I love you and that's all I really know

[reddosmod]

FEBRUARY 2022 EVENT

IMAGE DESCRIPTORS IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE
Prompt One
[Image One: Bloody fingers hovering over chalice of blood.]
[Image Two: Semi-nude people dancing in circle with joined hands.]

Prompt Two
[Image One: Hauntingly large man coming up behind young girl while other girl screams.]
[Image Two: Old woman walking towards a panicked young woman.]

Prompt Three
[Image One: Obscure, nude bodies twisted together in a circle. Non-graphic.]
[Image Two: Nun holding holy book while red liquid pours from unseen face.]

Prompt Four
[Image One: Chocolates.]
[Image Two: Chocolate.]

[NAVIGATION]

Prompt 1 • Prompt 2 • Prompt 3 • Prompt 4 • Plotting • Newsletter

[JUMP TO COMMENTS]

BONDING PACTS

WHEN: Anytime
WHERE: Anywhere
CONTENT WARNINGS: Blood ceremony, bodily ceremony, telepathic/empathetic connections, possible forced/coerced relationships.

---

[From BEGINNERS GUIDE FOR BLOOD PACTS. Found in the Archives:]

"There are a variety of blood pacts one can make, but the most popular are Bonding Pacts. Bonding Pacts should never be made on a whim: they are a serious commitment.

PROCEED WITH CAUTION!
We can thank the Doorway for Bonding Pacts. Everyone knows the story: the Reckoning was made to go fight the impossible battle against blood pollution, corruption, and beasthood. The Doorway vowed to wait for the Reckoning to return and has never moved since. This is ultimately believed to be the first Bonding Pact ever made in Trench and it is considered to have opened up Bonding Pacts as a possibility in general.

The most common misconception about Bonding Pacts is that they must be exclusively for romantic partners. This is not true The majority of Bonding Pacts, as a matter of fact, are actually familial and platonic in nature. Most romantic pairs decide that marriage is a safer option just in case someone gets a case of cold feet. On the other hand, this also means that the Bonding Pact can be the ultimate sign of devotion in a romantic relationship. We aren't interested in telling you what is right for your relationship, but the history is worth considering before taking that step.

So what is a Bonding Pact and how do you do it? Despite being one of the strongest pacts in this world, it is also one of the simplest to perform! Here's what you'll need:

1x Vial of blood per participant wishing to enter the pact
1x Small essence* of each participant
1x Live red rose
2x Live white roses
1x Pouch of ashes
1x Silver cup/container of some sort

*It was once believed that "essence" translated to organ, but we have since learned that this can be a single strand of hair, nail clipping, eyelash, teardrop, spit...You get the gist. It has to be something that came directly from your body that isn't blood.

You need to leave the silver cup out under the moonlight for at least one full night. You must complete this ceremony the evening after and only in the evening. Bonding Pacts cannot be made during the day. When you plan to begin the ceremony, you will need to perform it in a doorway or under any type of arch. This is to allow the Doorway to bless your pact and strengthen it permanently.

You will combine all the ingredients into the cup and thoroughly stir with a fragment of bone/antler. This concoction will thicken into a pastelike consistency and it should be black in color. If it smells like fresh roses, you did it right. If it smells like rancid food, you messed it up and will have to completely redo the ceremony.

Finally, each participant will cover one hand with the paste. To seal the bond, you will need to place your hand upon the one you wish to bond with. Where you place it matters and will determine the nature of your Bonding Pact. Each will have a drastically different consequence/benefit.

ROMANTIC BONDS: Place the hand somewhere on the face. This indicates a public relationship that is to be respected by all involved. This bond will create a telepathic connection between all participants. This telepathy cannot be heard by anyone else nor can it be interfered with from distance or chaos. It is possible to bring your romantic partner back from beasthood through this connection. Extreme cases of this bond have allowed romantic partners to take over one another's minds in severe situations. It can be difficult to shelter your thoughts from your Romantic Bond partner, but it is possible. They will know when you are keeping thoughts from them. Some partners have learned to respect each other's privacy while others have gone insane from the connection.

PLATONIC BONDS: Place the hand somewhere on the chest/shoulder area. This bond will create an This bond will create a physical connection. between all participants. This physical bond will allow participants to pick up on each other's physical pain or pleasure. You will be able to know when your friend is in physical harm. This creates a "phantom pain" of sorts. This can either weaken you substantially or give you an enormous boost during a fight. Best friends have been known to harness this ability well and use each other's pain to literally get stronger during a fight with monsters. On the other hand, a strained relationship can just cause you to feel the same debilitating pain as your friend. This cannot be used to bring someone back from beasthood.

