Running Up That Hill

Summary

Running Up That Hill is a song by Kate Bush that serves multiple purposes throughout the campaign. In Session 4, the song becomes a crucial tool for peaceful communication with The Frozen Blob when Sucks plays it on his Walkman, establishing the first successful non-violent contact with the creature. In Session 5, the song plays a mechanical role in combat, helping Sucks maintain his combat rhythm while fighting a pumpkin creature.

Properties

Running Up That Hill functions as an audio signal that affects both creatures and Sucks's own performance in different contexts.

When interacting with The Frozen Blob, the song causes the creature to cycle rapidly through its assessment mode before pulling itself into a ball shape and moving forward. As the music plays, the temperature in the area rises and the mist begins to clear. The creature maintains a specific comfortable distance from the sound source, stopping at the point where the music transitions from loud to a comfortable volume level.

The relationship between volume and distance is proportional. When Sucks adjusts the Walkman volume from 100% down to 75% and then to 50%, The Frozen Blob moves forward by 25% and then 50% respectively, actively maintaining its preferred audio environment.

For Sucks himself, the song provides combat rhythm. When the Mini Disc Player skips to a different Kate Bush song during combat in Session 5, Sucks loses his rhythm and fails his dodge roll, demonstrating that Running Up That Hill specifically, not just any Kate Bush song, provides the rhythm he needs for his combat style.

History

Session 4

Sucks deploys Running Up That Hill as a communication strategy when the group encounters The Frozen Blob in a misty part of the forest. Sucks plays the Kate Bush track loud on the Walkman, positioning the headphones around their neck so the sound carries to the surrounding area.

As the song begins to ring through the mist, The Frozen Blob responds immediately, cycling rapidly through its assessment behavior before pulling itself into a ball shape and moving forward toward the music. The creature stops at the distance where the music shifts from loud to comfortable, demonstrating its sensitivity to volume levels.

Dayna suggests that the group begin swaying to the music, proposing that if The Frozen Blob wants to, it can also sway along, creating a shared dance experience. This establishes Running Up That Hill as more than just an attractant—it becomes a medium for peaceful, non-verbal communication between the party and the creature.

Session 5

Running Up That Hill plays during Sucks's encounter with a pumpkin creature. As Sucks dodges the creature's attacks, he successfully maintains his rhythm while the song plays on his Mini Disc Player, stating "I'm vibing to Kate Bush while I'm doing this. That's why I'm pulling this off, despite my lankiness."

The combat takes a turn when the Mini Disc Player malfunctions and skips tracks. The GM describes: "And then it switches to a different Kate Bush song that's not running up this hill and Sucks. Doesn't know it at all." This disruption causes Sucks to lose his rhythm and fail his dodge attempt, marking the first time in the encounter that he fails to avoid the pumpkin creature's attacks.