Worlds Beyond Number - World Turner: Episode 4 - Vix Bridge

Episode Date: October 13, 2026

A celebration devolves into a disaster. Terrible things descend from above, threatening to tear our heroes apart. Safety lies south with the promise of escape. Let's hope we can make it in time.Content Warning: This episode contains depictions of violence and alcohol consumption.We are:Brennan Lee MulliganErika IshiiAlly BeardsleyLou WilsonWorld Turner was produced by Worlds Beyond NumberEdit and Sound Design by Jino Jang-Hansen at Big Giant HeadScore by Will Savinohttps://wsavino.com/Special thanks to Michael Keane for sound design assistance.Director of Operations: Melanie BowmanSocial Media Manager: Shannon HLorekeeper and Transcriptionist: Jack Morgan E.F. Lavandowska Recording Engineer: Rainie TollCharacter Art by Elisabeth MkheidzeCover Art by Lu TomkiewiczAdditional Game Design by Mazey VeselakYou can find transcripts of all our episodes on our Patreon. Just navigate to the post for the episode and the transcript will be attached. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This is the sound of worlds beyond number. A number. Ago-Broad Broadcast Network. Reports are coming in from across the old quarter. Damage is extensive. Several buildings near the Bay of collapsed or are actively being evacuated. And wardens are asking citizens to stay away from the windows, bridges, and harbor streets. We are receiving accounts of something taking shape in the water.

I want to be clear. We cannot confirm what people are seeing. What we can confirm is this. The danger is moving. If you are near the Bayfront or the old quarter, leave now if you can do so safely. If you cannot, get low, get inside, and stay away from glass.

Keep your radios on, listen to Warden Instructions, and do not move toward the harbor. You all move with the crowd, along Harbor Rise Avenue. At times, the streets narrow and the bodies around you, press shoulder to shoulder, are people still wearing the torn and bloodied remains of their summer sundown clothes. Then the street widens or the crowd divides around wreckage, cars, portions of buildings that have fallen.

And you find a few precious feet of open space before everyone closes around you again. You are carried through the area that you know as Bayview into the tighter streets of an area called Bellwether. Tall brick houses and old stone buildings crowd close on either side blocking your view of the harbor. Smoke hangs between rooftops, dust clings to faces, coats, and open wounds. Everyone is moving towards Vicks Bridge, though fewer civic wardens remain here to guide you. Then the ground moves. One immense footfall rolls beneath the street. The crowd falters for half a heartbeat before continuing to move.

The thing is hidden somewhere beyond the buildings, but its steps continue to find you. Each one arrives as a low tremor through the pavement, interrupting conversation or forcing people into a hurried shuffle before the crowd settles again into a sustained rhythm. Beside you, as you guys walk, you see a family moving through the crowd, each one holding on to the same length of rope, parents in the front, children in the back. Shang has joined your group You've been walking for 15 minutes, 30 minutes,

three hours, time feels strange in this moment Around you, the crowd continues south Another footfall from the thing Beyond And everyone quickens their pace As we come to you guys in this moment Cullen and Yaxil

Are you still carrying Tev? Yes Yeah Harley nearby Mm-hmm Chang to your left and Sarah to your right. You guys move quietly amongst this throng of people moving south. You hear conversations around you, people talking about loved ones that they haven't seen yet,

questioning the Vicks Bridge, why not Harbor Bridge, as you guys continue to move forward. As I'm traveling with Teb, I'm going to keep an eye out for a gurney, a wheelchair, a shopping, are anything with wheels on it, a dolly, hand truck, whatever I can see. And we'll also think about, like, if there's a space that I think would have one easily accessible. If we're going by a grocery store or something like that, for example, being like, okay, back door of that, we'll have a hand truck just inside. Like, kick open the door for a second to see if there's a, you know, like, anything like that as we're moving down the street for Tev. Go ahead and give me a precision check. 17.

Yeah, you see, like, a small grocer. maybe they'd have something you'd have to go in and investigate. As we're moving, I will give it just basically enough to dart my head in to look around and investigate just for a second. Got it. I'd say on a 17, you don't see anything immediately. If you want to get off the path, explore the grocery, there might be something. There's not something immediately at the front of the store. You see baskets, smaller carrying devices, but not something like... Not worth it. I don't go. I keep going.

Caring Tep, yeah. Cullen has a strong voice in his head. I'm not investigating the door. bathroom. I look in, if there's a hand truck right here, I grab it, but I'm not losing my friends to go wander down the dark aisles, you know, just keep going. You see the Chang looks back at you and goes, you look for something? Anything we can see with wheels just for Tev. Oh, right. I'm going to go look for something. No, no, stay with us. I'm going to look to you as you say that, Harley, and I go, you two are faster than us, and I give you the other whisper. And I'm like, pull ahead if you can,

I'm going to just tell you every time we do a cross street, I'm going to give you the cross street, but run ahead if you can grab something with wheels. Okay. Yeah. Me and you? Okay, let's go. Come on. You guys start to kind of muscle through the crowd, getting a little bit further on.

Sarah looks to you, Yaks. She's got the drying blood of the wound she's sustained from the debris from the building. I haven't seen my friends. I know. Did you see them at all on the roof? Did you see, like, did they run into the house? I don't know. I wasn't looking for them.

Yeah. I don't know. It just things happen so fast. Yeah, totally. We'll keep an eye out for them. I mean, you know, it seems like a lot of people are in this line of people walking. So hopefully, you know, they're in the back. I mean, I hope when we land wherever we're going,

then we can start kind of like putting feelers out. Maybe someone will create some sort of system of checking in and letting people know that you're safe or some sort of log or something. Like, that would be really helpful. Yeah. Yeah. Go ahead and give me a persuasion check. It's, uh, eight.

Okay. Yeah, I hope they have... Yeah, I hope so. Harley and Shane, you guys are pushing forward when you were coming out of the Bayview Van Schell. I mean, the streets were lined with civic wardens. There's now just one every few blocks, just going... Come on, people, move, move, Vicks Bridge.

you were able to make it like a block or two ahead. There is an upturned boat that has landed in the middle of the street. And you see that people are banking, kind of either going down a side street or through alleyways to try and get around it. But you can tell that the crowd kind of disperses up ahead. Kind of near the boat, I think you see like a shop for car repair, which Shang lights on and points it to you. And it's like, probably something in there, right? Yeah. Big stuff.

