TAKE X (6-5-17: The End)

>Sienna, Justice, Giovanni

Someone who makes horrible problems, someone who may or may not currently be brainwashed to serve the will of a horrible problem, and someone whose only real talent for solving horrible problems is brute, potentially Kool-Aid Man-esque force.

Duximas, Palmer, and Sienna really have the most personal stakes in this. There's a chance Sienna will turn on the other two at some point... but then again, from a storytelling perspective, that's going to be pretty cool, so I'm up for it.

Hoping we get to at least see the others, but those three have the loaded Chekhov guns that I most want to see fired.

> Select Duximas Peteia.





Your name is Duximas. You've spent the last few days scoping out Vezretti. It's definitely way skeevier here than you remember it being. Over some conversations with Krytikas, you've managed to put together a pretty good picture of what's happened. Turns out Krytikas still has access to the information contained within her library - the one in the Centrality that contains the sum total of all secrets held by mortals and deities alike. Krytikas reassured you that the One Goddess hadn't yet managed to break the lock and take the library for herself.



There was this shade named Ione. (Krytikas also gave you the rundown on shades. That was a story long enough to fill a sixteen-page book.) Ione got attacked by a mortal, Sienna Travler. Ione used her innate shade abilities to trap Sienna in the void within her, but she didn't count on Sienna being able to mimic her. Using the same skills, Sienna took control of Ione's body.



Then Sienna found her way to a mountaintop. It's well-known lore that if a mortal makes it to the peak of the tallest mountain, they must be granted an audience with a deity. (It was a responsibility you'd all shunted off on Monitor, on the grounds that he had the least to do at any given time. In retrospect, that may not have been a good move.) She called an audience with Monitor, then used the void element's natural invisibility to divinity to slip under his notice. Then, the same way she hijacked Ione, she hijacked Monitor.



Then Sienna began rewriting history. There were a few false starts at first - Krytikas mentioned to you that Sienna was hiding several secrets about how she had to threaten a bunch of beings into getting it right, and neither of you could figure out who she was referring to. During the same time period, Sienna trapped you and your colleagues in the Normal Place and (directly and not) killed off everyone but you, Krytikas, Breza, and Tukha.



That brings you to now. Specifically, the two of you just saw the One Goddess, as she's calling herself, in person. She appeared out of the shadows, grabbed Krytikas' staff from her, and started threatening her, but then - with no warning - she just... left.

You think you probably ought to leave Vezretti. Krytikas has suggested that the two of you get cracking on finding Breza and Tukha. You're finding it hard to argue with that.

As you recover from the shock, you consider the most prudent course of action to take.

> Select Sienna Travler.





Your name is Sienna. There's a hand on your shoulder. It's dragging you back through the door. You're not exceptionally pleased about this, not least of all because of how close this will bring you to the goddess who wants to kill you.

You kind of feel like you got a raw deal here. There was supposed to be some wild goddess-killing weapon or something down here. Instead, all you got was a weird person who won't let go of your shoulder. Maybe you were supposed to go through the other door.



As you fall back through the door, you can finally see the person who you've been talking to. She looks familiar in an infuriatingly vague way. "I'm sticking with you for now," she says. "I need to get up to speed on what's happened."

"For starters, the One Goddess is out there, and she wants to kill me," you say.

The woman frowns. "The One Goddess? Hm..." She thinks a moment. "About your height, cloaked entirely in darkness, moves through shadows?"

You nod.

"So that's what she's going by now," the woman muses. "She's moved up in the world. Look, Travler-but-not, if I'm right, the One Goddess is actually another version of you, somehow. She stole my body."

"I could be wrong, but your body looks like it's right here," you say.

She nods. "When that Sienna stole it, she shunted my mind back to my realm. I was able to regenerate from there, which, to be fair, I don't think either of us knew I could do." She clasps your hand and shakes it firmly. "My name is Raptis. Ione Raptis."

"Well met," you say. "By the way, I do want to emphasize that the One Goddess is literally right outside the--"



The entrance is gone - there's just a wall there now. The One Goddess must have swiped the orbs and closed the hole.



"Right outside the what?" Ione asks.

You shake your head. "Never mind. Let's get that other door open."

Despite your best efforts, though, the door remains shut. Maybe there's a failsafe in place that locks the doors when the orbs aren't in place.

"Looks like we're trapped," Ione says, entirely too calmly for the situation in your opinion. "Not a problem, though. You know how Travler Prime moves through shadows?"





"She learned it from me."

> Select Palmer Deadman.





