Fallen Kingdoms

[Vindictus]

[X] Bring some books to read. A journal, maybe, to take notes in?
[X] Also something for self defense. Sure, you trust your mother, but... Better safe than sorry.
-->[X] Make sure it's something you can learn to use on your own. You doubt anyone will come by to give you advice.

 

[lost star]

Really tempted to mirror this questy on spacebattles. My inner attention seeker demands more audience >_<

 

[Xicree]

Really tempted to mirror this questy on spacebattles. My inner attention seeker demands more audience >_<

Click to shrink...

Believe i understand that.

[X] Bring some books to read. A journal, maybe, to take notes in?
[X] Also something for self defense. Sure, you trust your mother, but... Better safe than sorry.
-->[X] Make sure it's something you can learn to use on your own. You doubt anyone will come by to give you advice.

 

[Biigoh]

[X] Plan Eercix

 

[Malcolmo]

[X] Bring some books to read. A journal, maybe, to take notes in?
[X] Also something for self defense. Sure, you trust your mother, but... Better safe than sorry.
-->[X] Make sure it's something you can learn to use on your own. You doubt anyone will come by to give you advice.

 

[lost star]

[X] Bring some books to read. A journal, maybe, to take notes in?
[X] Also something for self defense. Sure, you trust your mother, but... Better safe than sorry.
-->[X] Make sure it's something you can learn to use on your own. You doubt anyone will come by to give you advice.

---

In the end, you don't have any other options. Your mother bundles you up, and gives you a backpack. Then you are lead out of the house and to The Wall. It's a familiar sight to you actually. A massive jutting barrier between your people and the monsters outside. Comforting in it's own way. There is an equally large staircase to ascend it as well. You've personally climbed up it more than a few times when you were tinier.

The view from atop it has to be seen to be believed. And even now when you look out on the horizon from atop the wall you are stricken by it's beauty. There is no other sight in the city like it. You can see the horizon stretch on endlessly on both ends. The Wall is on par with skyscrapers, and only the invulnerable nature of it keeps it from collapsing under it's own weight. There actually has to be air holes in the structure to keep it from causing weather issues. All together it's something beyond your people's capability even now.

Of course climbing it is a nice way of getting exercise too, and you are both rather winded when you reach the top. When you are done, both you and your mother use one of the lifts on the other side. A manual device that can be cranked to move up and down. Down you go, and at the bottom you can see a very small building on the other side.

It's a prefab thing more for temporary use than anything else. Likely something your mother wheeled over from the other side. It's enough to shelter you and your belongings. That's it.

The surrounding area is wild unlike anything you have ever seen. There are parks in your city of course, but those are orderly things. This is pure untamed wilderness. Had the wall not been such a prominent landmark, it's conceivable that you could get lost just a few feet into it.

You mother hugs you at the bottom. And shows you how to take care of the basic necessities. She's managed to rig up a small bathroom with cold water somehow, and you have a lot of preserved food inside. Other than that, the floor is dirt, and there is nothing else.

"Now the area around here is pretty peaceful." She states and points up. "Use that tower as a landmark if you have to move." You can see a peak on The Wall that indicated there is a lift there. "There is a small river right next to here that runs into a pool. The Aethermorphs there are peaceful and will ignore you. So long as you don't go past that area you will be safe."

You nod to show you understand.

"Now listen dear." She takes your head in her hands and looks very serious. "I'll come back within seven days. If I can't, I will drop something off The Wall to tell you. Be safe. So long as you have my device on, the Aethermorphs will treat you as part of the scenery. That doesn't mean they can't see you, just that you look like a rock to them."

You gulp and nod again.

"Love you." She gives you a hug and then moves back to the lift.

You sigh and move towards your new 'home.' You have enough rations to last you almost a month if you need to. A small laser gun for self defense (Useless against monsters), your fiance's cell phone, a few books to read, and a journal.

To be frank you expect to be alternately terrified and bored out of your skull.

You aren't disappointed in that.

