Excellent Ghostbusting skills.
[X] Do not open the Chest. Let Ten take it.
It feels like opening this wouldn't just get everyone in the room killed, but probably a good part of the city too. Even if I'm curious.
Blaze of Glory (Exalted)
- Thread starter Guancyto
- Start date
- Fantasy
Excellent Ghostbusting skills.
[X] Do not open the Chest. Let Ten take it.
It feels like opening this wouldn't just get everyone in the room killed, but probably a good part of the city too. Even if I'm curious.
A Day of Fire 5
- Location
- In Your DNA
What's in this chest might cause a lot of trouble but you can practically hear rumbling through the stone the sounds of firedust and screams from above. Your city is at war with itself and innocent people are going to suffer for it the longer it goes on, whatever's in this chest can't be worse than that.
You withdraw the Golden Lion Key and expect a smug smile from Ten Feathers at being right, but they're not even looking at it, they're still locking eyes with Misery, who is shrinking back from their glare but not looking away. You give her a moment to convince you otherwise, but Misery doesn't take it, finally turning away and touching Steals' shoulder.
"I'll go find a spot to ambush and be ready for that Lion, come up and join me after, I'll need some help," and she's quick to clear out of the room.
No reason to wait any longer, you push the key into the lock and try to turn it. A warmth wells up in your stomach and rushes through your body, down your arm which spasms from the shock of it. You force yourself to grip tighter on the key as your body tries to wrench away, the metal blisteringly hot against your palm. It isn't willing to do this easily but you're more determined than it is wilful and you force the key to turn, slowly but steadily until you hear the grinding hiss of a mechanism coming to life.
The chest doesn't just open, it unfolds, panels breaking apart into thin strips and peeling back like the petals of a blossoming flower. You've seen small parts of the mechanism as it was being assembled in the Dreamstones but the fully constructed thing looks more like a cage than the weapon you've been expecting. Golden cogs fit into intricate systems of levers and pistons, all gently humming away at a steady heartbeat as white hot energy flows among the spaces, pushed along with each thumping beat of the machine. Through the gaps you can see what it's all wound around, a single yellow gemstone firmly held in place by the device constructed around it, bathed in the white energy that rolls around the device.
The golden mechanism is fitted to the base of the chest but there's a space at the top where the crystal juts out with just enough clearance to pull it free of its prison.
Steals and Ten Feathers seem enraptured by the chest's contents and your stomach sinks, arm shaking with worry at the idea that they'll be unable to resist the chance to take it once they regain their senses. Your hand snaps out to grab the crystal before they can give into temptation.
The moment your fingertips touch the crystal your sight is taken away in a flash of white light and hammer blow is delivered to your senses, you feel yourself stumbling as you lose all sense of direction and fall forwards.
The feeling doesn't stop for some time.
This is not your first time waking up in a strange, seemingly-endless city. There's a little surge of pride in your chest as you think that, but as the smell of honey and… something else? Is that lavender? You've never actually smelled lavender but you've been told it's a pleasantly soft smell and this fits that perfectly. As it hits your nose you're suddenly aware of how much more alive this dream is than the ones you've had of late. Makarios' bazaar was busy, but the noise and grey imperceptibility of the people didn't ever let you forget that it was a dream, while this place feels real, the feeling of a breeze on your skin and people going about their day as if tomorrow really does exist for them.
There are so many people too. Regular, ordinary human people, dressed in styles that are like the city itself, simple but elegant. Perfume and fresh bread mix with the smell of honey, lavender and something you can't quite identify and it all makes a soothing scent that eases your mind and delays the moment when you're struck with just how clean everything is. Spires of shimmering white and gold stretch up to the sky and wooden pagodas float gently on the breeze, making their way across the cityscape. It's strange to see floating buildings, but it doesn't feel wrong. Everything here fits together neatly, like someone has taken great care to make a fantastical city that people can actually live in.
"Ah, it's about time," a familiar voice beside you says, you don't need to turn to know it belongs to the thin-cheeked, hawkish face of the Dreamer. "Welcome back to the real world. I thought you'd never wake up."
You whirl on him, shooting him the glare of all glares. Raicho would be proud. "You're messing with me."
He's dressed in pristine white robes with a gold trim and a band of purple around the waist to hold it together. Somewhat awkwardly you realise you're wearing much the same, clothes that you wouldn't be caught dead in if you had anything to say about it. Looking at the Dreamer the worrying idea that you might actually be dead and get no say in it makes your face a real picture. He smiles almost sheepishly. "I'm sorry, yes, I am joking. I don't get many visitors and I have to get my fun where I can. The last one was… not impressive."
You look him in the eyes. He actually looks a lot better now that he's not working himself to death.
He looks right back at you, and you have the distinct feeling of being cut into thin slices like the chest was and examined piece by piece by piece by piece in the space of a single glance.
"You, on the other hand, are much more interesting. Far from a dreary merchant lord who only understands money and power and control you, oh no. You understand justice. Like I do."
If he's going to be playing silly buggers while you and everyone you care about is under threat, you're not going to play along.
"I saw how it twisted you, drove you completely insane," you say, "sorry if I don't feel complimented right now."
He makes a pained expression, almost embarrassed. "...yes, I think you caught me at a very complicated time in my life. My story ended rather poorly and it's left some, shall we say, residual effects. It wasn't always like that. I built this city, these people, with my own two hands. Kept it safe against the madness of the god-kings and the near-destruction of the world when they fell. On balance, I like to think I didn't do so badly."
"The Silver Woman didn't agree, her judgement of you seemed pretty brutal," you say, looking away from him as you remember the sight of her dashing his brains out against his own desk.
"Silver Wo- oh you mean Gentle Guiding Hand."
