Original Airdate: May 3, 2024
As Pomni struggles to adapt to her new life in the Circus, she struggles to overcome her fears and isolation. A mission in a candy-themed land pairs her with an unusual ally.
Episode Recap
Pomni wakes from a nightmare in which Caine, Jax and Ragatha abandon her to be abstracted. Inadvertently causing a glitch that propels blocks across her room, she answers her door to find Ragatha, who apologizes about the horrifying nature of her introduction to the Circus and insists she forgives her for leaving her.
Caine announces his latest adventure for the day, Candy Carrier Chaos. Bandits have stolen the Candy Canyon Kingdom’s supply of valuable maple syrup, and the Circus players must find them and return the syrup. Zooble refuses to participate, despite Caine’s attempt to hype the adventure with a newer, immersive A.I..
The players sans Zooble are brought to the Candy Canyon Kingdom and its candy citizens. Princess Lollilalu (Lou) greets them, grants them a weaponized truck and entrusts Ragatha with a key to the city. A jaded and confused Pomni questions the nature of the adventure (“What time period is this again?” “So our whole existence is… LARPing?”), while Kinger marvels at the candy insects. Jax, initially excited to drive the truck, plants Gangle in the driver’s seat after being disgusted with the horn.
The bandits – gummy crocodiles Max, Chad and their leader Gummigoo – plan to use the syrup to help their village. Witnessing the players approaching, the three escape. Pomni is thrown by Jax between the trucks to act as a bridge, but loses her grip and ends up on the opposing truck. Jax pressures and threatens Gangle into chasing them further into rocky terrain and ramming the vehicles. In the ensuing chase, the players' truck is sent into a ravine (to which Jax blames Gangle for), Pomni’s glitching inadvertently causes the thieves' truck to be launched into the sky, while Pomni and Gummigoo fall into a void under the map.
Gummigoo finds inanimate models of himself and other figures and objects from the kingdom. Panicking and realizing none of his memories are real, he demands Pomni tell him everything.
The players find themselves in a chocolate river before being assailed by the Fudge, a liquid creature exiled from the Candy Canyon Kingdom for eating the citizens. Jax, having taken the key from Ragatha, offers to allow him back in exchange for helping them find the bandits. Before they can do anything, the tanker bearing Max and Chad lands in the river.
Pomni attempts to find a way to escape. Gummigoo, despondent after learning his true nature as an NPC, refuses to help. Pomni relates to his feelings of isolation and suggests bringing him back to the Circus. Agreeing, the two manipulate a model of the bandits' truck into glitching and launching them back onto the map.
With Max and Chad apprehended and the group riding the Fudge back to the Kingdom, Jax laments the lack of violence. Ragatha admits to Kinger her fears that Pomni dislikes her following her brutal experiences upon entering the Circus. Kinger, wearing a bucket on his head, advises her to not take it personally, citing the time it took her to adjust to the Circus, before immediately forgetting the conversation.
The group is interrupted by Pomni and Gummigoo’s truck landing on the Fudge. As their truck contains also contains syrup, the players agree to let the bandits leave with their truck and hesitantly allow Gummigoo to join them, further agitating Jax.
The players return and hand over their duplicate truck. Jax reveals he left the gate to the kingdom open, allowing the Fudge to enter as the players exit the adventure.
As Gummigoo takes in his surroundings, Caine abruptly deletes him, fearing being unable to distinguish NPCs from humans. Ragatha apologizes to a shocked and appalled Pomni, suggesting Caine may reuse him in a later adventure.
Prompted by Zooble’s appearance, Ragatha invites her to a funeral for Kaufmo, which Jax wordlessly refuses to attend. Watching them share their memories and feelings about him, Pomni realizes the players care for each other. Juxtaposed with her nightmare now featuring Ragatha, Zooble, Kinger and Gangle reaching for her, Pomni finally accepts her new friends.
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