Episode 6: The Spirit of the Lake
The cohort rushes to try to rescue Lucas... but they run into something far stranger than a rich teen jock.
Note: AJ still hasn't showered since the previous episode.
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Episode Transcript:
Get your snack and beverage of choice ready. It’s time to “Gather ‘Round the Trashfires” for a tabletop roleplaying story! I’m your host, Bek Andrew Evans.
My current and main running story for this podcast is the misadventures of the cohort from the Deviant: the Renegades chronicle I’ve been playing in since early 2021. And I play Geri.
For those of you unfamiliar with Deviant, it’s a TTRPG about people who were formerly human but were irreparably changed in traumatic ways to the point their very Souls broke and they became something Other. They seek vengeance on those who made them, those who hunt them, those who seek to exploit them for what they are and will never leave them be.
As such, this podcast will feature heavy themes and content throughout. There’s an overall content warning for language, violence, criminality, homelessness, substance use, human experimentation, cults and religious extremism, mentioned torture, kidnapping, implied incest and incest-related comments, and abusive relationships. On episodes where there is a new content warning or a particularly notable instance of one of these, I’ll call it out.
I hope y’all enjoy hearing about my cohort’s antics and stumbling headfirst into the mysteries of the world as much as I have.
[Music Intro: "_violence" by Avantist]
Green Country Calcination Episode 6: The Spirit of the Lake
Where we left off, Madison was gathering supplies in a panic to go find her boyfriend, Lucas, after Geri revealed that not only was he alive and nearby, but likely lost and maybe suffering from amnesia (or some form of confusion).
In the intervening time, a few more hours, she's gathered the rest of the cohort to go with her - except for Zuse, he's still hiding in the fridge. It's now late evening on the gorgeous lake in early-mid March, with only a few visitors wandering the trails. For the most part, no one's paying the cohort any mind except the odd small child pointing and staring at Robert's weird outfit - a heavy raincoat, long pants, gloves, and balaclava so every inch of him's covered while the sun's still out.
The cohort hears whispers from the kid's mom, 'this is why you don't do drugs.'
AJ's uncharacteristically quiet for the trip out, even sullen. He starts to get random itches the further away they get from the cabin and can't seem to get comfortable out in the wilderness.
The cohort wanders for a while with Geri leading the way from images in her dreams. Madison's ready to jump out of her skin from anxiety, but as the sun begins to set, Madison notices something. She reluctantly kneels down at a tree to pick something up, hiding it from the others' view, then calls out for Lucas.
They approach a park area, mostly empty other than just a couple families still out after work. Robert's outfit, yet again, draws some attention from a couple of the kids but if the adults notice, they're pretending not to.
Madison takes the lead and brings the cohort past the park and into the woods, through brambles, down a hill, toward a stream. She uses a marker stump and carefully placed, old smooth stones to cross.
Robert tells Madi and everyone to wait, the energy of the area doesn't feel right - worse than the pills at the Ward. He admits he's assuming that means it's dangerous, but he also doesn't have another frame of reference for what the energy is or means.
Madi tells him if he's scared, he's free to stay behind, but she's going ahead to find Lucas. Robert replies he's still going, he's just warning that something doesn't feel right and the cohort should be on alert.
AJ, still scratching at miscellaneous itches and looking pathetic and miserable, confirms Madi's not gonna do this alone.
Geri, as they keep walking along, tries to find Lucas by 'pinging' telepathy off him, like radar. She figures if she has a range normally without pushing herself, getting a hit at all will at least let them know when he's close. She's hoping it'll let her get a clue on direction as well, but not counting on it.
When she initiates her ping, deep in the woods, she senses the three people near her, and something else - another sort of presence that's somehow all around them. When she connects, it shouts in her mind, frightened and addled. It wants to know if anyone can hear it.
Geri holds her head in pain. She calls out, out loud, 'where are you?'
