Session 8 — Mystery 4, Part 1

What Happened

The Aftermath of "Hole Noon"

The session resumed in the wake of the high-noon shootout, which the team had survived only by burning a great deal of Luck. The Hatchett gang and their associates were all downed — but seemingly not entirely from direct gunfire.

Alfie and Cuthbert performed an impromptu autopsy on some of the fallen to investigate the psychic connection that meant any harm done to one of them hurt them all. Cuthbert probed further and made contact with an eerie presence. When he asked the entity where they were, a single word dropped into his mind: "Everywhere."

In a nearby barn, Doctor Webb and Ms March made an unsettling discovery of their own — a circle of dead Hatchetts beside Earl, who had been shot in the head.

Following "Hole Noon", the team spent the next week healing and working on tasks and leads.

Downtime — A Week in Hole

Alfie. Dan Randy gave Alfie the week off to heal. Alfie spent his downtime fixing his guitar — he needs a more portable musical instrument to channel his curse and powers through than a saloon piano. He succeeded in repairing it and began practicing; he is now attuned to the guitar. He also wrote a song about Earl. Regardless of the song's style or tone, it is guaranteed to infuriate Ms March.

Ms March. Ms March kept herself busy after Earl's death, giving herself no time to heal — she is feeling things she does not want to feel. She dug an extra-deep grave for Earl, wanting the distraction, angry that someone had taken something from her: she had always thought she would be the one to shoot Earl. While burying him, she noticed that one of his toes appeared to have been shot off — and, deep in denial, tried to recall whether Earl had ever had ten toes. She declined Doctor Webb's offer to teach her classes and instead taught the children about shooting their enemies. Frustrated with herself for not investigating the Hatchetts sooner — the very reason she came to Hole — she resolved to dig for information.

She sent a letter to her parents: "Earl's dead. He's missing his toe so it might have been the gangrene. Love, Junie." Earl's belt buckle read "you can take my gun when you prise it out of my cold dead hands" — so Ms March took his gun. She also took his hat, belt buckle, and guitar pick.

Ms March then took a full day to ride out to the caves near the mines North of Hole and find the kid Earl had hidden in the mountains: a terrified, shaken boy named Rudy Haines. Rudy was found with a small bag of money and jewels — including a necklace and a pocket watch — and the food and water Earl had left him.

Cuthbert. Cuthbert primarily spent the week healing, but also contacted the Order to ask whether they had intel on entities that can contact brains. He sent, through his watch: "Discovered local entity controlling people through direct communication with their brain. Any information on entity types appreciated."

The reply came back: "The Hollowed Ones. Infection. Sounds like stage one." Those words then faded and were replaced by a new message — one that did not fade: "Not your mission. Stand down. Sending warden to collect."

Doctor Webb. Doctor Webb took a little time to heal but mainly dedicated his week to two medical mysteries that intrigued him, staying reclusive so he could focus.

He ran experiments on the fibrous red algae recovered from Bart Fletchley's field — burning it, boiling it, and exposing it to whiskey. It appeared similar to known natural organisms such as lichen and algae, but its cells and spores mutate when mixed with corn. Its main source had been a hot spring, suggesting it might originate underground — and there was something otherworldly, even extraterrestrial, about it.

In the session's cold open, Doctor Webb conducted extensive autopsies on the seven Hatchett gang members, trying to understand how they had all seemingly died simultaneously. Beyond individual ailments — one had a cold sore, another a poison-ivy rash — he could glean nothing about the cause of death. And whenever he attempted to get near the gang's brains, he felt a sharp pain at the base of his skull and a piercing ringing in his ears; a horrifying experience. He did not sleep well, and when he did, he had the same nightmare: a cave tunnel, nothing but darkness, the only sound a pulsating hum. (ROLL CREDITS.)

Word Around Town

The team's reputation among the townsfolk had grown — people spoke of them positively, grateful they had warned and protected Hole from the Hatchetts. So when Ms March started asking questions, folks were very forthcoming with intel and rumours.

