Turn 13
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Time passes, and the shadow on the sundial moves...
???: 68 Not now...
Spring is in the air, and so is the activity of the parahumans. It's not that battles between them have ever ceased, it's just that few want to fight in the cold. The exception is Lung and Purity, who regularly clash in ABB territory: while the Nazi tries to destroy another Asian gang object (or whatever she deems it), the Dragon of Kyushu arrives and starts pouring fire on the insolent flyer. Usually, the skirmish ends before any significant damage is done, with rare exceptions.
Against the backdrop of the ongoing unrest, the PRT is justifying most of its acronym by trying to look good doing nothing. Not that they succeed, given the possibility of the National Guard entering the city, with further escalation of the conflict. Sometimes you wonder what the world was like before all this trouble... and then you remember that according to the Diary, some of the Hours are older than humanity.
Every conquest takes place on the Edge. And to carve out a place for yourself in the ranks of the High Ones, you need the help of dedicated followers. Practicing the occult without followers is no more than an exotic hobby. To achieve more, you would need to establish an organization: a Society, an Order, a Cult.
* * *
Warmth is gradually returning to the Bay, and spring break is approaching.
In about a week, King is likely to return from his business trip. But that moment has not yet arrived. (-1 mind action per turn for the sake of study, +1 funds in the form of pocket every 2nd school week)
You have three actions of the body (B), three actions of the mind (M), and four actions of passion (P). You have 33 funds at your disposal (all your available savings).
Influences:
- Encouraged Vitality - The blood sings in my veins! Any job I can do! (+10 to body rolls) 2 Lv.
- Bright Enlightenment - Enlightenment is near! The light of the mind is getting brighter and brighter! (Bonus to Study rolls. If you fail, it can turn into a Fascination.)
- Contentment - You're happy, probably. (On this turn, the worst shot gets a re-roll with the advantage - the best score remains.)
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Turn 13 Results
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On the pages of your diary appear lines and figures describing the events of the week and the values received. A warm plaid, which has recently become a permanent feature of your workplace in the attic, wraps your legs, and things that need sorting are piled on the table a little farther away. Though some of them, like the scroll, don't really need any of that - their main purpose is as obvious as a flowing light. Others, on the other hand, need a closer look, and perhaps an unorthodox approach.
You cast a glance at the dresser shelf, where the books and articles from your suitcase are still unread. More precisely, the book. There is still something to work with, but the stock of occult materials is rapidly running low. It's worth finding a way to replenish them in the near future. One way or another.
Received (as a gift?): A scroll containing the knowledge of the Heart in a clear, detailed statement.
Words that Walk: The syllables of this formula are compelling. I find myself snapping my fingers to its rhythm. It desires not to cease. (Knowledge 2, Power 4)
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Influences:
- Encouraged Vitality - The blood sings in my veins! Any job I can do! (+10 to body rolls) 2 Lv.
- Bright Enlightenment - Enlightenment is near! The light of the mind is getting brighter and brighter! (Bonus to Study rolls. If you fail, it can turn into a Fascination.)
- Contentment - You're happy, probably. (On this turn, the worst shot gets a re-roll with the advantage - the best score remains.)
Work:
[X] (B) This body is my 3. All of these rites and rituals are rather traumatic acts, not to mention sacrifices. Yes, and some knowledge and much more than some practices injure the one who learns and performs them. You need a much tougher and stronger body so that you don't have to go to the emergency room after every vein you open. Exercise will do you good, and a good gym will help with that.
Requires 5 passes, 60% chance of success. (On completion of +1 body action, increase vitality)
Required: 40. Roll: 60 + 10 (Decreasing Growth Burst) + 10 (Encouraged Vitality) + 10 (Gym Pass) = 90 Pass.
With a sharp exhalation, you straighten your arms and return the bar to its holder. Blood pounding in your ears, but instead of fatigue you feel only a slight buzzing tension in your muscles. The exercise seems too light again, and you decide to add weight on your next attempt.
Some of the old-timers in the gym, watching your progress, nod approvingly and mutter something about youth. You are left to envy their skills and experience as you gradually re-shape your body into the proper receptacle of your essence.
