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 ‘Van’ Chapman (she/her). Lou Wilson (he/him) as Montgomery ‘Monty’ 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, fourth, fifth, and sixth episodes!
We start this episode with Maxwell in the jaws of an elderly T-rex.
Despite his position, the seventh son of the Gotch family remains assured in his success, perhaps even dangerously so considering the mensamagma surrounding him and his compatriots.
Meanwhile, Olethra activates the battle mode within the mech; however, as she has no training, the mode she manages is once again random, bouncing around until she knocks part of the wall down on the raptors as they try to race around the edge of the room.
Marya frees Maxwell, severing the T-Rex’s jaw before sending Kočka at one of the velociraptors.
Monty takes a huge risk, convincing the baby T-Rex to throw him. Experience serves him well, allowing him to land upon the top of a stone. In mid-air, he shoots, blasting one of the pillars over and sealing an entrance into the massive room to slow down their enemies.
Falling into the spores, he expects to transfer his consciousness; instead, without anyone around, the spores and moonlight reinvigorate him.
However, that leaves the little T-Rex on his own, and the Legio Rex send him into the mensamanga. Spores rise up, and as he takes in a lungful of them. Scared, the baby looks to Monty, who beckons the little one closer to him and away from danger.
Van bounds up, activating her robotic harm to strike. Using the Imperasaurus’s tail, she stuns the beast, preventing him from entering the mushrooms and saving the baby.
Maxwell takes advantage of Van’s attack. He escapes the T-Rex’s jaw and leaves him bloody on the exit. Desperation sends the velociraptors toward their leader, but Monty won’t allow any harm to come to the little one, finishing off the Imperasaurus Rex while riding the horse-sized baby T-Rex.
The group manages to turn on another of the three lights, aligning it and discovering the yellow light eliminates the spores, cleaning off the trail left by the baby T-Rex. Marya acts quickly thereafter, sending Kočka to align the final light. Something almost happens as Maxwell stares into the red light, feeling his mind inch toward the mechanical, but he resists.
Daisuke shoots an activation lever. Solar energy fills the room. Every spore evaporates as the mushrooms wither, dying immediately when exposed to the yellow light. Two constructs arise.
They question if he has a project, and Daisuke claims he has permission, stating that the raptors aren’t welcome, which sends the stone constructs after the Legio Rex.
However, the dinosaur legion won’t give up. They strike the little T-Rex. Van intimidates them; however, despite her attempts to make them bow to Monty, the Legio Rex continues to fight against our legendary aeronauts.
After the group and the constructs finish off the Legio Rex, the constructs further question the group who gamble on Comfrey’s name and find out that she indeed is considered by the constructs to be a scientist who is a member of the power station.
The constructs lead them to a locked room where they find the original record of Comfrey’s radio broadcast. A clockwork man kneels among rotting corpses. A voice speaks in Marya’s head, luring her in, but before she can get close, Van’s robotic arm grabs her, and that’s where the episode ended.
Highlights
Right after an epic streak of high rolls, the fumble and rationale that the old Zephyr legends were getting old was incredible and completely in line with everything we have heard from the crew to date.
This followed by the Imogen Heap reference absolutely killed me with Emily’s perfectly timed, “Mmm, whatcha say?”
It had me listening to Frou Frou like it was the early 2000s all over again. If you haven’t heard it, I highly recommend watching the SNL skit based of the referenced scene.
Final Score (5 out of 5 Stars)
We have a new rumor on Daisuke this go around. Though basically confirmed to be false, the rumor goes that he can hold his breath for an exceedingly long time.
- 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.
- Daisuke can hold his breath for an hour.
- Zach confirmed this to be a lie, but nothing was said in game.
Though I’m a bit disappointed that nobody switched bodies, I’m curious to find out if Olethra’s endeavor to preserve a small amount will end up paying off or be an absolute disaster. A lot of these moments highlight how well the players can read each other after so many years playing at the same table. Each person set things up for the next.
I also loved how Brennan dodged questions about the other color lights and the column lighting during the episode’s Adventuring Party. What do you think would’ve happened if Zach had picked the pinkish red light? Would the mushrooms have switched everybody on blue? 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