Nature Check

Joe and Sheryl do a recap of Episodes 22 and 23 of Nature Check, then speak with special guest Brian Lovett (@lovettbr on Twitter) about his experience playing D&D for the first time, the science behind the Myconid character Gary, fungal mating strategies and Gary's pronouns, and Brian's research.Have questions for the cast about the Nature Check game, or just science in general? Leave them in the comments, or tweet us at @CheckNature and we'll do our best to answer them!

Welcome to Burn, a post-apocalyptic game of danger, intrigue, and exploration! The group spends the first half of this session working through a Turn of the Ages, a fun mechanic of Legacy that allows us to shift the clock forward in time. Some of the Families fared better than others, and all tell interesting and dramatic stories about how the world changed in the 5 years after the Sun returned. In the second half, the PCs discuss a mutual problem: Insane Jane and her Raiders. The group settles on a complicated honeypot/reverse raid scheme and sets up all the moving parts. Next time, they'll get to put their plan in action.REFERENCE SECTIONFollow us on Twitter:Nature Check: @CheckNatureJareth/GM: @maeamianSheryl/The Ripples/Islae: @RvingNaturalistPeter/Shepherds of the Cave/Charon: @petercoffeyJordan/The Institute/Lissa: @JordanBHarrodXander/The Bowerbirds/Ganymede: @ARTexplainsChannel art by Sheryl/The Roving Naturalist

Donate to The Bail Project: https://tiltify.com/@naturecheckdnd/nature-check-bail-project Our heroes finish their combat with the insectoid adversaries, but at what cost? Gary is able to recover some bits of their food fungus and return to their circle to replant the farm. We also have a long aside about fungi and the science that inspired this particular story arch.REFERENCE SECTIONFollow us on Twitter:Nature Check: @CheckNatureBrian/Gary: @lovettbrSheryl/DM: @RvingNaturalistJoe/Lucanus: @StylopidaePeter/Cedric: @petercoffeyRyan/Fletcher: @EntemneinNancy/Kae: @ScibugsCindy/Nautia: @unboundpageChannel art by Sheryl/The Roving Naturalist

Welcome to Burn, a post-apocalyptic game of danger, intrigue, and exploration! The PCs escape from the ice floe and an albino orca, helping to gain territory for The Ripples. Then the PCs head back to the catacombs full of failed genetic experiments and gain that territory for The Shepherds of the Cave, but not before making some new invertebrate acquaintances and re-meeting some old "friends."REFERENCE SECTIONFollow us on Twitter:Nature Check: @CheckNatureJareth/GM: @maeamianSheryl/The Ripples/Islae: @RvingNaturalistPeter/Shepherds of the Cave/Charon: @petercoffeyJordan/The Institute/Lissa: @JordanBHarrodXander/The Bowerbirds/Ganymede: @ARTexplainsChannel art by Sheryl/The Roving Naturalist

Donate to The Bail Project: https://tiltify.com/@naturecheckdnd/nature-check-bail-projectThe group camps at the base of the fossil hill, but when they wake in the morning, they're surrounded by strange company. After some trial-and-error with communication, our heroes set off to help Gary investigate the theft of their food stores. The trail leads them back to the base of the sick kapok tree from the previous morning, but will the group be able to withstand combat with the fungal thieves?REFERENCE SECTIONFollow us on Twitter:Nature Check: @CheckNatureBrian/Gary: @lovettbrSheryl/DM: @RvingNaturalistJoe/Lucanus: @StylopidaePeter/Cedric: @petercoffeyRyan/Fletcher: @EntemneinNancy/Kae: @ScibugsCindy/Nautia: @unboundpageChannel art by Sheryl/The Roving Naturalist

Near the edge of the rainforest, Lucanus spots a weird kapok tree, and the group spends some time trying to diagnose this plant disease. However, they're rudely interrupted and must fight for their lives before they can reach an answer. We talk about ecotones or the transition zones between ecosystems, and then the group makes their way through the ecotone between the rainforest and a hilly grassland. One of the hillsides in this new environment holds some rocky surprises.REFERENCE SECTIONFollow us on Twitter:Nature Check: @CheckNatureSheryl/DM: @RvingNaturalistJoe/Lucanus: @StylopidaePeter/Cedric: @petercoffeyRyan/Fletcher: @EntemneinNancy/Kae: @ScibugsCindy/Nautia: @unboundpageChannel art by Sheryl/The Roving Naturalist

Welcome to Burn, a post-apocalyptic game of danger, intrigue, and exploration! We start this episode by creating Quick Characters to serve as Lissa's grad students for a return trip to the Secret Military Research Base. Once inside, the group investigates the small camera drones further and makes a friend. Zooming out, we take another look at what all of the Families are doing. Then Islae recruits the other PCs to come with her on a mission to the Whale Graveyard. Also, the Moon is not gone.REFERENCE SECTIONFollow us on Twitter:Nature Check: @CheckNatureJareth/GM: @maeamianSheryl/The Ripples/Islae: @RvingNaturalistPeter/Shepherds of the Cave/Charon: @petercoffeyJordan/The Institute/Lissa: @JordanBHarrodXander/The Bowerbirds/Ganymede: @ARTexplainsChannel art by Sheryl/The Roving Naturalist

