The GLOW 1996: Psychic Eustace Delmont, Episode 14 - Crow Boy Meets Hacker Girl (Again)
- "Previously..." and Campaign/Arc Summary
- The Doug Alone Returns
- The GLOW 1996: Psychic Eustace Delmont, Episode 14 — Crow Boy Meets Hacker Girl (Again)
- Doug's Commentary
- Credits
Previously, on The GLOW: 1996 Psychic Eustace Delmont
Hitomi, Genny, Jones, and Varvara have infiltrated the Moonblink. Only things are not what was expected. Rather than a high-tech party ship, it has minimal protection and a host of pretend people. What is secret that Dave Akari has been hiding from the world? At the same time, the reborn Eustace Delmont — now dubbed "Witch-King" — is starting to gather allies to help protect not only the Order but possibly others from the worst case scenario: The GLOW spreading to cover the world.
About The GLOW: 1996 Psychic Eustace Delmont
Eustace Delmont is a psychic on the cusp of "graduating" into a full-blow Field Psychic. He requests his right to Walk, a brief period of freedom to encourage psychics to see the other side of The GLOW. He tries to finish his long-time partner Jani Blum's final unfinished mission: to find a mini-disc and crack open the Patel crime family. He meets Hitomi Meyer, a criminal hacker. The two are now on the run between a powerful crime family and an even more powerful adversary: The Order and its plans for Eustace.
Content Warning: Occasionally very foul language, lots of smoking, quite intense violence, drinking, gambling, non-graphic sex, drugs, criminal behavior, and black magic. The GLOW is a world of spiritual torture and weird horror.
This post is in the standard Doug Alone post style. See Anatomy of a Post for more details.
Attribution for the tools and materials used—including the splash art—can be found in the Credits below along with some details.
The Doug Alone Returns
The Spring 2025 semester is winding down and so there is more mental space to commit to actually posting again without everything having to feel rushed, panicked, or half-thought. It's not quite like riding a bicycle but it might take me a few minutes to fully get back into the groove so I'll just take it easy and chill and relax. I am looking forward to it.
There will be an experiment starting with this one. Rather than use footnotes [my preferred method for most of this blog] I will explore how it looks to add in mechanical rolls into the middle of passages. For example.
Doug rolled some dice and got some numbers.
I personally consider this a bit of an either/or thing. Either having footnotes or more in-line notes works just fine. For a lot of my stories, having the notes a bit separated out is better for the flow. For others having it more in-line will help. The GLOW 1996 is probably former case but it's my current game so I will explore it here and then maybe switch back and forth from post to post to see what vibe strikes me as the better vibe. Since I built a new system where people could hide commentary like this (which also breaks my footnotes) this is one possible solution out of many. Alright, time to get back into the vibe.
The GLOW: 1996 Psychic Eustace Delmont, Episode 14 — Crow Boy Meets Hacker Girl (Again)
Expected Scene: The team learns the truth of Dave Akari's illness.
Scene Test: [c17] 5. 2d10 = 2 + 5. As expected.
Actual Scene: As expected.
Setting the Scene, e14s1: Wild Goose Chase.
Date: June 5, 1996.
Time: 8:41am.
Place: The server room upon the Moonblink.
I think this will mostly be a "lore" type scene since we've established most of the details up until this point and these are known twists that have been brewing behind the scenes.
The scene card does have some text like "Follow Pandering Afflicition" and "Expensive Meds" but really we have already decided this. It's just a nice coincidence.
DATE PLAYED: April 28, 2025
Wild Goose Chase
Date: June 5, 1996.
Time: 8:41am.
Place: The server room upon the Moonblink.
This computer system is ServiSynth based. Therefore it is less like "hacking" and more like "convincing". Hitomi, specifically, has learned to treat ServiSynths as more like people to work with rather than computers to use. In that, we'll go with Hitomi having Smooth (3) + Speech (3). On top of that, she has her own Laptop (+1) and experience with "chatting" with ServiSynths (+1). This will give her 8 dice with 1 Free Re-Roll.
She ends up with a Critical + Basic. We'll mostly ignore the latter but use the former to say she learns all there is to learn, which is mostly that there isn't a lot to learn.
"This makes no sense, there is nothing here," Hitomi says, "Well, nothing that is important to the cabal's plan. There's a lot of things about Dave's medical condition but these numbers make no sense." Ignoring the no smoking signs placed around the server room, she has a cigarette smouldering on the side of the desk. Genny has a cigar and is puffing on it while aiming his gun back at the door in case any intruders try to enter. They saw a guy in a blue Hawaiian shirt. He poked his head in, saw the gun, put up his hands and walked away. Whatever is going on is past his pay grade. Which is exactly the message that Genny is trying to send.