[X] (B) Mastering the Edge. The Art of Falling. As it turns out, you're a total zero at any kind of physical confrontation. It's a good thing this was discovered in a controlled environment, not in an actual combat encounter. This deficiency can be remedied, which Mr. Fisher, aka Martin, has agreed to do. According to him first, you need to learn how to fall. Nothing complicated, is it? Two passes are required, with a 70% chance of success. (Upon completion, access to the next stage, improvement of combat statistics)
Required: 30. Roll: 61 + 5 (Stronger Physique) + 5 (Encouraged Vitality) = 76 Pass!
A new lesson, and the old tricks. They still "drop you," occasionally showing you the finishing blows. Some of them almost leave bruises, but it helps you remember the material better. It's not enough to group up for a fall if there's an opponent nearby - you have to defend yourself, change position, break the distance, stand up, and use a trick.
You're only learning the basics so far, but thanks to the teacher, you're already thinking about how much there is you don't know.
[X] (P) The creation of art. Your parents and teachers have mentioned more than once that you're not a bad painter. You've indeed given it up lately, but getting an album and paints out of a drawer is a minute's work. And although the painting will take a long time. If you put the picture in a frame, it can try to sell. And you'll need the money and a lot of it. It takes 1 pass, and the chances of success are 80%/60%/40%/20%/5%.
Required: 20/40/60/80/95. Roll: 84 x 0.5 (Emotional Fountain) + 10 (Wild Imagination) + 5 (Painter) + 5 (Good Paint Set) = 62 Pass.
In between all the busy events of the week, you set aside a couple of evenings to work on a new painting. When the last strokes are on the canvas, you take a few steps back to assess perspective and check for imperfections. There aren't many, and you fix a few things, adding a few strokes here and there, and a few details where they should be. The picture is finished.
It's not your best work, and it's certainly not a masterpiece, but "Moonlight Cityscape" isn't bad. You wouldn't hesitate to hang it in your living room. But you'd better find another use for it: you make art to share it with others. And if you get money for it for your other projects, its existence is more than justified.
At the shop, familiar from past visits, the appraiser greets you with a nod. It's not the first time he's parted with money to buy your work, and this time he seems pleasantly surprised by the quality of the painting. After a couple of dozen minutes of haggling, you leave the shop with a few crisp bills in your pocket.
Obtained: 4 Funds.
Study:
[X] (M) School attendance. As a minor U.S. citizen, you are obligated to receive a general education. The state doesn't need savages. Well, more than there already are. The usual school routine has set in. Repeated action, odds of success Automatic passage (thanks to the Silver Quill trait).
Required: 0. Auto Success.
In contrast to the other events of the week, school days are quiet and peaceful. The occasional skirmish between Empire followers and various Asians has all but subsided, mainly because the latter hardly attend school. Recent events seem to have forced many immigrants to seek a quieter place to live than Brockton Bay. This most likely has something to do with the constant cape battles and fires in Chinatown.
[X] (M) Books are immortal memory. Among other things, the Predecessor's possessions contained books. It is unlikely that he kept tabloid journalism along with mystical pigments. The subject matter of the books and the references in the diary suggest the same thing: Whatever the content, these texts are related to Mansus and the Principles. There is much to be gained by reading them... Except, where to begin?
- "The Locksmith's Dream: Trespasses" by Therese Galmier, volume 3.
Required: 40/90. Roll: 75 + 5 (Scholarship) + 10 (Bright Enlightment) + 2 (1d6 from " Watchman's Secret") = 92 Pass!
If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
In this volume, Galmier's notes become far less consistent. It is unclear which dreams she saw and which she did not. Most likely, her plunge into the mysteries of the Wood did not go in vain, and her mind was touched by the Moth.
'The woman in the sand-coloured robe has told me: the stairways of the Mansus go ever up. Death is down. The Mother of Ants guards both directions with each of her heads, and so the passage must always be through a wound. I think the White Door might be a wound. That's one reason the Dead sometimes pass it. I think I have the other half of the Secret now, and I hope my reader can put both halves together.'
In addition to a much more confusing text than before, there was something else of interest at the end of the book: a bookmark. An ordinary scrap of heavy paper, with unusual contents. In the interweaving of thin black lines was a sketch of a ritual dedicated to someone's summons. According to the notes, you can summon an entity known as Baldomera with a Flare of Radiance (a powerful Lantern Influence), an Adept of the Knock, and Knowledge of History of any rank (or other resources of comparable power). The details of the ritual are unfortunately elusive, but you've encountered this name before in the books of Illopoli.
