Turn 5
* * *
Your mind overflows with jubilation at the mere thought that the first Secret Knowledge has been revealed to you. And most importantly, so useful!
His predecessor knew what work was worthy to be in his collection! With knowledge of the Lantern, the path to the Wood is much easier, though the ritual will require a great deal of thought. It's not easy to fall asleep surrounded by pure white, though you can imagine how to do it.
The joy of acquiring Knowledge was somehow overshadowed by the fact that you have not been able to improve your feeling perception in the past week or so. Maybe you should switch temporarily from the visual arts to the literary arts. To read something of those tear-jerker novels that have somehow settled on one of the shelves of the home library...
* * *
Because of the foot injury, you can only move around with a crutch, which is quite inconvenient. On the other hand, you don't have to go to school for at least another week, which is definitely a plus. You have time to take care of the many things that don't involve physical activity, and to think about the cult of the Restless Heart that has settled in your school.
You have one Body action (B), three Mind actions (M), and two Passion actions (P). You have 16 Funds at your disposal (all available savings).
Influences:
- Minor Injury - I need rest and food to recover. However, Mother of Ants welcomes wounds. (-10 to body rolls until healed. Actions of Journeys blocked until healed due to the nature of the injury).
- Apparent Enlightenment - There is more and more glare on reflective surfaces! I'm not just seeing regular light, and it's noticeable. (Bonus to rolls of Study. Can lose 1-2 ranks or, in a critical failure, degenerate into a Fascination).
* * *
Turn 5 Results
* * *
As you fill out your diary with the events of the past week, compiling draft daily entries, you can't help but rejoice in the time you've spent productively. Your Knowledge, knowledge, and abilities are growing like yeast! Almost all the tasks you set have been completed, and those that failed the first time only paved the way for future successes.
Though some of the Knowledge you discover is somewhat unsettling, you now have a solid foundation for the accomplishments to come! Although the high probability of human casualties worries you, it is not as encouraging as the prospect that opens up.
* * *
Influences:
- Minor Injury - I need rest and food to recover. However, Mother of Ants welcomes wounds. (-10 to body rolls until healed. Actions of Journeys blocked until healed due to the nature of the injury).
- Apparent Enlightenment - There is more and more glare on reflective surfaces! I'm not just seeing regular light, and it's noticeable. (Bonus to rolls of Study. Can lose 1-2 ranks or, in a critical failure, degenerate into a Fascination).
Dream:
[X] (B) Prolonged rest. You've been injured, and you need medicine and rest to heal. Although your injury has gotten better, you are still too weak to simply ignore it. Medication and bed rest are waiting. Requires 1 pass, 95% chance of success (Selected automatically by your parent's will, on completion relegates Minor Injury to nothing.)
Required: 5. Roll: 86 + 10 (Decreasing Growth Burst) = 96 Passed. Injury Cured.
The room where you lie most of the day is starting to feel cramped and stuffy. It's time to get up. Your leg is still yellow from the healing hematoma, and it looks like Linda intends to keep you home for another week, using her position as a medic and parent. You're well-rested and feeling great, though. (On your next turn, there will be a positive influence: Vitality - Drums in your ears. You can work better. (+5 to Body rolls))
[X] (P) The Wood grows by the walls of the Abode. Now that you have the knowledge of the Lantern, the way to the Wood is clear. And if done correctly, you will reach the anteroom of Mansus. Requires 1 pass, 65% chance of success.
Required: 35. Roll: 4 x 0.5 (Emotional Fountain) + 5 (Dedicated) + 4 (1d6 from A Watchman's Secret) + 23 (46/2 - Extra Throw from the Art Delight crit) = 34 Minor Failure.
Under a makeshift canopy of a couple of sheets, you toss and turn in the puff of air. When it's time to fall asleep, things get a little strange.
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
Shaking your heavy head, you trudge through thickets of dead thorny branches, leaving wisps of hair on them and scratching your skin almost to the point of blood. Your feet, your paws, struggle to find a footing among the pits and potholes, sheltered from view by the crunching damp moss. In the distance, you can hear the howls, the hungry howls of beasts, and those who think they are beasts, diluted by the rustling of millions of tiny wings. The crowns of the Wood overhead converge so densely that only a lone scattered ray of Light sometimes reaches the lower tier, only to be immediately consumed by the thirsty lesser creatures. Finding one of them, you try to warm yourself as the others do, but returning some of your minds, you almost scream with horror. But more still with regret.
Waking up from the unbearable heat at dawn, you toss the canopy aside. After you resume proper blood oxygen circulation, you regretfully acknowledge the fact that you failed: Yes, you were sort of in the Woods, but since you weren't you, it almost doesn't count. It will take more attempts to make your own Path to the Forest, but the beginning has been made, and the next attempt will be easier.