The first night is the worst. The sounds outside your flimsy room are indescribable. Alternately loud and dead quiet. Things humming and screaming in the night. Nothing sounds close, but compared to what you are used to, it's absolutely alien, and terrifying.

The second day you doze in a terrified stupor and get a call from your fiancee. Which calms you down significantly. Though it doesn't reassure you much. Things are getting worse instead of better. A paranoia is starting to settle into the general populace, and your name is being bandied about almost indiscriminately.

By the third day, the terror has started to ebb. And you have gone through your books. You fiddle with the phone some, and get a few games going with it, but that gets old by the fourth day. And by the fifth day you are so stir-crazy that you have to do something new or you are going to go insane.

So you hesitantly follow the river. And see the pools.

If you didn't know any better, you would say they were man-made. They are absolutely picturesque. A tiny waterfall pours into a series of pools that ripple outwards. The water is crystal clear, and you can see snakelike things swimming in it. And fish too. Several types, all of them a stunning color.

One of the fish jumps out of the pool as you approach, and you start. But then you see another do so, and get the impression that they are playing.

Then the water moves on it's own, and you see a creature form itself out of water. It giggles and 'picks' up one of the fish. Or rather picks up the water and the fish. The fish wiggles around and then swims into the 'body' of the creature.

All together it's a bizarre sight. And you can't help but imagine they are talking with each other.

You spend a good portion of the day just watching the creatures. You never quite catch any words. Or sounds other than splashing and musical giggles. Yet you can't shake the impression that there is something more going on there. Just at the edge of your perception.

The sixth day is your fiancee calling again. By this point you've given up on there being good news. And there isn't any. In the absence of cooler heads, you are now officially 'wanted for questioning'. Unofficially if you get caught, you can likely look forward to a swift and painful interrogation and death. Kale's trying to get things untangled, but it's going to take far longer than a few days.

At least she's sounding better now. With something to be outraged about, she can at least ignore the grief.

You debate about telling her where you are and what you've seen, but at this point she warns you against it. She doesn't know if her place has been tapped. So she has to be very circumstantial about what she's doing.

The seventh day has you going absolutely insane. Your mother never shows up. The only thing that gives you any hope what so ever is the dropped package containing a letter.

She's stuck inside her house for now. Something about being picketed. It's in your sister's writing, and written hastily.

While this worries you more, you really need something more to do by now.

The best option is to explore some. If you follow the stream down more you can't get lost. You could probably stay put, but you aren't feeling particularly safe right now.

---

The stream goes into several areas (Choose an encounter):

[] Siren's song (The pools)
[] Scavenger's Hunger (Down the left fork of the stream, and into the fields)
[] Faustian Pact (Down the right fork, and near the cliff)
[] Royal curiosity (A strange cave nearby the fork of the stream)

-New Stats
Instinct (1/10)- There are things just at the edge of your perception. Otherworldly things.

Humanity (99/100)- You are human. Aren't you?

 

[Vindictus]

[X] Scavenger's Hunger (Down the left fork of the stream, and into the fields)

 

[shaderic]

[X] Royal curiosity (A strange cave nearby the fork of the stream)

We have a humanity stat.

Fuuuuck.

Aethermorphs have got to be at least partially aetherial. A spiritual or mystical being.

... This doesn't truly bode well. Even though it does explain why none of the 'normal' weapons can do anything. We don't need XCOM. We need the Ghostbusters.

 

[lost star]

In case you didn't realize it, this quest is a bit different than my others. It IS possible to get a bad end. However if it happens, all that I will be doing is deducting Humanity, and we go back to the last choice with Jax getting a massive headache and a new fear of your last choice. What is this humanity stat you ask? You will have to see. Part of the fun is going to be unraveling things I think.

The only REAL lose condition is going to be if you hit 0 humanity. At which point bad things will happen.

Now the below option won, but this is a bit of an exploration section here. Each of these encounters will likely take several visits.

