- Location
- some computer lab
[X] Appeal to Desperation
Deathless and Nameless (Mummy: the Curse Quest)
- Thread starter QafianSage
- Start date
- Mature
- Location
- an unseen void
- Pronouns
- Any
[X] Appeal to Desperation
For all their learning, they are ignorant. They do not know the world into which they have stepped, which spawns such things as you - but for their service, you might deign to grant them guidance.
best to be both feared and desired, and we already nailed the first part, so now we give them something to hold on for
For all their learning, they are ignorant. They do not know the world into which they have stepped, which spawns such things as you - but for their service, you might deign to grant them guidance.
best to be both feared and desired, and we already nailed the first part, so now we give them something to hold on for
- Pronouns
- Him/He
[X] Appeal to Desperation
Seems like a good choice to me.
Seems like a good choice to me.
ThatGuyWithIdeas
Treize died for our sins
- Location
- Romania
[X] Appeal to Desperation
- To tell Hannah and George that Cory had tricked their souls into eternal devouring by Ammut, forcing them to commit a terrible crime against the Judges, and only serving the gods of the Duat could atone for this sin. (This is so that they are more willing to cooperate with Helel and not feel sympathy for Measles)
- Learn more about Cory and his abilities. If there is an example of his magical powers (for example, an artifact or a spell), study him carefully with the help of Divine Vision.
- To tell Hannah and George that Cory had tricked their souls into eternal devouring by Ammut, forcing them to commit a terrible crime against the Judges, and only serving the gods of the Duat could atone for this sin. (This is so that they are more willing to cooperate with Helel and not feel sympathy for Measles)
- Learn more about Cory and his abilities. If there is an example of his magical powers (for example, an artifact or a spell), study him carefully with the help of Divine Vision.
Last edited:
[X] Appeal to Desperation
- During the conversation, convince Hannah and George that Corey manipulated them and was going to betray them in the end. (This is so that they are more willing to cooperate with Helel and not feel sympathy for Measles)
- Learn more about Cory and his abilities. If there is an example of his magical powers (for example, an artifact or a spell), study him carefully with the help of Divine Vision.
@QafianSage Does this plan work?
Does anyone have any theories about who Cory is? He is clearly not a magician because he can experience Sybaris. Maybe he's a bloody bather or a body snatcher?
- During the conversation, convince Hannah and George that Corey manipulated them and was going to betray them in the end. (This is so that they are more willing to cooperate with Helel and not feel sympathy for Measles)
- Learn more about Cory and his abilities. If there is an example of his magical powers (for example, an artifact or a spell), study him carefully with the help of Divine Vision.
@QafianSage Does this plan work?
Does anyone have any theories about who Cory is? He is clearly not a magician because he can experience Sybaris. Maybe he's a bloody bather or a body snatcher?
Last edited:
QafianSage
Ascending Ape
- Location
- United Kingdom
The part about tricking them into their souls being devoured by Ammut is probably unnecessary, as it goes a little too deep into Ye Olde Fun Factes, so to speak; it hinges a bit much on their knowledge of Duat, Ammut, the Judges and so on. Besides that, though, the plan works fine.
Also, I do want to thank you for the amount of work you put into the power assessments. They're very thorough.
Last edited:
1.4 Vote Tally
QafianSage
Ascending Ape
- Location
- United Kingdom
Okay, I think it's safe to say we've got a consensus going here.
Utterance Awaken The Dead will allow Helel to create zombies with preserved mental and social skills. Is it possible to organize such a scheme?
To gather several specialists in economics to turn them into zombies and force them to engage in the economic affairs of the cult with the tenacity of creatures who do not know fatigue and can work 24 hours a day.
To gather several specialists in economics to turn them into zombies and force them to engage in the economic affairs of the cult with the tenacity of creatures who do not know fatigue and can work 24 hours a day.
QafianSage
Ascending Ape
- Location
- United Kingdom
I... think that's possible. Theoretically, at least. There would be some logistical issues, in that you can only do so much remotely - sooner or later your economic dealings are going to need some face-to-face work. This is 1999; not everything is online yet.
Plus there's the slight issue of people vanishing to live in your basement and do your trading for you potentially drawing attention. And ethics, I suppose, but you're already an immortal lich.
Of course, to do any of this you'd need to learn Awaken the Dead. And another idea you might consider is resurrecting already-dead economists.
How detailed questions with the help of "Secrets plucked from heaven" is it possible to ask Fate?
Will such questions be suitable?
1. Which supernatural species does Cory belong to?
2. Who is Cory's co-worker?
3. Where is the base of Cory and his allies?
4. What allies can Helel get against Cory and his organization?
5. What arguments and suggestions will convince these creatures to oppose the ogranization of Cory?
The enhanced third level of "Rebuke the Vizier" in the presence of Ren 5 creates an area of anti-magic until the end of the scene or simply removes restrictions on the number of uses of this ability?
Will such questions be suitable?
1. Which supernatural species does Cory belong to?
2. Who is Cory's co-worker?
3. Where is the base of Cory and his allies?
4. What allies can Helel get against Cory and his organization?
5. What arguments and suggestions will convince these creatures to oppose the ogranization of Cory?
The enhanced third level of "Rebuke the Vizier" in the presence of Ren 5 creates an area of anti-magic until the end of the scene or simply removes restrictions on the number of uses of this ability?