Study:
[X] (B) 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 Burning of the Unburnt God" Some Persian tales were recorded by Jay Wigglesworth Jensen. Requires 1 pass, 75%/15% chance of success.
Required: 25/85. Roll: 56 + 20 (Apparent Enlightenment ) + 5 (Learned) + 5 (1d6 from a Watchman's Secret) = 86 Passage of 2 deegre.
In this work, Jensen sets forth his theory that even before the birth of Zoroastrianism there was a certain fire deity in whose honor the blacksmiths performed rituals.
In the end, he reluctantly concludes that this deity was a goddess. Jensen suggests that this is the reason religion has been forgotten. Many of the rituals described in the book are disgusting and horrifying.
Many of the Predecessor's notes crisscross the entire book, highlighting one of the pages describing the ritual. It is difficult to miss, even if one overlooks all the secret signs, which are only clearly visible in certain lighting conditions. According to the records, it is a working rite of invocation to the powers of Mansus, with which a great and very great deal can be done. But the main purpose of it the Predecessor considers Ascension to the High One (Apostle?) dedicated to Forge.
Rite of the Crucible Soul. This rite uses an instrument of power to set the blood afire: fire is the lesion in the skin of the world. The assistant rarely survives unharmed.
An Ardent Orison - What do we look for as we gaze into the flames? We find what we seek, and it speaks words that illuminate change when the burnt skin comes off. (Knowledge of Forge 2, Power 4)
In the text there are often excerpts in Aramaic, with fragments translated, explaining the inaccuracies and ambiguous meanings of certain phrases. You could do just fine without some of them, for the sake of preserving your appetite, if not your sanity. Nevertheless, just in case, you wrote everything down in a separate notebook - it might come in handy in case you come across Aramaic texts again.
Aramaic is the language of Aram and her many descendants for three thousand years or more. Learned by 1/10.
[X] (P) Admiration for art. Your drawing skills have dulled considerably, and at the best of times, they didn't exactly shine. But you can fix that! The Internet is full of films about famous art galleries with the works of great artists of the past and online tutorials on many kinds of art! With a goal in mind, you can greatly improve your skills. Requires 1 pass, 70% chance of success. (On completion of +1 feeling action, increase in creativity)
Required: 30. Roll: 97 x 1.5 (Emotional Fountain) + 20 (Apparent Enlightenment) = 166 Epic Crit!
Under the impression of your first foray into the Woods (even if not as successful as you would have liked), the paintings begin to look somehow... different? Even after checking some previously seen works by artists of the past, you find the previously unnoticed nuances and features. Moreover, it seems that many of them are in fact directly related to Mansus: You are left staring at one of the paintings, the forest landscape of which seems familiar, only to find out a dozen minutes later one of the places you have been to as recently as last night.
(New trait gained: Painter +5 to drawing rolls, high probability of determining paintings affected by Principle, and the power invested in them)
(Obtained trait Vivid Imagination +1 feeling action each turn, +5 to feeling rolls, except for feeling development action. New actions are unblocked. Second step action will be available from the next turn).
[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 5 passes, 60% chance of success. (On completion of +1 mind action, increase in erudition)
Required: 40. Roll: 54+ 20 (Apparent Enlightenment) = 74 Passed.
One day Linda comes home with a stack of printouts she was asked to pick up for you at Winslow. It's weird that they even remembered you existed, but better now than when you return. With a shrug, you spend some time doing school-sent homework before returning to a much more advanced program for the next few years.
A little more, and you could probably ask for an early transfer to the next year of school, or another school altogether. After all, the level of education determines the social circle or something like that. And while Arcadia would certainly be quieter, it would be harder to recruit minions from among the rich kids. And those damn "parahumans" don't even think about hiding the fact that their youngsters hang out there.
[X] (M) Mastering the Craft. You'll need more than a little arcane knowledge to make special items. Of course, you can always leave that to the people who have the right hands... When you have them among your followers. In the meantime, it's worthwhile to improve your own manual skills. Requires 2 passes, 60% chance of success. (On completion, a crafting option will open.)
Required: 40. Roll: 31 + 5 (Scholarship) + 20 (Apparent Enlightenment) = 56 Passed
Inspired by another batch of Secret Knowledge from the Predecessor's collection, you continue your study of the crafts. This time focusing more on the practical aspect of the activity. It turns out that with everyday appliances and simple, as for modern man, tools you can make an astonishing number of items that were once the unattainable pinnacle of craftsmanship.
The same soft metal casting looks like something any idiot with a gas stove and a can or two would be able to do. And yet, it is necessary to put not only diligence, but also skill, knowledge, and talent into any work. With all that said, it wouldn't hurt to have straight hands as well.
You have learned an important lesson from what you have read: Any business requires a thorough approach, or it will almost certainly be doomed to failure.
* * *