FINAL INVESTIGATION

[strangerpeople]

FINAL INVESTIGATION

[The morning of the last day-the day of the deadline promised by the Elder Steward--there is a loud CRACK that echoes through the Mansion. It comes above, over, and around them.

Indeed, it seems to originate from outside.

Those who go outside will find themselves staring at a sky that is cracking everywhere. The cracks Osomatsu had seen before had somehow spread over the days unchecked. Now, the cracks become larger and larger, until finally, the sky itself breaks.

Glass-like pieces fall downwards as it shatters, dissipating lone before they hit the ground into sparkles. A cool breeze suddenly blows through the garden, while the sun suddenly appears for the first time, shining high in the sky. A...slightly creeping-looking, laughing sun, but that doesn't seem to be an illusion, unfortunately. Also it doesn't look ready to swoop down to attack them, which might be a small comfort.

The hole in the wall that had been made earlier is still there, large enough to crawl through. And when they do, the Strangers will find themselves in a more open grassy field, with a beach to the south.

The nice weather and grass, however, is not all that is there. It's clear there are other places in this complex to explore.]




[Before anyone can react, there is the sudden telltale ticking that begins in their heads, and their investigation scrolls appear. It's clear that the Stewards have started a countdown for them to get to the Temple, which sits beyond their immediate area, within a forest of trees that the grass transforms into. But, perhaps, the Strangers can use this to their advantage. Now, they know they have a time limit to search these places for more information about just why they are there.

Perhaps, now, they might have a chance to find something useful.

There are six strangers left. Best get to work.]

Comments

EVIDENCE

[strangerpeople]

[Well, she's not wrong.

This writing is in a completely different writing from anyone whose writing that have seen so far. It is delicate and formal, almost spidery.

Staring too long at the writing will cause a headache.]

Everything is going as I had hoped.

These fifteen mortals came to me unexpectedly, and thus when they did, I set to work continuing my research, using the information I had gleaned so carefully. Killing these mortals is the easy part, it always is. The difficult part of course is the merging process. The souls of the other witches are fickle even in death, and the objects chosen must be compatible with both the subject and the witch soul.

Those fools may have lacked vision, held back by their imagined sense of “order”, but I am not. I refuse to be. Demon Weapons are what shall give me the upper hand. That these fifteen should be successful as well, gives me joy that no one but my followers can imagine. Soon, I shall have an army who shall only be answerable to me; soon, “order” shall be replaced by something even better.

I will make sure of it.

[Accompanying this note is something akin to a three-sided alchemical chart, with lines and formulas that only someone with highly-advanced magic can accomplish the result in the center of it. It’s easy, however, to figure out what the “equation” is. Corpse + inanimate object + Witch soul = Demon Weapon.]

Re: EVIDENCE

[necroyalty]

[She's gonna tolerate that headache for the sake of magics and THERE'S YOUR PROBLEM YOU DUMB DUMB, DEMONS AREN'T VERY ORDERLY.

But whatever, there a date? ]

[strangerpeople]

[There's no date, but there seems to be some notes on what inanimate objects were used on the corpses: a bear trap, a catapult, a set of greaves, a scythe, etc.]

[necroyalty]

[It's all of us, isn't it. ]

[strangerpeople]

[Y u p.]

[whiterosefoes]

[Meanwhile, is there anything else to look at in here, or does Harriet need to come over here and lose her shit at this]

EVIDENCE

[strangerpeople]

[Well, there are some nasty-looking chairs in the corner of the room.]

[whiterosefoes]

[oh what the absolute fuck. Yeah, that's pretty hard to ignore. She'll walk up to one and just... try to control her fear.

What exactly is this chair for? Any labels on those levers, for example?]

[strangerpeople]

[There is a label on the side beneath the arms: MORALITY MANIPULATION MACHINE.]

[whiterosefoes]

Ah yes, the triple M. Perfectly normal. Perfectly sane!!

[This is freaky as shit. How does this machine work?]

[strangerpeople]

[There actually seems to be a small, medieval version of a motor nearby.

There's also a sleeve where a paper is tucked into the side of it.]

[necroyalty]

Did you happen to find something, Harriet?

[whiterosefoes]

Yes actually!

[She's snatching up the paper, assuming it will explain this shite in more detail.]

But I can hardly believe this. See for yourself.

[they can read it together?]

EVIDENCE

[strangerpeople]

[They can.]

[The note is written in the Elder Steward’s careful handwriting.]

Our Lady,

We have succeeded in creating workable prototypes of your next great invention. When it is perfected, the Morality Manipulation Machine will be capable of altering our subject’s sense of morality without completely destroying it.

At present, though, there are some kinks that need to be sorted out. Manipulation is of course successful, but it does not entirely affect morality. Instead, the machine seems to affect memories more strongly in its present state. We shall need to use the fifteen to work these problems out-and also to see, if this issue cannot be fixed, how long the memory changes can last and what may cause the memories to be restored to “normal” without our intervention.

[relieable]

[hey gang.

let's look at that machine. these chairs... is this looking like the brainwashing machine blueprints that Emma found and shared with him?]

[necroyalty]

[ Sure you know what, let's do that ]

[whiterosefoes]

...Ah! This! This is why those memories kept shifting!

[relieable]

[here comes Osomatsu with his own things to join his team. hm. they seem like they've got everything squared away in here, but he wants to at least look around at the horrors]

Yikes.

[strangerpeople]

[Well, he will notice a corner that is particularly blood-stained.

I..investigate?]

[relieable]

[NO????

no. okay. he's going to... slowly make his way over there, craning his neck to see. is that blood fresh?]

EVIDENCE

[strangerpeople]

[Not super fresh, but the set of wooden tables with metal straps on them certainly have seen it's share of...well, people bleeding on them.

They certainly look like something that belongs in the game room in the Mansion, even though they have clearly never been moved from this spot.]

cw emetophobia

[relieable]

[o... okay. so Osomatsu has just found a torture table. he brings his hand to his lips. his stomach is thankfully empty but it lurches anyway.

anything else over here? like... torture instruments?]

cw: implied torture

[strangerpeople]

[Oh, definitely. Tools to kill, to torture, and do other unknown things that are probably better to not mull on the purpose of.]

[relieable]

[fantastic. he's going to avoid touching anything for now, but he is logging this place in his memory.

what else is nearby?]

[strangerpeople]

[well, this is happening]