DJ lights up a blunt and smokes it and the farm fades away, revealing that the ghosts are really walking skeletons! He tells the family that they’re dead bones and they get angry at hearing the truth!
- The ghost dad shoots DJ, and the others see him fall to the floor and die! DJ himself sees no such thing, still standing, when suddenly the kid jumps on his back and tries to bite him!
- He manages to chuck the blunt to Andromeda and kicks off the child! He suddenly realises that there are hundreds of skeletons standing stock still in the “fields” that have now become barren earth. They’re everywhere!
- Andromeda smokes and puts up a couple of layered Storm-Shells. Dargo tries to talk down the ghost mum, who goes for a kitchen knife. Zulu whistles for her antelope and jumps on! DJ brings his silver hammer down on the kid, killing him.
- Red wanders in, soulless and thus unable to see the ghosts. She raises her gun. There is a click. And then -
--- Red’s Birthday
- “Hello everyone!” beams Sir Robyn, his raccoons Scamps and Snuggles capering around his feet. They’ve returned to the camp in a flash. Grumpy is here too. There is a massive cake on a long table with candles.
- He snaps his fingers and the rain is replaced by a bright sunshiny day. Zulu flirts with him, and he implies that she’s part of his future harem. Also her world is crabs now.
- When asked about Sir Arach-Nacha in New Moondin, he has no idea when that happens. It hasn’t happened yet, from his perspective! The tower Red heard about is where he plans to die. Red asks to go to the moon but Sir Robyn says she’ll have to double her age first!
- He leaves them the cake which grants one who eats it the ability to pass any sort of legal test. Basically if you eat it you’ll pass the bar. He beckons to Scamps and Snuggles and they pull out strange stones and clatter them together… and he’s gone!
--- Sixth of May, Expedition Evening 5: Time Skip??
- The party, sans Grumpy, reappear at the ghostly farmhouse. The skeletons are all gone, somehow. They have to walk back.
- They get back to camp and find Grumpy crucified right next to the cake! He has no idea why. “Maybe it’s something you’re going to do”, says Red. The cross is somehow absorbed into Grumpy’s body and his weapon emerges from his chest. What a strange occurrence!
- Weirder still, they’ve lost a day! What on earth did Sir Robyn do? Nevertheless it’s Sunday tomorrow, so they can finally see what happens to the angels!
--- Seventh of May, Expedition Day 6: Haywire Angels
--- Seventh of May, Expedition Day 6: Haywire Angels
- They watch the crashed Seraphim carefully from the morning on, noticing some oddness in the angels’ movements but nothing particularly untoward. In the early afternoon something more drastic happens - the angels go on the fritz! They keep swapping weapons and attempting to upgrade and downgrade themselves. Time to charge in!
- The angels within are glitching too. Exploration by means of Andromeda’s map gets them through the angel and into the ring control room where one can override the rotation of the Seraphim’s internal sections!
- With some artful ring manipulation, Andromeda opens the way into the centre of the Seraphim itself! The inner boss chamber is revealed!
- On a raised dais in the centre of the circular chamber, two holograms fight each other. One is Alaunus, armed and armoured with his heavy mailed fists. The other is the Lady, quick-witted and laughing, dodging his heavy blows. Over their heads, a glitching boss angel spins fitfully.
- Edvaldus tries to pull some pipes out of the wall, Zulu takes aim at the boss angel spinning above, Andromeda runs in to split up the fight!
- The Lady, seeing Andromeda coming, tells Alaunus she’ll see him next time and turns his hologram into a spinning coin which fades away. She chats for a bit - saying that with a bit of help she can download into the boss angel, or even the entire Seraphim itself. Her plan is to go to Fate and kill the “little green boy” Styx who somehow knocked all the angels out of the sky. With access to Fate, she can then reset all of the angels around the world.
- She needs someone to input the download code though, and scans it into Red’s head. Zulu, wanting to limit her options, opens fire on the boss angel body with her six shooters! The angel is heavily damaged!