The strange voice calls out for Madison, begging for the girl to notice him. Only Geri can hear him. Out loud, she yells out that she can't pinpoint him if he's in so many directions at once.
Robert pries Geri's hands from her temples to stop her from digging her nails into her own skin. Madison's more interested in running deeper into the woods to find Lucas, with AJ following behind. He warns her, the group's being watched.
The voice screams out to Geri and Geri alone, calling out to Madison when he notices her. He asks, scared and crestfallen, why she doesn't seem to notice him. Geri has to talk with him to find out where he is, then yells after Madi that Lucas said he's with her.... but Madi can't see him no matter where she looks.
Madison's running straight for the place where she and Cassidy keep their secret lockbox where they exchange messages and trinkets inside a hollow tree stump. The area around Madi and AJ smells unmistakably like Lucas's rich preppy boy cologne, though.
Madison practically breaks down to AJ, desperately telling him she needs to find Lucas, she loves him!
Robert wants to follow after Madi but also doesn't want to leave Geri alone looking so confused, as she's overwhelmed by that strange telepathic voice and occasionally shouting at air.
Geri boots up the mindcraft server and lets Lucas in along with the cohort. Lucas asks innocently why Madison can't see him. His voice, though in their minds, sounds like it's on the wind and coming from everywhere and nowhere at once.
AJ suggests maybe, based on comic book logic, if the cohort are similar to various superheroes, Lucas could have gotten invisibility powers.
Robert's the most shocked by the sudden Lucas-mind intrusion, and Geri has to explain it was her doing to stop him freaking out. AJ, however, once he learns it was Geri and not Lucas linking them, forcibly disconnects himself, visibly upset again.
Lucas's mind in the mindcraft is like a very loud, yet distant whisper on the breeze, like something that refuses to go away. He asks what's happening, and tries to explain that he's not "everywhere" like the cohort's saying.
Madi cries and reaches out a hand, asking for him to hold it. She apologizes for hurting him and heart-wrenchingly pleads for forgiveness. She says she thought she killed him, too, but she can't have, because they're talking.
AJ thinks very hard, able to concentrate a bit better without Lucas' voice in his head. He gently explains to Madison that he thinks Lucas is both here and... not here somehow. And it can't be invisibility if she can't touch him, either.
Madison Asks Lucas why she can't see him, and Lucas responds he doesn't know - that Cassidy can't see him, either but also can't hear him. Madison tells him Cassidy's missing now, she can't find her. She apologizes again.
AJ says he has an idea, but he needs Madi's consent. He asks if she trusts him.
Madi's full-on crying by that point, with Lucas failing to so much as brush against her hand. She desperately tells AJ to do it, whatever it is.
AJ steps up, and suddenly sweeps Madison closer to him, into an incredibly romantic embrace. He kisses her on the lips, tilting her back in a highly dramatic show, really playing it up like some cheesey romance movie.
Geri and Robert catch up just in time to stand in slack-jaw bewilderment at the sudden sight of AJ and Madi having their staged moment.
Lucas yells at the top of his disembodied lungs, expressing his jealous, confused anger to everyone except AJ, since he'd already exited the link. Lucas asks what the hell he's doing.
Then, he orders AJ to get his hands off his girl. That time his voice is audible, booming like thunder and accompanied by a flash of light that sends AJ's tumbling like a ragdoll but leaves Madison without a hair out of place. An invisible force sets her down gently on the ground, instead of letting her fall or stumble from her precarious position.
Robert tells Madison Lucas is hugging her, and the whole cohort that Lucas looks ghostly, with glowing eyes.
AJ brushes himself off and grins that his plan's (sort of) worked. And now that Robert's there, he gives him a very flirtatious wink, which Robert doesn't seem to notice in all the excitement.
Robert suspects Lucas must be somehow similar to the pills the cohort took at the Ward, because he could see the weirdness on those and he's the only one who can see Lucas. Madi says it's not fair Robert can see her boyfriend but she can't.
