Episode Summary: Session 8

Summary

Session 8 opens with extensive out-of-character conversation among the players as they share food and drinks sent to each other through delivery services, discussing pizza, hummus, cauliflower, kombucha, and Abdul's keto diet restrictions. Brad discusses recovering from food poisoning by subsisting on Soylent, while Dayna shares background as a sommelier. The session eventually transitions to gameplay with the party still inside Brusque's merchant cart following their negotiation from the previous session.

The campaign portion focuses on the party's shopping experience at New Smoke Market, where Brusque reveals his full identity as a merchant priest and gives the party only 15 minutes to spend their 45 gold coins before market closing. Sucks Benedict gets scammed buying a sick rat, Vasso purchases armored shoes with wing ornaments, and Safia acquires a technologically advanced halberd from Big Grimbo. After the regular market closes, the party explores The Aftermarket at New Smoke, where strings of electric lights illuminate stalls selling salvaged technology. Cat and Sucks Benedict negotiate for Dust Hats and search for headphones so both Sucks and Fajr can listen to music.

The session takes a darker turn when the Meat Party Vendor reveals that a violent regime change occurred in New Smoke just weeks earlier—The Thugs Who Took Over New Smoke burned homes, smashed stalls, took people away, and now enforce a protection racket requiring daily tribute from all merchants. The session culminates in an uncomfortable social situation as Sucks Benedict is pressured into going on a date with Greta, a teenage salvager woman, despite repeatedly expressing he didn't want the date. The session explores themes of consent, social pressure, and cultural differences in relationship customs, with Vasso revealing her commune's arranged marriage system. The date scene includes Sucks Benedict forgetting Greta's name and awkwardly introducing a random passerby named Tim to cover his mistake.

Events

Session 8 begins with out-of-character conversation among the players discussing food deliveries they've sent each other, including topics about dietary restrictions, illness recovery, Phillips beer and brewery, wine selection, and Dayna's sommelier background. The conversation continues for an extended period before transitioning to gameplay.

The in-character portion begins with the party still inside Brusque's merchant cart. Brusque reveals his full name and identity, stating "My name. Now that you've asked and I've had a moment to consider whether or not I would like to share that with you. Is Brusque." He explains that Merchant Priests "are adherents to the. Of commerce. We wear these vestments to identify one another in terms of"—referencing the pine cone vestments that mark their order. As the party discusses their 45 gold payment and debates purchases, Brusque becomes increasingly impatient, demanding "So how about you all just stand around and be quiet?" He imposes a strict 15-minute deadline (until 9:25) for the party to spend their coin before market closing, repeatedly counting down: "You now have 14 minutes" and "You have 13 minutes."

The party splits up to shop at New Smoke Market. Sucks Benedict encounters a hammock merchant who sells him a sick rat with a yellow-banded tail for 5 coins, claiming it was a "lure rat." Sucks rationalizes the bad deal, saying "I still think that I probably came out on top of that. I sold him a rat that I didn't own." Vasso seeks unique shoes to replace her flip flops and purchases armored shoes with decorative wing ornaments for 10 coins after rolling poorly on negotiation. Safia acquires a halberd with visible circuitry from Big Grimbo for 9 coins plus a bag of weed—AI recognizes the technological components as "a very uncommon kind of technology. You can feel it like. Like humming through the air." Cat searches unsuccessfully for a one-pig chariot but is offered a mystery box: "For 45 coins, I can do the mystery box." The party learns that all unspent coin will be confiscated when the market closes: "Remember to spend all your coin before the market closes. They're going to come around and grab it."

As the regular market closes, the aftermarket begins: "People start closing up their stalls and, like, carrying away tents and stuff. And as people carry their tents away, more people are setting tents up. The sun is starting to set. Lanterns are starting to get turned on." The transition reveals The Aftermarket at New Smoke, a night market for salvaged and unusual technology where "There's this kind of, like, buzz in the air as strings of lights above you come to life." A merchant confirms "Yes, it's post aftermarket."

Sucks Benedict and Cat negotiate with the Dust Hat Merchant for dust hats—headbands that release dust to create the illusion of disappearing. Using double-hood negotiation tactics, they purchase four for 15 coins. They explore stalls including the Blob Remote Merchant and search for headphones and a headphone splitter so both Sucks and Fajr can listen to music simultaneously. At a stall selling music discs and headphones, they encounter the Teenage Salvager Woman, leading to an awkward interaction where Cat attempts to reciprocate the merchant's introduction by presenting Sucks Benedict, creating an uncomfortable moment.

At the food court, Vasso and Safia speak with the Meat Party Vendor, who reveals critical information about the recent regime change: "Yeah, it's just, you know, last couple weeks, you know, a bunch of. Bunch of thugs rolled in, took over the place." He describes the violent takeover: "Couple people got. A couple people got taken away. A couple stalls got smashed. You know, homes burnt, the whole thing." The vendor explains the protection racket: "It hasn't been long. Took over, and they started roughing everybody up, asking for money." He shares the personal impact: "They took my Nephew. Yeah, well, I mean, they took him and then I see him walking around in one of those vests kicking people around." When asked about the gang's leader, he admits: "No, I haven't really. Haven't really heard too much. It's more just like a, like a vague presence, you know, no one's really seen the guy." The Unnamed Leader of New Smoke operates from New Smoke Town Hall, heavily fortified with guard towers and floodlights.

