A Strangeness In Glamsbury (Steampunk Eldritch Cultist Quest)

[chickenbouillon]

Glamsbury is never warm.

It's a cold, damp place, but it's also home.

You've never known any other place.

You stalk through the veins of the city, past the cells that are the intermingling humans mixing together with each other. Past the stench of acrid smoke and the sounds of rumbling gears as the automatons lumber through the streets, and as you do, you glimpse yourself, reflected back to you in a pool of shallow water within the concrete pavement.

..It's you. You've seen yourself a thousand times, but today is.. different somehow.

You are..

[X] Name
[X] Gender
[X] Appearance

It is but a passing glimpse however, and you move on. You have places to be.

For you are..

[X] An Author
You have a manuscript coming up. You're not really famous, but you have an immensely devoted small cult following, which is sufficient enough to keep your editors happy and make a living at the same time.


[X] An Artist
Each scrape on the canvas is your masterpiece. Each stroke is where you bleed yourself dry so you may display yourself to the world. You've carved a path for yourself by selling your works to art galleries and such, but lately you find yourself in need for new.. inspiration.

[X] A Physician
The hospital is stained with blood and the stench of death. The whispering of the orderlies and the dry, hacking coughs drifting from the rooms of the patients. You lean forward gently and take in a patient's hands on your own and promise him that he will be alright.
He does not believe you, and you don't believe yourself either.


[X] A Journalist
It takes time, your craft. Requires a lot of research on a hodgepodge of topics and what not. Each article has to be accurate, or you could get in some serious trouble. Nevertheless, you do love your job. It's quite fun.


[X] A Member of Nobility
A life of wealth and comfort paves itself forth before you. You've never wanted for anything as a child, and as an adult that has not changed. Your days are spent attending lavish parties and indulging in luxuries. But recently.. you've been seeking excitement. Something to stoke the dimming ember in your heart.

[X] Write-in (subject to QM Approval)

A/N: Short prologue for now, but I'll do my best to get the next one out ASAP.

 

[chickenbouillon]

Rolling:
Everytime you perform a task, you roll a 2d6 to determine the results. A roll of 12 is a critical success, while a roll of 2 is a critical failure. Your results are weighed against a number called DC (Difficulty Check).


You possess five stats.

Power: Which represents your ability to enact force and impose your will on others. Violent acts like kidnapping someone, casting a spell of harm, and sacrificing someone all use Power.

Resilience: Which represents your ability to withstand physical difficulties. The more resilience you have, the larger your HP Pool is.


Cunning: Which represents your ability to use your mind to manipulate others and get your way. Underhanded acts like sabotage, manipulation, and lying all use Cunning.

Knowledge: Which represents your ability to know what's really going on. Intelligent acts like researching sacred texts, memorizing the contents of a book, and trying to recover a memory that conveys important knowledge.

Devotion: Which represents your piety to your God. Devotion is used for more esoteric tasks such as performing rituals.

Whenever you roll it goes like this: 2d6 + Stat Bonus/2 + The Situational Modifiers (if there are any)

So for example, a Cunning skill of 6 grants you a +3 to Cunning tasks. Stats cap out at 20, but you may raise it even further with the use of some rituals.


Combat:
In combat, you only have to worry about two things: Your Health and Sanity.

The lower your sanity gets, the stronger some spells get while your weapons get reduced capabilities, so it's a double edged sword. Do not let it reduce itself to 0.

When your health is reduced to 0, you are either knocked out or killed depending on how hard you were hit, and the same applies to your enemies. If an opponent's/your sanity reaches 0 from your spells/attacks, they/you are either incapacitated instantly or.. they/you might not be so lucky.

You possess two methods of dealing damage to enemies. Weapons or Spells. Weapons usually deal less damage than spells, but possess infinite uses (unless it's a ranged weapon)

When combat starts, everyone rolls a D20 and possesses an AC (Armor Class) if the attack rolls lower than the AC, it misses. On the other hand, some spells might bypass AC entirely and force you/the enemy to make a stat check.



Action Points:
You have Four Action Points a turn, which can be used to pursue well.. actions.

Actions have different stat requirements, and usually net different rewards, but they might also net nasty consequences if you fail, so be wise.


Suspicion Meter:
You have Five Boxes, with each being crossed out the more you attract suspicion. If all five are crossed out? The Inspectorate comes down upon you and it's game over. Suspicion comes when you fail certain tasks.

Funds:
Eldritch Cultist or not, you're human. You need money to live. Each background selected at the character creation phase nets you a different amount of funds, and you will need to use an action a turn to work if your funds are low.

Each turn uses up 1 Fund from your inventory. If you end a turn with 0 Funds, you start taking HP damage to represent starvation.

Inventory:
Your inventory is a catch all place to store your items. Items might offer different effects when equipped or worn.

 

[chickenbouillon]

You are Evangeline Hemlock, daughter to Forrest Hemlock and Iris Hemlock, and you have come to find yourself in a predicament.


You are bored.

