#nanofather post

[ethersierra]

Nanofather Lore insanepost

Alright. We've seen my murderboard. It's incomprehensible. But for those who haven't, here it is:

It includes... a lot of everything. I couldn't begin to describe the journey I went on putting this together. Without further ado:

The Nanofather, also known as "The Weaver," "Creaky Man," and sometimes "Geltfrimpen" or briefly as "wily weaver," "dirty jeremy," "muck dweller," and "crusty man," is a recurring ominous character which appears most frequently in the opening segments of The Adventure Zone: Steeplechase. He says a lot of weird shit. And after 33 episodes, I believe I have a pretty good understanding of this shit. Take a walk with me, through this 8-part dive into what the Nanofather's deal is.

I will warn you, this is... insanely long. Turn back now.

1. The Foretelling [moments leading up to the weaver]

Back in episode 18 of Ethersea, Justin mentioned how he's the last of them who has yet to DM. Then, later in the episode, Griffin loses his train of thought and Justin prompts him with "Spin the... spin the yarn" and the riffing leads Clint to say, "weave," and Justin says, "step up to the loom... let the weaving begin at the loom."

In the next episode, as the intro song fades out, Justin interjects in a high falsetto song, singing "Weave another tapestry! McElroy Family and me," and the bit goes on for a minute or so. Later, in Ethersea 24, when trying to convince Griffin to reconsider what happened in the narrative, Justin asks him to "Check your loom, weaver!"

When Justin finally makes his Steeplechase debut, he initially struggles with starting the story. So, Griffin jumps in with,

Griffin: "Can I do what you usually do to me?" Justin: "Please." Griffin: "And be like [singing dramatically] 'The yarn-spinner takes the loom in his hands and weaves a magical tale. Take the wizard by his hands as he flies you around on his rug made of wings and a angel’s hair.'"

Every subsequent episode has the same opening. The recurrence of these instances have culminated in the persona of "The Weaver."

2. The Stew [in which the nanofather discusses various culinary topics]

The Nanofather routinely brings up the food of his world, in some way. This starts as early as episode 3, in which he says, "Perhaps a few more moments before the stew is prepared."

Other segments include advice about nano-nutmeg [12], clarifications about cilantro (called corriander in the UK)[29], and directing the addressee to search for pepperoni and green pepper in "the pyre" [19].

The other three instances of mentions of food directly address Shookles the cat. First, "Shoockles, your master calls. Where's the scum canteen? Fetch it from the shoof... my thirst is unslakable" [7]. Then, in the very next episode, says, "Please... the pollen broth. My throat became so dry... Fetch me the pollen broth, Shoockles" [8]. And most recently, he speaks rather dramatically, saying, "I believe I went… as far as I could… I don’t know if… it was far enough… I’m terrified to push it further… I believe this is the limit… Yes… no, that’s true… It’s true… The greater danger is hesitation, yes… I will add one more half-teaspoon of cumin, Shookles. Thank you, Shookles, I… should listen to your culinary acumen more" [22]. This is assumedly in reference to something he is cooking, perhaps the stew mentioned in episode 3. Perhaps all of these ingredients are being used in the stew.

Either way, these interactions tell us that the Nanofather has an interest in cooking, and that Shookles acts as an assistant to him.

3. Direct Interactions [in-character conversations]

There are several instances where the Nanofather speaks with our player characters, or appears within their world.

This first happens in episode 20, when the crew enters the lair of Geltfrimpen and hears a voice familiar to the players coming from the dragon. He says, "Excuse me for this, but I have to keep up appearances." He continues to speak with the boys throughout the scene as they fight the animatronic. He says, "I’m having trouble staying here," and within the scene, Justin describes that, "The sound seems to be coming from like... the entirety of Geltfrimpen. It’s emanating from him, not localized to any one point in the dragon’s body." Beef asks the Weaver if he could come out of the dragon, to which he responds, "Would that I could." When Montrose begins refering to him as Geltfrimpen, he says, "I am not Geltfrimpen. I am here. But I am not Geltfrimpen." Emerich asks for his name, which is met with "Would that I know," but because Beef had called him creaky man earlier, the voice says "Creaky Man will suffice for now, I suppose. A good amount of christening."

He goes on to explain his situation at their behest:

"I will do my best to tell you what I know. It takes quite a bit for me to be as here as I am. But I will try. Part of me is in Geltfrimpen. But I am many places throughout the world. Part of me is here. Part of me is imprisoned here, I think. And through this act, I am no longer... trapped here, this part of me. I’m able to be more concentrated, if that—if that is the correct word, else... elsewhere... I will not be here long, and then I will vacate Geltfrimpen for good. And I will be a little bit more myself, elsewhere."

The implications within this one paragraph are that he does not have much of a physical form, and is potentially some sort of spirit, but he can manifest part of himself at will in some places. Montrose asks if he has a home base, but he says, "I’m... scattered. More accurately, I think... shattered."

He follows with even more interesting information,

"I’ve seen you elsewhere, I was... in one of the vans, as you made the thrilling escape. I was there. I called out, but it was so loud. I have watched you from the porch of Ustaben. In the... the whittling I sat, a rocking chair... I couldn’t summon up enough voice to reach you, but I called out. I called out to anyone who would listen, honestly. But you three are the first who seem to... be looking hard enough to hear."

There have been two heists with van escapes. The first is in episode 3, when Gravel pulled up in a stolen truck/van (it is important to note that they use them interchangably). The four of them were the only ones in the vehicle. However, this escape was not very thrilling, so we are going to refer to the Gutter City heist.

Sticky Finger(s) Paul Pantry asks the three of them to steal a truck called the Clean, and notes that it is made of Hardlight. When the time comes, Emerich has attuned with the hardlight Short Doug and drives in one of the trucks with him [9].

The second thing the Nanofather mentions is an obvious reference to the Ustaben attraction, Whittle Around. In the setup episode, Whittle Around is established as having a porch where "grandpa" sits and whittles wood-- grandpa, of course, being a hardlight construct who was initially Eustace but has since been replaced [0].

