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Let the poor guy feed, he's nothing but skin and bones. Well technically he's neither of these things, but you get my point.
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Nov 13, 2019 18:25
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If he feeds, does he leave or stick around? If he sticks around, is he going to get hungry again?
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Nov 13, 2019 20:33
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He wants to return to his home dimension and feeding will give him the energy to do that. I suppose he could be lying, but we just sent 20,000 volts through his rear end so hopefully he's inclined to be honest.
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Nov 13, 2019 20:58
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If we're lucky letting him feed will remove a bunch of evidence. Let's let him feed.
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Nov 14, 2019 01:15
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berryjon posted:Feed. This is the same choice I made when I played through this game the first time. Those people inside are already dead and this guy's not. I just can't really see how killing one more person helps anyone here. Polaron posted:Dammit, I was working on doing an LP of this very game
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Nov 17, 2019 09:27
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"Let him feed." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boT3GXGecbM  Yes. It is the most... practical solution. Ugh. I'm going to be sick. Rise, creature. Eat your fill and begone.Back inside the building.  *burp* Are you finished? Please please please be finished. Yes. I believe I can make the return journey and survive. Thanks be to you, Jinn-child. Mage. ...Demonspawn. I shan't trouble you again. It is done. It is over. Thank god. Let's get out of here. All in all... this was eventful. Yeah. Eventful. We did fine work this night. We ALL did. Agreed. You showed immense fortitude. Especially for one in your... situation."So can I go home now?" Ah. Yeah. About that... Let me. One year has passed since your possession. You are wanted by the police for many violent crimes. You certainly can't go back to that bar of yours. Indeed. Although I could certainly use a drink after tonight. The demon that infested you? That creature we just defeated? Mere taste of what is out there. And they just keep coming. We need manpower. Look. You saw us in action tonight. It's obvious we need all the help we can get. Just as it is obvious your old life is gone. But we can help. We can give you a new identity. A new life. A new purpose. Normally there's a vetting process, but you more than proved yourself tonight. So... what say you? Will you join us?"I will need to think about it." At least sleep on it. We have suitable arrangements at our headquarters. Sleeping sounds GREAT. By the way. My name's Eli. This is Mandana. Welcome to the Unavowed, my friend. Trust me. Your life will never be the same. We're too tired and overwhelmed to really take anything in tonight. We follow these strangers back to their "headquarters" and fall asleep, fully dressed, in the guest bedroom. We sleep like a rock and wake up the next evening.  Outside, we can see the hustle of downtown nightlife on the street below. A whole pot of espresso sits on a small table. It's still hot. There's some ... eclectic ... reading matter in the bookcase. A faded old poster of a heavy metal band, 'Axis of Weevil' hangs above the tiny twin bed. A scratched-up violin and bow hang by its foot. The silver crucifix might be useful if vampires are real. The rusted sword over the door, on the other hand, looks like it might break if we coughed loudly. There's an empty, stained old sea chest and a little brass elephant with 'A Memento of Siam' written on the underside just near the doorway, and a framed photograph hangs on the wall near the bed.  As tempting as it may be to stay in this room and pretend the rest of the world doesn't exist, we should probably head downstairs and find out a bit about where we are. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wQ8CgmIpVM   The bottle looks incredibly ancient and is engraved with indecipherable characters. And some smoke just came out of it and turned into Mandana. She immediately draws her sword and begins swinging it at the practice dummy. The dummy is covered with deep scratches. Mandana moves with practiced precision. There's not a drop of sweat on her. Sharp little knives dot the surface of the target on the wall.  You are awake. Did you sleep well?"You... just came out of a bottle."  This astonishes you, after all you have experienced? I suppose I should have seen this coming. Introduction to the supernatural world can often have... unpredictable effects on the mundane mind. It may take some time for you to process it all."Who are you calling mundane?" Forgive the term. No insult is intended, I assure you. After your actions last night, the word "mundane" hardly applies to you. I think you are going to make this transition just fine. And this is good, because there is so little time to waste. My father Kalash is waiting to speak to you in the room beyond the red drapes. When you are ready, seek him out. In the meantime, relax and explore the facility. I will be here if you have any questions.The helmet by Mandana's bottle has been buffed to a gleaming shine. That helmet is cursed. Any warrior who dons it would find their head squeezed until it breaks. I would be wary of touching it.Vicious-looking weapons decorate the walls. Please do not disturb those. It took centuries to arrange them just the way I like them.Let's just have a closer look at that bottle... Do not even consider it.OK, well then, let's see. If Kalash is past the red drapes then Eli must be downstairs? The old stone steps are black with... is that soot?  Yep, here he is. Hurling fireballs from his hands at a target on the wall. There are fire extinguishers all over the room - a wise precaution - but there's not a single mark on Eli's fingers or hat. The blackboard contains some precisely calculated fireball trajectories. A note is hanging above the desk; a scrawled list of obscure formulas. It's all Greek to us.  