Locke
the Ontologist Locke Argo Aletheia
Locke the Eremtic Stoic, an Apostate who Eats Knowledge
The improvement of understanding is for two ends: first, our own increase of knowledge; secondly, to enable us to deliver that knowledge to others.
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
I am an androgynous being, slender and moderately tall, with pale skin, brilliant red/gold hair.
Body Features
- Pale skin
- Green eyes
- Red/blonde hair
- Slender
Facial Features
I have a heart-shaped face with a long, aristocratic nose.
Physical quirks
I tend to stare.
Apparel & Accessories
I usually wear ornate green and gold academic robes over a kimono.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
In all honestly, long ago I was a brilliant academic, the golden youth of my order (the Vances) and my college. I was well known and well liked, and everyone aaaaaalwys wanted me at their salons.
But then the War came.
The project that I was drafted into was a. last-ditch effort to develop a new magical technology deemed necessary for the survival of the Vislae, a weapon that would defeat the foe in a single existential strike. The project sought to undermine natural law, and use the resulting destruction as a weapon.
When I realized the implications of this project, I tried to stop it. I failed, and tried to run. On the verge of escape, the others caught me... they used the prototype weapon on me, and I died.
But for Vislae, death is not always permanent.
When I came back, I hid in the world of Shadow, in the life of a normal person. I sought truth there, even though it is the land of lies; I'm not sure how much time passed in the Actuality, but it was years in Shadow. I was a student, trapped by poverty and a lack of options.
Eventually I re-awoke into my true self, and took a place in a bombed-out ruin of a world trying to recover from the destructive reach of the War that everyone tries to avoid even mentioning.
So I have left the Vances, I have become something of a hermit, and I live alone on the edges of Vislae society. My mind is as sharp as ever, but I no longer believe that the ethics and worldview of Vislae are true. Instead, I seek to use philosophy and science to determine a new Truth about the universe, and thus improve the worth of Vislae kind.
Gender Identity
Androgyne
Sexuality
Love is the driver of my sexuality.
Education
Massively over-educated.
Accomplishments & Achievements
- I'll have to make up some academic achievements. -RG
Failures & Embarrassments
- Ran From the War
- Developed WMD
Mental Trauma
- Guilt over WMD
- Has been killed
- Betrayed by Order of the Vance
Intellectual Characteristics
- Logical
- Curious
- Judgmental
Morality & Philosophy
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
I dream about the reality of actuality.
Likes & Dislikes
Likes: Facts.
Dislikes: Idiots.
Virtues & Personality perks
Patient, observant, willing to admit when he’s wrong.
Personality Quirks
I can unerringly pick the most interesting book out any collection of written material. Since "interesting" is in the eye of the beholder, sometimes this is useful and sometimes it isn't.
Social
Contacts & Relations
- A'isha (NPC bond, old friend from his time in the Vances who is holding the scientific instruments for his observatory in trust.)
- Heironymous (NPC bond, friend who runs a coffeeshop in Locke's neighborhood.)
- Bedlam Tom (NPC bond, friend who is a stray cat, a huge, scarred tomcat who wanders around Locke's neighborhood. Locke is very kind to Tom, and is probably is best friend among human beings.
Locke's Minions
Axiom Fortis
Level 11 ThoughtormAxiom Fortis is a vordir (guardian thoughtform) created by Locke Aletheia. She is an animated suit of grey metallic spiked armor; just over six feet tall, willowy and distinctly feminine, but without breasts or other overt signs of biological gender. Axiom seems good natured and friendly, though she is more likely to listen than speak, and is a deeply thoughtful and philosophic being whose personal time is spent in meditation and the contemplation of the beauty and the mysteries of the Actuality. In battle, Axiom wields an elegantly tooled zweihander with a blade that's about four feet long.
Neko
Level 8 Living StatueNeko is a bronze statue of a cat which Locke brought to life with the spell True to Life. It is a magical creature with intelligence and a personality of its own, and it chooses sometimes to act like nothing more than a simple cat, and sometimes to engage with the world with the full scope of its human-level intelligence and mental agility. Locke has no control over Neko, but he does have a deal with it... as long as Neko does no harm to any of Locke's things or friends, and protects the Observatory from enemies (particularly from the Fluxrat), Neko is free to cat-own the grounds and do whatever it wants. What it wants, mostly, is to wander around following the sun (often up on top of the observatory), heating its bronze body until it's too warm to comfortably touch. Slightly feral, Neko doesn't actually like to be touched, though it does appreciate the offer of treats. It mostly ignores everyone else in the Observatory.
Song of Drifting Ashes
Level 2 Demonic ServitorSong of Drifting Ashes is a minor demon summoned by Locke via the Demonic Servitor conjuration, and serves as a personal assistant and business administrator for his projects. Ashes has manifested in physical form as a petite woman in her late 30s, with long black hair and pale skin that blends smoothly into the blackish red of long, goat-like horns, a swishy leonine tail, and furry, clawed hands. Ashes has a ridiculous, sarcastic sense of humor, and never follows instructions from anyone but Locke, who she treats like a little brother. Ashes is not a very diligent worker, preferring to spend her time exploring Satyrine and enjoying the artistic and decadent scenes of the city.
Nefeli
Level 2 Angelic AttendantNefeli (Ne-FÉ-lee) is an angel summoned by Locke via the Angelic Attendant conjuration. She serves as the Master Librarian of Phoebus Observatory, working diligently to keep the books and research materials of the facility organized, safe, and orderly. She appears as a pale-skinned young woman with golden hair and a beautiful face, wearing sparse white linen robes and an ornate silken veil which covers her head and the upper half of her face. Nefeli is nearly silent, the ultimate, inscrutable librarian. Nefeli rarely leaves the observatory.
Maxim (01011000)
Level 2 Spiritual MinionMaxim (whose proper name is 01011000) is a Spirit of Knowledge which serves as Locke's research and laboratory assistant. Their true spiritual form is unknown, but while incarnated they are a small person completely wrapped in silken robes of white light, glittering gold and black shadow. Maxim speaks quietly, but shows great enthusiasm for anything involving rare knowledge or unsolved mysteries. When they're not busy helping with one of Locke's projects, Maxim tends to wander around the observatory, following Nefeli or Ashes as they do their own things, or trying to convince people to play a board game of their own devising called Quartzon, a sort of combination of backgammon and chess derived from a base seven number system.
Religious Views
None
Social Aptitude
Although compelling when dealing with others in a one-on-one basis or in small groups, Locke is generally unwilling to put any energy whatsoever into public interactions or his relationships with strangers.
Speech
Speak softly and carry the truth.
Relationships
Wealth & Financial state
My income is based on publishing residuals.
Species
Realm
Honorary & Occupational Titles
- Doctor
- Professor Emiritus
Year of Birth
32
Birthplace
Satyrine
Spouses
Siblings
Children
Current Residence
Phoebus Observatory in West Henge
Gender
Male
Eyes
Green
Hair
Burning Gold
Height
6' 0''
Weight
150
Ruled Locations
Character Prototype
Tilda Swinton.
Session 21 Downtime
Beyond the Labyrinth
After the events of the last game, my first priority is to retrieve the Cutting Stone. When I pass beyond the Labyrinth, I find a universe which consists of a single gigantic world. This universe is connected to an unknown number of other worlds, of which The Actuality is one. This world is quiet, and completely uninhabited, although there are signs (buildings on a grand scale, libraries, bones) of the scholars who have previously entered this universe from wherever they came from. None of the writings these scholars left behind provide any information about true nature of this place, or provide any true knowledge about its origin, only baseless imaginings intended to anchor it in the creation myths of their own original worlds. It does not appear that any of these ancient scholars ever returned to their own worlds; they stayed, and studied, and got so caught up in the puzzle of the place that they never really turned their full efforts into finding a way back. In this world, the Cutting Stone does not exist. However, there is a note from the Hidden Prince, "I have what you're looking for. Come find me when you're ready." (+1 despair for failing to successfully cache and recover the most important item in my universe.)New Character Arc: Explore (Just Over the Next Hill)
- Cost: The Undertaking (-2 acumen) -- I will go to and through the Labyrinth, and explore whatever lies beyond.
- Opening: Make a Plan (+1 acumen) -- I set things up to take care of themselves in my absence, with Simone prepared to convene the team and search for me if I am not back within a year.
- Step(s): Gather Resources (+1 acumen) -- I acquire permission from the Magisterium to try the Labyrinth. This turns out to be easier than I thought it would be, because they're all beholden to the Deathless Triumvirate.
- Step(s): Travel (+1 acumen) -- I pass through the Labyrinth.
- Step(s)Exploration -- Entering this new world, I am stunned by what I've found. The greatest mystery of my world is just... literally just a gateway into another world. I spend more than a little time exploring and examining the things I find, learning whatever I can of this unbelievable place.
- Climax: Conquest (+2 acumen, +1 joy) -- I stand at the center of what I believe to be this world's greatest repository of knowledge, a library collected and left by one of the ancient scholars who came before me.
- Resolution (+1 acumen)
Enlarging the Observable Universe
While within this world-- which has no name that I can discover, but which I have chosen to call Agora, for now-- I finally have the perspective I have been seeking my whole life, the opportunity to study my world from an external spot. My studies provide me with insight into the nature and shape of the different components of known reality... I now have data to support the the following statements:- The Actuality is one reality among what appears to be many realities, which may or may not be similar to it at all.
- The Kaleidoscopic Void is made up of the jumbled light of the Suns, and appears to be a boundary layer of the Actuality which has been rendered incoherent by by the effect of entropy.
- The Outer Dark truly surrounds all things, including not only the Actuality but these other worlds as well. There is a contradiction here, because the Outer Dark doesn't truly exist, and is rather an actual lack of existence.
New Character Arc: Uncover a Secret (The True Shape of the World)
- Cost: Seeker (-2 acumen) -- I cannot conceivably pass up this opportunity to observe reality from such a truly unique vantage point.
- Opening: Naming the Secret (+1 acumen) -- What is the relationship of this world to my own? What does its existence mean? What is the greater context?
- Step(s): Research (+1 acumen) -- I sort through the records left by ancient scholars of this world, studying everything I can that they left behind on cosmology and ontology, not just of their own worlds, but of this unique one.
- Step(s): Investigation (+1 acumen) -- I place myself in a trance at the highest point I can find in this world, and use my only really good tool to examine the Actuality from this vantage. That is, I carefully measure everything I encounter/observe/consume with Gnaw the Universal Mind, even knowledge I have already consumed in the past, to determine what transformations or interference affect knowledge passing between that place/state and this place/state. I learn everything that can be learned with such a tool, and while it is not insubstantial, it is not enough.
- Step(s): Tracking (+1 acumen) -- I try to find some other angle for observing/measuring/understanding reality from here, but there really isn't any.
- Climax: Revelation (+2 acumen, +1 despair) -- I have learned a lot, but not enough. I cannot answer my questions without better sources of information. I need something more like the tools which are available to me in the observatory.
- Resolution (+1 acumen)
I Encompass The World Within My Self
Frustrated with the limitations of my research/exploration in this place, desperately missing Simone and reluctant to abandon my universe to somebody else's will, I decide to go home one day while sitting among the remains of the ancient failed scholars who spent their entire lives investigating this place and came up empty. I was thus left in the interesting position of trying to work out a way back into my own universe, which apparently none of the ancient scholars ever did, but possibly the Hidden Prince did. As is my habit, I did not jump directly into this, but simply thought about it first. When it came down to it, my strategy was not to overcome an external barrier, but to look within. I started work on a spell I've intended to put together for a long, long time, but was not confident enough to move it to the start of my project list. But I have no such concerns anymore. I cast the spell, act within the spacetime before I entered the Labyrinth, use magic to communicate to Simone that I will return in 'x' (however many that is, based on how long I was in that other world) days and not to worry, then am back in the current time, right outside of the Labyrinth.New Character Arc: New Discovery (True Perdurance)
- Cost: The Thrill of Discovery (-2 acumen)
- Opening: The Idea (+1 acumen) -- When I consider my temporal parts, I am already where I want to be, to say nothing of when.
- Step: Research (+1 acumen) -- I review magical theory that already exists in my memory.
- Step(s): Trial and Error (+1 acumen) -- There is something to basic about this... I'm basically just putting a massive amount of energy into breaking down temporal limitations and bringing my true self into manifestation. There's not a lot of trial and error necessary for this... it just works.
- Climax: Eureka! (+3 acumen, +1 joy)
- Resolution (+1 acumen)
Back Into The Actual World
Gonna do some stuff. Maybe learn some stuff.- Writhing Soul - level 9 secret - https://satyrine.com/main.php?resource=database&type=character_secrets&list=131
- 2 points of stealth
- Daylight Caster - level 7 secret - https://satyrine.com/main.php?resource=database&type=character_secrets&list=12
- Night Caster - level 6 secret- https://satyrine.com/main.php?resource=database&type=character_secrets&list=46
- True Defense - level 7 forte power - https://satyrine.com/main.php?resource=database&type=fortes&list=301
New Character Arc: Creation (Key)
- Cost: The Idea (-2 acumen)
- Opening: Make a Plan (+1 acumen)
- Step(s): Gather Materials (+1 acumen) -- I have to acquire a level 17 ollari rod, which I doubt is easy to find. I use my contact Taiyo to help me with this.
- Step(s): Progress (+1 acumen) -- I cast the invocation Tulpa Creation and create Keye at level 13
- Step(s): Progress (+1 acumen) -- Keye increases its level to 14
New Character Arc: New Discovery (A Very Very Very Nice House)
- Cost: the Thrill of Discovery (-2 acumen)
- Opening: the Idea (+1 acumen]
- Step: Research (+1 acumen) -- I research house secrets which have to do with the transformation of the house, and with the relationship between the house and the vislae)
- Step(s): Trial and Error (+1 acumen) -- I make a Sefiroth of my house, and another one of myself. Instead of experimenting directly upon myself and my house, I experiment upon the symbols within those Sefiroths, essentially modeling this praxis within my ideosyncratic magic rather than within the Actuality.
Session 21
The Deathless Triumvirate threatens us and provides us with a choice: give them the stone and go into quiet seclusion, join them, or die.
We invite Red over. Discuss his experience with them in comparison to our experience with them. We argue about the ramifications of what we should do.
We then invite everyone over, and then tell them *everything*. Red, Aoife and the Blood Prince all understand. Chorian is stunned. Aisha and Heironymous are thrown for a loop. Kuhaku is unphased. Everyone else is somewhere along the cycle.
Eventually we decide to take the "Red" option and accept the limitation, but in bad faith. We are going to work on our primary goal (restoring the 10th sun) while pretending we're laying low.
Thoughts on that: I would like Gwyn to create a solution to keep attention of the Deathless Triumvirate, their magic and their agents. I would like Locke to bring back the Enemy of Truth to finish that conversation, and I would like Locke to solve the Labyrinth.
Gain 1 despair and 2 hidden knowledge and 1 crux for integrating these memories implanted by the Deathless Triumvirate. +1 crux, +5 acumen for end of story.
Session 19
Red comes over. We have tea, and talk around what we've done. He suggests that we collect more information from the Princes. Thus, we decide to smoke out the Golden Prince; Fynlan has a party (he takes an Establishment arc for this, I take an Aid a Friend arc). Among others, Grabblejean is there-- though since Grabblejean did not survive the Decimation, maybe he's a fake, and a magical researcher Apostate named Thae Nitaris.
I'm talking to Thae, when some annoying ghost bothers me. This is the ghost of a dude named Nathan Nevrimole (AKA Captain Pedantry), who was alive at Isabelle's party. I excuse myself, then go off to find Isabelle to let her know that Nathan is here. Later on, she lets us know that Nathan was murdered recently. I send her on over to Fynlan, since this is his sort of thing.
Nathan was murdered by a demon while shopping in a monograph store in Fartown called Pishogue. I call up Gwyn to join us. We investigate Nathan, and find out he has a sad, pathetic life. It turns out that he's so annoying that he's turned off even other Vislae. He's a spoiled rich kid, independently wealthy. No family, not sure where they've gone. Nothing interesting in his place.
We go to a diner for breakfast, then wander over to Pishogue. There's a sign there which has the Sign Against Evil. Locke decides that he should stay outside. The others go in, with Fynlan tasked with doing the talking. There is nobody in the building. The Scoobys investigate. I join them, and we start looking around for clues. There are two dead bodies in the back room; Nathan, and a woman in a red and black dress with a bunch of magic symbols on the dress. She has magical glyphs tattooed over her, all old fashioned ones.
Fynlan summons her ghost, and finds out she (Taiyo) was killed by a demon. We get a description, and it's a middle-level fucker named Agelast. Taiyo tells us that she has received threatening letters recently: "Despite your denials, I KNOW you have the Bodecker Candle. I will tell you one last time that I am prepared to pay you handsomely for it. Contact me immediately and we can conduct this
transaction for the benefit of both of us. Quilola Gold 28 February Street"
Bodecker Candles are the creation of a dead Maker named Ernest Bodecker. These candles each reveal some extremely specific secret. (The time of Ernest Bodecker is from a few hundred years ago, when all of Taiyo's stuff is from.)
Simone resurrects Nathan, and sends him away. We go on to February Street, which has exactly 28 houses on it. We knock on the door, which is opened by a middle aged woman with keyholes for eyes. I show her the note, she tries to deny it's her, Simone calls her out on her shit, and I offer that we'll let her go if she hands over the candle and writes a note of apology. She gets all indignant and tries to avoid owing up to what she's done.
She explains that 29 February only shows up on Leap Years. She thinks the candle will see it. She thinks her kid went there four years ago and got stuck in it. She admits she sent the demon to steal the candle, she claims the killing was unintentional.
I offer her a deal, give us the candle and go write the apology note while we look around for #29. That evening, the house shows up. I light the candle, and we go inside. We move through he foyer, following a path through the time dilation effect. Gwyn stumbles into the effect; I rescue him with magic. We then find the child, and an holder man named Ellest, and use a time spirit summoned by Fynlan to rescue them.
I bring the kid home, the others start talking to Ellest. They find out he made an enemy out of a crime lord dude named King Nine. We can look into that later.
(During downtime, I make an NPC bond with Taiyo. We each get +3 acumen and +1 joy for solving this riddle.)
