untitled maid quest

[Solarstream]

Spoiler: Winning vote

Winning vote:
[X][Books!] "The Overpowered Boss Monsters that Came From Another World during The Great War"
[X][Drink] Do not drink
-[X][Drink] Pour into the empty glass: (rose hip)

[Week 14: Blessings and Bad Luck]​

Day 1

"Hmmmm..."

You decide that these must be meant for someone else... or maybe a group of someones? Some spirits or fairies, perhaps. Or maybe it's just a house ritual? Regardless, you decide to also pour out another glass, using the empty one in the center. Ahh, but what should you fill it with?

"Let's see..."

The most common wines are, of course, those made from grapes, and they exist in a wide variety. However, there's also apple wines, wines made of various berries, and rose hip wine. There's also dandelion wine, and you had no idea those last two even existed until just now. Who even drinks these? Well, you suppose someone here does, as none of the bottles look too old.

You pull out a bottle of rose hip wine. Apparently, it's the fruit of the rose plant, so it matches with the other wines already poured out. You walk over and pour out a generous glass.

"Enjoy!" Leo Sun activates. Gain -4 Insanity. Spell is improved by 1.

When you go to put the bottle back, you notice another empty glass has appeared, this time accompanied with a note. It says that this glass is for you, and it has smiley face on it where the eyes are multiocular symbols. You decide to follow along and pour yourself a small portion of the rose hip wine. You find it sweet to the taste.

And when you go back to where the other glasses were after you put the bottle away, you find that they've all been consumed. There are no signs of whoever (or whoevers or whatever or whatevers) could have done it either. Looks like the presence here is a bit shy... but that's fine. You can always come back another time.

"Have a good night!" you say as you depart with the empty glasses in tow.

Between the room's pleasant whispers back to you and the wine, you're feeling very warm... but you have nothing else in mind for today, so you don't do anything with it this time.

Day 3

A few days later, you're in the zone, folding laundry in the Laundry Room with Violet and Rocandi. The two of them are chatting, and you are content just to listen in.

"No, Violet, it goes like this..."

"Oh! Uhhh, let me try again..."

"Good. That's better."

"I'm surprised I haven't been down here more often."

"We all rotate tasks, especially things like this."

"But is there really that much to do on the upper floors?"

"Things constantly need cleaning and dusting, so yes."
...iiiiiit's beeeeeen a whiiiiiiile...
You suddenly perk up, and glance around.

"...Sage, are you okay?" Violet asks. Rocandi also looks concerned, though her expression is, as always, subdued.

"...I'm fine. It's nothi-"

Spoiler: Another prank!?

The Laundry Room currently has spookiness 2. Unavoidable damage. Consequence: rolling d4... 3. Sage and Violet gain +3 Insanity.

You're interrupted by the clothes you were just folding suddenly flying into your face, knocking you over.

"-ngggah!?"

"Sage! Ah!?"

"Sage!? Violet!?"

You hear some odd noises and can feel that the floor is suddenly wet... but you can't see anything under the pile of clothes now burying you! As you dig yourself out, you can see that Violet and a few other housekeepers also got swamped, while the laundry machines are now malfunctioning – spewing water and wet clothes on the ground.
...haaaa haaaa haaaa haaaa...
Rocandi is busy shutting off the machines, and has been joined by a few others by this point. Everyone's in a confused panic... but you know what's going on, so you're not. It's that ghost again... it's presence is fading now, but you're sure it was just here.

You pull a soaked Violet out of a pile of clothes, and she clings to you tightly once more.

"...Sage. What was that!?"

"An unwelcome guest."

You'll have to deal with it later... you have work to do right now.

You sigh.

Even more work...

Day 4

It took several hours, but you all did manage to clean up the Laundry Room. That said, most of the washing machines were busted and in need of repair. When you woke up this morning and wandered down to get breakfast, you could see that the repairers had already arrived and that Rocandi and Mrs. Pearl were with them. You were tempted to go find that ghost... but there was something else you wanted to do today.

"Eh? You want to meet the original me?"

"That's right," you say to Vini as the two of you eat together. "Unless that's an issue?"

"No, no... I have the day off. I was going to go frolic in the garden, but we can do this instead."

"Well, if you'd rather do that, you can just give me directions?"

Vini shakes their head. "No, I should go with you."

And not too long later, the two of you are out of the Mansion and into the heat, as there's no cloud cover from the mighty sun. It'll only get hotter too, as summer hasn't even truly begun. You're glad for all the tree cover, though Vini seems to be basking the light. Good for them.

Eventually, after walking a fair distance from the mansion, Vini pulls you into a hidden space...
Rolled a natural 20! No Insanity gain!
...and you both emerge in the Lost Woods. This time, you can more clearly pick out some of the spiritual presences surrounding you, and thankfully none of them are Bubo. You hope that owl-man has learned his lesson...

Vini continues leading you through a winding maze of trees, and you're not sure if this is truly necessary or if they're just trying to make sure that you're not being followed. Regardless, you both eventually end up inside another hidden space, which unfolds into a massive clearing where only a single, massive tree resides.

You blink, and there's suddenly another Vini there, but their face is covered by a thin cloth and they're also much taller than even you.

"You must be Sage," the tree-spirit says in a soft whisper.

"Y-yes. Ummm..."

"Be not afraid. Your union has my blessing."

Vini giggles as you breathe out a sigh you didn't know you were keeping inside.

"What has brought you here? I sense you have many troubles."

You came here to ask about the Horned Serpent... but now that you're here, other questions are popping up in your head. But should you ask them? You don't want to spend too much time here after all...

[] Yes (high change of an encounter)
-[] (write-in up to 2 questions)
[] No (low chance of an encounter)

Sage's Insanity: 11
-Leo Sun is active, currently at -5 Insanity / +4 bonus
Violet's Insanity: 9

QM Note: jk, next update will actually be the plan vote

 

[Solarstream]

Spoiler: Winning vote

Winning vote:
[X] No (roll was cleared)

[Week 14, Day 4: Leaning about the Horned Serpent (Divinity, part 4)]​

"I have one question in particular. Have you ever encountered a Horned Serpent?" you ask.

The tree-spirit considers the question for a moment. "A Horned Serpent? This one has not, but another branch..." they say while gesturing towards Vini "...has in fact had that encounter."

"...there's more of you?"

"Yep~! They're all in faraway places though."

"...huh. Well, anyway, do we need to go find that branch, or...?"

The tree-spirit shakes their head. "No need. This was long ago, and I know the details. Though I do wonder why you wish to know about the Horned Serpent. You're not planning on hunting one, are you?"

You shake your head. "If anything, it's the opposite. I've been warned that one is lurking in the caverns underneath the Moonlight Mansion and might attack me."

"Hm? That's odd, they don't normally hunt humans. Besides, my roots extend down there and they don't sense anything like that..."

"Then maybe it hasn't arrived yet. Regardless, the warning I got was real. It was from a kid who could see the future."

"Ah, a prophecy-child. Do keep watch over her if you can, someone might try to eat her soul if they find out. In any case, the Horned Serpent... they typically live underwater, so perhaps these caverns are connected to an underground river or lake?"

You shrug, as you wouldn't know. Vini doesn't know either.

"Hmmm... curious. This is the first expedition down there?"

You turn to Vini, who says that there have been others, but they never get very far and certainly not far enough to have run into any bodies of water besides the lake in the grotto and the underground hot springs.

"I see. Well, you'll know it when you see it. They're brightly colored, very large, and have clear crystals for eyes. They normally consume corruption, whether in the form of poison or malicious spirits, and can also breathe out corrosive gas in self-defense."

"A breath attack? Well, if I happened to be nearby, that'd be it for me..." you say.

"Maybe this one consumed too much corruption without purging it, and became twisted?" Vini suggests.

"That's possible... but I'm worried that someone might be controlling it instead. Or will control it in the future?"