Your name is Palmer, and you've finally made some progress in unweaving this mess. After the encounter with Blue in Khetaqa, you made your way to Vezretti. After rubbing some elbows there, you began moving up in the world, so to speak - the higher-ups in the Church began to trust you.



All of it was to one single end: you wanted an audience with Church head Pia Amata so you could find out exactly what happened after you fought that shadow woman. Well, you know some of what happened - you died a bunch of times - but you'd like to know more of the details. And Pia Amata? You're pretty certain she's right behind this door.

After you pry information out of her, you're going to fix everything.

You're less clear on how you're going to do that.

>Violence? You're pretty good at that.

>Obviously she doesn't have any guards, she is too proud to think anyone would dare to intrude on her

I'm pretty sure we can suggest for any group, not just Palmer.

Duximas: Run. Just run. You can work out where you're running to later.

To clarify: Yes, by all means! Make suggestions for any group.

> Duximas: Run.



You and Krytikas flee. No telling when the One Goddess is going to decide to come back.



You end up on the road leading south out of Vezretti. Going west from here will get you to the port; east gets you to the border between Vandrio and its neighbor, Becdeni; further south are lots of forests and the hamlet of Berende, famous for its vineyards. At least, that's what you remember it being famous for. Who even knows what it's famous for now.

Anyway, your goal is simple: find Breza and Tukha before the One Goddess finds you. If only there was some way to find out where one of them was last seen.

> Palmer: Are there any guards?



There are no guards out here. In fact, there's no one out here at all, save for you. Amata must be pretty confident in herself. The last Amata, the one you remember, was famous for always being accompanied by her bodyguard, Ione Raptis.

Wait. The door is opening.



"Who are you and what are you doing here?"



CURRENT STATUS OF PARTY:
Duximas: Vezretti Crossroads
Sienna: Vezretti Main Plaza
Palmer: Vezretti Church - Back Hallway

>Palmer: Be cryptic.

>Sienna: Ask Ione if she had a particular reason for coming here. You know, the city at the center of the One Goddess' religion. Where she has thousands of loyal followers.

>Palmer: Be cordial right up until she shows the first sign of uncooperativeness. There's no telling what powers the One Goddess has entrusted her with, so you don't want to play your hand too early.

>Duximas: Ask if Krytikas would know where they are, since you don't know, so their location is a secret to you. That's how that works, right?

>Cordialness, offer coffee

> Duximas: Does Krytikas know where the others are?



You ask Krytikas if the location of Tukha or Breza is in her library of secrets.

Krytikas says that since they're not specifically keeping their locations a secret, she doesn't know anything about that - though that it probably means that they don't know where exactly they are, because otherwise they would be keeping it a secret, at least from the One Goddess.

After thinking for a moment, though, Krytikas says that it does seem like they are keeping a few secrets related to where they are.

Tukha, she says, is keeping his hiding place (underneath an outcropping of rock near a canyon) secret from the only two people he's seen so far (two mortals, both wearing blue and both wearing masks).

Breza, she continues, is keeping it a secret that she's been sneaking into a mortal's house during the nights, because she ended up somewhere horribly cold. The snow up to her neck isn't helping matters either.

You consider these clues. Maybe you can piece together where they are from that.

> Sienna: Ask Ione why she came here.



You look around. Once you realize where you are, your heart skips a beat and you ask Ione in a whisper why she brought the two of you here, to the center of the Church's power.

Ione smiles grimly. "It being the center of her power is exactly why we're here. I'm going to take that body thief down, and you're going to help me."

You ask her how she's going to do that.

"The plan's still a work in progress, but from what I'm guessing, she used the void element to take control of a god. I'll simply be returning the favor."

You look at her a moment. "So you're going to lure the One Goddess here, to a crowded city, and fight her?"

"No, no." Ione shakes her head. "We'll be luring her somewhere else. But Ms. Amata always told me that gods and goddesses derive their strength from the belief and prayers of mortals. So if we can strike a decisive blow here and shake everyone's faith in the Church, then we can pre-emptively weaken the One Goddess before we face her ourselves." She folds her hands behind her back and looks across the plaza at the looming architecture of the Church. "It pains me to have to do this, but the Ms. Amata I know would want to help dethrone Travler Prime any way she possibly could. Our plan, Travler Two, is..."

You have a sneaking suspicion that you know where this is going, and you say it at the same time as Ione.

"We're going to kill Pia Amata."

> Palmer: Be cordial.



"My name is Westley Mugg," you say.

