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

[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?]

[strangerpeople]

[They do.]

[relieable]

[...good grief]

They actually fucking built it. Those bastards.

[whiterosefoes]

[Harriet sees him checking it out and looks over from where they're reading the paper.]

I don't suppose you see a reverse lever, do you?

[relieable]

I don't know. I just...

[he huffs, shaking his head]

Miss Emma showed me blueprints of a brainwashing machine. I think this is it... I didn't know they'd already built it.

[whiterosefoes]

Well, according to this letter, the actual brainwashing part was a bit of a cock-up. We should count our blessings.

And ensure they won't get the opportunity to perfect it, as they seem to desire.

[relieable]

Right! We still gotta piece all this shit together.

[necroyalty]

Have you any idea as to what may have prompted the reversal?

I'm aware of magic that can modify one's memory on my own native plane, and such magic can also modify it to be perfectly clear but that's not likely to be the case.

[whiterosefoes]

Whatever it is, it seems like even they don't know.

... I always seemed to remember things the day right after a trial, but I really hope 'watching a fucked up execution' isn't the only trigger for this sort of thing.

[necroyalty]

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

[whiterosefoes]

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

[necroyalty]

There was much I thought to be... unusual about what I could recall.

[She still kinda wishes the kids' dad was that dragon.

ALSO HOW DID SHE FORGET THE GOBLIN KING, THAT GUY WAS A GOOD FRIEND]

Don't expect this to be the end of it.

[whiterosefoes]

I don't. They were clearly inside our heads...

[Harriet looks around at the rest of the room.]

For all we know, that wasn't the only thing they did to us in this awful place.

[necroyalty]

We need to search further.

[whiterosefoes]

Agreed...

[So, what else is there to see here?]

[strangerpeople]

[Unfortunately-or maybe fortunately-that's all there is to be found.

Probably best to get out of here.]