Hey! Don't surprise a Fire Mage like that. Bad idea. Anyway. Hi. You settling in okay?"This place is kinda weird." Hah. Yeah. You get used to that. "Weird" is now just part of your everyday life. I mean... I'm throwing fire and you're not even batting an eye. But seriously. It took me awhile to get used to this stuff. It's not going to happen for you overnight. But you'll get there. Faster than you think. Anyway, I'm sure you want to walk around. I'll be here if you have any questions.Actually, we do have some questions. "Eli, what does the Unavowed do?" Well, we're sort of... supernatural police? Sometimes there's a threat that only we can handle, and we go handle it. Well I say "sometimes" but lately it's been a lot more than that."More threats? How much is 'a lot more'?" Let me put it this way. There are seven hundred and thirty-two percent more threats than there used to be. Give or take point five. A year ago, we'd usually be called out once a month, if at all. Now it's almost every day. And me and Mandana? We're the only ones dealing with it. Until now, anyway."How long has the Unavowed been around?" Gosh. A really long time? Sorry. If you're looking for a history lesson, Mandana or Kalash are the ones to ask. As far as I'm concerned, we do good work. That's all that matters."How come I've never heard of you guys before?" You know, I wondered the same thing when I first joined. I mean, we're careful. We use veils. I don't throw fire around Times Square or anything. But the real secret? Nobody NOTICES us. It's kind of uncanny. Mundanes go through crazy mental tricks to pretend we're not there. So maybe the mundane world isn't ready for us yet. But they will be. They won't have a choice, the way things are going."I'm curious about yourself. How long have you been with the Unavowed?" Since the Nixon administration. I'm, uh, older than I look."Just how old are you?" If you must know... I'm 92. It's the magic. It keeps me young. No surgery required."You're 92? Really?" Yeah. It's... it is what it is, okay? I'm a Mage. We live long lives. End of story."Why do you live down here?" Why do you think? Fire Mage here. I can easily burn this place to the ground if I'm not careful. I needed a place to practice, and a room insulated with stone was the obvious choice. Besides, I don't feel the cold. So it's quite cozy down here."So you're a... wizard? Ooh. Never use the word "wizard". It's a social faux pas or something. I'm a Mage. With a capital "M". The capital is also important. At least... that's what the books tell me. I've never actually met another Mage to find out."Doesn't that fire... hurt?" Nope. Kind of tingles, but that's it. It's kind of like playing with light. At least when it touches my flesh. Clothes, though? I can burn 'em clear off and I won't even notice. Took about a decade and a dozen indecent exposure arrests before I managed to make my clothes fireproof."About last night..." You had time to process it? I know I have. To be honest, I'm just glad the exorcism worked. It took four days of concentration to prepare that spell. I gave it everything I had."Four days?!" Well, yeah. When you deal with demons, you don't leave anything to chance. Not to mention LIGHTNING. If I hadn't prepared, I could have fried you. Not to mention ME. I just wish I hadn't summoned that... thing. I know the creature was technically blameless, but I'm still not sure we made the right call. Still. I suppose it's too late now."A photo appeared on my wall. Do you know how it got there?" Heh. You too, huh? Wasn't long after I joined up that my first photo appeared. Scared the hell out of me. It's something to do with this building. It... wants you to remember who you are. Who you were. Don't think about it too hard. I've been here fifty years and I still don't know how it works.That's all he has to say right now. It's probably enough. An old color photo of Eli and Mandana hangs halfway down the staircase.  Above the bookshelf is an old photo of a quaint, suburban house.  Below the shelf is an old photo of Eli and a woman in a wedding dress.  On top of the desk is a black and white photo of two young girls.  And in the corner is an old black and white photo of a man at a desk.  Eli's given us a lot to think about, but we could use another perspective. Let's head back upstairs. "Mandana, what does the Unavowed do, exactly?" We are... peacekeepers. We protect the mundane world from the threats of the supernatural. We help who we can. We destroy ones we must. And recruit those who are willing. With you, I suppose we did all three."How long has the Unavowed been around?" As a whole? For thousands of years. But the New York branch is only four hundred years old. As long as there is a need of us, we will be here."How come I've never heard of you before?" We do not exactly advertise our presence. We prefer it that way. But the truth is, the last century has seen a... diminishing need for our services. Things have certainly changed."Changed?" Yes. Supernatural threats have been escalating. It happened so suddenly, we were caught unprepared. We had become complacent. We have not been recruiting. You are the first new recruit in decades. The first of many, we hope."So you are a... genie?" The term is Jinn. And yes. On my father's side. And no. I do not grant wishes."How long have you been with the Unavowed?" When was this city founded? 1624? Yes. I was just a child, but it was around that time."You are four hundred years old?" Four hundred and eighteen. No nineteen. My birthday was last month. It is difficult to keep track, but Father always remembers."Can you tell me about Eli?" Eli is my partner and a dear dear friend. We have saved each other's lives more often than we can count. You and he have much in common. He was once mundane, like yourself. I would recommend asking him about his transition. It might help with your own."About last night..." Last night. Yes. You gave us quite the chase. We know nothing about the demon that was inside you, but it was a wily thing."I wish I could remember." Be grateful that you can not. It was... taunting us. Dancing just out of our reach. Slaughtering whomever it could. But we got it in the end. Regardless of what happened next, we stopped it. We can all take comfort in that."There's a photo of me in my room. Who put it there?" I do not know. I am not being facetious. I honestly do not know. This building has housed many agents over the centuries, and they too have been given... gifts. Photographs and portraits of loved ones. Precious possessions long since lost. We do not question it. We merely... accept it. And be thankful for it.So, Eli was once "mundane" like us? Let's ask him about that. "Hey Eli. Mandana told me you used to be mundane? Like me?"  Someone's been telling tales out of school, huh? I used to have a... pretty normal life. Then one day I set my office on fire. With... my mind. Then stuff happened and Mandana found me. She brought me here. The rest is... well, history.Fair enough. There's now only one room we haven't visited and one person we haven't spoken to. Mandana's father, Kalash.  A ship in a bottle hangs in a place of honor above the door.  A colorful painting of a mother and child hangs above the couch.  An ornate lamp is glowing gently in the middle of the room. On the central table, a blue-green crystal is glowing with a mysterious inner light. By the bookcase is a cupboard containing a fine selection of aged spirits, mostly Scotch. The bottle on the mantelpiece emits a faint hum. Smoke dances up the chimney from the warm embers of the fire. And an impossibly old, impossibly muscled, and impossibly blue man gazes into the fire.  