BungieONI
Seven gremlins in a trench coat
- Location
- Lickwidget
- Pronouns
- She/Her
The Ren 5 enhancement on that alternate third level effect removes restrictions on the number of times you can use that ability for the rest of the scene. (It is a gigantic fuck you to a bunch of supernatural creatures). This is covered in the full mechanics on Helel's character sheet under the Rebuke the Vizier "Full Mechanics" spoiler.
For Secrets Ripped from Skies it should be noted that answers one receives from it are not always straightforward, though if you use it we will try to make the answers useful.
The way Question 5 is framed is outside the purview of Secrets Ripped from Stars and is thus not valid. Question 4 is iffy; you're better off sticking with your first three questions and other questions structured like them.
Are these questions suitable instead of 4 and 5.
4. What enemies does the Cory organization have?
5. What is the essence of their conflict?
BungieONI
Seven gremlins in a trench coat
- Location
- Lickwidget
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Those are better, but I will have to discuss with @QafianSage if they are suitable.
BungieONI
Seven gremlins in a trench coat
- Location
- Lickwidget
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Qaf and I talked and these questions are acceptable, though if there are no enemies besides Helel the questions may not provide anything useful.
Update is also proceeding, no one needs to worry about that.
Is it possible to use the mummy's body as a kind of storage of important items, for example, to place an amulet in the place of the missing heart and activate it without removing it from the body, thereby minimizing the possibility of theft?
Will there be a choice in the future that will make Helel more careful about divulging her name? She revealed the name to Danica, about whom she knows practically nothing, it is quite possible that Danica is a spy from the cult of the deceived mummy, which would explain the lack of reaction to Sybaris.
Such careless handling of the name can hurt a lot in the future.
Will there be a choice in the future that will make Helel more careful about divulging her name? She revealed the name to Danica, about whom she knows practically nothing, it is quite possible that Danica is a spy from the cult of the deceived mummy, which would explain the lack of reaction to Sybaris.
Such careless handling of the name can hurt a lot in the future.
QafianSage
Ascending Ape
- Location
- United Kingdom
I think that would probably be possible, though it'd deal some damage while you put the thing in. Fortunately, mummies heal quickly.
When Helel becomes aware of the Deceived or the fact that the Nomenclature isn't dead, this is quite possible. As it is, though, she flatly doesn't know that they're still a thing.
Does the limit on the number of affinities from the first edition work, or can an unlimited number of them be purchased?
Are Helels available for studying utterance from the first edition that had no analogues in the second edition, for example, Doom Affliction or Kiss of Apep?
Can Helel restore will through sleep like mortals?
Since Helel belongs to the decree of the Usheb, three ways are available to her to restore Pillar point by revealing historical facts, by revealing her identity and by proving the superiority of the mind over the heart and body. How can Helel prove the superiority of the mind over the heart and body?
Are Helels available for studying utterance from the first edition that had no analogues in the second edition, for example, Doom Affliction or Kiss of Apep?
Can Helel restore will through sleep like mortals?
Since Helel belongs to the decree of the Usheb, three ways are available to her to restore Pillar point by revealing historical facts, by revealing her identity and by proving the superiority of the mind over the heart and body. How can Helel prove the superiority of the mind over the heart and body?
QafianSage
Ascending Ape
- Location
- United Kingdom
In theory, we're not keeping the limit on the number of Affinities. In practice, we're only going to offer a certain number over time.
It depends on the Utterance; some will possibly be carried over, some might not.
Yes, she can! Though it requires actual sleep; she can't just meditate for it or whatever.
Perhaps by persuading someone who's in a very emotional state of mind to behave rationally rather than follow their heart, or by defeating a powerful warrior or fighter through strategy or traps.
Here are utterances from the first edition that were not transferred to the second, according to the author, some of them may
be transferred to the quest modified according to the rules of the second edition.
docs.google.com
be transferred to the quest modified according to the rules of the second edition.
Utterance of the 1st edition
Here are utterances from the first edition that were not transferred to the second, according to the author, some of them may be transferred to the quest modified according to the rules of the second edition. Level 1 DOOM AFFLICTION Tier 1: Ab 1 (Curse, Potency 1, Subtle); Tier 2: Ka 2 (Curse, P...
docs.google.com
1.5
QafianSage
Ascending Ape
- Location
- United Kingdom
You let out a breath you don't need and let the fury of battle subside. The impulse for simple domination falls away. You know better - and this is a time for a modicum of subtlety.
As you re-enter the Hall with Danika behind you, you consider the direction you might give these people; these unwitting desecrators who may yet serve a purpose in your designs. The front hall is quiet, its little deviations still grating on your senses, but lingering unsurely on the stairs to the second floor are Mr. Harlow and Ms. Anderson.
"W-we haven't gone anywhere," Hannah says, doing her best to suppress the quaver in her voice.
"Indeed you have not," you agree. "Good. Come down." You study their faces as they make their way nervously down the steps to join you. The supernatural awe you invoked earlier has fallen away, leaving the merely-mundane shock - shock you can use, even if you have to shove down a vindictive anger to do so. Now is not the time.
"I'm sure this is quite a change for you," you begin, mingling the faint edge of understanding with the haughtiness of command. "You've been used to your quiet little corner of England, and whatever studies you've conducted. But I'm afraid that that was only ever an illusion. This place has been mine since before the Iceni were driven from the isles." That's not quite true. Or, at least, you're not sure it's the truth. Your memories can't tell you for certain, but you know that this has been your home for a very long time. "For now, you may call me Mistress, and you shall show me how your former leader misused the knowledge I stored here."