Wheels. Yeah. Rush on in. This space was very much left in a hurry. There is an open bottle of sparkling wine. There are little half sandwiches left on trays. There's a lot of equipment around here. So go ahead and give me an investigation or perception check with advantage.

I'm going to look specifically for the wheeled carts that you go underneath. Yes. 23. Yeah, you find two of them. Oh, amazing. Grab one of these? Grab that one, and then I also grab the sparkling wine as well. Yeah, okay.

I send it through The Whisper. Found something. Felix is on prospect. Colin, you feel like the messages come through with just a gentle vibration on your wrist, and you see the words in Harley's handwriting appear. Okay, I just say, stay there, block and halfway. Got it. You make it another block and a half,

and see, yes, this kind of like repair shop for motor vehicles, and outside of it, Harley and Chang with two creepers and a bottle of sparkling wine. People are still fleeing, right? The footfalls feel like they're moving away from you. So I think that there is an urgency, but people are now walking at a pace that is more manageable. Sustainable. This boat that we passed, this has been whipped from the bay.

Give me perception. 18. Yes, this is a pleasure, This is like you can tell that this is like a boat that was loaded up to watch the show from the band's shell. It seems to have been violently thrust here. You see the marks of the impact on the buildings across the street. We're so much further away than the house that got whipped out with the ferry. It made it this far.

But still on the same kind of line. As we're getting there, I'm actually going to leave Tev for you and Harles to get him situated and uncomfortable in this wheeled thing. I'd like to dip into the repair shop real quick if I can as well and just do an investigation for handheld stuff. If there's crowbars, if there's wrenches, anything like that, and it's just a helping myself to it. Go ahead and give me an investigation, chair. 22.

Brother, what would you like to find it? If you're going around there, I call it, see if you can find a first aid kick. Great call. Safety. Like glass is hard had. Yeah, if it's a repair shop on a 22, baby, we got a second creeper, right? Yes. Arms full, wrenches, crowbar, masks, goggles, first aid kit.

Not to be crazy, but welding kit. They would have, like, all this, like, crazy shit if we're doing, like, full repairs. Straight up, like, I think, like, I worked with a tractor on a farm when I was a kid. Honestly, what it is is because I'm going as fast as I can, anything out on a bench. The only thing that I would make an effort to get is the first aid kit, but all of their most used tools that are out and about. crowbar comes wrench comes welding kit comes masks and goggles come gloves comes high viz like if there's any of this kind of like that's awesome oh and i'll say if they i don't know if they would have because they work on cars so i'd say if they have a flare any kind of flare there as well honestly that's about as i feel like i can get my arms and then it's more about getting the second creeper full and we're moving and i will immediately as we start running again make a note i'll write it on my fucking arms i don't have a not pad but i'll get a marker from inside there and write everything that I took and I say Felix is on prospect as a list of what I stole to in some world come back and pay it all off.

There's not a marker that I think you're immediately able to find, but there's grease. And I think you're able to on your arm make an itemized list of what I stole. Great. Incredible. I will say you find two wrenches, one crowbar, two pairs of safety goggles, a hard hat, one flare, and a first aid kit. Okay, I think I give Yaks a pair of goggles and I give the hard hat to Harley. I'll throw the other pair of goggles on me. Shane looks at you holding a bottle of sparkling wine and goes, and what's this for?

Oh. That's for celebrating when we get the fuck out of here. Yep, perfect, perfect. You got to do something for morale. She goes, not a bad plan. You are headed west along Harbor Rise, which is this kind of longer, wider streets, in the old quarter. This is the oldest part of the city.

The streets here are not built for cars. Most of them are one-ways or walkable ways built for carts, not vehicles. So this is one of the larger streets which can fit or hold this crowd. And you guys have been heading west for about 20 minutes. As your mind alights on the northern promenade where it is in relation to where you are now,

it is back from whence you came. It's about a five to ten minute walk from the band shell going kind of at the northernmost end of the harbor promenade. Is that where she was? The northern promenade was where she said she was going for the glow lights. Oh, my God. Okay, you have the whisper. Hold on one second. And I'm going to run to one of the civic wardens that I can see. You see there is one kind of standing on the boat directing people.

Allie goes just around this way, and then you'll stay on the way. Keep heading toward the bridge, all right? No stopping. Your loved ones, there are civic wardens out there looking for people, all right? Please keep moving. Sir, sir, sir, we had friends in the Northern Promenade in the Old Quarter. Is everyone from the Old Quarter being sent the same way? Yes, everyone from the Harbor Promenade, predominantly the people most likely at the Banshell.

Everyone is being directed to Vicks Bridge. Further north, past the university, those people are headed to Concord Terminal. I think I'm going to look at you guys and say, Okay, we're all headed to Vix Bridge. You have the whisper. I'm going to go take a look and see if Abigail and Toby are coming from that direction. Can we just stick together and then you'll meet us there? We have the whisper.

So I'm just going to... I can't separate from me, man. I really can't. Let's get to Vicks Bridge. That's narrow. You and I can stand flanking the bridge and we can spend... Now we're close to crossing. We can spend hours there.

If you really want to take inventory of who's coming down this, I'm down to find Abigail with you. Okay. Okay. When we get to the bridge, we can get Tev and someone across the bridge. And we can start to see, because they might have been, we didn't know when they were coming to the party. She's priority number one. We're with you, man.

We're going to find her. Okay, okay. And I'll keep going to the bridge because I do think that I actually have a panic around not knowing she and Tobias were coming to the party. So if they were on their way to the party, they would be getting a vacuum. to this other place with us, but if they were still at the promenade, there's no way to know where they were in physical space when the evacuation started. Or if they even went to see the lights. Who knows where they were on their travel? Can I talk to Shang as we walk?

Yeah, 100%. You guys bang down this alley. Is someone pushing the creeper at this point? I think Shang. We've got two creepers. I can be pushing the other one. And that one's got equipment on it. Yeah, I guess we don't really have enough equipment that we need to push it.