Amata's eyes light up. "Ah, Mugg, is it? Yes, I've heard a lot about you. You've become quite the household name in the legal world recently. Though I must admit it seems nobody'd heard of you beforeyou came to our humble city. Where do you hail from?"

> Palmer: Be cryptic.



"I've called many places home," you say, which is technically true - your parents' home, your aunt's home, the woods outside of town, Blue's home, the library... the list goes on. "But," you continue, "Vezretti has made the most significant impression on me." This is also true.

"That's certainly flattering, Mugg," Amata says. "Now, what're you doing outside my door?"

> Palmer: Offer coffee.



"I came to speak with you," you say. "May I offer you a coffee first?"

Amata frowns at you, seemingly trying to figure out where you pulled that cup from. Eventually, she gives that endeavor up. "No, thank you, Mugg. What is it?"

"I'd like to ask you a few history questions. Specifically with regards to the One Goddess."

There's that calculating gaze again. "Go ahead."

"When did the One Goddess come into power?"

"What do you mean?" Amata asks, frowning. "She has always been so. Eternally."

"Yes, of course she is," you say. "But was she eternally in power before, say, a month ago?"

There's a lengthly pause.



"How dare you, Mugg?" Amata growls, finally putting words together. "Know your place! It is forbidden to question the One Goddess!" Amata's eyes flare, and it's then that you're certain. She does know something, and she doesn't want it getting out.

Amata continues by raising a hand and snapping her fingers, the sound echoing through the hall. "GUARDS!" she calls. "ARREST WESTLEY MUGG!"

You can hear footfalls coming. It sounds like it might be getting pretty hot here soon.

CURRENT STATUS OF PARTY:
Duximas: Vezretti Crossroads
Sienna: Vezretti Main Plaza
Palmer: Vezretti Church - Back Hallway

>Glass the guards

>Palmer: If she's calling the guards on you, and not handling you herself, it probably means you can take her in a fight.
>Kidnap her?

>Duximas: If it's cold, Breza's probably in Lycus somewhere, although that doesn't narrow it down much. As for Tukha, if there's a canyon... probably in a desert sort of place? Frig, I forget what place was a desert. I think Ginde maybe?

>Both of the prior two, but maybe also a quick check of available skills

All: Check skills



You have the following skills:

Vorpal Edge - A quick sword strike that hits enemies arranged in a row.
Crimson Crash - A stab that hurts the foe nearest to you. Can cause recurring damage over time, and has a greater chance to do so if you use a knife.
Grapple Check - A grab attack that lets you either suplex a foe or throw it at another foe. Causes more damage if you're unarmed.
Cross Strike - A powerful attack that causes damage along an X-shaped pattern. Can only be used if you can reach higher ground than the foe.



You have the following skills:

Mimic - A quick scan that lets you memorize the last skill your foe used.
Skill Memory - This skill allows you to use any skill you have previously Mimicked.
Void Cloak - This passive skill allows you to avoid the notice of anyone not already paying direct attention to you.

The following skills are available to you via Skill Memory:

Brutal Slash - A slow, strong cutting attack.
Overtime - A series of up-close punches and kicks.
Necro Sword - An ethereal sword that can slice from a distance.
Counter - A skill that counterattacks the next move your foe makes.
Lightning Shear - A lightning-fast cutting attack.
Blast Shield - A skill that sets mines that explode when a foe approaches.
Self-Healing - A skill that restores some health.
Element Swap - A skill that changes the element of the next move you use.



You have the following skills:

Palmer Tackle - A jumping tackle that has a chance to knock the foe unconscious.
Caffeine Barrage - A heavy blow dealt by an empty coffee cup.
Void Cloak - This passive skill allows you to avoid the notice of anyone not already paying direct attention to you.
Bend the Rules - This skill lets you do... things. To the world around you. It's hard to explain, and you're not entirely certain you understand it.

> Duximas: Could Breza be in Lycus?



You consider your options. "If Breza is in really heavy snow, that could mean Lycus or Vianu," you say, thinking out loud, "and if she's around mortals, that probably rules out Vianu."

"Hm... so Lycus, huh?" Krytikas muses. "Could be worth a shot."

You frown. "That just leaves the problem a' how we're gonna get there. It took me long enough just t' get here, and I wasn't goin' halfway across the world."

"That's not a problem," Krytikas says. "Leave that to me."



You're suddenly significantly colder.

"Wait, you can cast teleportation spells?" you ask.

Krytikas shrugs. "Sure. Back in the original timeline, 'Honest' John kept those spells pretty secret, so I learned them just in case."