The combiantion of these two implies that the Nanofather exists for moments within, or as, these constructs. His spirit seems to be able to travel between them-- to what extent this is under his control remains questionable. Perhaps he is living within the park itself, haunting it. This is given further support at the end of episode 27, when an arcade machine in the back of Poppy's Place crackles with static and we hear the Nanofather say, "act... quickly." Emerich however is unable to make further contact, and this is the last time he seems to interact with them. Montrose says that they "have a ghost in the machine"[28].

4. The World He Inhabits [what we know about the environment, the character, and allusions to mechanisms of communication]

In his first appearance, the Nanofather says to the audience (which may be moreso to the players/player characters? uncertain), "welcome travelers," establishing that we are not from the same place he is.

The world he lives in is fleshed out through each episode. Highlights include "quite a long day tending to the muck fields" [5], "I've missed the meeting with the rust council"[13], and the afformentioned scum canteen. He also says, in episode 6, "I have a new tale for you. Of a muck-dweller turned hero to his- to his people… I seem to have lost it in the last rust storm." This sets him in a sort of wasteland. He also says, or rather, sings, "I'm a neutron guy, you're my nega-girl, I'll sweep you through the ash waste as we make our way through the,"[10] before he cuts himself off.

It seems to be a world where things are rough-- he says, "to make it 37 years is quite a blessing"[13]. That implies his age is 37, or that he has survived 37 years in the conditions that he is in. Additionally, he says, "you will find it in the pyre"[19], a pyre being defined as "a combustible heap for burning a dead body as a funeral rite," implying that they either have to make their own fires or 'bury' their dead.

Notably, there seems to be a recurring theme surrounding weather and time.

"It's gotten so quiet, lately... in the nights... and in the mornings... and the cyber night, the time between the night and the mornings..."[14] "It seems the storms have come early this evening"[4] "The last rust storm"[6]

This implies that time is somewhat technologically controlled, and weather is on a cycle. The building of Steeplechase, or what we are to assume is, is like holographically augmented[31], and so are the inside skies of the park. It is plausible to say the environment wherever the Nanofather is could also be simulated.

5. Wall Breaks [speaking to the players]

These indicate communication from the nanofather directly to the players. They imply to us more about the world, but more importantly, the means of communication and lore surrounding it.

In episode 9, we open the episode hearing a different voice. They say, "Hello? …Hello, spirits?" and begin to knock. "Nanofather says the spirits can hear you through the wall. Spirits… are you there?" But they are interupted by a familiar voice-- "Kavecca!," the nanofather says. "Just another of his stories, I suppose," Kavecca amends. "Kavecca, away from that! You dabble with powers you do not understand!" This raises a lot of questions from the players, about who Kavecca is, why there is another person speaking to them, and what the fuck the 'nanofather' means. What interests me is the referral to their audience as "spirits"-- and what implications does that have? Are they between the world the players inhabit and Steeplechase? Are the players spirits? Also factoring in Blades in the Dark, which has ghosts in it, which have been altered into hardlight for Steeplechase-- maybe the hardlight kept some of that original intent. Maybe that's how the nanofather is able to inhabit hardlight.

In the following episode, we find the nanofather singing a song. What follows is pretty strange.

ohh… I’m a neutron guy… and you’re my nega-girl… I’ll sweep you through the ash waste as we make our way through the…. [click] …do you hear me, Travis? Travis: What? I’m sorry… I didn’t realize I’d left the horn on. Travis: Are you speaking, are you- talking to me? Fare thee well. [10]

First, in "I didn't realize I'd left the horn on," a horn is primarily UK slang for telephone. That could be interpretted here as a literal telephone or whatever line of communication they seem to share. Next-- he directly addresses Travis. This is the first conversation the players have with this character, and so far the only. But it isn't the only time he addresses them:

Clinton? Travis? Gribby? My three… my three favourite micro-nephews. Here to visit me. What a wonderful treat this is… Come. Let me see if I can’t find you a new tale… Griffin: Gribby! Gribby can only say his own name. Justin: Oh? Griffin: Yeah, that’s sort of his thing. Justin: Do you… how do you… I’m surprised you have insight into these three new characters… already. Travis: I’m trying harder and harder to just pretend like we are not on the call when he records that part. Griffin: It’s the only way to not be... ensorcelled by the tapestry he weaves. Clint: Not me. Not me. Did you say Clinton? Clinton… Travis: It sounded like Clinton. Clint: I wonder who that is. Justin: Clinton, Travis and Gribby are apparently, I’ve just found this out with you guys, is— did he say— Griffin: The micro nephews. [15]

This is interesting because Travis is the only one whose name is not altered, and he was specifically addressed before. What we also glean from this is that the nanofather views them as micronephews, so he has an alleged relation to them. Previously, he has called them children but it wasn't apparent until now that he was addressing them specifically.

In the intro with Kavecca, it is important to note that they are the first person to call the weaver "the nanofather." We know from his time as Geltfrimpen that the nanofather has no proper name. Nanofather is more likely to be a title, or rather, a signifier of Kavecca's relationship to him, such as being his child or grandchild. This would put Kavecca on the same family tree as Clinton, Travis, and Gribby, if they really are his "micronephews."

6. Descent Into Weirdness [tonally different moments and their implications]

Everything The Nanofather says is weird, but these are the moments that absolutely baffle me, or upon which he is commenting on the story somehow.

The first time he seems to comment on the events of Steeplechase is in Episode 16, in response to a plot twist at the end of the previous episode (in which the Barrister arrived to kick Emerich's ass but they got him stuck in a machine). He says, "Oh, that’s not right… [rustling paper] …Oh, but this doesn’t make any sense, it was… The story wasn’t like this …. Or… I-Is it changing?" He then follows this in the next episode by... just... breathe-whistling menacingly? Note that this episode takes place when they are travelling between layers, on the start of their Ephemera quest.

Episode 18 starts with, "Oh… Oh, they haven’t… even begun to fathom it… But you…. You swore, we both swore? You know they’re not ready!" I wonder who the "you"/"we" is in this. Is it us as the audience, the players, or perhaps Kavecca? Eighteen is the beginning of the time they spend in Ephemera, and at the beginning of the episode Krystal has an encounter with someone in the Gallspire. This adds on to the commentary in 16 and implies that there is something bigger at play...

