Menu

Show posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.

Show posts Menu

Messages - Poolson

#1
This is a step forward in the right direction. Got something meaningful to contribute, and I'd like you to take a look at it, maybe even add it to Dustwink's collection. It even leads me to something that I'd like to ask you about, even, given your penchant for creation for imagery and color where there is none. We should meet in person.

-Isadora.


THE GLOOM OF THE VOID

Dominant Signature: An unnatural, all-consuming darkness, that seeps into the skin of its victim. Unnatural darkness emitting from the host.

An exceedingly rare Gloom Anomaly, the Gloom of the Void is one that, at first glance, may be mistaken for the Gloom of Phantasm, given its penchant for the absence of light, though unlike the Gloom of Phantasm, this one does not create doppelgangers, nor produce flashing lights, but rather it creates shadowy appiritions to ambush or pelt you, and cast the area into supernatural darkness, to blind you to your assailants. It is a darkness so unfathomably deep, that a torch's light is little more than an ember across a cloudy night sky.

One may liken it to the coming of the Abyss, that heralded the come of the Ringfall, though it may prove wholly incorrect to assume that they are the one and the same. It has been reported, not replicated, that the particularly attuned or mentally unbalanced may be especially suspect to the anomaly, as appiritions much larger, some 15 feet, wispy and inconsistently shaped, will manifest as a 'Gatekeeper', looking to lure the victim to 'The Other Side', as it did to one 'Ahmant'.

Beware, for those who wander beneath the dying light, lest you do not rise with the next dawn.

Threat Level: 4.5/5.
#2
Might have just the thing for you, partner. Something rare that passed up Professor Dustwink before he went and vanished.

Just as well, I've theory on Fusion, and Actualization, that I'd like to pick your brain about. Paint a canvas with those colors, so to speak.

I'll reach out to you, next time you're around. Nadiris looking to get some skin in the game are welcome to join. We might just have something to do together, them and I. We'll see.

- Isadora.
#3
How do you do?

My name's Isadora. I study anomalies - Glooms, most folk call them. I thought I'd take a moment to reach out to you, regarding some old time business.

A bunch of goblins squatted in a Gloom anomaly, turned them oily black, brought about a deep darkness that seeped from them, with a monster like the darkness that came out of them, to attack. It bursted out of nowhere, and blinded whoever came close to it. A frightening thing that scooped up some fellow named Ahmant, and 'showed him the other side'. Baked his brain pretty good, from what I hear.

As it turns out, you are the last living witness that isn't either pushing up daisies or left Ephia's Well for greener pastures, and it would work great for me if we could sit down and talk about it.

Send for me, and we can hash it out at the bar. First round's on me.

- Isadora Sylvestre.
#4
[This book is delivered alongside a letter.]

( https://www.efupw.com/forums/index.php?topic=710195.new#new )

How do you do?

Now, normally I don't appreciate the cold shoulder I've been given non-stop, but, I share Mister Dustwink's enthusiasm for this topic, the possibilities they hold, and even share his dream for the future. One good deed deserves another.

I'd like to submit my findings, to expand upon Feodore Dustwink's observations of Gloomology.

Maybe we'll be able to work together, in spite of my lack of a spellbook. At least as a partnership, if not as a Nadiri.

- Isadora Sylvestre.
#5
[For sale by a book peddler in Ephia's Well, for 10 dinars each.]

Observations and Discoveries of Anomalic Activity, AKA Glooms, Entry 1 by Isadora Sylvestre


Opening: What is a Gloom?

A Gloom is a shorthand name for Anomalous Activity that defies the rules of reality. It is a phenomena that is difficult to detect by the naked eye, and requires anomalous artifacts, or a high volume of Gloom radiation settling within a living or magically animated host, to know exactly when you have entered, or left, a gloom.

- Method one, exposing an anomalous artifact to naked air, employs a violent, opposite reaction to the present gloom, simply by exposure.

- Method two, Gloom radiation within a living host, sets in an 'corporeal disassociation', which has ever-so-slightly nudged the host out of its place in the material world. When exposed to a gloom, a subtle, nebulous sensation settles into the living creature. This can feel like a finger held just shy of your forehead, or a shiver up your spine.

Glooms manifest in strange ways, though the most common are the corruption of the elements, such as, but not limited to:

- Extreme heat, without a source, or means to entrap this heat.

- Sounds that echo into eternity until they become deafeningly loud, with no source of causation, and in defiance of the surrounding environment permitting the escape and travel of sound.

- Sudden chill, despite being under a high noon sun in the Great Ring.