George and Hannah glance at one another, then past you at Danika. He wets his lips, turned grey with fear. "A… prior claim then. We… we can show you to the library chamber."
"Do so," you instruct. The two finish their descent and, casting nervous glances your way, pass through the door leading deeper into the first floor, and towards the entrance to the basements. George lags behind, and you pretend not to notice as he hangs back closer to Danika.
"What's your stake in all this?" he asks in a hissed, hostile whisper.
You answer in Danika's stead. "Plainly speaking, I tricked her. I came to her as Elisa Morgan, and extracted information from her. Then, I discovered some further interest in her. You will do nothing against her, or you will answer to me."
"Y-yes, mistress," says the man, but he seems to accept your words.
"I'm just a college student," Danika speaks into the quiet that follows. "I, uh, I'd really just like to live long enough to finish my degree. I… I don't know what's going on here." George seems mollified by that - camaraderie can be found in the most remarkable places - and a moment later Hannah turns a corner and opens what seems at first glance like an airing cupboard. Inside, steps lead down into a dim basement - a wine cellar, though the stale scent speaks to its emptiness, despite the profusion of casks.
The empty barrels form a labyrinth of sorts, but Hannah leads the group through to a small doorway tucked away at the far end. The door opens easily, the humans stepping after you into darkness which rapidly recedes away from the lights in the basement. "Leave the door open, if you would," you tell them, noting the quiet sigh of relief from Hannah. It helpfully covers your grimace at the faint scent of wrongness which wafts down the corridor. The tunnel is built of tan stone bricks far older than anything present above the earth, and slopes gently as it heads away from the footprint of the manor house and into the ground beneath the garden.
As you make your way down the passageway, it takes a moment to identify the strange scent as salt. You frown as you emerge into the first antechamber, where your cult once did you reverence and performed the rite to call you from henet, the sleep of death. The darkness is banished with the click of a switch, dim lights nestled in alcoves casting a soft illumination. Your frown deepens as you scan the chamber in the harsh light they shed. This room has not escaped the desecration. What should be clean patterns of tesselated bas-reliefs and hieroglyphs have been marred by the marks of knife and chisel. More than a dozen key phrases have been erased, or had their meanings changed. Not the work of an expert - but not a blind blasphemer either. Your enlightened senses can perceive the manner in which the flows of Sekhem swirl and eddy about these new markings, guiding them along new and unfamiliar courses. The scent of salt is explained, as well, by two long troughs, each filled with crystalline rock-salt.
After a moment more, you put together the purpose of both the troughs and the defacement of your tomb. One of the original functions of the geomancy was to banish damp and humidity from the air, the better to preserve both your own body and the records you kept in a further chamber. The chisel-marks have carefully destroyed this function - now fulfilled by the salt - and directed the energies to some new end. What that end is, though, you're not sure.
"Remain here," you command, causing the humans to stop short behind you. Near the tunnel which leads deeper in are several electric lanterns in a rack. You take one and step forwards into what was once the central chamber of the tomb; the focus of its energies and your sarcophagus. The outer coffin remains, though it has been similarly defaced, and two more of the salt-troughs lie to each side of it. Ahead is the chamber which once contained certain personal effects; not Vessels or anything so potent, but certain trinkets and memorabilia you had gathered through the years. That door is sealed, though scuff-marks on the floor tell that it has been opened at some point. To your right is what was once your reliquary; the house of those treasures you sacrificed to the Rectifier, or kept for your own use. Its door is a vacant mouth, and when you cast the lantern's beam inside, you find it just as empty.
To the left, however, is the chamber you consider the most vital. Cables snake across the floor and through its entrance-way, and when you flick on a newly-discovered light-switch you find nothing less than an improvised study, set amidst the remains of what was once your own occult library. The repository and vault of the texts and writings you had wrested from the hands of foolish sorcerers and blasphemous wizards. The summoning-codices of Amkhata. The names of the dark-star beasts. The rites to pay homage to the Devourer. Their contents have long since been laid bare to whoever took this place for their own, and you do not know if they still remain.
When you return to the antechamber, the faces of the three humans float like pale moons in the light, and cringe at your expression. Even a dead face can show anger.
You take a folding chair and set it before the entrance to the deeper tomb, sitting as you once did to educate your followers. (At the least you think you once did.)
"Well, here we are," you begin, setting the lantern beside your chair and crossing one leg over the other. "My first question is this: what do you know of Cory's beast?"
There is a long, uncomfortable moment of silence before Hannah clears her throat and steps slightly forward. "Mr. Fisher created the chimaera a month ago," she says. "George stole the… parts, and Cory acquired the artefact he used to create it. He controlled the beast and had it guard the Hall."
"Describe this Relic to me, and how he acquired it."
Hannah nods. "It was a small thing, a set of magical brushes. Cory told us that his acquaintances gave them to him in exchange for his help. The Relic itself was able to 'infuse' the painter's emotions into a piece via the painter's blood."
A peculiar object. Perhaps one of the Amulets of your own guild, or one of the Uter of the Su-Menet. Nevertheless, something about it sets your intuition tingling.
"What did he help these 'acquaintances' with, and who are they?" you ask.
"Cory didn't really say," Hannah answers, cautiously. "He needed the proto-Pharaonic language references, and some of his personal notes. It might have been preparation for a working, or maybe some kind of research on their behalf?"