Hm? Oh. You're the new one, aren't you?"It was either this or get arrested." Yes. Free will. It can be more trouble than it's worth. As for me, I am Kalash. I am a Jinn of the Ancient Kingdom, and I run this branch of the Unavowed. And you? You were possessed. How'd you let that happen?"It was a book. I touched it, and then..." Sloppy. Sloppy. Such a thing would have been unthinkable once. In my day, even a newborn babe had wits enough to leave books of demonic evil ALONE! Mundanes today. Don't know they're born. The world has gotten soft. Needs toughening up. How tough are you, new girl?"I got hit by lightning yesterday. Several times!" The demon inside you took the brunt of that. You don't have a scar on you. No. No. You have yet to experience your true crucible, but it will come. Oh yes. It will come. At any rate, we have much to discuss and much to do. Settle in. Talk to the others. Get the lay of the land. I will call our meeting when you are ready.That appears to be the front door. Perhaps we'll just step outside for some fresh air... I don't believe I gave you permission to leave.OK. Well. We still have a few questions. "Kalash? What does the Unavowed do?" We're the wall against the darkness. The protectors of the mundane world. We might not be what we once were, but we are here. And that is all that matters."How long has the Unavowed been around?" Nobody knows for sure. Not even I. But this branch is exactly three hundred and ninety three years old. I know because I founded it."You founded this place?" Yes. This city was becoming a force to be reckoned with, with the supernatural forces to match. There was important work to be done. I volunteered. And here I am still."How come I've never heard of the Unavowed before?" Hmph. That's gratitude for you. Used to be, you mundanes would beg us for help if a cat looked at you funny. But yes. I won't deny it. Supernatural threats became fewer and further between over the last century. There was little reason for mundanes to think of us at all. But things have changed."Changed?" Yes. Supernatural threats have risen. Exponentially. It's been difficult to contain. We need to fill our ranks. You are the first in a long line of many, I hope."You mentioned a meeting?" Indeed. The time for waiting is past.  Father. You met our latest recruit? Yes. I admit she doesn't look like much, but we'll see what this life makes of her. We were all neophytes once, Kalash. Most of us, Mage Beckett. Most of us."..." I have read the reports on your last mission. Mage Becket. Is it true you summoned a void creature? Yes. By accident, I swear. Irrelevant. Magic is unpredictable. I understand this. What I don't understand is why you let it feed on human corpses! What will the mundane authorities think when they find toothmarks on the victims, hm? The creature was both a danger and an innocent. We reached a compromise. That is all. WE'LL be the ones compromised if you two aren't more careful."Don't blame them. It was my idea." That may be, but you had no authority over them. It was their choice to make. Father. Regardless of our choices, the void creature is gone. We have a more pressing concern. Yes. You let the demon escape. Your mission was a failure."Wait. The demon is still out there?" Yes. Just waiting to find another hapless victim. No disrespect. Sir. She was a big help. Help you would not have needed if you had achieved your primary goal. ... I... almost did. I was so close. I had it contained... but it was stronger than I expected. I see. This is becoming... distressingly commonplace. Nevertheless. Eli speaks the truth. We underestimated the threat. Then that will have to be sufficient. And now to the next item at hand. Your next mission."..." You don't say much, do you? Well, that needs to change. Starting right now. I have detected void activity in the East Village. Somewhere close to Astor Place. You are to travel there, determine the cause of the disturbance, and neutralize it."Void activity?" Activity from beyond the void. Do try and keep up. Are you sure she's ready to go out into the field so soon? These are dangerous times. Dark forces are coming. We don't have time for traditional training. If she isn't able to handle it immediately, we might as well kill her now. Trial by fire. Sink or swim. Do or die. You want to prove yourself to the Unavowed, new girl? Now is your chance. Meeting adjourned! Well. I guess that settles that."So who's in charge?" None of us. Yeah. We're a team. Try not to forget that. Anyway, we're ready when you are.Our inventory now contains these Mandana and Eli icons, which we can use to have them interact with things.   I have not been to the Village in a long time. I am eager to see it again.Next: Void Activity in the East Village
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Nov 18, 2019 05:51
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quote:Next: Void Activity in the East Village
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Nov 18, 2019 06:20
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This has got to be so overwhelming for poor Paige that she's just... rolling with it due to not really being able to do anything else.
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Nov 18, 2019 07:57
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Well, Kalash seems friendly. I'm sure everything's going to be fine.
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Nov 18, 2019 11:20
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I've been wondering, when did the cultural zeitgeist decide that genies were blue? Is it all Disney?
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Nov 18, 2019 17:33
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Tiggum posted:An old color photo of Eli and Mandana hangs halfway down the staircase. I appreciate this. I've played too many stupid Biowares where the entire party hates each other and the long-suffering protagonist has to put up with endless childish whining.
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Nov 18, 2019 17:51
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Mechanical Ape posted:I've been wondering, when did the cultural zeitgeist decide that genies were blue? Is it all Disney? I got curious and did some looking around. It's not all Disney, they were influenced by The Thief and the Cobbler amongst others that also have blue genies. Blue specifically seems to date right back to One Thousand and One Nights where blue smoke turned into an unspecified-colour genie in The City of Brass which led to later illustrators making several genies blue, and apparently anti-genie protective amulets were blue, but generally speaking they seem to be shown in all sorts of colours as well as being invisible, made of fire or turned into various animals. Sometimes the different colours represent different types or ranks, sometimes genies are just funny colours. Your mythology may vary. but yeah it's probably mostly Disney these days. Apparently they picked blue for Aladdin because red and black were the bad guys' colours so blue, white etc were the good guys' colours. Apparently it also references Persian art where blue represents water and sky, thus life and freedom, but I can't find anything solid about this. 
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Nov 18, 2019 18:23
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Thanks for doing the research so that we don't have to.
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Nov 18, 2019 18:26
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That's cool. Meanwhile, Wadjet Eye is breaking new ground by asking "What do you get when you cross a genie with a pirate?" And the answer is someone who's really good with a cutlass, apparently. Mzbundifund posted:I appreciate this. I've played too many stupid Biowares where the entire party hates each other and the long-suffering protagonist has to put up with endless childish whining. Yeah it's a good balance. Eli and Mandana (I keep wanting to type "Mandala") make a good team, but at the same time it's easy to see how Paige could be an asset, even if her only skills are pouring drinks, inventory management puzzles and moral choices. The message I get is that the Unavowed aren't dysfunctional, they're just understaffed.