[X] Royal curiosity (A strange cave nearby the fork of the stream)

You follow the stream. Past the picturesque pools, and to a fork in it. There, off to the side is a strange cave in the ground. That place is a good a place as any to explore right now. You peer down it into the gloom for a moment. The sun's at an angle that you can see fairly deep into it. There isn't much at this point, just a curve to the tunnel.

Normally you would be more cautious. But your mother's invention seems to be working fairly well. So you slowly sneak your way inside the tunnel. Through the curve and then you see light again.

You peer around the curve, and fight the urge to scream or run as a massive bug creature scuttles right past you. It ignores you completely, and you spare a moment to keep from soiling yourself.

That done, you wait for more movement. Now that you know what to listen for you can hear the faint sound of the creature moving. Or creatures more accurately as you peer around the corner.

They are vaguely reminiscent of ants. Or perhaps some other multi legged insect. They range from the size of a large dog, to as large as you. You would estimate over a hundred that you can see, and likely more that you can't. All of them skittering around the massive hole that's their hive. If you were to guess, they've likely moved enough dirt to cover a good ten story building.

One of them actually walks into the tunnel you are hiding in and right over your head before you can panic. Testing reveals that they will even go around you if you move in front of them.

You are a lot like a mound of dirt to them actually. Or maybe a big rock that's sometimes in their way.

So you find a good vantage point and watch. It's actually rather interesting to see. Most of them are skittering in and out of the peripheral tunnels. Here and there you see leafy things being dragged in, and once, near the bottom you see what looks to be larva being carried somewhere.

Others would probably find it creepy, but you find it hard to be scared of things that seem to ignore you completely. Though you know intellectually that if your mother's device fails you are dead.

Here and there you also get that strange impression of talking then. A lot like staying in a house and a conversation being held somewhere else. Just barely on the edge of your hearing.

Time passes faster than you think though, and it's soon dark enough that you should probably head back.

As you get to the edge of the tunnel you were in though, every hair on the back of your head stands on end. The 'ants' stop moving and you slowly turn around. One turns to look at you.

Just one.

And you run like the hounds of hell are chasing you.

You aren't followed at all. And the sensation leaves as soon as it comes, but it does give you a small panic attack again. And no shortage of sleeplessness.

[]

-1 Humanity (98)
+1 Instinct (2/10)

Now it's pretty free form on what you do. Please feel free to vote. Each action will be costing you a 'day.' Even if it doesn't take up the entire day. This is just for ease of convenience. You currently have 21 days worth of rations. I'v taken the liberty of listing actions you can take, but feel free to write in.

[] Siren's song (The pools)
[] Scavenger's Hunger (Down the left fork of the stream, and into the fields)
[] Faustian Pact (Down the right fork, and near the cliff)
[] Royal curiosity (A strange cave nearby the fork of the stream)
[] Call Kale, check for news on phone, look for messages from mother. (Basically the catch all for 'check back home')
[] Explore (Dangerous)

 

[Xicree]

[X] Scavenger's Hunger (Down the left fork of the stream, and into the fields)

 

[lost star]

Spacebattles had the majority of the votes, and I think this one won. Eh, doesn't matter ultimately. GM says so if not

[] Siren's song (The pools)

The dawn of the next day leaves you a bit groggy, but mostly intact. Nothing appears to have followed you, and whatever caused that reaction doesn't appear to have followed you. Still, you are a bit wary of things so you limit your exploration to the pool nearby. So, after your meal of preserved food. (You've been here a week and a day and you are already sick of it.) You walk leisurely to the pools.

There you watch and enjoy the sights.

You can tentatively identify three categories of creatures that swim in the thing. There are the fish first. Varied in colors and sizes, they mostly swim around the pool and occasionally jump out of the water. The second group are the things you've tentatively identified as eels. They just swim around the bottom of the pool. You can't identify any function for them, but they don't do much other than keep near the bottom.

It's the third group that gets the most of your attention. If you were to call it anything, you would call it 'living water'. There only appears to be one of them. At least you only see it manifest itself as one. It's form is vaguely human, in that it has a head, body, and arms. For the most part the creature isn't visible.