Episode 20 presents us with a poem of sorts:

Ever faster, ever closer, ever never slowing down… Ever nearer, ever clearer, ever nipping at the gown... Ever spinning, ever grinning, ever hearing what they please. Ever growing, ever knowing, that they are the disease…

There is no direct indication of what this is talking about, but I think it's about Dentonic. They never slow down, they don't know when to stop dreaming! They will warp whatever they must to fit their narrative and they don't care what the casualties are.

When the Weaver makes his entrance into the world of Steeplechase, at the end of 20 and speaking through Geltfrimpen, these occurences get more frequent:

"Oh, I… I’m mostly… mostly… with them now… [chuckles] ah… ah… smaller than I… assumed…" [21] "Mostly… echoes… yet to be… I’m sorry, I know that doesn’t… answer your question…" [23] "Yes… yes, I was surprised too, Shookles. What? Oh… Oh, they didn’t hear…"[25]

25 ends with Gravel being arrested for Sticky Finger Paul Pantry's murder. 26 opens with, "…yes, but I’d assumed it was… consigned to legend! I never would’ve expected- i guess… my understanding is not… what I’d thought it was. Terrifying, in a way, but also… quite wonderful." I can't even begin to parse what he's talking about.

Then of course, there is 27: "No, no, not to the boat... Only one... one node per layer... I tried to maintain hopping... but it’s too taxing... too many...noises..." What fucking boat? And he tries to hop between layers- maybe the nodes are in the things he is inhabiting. Geltfrimpen, the arcade box, hard doug, eustace... The arcade machine and Geltfrimpen aren't made of hardlight, and these are the methods through which he has actually been able to speak (he could only see through hardlight)... maybe these are the "nodes?" I wonder what the noises refer to.

When things start looking down for the crew as they try to piece together what the fuck is happening, The Nanofather opens episode 28 with, "I’m not sure yet… I’m hopeful… Ah, Shookles… optimistic…or perhaps… perhaps optimism is just the last refuge of those… with nothing left to lose..." The Nanofather is referring to himself in this line, and the fact that he considers himself to have "nothing left to lose" implies that he has a strong connection to the events in Steeplechase, particularly to the crew-- which makes sense given their previous interactions. But what is at stake for him is unclear.

In episode 30 he says, "The thought had crossed my mind… But it can’t be long now…" I must say this is particularly ominous because I have no idea what the "thought" is or what he is waiting for. His salvation?

Finally, we have episode 31. His last appearance.

"It feels… like something… has frayed…"

In this episode, Kenchal Denton speaks to the crew a lot about cutting loose ends. And then he drops them out of a hovercraft into a desert that seems to be entirely disconnected from the electrical grid Steeplechase is on. And we don't hear from The Nanofather again.

7. Ties to Clint McElroy. [the ways in which this comes back to him.]

[post-discussion following the moment in episode 10 when the nanofather asks, "do you hear me Travis?"] Travis: Is that guy my real dad? Justin: You wish Griffin: Legally, you have to tell Travis, if the muckdweller is his real dad Justin: Not the muck dweller. The nanofather. Please- Travis: Oh, it's right there in the name! I should have seen it a mile away it's so obvious now!

Now, this may be a stretch. And it started out to me as a joke, but guys. The further I get the further I am convinced. The Nanofather is connected to, if not is, Clint McElroy the Planeswalking Janitor.

Evidence A: He calls them "children" when he goes to tell them stories. Counterpoint: Clint can't be his own son. Counter-counterpoint: Clint's full name, according to Griffin on an episode of Wonderful, is Clinton Emil McElroy Jr. Meaning, he has a father named Clint.

Evidence B: When the Nanofather refers to Travis, Clinton, and Gribby, Justin later describes them as "these new characters," in the same way he insists that Clint McElroy his father and Clint McElroy the Planeswalking Janitor are separate things [Spiritbreakers Live in San Jose].

Evidence C: The Nanofather hops between layers, in a similar way to how Clint hops between planes. And the Nanofather seems to be fractured, scattered, not his whole self. He is powerful but weak. He is able to speak to players, characters, and potentially the audience? It transcends the boundaries between the two worlds...

Evidence D: Justin is a big fan of the TAZiverse. He has shown this multiple times but the ones I remember most are of course, when he introduces "Taako from Television" in Ephemera (and other Balance things, implies it was a legend passed down, etc), and when Griffin introduced that he would be playing Indrid in Dust 2. Like of fuckin course he'd be excited to bring things together more in small ways.

Evidence E: There has been increased Clint McElroy the Planeswalking Janitor activity, the most since before Ethersea. In April, Justin played the character Clint McElroy the Planeswalking Janitor in a liveshow in San Jose (I was there hi!!!), which had initially been planned for November but was rescheduled. Both of these, though, fall under the time in which Steeplechase was active, so he was thinking about this character during that time. Additionally, the merch of the month for August is a sticker of Planeswalking Janitor Clint McElroy. And he was mentioned in Steeplechase Episode 26, when there was debate over whether something was said by Emerich or his player.

Travis: I think that was Dad. Justin: Oh. Well, I mean... yeah, I guess dad could be in it too, Trav. Is that what you’re saying? Travis: No, I’m just saying, I think Dad was making the observation— Clint: Oh my God! Is this an appearance by Clint McElroy, the planes-walking janitor? Griffin: No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Clint: Okay— Travis: No, no, not yet. Justin: No, we can’t, we can’t. Travis: Don’t force it, don’t force it.

Evidence F: I didn't expect to find this one. Honestly I think it shows that I have gone too far as a person. But... guys this one drives me crazy. So. We meet Shoockles in Episode 4, when The Nanofather introduces him as "Cat bart... he's my cat. Bart Shoockles." And guys I was like haha that's funny there is no way this is related... But then I was on Clint's Instagram trying to figure out if maybe he had a cat, since I know Justin has one. And I came across a photo he took of a white dog, which I wasn't sure was his until I got confirmation from an old post on one of the boys' Instagrams. But... in the caption of the post with his dog, he calls him Homer. Clint McElroy has a dog named Homer. Let me just, direct you to the Simpsons family tree:

Finally, Evidence G: Justin would go really far for a bit. He likes to have fun and get silly with his family and he knows Clint would get a huge laugh out of this. And he would also do anything to get a good age joke on his dad.

8. Conclusion [how it all comes together]

The moment you've been waiting for. What does it all mean?