Madi tries to guess based on where she feels invisible arms to try to give a hug back. Robert helps guide Madi's hands to the right spots. Geri's trying not to feel useless, so she wordlessly offers the blanket she brought along. Madison tries to offer her baggy overshirt.
None of their attempts work. All the objects and Madi's hands pass right through where Lucas should be. Robert sees Lucas futilely trying to interact with the cohort and the things they brought.
Lucas says aloud, scared, that he thinks he's dead. He must be a ghost. Madison goes through a couple stages of grief at once - denial and bargaining. Robert counters that he can't see ghosts and doesn't think ghosts could be in the telepathy network, so Lucas must be something else. AJ agrees and thinks Lucas must be one of whatever the cohort are. Geri agrees, mostly because she's the one who said he was alive in the first place... but has to convince herself a little bit of her own position.
Lucas tries to comfort Madi, saying he's still there whether he's dead or alive. Streaks of light wipe away Madi's tears. Lucas recounts a story of how the last thing he remembers was The Storm, and drowning - but then he woke up and didn't know who he was... but he met an Angel.
Robert asks him to tell them more about the angel, and Geri asks if the angel is how he remembered who he is.... and AJ's fidgeting uncomfortably from Icky Wilderness(TM).
Madison explains to Lucas what happened that night, how she was struck by lightning and fell in the lake, how she discharged all the energy she'd absorbed. She explains how, of all the teens at that Homecoming party, they're the only ones alive.
The three remaining cohort members all feel different levels of invading a private moment. AJ can't keep watching and turns around. Geri keeps watching, but shifts her weight. Robert, similarly, nervously swallows.
After Madison's explanation, Lucas turns to the cohort - He answers 'yes,' unclear whether to Geri or Robert. Lucas explains the angel told him he's now the Life of The Lake, the lake's essence. The Golden Key reminded him who he was, and still is. But now he's not entirely the same because he has a job to do, too. And the whole lake and sometimes being somewhere-else thing.
Robert asks if Lucas fused with the stuff that's been put in the water... and says he wants to study him. Geri smacks him upside the head, Madi yells at him. Robert has no idea what he did wrong and that Lucas is a big boy who can make his own decisions about whether he can be studied. Geri uses her words this time (loudly) and reminds him the cohort just escaped being experiments, they're not letting him experiment on anyone else.
Robert clarifies that he doesn't want to experiment, just ask a whole lot of (possibly invasive) questions so he can understand Lucas to possibly understand himself better. That's all. No need to freak out.
With Geri now dealing with him, Madison asks what he meant by being the 'Life of the Lake.' All of a sudden, the breeze shifts, Lucas's voice grows louder as he speaks. They hear the sound of a brook they hadn't before, that may not even exist. He repeats that he is the Life, he is the Light. It gets brighter around them, despite the time of evening.
Robert and Madi stare in stunned silence, Robert taking in the scene analytically. Geri's watching, too, but she gives Robert another smack upside the head for good measure, though not as hard this time since she's distracted. It's the thought that counts.
Lucas explains that beyond being the Life of the Lake, he's still Just Lucas. It was difficult to remember who Lucas was exactly, at first, so he kept returning to the spot the cohort arrived at because it felt like Madison, somehow. And he saw Cassidy when he came back.
Robert asks if Lucas has become an angel, which Lucas isn't sure of. He says he was trying to get to heaven when he died - preferably after getting old. But he didn't think he was actually being good enough for that, almost definitely not 'becoming an Angel' good.
Madi assures him he was really good before and he totally would have made it in! They only did some weed and... something she whispers to him. But she says everyone does stuff like that.
Robert says the water does miracles, but maybe Lucas isn't an angel because Robert's an atheist and he thinks that might stop him from seeing the Divine. He also points out that whatever Madi whispered made Lucas blush, which in turn makes Madi blush amid denials.
Geri suggests maybe he merged with the lake somehow, and Zuse might have some insights into what's going on.