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Nov 18, 2019 19:15
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 Eli is engrossed in a book. Mandana counts the cracks on the subway floor. Looks like the K train is down. Again. Eli. The K train was discontinued in 1988. Was it? I could swear I took it to the Museum of Natural History not too long ago. You did. In 1986. ... Oh. So I guess we won't be taking the K train. No. We will not. Looks like this building site was abandoned not too long ago. The Alamo Sculpture - A.K.A. "The Cube" has been here as long as we can remember. Mandana is relaxed but moving with purpose. Her eyes are alert for any sign of trouble. Eli casually takes in his surroundings, pausing occasionally to glare at the graffiti.  Hm. Still raining. At least nothing's here waiting to kill us. Well. The night is young."What do you know about this area, Mandana?" You call this neighborhood "The Village". I came of an age when that term actually applied. This street? It was a long dirt road. Homes were palatial estates, and were few and far between. This city was larger back then. And yet so much smaller. But let us not dwell on the past. Time marches on. We must march with it or be left in the dust.Talking to Eli and Mandana serves both as a way to get to know them and as a hint system if you get stuck. In this instance, if asked what to do next, they'll basically suggest that we look around. "Eli. How are you staying so dry?"  Ancient Fire Mage secret! Well, no. Not really. I just make the water evaporate before it hits me. It's a simple trick, but handy on nights like this."Do you know anything about this area?" Kind of. I used to work about ten blocks north of here, back in my mundane days. It was just factories and warehouses back then. Not the university student mecca it is now."You used to work around here? What did you do?" Oh. Er. Nothing important, really. You wouldn't be interested. Let's focus on doing what we came here to do.Now we get a special dialogue option based on our chosen origin. I'll underline these to make them obvious. "Oh come on. What did you used to do? You can tell me." I was an accountant. Maybe later I'll tell you all about it. But for now? Let's just keep going, okay?Good suggestion.  This building has been reduced to cinders. Quite recently, from the look of it. We've poured many drinks for cops over the years. This one looks like he doesn't touch a drop.  You seem troubled. Is something the matter?"Shouldn't I be wearing a disguise or something?" Whatever for? You have nothing to fear. Not with the veil in place."Did you... do something to me?"  Don't worry. It's totally harmless. Well, mostly. It just disguises your identity. Anyone looking at you sees slightly different features. You are not the first new recruit to arrive with... complications in the mundane world. The veil prevents awkwardness all around."So nobody I know will recognize me?" Nobody in the mundane world, no. The veil only works on mundanes. Supernatural beings and the void-touched can see through it easily. But that law-enforcement officer? He will pose no threat."Normal folks won't recognize me, but supernatural folks can. Got it." Good! Let's keep going.I suppose the "void activity" we're looking for may have something to do with this burned down building? Or perhaps that cop's seen something unusual?  Evening ma'am."Rough night to be out." Yeah, you could say that. Wouldn't be here if I had the choice, believe me."What happened here?" Who wants to know?"Just making conversation. You look like you could use some." Yeah. No kidding. This job can really take it out of you sometimes. I'll tell you one thing. You see a lot of bad people in this line of work. But it takes a special kind of nasty to torch a homeless shelter."This was a homeless shelter?" Yeah. A neighborhood full of corporate chains and they attack THIS place. Was anyone hurt? A few people killed. A lot of people with second or third degree burns. That is... horrible. I won't argue with that. I was here when the rescue team arrived. They were carted off to Beth Israel Hospital, but the people here? They don't exactly have medical insurance."Are you sure it was arson?" That's how we're treating it. Until we know otherwise, we're treating it like a crime scene. Which means stay back."I'd better get going." I don't blame you. See you.Heading further from the station... Just near here a manhole cover is firmly attached to the street. There's a bar around the corner. Images of Sammy and Jonah flash through our mind. We'll never look at a bar the same way again. There's another fancy clothing shop on the other side of the road. They seem to be popping up all over this area. The entrance to Tompkins Square Park is just down the street.  Hey, are you all right? You look a little... As we collapse, the world around us seems to fade away and we find ourself... in the same place, but somehow different?  "W-where are you taking me?" asks the man. "This building is a safe place," we say. "I'll do whatever you want. Just... help me. Please." "Just go through this door." And then we... wake up?  Did you... see that? I... did. Neuromorphic projection! I've read the theories, but never thought... I think she's coming out of it. Are you all right?"I'm not sure." You SEEM okay. I mean, you didn't hit your head or anything. You had a vision. We saw it as well. A vision from your past. Well, your demon's past. Technically. This area must have kickstarted your brain into remembering. There was some psychic spillover. We could see it too."That gave me a nasty headache."  Sorry. For what it's worth, I feel completely fine. As do I. See? Bright side. This building the demon entered. It used to house the Village Eye. The newspaper? Didn't it go out of business a few years ago? Indeed it did. What was your demon-self doing here?"Let's get in and find out." Agreed. We are wasting time. Right. Enough jabbering. Let's go.The door, predictably, is locked. *sigh* Well, that just figures, doesn't it? It is done. Be aware that if law enforcement questions me, I am compelled to tell the truth. The papers on the walls are covered with illegible scrawls. Colorful graffiti explodes off the walls. If there were ever CPUs attached to the monitors in the corner, they are long gone. A sign on the door reads "Jordon". Eli wrinkles his nose at the state of the place. Mandana looks happy to be out of the rain.  Mmf. It smells very... human in here. Looks like people were squatting here. Half a dozen at least. Wasn't there a homeless shelter around the corner? Why live here? It could be pride. Or perhaps they gathered here for a specific purpose. I'm guessing it wasn't a slumber party. That is... doubtful. The computer is dark and silent. The worn desk drawer has seen a lot of use. Rain streaks down the window, obscuring most of the view. An old, beat-up cabinet is shoved against the wall. The graffiti behind it spirals into itself. Trying to follow it makes our eyes water. The water-stained mattress has seen better days.  Hm. Only one bed in here. Yes. This room was designated to separate one individual from the rest. Someone of importance, most likely. Or someone undesirable. So this room either belonged to a cult leader or a prisoner. Most likely.In the cabinet is a single piece of paper with "PW = ♡" written on it. There's a fuse in the desk drawer and a photograph in the cupboard.  