The Nanofather seems to play no real importance to the main plot in Steeplechase at this point, but he has huge potential to. More importantly, looking at the Nanofather gives us some insight into the state of the park and where the player characters find themselves. He works as both a narrative framing device and as a part of the story. He talks to the players, the characters, and the audience, truly bringing a special flavor to Steeplechase.

With everything we've seen and heard, there is sufficient evidence to say that the Nanofather lives within the walls of the park, travelling using its energy grid. He has only been able to manifest to the characters through the electronics and hardlight creations. When they arrived in Kidadelphia in episode 32, it was apparent they were not connected to the same electrical grid, and there was no hardlight. The fact that he was completely silent in both 32 and 33 supports this theory, because there would be no way for him to communicate with them. Either that or they were too late and he died.

He has found himself in a wasteland, with weather and times that are controlled electronically. He is scattered, does not have a name-- a shell of who he once was. If the Carmine Denton Nanofather theory were correct, this would be a beautiful picture: the guy who created a way for others to escape is trapped in the destruction that his creation wrought... Regardless, I am concerned for his wellbeing since it seemed like he was in a hurry.

The interactions between the Nanofather and the heist crew imply that there could be a larger plot with him, but I don't know how close that is to happening. The Nanofather is one complicated guy, and if they want to save him I... guess they'll have to never know when to stop dreaming.

Thank you for coming along with me on this long and gruesome ride. I started this way back after episode 30 aired, I think. It's been simmering for a month, my own personal stew of sorts... For those of you who have helped contribute to my madness, thank you, and to those who have watched in horror, I'm sorry. It's been a real one.

And now, to send you off, I present to you this excerpt from Episode 10:

Justin: Our friend and employee Jupiter is kind enough to help pull together recaps of this dumb stuff, but Jupiter, showing a lot of wisdom here, does not track the story of the nanofather […] Travis: I think they realize it's been so clear cut at this point that any child could keep track of all the nanofather/muckdweller lore.

[yardsards]

taz steeplechase is A Podcast

[somelittleplacebetweenthestars]

Ok I have GOT to know your thoughts on Steeplechase (specifically your Nanofather theories) before the next episode

okay so i went and reread over my massive Nanofather post (https://www.tumblr.com/somelittleplacebetweenthestars/717084698400129024/the-nanofather) after this episode to recap and god i was so right abt everything. also to be clear I haven’t gone to that level of analysis with the any of the Nanofsther stuff since then so there may be things i’m missing/forgetting BUT

My main theory at the end of that post was that the Nanofather is a hardlight preservation of Carmine Denton ala Walt Disney who is working with Kenchall Denton. I still mostly believe that! The key difference is that I think I got their relationship wrong — the Nanofather is not working WITH Kenchall but FOR Kenchall. Here’s my thinking:

In the episode where Poppy’s Angels got dropped in New Kidadelphia (or somewhere near it) Kenchall Denton talks to Emerich abt how even the most advanced hardlight tech Emerich has seen is nothing compared to what’s “going on up top” — specifically, the conversation was in relation to the hardlight copy of Gravel aka the realistic representation of people in hardlight. Under that specific context it means it is ENTIRELY possible that they have figured out a way to upload a person into a hardlight projection — the ultimate way of imitating a real person.

Now, the reason I no longer think that the Nanofather is working WITH Kenchall but FOR him is that he asked Poppy’s Angels to come find him when he was inhabiting the body of Geltfrimpen, presumably to reconstruct him from the “shattered” state he was in. Asking the Angels to do this rather than trust in Kenchall implies that Kenchall does not plan to restore him or benefits from him being shattered i.e. weakened.

HOWEVER it is possible that the Nanofather engineered Kenchall sending the Angels to Kidadelphia specifically so they could come find and help him — either for the Nanofather’s benefit or the benefit of Kenchall’s plan. I do think his ultimate goal is to be reconstructed into the one (possibly hardlight) body, but from there it could go either way! He is a Denton, so he could easily immediately begin gunning to take over the park in much the same way Kenchall is. Or he could Willy Wonka it and try to pass on ownership to the Angel’s

Either way I think we’re about to find out!

Now, what I’m REALLY thinking about is what the fuck is going on with Krystal w a K ……..

[corvidexoskeleton]

Im thinking its less that the nanofather is a cult leader in this situation and is more.... like he has ulterior motives and a set goal, and is actively manipulating the more vulnerable in order to achieve whatever those goals are

[ethersierra]

So fucking true

Every time I hear the silence I go a little more insane. I know what he's cooking. I know he's connected to the grid of Steeplechase and there is so much lore to unpack...

can I just say, I love the nanofather. I will never get tired of the nanofather. I believe there is deep and inscrutable lore to the nanofather. I believe Justin when he says he's hearing this stuff for the first time. I hope the nanofather continues even after Steeplechase finishes. I want the nanofather in mbmbam AND the empty bowl.

[terezis]

THE FACT THAT HE JUST SAID HOMEWORLD AND WE ALL JUST GLOSSED OVER THAT. WHY DID HE SAY THE NANOFATHER KNOWS A LOT ABOUT "HOMEWORLD."

also the fact that this guy mentioned a silo and i know from listening to the besties that justin was reading a book about a post-apocalyptic silo community!!!

SUSPICIOUS

[cobalt-knave]

I was weaving* when I listened, so no live reaction post, but I LOVED the finale of Steeplechase! Endings that tie up loose ends but leave the story open are the best, so I love that the crew stayed together, got worse, become closer, and now the only question is what next.

I am also Thrilled that the I'm Your Dad bit was one of Montrose Pretty's trademark complete lies (all the respect to the theorists, but I am such a fan of characters who are nobodies in the grand scheme of things <3). AND Emerich really said "Hey Montrose loves Steeplechase lore, I'm gonna give him a cool book I found on the subject and then quiz him on the trivia." <3 Emerich is so good. Every foresight really demonstrates how he shows he cares by sharing little things he finds cool like skiing videos and stuff.

And Beef. The LETTER FOLLOW UP!!! THE GALSPIER!!!! He even stole a plane. <3.

I literally do not have a favorite player character in Steeplechase. I love all of them, and I love how they work together both in fiction and narratively and structurally.