Session 18 Downtime
Outline
At the beginning of the year, Locke tries to find a state of being where he can be comfortable with the past, sinking himself into the comfortable and familiar rhythms of swordplay and martial forms, but finding no solace, acts out, looking for comfort anywhere he can... this brings the pain of failure, until he realizes that the only way forward is a path towards redemption. Thus, he refocuses himself on the things he does best, research and develop projects and the acquisition of knowledge and power of an extremely specialized variety. He integrates Gwyn's pre-Decimation theories about world building into his own post-Decimation work, delves rather deeply into the study of Emanation X (the light of the missing 10th sun), and prepares himself to find a way forward. He consciously seeks knowledge and power beyond that which he possessed pre-Decimation, as most paths to rightness would require overcoming obstacles that he previously could not overcome, or understanding problems which were previously unsolvable.A Thing To Note
One of the advances Locke learns in this is Autumn's Herald, so that during the three months of Autumn, he is able to really focus hard on his research by expanding his subjective time... essentially, for Locke, this one year could actually be 911 days long.Character Arcs
New Character Arc: RECOVER FROM A TRAUMA
- Cost: Hurt (-2 acumen)
- Opening: Rest (+1 acumen)
- Step: Self Care - I focus on my swordsmanship, on the tradition and rhythm of my martial forms and training. (+1 acumen)
- Step: Getting Aid - There's not really anybody to get aid from. Who am I going to talk to? Simone/Aliliana? She's broken worse than I am. Heironymous? I'm not even sure he's real. The Blood Prince? I'm really not sure that telling them about this is a good idea. But you know what's a great idea... drugs. (+1 acumen)
- Step: Medicine - Oh I get absolutely blitzed. Why doesn't that help? But hey, at least now that I'm high, let's talk to... (+1 acumen)
- Step: Therapy - A'isha. I go to talk to A'isha... who in this state, is more Aysha than anything else. My oldest friend. Still, no matter what she is, no matter who she is, there is still some level at which she is my truest friend. Clearly we should talk about this, but equally clearly it is NOT going to result in recovery. (+1 acumen)
- Climax: the Moment of Truth - I obviously can't move on. I'm not someone who can just step forward from this. I have to find a way to make it right. (+3 acumen, +1 despair)
- Resolution - I haven't seen the end of this. I will need to be redeemed. (+1 acumen)
New Character Arc: REDEMPTION: A BROKEN WORLD
- Cost: Sorrow (-2 acumen)
- Opening: Regret (+1 acumen)
Existing Character Arc: LEARN: IN THE BEGINNING
- Step: Learn - I review Gwyn's notes, integrating his old thoughts and research into data I have already put together. (+1 acumen)
- Step: Learn - I travel to the smallest and most simple half world I can find, and measure every aspect of it I can imagine. I use these measurements to create a mathematical model of that world, which I then manipulate using calculus to remove all extraneous data, leaving me with a model of the most simple conceivable half world reality construct. (+1 acumen)
- Step: Learn - With Gwyn's help, I build a prototype of the Reality Assembler necessary to test my theory of an algorithmically created reality. (+1 acumen)
- Climax: The Test - I create an ephemeral half world which ends when I stop providing energy to the Reality Assembler. (+1 joy, +3 acumen)
- Resolution (+1 acumen)
Existing Character Arc: MASTER A SKILL: MASTER OF THE BLADE
- No action.
Existing Character Arc: UNCOVER A SECRET: THE SYSTEM
- Climax: Revelation - I stumble into the truth while investigating something else, The System is a creation left behind by Gwyn and Fynlan. It seems to have been co-opted by The Hidden Prince, but that's not really relevant. It's incredibly powerful, but in the end it's just a brute-force data collection mechanism. I'm fine with it belonging to The Hidden Prince for now, as I don't think they're against us. (+2 acumen, +1 joy)
- Resolution (+1 acumen)
New Character Arc: NEW DISCOVERY: THE TENTH LIGHT
- Cost: The Thrill of Discovery (-2 acumen)
- Opening: The Idea - The light of the 10th Sun should exist in this world, so even if the Sun is gone, there must be leftover traces of it. (+1 acumen)
- Step: Research - I use that incantation All Forgotten Yesterdays to commune with my past self and learn more about the nature and qualities of the light of the 10th Sun (Emanation X). (+1 acumen)
- Step: Trial and Error - Knowing that there is an empty reservoir for Emanation X inside of me, I attempt to refill it with Restorative Touch. This does not work, as apparently I need a bit of that energy to work with, in order to 'prime the pump' as it were. (+1 acumen)
- Step: Trial and Error - I put together the set of filters that I have calculated will be necessary to convert some other kind of light into something compatible with Emanation X. This doesn't quite work, because there is something missing, some quality which apparently exists only within Emanation X, and not within any of the other types of light. (+1 acumen)
- At this point, progress on this is blocked, until I can get my hands (eyes?) on some of the right kind of light. However, this research gave me enough basic information that I can move forward with building a spell to detect that light. It's truly been an Eureka moment, merging a lot of the work I've done since Shadow back into my understanding of the pre-Decimation cosmology.
New Character Arc: NEW DISCOVERY: SCENT THE INFINITE
- Cost: The Thrill of Discovery (-2 acumen)
- Opening: The Idea - I can build a spell to detect magical emanations which is much more accurate than Scent of Magic by leveraging my discoveries with Sefirot technology and my renewed understanding of a 10-Sun cosmology. (+1 acumen)
- Step: Research - I read my own notes. At this point, I'm the authority. (+1 acumen)
- Step: Trial and Error - I combine elements of Scent of Magic and Encode the Sefirot until I have a spell which includes sensory data along 10 different channels, rather than merely 1. It works, but merely like a much more sensitive Scent of Magic spell. Not good enough yet.
- Step: Trial and Error - I work with the control components of the spell, giving the caster the ability to isolate the sensory channels it provides, and this limit it to the detection of the chosen types/qualities of magic.
- Climax: Eureka! - I test the spell. It works. I finalize it and add it to my repertoire. (+3 acumen, +1 joy)
- Resolution - Now I can use this to continue my work on Emanation X (+1 acumen)
Bonus Crux Expenditures
I am spending the 5 bonus crux from integrating my past memories into: 1. Additional Ephemera 2. Incantation 3. Extra Spells (https://satyrine.com/main.php?resource=database&type=conjurations&list=23 and https://satyrine.com/main.php?resource=database&type=conjurations&list=34) 4. Additional Ephemera 5. IncantationNormal XP Expenditures
- Secret: True Master of Secrets (would cost 9 acumen, only costs 8 due to Patronship of Iu)
- New Spell: Scent the Infinite (would cost 5 acumen, only costs 4 due to Patronship of Iu)
- Forte Ability: The First Form (level 2, costs 1 crux)
- Forte Ability: The Disciple's Shift (level 3, costs 1 crux)
- Forte Ability: The Second Form (level 4, costs 1 crux)
- Forte Ability: The Warrior's Stance (level 5, costs 2 crux)
- Forte Ability: The Third Form (level 6, costs 2 crux)
- Skill Increase:+1 to Dodge (costs 3 acumen)
- Skill Increase: +1 to Resist (costs 3 acumen)
- Skill Increase: +2 to Secret Lore: Demons (would cost 4 acumen, only costs 2 due to Loremaster)
- Secret: Blood as Power (would cost 6 acumen, only costs 3 due to True master of Secrets and 2 due to Patronship of Iu)
- Secret: Patron's Favored (would cost 6 acumen, only costs 3 due to True Master of Secrets, and 2 due to Patronship of Iu)
- Signs: Arahnids, Cold, Fire, Infection, Legacy (costs 5 acumen)
- SCantrips: Glede, Sunder (costs 2 acumen)
- Changery Secret: Thunderblooded (would cost 9 acumen, only costs 6 due to True Master of Secrets, and 5 due to Patronship of Iu)
Session 18
Background: When we did the sword quest, we found a sword that had Gwyn's writing in "the language" on it. That thing is a formula (kind of a grand unified theory) which describes the mechanic by which energy is transferred from one state to another.
Fynlan has heard from the Forever Prince about a book called the Evanescing. He tries to go to the Library of the Unwritten to get a copy, but it's gone. Locke asks around, finds out that Torre moved the library. Hieronymous suggests that that we talk to Charles Abernathy. Locke finds Gwyn, and asks him to pull out his calling card for Charles Abernathy.
We reacquaint ourselves to him, and get the new address from him. The door is closed, and a sign says its closed. Fynlan shows up somehow, but I don't know how. He knocks on the door, and is annoying. Charles opens. He has the book but wants us to go find a guy named Ethan Tate, who looks like Chris Evans in a cable knit sweater.
Fynlan gets the address from a spirit, and we go to Riveriver to go to Ethan's apartment. The door's been kicked in. We go in there, and there's a hunched humanoid whose head and extremities are candles, rooting around in the apartment. It's a creature native to Indigo called a Glimbeast, which is a creature which eats unattended magic.
It charges. Simone tries to catch it, but gets burned by its candles. Gwyn's humanoid house sweeps its legs and drops it. I help Simone extinguish herself, then she casts a spell to chain it. Simone talks to it, finds out that that the place has been unattended for four weeks.
Investigating the place, we find that Ethan has been turned into a desk. I dispel it, and we find out that he did tihs to himself on accident while using a monograph of a level 1 spell that makes books. I make a copy of it. We wish Tate good luck, and I fix his door on the way out.
We go back to the library, get a copy of Evanescing. Te book is about how some people are drawn into Shadow in a way so complete that they disappear entirely. Sometimes people are saved from this fate by people who dwell in the Nightside of the Grey, an organization called the Thirteenth Eye.
We research it and find this: https://naturaltwenties.slack.com/archives/CC836JY79/p1576365257020000
We prepare an expedition. Locke goes there bamfs back, them bamfs simone there. Simone opens up a portal back to Satyrine, and Fynlan drives our fully equipped expedition truck in. After days of travel, we come across a large grey stone wall with a grey door. Everything is the same color as the entire background. The door has twelve eyes on it.
Eventually, Simone puts her eye against the door, and it opens. We go through into a courtyard. There are six people in threadbare grey robes. One of them speaks to us, saying, "Welcome seekers, why have you made the difficult journey here?" I tell them we're seeking the truth behind the book, and ask them what their price for this informtion is.
They offer Patronage, and after a discussion, we decide that Fynlan will accept this. They gave us a book on the suns, a compilation of knowledge about the suns, both night side and light side. We read the book, and gain 1 despair and 1 anguish. We all now contain two conflicting truth within us; one memory, the life you've always known, the other memory, next game.
At one point there were ten suns, and during the war, we destroyed it, creating a trap for ourselves, to send us back to Shadow. We came up with a way to convert the tenth sun into power, but we needed to trick the wardens into leaving the sun, at which point they were not omnipotent. Then, we converted the sun to a tool. We could not deal with the fact that we killed an infinite number of victims, and so fled into Shadow to make an easier story to handle. But we left notes, to send us back to Shadow.
We complete the Ontological Interference Arc. Also gain +2 acumen.
Session 17 Downtime
Complete Character Arc: Restoration: Bookworm
I just want to finish this out, though at some point I need to decide what to do with our little assassin idiot. I've already sent letters with my refutation of the charges on it to everyone who might be involved, so now I think I just need to take the time to seal the deal.- Climax: the Final Act: Putting on the charm act and bringing Heironymous in tow, I spend a few days touring libraries and bookstores, visiting with the people running them and showing by my good behavior that they have nothing to fear. (+3 acumen and +1 joy/despair)
- Resolution: I have nothing to fear from bookstore owners and librarians, right? (+1 acumen)
Continue Character Arc: Learn: In the Beginning
My goal with this arc is to learn everything I can about creating and empowering a sustainable half-world.- Opening: Focusing on the Problem: I need to learn everything I can about what people have done before. The only previous exposure I have to this was the failed attempt by *someone* to create a halfworld out of the Shining Isle. (+1 acumen)
- Step: Finding a Teacher or a Way to Teach Yourself: Unless you say otherwise, I can't imagine having a teacher for this. This is Epic Level magic, and my path to it will have to be on my own. (+2 acumen)
- Step: Learn: I research the history and creation of Half Worlds, compiling and cataloguing everything which is known about this process and its practice. (+1 acumen)
Continue Story Arc: Uncover a Secret: Isolating the Ontological Interference
- Step: Investigation: I talk to the Forever Prince, gaining very important hints from them about the nature of the Actuality ("The Actuality does not permit observation. Absolute knowledge carries a penalty of absolute inability. A balance must by maintained.") and Locke's self ("There is no such thing as always for you." (+1 acumen)
Continue Story Arc: Master a Skill: Master of the Blade
- Session 15 downtime: Step (Discovering a Master) I have a few candidates. Kohaku for one, Red for another, or maybe somebody Red could recommend. (+2 acumen)
- Session 16 Downtime: Step (Learn) I repeatedly put the things I have learned into practice in Red's arena, honing my new skills and identifying the weaknesses that I will continue to work on with my master. (+1 acumen)
- Session 17: Step (Learn) One does not cross blades with That Sword without learning something from the experience. (+1 acumen)
- Session 17 Downtime: Step (Learn) I learn as much as I can about Fushigiri, by having Red inspect it and share his thoughts, Gwyn analyze it as a maker and provide additional information, etc. (+1 acumen)
- Session 17 Downtime: Step (The Last Step) I'd like to do some kind of drug-assisted visionquest experience thing with the sword. (+1 acumen)
- I feel like the climax should wait until a rematch with That Sword Lady, or some other appropriately swordly challenge.
Continue Story Arc: Uncover a Secret: The System
- Step (Tracking) I continue to build my relationship with the Princes, seeking to increase my Connections score with them and to learn about, find, meet and talk to the Hidden Prince. Conversation with the Forever Prince: LA: "I thank you for my interest in my research, and for the warning of its dangers. You may know that I seek to unravel inconsistencies in the reality of the Actuality which I believe were left as an effect of the War. Thus, I am willing to accept danger to myself, but less willing to accept risk to others. I appreciate your attempt to guide my actions, but I must know the context... what is the reason for the warning you've sent?" FP: "The Actuality does not permit observation. Absolute knowledge carries a penalty of absolute inability. A balance must by maintained." LA: A mental acknowledgement, the psychic version of nodding one's head in assent, and then, "Have you seen that this will always be so?" FP: An emotional response of acceptance and resolve, and then a question, "When I seek to open the way through the Labyrinth, what must I bring with me?" Locke is aware of what a change of subject this is, but feels that the FP is capable enough for that to not be a problem. FP: “Lacking ultimate power, resolve and determination may suffice. Do not permit yourself the luxury of despair.” LA: "I thank you for your wisdom, and I celebrate that our purposes seem aligned. Should you see the need, please contact myself and my companions, and we shall act as you foresee necessary." (+1 acumen)
Experience Spends
- Learn the apostate power Extra Spells, taking Merge With the Black Cube and Respire.
- Learn the character secret Beyond Me (would cost 7 acumen, only costs 6 due to Iu)
- Learn the character secret The Wending Path (would cost 5 acumen, only costs 4 due to Iu)
- Learn the character secret Weapon Whisper (would cost 3 acumen, only costs 2 due to Iu)
- Learn the character secret The Sight (would cost 2 acumen, only costs 1 due to Iu)
- Learn the spell Emerald Blessing (would cost 3 acumen, only costs 2 due to Iu)
- Learn the spell Psychic Missive (would cost 2 acumen, only costs 1 due to Iu)
- Learn two levels of Secret Lore: Divination (would cost 4 acumen, only costs 2 due to Loremaster)
- Learn two levels of Secret Lore: Demons (would cost 4 acumen, only costs 2 due to Loremaster)
- Increase connections with Nine Princes by +1 (costs 2 acumen)
Session 17
Simone, using her new language secret, learns to decode the terrible writing in Chorian Marsh's notes and Locke's death records. It is a form of eidolon, which tells other people to ignore it, but for us, says "Go back to Shadow, you did nothing wrong, go back." Simone recognizes that it is written in her handwriting. (This should be a step on the Ontological Interference arc.)
Simone's bedroom and Fynlan's study is now covered in that writing. In the vision of the dark room, we see that everything is covered in that writing. Also, the thing that was quietly observing, and it is now active.
We do Fynlan's task, which is to help Her Elegance. The Chief Attendant of Indigo Affaires for Her Elegance (a meter tall dude with an eyeball for a head) shows up at Fynlan's house. HerEle will be staying at the Hotel of Words in the Marquis Quarter. Attendant thinks that the visit will be uneventful.
This is what she looks like https://naturaltwenties.slack.com/files/U10E23AG6/FQMEBJYCV/screen_shot_2019-11-16_at_10.38.42_am.png
At the Hotel of Words, HerEle shows up a gigantic retinue of eyeball dudes. She eyefucks Fynlan, and says she chose well. Tomorrow morning at dawn, she will be traveling to another district in the city and requires her champion to accompany her. She goes upstairs, Fynlan gives the hotel staff a lousy tip.
We stay at the hotel, and the next morning. HerEle wants to visit the Strangeglass District. Simone and Locke go ahead, Fynlan joins her, Gwyn follows behind. Along the way, some troublemakers try to get to HerEle. One of the troublemakers throws a jar at HerEle, yelling, "You're not wanted here, Enemy of Spiders." Gwyn shoots the jar, and suddenly there are spiders everywhere! Gwyn jumps on the spiders... the spiders try to eat his clothes, but fail. He squishes them.
Ahead, some woman in dungarees says, "Hey, are you Locke?" We have a weird interaction, and she pulls a sword on me. Simone bubbles me, I try to eat her mind, she sequence breaks and breaks the spell. I try to disarm her. This fails. The fight continues. This woman tries to hit me with That Sword. I spend 3 physicality and block the damage.
I use the incantation THE HANDS OF GOD SHAPE THE LIGHT AND THE DARKNESS to rearrange the Marquis Quarter so that the woman isn't right by me, but the headquarters of the Defenders is. Fynlan runs in to get help.
When she gets around the corner of the building, they see that everyone is grouped up with the Defenders now. Frustrated, she glares at Gwyn, then teleports away. HerEle is upset, and decides to go back to the hotel. Once there, she gives a Fynlan a note and tells him to deliver it to Kudash in the Strangeglass District, and bring back the package he gives him.
It's an uneventful trip. Kudash is a silver fox. He gives us a very large but light old-fashioned suitcase. Fynlan looks in the suitcase, it is filled with taxidermied spiders that are each the size of a plate. We go back to the hotel.
In the hotel, a very pretty lady in elegant simple clothes, wearing a mask which shows a single tear. She offers to buy the box from us. Turns out she's a Truespider and she wants her dead family members back. It all becomes complicated but eventually Simone convinced HerEle to take Gwyn's manifestation of the Spidering Curse.
+1 acumen for dealing with the sword lady, +1 joy for fighting her to a draw. +1 acumen for convincing HerEle to take the substitute for the corpses, +1 despair for gm shift with That Sword lady
Session 16 Downtime
Character Fluff - Tracing the New Plague
Wisps of Autumn fog curled around the edges of the observatory's open roof. Below, Locke stepped carefully through the area, taking careful stock of his surroundings, his pen scrolling down a checklist in a tidy notebook, making marks as he verified that all was in order. Glittering focusing lenses. were set all around the leather-bound chair which stood in the center of a complex circle of carefully-inscribed chalk glyphs. Check. Behind them, lanterns with colorfully tinted glass, lit and shining their glow into the lenses. Check. Eight braziers spaced evenly beyond these, stocked with plenty of smoldering coal. Above, a new assembly of brass and glass was affixed into the ancient Orrery of Anu. Check. Satisfied, Locke closed the notebook and placed both it and pen into his labcoat pocket. From a box sitting in the staging area beyond the strange circle, he measured an even scoop of finely milled powder into each brazier. The smoldering coals shone brighter, and lines of smoke rose from each one, blending with the fog, which responded strangely, seeming to curl into a swirling orb of mist within the circle. With a satisfied nod, Locke stepped into the circle and took a seat upon the comfortable chair. He closed his eyes, reaching deep within himself for the talent... the quiet night, the sweet smoke of the braziers, the soft damp of the fog... he settled quietly into a trance, reaching for the right mental configuration, the right spot... almost... and there, there it was. The swirling mist within the circle grew denser, and the light focused through its surrounding lenses became visible within the circle. As the lanterns flickered, the brightness and focus of each ray of light passing through the lenses seemed to change. In a moment, it began to seem that this was no random pattern of fluctuation, but a response to... well, difficult to say, but it seemed as if it was a response to something happening at the interface of Locke's consciousness and his contraption, the changes in the lights a reaction to something changing second by second within the world around him. Over the next few minutes, this effect became more pronounced. The lines of light projecting from each lense seemed to pulse with almost predictable patterns, growing at their height into beams which almost seemed solid within the mist, but which diffused into a soft shell of light surrounding the man at their center. When the meaning of the lights could not be denied, the ancient orrery grated slowly into movement, its massive metal orbs swinging upon one axis then another, moving through a cosmically impossible dance in relation to the lights. At the bottom of the device, almost unnoticed, the assembly of brass and glass chittered and clicked, carefully engineered bits within moving into positions which could later be decoded and interpreted. After a time, Locke's face firmed as he withdrew from his trance. The clicking of the device quieted. The whirling of the orrery slowed and stopped. The orb of mist dispersed. He got up, cleared away the braziers, set aside the various bits of magical paraphernalia, and retrieved the device from its mount at the orrery's base. This would be it, the last data he needed to understand the New Plague.Completed Arc: Uncover a Secret: the New Plague Arc
- Step (Investigation) - Preliminary experiments into detecting and measuring the effects/emanations of the New Plague (+1 acumen)
- Step (Investigation) - Build the orrery attachment which allows the data collected by the Locke's experiments to be encoded in a Sefirot, and then perform the experiments again. (+1 acumen)
- Step (Tracking) - Identify that the destination of information collected by the New Plague is my very own Blood Prince. (+1 acumen)
- Step (Tracking) - Send the Blood Prince a report on these findings, request comments. (+1 acumen)
- Step (Revelation) - Meet with the Blood Prince in person, have conversation where cards are laid out on the table and and understanding is reached. (+2 acumen and +1 joy)
- Resolution (+1 acumen)
Advanced Arc: Restoration: Bookworm
- Work - Put together a letter of explanation including testimonials from prominent members of Satyrine academic and literary society (using my 2 points of connections with Scholars, as well as my status as an actual bookseller) to let these bookshop owners and library directors, which denies the filthy rumors that Locke is a danger to their collections. It does not openly say that he is not an Eats Knowledge forte, but instead focuses on the vandalism charges.
