Mystery Box

I think I'm ready for the Binding Ritual on my end. You might wanna take some notes on this next part. The power of Doppelmancy that comes from being Bound to that Orb of Faulty Replication is gonna work best if you get good at Rhyming Incanatations. Good rhymes make better magic, that's what I always say.

Anyway, hope you've got your look figured out. Just remember; hold those images in your mind. Once we get this Ritual started, that's what's gonna shape the orb into the new Pawn you're gonna inhabit. For however long as you can survive down there in The Crawl, anyway.

Well that's enough banter. Time to start Incantating. Lemme see here...

*ehem*

Mirrormancer, copy-cancer, duplicator, aye.Show

Ball of Twain. An echo-voice that is it's own reply.Show

May your matter be the mold, to hold a hero's mind.Show

Be the Pawn to capture King. Imbue this vessel! Bind!Show

There we go, Miss Bootz. For better or worse, you've been Bound. You're now your very own Pawn, to guide and control as you will. And conveniently back in the box too.

You like how I did that all in one go? What can I say, I'm good at my job.

Anyway, uh... one more thing. Before I send you on your way.

The place you're going to... well, anybody'd tell you The Crawl is a rough place to be. Shifting spaces, tricky traps, mean monsters, and worse. All kinds of nasty types have set up shop there too, waiting to use you if they can, or get rid of you if they can't. But there's a kinda beauty there too, if you look in the right places. People just living and struggling, helping one another, and defying that cold march toward Nothingness just by keeping on existing. People who want to make The Crawl a little bit better for the next guy to come along.

That's the sorta thing I'm all about. As it happens, it's also what I'm hoping I can count on you for.

Supposing that Somebody wanted the world to be a better place. Supposing that, some time ago, this Non-Particular Entity made a powerful Mystery Box, what people could reach into, and pull out whatever they wanted. And let's say that this person gave it to the people to use, and everything was hunky dory for a while.

But then, suppose that instant wish fulfillment is actually kind of a two-edged sword. Imagine that people started to use what they pulled out of The Box to hurt folk before they could cool their head, or even hurt themselves in ways they didn't even notice. At this point, it's looking like that Mystery Box is working against the whole reason it was made in the first place, right?

Well... say that because of this, that Somebody from earlier went to take The Box back, so it could be reworked a bit. And say that the Masters in charge of The Box at the time weren't too keen to give it up, or the power it gave 'em over other folk. And, long story short, let's say that in the end, that poor shortsighted Somebody got banished by the very folk they were trying to help.

Though they probably couldn't make you do anything, I bet that Unspecified Person would really like your help getting The Box back. Even if that would mean going up against the folks using all that power to prop themselves up, and drag everyone else down. And, as it happens, I do believe those very folks happen to be down in The Crawl, where you're headed once we're done. So, if maybe those suppositions we were just talking about turned out to be real, and seemed like maybe a bit of a wrong that oughta be made right... well, I'd hope I could count on you to do your best to put it to rights.

Anyway, enough chit-chat outta me, eh? Have a good time down in The Crawl, newbie. Try to last longer than the last guy. And, if you find any Horned Statues while you're down there, feel free to drop me a line. Heck, send me another Package if you gotta. Normally I wouldn't encourage it, but for you Miss Bootz, I'll make an exception.

Best wishes, bon voyage, happy hunting, et cetera et ceteraShow