FAMILIAL BONDS: Place the hand somewhere on an appendage whether arm, leg, tail or otherwise. This bond will create an empathetic connection between all participants. This empathetic bond will allow participants to naturally know what the other is feeling and may be able to sway one another's emotions through this connection. Like the romantic bond, it cannot be ruined by distance or chaos and has been used to bring people back from beasthood. Extreme situations have allowed partners to take total emotional control. You will always know when your Familial Bond partner is in emotional distress. You can send your Familial Bond emotional support when you can feel their stress, even at a distance. While this may not always work, many have reported it can greatly alleviate corruption and can even be used to recognize corruption patterns in order to prevent it.

HOSTILE BONDS: Place this bond exclusively on the neck or on anywhere on the back. While it may seem farfetched to make a bond with your enemy, there is some merit to the madness. This will create a unique power connection between all participants. This bond will allow one another to feel the ebb and flow of one another's powers. It is said the most well-forged Hostile Bonds may even allow characters to share abilities between one another. Hostile Bonds are known to drastically increase aggression and competitive behavior between participants. This has caused hostility to stir and may even lead to hatred. However, a successful Hostile Bond that is worked on with steady communication and agreement can be enormously successful and horrifically powerful.

Once you have left your handprint on your partner's skin, the spell will take hold. The handprint will glow and everyone will briefly have a vision of the Doorway standing before them. Don't be alarmed: they are only here to solidify the connection. You will feel great warmth and then the connection will be made. The handprint will stain your skin permanetly so choose wisely. The stain may be extremely light, barely visible. For others, it may be much darker. It is unknown what causes the variation.

This pact can be performed any time of year but is strongest when performed during or near the Egg Moon. While it is not required to have an audience for this ceremony, it is believed that an audience greatly strengthens the bond. It has become customary for people to make vows in combination with the ceremony for an additional layer of power.

As a further point of caution...These bonds can be forced on an individual."

FAQ
1. These bonds cannot be broken except by extreme magical interference such as through some sort of game event, a character being dropped from the game, or something like the Blade of Agency. Death will not disturb the bond.

2. There is no "limit" to the number of participants for the ceremony. Romantic bonds can be made between multiple people. The connection will only exist between those who partook in the ceremony at the same time.

3. People can be added into a Bonding Pact at any time.

4. Gender/species has no impact on the bond.

5. People can create different bonds with the same person.

6. These bonds are open-ended and can be translated to better fit your character.

IMPENDING INTIMACY

WHEN: February
WHERE: Everywhere
CONTENT WARNINGS: Intimacy-based monster, intense themes of stalking, jealousy, possession, guilt, shame, physically violent deaths, possible themes of adultery/cheating, some negative ideaology towards promiscuity.

---

[From History of Blood Crazed Zealots: Chapter 15 Caution About Curses found in the Lumenarium:]

"Do not be fooled by this seemingly passive curse. There are few things more potent than a Blood Crazed Zealot's magic, and few emotions are stronger than that of jealousy. The story goes that one Blood Crazed Zealot was in love with another and entered a sacred blood pact to unite their blood and souls. However, the other Blood Crazed Zealot's love was not as pure, and soon they strayed in body and in mind. Of course, no secrets can be kept in a blood pact, and one thing led to the other.

The jealous and betrayed Blood Crazed Zealot created a vicious curse that still plagues the world to this day. We know of no cures, no remedies, no way to beat it. We only know how to keep it at bay. But It is always around, It is always near, and It will always follow. We have not yet determined the exact way It is transmitted from one person to the next, but we believe it has to do with exchanging some form of intimacy. Whether that be with sex, words of love, or even just saying a loved one's name, the curse will follow.

It appears as a person walking directly towards you. At first, you might not even pick it out from the crowd, until it gets closer. Then you see oddities. Water spills from its body, or its arm looks broken, or many walk along completely naked. There is something off about the creature, and worse yet, no one sees It but you and anyone previously cursed by It. It moves slowly, and it would be easy to assume that it can't really hurt you. After all, if you shoot it with a gun or tear it down with powers, it breaks apart as easily as a human body...

