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Worlds Beyond Number

Solari: Episode 5 - Pirouette

12 May 2026

Transcription

Chapter 1: What themes of violence and human emotion are explored in this episode?

3.524 - 67.592 Brennan Lee Mulligan

This is the sound of worlds beyond number. Violence is a fact of the universe and a cold in its application and devastation. But hatred is very human and almost always personal. The hymn of one. Two words. Out now. And an urgent message flashing on Chi's data pad. Just enough time to make one choice. Chi, you are moving towards the rear egress of the Kestrel's dive.

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68.834 - 76.185 Brennan Lee Mulligan

Excelsiel, you are up at the window looking to see what sort of danger approaches.

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Chapter 2: How do the characters react to the incoming grenade threat?

76.625 - 122.547 Brennan Lee Mulligan

And Zee. You stand putting your coat on in the middle of this bar, glancing casually at Alfie the bartender. Excelsiel, you see it first. But I think you all hear the whine, glinting green in the sickly neon light of Waris here on Carnu Ada. Single piece of ordinance. An RPG. Incoming. I'm going to say that for you to not be blown up immediately. Okay. And for us to restart character, Jen. Okay.

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122.567 - 128.958 Brennan Lee Mulligan

This is going to be a move roll. Level, impossible, because it's a grenade.

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129.78 - 130.661 Erika Ishii

Yeah, I accept death.

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131.082 - 132.304 Brennan Lee Mulligan

Oh, okay. I don't like that.

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133.065 - 138.415 Erika Ishii

Now, Aabria, you've now said two words that I've never heard before. Impossible level?

138.996 - 143.704 Brennan Lee Mulligan

Yes. I've been looking forward to an impossible difficulty check.

Chapter 3: What strategies are discussed for avoiding danger in a hostile environment?

144.145 - 151.097 Brennan Lee Mulligan

So this is going to be a 12. A 12. For you to not be blown away. Utterly the smithereens.

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151.197 - 165.399 Aabria Iyengar

And remind me again, we can burn grit in quantities of three, six, and nine to do what exactly? To add bonuses? Yep, you add it on to the end of your roll. And you have to select it prior to the roll the amount you're doing. You can't modify it.

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165.88 - 173.227 Brennan Lee Mulligan

Boosting is a fun little gamble. Great. Well... Let's go for a plus nine.

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173.627 - 175.63 Erika Ishii

I can't help but agree.

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176.211 - 184.904 Brennan Lee Mulligan

Interesting. Now, I see maybe my problem was letting you restore your grit before deciding gleefully to blow you up.

184.924 - 189.47 Aabria Iyengar

I have a D8 and move, so I can also, if you don't want me to restore my grit, I can also die right here.

189.49 - 191.233 Erika Ishii

Please don't die. I also have a D8. Please don't die.

Chapter 4: How does character backstory influence decisions in high-stakes situations?

191.253 - 194.457 Erika Ishii

So I'm going like, nine's not even guaranteed.

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194.698 - 204.192 Unknown

We're not even locking it in. Yeah. We have a 25% chance for a nine not to cut it. Yes. Okay.

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205.154 - 210.642 Aabria Iyengar

That will be a 13 for Excelsior. Okay, okay.

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211.243 - 212.626 Erika Ishii

Okay, so you got a nine.

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212.946 - 214.609 Aabria Iyengar

I rolled a four on the die for a 13.

214.629 - 216.49 Erika Ishii

13. Chi?

217.352 - 223.765 Lou Wilson

I rolled an 8 on the die, so that's 17. Okay, okay. Great. Z, so goddamn help me.

224.026 - 228.034 Erika Ishii

6. Plus 9 for a 15.

228.054 - 231.482 Brennan Lee Mulligan

Okay, I got really nervous. I got especially nervous.

Chapter 5: What insights are shared about the technology and systems on the ship?

231.943 - 234.428 Erika Ishii

Because I know the dice are listening.

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234.998 - 238.47 Brennan Lee Mulligan

There's also a part of me that was like, I could make it a little higher than a 12.

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239.252 - 244.229 Erika Ishii

But then what would the fun be? You got my heart rate up. So I think your job is done. Okay.

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244.45 - 247.951 Brennan Lee Mulligan

All right. As long as everyone got a little puckered. Then we're feeling it.

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248.211 - 248.973 Erika Ishii

Very puckered.

248.993 - 270.827 Brennan Lee Mulligan

Okay. It's the morning. Very puckered. Very puckered. Good morning. It's been a minute since we played. Let's talk about what each of you does to avoid this. And I want to go in order from who saw it first. And then we can kind of move through how everyone responds and survives this. Excelsiel, you see this incoming grenade.