These Glooms can - as Narwen Alendiel and Ottavio Banducci can attest as witnesses - manifest of their own volition, by perverting the very air, or changing a core attribute of a property, be it a non-living organism or a chemical compound found in nature, but what is truly interesting is that they are at their strongest when manifesting in a sentient host capable of thought. Like lightning arcing off of brass or copper, living beings serve as excellent conduits for these Glooms to manifest and "arc" from them onto other things, living and inanimate alike.


But what are they?:

Aside from a literal description, it is hard to say their true nature, or what causes them. What can be confirmed, is that this phenomena is as recent as the Ringfall.

To visualize it, as one best can, from my own observations: Our world is a picture frame, and reality itself is a picture too big for the frame. The frame is constantly being moved to try fit as much as it can. As a result, parts of the picture are out of focus, or cut off, losing the means of portraying appropriate context.

As for its cause, it was previously considered by Professor Feodore Dustwink, quote paraphasing; "a direct result of the Great Ring's disconnect from the elemental planes, and the rapid conquest of the Djinn.". While this theory still holds some merit, and can be attributed to one of its causes, new evidence has emerged that this is not the sole cause, as new phenomena caused by Glooms have been observed, that it is not just irregular behavior of the elements, but rather born out of concepts unique to sentient life alone.

Exhibit One, with Lyrist Aurelio d'Lyon, Marcellus Saenus and Richo "The Fast", would be a concept of Heroism, that emboldened those in proximity to extreme dare and bravery, even in defiance of great, immediate peril and to supernatural effects. Indeed, even magi who partook in conjuration, had their spells augmented, to turn the beasts called forth into impossibly perfect images of chivalry's greatest virtues, made manifest in a living being.

Exhibit Two, with Jamilah Ayad, Mannie, Otho and the late Koji as witnesses, would be concepts of Cruelty and Malice, that employed a certain bloodlust, fearlessness and hatred not normally inherent within the host. Indeed, it even drove them to forego tactical superiority of immediate dispatching of the opponent upon their flank, to hobble and paralyze their opponents instead, with slices to vital tendons, and spine taps.

This suggests to the observer that it is more than a symptom of the Great Ring losing its connection with the elements that made up the Material World, but rather the world itself, and all of its makeup - its inhabitants included -, beginning to forget itself and its own rules, after the traumatic event of the Ringfall and the collapse of the City of Rings. Perhaps, in its own error, it is attempting to correct itself to preserve itself, and in so doing, creates the anomalous activity that we perceive today, with growing frequency.

Think of it like a puzzle that is attempting to puts its own pieces back together, but it lacks the logic or eyes to know which is the correct place to put it, to visualize such a vast and nebulous concept.

Why do they matter?

As the world has suffered the extreme trauma of an apocalyptic event, it falls upon us to rebuild. Not just stacking stone walls and sowing fields, but rejuvenating the earth, filling the rivers, mitigating the harshness of the blistering sun that causes all but the most steady plants to wilt. We, as survivors of the old, and inheritors of the new, must sow back together the very seams of the world.

It is more than a matter of seeking the mysteries of the new world to wrestle with the elements, it is a matter of willpower, collective thought and shared vision for the future, to rebuild the world in an image of our choice. Descriptions of progression to social change, have escaped the confines of metaphors, and are now beginning to become literal.

It is the author's thoughts, that these Glooms, for the many dangers they pose, hold the potential to serve as the needed building blocks, to restore the world to its function. That a project that focuses on Actualization of these Glooms' features, and anchoring them into reality, is what will be our best hope, for life in our new home.
#6
Advertising Litter / Buying: Heavy Crossbow
March 05, 2024, 03:36:16 AM
[These notices are posted in Ephia's Well, the Caravaneer's Camp and Qadira.]

Buying: Heavy Crossbow. It needs to have significant draw strength. When its ammo hits steel, it needs to be able to flatten a plate of steel.

Write for Isadora Sylvestre. I will pay for postage.
#7
[These letters are left at the Coffee House, and the Sandstone College, as an open letter fishing for answers.]

How do you do?

My name is Isadora Sylvestre. A recent comer to Ephia's Well, and a Sandstone College student to-be, once I save up enough for tuition. I have a field of study I'm hoping to get some perspective of, and I hope to hit the ground running.

I'm studying the subject of 'glooms'. Anomalous activity. Things just not fitting where they should.

They've become persistent, in the small pockets they gather throughout the Great Ring, but in order to form a foundation for my thesis, I need some context that only natives can provide.

When did these incidents start happening? Was it before, or after, the Ringfall?

I take my letters at Hasheema's Hope, inbox four.

Thanks for your time.
#8
Correspondence / Letter for Cosine Mevura
February 19, 2024, 10:39:16 AM
How do you do, Apothar?