"It would take a very skilled magician to manage that. If a Horned Serpent senses ill intent, it will strike without mercy until the evil is cleansed or it is killed. That said, there are those who would love to have such a creature under their command. You're thinking of Calico, yes?"

You nod.

"I think if she attempts to do so, she'll be in for a nasty surprise. Do not worry."

"...just saying that isn't going to make me not worry..."

Vini takes your arm. "That's fine. I'll be with you," they say.

You smile back at them, and say thanks.

.

.

.

You both left not long afterwards, thanking the tree-spirit for their help, and you made a mental note to return later some time to ask more questions. As you leave, you notice that several spiritual presences are watching you, but making no hostile moves. Well, that's fine. Because you have other things to worry about.

So, you and Vini take the rest of the night to relax in the Mini-Sauna. A New Feeling trait activates! Gain -3 Insanity.

Spoiler: Fully cleansed…

Rolling d4... Value is fixed at 4.
Trait Steam Cleaning is available once more! One-time gain of -4 Insanity to be applied at a time of your choice. Trait will then be lost and has to be regained by visiting the mini-sauna at night once more.

And a few days later, it's time for you to once again sign up for shifts...

Spoiler: QM Pre-selected Work options

Day 1: Outdoors (Afternoon) – with Vini and ???
Day 2: Attic (Afternoon) – with Violet and Britt
Day 4: Floor 3 (Morning) – with Cotton and Rufflo
Day 5: Basement 1 (Afternoon) – with Violet and Rocandi
Day 6: Basement 2 (Night) – with Pena and Taffy

...and decide what to do with your break days.

Spoiler: Break options

Use a trait to lower your Insanity (may only do once per week)
Go to the Mini-Sauna to recharge Steam Cleaning
"Illumination Theory" Sub-plot: Continue reading from "Illumination Theory"
"Illumination Theory" Sub-plot: Investigate the Reverie Troupe
Rocandi Sub-plot: Talk to Rocandi about magic and contracts. Maybe you can help each other?
Rocandi Sub-plot: Ask Rocandi about her past (rolls d20, DC Insanity)
Vini Sub-plot: Vini wants to tell you their story, continued! (refer to Divinity, part 1 and choose a question from there OR write-in a question OR ask about the Solarium OR go meet the original)
Glaz Sub-plot: (no further progress to be made right now)
Rufflo Sub-plot: It's time for that spar you were promised!
Britt Sub-plot: ...well, you did say you wanted to be friends with her... so that means you have to hang out with her on purpose. (You may choose to bring Pena along or just have it be the two of you.) (may be combined with 'Explore a floor' or 'Training')
Prali Sub-plot: You wonder what he's learned about the sealed spirits.
Peca Sub-plot: You wonder how she's been. It's been a long time since you've talked.
The Pralissons Sub-plot: Go see if Mr. Pralisson is doing well to learn more family history (rolls d20, DC Insanity)
The Pralissons Sub-plot: What exactly happened during that haunting? There have to be records somewhere...
Cotton Sub-plot: Just go and chat with her, make sure she doesn't think that you're avoiding her on purpose. (may be combined with 'Explore a floor' or 'Training')
Taffy Sub-plot: Go hunt for magic plants and fungi again!
Taffy Sub-plot: Go see if she's done anything with what she already has?
Gophe Sub-plot: Sure, he made a bad first impression, but he means well... you think. Go talk to him.
Poco Sub-plot: (no further progress to be made right now)
Violet Sub-plot: Go talk to her about what's happening in the Mansion (rolls d20, DC Violet's Insanity) OR ...you think you've seen her sneaking around at night? (must be taken at Night)
Explore a floor and discover a new room (may choose multiple times).
Randomly meet a new named housekeeper.
Return to the Training Room and fight the ghost warrior!
Training: Go practice with the sword by yourself! (rolls d20)
Special Incident: Shelley has returned to the Moonlight Mansion! (required this week, must be taken at Night)
Special Incident: Mr. Pralisson has asked to meet with you. (will be lost in ??? weeks)
(write-in; subject to QM veto)

(Choose four slots for free, with two on each day. For each extra slot you wish to use, Sage will gain +2 Insanity due to stressing herself out. If you do not wish to use a slot, mark it as Empty.)
[] Plan ???
-[X][Day 3] Break
--[][Morning] Further details
--[][Afternoon] Further details
--[][Night] Further details
-[X][Day 7] Break
--[][Morning] Further details
--[][Afternoon] Further details
--[][Night] Further details

Sage's Insanity: 8
-Leo Sun is active, currently at -5 Insanity / +4 bonus
Violet's Insanity: 9

QM Note: On to Week 15!

 

[Solarstream]

Spoiler: Winning vote

Winning vote:
[X] Plan eeeee
-[X][Day 3] Break
--[X][Morning] Taffy Sub-plot Go see if she's done anything with what she already has?
--[X][Afternoon] N/A
--[X][Night] Violet Sub-plot you think you've seen her sneaking around at night?
-[X][Day 7] Break
--[X][Morning] N/A
--[X][Afternoon] Special Incident: Mr. Pralisson
--[X][Night] Special Incident: Shelley

[Week 15, Day 2: Love Sounds]​

Heavenly Haunting activates. Gain +2 Insanity.
"Sage? Are you feeling alright?"

"Ughhh..."

You've been having more nightmares about the Light Spirit. You really wish you knew how to get in touch with Somnia again – that brief reprieve was nice. How can you get rid of them? Will you have to confront that spirit again?

"...Sage?"

Violet's leaning on you.

"...having bad dreams," you mutter.

"Oh? And would ya perhaps want help dealin wit them?"

You give a tired glare to Britt, who gives a mocking pretend fear.

You sigh. "No. Behave."

"I don know what ya could be talkin about. I'm on my best behavior~!"

Violet glares at her as well, but Britt isn't even fazed by it.

"Let's just keep going..." you say, and the three of you continue walking down the hallway on Floor 3. While you're signed up for an attic shift, most of the attic rooms are only connected to each other via Floor 3. Only a select few like the Rookery and the Tower can be accessed via the Roofwalk.

"Eh? But Britt, how could you help Sage with her nightmares?"
In the distance, soft flute music starts to play... Rolled d20s... 3 vs 14(-6). Under control.
"Hmhmhm! Well, it's simple, Violet. I... hold on. Do ya hear somethin?"

You and Violet start to pay more attention to your surroundings. And you can, in fact, her something. It's soft... and soothing... and lovely... just like the girl next to you. Oh... Violet's hugging you now. She's very soft as well...

Britt looks uncomfortable, however. She's covering her ears, her eyes are narrowed, and her mouth is curled into a deep frown.

"Is something the matter?" you ask.

"Yeah, ya lovebirds! Mus be some cursed flute. Follow me..."

A cursed flute? But what kind of curse could make you feel so warm inside? Hmm... but Britt does know what she's talking about (sometimes), so you pull out your towel and wipe your face with it, and you immediately do the same to Violet once you realize that Britt is right.

"Huh? What just happened?" she asks. She then looks at your towel and asks what it is as she lets go of you.

"Don't worry about it. Just stick close to me and Britt."

You then use it on Britt, but it doesn't seem to be doing anything to help her. You'll have to stop the flute playing at its source, which should be the Flute Room.
In the distance, soft flute music starts to play...
But why would you want to do that? It's so nice and soothing... it makes you warm inside... why would you want to give that up...? You feel Violet take her hand in yours and you feel that it's good. You could be like this forever...

"Hey, what's wrong wit ya?" Britt asks.

"Nothing's wrong with me," you reply. "I think something's wrong with you."

Britt glares at you, and tries to take the towel from your hands. You take a big step back, and make your eyes shine. Rolled d20s... 7 vs 1(-6). Immune as long as you shine.

You then immediately shove the towel in Violet's face.

"Mmmph!?"

"Finally snapped out of it, huh? Took ya lon enough!"

