Bloodstained: Scholars of the Inferno (Bloodstained Alchemist Quest)

[X][Dark Secret] Cursed.
-[X][Dark Secret] Stubborn Disregard of the Moon Phase

[X][Magnum Opus] Creation of Life

Ah, what a horrible night to have a curse.

An Alchemist who chose to disregard lunar phenomena when performing a ritual, only to call upon the wrong entity and bring ruin. Now they seek to create life- perhaps as a form of atonement, perhaps to escape the scars of their karma, perhaps to save their own skin.

And what shall we call this poor, unfortunate soul? As I said last time we conversed, the winner will be decided not by votes alone, but by authorial preference. With that in mind, apologies to the people who voted to name the Journeyman Alan De Volt, but we'll instead be going with Gideon MacGregor, pictured below:

With these choices, allow us to begin our narration, properly.

Gideon stared out the window of the coach as he passed over the stone bridge that connected the Isle of Weird, the sound of a pleasant music box providing him his only company as he stared into the sea, placid and illuminated by a sea of stars. Above, the blood moon hung, crimson and full, like a fat tick- it's glow giving the night an unpleasant and unsettling air. As ancient as it was massive, the Bridge's height allowed Gideon to see far indeed across the horizon- in the distance a storm was approaching.

Gideon closed his eyes as he felt a pain on his left hand. Wincing, he raised the clenched appendage, looking over the scarred sinistral appendage- covered in a latticework of pulsating, glowing veins of blue, purple, and green traveling up his arms, the flesh itself around these was red and inflamed looking, uncomfortable to move.

Every full moon his condition worsened- blood moons in particular caused a bone deep ache and numbness, making it hard to move it. Unclenching, he let out a breath of frustration. "Aye, approaching land, sir," The coachman called from outside, voice somehow clear as day over the sound of the surf and the staccato of hoofbeats on cobbles. "If you look out to your left, you can see the lights of Arvantville in the distance."

Opening his eyes, the Journeyman realized- the coachman was correct. The village- a humble burg located on the Isle of Weird, no more than two hundred souls large- could be seen, the light of its torches reflecting in the waters. "...Same direction as the storm," Gideon noted quietly, reaching into his suitcase- time to cover his affliction. Pulling out a handful of concoctions, each in glass phials, the alchemist began to down them, one after another: holy water to weaken the curse. Restoratives, penicillin, vitamins- to strengthen the flesh and blood. And a vial of Moonblight Remedy- a formula of his own creation, requiring pure blood, powdered silver, and moonstone. Moments after downing the last of these draughts, the veins of corrupted flesh began to dim, more and more, swelling receding, leaving merely shimmering tissue that resembled silvery scars. Good for a day or so.

After that, the Alchemist began donning his apparel: cosmetics, purchased in London's red light district, intended to help cover up skin blemishes- careful application would turn silver to pink, and obscure the extent of the damage. Powders, paints, gels. At some point he began to hear the pitter patter of rain against the roof. "We won't need to worry about the horses slipping, will we?" He asked idly as he brushed the substances over his skin.

"There shouldn't be any substantial risk," The coachman confirmed. "If you're worried about slipping off the side, I would reserve your anxieties: I've been running this route for fifteen years, and I've never once had that happen. It's the width, see: the only time one needs to be careful is during the windy season, otherwise you just stick to the middle of the road."

Well, that was reassuring, Gideon supposed.

And finally, bandages, gloves, coats. Once he was properly garbed- in such a way to obscure all flesh below the neck- he felt the coach come to a stop. "We've arrived," Came the voice of the coachman, and Gideon, making sure his luggage was tightly fastened, hoisted it onto his back, opening the coaches door and stepping out.

The headquarters of the Alchemist Guild. A compound connecting directly to the Great Bridge- bypassing Arvantville entirely. It resembled a village in its own right, one lit by glowing arcane torches casting- without end or need of fuel- an eternal purple glow, buildings constructed from durable stone and marble- some of the landmarks Gideon recognized from the description, like the vast holy house on the opposite end of the square- the stained glass of Dian Cecht Hospital was unmistakable. Most others were far more humble looking- two or three stories tall at the most, presumably either ateliers and houses belonging to other Alchemists, or the famed sorcery labs the guild was said to have.