Varvara is staying outside the room where they stashed the guards. Turns out the room they picked was once a bar but has been basically kitted out to host a whole bevy of medicines. The kind of stuff that goes past your neighborhood pharmacy and goes into specialist hospitals that only exist in the GLOW.
Would anyone in the party have any experience with Soulburn Disorder type drugs? (Even) → [c116] No. The intensity of that card is a 7 so we'll say it will take an Extreme information roll to find out.
Hitomi again will ask the ServiSynth. This time Smooth (3) + Know (1). We'll give the above +2 but no Free Re-Roll. Only a Critical + Basic. Not enough.
Let's generate a "name" for the ServiSynth. [c116] has a picture of a wave. I really enjoyed Saga Emeral Beyond so Tsuna works. The name of the drug can be a bit more complicated. Just taking four random syllables from the environmental prompts we get "eSCAPing gas", "WONderland", "lighthearTED", and "graVITY". Taking that with a grain of salt, we can get Wonscaptevite. That sounds like a good BS name for highly experimental aether-pharm-tech.
"As for the cannisters of whatever the hell Wonsca...the gas tanks were, Tsuna is not willing to answer the question," Hitomi says after plugging in more details and questions.
"Tsuna?," Genny asks.
"The ServiSynth. Codename Tsunami. Doesn't like being called that since the name is a force of destruction."
"The kind that might happen from an asteroid strike near a populated area."
"Exactly. Tsuna is not exactly on board with the whole plan. Hence why they have routed out most of the data to another computer."
"Does 'Tsuna' know where the data is now stored?" Hitomi is glad to see that Genny voiced the air quotes but did not actually make the gesture.
Does Tsuna know where the data is stored? (Good) → [c61] Yes.
Using our handy-dandy GLOW map we get a 18,11 which is essentially just west of the Real World Pensacola Beach. So "New GLOW" but not so deep it is in the much more expensive stuff south. Enough that it can be a reasonably well-guarded Patel stronghold but not their main base near The Rambler.
Hitomi brings up a map display on her laptop and points. Genny whistles. Security will be up a good notch there.
Genny asks, "Patel owned?"
Hitomi exhales smoke and nods.
"Well, looks I am going to get to shoot some more fools. I'll call Jones and get him to land. Time's fleeting."
"Wait," Hitomi interjects, "I want to find out what happened to Dave."
Expected Scene: The find the door to Dave Akari's chambers and learn the truth.
Scene Test: [c25] 4. 2d10 = 7 + 3. There we go. "A bond or connection is explored" but really, it's the return of Crow Boy. With friends.
Actual Scene: As Hitomi and crew approach the door, Eustace shows up with company.
Setting the Scene, e14s2: The Arrival of Crow Boy.
Date: June 5, 1996.
Time: 9:03am.
Place: On the Deck of the Moonblink.
More lore-heavy to move things into the final arc.
DATE PLAYED: April 29, 2025.
Crow Boy Returns
Date: June 5, 1996.
Time: 9:03am.
Place: The deck of the Moonblink.
"GUYS!," Jones voice comes over the communicators. "We have incoming!"
Genny pulls up short in their jog. He, Varvara, and Hitomi have been scooting down the stairs to where the floor plans say that Dave Akari is currently being held. In a room with more intense security systems than your average bank vault. "Jones, is it Patel?"
"Negative. It's...I mean, it looks like some large bird. And there are three copters following. Order. The kind of Order equipment I don't think any of us have the clearance. A certain fox motif."
At this last bit, the team stops running. Hitomi pipes in, "Jones, you have to land right now, we have to vacate this..." but it is too late. The Moonblink shudders as something lands in front of them. Something that looks like a larger-than-human crow made up of Soulburn.
Even as the wings and the beak are fading into the morning light, Hitomi is already running forward. As Eustace turns out, she is leaping into his arms.
"Hello, Hitomi. I'm glad you are ok."
"YOU WERE DEAD. HOW ARE YOU ALIVE?"
"Um, well, I'm not really sure but..."
Eustace sets her down and she steps back to look at him. He's lost a good 10%-20% of his body weight. His beard looks grayer. Like he has aged 10+ years in the past day. His skin is now covered in strange, twisting sigils that are hard to look at. His Gnole-enhanced arms look different. More organic.
"You had me worried, jerk."
"I had me worried."
Their reunion is cut short as the three Order helicopters — looking far more sleek than the Green Lady — hover overhead and a number of Field Psychics, masks fully secured, drop down to the deck. Genny and Varvara have backed up as far as they can against the wall and are trying to look scarce.
Of of the Psychics approached Eustace. "Witch-King, are we ready to transport Akari?"
This phrase causes Genny to speak up. "Witch-King? What the hell, Nurse?"
