[So, what brings Youp here? You said you’re from The Moon, right?

yeah. n’i was… banished. i failed to protect this planet.]

You notice ID’s accent drop.

i was part of the king’s elites. at first, our job was easy. attacks from the Flesh were few and far between, and we had hours to prepare.

but then she appeared. the new queen of the Flesh.

she calls herself DOMINION.

she’s there right now, sitting in her ivory towers at the north pole. under her rule, the Flesh grew stronger. she bode her time, waiting for us to lower our defenses. and then she sent out all her forces at once.

in twenty-eight minutes, our king was dead.

the courts blamed me. i was stripped of my power and banished to this barren rock of a world. even the mimes can’t hang on here for much longer. unless someone stops it soon, the Flesh is going to spread across this whole planet, kill every rabbit humanoid on the Moon, and search for other planets to destroy. that’s why i’m here; i slow the forces of the Flesh down. as long as i stay standing, DOMINION can’t live up to her name. being here is my duty.

She takes a ragged breath and steels herself.

[n’so. why n’were you in the Vagrant Cluster?]

[This Stuff Edible?

n’i wouldn’t d’recommend it. n’you’ll live, but the Flesh n’is n’virulent as n’hell. n’where do n’you need to get to?

Candyfloss just Said North. She’ll Prombably just Pick Me Up, You Can Head Back.

that n’won’t do. n’this place is n’deadly. the usagi-ningen n’have been fighting back n’the Flesh for n’generations. n’you just crashed n’here. n’count n’yourself lucky n’you crashed n’as far n’south as you did.]

ID joined your party.

You head NORTH.

You move from MOUNTAINS to FLESH.

To your north is FLESH. To your west is FLESH. To your east is FLESH. To your south is MOUNTAINS.

Your Y.BILE is at 3. Your B.BILE is at 3. Your PHLEGM is at 3. Your BLOOD is at 2.

ID’s SWEET is at 3. Her SOUR is at 3. Her BITTER is at 3. Her SALTY is at 3. Her UMAMI is at 3.

Your INVENTORY contains CDD BEACON and STARPSHIP KEYS.

ID’s INVENTORY contains BLACK CLOAK and MOON KATANA.

[n’hello.

Heplo, Mla’am. Be You Clown, or Mime?

n’i n’ain’t neither, partner. n’i’m an usagi-ningen, n’rabbit humanoid. n’from the moon, up there.

She extends a gloved hand skyward.

n’the big ‘un. not one of th’ n’ones the mimes brought here n’when they showed up. n’what’s n’your name, n’stranger? what n’brings you to these n’parts?

Bonbon Flux. My Starpship cralshed Southwise of here, and I gotta Head North so’s some rescuers can pick Me Up. What’s You Name?

n’my name’s not n’important right now. call me id. s’ my last name.

n’if you’re headin’ north, i’d best come with you. there’s n’somethin’ n’over this here n’mountain range that i n’don’t know if’n you can n’handle. there’s a n’reason the Vagrant n’System is so n’barren.

I Think I Can Handle It.]

The INVISIBLE LIGHT attack hurt you. Your BLOOD is at 2.

Your other GAUGES are at 3.

You used CARBONATE! LVL. 1 MIME BANDIT takes 1 damage.

LVL. 1 MIME BANDIT defeated! Gained 16 EXP.

Incoming transmission!

You head NORTH.

You move from DESERT to MOUNTAINS.

RANDOM ENCOUNTER occurs.

You are accosted by LVL. 1 MIME BANDIT.

“Arrestez-vous!”

LVL. 1 MIME BANDIT attacks with INVISIBLE LIGHT.

You move your Clowntype Documentated Distress Beacon into interstellar range and compose your message.

[Clown Bonbon Flux Transmitting from Wreck of the Starpship Grimaldi...

Somebopy, Anybopy! Help Me!]

It isn’t long before you receive a message in kind. Several, in fact.

This is the account of stranded Clown BONBON FLUX on a distant mimeworld, interspersed with excerpts from modern clown research texts. Thank you for your support!

[HNONK! Clown Bonbon Flux Out In Danger...

Mime’s, Go Away!]

You feel a little better. With your head clear, you realize that this place is quiet, but not MIME quiet.

There’s something here.

You smell PIZZA.

Maybe you should get going on that TRANSMISSION.