• Eleven months ago, something mysterious happened in the mine. The miners started acting strangely — in a manner similar to how August March did after he went into the mine.
• The miners' symptoms began as tiredness, headaches, fever, and fatigue. As their condition worsened, they became more obsessive and lost their personalities. Then the miners disappeared.
• The mining company covered up their disappearance and discouraged talk of the matter.
• The mine is owned by Righteous Arminhanmer — a surname Americanised from "Armenheiner".
• There is a small shantytown near the mine, where the families of the missing miners live.
• The mine's main shaft was closed after the incident; it is unclear which parts are currently open. The company is now attempting to open a new shaft.
• There are no living Hatchetts in Hole — they may have second cousins out of town. There were no reports of strange happenings connected to the Hatchetts prior to "Hole Noon".

The Webbs Arrive

Over a week after "Hole Noon", Doctor Webb was in his tent tinkering, puzzling, and sketching his recurring dream when the flap opened. A warm voice spoke.

MAUDE: So this is where you spend all of your time.

Doctor Webb's family had arrived — his mother Maude and his brothers Buck (the stern, serious eldest) and Colt (the middle child, who held a stethoscope up to his eye — "how does this work?"). Asked about the family farm, Maude said it was fine, then corrected herself: "well, it's okay." They asked whether Doctor Webb would return to work the farm for Spring; he politely declined, feeling he was needed in Hole.

DOCTOR WEBB: I'm helpful here. I'm learning stuff. They like me.

Maude was in town for Market Day. She had come into Hole alone the week before and brought home a miracle cure — she had been struggling to walk, and took the tonic for her joint pain.

BUCK: She won't shut up about this damn miracle cure.

Maude asked whether Doctor Webb would sell the cure to his patients. He sniffed the tonic and put a drop on his tongue — it tasted like sweet water, and gave a little jolt, a buzz; refreshing, like a cold drink on a hot day. Market Friday was a newish event in Hole — last week's had been the very first — and the four Webbs headed to the market together.

The Market

The market in Hole was bustling — various traders hocking their wares. A local grocer sold fresh fruit and vegetables, the butcher sold fresh meat, and trappers sold furs and pelts. The rest of the team were also in attendance.

Ms March was slightly worse for wear, the only things she had drunk recently being whiskey and coffee. She was not opposed to a spot of retail therapy but also wanted to do some trading at the market. She did not reveal to the rest of the team that Earl's toe was missing.

ALFIE: I've finished my song about Earl. Do you want to hear it?
MS MARCH: No.
ALFIE (starts singing anyway): I close Earl's eyes…

Cuthbert had previously told the team that the Hatchetts' condition was a disease, not a curse. Ms March insists that curses do not exist.

ALFIE (sarcastically, re the Hatchett gang collapsing simultaneously): Maybe they were all connected by a tiny wire you can't all see.

ALFIE (to Ms March): Earl's not around for you to shoot my guitar for.

The Webb Family

The team met up with Doctor Webb and his family. Doctor Webb made the introductions — his mother Maude and his brothers Buck and Colt.

CUTHBERT: Hey guys, you look quite regular.

CUTHBERT: Not one of us believes in magic, not one.

Doctor Webb remarked that this was an odd thing to say. Buck agreed that there is no such thing as magic.

MS MARCH: Doctor Webb has been looking at a lottt of butts.

MAUDE: He's been delivering babies since he was a baby.
ALFIE (incredulous): He delivered himself?

Maude told Ms March that she looked like she could use a little pep. The team panicked.

DOCTOR WEBB: I would be cautious around Ms March.
(Ms March is fine with this statement.)
DOCTOR WEBB: She is sensitive right now. She just suffered a loss.
(Ms March is not fine with this statement.)

Ms March grabbed Doctor Webb up by the scruff of his neck and told him his loss would be greater than hers if he continued to tell others her business.

Buck, who has taken on the father role in the family, stepped in. He suggested that, while his brother is good with animals, Doctor Webb may have been out of place in this situation and said some poorly chosen words. Ms March eventually let go of Doctor Webb.

COLT: Sometimes when I get angry I go to the edge of the fence and scream.

MS MARCH: Maude, in which way did you raise your boys separately to Wilbur?

The team and the Webbs went to seek out the miracle cure.

Farmswatter's Miracle Cure

The market is a series of tents in a rough circle. One of the tents serves drinks. A very large wooden waggon — essentially a room on wheels — was parked within the market. A wooden table with lots of signage stood outside the waggon, covered in tinctures. It was the most active stall in the market. One of the signs read 'Farmswatter's Miracle Cure'.