They even trapped some dude in hell and changed how Chrystal with a CH is spelled. <3

*I am just realizing the beautiful irony of that!! Weaving. Like. Like the-- Like the nanofather. But on a physical loom, which is really cool unrelatedly, and I made a scarf.

[raspberrybluejeans]

just condensing all the new episode thoughts into one post

THEY FUCKING GOT KRYSTAL WITH A K………

Emerich confirmed canon black hair ?? lol. I’ve never been super sure what age to imagine them all as. Other than like. probably middle aged-ish

SHOOKLES APPEARANCE REVEAL skinny ratty gray cat

also nanofather appearance reveal but it went in one ear and out the other lol

Beef being 37 and Emerich being 50 *could* be true but also these guys are lying about shit all the time lol. Like Montrose blatantly lied about his age lmfao

WHY did Montrose lie about his age………

Emerich why do you have to be so weird about every conversation omg 💀💀💀💀💀💀💀

ALIENS⁉️

[ethersierra]

🫡🫡

YES my nanofather theory was RIGHT! I KNEW he was Carmine Denton!

[thraxusrelaxus]

hello to the one other post under the nanofather tag

[ethersierra]

So. There was a noticeable lack of silence in the beginning of today's Steeplechase episode. For those familiar with my nanofather insane post, you know I'm already on the case faster than Darla Davis.

Episode 35 followed up the rather offputting Krystal with a K intro with the Steeplechase theme song, and then... immediate dialogue, in media res...

Far weirder to me than the silence.

True, Justin could have just gotten over the bit since it'd been three episodes. Maybe the Nanofather truly is gone.

But I don't buy that. Not for a second.

Episode 33 ended with dialogue from Orwell, the gorilla-dactyl. Episode 34 we still had a solid six-second silence, then discussion period before Justin recontextualized them, presumably because Orwell was done speaking.

But 35. There is less than a second of silence. No fucking silence. It's just Orwell. Last episode Orwell was there at the start but he was just ominously staring at them right? Like he wasn't actively conversing with them, there's a precedent.

My current understanding of the nanofather is that he goes through electricity or energy and is specifically more able to inhabit animatronics, as we've seen with Geltfrimpen. When he's in hardlight, he can't really talk, just observe. In the arcade machine he was able to speak a bit, but it was weak and he seemed to be running out of time. In those moments, he is able to interact with the characters.

When the other nanofather intros start he isn't talking to the characters, though, he's talking to the players and audience. When he is talking to us/the players, he's called us spirits, and he seems to have a physical form but it's like... The mechanism is THROUGH the park. He connects to the animatronics and it's a bridge to the characters. There is a secondary function that connects him to us that was taken away when they were put in Kidadelphia. Not necessarily from the characters though. Because he manifests in electricity/animatronics and well... the animatronics of jungle island are FROM Steeplechase originally so he could have inhabited them that way and a part of him still be connected. Remember, he is scattered. He is not in one place, not in one form.

The significance of this episode is that we have further confirmation of the divide in how he interacts with the audience versus the characters. Justin makes a clear point that in Kidadelphia, they are disconnected from the main source of power within Steeplechase. If you connect this to the ways he's spoken with the audience, it makes sense-- we are heard through the "horn" and the walls.

Additionally, if we recall when he inhabited Geltfrimpen, creaky man said he was shattered in several places across the world. That shows that he, as he exists within the universe of Steeplechase, is not bound to the confines of the park (unless "the world" is the park).

TLDR The Nanofather exists in Orwell. He is sort of a spirit within the animatronics, it would seem. Or something close to that. He seems to have reverted back to observing rather than speaking, due to his weakened state.

Either that or Kenchal Denton killed him too hehe

[yardsards]

i NEED krystal with a k to appear in old kidadelphia so bad you don't understand

[ethersierra]

The nanofather talks about herbs and spices an awful lot. Like. He's talking about this stew at some point so it could be related but like.

Ep 12: If you’re buying nano-nutmeg, buy the whole one. Grind it yourself… The taste is so much fresher. … Oh, a tale, you say? Well… perhaps the nutmeg can wait. 

Ep 19: You will find it… in the pyre… I’m certain of it. It was pepperoni and green pepper…

Ep 22: The greater danger is hesitation, yes… I will add one more half-teaspoon of cumin, Shoeckles. Thank you, Shoeckles, I… should listen to your culinary acumen more.

Ep 29: No, no, no, that is… the cilantro… Yes, in the UK, they call it, they call the leaves ‘coriander’ and the seeds. I don’t know why we… I don’t know why we do it the way we do. I wish that I’d learn, with age.

This could mean something. I'm not sure what! The lore implications are there. But really, I think most likely is that Justin records with a spice rack within view.

[yardsards]

steeplechase theory that i have little backing for and is more just me throwing spaghetti at a wall:

i know we've been expecting the nanofather to also be an established/important character (such as carmine denton or clint the planeswalking janitor, etc) but what if he's not

what if he was just like. a face character/a professional caretaker that used to work in old kidadelphia (not unlike the job stimpson was supposed to do in new kidadelphia) who just got abandoned there with all the kids after the park closed

perhaps one who maybe got a little too into his role and lost his sense of reality (as some of the people who play those kinds of roles in the park seem to do at times), especially after being stuck there so long

or maybe he's just desperate for a way out. who knows.

and perhaps he figured out some sort of way to interface with the network in steeplechase as a whole, perhaps using something similar to the metalmals' energoo

related to this (and partially required for this theory to hold up): i think old kidadelphia might have originally been space themed, before being remodeled into its current more old-west and jungle adjacent vibes before eventually being closed down. perhaps as a tie-in to the sci-fi themed infinitum layer that they mentioned offhand a while back?

things that have me going down this path of thought:

-old kidadelphia is described as overall looking like a barren desert wasteland. and something like that could have easily originally been themed after, say, the surface of mars

-"the nanofather" sounds like the name of a face character, a la "sticky fingers paul pantry"

-the "big kids" believe they are on another planet other than earth. (we're going to assume that this is not true for the sake of this theory, though the possibility of it being true and the entirety of steeplechase being located off-planet is really fucking cool). this is a belief the younger kids don't seem to share.

-but the nanofather sounds like he went along with it and possibly even encouraged it, probably helping them build their rocket

-now, the belief that they're on another planet sounds like it's obviously something that they cling to in order to cope with their abandonment. but the specificity of that belief seems less like it formed organically and more like it was a story told to them by someone else that they incorporated into their worldview.