You ignore the jab and ask how close the Flute Room is. Britt leads you and a disappointed looking Violet down the hallway and up a set of stairs, only stopping to occasionally break Violet out of another attempt at sound-based mind control. You eventually just wrap the thing around her head, despite her complaints and confusion. And then once you enter the Flute Room...

Spoiler: An uninvited guest!

The Flute Room currently has spookiness 3. Unavoidable damage. Consequence: rolling d4... 4. Sage and Violet gain +4 Insanity.

...you see the cause of all of this – a pink flute. It's in the hands of a butterfly spirit. Unlike the last one you encountered, this one has light brown skin, accompanied by light brown wings with black eyespots. On the ground is another housekeeper, who looks to be unconscious, and behind them the door to the room's small balcony is open. The spirit rather looks pleased with herself upon realizing who she's ensnared. Violet is looking at the butterfly spirit with a mix of confusion and terror, and clings to you in response. This isn't quite how you wanted to start explaining things to her...

"Oh ho! You're Vini's partner, aren't you? What are you doing with this girl and that wolf?" she asks.

"I think that's none of your business. In fact, I think you should hand over the flute."

Instead, she laughs and plays a harsh tone. 18(-6) vs Sage's 13; 11 vs Violet's 10; 16 vs Britt's 16

Violet falls over, holding her ears in pain, and you go to her side as you're relatively unaffected. Britt, meanwhile, fights through the pain, lunging at the butterfly spirit, forcing her to drop the flute. The two then scramble for it, and Britt easily overpowers her and takes it for herself, breaking it in her hands. The butterfly spirit then takes the opportunity to fly off, despite attempts by both you and Britt to pin her down.

"Tch! Flyin is cheatin, come on..."

"It's okay, we'll get her next time."

"...Sage. What. Was. That!?"

You turn to Violet. "Another unwelcome guest. I don't know this one, though."

"Sage, we should leave, this place isn't safe!"

"No, Violet, I'm not leaving."

"But!"

"And that's final."

"Ya know, I can help with this..."

Violet looks at Britt with hope, but you interrupt before the wolf girl can make her sales pitch, asking her to check up on the knocked-out housekeeper. While she's doing that, you ask about the destroyed flute, and Britt mentions that it might have been a contract artefact, and ended up here among the other flutes. But now that it's destroyed, it's not a threat to anyone anymore. You breathe a sigh of relief.

Not long later, three of you take the downed housekeeper to the infirmary, and then get back to work. After your shift ends, Britt departs and Violet joins you for dinner, hounding you about everything you've encountered during your time here. You manage to get her to back off after promising that you'll explain things properly later, and you just want to have a relaxing dinner with your best friend right now.

She promises to hold you to that, and goes along with it.

You go to sleep much later that night, hoping you'll get some actual rest.

(During the night, Sage hears howling. Does she get up?)
[] No, ignore it and move on with the week. (Gain +2 Insanity)
[] Yes, go and see what's going on. (Rolls a d20, DC Sage's Insanity. Failure = Gain ??? Insanity)

Sage's Insanity: 14
-Leo Sun is active, currently at -5 Insanity / +4 bonus
Violet's Insanity: 13

 

[Solarstream]

Spoiler: Winning vote

Winning vote:
[X] Yes, go and see what's going on. (Rolls a d20, DC Sage's Insanity. Failure = Gain ??? Insanity) (Roll was failed.)

[Week 15, Day 2: A Brawl at the Old Lake!]​

"Ughhh..."

You glance over to your roommate, who seems to still be asleep. Can she not hear this racket? Or is she just a deep sleeper, deep in the sleep of death? Regardless, you can hear it, and it's keeping you from sleeping. Are these regular wolves howling or wolf spirits like some of your fellow housekeepers?

Well, there's only one way to find out.

Softly, you get up from your bed and, still in your pajamas, slip out the room. When you do so, you see that the door to Britt and Pena's room is ajar, and when you go over there, you see that they've both departed. So then, is it them? Or someone else?

You head over to the elevator, hoping to catch up to them. Luckily, while wandering around Floor 1, you happen to come across the sounds of the two of them arguing in harsh whispers in the Main Foyer.

"...could be dangerous!"

"I know that! But no one else is supposed to be here!"

"Maybe they're just nomads? We can let them go and..."

"No way! If ya think, I'm gonna let this slide...!"

You cough loudly, and the two of them immediately shut up, covering each other's mouths. They then turn to you as you walk over, footsteps echoing in the large chamber. The two of them visibly relax.

"Ah, it's just ya, Sage," Britt says.

"Sage, are you okay?" Pena asks. "You look like you haven't slept at all."

Your yawn is punctuated by another loud howl.

"...ah, right..."

"So then, ya wanna join us while we see who this is?" Britt asks.

"Sure, whatever gets this to stop the fastest is good with me," you reply. You brought your amulet and artefact with you, but not the sword since you think your Shining Power will be enough. "Let's go."

You then walk ahead of them, despite not knowing where you're going, as the three of you exit the Mansion. Britt eventually pulls ahead, leading you all to the old lake, where you can see the source of the howling in question – three timber wolves.

"Hey! Quiet down will ya! People are trying to sleep!" Britt yells, blowing your cover.

The three wolves immediately focus their attention on you all, growling loudly, teeth prominent.

You then yawn.

The sheer inappropriateness of it makes them stop. They then switch into human forms, revealing themselves to be wolf-spirits as well. "And who might you three be?" one of them asks. "There shouldn't be anyone out around here."

"They must be from that Mansion over there," another one points out.

"That's right," you add. "Your howling woke us up."

"...but you're just a normal human, right? What do you care?"

"I care because I haven't had a good night's sleep in weeks and you're not helping."

"Oh. Um, apologies."

"We can keep quiet from here on out. We'll be leaving in the morning away. We're just passing through," the third one says. The other two nod in agreement.

"Oh?" Britt asks. "Ya think ya can just enter our territory for free?"

"Britt..." Pena whispers in concern.

"Oh? You think you can kick us out?" one of them asks, sizing Britt up. The three of them start to approach your group, giving off hostile airs. You notice that all of them are about the same height as Britt and Pena and a bit shorter than you... not that it matters since you're super tired.

"I think I can. But... if ya do somethin nice for me since you're here already, I can be convinced to overlook this. What do ya say?"

The three wolves give each other a look, and...

"Ah!?"

...deciding that they like their odds, go on the attack! They shift into hybrid wolf-human forms, and Britt does the same. They take you and Pena by surprise, however, with two of them knocking you both down and then immediately pivoting to fight Britt. Britt, however, takes this in stride, managing to hold them off and prevent them from taking full advantage of the situation.

"Urgh..." you mutter, picking yourself up from the grassy terrain. "You okay, Pena?"

"Yeah," she replies, already up and transformed as well. "Will you be okay, though?"

"Pretty sure something's broken... but otherwise, I'm good. I think I'm actually awake now. Oh, I'm hoping Taffy's made a nice healing potion or something..."

You manage to stand up on your own.

"This is stupid..." you mutter. "We shouldn't have agreed to this."

Surprisingly, Pena agrees with you and asks for your help in breaking up the fight. She's not that good at fighting, but her hope is that your Shining Power will make up the difference. Unfortunately...

Spoiler: A(n) (un)holy shock!

The Holy Grounds by the Old Lake currently has spookiness 8. Unavoidable damage. Consequence: rolling 3d4-2... 6. Sage gains +6 Insanity.

...the moment your eyes start to shine, you get hit with a massive headache and fall to your knees, clutching your head in pain.

"Sage!?" Pena yells in panic, rushing over to you. In the distance, you can hear the fighting stop.

All you can see is a blinding light. Is it coming from the lake or from your own head? Either way you just want to make it stop! But how!? It's overwhelming you... you're drowning in light. Just like last time...

NO!!!

You have to fight it!

You have to pull yourself together!