Hm-m...
Obtained: A Wood-Whisper: Lie awake, and listen. The wind speaks in the branches. The house cries out in its sleep. These are the roads that chaos ride. [Speak this over a corpse in a Rite, with a Winter influence present, and the corpse will rise.] (Knowledge 2, Power 4)
Knowledge of the resources needed to summon Baldomera (the action will appear when the appropriate ritual and all necessary resources are obtained).
[X] (M) There is knowledge in words 2. A mind is a useful tool. Especially when the path to greatness involves comprehending the Secret Knowledge. To better understand them, to gather them into a single mosaic, decipher them, and perhaps to find new ones - one should keep this tool sharply honed. There were some of your parents' old school textbooks left in the home library, and the articles found on the Internet are still relevant. Requires 1 pass, 60% chance of success. (On completion of +1 mind action, increase in erudition)
Required: 40. Roll: 66 + 10 (Bright Enlightenment) + 15 (3, 1, 6, 1, 4; from trait "Silver Quill") = 91 Pass!
Finally, after a long period of failure, you manage to cross the threshold that separates your mind from the next stage of development. But, with it came an understanding...
Knowledge is a city wall, built stone by stone. But what awaits us in the darkness behind the walls? Why hide in a fortress? The only reason is that danger lurks outside...
(+ 1 Mind action from next turn. The trait Scholarship evolves into Notable Scholarship (+ 10 to Mind rolls, except for the Mind development action.)
Further evolution is blocked until special actions are performed).
Conversation:
[X] (P) Candidate Recruitment. Among some of your acquaintances, there are worthy candidates for recruitment. It's worth getting to know them better, or better yet, getting them interested in cooperating.
- Adam Green. (Lantern?). A student at Winslow High School, he seems enthusiastic about the learning process, but apparently doesn't do very well. Why else would he be stuck in this hole? Requires 1 pass, 55%/10% chance of success.
Required: 45/90. Roll: 76 x 0.5 (Emotional Fountain) + 10 (Wild Imagination) + 10 (Geek) - 10 (in a "cool" hangout) + 5 (+ 1d6 Watchman's Secret) = 53 Pass.
After catching a student you are interested in alone, you apply the standard approach to nerds, which you have seen and experienced many times: quickly sneaking up behind them, throwing your arm around their shoulders, and lightly pressing them to the ground.
"Hello, Adam! I have something to talk to you about. Let's go away for a moment..." With a little effort, you drag the near-crouching nerd to an inconspicuous nook near the fire escape. He flutters weakly but makes no serious attempt to escape. However, as soon as you stop and open your grip, he regains some of his composure, retreating to the maximum possible distance.
"I warn you that I am not in good health, and I will not hesitate to yell when I get hit!" Despite his clear diction, one of the few excellent Winslow students, his knees were visibly trembling.
"Don't be so shaky," you countered patronizingly. "Unlike some intellectually deprived individuals, by talk, I mean talk. And it's very fortunate that you could take the time to clear up a little misunderstanding between us, isn't it?"
"Well, actually..." Adam started to argue, but you were already on fire, so he could keep his opinion to himself.
"I heard a curious conversation the other day about how you were quite clearly blaming me for your failure, trying to pass off my learning abilities as cheating" He lifted a finger, trying to dispute the argument, which in no way could temper your enthusiasm. "I'm not going to argue, there's common sense in your thinking. I did have something that helped me learn and understand the curriculum better - a particular studing methodology I found on an unpopular Web site."
"To keep this knowledge to myself would be a crime against the world scientific community, so I'm going to organize a small study group... A kind of interest club, where participants will share knowledge, discuss it, learn new lessons from different sources, and improve themselves! I take it you're interested?"
Carefully adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose, it's as if Adam is trying to place you in a familiar category, but can't decide between the array of "dangerous lunatic" and "eccentric dreamer." Eventually, the latter point is overridden by a small margin, and he nods slowly.
"That...might be interesting. I don't mind." His voice sounded firm, and there were sparks of lust for knowledge in the eyes behind the imposing glasses.
