whatever you were doing before this moment becomes irrelevant: one moment, you blink, and the next, you're standing at the top of a long set of stone stairs, in the middle of what looks like a cave. if you turn around, there's nothing to see behind you except for void. if you look forward, light from above shines down at the bottom of the stairs, and you can just see a halo of blue light in the center of what appears to be some sort of dais.
the stone structure of the dais is in the shape of an octagon. you hold a lantern in your hand, and if you make the descent, you might realize you aren't alone - there are three staircases, all leading to the center platform, and three people on this particular adventure.
viktor, shouxue, harley.
as you descend the stairs - assuming that you do, of course - you will find that this place feels quite sacred. it's hard to escape the just slightly oppressive aura of something holy and important that presses down on you as you reach the center of the dais. it isn't a bad feeling. it's warm. comforting, almost, like the hug of an old friend, like recognition of your abilities and your power, like a light in the darkness. in the very center of the dais sits a massive goblet structure: within that, a blue flame flickers, strong and true.
at each point of the octagonal dais stands a stone statue. they are worn with the sands of time, but their faces and poses are visible to you, and at their bases, words have been carved into the stone, readable by lantern light.
AELFRIC THE FLAMEBRINGER. - a bearded man in vestments, carrying a staff. AEBER, PRINCE OF THIEVES. - a man with flowing hair, wielding a dagger. ALEPHAN, THE SCHOLARKING. - a wizened man in robes, holding a book. BIFELGAN, THE TRADER. - a man holding a set of scales. BRAND, THE THUNDERBLADE. - a man with his hands on the hilt of an austere sword. DOHTER, THE CHARITABLE. - a woman, holding up a jar DRAEFENDI, THE HUNTRESS. - a woman with a spear. SEALTICGE, LADY OF GRACE. - a woman in the midst of a graceful dance.
talk to each other, get your bearings, figure out what's going on? but know this: as you talk, you'll feel the urge to approach one of the statues. there is no hint to tell you which, no choice to be made for you - only the sensation that you are meant to examine one, as if it is your destiny.
[Well, having the entire embodiment of yourself strangled by holy just makes him think he's really dead for sure. He raises the lantern, squinting. Liu Shouxue doesn't surprise him, naturally. This place does. Harley definitely does.
He starts at the bottom of the stairs.]
...Harley?
[WH-- It dawns on him that he may not be dead, but only because he knows this has happened before. A strange place, and life and death.
He does not have a crutch or even the stand-in cane, but his walk isn't too bad when he wanders to look, awed, at the statues. His eyes linger on Alephan.]
[ there is a sense of weariness as she walks down these stairs. she has no idea what's going on or happening, but when she sees harley and Viktor, she frowns. she's talked to enough people to have a small inkling.
the comfort and warmth of this sacred place is not lost on shouxue. it is discomfiting in its own way. she glances at the statues and looks away even as she's pulled towards one. ]
None of this is familiar. Do either of you feel as if you should approach one of the statues?
[there's no danger here, it seems - the gods are present, watching, and they so very much want you to be safe. it's a sanctuary, almost violently protective of the three people who have started to make their way down. they will feel the sense that the bright blue flame in the center of the room is what is emulating that warm, comfortable feeling: like a hearth and a torch, it lights the way.
as you make your way down the stairs, you will each feel that you can investigate the statues, but one seems to call to you more than the others. there's a pull, a whisper. a beckoning. draefendi, for shouxue. alephan, for viktor. and sealticge, for harley.
[for a moment, what you see is this - a glitch, almost, like a screen being shown to you.
Your name is and you are a thief. Your tale begins in a thrilling city in the Brightlands.
You are a member of the Blacksnakes, a thieves guild that controls the city from the shadows. Your job is to steal... and clean.
You are on your way to meet Father, who has a job for you. But you are wary... you never know when someone may be waiting to stab you in the back.
and then the screen vanishes. and you are in a city! you know it to be New Delsta, the place you grew up in. you've been here your whole life, right? it's weird, though, because as you almost... load in, something strange happens to viktor and shouxue. for a moment, the two of you are made of that blue flame, burning and see through. only for a moment, though, and then you are solid and flesh once more.
in any case. you've been here your whole life, and you've lived as a blacksnake for just as long. all three of you are orphans, gathered together under Mother and Father's roof. you steal, you kill, and you clean up messes, and you have since you were six years old. you have thought about running away quite a bit, but... you can't. there is a collar around your neck, and you know that it is full of fatal, instant poison that will drop you dead in seconds if you try to force it off.
