Title: Cloudward, Ho!
GM: Brennan Lee Mulligan
Players: Emily Axford (she/her) as Marya Junková (she/her). Zac Oyama (he/him) as Daisuke Bucklesby (he/him). Siobhan Thompson (she/her) as Vanellope Chapman (she/her). Lou Wilson (he/him) as Montgomery LaMontgommery (he/him). Ally Beardsley (they/them) as Olethra MacLeod (she/her). Brian Murphy (he/him) as Maxwell Gotch (he/him).
Streaming Service: Dropout
If you missed them, catch up on our review of the first, second, third, and fourth episodes!
Olethra races to get the rest of the crew. They come running, finding that the bloody handprint was actually painted and not the pressed form of an actual blood-covered hand.
Montgomery reluctantly expresses fear of the occult. Despite coming from Gath, a world which believes itself solidly in an Age of Reason, Montgomery traveled the fringes of society and into the depths of nature, seeing things which couldn’t be explained and knowing the superstitions that crew in places like Scrapsylvania. He tastes the blood, thinking he might be able to identify something as he would out in nature, but there’s something foul and infected about it.
As the trail goes cold before it even starts, the crew continues to explore the city, asking about the local currency and finding trading favors to be the coin of the day; however, as they are new to Zood, the vendor who fed them states that their meal was free. As full cities and groups appear in Zood due to the chaos of the Biagle without any forewarning, and due to the unique conditions of the continent, the inhabitants of Zood have a sense of empathy and compassion which honestly would go far to make any world a better place.
They discover that the Zood bamboo with a prehensile tail, Dr. Ichabod Sullivan Greeves, hustling in the market had his mind switched into his current body due to a mushroom native to Zood. The seemingly non-human animal inhabitants of Zood are descendants of those human-level sentients who were mind swapped. The raptors referred to in the prior episode are the result of an entire legion, the Legio Rex, being brought into Zood and stumbling across the mushrooms, which switched the full group with packs of raptors during an attack. Ichabod never covers what happens to the human bodies, his or those of the Legio Rex.
Though legendary in Gath, the Zephyr shouldn’t have a legacy in Zood, yet it seems like it does. Marya gives a false name for the ship, but the reference to the Zephyr as a storied vessel may suggest time doesn’t move as linearly between Zood and Gath as we had originally believed. Alternatively, texts may have come over from Gath which referenced the Zephyr; however, those should also reference the cardinal directions of Gath, specifically east, rather than having the inhabitants of Zood trace the name to their own nef.
Marya and Olethra are able to find additional information on the mind-switching mushrooms, revealing the Legio Rex ate their old human bodies.
With the Zephyr needing repairs, Van and Maxwell find their way to an underground fighting ring. Against two trained fighters and a giant dinosaur, the two nearly lose, but the rest of the crew intervenes.
After they win, folks agree to help fix up the Zephyr and let them know where Haunch’s house; unfortunately, a bloody surprise awaits them. Our Intrepid Heroes find Haunch with a slit throat in his bed. As Montgomery tries to save his former friend, Marya finds a drawing of Straka.
The episode ends with Montgomery recognizing the steps of Haunch’s killer as Lord Kensington Cosgrove Mordecestershire.
Highlights
Montgomery’s excitement for the flora and fauna of Zood continues to delight.
His enchantment with the bookseller’s cuttlefish was adorable.
Final Score (3.5 out of 5 Stars)
Though the pacing disguised it well, this episode was a bit all over the place. We began with the Eyeless Hand and ended with them. Everything in between fell mostly into world-building, adding some potential characters who were quickly swept away.
Comfrey’s influence has left a trail, but Brennan has dodged specifically addressing anything related to the timeline. Mordecestershire’s presence suggests that there’s a way to get back and forth between Zood and Gath, which the South Pole station would also support. Circus monkeys are an invasive species in Zood, and brain swapping potential threats is apparently evolutionarily profitable.
We didn’t discover any additional rumors, so these are still the same as last week:
- There’s a kill switch in the MechLeod.
- Olethra MacLeod is a robot.
- Pappy was lost at air for six months.
- Van is secretly working with the Confederate Republic.
- This rumor came from a member of Marya’s and Van’s old crew.
- Van denied it, noting her family money means she would never need to take a bribe.
- Van won the Grand Kabilian Toe Wrestling Championship.
- Confirmed by Van.
Overall, this episode somehow managed to feel a bit like filler despite setting up a lot of the base information for later episodes. Let us know what you think in the comments below or go over to our Discord channel to join the conversation.
Featured Image: Dimension 20
The Boss Rush Podcast: The Flagship Podcast of Boss Rush Media and the Boss Rush Network
The Boss Rush Podcast – The Boss Rush Podcast is the flagship podcast of Boss Rush Media and the Boss Rush Network. Each week, Corey, Stephanie, LeRon, and their friends from around the internet come together with other creators, developers, and industry veterans to talk about games they’ve been playing, discuss video game and entertainment based topics, and answer questions solicited on social media and the community Discord.
New episodes of The Boss Rush Podcast release every Monday morning on YouTube and all major podcast applications like Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Patreon supporters gain one week early access.
Listen on your favorite podcast application or watch on YouTube!
Anchor | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google | Twitch | Overcast | Pocket Casts |
Follow The Boss Rush Podcast on Social Media:
Twitter | Discord | Instagram | Twitch | YouTube | Facebook Group | Facebook
Leave a Reply