Occasionally though, it will pull itself out of the pool and either play with the fish, or pick at things around the pool. It looks to be maintaining it for some reason actually. Surprisingly physical too, at one point you watch it pick up a stone and move it into the pond for some reason.

There are also the occasional visitors to drink. After the first big animal moves in though, you inch back some and find a good concealed area to continue watching. The monsters might not see you, but the animals certainly will. It strikes you that you can tell which animals are mundane and which ones are monsters too. The monsters are larger, more imposing. Often with parts of them slightly off.

Part of you knew that mundane creatures were outside The Wall, but the monsters often take almost all the attention. Even yours.

The day is spent watching mostly. And throughout it all, there is that vague feeling of something there. You strain yourself to listen to it. And over time, it slowly, but surely comes into focus.

It's a lovely song. A wordless beauty. Now that you can focus on it, you can tell it's coming from the pools. It becomes even more beautiful as you listen to it, and you have to shake your head as you get a bit too focused on it.

Then it intensifies. You freeze from a combination of panic and pure enthrallment. You force down the initial instinct to just move forward to hear better.

Despite yourself, you find that you're body has inched forward already anyway. Only a sound from the forest makes you freeze up. There in the distance you see a massive deer walk in step by step. It seems to be just as enthralled as you are actually.

You frown some as the initial panic wears off and the song suddenly reduces in intensity. This is different than the other times creatures have come to drink.

You find yourself parched as well, and as the deer leans down to drink, you think you know why.

Like that, the monster is pulled into the pool. One second it's drinking, and the next it's drowning. The eels spark with something more than electricity, and the monster thrashes. And then slows. And dies.

You swallow some. The entire process takes less than a minute.

Inside the pool, the monster dissolves quickly. The flesh dissolves, and is eaten by the fish. The bones crumple and are devoured by the eels. The creature forms out of the pool again, and you hear that musical laugh as the last of the deer monster dissolves away. The pools look absolutely pristine again.

And you swallow dryly.

Slowly, but surely you back away. And are noisily messy as soon as you are out of sight.

But not apparently earshot. Or something of that nature. You can hear that song still. Lower now, but no less potent. And you get the impression of words. Not the words themselves, but the meaning to them.

A feeling of home. A bit of anger at something smashing it. And deep satisfaction about punishing that.

You get to your shack, and you realize you can still, faintly hear the pool. The Siren's Song.

[]

20 days of rations left.

-1 humanity (97)
+1 instinct(3/10)

You will note I've added something to Siren's song. Technically the 'encounter' is complete. You won't see anything new if you just visit it, but you can do other things there. Hence the -action.

[] Siren's song (The pools) - Action
[] Scavenger's Hunger (Down the left fork of the stream, and into the fields)
[] Faustian Pact (Down the right fork, and near the cliff)
[] Royal curiosity (A strange cave nearby the fork of the stream)
[] Call Kale, check for news on phone, look for messages from mother. (Basically the catch all for 'check back home')
[] Explore (Dangerous)

 

[Xicree]

[X] Scavenger's Hunger (Down the left fork of the stream, and into the fields)

 

[Vindictus]

[X] Scavenger's Hunger (Down the left fork of the stream, and into the fields)

I wonder, do we have a limited number of 'Turns' before the next plot interlude? Or are we pretty much being left to hang until we figure out the puzzle, if we find out the puzzle?

 

[lost star]

Technically yes and no. The next few days are going to be pretty free. There might be stuff later.

 

[Pipeman]

[X] Royal curiosity (A strange cave nearby the fork of the stream)

 

[lost star]

[X] Faustian Pact (Down the right fork, and near the cliff)

Well, you've been thoroughly spooked twice now. It's pretty damned obvious that you aren't exactly home anymore. That said, staying in the shack and doing nothing has little appeal to you at the moment. So you venture out again. Following the stream. Past the pools, which still have a low key hum to them. Past the cave with the massive ants. And this time down the right path fork of the stream.