Went looking into your offer, but, the only Nadiri they take, practice book magic that I just don't know.

What I know about glooms is just downright bizarre. Couldn't tell you how it works, just how to navigate out of a pocket, if I get caught in one, or how to get into one out of our "picture frame".

Yeah. No technical terms for this one. Sorry. Just explaining it as best I can. Not sure if the words in Common to explain it even exist.

It's a long story. Not a very interesting one for a man that goes chasing what goes bump in the dark, either. One I'm happy to tell, if you're willing to meet me the rest of the way, and tell me what you know about the glooms.

Send for Isadora. I don't read my mail often, not a resident of the city. Not sure if I'm staying or going, still. Trouble has a habit of catching up to me, if I sit still for too long.

In the meantime, I take my mail at Hasheema's Hope. Inbox address and number attached.

- Isadora Sylvestre.
#9
General Discussion / Re: DM Appreciation Day - Abala
October 24, 2023, 02:47:19 AM
It was forever ago that we met, but, I still think fondly of that time. The good times, the Chequon shenanigans, Munt's explosive disaster-ventures, the times my character followed yours right into a political meeting, dressed in armor that was in the likeness of the Tiger Eyes, and starting a political shitstorm.

Definitely set the tone for what came after.

Here's to you, buddy, happy Abala day.

#10
I appreciate you, Halfbrood, you're blunt and honest, you have a remarkable sense of patience and you have a commitment that can be measured in time, but is better measured in the fun had along the way.

Here's to you, buddy.

And yes, giants are pretty fuckin' rad.
#11
---

The Second Installment of the book: Surviving The Long Night: A Primer on Spirits and the Restless Dead.

By: Mare Strider.

---

The second addition will be including more uncommon spirits that are unlikely to manifest, but have been known to manifest throughout the passage of history.


---
The Corporeal Dead: Addendum.

 Page 1, The Hecatoncheires.


The Hecatoncheires.

Threat level: Apocalyptic.

Physical Attributes: One hundred upper bodies of the dearly departed, all joined together to form a monolithic structure. Advanced motor function, heightened sentience, complete recollection of martial art muscle memory.

Symptoms Of Presence: Absence of corpses following a grudge-borne war, mass graves recently overturned and all empty.

Details: As dreaded as the mythical Dragon, or the frightful Lich, the Hecatoncheires is the manifestation of an unholy, great rot, and pathos of rage on a great scale. Invincible, inexorable and as destructive as an endlessly raging war, only the resolution of old feuds by the living, can cause the Hecatoncheires to disassemble, and return to rest.

Abandon all hope, whomever chances upon such a thing.
[close]

 Page 2, Sinewsinger.
Sinewsinger.

Threat level: Extreme.

Physical Attributes: Sinew and bone, scattered like a rash across scenery, its presence a bulb, hidden among the gore that makes up its likeness. Taut sinew and embedded bones, that can be jostled by the host to make musical sound.

Symptoms Of Presence: Inexplicable melodic sounds, bird-song at an unusual pattern from the norm, foul smell rising from an enclosed area.

Details: A Sinewsinger functions much like a spider, its carcass and gore serving as a web and pincers both. Deathly still and immobile, the Sinewsinger makes sounds of a peculiar, inviting nature, luring its victims into its territory, before all lashes of sinew and bone close up to attack, all at once.

Fire from a distance is the ideal way to purge a location confirmed to be a Sinewsinger's haunt. Failing that, spiked armor or scrolls of Whispering Wind and Acid Sheathe, to shred through the appendages that close in on you, whilst you begin your search for its head.
[close]

 Page 3, Spitter.
Spitter.

Threat level: Medium to High.

Physical Attributes: The restless, corporeal dead, with rotting skin, a swollen neck and chest cavity, its jawline either absent or swollen around the glands that produce spit.

Symptoms Of Presence: Melted meat, chemical burn trails, stench of acid.

Details: Spitters are thought of to be blasphemers, who have abandoned or betrayed their covenants prior to death, and have been cursed to walk the earth, to show its true nature, and add poetic description to the blasphemous words they speak.

Necromancers often attempt to replicate the Spitter with fleshcrafting, using them as ranged opponents to line their horde with, though a subtle way to tell them apart, is that a lookalike Spitter will not be repulsed by a show of true faith, and a genuine Spitter will.

When dispatching Spitters, use weapons intended for slashing, so the bile can bleed out of the carcass. If you pierce it, the Spitter will explode, coating everything around it in acid.
[close]

 Page 4, Cranial Crawlers.
Cranial Crawler.

Threat level: High.

Physical Attributes: A brain protruding out of a shriveled, deboned head keeping only its jaw, and mobile by six bone fingers.