But then It gets up. It reforms. It is impossible to kill. It doesn't react to pain. It doesn't react to words. It changes appearances when you lose sight of it, making it almost impossible to keep your guard up against it. The last time you saw it, it might have been a little girl, but now it looks like a six foot tall man. You might buy yourself some time, might be able to distance yourself by taking a swim or a fly...But It will find you. It will always find you. It can break through doors and windows. There are no wards against it.

When it finds you, it will kill you. It matters not what your powers are, what your blood is. This creature existed with the single purpose to destroy and it has perfected the art. Once it has a hold of you, you are powerless. You first lose all abilities, and then rapidly, your life follows in one crushing moment of paralyzing fear and agonizing pain. It throws its victims to the ground and breaks their bodies apart. No one wants to find the bodies of those it has consumed. It takes only seconds to kill you. Don't let it touch you. Don't let it get close enough to touch you. It will win.

When it has finished, it begins to stalk to the person that had passed it off. It's a never-ending cycle. Person A has it then gives it to Person B who gives it to Person C. Person C dies, so it goes back to Person B until person B can find someone new to give it to. Be wary of giving affection this month. You tenderly saying your beloved's name or engaging in sex or flirtation might just pass the curse along."

FAQ
1. The curse is meant to be severely undermined. The creature appears as an ordinary, unsettling-looking person with no obvious abilities. It can kill anyone regardless of their abilities or species.

2. The curse can be passed by saying a loved one's name (platonic/romantic/familial), sex, kissing, loving touches. To break the curse, one can sleep with a Trenchie or say the name of a loved one not present in Trench.

MOTHER'S MERCY

WHEN: The hex only appears during February
WHERE: Everywhere
CONTENT WARNINGS: Religious based trauma/forced guilt/shame, extreme themes of self-mutilation and possible sucidial ideations, hexes, altered mental state, forced confessions.

---

[A sermon by Mother Mercy as recorded by an unnamed Disciple, followed by an attached document titled MOTHER'S FORGIVENESS. A misspelling or unusual wording throughout the sermon is intentional. Disciples debate whether the document was intended as support of Mother Mercy's hex or as a way to help people avoid it. The sermon and Mother's Forgiveness are written in different handwriting. The documents can be found at the Pale Sanctuary:]

THE SERMON
"It was in the midst of Febuawry that the Doorway suummoned me for council,
They had fallen in love with the Reckoning and desird to create an eternal bond,
They wanted to have me present at the seremony to [provide] blessings,
Yet it was with regret I [had to] deny them their wish and instead provide cawsion,
But you see, that is the role of a Mother. We tell our spawn what they do not want to hear but muust.
It is a Mother's Mercy to pass on wisdom, to show compassion and care.

I told the Doorway that we live in a cruuel world, a cruuel world that can rawt a gewd heart,
I told the Doorway that it would be kindr to leave bonds uuntethered,
That it would be a kindness to both to let their love lingr and fade,
Than to let it be subjected to the atrocities of this world's bluud lost.
For what is a strongr emotion than jealousy? I ask of you.
What is a strongr emotion than loneliness? I ask of you.
What is a strongr emotion than longing? I ask of you.
What drives people to insanity quickr than being denied their heart's desires?
No, I told them, they should let go, for a Pthumerian owes this world selflessness,
And a Pthumerian's love can permanently stain this world in a way no one else can.
It would be a kindness to all.

But the Doorway did not want to listen. The Doorway defied [my] advice and created bonds,
The Doorway opened an eternal connection to the Reckoning, The Doorway stained this earth with the consequence of love, of relationships.
Do not be fewled by the luuxury of these words.
There is suuch a thing as selfless love, and this was not it, And so the time came for me to regrettably be proven right.

The corruuption of our cruuel world festered as people created bonds,
For the bonds made the agony of loss so much greater.
With the Doorway's curse*1, people who lost their family, their spouses, their friends also lost themselves.
Loss is painful no matter how you enduure, but the Doorway's curse ensuured it would ruun*2 deep into your soul.
It would corrupt. It would ruun*2.
This was not merciful. This was not love.

And so I counseled the Reckoning to go and keep the corruption at bay,
The Reckoning will not return to the Doorway for corruption will never end,
For beasthewd will never end.
The Reckoning keeps her sword high, and the Doorway will wait for eternity for a lover who will never return.
This is a mother's mercy. Perhaps one day, the Doorway will dissolve their curse.

Now let us bow our heads and pray. And remember, my Disciples, abstain from the curse.
Regulate your desires. This is not to cast shame, but to cast cawsion."