"Gentle?" you scoff.
"Well, as I said. Neither of us were at our best at the end. I promise you she did as much as I did to look after everyone here, more even. To the very end she tried to put me back on the right path and I refused to listen. I don't blame her for doing the only thing left that made any sense."
He goes silent, staring out over the city and the idea he's sitting there reflecting over his own death creeps you out too much to let him have even that moment.
"How do I get out of this? If you're not going to let me go until you've said something then can we get to it? I've my own city to look after."
"Ah, but the merchant did have a bit of ambition," the Dreamer smiles again and you're suddenly aware that the little voice inside you that nonsensically didn't trust Steals has been quite sensibly screaming all this time, "I didn't bring you here just to chat. You want to look after your city? Splendid! I want to help with that. All you need to do is let me in a little."
He seems so charming, so trustworthy, so free of the madness that plagued him before that you feel yourself falling into it. Then your vision flashes and you see the city in ruins, white stones stained red, and that same smile on a warrior with enough blood on his hands to drown a continent.
"Yeah, that's not going to happen," you grit your teeth, and although you're back in the city of shimmering white spires suddenly its cleanliness takes on a new edge.
"Gentle Guiding Hand said you let these people down, but that's not all, is it?" you continue, "That's a very nice way of putting what happened to them."
He sighs long and hard, sinking into his chair. "The Adversary."
"I still don't know what that's supposed to be. She said you let them down, not the Adversary. I pay attention to these sorts of things, don't worm your way out of it."
"She wasn't wrong, I did. I watched over this city, protected them from harm for centuries. No crime, no murder, people raised hands to help each others without even thinking about what would need to be put in them first. We made a city that cared and then," he grits his teeth. "Murders I couldn't solve, fires I couldn't stop, a slow rot that ate away at everything we'd built up. I was the greatest investigator this world will ever see and so Creation in all its spite made an even greater maniac."
"So it's your fault for not catching them? That doesn't sound like-"
There's a great crash as he slams a fist down on the table, the stone chipping under the force of the blow, his face twisted with fury.
"Don't be a fool, you of all people should understand! No one else could have stopped this, the worst of killers need the greatest of investigators to catch them and if we can't, if we fail, then the consequences can be more awful than we can bear. Imagine Gem being slowly ground down by a killer you can't catch, one whose only goal seems to be breaking everything you've ever cared for."
You stare at him, the echoes of the madness that had taken him making his eyes strain with tiredness. He's not so pretty anymore.
"You're still trying to solve it," you say slowly. "Is that what this is all about? You helped set my city on fire because you just had to know who broke yours?"
"Wouldn't you?"
"No! Of course not. Why would you even think that I'd do that?"
"Pattern recognition, for one. How much have you given up to get this far? This didn't just fall into your lap, you've had to give things up you wouldn't have a week ago. You're going to see this through to the bitter end."
"I'm not going to burn down a city for it."
"You've no choice in the matter. Do nothing and your city will burn just like mine, a little today, a little tomorrow. You let things continue as they are and one day there'll be a fire it won't recover from. Gem is doomed, greed is no foundation for people to live on."
You laugh at him and there's a little mania in the edges of it. That infectious paranoia that has bled into you makes it difficult to stop but you aren't trying all that hard anyway. He takes it surprisingly well, waiting for you to tire yourself out before raising an eyebrow.
"I'm doing this to save the people I care about and you're trying to compare it to throwing everything into a fire to get answers. What's the point in being an investigator if the answers you're looking for don't even matter anymore?"
"You wouldn't look for a murderer that destroyed everything you cared about? You'd let them get away with it?"
You snort. You don't trust the Dreamer. You can't, the very thought of it makes you sick but you can maybe relate, just a little. Something that awful would be impossible to get over. You've felt that burning rage against injustice, what would it do to you if that never stopped? But even if he thinks otherwise, you know you're not the same sort of person.
"I'd hunt the fucker to the edges of Creation, but I wouldn't pile more misery on top of what they've already done getting there. I'm an Investigator and a damn good one because I know what I'm doing all this for. The people who matter, I don't lose sight of them along the way, even when I do take stupid risks. You? You threw it all away and even with nothing left you're still finding ways to make it worse. You don't deserve the title."
His face is impassive as he stares you down and you think you've finally hit the mark hard. Then he smiles and you feel your heart sink, of course not, why would it ever be that easy?
"You're correct. My life became a disaster and my death has gone no better. Everything I do will always be tainted with fear of the Adversary. Which is why I've been looking for someone without that fear I can trust to take it over. Cheshago only cared about power, so I gave him just enough to cause him no end of trouble and in the end it seems trouble found him. You Sharell, you're someone I can work with. No, work for."
The flip this conversation has taken would give you vertigo if you weren't in this weird dreamscape. You boggle.
"You're serious."
He nods. "Very. The nature of this artifact lets me share my power with you, and you're the last person I need to tell that I have quite a bit of it. Just a little bit at first, I think. Until there's more trust between us. In return, I need you to bring this to a definitive conclusion. Keep Cheshago and the Adversary and Hand, if they're still out there, from using my work to bring an age of sorrows."
You wince, "I've got bad news for you, there."
He chuckles ruefully, "fine, more of an age of sorrows."
Something about that seems to stir something in him and he turns to look out over the shining city, and you swear you see his eyes get misty, "I remember every brick, every stone, every soul. If you really want to go all-in, we could rebuild it. You've lived a desperate hardscrabble life and you're almost the only one left of your friends. The world wasn't meant to be this hard. We could put it back the way it was, the way it should be. Do it right this time."
The way he says it raises your hackles immediately, you're not even going to begin to take the chance that he means to build it on top of Gem's shattered ruin. "Hard pass on that."