As she speaks, the intuition resolves into something more solid. You have a sense of subtle forces aligning; the telltale forewarning of kepher, the guidance of Fate.
"Were those documents returned to the vault?" you ask. Hannah nods…
[Kepher roll, Exceptional Success. Helel gains the Driven Condition]
And certainty resolves in your mind like stars aligning. In your mind's eye you see an archway missing a keystone, and the figures of horses about a sun, once daubed with ochre, now running red. Grey-green waves, and towers stretching down from the surface of the churning water.
"You know of these acquaintances, do you not?" you say, your voice sharp as a viper's hiss. The implied command breaks the air like a whip-crack, no less potent for its quiet tone.
Hannah seems to shrink back as you draw the words from her lips like pulling on a string. "They live in Dunwich, east of here on the coast." She answers. "Cory got the paintbrushes from a woman who lives there, Dorothea. Dorothea Brand."
A name - useful. Names can be tracked down. But for now, you have more practical matters to attend to than the vague guidance of kepher.
You settle back into your seat, as though you had never been disturbed. The unpredictability will set the mortals off-balance; you need only be careful that they not think you too unpredictable to deal with. "You are all lucky, with regards to that beast. You called it a chimaera? Not a bad term - its appearance, and its need to destroy, align well with the Lycean account. Amkhata may arise when Sekhem - that is, the energy of life - spills freely into the world; events such as the breaking of a Relic, a vestige, or the defacement and damage of a geomantic complex. Potentially even this tomb." The looks you receive from that statement are uncomfortable to say the least.
"They are bastards of Sekhem run wild, twisted by their origins." You pause, then, "How many deaths by animals nearby have there been reported?"
"Deaths?" echoes Danika. "You think that thing killed people?"
Hannah and George exchange glances. George rubs a hand against his chin. "...One, perhaps."
Danika looks at him aghast. You raise a withered brow, silently commanding him to elaborate. He grimaces. "About ten days ago," he says. "Police found a backpacker who'd died. Animal attack - it was in the papers."
"It is the way of such beasts," you say. "Amkhata, as I know them. They have been made, summoned and spawned since long before the Greeks raised their temples, and they have stained their path red. They are hungry for life."
The mortals look queasy. "So it… what, ate a person? What for?" Danika asks.
"It shouldn't have done anything of the sort," Hannah interjects. "We knew the creature was dangerous; we took steps to control it."
"Amkhata are greedy for the stuff of life," you say. "They do not need it to continue existing, but they do to make use of their power, or to become physical. They can drink it from the breaking of objects of power, or devour it with a human heart. I surmise you had some means of feeding it?"
Hannah gestures at the tomb around you. "Cory was planning the thing for a long time. When the operations suppressing the humidity down here began to fail, he changed them, then added more before the rite to conjure the thing. Said it'd keep it 'stable'." Her words are clinical, but it's not hard to tell that's a method of coping. Meanwhile, you are occupied by the implications of her words. The feeding of an Amkhat not via hearts or the sacrifice of Vessels and Vestiges, but through the channels of geomancy and sacred geometry. You had never known that was possible - never even considered it. Perhaps a Tef-Aabhi might, but…
"Did he describe to you his method for controlling the beast?"
Hannah looks at you in some confusion. "He… did not."
"Then, perhaps he did not bind it at all," you say mildly, but fix her with your gaze.
[Successful Manipulation Empathy roll to lead Hannah to a specific kind of conclusion]
Hannah's curse is quiet. "...I can see it," she mutters. George stills.
"Hannah, are you…?" You're not quite sure what he means as he trails off but you watch impassively as Hannah turns to him, waiting to see how this plays out.
"I can see it," she repeats, and then gestures at the Tomb around you. "The beast wasn't particularly friendly and Cory told us to avoid it, keeping it down in the treasure chamber most of the time. We both know him, George; the guy's smart and loves to talk, but he's pretty tight-lipped around problems."
"For something like this?" He casts a look at you and then ploughs on. "Do we have any evidence for what she's saying, Hannah, really?"
Hannah wraps her arms around herself and sighs. "There's the documents on the thing's creation and his notes… We can look in those. And he's been busy down here for most of the month. He's good at what he does, George, but this was something new. An experiment. Maybe he was trying to fix something and would tell us later."
George grumbles and shrugs. "I'd certainly hope so!"
Hannah raises a hand as his voice rises. "Me too, but - look, George. We're kind of out of options here." She shoots a nervous look in your direction.
"When I confronted him, the beast attacked without any command from him," you point out. "If your leader couldn't control it when present, how could he do so when it was far away?" You give a mild shrug. "Perhaps he bound it via some other means; bargaining or similar. But in my experience, such arrangements rarely last."
[Exceptional Success for Hannah's Persuasion roll with Helel's assistance]
George's lips thin, but finally his head sags. "Oh - damn it." He looks up again, meeting your eyes. "I'll work with you. But, I have questions."
You make a magnanimous gesture. "Ask them."
"What are you?" he says, elearning forwards in his chair. "Some kind of… vampire? An undead sorcerer? Where did you come from? How can you… do what you do - you summoned a damned meteor!"
"I am Deathless," you reply. "I have walked this earth for time beyond memory, and I shall do so when the bones of your children's children are dust and their names forgotten. As for the secrets of my power, you may learn in time. Have you any other questions?"
"What will you want us to do?" Hannah breaks in.