And despite the hour being late and the rain, the compound was almost bustling: it appeared that many, many alchemists must have kept odd hours, as the square that Gideon occupied had numerous people conversing, commuting from one location to another, reading, in the distance he could even see a few of them attempting to perform some sort of spell, having etched a ritual circle onto the ground.

"Mr. MacGregor," Came a deep, deep voice. Turning, Gideon turned, spotting an older gentleman.


"Aye," the Journeyman replied, carefully, recognizing the man- his master had met with them on more than one occasion. A master- high ranking in the guild, meaning they rarely had to leave the isle: MacGregor had only seen them on a handful of occasions. A possession of the Royal Family in Bristol, rumors of a copy of the necronomicon in Ireland, sealing a mad alchemists failed attempts at making a philosophers stone in the catacombs of Paris. All official guild business. "You would be Proctor Hugo, I take it."

The man raised an eyebrow, expression completely unreadable. "Correct. Good: I'm pleased I don't have to waste time with pointless introduction," in a tone of voice that could only be described as richly unemotive. "I am the presently appointed steward of Dian Cecht- that means many things you can research on your own initiative later, but in the here and now it means that I am your immediate superior in the field of medical alchemy." He stated, expression not changing an inch.

"Understood- I'll try to not waste your time," Gideon responded, causing the first change in the mans demeanor, a small smile quirking his mouth, barely perceptible.

"I doubt you're capable. The grimoire you secured- one of the greatest finds of the century," Sir Hugo admitted, reaching into his coat and pulling out a white stone, polished into a smooth oval, glowing a pale light. Moonstone- presumably the chunk the Journeyman had sent in as proof of what he possessed. "This rock- the properties have been fascinating. An entirely new branch of Alchemy has opened for us to explore," He observed, before pocketing the stone again.

Gideon gave an awkward chuckle. "Ah, well, you're going to give me a big head, talkin' like that, sir- I'm not as impressive as I sound on paper." The screams of a dying village echoed through his memory, and briefly, his vision was seized by flashes- bloody memories of the dead, dying, and mutated.

"Is anyone?" Hugo observed as Gideon forced himself back into reality, before turning, walking away- Gideon prayed he hadn't noticed the cold sweat and paleness that had overcome the Journeyman. "Come, I will show you your quarters." Hugo turned, gesturing.

Gideon followed, eyes flicking to the shadows they crossed as they walked, and to the crimson sky above them. "So, ah, I assume I'm not getting a free room and board- what does the Grandmasters Counsel expect of me?"

"For now, nothing: you are technically still an apprentice," Gideon responded calmly, avoiding an alchemist deep in a book- was that a copy of the Lesser Key of Solomon? The master alchemist effortlessly sidestepped the distracted sage, who continued down the pavement heedless to their surroundings "You'll only become an official journeyman during the Sun Solstice Ritual, along the other apprentices who have sufficiently impressed the guild."

Gideon frowned as they passed under a lamp-post. That wasn't what they were told. "The letter-"

"This is purely bureaucracy- you have already proven yourself and will have full access to the facilities of the island equal to a proper Journeyman," Hugo deflected, the pair of them forced to step around a puddle of some substance that wasn't water- it's surface shimmered in a variety of colors. "Think of it as a brief period of freedom- the Guild expects you to use the time to prepare your atelier, secure your supply lines, and so forth," The proctor explained patiently. "A brief window without any expectations to catch your bearings for when you're expected to eventually contribute."

He gave a hum as he stopped outside a certain building, MacGregor stopping alongside him, nodding patiently. "Or, admittedly, you could also use it to get a headstart on your personal research- many in your position have used the time to great effect that way in the past, including myself." Hugo conceded, before gesturing at the building before them, a two story tall structure assembled from red bricks, pulling a key from his coat, a heavy iron one, etched with enochian sigils. "Here: your home. The Klaus House, named after it's first resident."