-perhaps it was a story the nanofather told them. or just kind of the general theme/lore/kayfabe of the park at the time

-also, the way everyone looks to the nanofather for guidance reminds me a lot of how children look to their caretakers

anyway this theory is definitely full of So Many holes and is almost definitely wrong but it's just a neat idea i had

[somelittleplacebetweenthestars]

The Nanofather

hey steepies! picnic with a p here back with another (<- lie this is the first) theory post about The Adventure Zone: Steeplechase. this week: the nanofather (aka creaky man aka the weaver aka geltfrimpen the infinite dragon aka dirty jeremy)

basically i had a lot of thoughts abt the nanofather and the role he played in the overarching story of the podcast so i wrote several thousand words breaking down his prologues, his appearance as geltfrimpen, and the greater ramifications of him and his lore. it’s LONG so i put it below the cut. TL;DR at the end. enjoy!

The Nanofather first appears in the second episode of the current season of The Adventure Zone, Steeplechase. Originally, he functions as a comedic framing device for the Steeplechase story, a “book that [he’s] written” (ep.3). These prologues also usually contain a little piece of worldbuilding for the Nanofather and his environment, revealing other characters such as Shoeckles and Kevekka or weather patterns like the rust storms. Because of the stark differences between the Nanofather’s world and the world of Steeplechase, the Nanofather seemed to be largely detached from the universe and story of the main campaign; a funny attachment to help Justin overcome his stage fright. In fact, Justin himself has attested to the fact that he does not plan out what the Nanofather will say ahead of time (wiki, unknown ep.).

There is a however.

At the end of episode 20, Montrose, Emerich, and Beef [hereafter referred to as Poppy’s Angels] make their way into the lair of Geltfrimpen the Infinite Dragon, where Geltfrimpen speaks in what I believe is the voice of the Nanofather.

The implications of this are, obviously, immense. I’m here to unpack them!

So, first, for any of this to have a basis, we need to accept that the character speaking through Geltfrimpen was the character we know as the Nanofather. I say speaking through Geltfrimpen because it is stated that the voice is NOT Geltfrimpen (ep. 21). The second part of this analysis is dependent on this assumption. Firstly, however, we need to talk about the Nanofather.

Most of the Nanofather’s prologues discuss his world, with all the rust-storms and muck farmers and that. These are evocative, but largely irrelevant to the conversation here.

I transcribed all of the Nanofather’s prologues so far (https://docs.google.com/document/d/102bNt_UICNtIUJXlCq8eYgR7wEkJ-ahch8neOo03V_Y/edit) and have ranked them from most to least important, prioritising direct references to the ongoing campaign and worldbuilding. Keep in mind, this is a subjective ranking. To summarise: episodes 16, 18, 21, and 22 are the most important, sharing the S-rank. The majority of my analysis is going to centre around these prologues, with a few additional sections at the end.

In Episode 16’s prologue, the Nanofather references “the story … changing” (ep. 16). We can assume that the “story” the Nanofather is referring to is Steeplechase from the Nanofather’s multiple references to Steeplechase as a story he is telling (ep. 6-8, 12, 13, 15) [note: the Nanofather occasionally says “weave” or “spin”. For simplicity’s sake, I’m assuming that he means these as synonyms for tell (a story). We’ll get into the exact mechanics of his story-telling later]. The precisions of how the story is changing are of interest here: it is possible that another character within the Nanofather’s world such as Kevekka or Shoeckles is sneaking in and changing the story, if we assume that Steeplechase is a big book the Nanofather has written (as he claims in ep. 2). Far more interesting, however, is the idea that the story is changing itself; that the characters within the story (Poppy’s Angels) are acting with true agency, and not how they are expected to act. This in turn implies a far more dynamic relationship between the Nanofather and Poppy’s Angels, and could be a clue as to the reason the Nanofather revealed himself to the Angels.

In Episode 18’s prologue, the Nanofather seems to be talking to another person, and refers to an anonymous third party, saying “they haven’t even begun to fathom it.” and “they’re not ready.” (ep. 18). The ‘they’ in this case appears to be Poppy’s Angels, for a few reasons. Firstly, episode 18 is the beginning of Ephemera arc, where Poppy’s Angels eventually encounter Geltfrimpen. Secondly, the Nanofather’s ‘tale’ so far has concerned itself with Poppy’s Angels. It follows that the Nanofather would continue to be referring to them. Thirdly, the podcast is about them. Why would the Nanofather be talking about somebody else [note: this may come back to bite me in the ass if another rival group is revealed]. This is the prologue that truly started this line of thought, as it suggests a larger plot taking place around the Angels. The prominent questions raised here are a). What are they not fathoming? b). What are they not ready for? And c). Who is he talking to? We can assume some basic answers to these questions: they aren’t fathoming the larger plot unfolding, they’re not ready to be swept up in its machinations, etc. The most interesting to me is the last question; who is we? The context of the adventure would suggest that the Nanofather is talking to Kenshell Denton, the upstart member of the Denton family who sent Poppy’s Angels to Ephemera at the end of the previous episode. This theory implies the following

The Nanofather exists within Steeplechase

The Nanofather and Kenshell are working together

And, therefore,

The Nanofather is important (or useful) enough to know a Denton

From here we can extrapolate. My theory is that the Nanofather is Carmine Denton, founder of Dentonic. The timeline of Steeplechase’s creation is uncertain — it is certainly possible that the campaign is taking place within Carmine’s natural lifespan. I don’t have a source for this, but Carmine dissolved his empire to build Steeplechase in 2030. Assuming he was 50 or so at the time, that would give a window of about 50 years for the campaign to be set in, post Steeplechase’s creation. It’s also possible that the campaign does NOT take place in Carmine Denton’s lifetime, and that the Nanofather is instead a hardlight recreation of Carmine Denton ala Scott Boldflex. Now, whether or not this hardlight recreation IS Carmine Denton is beyond the realm of what’s being discussed here (I’ve got a solid enough grip on the philosophy of identity so I could talk about it, but it doesn’t quite seem relevant). The Nanofather could also be a robot containing Carmine’s brain jacked into the Steeplechase network for life support, allowing Carmine to send his brain around. The second two possibilities are the most likely, as we can deduce this from a line Geltfrimpen says during his death monologue to Poppy’s Angels: “I was in one of those vans as you made that thrilling escape … I have watched you from the porch of Ustaben” (ep. 21). As noted on the wiki, this heavily implies the Nanofather either is hardlight, has a way of hijacking hardlight constructions, and/or has a way of inhabiting them. The possibility of the Nanofather being the flesh and blood Carmine Denton seems prohibitive to the process of inhabiting Geltfrimpen, especially as he seems to imply he cannot come out of the corpse of Geltfrimpen when asked (ep. 21) and describes himself as being “in many places at once” (ep. 21).