"I have a purpose to accomplish," you answer. "A certain artefact which I must retrieve. Besides aiding in that, I will put you to task in watching over this place and restoring it to its true purpose. In exchange, you will have my protection, and my knowledge." You pass your gaze from one to the next, and one by one Hannah, George and finally Danika nod their assent.
Vote as a plan.
Direct Cult Activity. Pick one.
[] Focus on repairing the Tomb.
[] Run interference with the Bury St Edmunds town authorities.
[] Run interference with English Heritage outside of Suffolk.
[] Contact Andrew Rosser and bring him in.
What do you do next? Pick one.
[] Find Dorothea Brand in Dunwich.
[] Get Andrew Rosser, Suffolk English Heritage supervisor, on your side.
[] Meet with Sam Morisson in Aldeburgh and pull him into your Cult.
What remains in your repository? Pick one. The two you which you do not pick are out there somewhere, so this is also about what you don't want floating around in someone else's hands.
[] Library 2 (Occult, spiritual Wounds on the world, and their inhabitants) A Sheriff's Badge (Vestige 2) which helps the wearer convince others to commit violence. An old hat from the California Gold Rush and faded photos from the start of photography, of friends whose names you don't remember.
[] Library 2 (Occult, the Underworld and its effects on ghosts). An Ominous Letter (Vestige 2) which inflicts feelings of shame and fear when presented to a target. A treatise in French you don't remember how to read and the remains of a bronze shelled telescope you know was a gift but do not remember receiving.
[] Library 2 (Occult, the bargains and offerings of the Devourer). A Shining Coin (Vestige 2) that when shown to another can inflame their greed. A series of Levantine poems on parchment and a vase that once held flowers from the coast of Cyprus, now long dead and the vase left empty.
Authors' Note: So, this took altogether too long to get out, thanks to two of us plunging straight into burnout in the midst of it, but it's here now, and we hope you enjoy! Thanks as always go to @BungieONI for writing a great deal of this, and to @GardenerBriareus for editing, proofreading and idea-work!
As you re-enter the Hall with Danika behind you, you consider the direction you might give these people; these unwitting desecrators who may yet serve a purpose in your designs. The front hall is quiet, its little deviations still grating on your senses, but lingering unsurely on the stairs to the second floor are Mr. Harlow and Ms. Anderson.
"W-we haven't gone anywhere," Hannah says, doing her best to suppress the quaver in her voice.
"Indeed you have not," you agree. "Good. Come down." You study their faces as they make their way nervously down the steps to join you. The supernatural awe you invoked earlier has fallen away, leaving the merely-mundane shock - shock you can use, even if you have to shove down a vindictive anger to do so. Now is not the time.
"I'm sure this is quite a change for you," you begin, mingling the faint edge of understanding with the haughtiness of command. "You've been used to your quiet little corner of England, and whatever studies you've conducted. But I'm afraid that that was only ever an illusion. This place has been mine since before the Iceni were driven from the isles." That's not quite true. Or, at least, you're not sure it's the truth. Your memories can't tell you for certain, but you know that this has been your home for a very long time. "For now, you may call me Mistress, and you shall show me how your former leader misused the knowledge I stored here."
George and Hannah glance at one another, then past you at Danika. He wets his lips, turned grey with fear. "A… prior claim then. We… we can show you to the library chamber."
"Do so," you instruct. The two finish their descent and, casting nervous glances your way, pass through the door leading deeper into the first floor, and towards the entrance to the basements. George lags behind, and you pretend not to notice as he hangs back closer to Danika.
"What's your stake in all this?" he asks in a hissed, hostile whisper.
You answer in Danika's stead. "Plainly speaking, I tricked her. I came to her as Elisa Morgan, and extracted information from her. Then, I discovered some further interest in her. You will do nothing against her, or you will answer to me."
"Y-yes, mistress," says the man, but he seems to accept your words.
"I'm just a college student," Danika speaks into the quiet that follows. "I, uh, I'd really just like to live long enough to finish my degree. I… I don't know what's going on here." George seems mollified by that - camaraderie can be found in the most remarkable places - and a moment later Hannah turns a corner and opens what seems at first glance like an airing cupboard. Inside, steps lead down into a dim basement - a wine cellar, though the stale scent speaks to its emptiness, despite the profusion of casks.
The empty barrels form a labyrinth of sorts, but Hannah leads the group through to a small doorway tucked away at the far end. The door opens easily, the humans stepping after you into darkness which rapidly recedes away from the lights in the basement. "Leave the door open, if you would," you tell them, noting the quiet sigh of relief from Hannah. It helpfully covers your grimace at the faint scent of wrongness which wafts down the corridor. The tunnel is built of tan stone bricks far older than anything present above the earth, and slopes gently as it heads away from the footprint of the manor house and into the ground beneath the garden.
As you make your way down the passageway, it takes a moment to identify the strange scent as salt. You frown as you emerge into the first antechamber, where your cult once did you reverence and performed the rite to call you from henet, the sleep of death. The darkness is banished with the click of a switch, dim lights nestled in alcoves casting a soft illumination. Your frown deepens as you scan the chamber in the harsh light they shed. This room has not escaped the desecration. What should be clean patterns of tesselated bas-reliefs and hieroglyphs have been marred by the marks of knife and chisel. More than a dozen key phrases have been erased, or had their meanings changed. Not the work of an expert - but not a blind blasphemer either. Your enlightened senses can perceive the manner in which the flows of Sekhem swirl and eddy about these new markings, guiding them along new and unfamiliar courses. The scent of salt is explained, as well, by two long troughs, each filled with crystalline rock-salt.
