The GLOW 1996: Psychic Eustace Delmont, Episode 19 - Alright Ramblers, Let's Get Ramblin'
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- "Previously..." and Campaign/Arc Summary
- The GLOW 1996: Psychic Eustace Delmont Episode 19 - Alright Ramblers, Let's Get Ramblin'
- Doug's Commentary
- Credits
Previously, on The GLOW: 1996 Psychic Eustace Delmont
Getting into the Villa was only the start. After a mechanical error downs the Green Lady, the team comes face to face with a trio of rogue psychics. Pushing themselves to the limit just to survive the fight, they are now regrouping and preparing to storm the Rambler. Amy Patel has her mini-disc back and with it, the controls to shut down the whole Patel empire. However, Eustace wants to make sure that the cabal can never be reborn.
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.
Coming to Coinflip: Trigger the Showdown Right Now or Nah
I realize I'm at a bit of personal impasse, a snag of analysis paralysis. By this point, the story has been told excepting one last piece of the puzzle: fighting Roman Patel. We could reasonably jump through a couple of scenes and kick off the showdown this very post. BUT, I feel like...maybe not doing that. There was a time where this series could have taken on a tower-climb or heist type vibe. The Rambler, floating above the GLOW, could have been several episodes of Die Hard fights and tight corridors. That time is a bit past. Still, it doesn't feel quite right to have it all just skip to the end.
I think what I'll do is draw some cards. The "Difficulty Number" is a bell curve centering around 5.5. Between three and four "warm up" scenes feels appropriate. 3x5.5 = 16.5 and 4x5.5 = 22. The average of the two (aka, 3.5x5.5) is 19.25. We'll round that down to 19. Draw cards. Each card we will use to figure out some challenge or scene. Once we exceed 19, we will then be in the penultimate fight or task or what have you.
Then the final showdown with the siblings and Roman Patel. Roger will likely show up and have to decide if he joins Amy in this.
There are, basically, two Plan Bs at this point. (1) The Witches Three show up and unwind reality to prevent the Yuggothians from being resurrected. (2) Amy activates the kill switch for the Rambler and drops it to the ground.
Both are bad and will involve people dying.
Ultimately Eustace and Hitomi will have to decide when it is time to pull those triggers.
But first, a time out. Folks are tired, exhausted, and needing to evade some MUNI who are definitely on the way.
The GLOW: 1996 Psychic Eustace Delmont. Episode 19 - Alright Ramblers, Let's Get Ramblin'
EPISODE SOUNDTRACK: Yeule's album, Evangelic Girl Is a Gun dropped just yesterday (May 30, 2025) in what is a most epic birthday gift. Anyhow, that will 100% be the soundtrack for this episode.
Setting the Scene, e19sX.
Don't need to work out too much in the way of set-up here. It's a Time Out. Maybe not the last Time Out but it is 100% nearing it. Still in the bar, let's ask a quick but important question.
Are MUNI close to the villa? (Good) → [c4] No? This means that Detective Hernandez has managed to gather up the folks she can trust and is running interference. We'll probably never explore just how important she is to the finals segment but this is likely her shining moment. Since there's a "?" there (aka, "but") some will likely show up after a moment so we might still get a race but we'll do that at the very end of the Time Out. It just means we don't have to compress everything into rolls.
Everyone but Hitomi has "You Look Nervous". One of their actions will be clearing that. Hitomi will be the only one to get two actions.
DATE PLAYED: May 31, 2025.
Quiet Anticipation™
Date: June 7, 1996.
Time: 12:27pm.
Place: The "bar" of Roman's fake Villa.
"Bird. Bird. Bird," BrokenRecord chimes while looking at Eustace which makes Hitomi feel slightly better. At least it's not just herself who can see the other-Eustace seeping out into reality. He had said thirty-six-hours but she puts him at less than twelve to go. Burning a flickering candle twice as fast. If only Amy Patel had picked a different time to flirt, it might have been less confusing to Hitomi's brain. Twenty-seven is too young for this much shit.
I'm going to consider finding Bee, BrokenRecord, and Libby [a bonus] automatic. But can they find the Mantis? We'll assign that to Jones since Green Lady is beyond repair. Focus (3) + Detect (2) = 2xBasic. Hmm, tragically I would want something a bit better. Maybe Hitomi can make it on her first action.
I'm also going to roll for Genny to find more ammo but likely won't discuss it in text since we already had an ammo scrounge and it is kind of automatic for him.
Crime (2) + Detect (2) + 1 [he already knows the guards have compatible ammo] = Critical. We'll treat Basic as a success so that's 3 clips.