We're all just kind of holding the equipment. So maybe I'm holding the second creeper like a surfboard. You guys come out back onto Harbor Rise past the boat. The crowd is not as intense. It is now a little bit more open as people are still moving towards Vicks Bridge. But you can tell that that kind of choke point is creating a much more manageable situation on the other side. Vicks Bridge is in sight. You'll probably be there within the next 10 minutes.

Shang looks at you, Yax, and goes, what's up? What did you see? Where were you? I So I was I was still down on the fifth floor And I just heard the sound I just heard the sound

And a lot of screaming And so I just got as many people I mean it was fucking crazy Man we got down to the third floor And the boat was in the fucking stairwell And people were just having to jump From where the stairs stopped To get down

And people People were fucking falling Man, it was crazy. But I got out. A couple of the other people on the team got out. But I don't know. I couldn't look back. I just kept moving.

I mean, it was just bodies, dude. It was just bodies. Yeah, yeah, totally. Did you see it? What? The thing. No. Did you see it, Cole?

I saw it. I saw it on the roof. There's, there's, uh, I don't know if it was like a plane. or like something across the harbor got up in the fog it's like there's something out there

I don't know what the fuck it is but there's something it's like I don't know what the fuck it is I think I saw a really big shit I only heard something that's not a shit or a plane

I mean we I heard it we heard it I think in this moment the tremor hits I just look at Yax and Harley like I'm going to throw up. I can't say it out loud,

but we all know those are footfalls. A group of civic wardens, you guys see run past you. They have coils of rope, medical bags, hooded lanterns. Keep moving toward the bridge. Stay off the waterfront. Everyone out.

You see that they are like banging on the doors of all the buildings as they pass. You see that they bank around the alley headed back into the city. Can I side with one of those? They're moving pretty quick, but you can try and get their attention. Yeah, ma'am.

Yeah, yes. How do we help with civic ward and stuff? Keep moving to the bridge, all right? There's triage, you can check in, and then we'll get everyone to South Hack. But you don't need... We're university students and we're willing to help. Give me an inside check as you talk to this person. Five.

This person just has a certain urgency and intensity in their face that you feel all they can do in this moment is give you instruction. They've been given. That is very kind. You all need to just get out of the city. Okay. I come back to these guys and I'm like, they said there's a check-in. There's going to be a list.

Let's see if they're taking names. Yeah. Okay. So you and I could even cross the bridge and wait on the other side, just so that we're out of here waiting for people to come by through the bridge. Guys, is there a place that we can meet in case you get separated? That's a very smart in case the wisps get damage or something.

Your family lives in South Act, right? I think that's smart. If that's where they're leading. I was going to say Rava's, but that's still on this. side of the bridge. We're going to pass it pretty soon. I would love to dip in. I think that your family's spot is the place to go. Yeah. I'm headed there anyway, so please. Okay. Okay. Okay. Yeah.

As you're walking, you see that there is a group of men standing outside of a cafe that's dark on the inside now, still has these uplights on the awning that are facing the sign for the establishment, alighting Mabel's Cafe with these beautiful kind of swirls around it and flowers. You see there that several older men are standing with their coats still on, staring at a wooden cabinet radio. They've turned it all the way up so that people can hear it on the street. And you see that evacuees around them are kind of slowing their paths to, like, listen to the voice on the radio. Broadcasting Network. What was meant to be a celebration of the summer sundown has been

interrupted by destruction unlike anything the city has ever witnessed. We can now confirm that the Emberworks has suffered catastrophic damage. Large portions of the refinery have collapsed, and fires continue to burn throughout the surrounding district. The Emberworks long, a symbol of Acreport's growth, now lie in ruin. The cause is an unknown living entity of extraordinary size. Descriptions remain inconsistent. We have received reports of a creature tall than the central towers of the emberworks. Witnesses have described something with great sweeping limbs, a ridge-like back, moving first through the harbor and now into the city itself.

Other account differ considerably. What we know now is that the creature has moved north from the waters around South Act and is currently believed to be traveling northwest to Al-Aqabur. Its purpose unknown. Do not approach the water. Do not attempt to observe the creature. Do not leave the event. Do not leave the evacuation route in order to obtain a better view.

If you are in North Act, continue north and follow the directions of the wardens. If you're in South Act, move south away from the harbor. If you are presently in Ackabor proper, proceed south towards Vix Bridge or the Concord Terminal. Vix Bridge has been designated the safest available route out of the central city. Keep moving. Assist those who cannot move on their own.

Do not block the road. Mayor Haldon has formally requested the mobilization of the Demetard Guard. Guard units are assembling now and expect to enter the city as quickly as roads and railways allow. What force they may be able to bring against a creature of this scale, I cannot presently say. Our studios will remain secure here in Alderwood, and I intend to remain on this microphone for as long as the signal holds, and as long as it is safe for us to do so. To everyone listening, look out for each other. Keep moving, and do not let anyone make the road alone.

This is Clint Roy. You are listening to ABN, the ABLE Broadcasting Network, on a night that has turned the city, Is that what you saw? Yeah. Moving northwest across Hacabore. Are you thinking what I'm thinking? I'm going to look at the yearkeeper. Yeah, is that?

I would like to make some kind of investigation check. I clean bloom. I put down numbers. I do the grunt work of an institution working at the cutting edge of techno-botany in a lyron technology. and I would like to do everything I can to move through all of the spreadsheets and data entry that I do at VIX Institute and to see if I know why Dr. Gord asked me to come in on the weekend.

Go ahead. Nat one. Oh, my God. I'm so stressed out. I'm going to use my heroic inspiration to re-roll that. I've been so worried about, whether I was going to break up with my girlfriend or not, that I have not been paying attention to what the work I do

at the most important scientific institution in Port Acapore, or maybe in Demitark or the world is doing, and it's time to get my head out of my ass. And off that Nat one, where I literally can't stop thinking about Abigail getting stepped on by a monster, I instead go, what have you been doing every day? And instead of rolling in that one,

I roll a 18 on the dive for a 23. You work on long burn cells. You work on batteries that are meant to eventually generate electricity for rural communities that don't have as much citywide infrastructure as the city of Port Acapore does. Are you attempting to connect threads between your work and this creature's arrival? Yes. The signs are always there when you're like, oh, electricity bills are going up. And this is going out and that's going that.