Its victims will look as though they were alive in its early stages, before gradual decay, and eventually, abandoned in search of a new host, the previous now absent of all bio-mass.

Symptoms Of Presence: Shriveled, starved corpses in a region that has not known widespread famine.

Details: Cranium Crawlers are almost identical to Intellect Devourers in purpose, yet their creation is by the domination of a victim before their demise, and both their head and hands harvested. Seeking new hosts, The Cranium Crawler is an opportunity predator, who ambushes in the heat of battle, or from the shadows.

Using the deboned head as a sleeve, and its remaining jaw as a latch, it couples with the victim's head, bleeding into their brains negative energy, until the host is dead, and the Cranium Crawler assumes control, either to bring new material to its master like the Skull Spider, or to fulfill a greater design.

A Cranium Crawler is dependent upon flesh and blood, and slowly feeds off of its host for an age, preventing decomposition while drawing from muscle mass, fat, blood and marrow. They can also be baited into taking an already-dead carcass, and feeding from it.

If you intend to bait it, inject the corpse with spider venom. Otherwise, Cranium Crawlers can follow their hosts back to their masters if they are quiet, or be hunted with minor safety, should the inclined individuals hunt as a group.
[close]

---
The Incorporeal Dead: An Addendum.

Page 1, Cinderghast.
Cinderghast.

Threat level: Medium. Extreme, in flammable environments.

Physical Attributes: Partial skeletal personification, wreathed in soulfire, pained whailing.

Symptoms Of Presence: Abnormal heat spots, inexplicable crying, either at night, or in a place of darkness.

Details: Cinderghasts are risen again into unlife by the pathos of pain, like the Allip. Unlike the Allip, this pain is what defines them, rather than the psychological pain that comes as a result of its sting, and the fear of the lash upon its absence. It carries with them a sting that they cannot seem to rid themselves of. It rages on, coursing through their body, raking through their minds, denying them relief, their pain serving as a fuel that gives more life to the source of their torment, and onwards the cycle turns.

The ideal way to lay a Cinderghast to rest, is to destroy the instruments that may either have been used to torture them, or slay them slowly, at which point, the flames may subside and either may change into an Allip, or be laid to rest.

If you mean to drive them back into the shadows as a short term solution, insulate yourself, for soulfire catches fire to all that living, and all that is of emotional value to the Cinderghast. Touch alone can set you ablaze.
[close]

 Page 2, Revenant.
Revenant.

Threat level: High.

Physical Attributes: Vague manifestations of previous self, corpse-like and sullen, vivid recollection of the source of its grudge and its capabilities in life.

Symptoms Of Presence: Obvious manifestations, continuous bad fortune for the party that issued the slight.

Details: Raised into undeath by an undying grudge, the Revenant comes in many forms, sometimes in a corporeal host, like the Kinslain. Revenants are those who are moved even beyond the impersonal death of war or strife, who rise again to strike at those who have yet to earn the forgiveness of the slighted party.

For the best possible result of laying a Revenant to rest, its exorcism will not be by ritual or relic, but by seeking to mend the relations between the restless dead, and themselves. Without the pathos of a grudge to bind them to this world, they will fade, and move beyond the eternal boundary.
[close]

 Page 3, Will o' Wisp.
Will o' Wisp.

Threat level: High.

Physical Attributes: Pale, orbular light.

Symptoms Of Presence: Inexplicable glimmer of lights deep in the wilderness. Initially friendly demeanor, especially towards the naive and young, in attempts to lead them deeper into the wilderness to kill them.

Details: Will o' Wisps are a strange entity, formerly appearing like a Lantern Archon prior to the Celestial Realignment. Scholars suggest it is an undying spirit born of jealousy for the living, and corrupted by the vicious quality of being deceptive.

Beings of trickery and of malicious intent, the Will o' Wisp finds sustenance in cruelty and pain inflicted upon living, thinking creatures, especially the pure and trusting.

They are spellcasters, maddened with the secrets of the arcane, no longer confined by the limitations of mortality, and dangerous adversaries, if not immediately rebuked.

A Will o' Wisp can be exorcised either by direct confrontation, or by the mockery of its true nature, for it hides well its shyness and pathetic qualities behind the cruelty it brandishes as its shield and weapon.
[close]

 Page 4, Kami.
Kami.

Threat level: Non-existent, unless its wrath is invoked.

Physical Attributes: Varying. Sometimes as subtle as a continuous breeze through trees, sometimes as blatant as a manifestation. Varying level of sentience, sometimes conscious, sometimes subconscious.

Symptoms Of Presence: Subtle, abnormal changes to an otherwise static or stagnant locale.