"I knew you wouldn't say no!" You smile, patting him on the shoulder. "I'll let you know when it's ready. In the meantime, I have an interesting thesis for you, which has given me food for thought. They say that every Hour has its own color..."
(Obtained supporter: Adam Green. When a cult is created, his initiation will become possible).
[X] (P) Interesting rumors. Going back to school, you can't help but wonder how many potential followers are within its inhospitable walls. And, of course, it never hurts to know what kind of relationship the factions are arriving in right now. Listen to the chatter here, ask a few leading questions there... there's a chance to learn something interesting. Requires 1 pass, odds of success 65%/???%.
Required: 35/??. Roll: 88 x 1.5 (Emotional Fountain) + 10 (Wild Imagination) + 3 (+ 3d6 (1, 1, 1) Ecdysiast's Parable) = 145 Crit!
During your lunch break, just as you were about to use your Moth Knowledge to eavesdrop again, a student emerged from an inconspicuous opening in the row of lockers. It's hard to tell how a man of his proportions managed to get up unnoticed, but before you could even blink, he made a strange gesture with folded hands that resembled a beating heart and bowed briefly.
"Greetings, initiate! My Master wishes to speak to you."
You didn't think that by choosing one of the most deserted corners of the school for your activity, you could get into a situation like this. Of course, you could try to shout, or even start a fight, but such actions did not guarantee a result, but they almost guaranteed problems. And if they wanted to do something to you other than the intended conversation, the same guy might not bow, but rather hit you with something heavy from around the corner.
You nodded briefly, gestured for the student to lead the way, and followed him. Check your phone in your pocket, just in case. After a few minutes of walking through the almost deserted corridors, your taciturn guide stopped at the back of the sports equipment storage room and tapped a complicated rhythm on the door.
A few seconds later, the door opened, and a large student in a sports uniform emerged from the back room. If you had some vague suspicions about who exactly initiated this meeting, now they are fully confirmed. It looks like you're about to have a conversation with the captain, excuse me, Master Donovan, and his "football team".
Strangely enough, the student who let you in remained at the entrance, only pointing to the back of the room, while the guide went somewhere else. Probably to provide himself an alibi. Suppressing gloomy thoughts, you made your way to the depths of the surprisingly well-lit room. By the far wall, on one of the stacks of mats, the very man you thought of a minute earlier was already waiting.
"Hey, hey, hey! Diaduit, Greg! Glad you decided to stop by!" The suspiciously cheerful captain greeted you. "Come and sit down, I won't keep you long, but what a host keeps a guest on his feet!"
"Hey, Donovan!" You got yourself oriented. "I hope you don't mind being addressed like this? To be honest, I wasn't looking forward to this meeting, at least not so soon!
"That's what I'm talking about!" He stretched his lips in an almost unnatural smile.
"Just thought we'd speed things up a bit! Really, you know about me, I know about you, it's better to clarify each other's intentions right away than to be too cautious and then push our butts over the same chair!"
"I'll tell you right off the bat, you've been on my radar for a long time," Donovan leaned toward you.
"As a candidate for recruitment, at first, but there were other priorities, and then you got to the Knowledge yourself. In such cases, it is customary to wait to see which Principle the initiate is inclined to. With some, it is certainly, believes me, better don't get involved at all. But you, as it became clear, chose the Forge which means you're one of those guys we can deal with!"
As the Cult Master's monologue raced through your head, you had a lot of questions, the most interesting of which you had to put aside for later. You were obviously invited for a reason, so you should not let the ears of the wily Irishman pass you by.
"Also, judging by the actions we've seen, your organization isn't far off, is it?" Donovan's tone became somewhat serious, but strangely, there was no threat in his voice. "It's a serious step, not easy for everyone. Especially since the most promising candidates in the school are already taken, and other sources of people are more difficult to work with... Frankly speaking, I'd be glad to see you in the ranks of my followers. Or, if you do decide to act on your own, we could become allies: exchange Knowledge and valuable resources!"
However, nothing prevents you from simply walking out of here and pretending that this conversation never happened.
"No matter what you choose, I won't hold a grudge." He summed it up as he rose from his seat. "And you can think of this as a little welcome gift. If you want to talk, go to any member of the football team, they'll help you get in touch with me. I still have things to do today, so, slánleat!"