CUTHBERT: Well, I've got good news for you. I love a cure.

The stall is run by a charismatic balding gentleman with slicked-back hair, a long moustache with the ends twirled up, and an emerald green paisley suit with a waistcoat. He had the crowd enraptured. This is H.G. Farmswatter.

H.G. claimed his tonic cures what ails you, can help if you are tired or angry, and works on wrinkles.

ALFIE (to Doctor Webb): Is 'cure' the right word here?

Doctor Webb replied that you cannot "cure" wrinkles. You can hide them, you can reduce them, but you cannot prevent them from occurring.

CUTHBERT (yelling out to H.G.): What if we want to make our penises bigger?
H.G. FARMSWATTER: It does whatever you want it to do. Including that thing you said about the penis.

H.G. was selling the tonic for as high as ten to fifty dollars and as low as one dollar or two cents. You only need to take one sip a day. He assured the crowd they would want more of it — most people feel the effects immediately — and that they would have to come back to the market next week to purchase more. Maude had bought the cure for two cents last week; this week it would cost her ten dollars, as she knows it works and the formula has been improved since then.

Cuthbert was convinced, but Doctor Webb dismissed the wildly fluctuating price as one of the oldest scams in the book: you buy in at a low price ("the first taste is free") so you become addicted, and are therefore willing to pay a higher price on repeat visits to ensure you get your fix. While he remained cynical about H.G.'s claims, Doctor Webb realised that his butt rash, previously a source of low-level irritation all week, was no longer itchy…

Ms March bought a bottle of the tonic for five cents.

Alfie asked H.G. whether the tonic could cure his acid-stained hand.

ALFIE: How long will it take?

H.G. assured Alfie the hand could be good as new in three days.

ALFIE: I'm young. I need it to work immediately.

Alfie was impatient — his hand hurt now, and he wanted to play piano again. Nearby townsfolk agreed the tonic helps instantly. Alfie got a small sample in a little glass jar, put the clear liquid on his hand, and looked at it, waiting for a reaction. There was no visible fix, but his skin felt a bit looser, a bit more flexible.

Doctor Webb attempted to talk to H.G., introducing himself as Hole's doctor, but the salesman was speaking at such length and volume that it was impossible to question him.

The Thirst

The team all suddenly felt thirsty — even thirstier than they usually feel in a desert. Ms March was unsure whether her thirst was unusual; she realised, however, that it was not simply a hangover. Something felt off. She took a swig of water. She had not drunk her tonic yet.

Cuthbert, now wary of what he eats and drinks because he knows the Hatchett gang's condition was a disease, had not sampled the cure-all yet. He wanted Doctor Webb to check the tonic first before he considered drinking it.

(Cuthbert has an ongoing −1 penalty to dice rolls until he finds a drink.)

Alfie was thirsty and went to look for a drink.

Splitting Up to Investigate

The team started to investigate H.G. and his miracle cure. Ms March, with a lot of experience dealing with flimflammers, was suspicious of H.G. and aimed to look around his waggon for any indicators of criminal activity. Cuthbert attempted to distract H.G. so Ms March could look into the waggon. Doctor Webb wanted to get H.G. away from the crowd so he could talk to him undisturbed.

Looking into the waggon, Ms March saw a small room — H.G.'s workshop. It contained glass vials, distilling machinery, and four small unpotted cacti which appeared to be pulsating.

NAT: Do they remind me of some corn that I've seen?

The cacti did indeed remind Ms March of the corn she once saw. A heavy chainlink locked a set of doors, and a big curtain was drawn across the room, hiding further rooms from view. The waggon was hitched up with two horses — H.G. would presumably leave Hole as soon as the market was over and move on to another town. Ms March decided to sabotage the waggon's wheel axle so that H.G. would be stuck in Hole.

Acting Sheriff Wrigglesworth

Coot O'Dougal had appointed a successor to take over in the event of his death. The current acting sheriff of Hole is now Mr Wrigglesworth. Mr Wrigglesworth is a goat. Some townsfolk complained about the appointment; a human sheriff will hopefully be assigned soon. Ms March, who makes a habit of ingratiating herself with local sheriffs, brought Mr Wrigglesworth a sack o' rice.