"Had to ask," he says sadly, "the rest of it?"
[ ] Accept the deal.
[ ] Refuse, but keep the Yasal Crystal.
[ ] D̵̯͎̚ē̴̯s̷̹̉t̷̼̏̒r̶̲̜̒̔o̴̺̓y̷͉̣̕ ̶̛͍̉h̶̘̎i̸̯̘̕m̴̗̓.̵̳͋͛ ̷̞͓͗B̵̞͑̎ṛ̷͖̊ẹ̵̱́̿a̸̡͠k̸̹̩͊ ̵̦̥͗t̴̟͇́͠h̴̤̅̇e̵͔̜͝ ̴̲̟́ĉ̴̈́͜r̷̥͝y̴͕̐ș̶͐ͅt̵͔̑ä̵̛̪̞́ḽ̶̑͝.̸̼̈͘
[ ] Nuts to this. Put him back in the box.
You withdraw the Golden Lion Key and expect a smug smile from Ten Feathers at being right, but they're not even looking at it, they're still locking eyes with Misery, who is shrinking back from their glare but not looking away. You give her a moment to convince you otherwise, but Misery doesn't take it, finally turning away and touching Steals' shoulder.
"I'll go find a spot to ambush and be ready for that Lion, come up and join me after, I'll need some help," and she's quick to clear out of the room.
No reason to wait any longer, you push the key into the lock and try to turn it. A warmth wells up in your stomach and rushes through your body, down your arm which spasms from the shock of it. You force yourself to grip tighter on the key as your body tries to wrench away, the metal blisteringly hot against your palm. It isn't willing to do this easily but you're more determined than it is wilful and you force the key to turn, slowly but steadily until you hear the grinding hiss of a mechanism coming to life.
The chest doesn't just open, it unfolds, panels breaking apart into thin strips and peeling back like the petals of a blossoming flower. You've seen small parts of the mechanism as it was being assembled in the Dreamstones but the fully constructed thing looks more like a cage than the weapon you've been expecting. Golden cogs fit into intricate systems of levers and pistons, all gently humming away at a steady heartbeat as white hot energy flows among the spaces, pushed along with each thumping beat of the machine. Through the gaps you can see what it's all wound around, a single yellow gemstone firmly held in place by the device constructed around it, bathed in the white energy that rolls around the device.
The golden mechanism is fitted to the base of the chest but there's a space at the top where the crystal juts out with just enough clearance to pull it free of its prison.
1 Dice = No Successes
Steals and Ten Feathers seem enraptured by the chest's contents and your stomach sinks, arm shaking with worry at the idea that they'll be unable to resist the chance to take it once they regain their senses. Your hand snaps out to grab the crystal before they can give into temptation.
The moment your fingertips touch the crystal your sight is taken away in a flash of white light and hammer blow is delivered to your senses, you feel yourself stumbling as you lose all sense of direction and fall forwards.
The feeling doesn't stop for some time.
This is not your first time waking up in a strange, seemingly-endless city. There's a little surge of pride in your chest as you think that, but as the smell of honey and… something else? Is that lavender? You've never actually smelled lavender but you've been told it's a pleasantly soft smell and this fits that perfectly. As it hits your nose you're suddenly aware of how much more alive this dream is than the ones you've had of late. Makarios' bazaar was busy, but the noise and grey imperceptibility of the people didn't ever let you forget that it was a dream, while this place feels real, the feeling of a breeze on your skin and people going about their day as if tomorrow really does exist for them.
There are so many people too. Regular, ordinary human people, dressed in styles that are like the city itself, simple but elegant. Perfume and fresh bread mix with the smell of honey, lavender and something you can't quite identify and it all makes a soothing scent that eases your mind and delays the moment when you're struck with just how clean everything is. Spires of shimmering white and gold stretch up to the sky and wooden pagodas float gently on the breeze, making their way across the cityscape. It's strange to see floating buildings, but it doesn't feel wrong. Everything here fits together neatly, like someone has taken great care to make a fantastical city that people can actually live in.
"Ah, it's about time," a familiar voice beside you says, you don't need to turn to know it belongs to the thin-cheeked, hawkish face of the Dreamer. "Welcome back to the real world. I thought you'd never wake up."
You whirl on him, shooting him the glare of all glares. Raicho would be proud. "You're messing with me."
He's dressed in pristine white robes with a gold trim and a band of purple around the waist to hold it together. Somewhat awkwardly you realise you're wearing much the same, clothes that you wouldn't be caught dead in if you had anything to say about it. Looking at the Dreamer the worrying idea that you might actually be dead and get no say in it makes your face a real picture. He smiles almost sheepishly. "I'm sorry, yes, I am joking. I don't get many visitors and I have to get my fun where I can. The last one was… not impressive."
You look him in the eyes. He actually looks a lot better now that he's not working himself to death.
Sharell: Perception 3 + Socialize 2 = 3 successes.
Dreamer: ??? + ??? + ???, Using ??? and ??? to ??? and ??? = 15 successes and ???.
Truth is, Courier, the game was rigged from the start.
Dreamer: ??? + ??? + ???, Using ??? and ??? to ??? and ??? = 15 successes and ???.
Truth is, Courier, the game was rigged from the start.
He looks right back at you, and you have the distinct feeling of being cut into thin slices like the chest was and examined piece by piece by piece by piece in the space of a single glance.
"You, on the other hand, are much more interesting. Far from a dreary merchant lord who only understands money and power and control you, oh no. You understand justice. Like I do."
If he's going to be playing silly buggers while you and everyone you care about is under threat, you're not going to play along.