Varvara is handing out a cannister of artificial emotion while Amy is pouring shots from the few bottles that survived the psychic onslaught. The entire group — sans Eustace — is resetting their emotional state. Hitomi is not sure these short term energy restorers are going to be enough for her until she hears a mechanic bark and looks up to Jones coming into the room with Libby. "BOO!," Hitomi shouts and goes over and starts petting the robotic dog despite Libby having no external sensors.
"I found this downstairs and had a sixth-sense to bring it," Nemesio Jones says. The chubby man looks washed out after the last few hours and Hitomi goes to say some — any, really — words of encouragement or thanks or condolences or...whatever. Jones seems to catch her struggling to speaking and waves his hand. "Nah, don't. Saving the world can't be easy. I don't think I really believed it at first but the stuff we've seen. Like..."
"Him?"
"Yeah, it's weird to hang out so close to a guy whose eyes glow. Have you looked into them? Well, whenever I do I have glimpses of the whole world burning in Soulburn and people bowing to at his feet. Only..."
"...only that's not what he wants."
"Right...and if he's fighting himself to save us, I figure I can fight beside him. For now. Just don't judge me too hard if I chicken out and go home."
"Juan will know someone to get the Green Lady back."
"It's ok, I think after this I might retire to a farm somewhere. And plant not a goddamned thing."
Jones walks off with a slight wave as Hitomi starts to check over Libby and is glad to see her robotic companion is ok. She glances up when she hears footsteps approaching and sees Bee. Hitomi grabs her long time friend and practically adopted younger sibling in a hard hug. The conversation turns to Eustace and the changes that have happened since Bee saw Hitomi and Eustace last.
As they talk, they see swirling light beginning to gather around him.
For his action, Eustace is going to "bank" some Soulburn.
Brawn (3) + Endure (2) = Extreme. That's 3xCritical so he has 3 "stores" of it that can be spent to give +1 Help.
As they continue to stare, three orbs form near his head and he grabs them and presses them against his flesh. Each forms a strange shape. A letter from an alphabet older than the Solar System.
"I'm sorry, Mochi," Bee says.
"Don't be. Maybe after all this the two of us can go back into the kiosk business. Sell coffee or something."
"I'd like that."
Let's give Hitomi a chance to find the mantis and wrap this up, it's starting to stall.
Crime (3) + Awareness (3) + 1 (we'll say Amy mentioned it being somewhere) = Critical, she found it. But NOT the contacts that helps Amy to control it.
That means it won't join the final scene but at least Amy gets it back.
15 minutes later...
The boat they bought from Jal Pilkin is loaded up with Jones behind the wheel. Another boat has been pulled over and Amy, Bee, and BrokenRecord — and the prone figure of the mantis ServiSynth — are on it. MUNI sirens are approaching and the time to leave is now. The plan is that Amy will get to cybercafe and launch the mini-disc. On command, or when she loses communication with the team, she will launch the "DROP" command on the Rambler.
"Be safe, you," she says to no one in particular. Then throttles up the boat and heads north.
Jones listens to the sirens and asks Genny if they think they get gone before company shows up.
How close are MUNI? Anything greater than 7 means close enough for a chase (with 10-Difficulty) being the starting speed. — [c13] 7. They are close but just far enough that the team can get away without being chased.
Genny says, "We are good if we go right now."
Jones looks sadly back at the half-crashed Green Lady and speeds their boat back to the South and Genny's truck. As they pull into a side canal, Hitomi catches a glance of MUNI boats approaching at speed. After a few moments, she knows they manaaged to get away.
Setting the Scene, e19s2.
Expected Scene: The [loyal] Order troops are clearing the way for the team to storm the Rambler.
Scene Test: [c51] 1. Helllllllll. 2d10 = I mean. 3 + 6 but let's be SHOCKED. "A safe haven is exposed." I think this one is self-explanatory.
Actual Scene: The Rambler is a battle ground as Patel's full army are fighting off the Order in a large scale battle that is burning down the GLOW around it.
Without the Green Lady, Eustace is the primary flyer so we'll see depending on how this goes.
Intensity for this section will be... [c69] 9. Dang. This fight will be pretty massive right off the start.
There's enough good guys fighting bad guys that feats and special actions will be a weird way to handle it, so let's do an converted sort of "Chase". 18 Need. Damage will increase as it goes on. Every 4 Need filled, it will go up an intensity. Basic → Critical → 2xCritical → Extreme. Critical will remain the "defense" of the bad guys. There's enough around that you will be shooting someone. Genny will be the 'pilot' as he leads the group across the way. Starts with a "speed" of 1 and it will go as he plots a way to get the team through. The idea is the fight will essentially go on until Patel falls (perhaps literally).
