(That was a possibility I anticipated, and so I am unsurprised, but I just thought I'd mention just in case.

Just as well I didn't suggest an Easy-For-Anchorite-Tearful-To-Climb-Up-To Lion Saddle, then...)

"Oh... Oh! You, enormous galoot, be careful!" Grigori goes dashing off away from the toppling shelves and gun racks, holding his loot in front of him. "Watch what you're doing or what we'll owe for what we destroyed will outstrip what they're giving us!" He looks at The Duke with incredulity at his carelessness.

The Duke eyes Grigori who seems to be adressing him directly with fancy words but he isnt't sure Galoot is a nice word but he wasn't screaming like some people do when he goes to visit them so he was not sure. And Foers was telling him the man was a friend when he started to clench his fists. And then in just a few massive stepps he is upon Grigori and grabs him by the shoulders real tight and painful the fancy new cloves heavy as he leans in with his face real close to Grigoris so he can smell dental hygene was another fancy word The Duke never heard of as he whispers as if telling a great secret.

"Wordspinner speaks the wrong words echoing down a long tunnel. But the golden maggots will whisper the correct echo back. Wiggling into his ears to eat his bad brain."

Grigori grimaces and tries to shy away, but is locked in Duke's iron grip. Hia eyes water as the unbrushed breath of a thousand rotten meals crawls into his nose and refuses to leave.

"What in the blazes does that mean you ogre? Put me down and spare me the nonsense. Nobody will be eating my brains."

The robot spoke. "One moment, please. One moment..." Then it paused for a few seconds. "I have been informed that a fifth member will be joining this expedition..."

The door everyone had recently come through opened again, and a new being entered...

"HAh!! But the golden maggots will!!!"

He nearly bellows into Grigories face as he pokes his forehead with a greasy finger hard enough it might turn into a bruise as he releases him and steps away looking at the new thing and the wordspinner already forgotten as he tries to determine if the persone is a friend or foe! But really he was more interested to go somewhere else. This place was starting to get booooooring. Maybe he could kick over that armor stand?

"Isn't it uncomfortable when he sticks part of himself in you like that?"
The question hung a moment in the room, then was answered by puzzlement followed by anger and the crash of shattering pottery. "What? Who said that? There! In the duct!"
"Out! Get out you creepy monster! Out!"
JJ retracted zir eye and mouth, miffed. How was ze supposed to learn about this sexual reproduction thing if none of them would talk to zir about it? Still, it was time for his meeting, a little past time to be exact but he had been excited by the chance to observe the mating habits of Homo Sapiens in the field.

Taking the shape of a human (the last one that he had observed) to facilitate communication, ze headed into the appropriate physical address.

A pretty young woman wearing only a bra around her waist ambled in through the door, smiling and waving to everybody. "Hi all! I am JJMM1567-L but most people call me JJ. Or you creepy blob, but I think the last is pejorative. I am expert in database assimilation and light taste. Please treat me kindly." She bowed, then fell silent, waiting for their response.

15:58, Today: JJ rolled 12 using 2d6.  Shapeshift.
15:58, Today: JJ rolled 6 using 2d6.  Charming.
JJ's shapeshift is perfect (14), but his charm has a flaw (8) so I posted with 'doesn't really understand humans' in mind.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:01, Mon 16 Dec 2019.

"Goodness, woman! Cover yourself up! Don't you understand the gravity of what we're walking into?" Grigori turns to the clothing racks and pulls an armful of robes, tunics, dresses, and pantaloons down and throws them on the ground in front of JJ. "Robot, I see the utility of the enormous and dangerous here, but what does JJ bring to the party? Surely you recognize the wisdom of the ancient masters who proclaim that an uneven wheel sets a journey backwards as quickly as a broken axle stop one. You know, the school of thought that first brought forth this aphorism is said to have arisen from...." Grigori spills off into a tangent about the cultural exchange of the ancient world and the ways in which intermingling of cultures through the forces of trade and religion showed different....

Inevitably, Grigori is the last to lose interest in his own lecture.

"One might think that JJ's usefulness would be self-evident. JJ, you are welcome to this expedition. However, this unit was originally referring to our next arrival..."

In all the excitement ... naked women and angry giants ... it could be forgiven that nobody noticed The Lady wander in.
By luck, nobody had even glanced in her direction.  And so, soon enough, it became apparent that somebody else was in the room with them all.

The Lady was simply walking along the aisles of weapons, running her finger across them intimately but dispassionately ... the way one might aimlessly play touch a lover with whom one had become bored.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:43, Tue 17 Dec 2019.

In reply to Grigori (msg # 24):

JJ bounced up and down, then shrugged. "The gravity in here is working fine."

Ignoring the piece of scrambled RAM apart from that, she looked over at The Lady. "Hail Goddess. Lighting a candle is the usual response, yes?"

The Duke was really bored and the wordspiner was the absolute height of being boooooring. MAybe the big kitty came next just laying there purring but at least you could pet a kitty. And then comes in a woman and poor Duke gets all sort of confusing feelings looking at the naked skin. But then again poor Duke is looking at his first naked woman and not even Foers knows what to make of it so he just stares as the wordspinner rambles on trying to cover it up mouth slightly ajay and a trickle of drool slowly forming on his hanging lower lip. It was clear poor Duke had a little problem processing the situation and failed a goddess strolling into the room.

Grigori covers his face with his hand for a long moment, "No, not gravity like that you nincompoop." His hand slides down and off his face as he prepares to launch into another diatribe, and he notices The Lady, "Ah, see, here is a woman who knows how to prepare herself for an expedition. Who might you be, madame?"

JJ drew zirself up... and up and up, into her threat shape, a thing of fang and claw and sleek reptilian menace. "You are irritating" ze hissed. "Go bother sssomeone elssse."