"I saw how it twisted you, drove you completely insane," you say, "sorry if I don't feel complimented right now."
He makes a pained expression, almost embarrassed. "...yes, I think you caught me at a very complicated time in my life. My story ended rather poorly and it's left some, shall we say, residual effects. It wasn't always like that. I built this city, these people, with my own two hands. Kept it safe against the madness of the god-kings and the near-destruction of the world when they fell. On balance, I like to think I didn't do so badly."
"The Silver Woman didn't agree, her judgement of you seemed pretty brutal," you say, looking away from him as you remember the sight of her dashing his brains out against his own desk.
"Silver Wo- oh you mean Gentle Guiding Hand."
"Gentle?" you scoff.
"Well, as I said. Neither of us were at our best at the end. I promise you she did as much as I did to look after everyone here, more even. To the very end she tried to put me back on the right path and I refused to listen. I don't blame her for doing the only thing left that made any sense."
He goes silent, staring out over the city and the idea he's sitting there reflecting over his own death creeps you out too much to let him have even that moment.
"How do I get out of this? If you're not going to let me go until you've said something then can we get to it? I've my own city to look after."
"Ah, but the merchant did have a bit of ambition," the Dreamer smiles again and you're suddenly aware that the little voice inside you that nonsensically didn't trust Steals has been quite sensibly screaming all this time, "I didn't bring you here just to chat. You want to look after your city? Splendid! I want to help with that. All you need to do is let me in a little."
The Dreamer: ??? + ??? Using ???: 6 successes.
Sharell: A̵̲͆ư̶̧̦̽ẗ̷͚̯ŏ̸͛ͅṃ̸͂a̴̹͍̓̔t̴̫͍́ḯ̴̜̑͜c̷̛̠͛ ̵͇͌s̶̞̓̃u̷͙͉͑̕ĉ̵̛̪c̶͚̈̋ê̷̤ṡ̵̲̅s̶̹̣̓̌
Sharell: A̵̲͆ư̶̧̦̽ẗ̷͚̯ŏ̸͛ͅṃ̸͂a̴̹͍̓̔t̴̫͍́ḯ̴̜̑͜c̷̛̠͛ ̵͇͌s̶̞̓̃u̷͙͉͑̕ĉ̵̛̪c̶͚̈̋ê̷̤ṡ̵̲̅s̶̹̣̓̌
He seems so charming, so trustworthy, so free of the madness that plagued him before that you feel yourself falling into it. Then your vision flashes and you see the city in ruins, white stones stained red, and that same smile on a warrior with enough blood on his hands to drown a continent.
"Yeah, that's not going to happen," you grit your teeth, and although you're back in the city of shimmering white spires suddenly its cleanliness takes on a new edge.
"Gentle Guiding Hand said you let these people down, but that's not all, is it?" you continue, "That's a very nice way of putting what happened to them."
He sighs long and hard, sinking into his chair. "The Adversary."
"I still don't know what that's supposed to be. She said you let them down, not the Adversary. I pay attention to these sorts of things, don't worm your way out of it."
"She wasn't wrong, I did. I watched over this city, protected them from harm for centuries. No crime, no murder, people raised hands to help each others without even thinking about what would need to be put in them first. We made a city that cared and then," he grits his teeth. "Murders I couldn't solve, fires I couldn't stop, a slow rot that ate away at everything we'd built up. I was the greatest investigator this world will ever see and so Creation in all its spite made an even greater maniac."
"So it's your fault for not catching them? That doesn't sound like-"
There's a great crash as he slams a fist down on the table, the stone chipping under the force of the blow, his face twisted with fury.
"Don't be a fool, you of all people should understand! No one else could have stopped this, the worst of killers need the greatest of investigators to catch them and if we can't, if we fail, then the consequences can be more awful than we can bear. Imagine Gem being slowly ground down by a killer you can't catch, one whose only goal seems to be breaking everything you've ever cared for."
You stare at him, the echoes of the madness that had taken him making his eyes strain with tiredness. He's not so pretty anymore.
"You're still trying to solve it," you say slowly. "Is that what this is all about? You helped set my city on fire because you just had to know who broke yours?"
"Wouldn't you?"
"No! Of course not. Why would you even think that I'd do that?"
"Pattern recognition, for one. How much have you given up to get this far? This didn't just fall into your lap, you've had to give things up you wouldn't have a week ago. You're going to see this through to the bitter end."
"I'm not going to burn down a city for it."
"You've no choice in the matter. Do nothing and your city will burn just like mine, a little today, a little tomorrow. You let things continue as they are and one day there'll be a fire it won't recover from. Gem is doomed, greed is no foundation for people to live on."
You laugh at him and there's a little mania in the edges of it. That infectious paranoia that has bled into you makes it difficult to stop but you aren't trying all that hard anyway. He takes it surprisingly well, waiting for you to tire yourself out before raising an eyebrow.
"I'm doing this to save the people I care about and you're trying to compare it to throwing everything into a fire to get answers. What's the point in being an investigator if the answers you're looking for don't even matter anymore?"
"You wouldn't look for a murderer that destroyed everything you cared about? You'd let them get away with it?"
You snort. You don't trust the Dreamer. You can't, the very thought of it makes you sick but you can maybe relate, just a little. Something that awful would be impossible to get over. You've felt that burning rage against injustice, what would it do to you if that never stopped? But even if he thinks otherwise, you know you're not the same sort of person.
"I'd hunt the fucker to the edges of Creation, but I wouldn't pile more misery on top of what they've already done getting there. I'm an Investigator and a damn good one because I know what I'm doing all this for. The people who matter, I don't lose sight of them along the way, even when I do take stupid risks. You? You threw it all away and even with nothing left you're still finding ways to make it worse. You don't deserve the title."
