Session 173
Of Minds and Men
General Summary
- Dazki sent a status report to Tex. It sounds like Tex has been called away, though.
- They had a big discussion about what to do with Baxton's Ring of Mind Shielding. This time, Theran spoke out against keeping him trapped.
- The next level down had a brain-like entity that spoke with Maedia's voice and pleaded with them to let it live.
- It claimed that it "might be the last bit of logic and humanity that this body has left", but that the rest of the body limited its resources.
- It then spoke about "Mother and Father" currently in the liver, and that there could potentially be a way to access them, but it didn't give concrete information about how, only cryptically suggesting that "Mother Girth"'s best friends could do it if they worked together.
- As the party explored the chamber, Dwardazik suddenly got a bit overtaken by Gemineye, who insisted that things had reached a breaking point.
- It revealed that it had been procrastinating on manifesting some of its natural parasitic tendencies out of love for the family that it had grown attached to, but with their proximity to "Mother Girth" and the accumulated buildup of "dangerous energy", Gemineye was worried that something was about to happen.
- It asked the rest of the party for help, which they granted: they worked together to destroy the manifestations of this "dangerous energy" inside Dwardazik's soul, which allowed Gemineye to cast out the last bits of attachment to "Mother Girth" and replace it with ties to Dwardazik.
- Apparently, this means that Dwardazik and Gemineye are now one, and their tie cannot be severed without killing both of them.
Full Recap
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Dead Ringer
Marvin retrieves the Far Gear. Theran muses that Marshall was trying to send a message, but the Red Desert terminated the connection. They wake the others, and Dazki sends a message using the sending stone:Dazki: Proceeding deeper into the caverns. Believe we are 3/4 to the bottom. Likely to encounter "Mother Girth" within 24 hours. Tex: My know-how is needed elsewhere. Attention split. I've left this in less-than-adequate hands, but it is what it is. Keep your wits.They discuss tactics for a little while, and then Theran brings up Baxton's Ring of Mind Shielding, still in their Bag of Holding.
Theran: Do we know what being in that Bag of Holding is doing to him? I'd guess that being stranded in a spaceless space without any sensory input might not be... Marvin: Oh, I'd be it's fuckin' sick what's going on with him! Wanna find out? Dazki: So, his words to me when I asked him about it a while ago were that it was a "challenging adjustment" but that he is "able to handle it". According to him. Marvin: See? He's a champ! Dwardazik: He's a dick. Dazki: I don't know how true that is. He'd been in the Bag of Holding for a week or two at that point. Marvin: Do you feel sorry for him? Theran: Kind of. Marvin: Theran, you don't know what he did. Theran: I know exactly what he did. Dazki: Even with what he did, everybody deserves empathy. Dwardazik: Hmm... ... ...no, not him. Dazki: I personally disagree. I understand where you're coming from, but I believe that everybody deserves empathy. So I understand what Theran is saying too. Dwardazik: Man, I'm just looking forward to when I can throw that thing into a giant volcano or something like that. Just sayin'. Marvin: Well, we can teleport you to one on the way back! Dazki: And Theran, what I will say is, I feel bad for him. I do have empathy for him. However, there always comes a level of — I hate to put it this way, but — a level of evil where you need to have repercussions for your actions, ... Dwardazik: Like a boot to the face... Dazki: ...and I think some of what he has done has, in my opinion, crossed that line. I don't think that this solitude, this torture that he's going through, is appropriate. I think he should just be ended, to be completely frank. But we have to leave him in there for now, because that is deriving Mirage Prime of its eye. I don't like the decision, but I think it's the necessary one. Marvin: So, you once said that he could totally just end it all for himself, being in that ring, right? Dazki: Yeah, yeah, he can absolutely also leave whenever he wants. But then, Mirage Prime gets him and gets his eye back. So, he is choosing not to. Theran: So, has Baxton said specifically that being in the Bag of Holding what does this, or has Mirage been blind ever since Baxton went into the ring? Dazki: He hasn't said that, specifically. I don't think he even knows that Mirage is currently without an eye. It could be the Bag of Holding, but it could just be that it's part of his spirit. Dwardazik: That's how I thought it worked. Dazki: It could very well be either. I'm not sure which. Theran: I'm just very conflicted about putting someone in that situation without knowing for certain that it's necessary. Dwardazik: Seems fine to me. Dazki: I understand. What I will say is, he has the ability to choose to end that situation at any moment. Theran: You're giving him a "choice" between staying in the nothingness, or consigning himself to be owned by Mirage Prime. That doesn't seem like much of a choice. Dwardazik: He made his choices. Dazki: Well, what would you want us to do? Theran: I don't know, I just feel like I need more information on the