After a moment more, you put together the purpose of both the troughs and the defacement of your tomb. One of the original functions of the geomancy was to banish damp and humidity from the air, the better to preserve both your own body and the records you kept in a further chamber. The chisel-marks have carefully destroyed this function - now fulfilled by the salt - and directed the energies to some new end. What that end is, though, you're not sure.
"Remain here," you command, causing the humans to stop short behind you. Near the tunnel which leads deeper in are several electric lanterns in a rack. You take one and step forwards into what was once the central chamber of the tomb; the focus of its energies and your sarcophagus. The outer coffin remains, though it has been similarly defaced, and two more of the salt-troughs lie to each side of it. Ahead is the chamber which once contained certain personal effects; not Vessels or anything so potent, but certain trinkets and memorabilia you had gathered through the years. That door is sealed, though scuff-marks on the floor tell that it has been opened at some point. To your right is what was once your reliquary; the house of those treasures you sacrificed to the Rectifier, or kept for your own use. Its door is a vacant mouth, and when you cast the lantern's beam inside, you find it just as empty.
To the left, however, is the chamber you consider the most vital. Cables snake across the floor and through its entrance-way, and when you flick on a newly-discovered light-switch you find nothing less than an improvised study, set amidst the remains of what was once your own occult library. The repository and vault of the texts and writings you had wrested from the hands of foolish sorcerers and blasphemous wizards. The summoning-codices of Amkhata. The names of the dark-star beasts. The rites to pay homage to the Devourer. Their contents have long since been laid bare to whoever took this place for their own, and you do not know if they still remain.
When you return to the antechamber, the faces of the three humans float like pale moons in the light, and cringe at your expression. Even a dead face can show anger.
You take a folding chair and set it before the entrance to the deeper tomb, sitting as you once did to educate your followers. (At the least you think you once did.)
"Well, here we are," you begin, setting the lantern beside your chair and crossing one leg over the other. "My first question is this: what do you know of Cory's beast?"
There is a long, uncomfortable moment of silence before Hannah clears her throat and steps slightly forward. "Mr. Fisher created the chimaera a month ago," she says. "George stole the… parts, and Cory acquired the artefact he used to create it. He controlled the beast and had it guard the Hall."
"Describe this Relic to me, and how he acquired it."
Hannah nods. "It was a small thing, a set of magical brushes. Cory told us that his acquaintances gave them to him in exchange for his help. The Relic itself was able to 'infuse' the painter's emotions into a piece via the painter's blood."
A peculiar object. Perhaps one of the Amulets of your own guild, or one of the Uter of the Su-Menet. Nevertheless, something about it sets your intuition tingling.
"What did he help these 'acquaintances' with, and who are they?" you ask.
"Cory didn't really say," Hannah answers, cautiously. "He needed the proto-Pharaonic language references, and some of his personal notes. It might have been preparation for a working, or maybe some kind of research on their behalf?"
As she speaks, the intuition resolves into something more solid. You have a sense of subtle forces aligning; the telltale forewarning of kepher, the guidance of Fate.
"Were those documents returned to the vault?" you ask. Hannah nods…
[Kepher roll, Exceptional Success. Helel gains the Driven Condition]
And certainty resolves in your mind like stars aligning. In your mind's eye you see an archway missing a keystone, and the figures of horses about a sun, once daubed with ochre, now running red. Grey-green waves, and towers stretching down from the surface of the churning water.
"You know of these acquaintances, do you not?" you say, your voice sharp as a viper's hiss. The implied command breaks the air like a whip-crack, no less potent for its quiet tone.
Hannah seems to shrink back as you draw the words from her lips like pulling on a string. "They live in Dunwich, east of here on the coast." She answers. "Cory got the paintbrushes from a woman who lives there, Dorothea. Dorothea Brand."
A name - useful. Names can be tracked down. But for now, you have more practical matters to attend to than the vague guidance of kepher.
You settle back into your seat, as though you had never been disturbed. The unpredictability will set the mortals off-balance; you need only be careful that they not think you too unpredictable to deal with. "You are all lucky, with regards to that beast. You called it a chimaera? Not a bad term - its appearance, and its need to destroy, align well with the Lycean account. Amkhata may arise when Sekhem - that is, the energy of life - spills freely into the world; events such as the breaking of a Relic, a vestige, or the defacement and damage of a geomantic complex. Potentially even this tomb." The looks you receive from that statement are uncomfortable to say the least.
"They are bastards of Sekhem run wild, twisted by their origins." You pause, then, "How many deaths by animals nearby have there been reported?"
"Deaths?" echoes Danika. "You think that thing killed people?"
Hannah and George exchange glances. George rubs a hand against his chin. "...One, perhaps."
Danika looks at him aghast. You raise a withered brow, silently commanding him to elaborate. He grimaces. "About ten days ago," he says. "Police found a backpacker who'd died. Animal attack - it was in the papers."
"It is the way of such beasts," you say. "Amkhata, as I know them. They have been made, summoned and spawned since long before the Greeks raised their temples, and they have stained their path red. They are hungry for life."
The mortals look queasy. "So it… what, ate a person? What for?" Danika asks.
"It shouldn't have done anything of the sort," Hannah interjects. "We knew the creature was dangerous; we took steps to control it."
"Amkhata are greedy for the stuff of life," you say. "They do not need it to continue existing, but they do to make use of their power, or to become physical. They can drink it from the breaking of objects of power, or devour it with a human heart. I surmise you had some means of feeding it?"