(viktor has two collars, the shackle and the blacksnake collar, which i think is funny.)
the three of you have known each other for a very long time. you've probably grown up together, been on jobs together. this is routine. violent nights leading to hollow mornings, a cycle, over and over. you are too scared of what mother and father might do to you to leave. but lately... lately, you've started to think about what you might have to do to earn your freedom.
but that isn't important now. what is important is father has a job for you, which means you need to go inside the parlor and speak with him. you are standing outside said building, looking up at it.
[octopath doesn't think about ages and we are now assigned tragic shared childhood backstory.
harley places a hand over the collar, which looking at her outfit is probably at least partially concealed by all the jewelry she's wearing. she's too busy getting jumpscared by the glitching to notice whatever the heck just happened to the other two. and for now, she doesn't move from her spot right in front of the parlor doors.]
the parlor is beautiful. richly decorated, very empty. father stands by the bar, and as shouxue enters (and the others, if they follow), she'll see him knock back a shot before turning to look at them.
you hear a voice in the back of your head. we call this man Father. he's the leader of the blacksnakes. a first class assassin who oversees all of our jobs... he took me in as a child and taught me everything I know.]
Good to see that you made it, Shouxue. You always were more punctual than the other two.
[the weapons shop! it's neat and tidy in here. there are dozens of weapons against the back wall - swords, staffs, daggers, axes, the like. there's also a bottle full of some riotous liquid and this weird gun looking thing, but it's worth more leaves than you have. unless...
the shopkeeper waves politely, watching harley as she comes in. she seems nice enough! "What can I do you for, miss?"
she does see a man by the staffs, looking over the selection. he is very large and intimidating, and quiet. he gives harley a look too, but it's far less friendly.]
[she stares at the man right in the eyes, frowning at him, like. you. what are YOU looking at?
how much do each of those items cost, including the expensive ones? she's already trying to figure out if she can swindle this poor shopkeeper or get a discount, smiling back politely as she approaches the sales counter.]
Just knockin' a few items off my shopping list. [friendly enough, though moderating her volume because in this au, we are lowkey paranoid.] But actually, mind if I pick your brain for a sec? To settle this debate I've got with my little sister. You look like you might've heard some real crazy stories around here.
there's a lot of people in here for the middle of the day. but maybe that's not surprising - it seems like there's some kind of performance going on. a dude is going ham on the keys in the corner of the room, as a young woman dances her heart out on the stage.
everybody seems to be having a good time, laughing and cheering and stomping their feet.]
[the cafe! it's a cute little place, with a pink door and some outdoor seating. the inside is pretty small and rustic, and very much built for people to come in, order, and then leave - not a lot of space to hang around. but! it's got a menu with a bunch of different drinks you can try (some are more... experimental than others) and the staff is very friendly. she can order whatever she'd like, cakes or drinks, pastries, etc.
there's not many people around...
though, as she's coming in - outside at the tables, there's a girl sitting. there's a fox sitting at her feet, sleeping in the nice warm sun. granted, the girl's feet don't touch the ground, but hey. she doesn't seem to mind, swinging her legs back and forth as she shoves a whole slice of cake in her mouth. when she sees shouxue, she blinks a few times, and her ears twitch happily.]
[it's getting darker, by the time you all reconvene. the night doesn't bother any of you, really, so that's fine, but it might be better to figure out what to do next, if it requires leaving the city. monsters roam the wilderness at night, so it might be a good idea to bring weapons, to make sure you have healing items... and to take any last second path actions available to you.
take a second to talk and figure out where you're going, what you, and what you'd like to share.]
[do shouxue and viktor have any weapons... help. she should have stolen shit for them, too.
anyway, she does that thing where you clasp your hands together front of your face and point them forward. very seriously:]
So. Hear me out: Horses.
[this is not the info you were supposed to share, ma'am.]
... Oh, right. And I guess an inquisitor was pokin' around the tavern earlier asking about the treasure. He might've been with a thief wearing purple and a beastling girl. People saw them wandering around. There's this blonde lady in Brightlands that's supposed to be a lead too?
[SLAPS THIS OUT BEFORE DW CRASHES AGAIN FOR SOME REASON
RECONVENING ON THIS NOTE........... Both brows shoot up at "horses," and he looks at Shouxue as if she will have an explanation for this at all since clearly he is missing--she doesn't have any explanation, does she?
He looks back at Harley.]
Ah... That must be... I ran into Pirro at the tavern, and he said some people were asking the Sanctum Knights inside about the treasure... I didn't see them in there anymore, though.