Details: Kami go by many names in other cultures previously found in the City of Rings, and still in the Great Disc. To the people of Frostport, they know them as the spirits of beasts that fill their northern reaches. To the Druids of distant lands, forces of nature, some as great as the seasons themselves. All of them are correct.

They are aspects of this world, or manifestations born of joined pathos, brought about by mutual hopes and dreams. They are not traditionally worshiped, and they are not asked for their boons, instead, they are acknowledged and respected for what they represent.

Kami do not require exorcising, as much as one must respect the aspect they represent.
[close]

 Page 5, Vallarjhar.
Vallarjhar.

Threat level: High, to Extreme, based on their prowess as warriors.

Physical Attributes: Complete manifestation of the ego, wreathed in mist, adorned with their treasured keepsakes. Maintained intellect, demeanor and skill.

Symptoms Of Presence: A brilliant radiance shining bright from banners, local landmarks, or sacred relics. An encroaching mist, that coats the floor of the battlefield.

Details: The Vallarjhar are spirits wreathed in the pathos of valor and pride, risen into the material world as either a means to protect the eternal ego, or as a symptom of irritation to a dormant pride that has seeped into the earth, from the graves of the proudly fallen.

Their central point can be typically found (and given unnatural glimmer) in landmarks, symbols of pride, or tombstones committed to venerable friends, and family. The upsetting of it, can diminish the very identities that define them, and mutate them into Spectres.

Typically, Vallarjhar are laid to rest through combat, though the honoring of their traditions, achievements and history can be enough to return them to death.
[close]

 Page 6, Myling.
Myling.

Threat level: Medium.

Physical Attributes: Small, vague features. Eyes in a spot of darkness, fast movement.

Symptoms Of Presence: Infantile babbling and singing at night, careless, sudden and unprovoked destruction.

Details: Mylings are the tragic offspring abandoned or slain by their parent shortly after birth, and stay long after by the pathos of love, even if it is not reciprocated. Prone to fits of boredom, or a lack of regard for safety or danger, the Myling will often destroy to entertain itself, or to seize the attention of its absent parent.

To lay a Myling to rest, you must seek the burial site of the dearly departed, and unearth them. The easiest route is to force the parent to accept the child as their own, to name them, and bury them in untainted soil, typically in a graveyard, or upon grounds vibrant with nature.

Should the parent be unwilling, or unable to, the Myling can come to know a new parent by a display of sincere love and affection, and a show of bravery in the face of its haunt, for if it feels fear from its parent, it can reject them all together, or become a Wraith.
[close]

 Page 7, Obake.
Obake.

Threat level: Medium, to High.

Physical Attributes: Changes. As a shapeshifter, Obake can either represent any mundane object, or an amalgamation of objects in its presence.

Symptoms Of Presence: Blood, signs of a struggle, drag marks but neither a body or a perpetrator.

Details: Obake are close cousins of the Spectre, who have lost their identity and are attempting to remember, assuming the identities of the familiar, either as objects, or as phantasmal animals. As nothing fits, resentment builds, until it bursts, and a hunting begins, lashing out and accosting the living to bleed out its anger. When it is spent, it fades from the material world, alongside its victim, who it has now interlinked. It will eventually manifest again, and resume its guessing and shapeshifting, until an identity fits snugly into the core of its being.

An Obake is typically laid to rest by addressing them by their correct name. Some detective work is required, to identify who may have died or gone missing during the period in which the haunting began.

Be precise in your guess, as repeated incorrect names can aggravate it, and provoke it to lash out.

If you are uncertain that an Obake haunt is present, a way to detect them is to cover the room in a thick layer of dust or ash, then leave for a time. If things have changed, such as objects being there that were not previously, or have been moved, without any sign of a living trespasser, then an Obake is afoot.
[close]

 Page 8, Egbere.
Egbere.

Threat level: High. Extreme, depending on the grievances.

Physical Attributes: Short, stubby, skin as dark as night, beastial features wrapped in a mat.

Symptoms Of Presence: Inexplicable increase of violence towards sentient life in the wilds. Crying, that is consistent with the yelping of hyenas.

Details: Egbere are guardian spirits of significance to the druids, who are roused to anger at the show of disregard towards the reverence of nature. Polluters, skin and sport hunters, and the encroachment of civilization can be swift to earn their anger.

Egbere are a relentless hunter, that assumes features of many different beasts. Soothed for long periods by the treatment of fouled waters or the sowing of felled trees, the Egbere is, at times, targeted and dominated by necromancers for its prolonged destructive power.
[close]

 Page 9, Inugami.
Inugami.

Threat level: Medium to High.