Not just bored with the frivolities and idle amusements of the upper class, but bored with your life and everything it has to offer. All the luxuries you have indulged and gorged yourself on now seem dull and tasteless. Their luster faded by the ravages of time.

Usually, you'd find this party interesting, but as of now it's simply boring and tiring. The refreshments tasted bland and harsh in your mouth. Like swallowing mouthfuls of cardboard. The sight of men and women intermingling with each other amongst the dance floor, tittering with one another about their accomplishments feel hollow and exhausting.

Tired of this charade, you turn to look towards the nearest exit. A hand plasters itself over your shoulder, and drained from the entire affair, you turn to look at your assailant.

"Not enjoying the party, my lady?" The man was as bald as an egg, his black eyes boring a hole inside you. He's dressed in the same fineries as the other guests, but aside from that his appearance is entirely unremarkable. You think about your answer for a bit. If he's the host, it might be rude to tell him to his face that you found his party boring. "No, sir. I simply felt quite ill, that's all." You decide. It's not entirely a lie after all, because if you stay here for another second you might actually throw up.

He laughs for a moment, before giving you a wild
grin. "You needn't lie to me." He says. "I find this entire affair quite droll as well." You almost sigh in relief at his admission. But you know the deceit and backstabbery of the upper class runs deep within their blood, so you hold your tongue just in case.

He withdraws his hand from your shoulder, and you realize that he has not done so the entire time this conversation has taken place. The thought lights a fire of annoyance deep within your breast.

He rummages around in his pockets for a while before he pulls something out. A single, compact card. "I shall invite you to something.. more interesting then?" He grins. "A lady like you shouldn't be left bored like this, hm? It's simply a sin."

You nervously reach forward and extricate the card from his palms. You read it in curiosity, and find that it is blank aside from a single address.

You turn to ask him if he could give you directions, but he gives you a wink, and before you can say anything, he has melted back into the crowd.

What an odd fellow.

---

Your carriage drifts by through the streets after the party. The celebration is over. The guests have left. Today is yet another empty day.

You find yourself lost in the sights of Glamsbury on your way home. The view of beautiful men and women gorging themselves on luxuries as they part in lavish carriages contrasting harshly with the sight of the poor returning to their workhouses, exhausted from a day of hard labor.

How do you feel about it..?

[X] Saddened
The economic gap between the poor and the wealthy is simply too much. Although you find yourself lucky enough to be born into a family much wealthier than most, your heart aches for them. (Gain Trait: Compassionate)

[X] Neutral
It's sad for sure, but it does not concern you, and therefore it does not matter. They have their lives. You have yours. It's too short to be spent worrying about others who are of no concern to you. (Gain No Trait)

[X] Happy
Let the poor wretches toil away for your benefit. It's their fault for being born the way they are. They're not good enough. They're simply not. If they were virtuous, if they were pure, they wouldn't find themselves in this position would they? (Gain Trait: Cruel)

Your journey reaches an end before you know it, and you stumble your way through the doors of your mansion, absolutely exhausted physically and mentally from that grueling party.

You toss your clothing aside haphazardly and dress yourself up in your nightgown, before hurling yourself onto your bed and letting your worries soak into the plush mattress. You find your mind drifting through a thousand thoughts at once. Confusion about why you find your life so unappealing lately. Bewilderment at the odd stranger, Exhaustion at the idea of having to sit through such a boring and painful party.

You close your eyes.

And find yourself away.

---

What do you dream of?

[X] An massive thing curled around a black obelisk like an eel. Surrounded by a circle of saltwater and hideous emptiness, it writhes and screams in agony, and you can see eyes all over its body. Eyes staring at you. Eyes within you. Yearning to swim freely again (Deity: The Sea Father)

[X] A machine. Cold and infinite. Ever Growing. Ever assimilating. It grows on the blood of men and the oil of automatons alike, dreaming of the day it might be perfect and swallow the world whole. (Deity: The Infinite Machine)

[X] A gout of flame shaped vaguely into patterns you can not decipher, lashing out with one thousand tongues and setting everything around it ablaze with ruby red fire. (Deity: Bulguverba The Everburning Flame)

[X] A robed figure cloaked in resplendent colors and stained with a thousand stars. You can not see what is under the hood, but you have a feeling that it does not matter. (Deity; The Painted Monarch)

[X] A comet drifting through the heavens, alight with sensation and rippling flesh. A harbinger of change as fluid as water and as immutable as the truth. (Deity: The Stone of Change)

[X] A man cloaked in red robes and wearing the head of stag, his face sheds itself and you can see flowers blooming from the inside out. Vibrant and rich with life, surrounded by a meadow of animals and blooming plant life. (Deity: The Harvest King)

[X] A massive serpent with more heads than you can count. Endless heads whispering secrets laden with gold, wearing a thousand red crowns upon its head. (Deity: Zirfalides the Unceasing Song)

[X] A cat so large that the moon and the stars themselves brush upon its back, its eyes gleam with a certain intelligence, and you think it's seeking something. (Deity: The Master of Cats)

 

[chickenbouillon]

You are Evangeline Hemlock, and you've always loved art.