*1: The "curse" refers to the Bonding Pacts that are now popular in Trench. There may be some logic to Mother Mercy's rhetoric given the intensity of corruption experienced post-Bonding Pact. However, one could argue there is an equally high chance of counter-corruption due to deepening relationships through blood magic.

*2: It would appear that the word "ruin" and "run" were spelled the same at this time.

[Footnotes are in the Wayward Watcher's handwriting and clearly added at a much later date than the original sermon was recorded due to the darker quality of the ink. The following document "Mother's Forgiveness" is in the Wayward Watcher's handwriting as well.]

MOTHER'S FORGIVENESS
"Thus shortly after the sermon, a hex began to spread throughout Trench. The source of which seemed to be people who were actively resisting personal desire in some shape. People who tried to resist lust or love or other basic desires began to experience convulsions of pain. The internal agony would rapidly escalate the more they resisted "temptation" and eventually, people found one of the only ways to alleviate this pain was to mutilate themselves. A small cut would bring some relief, but the more harm they brought themselves, the more relief they felt.

I have theorized that this may be the first incident of Sleepers transforming themselves into the Blood Crazed Zealots. This was the first time I began to experience Sleepers who had permanently modified their physical bodies in drastic ways. Many would seem content with the modifications but their personalities were distorted by exacerbated corruption. Those who avoided harming themselves would fall into beasthood in alarming numbers. For a while, the only solution the Hunters and I believed in was to mercifully put these creatures out of their misery.

I quickly learned that many people, especially Sleepers, had burrowed down so many desires that it became an outright plague of corruption throughout the city. We needed to do more than just hunting down those who fell to it. The bodies were piling in numbers and the blood pollution was creating more beasts than we were killing. I sought out Mother Mercy and demanded a solution. I reasoned with her that while she may want to avoid the Doorway's blood magic, it was unfair to allow Sleepers to go punished so severely for a Pthumerian's choices.

Eventually, we came to an agreement. She would purify those who came to the Pale Sanctuary and asked for her forgiveness. They must confess their desires to lift the hex. Mother Mercy will, fittingly, take mercy on those who wish to redeem themselves. Be careful of your desires, Sleeper, for if you keep them locked up, they may just be your ruin. Confessions to Mother Mercy should be a last resort. To avoid the hex, consider honesty.

Good Luck,
The Wayward Watcher."

FAQ
1. The "desires" do not need to be romantic or sexual. They can be someone who desires to resolve an issue, someone who wants to have more friends, the desire to be successful/powerful/famous etc. The "desires" should be prominent. Small desires like wanting a donut for breakfast will not cause harm.

2. Crippling feelings of guilt over desire will consume and corrupt. Characters can avoid the hex by admitting their desires to someone. It does not have to be to Mother Mercy.

3. Those who confess to others or Mother Mercy will feel immediate relief of the hex. People can experience the hex multiple times if they go back to hiding their desires.

4. Confessions can be given to anyone. If you're in love with someone, you can just confess it to a friend rather than the person you are in love with. Of course, it's not like Sleepers would know that...It would be easy to think you have to be forced to confess to your loved one.

5. Characters do not need to self-mutilate for this prompt. Many can just go through their usual corruption stages/beasthood that you would have planned for your characters ahead of time. This is intended to be a bit of history for the Blood Crazed Zealots. You can be flexible on how your character goes to extremes to alleviate their pain. This may include substance abuse, irrational behavior, etc.

THE CHOCOLATIER: BONUS PROMPT

WHEN: February (Chocolates can be saved for the future via freezing.) The drive to find the Chocolatier only lasts during February.
WHERE: All throughout Trench and surrounding areas.
CONTENT WARNINGS: Themes of temptation (non-sexual and/or sexual), addiction, blood sacrifice, severely warped personality/reality including temporary amnesia, inability to use body, paranoia, vomiting organs, homicidal feelings, mild body horror.

---

"What is the weight of your pleasure?"

You hear the gravely, sexless voice greet you somewhere in the streets of Trench. You knew the creature had not been there just a minute ago, but now you are no longer alone. A creature roughly the size of an elephant sits beside you, a chalice hovering in the air between its outstretched hands.