[So... a thief in purple and a beastling girl... and a blonde lady. He glances at Shouxue. Please have more than he did.]
[ good question does the A S S I M I L A T I O N come with a bow or does she have to provoke some animals to steal her one
She nods because she has some idea of what harley means. Maybe. ]
I met with a beastling girl earlier. She said her friend was looking for the treasure and was heading to the church. It's about a half hour walk, so horses aren't necessary, but if you want one... I can see if I can find one for you.
[ shouxue doesn't know how to ride a horse? Unless she can befriend one? ]
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I. PRESS START
whatever you were doing before this moment becomes irrelevant: one moment, you blink, and the next, you're standing at the top of a long set of stone stairs, in the middle of what looks like a cave. if you turn around, there's nothing to see behind you except for void. if you look forward, light from above shines down at the bottom of the stairs, and you can just see a halo of blue light in the center of what appears to be some sort of dais.
the stone structure of the dais is in the shape of an octagon. you hold a lantern in your hand, and if you make the descent, you might realize you aren't alone - there are three staircases, all leading to the center platform, and three people on this particular adventure.
viktor, shouxue, harley.
as you descend the stairs - assuming that you do, of course - you will find that this place feels quite sacred. it's hard to escape the just slightly oppressive aura of something holy and important that presses down on you as you reach the center of the dais. it isn't a bad feeling. it's warm. comforting, almost, like the hug of an old friend, like recognition of your abilities and your power, like a light in the darkness. in the very center of the dais sits a massive goblet structure: within that, a blue flame flickers, strong and true.
at each point of the octagonal dais stands a stone statue. they are worn with the sands of time, but their faces and poses are visible to you, and at their bases, words have been carved into the stone, readable by lantern light.
AELFRIC THE FLAMEBRINGER. - a bearded man in vestments, carrying a staff.
AEBER, PRINCE OF THIEVES. - a man with flowing hair, wielding a dagger.
ALEPHAN, THE SCHOLARKING. - a wizened man in robes, holding a book.
BIFELGAN, THE TRADER. - a man holding a set of scales.
BRAND, THE THUNDERBLADE. - a man with his hands on the hilt of an austere sword.
DOHTER, THE CHARITABLE. - a woman, holding up a jar
DRAEFENDI, THE HUNTRESS. - a woman with a spear.
SEALTICGE, LADY OF GRACE. - a woman in the midst of a graceful dance.
talk to each other, get your bearings, figure out what's going on? but know this: as you talk, you'll feel the urge to approach one of the statues. there is no hint to tell you which, no choice to be made for you - only the sensation that you are meant to examine one, as if it is your destiny.
which one calls to you, traveler?]
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she looks at her hands. looks at them. looks at sealticge's statue.
rubs her eyes and then looks up the staircase she just descended from.]
Oh, Harleen, we're really in it now.
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He starts at the bottom of the stairs.]
...Harley?
[WH-- It dawns on him that he may not be dead, but only because he knows this has happened before. A strange place, and life and death.
He does not have a crutch or even the stand-in cane, but his walk isn't too bad when he wanders to look, awed, at the statues. His eyes linger on Alephan.]
Have you ever seen this place before?
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the comfort and warmth of this sacred place is not lost on shouxue. it is discomfiting in its own way. she glances at the statues and looks away even as she's pulled towards one. ]
None of this is familiar. Do either of you feel as if you should approach one of the statues?
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as you make your way down the stairs, you will each feel that you can investigate the statues, but one seems to call to you more than the others. there's a pull, a whisper. a beckoning. draefendi, for shouxue. alephan, for viktor. and sealticge, for harley.
do you take the invitation?]
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II. STORY SELECT
and then the screen vanishes. and you are in a city! you know it to be New Delsta, the place you grew up in. you've been here your whole life, right? it's weird, though, because as you almost... load in, something strange happens to viktor and shouxue. for a moment, the two of you are made of that blue flame, burning and see through. only for a moment, though, and then you are solid and flesh once more.
in any case. you've been here your whole life, and you've lived as a blacksnake for just as long. all three of you are orphans, gathered together under Mother and Father's roof. you steal, you kill, and you clean up messes, and you have since you were six years old. you have thought about running away quite a bit, but... you can't. there is a collar around your neck, and you know that it is full of fatal, instant poison that will drop you dead in seconds if you try to force it off.