The laptop won't turn on. Either it's broken or it needs charging.  "Was that a..." Do not be alarmed. That was just a lost spirit. What you would call a ghost. They are harmless."Harmless?" Yeah. They can't exactly DO anything, can they? They have no physical form. We cannot interact with them, nor they with us. It is best to leave them be."Can't you exorcise it or something, Eli?" Er. Maybe? If I had four days to prepare? And even then, a human spirit is no demon. A human spirit requires a more... delicate touch. Death is part of the mundane world. We do not get involved. Let us move forward.Coincidentally, we are actually going the same way as the ghost anyway - downstairs.  The meagre light barely pierces the gloom down here. Mandana's eyes try to pierce through the gloom. Eli waves his hands around in the darkness, trying to feel his way.  Ow! drat it. Are you hurt? No. I'm fine. I tripped over... I have NO idea. I can't see a drat thing. That's weird. Come ON. Is there a problem? The darkness. It's... fighting the light. It always does. I'm being literal! Whatever's down here, it's interfering with my magic.Fortunately we can see a small fusebox against the wall. It looks like a fuse is blown. And we have a spare.  A tree stump grows out of solid concrete. Its surface is covered in... is that blood? Beside it, a blanket is covered with moss and lichen. Eli's fingers twitch, sending out barely-visible tendrils of smoke. Mandana treads carefully, her senses alert for any kind of trouble.  Color me gobsmacked. It's a forest. A forest in a basement. Well. That explains why my fire is so weak down here. Probably a natural defense mechanism for... whatever this is.Under the blanket is...  Whoever this was, their face has been eaten away by some kind of moss. Well. THIS just got a lot more complicated. Male. Early-to-mid sixties, I believe. The cause of death is... difficult to determine. He's got VINES growing out of him."What could do this?" I can not say, but I believe the answer lies with you. Your vision. You were familiar with this building. Whatever happened here, you were involved. Or at least your demon-self was. You don't remember anything? No other visions spring to mind?"No. I don't remember anything." Well, it was worth a shot. No doubt your demon covered its tracks well before leaving your mind. So who is he? He has no distinguishing marks. He carries no identification. Whoever this is, it remains a mystery. "Is this body yours?" It is a lost spirit. It can not communicate. Are you SURE about that? It does appear... agitated. Let us leave it be.Yes. Let's head back upstairs. Do these drawings on the wall mean anything to you, Mandana? I can not decipher their meaning, but I do get a sense of... reverence? Reverence? Like worship? It is only a feeling.Let's check the back room again. This wall drawing means nothing to me. Eli? Me neither. Although it's different from the art in the other room. How so? Outside it was more... vibrant. Colorful. More creative. It had passion. The art here is just... patterns. Patterns. You can see them if you know how to look for them. Interesting. I do not know what that means yet. But interesting.With the fuse replaced, the laptop is now working. There's a file labelled "Journal" on the desktop but it's password protected. And it's not "heart" or "love". And that seems to be all there is to see in this building - not that it wasn't a lot. But now we'd better head back outside and carry on searching. Surely someone around here must have some idea what's been happening? We'll try the park.  The woman on the ground has her eyes closed and is softly humming to herself. The middle-aged man is mumbling to himself and glaring at anyone who approaches. The woman under the roof of the Temperance Fountain glares at us from underneath her filthy hoodie. She looks kind of familiar... That photo we found? "This picture. It's you, isn't it?"  Where... Where did you get that?"We're trying to learn what happened at the Village Eye." The Village Eye? I don't know what you're talking about. That is an obvious lie. Do I look like I care? Just leave me alone. I might not look it, but I'm fine. Tell everyone that Wendy is fine. You don't need to come out here and... Wait. It's you, isn't it? You've come back."Come back? From where?" Oh no you don't. You almost fooled me, but I can tell. You're the master."No, Wendy. You've got me confused with someone else." You really think I'm stupid, don't you? You've done... something. To your face. You changed it somehow. But I can tell. It's you. Curious. She can see past the veil. She must be void-touched. WHAT touched? Void touched. It means- I don't give a crap what it means. And I don't give a crap about YOU either, "master." Just leave me alone. I already know you're good at that."Wendy. Could you tell me what happened at the Village Eye building?" Why should I?"You seem really troubled. Telling me might help you feel better." Look. Maybe you care and maybe you don't. But it doesn't matter anymore. Not after the way you left us. So get out of here. Take your new followers and go. Wait. Followers? You heard me."I've lost my memory. I don't remember anything about you or anyone else." You... what? You're serious. Aren't you? You didn't just leave us, you forgot about us. It's a bit more complicated than that, but yes. We're trying to pierce together what happened. Can you help us? No. It's done. It's over. If you've forgotten about it, then maybe I can too. Just leave me alone."We found a dead body in the basement of the Village Eye building..." You can't prove a drat thing! I mean... whatever. Dunno a thing about it."Who is the guy in the picture with you?" ... You really don't remember anything, do you? You've even forgotten Jordon? Your precious protege? Well, he's gone. No thanks to you."Could you tell me about Jordon?" He and I were... a thing. Kind of. I don't know. We're nothing anymore. He's gone. He left soon after you. He's probably dead. Not that you care."I'll leave you alone." Please don't come back. Just so we are clear? We are not calling you "Master."Fair enough. And we do at least have one useful piece of information. If that laptop belonged to Jordon, and his password reminder was a love heart, the password is probably "wendy".      Blood rituals used for healing. That is perverse. And wrong. It may be wrong, but it does explain the forest downstairs. It's unspent life energy. It created excess life. Beauty can hide all manner of evil, Eli. You know this more than anyone."I sense a story here, Eli."  