You've loved it ever since you were little, but when she came into your life and introduced you to its wonders properly, your mere fascination bloomed into an all consuming obsession.

You yearn for the world inside the portraits. Inside the pictures. Inside the books and the plays and the stories. All of it was precious to you, and even though you've never had any friends as a child (with a singular exception) it never bothered you even once.

Right now, you might've gotten your wish at last. For you are inside a prismatic whorl of colors, an maelstrom of endless colors and sensations so intense that you had to squint your eyes.

You realize now that you must be dreaming.

You examine your surroundings carefully, examining every shade and tinge of this new, vibrant world you've been thrusted into. You look at your hands up and down, examining how your pale skin glimmered beneath the many, many lights.

For a moment, you were truly content. Here was a world you had dreamed of for so long. A world of colors and peace. A place where you can truly be happy.

..It's beautiful.

You think for a moment to the cold monotony of Glamsbury. The way the air is covered with black smoke. It's almost a shame you'll have to return to that black, loveless place.

A beacon of light flares into existence in front of you, shattering your thoughts and forcing you to draw your attention towards it.

You stare towards it, transfixed at the alien hues imposing themselves upon your eyelids. You quietly admire it for a moment, before squinting your eyes when you notice a rapidly approaching shape floating towards you from the middle of the beacon.

You try to look closer..

Closer…

Closer still..

And then you saw it.

The shape bathed in the light around it. A massive shape carved into the tall, gaunt figure of a man. Cloaked in resplendent colors, with a radiance around it comparable to the stars themselves. Its robe was long, a trailing hem fluttering behind it. Its face is entirely blank and featureless, save for two constantly shifting orbs of lights that serve as its eyes.

This was a creature of majesty. A creature of strength. And you have never felt so small in your life. It barely even seemed to acknowledge you, like you're nothing but an ant compared to it. You probably are.

You find your mouth has gone slack with shock. Tears flood down your cheeks at the sheer power this creature radiated. It shifted through a thousand colors at once, shades you've never seen or experienced in your life. Its form wavered and danced like a candle in the wind. One moment it's barely humanoid and the next it was something indescribable, a nightmare beyond human comprehension.

You weep and weep and weep until your eyes bleed. How could a creature be so beautiful and so horrifying at the same time?

Until finally, it seemed to be bored of examining you, and turned to leave. You throw your hand out in it's direction, wordlessly begging for it to stay.

But it's already gone.

And you.. wake up.

---

You wake up.

You toss yourself out of bed so quickly you almost fall down to the floor in an embarrassing fashion. You take a moment to catch your breath, before rushing to the mirror.

Your eyes are red, and your cheeks are wet from the tear stains. You gulp down lungfuls of air, steadying yourself from the experience.

You needed a moment to compose yourself, and when you finally managed to maintain some semblance of placidity, you took a look at the card on the side of your bed, and the address written on it.

You harden your heart and steel yourself. You know deep within you that this address has the answer for everything.

You need to know.

---

When you arrive in front of the Regis Gallery, you find yourself struck by a feeling of wrongness.

There was almost nobody around for one, even though the gallery is placed smack dab in the middle of one of the busier parts of town. The whole place seems to radiate something that makes people want to avoid it.

You push the door open. The lights are dim, and there's nobody inside. Undeterred, you push on. You enter deeper into the gallery, before a voice cuts you off.

"Can I help you?" It's a man. He looks young. Skeletal thin. His eyes are laden with bags and he looks so weak that a push would send him flying. He's wearing a painter's apron, which is stained with varying colors.

"I'm just.. looking for something." You respond. How else would you explain that you had a bunch of odd dreams that pushed you to this place? You'd sound like a total lunatic. Or even worse, be branded as a heretic and shoved into one of the Inspectorate's cold cells.

"Oh! Are you the one Sir Alastair was talking about?" He chirped cheerfully. Was Alastair the bald man you met at the party yesterday? "Oh I'm so happy that we have another patron!" He claps his hands together, and the bone deep exhaustion that seems to permeate every inch of his bones seems to dissipate at the sight of your appearance.

He grabs you by the hand and leads you in, and you bristle in irritation. You don't like being touched without permission. As he leads you in deeper, you notice something odd about the scenery. The walls begin to separate from each other. They melt into a blank void dotted with stars that shift in hues and shades. Doors begin floating in mid air as the space breaks down into non euclidean chaos.

Normally, you'd probably question what's going on, but after what you saw in your dreams last night, you were already expecting this somewhat. All you want right now is just an explanation. Something to make sense of all the chaos around you.

You're walking on the floor in the middle of a colorful void. You don't see that everyday, but with thaumaturgists running around it's not like you haven't heard of more odd things happening.

He leads you to the front of a door, and opens it gently. You leap inside it as he grabs you along, and finds yourself in a cold room.

The room's walls are patterned with red wallpaper, and lit with fluorescent lights. It's somewhat nice, if a bit bland. The room is filled with scattered canvases and splattered paint, thrown about everywhere with reckless abandon.