Another possibility is that the Nanofather is talking to Kenchall, but instead of being Carmine is simply a truly sentient hardlight construct. Possibly an AI somehow in control of the rest of the hardlight in the park? Another possibility is that he’s simply a master hacker that Kenchall somehow controls.

Another possibility is that the Nanofather is not talking to Kenchall Denton, but instead is talking to his cat, Bart Shoeckles, a known friend and companion of the Nanofather (ep. 4, 7, 8, 11, 22). This would mean that the “it” they “haven’t even begun to fathom” (ep. 18) is a plan constructed possibly beyond the scope of Kenchall Denton’s ambitions, with Shoeckles at the head, or serving some higher up.

In any case, the question needs to be asked: why does the Nanofather care about Poppy’s Angels? Is it simply because he’s been following their story? Or is he possessed of some oracular vision of their importance to a greater plot he has stakes in?

In Episode 21’s prologue, the Nanofather talks about “mostly [being] with them now [sic].” Again, we can assume the “them” is Poppy’s Angels. Him nearly being with them implies that the Nanofather is Geltfrimpen, who Poppy’s Angels meet and slay in this episode. Interestingly, the Nanofather actually speaks through Geltfrimpen for the first time at the end of episode 20. There are a few explanations for why he then later says “mostly with them”.

The prologue is a flashback to just before Poppy’s Angels enter the room at the end of ep. 20

The Nanofather is somehow barred from Poppy’s Angels by the form of Geltfrimpen — or the expectations of Geltfrimpen he must meet while inhabiting him (evidenced by the line “I do have to keep up appearances, you know” in response to Beef asking him to stop attacking them). This explains why the Nanofather doesn’t properly talk to Poppy’s Angels until the animatronic is destroyed

The Nanofather is still drawing himself together from the “many places around this world” (ep. 21) he inhabits

The Nanofather is not only adrift from Poppy’s Angels in space but in time, and has only now caught up with them chronologically

The last theory mostly draws upon the similarities between his line “I’m … mostly with them now” and the recurring line said by the narrator in The Adventure Zone: Balance “You’re nearly caught up”, a reference both to catching up the memories of those who forgot and catching up with a group who had moved 100 years through time. It’s probably nothing, but the presence of Taako could suggest otherwise).

To get into theory 3, we need to talk a little more about Geltfrimpen.

Firstly though, in the episode 21 prologue, he also talks about the “them” being “smaller than [he] imagined.” This could be because of the size of Poppy’s Angels in comparison to Geltfrimpen, a literal dragon.

After Poppy’s Angels slay Geltfrimpen in episode 21, the dragon collapses and a real conversation between the two parties opens up. Before this, Geltfrimpen offered mostly compliments on the attacks made against him [note: I’m going to refer to the Nanofather as Geltfrimpen in this paragraph, to distinguish between lines pulled from the prologue and lines pulled from the interaction with Geltfrimpen. I am still considering them the same character], including expressing attraction to Scott Boldflex once he’s summoned (ep. 21). A line worth noting from the combat is “I’m having trouble staying here though, so if you could move as quickly as possible”. This reinforces the theory the Nanofather is elsewhere, possessing/controlling/inhabiting Geltfrimpen. I won’t transcribe the full conversation here (if you’d like to read it, it’s on the same document as the prologue transcriptions, here again: https://docs.google.com/document/d/102bNt_UICNtIUJXlCq8eYgR7wEkJ-ahch8neOo03V_Y/edit), but will provide a brief summary of interesting points.

In response to Beef asking if he can come out of Geltfrimpen, he responds “Would that I could.”

States “I am not Geltfrimpen. I am here but I am not Geltfrimpen”

Explains he is “many places throughout the world” and that e.g. Geltfrimpen, the porch of Ustaben, the vans in Gutter City

Explains the part of him that was in Geltfrimpen was trapped, and that by destroying Geltfrimpen the other parts of him are more concentrated

Explains it takes quite a bit for him to be there

Asks Poppy’s Angels to find him

Says he doesn’t know what he is

1 firms up the theory the Nanofather is simply occupying Geltfrimpen, and not physically either, so through hacking or some hardlight magic.

2 corresponds with theory Nanofather is Geltfrimpen

3 introduces an interesting new piece of information. Following the hardlight AI theory, it seems to imply that the Nanofather is an AI somehow splintered across Steeplechase, compartmentalised for some reason. Possibly so Dentonic can use him to run hardlight constructions — or possibly so he is not powerful enough to threaten Dentonic.

4 firms up this theory, establishing that there is a limited amount of Nanofather spread between several places/constructs that can be coalesced into one singular entity.

5 can be taken as evidence following this theory. The Nanofather is spread ridiculously thin throughout the park, and focusing all his attention on Geltfrimpen and the discussion is taking a lot of effort. This corresponds with the earlier line “I’m having trouble staying here”.

6 is obvious, but raises questions again of why Poppy’s Angels are so important to him. There are obviously thousands of other adventurers who come through Geltfrimpen’s Lair, and an equal number of dubious park employees similar to the Angels. Why them? What does he know?

7 can be taken to show the mental strain he’s undergoing to “be there” (see point 5).

That’s most of what can be gleaned from the conversation with Geltfrimpen, and it presents a pretty solid explanation of things once analysed. The Nanofather is likely a true AI in charge of Steeplechase, forced to spread himself too thin, likely by Dentonic, and begging Poppy’s Angels for help.

The problem is, this doesn’t explain the prologues.