When cute and interesting turns into something his pea brain can actually comprehend as something dangerous The Duke bursts ito motion and barges at JJ ready to pummel it into some bloody smear on the floor. At least thats what he intends to do because after just a few lumbering steps with malicious intent an electric discharge strong enough to make everyones hairs rise cracks from his head and The Duke drops to his knees geabbing his hear.

"The Duke is sorry Foers. But the thing threatens my new friend. I dont understand!!"

"Ah, it is good to see you all interacting. One feels confident that you will be working as an effective team in no time," says the robot, with no discernible irony.

To The Lady, the robot says: "The Lady, please choose any gear you may wish to take with you. The others have already chosen."

To the group, the robot says: "Once The Lady has made her decisions about what she may or may not wish to take with her, just let me know when you are ready, and I will escort you to the egress you will use to leave The Ziggurat."

Grigori recoils in terror and surprise, clutching at the neck of his robes behind his beard. His wide eyes seem to get bigger with every word, "Oh, oh, my good gods galore! I do apologize... JJ was it? Please forgive my manners!" He stumbles backwards as Duke bursts forward and stumbles, to his knees, leaving the whole room tingling. His wide eyes bounce from JJ to the Duke before finally landing on Anchorite Tearful. His mouth drops open and his whole face droops in a frown asking 'Are you seeing this $&*!?!

08:37, Today: JJ rolled 5 using 2d6+2.  Shapeshift.

JJ shrank back into the social form. "Noted. Apology accepted" she hissed.
Ze seems to have forgotten to remove the fangs, completely spoiling the whole 'pretty girl' effect.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:44, Thu 19 Dec 2019.

The Duke was confused. Pretty naked lady goes monster and Foers stops him from protecting the word weaver. And then the monster is the naked thing again that fill him with even more confusing feelings. It was to much confusion. He just wanted to go home and take his new toys. Getting onto his feet The Duke started to leave for his home.

"The Duke goes home now."

"Come now, The Duke," said the robot. "You may not have your gear if you are not committed to the Cloister Expedition. And the time has arrived."

The door closed, and there was a sensation of movement... it felt as if the huge room itself was moving, at a moderate speed at first, and then quickly faster and faster. Everyone steadied themselves on their legs and most people held on to a nearby table for support.

Then the new sensations eased, and the room could be felt gradually slowing... and finally, it came to a halt.

A huge door on the far side of the room opened. "Fare well!" said the robot. "Now is the time to take your things and set forth. The Ziggurat and its inhabitants will be eagerly awaiting the news of your success in finding and investigating The Cloister!"

The area outside the room seems rocky and barren, but well-lit...

The chaos was to be expected. A new group, one without any connection to each other previously, and some feeling, perhaps correctly, threatened by others.

"But now." Anchorite Tearful continued aloud, as if her thoughts were normally audible. "Such chaos can only harm us. We must work as a unit, sans malice. Coordination is key."

For a moment, she bows her head in prayer, then lowers the visor in her hood across her eyes. She then looks up, and for a moment, she takes in The Lady. Thankfully, her expression does not show her reaction, thus she remains temporarily inscrutable.

"Who should be guide?"

"Hmmmm...." Grigori stares out at the great, unwalled beyond and a shiver crawls up his spine. "We should have asked for a map. Robot, is there any chance you've got a map?"

"No map is available, Grigori," says the robot.

"No... no... of course not. That would be far too easy." He stares off into the distance, "You know, Anchorite. I've read histories and heard whispered tales that may provide clues as to finding the Cloister. There are star maps, landmarks marked out in legend, and stories of markings that maintain themselves... a sort of 'language of the land' if you will. But I am a leader of thought, not men, and the halls of the ziggurat might as well be the wilds to me. I am a creature of the stacks. my habitat is candlelit study carrols,  mandolin toned story halls, and stony chambers of debate. No offense to our... large friends here," He nods toward Aesop and the Duke, "But one seems disinterested at best, and the other... well, the other seems like his strengths may lay outside the realm of leadership."

He paces slowly toward Anchorite Tearful and strokes his beard, "JJ seems, new to the ways of the world and may... benefit from some guidance and direction until she acclimates herself to this world." He leans over and whispers so that only Anchorite can hear, "And frankly she freaks me out a little."

Then withdraws and holds his hands out, one toward Anchorite Tearful, and one toward The Lady, "Which leaves you and The Lady. The robot says you've ventured beyond the walls and lived to tell the tale. The Lady has... well.. she is a lady, you see, and-" He looks to the Lady, hoping she'll make a case for herself as the leader, or Anchorite will stand up and take the role.

The Lady continued to wander, seemingly dispassionate.
She chooses none of the equipment, completely disdaining the weapons and such .... and having little interest in the accoutrement and jewellery.

As the door opposite opens, she drifts over to the vehicle that Grigori has chosen for them.
She ran her finger along it, sensually; admiring the beast for what it was ... and listening to the banter.

"You're going to need a lot of Luck, out there, kids", she said.  Then, as she swung herself up onto the chariot, she swung herself up onto its side.  And looked at her companions, for the first time actually taking them in, "Worship me," she offered, "and I'll bring you that".

But she made no case for herself as the leader.



Ok, folks, heres the deal.
The Lady is a Goddess.  And Luck is her stock and trade.   But being a Goddess means her power is limited to how much she is believed in, and worshipped.
Truth is:  you pay her attention during the game, you worship her ... she has more power/Luck to exude upon the group, and its mission.

Ignore her, and seriously, you ignore a very valuable resource (the 'Moves' that come with my Playbook).
So speak her name, my friends.  Let her know you adore her, and need her, and love her.
And she will bless you.