The scent of chocolate wafts from the creature. But this isn't just the smell of chocolate. It is the experience of pleasure itself. You can feel the warm melt of chocolate over your tongue, your body wrapped up in inexplicable warmth and silky softness, something whispering across your skin. Your scalp tingles as if someone were playing with your hair or you just heard the best song in your life. It's like sinking into your own bed after getting home from a long trip away.

It's nearly impossible to resist the stupor the creature puts you in. The Chocolatier gazes at you calmly. This is an infamous beast, rare to show its face, but known among locals as one of the most dangerous...For no one can bring themselves to slay it. They dare not even write about it in fear of this creature being capable of taking pleasure away from Trench altogether. Corruption has thoroughly consumed this soul, any sense of self lost, but is this truly the kind of beast that Hunters wish to bring down? It pacifies all those that meet it, even the most violent of souls. The desire to fight, to be hostile will be greatly diminished in its presence. Surely...Surely it cannot be bad.

"I only ask for a token of your blood. For that, I will give everything...Your pleasure, your desire...It is yours. In one single bite...Or perhaps...You may think to give one of my chocolates to someone you admire...For surely...Who could resist such a gift...?" It offers its chalice. "Just a drop will do, my friend..." It seems like such a reasonable request for such a grand gift. Common sense would normally be kicking in right about now, but the Chocolatier drives common sense from the mind and replaces it with sheer want. Someone with mental protection abilities, enchantments or blessed items may be able to resist the temptation and step away. Most people however will likely give over a drop (or more) of blood. The more blood you give, the more chocolates you receive...

And oh! Even if you dislike chocolate or typically can't eat it, you know that you can eat this piece. You know that you will like this chocolate. It's perfect in every way. It was made exactly for you...Or perhaps, even, a special someone in your life. A chocolate for your friend, your lover, your sibling, or...maybe even your enemy. Once you have been given the chocolate, the Chocolatier vanishes. You don't have to eat the chocolate right away, but the longer you resist, the greater the temptation will become. God forbid you lose the chocolate. Some have gone completely insane by the loss. Maybe you should just eat it or get it to your buddy!

There are a wide variety of chocolates you may be blessed with and each one has a different effect. The Chocolatier may seek you out multiple times, but it seems impossible to intentionally summon the Chocolatier.

All effects last a few hours to a few days. Consuming paleblood or darkblood will help alleviate symptoms. All chocolates may lead to corruption and beasthood if they get out of control. Resisting the symptoms worsens effects. While these chocolates are intended to set up new connections, the effects will be doubled if the effect is layering on a pre-existing situation (ie; if you eat a dark chocolate around the person you're sleeping with, you'll find them even more irresistible. If you eat a milk chocolate around your significant other, you'll feel even more in love). You can eat multiple chocolates at once to experience multiple effects at once.

Milk Chocolate: This will inspire extreme romantic attraction to the first person you interact with after eating this chocolate regardless of if you know them. Melted and consumed with other food, it will provide additional feelings of being loved.

Dark Chocolate: This will inspire extreme sexual attraction to the first person you interact with of your preferred gender(s) after consuming. This has been used as a powerful aphrodisiac. Melted and put directly on the skin, it can cause extreme pleasure.

White Chocolate: You desperately want to befriend the first person you interact with after consuming. Melted and consumed with other food, it will provide additional feelings of security in your relationships.

Caramel: You will feel deeply indebted to the first person you interact with after consuming. You will want to do anything they ask, be anything they ask, and follow every order or command they give you.

Almond: You will be extremely compelled to communicate exclusively through song to other people. You will also be compelled to randomly sing your inner monologue and overshare via a spontaneous, musical number.

Raspberry: This will cause you to start vomiting a variety of organs. They aren't your organs. Some of the organs may still be functioning when they come up.

Orange: You will begin to completely confuse people for each other. Their faces and names will swap around in your mind. You might mistake your best friend for your partner. You will have difficulty remembering who is who.

Strawberry: Your emotions will be projected from you without your control through an aura. This aura can provide visual cues (such as a golden light around you when you are happy or a blue when you are sad) as well as smells and possibly even sounds.

Cherry: This will make you extremely flirty and cheerful. You will find it difficult to be in a bad mood and wind up hitting on people regardless of your personal attraction to them.

Coconut: This will cause temporary amnesia either long-term or short-term. Some people may have false memories put in their heads by this chocolate, many of which will be better than the lives they originally lived.

Coffee: This will cause extremely erratic, irrational behavior. You will become reckless and arrogant, making moves in situations you normally never would. It can boast confidence and ego. The crash from this chocolate is terrible and feels worse than a hangover.