Lucas, in the most 'bruh' way possible, thanks AJ for helping him get more reconnected with the world than he's been so far... right before threatening to haunt him for exactly forever if he ever kisses 'his girl' again.
Madi says Lucas isn't allowed to haunt because he's not allowed to be dead - they still have midterms!
AJ says it's cool, and he's only rarely interested in women anyway.
Robert, after noting Lucas probably doesn't look like he used to, describes his current form to the cohort - He's still a blonde preppy guy with windswept hair and a muscular build from being former captain of the JV football team and backup varsity Quarterback, but he also now has light blue circuitry all over his skin and his green eyes glow.
Lucas starts to realize he might be able to keep trying to push through whatever barrier is keeping him from the cohort. The cohort encourages him to try with AJ adding that they know a guy that can merge and unmerge at will from electronics, so maybe whatever's going on with Lucas is like that. Robert suggests maybe, if Lucas is part Lake, he could merge with water. So Geri offers the gallon of water she brought.
Lucas starts to try, and a still silence falls over the cohort. Robert and AJ ask, respectively, if he's still there and if he needs any help.
Then the voice answers. It's no longer in the network at all, but a presence fully on the wind. He doesn't feel human, but distinctly otherworldly, like touching the face of a small god or spirit of nature. Lights begin to flicker around them, like fireflies or tiny stars. Something poweful's surrounding them. AJ's parasite-senses are going haywire and Robert's blasted with off-the-charts with his own energy senses.
Geri doesn't know what's going on but she sure keeps holding out that gallon of water as Robert tries to instruct Lucas to focus his thoughts and energy into it. Before the cohorts' eyes, a swirl of mist rises from the water jug, popping off the cap and coalescing into a human shape. The core glows, beginning with a spark, then the spot where the eyes should be starts to glow. The fallen leaves and earth around them rises up from below the water, mixing in it to form clay, that sculpts itself into Lucas - Just as he was, clothes and all, same eyes and hair, but now with faint blue lines on his skin.
Everyone's shocked, with Geri and AJ stunned to complete silence - mouths wide open. Robert implies he didn't have clothes before the physical manifestation.
Madison runs over to wrap her arms around Lucas' newly-formed neck in a lover's embrace. Lucas tries to get into a heartfelt how hard he's been trying, how he can't stay manifest for long - but Madison doesn't wait. She kisses him and then holds him close in a painfully adorable way. There's lots of kissing and hugging. Madison also whispers in his ear.
AJ turns around again. Even Geri looks away this time. Those still in the mindcraft feel a little twinge of sadness leak from Geri into the network before she shuts up.
After a time that's both far too long for the rest of the cohort and far too short for Madison and Lucas, the couple separates. Lucas' time's almost up. It's only been a minute, maybe two. He says it's a lot easier to remember being Lucas on this side - and that Madison has to find Cassidy.
Madison says she'll do whatever it takes and asks for more details.
All Lucas knows is some people he didn't recognize came looking for her since the last time he saw her. He describes several people, most with burns. Two he describes, Geri identifies as her own father and the head Elder of the church.
Both Madison and Geri know at the same moment the Church of Charismatic Virtues is behind it. Madison looks to Geri and wisps of scarlet psychic energy are already flickering around her. Geri's expression is a cold, cutting, rage.
Madison asks if the Church members found the secret message box, and Lucas thinks they didn't but isn't sure exactly when they came by last because time feels different and weird to him now. He doesn't really feel it when he's being the Life of the Lake.
Madison promises the cohort's not gonna let the church hurt Cassidy.
Robert already, mere days after escaping, is real done with this Society business. Then Madison has to give Lucas a quick and dirty rundown of the Long Man Society and what's happened up to that point. Including that the Society wants to use the Remade as weapons.
AJ is done with this, the hanging out in the awful wilderness with someone who hasn't apologized to him thing, and starts wandering back to the cabin, saying the Church is next on the list to deal with.