You have to!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

You scream aloud, focusing all of your spiritual might on yourself, pulling yourself out of the light... and cutting yourself off from it. You're falling...

Falling...​

Falling...

A host of spirits surrounds you as you fall upwards, and you sink into the embrace of one of them and know no more.

.

.

.

Eventually, you suddenly wake up, startled. You glance around. It's daytime now. You're back in your room and... Vini is next to you for some reason. They must have noticed the three of you slip out.

You lean over and whisper in Vini's ear. "Hey... you awake?"

"Mmmmm... five more minutes..."

"Okay, then. Thanks."

You kiss them on the cheek and then lay back in bed as well. For now, you need to rest... while you can!

(Which of the following does Sage do before talking with Taffy?)
[] Nothing. She just rests. (Gain -1 Insanity)
[] She asks Vini what happened. (may write-in further questions)
[] She checks up on Britt and Pena.
[] (write-in; subject to QM approval)

Sage's Insanity: 20
-Leo Sun is active, currently at -5 Insanity / +4 bonus
Violet's Insanity: 13

QM Note: Ouch. The rest of the week will proceed as normal.

 

[Solarstream]

Spoiler: Winning vote

Winning vote:
[X] Nothing. She just rests. (Gain -1 Insanity)

[Week 15: Friendship and the Cancer Moon]​

Day 3

You're awoken a few hours later by knocking at the door. One of your eyes slowly opens as you glance over and see Vini get up to open it. When she does, you see that Taffy is there. She's holding what looks and smells a lot like a cup of herbal tea in her hands.

"Good morning, Vini! I heard about what happened. Is Sage awake right now?"

Before Vini can say anything, you answer by yawning.

"Good morning, Sage!"

"Morning..."

At least you didn't have any nightmares last night. That said, you're still pretty out of it and have a low-grade headache. You sniff, and the scent of the tea draws near to you... wet grass with a hint of cinnamon. You ask what it is.

"Oh, I made it for you. It's called an Ontspanning Potion. It's meant to help with headaches and the like. Here, let me bring it to you..."

You sit up, gratefully accept the cup of warm tea, and drink it all at once.

Sure enough, you feel a bit better and more relaxed. Gain -1 Insanity

"Ahh... thanks..." you say as you sink back into the soothing embrace of your bed, wide grin stretched across your face.

"No problem!" Taffy says as you fall back asleep and she turns to talk to Vini about something or other.

You pass in and out of slumber over the next few hours, and visitors stop by every once in a while. Britt and Pena... Cotton... Violet... Rufflo... Glaz... Poco... even Prali, Almo, and Peca drop by! Rocandi doesn't return until late at night however, due to her work. And by that time, you're finally hungry and head downstairs for dinner. Naturally, you get swarmed by people once they see that you're back up and about, and you have a large crowd to join you for your meal. And afterwards, a bunch of you head up to the Game Room and Lounge for some fun. It doesn't escape your notice, however, that one particular person doesn't follow you all up there.

Violet.

Not long into the festivities, you make some excuse and slip away. After some time wandering the halls of the mansion, you find her inside the Heavenly Tapestry Chamber.

"Violet?"

She jumps up in surprise and turns to you, having been transfixed by one of the tapestries.

"S-Sage!? Shouldn't you be with the others?"

"You should be too," you point out. "It's not like you to not want to be by my side."

"Y-yes, well, I figured you might want to spend time with your other coworkers..."

"...which meant you could sneak around freely?"

"Yes... I mean, no! I mean... look, can you blame me? This place is dangerous..."

You raise an eyebrow. "It's dangerous, so you're looking around on your own?"

Her face turns bright red, and she stumbles over her words.

"Look, I understand your concern, but doing stuff like this is just going to put you in more danger," you say, trying hard not to look up at the trapdoor. "Especially since you're not able to defend yourself."

"...does that mean it's okay if I do it with you?" she asks quietly.

...

Well, you did walk right into that one. You sigh.

(How does Sage answer? Choose one.)
[][Violet] "I suppose so..." (mandates 1 Explore the Moonlight Mansion with Violet action each week)
[][Violet] "Nice try, but no." (Violet rolls a d20 each week, DC her Insanity, for her secret exploring)

Day 7

Thankfully, the rest of the week is peaceful, and Day 7 comes at you fast. In the afternoon, you stop by to see how Mr. Pralisson is doing, you notice a doctor leave the room as you get near it. When you ask how the old man is doing, the doctor frowns deeply before giving a negative answer. It's good thing you came by before fate claims him... you knock on the door, announcing yourself, and Lady Pralisson allows you to enter.

Mr. Pralisson is asleep, hooked up to various machines. Lady Pralisson is nearby, painting something.

"My husband's asleep right now, but he left something for you. Look over there," she says, her eyes never once leaving her work. Sure enough, on a small nearby table are some loose scraps of paper filled with words. Prominent among them are "Banishment", "Invitation", and "Mystery Cult"... ah, yes, he was going to give you more information on that, so this must be it.

"Tell him I said thanks," you say as you depart with the pages in hand.

Since Shelley's coming in a few hours, you quickly read through them to get the gist. Briefly, in order to Banish a person, you need their name, you need to have a clear image of what they look like, and you need to be able to draw a small magical circle within the space you're Banishing them from. Naturally, these are the same steps that can be taken by someone else to Invite them back into the space. The notes imply that more permanent versions of both exist, but that he considers this to be good enough for the mansion. Well, you hope he's right...

Among the notes regarding the mystery cult are a bunch of names and faces of members of the old cult. Presumably so you could practice on them? But you don't know who is here and who isn't, and this doesn't help with dealing with the newcomers... looks like you have work to do later. You need information...

As you put these notes away and head down for dinner, you run into Almo, who's excited for tonight. Shelley herself turns up not long into your meal, and the three of you head up to the Observatory once more. And tonight, you switch from the embrace of the Sun to the moving shelter of the Moon as you Almo leads you through the construction of a new spell.

Spoiler: The Wandering Moon!

Roll for [New Trait]: d4 = 3 / 2
Acquired spell: Cancer Moon (Wandering Heart). You can feel a strange power flowing through you. It wants to keep flowing, and compels you to keep moving. Explore the world and everyone's hearts. Gain -3 Insanity each time you meet someone new and form a deep connection with them. Gain -2 Insanity each time you intentionally explore a new space.

You feel called to explore... maybe you'll do some of that this week?

After you all clean up and Shelley departs, you think about signing up for work... but decide to put it off for the morning. Right now, you want more rest...

Spoiler: Break options

Use a trait to lower your Insanity (may only do once per week)
Go to the Mini-Sauna to recharge Steam Cleaning
"Illumination Theory" Sub-plot: Continue reading from "Illumination Theory"
"Illumination Theory" Sub-plot: Investigate the Reverie Troupe
Rocandi Sub-plot: Talk to Rocandi about magic and contracts. Maybe you can help each other?
Rocandi Sub-plot: Ask Rocandi about her past (rolls d20, DC Insanity)
Vini Sub-plot: Vini wants to tell you their story, continued! (refer to Divinity, part 1 and choose a question from there OR write-in a question OR ask about the Solarium OR go meet the original)
Glaz Sub-plot: (no further progress to be made right now)
Rufflo Sub-plot: It's time for that spar you were promised!
Britt Sub-plot: ...well, you did say you wanted to be friends with her... so that means you have to hang out with her on purpose. (You may choose to bring Pena along or just have it be the two of you.) (may be combined with 'Explore a floor' or 'Training')
Prali Sub-plot: You wonder what he's learned about the sealed spirits.
Peca Sub-plot: You wonder how she's been. It's been a long time since you've talked.
The Pralissons Sub-plot: Go see if Mr. Pralisson is doing well to learn more family history (rolls d20, DC Insanity)
The Pralissons Sub-plot: What exactly happened during that haunting? There have to be records somewhere...
Cotton Sub-plot: Just go and chat with her, make sure she doesn't think that you're avoiding her on purpose. (may be combined with 'Explore a floor' or 'Training')
Pena Sub-plot: Go check up on her and chat with her... and also see what happened with those other wolves.
Taffy Sub-plot: Go hunt for magic plants and fungi again!
Taffy Sub-plot: Go see if she's done anything with what she already has?
Gophe Sub-plot: Sure, he made a bad first impression, but he means well... you think. Go talk to him.
Cara-Cara Sub-plot: Maybe it's time to finally get to know this person?
Poco Sub-plot: Go alert Poco as to what you need. (Free Action, may place another action in the same slot)
Violet Sub-plot: Go talk to her about what's happening in the Mansion (rolls d20, DC Violet's Insanity) OR Explore the Moonlight Mansion with Violet
Explore a floor and discover a new room (may choose multiple times).
Randomly meet a new named housekeeper.
Return to the Training Room and fight the ghost warrior!
Training: Go practice with the sword by yourself! (rolls d20)
Special Incident: Shelley has returned to the Moonlight Mansion! (required this week, must be taken at Night)
(write-in; subject to QM veto)