Doctor Webb Canvasses the Town

To assist Doctor Webb's efforts, Alfie played his Earl song to draw people away from the stall. Unfortunately his voice kept breaking; people shooed him away and wanted him to leave. Alfie was unsuccessful, and Doctor Webb — realising he would be unable to have a private word with H.G. — changed tactics.

Doctor Webb canvassed townsfolk who, like Maude, had bought the tonic at last week's market, including some who had been taking it every day since. People reported similar experiences: after their first doses, they felt elevated mood and reduced pain; however, after a few days, they constantly felt incredibly thirsty, their lips became chapped, and they struggled to sleep. Maude had not started taking her tonic on the day she bought it, so she was still in the honeymoon period of her treatment.

People who had been taking the tonic for a week had bloodshot eyes and were irritable — the only way they could alleviate these symptoms was to drink more of the tonic. Doctor Webb examined one person and, upon turning over their arm, saw small spikes growing under their skin.

Thirst Returns

Alfie and Doctor Webb, standing near the waggon, realised they would suddenly feel very thirsty if they did not get a drink immediately. Doctor Webb pulled his hipflask from his gladstone bag and took a sip. Alfie indicated to Cuthbert that they should get a drink, and the pair headed to a central stall where various bottled drinks were for sale.

Sabotaging the Axle

NAT: I would like to fuck up the axle of the wheel surreptitiously.

Ms March attacked the waggon's wheel but made a lot of noise doing so. She feigned drunkenness, slurring her words; the townsfolk were confused, whispering to each other that Ms March had had a difficult week. Her work had attracted the attention of H.G.

H.G. FARMSWATTER: What are you doing there?
MS MARCH (fake slurring): Have you been to the saloon? They have really good coffee.

H.G. brought Ms March to the back of the waggon and unlocked the chains to the other room. He suggested she had "a case of the melancholy exacerbated by the drink."

MS MARCH (fake slurring): Yes, I think my uterus has been moving around. I think it's in my neck.

H.G. diagnosed Ms March with the "woman's disease." They went inside the waggon.

H.G. FARMSWATTER: Hey, ma'am, would you like to be cured?
MS MARCH (fake slurring): I drink but I only drink the good stuff.

H.G. asked Ms March whether she wanted to be a test subject. Then he locked her inside the waggon.

Trapped with the Cacti

Ms March was psyched to be inside the waggon, as this would allow her to investigate. She was overconfident and did not sense it would be ill-advised to be here.

The four small cacti had moved from where she saw them last. Each was two to three feet tall. Ms March looked away — the cacti now surrounded her.

BRENDAN: This is like the Weeping Angels but plants.

A cactus slammed Ms March as she attempted to handle it with a pair of tongs. The attack hurt more than you would expect a hit from a cactus to hurt. The other three cacti sprayed her with needles; they stuck into her Bible armour but did her no Harm.

Ms March attempted to talk to the cacti, in the tone you use with a kitten who does not understand that they are hurting you. The cacti surrounded her feet. She attempted to trick them into thinking they were being actively watched — but drawing eyes on something did not work. The cacti were not fooled. (Can they sense sentience?)

Ms March felt incredibly thirsty. Wanting to avoid shooting the cacti with a gun, she found a butcher's cleaver. Ms March Kicked Some Ass — the cacti retreated.

She considered her options. The best way out was through the locked doors — but the chainlink around the handles was on the outside of the waggon. She could potentially use the cleaver to break the chains, or splinter through the door with something heavy. One way to reduce the danger might be to put some of the cacti in a small barrel.

Then Ms March picked up a strong meaty scent — a rotting meat smell coming from behind the curtain. She peeked behind it and found an eight-foot-tall cactus with a pulsating red flower in the centre. The plant sat in a tub/vat containing offal, blood, and guts. The flower looked like a human heart opened and peeled back.

Saving Maude

Maude had bought more of the miracle cure. A desperate Doctor Webb tried to convince her the tonic would eventually make her feel worse. Citing the testimony from the townsfolk he had surveyed, he pleaded for her to give up the tinctures. Maude wanted proof that Doctor Webb's cures worked better.

Doctor Webb brought out his magic balm and gently massaged it into his mother's aching limbs. Her joints loosened up and her pain went — Maude's arthritis was cured (but Doctor Webb's arthritis has now begun). Maude was touched, taken aback, surprised. She would stop taking the tonic.