In Episode 22’s prologue, the Nanofather is talking to Shoeckles again. Before he starts talking about cumin, he talks about pushing himself “as far as [he] could” and worrying if it was “not far enough”. The implications of this seem clear enough: by analysing Geltfrimpen’s dialogue we can come to the conclusion that he was already straining himself to be present with Poppy’s Angels. The question now is why has he returned to the world the prologues seem to be set in, with the rust storms, muck fields, and other things he describes [note: from here on out, I’m going to be calling this place the Rustfields]. Obviously, the Rustfields function as a sort of base for him to operate from as he effects the world and story of Steeplechase, but if he is, as we have previously assumed, an AI broken up into many parts and spread throughout Steeplechase, then how come he has a place where he is concentrated enough to drink pollen broth, play psy-chess, and tell stories to children? Off the top of my head, there are a few possible explanations that can be supported with evidence.

The Rustfields are a sort of mind palace or a mental construct of the AI

The Rustfields are a layer of, or at least a location in, Steeplechase, with the core housing of the Nanofather AI

The Rustfields are real

Theory 1 is the most cohesive with the current working theory. The mind palace idea contextualises the prologues as a coping mechanism of the Nanofather, constructing this world around him to help him understand and contextualise whatever it is he’s doing. Following this theory, the “horn” through which he hears the spirits could be the way Kenchall Denton (or whoever he’s talking to in prologue 18) communicates with him; the story of the podcast would be how he explains his actions to himself; the rust storms could be power outages, etc. What it does NOT explain is the other characters present in his world. While Shoeckles is the immediate thought, the cat doesn’t actually have any speaking lines. However, in episode 9, a child’s voice can be heard speaking through “the horn” (ep. 9). The Nanofather addresses this child as Kevekka, and tells him to “get away from the horn” (ep. 9). The presence of another being with agency in what we are presuming is the Nanofather’s mind palace seems illogical, meaning this theory is unlikely barring some revelation. It is possible that Kevekka is one of the ‘parts’ of the Nanofather he talks about in episode 21, but he also refers to all of his parts as himself, not as independent actors who he needs to oversee (or scold, in this case).

Theory 2 is an interesting one, purely because I’d like to see Poppy’s Angels actually travel there. This theory explains most of the worldbuilding the Nanofather presents, as these can be actual phenomenon. While it is possible for the Rustfields to be an actual layer, open to the public and all, it is also possible that the Rustfields are instead a section of the Buttercream, where the Nanofather is hidden away. This theory can even contain the previous theory’s explanation for the horn within it. The presence of children that the Nanofather tells stories too is also explainable, either if the Nanofather is an attraction on the Rustfields layer or if the children are Buttercream residents themselves.

Theory 3 is my favourite. I’ll tell you why.

If we assume that the Rustfields is a real place distinct from Steeplechase, that all the worldbuilding contained in the Nanofather’s prologues is true and accurate to the world he lives in, we’re left with three possibilities:

The Rustfields is somewhere else geographically

The Rustfields is somewhere else temporally

The Rustfields is somewhere else metatextually

Theory 1 seems the most reasonable, though it requires the abandonment of the most probable theory, that the Nanofather is a trapped and divided AI. It supposes the Rustfields is a fucked-up swamp or something somewhere that’s undergone considerable environmental damage. The Nanofather, living within, is likely a hacker or the like, engaged in high level sabotage against Dentonic and constantly having to maintain multiple invasive presences in the Steeplechase system. This aligns with the theory that the Nanofather was talking to Kenchall Denton in episode 18, another actor aiming to bring down the leadership of Dentonic.

Theory 2 is a little more out there, but a lot more fun. This takes the Nanofather’s descriptions almost more or less literally, making the Rustfields a post-apocalyptic world that the Nanofather lives in, projecting himself backwards in time to affect the world of Steeplechase and talk to Poppy’s Angels, possibly to divert the coming about of his explicitly environmentally hostile world. The Nanofather’s talking about “push[ing] it further” in the prologue of episode 22 can be understood as him pushing himself backwards through time: Geltfrimpen saying he is many places can be understood as the Nanofather pushing himself back to different places in the same time over the course of his efforts. Additionally, in episode 23’s prologue he mentions “echoes of things yet to be”, making the time travel angle seem more possible.

Theory 3 is a little boring. It basically puts the Rustfields in a completely unrelated textual universe, fully acknowledging that Steeplechase is just a story the Nanofather is telling. Anywhere it seems like there is a connection between the Nanofather and the story of Steeplechase is a pure coincidence under this theory: it is the only one bought up here that disregards the assumption that the Nanofather is Geltfrimpen. Simply put, I don’t think it’s much worth considering.

Before I go, I want to quickly highlight episode 26’s prologue, an odd poem that fascinated me but eluded my efforts to fit into any analysis. It reads:

Ever faster, ever closer, ever never slowing down.

Ever nearer, ever clearer, ever nipping at the gown.

Ever spinning, ever grinning, ever hearing what they please.

Ever growing, ever knowing, that they are the disease.

That’s more or less all I have to say on the matter right now! I might write more as more prologues/Nanofather appearances come up, but I expect the mystery will probably be making itself clear soon … hopefully. As wiki commenter taakosleftshoe said on the Nanofather fandom wiki page: “This is the most important page on this wiki”.

TL;DR

Here are my current top two theories surrounding the Nanofather

He’s a sentient hardlight construct (similar to Scott Boldflex) of Carmine Denton, the founder of Dentonic and Steeplechase, being used as the AI controller of all the hardlight in Steeplechase. He’s currently working with Kenchall Denton on Kenchall’s plan. The Nanofather world is a layer of Steeplechase and the Nanofather himself is an attraction, telling stories to the visitors

He’s a hacker from an apocalyptic future, projecting himself back in time at multiple points along the timeline to guide Montrose, Beef, and Emerich into preventing whatever calamity causes the world to be like that

Admittedly, the first one is more likely, but i’m fond of the second one and it’s variations (he’s a hacker from the present day, the world outside steeplechase is an apocalyptic wasteland, he’s trying to bring down Dentonic to save it. Y’know). I think it would make for a great third act twist, similar to Balance’s.

If you want to hear my reasoning behind these conclusion and also read some other fun ideas … read the post lol

[ethersierra]

i will explain more later but. here is my comprehensive (but not comprehendible) nanofather theory board (idk if this file will be high enough quality to read. tbh)