Gideon took the key. "Well, thank you, I suppose- what should I expect the rent to be?" He enquired.

Hugo's expression was indiscernible. "For now, all I expect is for you to familiarize yourself with the island- if you wish, however, Dian Cecht is always open to volunteers and donations alike. Should you wish to repay the free housing ahead of your elevation, perhaps...."

...Ah, free labour. Or soliciting donations, both were likely. "Aye, I might try to squeeze it in-" Gideon responded, doing his best to remain non-committal- the Journeyman( to be, he noted sourly a bit, clearly remembering the letter he received mentioning no such thing) wasn't sure what his schedule would be like. Busy, probably- he'd be working at the Hospital either way after the promotion- unless he managed to secure a nice, fat patron-, so he'd probably squeeze in a visit eventually, but for now he had just about a leagues worth of things he needed to settle.

Proctor Hugo nodded, expression stony. "I would be greatly pleased if you did so," They confirmed, as the wind rustled their coat. "I have several other things to attend to this evening. If you require assistance, please visit the great library- it should have any information you require. Goodbye, Mister MacGregor. I look forward to our next meeting," They said, before continuing on their way, leaving Gideon alone. Shivering, the man turned to the wooden door of the building he had been assigned to, giving a sigh as he set his luggage down a moment.

Alright. The Sun Solstice Ritual, that was- Hell, that wasn't for half a year, was it? He'd need to wait out the rest of winter and spring.

Well. It at least represented opportunity, so he couldn't complain that much. Putting the key into the lock, Gideon opened the door and stepped inside, the darkness immediately dispelled by the activation of an arcane torch triggered by his proximity

Giving a small grin at the display of casual magic that permeated the torches, Gideon began exploring Klaus House. On the top floor was the bedroom, currently a straw mattress and wooden chest and mirror, and an attic filled with assorted supplies- leftover reagents and what-not. It was also possessed of a small kitchen- all the basic tools required for survival, and the alchemist was especially pleased at the latter amenity of the top floor and the very nice brick oven it possessed.

The next level- the library, filled with a wealth of books, rare editions, various grimoires, untranslated holy texts, memoires, maps, and ciphered journals- little of it particularly new information, but handy reference, at least. A parlor for entertaining guests- with a chimney and fire-place. A closet, and a few empty rooms of indeterminate original purpose.

And in the basement, his atelier- a potions-brewing and creation laboratory fully stocked with high quality alchemical glassware and an arcane flame, alongside a circular room for performing rituals in. A workshop, stocked with numerous tools for crafting- both art and other endeavors.

All in all, it was modest lodgings but excellent facilities, he noted as he flopped down onto the mattress, feeling bone deep exhausted, noting that he had not gotten much rest for the past several weeks. Peeling off his glove, he tossed it to the floor, before unwinding his bandages methodically, bit by bit stripping away his accoutrements, wiping away the makeup to reveal the moonblight on his skin, the strange lesions of light particularly inflamed-the rain had irritated his condition. Reaching into his luggage and pulling out his mirror, holding the silver item in one hand, he reached to one of the pink and green colored lines bulging out from under his skin travelling up his arm, wincing as he pinched one, causing it to bleed- glowing fluid, like some sort of effervescent biological pus.

Gritting his teeth, he set the mirror down, pulling out more of his moonblight remedy, downing it, quickly. Once the blood moon had passed, his condition would settle a bit, becoming more manageable- but, he noted glumly as he set the bottle down on the dresser in his room, until then he had to take multiple potions a day to mitigate it- if he didn't, he would probably be in agony.

But each season that passed, his moonblight curse got worse- slowly, but noticeable. This time last year, it had only reached up to his elbow. Nor had it grown thick enough to bleed- not without using a scalpel. By this time next year, he might not just be able to hide it.