Like, if you don't read the news and you don't know that a war is happening, you still notice that gas is more expensive. Like, things like that where I'm like, what have we been doing at my job that would indicate something, right? That's what I'm going for. 100%. I think you, in trying to put these threads together, struggle to make a connection. You are doing a lot of work in resonance in certain frequencies. that is the technology at the base of the whispers, is the resonance of a finger tapping one elivirin crystal,

and that being reflected in another, you're working on energy. You're using the natural world, this unique and rare mineral, to create wonders of the imagination that people from a different generation could never have dreamed. I think you come to a place of,

these are just workings of the imagination, too impossible to believe things until they are real. I'll look over at Yax and go, I don't know. I don't know. I think maybe there's something. It did something to the Amber Works, and now it's going northwest, and that's where, that's, God, that's where the corridor is. That's where the people from north of the old city are traveling.

Can I look up to the sky to the yearkeeper? The buildings are too tall here, so you sadly cannot get a view. But you know that another block ahead, things open up. Let's check for a name at Vicks Bridge, okay? Yes. Okay. You guys move through the city, getting closer and closer to Vicks Bridge. You see the streets opening up and you see that there are more evacuees emerging from side roads and courtyards

folding into this current of people moving towards this evacuation point. You hear more voices of shouting from civic wardens that are placed on the bridge, lanterns and glowglass that has been set up. You see that Harbor Bridge is not an evacuation. point, though you passed a turn off for it earlier because Harbor Bridge has been raised, because ships from the harbor have moved as deep into the bay as they can pass the bridge, this, the newest bridge in Ackabor, made of bright stone and dark steel and green-painted bronze, stands as the quickest way out of the city. You see that tonight no vehicles are moving across. The entire roadway of Vicks Bridge is given over to people. You see near the entrance to the bridge

are abandoned cars and municipal wagons, pushed the edges to create a wider pedestrian corridor for people to move through. Civic wardens line the approach, waving evacuees forward and beyond the bridge lies Southak, streets dim beneath the smoke, but intact enough to promise distance from whatever is attacking court Akapur.

You see that rows of white canvas tents have been raised along the bridge's entrance. Medics are washing wounds, splinting broken limbs, and moving the battle, injured across on transport wagons. You see that a warden is shouting, any way to cross on foot, bring them here.

You see another warden a woman is standing there. If you're waiting for someone, please give us their name and address. We are collecting names over here. You see that someone runs up to her. Has Gina Elwyn come through? You see that the warden flips through a few pages, goes, yes, she just crossed, keep moving. For the first time, it feels like the city has some sort of plan.

Cullen, can you give them not only Abigail and Tobias, but also any members of the team that you can think of and any party guards? All right, I'm going to go with Shang and we're going to drop off Tev. Yax, is your family in Northak? Okay.

Yeah, I want to check about Rava. My mom's totally out. Oh, good. She's not, it's just my dad. Oh, okay, that's fine, then. I do really want to check on Rava. I'm just going to get in line for the person checking names real quick.

I'll go with you. I bet Sarah wants to check for her friends. Let's all go here if we can, just because we all. All have names for people, unless you want to take Tev into medical? Yeah. Okay, gotcha. Okay, cool.

Drop them and I'll join you. Okay, great. Harley, do you have any... I know your family's in South Beck. Is there anyone you want me to check on from North or from Old City? Any members of the team, but mostly, I think, everybody we have in common in the city. Great. I'll check on people.

You guys get in line for the name order. Harley, Shang, you guys bring Tev over to the medical tent. You see a woman standing there, hair tied back, just absolutely sweating, going... Okay, get him up. Get him up. Okay. Here. You see that they put him on.

You see Tev groans. And she says, we'll take him from here. We'll make sure he gets across the bridge. Great. And I give them a little bit of information about how I found him. Maybe if it's helpful. Understood. We'll take it from here.

Great. Thank you. Shane goes, I'm going to stay with Tav. Okay. If you guys need anything, my family's in Southak. So, me at our address? Yeah. You guys exchange addresses.

She goes, whenever they're done with him, we'll head to the, We'll head to the tower. It's going to be okay. And I give her a hug. Sheing, I think, is normally a pretty abrasive person. Yeah. But I think in this moment of fear, you feel her hold you really tight. Yeah.

Okay. We'll see you at the towers. See you there. I head over to you guys and Sarah. In this moment, as you are standing in line for the name warden, you can see it. You can see it. The commotion around you in line for the name warden gets really intense.

as everyone points and gazes north. Here at the bridge there's kind of a break between the buildings. Smoke fills the distant avenues. It drifts between rooftops and thick gray layers, revealing nothing clearly. But then the smoke moves, not with the wind. It swells outward, displaced by something enormous, rising behind it. A dark ridge passes above the rooftops.

For an instant, seawater glints across a broad, uneven back. Pale colonies cling to its surface in clustered mounds and long strips of growth trail behind it before vanishing again into the haze. The shape rises higher. Something like a shoulder rolls through the smoke than a forelim appears. Only part of it, a long, wet length of flesh ending in several enormous hooked claws. It reaches forward through the haze and disappears again behind the buildings. A moment later, stone tears somewhere out of view as the creature lumbers after the limb. You cannot see the full body, only the movement passing through the smoke, the shoulder

lifting, the dark back shifting, the upper shapes of something vast following in a slow, rolling surge. As its back flexes, you see that one of these pale colonies tears loose. At first it looks like a slab of shell or diseased flesh, then it unfolds in the air, several crooked limbs spread out beneath it as it falls, catching briefly, against the side of a building before dropping out of sight on the street below. More shapes loosen from the creature as it moves. Some tumble motionless through the smoke.

Others writhe as they fall. This thing does not react as it continues to move before disappearing out of sight. The crowd around you starts rushing. I think as you guys attempt to hold your places in this line, people are sliding past you to try and get to the bridge. The warden with the clipboard that you're approaching is going, Calm down. Everyone, everyone will make it across in time. Everyone will make it across in time.