There it goes downhill for a time, and then hits a fairly large cliff. You take the time to look over, and would judge it a good ten or more stories down. A sheer drop too, and not something that you can easily climb down. Which basically ends the exploration.

Or would if you didn't notice the really really big rock to the side and out on the ledge. It's larger than you, and patterned strangely. As you get closer, you would say it's pictures. Maybe something an explorer made?

Then they move, and you are struck by a headache. You stagger and hit the ground clutching your head. A voice, from the stone comes forth. You know it's not sound, but it's the best way your mind can determine it.

"What DO... we HAVE... Heeeere." You can barely interpret it to be honest. Though most of that is because you don't think the thing is all together there. "A LITTLE... Chameleon?" There is a pause. "Nooo. It's A... Human."

The patterns swirl and concentrate into a solid silver circle. "I seee you human. Such a FUN little trick you have."

"Ummm. Don't eat me?" You scramble back some as the headache abates.

The circle seems to blink and you see it dissolve into pieces and pictures again. "It CAN hear?! This HASN'T... Happennned before?" It's thinking? You seem to be hearing it's thought processes. "Humans ARE... Deaf AND dumb." The pictures swirl around again, and you recognize something being stabbed? It's a creature you've not seen before. "Perhaps IT... Can HELP?"

The silver circle appears again soon after. "I am nameless. I am formless. I am... Prisoner. So I cannot GRANT you hospitality strange thing." The circle blinks. "I would request YOUR name still..."

You swallow dryly as you move a bit closer. Not too close, but enough to be certain you can see the thing. "Jax."

"Jax..." The silver on the circle swirls. "I greet YOU... Jax. Why do YOU visit?"

"I'm exploring." You can say that much you guess. It does appear to be prisoner inside the rock. Though how and why is beyond you. More importantly the you can help part makes you very wary.

"You ARE Human..." The circle blinks. "Or perhaps SOMETHING... Very close."

"Human." You state a bit peevishly. "Why are you prisoner might I ask?"

The circle dissolves into picture again. This time of the creature fighting other things. You guess the creature is it? "I AM... Killer BORN... I DESTROY... I DEVOUR..." You see a picture of it ripping something to pieces and obviously eating it. "My RULES... Demanded IT... My ENEMIES... Disliked ittt." The stabbing of the creature again. This time you have some context. A punishment? "And I... Had MANY..."

The silver circle appears again. "I am one who fights... And one who KILLS. Such is my purpose. They stripped MUCH of me, but not that. So I am PRIOSONER until they find me USEFULL again... I would rather CHOOSE something different."

You have the lay of the land you think. "And I would be the one to help with that."

"Jax IS intelligent." The circle blinks. "I would CALL you my master... You would give me FORM... You would give me NAME... And I would EAT your enemies... There would be a PRICE for you however... I would need FLESH to be freed... Humans are so very FRAGILE, so I could remake it... But it wouldn't be the SAME."

[]

-1 Humanity (96)
+1 Instinct (4/10

 

[Vindictus]

... Yeah, okay, this can't go wrong.

[X] Sure why not?

 

[Malcolmo]

Do we have any knowledge about anything similar to this thing or bargains of this nature?

 

[lost star]

the most you have are strange tales of various bargins made with monsters. Most of them are horror and 'be careful of what you wish for' sort of stories. It's pretty obvious that they've been exaggerated over time.

 

[Vindictus]

Hmm. Let's be a crafty little word-lawyer!

[X] "If I give you flesh to inhabit, then you will use the flesh as I demand- You will kill and consume who I want you to, when I want you to, after I give you leave to- And you will not consume anyone who does not meet those conditions. Is that an acceptable bargain?"

 

[Xicree]

[X] "If I give you flesh to inhabit, then you will use the flesh as I demand- You will kill and consume who I want you to, when I want you to, after I give you leave to- And you will not consume anyone who does not meet those conditions. Is that an acceptable bargain?"

I'm ok with this.