Hazelnut: Some physical marker will appear on your body to show that you are romantically and/or sexually compatible with someone. This may be their name appearing on your skin, the first words they ever said to you, or your eye color changing to theirs. This does not force sexual/romantic attraction but rather lets you know who you might make a good match with!

Peanutbutter: You now have animal features of some sort. Dog ears, wings, new eyes. This has been known to provide temporary abilities similar to the animal you have been combined with. Some have even been known to be able to transform completely into the animal at this time!

Peacan: You will drastically lose function over certain body parts. This can cause feelings like your arm is no longer there or under your control. It may cause a complete surrender of your bodily functions in general.

Truffle: You will feel a crushing sense of paranoia that something is controlling you, watching you, and dictating the experiences around you. You will become increasingly suspicious of interactions and start theorizing about little things.

Vanilla: You will become obsessed with specific individuals and begin to actively plot their murder and likely attempt to commit it. This isn't just bloodlust: it's plotting violence. It's about wanting to get away with murder as much as committing murder.

CODING

Comments

[nilheality]

cw: body horror, images of brains

Nil takes advantage of the opportunity for privacy and retches out... a brain. Yes, an actual human brain, but this one is abnormally large, it would seem.

Then it begins to shake. Within moments a pair of beastly looking legs pop up near the cerebellum. A second set appear closer to the prefrontal cortex. Nil's eyes open wide when she sees this, knowing immediately what kind of creature this thing was.

Jacob... JACOB...?!

[bookbrawler]

Jake comes back from rummaging around, actually having successfully found a bucket but stops dead cold when he hears Nil's voice.

"What!? What is it, what..."

...the hell is that thing?

He holds the bucket, staring at in general horror.

"Nil, did that...is that...what I think it is?" Except, you know. With legs. Somehow.

[nilheality]

That's an intellect devourer!! Kill it! It will eat people's minds and take a person's brain!!

The creature seems to intuit Nil's words and screeches horribly, scuttling away from Jacob to try to find someplace to hide. As it runs past, Nil stretches out her body -- an the creature reels as a psychic jolt hits it. It stumbles a moment before breaking away, seemingly dazed by whatever just happened to it.

[bookbrawler]

"An...an intellect. Devourer."

He is in so much trouble here.

There's deer instincts in the back of his mind that are suddenly on alert, especially with the way the brain-thing moves, and for a second he wants to bolt, or maybe just attack it with his antlers. But the smart thing to do would be neither, and he's terrified that it might attack Nil.

"Don't worry, I got it--I got it!"

Jacob tries to slam the bucket down on top of it repeatedly, even though the bucket looks like it'd be much too small to actually scoop it up in, he hopes that maybe he can stun it first--

[nilheality]

((An aside, I'm rolling the outcome of all of these. Just ftr~))

Thanks to Jacob's quick thinking, the creature doesn't get far before the bucket comes slamming on top of it. The creature does not seem to take that well and appears to be a bit dazed. Though it does not have eyes, it seems to recognize that Jacob is the aggressor and was about to attack him -- were it not for another panicked slam on top of it.

For her part, Nil's eyes focus on the creature, shooting another jolt of psychic energy. It screeches, that blast hitting far stronger than the previous, and doesn't seem to be doing too well.

[bookbrawler]

((That's awesome! :D))

The screech bothers him a little. He's not entirely sure how intelligent the creature is, even with a brain. There's a part of him that wants to hesitate, that feels bad for needing to kill it, but there's also the practicality of it all. And he will kill it, if he has to, no matter his feelings on it.

"I think we're gettin' it!"

He tries to slam the bucket down on it again and again--

[nilheality]

The assaults hurt it, but the creature seems to have a tough membrane protecting it from physical attacks. The intellect devourer draws its attention to Jacob, and he would feel the psionic energies attempt to assault his mind, seeking to devour his intelligence ((dc:12 to int. if it hits Jacob takes 2d10 psychic and has a 50-50 chance of dropping his intelligence to 0. I did the roll on my own and he passed though~)).

Regardless of the outcome, Nil focuses her attention one last time and fires a psychic bolt into the creature. The creature screams in agony as its final moments draw to a close. It writhes as the psychic energy breaks up its own mind before its limbs fell limp.

JACOB?! JACOB ARE YOU OKAY?? He would hear in his mind, if he had a mind to think.