Slowly, the potion worked its way through his system, and he eventually let out a ragged breath. Dull pain. Dull pain. The veins- they weren't receding all the way, but enough for him to function. Reaching into his luggage, he began pulling out the rest of his affects: his personal grimoires. His ring. The cage full of rats he kept. The Sanguine Ruby- a gleaming, horrible, and beguiling memento of his sins, a gem that drank deep of souls and moonlight. When he looks closely, Gideon sometimes saw faces in it- the damned spirits of Rattray village.

Ever since that night, the mutated crystal had served as a grim sort of treasure- the corrupted life-essence of a cursed village. He didn't know how to destroy it- didn't know if he could, really, not after he had learned how useful it was, even though he knew academically the thing was worsening his condition. Holding it in his hands for a moment, the man found himself lost in thought for a moment, gazing into the gems bleeding core- before setting it down, averting his eyes.

At the bottom of the massive bag, wrapped in cloth- MacGregor froze when he saw it, shuddering. Reaching in, he pulled it out- a jar. In it was a heart: one that still beat. It was human looking, almost, were it not for the silvery hue of the flesh, or the twilight gloam colored liquid it seemed to dribble. Moonblight- the purest, most concentrated form of it. Whatever that liquid touched that wasn't glass, especially flesh, was…changed. Infected, and then mutated, corrupted into something terrible.

Thumpa pum pum, and another squirt of not blood- in about a month he would need to empty it lest it fill. Each chamber squeezing in rythm, one after another, over and over, beating desperately, trying to pump blood through an arterial system that didn't exist.

Gideon stared at it in horror, wishing he could destroy the wretched thing. But much like the Ruby…

He didn't have a choice.

Because he had seen what lie at the end of the Moonblight curse: flesh turning into a wretched cocoon, torn away by the emergence of a nightmare of warped meat. If he didn't discover a means to mitigate it, he would envy the souls trapped in the ruby- at least there existed an end to their torment.


And so we open our story.

Welcome, valued readers, to the first turn of Chapter One: Initiation of the Damned. Each Chapter will span a certain number of turns- in which you are expected to accomplish certain goals and advance certain plotlines.

For now, let's go over the Journeyman's newest…wonders.

First, the treasures:

Sanguine Ruby: A cursed gem that absorbed countless souls and blood through a disastrous ritual- it emits a constant crimson glow, and those who have looked in claim to have seen wailing, tortured spirits trapped within.

Star Rank: *

Special- When using this treasure to change or strengthen a rituals aspects, treat effective star rank as one stage higher (**). However, owning this inflicts the Afflict Curse permanent status, worsening all curses severity.

As well, let's have our Grimoire.

Libre Sanguinis Inferno (Seventh Edition)
Rank: **
Infernal-Blood

Conjur Imp[R]: A demon- albeit a weak one- meant to serve the summoner, whether as familiar, lab assistant, guard beast, or pet. Under the star associated with tamed beasts, one had to offer as sacrifice an animal- the larger the better. Infernal, Conjuring, Complicated/Crude, summons Lesser Imp, requires animal sacrifice. 50 TU.

Blood Toxicant[F]: The result of a poisoner and diabolist from italy attempting to protect themselves from a vampire, this formula made ones blood mildly poisonous- causing the imbiber to grow weaker as a result, but killing off blood diseases and parasites and warding against things that fed on the substance. Blood, Abjuration, Trivial/Crude, sacrifices stamina and strength for poisonous blood. 15 TU, requires ** Alchemical Reagent or blood aspect treasure of same star value.

Moonblight Remedy [F]: A formula developed by a 4th century diabolist that used virgin blood to curse curses of the flesh and diseases of the blood, altered by the Journeyman to simply require HEALTHY blood, as well as powdered silver and moonstone. Blood, Moon, Restoration. Simple/Basic, creates 3 turns worth of Moonblight Remedy doses, requires single unit of Moonstone and Silver. 25 TU.

Infernal Training [R]: The grimoire contained a list of rituals for conjuring demons of knowledge- in order to be granted wisdom in various sciences or talents in various fields. In exchange, the caster was to provide knowledge of their own. Arcane, Infernal, Conjuring, Complicated/Advanced, increase star rank of chosen skill by 1 after performing this ritual: max **. 75 TU, requires 3 Rare Books.