You. Abigail Hartwell. Who? Abigail Hartwell. Sorry. Going through their clipboard, bodies pushing. Nine Harbor View Lane. You see the people on the bridge are screaming. The Civic Horton gets distracted for a second

as they're trying to see if they should go and help the people on the bridge who are now trying to control that chaos. Abigail Hartwell, Nine Hartwell Lane. I don't have Abigail. Got it. You're the only one? There aren't multiple check-ins.

There's two of us, one on either side of the bridge. You can go check with her. Let's go. You, what do you have? Oh, my God, wait. And I pull off from my notebook. I rifle around in, and I have my spreadsheet. I have my spreadsheet of the team.

Here, this is a list of people from the party we were at. I'm sorry, this is going to take me a second to get through. That's okay. That's okay. Okay. You see that she begins to do that. As you guys push through this song, go ahead and give me athletic strikes as you're trying to move through this crowd. 19.

14. Determination. You know. need to know if Abigail has gone through this bridge. You are moving people out of the way. You're stepping over people who are falling. You get to the second Civic Ward. Yes. Abigail Hartwell, nine harbor view lane. Checking, flipping through pages, feels like an eternity as you watch her turn over these papers. I don't have... I'm climbing up. We're like at the bridge, right? Let's just like get a view and just park it for a second if we can. Can we climb? Sure. Give me an athletic check.

You see the Civic Warden immediately go, stop, stop, down. 14. Yeah, you guys were able to get up a few feet and get a view. Harley, you can see your friends have now kind of climbed up on this bridge in this moment of chaos. What's your perception? Just plus one. Okay. You want to give me the help action?

So I'm running defense for him so that he can get up high and I'm spotting. A 13 perception looking for Abigail. You see that the Civic Warden has stopped taking names and is now trying to pull you down? Sorry, sorry, we're coming down right now. The Civic Warden you were speaking to has. now cross-referencing. I've got five of these names have come through. Okay. All right. Three have it. Okay.

I don't have Ryland Hoover. I don't have Walt Brooklyn and I don't have Wallace Smith. Can you do me a favor? If any of those three of them come through here, please let them know that Harley Mori is at 2100 Gibson Street and to meet me there. Also, if anybody comes asking for Yaxil Larson, Colin TuPP, T-U-P-P, that we will be at that address. Understood. Please move along. Thank you so much.

And I go run over to join my friends. With the 13 perception check, you do not see Abigail Harper. Mm-hmm. However, you do see Tobias. I'm going to start rushing towards that. You are now moving in the opposite direction of the flow of people. You see a civic warden grabs you hard. Tobias, you're going to rope.

You need to go over the bridge. Athletics. Great. 24. Determination, you shake off this man's grasp as you charge towards Tobias. I'm watching from where I'm at if I can stay up there. Yes, you are watching as your friend Cullen cuts a straight line through this crowd. You arrive at Tobias.

Tobias is covered in wounds. You see his clothing is ripped and stained with blood, and he looks absolutely terrified for his life. And you see, as you approach him, he barely recognized. He doesn't make eye contact with you. He, there is a sense, I think, of just. just pure, animalistic moving towards this bridge, staying with this heart. I rush up to Tobias and put my hands on him and go,

Tobias! Abigail, where is she? I, uh, uh, she, I, I couldn't, uh, I couldn't go. Where did you last see her? She was with the others at Meridian Hall. Some kind of classroom building. Where was she headed when you separated? Um, no, she was there.

I was going to get help. I was going to try and find wardens or something. And I, uh... She's still, she still, her plan was to stay there. I think so, but there were so many of these things. There were so many of these things running around. And I, I just couldn't. I was supposed...

Did she say any plan of where she was going to head or was she going to stay? They were staying. They were staying. I not forcefully discard him. Like, just, whoop, done with him, and I'm going to rush. Then I, who I have to. I'm going to rush up to Yax. I'm also looking around.

If there are any wardens that I see our arms, Go ahead and give me a perception check. God damn, 19 plus 2 is 21. I'll look if there is any sidearm that is currently untended to amongst supplies of any kind. They've turned this area into a funnel, right? There are guards and triage tents

and the civic wardens on top of small stands taking names, all trying to funnel people into this area of Vicks Bridge. There's not a weapon left out. from what you can see through the crowd on the north side, the north side of this funnel, two guards who are waving people,

you do see as their coats move, you see that they are armed. Okay, you guys, I gave our names to the name warden, and some of the team has actually made it through, so if we can get to the other side, I told them to meet all of us back at the towers. Yeah, okay, good.

So you start heading across with Tavin, because I know, nobody has him on wheels, but he's still slow. No, no, no, he's with the medical's head. Okay, okay, they have a medical, tent here. We got to go. Okay, got it. We have the supplies here still, right? Yeah, yeah. I'm going to grab the crowbar from you, just real quick. And I'm going to go, let me go to the medical tent real quick, and I'll be right back, okay? Okay. And I am going to go to the medical tent and try to circle back

around to those wardens, if I can, the ones that I saw that were armed. Are you attempting to do this stealthily? Are you just walking through? I assume that there were surrounded by people on all sides, So I'm just going to get close. There is no pickpocketing. I am trying to get down low, prepare to run, and grab it and start running. My slider hand is kind of high. Do you see me getting... Same my bro.

Are you getting kind of close? Go ahead and give me perception checks. If you're not doing this with stealth at all... No, no, no, no, not this part. I don't think it's unusual for me to be... That one? I don't think it's unusual for me to be near a civic warden. No, you said I'm going to go to the medical tent and you walked that way.

Go ahead and give me a perception check Harley. I dropped down and apologize to the person who is like you have to get down. Sorry, sorry. Do you have a Gideon Larson on your list? No, not yet. Dirty 20. You see Cullen walk past the medicine tent. I don't think you see where he's headed.

But I will say because you are not moving without any sort of attempt to conceal, like you're saying, there's so much going on here. People have too much to focus on in this moment. Colin, where are you going? You're right back. Hold on one second. Wait, wait. Where are you going?

I'll be back. One second, I have to shit. Why did he take the crowbar? I mean, maybe dig a hole. You walk past these civic wardens. I'm going to roll perception checks. Cool. In this chaos, you do not seem to have their attention as you approach. Gotcha.