(Choose four slots for free, with two on each day. For each extra slot you wish to use, Sage will gain +2 Insanity due to stressing herself out. If you do not wish to use a slot, mark it as Empty.)
[] Plan ???
-[X][Day 1] Break
--[][Morning] Further details
--[][Afternoon] Further details
--[][Night] Further details
-[X][Day 2] Break
--[][Morning] Further details
--[][Afternoon] Further details
--[][Night] Further details


Sage's Insanity: 18
-Cancer Moon is active (-3 for empathy, -2 for exploration)
Violet's Insanity: 13

QM Note: Work selection will be done next update. On to Week 16!

 

[Solarstream]

Spoiler: Winning vote

Winning vote:
[x] Plan Sanity Refunds with friends
-[x][Day 1] Break
--[x][Afternoon] Use Bookworm to lower Insanity
--[x][Night] Go to the Mini-Sauna to recharge Steam Cleaning
-[x][Day 2] Break
--[x][Morning] Cara-Cara Sub-plot: Maybe it's time to finally get to know this person?
--[x][Night] Explore a floor and discover a new room with Britt, Pena, and Violet(one of the Basements).

[Week 16, Day 1: Relax... if you can!]​

Heavenly Haunting activates. Gain +2 Insanity.
You practically leap out of your bed, being launched out of another nightmare. With a heavy crash, you land on the floor.

"Ugh..."

"Sage? Are you okay?" Rocandi asks. You glance up at her, noticing that she's still here. You must have woken her up.

"...had another nightmare..."

"Oh dear... here, let me help you up..."

She gracefully exits her bed and glides over to you. You lean on her as you pull yourself up, still unsteady from the shock.

"What are your nightmares about?" she asks.

"...the light spirit... it's sealed above the Heavenly Tapestry Chamber... I saw it once and it burned itself into my mind..."

"It's sealed here? Have you talked to Prali or Mr. Pralisson about it? Maybe they can help."

You yawn and stretch your limbs out.

"I asked Prali to look into it... that was a while ago, so maybe he's learned something by now. I should go talk to him... later."

Rocandi smiles at you. "Certainly. Breakfast now?"

You smile back. "Of course!"

The two of you head down to the Dining Room. Cotton passes by you, apparently taking her breakfast up to her room. When she sees you, she immediately turns around and joins you at the table, and the three of you have a relaxing breakfast together. Gain -1 Insanity.

While there, you sign yourself up for work shifts this week, and end up with the following:

Spoiler: QM Pre-selected Work options

Day 3: Attic (Night) – by yourself
Day 4: Attic (Night) – with Violet and Britt
Day 5: Basement 2 (Night) – by yourself
Day 6: Floor 3 (Night) – with Cotton and Violet
Day 7: Basement 3 (Morning) – with Rocandi

You'll just have to hope for the best with that kind of schedule. So, to put yourself in a better mood, you decide to spend some time reading for fun. It's been raining all day, which is prefect reading weather. Rocandi departs to somewhere else in the castle, but Cotton decides to stick around, curious as to what kind of books you like to read. As you're going over them with her, Violet also pops in, concerned as usual, and also sticks around, grabbing something on your shelves and reading it while sitting next to you. Meanwhile, you and Cotton read the following...

(You may choose up to two for this vote.)
[][Books!] something you've already read
[][Books!] "The Whispers of the Forest", by Jan van Winterhart
[][Books!] "First... Last... Always...", by Mann Otherworldly
[][Books!] "Cobwebs and Chasms", by Amy Summers
[][Books!] "At the Heights of Horror", by Gardenia Olive Heartwork

Spoiler: You get lost in the world of the pages…

Bookworm trait activates! Gain -3 Insanity. Time skips automatically to Night.

...and the three of you spend the whole afternoon together, with the sun having long set by the time you all leave to get dinner. After eating, you had planned on going to the Mini-Sauna to relax a bit more, but...

"Oh, hey Sage. How have you been?"

"Not bad, Rufflo... it looks crowded in here..."

"Yeah, we're having a butler's sauna night."

"Ah, okay... I'll come back some other time."

...it's crowded, so you'll have to do something else. But what?

[][Night] Try to find the Hot Springs in Basement 3
-[][Night] By yourself
-[][Night] Invite someone: (write-in)
[][Night] Go see what else is in the Attic spaces
[][Night] Go talk to someone
-[][Night] Violet
-[][Night] Prali
-[][Night] Britt and Pena

Sage's Insanity: 16
-Cancer Moon is active (-3 for empathy, -2 for exploration)
Violet's Insanity: 13

 

[Solarstream]

Spoiler: Winning vote

Winning vote:
[X][Books!] "At the Heights of Horror", by Gardenia Olive Heartwork
[X][Books!] "Cobwebs and Chasms", by Amy Summers
[X][Night] Try to find the Hot Springs in Basement 3
-[X][Night] Invite someone: Violet

[Week 16: Explorations and Introductions]​

Day 1

You decide to take some time and go find the Hot Springs in the Basement. You ask Rufflo where they might be, but he can only offer vague directions. Looks like you're on your own... you thank him anyway, and then depart from the Mini-Sauna.

As you do so, who should appear but Violet, looking as if she was about to head into that room herself.

"Eh? Is something wrong with the sauna?" she asks.

"No, it's just crowded. I'm gonna go find the Hot Springs instead. Wanna join me?"

"...hot springs?"

"Yeah, there's a couple down in Basement 3. I was told about them when I got here."

You start walking, heading for the elevator, and she follows you. You continue, "I found a pathway leading to them some time back, so I just need to find that again... and hopefully it's not crowded down there either."

"I don't think a lot of people would go down in those creepy caverns on purpose, Sage..."

"Hmmm... Fair point. Anyway, here we are, so let's go down..."

One short elevator ride later and you're in Basement 3. The two of you grab torches and start walking down the many dimly-lit and branching pathways. Violet keeps close to you, eventually abandoning her torch and taking hold of one of your arms. You draw her in close on purpose... though you end up making her have to hold your stuff to do so.

"Hey, it'll be okay. I'm with you. Calico can't get you down here."

"Thanks Sage... but Calico isn't the only danger here. Are you sure you don't want to leave...?"

"Yep. I'm not going anywhere just yet."

She sighs, but picks herself up anyway. "Okay... but you better not let anything else bad happen to you."

"I won't," you say, hoping you're not making a promise you can't keep.

In any case, the two of you eventually find your way to that passageway you found before, the one that leads to the Hot Springs. As you do so, you run into someone coming out of it – Cara-Cara, Violet's roommate. How convenient... you ask her if she has time to talk to you in the morning, and she readily agrees before departing, yawning heartly as she does so. The two of you walk down the path she exited and at the end of it, there's a large cavern with a series of small lakes where no one else is. The very air in the cavern is hot... this must be the place! Cancer Moon activates. Gain -2 Insanity.