Physical Attributes: A living human being, with a complete abandon of personality and feral demeanor.

Symptoms Of Presence: Lunacy in a previously stable, ordinary individual, or gradual decay into inarticulate rage.

Details: It is said the loyalty and love of a companion are strong bonds, and the best gift a mortal can appreciate. Sometimes, these bonds are so great that they persist after death, watching over their beloved friend with eternal vigilance. When threatened, this love can fester into anger, and can be projected onto another living being, to carry it out its will.

Without moderation, or control, these encounters can turn lethal, leaving the possessed victim to suffer the social or physical consequences.

To discern an Inugami haunt, one must undertake the role of detective and search the community for those who may have previously had a pet and are in a dire situation, who might have slighted them, or otherwise. Peace must be brokered between all parties, and aches mended, if the faithful companion is to cease its possession, find peace and return to death.

In the event that there is no victim of strife with a deceased pet, then you must search for recent graves. It is a practice of necromancers, to starve a dog, then behead them, burying the dead beast at the most common turning juncture, and forcing it to project its wrath onto those who tread upon its body, inflicting the community with a curse of lunacy.
[close]

 Page 10, Zar

Zar

Threat level: Extreme, if not caught early.

Physical Attributes: When manifesting, it will be in the image of the departed, pale and sickly.

Symptoms Of Presence: A member of the community who has randomly decided to take to take activities that are certain to inflict illness, such as the consumption of dung, the opening of wounds and exposing them to infectious sources, so on, so forth.

Details: A spirit that has made its way through the passages of history, Zar (who go by other names in other cultures, such as the Mononoke) are apparitions given life and twisted by the pathos of spite, their grudge undying, their slight personal and severe. Seeking to prey upon the weak-willed, dominate them, and make the host contagious, before abandoning them for the host to suffer the illnesses unraveling them.

A Zar's haunt is an obvious one, partaking in blatantly self-harming activities. With great caution, capture the host alive, and administer medicines to preserve them long enough for an exorcism to be performed.
[close]

 Page 11, Dybbuk.
Dybbuk.

Threat level: Varying, depending on the individual.

Physical Attributes: Disembodied, wrung and twisted manifestation of the individual.

Symptoms Of Presence: A complete abandonment of demeanor and nature, in favor of the haunter.

Details: Dybbuk originate from conflicting sources. It is theorized by some, that the emotional void created by the tormented and their tormentor, allows the tormentor to find sustenance from the grief of their victims, and imprint upon them their will.

Others suggest that Dybbuk are evil individuals, who's obsession and sheer power of will allows them to retain their presence upon the material world, and by domination, can command a victim to obey.

Dybbuk, by paranoid nature, are difficult to capture, who's commitment to fulfilling their agenda demands caution and self preservation.

To perform an exorcism, and lay them to rest, it will require a greater understanding of the habits and capabilities of the haunter, an ability to subdue the host, and bind them for exorcism.
[close]

#12
Correspondence / Report for Ferric Aseph
September 08, 2023, 08:38:23 PM
It comes too late, this report, though I feel we are not done with this forever. A life was promised to that Vault, and to leave the price of balance unpaid is to invite an unforeseen, deadly correction. It costs life to staunch the flow of death, and death is averted only to further the cause of death in the world.

The contents herein are if, tomorrow, on the last of the seven days, something happens.

Signed,
Mare Strider.

----
Subject: Yagumdalar.

Description: A skeletal figure, dressed in a robe dripping with blood, and armed with a vorpal knife.

Abilities:

- Psychic Projection: Yagumdalar was able to call out to near passer-bys for his freedom by telepathic messages. It is presumed that he was able to even project images, taking on the likeness of one Trusty Pete, a scavenger of The Lover's Gap, and lessening his role in history as a benevolent Prince, who's name was the passage into any part of his realm.

- Incorporeal: Yagumdalar matches no known profiles of the incorporeal dead. Even Wraiths flay the soul, rather than leave physical wounds upon the body. The closest known profile is a Valarjhar, storm warriors, who return from death to earn honor to their name post-mortem and manifest to clash, yet Yagumdalar does not match any of the conditions that would make him such.

It is much more likely that Yagumdalar is a cursed being, who was previously destroyed without suffering Final Death, and is near to crossing the threshold into the material world. For a more detailed description, read the next section.
---

Identity: Yagumdalar's psychic ability, dependency on blood for nourishment, long lifespan and "self sired dynasty", complete with manipulation over the living, such as compelling them to speak, obedience (read the report on Blood Puppets later), paralyzing them with fear, is more in line with a vampire.