Started Arc: Uncover a Secret: Isolating the Ontological Interference
Something or someone is interfering with us by meddling with the reality of the world we inhabit, or with our perceptions of that reality. Who or what is doing so? Why are they doing it? Are they friend or foe? Is this related to our time in Shadow, or to the War?- Cost (Seeker) - What the hell is going on? (-2 acumen)
- Opening (Naming the Secret) - Who or what is interfering with our perceptions of reality? (+1 acumen)
- Investigation - Experimentation with Superfiction (+1 acumen)
- Investigation - Experimentation with Staring at Long-forgotten Yesterdays (+1 acumen)
- Investigation - Experimentation with Instauration (+1 acumen)
Started Arc: Build: In the Beginning
This world isn't good enough. I'll have to build my own. (I'm not sure this is the best arc for this. We might need to make up a new archetype for this. Essentially, this is a research project to determine how to create a powersource to make a half world, and then to actually make one. I am expecting it to take quite a long time.)- Cost: The Idea (-2 acumen)
XP Expenditures
- Apostate Ability: Extra Ephemera (-1 crux)
- +1 Connections with Nine Princes (-2 acumen, standard for connections)
- +2 in Secret Lore: Divination (-2 acumen, narrative skill, normally would be -4 acumen but for Loremaster)
- Learn level 2 spell Decisiveness of the Blade (-1 acumen, normally would be -2 acumen but for Iu)
- Learn level 2 spell Eyes of the Hawk (-1 acumen, normally would be -2 acumen but for Iu)
- Learn level 2 spell Lore of the Book (-1 acumen, normally would be -2 acumen but for Iu)
- Learn Sign Against Puissants (-1 acumen)
- Learn Sign Against Dirt (-1 acumen)
Session 16 - Spooky Oneshot
We go to Fynlan's house, for his family's celebration of their dead members. When the party gets boring, the Blood Prince suggests a murder mystery game. We accept, then they cast a spell which nullifies all magic and changes the geometry of Fynlan's house. The lights get dim, and there are sound effects and mist.
+1 despair for being unable to resist the spell.
The Blood Prince gives us us each an empty journal and a pen, and a small hand lantern with a candle in it, and a magical hand bell which is supposed to protect you. They produce a hat, full of slips of character with character name, profession and whether or not they are the murderer.
Iffa declares "Dib on the corpse," selects a card, and happy announces that she's the corpse (Nona). Locke's slip is "Uriel Ivor - Croupier - Not the murderer". Simone is Mafalda, psychiatrist, Gwyn is Ted the Undertaker, Fynlan is Nataniel the Missionary, Aunt Celestine is Edna the teaching assistant, Kuhaku is Joost Nick the Singer, the Knight of the Name Katrin the Circus Worker, Grabblejean is Cary the Sailor, the Star Prince is Burnt Ravi the caretaker, the Blood Prince is Geordie the lab tech.
Iffa says that the body was strangled. We start to search for clues, then I declare that we should rely on Geordie the lab tech to process the body for clues, but then the lights turn off and we're all sent to other rooms. Locke ends up paired with Grabblejean (Cary the Sailor) in the mid-1800s kitchen.
Grabblejean and I search for clues; we find the serving cart,which has ten place settings on it. There are eleven of us, though. We have a sandwich and a drink, then go to look for the others. We go to the game room, where Simone (Mafalda) and the Star Prince (Burnt Ravi) are.
We search the game room, but each room has only one clue. We then all leave, but Grabblejean and Locke are lost in the fog. Locke lights the lantern. In the fog, they can hear a clicking, like someone walking, but can't find the source. They sound like they have heels, hard shoes, hooves, tap shoes, or something.
In the hallway, I run into Joost the Singer (Kuhaku) and team up with her. Cary (Grabblejean) seems to have wandered off. Just then, I hear more clicking from behind, the lights go out, then suddenly, right behind me, there's a HONK. The goose grabs my bell and runs.
Kuhaku and I go to get the bell back from the goose; I distract it with my sandwich while Kuhaku runs along the wall and grabs the bell. She tosses it to me, I catch it and bow to her, then give the goose the sandwich, and bows to it.
A terrible voice screams thorugh the air, threatneing Fynlan. Suddenly, we are all back in Fynlan's house. The Blood Prince has cancelled his effect, since we need to defend outselves. A terrible creature comes from a mirror, and moves to attack Fynlan. Blood Prince uses magic to give us all three extra turns... I use that to Summon the Black Cube, remove a Dire Reflector from it, and then use it to create a replica of the being to fight the being.
Fynlan summoned a big water elemental guy.
The creature moves to attack Fynlan. Fynlan disappears. The creature fights the elemental. We fight it. Dodging closer, I study it, learning everything I can about it... it is the next level of evolution of the Mirror Virus, it reflects all damage (but cannot reflect that which is reflected) except that caused by magic weapons which overcome the inherent magicalness of them. I call this out to my friends as I learn it.
I then step back, take a deep breath, then run up onto the creature. My motion explodes from a tight fast rotation into a wicked slash, my gigantic glowing sword ripping directly into it form. (In this, I spent +3 accuracy bene for effect to impress everyone here).
The fight continues. The monster kills Fynlan's elemental guy. We then fight on, with Locke and Kuhaku doing almost all of damage.
In the end, it is destroyed. And Gwyn and Simone picked the murderer, who was the sailor.
+3 acumen for destroying the mirror creature, +1 joy because we guessed the murderer.
Session 15 Downtime
Priorities for this downtime:
1) Convincing library managers and bookstore owners that he is not, in fact, a menace to the written word.
New Arc: Restoration
Cost: Brought Low -- this would happen the first time Locke tried to go to a library or bookstore in order to get some new books, and was turned away (-2 acumen)
Opening: Vow to Yourself -- yeah, obviously (+1 acumen)
Step: Work -- Locke goes to countless libraries and bookstores in order to build a list of all of the ones at which he is banned. (+1 acumen)
NOT DONE Step(s): Work (+1 Acumen)
NOT DONE Climax: the Final Act (+3 acumen, +1 joy/despair)
NOT DONE Resolution (+1 acumen)
2) Sword stuff.
New Arc: Master a Skill
Cost: Realizing There's More (-2 acumen)
Opening: Finding the Path (+1 acumen)
Step: Discovering a Master (+2 acumen)
Step(s): Learn (+1 acumen)
Step: The Last Step (+1 acumen)
Climax: The Test (+3 acumen, +1 joy/despair)
Resolution (+1 acumen)
3) Burning some acumen.
Lethal Lore (level 4)
Magnificent Endeavor (level 8)
Object Affinity (level 4)
Rhyming Magic (level 7)
The Wending Path (level 5)
Session 15 - Everybody Has Their Limits, Nobody's Found Mine
Fynlan goes home, and the doors and windows no longer open to his home. They are now portals to the Grey Sun. Locke has been banned from all libraries, bookshops and learning establishments in Satyrine because they all thing he's an uncontrolled Logovore. Gwyn hears a scratching at his door, and his apprentice has had the shit beat out him. Simone finds that people in her neighborhood who were not yet a part of the Neighborhood Association are now actively against her, because they've heard bad things about her. Simone finds out from her neighbor that she's been badmouthed by a tall dude with eyes that look like night.
I talk to Heironymous, and help him remember... it was a vislae, who seemed remarkably threatening, Resting Hitman Face. Tall man, eyes like the night.
Gwyn finds out that it's a goon named Dark-Eyed Manfred. Locke looks into what happened with Fynlan, and finds out that he ran to the Pale, scared. Gwyn turns his house into a person, packs up his whole crew, and comes over to Locke's house. He forgot the guy's name, though.
We figure it out again, do a bunch of research. He's Dark-eyed Manfred, we make a wanted poster of him. Gwyn talks to the Makers, confirms dude is an assassin.
I bunch of stupid stuff happens. Eventually I divine that Dark Eyes Manfred will the next night be at the Park of the Path. Simone and Locke go to talk to the Knights of the Name, as they seem likely to be arrayed against the Vespertine Order.
Simone and I go to speak wih the Knights of the Name, and there we meet a woman named Kiana. We explain the situation. She offers to send someone to help us. This is a sword-wielding woman whose name is literally missing from the world. (We are using the word Kūhaku as a placeholder.)
We rest up, and go to Dark-Eyed Manfred's house. He has two level 8 demons, hiding invisibly, outside. I destroy them with Kaleidoscopic Void. Fynlan shoots down the front door. Gwyn runs in. I take Fushigiri in my hands and work on the puzzle of activating it... I'm not quite sure how, but I have an idea... I sacrifice a Wound, and unsheathe it. Coruscating with energy and the essence of blood.
Gwyn shoots Dark-Eyed Manfred down. I resurrect him then eat his mind, learning that he was hired by the Vespertine Order, but he doesn't know who. He was supposed to notify them when we signed a non-interface contract with the Vespertine Order by casting a ritual to make it stick. I take possession of him.
Session 14 Downtime
Character Arcs
New Discovery - Hacking the Divinatory Deck
Step: Trial and Error -- I put the theories and practices I have learned to work and attempt to create a specific link between my cards, the object in my mind which allows them to be manipulated, the object in my mind which allows me to search for truth when I use Gnaw the Universal Mind, and the universal truth itself. Thus, I bring them into alignment, and am able to manipulate all four concepts as a single entity. Climax: Eureka! -- I discover the secret I am looking for... see below, New Secret: Oracle.Uncover a Secret - System
Step: Tracking -- I continue to build my relationship with the Princes, seeking to increase my Connections score with them and to learn about, find, meet and talk to the Hidden Prince. (+1 acumen)Train a Creature - The Good Boy
I dunno, need to get this information from Jordan.Fall From Grace – The Ruin of Reason
Cost: The Initial Misstep (-1 acumen) Opening: The Descent – while reviewing my Project Moksha lab notes, I discovered that everything pertaining to Axon had re-appeared. Quite basically, thus undermines everything. (+1) Step: Further Descent – If truth is important and knowledge can be managed, how come I was unable to manage the knowledge from Doug Benson's true? The entire project—the search for this knowledge, acquisition of knowledge, protection of knowledge—was meaningless, as in the end it came down not to who knew what, but to do was more willing to shoot the other in the head. (+1 acumen) Step: Further Descent – the Locke which is summoned by Staring At Long-forgotten Yesterdays is being manipulated by some external power. My self, my memories, are not reliable… this means that my observations of the world are not reliable, and cannot be used as the basis for true knowledge. (+1 acumen) Step: Further Descent – the wrongness of the notes in Chorian's book prevent understanding, or even investigation… the truth can be concealed even by mere evil. (+1 acumen; this was also worth +1 despair for the experience of being *unable* to continue with my experiments towards the truth) Step: Lashing Out – Fed up with this, I give up. If Truth is relative and the self is not reliable, then Truth is not the bedrock thing it should be. I lash out, using non-truth and magic to make something new in reality, casting the spell Superfiction to make truth to the lie I have told a number of people, that hidden in a sealed chamber beneath Phoebus Observatory, I have found the ancient and lost Orrery of Anu, an ancient tool for studying cosmology and the connections between all true things, hidden there long ago by Kiska Kama, one of the observatory's first owners. NOTE: Locke was aware that his spell failed, BUT the thing was still there, exactly as I had wanted it to be. (+1 acumen) Climax: Rock BottomI remove the telescope from its place in the observatory's main room, and replace it with the gigantic orrery. This signals a willingness to search for subjective truth, rather than objective, and more, a devaluing of the concept in general.(+3 acumen, +1 despair) Resolution(+1 acumen)New Practices
New Secret: Oracle (level 6, based on the secret Belomancy) By using one of the traditional oracular tools, you are able to enter a transcendental state which allows you to tap the deep roots of truth which link your mind with the universal truth. The oracular power flows through you, allowing you to add +3 to the venture of your next divination. NOT YET DEVELOPED New Secret: Hardened Wards (level 10) (Based on "+2 dice on a significant action, ongoing") You have woven your permanent wards deep into the very nature of your being. You gain an enhancement of +2 dice on all defensive actions. This effect replaces the bonus from the secret Permanent Ward, which you must know before you learn this secret. Normal XP Spends: Acumen on +1 level each of dodge, resist, withstand and melee (large), +2 levels of Theoretical Magic, learn level 3 spell enhanced physique. Crux on Feed Upon Spell (2 crux), Devour Thoughts (3 crux), Feed Upon Mind (3 crux) Notes: The Long Forgotten Yesterdays, Heironymous gets to talk to himself as a kid. He is able to alter his past in a minor way, which is when he and Locke as 7 year olds got matching tattoos, which they still have. Fynlan however, has the same experience. Locke also RE-EXPERIENCES this experience, while observing Fynlan having it. I do this with another NPC, another Vislae who came out of Shadow... they have the *normal* experience.
Session 14 - Hand in Unlovable Hand
The Vespertine Order is looking for the Vault of the Lost Hour. Blood Prince told us to look for Lavondra, who is staying at a DoubleTree hotel in the Fade. We have Fynlan send a spirit to tail her, she never goes anywhere other than the Church of Midnight. We rent the room next to hers. Simone uses magic to let Gwyn pass through walls; he searches in the room, finds some stuff that we loot, as well as a note from the Vespertine Order telling her to let her dupes open the Vault on Thursday. We do some investigation, and determine that the key to the vault of the last hour is what they've been looking in the graves for. Also, the Vault of the Last Hour is also in the in the Orchard of Mausoleums in the Confederacy of Cloisters.
Locke suggests that they split up; Gwyn to the Orchard of Mausoleums, Locke back to Fartown to find the Key, Simone and Fynlan to deal with the Church of Midnight and warn them that somebody is using them as dupes.
I divine the location of the grave then go out there and skulk around. It's in a small private plot, and I just hop the fence and go in.
Gwyn looks for the Vault, and is pretty sure he finds it.
Simone and Fynlan meet with a high ranking member of the Church of Midnight, and tell them they've been infiltrated by the Vespertine Order.
I dig up the grave of Doug Benson. In it, I find that the corpse has a tattoo with a bit of a phrase on it. I use Feed Upon Text to consume the tattoo. I then go hang out with Gwyn, using Witch Sight to spy on the grave of Doug Benson.
During the Night, I see Lavandra and her goons search the grave. Frustrated, Lavandra uses Magic of the Enemy... some kind of compel/control spell.
The next day we meet up and share notes. The Church of Midnight sends Simone a note saying that Lavandra escaped, but the others have been nuked, including Sebastian.
On Thursday night we are hanging at the Vault when Ynfalosa, the leader of the Church of Midnight, and her two minions show up, to be backup. We continue with the stakeout.
Lavondra and her mooks show up. She and Fynlan share words and then combat starts. When Lavondra is killed, she turns into a big smudge in the air. We are all HELD by an incredibly powerful effect as we are directly confronted by the Enemy. (+1 despair)
Lavondra monologues, about how we could have let it happen, but instead now it has to be the hard way, or something like that. Gwyn breaks free, and kills her.
In the end, it all came down to that. We go back to the Blood Prince and celebrate our momentary victory. (+1 acumen for defeating Lavandra, +2 for keeping the vault from opening).
+1 despair for the pointlessness, the uselessness, the worthlessness of trying to manage the knowledge in Doug Benson's tattoo, and in so doing, being completely pointless in the confrontation with Lavondra
Session 13
We were sitting on the garden patio at the Angel, celebrating Fynlan's birthday. Suddenly, Fynlan and Locke are attacked by a thing (I take 2 points of damage and 1 scourge to physicality). We see two folks in Church of Midnight attire, who shout at us, "YEAAAH THAT'S WUT U GET MUTHAFUCKA" then run away.
We go after them. I use Witchstep to get to the front of them, then an incantation to make the book I'm holding 10x biger, in order to block the door. Simone and Fynlan chase into the store after them. Gwyn runs around the side, and engages in something... can't quite tell what's going on over there. After that, I Witchstep again, where Simone has cast a binding spell on these dudes, point at them and yell, "Stop those men! They attacked us!"
They teleport away though. I figure out that Simone is being attacked by something called a nul, which does not exist when something perceives it. After consultation, we close our eyes to stop perceiving it, then when it manifests and tries to attack, Simone grabs it and uses her forte magic to turn it into a nut, instead.
The cops come, because Fynlan called them. Gwyn fucked off. We gave the police a report. We then warn our friends and associates that we're being attacked by the Church of Midnight, then get together to do a quest with this guy Callahan, who had sent Gwyn a letter asking for help.
We take a Justice arc for this, and meet Callahan at a restaurant called Manressa. He thanks us for showing up, saying that Steven Ursula and Ursula Ursula spoke highly of us. They have an Object of Power called a Blinding Rod, which we are going to do in this scenario.
We go along with the plan, going with Callahan to the Red Lobster. We go along with Callahan's plan, when then reality becomes unreality. Gwyn and Locke are pulled into Wysterin's memory. It's a sunny day in the countryside; Wysterin is having a picnic with her friend in a field. Molich is hanging out in the trees looking like a pervert. Locke goes to Wysterin and Gwyn goes to Molich. I discover that altering Wysterin's memory is terrible for her, and will cause her massive anguish. Gwyn yells at Molich and tells him to go away. Molich runs into the woods.
I eat Wysterin's last 5 minutes of memory in order to clear the thing I'd done to her, then back into the woods. Gwyn takes off after Molich. I move to follow him. In the woods, Gwyn stunlocks Molich with his momentary dynamo. Locke Witchsteps out and tells everyone what happened. We get them to the embassy and we get Gwyn out.
Wystrin is unhurt, Callahan is happy. He offers us 8 mage coins or to assist us with a favor. We go with the favor, and ask him to get us the deep and meaningful skinny on the Church of Midnight. He tells us that a woman named Thae Nitaris is a foe of the Church of Midnight and has come up with a ritual to spy on them. We should to talk to her. We do that. She sends us to buy a Monograph of the Four Verities, letting us use a ritual specialized in spying on servants of the Enemy.