Welcome to Burn, a post-apocalyptic game of danger, intrigue, and exploration! We start this episode by talking about passing out, then head into the irradiated Secret Military Research Facility in search of spoil. Along the way, our group gets lost, meets some pretty kitties, and finds some stuff, then heads back to the Caves where our Families live. Once inside, we Zoom Out to get a look at who all of the factions are within the Homeland and discuss how each of the four main player Families (The Shepherds, The Ripples, The Institute, and The Bowerbirds) react to the news that the Sun has indeed returned and is once again lighting the surface of the Earth. Also, is the Moon gone?REFERENCE SECTIONFollow us on Twitter:Nature Check: @CheckNatureJareth/GM: @maeamianSheryl/The Ripples/Islae: @RvingNaturalistPeter/Shepherds of the Cave/Charon: @petercoffeyJordan/The Institute/Lissa: @JordanBHarrodXander/The Bowerbirds/Ganymede: @ARTexplainsChannel art by Sheryl/The Roving Naturalist

Rate My NPC: https://bit.ly/2QH731HOn their last session in the underground temple, the group discovers a library and some books, desecrates some tombs, and discusses some theories about what to do next. Will they figure out what to do in the pedestal room? Is the DM benevolent enough to help them out by the end of the episode?REFERENCE SECTIONFollow us on Twitter:Nature Check: @CheckNatureSheryl/DM: @RvingNaturalistJoe/Lucanus: @StylopidaePeter/Cedric: @petercoffeyRyan/Fletcher: @EntemneinNancy/Kae: @ScibugsCindy/Nautia: @unboundpageChannel art by Sheryl/The Roving Naturalist

Welcome to Burn, a post-apocalyptic game of danger, intrigue, and exploration! In this episode, we meet the first group of player characters, and the group sets off to explore the surface world after reports of the first sunrise in more than three thousand years. What dangers will they encounter upon trying to enter the catacombs filled with failed genetic experiments? Will they make it across the Wasteland to the secret military base? Come along to find out. REFERENCE SECTIONFollow us on Twitter:Nature Check: @CheckNatureJareth/GM: @maeamianSheryl/The Ripples/Islae: @RvingNaturalistPeter/Shepherds of the Cave/Charon: @petercoffeyJordan/The Institute/Lissa: @JordanBHarrodXander/The Bowerbirds/Ganymede: @ARTexplainsChannel art by Sheryl/The Roving Naturalist

Rate My NPC: https://bit.ly/2QH731HIn this session, our heroes ask the important questions, like "Who hasn't eaten potpourri?" "Who is Madonna?" and "Have you seen Peter's dancing?" The group also nerds out about spiders while fighting spiders, raids a storeroom in the underground temple, and discovers a room with strange carvings on the walls and floor. What other secrets does this dungeon have in store?REFERENCE SECTIONFollow us on Twitter:Nature Check: @CheckNatureSheryl/DM: @RvingNaturalistJoe/Lucanus: @StylopidaePeter/Cedric: @petercoffeyRyan/Fletcher: @EntemneinNancy/Kae: @ScibugsCindy/Nautia: @unboundpageChannel art by Sheryl/The Roving Naturalist

Rate My NPC: https://bit.ly/2QH731HOur heroes pick a new campsite, but during the night Kae has a strange dream. The feeling from her dream leads the group deeper west into the jungle to the site of a strange, subterranean stone structure of some kind. Will they survive their first dungeon crawl?REFERENCE SECTIONFollow us on Twitter:Nature Check: @CheckNatureSheryl/DM: @RvingNaturalistJoe/Lucanus: @StylopidaePeter/Cedric: @petercoffeyRyan/Fletcher: @EntemneinNancy/Kae: @ScibugsCindy/Nautia: @unboundpageChannel art by Sheryl/The Roving Naturalist

Rate My NPC: https://bit.ly/2QH731H Our new friend Nautia leads the heroes northeast through the jungle following the bank of the Cochrial River to search for the source of the pollution. They learn about dangerous jungle wildlife, forage for edible plants, and spend at least one night camping outdoors. However, their campsite may already be occupied by a denizen they didn't expect. The crew also discuss the concept of nonpoint-source pollution. REFERENCE SECTIONFollow us on Twitter:Nature Check: @CheckNatureSheryl/DM: @RvingNaturalistJoe/Lucanus: @StylopidaePeter/Cedric: @petercoffeyRyan/Fletcher: @EntemneinNancy/Kae: @ScibugsCindy/Nautia: @unboundpageChannel art by Sheryl/The Roving Naturalist