In the center of it, you can see the man from yesterday. The one who offered you his card. He sees you arrive, and his eyes noticeably light up. "My lady! You've arrived!"

You're unsure of how to respond, so you simply give him an awkward wave. "Darius here did not seem to tell you much, so I'll simply have to do the honor!" He laughs and waves his hands.

"You see.. we are a society. A society for esteemed artisans." He takes a moment to savor those words, pausing in the middle of his sentence. "We gather the most promising of talents. The most intuitive of patrons! All for the service of our lord." He finishes himself off with a flourish. "And you, my lady, are lucky enough to be invited to join our fold."

"And who is.. your lord?" You ask in confusion. Oddly enough, he raises an eyebrow at your question, as if he's the one confused by your question. "You should already know by now, no? Did you not witness his splendor last night?" He asks.

Last night.. the figure you saw in the beacon of light? Was that who he's talking about? "I might have." You admit. "Oh, how I wish I could witness him once more.. to fix your gaze on that unparalleled radiance.. how lovely." He tilts his head upwards and you can see bits of moisture gathering in his eyes, almost as if he's on the verge of tears.

You take a moment to pause and think about what this means for you. You're definitely caught up in a cult. An almost certainly illegal one at that. The Inspectorate doesn't take any worship of any other deity aside from Tesrevan lightly. If you get caught.. well, you can't bear thinking about that.

You tune out most of the conversation the man's having with the boy, and think deeply about everything you've experienced so far.

---

You remember when you were a child.

You remember witnessing the way Glamsbury treats those who are downtrodden and unfortunate enough. You remember asking your mother in confusion about why they were being treated so harshly, and she had simply patted your head and told you: "They're not good enough sweetie. You'll understand when you grow up."

When you grew up, you did understand. Glamsbury values success above all else. Everyone who doesn't manage to make the cut is ground beneath the gears mercilessly.

It's a cruel world. An unfair world. And you longed to escape to a more beautiful place. The world in the portraits. The world in the books, the plays. The world of art.

But what if you could make that world a reality?

You recall the sensations you witnessed last night. The world you saw. The dizzying blend of colors, the arrays of light. The majesty of the being you saw earlier. Surely.. if that could be real.. if that could come to this world..

Then perhaps everyone would be happy. Perhaps being taken away from this terrible place will be enough for them to find solace.

You close your eyes, and make a decision.

---

"I'll do it." You say at last, piercing through the murmurs of conversation between the two men. "I'll finance everything this gallery requires." You clarify. "I'll make sure that you'll want for nothing, and need for nothing either in terms of financial requirements."

They both look like they're on the verge of tears. "Oh that is so generous of you my lady!" The man shakes your hand with as much force as he could muster, and you wince. "We've been so deprived of money lately! I've done as much as I could, but it's getting tough just to finance this place even with my income!"

"I can paint with better materials.. I hope he plucks me when I've managed to catch his attention at last.." The youth whispers, his expression locked into a visage of starstruck joy. "I understand, but this does not come for free." You say. "I wish to understand more about you and what you do. And I wish to know more about our.. mutual benefactor as well." You stand up and dust yourself off.

He clasps your hands for the upteenth time and whispers: "I shall be honored to do so, my lady."

---

You're honestly still reeling from the revelation today has brought you. For one, you're a cultist now, and the fact alone unnerves you. You risk imprisonment, injury, and severe death just from helping them out alone.

And yet..

You remember her.

You remember her gaze. Her soft cries as she was dragged away from you.

You remember how she cried when you were separated, and you wept and kicked and pleaded. Please don't take her away. Please let her stay.

And that was the day you realized that this world is unfair. That you could never be happy as long as this wretched, rotting husk of a city remained intact.

So you've made up your mind.

"Wait for me." You think. "I'll make a better world for the both of us, and I'll make it so that it's exactly the same as in the pictures."

Outside your carriage, the sun has set, leaving only the gray hues of the sky to keep you company.

---

Final part of character creation!
Allocate stats for Evangeline!
Power: 1
Resilience: 1
Cunning: 1
Knowledge: 1
Devotion: 1

You have 15 points to allocate.
Stats max out at 10.

 

[chickenbouillon]

The next day, you find yourself back at the Regis Gallery again. The empty, mournful streets greet you once more, and you find yourself unfazed by it. After your encounter with Alastair yesterday, you find yourself to be rapidly getting used to the oddities surrounding this place.

You open the door, and immediately make your way inside without any further fanfare. You take a moment to admire the way the walls seemed to shift and separate around you, the way the corridors seemed to stretch and pulse as if they were alive. This entire place was animated with a mad power, the mark of an eternal sovereign.

You stop when it feels right and find yourself in front of a floating door. You open it yet again, and you find yourself face to face with Alastair. "My lady! What can I help you with today?" He grins toothily.

"Well.. I've just been wondering about some things." You respond. "For one, how do you keep this place hidden so tightly? The Inspectorate doesn't take well to heresy, but I'm sure you're already aware of that."

He idly waves a hand in your direction. "You needn't worry about that. This gallery has a way of protecting itself from unwanted eyes. It's just as alive as you and me." He says.