Monograph: https://naturaltwenties.slack.com/files/U10E23AG6/FMFQ12PHN/screen_shot_2019-08-17_at_3.22.14_pm.png
Before doing this, we decide to talk to a Demon that Fynlan knows about. Fynlan summons it and bribes it with a daetha blade. Chester the Demon. From the demon, we learn that the only reason the Church of Midnight went after us is because they, ganglike, wanted to smack us back.
Then we use the ritual.
Gwyn's Question: Where is Mr Agon?
Gwyn's Answer: The Vault of the Last Hour.
Locke's Question: What specific evil and/or illegal plots and/or schemes is the Church of Midnight up to?
Locke's Answer: The grave-robbing cited in the Daily Sights newsletter.
Simone's Question: What does Sebastian want with the Old Quay and what does the Church of Midnight want with the Old Quay or Simone?
Simone's Answer: The Midnight Church has no interest there other than gaining influence. Sebastian has other motives as a member of the Vespertine Order.
Fynlan's Question: What is the common name of the demon from the Hate Cyst?
Fynlan's Answer: The Enemy of Truth.
We also learn this stuff via other research: https://naturaltwenties.slack.com/files/U10E23AG6/FM9D6BP41/screen_shot_2019-08-17_at_4.08.32_pm.png
We follow up and learn these things:
The Vespertine is a group of insidious, sinister infiltrators that ultimately serve the Dark and hate the suns. Dark gods and demons act as patrons and advisors to the organization. The Vespertine are destructive nihilists who seek no less than the extinguishing of all the suns and destruction of all the realms. The Church of Midnight can be quite dark, but the destruction of everything would not even remotely serve their goals. (Even demons of the Red, if pressed, would admit that they don’t want to destroy everything, if for no other reason than there would be nothing left to destroy.)
Locke goes to visit with Chorian to use his library. When he mentions The Enemy of Truth, Chorian gets into serious mode. There are entities that identify themselves the enemies of a concept. They are not to be fucked with. They are less powerful than a Warden or the Deathless Triumverate. I would be best to think of them as generals or gods of the Dark. His Library does know about the Vault of the Last Hour. It was constructed and sealed by the Church of Midnight in the Orchard of Mausoleums in the Confederacy of Cloisters, decades ago (presumably before the War). https://naturaltwenties.slack.com/files/U10E23AG6/FMHLH3E6T/screen_shot_2019-08-17_at_4.23.38_pm.png
Jordan does no additional research. Fynlan talks to his associates among the dead to ask about the graves which have been robbed. He doesn't really get anything useful, other than that all of the members were members of the Church of Midnight.
We get back together and discuss the things we've learned. We decide that the avenue to pursue is investigation of the Vespertine Order. I decide to see if the Blood Prince will do the ritual with us. While I'm filling them in, when I finally get to mentioning The Enemy of Truth. The Blood Performs a massive magical working; they have aligned themselves with multiple currents. (One of the Currents is Current D, the inverse of Current A, AKA the Nightside Current.) The Blood Prince confirms that the Enemy is among us, and I should go find Levandra. They give me a proclamation: "You have one week to resolve this or I will, and if I do, I will resolve it."
Justice: Saving Wysterin (total +7 Acumen and +1 Joy)
Cost: Vow (-2 Acumen)
Opening: Declaration (+1 Acumen) -- Rescue Wysterin from Molich, bring Molich to the Pale Embassy.
Step: Tracking the Guilty (+1 Acumen) -- Fixed up the Binding Rod, prepared magic to buff up Callahan, whose job seemed the most dangerous.
Step: Tracking the Guilty (+1 Acumen) -- Went to the restaurant with Callahan, set up the trap .
Step: Helping the Victim (+12Acumen) -- Took care while inside Wysterin's memories to cause as little damage as possible. When Locke did accidentally do something that would hurt her, he took steps to erase it, and heal her pain.
Climax: Confrontation (+3 Acumen, +1 Joy) -- We capture Molich
Resolution (+1 Acumen)
+1 despair for the surprise attack, +1 acumen for succeeding on the Wysterin quest, +1 despair for the book I bought from Chorian which was filled in the margins with weird and terrible and unspeakable comments.
Session 12 Downtime
Character Arcs
Enterprise: the Second End
During this downtime, Locke is going to attempt to put the most difficult part of his Second End plan in place, which is building a systemic connection to the secrets of the universe. Unfortunately, while this experience is rather successful, it is so disturbing that it shakes him to the core, leading him to abandon his plans to found a new organization, and to retreat much more into his inner self. (Changes this downtime: +5 acumen, +1 despair, end of arc) Step: Finding a Location (+1 Acumen) (Done in Session 10 downtime) Step: Building the Enterprise (+1 Acumen) Develop the Charter for the West Henge College (Done in Session 10 downtime) Step: Building the Enterprise (+1 Acumen) Form a partnership with Heironymous to produce and sell copies of rare books, including monographs and other magical texts, while saving copies for the College library. (Done in Session 10 downtime) Step: Developing the Patronage of Iu -- The main purpose of the Second End is the exploration and sharing of truly specialized knowledge. To this end, the patronage of a powerful being which has a relationship to such knowledge is required, as a mentor if not also as an enticement for others to join. (+1 Acumen)s Step: Building the Secret Factory -- Equipped Phoebus Observatory with the arcane equipment for the house secret Knowledge Seekers (+1 Acumen) Climax: (+2 Acumen and +1 Despair) -- My experiences with Iu have shaken my belief in the universality of truth. I just can't do this. I can't truly explore the outer world in order to understand the mystery I feel within. Ultimately, the mysteries of the universe cannot fill the void within me. There is no point in seeking knowledge which can be shared, as Truth may not be universal; there is only value in building up the truth within. Resolution (+1 Acumen)Uncover a Secret: the New Plague
No development planned in this. (Changes this session: none) Cost: Seeker (Done in Session 11) Opening: Naming the Secret (Done in Session 11) Step: Research (Blood Prince convo) (Done in Session 11 downtime) Step(s): Research (+1 Acumen) Step(s): Investigation (+1 Acumen) Step(s): Tracking (+1 Acumen) Climax: Revelation (+2 Acumen and +1 Joy or Despair) Resolution (+2 Acumen)Uncover a Secret: the System
Very slight movement on this, specifically the start of Locke's plan to deepen his relationship with the Nine Princes as an organization, in order to attract the attention of the Hidden Prince. (Changes this session: +2 acumen) Cost: Seeker (Done in Session 11 downtime) Opening: Naming the Secret (Done in Session 11 downtime) Step: Research -- Learned the origin of the System by asking the System. It's the Hidden Prince. (Done in Session 11 downtime) Step: Research (+1 Acumen) -- Began dossiers on all Nine Princes, in order to work out how to find the Hidden Prince. Step(s): Investigation (+1 Acumen) -- Visited with each of the Princes that I know, cultivating those relationships. (Bought 1 connection with the Nine Princes) Step(s): Tracking (+1 Acumen) Climax: Revelation (+2 Acumen and +1 Joy or Despair) Resolution (+2 Acumen)New Discovery: Hacking the Divinitory Deck
No development planned in this. (Changes this session: none) Cost: The Thrill of Discovery (Done in Session 8 downtime) Opening: The Idea (Done in Session 8 downtime) Step: Research (Done in Session 9) Step: Trial and Error (Done in Session 10 downtime) Step(s): Trial and Error (+1 Acumen)Aid a Friend: The Good Boy
No development planned in this. (Changes this session: none) Becoming a Trainer (Done in Session 6 downtime) Opening: Getting Acquainted (Done in Session 6 downtime) Step: Research (Done in Session 6 downtime) Step: Domestication (Done in Session 6 downtime) Step(s): Training (+1 Acumen) Climax: Completion (+2 Acumen and +1 Joy or +1 Despair) Resolution (+1 Acumen)Experience Spends
+1 Connection with the Nine Princes (-2 acumen) Advance house level to 5 (-2 acumen) Advance house level to 6 (-3 acumen) Advance house level to 7 (-4 acumen) Advance house level to 8 (-5 acumen) Advance house level to 9 (-6 acumen) House secret Knowledge Seekers (-8 acumen)
Session 12 - It's Bat Country!
We head back into the ruined expanse. On the path ahead, Gwyn notices a giant snake on the road in front of us. It's a Patchwork Crawler, a serpent composed of the sewn-together skins of its past victims. We don't care to fight it though, so we just move forward.
We come to the edge of a 150' diameter, 40' deep crater. Within that crater is a house. The crater is covered with holes, clearly dug by people. It's ramshackle, kind of a shack. We decide to observe for a bit.
There are people digging in the place. These are thoughtforms, and are pulling "some weird material" out of the ground. It's a rock, slightly different than the surrounding material.
We wander down to the house. Simone knocks. Martin of Redwall opens the door. Simone introduces us as people for the Coalition for the Liberation of Ivum Takers. She hippies it up and talks us in.
The rooms are filled with all sorts of useless stuff. The front room is filled with doll heads, lightbulbs, and soup cans. The mouse goes to get us ivum. Locke burns his invisibility ephemera, and follows the mouse through that door.
The door goes into a totally messed up kitchen. I go back, and let the ephemera die.
Simone and Fyn go through the other door. They do some stuff in there. A big angry flame-haired guy comes out. I follow him out the door. The guy goes "Oh, it WAS Mitterand."
Mitterand is aggressive and annoying. I try to talk him down. He chills for a moment. (+1 joy for GM shift to make my de-escalation attempt work.) I turn around and call Gwyn out, to help explain what the Prince of Forms sent us here for.
Gwyn comes out and chews these guys out. It gets stressful for a moment; the redhead guy runs in, yelling about his son. There's some kind of clash inside, and the redhead guy casts some spells. He creates a pit, which Simone and Steven fall into.
Gwyn decides it's on. I cast Kaleidoscope Void and utterly consume Mitterand and one of the vugs. Palintalinosh (the redhead) is saved by a voice from above. The flux of my spell slams and locks the door, with everyone but me and the vugs inside.
On the next turn, I teleport inside with witchstep. Seeing that Palintalinosh is stabbing Simone with a fiery spear inside the pit, I leap into the hole, blocking Palintalinosh from continuing to attack her.
And then, Palintalinosh drops, the ghost leaving his body. Fynlan asks it a ton of questions, learning a lot of things bout her former life. He has his spirits destroy the ghost.
Everything wraps up quickly. We heal Palintalinosh and his buddy the mouse Martin, who got torn up by Gwyn's dog. Everything wraps up neatly.
Everyone gets +3 acumen for completing this story. I get +1 despair for the first person I knowingly and willingly murdered. We also do the climax and resolution for finishing the mystery arc.
Session 11
Hanging out at Fynlan's house, we meet an anthropoid frog named Grabblejean, who is there on behalf of his employer, the Prince of Forms, who is looking for a missing person. The missing person is a low ranking member of the Vances named Steven Ursula. He was last seen in the Confederacy of Cloisters, two days ago, visiting the Temple of How. (Per Locke's history knowledge, the temple is dedicated to the religion of How, which is not a god, but a motive force.) Grabblejean spoke with people who saw him there in ruins, with an unknown man. IE, he wandered into the Ruined Expanse.
The Gerant there did not believe Grabblejean that there was anything. Grabblejean came to us at the request from the Prince of Forms. When we press Grabblejean what's in it for us, it's basically the goodwill of the Prince of Forms, and some object of power. After the conversation, Grabblejean admits that he didn't finish the investigation because he was afraid to go into the Ruined Expanse.
Well tell Grabblejean sure we'll do that, and the first step of our investigation will be to meet with the Prince of Forms. Grabblejean promises to set something up for later that day. We'll have to go to the Undersling.
My contacts in academics tell me that Steven Ursula is a low level employee at the Vancian College. His supervisor is some HR person, Alan Smithee. I also divine via Gnaw the Universal Mind to find out where Steven is; still in the Ruined Expanse.
We go there. At the Temple of How, I talk to one of the instructor priests, who tells me that Steven Ursula comes to the temple pretty frequently. The instructor describes the person that Ursula went into the Ruined Expanse with (https://naturaltwenties.slack.com/files/U10E23AG6/FLDM6RSPN/screen_shot_2019-07-14_at_2.48.06_pm.png). I give the priest my card, and ask him to contact me if Steven shows up.
A bird made of glass finds us and tells us to go to the Undersling. We head down, and I notice that a lot of the cables are woven through with some kind of organic matter, actually kind of a paste. I examine it closely, and it seems like living cultured tissue. Simone uses psychometry on that, and it's made of Elderbrin.
We pass the Library of the Undone, which I will come back to visit later.
We follow the glass bird to an abandoned house. We go through a trapdoor in it, which leads us to a tunnel to a temple. It's the headquarters of the Charnel Heart Assassin's Guild, which the Prince of Forms has borrowed.
There's more and more elderbrin flesh in things. We go to the central room, which is floor to ceiling goop. The room is lit by a luminous crystal. The floor continues to extend into this thing: https://naturaltwenties.slack.com/archives/CC836JY79/p1563143097328900
It's the Prince of Forms.
We talk to them. They refuse to arrange the barest minimum of relationship. We agree to find Steven anyway. Simone wants to stay behind for a private word with the Prince of Forms.
When we leave, Simone uses magic to improve her vision so she can see their footprints. We armor up and head in. As we're following the trail, a group of ruffians in clown makeup jump us and demand to know our darkest secrets. Fynlan scares them away.
We continue, and hear a noise like jangling coins. Simone freaks out, tells everyone to be quiet, and casts an invisibility spell on our group. This motherfucker: https://naturaltwenties.slack.com/archives/CC836JY79/p1563148243330100
We kill the shit out of it. It dissolves, leaving behind three ephemera objects. It's a traumatic experience for Simone, though.
We continue forward and see an old woman poking through the ruins, looking for food. Locke sneaks up along the side while the others go to talk to her. Gwyn gives her drugs. The old woman tells us that other people have gone through before, on their way to some shack where some dude named "Palin something-or-other" makes "that drug that all you weird magic nerds like".
Solve the Mystery arc, cost, opening, research, two investigations. Now we are taking a two day downtime, to go rest and investigate
Session 10 Downtime
Repay a Debt: The Iron Maiden
Cost: Debtor (-2 Acumen, Done in Session 10 downtime) Opening: Debts Come Due (+1 Acumen, Done in Session 10 downtime) Step: Finding the Iron Maiden (+1 Acumen, Done in Session 10 downtime) Step: Earning the Iron Maiden (+1 Acumen, Done in Session 10 downtime) Climax: Repayment (+3 Acumen +1 Joy, Done in Session 10 Downtime) Resolution (+1 Acumen, Done in Session 10 Downtime) After returning from Satyrine, Locke went to work in earnest to repay his debt to Therim, the Warden of the Silver Sun. He first checked with Gwyn, learning that Gwyn sold the Iron Maiden to the Maker's College. When he inquired at the Maker's College, he found that it was no longer available, as it had been sold to "one of our best customers". It took a bribe to find out who this "best customer" was, but considering that it was the Dragon Prince, it's a good thing that Locke was treading lightly. Again, luckily, it didn't take too much work to find out who the Dragon Prince was; Locke planned to ask Simone to help him hunt down this information, but she already knew... the Dragon Prince was already known to Locke, as the war god Red Comet Shatters the Mighty. When Locke asked for the Iron Maiden, Red was sympathetic, but couldn't simply give up his prize without a proper process... thus, he required Locke to challenge him to a duel, and then specified as a champion (because nobody wins against Red Comet Shatters the Mighty, making such a duel pointless) one of his hangers-on, a Vance named Morganstern who Disgorges Creatures. Morganstern was a capable opponent, drawing out the match and keeping Locke on the defensive by sending a constant wave a terrible, created minions. For some time, Locke struggled to deal with these creatures (learning in the process that his battle magic is woefully inadequate for dealing with multiple foes)... and during the battle, was increasingly perplexed by the strange feeling that tiny clawed feet were scampering all over his soul, sapping his sorcery. He cast Witch Step to teleport to the far end of the arena, gaining himself some time to look more carefully to see what was going on.... Almost invisible in the shadows of a partially submerged drainpipe, Locke saw it... the Fluxrat, gleeful as it worked some hideous charm to sap Locke's energy. Frustrated, Locke redoubled his defense, staying far away from Morganstern's monsters as he summoned the Black Cube to hand. It was almost hilarious as the militant scholar dodged to and fro while working the cube's puzzle, but in short order it opened, a sleek Retributive Stone falling into Locke's hand. Still, he took his time, rounding up Morganstern's creatures and luring them closer and closer to the drainpipe... The Stone cracked when the sorcerer commanded, a blaze of energy tumbling forward to engulf not only the creatures, but also the Fluxrat and Locke himself-- there was no other way to catch all of his foes in a single blast. Morganstern's creatures, defeated, began to disappear, but it was difficult to tell if the Fluxrat was even singled... it was angry though, squeaking some curse in the language of rats as it fled back down the pipe. Flattened by the blast, Locke stumbled to his feet and released one of the great weights which had pressed upon his soul for days, the incantation She Has Abandoned Us, But Left Behind Fragments. A vigor shard of the Legacy now filled his hand, quickly suffusing his being with healing and the raw power of creation... he stood, cast again, the Timesword now replacing the vigor shard. Morganstern surrendered. The day was won.New Discovery: Hacking the Divinatory Deck
Cost: The Thrill of Discovery (Done in Session 8 downtime) Opening: The Idea (Done in Session 8 downtime) Step: Research (Done in Session 9) Step: Trial and Error (Done in Session 10 downtime) Step(s): Trial and Error (+1 Acumen) Having read as many specialist texts as he could on divination, cartomancy and precognition, Locke has moved forward with looking for the weaknesses and exploits possible in the rules of reality which manage how these phenomenon work. He has taken to constantly consulting his cards, trying to find the moments when they subtly resonate with the Currents of Magic which he can dimly feel linking him to all things.Enterprise: The Second End
"The improvement of understanding is for two ends: first, our own increase of knowledge; secondly, to enable us to deliver that knowledge to others." -- John Locke Cost: The Founding of an Idea (Done in Session 6 downtime) Opening: Drawing up a Plan (Done in Session 6 downtime) Step: Account for Your Resources (+1 Acumen) (Done in Session 10 downtime) Step: Finding a Location (+1 Acumen) (Done in Session 10 downtime) Step: Building the Enterprise (+1 Acumen) Develop the Charter for the West Henge College (Done in Session 10 downtime) Step: Building the Enterprise (+1 Acumen) Form a partnership with Heironymous to produce and sell copies of rare books, including monographs and other magical texts, while saving copies for the College library. (Done in Session 10 downtime) Step(s): Building the Enterprise (+1 Acumen) Climax: (+2 Acumen and +1 Joy or +1 Despair) Resolution (+1 Acumen) The arc of Locke's life has always led to the point where he would found an institution of scholarship and education. Thus, he is building the College of West Henge, an academic institution dedicated to the idea of knowledge sharing and perpetual study. The overall plan for this is to 1) get the idea down in writing, 2) start with a library good enough to serve as the basis for an organization like this 3) create a successful financial underpinning for it. For that financial underpinning, Locke has entered into a partnership with Heironymous, in which he will collect and sell copies of rare/unique/important/magical texts through Heironymous's bookshop, The Angel. In addition to being very well suited to this work by nature, Locke is planning on cheating with magic. Thus the new discovery arc, Printing Magic.)New Discovery: Printing Magic
Cost: The Thrill of Discovery (-2 Acumen) Opening: The Idea (+1 Acumen) Step: Research -- Having learned the forte power "Feed Upon Text", I practice it a number of times under controlled laboratory conditions, tracing the magic through the process of efficiently digesting and transforming the data making up the text. Step: Research -- I gnaw the character secret "Monograph Twin" which allows the duplication of a monograph. I practice it a number of times under controlled laboratory conditions, using my Sefirof tools to measure and transition of power between the different magical channels to see what components of the secret correspond with various back-end moves in the energy which underpins all magic. Step: Research -- I study Heironymous while he is using the cantrip "Rapid Read" to refine my understanding of the input interface for textual data. Step: Research -- I gnaw the level 2 spell "Twofold Object" which creates a duplicate of a mundane object that I can hold in one hand. I practice it a number of times under controlled laboratory conditions, studying how it executes the creation of an object and not worrying about how it acquires the data which makes up the object. Step: Trial and Error -- I put together a first version of my new spell, abstracting it into three components: 1) acquire information from the text, 2) buffer this information into a mental buffer, 3) reproduce this information into a copy of the original. This should go fairly smoothly, since essentially, these are the three components of both Monograph Twin and Twofold Object. Step: Trial and Error -- I refine the spell, increasing the size of the information buffer, and removing stage 1) from the process. After a bit, I have a working spell which I'm not positive will work for anyone else... it relies very heavily on the changes made to my mind by my Forte. Climax: Eureka! (+3 Acumen, +1 Joy or Despair) Resolution (+1 Acumen)Train a Creature: The Good Boy
Becoming a Trainer (Done in Session 6 downtime) Opening: Getting Acquainted (Done in Session 6 downtime) Step: Research (Done in Session 6 downtime) Step: Domestication (Done in Session 6 downtime) Step(s): Training (+1 Acumen) Climax: Completion (+2 Acumen and +1 Joy or +1 Despair) Resolution (+1 Acumen)Experience Spends
Forte: Feed Upon Thoughts (1 crux) Forte: Feed Upon Text (1 crux) Apostate: Extra Spells (Bind the Black Cube and Superfiction) (1 crux) Apostate: Extra Spells (Perdurance and Kaleidoscope Void) (1 crux) New Spell: Liber Memnosyne (level 5) Increase Lore (Creatures) by +2 (1 acumen) Increase Lore (History) by +2 (1 acumen) Increase Dodge by +1 (3 acumen) Increase Resist by +1 (3 acumen) Increase Withstand by +1 (3 acumen) Sign Against Evil (1 acumen) Sign Against the Dead (1 acumen)
Session 10
+1 acumen for last game session. +1 joy or despair from it if it's appropriate. Have to check notes.