Hannah gestures at the tomb around you. "Cory was planning the thing for a long time. When the operations suppressing the humidity down here began to fail, he changed them, then added more before the rite to conjure the thing. Said it'd keep it 'stable'." Her words are clinical, but it's not hard to tell that's a method of coping. Meanwhile, you are occupied by the implications of her words. The feeding of an Amkhat not via hearts or the sacrifice of Vessels and Vestiges, but through the channels of geomancy and sacred geometry. You had never known that was possible - never even considered it. Perhaps a Tef-Aabhi might, but…
"Did he describe to you his method for controlling the beast?"
Hannah looks at you in some confusion. "He… did not."
"Then, perhaps he did not bind it at all," you say mildly, but fix her with your gaze.
[Successful Manipulation Empathy roll to lead Hannah to a specific kind of conclusion]
Hannah's curse is quiet. "...I can see it," she mutters. George stills.
"Hannah, are you…?" You're not quite sure what he means as he trails off but you watch impassively as Hannah turns to him, waiting to see how this plays out.
"I can see it," she repeats, and then gestures at the Tomb around you. "The beast wasn't particularly friendly and Cory told us to avoid it, keeping it down in the treasure chamber most of the time. We both know him, George; the guy's smart and loves to talk, but he's pretty tight-lipped around problems."
"For something like this?" He casts a look at you and then ploughs on. "Do we have any evidence for what she's saying, Hannah, really?"
Hannah wraps her arms around herself and sighs. "There's the documents on the thing's creation and his notes… We can look in those. And he's been busy down here for most of the month. He's good at what he does, George, but this was something new. An experiment. Maybe he was trying to fix something and would tell us later."
George grumbles and shrugs. "I'd certainly hope so!"
Hannah raises a hand as his voice rises. "Me too, but - look, George. We're kind of out of options here." She shoots a nervous look in your direction.
"When I confronted him, the beast attacked without any command from him," you point out. "If your leader couldn't control it when present, how could he do so when it was far away?" You give a mild shrug. "Perhaps he bound it via some other means; bargaining or similar. But in my experience, such arrangements rarely last."
[Exceptional Success for Hannah's Persuasion roll with Helel's assistance]
George's lips thin, but finally his head sags. "Oh - damn it." He looks up again, meeting your eyes. "I'll work with you. But, I have questions."
You make a magnanimous gesture. "Ask them."
"What are you?" he says, elearning forwards in his chair. "Some kind of… vampire? An undead sorcerer? Where did you come from? How can you… do what you do - you summoned a damned meteor!"
"I am Deathless," you reply. "I have walked this earth for time beyond memory, and I shall do so when the bones of your children's children are dust and their names forgotten. As for the secrets of my power, you may learn in time. Have you any other questions?"
"What will you want us to do?" Hannah breaks in.
"I have a purpose to accomplish," you answer. "A certain artefact which I must retrieve. Besides aiding in that, I will put you to task in watching over this place and restoring it to its true purpose. In exchange, you will have my protection, and my knowledge." You pass your gaze from one to the next, and one by one Hannah, George and finally Danika nod their assent.
Vote as a plan.
Direct Cult Activity. Pick one.
[] Focus on repairing the Tomb.
[] Run interference with the Bury St Edmunds town authorities.
[] Run interference with English Heritage outside of Suffolk.
[] Contact Andrew Rosser and bring him in.
What do you do next? Pick one.
[] Find Dorothea Brand in Dunwich.
[] Get Andrew Rosser, Suffolk English Heritage supervisor, on your side.
[] Meet with Sam Morisson in Aldeburgh and pull him into your Cult.
What remains in your repository? Pick one. The two you which you do not pick are out there somewhere, so this is also about what you don't want floating around in someone else's hands.
[] Library 2 (Occult, spiritual Wounds on the world, and their inhabitants) A Sheriff's Badge (Vestige 2) which helps the wearer convince others to commit violence. An old hat from the California Gold Rush and faded photos from the start of photography, of friends whose names you don't remember.
[] Library 2 (Occult, the Underworld and its effects on ghosts). An Ominous Letter (Vestige 2) which inflicts feelings of shame and fear when presented to a target. A treatise in French you don't remember how to read and the remains of a bronze shelled telescope you know was a gift but do not remember receiving.
[] Library 2 (Occult, the bargains and offerings of the Devourer). A Shining Coin (Vestige 2) that when shown to another can inflame their greed. A series of Levantine poems on parchment and a vase that once held flowers from the coast of Cyprus, now long dead and the vase left empty.
Helel's Kepher
Wits 2 + Investigation 1 + Enlightened Senses 5 + Sekhem 9 = 17 dice, Kepher roll 1 (already have 1 clue)
Helel rolled 17 dice and got 6 successes. 1 3 7 3 3 9 7 10(9) 3 2 9 7 7 9 7 8 6. Exceptional Success.
You now have 2 Clues out of 8 Clues needed. Clue #1 has one element. Clue #2 has three elements due to your Exceptional Success. Each element may be spent for a one die bonus on rolls to uncover more Clues. You also gain the Driven condition due to this Exceptional Success.
Manipulation 4 + Empathy 4 + Establishing Rapport 1 = 9 dice, doubling 9s
Helel rolled 9 dice and got 2 successes. 1 3 4 10(1) 6 6 7 10(5) 1
Helel assisting Hannah's attempt to convince George
Manipulation 4 + Persuasion 5 = 9, 9s again of assistance.