Buck suggested they tell others that the cure does not work. Colt's alternate suggestion was that they should start smashing stuff up. Doctor Webb agreed with Buck — they should all spread the word that the cure is a sham. He is respected in Hole, but some outside voices supporting his case could help.

DOCTOR WEBB: Not everyone trusts a doctor.

Alfie and Cuthbert Find the Cactus

Alfie and Cuthbert were chugging drinks at the drinks stall and felt relief from their thirst. With their thirst quenched, the pair started to look for clues. H.G. sensed they were attempting to interfere with his work somehow.

Alfie got a whiff of rotting meat and blood and realised it was not coming from the butcher's stall. He looked through the slats of the waggon and spotted the big cactus. He also realised he was not sweating — any nearby moisture was being wicked away by the cactus.

H.G. attempted to coax Cuthbert to the back of the waggon by offering him a free sample.

Cliffhanger

Ms March tried and failed to put one of the small cacti in a barrel. The cacti were moving in her periphery in ways she could not predict. She disturbed the curtain between the rooms.

A spine from the giant cactus flew through the air. Ms March felt a sudden sharp pain in the side of her neck — she took 2 Harm.

NAT: I had chose not to heal during downtime. I had two Harm. Now I'm Unstable, baby!
KATE: And THAT'S where we'll end tonight's session.

The Mystery

Clues Found

Downtime & the Hollowed Ones

• The Order names the brain-controlling entity behind the Hatchetts: "The Hollowed Ones" — an infection, and the gang were only "stage one"
• The Order's follow-up message did not fade like the others: "Not your mission. Stand down. Sending warden to collect." — Cuthbert has been explicitly pulled off this thread, and an Order warden is incoming
• Eleven months ago, miners at the mine sickened (tiredness, headaches, fever, fatigue → obsession → loss of personality), then disappeared; the mining company covered it up. Their symptoms mirror August March after he entered the mine
• The mine is owned by Righteous Arminhanmer (surname Americanised from "Armenheiner"); the main shaft was closed after the incident, and a new shaft is being opened
• A shantytown near the mine houses the families of the missing miners
• Doctor Webb's autopsies on all seven Hatchett bodies found no cause of death; he feels a sharp pain at the base of his skull and a piercing ringing whenever he nears their brains
• Doctor Webb's recurring nightmare: a dark cave tunnel and a pulsating hum — matching the hum heard deep in the mine
• Doctor Webb's red algae experiments: the organism mutates corn cells and spores, resembles lichen/algae, likely originates underground (its source was a hot spring), and feels extraterrestrial
• Earl's body was missing a toe — apparently shot off (echoing the toes Ms March shot off Merv and Retta); Ms March is concealing this from the team
• Rudy Haines, the boy Earl hid after the Goodspring robbery, was retrieved — found with a bag of money and jewels (a necklace and a pocket watch)
• There are no living Hatchetts in Hole (possibly second cousins out of town); no strange happenings were reported around the Hatchetts before "Hole Noon"

Farmswatter's Miracle Cure

• The tonic's price swings wildly: as high as $10–$50, as low as $1 or two cents. Maude paid two cents last week; this week the same cure costs her ten dollars
• Only one sip a day is needed; H.G. promises buyers will want more and must return to the market next week to restock
• Tonic timeline (from Doctor Webb's canvassing): first doses → elevated mood, reduced pain; after a few days → constant intense thirst, chapped lips, insomnia; after a week → bloodshot eyes, irritability, relieved only by drinking more tonic
• Doctor Webb saw small spikes growing under the skin on the arm of a week-long tonic user
• The whole team felt an unnatural thirst near the market and the waggon — worse than ordinary desert thirst
• Alfie noticed he was not sweating near the waggon; nearby moisture is being wicked away by the big cactus
• H.G.'s waggon workshop: glass vials, distilling machinery, four small pulsating unpotted cacti, chainlinked doors, a curtain hiding further rooms, hitched to two horses (ready to leave after the market)
• The four small cacti move when not directly observed, attack physically (harder than a cactus should), spray needles, and were not fooled by drawn-on eyes — can they sense sentience?
• Behind the curtain: an eight-foot cactus with a pulsating red flower like a peeled-open human heart, sitting in a vat of offal, blood, and guts; it can fire spines
• The small cacti reminded Ms March of "some corn she once saw"
• Doctor Webb's week-long butt rash stopped itching at the market
• Doctor Webb's magic balm cured Maude's arthritis (transferring it to himself, as his magic does)

Outcome

Unresolved — Part 1 of Mystery 4. Ms March is locked inside the waggon and Unstable; the rest of the party are outside.