Eustace waves a hand at Genny and mumbles something about long story. He starts giving instructions to the Field Psychics. Hitomi tries to follow along the things being said but around the time she hears the phrase "scuttle the Moonblink" she speaks up.
"No, don't do that. Tsuna is an innocent."
"Tsuna?"
She explains to Eustace about the ServiSynth brain at the heart of the Moonblink and he nods. "Hitomi, can you ask Tsuna to follow the Order helicopters back to Anti...um, a place?"
One of the Field Psychics starts to complain and this is when Hitomi notices that not only are they trying hard to not make eye contact with Eustace — the so-called "Witch-King" — but they are doubly so trying to not look up above or around Eustace's head. Hitomi, herself, looks up to get an idea and right at the corner of her eyes she thinks she catches something. More than one something. Hovering there. Like a storm cloud past the horizon or a tooth ache in a lover's mouth. Right out of reach. Right out of taste.
"Eustace, what..."
"I'll explain as best I can. Do you want to go for a flight? I need to meet people."
"Flight, I...yes. I want to go with you."
"Good. Genny, will be ok to get back off the Moonblink?"
Genny points to the Green Lady, a speck some distance but holding formation.
"Ok, meet Hitomi and myself at Juan's at noon."
Varvara speaks up in her always calm voice. "What about BrokenRecord and Bee?"
Hitomi sees Eustace's question before he asks it and explains.
Before things changed quite so much, I had intended that BrokenRecord and Bee were being held on the Moonblink. Let's see if that still makes sense in the light of the altered story.
Are Bee and BrokenRecord being held upon Moonblink? (Even) → [c100] No.
To keep it simple, they are being held in the same Patel place as the server room (and Amy Patel).
Hitomi watches a flash in Eustace's eyes as his powers kick in. To her, it looks almost like a nictitating membrane made of Soulburn blinking in front of his sight. He shakes her head. "They are not here, I'm sorry."
"I think I know where they are," Hitomi says.
"Ok, let's get Tsuna some directions and then we have people to meet."
Twenty-minutes later, they are back on deck. The sound of blow torches and diamond saws can be heard cutting something large from its structure. In the duration, The Green Lady has landed and the Field Psychics have been gathering the scant guards and nurses and prepping to load them into their 'copters.
Eustace stands on the edge of the deck and motions for Hitomi to join him. She does. A few seconds later he leaps off and as Genny watches, massive Soulburn wings sprout and the two are flying at great speed back towards the heart of the GLOW.
"What the fuck was that about, Genny?," Jones asks as he initiates take off.
"That's Nurse. It's a long story."
DOUG'S COMMENTARY
April 29, 2025
The Kitsune-Masked Psychic image used above is most likely the currently longest span of stock art being chosen and actually showing up in the flow of the story. Back on December 3rd, 2024, in the very first ever The GLOW post, it was mentioned that the Field Psychics wear Kitsune [aka fox spirits] and fox-themed masks and motifs. This was inspired initially by looking up the Dean Spencer art to use in that post and spotting the image being used in this post. This means it has been nearly five months and over a dozen posts between being inspired to add that detail and actually using the art in question.
There are at least two other pieces of Dean Spencer art not intended for The GLOW that will be the absolute longest in that one of them was the first piece of stock art purchased for this blog: in a story that has not showed up yet. Hopefully it will.
I can tell that the vibe of this post is a bit off. Taking the break and changing up the flow a bit will do that to you. The next one will also be a lore-heavy, rolls-light and will bring up a few things intended for a long time but never discussed. I'll explain those more as they happen.
With this one, and with the simplification of some of the flow, the plan is to return this to a multiple times per week post. So more 2-3 scene posts rather than just a single 5-6 scene posts. I think that overall fits my brain patterns better.
As a bonus, a lot of the vibe of this one was generated while listening to Colin Stetson's Uzumaki OST album. It will likely be continued in at least a good chunk of the next one. It's swell.
CREDITS
The GLOW 1996: Psychic Eustace Delmont is played using Two Little Mouse's Outgunned and Outgunned: Action Flicks (especially, but not limited to "Neon Noir" and "Great Powers"). It uses Larcenous Designs' Gamemaster Apprentice Deck: Cyberpunk 2E as its main oracle.
Other sources used include:
- Zach Best's Universal NPC Emulator.
- Cesar Capacle's Random Realities
- Kevin Crawford's Cities Without Number
- Matt Davis' Book of Random Tables: Cyberpunk 1, 2 and 3.
- Geist Hack Games and Paul D. Gallagher's Augmented Realities.
ART CREDIT AND EXPLANATION
The close up of the crow's eye is this photo by Zdeněk Macháček for Unsplash+.
The Field Psychic illustration (aka "Character - Kitsune") is © Dean Spencer. All rights reserved. Used with Permission.
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