His face is impassive as he stares you down and you think you've finally hit the mark hard. Then he smiles and you feel your heart sink, of course not, why would it ever be that easy?
"You're correct. My life became a disaster and my death has gone no better. Everything I do will always be tainted with fear of the Adversary. Which is why I've been looking for someone without that fear I can trust to take it over. Cheshago only cared about power, so I gave him just enough to cause him no end of trouble and in the end it seems trouble found him. You Sharell, you're someone I can work with. No, work for."
The flip this conversation has taken would give you vertigo if you weren't in this weird dreamscape. You boggle.
"You're serious."
He nods. "Very. The nature of this artifact lets me share my power with you, and you're the last person I need to tell that I have quite a bit of it. Just a little bit at first, I think. Until there's more trust between us. In return, I need you to bring this to a definitive conclusion. Keep Cheshago and the Adversary and Hand, if they're still out there, from using my work to bring an age of sorrows."
You wince, "I've got bad news for you, there."
He chuckles ruefully, "fine, more of an age of sorrows."
Something about that seems to stir something in him and he turns to look out over the shining city, and you swear you see his eyes get misty, "I remember every brick, every stone, every soul. If you really want to go all-in, we could rebuild it. You've lived a desperate hardscrabble life and you're almost the only one left of your friends. The world wasn't meant to be this hard. We could put it back the way it was, the way it should be. Do it right this time."
The way he says it raises your hackles immediately, you're not even going to begin to take the chance that he means to build it on top of Gem's shattered ruin. "Hard pass on that."
"Had to ask," he says sadly, "the rest of it?"
[ ] Accept the deal.
[ ] Refuse, but keep the Yasal Crystal.
[ ] D̵̯͎̚ē̴̯s̷̹̉t̷̼̏̒r̶̲̜̒̔o̴̺̓y̷͉̣̕ ̶̛͍̉h̶̘̎i̸̯̘̕m̴̗̓.̵̳͋͛ ̷̞͓͗B̵̞͑̎ṛ̷͖̊ẹ̵̱́̿a̸̡͠k̸̹̩͊ ̵̦̥͗t̴̟͇́͠h̴̤̅̇e̵͔̜͝ ̴̲̟́ĉ̴̈́͜r̷̥͝y̴͕̐ș̶͐ͅt̵͔̑ä̵̛̪̞́ḽ̶̑͝.̸̼̈͘
[ ] Nuts to this. Put him back in the box.
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[X] Accept the deal.
Well
Already stated
- Location
- Hive City Ares, Armageddon, Segmentum Solar
[X] Accept the deal.
- Location
- St. Petersburg
"to break"? "breaking"?
Missing capitalizations.
And the one from an update waaay before this one:
"you" is excessive.
A Yasal Crystal. Again. These things are seriously bad news no matter when or how they come up.
What was the original purpose of the crystals, anyway? The Fae Merchant said they made them "to try capture the Souls of those who'd try to shape our futures", but the crystals didn't work entirely the way they wanted them to. Apparently they can trap mortal souls... but what do they do to a Solar? Who - or what - is it, that we are talking to?
...Hand could still be around? But we saw - felt! - her burn to nothing in the Dream.
This story is going places I never expected it to.
But wait, if it isn't the Dreamer, then whom does the voice in our head belong to!?
How did we get this? Who protected us? Have we somehow fallen under the Adversary's sway?
This certainly lends some credence to that theory. But the only one we've been exposed to... is the Dreamer himself.
What implications does this have, I wonder?
Regardless, we are a detective. If there is a mystery covering for injustice, we can do no less than try and solve it.
[x] Accept the deal.
We just have to be ready for answers to come with a price tag attached.
What I am afraid of is...
...that he locked away some of his Essense to be reborn into a suitable vessel and continue the work he still doesn't want to give up on.
His praise of us understanding justice does not fill me with confidence.
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- Location
- Vermont
[X] Nuts to this. Put him back in the box.
That, directly in front of us, is the ghost of a solar exalt, bloated on enough power it can still use charms. It's in a box that, as far as I can tell, is specifically meant to amplify or preserve it's powers. A Yasal crystal lets other people use those powers. The dreamstones linked to this guy are infectious, with a horrible mind bending curse. He's going to puppet Sharell like a skin suit. The only reason I'm not saying "break it" is because I'm scared that could release a solar ghost older than the deathlords into Gem, and holy shit, no, please god no, oh god. This isn't someone a mortal can go up against, this isn't someone a city can go up against. This is the kind of thing a sworn brotherhood of immaculate monks hunts down, with a sidereal leading the charge to make extra sure it's dead.
That, directly in front of us, is the ghost of a solar exalt, bloated on enough power it can still use charms. It's in a box that, as far as I can tell, is specifically meant to amplify or preserve it's powers. A Yasal crystal lets other people use those powers. The dreamstones linked to this guy are infectious, with a horrible mind bending curse. He's going to puppet Sharell like a skin suit. The only reason I'm not saying "break it" is because I'm scared that could release a solar ghost older than the deathlords into Gem, and holy shit, no, please god no, oh god. This isn't someone a mortal can go up against, this isn't someone a city can go up against. This is the kind of thing a sworn brotherhood of immaculate monks hunts down, with a sidereal leading the charge to make extra sure it's dead.
So, I am half convinced the adversary is not real but part of the Solar's madness. And Sharell's been infected with it too. Now the choice... on one hand, that power would fix the fighting going on now. On the other hand I am not sure that she'll be able to keep her life afterwards and if over time the good will outweigh the bad. Besides without the key nobody will be able to open the chest. You have a backup...
But then now I have to know.
[X] Accept the deal.