Key Characters Met

Loose Threads

• The Hollowed Ones: the Order named the brain-controlling infection behind the Hatchetts — the gang were only "stage one." What are the later stages? Are the vanished miners and August March further along?
• The Order ordered Cuthbert to stand down and is sending a warden to collect — who or what is the warden, and will Cuthbert obey?
• The mine: eleven months ago the miners sickened and vanished, mirroring August March; the company (Righteous Arminhanmer) covered it up. What is down there? Is it the source of the pulsating hum and the Hollowed Ones?
• Doctor Webb's recurring cave-and-hum nightmare matches the mine's hum — premonition, infection symptom, or both? Why does he feel skull pain and ringing near the Hatchett brains?
• Doctor Webb's red algae mutates corn and seems extraterrestrial / underground in origin — is it connected to the mine, the Hollowed Ones, or the cacti (which remind Ms March of corn)?
• Rudy Haines is now in the party's care — the orphan of the Goodspring couple, with a bag of money and jewels. What happens to him?
• Ms March is locked inside H.G.'s waggon, Unstable, with the small cacti and the giant cactus — the rest of the party are outside
• What is in H.G. Farmswatter's tonic, and why does it cause thirst, chapped lips, insomnia, and spikes under the skin?
• What are the four small mobile cacti, and the eight-foot cactus with the heart-like flower in a vat of offal? Can the cacti sense sentience?
• Why did the small cacti remind Ms March of "some corn she once saw"?
• Ms March sabotaged the waggon's axle to strand H.G. in Hole — does it work? What does H.G. do once the market ends?
• A human sheriff is yet to be assigned to Hole; for now the acting sheriff is a goat, Mr Wrigglesworth
• Ms March is still concealing from the team that Earl's toe was missing

Moves & Highlights

• Alfie — (downtime) given the week off by Dan Randy to heal; fixed and attuned his guitar (needs a portable instrument to channel his powers through); wrote a song about Earl. (market) finished and performed his song about Earl (despite Ms March's "no"); got a tonic sample for his acid-stained hand (skin felt looser, no visible fix); tried and failed to draw the crowd away with the Earl song (voice breaking); chugged drinks with Cuthbert; smelled the rotting meat, spotted the giant cactus through the waggon slats, and realised the cactus was wicking away all moisture
• Cuthbert — (downtime) healed, and messaged the Order about the brain-controlling entity — learned it is "The Hollowed Ones", an infection of which the Hatchetts were only "stage one," then was ordered to stand down as a warden is sent to collect. (market) "Not one of us believes in magic, not one"; "I love a cure"; loudly asked H.G. about penis enlargement; wary of eating or drinking after the Hatchett disease, refused to sample the tonic until Doctor Webb checked it (−1 until he found a drink); distracted H.G. so Ms March could investigate; looked for clues with Alfie; offered a free sample by H.G. at the end
• Doctor Webb — (downtime) experimented on the red algae (mutates corn, extraterrestrial, likely underground in origin); autopsied all seven Hatchetts (no cause of death; sharp skull pain and ringing whenever he neared their brains); plagued by a recurring nightmare of a dark cave tunnel and a pulsating hum. (market) made introductions to his family; corrected H.G. on "curing" wrinkles; diagnosed the tonic as an addiction scam; noticed his butt rash had stopped itching; canvassed the town and built the tonic's symptom timeline; saw spikes under a user's skin; cured his mother Maude's arthritis with his magic balm (catching the arthritis himself); rallied the Webbs to spread word the cure is a sham
• Ms March — (downtime) gave herself no time to heal; dug an extra-deep grave for Earl and found his toe shot off; wrote to her parents ("Love, Junie"); took Earl's gun, hat, belt buckle, and guitar pick; taught the schoolkids to shoot their enemies; leveraged the town's new goodwill to gather the mine intel; rode a full day to the caves to retrieve Rudy Haines. (market) worse for wear on whiskey and coffee; grabbed Doctor Webb by the scruff for sharing her business; looked into the waggon and clocked the four pulsating cacti; brought Acting Sheriff Wrigglesworth (a goat) a sack o' rice; sabotaged the waggon's axle to strand H.G.; feigned drunkenness and got herself locked inside; fought the small cacti with a butcher's cleaver (Kicked Some Ass); found the eight-foot heart-flowered cactus in a vat of offal; took a spine to the neck (2 Harm) — now Unstable