My focus, more than anything, is on. running. In other words, this is insane enough even for Colin in this altered state that if he cannot meet zero resistance, in other words, the kind of thing where it's like, no one is expecting when they're this crazy that someone's going to come up and steal a gun off the side of their body. So his whole thing is, if the element of surprise doesn't make this resistance free, if I fuck up and they bump my arm or they sense me coming or anything like that, we are immediately giving up. on getting the gun and just running. So the focus is on running.

We're going to make this a DC-12 roll. This is just because these wardens are wearing these coats. The weapon is under the coat. So this is how easily and quickly can you reach in, grab the firearm, and move. Yep. 18 plus 3 is 21. Insane rolls.

Cullen, you effortlessly grab the gun off of this warden. You see the war. Gordon looks down at you, looks at you horrified, raises a baton to strike you. My goal was to start sprinting whether the gun came up in my hand or not. So I am gone as fast as my legs can fucking carry me. Which direction? Down the bridge or you're going in a different direction? I think you've seen me running back into the city towards the Meridian Hall.

You pull the gun off of this officer. You see he turns, raises a baton. Hey! Hey! My gun! You take off! The warden runs after you for about. 10, 20 feet, and then someone goes, we need you.

Come back. And you see that he turns and rejoins the group. As you two, you see Cullen has taken off into the night. Gotta get him, let's go. No, no, we have to get back across the bridge. I'm gonna run after Yaxel and try to pull him back. Yaxel, you see the Civic Ward and see you guys coming and attempt to adjust position to be like, hey, across the bridge.

I'm not barreling through, but I am trying to explain to them. Our friend just went that way. The one who took my gun. What? He took my gun. He took your... No, different guy.

Definitely not him. You see the shape of Cullen taking off into the dark of the city. Oh my God. Where is he going? Use the whips, right? Where are you going? I mean, not right here, but... I'm so sorry.

We're so sorry. There must be some kind of mix-up. I write on the whisper, where are you going? Calling running, you feel a gentle agitation on your wrist. As I'm running in the street, depending on if it starts to thin out or not because I'm running the wrong direction, I'm keeping my eyes peeled for a bicycle. Any bicycle, anywhere, anywhere that I would know from living and working in this part of town, if there's a bike rack somewhere that I can pop with a crowbar or something.

Go ahead and give me an investigation check. 18. You see there are a couple of bicycles leaned up against. a wall on a bike chain. Running over, I'm going to hide behind there and am going to stay tucked against the building, take out the whisper, and I'm going to write back, not concordant hall. Don't come after me. Get to your family.

I'll be fine, knowing that I did not say Meridian Hall to them, right? So I don't want them to give where I'm actually going because I don't want them to come and follow me. I will see you at your family house as soon as possible. Abby hunkered down somewhere she shouldn't, getting her coming to you. And I'm going to send that back, and I'm going to get the crowbar

and pop one of these bicycles off the rack. Go ahead and give me an athletics check, DC20. That's a Nat 20. You know exactly the weak point. You put your full force behind it. Two bicycles are at your disposal. Is there a meaningful difference between either? No, one's red, one's green.

I like green. With my work clothes on, I take the gun, having used firearms on the farm before, I'm going to make sure there's not one in the chamber right now, tuck it into my pants as securely as I can, and then use the crowbar across the handlebar, so it's in both of my hands along with the bike and take off into the night. He's, he's, fuck that guy, and I'm writing, come back, please come back, please, please, please, please, come back.

Harley, you're writing these things on the messages. Yeah. You are not receiving receipts. responses. Okay, he's gone. He's doing, he's making his choice. We have to figure out if we go south, if we get across the bridge. Listen, we just need to get to the muster point where I told the team to meet us. I would like to see my family. If there's anybody else that you need to meet you, we can let the name wardens know, but we have to stick together. Please, yes. I, we do. We do. Yeah, we have to go and kind of regroup. I'm camp.

I believe he stole a gun. He went and he talked to Tobias is what happened. Oh my God. We saw Tobias in the crowd alone. What? And then he stole a gun and he took off. So it's bad. Oh, God. Let's join the crowd and go across Vicks Bridge. Let's go. Let's go.

Any chance I get to get a peek at the yearkeeper I would love to take. Great. As you're crossing the bridge, you see it standing there. Always eternal over the city, absolutely hulking incised. Now that I've caught a glimpse of this thing. Are they similar size or does the yearkeeper look small? The yearkeeper continues to be just absolutely colossal. You guys make your way across the bridge. As you get to the other side of the bridge,

you see relief wash over people, something as they cross over, as people spill out into South Act. There are families reuniting. You see children being held close in what, at least in this moment, feels like safety. You find Shang and Tev.

Tev is in the back of a cart. Someone in kind of medical garb is explaining something to Shang as you guys approach. Shang finishes, turns, sees you guys. They're going to take him to the hospital. Yeah. That checks out.

Okay, we're going to the apartments. Do you want to come with us? Yeah, sure. Okay, let's go. Okay. I would love as we move to look for a motorcycle. Okay.

If that's something like that is here. Great. I look around also, is Sarah, did Sarah give her friends names? Is Sarah? Yeah, let's check in with Sarah. You see Sarah has kind of separated, I think, in the commotion of you climbing up onto everything, go ahead and give me a perception check. That's a 15. 18.

You guys see Sarah's on the other side of the bridge. Oh, she is on the South Act side. Yes. Okay, great. We meet up with her. Did you find your friends? No. They weren't on the name list?

They haven't come through yet. So I'm just going to wait here. Okay. We're going to go to an apartment and meet with a bunch of people. Do you want to come with us? I'd rather stay. Okay. If you do need to rendezvous with us later, we're going to be at 21.

Yeah, yeah. Give the address. Yeah. Okay, got on. Take care of yourself, okay? They'll be okay. Oh, my God. We're really just splintering, you guys.

We've got to figure this out. I would have fucking helped him. Oh, God. Okay. I wouldn't have. You guys continue to move. through the streets. Yaxel, give me a perception or an investigation check.