- The Lady yells at her to stop shooting. Red taps away at a console. There is much argument as the party considers the options. Downloading her into the angel limits her powers, especially since it’s damaged now. Downloading her into the Seraphim is too risky, she’d be too powerful!
- Edvaldus charges towards Red who he’s just realised has been inputting the download codes this whole time! She throws him to the ground and presses Enter. The Lady laughs gleefully. Red smiles, she inputted the code to download the god into the Seraphim itself! New friend!
- The Lady downloads into the Seraphim and purges the bad code from its databanks, resetting all the angels. She’s taken control! The Seraphim shudders as it begins working its way up onto its remaining legs. The Lady thanks Red profusely!
- She opens up a path out of the Seraphim for any to take, and considers shooting those who wronged her. Luckily for all, the coin flips come up good and she doesn’t shoot anyone! She’s not so lenient with Zulu who shot the hell out of the boss angel body. Zulu and Grumpy flee on antelope-back, beams blasting out behind them.
- The rest of the party decide to stay put. Might as well ride this angel all the way! The Lady’s laugh echoes through the massive mechanical monster as the Seraphim crab-walks onwards like an enormous metal hand, angels surrounding it in a halo, stomping north towards the shining city of Fate.
- The angels within are glitching too. Exploration by means of Andromeda’s map gets them through the angel and into the ring control room where one can override the rotation of the Seraphim’s internal sections!
- With some artful ring manipulation, Andromeda opens the way into the centre of the Seraphim itself! The inner boss chamber is revealed!
- On a raised dais in the centre of the circular chamber, two holograms fight each other. One is Alaunus, armed and armoured with his heavy mailed fists. The other is the Lady, quick-witted and laughing, dodging his heavy blows. Over their heads, a glitching boss angel spins fitfully.
- Edvaldus tries to pull some pipes out of the wall, Zulu takes aim at the boss angel spinning above, Andromeda runs in to split up the fight!
- The Lady, seeing Andromeda coming, tells Alaunus she’ll see him next time and turns his hologram into a spinning coin which fades away. She chats for a bit - saying that with a bit of help she can download into the boss angel, or even the entire Seraphim itself. Her plan is to go to Fate and kill the “little green boy” Styx who somehow knocked all the angels out of the sky. With access to Fate, she can then reset all of the angels around the world.
- She needs someone to input the download code though, and scans it into Red’s head. Zulu, wanting to limit her options, opens fire on the boss angel body with her six shooters! The angel is heavily damaged!
- The Lady yells at her to stop shooting. Red taps away at a console. There is much argument as the party considers the options. Downloading her into the angel limits her powers, especially since it’s damaged now. Downloading her into the Seraphim is too risky, she’d be too powerful!
- Edvaldus charges towards Red who he’s just realised has been inputting the download codes this whole time! She throws him to the ground and presses Enter. The Lady laughs gleefully. Red smiles, she inputted the code to download the god into the Seraphim itself! New friend!
- The Lady downloads into the Seraphim and purges the bad code from its databanks, resetting all the angels. She’s taken control! The Seraphim shudders as it begins working its way up onto its remaining legs. The Lady thanks Red profusely!
- She opens up a path out of the Seraphim for any to take, and considers shooting those who wronged her. Luckily for all, the coin flips come up good and she doesn’t shoot anyone! She’s not so lenient with Zulu who shot the hell out of the boss angel body. Zulu and Grumpy flee on antelope-back, beams blasting out behind them.
- The rest of the party decide to stay put. Might as well ride this angel all the way! The Lady’s laugh echoes through the massive mechanical monster as the Seraphim crab-walks onwards like an enormous metal hand, angels surrounding it in a halo, stomping north towards the shining city of Fate.