Helel rolled 9 dice and got 6 successes. 2 2 10(5) 8 3 9(3) 10(8) 8 5. Exceptional Success
Hannah attempting to convince George
Hannah Manipulation 3 + Persuasion 3 + 6 Helel Assistance +3 Willpower = 15 dice
Hannah rolled 15 dice and got 7 successes. 9 3 5 10(9) 9 4 10(4) 6 8 3 6 6 1 5 10(4). Exceptional Success
Wits 2 + Investigation 1 + Enlightened Senses 5 + Sekhem 9 = 17 dice, Kepher roll 1 (already have 1 clue)
Helel rolled 17 dice and got 6 successes. 1 3 7 3 3 9 7 10(9) 3 2 9 7 7 9 7 8 6. Exceptional Success.
You now have 2 Clues out of 8 Clues needed. Clue #1 has one element. Clue #2 has three elements due to your Exceptional Success. Each element may be spent for a one die bonus on rolls to uncover more Clues. You also gain the Driven condition due to this Exceptional Success.
Helel manipulating Hannah
Manipulation 4 + Empathy 4 + Establishing Rapport 1 = 9 dice, doubling 9s
Helel rolled 9 dice and got 2 successes. 1 3 4 10(1) 6 6 7 10(5) 1
Helel assisting Hannah's attempt to convince George
Manipulation 4 + Persuasion 5 = 9, 9s again of assistance.
Helel rolled 9 dice and got 6 successes. 2 2 10(5) 8 3 9(3) 10(8) 8 5. Exceptional Success
Hannah attempting to convince George
Hannah Manipulation 3 + Persuasion 3 + 6 Helel Assistance +3 Willpower = 15 dice
Hannah rolled 15 dice and got 7 successes. 9 3 5 10(9) 9 4 10(4) 6 8 3 6 6 1 5 10(4). Exceptional Success
Authors' Note: So, this took altogether too long to get out, thanks to two of us plunging straight into burnout in the midst of it, but it's here now, and we hope you enjoy! Thanks as always go to @BungieONI for writing a great deal of this, and to @GardenerBriareus for editing, proofreading and idea-work!
- Location
- United States
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Plan: Sweeping Tracks
-[X] Run interference with English Heritage outside of Suffolk.
-[X] Find Dorothea Brand in Dunwich.
-[X] Library 2 (Occult, spiritual Wounds on the world, and their inhabitants) A Sheriff's Badge (Vestige 2) which helps the wearer convince others to commit violence. An old hat from the California Gold Rush and faded photos from the start of photography, of friends whose names you don't remember.
-[X] Run interference with English Heritage outside of Suffolk.
-[X] Find Dorothea Brand in Dunwich.
-[X] Library 2 (Occult, spiritual Wounds on the world, and their inhabitants) A Sheriff's Badge (Vestige 2) which helps the wearer convince others to commit violence. An old hat from the California Gold Rush and faded photos from the start of photography, of friends whose names you don't remember.
Last edited:
QafianSage
Ascending Ape
- Location
- United Kingdom
Thanks for the vote, but please give your plan a name!
[] Plan: Intensive preparation
- [] Focus on repairing the Tomb.
- [] Use "Secrets plucked from heaven" to find out the answers to the following questions.
1. Which supernatural species does Cory belong to?
2. Who is Cory's co-worker?
3. Where is the base of Cory and his allies?
4. What enemies does the Cory organization have?
5. What is the essence of their conflict?
- [] Library 2 (Occult, the bargains and offerings of the Devourer). A Shining Coin (Vestige 2) that when shown to another can inflame their greed. A series of Levantine poems on parchment and a vase that once held flowers from the coast of Cyprus, now long dead and the vase left empty.
Restoring the tomb should be our priority because it will increase the number of dice (now it's three dice) that we throw to replenish the pillar points, and right now Helel is broke.
It is necessary to use divination, because the enemy already knows about us while we don't know anything about him, which means that we cannot develop an effective strategy of confrontation.
As for the coin, it is most suitable for Helele and her ability to manipulate other people's desires and specialization in tempting offers.
@QafianSage Does this plan work?
- [] Focus on repairing the Tomb.
- [] Use "Secrets plucked from heaven" to find out the answers to the following questions.
1. Which supernatural species does Cory belong to?
2. Who is Cory's co-worker?
3. Where is the base of Cory and his allies?
4. What enemies does the Cory organization have?
5. What is the essence of their conflict?
- [] Library 2 (Occult, the bargains and offerings of the Devourer). A Shining Coin (Vestige 2) that when shown to another can inflame their greed. A series of Levantine poems on parchment and a vase that once held flowers from the coast of Cyprus, now long dead and the vase left empty.
Restoring the tomb should be our priority because it will increase the number of dice (now it's three dice) that we throw to replenish the pillar points, and right now Helel is broke.
It is necessary to use divination, because the enemy already knows about us while we don't know anything about him, which means that we cannot develop an effective strategy of confrontation.
As for the coin, it is most suitable for Helele and her ability to manipulate other people's desires and specialization in tempting offers.
@QafianSage Does this plan work?
Last edited:
BungieONI
Seven gremlins in a trench coat
- Location
- Lickwidget
- Pronouns
- She/Her
If you want to ask questions with Secrets plucked from heaven, you're going to have to pick 1 question; you can only ask a number of questions equal to your Ba rating. Otherwise this plan is fine with me.