A Nat 20? There is a beautiful, shiny, like, glossy motorcycle that is upturned in the middle of the street as you guys are walking down toward the towers. I try to turn it upright and check it. I think this is kind of like a, I know my way around really expensive. I would imagine these are expensive right now. This isn't like a very common thing. Yeah, I would say it's rare, but you can.

can tell that someone has, I think there is a ton of just ditched vehicle craft, a lot of it congregating around here at the bridge. Yeah, I try to get that up and running so that I can maybe take the three of us. Are you proficient in mechanical stuff at all? I don't think that's part of, I mean, I'm much more of a nature guy. Go ahead and give me a raw intelligence check. Nine. You can prop the bike up. You can roll it with you. But there's, I don't think you see it immediately a way to turn it on. Shing, do you know how to do this? What?

This, how to operate this thing or kind of get it going? I know how to, like, drive one. Yeah, can you take a look and try to turn it on? Are the keys in it? No. It was upturned. Someone got off and took their keys with them. Motherfuckers.

It was a good idea, yax. I think let's try to roll this. Yeah, you can roll it with you as you walk. What is this for? I mean, we need it to get around. We need like a... Oh, the train isn't working, so hopefully we can, like, get around with this. If Cullen is going that far away, we need to be able to cover a lot of ground to try to reunite.

He said he would just meet us here. God, I hope it's that easy. Charles, give me an inside check. That is a nine. You've seen the state that Cullen's been in the past couple of days. I think that as much as you want to believe that he wants for his own safety, I think there's something that creeps into your mind that perhaps that is not at the forefront of his.

Listen, Cullen is not sane right now. Yeah. I think that he made his choice for the thing that he has to do. Yeah. But I have a responsibility to my family, to the team, to you. I just need everybody to be together. and we can figure that out and then figure out what the fuck to do about Cullen. Because he stole a weapon from a public official and is running off to almost certain death.

And I just really cannot factor that into my calculations right now about everybody else that needs to be safe. Did you see those things fly off of it? What the fuck were those? Yaks? What the fuck were those? I think we need to be able to move quickly. We need to be able to be protected. Okay. Well, do you know how to ride this?

Because I don't. I'm going to figure it out. It doesn't have key, so we'll have to, like, you know, Jimmy it in some kind of way. But I think that this is smart. I don't think, and we're going with you to figure your number one priority. We're not with Cole. Okay.

So I think we got to just kind of like share the spotlight a little bit. Like, we got to check on your family. But, I mean, can we look around as Tobias around still? Go ahead and give me a perception check. Uh, 16. Tobias is closer, a little bit closer to the bridge than Sarah was. You do see him, he's sitting down and he's crying. Come with me.

Okay, we kickstand on the motorbike and just sidebar with him, Me, Shang, and Harles. You approach him. He's just heaving sobs. Tobias, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, Hey, Tobias. What happened? What?

We, Uh-huh. Hey, get your shit together, man. Okay, um, we saw all the lights and then I guess her and Col got some kind of big fight so she wanted to go see her friend Quinn and so we were going and so we were going back Is Quinn a boy or girl? Is that do you ask him that? Yeah, I asked him that that's my boy uh you see that he what is Quinn a boy girl dude it's a girl is a I think it's a I think it's a Good girl.

Okay, cool. You think? Okay. Yeah, sorry, go on. Sorry to interrupt. We were going back. We were going back to, um, we were going, we were headed that way when, like, shit just started falling for the fucking sky. And this fucking boat smashed into something, and it was just fucking crazy.

Where did you end up? We, we were running and somebody, people were saying we should get to, you. we were getting we were supposed to go to the terminal we were supposed to go to the train station and and then but then these fucking things these fucking things started crawling and fucking attacking people that's what I was afraid how big are they like the size of us I don't they were fucking huge man and I don't know they chased us we she she pointed and she was like we need we need to hide and so we ran into the school the like classroom building or something and we were in there and she was she and was

getting people to like block the doors and shit and And I was just like freaking out. And I was like, I got to go. And she said, and we saw like some people running in the street. And so I was like, I'm going to go try and find somebody. And I tried to find somebody. And then I couldn't. And then they were fucking chasing me.

And then I just kept running. And I just kept running. And then I found a, then I found like a lot more people. And they had to go this way. These injuries, these scratches, are these from them? Did they attack you? They like slice you with stuff or like claws or something? They were grabbing me, dude.

What is the address of where Abigail is? I don't, she called it Meridian. Meridian Hall or something like that. Write it in the Whisp. Just write Meridian Hall question marks. Yeah. If you could. I do.

On the bike, I'm assuming that I'm being yelled at on my whisper. And I'm just riding until I get to Meridian Hall. Is there anything else that you remember about the creatures or about where she is? No. That's, I don't, if she maybe was moved, she may be moved. They were just attacking people or were they like after something? I don't fucking know, man. He stands up and gets in your fucking face, Yax.

Oh, I beat the shit out of the sky. Go ahead and give me an tackle. I beat the shit out of this guy. That's a 12. I'm going to give the help action. Go ahead and roll again. Okay, great. Okay, chill, yeah.

That's a lot better. That is 19. You cold cock him. He's out. I drag him to one of the fucking towns. Is he alcohol? I drag him to a medical time. Yax?

A time. Jack punches him exactly on the chin. I punch his lights out and then we drag him to a medical tent for the attention he deserves. Give me an inside check right now in this moment. Six. Dirty 20. Nice. Carl, you are desperately organized at all times.

Whatever decision you're going to make, right now you are wasting time. Call is disappearing into the city. You now have more information. However, I think your brain is reaching for a decision. Are you seeing your family? Are you going to get called? These two things are getting farther away. You feel in this moment as you're helping this asshole to a medical tent,

you feel desperately, I think, distance from your priorities. Okay, I'm going to go to make sure that my family is safe and that they get to an evacuation point. If one of them decides to take the elevator, it's over. What? If one of them decides to take the elevator in the apartment building, it's over. I just need to make sure that they all get out safely. Oh, because you don't want them up high?

Yeah. Okay. Okay. I get to the medical tent and I say, excuse me, this person was attacked by one of the things that was falling off of the big thing. Okay. I don't know if that's info for you or if you need to like kind of scientifically check out what is possible. Take care of them. Yes, I've got him.

As you look out over the medical tent, there are hundreds of people being treated to. You watch as they attempt to take in the information, but I think all they see is another body, another person they need to care for. Let's go. We push the bike, you me and you guys. We go to the tower. Leave the bike. There's vehicles all over. One of them has to have a key.