Our heroes board Stomonel Laughshield's boat in the early morning and meet her crew. After a short voyage, they are dropped off with a dingy and left to row to the far shore of the river, where they discover a beautiful and terrifying jungle rife with biodiversity. The PCs are harried by a variety of animals and a mysterious interloper, but eventually find a group of the red parrots they've been looking for. But has the group gotten in over their heads?REFERENCE SECTIONFollow us on Twitter:Nature Check: @CheckNatureSheryl/DM: @RvingNaturalistJoe/Lucanus: @StylopidaeNancy/Kae: @SciBugsPeter/Cedric: @petercoffeyRyan/Fletcher: @EntemneinCindy/Nautia: @unboundpageChannel art by Sheryl/The Roving Naturalist

After battling the gnolls in the grassland and investigating the health of the river, our heroes realize they need some help. While discussing how best to get across the river, they make a new friend with a boat. Next, they sell some gems and ask Pops to analyze their water samples. After some extraneous shopping, the group arrives at the new Royal Academy of Explorers building for an evening party replete with a cast of eccentric guests. REFERENCE SECTIONFollow us on Twitter:Nature Check: @CheckNatureSheryl/DM: @RvingNaturalistJoe/Lucanus: @StylopidaePeter/Cedric: @petercoffeyRyan/Fletcher: @EntemneinNancy/Kae: @Scibugs"Fuzzball Parade" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0Channel art by Sheryl/The Roving Naturalist

Kae has returned, so the group decides to start crossing things off their to-do list. First up, they travel North to the bank of the Cochrial River to investigate the fish problem. Cedric may or may not do something foolish, and the group gets into a tense argument. On the way back to New Sechester, the heroes encounter yet another denizen of the Arda southern grasslands. REFERENCE SECTIONFollow us on Twitter:Nature Check: @CheckNatureSheryl/DM: @RvingNaturalistJoe/Lucanus: @StylopidaePeter/Cedric: @petercoffeyRyan/Fletcher: @EntemneinNancy/Kae: @ScibugsChannel art by Sheryl/The Roving Naturalist

Cedric, Fletcher, and "Frank" experience the festivities of New Sechester Day, but without Kae they seem to be utterly at a loss. Fletcher and Cedric meet Captain Dawson-Clark at the naval fort and share their fears about an orc invasion, while Lucanus seems to be developing a concerning drinking habit. REFERENCE SECTIONFollow us on Twitter:Nature Check: @CheckNatureSheryl/DM: @RvingNaturalistNancy/Kae: @SciBugsPeter/Cedric: @petercoffeyRyan/Fletcher: @EntemneinChannel art by Sheryl/The Roving Naturalist

Kae is nowhere to be found, so the boys are on their own. Cedric and Fletcher find a concerning bill posted on a wall in town that causes the group to act even more squirrelly than usual. However, despite the scare, they still manage to make some appointments and have a very thorough conversation with Casper Reid, the Cartographer for the Royal Academy of Explorers. REFERENCE SECTIONFollow us on Twitter:Nature Check: @CheckNatureSheryl/DM: @RvingNaturalistNancy/Kae: @SciBugsPeter/Cedric: @petercoffeyRyan/Fletcher: @Entemnein Channel art by Sheryl/The Roving Naturalist

Isbeil, the Ibixian wise woman with whom the PCs had spoken to in the camp of the Chun An Iar, rewards them for the help they've rendered to the tribes and marks them as friends of the Ibixian people. The group makes their way back through the grasslands, where they engage in combat with goblins and an orc. Kae and Lucanus are both shaken after the battle and take some time to recuperate, while Fletcher accompanies Cedric on adventure to go shopping for his first time ever. REFERENCE SECTION Follow us on Twitter: Nature Check: @CheckNature Sheryl/DM: @RvingNaturalist Nancy/Kae: @SciBugs Peter/Cedric: @petercoffey Ryan/Fletcher: @Entemnein Channel art by Sheryl/The Roving Naturalist

Isbeil, the Ibixian wise woman with whom the PCs had spoken to in the camp of the Chun An Iar, requests that they help two young Ibixians with a problem in the Coille Neo-Chríochnach (Unending Forest) far across the grasslands to the east of New Sechester. Will the PCs be able to find a solution to the problem with the trees? And will they be able to survive their first foray into the forests of Arda?REFERENCE SECTIONFollow us on Twitter:Nature Check: @CheckNatureSheryl/DM: @RvingNaturalistJoe/Lucanus: @StylopidaeNancy/Kae: @SciBugsPeter/Cedric: @petercoffeyRyan/Fletcher: @EntemneinJody/Tempest: @JodyBugsMeUNLJon/Calder: @bugmanjonChannel art by Sheryl/The Roving Naturalist