However, mummies of great power have been supposedly known to have been able to project from their sarcophagus, command obedience from perceived lessers through unholy decree, and can draw sustenance from the lifeforce of the living (located within the flow of blood) to re-materialize as their living selves, deathless and unburdened by the light of the sun. Coupling this with its ability to instill terror, it is possible.

The blood test that the Astronomers were going to test would had said more, but, we had run out of time. Failing the blood test, we could had learned more from its chamber.

Blood Puppets: It seemed to have marked Bashir, Anais, and an unknown third with dominance. On the second remaining day, Bashir had begun to vomit blood, and express unusual behavior. Just who is the third party, I know not, but, if the curse still stands, Bashir and Anais will still be compelled to obey, come tomorrow as of the time of this writing. It would be of interest to the Fourth Legion to reveal the third party, and watch Bashir and Anais for unusual behavior.

Lethality: Yagumdalar seems to have an intimate understanding of its victims, whether by reading their mind, or some outward expression that he picks up on.

The Palatial Pyramid was a direct threat, so as to frighten the targeted individual.

The Plaza encounter, it manifested before Armis, who fears the manifestation of evil much less than most. Rather than directly threatening him, it threatened him with collateral, forcing him to choose either Cosine, or Mae, to die next.

The encounter at the Court House served as a threat to terrorize the public, having slain a Ashfolk citizen, it had grown in power to manipulate objects in the material world, this time being able to fashion a stake for the head to be piked upon.

The encounter with Scholar Xi, may he rest in peace, seemed to wait until he was alone, and vulnerable, before striking. The strike was much more visceral than a neck gouge, as if to make a mess on purpose, and instill more terror.

All instances of death were done with a perfectly still hand. Zi seems to prove to be the exception.

Symptoms of haunting: Iron, acidic, fizzy smell on the air. Blood cooling in random places of an immediate haunt, turning to scabs before long.

Repulsion to True Faith: Yagumdalar's presence seems to be repelled by devout word shouted on high, with holy symbol brought to bear. This seems more likely to stun him, rather than actually stop the haunt all together.

Extra: The severed head of the ashfolk victim seems to respond in the presence of those who have been haunted. Morally objectionable, to be sure, but keeping the head preserved, to make it serve as a canary in a mine, could warn us well in advance of its next strike.
----
Consequences of late stage neglect: Factually unknown. All evidence points towards complete materialization, activation of Blood Puppets as thralls, and a hostile powerbase forming in the Ashways.

Option 1, Sacrifice at the Vault.
Chance of success: 100%.

Components Required: One living sacrifice.

Details: Each time Yagumdalar has had to be sealed away, it has been with life sacrificed, by closing the vault with one inside. Its chamber runs red with a pool of blood of those who have done so previously, and their death seems to be enough to lure him back into slumber, and eventual exorcism.
[close]

 Option 2, Raid.


Chance of success: With all assets as they are, 50%. Increased chance of success, based on new information that helps narrow down the identity, and appropriate exorcism required.

Components required:

If he is a vampire: One stake, melted from precious metals of religious value, typically an effigy, typically silver. The soil or sand of his homeland.

Otherwise, if he is a mummy: A means to dispel magical protections. The urns that contain his embalmed vitals will be highly fortified.

Details: Storm the vault. The main host scatters to draw his attention, while the actor in question closes in to douse the ground with the soil or sand, then stake him through the chest with the melted stake, if he is a vampire.

Otherwise, the main actor scours the room for where the embalmed organs are stored, and begin their destruction.
[close]

 Option 3, Parlay.

Chance of success: Difficult to say.

Components required:

One scroll of Animate Dead.

The severed head of the ashfolk victim, or the full body of the plaza victim, or Scholar Zi. Hand fan required.

Details: These victims have a link with Yagumdalar, and, by animating them, we can potentially host a seance, that can hear his demands, and fulfill them so that he never dares to leave his vault. Although morally distasteful, the results have consistently been positive. It falls upon us if we wish to tempt the ire of the public.
[close]
#13
BILL OF SERVICE

SERVICES RENDERED: Documentation, observation, plans of imprisonment and banishment, case "The Beast".

RECIPIENT: The Fourth Jannisary Legion. Verbal instruction given to forward the bill to the Palatial Pyramid by Radislav Ludovich.

COST: 1,500 dinars.

500, Mare Strider, for services rendered.

500, Armis Iustus Card, for services rendered.

500 for Lucrecia Allaire, survivor of Hekatomb, now deceased.

PAY TO THE ORDER OF: Mare Strider.

EXTRA: For performance of imprisonment and/or banishment, contact Mare Strider. Price can be drastically reduced if the client would like to utilize professionals listed herein as attaches to the current undergoing efforts of the Astronomers of Q'tolip.
#14
Dear reader, this will be my last report.