Odd, but you don't have much time to question it. You discuss a lot more with him, but he's surprisingly tight lipped about a lot of things. Maybe he doesn't trust you yet since you're still new.

..Guess you'll have to take care of it yourself then.

What do you want to do now?

---

AVAILABLE ACTIONS:
You have four action points this turn.

[X] Gossip with your Associates
It is within your interest to keep yourself informed of everything that goes on in this wretched hive of scum and villainy. And one must not underestimate how well informed a bunch of nosy high society ladies can be when they are bored. (Chance to unlock a plotline)

[X] Engage in self improvement.
Self improvement is essential to reach higher places in life. If you are to advance anywhere, you must look inward first and foremost (Chance to train a random stat)

[X] Do research about your patron
The Emperor of a Thousand Colors, The Ruler of Canvases, The Thousand Stained Star. You know so little about it even after being introduced to The Society. This will not stand.

[X] Take a stroll
You need a break. Forget all about your existential crises and all your doubts. Just take a walk. Smell the air around you. Go do it. Now. (???)

[X] Create a work of art for the Painted Monarch
It's not a hidden fact whatsoever that your antediluvian benefactor has a particular enjoyment for art. Perhaps if you do something to attract its attention.. it shall reward you handsomely. (Chance to gain a random boon)

[X] Study a spell with Alastair
What's the point in joining a cult if you're not gonna be able to gain illegal spells? Rectify this immediately. (Gain a minor or major spell depending on your degree of success.)

[X] Scout for new talent
You shall travel around the city to find an artist willing to die for the sake of their art. Literally. And then.. you shall judge if they are worthy or not. (Opportunity to gain a new recruit)

[X] Kidnap someone
You don't particularly like the idea of doing this.. but Alastair says it's necessary, and this might be an opportunity to get in his good graces. (Almost certain combat encounters.)

[X] Study rituals with Alastair
The curses of the Painted Emperor are potent and versatile. If you want to, you can truly master their craft. (Gain access to minor or major ritual depending on the degree of success)

[X] Improve your reputation
Attend parties. Perform charity for the poor. Ingratiate yourselves within the good grace of others. If you do so.. well, let's just say that the facade of a saint will do a lot to get you out of trouble. It's not like you don't enjoy the act itself anyway (Chance to gain a Scrap of Goodwill)

 

[chickenbouillon]

Name: Evangeline Hemlock
INCOME: 3 funds a turn.
Current Funds: 4 (-2 at the end of each turn due to financing the Regis Gallery)
SUSPICION METER: □□□□□


STAT DISTRIBUTION:
HP: 15/15
Sanity: 50/50
AC: 12
Mana: 140
Power: 1
Cunning: 8 (+4)
Knowledge: 4 (+2)
Resilience: 2 (+1)
Devotion: 5 (+3)


TRAITS:
Aristocrat: Sickeningly rich. (Passively generates 3 funds a turn. And you don't even have to work!)

Compassionate: Your heart is soft.

SPELLS KNOWN SO FAR:
SPELL SAVE DC: 10 + 4 = 14
SPELL ATTACK ROLL: +4

Still-Life
Mana Cost: 0
Effect: A simple spell that traps objects in a magical portrait that can be dismissed and resummoned at will, trapping them in time. Can it be used on people too???

ACTIONS:
Unarmed Strike
Effect: 1d1 Bludgeoning Damage.

Inventory:

The Monarch's Palette Knife:
Melee Weapon. 1d4 slashing damage.
You can probably use it on someone not in a position to resist, but tampering with a mind is pretty hard.

The Eternal Gallery:
A book about the exploits of an eccentric artist and his works, written from his own perspective. You should be careful about where you leave this. It's technically illegal.

A Scrap of Goodwill:
Something that will not leave you any time soon. (25% chance to protect your reputation)

 

[chickenbouillon]

[X] Do research about your patron

Knowledge Roll: 2d6 (5,4) + 2 = 11
DC 10
Success!

The Emperor of Painted Colors is an elusive figure. Over all the questionable books you have splurged your funds on, you have barely discovered any mentions about Him. No doubt due to the censorship of the Inspectorate.

Luckily.. you cash in on some favors with some very questionable people and manage to smuggle in a banned copy of a book titled The Eternal Gallery. It's a book about an eccentric artist displaying all of his works and explaining the thought process that went into each of his creations. Each painting displayed on the page was a confusing mess of colors and lines. An abstract nightmare that made your head hurt to look at.

Nonetheless, when you do further research about the artist's life and death, all records converge to one singular point: He disappeared mysteriously a few years ago. His magnum opus vanished alongside him. Everyone is scratching their heads over where he went, but you somehow know that the Emperor has taken him into that world. The world you saw in your dreams. The eldritch location you've barely seen a glimpse of.

Despite your fear, some part of you trembles in excitement at seeing that place again. If those wondrous patterns were but a sample of the real deal, what would the true wonders be like?

You just hope he's happy now, wherever he is.

When you have finished your macabre musings, you set every book you've scavenged on fire. Just to be safe and sure that nobody suspects you.