But then now I have to know.
[X] Accept the deal.
- Location
- St. Petersburg
Truth be told, I am sorely tempted. Everything I know about helpful beings locked in sinister crystals is that they want nothing more than to put their foot through the doorway, and then they won't stop until they are out.
But like with the Chest itself, what are our choices? If we hadn't opened it, someone else would have, eventually. Can we trust this to anyone else?
Can we refuse? Oh, there is the option, of course, but we are pressed for time and the Chest is capable of projecting its influence outwards somehow. If we give him nothing, would he not attempt to go back to someone who would be easier to manipulate? Diamond will be along shortly, and we have the Key on us.
Finally I'd like to know what we are agreeing to. Would it be our choice to draw on the Dreamer's power, or will we let him get a hook into our soul and wave it around how he pleases if we don't cooperate?
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Yasal Crystals the Ghost can lend their power in return for a promise from you. Usually (But not always) a promise to free the soul after a month. Usually they're not as big as this one, but this is a bit of a special case.
You draw on the ghosts essence for the powers, which is handy as Sharell doesn't have any of her own to use.
Unlike Fey bargains, there's no power to compel you to carry out your end of the promise though, but obviously the ghost in the Crystal won't be lending you any more power if you go back on your word and if it ever does get out will want some revenge.
In this particular case, he's already said his terms are that Sharell stops his work being abused by Cheshago, Diamond or Gentle Guiding Hand. If you accept that'll be hammered out a little more neatly, but there won't be any sudden riders like "And free me" or "And let me control you" as that'd be going against the spirit of the vote decision I feel!
That's just stuff you could just read or reasonably infer from the books. Anything else in play here I'll leave to be found out as we go.
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- Location
- In Your DNA
Actually, hmm.
I feel like we're late enough in the game and Sharell has enough context that we can take a swing at this one for at least a hint. Someone roll me Sharell's Intelligence+Occult (7d10).
- Location
- St. Petersburg
Well when it comes to genies usually their circumstances are such that they would say anything to be freed.
But even if we take him at his word, one name on the list is not like the others. I could see how Cheshago and Diamond would offend our resident Mercykiller, but what did the Hand ever do to abuse his trust? Wasn't it the other way around?
Rolling... Ouch.
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- Location
- In Your DNA
Yeeah.
It's conjecture mostly based on ghost-related tropes that Sharell knows, but no ghost ever said "let me in" with pure intentions, so you think maybe he tried something and it didn't work. Whatever's screwing with your head seems to really not like him and maybe that helped keep him out somehow.
Yes, it was.
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Guan we need to rename the quest.
- Location
- NYC
Have we figured out what Misery's deal is? I got the impression she was an exalt of some kind. Could she have created an intimacy of mistrust against ghosts in us or something like that?
By the way, what are the essence rolls for? (Here and earlier)
By the way, what are the essence rolls for? (Here and earlier)
- Location
- St. Petersburg
Misery is too low-key to be an exalt of any kind. She must be mortal, though perhaps her dealings with the dead have empowered her significantly.
Beyond that I don't know much. Why she is on bad terms with the Underworld, how long she's been around, or why she is so touchy about the Chest that supposedly was only recently uncovered.
With all of thehints blatant admissions that the Hand is around, I thought that perhaps there might be a connection of sorts, like the one we are about to forge with the Dreamer. Or... a more direct one.
That could explain where all the distrust is coming from.
Beyond that I don't know much. Why she is on bad terms with the Underworld, how long she's been around, or why she is so touchy about the Chest that supposedly was only recently uncovered.
With all of the
That could explain where all the distrust is coming from.
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- Location
- NYC
What does it mean that this is the same kind of text? It saw the solar as the adversary...
- Location
- St. Petersburg
This kind of text means "external mental influence".
There are several sources we could have got this from, which include: the Dreamer (from dream contamination); the Hand (Misery?); the Adversary who may just be the Dreamer, like Jekyll and Hyde; and our demon patron, who is perhaps not too keen on having his dreams taken over by crazy Solars.
There are several sources we could have got this from, which include: the Dreamer (from dream contamination); the Hand (Misery?); the Adversary who may just be the Dreamer, like Jekyll and Hyde; and our demon patron, who is perhaps not too keen on having his dreams taken over by crazy Solars.
- Location
- NYC
Ah it seems like being infected with his dreams is what the cthulu!font is about. During the dream we had a choice to reason with him, fight him, see him as ~the adversary~ etc. and the adversary option had the same font.
His social-fu could have been blocked if it was a charm to inspire trust in someone who isn't already suspicious of you by an effect that causes paranoia and seeing the adversary everywhere.
The solar is obsessed with finding the adversary and the dream stones with his dreams propagate that. His defining intimacy isn't to control people, it's to find and destroy the adversary, so it makes sense that the paranoia he causes inadvertently foils his social charms as well.
Edit: Didn't see your reply oops! I'm leaning towards the solar dreamer being the source of the UMI.
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A Day of Fire 6
- Location
- In Your DNA
"Now hold on just a second." You hold up your hands, "I can understand Cheshago, but what did Hand ever do to you?"
The Dreamer's face is impassive, "it's important to hedge one's bets. It's been a long time and I don't even know if she's survived all this time, but she possessed unparalleled knowledge of my methods and operations. She would be extremely dangerous if she put that knowledge to the wrong ends."
You furrow your brow at him. "So, what, paranoia? About someone who's probably long dead and only tried to help people and was never anything but good to you right up until you tried to kill her."
"Hedging one's bets," he says, more firmly this time. "If she has a grudge about the way things turned out I wouldn't blame her. If she's dead or if she's retained her old habits of helping those in need or if she's found a new life and a new cause, there'll be no cause for conflict. But if there is cause for conflict, it's better to be sure and agree upon it in advance."