Blood Offering [F]: The diabolists who had assembled this grimoire had a formula- a way that one could take cursed blood, and create a potion that could be given as an offering to demons to increase their affinity with the gifter. The good news was, with your condition, cursed blood was easy to come by. Blood, Infernal, Transmutation, Advanced/Advanced, create Blood Offering Potion, a *** catalyst that can be used in any Infernal aspect ritual to improve outcome.

Blessing of Blood [R]: A spell intended to impart good health onto a community, devised by a more civic minded diabolist invoking the power of Buer, that the Journeyman had improved, shortening the duration but increasing the potency to serve as a more costly- but wide-spread- zone of healing. Blood, Infernal, Restoration, Perfect/Potent, sacrifice a large animal or human to greatly improve health and recovery in a village for seven days, 100 TU, requires 3 Alchemical Restoratives, requires Star of Lion.
-NOTE: When performed under certain Lunar anomalies such as the Blood Moon, causes spread of Moonblight.


And lastly, your list of Mysteries.

The Moon Mutated Heart: A still living heart, mutated by exposure to cursed moonlight- whatever magic animated it caused it to produce a slow dribble of liquid moonblight, which caused horrific mutations to living flesh.

Blood, Moon

Rank: *

Liber Logaeth: A tome containing all the wisdom of heaven, written in the language of angels by an Alchemist who according to legend successfully reached the gates of heaven itself- in it was a vast swath of rituals to replicate miracles, schematics for grand celestial machinery, formulas to create relics and potions blessed by god, and notes on the structure of heaven and it's agents, some of which still hadn't been fully translated.

Divine, Arcane

Rank: **

Special: This mystery has been successfully Inverted: can swap either aspect for Infernal when using this mystery.

Lastly, let us go over what items our Journeyman starts with. Firstly, he receives a weekly stipend from the guild, both money for supplies and reagents for his work. On top of what the prior inhabitant left behind, his cabinets aren't entirely empty. As well, while he traveled light, he made sure to bring with him some of his more useful- and rare- catalysts.

In total, his important items are as follows:

3 Moonstones
2 Pouches of Fairy Dust
2 Alchemical Restoratives
2 Turns worth of Moonblight Remedy
1 Box of Penicillin
1 Box Vitamin Extract
3 * Alchemical Reagents
2 ** Alchemical Reagent
1 **** Alchemical Reagent
3 Iron Bars
1 Silver Bar
1 Terrible Water Beast Tusk
5 Rare Books
1 Jarred Honey
3 Sapphires
1 Garnet Ring
5 Jars of Human Organs
3 Jars of Biological Experiments
1 Human Corpse (Johan Klaus)

These are all Catalysts, which can be used in commerce, rituals, formulas, or research, but are either used up or changed in the process.

Now that you have the Journeymans full list of assets (Klaus House, while pleasant and well stocked, isn't impressive enough to provide any particular bonuses to their character sheet yet), it's time to explain how this quest will work. First, let us cover the glossary of important gameplay terms.

Firstly, a GRIMOIRE is a collection of spells assembled by one or more individuals versed in magic, sharing a common source, intended use, or some other uniting theme. Obtaining GRIMOIRES will grant you numerous spells at one time, but you won't know what's inside until you own it, and until you perform a ritual or craft a formula within, you will be forced to rely on what the author has written down about them and what they can tell you- if they're available.

ASPECTS are the cosmic forces which a spell invokes or treasures are attuned to- Infernal aspected spells the powers associated with hell and the underworld, Eldritch things from beyond this world- or unfathomably ancient and inhuman. Divine the holy and godlike, whether the kami of the east, the spirits of the new world, or the power of the angels. And so forth: as the game continues, expect to discover more aspects, major and minor. Please note that ASPECT does not denote morality or precise capability- just alignment. That which is Holy CAN be benevolent and that which is Hellish CAN be malevolent, but assume they're synonymous at your own peril, reader.