Oh. It's... nothing. Just a little run-in with a golem and succubus that got- A story for another time? Right. Ahem. Blood rituals. Dark magic. Bad stuff. Yes, Eli. Bad stuff. If I understand that journal right, the ritual stopped working when the, ahem, "master" left. Which means that only you - or rather, your demon - could perform it. Then why leave Jordon in charge? That's... a good question. One more reason to track it down. In the meantime, I really want to know more about this ritual.Let's have another talk with Wendy. "We read Jordon's journal." poo poo. I knew I should have tossed that computer. Well, the cat's out of the bag now. You proud of yourself, "Master?""Whatever you think I did, it wasn't me." Oh really. Then who taught us those blood rituals? Because it sure wasn't the tooth fairy. You took us all in. You... saved us. I guess. Maybe? Every month you'd do the ritual. You'd... cut one of us. W'd bleed on the altar. Then you'd say those words. And we'd heal. Better. Stronger. Faster than before. It was like a drug. Life energy. That's what you were being fed. That explains the wildlife in the basement. It must be residual life magic. Whatever it was, it felt... good."What happened next?" It all ended, is what happened. Jordon was so happy when you put him in charge. He tried. He really did. But he just got too sick. But whatever you did to us. The healing. It stopped working when you left. So he put me in charge. ME. And I just made things worse."You need to tell me what happened. Now." I... didn't mean for anything like this to happen. I just wanted to HELP everyone. Not... I cut with the knife. I said those words. Again and again and again. It didn't work. So I had to try... harder. The murdered man. In the basement. You took the blood ritual too far. It was an accident! I swear!"Did it work?" No it didn't work. Would I be out here in the rain if it did? I put him on the altar. I took the knife and I... I killed him. By accident. I must have been nervous. I thought that was the end of it, but then... His spirit. It came back. It... was horrible. We couldn't stay. Every time it saw us it would... scream."And then?" I came here. I didn't want to be around people anymore. You... speak the truth. You believe me. Hooray. It is not a matter of belief. I simply know what truth is. Thank you for sharing it with us. Well, there's no point in lying anymore, is there? The "master" here was just as mch involved as me. And something tells me you aren't going to turn her in."Where's that knife now?" You think I'm an idiot? I tossed i down a stormdrain. What? Why did you do that? Why do you think? It's probably half way to Jersey by now. And good riddance."You said you needed healing. What was wrong with you?" ... Cerebral palsy. On my left side. It was bad before. I could barely handle sewer duty. It's much worse, now."Sewer duty?" You seriously don't remember? The pipes in the building leaked. Overflow from the sewer. It was disgusting. We couldn't exactly call a plumber, so you made us go into the sewer and drain it from there. We went down there so much, Jordon had to swipe a key to the control panel."Where's the key to the sewer control panel?" You serious? You never wanted to bother with that before. But whatever. It's to the right of the control panel. Behind one of the pipes."Good bye Wendy. And... good luck" If I was lucky, I never would've met you in the first place. She threw the knife down a stormdrain. drat it. I can't blame her, but drat it. Magically imbued tools take WEEKS to make. I really hoped to study it.Well, we don't have any other obvious leads, so we may as well see if we can open up that manhole cover outside the Village Eye and have a look down there for that knife. Are you lifting with your knees? Yes!... Bracing. Fortuitous that I have kept up my training. The water in this pool is boiling like a raging tea-kettle. Hot steam is pouring out of that pipe like a geyser. A valve is attached to the nearest pipe. The metal is practically glowing in the heat.  At least the rain is washing away most of the smell. If not the heat. I am positively sweltering. I admit that my knowledge of sanitation systems is... lacking. But should this water be boiling? Um. No. I don't think so. No. Then indeed we have a mystery on our hands.I've got to admit, my knowledge of sanitation system may also be lacking, but I'm not convinced they're usually this clean and spacious, either. In any case, the key Wendy mentioned is behind the two pipes on the far side of the pool. And since Eli is immune to extreme heat, he can easily turn that valve.  Eli Beckett. Mage, accountant and plumber. And sometimes all three!This shuts off the steam and reveals a control panel. A small sign reads "EMERGENCY DRAINAGE SYSTEM: For flood conditions only!" Using the key allows us to drain the pool. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOY81E1Vwp4  Next: Man on Fire Tiggum fucked around with this message at 10:40 on Dec 21, 2019 |
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Nov 22, 2019 12:13
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 Wendy is sure to be pleased at this development.
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Nov 22, 2019 12:55
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This part drove me insane when I played because for some reason I had a really hard time finding that fuse. I'm certain I checked its hiding spot more than once.
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Nov 22, 2019 14:30
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It's good to see accountants get some representation in video games.
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Nov 22, 2019 18:49
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 Turn it on! For the love of God, TURN IT BACK ON!"What the hell are you?" Wait... Master? Master? Master is that you?"Maybe I was once, but I'm not anymore." No. You just can't leave me. Not again. Not yet. Please. I know... I failed you. I couldn't lead them. I was too weak. I tried. I tried so hard! But it was just... too much."You're Jordon, aren't you?" I... I was, yes. But I'm not sure who I am anymore. Do you remember, Master, how you found me? Frozen half to death on the street? I almost died. You saved me. You healed me. Brought me back from certain death."I have forgotten almost everything. I'm sorry." You've... forgotten? How could you forget? You were so kind. You showed me how to heal. We were going to heal the entire city! But I couldn't do it without you. When you left... the power left too. The chill. The cold. It came BACK. I couldn't stop it. It just got worse and worse. I couldn't heal myself, let alone anyone else. So I left. I had to find something - ANYTHING - that could help me get warm again."And what did you find?" I'm so sorry, Master. You said that spell was dangerous. I didn't listen. But I was so desperate. I was freezing to death. The bed in that homeless shelter wasn't warm enough. You taught me a spell that would "let warmth into my heart." So I spoke it. Then... this happened."You were INSIDE the homeless shelter when you cast the spell?" Yes! They were the only ones who would take me in. No. You misunderstand. The shelter. It burnt to the ground. ... Was... was anyone hurt?"Yes, Jordon. People were hurt. I... didn't mean for this to happen. Help me, Master. I know I don't deserve it, but please. Help me. Before I hurt anyone else."A knife was tossed down here. Have you seen it?" The knife? You mean YOUR knife? Yes I saw it fall down here. I took it. I hid it. Just in case you ever came back. Could you get it for us? I'd love to study it. I... suppose? After you help me."We spoke to Wendy." ... I didn't want to leave them. Wendy least of all. She leads them now. She's keeping them all safe."Wendy killed someone on the altar." She... she WHAT? Why would she do that? Standard escalation. More blood, more power. I want this to end. Please, just let it all end!"Eli, can you do anything to help him?" I've been trying. But the fire... it's different. It's... self generating. Self sustaining. Even submerging himself in WATER couldn't snuff him out. I've never seen