DATE PLAYED: May 31, 2025.
The Battle of the Rambler
Date: June 7, 1996.
Time: 1:45pm.
Place: The base of the Rambler.
Genny turns the corner and it's a repeat of the Villa. The Rambler continues float, almost serene, above it all but the houses and businesses down below are on fire. He tries super hard to not flash back to the numerous conflicts where he was paid good money to do this kind of damage to property. "Frontline morale destroyer". The people with him — well, Hitomi, Varvara, and Jones at least — need him to stay strong, here. Eustace...whatever is going on with him will just have to play it out. If he could happen to get Hitomi as far as possible from the blast radius. All the better.
He slams on breaks and pulls in behind the remains of a clothing shop which is now mostly just some walls and some summer clothing well on fire. "Everyone out, follow me!" He doesn't look back to see if the team is listening. The team will be listening. The best damned troops he has ever lead. So what if a couple of them are just kids. That's how war is always fought. People like him leading kids to die while the people in power print out awards and certificates and make bank in stocks.
Gunfire slams into the other side of the wall as more psychic lashes explode a car half a block down. Genny needs these to actually be on Eustace's side. Otherwise, he's going to radio Amy to just blow the whole joint.
Still not looking back, he plots out a path that will get them to a car lot that somehow has managed to stay mostly intact.
Nerves (3) + Cool (3) = Extreme. Speed increases to 3. Total Need = 3.
A couple of quick shots shatters the glass and he leaps through. He points to some '96 model luxury cars and begins crawling around behind them. He hears glass crunch behind him and is glad to know that at least someone is following him.
Unfortunately, one of the Patel bastards has spotted them and a few more are running. These cars look awfully fancy but Genny doubts they will be able to stop many bullets. He points down and dives.
Let's do a basic Brawn + Stunt to get out of the way.
- Eustace. Brawn (3) + Stunt (2) = No successes. He takes 1 Grit.
- Hitomi. Brawn (2) + Stunt (2) + 1 (Bulletproof vest) = Basic. Clears it.
- Genny. Brawn (3) + Stunt (3) + 1 (Bulletproof Vest) = Extreme. He can actually block everyone else in this case. So, Eustace gets the Grit back and we'll skip rolling for the others.
As glass shatters down, Genny notes that Eustace and Jones are a bit exposed and he finally breaks his "don't look back" rule to grab then and pull them both into a better place. As Eustace — the strange bird-demon impression stronger than every — looks up and nods thanks, Genny pats him on the shoulder. Just another kid in over his head.
Genny jumps up and opens fire to mow down their attackers.
Nerves (3) + Shoot (3) + 1 (Distance) = Double Critical. Speed increases to 4. Total need = 7 which crosses a threshold.
As the Patel bastards drop, it opens up a gap in their flanks. Genny shouts "Let's GO!" and takes off through the corpses. Again, he is glad to hear the sound of crunching glass behind him.
Several fox faced psychics are up ahead pushing hard against their opponents. One glances back and sees the group — and Eustace — and then nods. A few seconds later, the psychic is cut down as bullets tear through them and a phalanx of Patel troops try to flank the now outnumbered psychics.
This time we'll go with stealth. The group is not the target so staying mostly out of the way will help, but damage is up to Critical.
- Genny. Crime (2) + Stealth (3) + 1 (BPV) = 2xCritical. He can protect one of the others but we'll hold to see who.
- Eustace. Crime (2) + Stealth (2) + 1 (Obfuscation) = 2xBasic. Will take 1 Grit.
- Hitomi. Crime (3) + Stealth (3) + 1 (BPV). She gets an Impossible. Again, she can spend enough successes to protect everyone.
Hitomi punches Genny on the shoulder and points to some azaela bushes — on fire — with concrete planters. The mixture of fire and smoke will make a great approach and soon the team is making the way through the unexpected path. Genny feels a moment of regret leaving what he assumes is compatriots to face gunfire but again, that's war. Besides, just three psychics pushed this entire group to their limits. There seems to be dozens fighting Patel right now. He almost feels bad for the other side. Not really, though.
Up head, a building that housed a art school reaches critical damage and falls into a pile of rubble. It makes a nice short cut but the group will need to find a clear path.
Genny's Brawn (3) + Force (3) makes sense. Critical. Speed is up to 5. That makes it 12 and carries it all the way to 2xCritical as a risk. Just another round or so will get them there but they are in real danger now.
Genny rushes forward and shoves the wreckage aside and there's a ramp that will get them within a block of the Rambler — which is nearly wide open — but they will have to make it through flames and a collapsing structure.