 

[kestrel404]

This is sounding a lot like the 'far future' of Villainous Ideals. I was getting that vibe right from the beginning, but now I'm pretty sure of it.

As for bargaining - we can do better than this guy. We'll end up as a Hyde to his Jekyll. Find something less...deranged.

[x] Ask about rules.
[x] Tell him we'll think about it - we don't have many enemies. Yet.

 

[Xicree]

We are going to have PLENTY of AETHER-morphs to feed it... And we definitely have enemies. Someone framed us.

 

[Malcolmo]

[X] "If I give you flesh to inhabit, then you will use the flesh as I demand- You will kill and consume who I want you to, when I want you to, after I give you leave to- And you will not consume anyone who does not meet those conditions. Is that an acceptable bargain?"

 

[lost star]

-"If I give you flesh to inhabit, then you will use the flesh as I demand- You will kill and consume who I want you to, when I want you to, after I give you leave to- And you will not consume anyone who does not meet those conditions. Is that an acceptable bargain?"

The eye seems to pause a moment, and then you see it blink shut as the creature within laughs. "Oh, hahaha! Jax BARGAINS! Jax sets RULES. Gooood..." The eye reappears. "Jax must LEARN though. To listennnn CLOSELY. I said MASTER... Those rules are such that a MASTER would settt."

The eye pauses and swirls. "So... I would accept THOSE terms. But I MUST set one of my owwwn." It solidifies. "I would NEED a form. State it. WEAPON or BEAST. I would need a NAME. Grant ittt... I will SLEEP until you call ME. Then I WILL destroy. That which you demand. That which you call me forth for. BUT UNDERSTAND that I EAT and DEVOUR. If you call ME. Be CERTAIN that I have a MEAL. Lest I TURN on you and take another pound of fleshhh... This is MY NATURE. MY rules."

"I understand that much. About the flesh?" You nod. It's simple enough so far. You aren't certain it's something you want, but it's simple enough.

"You CANNOT regrow what I NEED." The circle blinks. "But you CAN supply, and I CAN do the ressst. Your hand would DO... It will HURT you HUMAN. Jaxxx. So be CERTAIN you wish it... I am NOT a kind creature. EVEN in this state I HUNGER. But I am honest, and I KNOW what I am..."

You think a moment and wince as you think about what the pain would be like. That said, it would give you a defense that's far more potent, hopefully. "Form and name. Limitations in this?"

"NO." The circle swirls somewhat. "ONLY what you can visualize... I would SUGGEST you be simpleee though. The better you CAN imagine, the better I CAN focus. I will be WEAK until I eat MORE or time passes. I have no LIMIT to how strong I can be."

"One last question then." You pause a moment as the circle blinks at you.

"Ask JAX. I have ALL the time in the worllld." If you were to guess you would say that's a bit sarcastic.

"What happens when I die?" You ask.

The circle swirls some. You think you stumped it a bit actually. "I FORGOT that HUMANS die eventually... I would FULFILL your DEBTS and take the REST of your fleshhhh. Then kill and devour. For such is my NATURE, my RULES."

--

Short, but I think this should help clarify a few things.

 

[Vindictus]

Hmm. So, the sacrifice has to be of -our- flesh then?

[X] I vote we give him our appendix~ It's not like it's good for anything, after all.
-->[X] A gun. You already know how to use one, after all.
-->[X] Name it Jackal.

Anyone who gets the reference gets internet-cookies!

 

[Xicree]

[X] I understand. Take my left Arm... and be as the form of a great serpent of Black iron scale, with a mouth which can encompass anything you would engulf and 7 Grand Feathered Wings of every colour possible to speed your way, to give motion to your strikes... to give you absolute freedom to hunt. And by the name of Jormungand I christen you... World Serpent... Devourer of All things.

 

[lost star]

[x] I see. I will think about it.

"You WILL... Think." The eye blinks once. "You WILL be BACK toooo." And the eye goes away. You get the impression that the thing is sleeping now.