anything like it. I need to know more about his condition before I can even attempt a cure."Good bye, Jordon. We'll be back." Thank you, Master.We'll leave the sewer for the moment and see what answers we can find. Poor guy. He played with powerful magic he had no business using. He hurt dozens of innocents. He was desperate. He made a human mistake. In that, we are in agreement.Perhaps there's something to be found in the burned-down homeless shelter? It's where Jordon cast his spell, after all. Evening ma'am."Is there any chance I can take a look around back there?" Um. No? In case it wasn't clear, this is a crime scene. Which means stay back."You need to let me back there." Oh really? Give me one reason.Is it such a big deal? You don't seem like you really want to be here. ... Well no. I don't. What makes you say that?You are obviously upset about something. And it's not just the rain. The rain isn't helping, that's for sure. You ever feel... helpless? Powerless? Like there's too much poo poo going on and you can't do a drat thing about it?"All the time, these days." Then you know what I'm talking about. I'm an office of the law. I'm supposed to be out there. Doign something. Not stuck behind a desk. Or HERE. Doing guard duty. I know I could make a difference if I was just given a drat chance."Then do something. Let us take a look around. We can help." What? Just let you through? You're serious, aren't you? Yeah. You are. You really think you can help. Jesus. I must be crazy. I must be INSANE. But... something. I don't know what. Something tells me I can trust you. Get inside. And quickly. I'll give a shout if anyone comes by."Thank you." Just get the guy who did this.  I begin to understand why you were hired as a barkeep. Yeah. You had him eating out of the palm of your hand. You have an... enviable gift for empathy. We will discuss this later. Let us find what we came for.Charred walls stand unsteadily against the night sky. A lone locker stands intact amidst the ruins. "This locker's frozen solid." Huh! Interesting."What do you think caused it, Eli?" There's something cold in there. Something that is generating a LOT of cold. A self-generating thermo whirplool spell maybe? I've read about those. So you believe this is magic-related? Are people still saying "duh"? Because, well, duh. Hm. I cannot say I am impressed with the mundane authorities. They should have noticed this when inspecting the site. Not necessarily. That officer said this place burnt down about a week ago? I wasn't raining then. Which means that no ice should have formed. Hmm. Perhaps you are correct. And perhaps this was meant to be. If there is danger here, we should be the ones to face it.Once again Eli's abilities are the obvious solution. Come on. MELT. Is everything all right? Everything's fine. It's just something inside is... fighting back. THERE. Nicely done. That's me. Eli Beckett. Enemy of ice.A thick ice block has formed inside the locker. A faint shape is visible inside.  Well. That's definitely our cold source all right. Hm. Now that it's out in the open air, and the warm rain is coming down, I SHOULD be able to... Jesus! Look at that. Not a burn mark on him. The ice protected him from the fire? It also froze him to death. But if you want to get technical? Sure. It protected him from the fire."What could cause something like this?" Well I might be going out on a limb here, but I'm gonna say magic. Indeed. This cold is not natural. Neither is the smell. Ugh."Does this body look familiar to you?" Um. Maybe? It's hard to tell. You know. With all the... frostbite. And things. I admit, he does look slightly... recognizable. But as to who, I cannot say. "This is Jordon, isn't it?" I... think it is? It's definitely the same guy in that picture you've got. The evidence is undeniable. Jordon sought a way to remove the cold invading his body. It appears he... failed."So what did we see in the sewer? Another ghost?" No. We would not have been able to converse with it if so. We spoke to Jordon. Not a lost spirit. At least, not one in the traditional sense. His soul transmuted. Escaped his body and became something else. He is alive. Just no longer human. He's become a fire elemental. A spirit bound to a body of flame."Why would he do this to himself?" He was a desperate, dying man. Those in such a position rarely consider consequences. Regardless. We can not allow a fire elemental to run loose in the city sewers."Eli, you're the fire expert. Any thoughts?" Thoughts? I have plenty of thoughts. None of them nice. Let me mull 'em over for a bit, okay? We should hear Jordon out before deciding anything, anyway.We'll leave the crime scene now. Whatever you found in there, don't tell me about it. Deniability and all that. Just... find the guy who did this.And head back to the manhole. Eli? You are scratching the buttons of your coat again. With your fingernail. I am? Yes. You are not even aware of it, are you? Um. Why is this a big deal? It indicates a loss of control. It is minimal, but... Right. I know. I'll work on that. Thank you.And back down into the sewer. Master?"We went to the shelter, Jordon." You did? What did you find?"How do I put this? You're... kind of dead." I'm... WHAT? I'm DEAD? No! Not exactly. You're a fire elemental now. You're alive. You're just... in a new body. A body made of flame. That's why the flames are self-sustaining. You aren't ON fire. You ARE fire. So... there's no cure? Oh. Um. No. Your human body is dead. There's no getting around that. But you're kind of immortal now. That's something, isn't it? You mean I have to live like this FOREVER? Um. Yeah? You should have left me in the cold, Master. You should have left me to die."We won't abandon you, Jordon. We'll think of something." Thank you, Master. Look. We do have one option. I'm a Fire Mage. I can control and channel fire. Given enough time I can... remove the fire from your spirit. Eli, what you are proposing... Will be incredibly painful. I KNOW. Painful? It will feel like being skinned alive. But it WILL kill me? ...eventually. Then I'll do it."Are you sure this is the only option?" No. No it is not. I will not allow you to do this. Not when there is another way. Another way? There are others of your kind. Fire elementals. A whole world of them. Yeah, in another dimension across the VOID. How do you propose to get him there? Jordon is a creature of spirit now. Which means he can traverse the void. I can lend him the energy required, and show him how to open the way. So he can... what? Spend eternity with fire people? Wait. Eternity? It is a one-way trip, Jordon. Life there will not be easy, but perhaps you can find a home there. A life. But what kind of life would that be? One that continues. Sure. On an alien world. In an alien dimension. All alone. There will be others of his kind. In time, they might accept him. And if they don't? He'll be stuck there forever. So the alternative is to murder him? It's MERCY! If I was in his shoes, I'd want the same. But you are not in his shoes. You cannot make that choice for him. And neither can you. That is... true. Jordon? What say you? I... I don't know! Do you really want to live like this? Better a life like this than no life at all."It's your decision, Jordon." I... I can't. This is all too much. Master I know you've done your best. Whatever you decide... I will do.Should he choose death or banishment?