We meet with Gwyn outside of Goodman Grodan's house, and fill him in on what's going on. Locke goes around back to make sure nobody can get out of the house. When we knock on the door, a woman answers. For some reason, Simone says something weird and freaks her out, then Gwyn jumps on her and bangs her in the head with the ziggurat, removing her curse. He then chases her into the house, where she's running to try to get help from her husband, Goodman Grodan. Fynlan summons a terrible spirit, Candlejack, which catches Grodan and ties him up.
I head inside, drawn by the girl's screams. By the time I get there, Gwyn has decursed Grodan. Realizing that things have fucked up, I use Consume Memory to eat the last five minutes of both of their memories, then case a heal spell on the girl to heal her bruise/bump.
Simone has wandered off to go talk to the mayor, and the sheriff. She cures the curse on the sheriff, then brings both of them to join the rest of the group. We go to Goodperson Shay's house; along the way, a mob tries to lynch them. The Sheriff drives the mob off. When we get to the house, Gwyn goes around back to make sure nobody escapes. The sheriff knocks on the door, Shay opens, the mayor explains that Doctor Locke must see to them, and I decurse them.
We go back to the Mayor's office and debrief them. The Sheriff brings in someone named Goodperson Bristol. They tell us that the real big bad is actually some donkus called the Sistrous Queen, who lives in a gulch outside of the town.
We make the Sheriff deputize us. They give us 50 redivisous ice, which we ask Yonas to sell for us. We go back to the inn, and make plans to go after the Sistrous Queen.
In the morning, we head into the desert, in the direction of something I divined as the source of information on how to kill the Sistrous Queen. When we get there, we find a shedded snake skin.
The skin hisses at us, so I turn to Gwyn and say, "Gwyn, would you do me a favor? Shoot the rest of that thing's face off." It says, "Wait, don't shoot!" It offers info in exchange for its life... then it tells me that there's a cactus which provides an oil that the Sistrous Queen cannot resist eating.
Gwyn tries to destroy the skin, fails. He asks me to handle it. I chop it up with my naginata. We then go out and harvest a lot of the cactus, and make it into oil. We walk out to the lair, with a plan.
We coat a bolder with the oil and roll it into the gulch. The thing attacks the rock; I try to use Reduction Of Life on it, but flux. A huge moth appears and starts flapping in the my eyes; for the next 24 hours, every time I try to read, a moth or butterfly will annoy me.
Gwyn sprays some sap on the snake, and gets smashed for his trouble. After this, the snake goes berserk though, tearing itself apart as it tries to eat itself.
I search a cairn of rocks that the snake had. I almost got attacked by a snake but got bit. The cairn had a daetha sword, some bloodsilver, some magecoins, 13 ridivous ice, and a bag of money (833 crystal orbs) and four ephemera objects. I keep a Rat's Soul for myself.
On our way back, we get attacked by an idiot on a horse with a sortir who is shouting about how she's doing it for the Sistrous Queen. Gwyn shoots her.
We get acumen for: 2 for insidious, 1 or hester, 3 for sistrous queen.
I got +1 joy at some point, and another joy for my clever plan succeeding. We also gain +1 despair for watching an ancient, unique being tear itself to shreds. We sell the ridivous ice. Everyone gets 7 magecoins, except for Locke who gets only 6, and 14 bloodsilver. +1 joy for using my forte skills to fix Gwyn's cockup.
I also, at one point, used divination to find out that the Blood Prince's favorite flowers are marigolds.
Session 9
Train ride south. Simone and Locke share a compartment, with an adjoining compartment for Locke's books and thoughtform.
The conductor is a woman named Aidasse. She has two assistants, Boris the Engineer (more metal than flesh), and there is a thoughtform attendant in every car. They all have stupid little uniforms with pillbox hats.
There are some people of note: a weaver named Elias Strohn, who keeps to himself but will play the Spider's game; a woman named Lacia the Eye who has nice eye tattoos all over, has bandages over her real eyes and may be a prophet; Chorian Marsh, a man who travels with a cat-sized frog; Duchess Maroline, a zombie.
Locke goes to observe Lacia the Eye, who is always in the garden car. As I watch, I see that she is really doing divination magic which is augmented by her natural abilities. I sit for a while, observing her. I talk to her after a while, and we make arrangements for me to observe her while she's doing her work, the next day when the train stops at a station.
One of the nameless passengers on the train is wearing the same kind of outfit as Goodman Yonas. In the morning, Simone and Locke go to talk to the yokel. He is incredibly friendly. He says he's never been to Yestervale before, but he's going there to tell his sister that their mother died. Literally all he knows about the town is that its main business is redivivous ice, the leader of the town is Mayor Tambly, and the town has only about 14,000 people.
That morning, the train stops at a city called Carmanth (~15,000 people), which is one of the major stops on the trip. I observe Lacia and make copious notes about what she's doing.
That night, a wandering ghost wakes me up. I get Fynlan and we talk to her. The ghost remembers her name, Tilda. She does not remember who murdered her, except that it was a woman. I divine that she was killed by Ryley Byrne. We agree to tell the authorities.
On the way out of Fynlan's room, I run into Chorian. We talk for a bit, I found out that he is SUPER into books, and has a huge library in his magical FROG, whose name is Unger. Inside the frog, time moves differently. While in there, I finish learning my Appurtenance.
Maroline comes to us in utter panic, because she is convinced that the Church of Midnight people on the train are going to kill her. We infiltrate them-- Simone and I seduce one of them-- and learn what's going on. They have a ritual they're going to do, where they choose lots, and one of them commits suicide by throwing themselves in front of the train. This ritual requires a silver vase, which Gwyn steals.
Gwyn mocks these guys, drinking booze out of the vase when they find him. They try to start a fight with him, but I intimidate them by talking in depth about their stupid ritual. My intimidation brings flux, I use my appurtenance to change the flux effect to one which turns out all of the lights and causes the alcohol in Gwyn's vase to burst into spooky flames, scaring the idiots. They give off on their stupid plans.
We make it to Yestervale. The yokel wanders off to meet his sister. It's a dusty, dry town in a gulch. We get accommodations at Mistmaids, a local inn.
Fynlan summons an unfixed jackal. It is super cool. He sends it out to scout around.
We search out Goodman Yonas, and find him at a restaurant called the Red Thistle. He doesn't recognize us. I noticed there was a spell on him and cancelled it.... he suddenly did remember us, and we decided to go to the mayor.
Fynlan's unfixed jackal has noticed there is strange magic stuff happening all over the place.
Mayor Tambly is a tall woman with a dog who has a single giant eye as its head. She tells us that there is a species of giant centipede called the Insidious in the town, which can create compulsions/memory loss inside your brain, which also causes them to reproduce. They have been making everyone in town sell their Recidivous Ice to someone named Baylock, who comes to town every few months.
Pyrha remembers some lore about this, which is great. He figures out that we need to find the first five people affected, and clear the effect on them.
Important people in town:
Mayor Tambly: mayor
Goodperson Bristol: town scholar
Goodwoman Faraday: wealthiest woman in town
Goodman Grodan: Goodwoman Faraday's husband, a blacksmith and metal worker and rich guy
Goodwoman Nora: tailor
Goodperson Shay: partner of Goodperson Nora
Goodman Abel: Kid we met on the train
Locke divines to find out who to cancel the effect on: 1) The mayor. 2) Goodman Grodan. 3) Goodperson Shay. These are affected by the group of Insidious called "The Royal Brood".
+1 acumen for Gwyn catching the thief on the train. +1 mage coin for keeping the duchess safe. +1 acumen for resolving Church of Midnight.
Session 8 Downtime
The Train Trip
Locke brings a huge trunk of books and research material with him on the journey, because he intends to use the time to reacquaint himself with the research that he was doing into divination, and specifically the Appurtenance "With a Divinatory Deck" before the War. Because of the importance of this research material, Locke considers it important to have an assistant who can take care of it in his absence. Thus, he takes a couple of days to Gnaw his way through the different spells and rituals necessary for creating a competent Thoughtform (Thoughtform Creation at level 5, increase level by 5 with Magnify Spells, increase level by 1 with Silver Thumb, increase level by 2 with Magical Heterodyne, thus creating a level 10 Thoughtform).New Arcs
- Finish a Great Work (Mastering My Appurtenance) -- Before the War, Locke was working on the With a Divinatory Deck appurtenance. He's reached the point where he's ready to pick this up again (and in fact) go deep into it.
- Discovery (Hacking the Divinatory Deck) -- I believe that there are inconsistencies in the underlying rules of reality in interaction between divination and randomality. (I am going to create a secret which is like Belomancy, but not as stupid.)
New Learning
- Learn the level 3 spell, Magical Heterodyne
- Learn the level 1 character secret, Witness the Potential
- Learn the sign, Sign Against Unwanted Influence
- Learn the Appurtenance, With a Divinatory Deck -- note, crux spent already but will learn this in game
Session 8
We go to Aleister's Shoe Store. There is a floor-length mirror in there which is enchanted to show things which are not seen. We encounter Mr Child, who appears to also be looking for something as well. We distract him, and Gwyn finds Axon's Mirror hidden in one of the drawers.
We go back to my house, and I Gnaw the Universal Minds to learn it. I learn that the Mirror has the hidden ability; it can do to the Limerance Street effect what it does to other, lesser effects, swapping it with a very specific other thing, which we think is the Devourer of Souls.
I bring the rest of our group to the spot where Limerance Street is supposed to be, and we coax out the Devourer of Souls. It attacks, I keep it distracted with my bag of souls, and eventually the magic of the mirror kicks off, and the Devourer and the Street are replaced
Walking around the Street afterwards, Simone and I meet a guy named Goodman Jonas. He's from a village (Yestervale) that's being besieged by evil magical forces. He wants us to fix it for him. He offers to pay us with Redivivous Ice, which won't melt unless you want it to, and if you hold it and make it melt, and you gain 1 sorcery bene. His village is here in Indigo, and we can get to it easily by rail.
I try to Divine about Yestervale, but it is blocked. +1 despair. We get on the train to shitsville.
+3 acumen for resolving this. +1 despair for learning incredible secrets about the universe, but it will always taste like shoes.
Session 7 Downtime
During this downtime, I am:
- Learning the secret Magnify Spells from the Blood Prince (-6 acumen)
- Learning the sign Sign Against Prying Eyes (-1 acumen)
- Working on setting up restorative justice for the harm done to Maphre and the Madhouse
- Teaching Simone the spell Pathwalker
- Using some magic from Book M: Spiritual Minion to summon a level 2 spirit of knowledge to be my librarian, Demonic Servitor to summon a level 2 demon to be my personal assistance, Angelic Attendant to summon a level 2 angel to be my maid.
Session 7
Simone and I hit the streets to find out what we can find out about the madhouse. We meet an amazing talking blue cat named Blue. She's an awesome cat who knows a lot about this place, but requires us to share information about it. Stuck up cat doesn't like to be pet. Simone trades her Hidden Knowledge to learn about the madhouse; the main thing she learns that that the people there are a danger to themselves and others. Security is strict and they do now allow visitors. She tells us that most of the orderlies are thoughtforms.
I do some divining; our girl is in room 201. I divine the place's defenses; it is well guarded with guards and magic. A frontal assault is a bad idea.
Fynlan gets a map of the ground floor, which includes the names of two doctors: Sohn and Gorre. We send Fynlan in to see if he can talk his way in. This goes pretty poorly. He speaks with the head guard (a buff mindflayer-looking motherfucker), and finds out that she's catatonic. He manages to convince the guy to take him upstairs to look around. Pyrha gets attacked by a snake-headed inmate; the head guard puts them to sleep with his envenomed tentacles. Fynlan find Maphre sitting in a chair, strapped to it.
We decide to give up on subtle. The plot is one to buff up Locke. So Gwyn and Simone hang out inside; I fly up to her room, in the storm... which becomes a key storm... and I start to use Gwyn's ephemera, a deer's leg with corrosive blood, to burn into the building.
I get inside, and my spell to convert Maphre to dust fails. There is an alarm ringing. From outside, I hear Gwyn open fire. On the inside, I can hear orderlies trying to get into Maphre's room. With fumbling fingers, I untie Maphre's straps, take her into my arms, and jump out the window.
Outside, something happens, I'm not quite sure... (it was Simone's magic) and the guards who have run outside to examine the gunshots have all been buried in the ground up to their waists.
I struggle under the weight, but fly to the edge of the clearing. A pulse of terrible, destructive magic comes out Maphre and hurts everyone's minds. We flee in Gwyn's car, taking her to Gwyn's house.
There, we try to heal her, but cannot. We use divination, and find out that it is impossible to. We discuss it, and there is no choice; Gwyn kills her.
I walk the Path of Suns in order to take her tracking collar to the Red Sun to destroy it. Gwyn destroys the body. Simone makes a deal with the Blood Prince to cover this up.
+1 acumen for getting the info we needed, +1 despair for killing maphre
Session 6 Downtime
Character Arcs
Aid a Friend (Helping Simone Solve the Mystery of Limerance Street
This is the arc I would have taken before the start of session 6, if we had time to discuss it.- Cost: Agreeing to Help (-2 acumen) (completed in session 5)
- Opening: Answering the Call (+1 acumen) (completed in session 5)
- Step: Investigation (completed in session 5)
- Step: Investigation (completed in session 6)
- Step(s): Investigation: No idea, have to find out from Amy. Some, at least, completed in session 6.
- Climax: Discovery (+2 acumen and +1 joy or +1 despair) (we'll see when this gets finished)
- Resolution (+2 acumen)
The World Tour (Explore)
Traveling the Path of Suns to its completion is one of the most meaningful pilgrimages that someone like Locke could ever make. Now that he has recovered, more or less, from his exile in Shadow, he is ready to walk this path to its completion. Being methodical, Locke intends to walk the regular Path of Suns first; in the future, he will walk the Nightside Path of Suns, and then even after that, he will explore whatever alternative paths he can uncover.- Cost: the Undertaking (-2 acumen) (completed in session 6 downtime)
- Opening: Make a Plan (+1 acumen) (completed in session 6 downtime) (part of this plan involves using Designated Place to setup a spot that Simone can use to contact me, then to use Communal Location each day so we can "spend time" together.
- Gather Resources (+1 acumen) (completed in session 6 downtime)
- Step(s): Travel (+1 acumen) (we'll see when this gets finished)
- Step(s): Exploration (+1 acumen) (we'll see when this gets finished)
- Climax: Conquest (+2 acumen and +1 joy or +1 despair) (we'll see when this gets finished)
- Resolution (+1 acumen) (we'll see when this gets finished)
- Grey - Demiurge. Nothing. You make no contact with any Warden. (No time limit.)
- Pale - Empress Xjallad. You have to get a visa from the Pale Embassy before visiting the Pale. (More info to come on that.) Empress Xjallad's functionary asks you to find and slay a specific servant of Fazromir, the Warden of the Nightside of the Pale. (During downtime.)
- Red - Daumi, the ever-shifting. Her representative demon demands a magical weapon from you. (Immediate.)
- Gold - Shima, the glorious. Her functionary asks for nothing, as you're already doing her work. No further insight is provided. (No time limit.)
- Silver - Therim. A tall, regal figure of sparkling light. Gwyn has created something of the Legacy, and Therim wants it brought to Silver. (Six months.)
- Green - Cherulis. You must banish the being currently plaguing the Green Sun (The Good Boy) from their domain forever. (During Downtime.)
- Blue - Marra, the reclining god. You must return to the Blue once you've discovered the secrets of Limerence street (you can do this via dreams) and share the story with her.
- Indigo - Quiss. Removal of a Hate Cyst. (Details to be provided later.)
The Good Boy (Train a Creature)
As with most things that he chooses to place his energy in, Locke has chosen this quest because it represents the intersection of different themes in his life. 1) He's never had a pet, and wants to experience that kind of relationship while he's learning so much, primarily due to his relationship with Simone, about being a human. 2) He feels that he needs something to help protect his home from the Rat Locke. 3) This is an excellent excuse to get away from people for a bit, and to just sink himself deep into experiencing the way magic works in this world.- Becoming a Trainer (-3 acumen) (I assume this will be done in session 6 downtime)
- Opening: Getting Acquainted (+1 acumen)
- Step: Research (+1 acumen) (I assume this will be done in session 6 downtime)
- Step: Domestication (+1 acumen) (I assume this will be done in session 6 downtime)
- Step(s): Training (we'll see when this gets finished)
- Climax: Completion. (+2 acumen, +1 joy or despair) (we'll see when this gets finished)
What Have I Done (Fall From Grace)
Having faced the revelation that, aside from not preventing the use of Project Moksha's weapons, Locke's flight into Shadow may have actually made things much worse, Locke is convinced he has an obligation to measure the depths of his debt. He intends to track down all of the former members of Project Moksha (note: you've pointed out that Locke's attempt to use divination to find the identity/location of the "Forgotten Person" listed on the Project page is GM shifted to fail, so no dice there but +1 despair) to find out what happened to them after he left, and to use his unlocked forte powers to create a list of the Hate Cysts created by their weapons, so he knows what has to be cleared.- Cost: The Initial Misstep (-1 acumen) (done in session 6 downtime)
- Opening: The Descent (+1 acumen) (done in session 6 downtime)
- Step(s): Further Descent (+1 acumen)(we'll see when this gets finished) -- this will be following up with the Moksha people, will save this for future downtime.