Final conclusion.

Its core suggests it is more liquid than a solid, slithering mass. While it cares nothing for the bite of frost, is it still beyond ambient temperature freezing?

Initial aversion to the Well was presumed that it was out of its territory. Now, it would highly suggest that it is repelled by the mist of Well Water. It is an irritant on its skin at worst, and something that causes great pain at best.

It is repelled by sunlight.

It cannot leave The Shade, as observed by Sammar and other participants. Curious as to what happens if it is forced out.

----
Additional actions to take:

Option 5, Containment.
Success chance: 70%. Fluctuations dependent on participants. For the best outcome, all participants who are the current target of fixation should be present and ready to defend themselves.

Components required:

- One fletcher or tinkerer, who can create a custom munition. Wajeeb is a good candidate. Magesilver, Quicksilver or Alchemist's Gold, make for good munitions against creatures of a supernatural nature.

- One alchemist, who can create an alchemical solution that would rapidly grow in heat until it can turn water to mist. Apothar Estellise Azimi would be a perfect candidate but others can suffice.

- One archer, the best shot in the entirety of Ephia's Well. The munition will have to be shot by bow. Preferably one that can make use of a scroll, or potion, of True Strike. Sephidra of the Torchbearers is the perfect candidate.

- One sharpened stone of Basalt Rock. It is a hydrophobic stone, that parts and repels all liquid. Consulting architects of Banafsi who work with the stone can confirm its reliability underwater until pressure grows too severe, ideal for surface projects, but nothing underground that runs deep. This was purchased with combined funds of Legate Marcellus Saenus, Atticus Norva, myself and the Torchbearers.

Future allocation is highly unlikely, the longer we wait. Qa'im's alliance with Banafsi will most likely lead to closed ports.

Basalt is chosen, as it is more likely to pass through its liquid-like core, unlike most attacks, that seem to bounce off of it, or wedge itself within, before being deflected. Testing it with the sample harvested from the after-attack on dearest Hekatomb, it seems to lose its adhesive quality, and does not stick to the stone, making it easy for collecting, and bottling again.

- One spellcaster, who can cast Teleport, or a tool that can replicate the same effect. I personally know no-one who is up to the task. The Astronomers of Q'tolip claim that they can do this with The Shade.

- Prison grounds that cannot be disturbed. Personally, I suggest at the bottom of the Sinking Ocean, as water temperature seem too warm, even at great depths, to cool a well insulated prison. The water's weight may also prove sufficient enough to pin it to the ocean floor.

- A cell attached to boilers and a chamber full of Well Water. The boilers will need to convert the water to mist, and will need to insulate well, to prevent against turning vapors back into water. Alternatively, a magic prison built with Old City stone. It does not seem capable, or willing, to destroy old architecture quite how it rampages through the Dry Gutters and upper city without a care.

The latter will prove much more dangerous to acquire than the former.

Details: This will be a sortie, to draw its attention, and hold it still long enough for the teleportation to take place.

The arrow, should it find its mark and dispense mist within it, may possibly be enough to stun it in place long enough for either the teleportation to begin, or for shield bearers to get into position, and trap it in place. The idea itself was re-purposes from a salt dispenser munition that was made especially to be launched at phantasms, and cause them to vanish back to the shadows from the scattering of salt.

The teleportation will need to transport it to its prison.

Potions of Death Ward, Haste, DIsplacement, Clarity, Barkskin, and so much more, is mandatory for all participants.
[close]

With your permission, I would like to share this with the Astronomers of Q'tolip, as they have a desire to do so, and your knowledge may prove valuable to them. On whatever basis you would like to wage this exchange on, be it wealth or political favor, I leave that to you, you are my clients.

If you would like to carry out this plan, please pen me so I might adequately prepare.

Otherwise, we may conclude business here and I may forward you the bill, or the city to pay on behalf of its charted guilds and bodies of power.

Signed,
Mare Strider.
#15
Greetings reader,

I write to you today to seek your wisdom. I am an exorcist by trade, and seek seers and diviners to interpret otherwise abstract information that defies all scholarly understanding. I have been tasked to banish the slithering beast in the Dry Gutters, and while I have ample facts about the creature, none of these suggest how best to banish it, other than it cannot be contested in arms, and a high probability that it will recoil before the light of the sun.


I write to the Sisters, because it has been brought to my attention that you have some familiarity with the otherworldly, curing an otherwise fatal exposure to red meteorite. Your technique, knowing or not, may just have the answer to reversing the effect, and putting this invader to death.


Let us be friends and cooperate. Write to me soon.

Signed,
Mare Strider.