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Nov 25, 2019 05:04
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Banishment. Poor sap's already died once.
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Nov 25, 2019 05:12
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When the choice is either annihilation or hope I must choose Life
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Nov 25, 2019 05:58
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Banishment.
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Nov 25, 2019 06:15
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Death is a mercy
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Nov 25, 2019 07:33
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So this game is definitely making a good impression with its moral choices. These are actually choices that make me feel uncomfortable making, and it definitely lines up with how your allies disagree over the decision. The demon was also really devious in this method of loving with people. Give them hope, then take it away and feed their desperation :/. Banishment.
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Nov 25, 2019 09:01
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The Demon specifically taught him that spell to make him inadvertently kill people in a conflagration AND told him to not use it so that Jordon would feel guilty about it. We're dealing with an expert here.
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Nov 25, 2019 09:35
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Eh it's less about the specifics and more about what he'd shown them. He solved their problems, and then left. Problems comes back, and then you get people who'll try anything to fix their problems again. Only they don't have any idea what they're doing and are mucking about with magic. It's not about the specific result moreso the fact that with that kind of circumstance, SOMETHING will go wrong.
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Nov 25, 2019 09:39
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I think that setting up right next to the homeless shelter and then teaching that spell is quite well planned out.
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Nov 25, 2019 09:43
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While I am really enjoying this game so far, I'm questioning why they gave us a player avatar. There's no sense of Paige as a character and the strength of these games is in the characterisation; when everyone else is already pretty strongly fleshed out, having a blank slate protagonist just feels weird to me. I feel it might have worked better if we'd been controlling Eli, who seems to be contributing most so far. Still, it might improve later as we see more of the story. Anyway, I choose Banishment. Guy doesn't seem to be suffering from being made of fire, just freaked out, and he'll get over that with time.
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Nov 25, 2019 10:34
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I find it interesting that despite dealing with ghosts and souls and spirits and demons and whatnot everywhere, no one in the Blackwell universe actually knows what happens after you die and pass through the door. There are hints it might not be all that great, albeit it seems to be better than being insane and chained halfway in the real world causing no end of troubles for the living. Still a tricky choice... I've heard Terry Pratchett's impassioned pleas for assisted suicide. But on the other hand, Terry Pratchett was faced with an incurable disease that was robbing him of... him. Jordon here still has all of himself. There's no reason he would lose himself either, with some time for readjustment to his new physical circumstance and reality. With that in mind, I think it's far better to live than to die. This is less like treating a terminal condition, and more like talking down a suicidal person from the ledge-- there IS so much left to live for, even if he is temporarily unable to see it. And yes, the road ahead might be difficult, but it's a road. Not an end. Life / Banishment.
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Nov 25, 2019 11:35
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Black Robe posted:While I am really enjoying this game so far, I'm questioning why they gave us a player avatar. There's no sense of Paige as a character and the strength of these games is in the characterisation; when everyone else is already pretty strongly fleshed out, having a blank slate protagonist just feels weird to me. I feel it might have worked better if we'd been controlling Eli, who seems to be contributing most so far. Still, it might improve later as we see more of the story. The game definitely starts filling things in and by the end you'll see why we have a blank slate avatar. This game is written really well. I'm going to choose banishment because it's the opposite of how I went in my playthrough and I'm curious to see what happens.
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Nov 25, 2019 13:39
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Do you suppose the demon was also responsible for Jordon’s uncanny, persistent coldness? Some kind of spell?
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Nov 25, 2019 17:15
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Kind of annoying that we can't tell Jordan not to call us Master. Abdicating this choice is not what he should be doing right now.
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Nov 25, 2019 18:34
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Jordon Freemon e: I mean uh...Jordon...Banishment mon goddammit Hwurmp fucked around with this message at 01:31 on Nov 26, 2019 |
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Nov 25, 2019 21:13
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Hard choice but it sounds like banishing him would condemn him to live forever, no take-backsies.And as cruel killing him now after all the poo poo he's been through is, it seems to me that robbing him of the ability to die ever, no matter how much he might want it is even crueller. Death.
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Nov 25, 2019 21:54
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Banishment
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Nov 26, 2019 01:20
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Banishment
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Nov 26, 2019 04:29
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Banishment He has a chnace at a new life and something to.. Make something of his new status. I also am personally.. Well, we'd be part of an assisted suicide. I'm not sure that's something our character would be willing to go along with - even if those of our party might be willing to out of pragmatism.
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Nov 26, 2019 06:12
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Aumanor posted:Hard choice but it sounds like banishing him would condemn him to live forever, no take-backsies.And as cruel killing him now after all the poo poo he's been through is, it seems to me that robbing him of the ability to die ever, no matter how much he might want it is even crueller. Forever is a long time. And if a mage can kill him now by slowly and painfully draining away his fire, there's no reason a mage couldn't do so later. Okay, so there aren't any mages on the other side. But summonings can and do happen. So it's not completely writing off the chance of future death... although it may be a while before the chance comes again.
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Nov 26, 2019 09:47
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I'm voting banishment only because we're being forced to choose, and that's the one decision that doesn't permanently exclude the other option, however slim the chances may be.
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Nov 26, 2019 10:14
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| # ? Apr 28, 2024 16:30 |
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Gotta vote for banishment as well. Let's give him a chance to actually have a life with people who might understand him.
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Nov 26, 2019 19:03
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