situation. It doesn't sit well with me when people are just forgotten about. Marvin: He's not forgotten about. Dwardazik: Not at all. Theran: It's pretty obvious that his manipulations are what got Grogery to die, and believe me, I'm angry about that. But what did he do that was so bad? Dazki: Controlled the minds of others to get them to do what he wanted, including using that to abuse power, abuse women, kill people, for all sorts of personal gain. All in the name of wanting to become a dictator who had the power to control and protect everyone if they followed his orders. Theran: ... all right. Dwardazik: I don't understand why you care about him? Good people lost their lives / been turned to stone / tortured by his actions / manipulations. I think he's pretty much earned this. Dazki: Again, it's important to have empathy for everyoneThey exit the cave and descend further down.evenespecially your enemies. Theran: I will say, unconditional empathy is the kind of thing that leads you to adopt a goblin you find alone and orphaned in the woods. That leads you to trust something that can't even communicate with you properly, in order to try to do things to save the world. That helps you work with people who might otherwise be your natural enemy, for a greater purpose. It's not necessarily a bad thing, just something to be careful about. And my instincts are telling me that Baxton has information that might be useful to us, and that we'll probably need to talk to him before all of this is over. Maybe not before going after Mother Girth, mind you. Marvin: That's absolutely true, we're not denying that. Theran: Like, information about "Fogwalker", information about how to get Mirage Prime to stop being attached to the Red Desert. Things like that. And coming at him from a place of anger and callousness is not going to get him to cooperate. Dazki: I'm entirely aware of this. Theran: I'm also acknowledging that I probably can't put the ring on without causing a certain someone to flip the heck out. Dazki: I understand who you're referring to. I would also very much insist that we not allow you to communicate with Baxton. He is a very skilled manipulator. Dwardazik: That's for damn sure. Dazki: I understand that you've been in politics your entire life, and I'm not saying that you are incapable of understanding and seeing other people's games. I am just saying that extreme caution should be taken, because he is not one to be underestimated. Is that a reasonable argument? Theran: I suppose so. Dazki: I know reason is not always satisfactory. Theran: I don't think he has much he can manipulate me with. He knows what he did. He knows I'm not going to be friendly to him, outright, inherently. Dazki: I would caution that level of confidence. Dwardazik: I really don't think you can trust him. The first thing he did was try to manipulate me against my friends and my companions. He's really nothing but pure evil. Dazki: No one is "pure evil", Dwardazik. Just like no one is "pure good". Dwardazik: He's close enough. Dazki: He is a man who made some bad decisions. And once he started making those bad decisions, he fell into the fallacy of, "well, I've already made these bad decisions; if I give up now, I've hurt people for nothing". And that led to his ego getting the better of him. Marvin: Ah, yes, the sunk-cost fallacy. Dazki: He's a very flawed man, just like we all are, but he deserves your empathy. Just like everyone here deserves everyone's empathy. Marvin: So, what if I put it on? I actually haven't put it on before. Dwardazik: I don't think you should put it on, either. I don't think anyone should! I think we risk having him get annoyed and try to get us killed. Theran: If Mirage Prime is not neutralized before he leaves the ring, he is willing to endure having absolutely no sensory input in order to avoid having his soul go to Mirage Prime. I'd say that he is betting on us taking Mirage Prime out before he has to leave the ring. But if the ring is destroyed, or if something else happens... Dazki: Yep. He has incentive to work with us. But that doesn't mean we should abuse that. We should still approach in a — maybe not "positive", but at least in a non-confrontational fashion. And I think either Marvin or myself should be the one to approach him when that time comes. He hasn't spoken with you, Marvin (he doesn't know a lot about you), and he wanted me to basically be his apprentice and continue his plans should anything happen to him. So I think either of us would be the right choice to have that conversation. Marvin: All right. I won't do it now, but I'll keep that in mind. Theran: Specifically, I have an idea for dealing with Riley, and I need to know some stuff from him before knowing if it will work. Dazki: What would that be? Theran: I unfortunately don't want to mention anything while the walls could (literally) have ears. Dazki: That's an entirely legitimate concern. Theran: When we... if we... (we'll probably?)... get out of this, I'll talk details. Dazki: Like I said last night, we will. Don't think otherwise. Gotta make sure we plan for something bad to happen, but go in with the confidence that we'll make this work somehow. Theran: Don't you know, Dazki? I'm supposed to be the downer kid. Dazki: And I'm supposed to be the inspiring leader. So I'm not going to stop trying to talk you up. Dwardazik: And I'm the dwarf!