Brawn + Endure feels like the best thing. Damage = 2xCritical.
- Eustace. Brawn (3) + Endure (2) = 2xBasic. He stands to loose 4 Grit.
- Genny. Brawn (3) + Endure (2) = Critical. 3 Grit.
- Hitomi. Brawn (2) + Endure (1) + 1 (Tormented). Basic. 5 Grit.
- Varvara. Brawn (3) + Endure (2) = Critical. 3 Grit.
- Jones. Brawn (2) + Endure (2) = Critical. 3 Grit.
Everyone is going to push through this damage.
As the group jumps down and brushes off the burning debris — and Hitomi pulls a shard of glass that had jabbed her in the leg — they now need to make a mad dash through a relatively open parking lot and park to get into position under the Rambler. "What the fuck do we do when we get there?," Genny shouts back to the others.
Eustace says in a voice full of all the death in the GLOW: "Trust me."
"Yeah, figured you'd say that. Ok...I'm going to punch through."
Genny is going to empty a clip. +1. Distance = +1. Spend an adrenaline = +1. Nine dice to get this done.
Extreme + Critical. He got there. This moves their speed to 7 and fills out the space.
Eustace spends an Adrenaline and one of his Soulburn orbs. Focus (3) + Fix (3) + 2. Double Critical. That'll *do* but it would have been nice for more.
Genny gets his gun up and starts taking out Patel troops on the left and right. Here, the battle has barely reached so it is clear they were expecting a completely different kind of combatant.
He clears enough space that they can underneath the Rambler, floating twenty meters above their head. Unfortunately, other bastards are noticing them and starting to turn. There will be no protection, here.
Then Eustace speaks in a language that is clearly non-terrestial in origin and pulls at one of the sigils on his chest until he is holding an orb. He crushes it in his hand and a bubble of Soulburn flows out to form a wall that seems to be keeping the Patel troops out. Only, as Genny watches the walls warble and warp under bursts of gunfire, he knows it is short lived.
Only, somewhere outside he hear's a cry: "For the Witch-King, for the Order!" Then there are more screams and pops. At least their enemies are going to be occupied for the moment.
"Ok, NOW what?," Genny hears himself shouting way too loud.
Since they got here before the main Order troops, is the elevator working — or at least can Amy get it working? (Even) → [c44] No.
Alrighty then.
Can Eustace fly the entire group up now that he is around 50% consumed by Soulburn (or more)? (Good) → [c70] Yes.
Eustace spreads wings. that fill most of the bubble and starts to wrap around the others there with him.
"Now," and Genny feels that Eustace's voice sounds just like his grandfather and suspects the others also here someone else they trust, "We fly..."
Laying on burning fields
With you, as we watch
The Sun on fire
Burning our love down
Into dust, just like how
God takes away
A man from the dogs
All I want to do is
Love you, oh
But all you want to be is
In a dream
-- Yeule, "Skullcrusher"
DOUG'S COMMENTARY
I might have another scene in me but the chance that it could end up being a pretty intense one again makes me think that I'll just pick it up next time. I'm really happy with the makeshift chase scene there since it felt like a nice way to handle moving through an increasingly dangerous place.
I thought about having to deal with a rope ladder or some other system but we're fully in "super hero" mode right now.
That was Genny's scene for sure. Maybe the next one will be Hitomi's. I like the idea of giving the others a chance to shine. I think I'll do that.
Couple of personal notes. Yesterday was my birthday. I'm now 48 years old. That seems like a good age to be. Has a lot of factors including some of my favorites like 4, 8, and 16.
Second, one of the reasons this entire series slowed down is because I started taking Wegovy back in January and in February, around when this campaign should have been taking off, the dosage increased enough that Saturdays and Sundays tend to be washed out. I was working a full-time job and having to do a lot of weekend errands in the middle of the week to make up for the loss of the weekends, and it just got tricky to ever have as much mental energy as I wanted.
I am still exhausted as I play this on a Saturday but it was nice pushing through even if it was around a scene shorter than it might have been otherwise.
Onward and upwards.
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 Rambler: Photo by Luke Witter on Unsplash. When I first was thinking of what to do with this image I had contemplated creating some collage art to represent the Rambler floating in the air. However, as soon as I saw Luke Witter's photo of the John Hancock Skyscraper it struck me as just perfect on its own. It leaves me with a bit of a gap for next episode since it won't be as easy to match up other photos to it, but push comes to shove I'll just re-use Witter's awesome photo.
For the destruction around the Rambler I wanted to avoid using any real life footage of disasters so I snagged this render. For reasons.
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