- Step: Lashing Out (+1 acumen) (we'll see when this gets finished)
- Climax: Rock Bottom (+3 acumen and +1 despair)(we'll see when this gets finished)
- Resolution (+1 acumen)(we'll see when this gets finished)
The Second End (Enterprise)
I've named this arc after the quote that made me name this character after John Locke: "The improvement of understanding is for two ends: first, our own increase of knowledge; secondly, to enable us to deliver that knowledge to others." The idea here is for Locke to found a truly new institution of education, maybe something loosely based on Socratic teaching, or maybe something entirely new. The idea is to avoid the intellectual conservatism, rigid hierarchy, and tightly defined roles which make the traditional educational systems (and especially the Vancian academic hierarchy) so bad at creating actual understanding. I envision this arc going very slowly.- Cost: The Founding of an Idea (-2 acumen) (done in session 6 downtime)
- Opening: Drawing up a Plan (+1 acumen) (done in session 6 downtime)
- Step: Account for Your Resources (+1 acumen) -- will save this for future downtime.
- Step: Finding a Location (+1 acumen)
- Step(s): Building the Enterprise (+1 acumen)
- Climax: Profit and Loss (+3 acumen and +1 joy or +1 despair; but I would propose that we change this to +1 Contacts in the new Organization, and +1 joy or +1 despair)
- Resolution (+1 acumen)
Experiments
I'd like to experiment with Ensorscel Item, which I can gain access to via Gnaw. I'd like to try out some of my spells with it, and see if doing the enchantment allows me to influence the way the power manifests in the object, at all. For the spell that I'm using to ensorscel an item, can I spend +1 sorcery to make it +1 level higher, as I could if I was simply casting it? That would seem consistent with the mechanics used in the ritual. Spells to try:- I want to use Restorative Touch to see if I can imbue on an object (possibly an emerald ring) with a usable power that might be worth giving to one of my friends.
- I'd like to see if I can use a vertula kada power with this...
- Level 2: Destroy object up to 1 pound
- Level 3: (can't really find an appropriate effect but I'm thinking of a better detect/analyze magic kind of thing)
- Level 4: Maybe I can move a single object into or out of real space? Like, I could shift an object out of space, and then later on, I could shift it back in. This power would be great for smuggling something... maybe even better than my bracelet is.
- Level 6: Move 50 miles (80 km) instantly (still like the idea of a teleport power which allows me to teleport to a place that I can see, or to the last place I was when I used this power).
Remaining Time
So, it seems like Locke may have a significant amount of time left, because other than the Good Boy, there's nothing big on his place this time. Depending on how much time there is, I might learn some minor lore skills... history, or creature lore, or something. I don't think I have any other XP expenditures I want to make, unless something comes up from our other discussions.
Session 6
Action Journal
Started with my divination. 1) Confirmed that "Silver Hills" just just the old quay, and there's no special way of getting there. 2) I failed when trying to get information on Axon, and went home. 3) I flux the first time when when trying to divine information on the thing chasing Axon, but I find out that it's called the Seeker of Souls. The people who know the most about the Seeker of Souls is the Pneuma. Gwyn had a business card for Derran of the Pneuma, who had ordered some ephemera from him. I went around with Simone, investigating the Pneuma. They are a small group of vislae who have specialized in the study of the soul, and have learned a secret of investing their soul in inanimate objects. A vislae named Variagan lives in Kadelus Row in Fartown. Next day, we went to Variagan's house. There didn't seem to be anyone there, so we broke in through an open window. There's a dead guy in the living room. Suddenly, we're being attacked by the spidering of the house. We have to fight with a dresser, a teakettle, two books, etc. We fight with these things long enough to give Gwyn the chance to neutralize them with his Obelisk. When that fires off, the curse turns into a spider, which Simone catches in a glass jar. She punches hole in the jar's lid. The corpse, a human, was killed by giant spider bites. This was Variagan, who is holding three ephemera objects, which we did not take, and a note. The note gave clues leading to 13 Station and Third Hand. In his house, I found a cool book, which gave me some hidden knowledge. Gwyn's research is that there used to be a train through Satyrine, whch was messed up in the War. Thirteen Station was the station which connected Fartown to this track. It's in the Old Quay. We take Gwyn's vehicle there. Thomas tells us he remembers that place, kind of. At Thirteen Station, it really is all messed up. There are maps showing mail routes that have never existed. It turns out the Station was never connected, because the War happened. In the Station, I find an Ephemera Object called "Time's Secret Door". I give it to Fynlan. A phantom train appears and scares everyone else away; I resist, and face off against this monstrosity made out of clocks. My naginata fails to hurt it, so instead I cast timeblade; my blade strikes true, and with hands spinning wildly out of control, the monstrosity shatters into bits. (Upon investigation, it was a spirit called an Unforgiving Clock, which is a spirit of the things that never happened here.) We went into the station, and found it full of spirits of the grey. I rest, and send Simone and Fynlan to interact with the ghosts and see what they can learn. They find Derran, who's kind of a ghost; dressed for travel, bag in hand, waiting for the train. He's very difficult to deal with, until we figure out what has happened... he's not a ghost, but a pale shade of a future which didn't happen, an alternate existence Derren who does not share experience of the Actuality with us.He tells us Axon, who lives on Limerance Street, is the leader of their organization. Mercy is also a member of their organization. He doesn't know anything about the Seeker of Souls. I introduce myself to him as my old me, and give him my academic credentials... he's excited about that, because he recognizes me, and is delighted that i mltight join his group. I get him talking about his group as much as possible. He tells us about them, but asks that we not contact Maphre, who's been through enough.Experience Changes
+1 joy for GM shift to notice the open window. +2 acumen for dealing with spider house. +1 acumen for killing the clock. +1 acumen for finding all the breadcrumbs. +2 hidden knowledge in a book. +1 joy for hidden knowledge from the book. +1 despair for the most powerful divination magic in the universe still sucking.Overall Emotional State
I've had some difficult moments, but overall I can't shake the feeling that things are going right. It hurt, of course, when it finally turned out that the magical technique I have spent so long developing is less effective than I thought it would be, but I shouldn't be concerned. No craftsman has ever mastered their tools the moment they first obtain them. It will take time to tease the secrets of the universe from their carefully protected hiding places. I feel like, now that I've been able to focus on this Limerance Street nonsense, we've made some incredible progress. Frankly, I am astounded that such a projection of the grey that the Silver Hills phenomenon is can even cultivate such strength, here in Satyrine. I'm not sure if my friends have realized that there's not just an interesting mystery here, but an even more confounding puzzle, the metaphysics of the situation.
Session 5 Downtime
Phase 1: Chasing the Secret
I used the Invocation of Thanks to send Isabella Nora a nice thank-you for her gift. I suggested that we meet regularly for coffee at the Angel, to share interesting books we've read and discuss knowledge in general. While hanging out at Red's place for research, I learned that Red Comet Shatters the Mighty had a standing offer to reward anyone who would accept his mission to go into the Ruined Expanse and retrieve the <Legacy Artifact> which was lost there inside a Hate Cyst. As the reward for this mission was access to one of the mystical Secrets I have long desired, I knew that this was one challenge I would have to accept, thought it would force me even further down an unpleasant martial path. While Red's details on this mission were sketchy, I was able to augment the information he provided with some research in local news reporting about accidents within the Ruined Expanse and the slow progress that Satyrine officials were making in recovering this territory, and with general geographic and tactical information obtained through Gnaw at the Universal Mind. I spoke with my closest friends, and while Gwyn, Fynlan and A'isha were all eager or willing to help, Simone and I agreed that it wasn't the right scene for her. She was torn between distaste for the violence and fear that something fatal would happen to me in her absence, but ultimately it seemed that her gentle nature would be a danger to both herself and her team-mates, if she were to join us. Knowing that I was not capable of taking on such a violent task without a great deal of preparation, I put myself to work. Once again, my days started early with martial training in the park, with afternoons dedicated to more cerebral pursuits. In my training, I focused mainly on defense; on the basic skills of dodge, withstand and resist, as well as on developing a focused defensive ward which would keep my mortal safe well protected against hostile magic. I experimented with incantations, and then, ultimately, with techniques I'd heard rumors of years before, to bind Thirteen Angels Standing Guard to myself as a conation incantation.Interlude: Facing the Past
While experimenting with incantations, I received and used one called Staring At Long-Forgotten Yesterdays, a mysterious bit of magical ephemera which summoned my past self into my own mind, and allowed me to converse between myselves. This past self was from at least ten years before, but... it was my Shadow self. I can't stress how disturbing this is. Judging from the destruction everywhere around me, it certainly hasn't been ten years since I fled from the War, hid within Shadow, and was ultimately returned. This revelation nearly crushed me; for days, I dwelt in great depression, only able to focus on the worst possible explanations for this new piece of information. Was this world real? Am I real, or am I a lie out of Shadow? Have we been lied to, about the end and the outcome of the War? Have I somehow slipped through Shadow into a different Actuality? In the end, I had a good conversation with Ol' Bedlam Tom about it. Well, he didn't say anything, but at least talking to him helped me realize that this data, like all incomplete and unactionable data, could not be allowed to break me down. I decided to accept this as a thing I don't yet understand and add it to the list of subjects to investigate, and got back to work.Phase 2: The Dragon's Hoard
On the morning of the mission, Fynlan, Gwyn and A’isha met me in West Henge to prepare. Alessandro Forlani, the fifth member of the team and Fynlan’s war buddy, could not join us, as his request for leave from the Pale Sun military was denied. After verifying our other preparations, we continued with the mission, traveling through Satyrine to the section of the Ruined Expanse where the artifact was believed to be lost. At this location, we discovered the nature of the Hate Cyst; its power corrupted the ruins, bringing bits of fallen buildings or other wreckage to life as terrifying monsters of stone and steel, cement and cable. Due to the shifting nature of the place, all of the scouting completed by Fynlan's summoned spirits in advance was useless. I made the decision to continue towards the goal, guided by the ephemera that Gwyn created specifically to point the way to the target artifact and engaging in as few combats as possible; unfortunately, “as few as possible” was still quite a lot. After several of these, we more or less bumped into <Angel Name>, an angel who was searching the area for the same artifact; after a palaver, we decided to make common purpose towards that end. As we fought our way closer to the goal, the threat level of the monstrous encounters increased; at the base of a collapsed tower, a huge creation nearly killed Fynlan, ripping him from the throat all the way down. Gwyn shot him to life, using a Healing Flame bullet ephemera to stabilize him and return him to functionality. I moved Fynlan to a defended position at the center of the group and moved on. Within hours, we were nearly surrounded, prompting me to reveal one of the powers prepared for this eventuality; I released the invocation The Final Wonder, remaking the nearby area to a natural state; iron scrap broke down into ore-laden rocks, cement into pulverized stone, glass into piles of gentle sand. With no cover to hide their approach, monsters could not reach us, and thus the recovery of the artifact was fairly straight-forward. The most difficult part came after the artifact was found, when <Angel Name> laid their claim upon it, and stated the intention to bring it back to their superiors. I was gentle but firm with the angel, explaining that my team was here merely as a proxy for another being, Red Comet Shatters the Mighty, and that any contestation as to the ownership of the artifact would have to be made with him in person. Not liking their chances of defeating four angry vislae, and not willing to go argue with a god, the angel decided to go home and simply report the situation to their superiors. With the artifact recovered, we then had the opportunity to destroy the heart of the Hate Cyst. A’isha was against this, preferring instead to keep it intact for study, as it had been rendered effectively harmless by my incantation. Gwyn, of course, was all for destroying it, and Fynlan was more circumspect, as he is in all things. When I decided that destroying it was the right thing to do, A’isha—normally the very picture of confidence and deliberation-- completely lost her cool. She berated me in great detail, making it clear that I should count the Hate Cyst as my own personal responsibility, because after I fled the War, the Project continued in my absence, and imperfect weapons were deployed. The weapons would have not corrupted the land if I had continued to the end of the project. My cowardice had not only led to misery and loss for her personally, it had led to harm being inflicted upon reality itself. Though my eyes were full of tears, I did everything I could to keep my response measured: “I’m sorry, A’ike. It’s too late to know if it could have been better. It’s too late to know if it could have been worse. I’ve tried, and I can’t change my past. I will never stop being guilty for the things I did during the War… I am sorry for my part in this. All I can do now is fight to make our world better.” “Don’t call me that,” she spat, “not now, or ever again. Of course you’ll never know if it could have been better, you weren’t there.” She – the only woman in the group—turned away and seethed a short distance away, leaving the men to destroy something. I cast Encode the Sefiroth on the heart of the Hate Cyst, rolled up ad pocketed the piece of glyph-covered paper that the spell created, and nodded to the others. As the heart of the Hate Cyst slowly gave and its power was dissipated, my tears retreated inside of me.Interlude: The Past is a Bad Apple
How do you handle finding out that the one time in your life you took an ethical stance, when you took everything you had achieved in life and tried to pound it into the earth as a bulwark against destruction, only to find out that despite your sacrifice, you not only failed to make a difference, but (at least in the eyes of your trusted friend) managed to make the outcome somehow worse? And how do you handle it when, at the same time, you lose the confidence and friendship of one of the only people who's ever truly understood you? I really mean that, if you have any ideas, let me know. I was able to distract myself by learning Divine Ability from Red. However, I know that this is avoidance, and that eventually I'll have to deal with these repercussions.Phase 3: Back on Track
In preparation for the tasks ahead I used my accumulated understanding (crux) to decipher some general spells: Pathwalker, Restorative Touch, Unbinding and Master the Black Cube. NOTE: We will be resolving these questions in-person before Session 6 to simplify things. To continue with the investigation of Limerance St, I had "seances" three nights in a row on one of the small, sandy islands that dot the lake in the center of West Henge, where I invited over the gang (Simone, Gwyn, Fynlan) and used Gnaw at the Universal Mind, once per day, to divine the following information:- How do I get from here and now to the Silver Hills District? (I use the bonus spell from this to temporarily learn Consecrated Intention, which I use after the others leave to consecrate the hidden room beneath my Observatory to the act of divining secrets.)
- Who and what is Axon? (I use the bonus spell from this to temporarily learn Implication Avoidance, which I use before the next seance to try to keep myself from being caught spying by a monstrous enemy.)
- Who or what is the thing hunting Axon (I use the bonus spell from this to temporarily learn Warding Stone, which I use to empower the Observatory.)
Still Pending
- My answer back from the System.
Session 5
We have been invited to a party with Isabella Nora, a member of the Vances. She is a 2nd degree member of the Vancian order, who throws good parties. Isabelle's house looks like a round tower, but the inside is larger. There are a bunch of people at the party, but only some of them are interesting.
When we go in, Simone has a vision of one of the party-goers sitting on a throne of bloodsilver, impaled by a number of bladed weapons, dead. She tells me about this. Fynlyn then thinks that that guy is a god that he fought with in the War, Red Comet Shatters the Mighty.
I use my quirk to find the most interesting book in here for me. +1 hidden knowledge from this.
Fynlyn goes to talk to Red Comet Shatters the Mighty, who is very happy to see him. Fynlyn gets a hug and chats with the god, who recognizes him. They smalltalk. Fynlyn introduces Locke and Simone. Locke just flat out calls the guy a god, which is awkward for a bit, but it was also awesome. Fynlyn invites him to come over for tea sometime.
Other interesting guests are:
Charles Abernathy (a goetic)
Gilda Morgan (a maker)
Bravish (a vance)
Oriah (a weaver)
Kyam (an elderbrin)
Isabelle Nora (a vance)
I introduce myself to Bravish. He's boring. I introduce myself to each person at the party and exchange 1.5 niceties. Things go well until he talks to Kyam, who goes off on a long ass series of puns and horrible jokes. Locke just eremetics away.
Simone and Locke introduce themselves to Isabelle, and they have a nice conversation about books. This conversation is going really well, when Simone acts jealous and kind of derails it.
Simone goes to tell Isabelle about having had a terrible portent.
I went into the bathroom and used Gnaw the Universal Mind to divine if there was anyone here who meant harm. I discovered yes, and that the name Parris was involved. (NOTE: I think this was a GM shift, as Jared suggested a better thing to divine for than what I was doing.) (I also used it to gain access to the spell Conjured Casement for the day)
Fynyln summoned an angel to spy for him. Simone poked around and found out that Isabelle the Parris recently broke up.
When the angel identified Parris, Parris dropped the illusion as one of the random party-goers, then ran at Isabelle, took her hostage, and then, strangely, started threatening Locke with his knife.
Locke rushes Parris. Fynlyn moves in to help. Gwyn disarms Parris, Locke and Fynlyn tackle him and get him under control. Locke gets Isabelle to call the local gerent, and Simone questions Parris, who is just a heartbroken little MRA dipshit. Simone interrogated him, but it doesn't sound like anybody put him up for this.
Everyone is impressed, and Isabelle in particular appreciates that we did not murder him. She teaches us Advanced Sortilege.
After the party, Simone, Fynlyn and Locke work together to find Limerant Street. Fynlyn sends his angel off to spy. Locke uses Gnaw to get a list of people in this city who know where it is.
The angel found that Limerant Street is in the Silver Hill neighborhood of Fartown. The person who can tell us how to get into there, according to my divination is a ghost child named Thomas. I had a weird visitation from a terrible entity, and a sensation that there is someone following me, and that they are looking for Limerant Street and someone named Axon.
Thomas does not remember how to get to Limerant Street, but he does haunt a house there.
Locke got a gift from Isabelle, a gold sortir.
TO MODIFY: +1 hidden knowledge, +2 acumen for the heroics, +2 crux, +3 joy, learned Advanced Sortilege
Session 4 - The Shining Isle
Researched my old notes. +1 despair for having forgotten something (the 13th person from the war project). Completed research Solve a Mystery: Therefore Fight, O Arjuna (+1 acumen). To continue this, I am going to get A'isha to research it for me. However, we're not good enough friends. Thus: started bond arc with aisha (-2 acumen)
Went on a date with Simone. She gave me an awesome lei which lets me relive her memories of a starry night in Hawaii, and use the observatory there. Started romance bond with simone (-2 acumen)
On to the Shining Isle. I declared that this is how it goes... Gwyn is in charge.
The Lacuna do a magical working to transport us to the location. We're on a cold Northern beach, where there is a camp. There are Lacuna there. We learn the expeditionary camp is five Lacuna, who took a boat to a glowing island. The boat never came back and they never heard anything back from the Lacuna. The Lacuna offer us a boat. Fynlyn summons a spirit to fly ahead and scout.
On the way, we encounter bad weather. The boat nearly capsizes, but the lacuna pilot prevents that. Still, they fall overboard... Gwyn jumps after! Simone casts a spell to help them. Locke throws them a rope. They get back safely into the boat. Because Gwyn's clothes are soaked, he gets the Lacuna to open a portal to a fancy hotel, and reaches through to steal a fluffy bathrobe.
We reach the Shining Isle. There is no boat the the dock, but there is fresh torn rope. We go up the stairs to the top of the island cliffs. We can see a stone keep in the distance, and a forest with trees which are way taller than they should be. We see a glowing pond with a small stream that runs to a waterfall off the side of the island. Beside the pond, there's the camp.