The Brains of the Operation
Below, the "red water" from above splits into two pools wherein seem to live some sort of lamprey or eel. Occasionally, a charge of energy will spark across the wall with a light buzzing noise. A voice enters into their minds, as if echoing off the walls with no central source. Editor's note: I'm using the name "Maedia" to denote when the brain is "speaking" to them, as it speaks with what is presumed to be Maedia's voice. This label is not intended to have any narrative significance.Maedia, as if starstruck: omigosh, omigosh... (She clears her throat.) Maedia, confidently: Begone, intruders! You go no further! Dazki: Who is this? Theran: Didn't sound like it's for us. Let's keep going. Maedia, her voice quickly becoming desperate: You suddenly get the feeling that you want to leave, very peacefully! "It's just way too spooky and hard, you've done a decent job helping out everyone else that you've encountered so far, everything's looking free of illness and injury... you're gonna leave now and report your findings.", that's what you think!Dazki investigates along a large nerve leading to a skull on the ground. (Investigation 32) Along the ceiling are some very large bones that form "some sort of spine and ribcage". Following the nerve to the skull, there is some kind of "jello-y, pink, almost some sort of brain" inside of it.
Maedia: "There's no treasure, or any sort of enemies or illness down here, so I think we should all just leave!", you think! Dazki: You know, it's weird for my inner monologue to be coming from outside of me. Dwardazik: You don't think that's the skull, do you? Dazki: Absolutely, I do. Look, the nerve ending is attached, and there's still some kind of brain matter inside of it. Maedia: As you examine the skull, you notice that it is incredibly evil and dangerous! You expect the skull to be cursed! You think you should leave and go warn others not to touch the skull! Dazki: Well, then, I should sever the skull from any connection it may have to this nerve ending here to prevent it from corrupting this whole place! Maedia, quickly: No-no-no-no! Wait-wait-wait-wait! Wait? Don't! Dazki: And why not, if the skull is so terribly evil? Theran: Yes, we certainly want to take this back for investigation. Maedia, pleading: OK, I think we all want the same thing, right? You don't have to crush me or squish me or anything... Dazki: And what is it that you want? Maedia: I kinda want all of the shenanigans to stop. Dazki: So do we. And how do we go about stopping them? Maedia: Um... I mean, I'm not allowed to tell you that. Dazki: Are you allowed to give us hints at how to do that? Or to tell us how totally not to do that? Maedia: OK, can you guys all turn around? Dazki: Sure. Once everyone is looking away, they hear a noise "of, like, Jell-O going through a straw", and when they turn around, there's a "very small, very delicate-looking ooze creature" on the ground by the skull. Theran: Why did we have to turn around for that? Maedia: Getting undressed is embarrassing for anybody. Marvin: Just when you'd thought you'd seen everything... Dazki: And who might you be? Maedia: It's complicated. Dazki: You are Maedia's child? Maedia: Let's speak in the metaphorical... Dazki: OK. Maedia: I might be the last bit of logic and humanity that this body has left. And if I speak in this dumbed-down, more positive, scared demeanor, then you are less likely to crush me. Marvin: Debatable, but continue. Dwardazik: More-or-less agreed, yes. Maedia: I think this body has taken a wrong decision, and I have been overruled. Dwardazik: "this... body"? It actually is a body? Whose body is it, is it Her? Her whole body? Or is it a creation of Hers? Is it the child? Maedia: It kind-of used to be Our body, but I've kinda disassociated from a lot of this bad decision-making. Dazki: That was probably a good choice. Maedia: I'm not so sure. Resources are incredibly thin. Dazki: How close are we to the decision-making portion of this body? Maedia, with an exasperated sigh: I mean, I would like to say, "rather close", but the area's been walled off so Mother and Father can have some more private time. Dazki: Hmm. So, he made it. Maedia: So, unfortunately, no access to the liver that's been causing a lot of problems, um, upward. But that's fine, we'll make do as we can and maybe, eventually, we'll listen to reason and conscience once more. Dazki: So, how would we... knock... to let them know that there are potential visitors? Theran: Is that a good idea? Dwardazik: Well, if there's a sock on the door handle... Dazki: I really don't think we have the luxury of paying attention to a "sock on the door handle" at the moment! Theran: I don't get what the "sock on the door handle" is about... Marvin: We'll tell you when you're older. Maedia: I mean, we might be able to use hydraulic pressure to force the door open in case of an emergency, but it would have to be an emergency! Marvin: Now, when you say "hydraulic pressure", we're not talking machinery and gizmos? We're talking blood, aren't we? Dwardazik: Just raise the blood pressure, right? Is that how this is gonna work? Marvin: Oh, I'm very experienced in that. Dwardazik: Or lower the blood pressure, depending on the situation. Look, little creature thing... do you have a name, or are we just going to keep calling you "little creature thing"? Maedia: I mean, my memory's been a bit of a problem since I've so few resources, but I know you're talking to me, and I'm talking to you, and I really think that's all we need. And you guys are clever enough to understand that, considering you weren't caught in any of the other traps. Dazki: Seems fair. Dwardazik: I'm just going to call you "Blobby". Maedia: I thought they were all super clever, but I guess four sentient electric oozes are better than one. Theran: ? ...I guess we are, technically, ... ...hmm... Dwardazik: You know, I really don't particularly like being called that, but I don't care. Marvin: We're all just blobs of meat at the end of the day. Dwardazik: Look, your screaming has alerted everything in this area. Are there threats to the south? Maedia: No, you won't find any of Her children down here except for the lamprey. And it is very important that all of Her children stay away from the emergency doors, because we don't want them setting off an emergency. They're just too greedy, they constantly need Mother's love, attention, nutrients. Dwardazik: Can you give us any kind of assurance that you're not just trying to trick us? Maedia: ...I'm not trying to trick you. (Insight 20) This thing is very concerned about losing its life, and it speaks very fearfully. Dwardazik: All right. Guys, I think Blobby's probably not trying to lead us into harm. Theran: And hey, we could try to arrange the situation so that more nutrients get sent up the spinal cord. Dwardazik: I'm just thinkin' that a logical brain, Blobby over here, is lookin' out for numero uno. So, why don't you help us help you then? How do we lift up this hydraulic door or whatever it is? Maedia: Well, we can only really do it if someone really important to us — let's say, like, a two-thirds majority... or maybe even more — managed to activate all of the convenient levers I've placed around, in such a way where it would cause fluid to drain into an area. Hypothetically, this would be a convenient way to assure the Mother body that if all of her adoring friends came down, that they would be able to save her if she was in real trouble, y'know? (Insight 13) It's dancing around words, and you're not sure why. Maedia: Now, I have worked incredibly cleverly to secure such people in the event that these lever need to be pulled, but so far, nobody's really taken the bait. Dwardazik: So, we just need to pull three or four of these levers at the same time or something like that? Maedia: Let's say that we have infinite children and infinite love to go around to all of our children. Marvin: That's quite the hypothetical... Dwardazik: Like the lie that our clan-mother used to tell us that she loved us all equally, but I knew that wasn't true... I always got the last cookie... Maedia: ...but let's say that your resources were finite. There's enough love to go around, but not enough Mother. Now, you're gonna have to set boundaries, right? But such boundaries don't exist for your favorites! Say, your great friends, whom you've given so much to, and who have proceeded to just leave you buried in the dirt turning into some strange bulky and incomprehensible monster! Surely, we would still have some love for them too, more so than our children, right? Dazki: Of course. Maedia: I mean, we've sat here and slaved day after day trying to manage all these complicated productions, all while being a single mother attempting to raise civilized and loving children — an infinite number of them. Surely, at some point, they're going to come thank us! And that's the time — (She suddenly stops talking, in order to think.) ... ... Dazki: ..."that's the time..."? Dwardazik scoops up the brain. Maedia: OK, this is weird? Please don't squish me! You have very firm dwarven hands, and I'm not that cool with it... ... Maedia: But! If our bestest friends needed to, in an emergency, get down here — say, they were angry that they got trapped by some absolute genius of a system and they needed to come down here — they would need to work together, like a family. And surely, they have as much love for each other as they do for Mother!Through some more dialogue, Maedia explains that "only one of Mother's children can open the door", and that Her only children on this floor are the lamprey. When the party insists that they can push on and figure this out on their own, it cautions that the rest of the body can still "think" like an intelligent being. It reaffirms that Mother and Father are "currently in discussion in the liver" as the party explores more.