[bookbrawler]

((:D He made it!))

It's...unlike anything he's ever experienced. His fears were accurate, because he can feel it--like a pressure, like knives starting to dig into his mind, searching and hungry for everything that he is, that he knows--he cries out, for just a second, dropping the bucket--

--but he's still here. His mind is still here.

"Is..." It takes him a second to compose himself, he circles shakily, his deer instincts all over the place. "Is it dead? I'm...I'm okay, I think..."

[nilheality]

I... I'm not sensing any thoughts from it. She panted, though the thoughts did not suffer from her labored breathing. I think it's dead.

Did it try to attack you?

[bookbrawler]

His voice takes on a tone it's never really taken before. He's been under attack before, he's always good for a fight, but this was different. This thing struck at his intellect, the thing that made him who he was, something that he never thought was ever in any danger--

"Y-yeah, it did."

He paces, running his hands through his hair nervously, his tail and ears flicking a mile a minute, unable to stay still.

"The hell was that thing?!"

[nilheality]

An intellect devourer. Its an aberration, and guard for the mindflayers. Mindflayers make them from the brains of their servants who have become too old or who displease them. Some of them are just eaten because they are too frail, but the big ones...

She's shaken too, but this was mostly for Jacob's sake. He had tried to help and she brought forth a creature that could have hurt him -- maybe even killed him. This... this is exactly the sort of danger she posed.


You should go, Jacob. Now. You need to get out of here. There as no way she could let him be in danger again. She was safe. She was out of the way. If she brought out another one, she could protect herself. Probably.

[bookbrawler]

He probably should be used to horrifying origins of monsters at this point but then again, the world (or multiverse, rather) seemed intent on surprising him at every point. Made out of the brains of their servants...of course, of course it would be that bad...

Then he stops cold.

"What? No!"

His deer instincts tell him he should run. His ears and tail are pointed, alert, ready to bolt, but he can't. Even his rational mind is telling him he should run--if that thing shows up again, and they can't beat it? What if it ate at his intelligence, he can't possibly risk it, it's unthinkable. It's everything who he is, everything that made him special, it's his life, everything that makes him happy--

--but he cannot, and will not leave Nil to fend all by herself.

"I'm not gonna leave you here all by yourself!"

[nilheality]

T-Then I'm sorry, but... But what? She couldn't move. She was still vomiting organs. There was no way she could get out of it, and Jacob was not going to listen to good sense.

There was only one thing she could do. Though it took ever bit of will, she raised her hand up into the air. Her voice, hoarse and feeble as it was, chanted a spell and evoked the words necessary to cast the spell. Just barely managing to let her hand to drop onto her arm, Jacob would find the figure of the girl to suddenly go invisible.

But he wasn't going to buy it like this, right? So she held her breath and kept as still as she could, manifesting the sound of footsteps running away outside to make him think that she had made good her escape.

It was desperate, but it was the only way she could get him to leave. For his own good.

[bookbrawler]

"...wh-what?"

Did she just...did she just disappear?

"You just used magic--did you just use magic!? Damn it, Nil--"

If this isn't the thing that reminded him of Cassie the most, she would do exactly this, and he grits his teeth, looking in the direction of the footsteps. She moved her hand, maybe she was getting her strength back, was that how she got away?

He starts going in that direction, unsure.

"Nil, I'm not gonna leave you alone! I'm a Librarian, this is what I do, no matter the danger to myself!" He's not sure if she can hear him, not sure if she's gone, but he has to try. "I save the world like...every week, twice before Friday sometimes. You think I'm scared of a lil' ol' creepy brain? C'mon, Nil..."

[nilheality]

As he left, she could feel a wave of relief pass over her. She would stay here until this passed and Jacob would be safe. It was better. A-And if there was any other intelligence devourers, then she would deal with them. She had to.

Her confidence is broken when another bout of organs came flowing out. Giblets again, but by Ilmater there were a lot of them. Before she knew it, the hut was full of very loud retching noises, followed shortly by gasped coughing, and later wet sobbing. There was no way Jacob would have been able to ignore that. He was going to be coming back. Back to her. Back to danger.

((Concentration check: 18, stealth check: ...7))

[bookbrawler]

((RIP))

There's a pause and his deer ears flick up, and so does his tail.

That was an awfully familiar sound back in an awfully familiar place.

"Nil!"

He whirls around, his hooves skidding on dirt and old concrete, running back towards the shed. He's also extra wary, just in case there was another brain on legs scurrying around the joint...