(viktor has two collars, the shackle and the blacksnake collar, which i think is funny.)
the three of you have known each other for a very long time. you've probably grown up together, been on jobs together. this is routine. violent nights leading to hollow mornings, a cycle, over and over. you are too scared of what mother and father might do to you to leave. but lately... lately, you've started to think about what you might have to do to earn your freedom.
but that isn't important now. what is important is father has a job for you, which means you need to go inside the parlor and speak with him. you are standing outside said building, looking up at it.
will you go inside?]
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harley places a hand over the collar, which looking at her outfit is probably at least partially concealed by all the jewelry she's wearing. she's too busy getting jumpscared by the glitching to notice whatever the heck just happened to the other two. and for now, she doesn't move from her spot right in front of the parlor doors.]
The hell...? Did you see that?
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He exchanges a glance with Shouxue, and then gets brain blasted with the most Young Royce backstory ever.]
Do you think he'll be really mad if we're late?
[HELP, he has already become A S S I M I L A T E D.]
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she glances at viktor, who she's now known for all her life. ]
You should know he won't be kind, if we are. We should see what he wants.
[ she is going to try to enter unless either of them tries to stop her. ]
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the parlor is beautiful. richly decorated, very empty. father stands by the bar, and as shouxue enters (and the others, if they follow), she'll see him knock back a shot before turning to look at them.
you hear a voice in the back of your head. we call this man Father. he's the leader of the blacksnakes. a first class assassin who oversees all of our jobs... he took me in as a child and taught me everything I know.]
Good to see that you made it, Shouxue. You always were more punctual than the other two.
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II-A. SPLIT PATHS
HARLEY
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anyway, she's headed to the weapons shop after the gang splits up. what are we looking at?]
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the shopkeeper waves politely, watching harley as she comes in. she seems nice enough! "What can I do you for, miss?"
she does see a man by the staffs, looking over the selection. he is very large and intimidating, and quiet. he gives harley a look too, but it's far less friendly.]
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how much do each of those items cost, including the expensive ones? she's already trying to figure out if she can swindle this poor shopkeeper or get a discount, smiling back politely as she approaches the sales counter.]
Just knockin' a few items off my shopping list. [friendly enough, though moderating her volume because in this au, we are lowkey paranoid.] But actually, mind if I pick your brain for a sec? To settle this debate I've got with my little sister. You look like you might've heard some real crazy stories around here.
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VIKTOR
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VIKTOR
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After talking to the girlies......... and standing to make sure they get where they are going without issue, he will head for the tavern!!!
Is it busy.... if he looks in a window?]
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there's a lot of people in here for the middle of the day. but maybe that's not surprising - it seems like there's some kind of performance going on. a dude is going ham on the keys in the corner of the room, as a young woman dances her heart out on the stage.
everybody seems to be having a good time, laughing and cheering and stomping their feet.]
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SHOUXUE
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what kind of food and drink do they serve here? can she order some food....... ]
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there's not many people around...
though, as she's coming in - outside at the tables, there's a girl sitting. there's a fox sitting at her feet, sleeping in the nice warm sun. granted, the girl's feet don't touch the ground, but hey. she doesn't seem to mind, swinging her legs back and forth as she shoves a whole slice of cake in her mouth. when she sees shouxue, she blinks a few times, and her ears twitch happily.]
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III. THE NEXT CHAPTER
take a second to talk and figure out where you're going, what you, and what you'd like to share.]
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anyway, she does that thing where you clasp your hands together front of your face and point them forward. very seriously:]
So. Hear me out: Horses.
[this is not the info you were supposed to share, ma'am.]
... Oh, right. And I guess an inquisitor was pokin' around the tavern earlier asking about the treasure. He might've been with a thief wearing purple and a beastling girl. People saw them wandering around. There's this blonde lady in Brightlands that's supposed to be a lead too?
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RECONVENING ON THIS NOTE........... Both brows shoot up at "horses," and he looks at Shouxue as if she will have an explanation for this at all since clearly he is missing--she doesn't have any explanation, does she?
He looks back at Harley.]
Ah... That must be... I ran into Pirro at the tavern, and he said some people were asking the Sanctum Knights inside about the treasure... I didn't see them in there anymore, though.
[So... a thief in purple and a beastling girl... and a blonde lady. He glances at Shouxue. Please have more than he did.]
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She nods because she has some idea of what harley means. Maybe. ]
I met with a beastling girl earlier. She said her friend was looking for the treasure and was heading to the church. It's about a half hour walk, so horses aren't necessary, but if you want one... I can see if I can find one for you.
[ shouxue doesn't know how to ride a horse? Unless she can befriend one? ]
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