Well, the last thing you remember about the Gentle Guiding Hand was her dying and you're not even rightly sure her soul survived, but by the time that happened the Dreamer was already gone. He might have some secret information about her survival or maybe the dream was inaccurate somehow, but the simplest explanation is that he just doesn't know and the thing he did where he deep-dove your entire fucking history at once didn't cover that bit.
Well, hell if you're going to be the one to tell him. Maybe constantly looking over his shoulder will keep him busy not trying to take over your mind.
"All right, I accept," you say, "but I'm staying in the driver's seat the whole time."
"Of course, of course!" the Dreamer says, and takes your hand. The city fades to white and the first thing you see is the big, worried face of Steals Kisses.
"Oh, thank goodness," she says, "I didn't think you were ever going to wake u- eek!"
The device with the Yasal Crystal that you had been hugging next to your chest springs to life. Its golden frames unhinge reminiscent of spider legs, extending its tendrils under your clothes, the cool of metal slithering along your skin and slowly warming to match your bodies heat. There's no pain, but you still yelp as the attachment process presses the Yasal Crystal directly against your chest.
Ahh, the Dreamer says, it's so good to be out and about again.
Me. In the driver's seat. The whole time, you shoot back.
Of course, of course, just let me enjoy the moment, would you? he says, and you know the tone. The one of a man feeling the sunlight on their skin after spending half their life in the Despot's dungeons.
"So… was that supposed to happen?" Steals asks.
You shake your head. The Dreamer might be having fun but you're suddenly completely aware of your skin and how you're driving it with your muscles and bones and the taste of the bun you ate this morning lingering on your teeth and it feels a little like a very low-key drug trip.
You are also aware of the smell of smoke, and rather a lot of it.
"...I thought you were doing distractions."
"They were very distracted!" Steals nods proudly, "I helped myself to some of your bombs, too, hope you don't mind, but this place is a little more on fire than it was. Ten has, uh, Ten drew a lot of them out with the Chest, like she was supposed to. Probably too many of them, I think? The idea was to divide them and, well, thanks to me they took some time getting their act together, but they aren't actually that divided."
"Misery?"
"Haven't seen her! Haven't seen the lion either, so that's a win in my book."
Assuming she's alive, anyway. You pick yourself back up and look at Steals properly, suddenly aware that everything she has on her person is stolen. Your mind starts by itself on assembling a dossier of her potential misdeeds (and it's a long list!) before you stop yourself.
"I am talking to Sharell right now, right?" Steals gives you some side-eye, "not some kind of freaky monster using her as a skin suit? Tell me something only Sharell would know."
...that's actually a question you're asking yourself a little right now, but if she decides she needs to fight you then Ten is going to have a very bad day.
"When were younger you brought home a whole sack of bread loaves. We all got way too far into them before we broke one open and it was full of this weird white mould. We all got so sick that when you went on your date with Whispering Winds he went in for a kiss you threw up in his mouth," you say, barely able to keep the smirk off your face.
"Oh good, you're just the normal kind of horrible monster," she groans, punching you in the arm. It still hurts, so either you didn't get tougher from your bargain with Dreamer or he's a dick and is letting you get punched. "Come on, things have gotten a bit crazy."
Steals' suspicions assuaged you look out and find she's dragged you back into the adjoining building through the tunnel. Diamond's Ruin is a lot more on fire than it was before and you can hear people shouting and running and a cackle that sounds like Ten Feathers all right, but the sudden addition of smoke (some of which looks like your smoke bombs) to the battlefield is a problem for you.
Until it suddenly isn't: you catch glimpses of what's going on through tiny gaps in the smoke and you slowly piece together what's beyond, giving you an eye watering sight of a cloud of blocking smoke and what's beyond all mixed together in your vision so there's no difference. Chest strapped to their back like a backpack, Ten is running for their life from a pretty unreasonable number of goons. Their parkour skills aren't as good as yours, either, not by a long shot.
And there's Diamond in the back, in no hurry at all, a trio of bodyguards keeping pace with him.
If it's not him then it's a really good fake. Either way, you should probably save Ten.
That looks like a situation that could use your intervention, the Dreamer chuckles. Personally I'd go for the leader, but you might have a different approach and, well, I do work for you now, don't I?
Damn right you do, you think.
Be that as it may, don't presume you're invincible merely because you're backed by one of the greatest beings to ever live. There are limits to how much of my power I can share, and frankly, how much I retained.
Fine, then. How are you going to handle this?
[ ] It's much too far a shot for a slingstone at this distance. Or it was, anyway. Now, maybe not so much.
[ ] Not invincible, but definitely good enough to show off for Ten Feathers. Charge in and deck those goons right in the schnoz!
[ ] Find a high place and start talking. Spellbind them with your words!
[ ] Use your bombs and… damn it Steals! Well there's plenty down here, quickly make something.
[ ] Diamond's after the Chest. It's been a while since you've been in a relay race but swoop in and take it off Ten's hands, they'll split up nice and good when that chest is moving.
The Dreamer's face is impassive, "it's important to hedge one's bets. It's been a long time and I don't even know if she's survived all this time, but she possessed unparalleled knowledge of my methods and operations. She would be extremely dangerous if she put that knowledge to the wrong ends."
You furrow your brow at him. "So, what, paranoia? About someone who's probably long dead and only tried to help people and was never anything but good to you right up until you tried to kill her."
"Hedging one's bets," he says, more firmly this time. "If she has a grudge about the way things turned out I wouldn't blame her. If she's dead or if she's retained her old habits of helping those in need or if she's found a new life and a new cause, there'll be no cause for conflict. But if there is cause for conflict, it's better to be sure and agree upon it in advance."