The camp is a couple of tents. It clearly hasn't been used in a couple of days. The glowing pond has a rowboat, which is growing leaves and roots. There are fish in the pond, but they're too big. I rolled Decode the Sefiroth on the fish. Simone drinks some of the water. She reports that it is delicious.
I cast Light In The Dark Of The Before and learned that the Lacuna left three days ago on the path towards the keep. We follow along, heading into the woods. In the first clearing, we find a bunch of glowing pigs who are just eating. In a different clearing, we fin a small vegetable garden, which is super overgrown. The vegetables are big big big big big, such as a carrot the size of your leg. Some of the vegetables have been removed. I convinced Gwyn not to take a carrot. I didn't think this was safe, since we didn't know who made this world.
We continue on to the keep. Nobody answered when we knocked. I took out my scourged wicked key from the last keyfall, and opened it. I countered the flux on it, which would have made me have to eat every piece of food I saw for a week.
In the keep, kitchens, temple, storage. Second floor looks like living quarters. Paths downstairs. We went into the kitchen, saw that it was used recently. Specifically, a small group (about the size of the Lacuna expedition) cooked and ate here a couple of days ago. In a small room adjoining the kitchen, we found their bedrolls.
Simone and I went back to the pigs. They were normal pigs.
Downstairs, we find a charnel pit, full of human remains and pig shit. Simone discovers that the pigshit is made of people. Locke examines the bones. Some of them glow. Almost all of them are longer than they should be. I inspected the bodies. There were signs that they were stabbed (murdered), but no signs of butchering or cannibalism.
Simone found some more information with her magic... they were ritually sacrificed, and knew that at least the one she touched first was human. Really, they all seemed to be human.
The next room from the charnel pit is another temple, though not to the sun like the one above. There is a lot of imagery and writing about "The Sweet Ones", who made the people there better, and who would come back if these people were ever as good as they were. I searched the room, and some of the wall panels can move.
The secret entrance leads to a ladder which goes down into a room lit with glowing crystals. The room is a sideways chamber with a cracked floor, with light coming up through cracks in the floorboards from the crystalline structure below it. There are a bunch of planter boxes with EVEN BETTER fruits and vegetables in them. In the back of the room are bigger, badder pigs.
As we descend into the structure, everything goes sideways, literally. Things which should be on the floor are instead on the walls. The light is purer than the sunlight above. We're basically inside the crystal.
In the next room, Gwyn and Fynlan couldn't resist the temptation. They grabbed nearby food and started eating it. They just couldn't resist because it was so good. I used Scent of Magic and identified what was going on... the magic is upon the fruit, making it good, not upon my friends. They just couldn't resist eating something so good.
In the next room after that, only I could resist. Simone went to eat a pig... I stopped her, thank Visla. She used her magic to make everything seem unappetizing for all of us.
We moved forward, and found one of the Lacuna, huddled in front of a locked door. We awoke the Lacuna, and they were scared, they thought we might be one of the "tall people". Simone and I comforted them, and spoke with them, and learned that the others were abducted by these tall people.
Fynlyn summoned a guardian angel to escort the Lacuna back to safety. Simone used her wicked key to open the crystal door into a crystal warren. We are inside the crystal. Gwyn shot down doors; Locke gathered up crystal bits (for Maker materials) and some unidentifiable crystal tools.
We moved on to a central hub, with human people sleeping on them. They are taller than normal. Amongst them, on other beds, are also the Lacuna.
Two beings enter from another room. They are really tall, maybe 11 feet tall, but their features are strangely vague, and they are suffused with regality. They're not naked, but we can't really tell if they're clothed because they're so glowy.
The beings spoke, but I could not understand them. Simone spoke with them, tried to convince them that we should take the Lacuna away. But the beings claimed that the Lacuna could not get away safely because they had been there for too long.
I made the claim that only the Lacuna understand themselves well enough, and that only they had the right to make the decision. We awaken the Lacuna, so they can decide what to do. One of them has to go back to sleep because they freak out. Two want to go home. One is scared about going home.
The beings gave a long explanation of what was happening, but I couldn't understand it. We had a pretty tense conversation about it. In the end, I made it clear that it was Gwyn's decision. In the end, we insist that the ones who want to go, we bring with us. In exchange, we left all of the crystal bits behind.
Session 3 Downtime - So Much Study
Overview
Unsurprisingly, Locke spends his downtime deep in study, research and experimentation. He hits the book in order to learn Dream Study, a spell that will make him make much better use of his time by spending every other night in study, rather than slumber. After this, he gets on with the process of improving himself with melee lessons every morning, the business of understanding the universe around him every afternoon, and concentrated study in magic lore every night.Thanksing
Locke properly thanked everyone who gave him housewarming gifts.Working With Gwyn - Securing the Secrets
I spent one afternoon in Gwyn's spider-infested home, working with my friend on an extremely complicated miniaturized lock, with the intent of securing The Notes in a lockbox in the hidden room underneath the Observatory. During this time, I also explained his goal of learning about the Black Cube, which I intend to analyze closely to determine if it comes from this Actuality or another one. The only resources I know of for sure which would set me on the path to unlocking the Black Cube's secrets were books in the Vancian Library, which of course, I can no longer access, since I have left them. I was greatly interested in whether Gwyn might consult with his contacts among the Makers, to see what information they had about the Black Cube, as an alternative source of information. While not too concerned about the spiders in Gwyn's home, I noticed that quite a few of them are significantly lot larger than they were the last time I visited. Soon, they'll be a problem for other small animals... and probably, they had to be dealt with before they get big enough to be a danger to people. I remember that one of my classmates possessed the trick of communicating with all spiders, great and small; maybe that would be a Secret worth learning?Advances
- -2 Acumen (Spell, learn Dream Study via regular study)
- -3 Acumen (Action skill, learn second point of melee)
- -2 Acumen (Narrative skill, learn second point of Magic Lore)
- -2 Acumen (Character secrets, learn Elevate Spells)
- -2 Acumen (Character arcs, start Aid for Gwyn)
- -2 Acumen )Character arcs, start Aid for Gwyn's mystery skill)
- -2 Acumen (Character arcs, start Uncover the Mystery)
- -1 Crux (Apostate, learn Counterspell, raise to level 3)
- -1 Crux (Apostate, learn Street Magic, +1 stealth, +1 searching)
- -1 Crux (Apostate, learn Guided Hand)
- -1 Crux (Apostate, learn Extra Spells)
- -3 Crux (Eats Knowledge, learn Consume Spell)
Time Accounting
- 6 days to learn Dream Study
- 14 days to learn Melee 2 and Magic Lore 2
- 7 days of research for Uncover a Secret: Measuring the Black Cube
- 7 days of research for Solve a Mystery: Therefore Fight, O Arjuna
- 7 days of research for Aid a Friend: Helping Gwyn Lift Up the Lacuna Union
- 15 days of additional research
Character Arcs
Uncover a Secret: Measuring the Black Cube In this arc, Locke is attempting to uncover the basics of the Black Cube... what is its purpose, where does it come from, is it safe to summon, etc?- Cost: Seeker. (2 Acumen cost paid.) (DONE in downtime 1)
- Naming the Secret: (The Secret I seek is an understanding of the Black Cube sufficient to summon it from its eldritch plane, that I might experiment with it. 1 Acumen ) (DONE in downtime 1)
- Step: Research. Could not come up with any continuation except for books in the Vancian library.(FAILED in downtime 2)
- Step: Research. Asked my Vance friends for help and was refused. (FAILED in session 3)
- Step(s): Research. (should be done, +1 acumen) Note: DONE
- Step(s): Investigation. (should be done, +1 acumen) Note: DONE
- Step(s): Tracking. (should be done, +1 acumen) Note: DONE
- Step(s): Revelation. (should be done, +1 acumen) Note: DONE
- Step: Climax.(should be done, +2 acumen, +1 joy) Note: DONE
- Step: Resolution (should be done, +1 acumen) Note: DONE
- Cost: Agreeing to help (DONE in downtime 3, -2 acumen)
- Opening: Answering the Call (should be done)
- Step: Tracking
- Step: Travel
- Step: Climax
- Step: Resolution
- Cost: On the Case (DONE in downtime 3, -2 acumen)
- Opening: Pledging to Solve the Mystery (should be done)
- Step: Research
- Step(s): Investigation
- Climax: Discovery
- Resolution
Session 3 - The Key to Locke
The Party
Everyone came, and some people brought friends. Specifically, Simone brought along her Weaver friend Prima, Gwyn brought Barry, a member of the Lacuna Union, Fynlyn brought a cool, satyr-like party spirit (I missed its name), and the Blood Prince brought an entourage. A few people brought gifts, which I must remember to thank them for; Fynlan brought an abacus, Tirinia brought some books and a casserole, Edna brought a gris gris imbued with a low-level Pale magic that keeps out spiritual pests. I noticed that A'isha was careful to avoid the Blood Prince, and luckily seemed to have no real problems with Heironymous. Barry, the Lacuna, was quite sociable, and I was fascinated to have him there. The Lacuna are such an intriguing mystery, even though they're just right there... Gwyn is doing right by trying to build ties with them, and I should do so as well. The worst part of the party was when people had merged into a single big conversation, and I took the chance to ask if anyone could put me on the path to deciphering the Black Cube... it REALLY sucked to have the Vances there snub me as a single body, probably the only thing they did together for the entire night.Storytime
Then, the Blood Prince suggested that we take some time to tell stories. Heironymous told a story about his childhood, when a friend of his was stalked and murdered in a corn field. (OOC note: Locke would, of course, know whether this story was true or false. If it even becomes relevant, we'll work it out then.) One of the Blood Prince's mooks then tried to tell some incredibly stupid yarn about the time he made out with the Warden's triplet daughters, or something equally dumb and sexualized. Nobody believed a word he said. Edna was next; her story started off with some pretty insane rambling. She was trying to set the background, and so included a ton of stuff that didn't matter to anyone. As she was telling the story, A'isha realized that we were out of wine and left to go get some more from her place. Edna went on and on about a cat she once knew, and as time disappeared into the fathomless void of trying to be polite to one's elders, it dawned on us that A'isha had been gone for too long. Some of us (Gwyn, Simone, Fynlan, Tirinia and myself) decided to go check on her. There really was nothing wrong with A'isha, she was just being indecisive about picking wine. We gathered her up and collected the alcohol, and headed back to the island. Not long after we got off the boat, there was a shriek in the woods.Actual Cannibal
In a flash, Gwyn flew into the dark woods. A'isha flew into the dark woods. I followed, and the others followed me. On the path leading up to the hill we found her... Edna, fallen and lying in a pool of blood on the ground. Above her, half naked, insane, dripping with blood...
SHIA LABOEUF!
We rushed to the aid. Simone tried to heal Edna, but it was too late. I tried to overpower the Shia Laboeuf, but he turned his cannibalism on me... I had no choice, I ate his memory.
Blood. Life. My god, there's blood everywhere. Killing for sport, Shia LaBoeuf. The monster's memories are mine...
While the Shia Laboeuf was stunned by my spell, Gwyn and Fynlyn gunned him down.
We went to search for Yute, and ran into a pack of sixty Shia LeBoeufs.
THAT fight... well. As we fought the Shias, others came. Tirinia fought to hold them off and the shore of the black-water lake. A'isha burned them with the fire of her magic. My companions gunned so many of them down... from my house, the Blood Prince's mooks provided covering fire, and the Blood Prince's tentacled magic held the Shias in place.
I saw that there was no point in fighting the many hands of the cannibal Shias, and instead turned my focus on the one at the center of it all. A forced my way through the throng, to challenge him to fight... and within minutes, was overwhelmed as the cannibal minions turned their attention to me and tore my flesh most painfully fron my bones.
I'm not positive, but somehow the others defeated the central Shia. The others melted away.
And the story ended... because it turns out that this entire thing was Edna's story. I... I'm still not sure what it all means, though maybe there was some bit of the future in this. Since then, I cannot shake the idea that these are the people who will stand beside me...
Simone, gentle soul. Gwyn, determined to do right. Fynlan, carried along by it all. Yes, I always knew these... but Tirinia, bold and true and quick to see to the defense of those who are practically strangers, A'isha who should never have forgiven me, but will always be the other half of my mind, the Blood Prince, whom I cannot begin to imagine trusting.
Was Edna trying to tell me something? Does she know something about the future, which now I have a light to see?
Experience Concerns
GIVEN: +1 JOY and +1 DESPAIR, +1 DESPAIR, +1 MageCoin, +2 Acumen
GIVEN: +1 Despair for being snubbed by even his freaking friends from the freaking order.
GIVEN: +1 JOY I learn something disturbing and jarring when I feed.
DESPAIR? Should I get despair for my guest being cannibalized?
JOY? NOT DEAD
Finished Restoration Arc:
Climax: The Final Act (worth 3 Acumen and 1 Joy or 1 Despair)
Resolution (worth 1 Acumen)
+1 Acumen
Session 2 Downtime - Knuckles Cracking
The Disturbance
After coming home, Locke noticed that "something" had disturbed things inside his home. He took some time to straighten things up, leaving untouched one book that was slide across the floor from where he left it. He sat crosslegged and looked closely at the book, examining it without touching it. He let his mind sink into a meditative state, and cast the spell Reaching for Gnosis. What creature last disturbed this book? A wrong cat. Oh.The New Plague
At the end of session 2, when Locke used divination to get some information about the Blood Prince, he caught the New Plague. He stayed up late into the night, experimenting on himself and measuring the results, and learned a couple of basic things about the effect. 1) It is not passed via physical transmission. 2) It *is* passed by an intermingling of the magic of two beings.Thanksing
Locke learned the Invocation of Thanks specifically for this. He writes a thank-you note and sends it to the Blood Prince to thank them for rescuing the Vislae from the Suffering Engine. Locke will buy a second Leaf of Gratitude to send thanks to Alex as well, for having remained patient and not doing anything stupid while other people dealt with the Suffering Engine.Measuring the Black Cube
Locke dropped another useless book onto the pile. Nothing. Nothing in any of these. Just in the back of his mind, a memory... a card catalog listing, in the library of the Vance College. The only place he was sure this information exists. :(Housewarming
Before getting to work on his house, Locke schedules a housewarming party, sending invitations to Simone, Gwyn, Fynlan, Heironymous, neighbor Tirinia, neighbor Edna, Alex (if he is found) to attend a housewarming party at the Observatory. Desserts and coffee will be served, and all will be welcome to observe the heavens through the Observatory's main telescope. He also writes an invitation for A'isha, but does not mail it. Whether or not he gives it to her will depend on how things go when he stops by to arrange to get his instruments back.Houseworking
Primarily, Locke will accomplish the rebuilding of his house by using Restoration of Form repeatedly to return it to its correct condition. He will retrieve his tools from A'isha. He will buy books from shops and swap meets all over Satyrine, to start building his library. He will restore the landscape by having Gwyn make him some bone seeds, and using them to seed the other side of the hill from the first ones. Climax will be the housewarming party.Sooth Card
DriverCurrent Experience
8 acumen, 3 crux, 2 joyAccounting
- Advances
- Start new character arc (Restoration) -- 2 acumen
- Learn 1 level of <melee skill> -- 3 acumen [li[Learn level 1 invocation, Invocation of Thanks -- 1 acumen
- Time
- ~2 weeks on Fencing Academy Crash Course
- ~1 month on house work
- ~2 weeks of mysteries research
Character Arc Progress
Uncover a Secret: Measuring the Black Cube- Cost: Seeker. (2 Acumen cost paid.) (previously)
- Naming the Secret: (The Secret I seek is an understanding of the Black Cube sufficient to summon it from its eldritch plane, that I might experiment with it. 1 Acumen ) (previously)
- Step: Research. (Next)
- Cost: Brought Low (cost 2 Acumen)
- Opening: Vow to Yourself (rewards 1 Acumen)
- Work: Reconstruction (worth 1 Acumen)
- Work: Retrieve Tools (worth 1 Acumen)
- Work: Build Library (worth 1 Acumen)
- Work: Restore the Landscape (worth 1 Acumen)
- Climax: The Final Act (worth 3 Acumen and 1 Joy or 1 Despair)
- Resolution (worth 1 Acumen)
Session 2 - Into the World
Sooth Cards
- Hidden Moon
- Inevitable Cataclysm
- Crowded Tomb
- Swan
- Monarch
- Enveloping Darkness
- Banished Serpent
- Messiah
- Doctor
The Story So Far
One month has passed. Not much has changed. Within a few days, there are idiots guarding the spot of the hate cyst. Dangling threads: 1) The Hate Cyst 2) Alex 3) Simon has squatters 4) Locke might want to follow up on Heironymous and his Nine Princes. The information that Locke and Gwyn collected on the Suffering Engine is 1) kill everyone from it or 2) re-flesh-shape people out of it or 3) defeat spells of the enemy at level 14. We have no evidence that freeing them actually will let them out. Locke made his spell work! New Discovery - The Moon Rewards Those Who Discover Its Secrets, +1 joy! Step: Trial and Error - COMPLETE +1 acumen Step: Climax - Eureka! - COMPLETE +3 acumen, +1 joy! Step: Resolution - +1 acumen Gwyn ran into Locke and Heironymous in the Angel, and made arrangements to meet the Blood Prince. They wanted to get some materials necessary to unmake the Suffering Engine. Fynlan and Simone got a lawyer for their house problems. We all got a letter of introduction to the Blood Prince from Heironymous, then went to the neighborhood they live in, which is the Palindrome. We encountered a protest on the way there (in the Brickhouse District), and all of the people protesting were Lacuna. Their sign says, "We just want to be treated fairly." Their flyer has a list of grievances 1) Lacuna have a hard time getting permission to open a business 2) They were exploited during the War. 3) They were promised equal stake and representation. 4) They have a union hall, and we can stop by to learn more. Palindrome district is Locke's jam, full of museums and stuff. There is a park here with Pyramids of Glass that are about the size of the Louvre. Each one of them contains a tree from a different world. Each of those worlds is an extinct half-world. Most of the pyramids have been destroyed, and their wreckage has been cleaned up. Under each tree there's a small bronze plaque which explains the tree and its provenance. The Blood Prince's place of public business is a converted Baroque church. There's a lot of iconography of the Legacy. Blood Prince was just sitting in his throne. We spoke with them and they said, "Oooh, pants are *always* optional here." Blood Prince made a deal with Gwyn; Blood Prince will deal with the problem, and Gwyn will owe him a favor. I cast Decode the Sefirot on the Blood Prince with his permission. Things went well with the Blood Prince, and then we left. On the walk home, Locke detected that Gwyn had a magical effect on him. Locke poked at the spell until he figured out a little about it (which is that it wishes to spread) but now it is aware of him. Locke suggested a plan that we look up other Vislae who have come back after the end of the War, so we can find out 1) what they have learned since 2) what problems they've had since 3) what challenges they still face. On arrival home, Locke found evidence that something or someone-- maybe a small animal-- had been in his place. Locke used divination to determine that the Blood Prince is truly a vislae, in in response caught The New Plague.Emotional Summary
After seeing release for the victims of the Suffering Engine, I have finally been able to start processing my feelings about everything... about the War, about my flight to the Grey, about coming back, about there being no legitimate authority in Satyrine. My deep despair over that situation has sort of merged with his relief that the Blood Prince is 1) not apparently a horrible monster and 2) capable of dealing with situations like this, and has left me with the feeling that, maybe, we Vislae may be able to build a new structure for our society, one not as flawed as we have always known. I am extremely worried about Simone, because I don't think that she's dealing with her House problems properly. I can't help but feeling that a Vislae's House-- maybe ANY person's house or home-- is an extension of their nature in a tangible way. Seeing her foundation so undermined is... Well, looking around, maybe I should do something about my own House before I criticize a friend for avoiding the problems with theirs. If I hadn't let myself be so distracted from my physical surroundings, maybe I could have done something to actually help... like I could have offered to let her stay here for a while, or something. Since completion of Decode the Sefirot, I've been surprisingly jittery. IT WORKS. What's more, it works and it represents a way to capture momentary truths for later analysis. I'm thinking of publishing it.Gains for Session
+1 Crux for leaving the Prologue, +1 Acumen for meeting the Blood Prince. +1 Despair for for the world having no political structure that is valid in any way whatsoever. +4 acumen and 1 joy for completion of New Discovery. +1 joy for making a new spell as an Apostate. +1 (fluxed) Wicked Key, +1 The New Plague.