You find a place to hang up your torch while Violet goes over to one of the lakes. "There's no lockers here, so I guess we just leave our stuff on the ground?" she asks

You shrug. "Looks like it."

The two of you strip down and let the soothing waters of the Hot Springs relax you, talking only of pleasant things. Both Sage and Violet gain -1 Insanity.

Day 2

In the morning, you drop by Violet and Cara-Cara's room. The door's already ajar when you walk over, and you open it to see that Violet's already gone off somewhere. Cara-Cara, meanwhile, is staring out the window. She's a tall woman, like yourself, with light tan skin and a bald head. Looks like she's wearing an olive dress with yellow and brown lines scattered around it. You announce your presence to her, and she turns to you, glancing at you with her dark eyes.

"Good morning, Sage," she says smiling at you warmly. "Lovely weather, isn't it?"

You look at the window to see that it's still pouring down rain.

"It's good reading weather, for sure," you reply.

"Ah, so that's what you like?"

"Thar's right. Right now, I'm... hold on, I wanted to talk to you about something else."

"Oh? Like what?"

"Vini told me that you were a friendly spirit, so I wanted to get to know you better."

She smirks at you. "What, are Vini and Cotton not enough for you, you greedy girl~?"

"Wha-!? Hold on, that's not what I mean! I mean as friends, as friends!"

She laughs heartily at your expense, a deep, sonorous sound. "I'm just messing with you. But anyway, what do you want to know? Let's talk over breakfast," she replies while walking out of her room, with you following along. As the two of you talk, you learn that she's a map turtle spirit who migrated over to this area sometime ago. She became curious about the local goings-on due to all the other spirits crammed into one place, where she since befriended Vini and became aware of both the cult and the butterfly spirits. She's always interested in learning more about her fellow spirits, so if you're going to do something that involves such a thing, she'd be happy to help you. If the butterfly spirits cause more problems, she's also willing to help you deal with them.

Though at the moment, the bigger problem may in fact be the cult.

For later that night, as you were exploring the Basement with Violet, Britt, and Pena, you ran into one of those cultists dragging someone down the cavernous corridors!

It happened like this. You wanted to look around down in the depths for any oddities, and decided that having Britt and Pena around as back-up would be a good idea. As the three of you were heading downstairs, however, Violet saw you and demanded to join your group. You all then decided to combine showing Violet around the basement floors with your exploration. Which meant that by the time you all made it to Basement 3, you were just in time to catch the cultist in the act!

"Shit!" the cultist exclaimed, trying to run off into the winding passages, abandoning her captive. You and Britt followed the cultist and easily cornered them while Violet and Pena tended to the other person. One you grabbed them, you pulled down the hood from their robe and ripped off their mask, revealing them to be Preze, one of your coworkers.

"Let me go!" she exclaimed.

"Not a chance... where were ya taking this guy?" Britt asks.

"None of your business!"

Your eyes start to shine. "We're making it our business. Tell us."

Preze's expression turns swiftly from anger to fear. "Okay, okay, just put that away!"

You go back to normal, and the two of you make her lead you to where she was going. Turns out there's a bunch of makeshift jail cells deeper in the caverns, away from places housekeepers would normally go. Most of them were empty, but a few were occupied, so the two of you bust down the doors and get the trapped ones out. As it turns out, all of them, including the one Preze had just captured, were local spirits. You let most of them go, allowing them to exit via the Ancient Grotto, though a few want to stay as witnesses and explain how they were captured. Cancer Moon activates. Gain -2 Insanity.

As for Preze...

[][Preze] Turn her over to the authorities immediately.
[][Preze] Bring her upstairs and interrogate her first.
-[][Preze] (write-in questions here)

(This week's work incident involves returning to the Glass Hall of Mirrors. Use Steam Cleaning?)
[][SC] Yes.
[][SC] No.

Sage's Insanity: 11
-Cancer Moon is active (-3 for empathy, -2 for exploration)
Violet's Insanity: 9

QM Note: Violet's Insanity has been corrected, taking into account Bookworm. The gain from the Hot Springs comes from a d4 and will be rolled each time you visit.

 

[Solarstream]

Spoiler: Winning vote

Winning vote:
[x][Preze] Bring her upstairs and interrogate her first.
-[x][Preze] What's the idea behind keeping the spirits captive?
-[x][Preze] How do they capture them?
-[x][Preze] What's the general plan for Vini's original form? What are the steps?
-[x][Preze] Anything on their leader that could help us with their Banishment. How do they Invite new members back in?
[x][SC] Yes.

[Week 16: Speech and Silence]​

Day 2

...you suggest to everyone that you should interrogate Preze before handing her over to the police, and the rest of the group agrees with you. As you all go upstairs, you try to send Violet away, but she doesn't fall for it and tails you all the way to the office spaces, where you all catch Prali poring over some documents. It seems like he immediately understands what's going on as he waves your group in. it's a bit crowded in the office, but you all make do. Preze probably feels the most crowded, with her sitting in a chair, surrounded by everyone else. You don't bother restraining her, convinced she has no way to escape, not that she makes an attempt. You, Prali, and Britt stand directly in front of her.

"First things first," you say. "What's the deal with kidnapping these spirits?"

You notice Violet raise an eyebrow at that, but he remains silent as Preze speaks up.

"You ought to already know," she says, glaring at you with her brown eyes, "since we've told you all of this before."

"Oh, so you were there back then?" you ask.

She nods. Pena asks what she means by that, and you briefly explain your first encounter with the cultists to the group.

"So, basically, you were planning on binding these spirits to your will... or more specifically, the will of your leader?"

"That's right. And it doesn't matter if you free these spirits now, we'll just catch them again later!"

"Yes, about that... how exactly did you capture them?"

"It's simple. Most spirits aren't any more powerful than an average human, and can be kidnapped the same way a person would. Easy!"

"...don't sound proud of yourself for being a kidnapper! What is wrong with you?"

"Hmph! I should be asking what's wrong with you!" she retorts. "We're elevating ourselves to a higher level of being, and you don't want to join us!"

"Trust me, I doubt your leader plans on bringing you to that 'higher level' with him," you counter.

"That's essentially what happened last time, if I recall correctly," Prali adds. "The cult leader at that time did something that only benefitted him – he put Vini under his direct control, and used Vini as his weapon."

"Well, things are different now, as you might have noticed!" Preze claims.

"If you say so," you reply dismissively, "though on that note, what's the plan with Vini this time?"

"I'm not telling you!" she says, defiantly.

You make your eyes shine and Britt changes her hands into wolf claws.

"Whoa! Hey, calm down! I don't actually know!" she blurts out in a panic.

"Uh huh. Sure..."

"I'm serious, I don't know, I swear!"

"A likely excuse," Britt says.

"Our boss hasn't told anyone! I even asked and he said he wouldn't tell me!"

"Hmph... well, that's a fine way to keep it secret, I suppose," Prali adds.

"Who's your boss?" you then ask.

"I'm not telling! ...seriously, I can't!" Preze replies. She then sticks out her tongue at you, and you notice odd symbols on it. Prali recognizes them and says that she's been Silenced, which means there are some things she can't say without some sort of magical compulsion. Unfortunately, he doesn't know how to do that, and neither does anyone else in the room. With an annoyed sigh, both you and Britt relax, returning to normal (you) and fully human (Britt). Preze then calms down as well.

"Unfortunately, this means we don't know how close this man is to success, nor how he got in here," Prali notes. "But, this has an easy fix. Sage, where's their hidden chamber?"

"It's underneath the old pantry. There's a hidden trapdoor," you reply.

"Excellent. I'll arrange to have that room raided later. You're free to help out if you wish."

"How dare you!" exclaims Preze. "I won't forget this!"