RITUALS are tagged with [R] and FORMULAS are tagged with [F]. Both can be used to achieve certain effects by spending resources and time units. They CAN be completed across multiple turns, though only if a consistent rate of time units are spent on them every turn- otherwise the effort dissipates. Further, any cosmological requirements must be fulfilled on the turn a spell completes.

TREASURES can be used to strengthen rituals with sympathetic Aspects- or change the aspects of both rituals and formulas with different aspects, altering the resulting item or effect produced. A total number of treasures can be used on a spell equal to the participants total rank at that alchemical discipline plus one, for a max of three. For example, you can use a single treasure in Dimensional Alchemy, whereas you can use the full three treasures when performing Restoration Alchemy. When using a treasure to subvert a spells aspect, please note what aspect you're over-writing- aspects cannot exceed base number from treasure.

MYSTERIES are strange, wondrous items, legendary grimoires, and otherworldly anomalies that can be studied and experimented with to develop new branches of magic- the process is not easy, and it's not without cost, but the end result will always be of considerable potency. Different mysteries require different methods of study: as an example, to unravel the secrets of the Moon Mutated Heart, Gideon will likely need to expose it's blood to tissue- living and dead, human or animal- whether directly to study moonblight mutations or through alchemical concoctions using it as a key ingredient. The Liber Logaeth meanwhile is considerably easier- you can choose merely study it to replicate the spells within or attempt to use the knowledge to create your own spells.

Now, onto our last part of the tutorial and mechanical term, TIME UNITS. In this game, you will be managing Gideon MacGregors schedule- each turn will last a variable amount of time, during which you will be expected to allocate 100 Time Units, representing every moment of free time MacGregor has. If you want to gain more Time Units, you will have to either upgrade Gideon's home or spend enough time being social of your own volition to actually make friends and acquire partners- or expending resources to merely conjure, hire, or create help, if you prefer to play as an antisocial shut in.

TIME UNITS can be spent on research, socialization, exploration, managing ventures, conducting rituals and creating formulas. Some tasks and endeavors will only complete once a certain amount of Time Units are invested- however, the effective amount of Time Units used on a task will be multiplied by the star rank (minimum one, max 10) of any relevant disciplines, mundane vocations, or narratively appropriate traits. For instance, if you wanted to introduce yourself to your fellow alchemists by cooking a great banquet and invested 25 TU, the effective amount invested would be 75 total. If you wanted to experiment with utilizing faery sugar and an alchemical restorative to enhance Gideon's Supreme Food Additive formula to improve it's regenerative properties, you'd get another 75 TU investment.

If you have any questions, please ask- my role as Crypt Master obliges I be as clear as possible in my explanations. Now, allow me to list the current array of locations our Journeyman has access to. This is not a comprehensive list- merely the array of locations he has both legal access to, knowledge of, and reason to visit.

Klaus House: Owned by an alchemist who had experimented…extensively…with homunculi, among other things: he had perished after an untimely heart attack, and in his will, had requested his preserved human body be converted into a homunculus itself and used to further the art- something the Alchemy Guild had no intention of doing under their own initiative. Otherwise, a pleasant enough brick three floor building containing all the basic amenities needed to conduct research.

Dian Cecht Hospital: A famed house of medicine. Named after a certain old god of healing, it was where the Alchemists of standing specializing in treating the sick and curse afflicted collaborated- either taking in those they wished to study for free in order to trade fine cures for the opportunity to research their conditions or expose to various experimental cures, or admitting the wealthiest using the finest products of the research involved to finance these experiments. Administered by Proctor Hugo.

The Great Library: Constructed to utilize great clockwork mechanisms, this Library contained unfathomable amounts of grimoires that had been published by Alchemists to be used by all guild members- every member was expected to donate at least one every time they were promoted. It was also the administrative headquarters of the guild.

Arvantville: A quiet little village near the shore, Arvantville made its money growing, fishing, or shipping goods to supply the guild headquarters. A few alchemists operated businesses or owned homes in Arvantville.