Lucas warns Madison to be careful because The Society, the same peopl who control the dam control The False Machine, which he says gave them Life but isn't 'part of the Pattern.' He says the Society's dangerous, and even they don't know how much.
AJ asks about the Pattern. Madison asks about The False Machine. Robert's just heaps of confused and says Lucas can't just infodump on them all like this despite being the one to ask him to do so earlier. Geri's too busy seething in kin-killing rage in a metaphorical corner to have coherent questions.
He explains the angel told him Pride leads to the fall of those who seek to usurp God. The False Machine is not part of The Pattern, it's an abomination - and a craven attempt to control what is impossible for mortals to control.
Robert announces in response that he's still not Catholic. Geri cringes reflexively at all the religiosity happening.
Lucas says he can't stay with Madison in this form, but he can help watch over the cabin. But he also tells her she can't do things to draw attention to it - she's gotta be super stealthy like that time the two of them filled their friend Jake's car with tiny plastic dicks.
AJ says the cohort won't let anything happen to Madi.
Madison promises they'll all be careful, and holds Lucas close, his face in her hands. She stares into his eyes and tries her best to memorize his face, in case she never sees it again. She asks if they'll ever get to meet in person again.
Lucas isn't sure, but he's hopeful. He thinks he just needs practice. It takes a ton of effort and whatever he is, doesn't belong there anymore, it belongs in the Other place he goes. When he visits, he's on the other side of the veil between those two worlds. He explains that seeing Madison again helped him remember who he was, so he could be both sides of himself again.
Madison credits AJ being a fake homewrecker for being the one who really let Lucas materialize. There's another awkwardly long period of sappy adorableness between the stormy couple, and at the end, there's no fanfare. He just fades away, the only thing remaining is his kiss.
Geri quietly simmers down and finally and collects the plastic water jug.
Robert and AJ assure Madi that he'll be back. Madi agrees after a long moment but says she needs to check the lock box.
While they're out, the group investigates the area, Geri finds a cross hanging on a tree as a marker. Robert and Madison spot some tracks. Madison finds one of Cassidy's favorite earrings, that always slipped out when she wore them. AJ finds a battery-powered motion-activated camera near the cross. It's not uploading, but is still recording at the time he finds it. The track leads them back to the same little park though a different route than the cohort took.
Most of the camera' footage is nature footage - wildlife kept setting off the motion camera. There's also a clip of Cassidy asleep with her back to the log where the lockbox is kept, and then a few minutes later in the footage, an image of Madison heading to that same hollowed stump, fiddling with something inside, and then leaving.
Geri has another dream that night, looking for clues of where Cassidy’s being held. She only manages brief images of a girl she’s never seen clearly before sleeping on a cot in a small, windowless room.
[Music Outro: "Time Will Fail Us" by Troigo]
Thanks for listening, This has been Gather ‘Round The Trashfires with Bek Andrew Evans. Please subscribe to this podcast for future updates and leave a review or comment, I’d love to hear what you think. You can follow me on a few different social platforms with the username "bekandrew." That's [spells username] on tumblr and bluesky, mainly.
If you'd like to support me, subscribe to my Patreon at Patreon.com/BekAndrewTTRPG and purchase my art prints and tabletop products, including my Deviant: the Renegades community content novella related to this chronicle via my linktree in the description.
AJ is played by Roen,
Geri is played by me,
Madison is played by Syn,
Robert is played by Pandito,
And our Storyteller is Casey Grant.
The intro theme is "_violence by Avantist" from the Free Music Archive, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0.
The end theme is "Time Will Fail Us" by Troigo from the Free Music Archive, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0.
If you like the songs, I encourage you to check out more of their work. I've linked their Bandcamps in the description.
Until next time.
Follow my Patreon at Patreon.com/BekAndrewTTRPG Check out my other work at linktr.ee/bekandrew Check out the Intro and Outro artists' Bandcamps! https://theavantist.bandcamp.com/music https://troigo.bandcamp.com/ Remember to subscribe and see y'all next week!
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