I've got the bike. God damn it. Yeah, ex. Leave the bike. I'm right behind you. You guys make it to the towers. 2100 Gibson Street. Harles, as you arrive at the towers, you see all around, everyone has piled out of the building,

and it's just kind of spilled into the street and is chatting, talking. Go ahead and give me a perception check as you look for your parents. Natural 20. Oh. You are immediately looking around this crowd, and it's all people you know. It's everyone you know. You see that Smiley from earlier today is handing out lemonade to different people, making sure that people are drinking on the house, on the house.

You also see that there are three other team members who have made it here, who Shang immediately runs to embrace. Shaw, a guy whose name is Victor, but you all call him V, and one of the pitchers' saps is also here. You see your family towards kind of the center of the crowd. You see Ivan is holding all of the kids, keeping them distracted. You see your mother and father are talking in hushed tones to different other people around, but your family is here. Oh, thank God.

Mom! Dad! Parles! We're okay. We're okay. We're okay. Sorry, I'm so sorry. You see your dad sweeps you up in a big hug. Oh, God.

We knew you were in the city, but... Oh, man. Oh, God. Oh, we thought the worst did happen. Oh, shit. Oh, fuck. Oh my god, guys, she's here! There are, like, gas, sighs.

As people see that you are here, Ivan brings the kids up, everyone. You guys form into this kind of family clump as everyone holds each other in this moment. Oh, we're so glad. Are you all right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm fine, completely unharmed.

Largely thanks to Yax. Oh, yes. Thanks for looking out for my girl. Of course. Yeah, we were right there. What's happening at the refinery? We saw it was Tony Crow. The wardens have blocked that whole place off.

We can't go over there. There's fucking debris and all of the... It's fucking fire over there, man. Are we supposed to muster somewhere? No, I mean, we have been told that people are going to be coming this way. So we're trying to get a few of the cafes open. Start out of people making food. Make sure that we're ready.

I don't know how to say this without sounding crazy. But your daughter also saw it. We saw a giant monster. Things are flying off of it, mini monsters, and they're attacking people and slicing them up. That's pretty much. Decides of it. Yeah. All father's fucking beard. That's what's, are, are there weapons? Is there some sort of security? Is there any plan for that?

No, no. This is just, I guess South Hack is where people, we're supposed to start moving in the next 45 minutes or so, but a few of us want to stay here and set things up to support. Where? Further south? Further south, yeah. But we, Ivan, kids, a couple of other underbosses from the refinery, they're going to start taking people south. But me and Mrs. Tan and a few others are going to stay here, try and set up some stuff to make. sure that the wardens have everything they need and the we keep people moving. Great, we can help with that. Yeah. We can help with any. I think in Yaxel's mind, he just had a moment of talking out loud, completely

unselfconsciously about protection and violence. I think he sounded a lot like his father and really aligned with those values and is definitely thinking about his dad and if he's okay and what, because the thing was definitely moving towards Northak. But Yaxil's right. Just in case any of those things make it south, you want to have something to defend yourselves with. Yeah, yeah, totally.

So we can help sit up the cafes and get stuff like that, but if there's any idea of who's got weapons or, I don't know, I put a hand on your shoulder. I don't know. Maybe somebody's got a pistol lying around. I'll talk to some of the guys. Where's the third? Where's Colin?

We don't know. He took off. Colin. His girlfriend is visiting from out of town in She was holed up somewhere totally surrounded by those things that are like ripping people up. So he went back alone. He went back. He went back.

He's okay. He's got a gun that he stole from a civic servant. Holy shit. Yeah. It's not good. Okay, let's get to work. How can we be helpful? Yeah, okay.

Davey, come on. You guys get to work, setting up a few temporary aid stations and getting things up and running to take care of people. coming up over the bridge. I will say that Yaxel is definitely eyeing to see if he can get a warden's uniform while helping. Sneaky. I would like to roll for organizing. Yeah, go ahead. Give me a persuasion check as you're organizing.

You can give me an investigation check or a perception check for if there are wardens clothes lying around. Oh, my God. Another Nat 20. Nat 20, beautiful. You and your father work in tandem, getting tables and chairs out of cafe. creating spaces, bringing carts and other things from local workstations to help transport more of the wounded, to move the people who are stable out of the tents and get them out of those spaces. You guys are efficient. You are effective. Yeah, this is exactly like when we used to set up for the festivals.

Yes, you know where things are in the local businesses around the towers. You guys are going to work. Cullen, in the dark of the city, as you bike deeper in, you see. see a few stragglers, people heading to Vicks Bridge in like maybe the first two or three blocks as you bike, as you get to block four or five, there is no one. Completely empty streets. And you're moving through kind of almost the western edge of Ackabor where there's almost not as much destruction as the place from which you came. You're biking through empty streets, houses with doors open bars and cafes with the lights still on of people who rushed from them.

Picturing over and over and over again the sudden leap or movement of a monster. And feeling with every fiber of his being where his feet are on the pedals, where his hands are on the handles, where the crowbar begins and the bicell. and the weight of the gun in the waistline of his pants. Every instant is one instant closer to his goal. So you don't think about the goal, you just think about the instant. You have to be present in every single moment so that when the thing that almost killed Tobias jumps out, you kill it first. as you pedal, focused, present,

shadows play tricks on you. You are hyper-present. You will not be deterred. I think you see these things. Your imagination wants to think, is it that, is it that? No, no. Keep going. Go ahead and give me a perception check

and a dexterity saving throw. If you get over 12 on the perception check, you have advantage on the dexterity saving throw. Perception. 11. Dexterity saving throw. You are peddling hard. You see something at the corner of your eye just a shadow. However, it's just enough to not have you break as you go ass over tea kettle into a divot in the ground.

You are shaken but not injured as you come to and realize that you are standing in the center of a crater. caused by something very large that has come through this place. That was Erica Ishii as Harley-Morri, Brennan LeMulligan as Cullen Tup, Ali Beardsley as Yaxil Larson, and Lou Wilson as everyone and everything else. World Turner is produced by Worlds Beyond Number, edit and sound designed by Gino Jang Hansen at Big Giant Head, score by Will Savino. For even more stories like this, join us on our Patreon.

We'll see you by the Fire. fireside.