Webisode: Cyric and Emma
From The Hub
| Webisode: Cyric and Emma | |
| Pre-Game: | Pre-Game Events: Summer Games 2010 |
| Characters: | Atticus, Otto, Cyric, Raine |
| Location: | Mortuary |
During Episode: Shattered Memories, the Azrai struck a deal with Cyric and provided him with the body of Emma Oakwright for his experimentation. During these experiments, he requested the expert presence of Atticus and Otto. Following the success/failure of the experiments, Cyric may renegotiate for the other body (Pheodora) hidden in your possession.
Contents |
Called to the Mortuary
Given little notice and even less time to prepare, Atticus and Otto receive a summons to the Mortuary and are escorted by several Sept members to the labs in the cooled-crypts below. Cyric receives them in the now-combined labs of Carrion and Phe, attended by Yorick, several more Sept members, and a myraid of undead attendants. Once "pleasantries" are exchanged, he finally offers an explanation for his experiments on Emma.
Cyric's Research
For the last several months (perhaps more), Cyric has been collecting the blood of many dark-haired women that he calls "secondary receivers" - or women that have received visions, dreams, or other similar brushes with an entity that bears a similarity to the Lady, or "any other primary host" (e.g. Pheodora, Malazar, Emma). The resonant "sentience" in this blood left as a result of each woman's "episode" was subsequently purified and concentrated using Carrion's Hyperbaric Sentience Chamber. He plans to further use Carrion's hyperbaric chamber to inject the concentrated sentience-infused blood into Emma Oakwright.
Cyric claims this methodology to be partially stolen from tortured members of the Horizon Project, half remembered from his time in the Meridian Group paired with Dr. Karvasi and Carrion, and his time working personally with Pheodora.
Pathway Theory
The theory behind this methodology is somewhat experimental, but is at least grounded in some past, successful experimentation (see for example the blood infusion experiments on Aram and Valiant, or the writings of Dr. Randal Rickas - Energy Distillation on a Silverweed Infected Host). Cyric hopes to inject Emma Oakwright with the concentrated, sentience-infused blood of several dark-haired women. Since Emma was a primary host (i.e. an individual that likely had primary contact with "the entity"), he believes this will allow a powerful diviner access to the original occupying sentience, not Emma herself. Thus, Cyric hopes to use Emma as a "pathway" to contacting and eventually finding the original occupying entity.
The Divination
After Cyric explains his methodology, Atticus sets to making the hyperbaric sentience chamber and attached alchemical infusers run as efficiently as possible. Cyric explains that only a master diviner will likely be able to overcome the arcane barriers involved in this process, and thus explains that Otto must perform a Speak with Dead with the end goal of using Emma Oakwright as pathway to finding the entity that may be the Lady, or may even be Pheodora. Otto decides it is best to show Cyric Phe's mask, since he will be using it during the ritual. Although Cyric initial seems to act very viscerally at the site of the object, he merely asks to examine it, then claims that none in his Sept are "fit to wear" it. He further grants Otto permission to wear the mask for this "one ritual".
Speak with Dead on Emma
Cyric offers several suggestions and claims that the primary directive of this divination is "finding her", or "freeing her", or "determining the details of either". It seems unlikely that he will accept many other "exploratory" questions, though he will yield to Otto's expertise in the formation of the divination. After the formation of the majority of the divination, Atticus and Otto convinced Cyric that it was necessary to reconvene in 24 hours to completely consider the following questions and any additional questions:
1. To whom are we speaking?
This question serves as a litmus test and hopefully lets the Azrai know if they have contacted Emma, Phe, the Lady, or something else.
2. Is contacting you in this manner safe?
Another litmus test of sorts. You don't want people to get your secrets or give away her secrets or some shit.
3. Where is your essence?
A similar question was asked during your SWD on Phe but Cyric doesn't know that and when you contacted
"Phe" you believe you spoke with the Lady at times, Phe at times, and both at times (hence the changes between 2 voices, 1 voice, common, and the old tongue).
4. Ask about products of research (rose, stone, blood).
These were referenced during your SWD on Phe so you may have to do some explaining to Cyric still on this one?
5. How do we retrieve your essence?
Cyric is a big fan of questions like these - though he can be talked into different wording since he didn't come up with it
6. How do we free you?
Kept intentionally broad
7. Why do you jump from host to host?
8. Who are you in regular contact with?
9. How do we find the watcher and the builder.
Have some explaining to do with this. Referenced in SWD on Phe and you are hoping they will be referenced again in this one so that you can ask about them without explaining your previous divination. Also talked about just slipping it in at the end.
10. Open Slot
Line of Inquiry
After much deliberation with the Azrai, Otto and Atticus arrived at the following list of questions. Due to the probability that Otto would not be contacting Pheodora's soul and possibility that he would not be contacting Emma Oakwright's soul, he created a flow-chart of questions based off of who it seems he was in contact with- with the aim of finding information about Pheodora. The line of inquiry flows from the first question. (Questions in bold were considered for dropping if clarification was needed on something that came up in earlier questions.)
- 1. To whom are we speaking?
IF WE HAVE REASON TO BELIEVE WE ARE SPEAKING TO EMMA OAKWRIGHT>
- 2. Why was Lawshredder looking for you?
- 3. Why is the Memento Stone linked to you?
- 4. What memories are feeding the stone?
- 5. Where is your essence?
- 6. How do we retrieve your essence?
- 7. Why do you jump from host to host?