XP & Advances

• XP gained:
• Advances taken:

Notes

Memorable quotes:

CUTHBERT (to the Order): Discovered local entity controlling people through direct communication with their brain. Any information on entity types appreciated.
THE ORDER: The Hollowed Ones. Infection. Sounds like stage one.
THE ORDER (the words that did not fade): Not your mission. Stand down. Sending warden to collect.

MS MARCH (letter to her parents): Earl's dead. He's missing his toe so it might have been the gangrene. Love, Junie.

MAUDE: So this is where you spend all of your time.

DOCTOR WEBB: I'm helpful here. I'm learning stuff. They like me.

BUCK: She won't shut up about this damn miracle cure.

ALFIE (starts singing anyway): I close Earl's eyes…
(to the tune of an Earl song Ms March did not want to hear)

ALFIE: Maybe they were all connected by a tiny wire you can't all see.
(sarcastic, on the Hatchett gang collapsing simultaneously)

CUTHBERT: Hey guys, you look quite regular.

CUTHBERT: Not one of us believes in magic, not one.

MS MARCH: Doctor Webb has been looking at a lottt of butts.

MAUDE: He's been delivering babies since he was a baby.
ALFIE: He delivered himself?

COLT: Sometimes when I get angry I go to the edge of the fence and scream.

MS MARCH: Maude, in which way did you raise your boys separately to Wilbur?

CUTHBERT: Well, I've got good news for you. I love a cure.

CUTHBERT: What if we want to make our penises bigger?
H.G. FARMSWATTER: It does whatever you want it to do. Including that thing you said about the penis.

ALFIE: Is 'cure' the right word here?

ALFIE: I'm young. I need it to work immediately.

MS MARCH (fake slurring): Yes, I think my uterus has been moving around. I think it's in my neck.

H.G. FARMSWATTER: Hey, ma'am, would you like to be cured?
MS MARCH (fake slurring): I drink but I only drink the good stuff.

DOCTOR WEBB: Not everyone trusts a doctor.

NAT: I had chose not to heal during downtime. I had two Harm. Now I'm Unstable, baby!
KATE: And THAT'S where we'll end tonight's session.

Table talk:

BRENDAN (on Doctor Webb's period-accurate medical advice): YES. I cannot stress how much arsenic and cocaine you should all be taking.

SEAN: Damn Randy.
(on Earl's missing toe — "Damn" / "Damn Randy")

NAT (tasting the tonic): How is the buzz different to regular cocaine?

NAT (re H.G. and Cuthbert): Oh no, they're amplifying each other's energy.

BRENDAN (after Kate mistakenly says 'Ms Webb'): No, Ms March and Dan Randy are the canon pairing, OTP.

BRENDAN: This is like the Weeping Angels but plants.

NAT: I smell my own breath to check I'm not actually drunk.

Other notes:

• The Order's "stand down / sending a warden" message did not fade like its other communications — the instruction is emphatic, and Cuthbert has been explicitly pulled off the Hollowed Ones thread
• The miners' symptoms eleven months ago mirror August March's after he entered the mine; Doctor Webb's nightmare hum matches the pulsating hum reported in the mine
• Earl's missing toe echoes the toes Ms March herself shot off Merv and Retta — she has not told the team
• Ms March was running on nothing but whiskey and coffee; her thirst at the market turned out not to be a hangover
• Ms March is still hiding from the team that Earl's toe was missing
• Cuthbert's caution about food and drink stems from learning the Hatchett gang's condition was a disease
• Maude bought her tonic but hadn't started taking it daily — she was still in the "honeymoon period" Doctor Webb identified
• Ms March's Bible armour caught the cacti's needle spray and saved her from Harm