You spend the trip back thinking about the deal and shuddering slightly. It's not quite alien the way that thing thought, you could follow along with it somewhat. But it was different enough to make you very wary. At least the encounter didn't end with you scared out of your wits again. Which is a bit of a plus. The strange insistances on rules and nature were also both rather interesting as well.

You also got some information about your mother's invention. It works, but only somewhat. Enough to fool the monsters if they don't look to hard? It's not easy to tell with just one frame of refernce.

You have a journal you brought with you, so you start transcribing your explorations and what's happened so far. It's an intersting picture, though admittedly still in the infancy. Your mother could probably have gotten so much more. But you have to make due. You write it in old tounge just to be certain that no one else can casually read it. It's not a hard language to learn, but it's different enough to function as an easy code, and gives you practice as well in it.

That done, you turn in for the night.
[]

19 days of rations left

[] Siren's song (The pools) - Action
[] Scavenger's Hunger (Down the left fork of the stream, and into the fields)
[] Faustian Pact (Down the right fork, and near the cliff) - Action
[] Royal curiosity (A strange cave nearby the fork of the stream)
[] Call Kale, check for news on phone, look for messages from mother. (Basically the catch all for 'check back home')
[] Explore (Dangerous)

 

[hunter09]

[X] Royal curiosity (A strange cave nearby the fork of the stream)

 

[lost star]

[x] Call Kale, check for news on phone, look for messages from mother. (Basically the catch all for 'check back home')

The day begins bright and early for you. Staying in the shack more than necessary is a great way to drive yourself insane, so you move out and basically look around the base of the wall for more notes. You do find a small one from your sister. Apparently it fell a bit differently from the others and you missed it when you do a casual checkup.

It's not much, mostly a 'stay safe' note, but it's enough to bring your spirits up a tad.

Then you take the time to text Kale about a call. She almost immediately calls you.

"Jax!" Her voice sounds rough.

"Kale? Are you all right?" You ask curiously.

"Just been talking too much." It's a bit clearer now. "And it's pretty early too. I just woke up."

"Sorry." You laugh, this is almost normal. "I'm glad to speak with you."

"You too hun." She sighs. "I'm sorry I can't be more optimistic. Everything is horrible right now. We've had emergency elections and everything. About the only good thing that's come out is the people have stopped demanding I show you."

"That's... Good?" You swallow slightly. You didn't know they were hounding her in the first place, but you probably should have thought about it.

"If I do this right though I should be able to cool down people enough that you won't be murdered if you are caught." She sounds pretty worried actually. "It's not going to be easy. I'm not as good at this political stuff as mom, and some of the candidates right now are scaring me. One of the lead candidates is advocating you being hanged. The other one is on my side. Results should happen at the end of the month." (20 days)

You swallow with a suddenly dry throat. "I'm a talking point?"

"A big one." She laughs shakily. "Basically it's either you arranged the entire thing, or you had no idea what was going on. There are recordings of you talking about killing mother you know." You think she's about to cry again, but you can't do anything about it. "It's pretty easy to fake it nowadays though, and I don't believe it at all. Still it's enough for a lot of people, and they think your mother had something to do with it too. So she's under siege."

You groan at the thought. "Not good."

"Yeah. Just stay safe for now hun. If you can keep out of trouble I think I can manage something. If you get caught..." She doesn't sound hopeful.

"Well, I don't think you have to worry about that." You mutter. "I'm in the last place anyone would look."

"Don't tell me." She replies and takes a deep shaky breath. "I need to keep going though. Stay safe love."

"You too."

[]

18 days rations left

Humanity +5 (99)

[] Siren's song (The pools) - Action
[] Scavenger's Hunger (Down the left fork of the stream, and into the fields)
[] Faustian Pact (Down the right fork, and near the cliff) - Action
[] Royal curiosity (A strange cave nearby the fork of the stream)
[] Call Kale, check for news on phone, look for messages from mother. (Basically the catch all for 'check back home')
[] Explore (Dangerous)