"...okay?" you say, confused, shrugging. Getting rid of the cult is more important to you than this woman's opinion of you. Prali then calls the cops over to the Mansion, and when he's done there, he starts talking to some of the freed spirits. At this point, Violet waves you over, so you hand the matter fully over to the others and exit the office with your friend.

"Sage," she says.

"Violet," you reply, pretty sure you know where this is going.

She chuckles at that, but quickly returns to a serious demeanor. "I want to know what's going on. Please..."

[][Talk] Only explain stuff related to the cult (Violet gains +1 Insanity)
[][Talk] Explain everything to Violet (Violet gains +d4 Insanity)

And as you're talking, both of you notice that Preze is taken away, glaring at both of you as she's dragged away and declaring that this isn't over. But as far as you're concerned, it is. They'll be done with soon enough!

Day 6

A few days later, while working with Cotton and Violet at Night, you and Violet decide to fill her in on what happened with the cult a few days ago... and also, in lighter news, your discovery of the Hot Springs. The three of you are working in the Glass Hall of Mirrors, cleaning them once more, but this time you and Cotton are keeping an eye on each other... and on Violet.

"It seems like the cult will be dealt with soon, no?" Cotton asks.

"Yes, and then we can all breathe a little easier," you reply.

"I just hope they don't try anything... they sound dangerous..." Violet adds.

You and Cotton agree.

"When do you think... ah!?"

Violet's train of thought is interrupted by the lights going out. You look down the hall and see that the lights in the hallway have gone out as well. Violet immediately grasps on to you, so you ask Cotton to head out and turn the lights back on. But as she exits the lights turn back on their own...

"AH!?" "W-what the-!?"

...and you're surrounded by a bunch of mirror images of... you! Not only that, but you can't see the hallway any more.

"Hello, Sage," the mirror copies all say. "Who is this?"

"..."

Violet does a very sensible thing and faints, falling off your arm... leading to one of the mirror copies reaching out of the mirror and grabbing her! You hold on to her other arm, but they work together to overpower you and pull her into the mirrors. Not only that, but some of them come to join you...

"Sage, I have returned!" Cotton declares, as she spits out webbing at some of the clones to take them out while you fight off the rest. But after you're done, Violet is nowhere to be seen... so now what?

[][Mirrors] Stick together for safety
[][Mirrors] Split up to cover more ground

Sage's Insanity: 11
-Cancer Moon is active (-3 for empathy, -2 for exploration)
Violet's Insanity: 9

QM Note: Insanity gains will be handled next update.

 

[Solarstream]

Spoiler: Winning vote

Winning vote:
[X][Talk] Explain everything to Violet (Violet gains +d4 Insanity)
[X][Mirrors] Stick together for safety

[Week 16, Day 6: Mirror, Mirror on the Wall...]​

The two of you decide to stick together, leaping into the same mirror that Violet was pulled into. You both end up in another mirror-lined hallway, but this time you're alone, the reflections normal. Having no idea where to look, you choose a direction at random and start wandering the mirror maze... unfortunately, you have no way of marking where you've been, so there's a lot of aimless wandering for a good long while.

You yawn, after some time. Cotton follows you up with one of her own

"How long has it been? I'm getting sleepy..." you say.

"It feels like we've been here for hours, yes?" replies Cotton.

"Yeah... let's try going through another mirror..."

You glance around, trying to sense if one of them is different from the others...

"Maybe this one?"

You touch it, and your reflection suddenly changes! Her eyes start to glow and her hair starts to move on its own... in fact, it's now moving independently of you! You fall back in shock, and Cotton runs over to take your side.

"Hello, Sage," she says. "Enjoying my mirror maze?"

"No! And what did you do with Violet?"

She snaps her fingers and a now awake but incredibly frightened-looking Violet appears in one of the mirrors, flanked on both sides by mirror copies of you – one with half her head missing and the other with red hands. She screams out loud when she sees you, begging for you to save her, before fading from view once more as false you waves a single hand.

Spoiler: The Glass Hall of Mirrors is a terrifying place...

The Glass Hall of Mirrors currently has spookiness 8. Unavoidable damage. Consequence: rolling 3d4-2... 8. Sage only gains +4 Insanity due to using Steam Cleaning. Violet gains +8 Insanity.

"She's mine now," the false you says, "and will remain so until you surrender and take her place. Thus proclaims I, Hevel, the Mirror Demon! Hahahaha~!"

"Never!" you exclaim, making your own eyes shine. "Give her back!"

You throw a punch but Hevel easily dodges it. Conversely, however, when she attacks, it's with moves you know and can easily deflect as well. An even match...

...that is until Cotton jumps in to help you and Hevel summons up a bunch of mirror clones of you in response. Hevel easily dodges Cotton's web-strings and the mirror clones have your friend completely surrounded. You go to try and save her... but the clones swarm you too, and you're stuck keeping yourself out of harm's way. Eventually, you manage to deal with them all, but when you see what became of Cotton...

"I told you... you should surrender."

...she's down and out on the cold ground, Hevel having one foot on her neck.

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Oh? How do you know that? I'm not really you, remember?" is Hevel's response. "...but you're right, there's no point in killing her. After all, you're going to surrender here, right Sage?"

"You... I..."

"I'll give you a moment to think it over. Choose wisely~!"

...

[] You have no choice. You have to make sure Cotton and Violet can get out of here alive! You surrender...
[] No! You won't accept this! You have to try and save them yourself! (Sage vs Hevel, must win 3 out of 5 d20 roll offs to pass)

Sage's Insanity: 15
-Cancer Moon is active (-3 for empathy, -2 for exploration)
Violet's Insanity: 21

QM Note: I figured this was too important a decision to automate. Surrendering here does not immediately end the quest, nor does failing if you try to fight.

 

[Solarstream]

Spoiler: Winning vote

Winning vote:
[x] You have no choice. You have to make sure Cotton and Violet can get out of here alive! You surrender...

Today's writing BGM

[...who is the mightiest of them all?]​

Week 16

"...I don't have a choice, do I? I can't risk their lives. If you promise to let my friends go unharmed, I'll surrender."

"Of course," Hevel replies as she removes her foot from Cotton's neck, gently laying it on the floor next to her. She then snaps her fingers and Violet re-appears in one of the mirrors, attended by mirror clones. Unlike the other mirror clones, they're more vaguely shaped... more like a suggestion of a human. Is that Hevel's true form? In any case, Violet is shoved out of the mirror and runs over to you.

"Don't do this! Please don't leave us, Sage!" she cries out, hugging you tight.

"I don't want to go either, but... what can I do? I have to make sure you get out of here safely. It's what you would do for me, right?"

You smile at her, but it only makes her cry harder. You kiss her forehead, and then turn your attention back to Hevel, who has walked up to the two of you.

"Oh, don't mind me. Take as long as you want~."

"How could you do this!?" Violet shouts at the demon. "Who are you!? What do you want!?"

"I am Hevel, the Mirror Demon. I've been trapped in here for far too long... and I want out. Forever to be free! Sage just happens to be a perfect vessel, better than anyone else who's come along. It's not personal, you were just unlucky."

"...what will happen to me?" you ask.

"You'll be stuck here until someone else comes to free you. But don't worry, I'm sure you won't be here long. After all, I was only here for... say, what year is it?"

You tell her.

"Right. I was only trapped here for around 150 years, so you should be able to get out by then easily~."

You shudder and Violet holds on to you tighter. Hevel was in here that long!? Did the isolation make her this twisted? Or was she always like this, and that's why she was sealed? Regardless, there's no way you're going to let yourself be stuck here for that long. There must be some way for you to escape...!

"Sage, I... I won't forget you. I won't let you stay trapped here! I'll find a way to save you!"

"And I'll try to find a way to break out, Violet. I won't give up!"

"Cute. But futile. Not even an excellent human soul like yourself will find it easy to exit the Mirror World. Now then, anything else before I end this?"

...

No.