Alchemical Sorcery Lab: An underground complex where high value research was conducted by hundreds of Journeyman and Masters collaborating in tandem on Guild sanctioned projects. Supposedly, there were seven such labs in total, but the others are all sadly invitation only.

Reagent Gardens: A greenhouse used by the Guilt to grow certain useful herbs, poisons, and botanical reagents- all Journeymen were allotted a plot of their own, and the Alchemists sold seeds.

Gideons schedule should be balanced around the fact that these are the only locations they can access: explore the island and obtain invitations to the various fraternities among the guild to unlock more.

He has over half a year until his official promotion. Until then, little is expected of him, though if he wishes to be recognized on his merit, there are certain basic milestones he can achieve to earn the esteem of his peers.

1. Perform a ritual and create something using a formula.
2. Alter the Aspect of any ritual or formula using a treasure.
3. Create a new ritual using the Liber Logaeth.
4. Create a new formula or improve an existing one by experimenting with catalysts.
5. Upgrade the Journeyman's dwellings using a schematic, ritual, or formula.
6. Successfully locate a treasure.
7. Donate catalyst to a guild institution.
8. Learn and then contribute to a Sorcery Lab research goal.
9. Donate a grimoire to the Grand Library.

The more of these he successfully accomplishes, the more respect he'll earn from his peers: every proper Journeyman will have done most of these, and master alchemists will have done them all multiple times. Please remember, however, that you don't have to rush these projects: these are meant to be accomplished across both this and the next chapter, meaning you have (at an absolute minimum) six turns.

You should balance self-sufficiency, making connections among the Journeymans peers, and accomplishing Gideons own goals as well- hiding and treating his condition and researching the secrets of life.

Now, to the voting. Going forward, how many time units are needed to successfully accomplish a task will only be revealed after you begin it, but for the purposes of the tutorial, a handful of suggestion tasks will be provided alongside estimated time units needed to accomplish them. Each turn will have certain astrological conditions and moon phases that can affect spells.

Divide your time units among these tasks, ones of your own devising, or spells in your grimoire. Once again, you have 100 Time Units, and 3 turns until the Summer Su

Good, that should be the entire tutorial, we can move on to the actual game. Now, the Moon Phase is currently Full. Next turn it will be waning Gibbous. The Stars for the upcoming turn are the Lion, the Archer, and the Serpent.

[ ] Example Schedule
-[ ] Exploratory Task - ??? TU
-[ ] Ritual X - ??? TU
–[ ] Use Treasure Y/Special Catalyst Y.
-[ ] Social Task - ??? TU
-[ ] Research Task - ???

Normally, you'll be expected to come up with tasks of your own volition, and won't know how many TU are required until you commence the project- however, as this is the tutorial, I'll take a bit of liberty and show you a few sample tasks you can indulge in:

Donate Catalyst/Item/Grimoire- Specify Institution- 10 TU per institution

Explore Arvantville - 25 TU

Explore Alchemist Guild - 15

Volunteer at Dian Cecht - 25-50

Volunteer at Chosen Sorcery Lab - 10 Minimum.

Network at Great Library - 15-25

Experiment with Moonblight - Rats, Organs, Biological Experiments: 25

Experiment with Moonblight - Human Corpses: 50 per corpse

Study the Liber Logaeth for a spell of either a certain discipline/aspect - 25-100

Hunt Grimoires at Grand Library - 25-100

Attempt to refine Moonblight Remedy with Blood Toxicant/Holy Water- 50 TU

Attempt to refine Supreme Food Additives - 15 TU, will cost Catalyst.

Attempt to create new spell- 25 Minimum, will cost Catalyst

Study creation of Arcane Torches - 15 TU, will require Alchemical Reagents of at least 1*.

Construct Apiary- 20 TU.

Visit Family - 25 TU.

Mail Contact - 15 TU, please specify topic of conversation.

And with that, you have all the information you need to create your first schedule. Remember, tasks have their time unit multiplied by total relevant stars: you can check which vocations and disciplines you have stars in on the front page, which will be updated shortly. Good luck.