A few minutes later, at the end of the corridor, you somehow push your swarming thoughts aside and take the time to look at what you're holding. The thick scroll of paper the size of an ordinary sheet of paper Donovan slipped into your hands at the exit bears the seal of the Heart. It goes to the bottom of your backpack, where it will await its return to a safer place, keeping its contents out of sight.
This meeting is not at all what you'd expect from the leader of a not insignificant cult. But it's better this way: waking up on the altar in the middle of a sacrifice is not how you want your day to end. And yet, the cult leader's offer must be answered in some way...
"Choise, choice."
[] Become a follower. Who's a good doggie? Yes, you are! (Joining the Heart Cult promises big bonuses, like access to their Knowledge and support. On the other hand, you also have to share your Knowledge and do the leader's bidding. Forget about the Ascension until Donovan completes it, or dies trying.)
[X] Accept the outstretched hand. Standing side by side as equals is not so bad. Until you realize that someone is more equal after all. (Opportunity to initiate a commodity-money relationship with the Donovan cult, to exchange services and information. Hand washing hands, that sort of thing... Until it smells fried.)
[] Proudly decline. The Heart has its ways, the Forge has its ways. (A possible intersection of interests with an unknown outcome.)
Travel:
[X] (B) Search the town. Lively avenues by day and mist-clad labyrinths by night. Set out to roam the streets in search of mysteries until your legs give out. Requires 1 pass, chances of success ??? %.
Required: 20/40/60/80/95. Roll: 19 (10 Contentment) + 5 (Stronger Physique) + 10 (Encouraged Vitality) = 34 First Order Pass!
In your wanderings, you stumble upon some diner nestled on the corner of a dilapidated building near the docks. When you slip inside, you realize it's a bar. Probably the seediest bar you've ever seen, even in the spaghetti westerns. you've ever seen, which is saying a lot. There's some jazz playing from a hoarse speaker hanging on the wall, and the stereotypical bartender is reading a newspaper in the dim, dusty lights, in a totally unstereotypical way.
The few visitors sit either alone or in small groups. Their quiet voices merge into a monotonous hum. Someone is sleeping under a bench. Slipping over to the counter, you ask the bartender about the place.
It's "Two-Fourths". Don't ask me about the name; I don't know why it's called that either. I bought this shithole from the last owner about twenty years ago for a hundred bucks. It's usually a place where the little things from the streets get together to drink something and swap the news. Sometimes the dockworkers come in, or some other handy guys... If you're done spreading your ears, order something before they steal your wallet. Anticipating the question: without alcohol, there's only Coke and mineral water.
Obtained: The location of the Two-Fourths Bar, an eatery where the "sludge" of city society gathers. Here you can find out rumors that don't usually reach the more respectable circles, and probably find someone suitable for a dirty job that no one can find out about. The main thing is not to carry anything of value - they will steal. Or worse.
[Х] (P) Streets Strange by Moonlight. Sometimes the moonlight becomes the key. You meet an alley where for one or two nights the streets change their direction and lead to an unfamiliar place. If you go there, you might find secret knowledge - or feel a touch of madness.
Requires 1 pass, 70%/50%/20% chance of success. Disappears after 1 turn.
Required: 30/50/80. Roll: 58 x 1.5 (Emotional Fountain) + 10 (Wild Imagination) + 5 (+ 3d6 (2, 2, 1) Ecdysiast's Parable) = 102 Crit!
Once you find the right spot in the gathering twilight, you dive back into the tangled alleys that clearly don't belong in a town like Brockton Bay. It's too young for such cramped streets, not to mention the ascents and descents that are nowhere to be found in the flat, table-like terrain of the bay area.
Gradually you fall into a kind of trance. Visions replace one another with the leisurely grace of pavanilla dancers (you don't even know what pavanilla is, but the thought seems only right): a window over the forest, an icy garden, the shivering sun, a glass woman. From somewhere comes the tearing sound of an unknown bowed instrument, and a gust of cold wind throws several sheets of sheet music in your face. Feeling something familiar in them, you carefully pick them up, roll them up, and put them in your pocket.
So beautiful the moonlit night is!
Obtained: Mysterious Notes - a walk through non-existent streets left quite a tangible trophy. This thing cannot be ordinary, but what exactly is it?
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