You nod. It makes sense. From what you remember, 'Honest' John Badde, owner of the "Honest John's Legitimate Teleportation and Horse Dealership" franchise, was nothing if not a shrewd businessman, and he had a way of making sure no would-be business rivals got anywhere near his level of success.

"Now," Krytikas continues, "let's find Breza. I'm about to freeze solid."

> Palmer: You can take her AND the guards!



You stare Amata dead in the eyes. "I'd like to see you try to arrest me," you say.



"Okay," Amata says.



You never knew that one person could cast that much fire magic.

CURRENT STATUS OF PARTY:
Duximas: Virna
Sienna: Vezretti Main Plaza
Palmer: Vezretti Catacombs - Prison Cell

Didn't Sienna learn Ice Shield in that last fight? Seems it would be really useful against Amata's fire magic.

>Palmer: Hey, isn't there a hole in the wall up there? You should check that out.

Looks like they didn't patch up the wall since last time

>Make sure there are no guards in the hole in the wall

> Sienna: Discuss strategy.



"So what do we know about Amata's defenses?" you ask Ione.

"She'll have plenty of guards," Ione says, "and she's a pretty competent mage in her own right. The Ms. Amata I knew hated conflict and made it a point to never raise a hand against others, though, which is why she had me as a retainer."

You cross your arms. "I can't imagine that this Amata dislikes conflict, though."

"True. My Ms. Amata always picked spells to learn based off of the favor of the goddess Sunthe, she of elements. Sunthe always favored ice, as I remember, so Ms. Amata went for that." Ione stops for a moment and rolls a few thoughts over in her head. "This Ms. Amata would be basing her choices off of, well, you. Or at least Travler Prime. So what do you think? What type of magic would she be using?"

The answer is obvious.

"Fire," you say. "She'll be using fire." Then it occurs to you. "And I happen to have an ice shield spell."

"Perfect," Ione says. "We'll sneak into her chambers, then while you draw her fire, I'll go in for the finishing blow." She glances around, making sure nobody is listening in. "Any last minute preparations you need to make?"

> Palmer: Examine the hole in the wall.



You haul yourself up to the top bunk. From what you've pieced together, this must have been the cell that those three prisoners that escaped into the sewers were in. You're not sure how they made a hole this size through solid stone, but you are, for once, glad about the city's substandard funding for infrastructure repair.



And here are the sewers. You shake off the soot and drop down to the ground. Nobody's down here - not even the creatures that were wandering around when you were here last are around.

That doesn't fill you with confidence.







You're now pretty sure why nothing else is down here.

CURRENT STATUS OF PARTY:
Duximas: Virna
Sienna: Vezretti Main Plaza
Palmer: Vezretti Catacombs - Sewer

Mysterious circumstances?! Not another one! When will they find a cure?!?

>Palmer: I don't suppose Void Cloak is doing you much good right now?

>Duximas: Ask around about purple people sightings (not eaters)

Duximas: Hey, is that a cave entrance? That seems like a good place to start looking, mostly because it's not outside in this snow.

Sienna: Well, if you want knives before you go on in, you've got plenty of options.

Palmer: Tackling seems unwise here. Time to drink some coffee, I think. Which is to say, Caffeine Barrage.

>Duximas: knock on the first house you can find, asking for shelter

> Duximas: Find shelter.



There's a house nearby. You sidle up to it and look inside.



The windows are all fogged up. On the one hand, that doesn't help you much, but on the other hand, it might mean that it's warmer inside.



The door swings open when you knock on it. Looks like it wasn't closed all the way.



"Oh. Hey, Blade. Nice cape."

That was easier than you thought.

> Sienna: Buy some knives.



You spend some time making the rounds through the city. Turns out this place has just an incredible number of knife shops. You still don't like the place, but you can't be too mad at a place full of knife enthusiasts.

You fill up your inventory.

> Palmer: Consider Void Cloak.



You're not sure why this giant squid was able to get a read on you so quickly when everyone else seems to ignore you. Maybe whatever it is doesn't work on squids.

You never liked squids anyway. A few too many arms for your taste.

> Palmer: Caffeine Barrage.



You throw one of your empties at the squid.



It doesn't seem terribly fazed.

Well, dang. That's two of your four skills ineffective- and it's clear which one of your remaining skills you'll have to use on this bad boy.

>ENGAGE GOOD PLAN: PALMER TACKLE

>Bend the rules and beat it with it's own health bar
>or just turn the sewage into hot coffee

>recap Breza as you head for Tuhka, who is not somewhere cold, and is additionally somewhere in a canyon near where only masked people in blue go..

>head for amata