- 8. Who are you in regular contact with?
- 9. What is the best way to keep the essence that is connected to Pheodora, Emma, and the other Black-haired women safe from The Lawshredder?
- 10. When and where will the final door open?
IF WE HAVE REASON TO BELIEVE WE ARE SPEAKING TO PHEODORA CHAKRAVANTI>
- 2. Where is your essence, Pheodora?
- 3. How do we free Pheodora from Strahd's Castle?
- 4. How can we use the Rose, the Stone and the Blood to bring back Pheodora?
- 5. How do we find the Watcher and the Builder?
- 6. How do we retrieve your essence, Pheodora?
- 7. Where and when will the Fourth Door Open?
- 8. Why is it that Pheodora's soul ended up in Barovia and not in a Godstone like the other Lawshredder victims?
- 9. Why do you jump from host to host?
- 10. When and where was Pheodora reborn?
The Ritual
Atticus and Otto prepare for their meeting with Cyric in advance by casting some contingency spells, there is no telling how Cyric will handle information uncovered this evening. Just before entering the Mortuary, Otto rubs mushroom dust on his eyes- a normal ritual for those who know him, he has cast True Seeing. At the appropriate time, Atticus and Otto make their way back in Cyric's lab in the Mortuary. They are somewhat surprised to find Raine already in attendance. She assuages any concern by informing them that her blood will be involved in the ritual. After going over the flow of the ritual and Atticus inspects Cyric's device, the trio begin. Otto makes a chalk circle on the stone around Emma Oakwright's body, which has been carefully placed inside the hyperbaric device. He pulls out and activates his mimir, Pax Memoria, and his Planar Sextant. And then, noticeably hesitant, pulls out Pheodora's Mask placing it on his face and begins to tighten the screws into his face. Otto begins casting Speak With Dead.
- 1. To whom are we speaking?
- Multiple voices speak in unison, some in past tense, some in present tense...At least one speaks in Old Tongue. You speak to the collective, those who were and will be, those who suffer(ed) so that all can(could) live.
Otto and Atticus exchange concerned glances, but go on.
- 2. Where is your essence, Pheodora?
- There are several distinct voices, including one in the old tongue and dozens of indecipherable whispers: Through the Armageddon Echo, Beneath the Weeping Cliffs, in the Tower's of Shadow's Night, in Strahd's Castle, in Raine van Osslynd.
Otto shoots a glance to Raine, who is observing the ritual; her shock is plain to see on her face. Cyric makes no noticeable reaction.
- 3. How do we free Pheodora from Strahd's Castle?
- This time many less voices speak in unison: The Builder can take you. He can break his prison.
- 4. How can we use the Rose, the Stone and the Blood to bring back Pheodora?
- Only a few voices respond: Follow the Black Rose. It opens doors to any who bear its sign. The Stone re-collects scattered memories thought lost and forgotten. it will remind her of that which she was. The blood that was her life will bring nothing but death.
- 5. How do we find the Watcher and the Builder?
- What sounds like only two voices speaking in Old Tongue respond: The Watcher is beyond your reach, though he had two disciples. Follow the Barmy and you'll find them all.
- 6. How do we retrieve your essence, Pheodora?
- In a few more voices than the previous response, some of which speak in the Common Tongue: Collect my scattered essence in a suitable vessel.
Otto telepathically asks Atticus "Maybe we should ask how to collect the soul fragments? Our proposed last question is very similar. I can reword it to be more precise."
- Atticus replies "Perhaps. Although I believe I can find her. Let's move on."
- 7. Where and when will the Fourth Door Open?
- What sounds like four voices respond simultaneously, one of which is in Old Tongue: In the Tower of Shadow's Night, at Strahd's Castle, at the Gatehouse Asylum, at the Shattered Temple. The door is already open.
- 8. Why is it that Pheodora's soul ended up in Barovia and not in a Godstone like the other Lawshredder victims?
- Similar to the last response, four voices, one speaking in Old Tongue: Our essence was infused with Crimsonweed in attempt to achieve destruction. Though success was temporary, the entities ritual was disrupted. With primary failure, secondary goals of transformation to a being of near similitude to Lawshredder entity was achieved in total.
At this point Atticus jumps into Otto's mind via Rary's.
- "Otto, drop the last spell. Ask the entities what Cyric's true motives are."
- "Are you sure? We could be sabotaging a potential ally." After some quick telepathic deliberation, Otto agrees. Otto then offers another question to replace one of the others- to find out some information on the most recent Lawshredder murder.
- 9. Silvanus and Trolan were killed by Lawshredder and The Shadowknave. What did they do to deserve this fate?
- Two distinct voices respond, one in Common, one in Old Tongue: Their deaths were motivated primarily by vengeance. But they did something more - destroyed memories - those of Aoskar and the Barmy.
- 10. What is Cyric's ultimate goal with his research up to this point?
- One solitary voice responds in Common: In order to survive his inevitable deaths, Cyric has served me faithfully since before his first. He has been my creature and remains my creature.
Bracing themselves for a reaction from Cyric, Otto focuses his spell Moment of Prescience into his skill of diplomacy. However, Cyric's only response is to ominously say: "Your lack of trust is...disappointing." Otto explains that they needed to establish a trust and that would be the only way to confirm it- by having Pheodora or the The Lady vouching for him. He and Cyric then begin to negotiate another Speak With Dead ritual with the other dark-haired woman in the Azrai's possession, although Otto doesn't say who it is the Azrai have in their possession.