Well.. except for one that is.


Learned a bit more about what's in store for those who have gained the Emperor's favor.
Gained a copy of the Eternal Gallery, which will come in handy later.

---

[X] Create a work of art for the Painted Monarch
Devotion Roll: 2d6 (3,2) + 3 = 8
DC 5/10/15
Minor Success!

Finished with your research, you decide to put some of it into action. You stare in front of the blank canvas nervously, biting on your lips. You've never been particularly proud of your art skills. It's one thing to finance artists. It's another thing to be one.

Nevertheless, if all goes well.. something might happen.

You start painting.

As you go on further, the shape of the image you want to draw comes clearer and clearer into your mind. Your movements become more wild and frantic, each stroke of the brush against the canvas like the mad clawings of a beast. Helpless, paralyzed, you are at the mercy of the odd trance that has overtaken your body. He has touched you once, that is enough.

When you finish, you stare at the piece of art. It is unrecognizable from your usual sloppy style. It's like a master painter has descended from the heavens and granted you a smidge of his inspiration.

A hooded figure perched atop a throne of radiant colors, drinking from the chalice of stars.

The Painted Monarch.

Tired and exhausted, you stumble your way to your bedroom for a nap. That work took a lot out of you. It's like something vital has been ripped out of your chest, and you need to rest. Seriously.

You let the comforting arms of sleep take you, and when you awake and return to your workshop, you find that your canvas has disappeared with the work.

An ominous feeling slips down your back, and you cannot help but perceive something staring at you, but when you turn around to look at the environment around you, you notice nothing.

Unnerved, you go on with your day, but the sinking feeling of being watched never disappears.

Evangeline has summoned a lesser horror of the Emperor's Realm to protect her! It will follow her around out of curiosity and defend her from harm, but will become bored in three turns and return to its realm if another painting is not made. ..If you feed someone to it it might decide to stay as well.

---

[X] Study rituals with Alastair

Knowledge Check: 2d6 (3,3)+2=8
DC 5/10/15
Minor Success!

..This is probably the weirdest thing you've ever seen, and that's saying a lot. Alastair is sticking a palette knife into the head of someone currently, an artist if you had to guess from the attire she's currently wearing.

You've requested Alastair to teach you about the magic and rituals of the Emperor, and he has obliged. Still smiling and turning towards you, he twists the palette knife and a sickening squelching sound emerges from where it's impaling the person's brain. Oddly enough, it passes clean through the flesh and doesn't leave any blood stains behind.

"You see, my dear lady, this tool right here." He rips out the knife violently, and you wince. "Is what I like to call.. the Splitter." He jabs it in again and twists around. "It's what allows us to repaint the minds of others. Allow us to remove and incorporate aspects into their consciousness." He smiles, like he's describing something particularly fun or interesting. You suppose it must be fun.. for him.

"And what do you mean by that?" You question him. There's a lot you can do with tools that tamper with the mind. Brainwashing, deleting someone's personality.. nasty things of the sort. "Well I'm sure you understand, no?" He tilts his head playfully. "This knife right here.. is a tool of wonder. You can just rip alllll those bad memories right out!" He rips it out with one violent tug, and withdraws the knife to retrieve a screaming, whirling, black mass from the mind of the artist. It nips at his fingers violently, but he simply drops it and crushes it beneath his heel.

The artist rises from her spot on the floor, noticeably more relaxed than when you saw her before. "What I did was just rip out some bad memories from her head. Really gets in the way of her art, I think." He hands you the knife and clasps it into your hands.

"This isn't really a ritual, hm? But rest assured that you'll do some wondrous things with it. I'm sure you'll figure something out." With a jaunty skip, he leaves you behind with your thoughts and the half conscious artist.

..Okay, so what are you supposed to do with this? Stab someone?

Maybe you'll keep it just in case..

Gained Splitter!
Splitter is placed under your inventory now!

---

[X] Gossip with your associates
Cunning Roll: 2d6 (6,6)+4 = 18
DC 10
Critical Success!

There is nothing, and you mean nothing in this world more well informed than a bunch of nosy high society ladies with too much time and too little activities to keep them busy. You're almost in awe actually. You sip your champagne and adjust your dress slightly to hide your shock at how much they know about what happens in the city.

"Haven't you heard? I hear that the Dresworth Heir ran away from his family to elope with that one theater girl!" And she doesn't even know his name!" A lady says in a positively scandalous tone. You don't know her name, but you do make a note not to ever let anything slip under the scrutinizing eyes of this lot.

"Oh how terrible! His poor family.." They take a moment to nod apologetically, too bad, so sad, all that and what not, but personally you have no sympathy for the twit. "Oh ladies! Haven't you heard? Lots of artists going missing lately.." Someone perks up in the middle of the conversation, and that gets everyone heated immediately.

"Really? Do tell us!" The flock turns to the one woman who's spoken up. "I hear it has something to do with those opium dens opening up in the city recently.. I hear that the artists positively adore them! Then they disappear and never return, that's all I can say!" She finishes her tale with a somber nod.