"You're still sick, c'mon, I know you're there!"

[nilheality]

For a mercy, she was still able to maintain the invisibility. But without being able to move...

Go away! It was the only thing she could do... And the new mount of organs that wasn't there would be pretty obvious.

[bookbrawler]

...that's definitely a pile of organs there.

"You're really doin' magic against me? After all I've done for you?"

He crosses his arms, standing in front of where he assumes Nil to be. His tone isn't aggressive or mean, it's a little teasing, but gentle.

"Listen, I know you're worried but I can hold my own, really. You oughta seen me in some really epic bar brawls. And like I said, me and my friends defeated an Egyptian god. You really should be happy I'm on your side, honest..."

He offers a hand out to the invisible spot he's pretty sure Nil is in.

"I don't run when my friends are in danger."

[nilheality]

The invisibility ends as soon as Jacob touches her. There's no reason for her to hide when she can't move and the jig was up. When her appearance manifests again Jacob would find that she was able to roll over, away from the pile and away from Jacob. His foot is perilously close to stepping on her tentacle, which is shaking from stress and worry.

I know I am lucky. You are a true friend, and I do not deserve your kindness. It's not because I don't like you that I want you away. I... felt your fear. It was brief, but in the moment she was looking for the thoughts of the intellect devourer, she felt his panic in that moment.

[bookbrawler]

"...I know."

And he was afraid, and he oughta admit that. He rubs the back of his head, his tail flicking back and forth.

"I never faced somethin' that would do that before. But that's what I do, too. Sometimes, when we were in the Library, and we went through our magic door--we wouldn't know what kinda thing was waitin' on the other side. But we went through it anyway, ready to fight whatever it was, and save whoever needed help. It's my job. And yeah, I was scared."

He takes a couple steps back, when he realizes he's this close to stepping on her tentacle.

"But if I went down, I know you got my back, too. And you deserve kindness, we all do. So we're in this thing together, all right?"

[nilheality]

No matter what she says. No matter what danger, she knew that he was going to be there. What did she do to deserve this? She shivers as the tears flow freely.

After a moment to regain herself, she rolls onto her back. She must look awful, with what was getting on an hour on of organs, spit, snot, and tears. Bloodshot eyes slowly turn to look at Jacob in his.

"Thaaaank... yooou..." She burbled.

[bookbrawler]

He shakes his head, unable to hide an amused smile. Poor thing, but at least she's got a little more speech coming in.

"Hey, don't worry about it. Listen, I saw a shovel in there--I'll clear out some of this...stuff."

Might make her feel better to get these extra debris out of the way. He trots over and finds himself a shovel--and it'd be a good weapon against any further future brain monsters--as he starts to scoop some of the extra organs and goo and dead brain monsters away and into a dirt pile next to the shed.

[nilheality]

She hadn't. She forced herself to say that. To use her own words.

She doesn't say much for a while, instead watching him work on her mess. On occasion, she would use telekinesis to lift up a truant organ and lift it into waste bucket.

The organs are coming less frequently, too. With fewer large organs and the only animate ones being another round of those squirmy slug ones. It's during the second bout of those that Nil finally spoke up... mentally.

I think I figured it out. I think these are aberration organs. Those are all creatures of the far plane, and are very dangerous. She takes a breath. I think its because I'm an aberration, too.

[bookbrawler]

Jake continues scooping things away, occasionally glancing over, brows furrowed, concern evident on his face. She doesn't say anything else, and he wonders if maybe she wasn't actually getting better like he'd thought. But the organs seem to be coming less frequently so that was a little promising...

The slugs though, why do those keep appearing...

"What does that mean, exactly?" Jake pauses in his scooping, digging the end of the shovel in the dirt. He knows what the word aberration means, but in this context... "For you? Being an aberration?"

[nilheality]

Remember when we first met? I told you about aboleths, and how I was a thrall? Well, aboleths are aberrations. They are creatures of the far plane, which circles around the outer edge of all planes. Beyond even the seven heavens or the nine hells. They are horrible creatures, with some saying they may have even existed before the gods themselves.

The teeth, the intellect devouerer, the miles of intestine, the ones that move... all of these remind me of those creatures. She pauses a moment, her thoughts shift uncomfortably.

...I am not sure of the how, but I think I... I'm somewhere in between. Part human but part aberration. I... worry that this may mean I am more of the second one than the first...