Well, the last thing you remember about the Gentle Guiding Hand was her dying and you're not even rightly sure her soul survived, but by the time that happened the Dreamer was already gone. He might have some secret information about her survival or maybe the dream was inaccurate somehow, but the simplest explanation is that he just doesn't know and the thing he did where he deep-dove your entire fucking history at once didn't cover that bit.
Well, hell if you're going to be the one to tell him. Maybe constantly looking over his shoulder will keep him busy not trying to take over your mind.
"All right, I accept," you say, "but I'm staying in the driver's seat the whole time."
"Of course, of course!" the Dreamer says, and takes your hand. The city fades to white and the first thing you see is the big, worried face of Steals Kisses.
"Oh, thank goodness," she says, "I didn't think you were ever going to wake u- eek!"
The device with the Yasal Crystal that you had been hugging next to your chest springs to life. Its golden frames unhinge reminiscent of spider legs, extending its tendrils under your clothes, the cool of metal slithering along your skin and slowly warming to match your bodies heat. There's no pain, but you still yelp as the attachment process presses the Yasal Crystal directly against your chest.
Ahh, the Dreamer says, it's so good to be out and about again.
Me. In the driver's seat. The whole time, you shoot back.
Of course, of course, just let me enjoy the moment, would you? he says, and you know the tone. The one of a man feeling the sunlight on their skin after spending half their life in the Despot's dungeons.
"So… was that supposed to happen?" Steals asks.
You shake your head. The Dreamer might be having fun but you're suddenly completely aware of your skin and how you're driving it with your muscles and bones and the taste of the bun you ate this morning lingering on your teeth and it feels a little like a very low-key drug trip.
Whenever Sharell rolls Awareness, rolls of 9 are two successes, and her appreciation for fine perceptual details is increased.
You are also aware of the smell of smoke, and rather a lot of it.
"...I thought you were doing distractions."
"They were very distracted!" Steals nods proudly, "I helped myself to some of your bombs, too, hope you don't mind, but this place is a little more on fire than it was. Ten has, uh, Ten drew a lot of them out with the Chest, like she was supposed to. Probably too many of them, I think? The idea was to divide them and, well, thanks to me they took some time getting their act together, but they aren't actually that divided."
"Misery?"
"Haven't seen her! Haven't seen the lion either, so that's a win in my book."
Assuming she's alive, anyway. You pick yourself back up and look at Steals properly, suddenly aware that everything she has on her person is stolen. Your mind starts by itself on assembling a dossier of her potential misdeeds (and it's a long list!) before you stop yourself.
Sharell is permanently aware of opportunities to use her Investigation skills, particularly where it concerns crime scenes, suspicious people, and traps. At present, she is automatically aware that Steals Kisses is an incredibly suspicious person that she should build a Profile on.
"I am talking to Sharell right now, right?" Steals gives you some side-eye, "not some kind of freaky monster using her as a skin suit? Tell me something only Sharell would know."
...that's actually a question you're asking yourself a little right now, but if she decides she needs to fight you then Ten is going to have a very bad day.
"When were younger you brought home a whole sack of bread loaves. We all got way too far into them before we broke one open and it was full of this weird white mould. We all got so sick that when you went on your date with Whispering Winds he went in for a kiss you threw up in his mouth," you say, barely able to keep the smirk off your face.
"Oh good, you're just the normal kind of horrible monster," she groans, punching you in the arm. It still hurts, so either you didn't get tougher from your bargain with Dreamer or he's a dick and is letting you get punched. "Come on, things have gotten a bit crazy."
Steals' suspicions assuaged you look out and find she's dragged you back into the adjoining building through the tunnel. Diamond's Ruin is a lot more on fire than it was before and you can hear people shouting and running and a cackle that sounds like Ten Feathers all right, but the sudden addition of smoke (some of which looks like your smoke bombs) to the battlefield is a problem for you.
Up to difficulty 3 Awareness actions related to sight are automatically successful. Sharell gains an extra two dice to notice hidden things and disguises, and negates penalties from smoke or fog.
Until it suddenly isn't: you catch glimpses of what's going on through tiny gaps in the smoke and you slowly piece together what's beyond, giving you an eye watering sight of a cloud of blocking smoke and what's beyond all mixed together in your vision so there's no difference. Chest strapped to their back like a backpack, Ten is running for their life from a pretty unreasonable number of goons. Their parkour skills aren't as good as yours, either, not by a long shot.
And there's Diamond in the back, in no hurry at all, a trio of bodyguards keeping pace with him.
Perception 3 + Awareness 3 + 2 Keen Sight = 3 successes.
If it's not him then it's a really good fake. Either way, you should probably save Ten.
That looks like a situation that could use your intervention, the Dreamer chuckles. Personally I'd go for the leader, but you might have a different approach and, well, I do work for you now, don't I?
Damn right you do, you think.
Be that as it may, don't presume you're invincible merely because you're backed by one of the greatest beings to ever live. There are limits to how much of my power I can share, and frankly, how much I retained.
Fine, then. How are you going to handle this?
[ ] It's much too far a shot for a slingstone at this distance. Or it was, anyway. Now, maybe not so much.
[ ] Not invincible, but definitely good enough to show off for Ten Feathers. Charge in and deck those goons right in the schnoz!
[ ] Find a high place and start talking. Spellbind them with your words!
[ ] Use your bombs and… damn it Steals! Well there's plenty down here, quickly make something.
[ ] Diamond's after the Chest. It's been a while since you've been in a relay race but swoop in and take it off Ten's hands, they'll split up nice and good when that chest is moving.
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