Vasso and Safia confront New Smoke Guards extorting the Meat Party Vendor and successfully de-escalate the situation. Meanwhile, Cat provides Sucks Benedict with an elaborate makeover for his impending date, including ash-based cat eye makeup, mascara, and fashion advice. Cat and Sucks Benedict debate the merits of Goat Horns and top hats as fashion choices, with Sucks wearing Counterfeit Goat Horns (antler headgear) obtained from the Counterfeit Goat Horns Merchant.

Throughout the preparation, Sucks Benedict repeatedly expresses discomfort: "I low key didn't even want to do it. I feel like I've been kind of cornered into this situation." He explains the social pressure: "There's too much on the line now. So many people know that this is happening. It feels like all of New Smoke is aware that I'm taking this girl out a date." The party engages in philosophical discussions about dating and celibacy. Vasso reveals her commune's arranged marriage system: elders choose partners while young people promise celibacy together instead of dating. The session contains substantial out-of-character digression about Alien Ant Farm's "Smooth Criminal" cover and MTV music videos.

Sucks Benedict arranges for Terry and Barrel-Chested Guards to provide acapella musical accompaniment. Terry reflects philosophically: "We live in a world of impermanence that is the hallmark of our lives. Everything changes and everything fades eventually, save for the things that we carry in our hearts." Shawn comments: "This is fun. I like the poem. The poem was very thoughtful. I also especially liked when the poem became sort of a performance piece between you and these three."

The date begins with Sucks Benedict sitting at a circular table with noodles, surrounded by companions offering advice. When Greta arrives, Sucks doesn't remember her name and awkwardly introduces a random passerby named Tim to cover his mistake, successfully learning her name through the exchange. Sucks rationalizes: "Yeah, it's kind of weird. We're weird teenagers, man. I didn't know what to say. She was pretty." He later admits: "That didn't even wanted to go on a date with her. This is. I'm in so far over my head at this situation."

The session concludes with a glimpse of The Unnamed Leader of New Smoke: "On the far end of the room, it's a man on a throne made of old oil drums with a cut off jean vest, his body and long lank dark hair. And in his hand some sort of silvery contraption that erupts thoughtfully to his ear. He says, getting closer."

End-of-session questions follow using the Dungeon World Alignment System and Dungeon World Experience System. Dayna confirms alignment: "Good. Endanger yourself to protect Someone weaker than me. Oh, yeah, I think I did that." Brad attempts to claim alignment XP: "I freed him from the bond of not having a date," but Shawn rules: "Nope. See, that's. You pushed Sucks into the bond of having to go on a date." Brad invokes God Amidst the Wastes: "I will do God Amidst the Wastes and I will dedicate myself to the AI of producing fiction," prompting Shawn's response: "Basically, you just dedicated yourself to a fan fiction website."

Abdul challenges Brad's actions: "I said. I commented on how we're both teenagers. You asked if it was flirting. We both said no. And then you insisted on pimping me out to her in an effort to get us to go on a date and then forced me to pay for something I didn't really?" Brad defends: "Because I really thought. Sucks. Wanted to go on a date." Shawn concludes: "That was a. That was a. That was a strange episode."

The session ends with players acknowledging the unusual nature of the session: "I look forward to playing and Uber eatsing with you again soon."

Key Developments

The party learns Brusque's full identity as a merchant priest who wears pine cone vestments as symbols of adherence to commerce
New Smoke experienced a violent regime change approximately two weeks before this session, when The Thugs Who Took Over New Smoke burned homes, smashed stalls, and took people away
The New Smoke Gang now operates a protection racket requiring daily tribute from all merchants at New Smoke Market
The Unnamed Leader of New Smoke operates from New Smoke Town Hall, which is heavily fortified with guard towers and floodlights
The Meat Party Vendor's nephew was taken by the gang and now works as an enforcer wearing their vests
Safia acquires a technologically advanced halberd with visible circuitry that AI recognizes as uncommon technology
Vasso purchases armored shoes with decorative wing ornaments for 10 coins
Sucks Benedict acquires a sick rat for 5 coins and Dust Hats (4 for 15 coins shared with the party)
The party discovers The Aftermarket at New Smoke, a night market that opens when the regular market closes, featuring salvaged technology and electric lighting
Sucks Benedict is pressured into a date with Greta despite repeatedly expressing he didn't want it, exploring themes of consent and social pressure
Vasso reveals her commune practices arranged marriages where elders choose partners while young people promise celibacy
Players earn XP through the Dungeon World Alignment System and Dungeon World Experience System, with Brad invoking God Amidst the Wastes
Terry and Barrel-Chested Guards perform acapella music for Sucks Benedict's date
The party successfully de-escalates a confrontation with New Smoke Guards extorting the Meat Party Vendor