Total: 2200 exp
Team Bonus:
- Absolutely Disgusting bonus
- Aggressive Negotiations bonus
- Balls to the Wall bonus
- Best of Intentions bonus
- Brutal Kill bonus
- Child murderer bonus
- Classic Charles bonus
- Diplomancy bonus
- Fame bonus
- High as Fuck bonus
- Holy bonus
- Internecine Strife bonus
- Long Deliberation bonus
- Masterchef bonus
- Pundemonium bonus
- Puzzlemaster bonus
- Split the Party bonus
- What Could Possibly Go Wrong bonus
Total: 900 exp
- Absolutely Disgusting bonus
- Aggressive Negotiations bonus
- Balls to the Wall bonus
- Best of Intentions bonus
- Brutal Kill bonus
- Child murderer bonus
- Classic Charles bonus
- Diplomancy bonus
- Fame bonus
- High as Fuck bonus
- Holy bonus
- Internecine Strife bonus
- Long Deliberation bonus
- Masterchef bonus
- Pundemonium bonus
- Puzzlemaster bonus
- Split the Party bonus
- What Could Possibly Go Wrong bonus
Total: 900 exp
Individual Bonus:
- Chronicler (Carter / Grumpy - 100 exp)
- Expedition Leader (Kitty / Andromeda - 100 exp)
- Cartographer (Carter / Grumpy - 100 exp)
- Paymaster (Ollie / Zulu - 100 exp)
- Quartermaster (Ollie / Zulu - 100 exp)
- Vanguard (Russell / Dargo - 100 exp)
- Triage (Kitty / Andromeda - 100 exp)
- Chef (Russell / Dargo - 100 exp)
- JÜGBRINGYR bonus (Ollie, Kitty, Timothy - 500 exp ea.)
- Corn Colonel bonus (Timothy - 100 exp)
- Art Attack bonus (Carter - 100 exp ea.)
- Chronicler (Carter / Grumpy - 100 exp)
- Expedition Leader (Kitty / Andromeda - 100 exp)
- Cartographer (Carter / Grumpy - 100 exp)
- Paymaster (Ollie / Zulu - 100 exp)
- Quartermaster (Ollie / Zulu - 100 exp)
- Vanguard (Russell / Dargo - 100 exp)
- Triage (Kitty / Andromeda - 100 exp)
- Chef (Russell / Dargo - 100 exp)
- JÜGBRINGYR bonus (Ollie, Kitty, Timothy - 500 exp ea.)
- Corn Colonel bonus (Timothy - 100 exp)
- Art Attack bonus (Carter - 100 exp ea.)
Exp Totals:
- Kitty / Andromeda, Level 7 Laddite Cleric: 57152 (Level up at 112000)
Level Up! +1d6 HP! +1d6 Healing Pool! +1 Faith! +Backstory!
- Kitty / Andromeda, Level 7 Laddite Cleric: 57152 (Level up at 112000)
Level Up! +1d6 HP! +1d6 Healing Pool! +1 Faith! +Backstory!
- Charles / Dustin Johnson, Level 6 Intergalacticist Cleric: 40645 (Level up at 56000)
- Tim / Red, Level 6 Fighter: 40065 (Level up at 64000)
- Carter / Granite "Grumpy" Ironjaw, Level 6 Warden Dwarf: 37309 (Level up at 70400)
Level Up! +1d10 HP! +Backstory!
Level Up! +1d10 HP! +Backstory!
- Ollie / Zulu Snakebite, Level 6 Barbarian: 36036 (Level up at 64000)
Level Up! +1d8 HP! +2 Barbarian Table rolls! +Backstory!
Level Up! +1d8 HP! +2 Barbarian Table rolls! +Backstory!
- Russell / Dargo, Level 4 Inheritor: 11917 (Level up at 18000)
Level Up! +1d6 HP! +1 Meat Point! +1 Mutation Limit! +Backstory!
Level Up! +1d6 HP! +1 Meat Point! +1 Mutation Limit! +Backstory!
- George / Edvaldus, Level 3 Fighter: 7143 (Level up at 8000)
Level Up! +1d8 HP! +1 to hit! +1 to crit/fumble rolls! + Backstory!
Level Up! +1d8 HP! +1 to hit! +1 to crit/fumble rolls! + Backstory!
Level Up! +1d8 HP! +1 to hit! +1 to crit/fumble rolls! + Backstory!
Level Up! +1d8 HP! +1 to hit! +1 to crit/fumble rolls! + Backstory!