Chapter 6: How does the conversation address the impact of past traumas on present actions?

271.267 - 278.449 Aabria Iyengar

What do you do? I truly think I look at it and I point and go, oh, no.

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280.312 - 286.944 Unknown

And I just cover my eyes with my hands and jump back hard.

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287.946 - 298.826 Brennan Lee Mulligan

All right. All right. Sometimes you think as a storyteller, I'm going to hand off the narrative reins and see what you got. Cover your eyes and jump back hard is actually pretty great.

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299.386 - 313.339 Unknown

No, I like it. I can make up that my body can produce a big grenade shield, but then I won't have that power later when it really counts. No, you're good. To be diligent to my character's abilities, cover eyes, jump back hard.

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315.602 - 322.448 Brennan Lee Mulligan

Okay. You hear the whistling of an incoming grenade, Z. You hear... One more time.

323.255 - 324.117 Aabria Iyengar

Oh no.

325.54 - 337.386 Brennan Lee Mulligan

And then the sound of like every gear and movement mechanism in Excelsior like fires simultaneously as he seems to teleport towards the back of the room.

338.849 - 355.204 Erika Ishii

I think that... Zdavin is making eye contact with Alfie. Like, getting ready to give him a, like, a sly smile. Like, you and I are on the same team, brother. And thanks for the delicious drinks.

Chapter 7: What is the significance of family dynamics in the context of danger?

355.225 - 380.363 Erika Ishii

And then here's the wine. here's Excelsior, here's the gears, is going to think, protect my internal organs, flip the table they've been sitting at to be protecting his window side, and I think take the full impact and slam to the back wall as the force hits, hopefully not so much of his body, but mostly the table.

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380.644 - 387.852 Brennan Lee Mulligan

Yeah. Chi, just as a reminder, spatially, you're like off towards the back of the bar. What did you do in this moment?

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389.034 - 406.872 Lou Wilson

I heard, oh no, I heard a table flip. I just stepped through the door into the back room. You just leave? Yeah. I just, I go, oh, well, I don't want to deal with any of what that is. And I just simply step into the next room.

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408.193 - 426.81 Brennan Lee Mulligan

You step through the back door, and we will find you in a second. Yeah. Incredible. There's going to be a little bit of damage here, but none of you were blown to smithereens. So if everyone would like to roll me their own d6, and I'll have Chi, you can roll yours with disadvantage.

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427.751 - 428.552 Aabria Iyengar

Ah, gotcha.

428.572 - 430.213 Erika Ishii

Come on, you stupid motherfucker.

430.233 - 432.355 Brennan Lee Mulligan

Wow, wow.

432.689 - 434.212 Erika Ishii

Four damage for Excelsior.

Chapter 8: How do the characters plan their escape from the current threat?

434.873 - 439.122 Erika Ishii

One damage for Saddam. Oh my god, it worked! Yes. I will be rude to these guys.

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440.665 - 448.1 Brennan Lee Mulligan

One damage. Incredible! I kind of like the way that has worked out narratively. Yeah, that feels... Yeah.

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448.12 - 450.925 Erika Ishii

For posterity, I have 13 health remaining.

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451.366 - 473.081 Brennan Lee Mulligan

Amazing. Seven health remaining. Amazing. Thirteen. The last thing you all hear before the world becomes a fiery inferno of green and orange around you is the shattering of the glass and this smart grenade choosing to detonate the moment it hits the center of the room.

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473.902 - 475.825 Unknown

Oh, no.

482.639 - 510.098 Brennan Lee Mulligan

Excelsior, the way you jump back, even as you cover your eyes, every other part of you that can perceive, that can collect data and information and experience, watches this happen. For a person who wants to experience as much of the world as possible, what's going through your mind? I don't want to experience this.

514.432 - 520.743 Aabria Iyengar

Not this yet. Not this yet. This experience should be saved for near the end.

525.15 - 556.572 Brennan Lee Mulligan

Your eyes are closed and you throw yourself back far enough. Or maybe it's a trick of luck or shoddy architecture here that when that grenade detonates, you get blown through the wall immediately and you find yourself back outside in that sickly green. Because this building wasn't built better, you are thrown clear in a way that has preserved your life.

557.513 - 576.187 Aabria Iyengar

My LED strips, I think, move immediately into pink, blue, venom, green, purple, running in like siren dots going up around them, which is sort of like a fear response. As I get outside, I don't know where Chi is, right?

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