"That's all? Well I bet those poor dears have simply got themselves addicted! Got involved with some very nasty sorts.. and poof! They disappear! Just like that!" Someone says. You're getting very tired of describing them as "someone" or "that woman" but they're not a very unique crowd, so this will have to do.

The rest of them nod again simultaneously in an eerily synchronized action. It's like they're in a hive mind or something. They quickly lose interest in the conversation and switch to another topic, but you've already made up your mind.

Something odd is going on, and the more artists disappear.. Well, that doesn't bode very well for you. Or for the Society as whole. You need to at least investigate this.


You offer the rest of the ladies a polite goodbye, mentioning that you have to take care of your parents, or they'll be very cross with you. They wince apologetically and assure you that it's completely fine and you take your leave immediately. The sooner, the better.

---

Just like that.. the week is over.

AVAILABLE ACTIONS:
You have four action points this turn.

[X] Engage in self improvement.
Self improvement is essential to reach higher places in life. If you are to advance anywhere, you must look inward first and foremost (Chance to train a random stat)

[X] Do research about your patron
The Emperor of a Thousand Colors, The Ruler of Canvases, The Thousand Stained Star. You know so little about it even after being introduced to The Society. This will not stand.

[X] Take a stroll
You need a break. Forget all about your existential crises and all your doubts. Just take a walk. Smell the air around you. Go do it. Now. (???)

[X] Create a work of art for the Painted Monarch
It's not a hidden fact whatsoever that your antediluvian benefactor has a particular enjoyment for art. Perhaps if you do something to attract its attention.. it shall reward you handsomely. (Chance to gain a random boon)

[X] Study a spell with Alastair
What's the point in joining a cult if you're not gonna be able to gain illegal spells? Rectify this immediately. (Gain a minor or major spell depending on your degree of success.)

[X] Scout for new talent
You shall travel around the city to find an artist willing to die for the sake of their art. Literally. And then.. you shall judge if they are worthy or not. (Opportunity to gain a new recruit)

[X] Kidnap someone
You don't particularly like the idea of doing this.. but Alastair says it's necessary, and this might be an opportunity to get in his good graces. (Almost certain combat encounters.)

[X] Study rituals with Alastair
The curses of the Painted Emperor are potent and versatile. If you want to, you can truly master their craft. (Gain access to minor or major ritual depending on the degree of success)

[X] Improve your reputation
Attend parties. Perform charity for the poor. Ingratiate yourselves within the good grace of others. If you do so.. well, let's just say that the facade of a saint will do a lot to get you out of trouble. It's not like you don't enjoy the act itself anyway (Chance to gain a Scrap of Goodwill)

[X] Investigate an opium den.
Artists are missing. You need to get to the bottom of this. Seriously. Otherwise Alastair is gonna blow a fuse.. and generally speaking, the less artists are around, the more difficult it becomes for you to scout for new talent. (Dangerous plotline)

[X] Hire a bodyguard
You're absolutely not suited for physical combat, and you know this. So why not hire someone to do it for you? (Costs 1 Fund. Come into contact with a hired muscle.)


You gain 3 funds from your passive income and lose 2 from financing the Regis Gallery. You are left at 4.

 

[chickenbouillon]

Lesser Horror of the Emperor:
Good at: Mauling people, Driving others to insanity
Bad at: Literally everything else.
Health: 75/75

Stats:
Power: 15 (+8)
Resilience: 6 (+3)
Cunning: 1
Knowledge: 1

Traits:
Unholy Beast: Takes twice as much radiant damage.

Incomprehensible: Each turn, a character who looks at this unit must make a Knowledge roll or lose 10 Sanity. The SAN penalty is halved every time it triggers, until it dissipates entirely.

Self Preservation Instinct: If reduced to 5 HP or less, this creature will cease fighting and begin attempting to escape.

Needlessness: Does not need to breathe, sleep, or eat. Has no sanity, therefore cannot be affected by spells that tamper with the mind.

Selective Perceptiveness: Can turn invisible when dormant. Reappears when performing an action like attacking someone.

Attacks:

Multiattack: Does two Thrash attacks or one maul attack.

Maul: Melee attack. 2d8 piercing damage.

Thrash: Melee attack. 2d4 bludgeoning damage.

A/N: Here is your servant!

 

[chickenbouillon]

[X] Hire a bodyguard

Albert Huxley is a monster of a man, massive and imposing.

You have hired him for one thing and one thing only, so you get straight to the point. "Can you start immediately?" You ask. You press a bag of silver salts into his hand. He accepts them with nary a word. "I trust that we have an understanding. I will be relying on you for the foreseeable future."

Albert smiles, and you can see his teeth gleam like knives under the light of the chandelier.

..Lovely.

---

[X] Improve your reputation
Cunning Roll: 2d6 (3,1) + 4 = 8
DC 5/10/15
Minor Success!

People don't know you, but they do like you.

You perform your role with the excellence that is expected of you, and the results immediately bear fruit.

It's some more of the usual. You engage in idle conversation here and there, learn what someone likes and dislikes.. things such as those.