Session 1 Downtime - Locke Looks for the Key
After the events of Session 1, Locke threw himself into what he does best... locking himself away from other people and working to decipher the hidden truths of the Actuality. For nearly the entire month, his routine was normal: wake up early, head into "town" to pick up the newspaper, chat with Heironymous over coffee, spend a few hours researching scientific notes and scholarly texts, then head back to the Observatory to integrate new findings into a rapidly growing personal library, before experimenting into the wee hours of the night.
In an important way, this was just Locke diving head-first into the life that he loves best. In a secondary sense, however, it was driven by his return from Shadow, and the traumatic events of the Suffering Engine. Certainly, he worked hard to build his own personal power (with advances in both Forte and Order), primarily a hedge against being overpowered by mysterious, evil entities.
Also, frustration about not being able to collect sufficient information about the Devil responsible for the Suffering Engine crystalized his ideas for the new magical technology that he is working to develop in his New Discovery character arc, Finding the Roots of the Tree of Life.
Sooth Card
The Teamup
Partway through the month, Locke went around to check on his friends. He found Gwyn deeply involved in a very sympathetic plot... investigating the Suffering Engine to determine how to undo it. Gwyn had constructed a magical tool to analyze a magical effect, but couldn't get into the Hate Cyst without dealing with the bruisers who were guarding it from outside. That was not a problem for Locke, who took Gwyn's object, Witchstepped into the Hate Cyst, collected the information they wanted then bounced.Vignette
Locke cursed quietly in frustration and tossed his pen onto the stack of wooden coffee crates that stood in as a makeshift bookshelf and writing desk in the observatory's main room. The summer sun poured in through the shattered ceiling, perfectly illuminating an experiment that was going nowhere. No matter how Locke tinkered with the bits of brass and glass carefully fitted into something not entirely unlike a child's kaleidoscope, the predicted effect just wasn't happening. Maybe there was something wrong in his math. Maybe it wasn't possible to diffract the objects of Actuality into their fundamental components. Maybe there was some idea that he'd missed in the tract by Calivos... or maybe A'isha would have an idea. "Ugh. Maybe I should just forget this. Maybe it's..." High above, feathered wings whirred as one of the birds roosting in the broken dome took panicked flight! Locke looked up, surprised that-- so far above-- he could see someone he knew. "Haha! Bedlam Tom! You old bastard, what are you doing up there? That's not really a good place for a cat, my friend..." But... "Wait, actually. Maybe..." Locke moved quickly, dragging a ladder from the other side of the room and setting it up above the desk. "Yes, maybe... it's an issue of the focal length, it's..." The brass device was strapped to the ladder; one end pointed down at the table, the other up at the cat above. "Yes, that seems... okay, maybe..." All vislae have an instinct about magic. It is this inner light that marks them apart from other mortals, gives them the ability to do things like... With the habit of long experience, Locke reached within him and awakened that instinct. His mind turned and he made something happen... Light streamed through the shattered dome, over the form of Ol' Bedlam Tom, then to the device, where the cat's image was condensed and refracted, and came through the other end as a series of clear purple symbols projected onto the desk below. Locke laughed, delighted, and took up his pen to trace the symbols, transcribing-- for as much as he knew, for the first time in the history of Actuality-- the fundamental truths of the Sefirot of Physcality (in this case, the Sefirot of Physicality of Ol' Bedlam Tom the stray cat) onto paper. "Oh, Tom. Tom, Tom... I owe you a fish, my friend. This is it. This is proof that it can be done. This... I have to add this to my notes, I have to distill this into the spell..." "Hey, get down from there, you brilliant cat! You're going to fall if you're not careful!"Accounting
- Advances
- Spend 1 Crux to increase Forte, learn Consume Memory (and +2 Sorcery)
- Spend 1 Crux to increase Order, learn Extra Spells (Witchstep and Restoration of Form)
- Spend 2 Acumen to start Black Cube personal arc
- Save 1 Crux
- Actions
- 10 days to perfect new spells, Witchstep and Restoration of Form
- 7 days of research for Finding the Roots of the Tree of Life
- 6 days studying ancient texts to look for Hidden Secrets
- 2 days to interact with other humans
- 1 day of writing up research plan for Finding the Roots of the Tree of Life
- 1 day for starting the Black Cube arc.
- 1 day for self care
- 0 days to learn Consume Memory
- 1 hour to scatter Boneseeds around the top of the hill to start the process of regrowing the woods there.
Character Arc Progress
New Discovery: Finding the Roots of the Tree of Life- Cost: Thrill of Discovery. (Acumen cost waved as this is Locke's first arc)
- Opening: The idea. (Events in the world pass too quickly to give them proper attention. I need a magical technology which allows me to encode and record the fundamental nature of a thing, so that I can work with that data at a later point. Complete. Worth 1 Acumen reward, not yet collected.)
- Step: Research. (Tinkering with basic scientific tools (anything which can measure) and testing how they dip into the ebb and flow of magic. For each of the Sefirot, develop a sub-process to decode and measure that particular component. Complete. Worth 1 Acumen reward, not yet collected.)
- Step: Trial and Error (Next)
- Cost: Seeker. (2 Acumen cost paid.)
- Naming the Secret: (The Secret I seek is an understanding of the Black Cube sufficient to summon it from its eldritch plane, that I might experiment with it. Worth 1 Acumen reward, not yet collected.)
- Step: Research. (Next)
Gains for Session
COLLETED: 1 acumen from Uncover a Secret, 2 acumen from New Discovery, 1 joy for Inside the Book there is Happiness CURRENT BANK: 3 acumen, 1 crux, 1 joy
Session 22
We start out by following up on this invitation:
https://files.slack.com/files-pri/T10DSNA2Y-F012X00JFGD/screen_shot_2020-05-02_at_12.31.34_pm.png
On Limerance Street, we chat with Axon a bit. He has never seen the sigil and believes that the house there is empty. It is in pristine shape. We poke around, eventually finding an iron door in an alley across the way which has that sigil on it. It had a padlock on it, but Gwyn killed it with his gun.
We go down some stairs into a storage room. There's another door there, which is locked. On the other side of the lock is a tunnel which goes under the street into a glass door and a room beyond.
When we pass through the glass door, it becomes the rose window in the garret room in the house, where we now are. There's normal sort of attic stuff in here. We go down into a guest bedroom, where I find a hidden door in the closet, behind which is a hidey hole with a creepy white girl's doll. Fynlan gets cursed by the doll.
We go through that into the upstairs hallway. At one end of the hall is a magic clock which is constantly decaying but never disappearing. We explore a bunch more rooms (I get a cookbook from the library) find a diary in a bedroom that talks about a metal heart in the main room.
In the main room, we talk to the house, via a bunch of chalices shaped like mouths. The house tells us that the house and heart were separated. The heart, apparently, is in the kaleidoscopic void.
In the dining room, we find a trap door under the table and go down, into an idyllic wooded glen. It's a half world, fueled by magic leftover from the heart, and works like a No Room.
In the half world, we do the Astrolatry ritual together. :) This gives us a +1 Joy.
We go back and search the rest of the house. We find a silver disk that expands into a cube that's 6' across with a 2' hole in it. Arms reach through and grab Gwyn; I try to grab him but miss, he's pulled in.
I leap in afterwards. There are floating sphere of gold guarding a door. Surprisingly, it's not violent.
Simone and Fynlan come in after us. Simone commands the orbs to stand down. I inspect them; they are called Tiberians. We pass them, and open the door.
Gwyn uses a key he found earlier to unlock the door. (+1 Acumen to party). On the other side is a room that stores 20 ephemera objects, and renders Objects of Power inert.
We finish exploring the house (+5 Acumen to party), then leave it and go to talk to Axon. Axon says that he moved everything to Nowhere, not to the Kaleidoscopic Void. The heart was sent there by the contradiction of both existing and not existing.
We leave and go home. I chat with the Blood Prince and get their advice. They confirm what I already know about the Kaleidoscopic Void, and provide the idea that maybe only someone insane could do the necessary magic.
I use Reach Into Chaos to try to retrieve the heart, but can't. Instead, I find out that there's a ritual known by very few, in fact, only Palintalinosh. We ambush him, I eat the ritual out of his mind and write it to a monograph. We untie him and I eat the last five minutes of his memory. I buy some drugs from Palintalinosh erase his memory and we go.
We go back to my house, with some madmen that Fynlan bought from a demon, and Heinronymous to read the ritual from the monograph. I use Monograph Twin to make a copy.
In the ritual, we must each a statement of the contradiction which defines us.
Locke: "My life is now dedicated to healing a universe I have spent my entire life trying to leave."
Fynlan: "I am alive, but not alive."
Simone: "I am not real."
Gwyn: "I am not real."
We separate from our bodies. For a moment, we experience each other's minds, and are then in the Kaleidoscopic Void. We see the heart in the distance, float to it on wings of our will. The metal heart has a panel covered with sand; I draw the glyph from the house on it.
The heart starts beaten, we are teleported back to the house. A box appears and gives us a business card for an address in the Brickhouse District. The organization is called The Sodality of the Secret, which is magically protected. We are now a part of it. They are fuckin' cool.
+1 Joy for going to the Kaleidoscopic Void and back. +1 crux and +5 acumen for story completion.
Session 1 - Wake Up
Sooth Cards
The Story So Far
-- Dear Diary- Show spoilerIn the Grey, I had decided to kill myself.
- Before that happened, I went to a groupon Lunar New Year feast at the Cinnamon Tree in Oakland.
- There were four others at my table: Alex, Simone, Fynlan and <Jordan's Character>. We had an excellent conversation about how wrong the world was, then went back to Alex's posh condo for drinks.
- In his condo, Alex performed a brief ritual. At its conclusion, we were back in Satyrine, in what appeared to be a hospital. However, there was nobody there... we investigated, and found a large number of vislae fused together into the walls, floor and ceiling of a single room, in a construct called a "Suffering Engine".
- We were attacked by two demons disguised as nurses. <Jordan's Character> shot one in the head, killing it. I disabled the other with a broken bottle, and Fynlan finished her off with his hands in a surprisingly brutal and uncivilized attack.
- After the death of these minions, a Devil manifested in the room. He blamed Alex for bringing him people who could fight back. We fought briefly, then stopped and conversed. When the battle started again, Fynlan drove the demon off with more shots from his magical pistol.
- Simone was able to collect some information about the Suffering Engine by using her Forte. I was able to collect some additional information, and to make the following connections: the Suffering Engine is a relic using the magic of the Enemy to create an artificial hate cyst, which encloses the terrible room made out of tortured Vislae.
- Gwyn shot one of the victims in the wall. Simone and I told him to stop.
- We were able to get out of the Hate Cyst because its structure could be damaged with magical weapons. Gwyn's gun was insufficient, and I was forced to summon the Time Blade to finish the job.
- Before leaving, I verified with Alex that he would be able to bring us back to this spot, though he would have to do so with the same ritual he used to bring victims in from the Grey.
- The others left to check out their houses, but I took Alex to speak with the <authority>. I filled him in on the whole situation and he promised to bring it to the <vigilante group>.
- I let Alex go. There is no legitimate authority here, so nobody to turn him over to. Alex claims that two members of his family are victims in the Suffering Engine; he has been bringing the Devil more victims in a bargain to try to save them. Obviously he is in the wrong... I asked him how any victims he has provided and he claimed (I believe lying) about 12... that is still a far greater amount of suffering than his 2 family members. Regardless, I have no moral authority to punish Alex. I've asked him to please, PLEASE, the next time he is given a chance to do the 'right' thing, he do it.
- I spoke with Heironymous. I had been terrified that it would be awkward, him distant, me uncertain... but it was fine. I mean, it seems like we've been apart for so long, but... the man is the only person I have ever called brother. Of course we'll be fine. Apparently, there are Nine Princes now, and Heironymous is sort of tight with the Blood Prince. Of course if anyone I knew would end up befriending a 'Blood Prince', it would be Rony.
- And then I discovered that the observatory is ruined. I'm living in tents inside of it now. At least Ol Bedlam Tom seems fine.
Emotional Summary
What a miserable homecoming. Satyrine is in ruins and is staying that way because of greed on one hand and complacency on the other, there's nobody minding society, absolutely no legitimate authority to enforce laws and social mores, and I don't even have my books. Someone is going to have to do something about these problems, and I don't now if there's anyone but me who even sees them.Gains for Session
+2 Joy (and additional +1 from session 0 work) +2 Despair (and additional +1 from session 0 work) +2 Acumen
Session 20
We're going to the Golden Prince's party. To prepare for this, we all get clothes of matching cloth of gold. When we get there, we give the Golden Prince some gifts in puzzle boxes of increasing difficulty, are graciously welcomed by them, and then are allowed to wander.
I use Gnaw to find the rooms in the estate that are the least used. Exploring these, I go into one that turns out to be a hidden smoking parlour... Heironymous is there, so I sit with him and have a cigar and chat.
Afterwards I explore some more, and I resist the mysterious maze effect of the house. I find Gwyn, break him out of the spell, then fine Simone, and break her out of the spell. We stop to chat with the Gold Prince on the way, then go out to meet the others in the garden. We chat for a moment, and then go to leave.
We get teleported back, and I hate that but not as much as Gwyn, who wanders off and start shooting things. Simone and I go to find the Golden Prince again. We start talking to him, he asks what we wanted to know, and I ask him what he did during the War. He straight up talks about it, which surprises me. We chat for a bit, then go look for the others, who have somehow got the gate open and are standing outside off the grounds.
We get pretty deep into a discussion about whether or not he should be getting consent before he does his party spell on them. So then we play Truth or Dare. Locke dances like a chicken, then asks the Golden Prince "What is the first name you ever had?" They say that their first name was Minion. The game continues and later on, I dare the Golden Prince to demonstrate their Forte, which they can't because they a vislae. Continues. Simone asks the Golden Prince what they are. They say they're a spirit. Next up, Fynlan admitted that his Secret Soul is the Blade. Golden Prince admits that the first name any of us knew him as was Gwyn knew him as Mr Agon. When it goes to me, I dare him to let me take his Sefiroth.
We are then chatting for a while, then the Golden Prince implodes and suddenly the Deathless Triumverate is before us. (+1 despair)
Session 19
This is an old story.
The tenth sun is like a true sun, a big radiant ball of energy. Each of the other suns is a universe bathed in a specific kind of light, although they do have every kind of light.
The war started at Satyrine, because hitting the Vislae was an important strategy for the Enemy. The Enemy are from nothing, and are so trying to convert everything into nothing. Before the War began, the enemy existed and were "demons of the other nothingness". They were used like other spirits by the Vislae, but were not very popular because they're just so horrid. They were really only good at disrupting and ruining things. More corruption than destruction. It took everyone by surprise when they appeared in large numbers and started attacking everyone.
At first people didn't get it, they thought it was an invasion. It wasn't until well into it that people realized it was not an invasion, but an extermination. The higher powers of the enemy were the named enemies; Enemy of Sleep, Enemy of Reason, Enemy of Peace, Enemy of Choice, Enemy of Time, Enemy of Space, Enemy of Prudence, Enemy of Compassion, Enemy of Forgiveness, Enemy of Strength, Enemy of Health, Enemy of Youth, and Enemy of Truth. They have vassals who use the same name but are of lower power; the big Enemies never took the field of battle.
Gwyn has encountered the Enemy of Truth in person, multiple times. A recurring foe.
The problem that the Vislae face is that these enemies are powerful. Notable people that we don't remember; most of the princes (Blood, both Dragons, maybe the Prince of Forms). Do remember Shield Prince , the Star Prince, the Forever Prince (but not as cool).
Hate Cysts were a weapon of the War, used to keep the Enemy from coming through in a specific place.
The Vislae were led by a council of Vislae, but were taken over during the war by the Deathless Triumverate, who were the "spirit of Satyrine" in some way. Even after that, Satyrine was still on their way to losing.
Nearing the end of the War, most of Satyrine is in rubble, most of the districts having been destroyed entirely. A lot of people have fled; some into Shadow, just into other words and half worlds.
The project... Locke's idea. He brings it up to the others as a way of bringing about Moksha, of ending the cycle of rebirth and existence that grinds the Actuality inevitably towards destruction. Locke believes that the only way to end this is to make a change to the universe more fundamental than winning the world; "In a world in which there is victory, there can be no end to War."
Locke is a Grand Magus, Gwyn is an Imperator, Aliliana is a Grand Artist and Fynlan is an Ultima Mysterion. Each of us is pretty darn important. In the project, we consider Locke to the be the Arhitect, Gwyn the Chief Engineer, Aliliana the Project Manager and Fynlan the Program Manager.
During the conspiracy we don't hide that we're doing something, we just hid the specifics, pretending we were doing one of Locke's plots that he had considered and developed but abandoned.
In our experimenting, we accidentally created the Mirror Virus. At some point, the acquisition of rare materials is necessary for the construction of the device. We send Grabblejean, an associate of Gwyn's. Eventually, he does not return from that trip.
Late in the War, the Enemy targets Fynlan's family specifically. Fynlan takes a break, and plots the assassination of the agents of the Enemy who did that.
Towards the end of the war, the Enemy was preparing over overrun Satyrine. Their Shock Troops were the Thah. At this point, the tool has been created. It is The Cutting Stone, and is ready. The only thing that stands in the way is the two Wardens of the 10th Sun. To deal with them, we create a Half World which is exactly like part of their world, lure them into it, and then trap them in it, and send it into the Outer Void.
We then do the thing to collapse the sun. In the end, we have a stone the size of a grapefruit, which contains nearly universal power. This stone changes reality fundamentally so that there is no longer a War.
The destruction of the Sun causes a lot of Vislae to go into Shadow. We decide to do so as well. We alter things before we go to make the universe more livable for the people who do not go into Shadow. We are why nobody talks about the War. In this altering, we fuck things up pretty badly, as we are unable to agree on how deep we should go in changing the lived experience of other living beings.
Locke took the Killing Stone, and took it to the Labyrinth. There, he made a deal with the Avatar of the Void, giving up his old soul (the Watcher), taking on The Abyss, and placing the Killing Stone past the center of the Labyrinth.
Back To Today
We are at the Temple of the 13th Eye. Locke says, "Well, we're going to need a little time."
Locke goes home, very depressed. He does almost nothing. After a few months, Gwyn visits him with a project proposal; he's written some books about the old reality, and he wants to know if Locke can create a process to make mathematic models of them, so that things in this reality can be compared to that reality, to see what is the truth in each of them.
Locke says no, but starts working on this anyway.
XP Rewards: +1 crux, +1 despair, go up one rank in your order, +5 crux to apostate stuff only, +5 acumen, have access to my old forte.
Comments