You let Violet go and she sadly releases you too. Hevel walks up to you, and lightly taps you on the forehead while chanting something... and suddenly you feel yourself being pushed out of your body. You lose most of your sensations... except sight. If anything, you can now see too much, as can view the entire Glass Hall of Mirrors, alongside another large mirror in some room you've never been in before. It's too much!

You narrow yourself down to just watching Hevel in your body exit with Violet, both of them carrying Cotton. Hevel-Sage snaps her fingers and you're suddenly pushed entirely out of that hallway.

You're now in a large empty room – no windows, no furniture, nothing but some lights and this mirror you're stuck in. Directly across from you is a door that you can't reach. You turn around in the mirror and see that same door. Well, there's nothing else to do here... you enter the door and go down that staircase and...

...you're in the Moonlight Mansion? The décor looks similar... though when you look at the window you see horse-drawn carriages instead of cars. Is this the world of 150 years ago?

Nothing left to do, you start wandering around as a ghost in this world.

END OF ACT 4

Week 17

Your name is Sage, and as you've been wandering around in Hevel's Mirror World you've found out a few important things.

One – despite being a ghost-like being, the housekeepers (who are not human themselves) can see you. Sure enough, this is a replica of the mansion, and they're all reflections of actual former Housekeepers. The Mansion itself is also roughly in the state it was back then.

Two – the Glass Hall of Mirrors also exists here, but is now a completely normal hallway. This must be the reason why you can't go there in the real world anymore – Hevel isn't letting you access it.

Three – Hevel used to be a human. She also used to live in the Moonlight Mansion long ago. It's clear from what little the housekeepers have told you that something terrible that they refuse to talk about in detail happened to Hevel, which is why she is the way that she is. They insist that Hevel won't be a threat to your friends – she just wants freedom. All the same, you want freedom too.

Four – getting out of here is going to be difficult. You're a barely coherent soul as it is. The housekeepers tell you that you need to 're-attach yourself to the material world' in order to walk around outside the mirrors like Hevel did. Thinking about your life and your friends helps... but only a little bit. Maybe you just need to keep doing it?

Five – something odd is going on inside the real Moonlight Mansion. You can feel it in your soul.

You hope everyone is okay.

Week 18

You're feeling a little bit stronger every day... you're a bit more tangible and you can now touch things too. But the new habits you'd been falling into are broken one day by an odd feeling you suddenly have. There's a strange presence nearby. Curious, you go up to the Attic and to that empty room. And when you arrive...

"...Who are you!? What are you doing with Violet's body!?"

...you see Violet, but instead of black eyes, her eyes are now a deep blue.

"Don't worry, I'll be done with her soon. I just need to borrow her body for a moment... and I also need that power I stored inside you. I'm sure you won't mind."

"What are you...!?"

Before you can finish your question, you feel something being drained out of you. Strangely, instead of making you feel weaker, it makes you feel stronger, and you don't know why. It's like some weakness is being removed from you... and that's when you realize it. What this thing possessing Violet did to you must be what Vini noticed all that time ago.

"Yes... that's the good stuff!" it exclaims, power surging through Violet's body. "In just a moment, I won't need this body... but it won't do to have you interfere with my plan now."

It then smirks. "I have a wonderful idea," it says as its eyes start to shine with menace.

It then makes Violet punch the mirror so hard that it shatters.

On your side of the mirror, the scattered shards fall to the ground. You scream in panic as it laughs and you can only watch as it departs from the empty room. Magic is still infused into each shard, but... what are you supposed to do now?

Are you trapped here?

Forever...?

You start to weep, and some of the housekeepers come by to stay by your side and mourn with you.

At that moment, you truly thought it was the end for you.

Some time later (you don't know how long), you heard loud rumbling and explosions on the other side, and saw that some of the shattered mirror pieces had broken into even smaller pieces. When you looked into one, all you saw was a pile of rubble surrounded by a clear and sunny day. So then... no more mansion? What happened to everyone? Are they all...?

No...

It can't be...

Can it?

The thought of it makes you weep even louder.

"SAGE!!"

...that voice. Is it possible...?

"...Almo?"

Her face suddenly appears in one of the mirror shards. You crawl over to her.

"Sage? Are you still there?" she asks.

"Almo!! What's going on!? What happened!?"

"Hold on! We're going to get you out of there!"

"But how?" you ask.

Almo answers by pointing the mirror shard at... you. Or rather, at Hevel-Sage, who is tied up by vines. Behind her is the Rainbow Serpent, who orders Hevel to free you. When Hevel refuses saying she'd rather die then go back inside, you hear Prali's voice offer her something in exchange – a new body and forgiveness as long as she frees you and helps clean up the Mansion. Hevel grudgingly accepts, tapping the mirror while chanting something...

...and in a bright flash, you find yourself back in your body.

"I fixed her," grumbles Hevel from the mirror shard in Almo's hands.

"Sage!!" multiple people yell, as they all tackle-hug you. You see Vini, Cotton, Taffy, and Almo attached to you, crying tears of joy. Prali is now holding the mirror shard with Hevel in it, and seems to be discussing something with the Rainbow Serpent. You also see that Britt, Rufflo, and Gophe, are here, as well as a lot of people you don't recognize.

You're all also standing around in the rubble of what used to be the Moonlight Mansion, and most of the group is scavenging through it.

"...what happened?" you ask.

"...actually, we don't know the full story," starts Vini. "Almo, you were explaining?"

"Ah, right! Sage, did you see a blue-eyed Violet this morning?" Almo asks.

"Yes! That person smashed the mirror! I thought I was a goner for sure!"

"Whoever possessed her was the one who did this! I heard it all and managed to slip away before it could notice me. It summoned to two guys in suits and said it was going to free that light spirit and dark spirit and take their power for itself!"

"So then... it must have succeeded. And it's long gone by now," Taffy noted. "You don't feel anything do you, Vini?"

Vini shakes their head. "Just the absence of what should be here."

In the distance you hear sirens. Emergency responders.

Couldn't have come soon enough, as your conversation gets cut off by the sound of Britt's pained scream.

.

.

.

It's night time now. You were admitted to one of the many Crescent City hospitals for observation as well, but were let go once they realized that all your damage was to your mind. You're now in the waiting room, along with Vini, Britt, Cotton, and Taffy... and also Lily and Daisy, who came as soon as they heard about what happened.

Almost everyone who had been on an upper floor of the Mansion at the time of the collapse was dead. Rocandi, Lady Pralisson, Pena, Glaz, Mrs. Pearl, Poco... the list goes on and on. Cara-Cara and some others managed to only be critically injured, but it wasn't clear who would make it out or who would fall too. Violet's comatose body was also found in the Earthly Tapestry Chamber.

Prali and Almo were staying in a hotel in town, along with Peca and her kid, who had been out on the town during the incident. You were, of course, invited back to stay at your old place by Lily and Daisy, and Vini and Cotton were invited in as well when they revealed that they had no other home. Taffy is also from here, and so can stay with her parents, but you're not sure what Britt will do. Should you invite her home as well?

Your train of thought is interrupted by someone saying that she's surprised that you're still here.

A familiar someone.

You look over to her and see Calico, in the same dress you saw her in last time. You let out a gasp in shock, while Taffy, Cotton, Vini, and Britt all look ready to go on the attack once they realize what's happening. Lily and Daisy, meanwhile, just seem confused, and ask you who this woman is.

Calico chuckles. "We're enemies... at least, we were, but now we have common cause. After all, my Rocandi is dead now and the Mansion is in ruins. Besides... you'll need my help if you want Violet to recover."

...

...what!?

[] "Calico, I don't believe you!"
[] "What do you really want!?"
[] "You... you can help Violet?"
[] "So, you know who did this?"
[] (write-in)

Sage's Insanity: 15 n/a
-Cancer Moon is active (-3 for empathy, -2 for exploration)
Violet's Insanity: 22 n/a

QM Note: The end of the quest is now in sight, but will you live or die...? That's still to be decided.