Eventually, it blends together into nothing but blandness in your mind, it's almost like second nature at this point, really.

You just hope that your reputation will help soften the blow when the time comes.

Gained a Scrap of Goodwill!

---

[X] Scout for New Talent
Cunning Roll: 2d6 (1,6) + 4 = 11
DC 10
Success!

You espy him during an exhibition at the Regis Gallery, during one of the rare occasions where Alastair actually deigns to open the place to the public eye.

Tall. Shaggy red hair. Cheeks dotted with freckles. Piercing green eyes. You suppose he's rather attractive in a cute, naive way. You look at the painting that he's standing in front of, and find yourself amazed at the art.

He stands in the middle of a crowd, blushing at the praise they heap upon him. He scratches his head nervously, and you make your way through the crowd as you attempt to get a closer look at what they're gawking at.

The painting itself is simply breathtaking. A beautiful portrait of a lake surrounded with swans and trees. You gawk at it for a few minutes, admiring every detail, before the crowd disperses and seems to search for other sources of art.

You approach the man slowly, and greet him. "Did you draw this, sir?" You ask. He blushes and nods. "Yes I did, ma'am." You nod and tell him what's on your mind. "Impressive. It's very beautiful." You say, transfixed by the beauty of the portrait. "Thank you, ma'am." He says nervously: "I wasn't expecting it to be so.. popular." He admits.

"Nonsense." You wave off his worries. "This is beautiful. Beautiful enough that I think it'd be a waste not to use your talents." You turn towards him, flashing him a beatific grin. "I have.. connections to the owner of this gallery. If you wish, your works could be displayed here regularly, and I could introduce you to some very important people and.. a special benefactor." You say. "R-Really?! Thank you so much, ma'am!" He takes your hands in his and practically jumps up and down. "It means so much to me.. thank you so much!"

He's practically almost weeping in sheer joy as you tell him what you have in store, and as you leave him be with his thoughts, your smile finds itself to be fading away from your face.

You just hope you're doing the right thing.

---

[X] Study a spell with Alastair

Knowledge Roll: (1, 2)+4 = 7
DC 10
Fail!

..Your studies with Alastair do not go well.

You try, and you try hard, but the specifics always elude you somehow. You find yourself lost in a sea of theories and explanations, unable to catch up to any of it.

After a week has passed, you've definitely made some progress to understanding the boons of the Emperor, but despite this, you haven't managed to learn a concrete spell yet.

Alastair politely says that every journey begins with a single step. Though your work did not bear fruit this time, you feel optimistic about learning more in the future.

The next time you try to learn a spell, the DC is lowered by 5.

---

And with that, another week is over.

You find your mind drifting to the troubling rumor about the opium den. The Angel's Kiss specifically. If the rumors were true, then they would indicate a danger to artists that you cannot ignore. But rumors are merely gossip and hearsay, how much stock can you actually put into them?
[X] Investigate deeper
[X] Leave the matter be

 

[chickenbouillon]

You make up your mind to investigate the Angel's Kiss. If only to set your mind at ease. The next day, you head out of the house and march towards the directions you've managed to attain.

When you arrive at the place however, you witness the sight of a charred husk that presumably was once known as the Angel's Kiss. Absolutely nothing remains of the establishment but a spot of ash.

"Nobody heard the fire." "It was so sudden!" "Does this mean I can't go here anymore? It's the only one in town!" "Who would do such a thing..? I just can't imagine it!"

..You.. think for a moment about what this means. On one hand, with the opium den destroyed, it should definitely put all those rumors about it preying on artists to an end. On the other hand, something about this just feels.. wrong to you. It reeks of foul play.

Reeling from this newfound discovery, you silently ponder about your options. You could.. investigate it yourself. Go solo. Ask for no one to help you. You'll bring nobody except for maybe Albert. On the other hand, you can just ask Alastair for help. As kooky as he is, he seems to have more of an idea of what goes on in the city as a whole.

You could also hire a thaumaturgist. Arcane experts who can likely trace any ambient traces of magic left at the location and grant you clues to the identity of the culprit. And for your final option.. you can just let it go. Ignore the entire thing. With the opium den burned to the ground, it is unlikely it will ever endanger anyone ever again.

So.. what do you do?

---

[X] Investigate alone
It's better to get to the bottom of this by yourself. Nobody will disturb you. Nobody will distract you. Except for Albert. Your bodyguard is a must.

[X] Ask Alastair
Alastair feels like he's.. not all there sometimes. Like he's on a different wavelength when conversing with you. But he is your superior in terms of occult matters, and perhaps he already knows about what has happened.

[X] Hire a thaumaturgist
Thaumaturgists are experts of magic. Their level of skill is usually reflected in how expensive they are to hire, but each one comes with their own odd quirks. You've never met a single sane one. With the amount of money you possess, you can definitely hire one of the upper end, but is it worth it?


[X] Leave the matter be
With the opium den gone, is there a need for you to intervene? It will prey on anyone no longer. There shall be no more disappearances.. if there was even any in the first place.