Death, Taxes, and Cookies: to Rule an Underworld - INTERMISSION 2 END

> Clean

I stuff away my hunger for now and dust my hands with a loud clap. I don't actually know why you're supposed to do this before putting in some hard work, but it's just, like, a signifier, you know? Feels a bit impolite to start cleaning without announcing to the world that you're about to start cleaning, doesn't it? I start picking up a few books off the ground.



Cleaning's good. I mean, it's a little bit tedious, but the point isn't the work itself, right? It's the fact that I'm doing it. That's good. Responsibility 'n stuff. I can deal with that. All the little fallen bits of paper, I can pick 'em up. All the discarded books, I can sort 'em out. That dirty old coat my brother seems so fond of, I fold it away real tightly and re-do the beddings along with it. I even dust off the floors a little bit, though I had to squabble for a rag before I could do so.

As I go through the stuff, I take a moment to look it all over. Gosh - my brother's so messy. I mean, I know half of the room's mess is my fault, but it feels like he's being deliberately so! Something to tease him about over breakfast, assuming he hasn't already left the house by now.

Oh. Right. Breakfast.

I hear my name being called from downstairs. With a sheepish twitch, I stop, look outside, and realize the sky's already bright and blue! I feel a grumbling from below. I'm really hankering for some bread, now. I spent all of breakfast cleaning!

I move towards the ladder down the attic, but then I realize...



That my brother...



Isn't -

---

...

Mm.

... I suppose I should get back to work.

[Result: 2+7+3(+1 from Chair in Storefront)=13 Stress removed. Stress gain returned to normal.]

---

Turn 5

Time passed since death: 1 month 1 week Underworld 6 years 3 months Mortal World

the Book of the Dead

- Lordship Actions -

[ ] to Create - An Altar of Creation, the Aspect called it. Something like your unnamed wand-thing, but bigger, and more personalized. This should allow you to refine your control over your divinity.
Result: Create an Altar of Creation at a specified location, which unlocks more Lordship actions. Low Risk.
- [ ] Select location to place this construct.
- [ ] (OPTIONAL) Describe, roughly, how it could look.

[ ] to Judge - A Hall of Judgement, the Aspect called it. Much less flashy than its' name sounds, it would merely be a place where you could store dead souls - once you start collecting them, that is - and decide which part of your underworld they should be sent to.
Result: Create a Hall of Judgement at a specified location, which unlocks certain Lordship and Omen actions. Low Risk.
- [ ] Select location to place this construct.
- [ ] (OPTIONAL) Describe, roughly, how it could look.

[ ] Death the Gardener - You can make inanimate objects with divinity. Maybe you can create life, too, despite the, ah, reason you have that divinity in the first place. A garden would be nice... Result: Create a Garden at a specified location, which lowers Stress gain slightly and unlocks ??? next time you take the Relax action. Obtain Nature affinity. Below Average Risk.
- [ ] Select location to place this construct.
- [ ] (OPTIONAL) Describe, roughly, how it could look.

[ ] Renovation - You're thinking of a new look for one of your locations. Your control of your divinity is still low, but you think you can create a good aesthetic regardless... Result: Change how a location in the Underworld looks, roughly. Free action (Colin can perform another action even if they take this one, and can take it multiple times).
- [ ] Select a location to renovate, and how, roughly, you change its' appearance.

[ ] Deconstruction - The old must give way to the new - maybe that should be part of what Death represents. Free action. Result: Remove a construct from a certain location.
- [ ] Select a construct in a location to remove.

[ ] Connection - If you want to get things going from one place to another, you gotta connect your locations. You and the Aspect don't have to care about the pathways between each of your underworld's locations, but everyone else does. Alternatively, you could sever said connections. Free action.
- [ ] Select two or more locations to connect, or select connections to sever.

[ ] Relocation - You should put these somewhere else. Result: Move an angel or angels from one location to another, granted they have the ability to move to said location from where they currently are. Free action.
- [ ] Select angels to move, and where to put them.

- Grip Actions -

Adviser of Grip: Barold

Pick 1

[ ] War Changes - A new Adviser must come into the fold. Result: Select another angel to be your Adviser of Grip. Free action.

[ ] Harrowing Hell - The time has come to expand. More locations, more angels, more of the Abyss to be placed under your dominion. Death must be more ineffable, more unyielding than almost any other thing in existence.
- [ ] Pick a direction. Any direction. Even ones that usually don't exist.

[ ] Sparring - The most classic way to gain experience in fighting, is by fighting. So let's have some fighting! Result: Pit two angels against one another for one round. Both gain experience, with the loser gaining more. Variable Risk.
- [ ] Pick two angels to fight eachother.

[ ] Halt! Who Goes There? - Just as you and your angels could invade the Abyss, so could the Abyss invade you. Let's make sure that's not a thing that happens. Result: Set an angel to guard the Underworld, combating any would-be incursions.
- [ ] Pick an angel or angels to patrol this turn, including your Advisor.
- [ ] Pick locations to patrol. Note: The more locations an angel must patrol, the harder it is for them to do so. Additionally, some locations are more vulnerable to attack than others.

- Omen Actions -

Adviser of Omen: None! (Please choose an adviser to be able to do actions)

[ ] Aging Mages -  A new Adviser must come into the fold. Result: Select another angel to be your Advisor of Omen. Free action.

[ ] Luck Charm - The most basic of spells - as well as the least effective. At least you don't need an Altar of Mists for this...! Result: Add +1 to another action's roll this turn.
- [ ] Action to aid.

[ ] Transfiguration: Awakening - Demons aren't the only being that can be useful to the Underworld. A once-mortal servant can be useful indeed... Result: Turn a Shade of Potential into a Reaper.

[ ] Transfiguration: Form - Your furniture isn't the only thing you can change the appearance of, now that you have the Crucible. Though... you can't change THAT much right now. Result: Change the appearance of a non-Aspect Psychopomp slightly. Low Risk. Free Action.
- [ ] Psychopomp and what to change.

[ ] Transfiguration: Infusion - Maybe your divinity can be used to assist one of your servants... Result: Give a Psychopomp +(Lordship/2) to a stat this turn. Taking this option multiple times in a row will have consequences. Low Risk.
- [ ] Psychopomp and stat to infuse.

- Misc Actions -

[ ] Relax - I've been feeling unwell lately. Maybe I should spend some time with my thoughts, lest they grow dark. Result: Lowers Stress. Taking this option too many times will have detrimental effects on the Underworld.

[ ] Q&A With Mx. Barold - Curiosity burns in my mind. I should talk to the Aspect about this. Result: Ask a question or questions to Barold, who will answer as best as it can. Free action.
- [ ] Ask a question, or questions, to the Aspect.

[ ] A New Name - I've come up with a great new name for something! Result: Rename something, from the Aspect, to an Angel, to a construct, to a location, the Book of the Dead, to even Colin themself, and more things besides. Free action.
- [ ] What do you rename, and what to?