Log - February 2026
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Previous event: Test Drive Meme - January 2026. Next event: Test Drive Meme - March 2026.
The Main Event event on 2026 February 5 posted here. This was the event for February 2026.
FAQ Pages
[edit source]Full questions here
Event headings
[edit source]
FAQ Questions
[edit source]| Information | Question | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| #1
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-27 |
Here are the details from the discussion with all the participants! (cries.... as if this is a surprise) We have several participants, exciting! A good number of Spectrals as well, obviously. So getting in will be spearheaded by Jacye, who has a lot of goodwill with Patho-Gen, and is going to be ostensibly working on teleporter checks or maintenance, but also will be leaving doors and locations open for the group to break in. As the group itself will have several Spectrals, all who are fairly adept at using Glamors and once it's known regarding Possession, will likely be very aggressive (given...this group) with using it to help fight off the calling. Hugo will also be using practical makeup to help keep people from getting caught even without a glamor, and Lae is offering her invisibility spells and paralyzing glares. As a whole, the group is going to be very directed in get in, hunt around for intel, and get out. We have a good number of augmented with breaking in skils, including Hugo, Mista, and Silco. Also plenty of muscle between Mista, Johann, and the rest of the Spectrals. Silco will insist on at least one non-spectral with each independent group to ensure that there is someone who is not susceptible with them at all times to catch any Spectrals that would get caught otherwise. The information they are specifically looking for include: - How they leashed the spectrals/How the calling is being specifically used against them AND if there is a way to prevent it - What Patho-Gen think is particularly interesting about Spectral Types (or any soul type) - Controlling Augmented in general. What is it reacting to? - Where DID they get the Spectrals that are leashed / Were they being held? / Where did they come from? - Also interested in what research they're doing on Golems, and how it could be prevented/used - Information about Mt Pneuma. Particularly, is that where people were held, how do they keep people from getting close, and any other information about what is being done there. - Mista will be looking in particular for any objects that appear to hold significance for info! - Original corruption of the Katalyth (how did it happen?) OR the Interdimensional Tech and how it works - Silco is ALSO going to do a little quick search for who is ACTUALLY manufacturing most pharmaceuticals being used, and if it is Patho-Gen where the source manufacturing locations are, because he is a shit who wants to start ramping that up, and while inside, he's gonna try for some Please let us know if there are any details that you all would be interested in getting or anything that you need clarified! |
"Given... this group" is a very good summary for... a lot of the Augmented, but especially this group. It sounds like they'll be plentifully equipped for their mission: a bit of charm points with Patho-Gen, a bit of stealth and sleuthing and bitter determination, a bit of Spectral-type action mixed up with some non-Spectrals... We feel they'll be quite successful in their efforts! Here is what they will learn, as well as what they won't, despite their best efforts. (Some of these may be guaranteed, but others are being rolled for how much success the bunch will have in their efforts.) 1. How did they acquire Spectral-types and harness them as familiars? In the HQ, there is unfortunately very little luck to be had about further information on this front. Their singular shard of luck comes in the form of an employee. No, no, this employee has nothing to say... They're tight-lipped. But should they be rendered incapacitated, this employee will be carrying a Syntrofos that they're being really careless with: it has a proximity lock, so as long as it's near their body, it unlocks. LOSER. On their Syntrofos are a number of chatlogs, and unfortunately all of them are password protected. At least Patho-Gen has that safeguard up. But the one that is already pulled up contains the following information:
2. What does Patho-Gen think is interesting about Spectral-types? Why, their ability to meddle with the dreams of others in a way that is more substantial than figment! In recent history, there are some documents that are measuring the general atmosphere and surrounds of Kelesis, a city which some sectors of Patho-Gen seem aware of as being something of a dream-like illusion. The conclusion they reached involved researching entities that had sway over dreams like this... and while they did not know the full nature of what they dealt with, there is documentation that back in June and July that they'd sent employees of Patho-Gen to Kelesis (as some characters may recall having seen employees meddling about), only to have them come back home and die from arcane radiation poisoning. The barriers were fake... The city should be in ruins! Everything wasn't adding up, and this is framed as warfare upon Karteria in their documents. Documents mark this as a deliberate taking of life, and that these creatures that are causing this are dangerous illusionists that need taken care of. Thus: Patho-Gen was able to secure what is only described as... Unknown Eparsian Fauna. This creature is referred to as "Eparsian Specimen" in documents, and is the subject of various studies to understand what sort of entity this is. The fate of this specimen is unknown, and documents available here seem to be more about the results of the study (its power to create robust dreamscapes that are meaningful and physical rather than merely interfering with dreams and toying with them as Spectrals do) as well as the threat these beings pose, and their general disposition: eerie, sentient, threatening, silent. Further documents suggest a willing Augmented One who requested a greater ability to tap into their Spectral-type powers... and with this came the idea of honing the dream-meddling powers of Spectral-types. What a remarkable power this might prove to be! So they pitted this Augmented One in with their Eparsian Specimen and, mutually unconscious, they attempted to dial up that Spectral-types powers... And have found a way to let Spectral-types physically harm those who they meddle in the dreams of! This is not a talent most Spectral-types possess at this point in time, but is the result of Patho-Gen experimentation. "A psychological weapon," they call it; scientists feel increasingly secure in the fact that they will be ready for attacks on Karteria, should they come. (All of this just comes at the cost of a Spectral-type's sanity, no biggie!) As for what interest there is in other soul types... There are some documents available about the use of Terra-type souls in cultivating edible foodstuffs. Nasty. They're very sparse, and seem to point towards the Kelesian underground as proof of its viability. The desire for "samples" seems to have been the reason for that horrible Terra-type beast that attacked Karteria in the past year as well... If there is anything else, none of it is available here. But a Karteria looking at weaponizing, militarizing, putting up defenses... is surely one who is looking at the usefulness of their Natural Souls. 3. Controlling the Augmented: a general question, but there are plenty of answers to be found. Indeed, the ability to control the Augmented without even the use of Calling or anything else seems to have something to do with their Augmenter, as there is equipment available that shows that their ability to "turn on/off" the Augmented is a toggle that can be activated. How? It seems to impact the soul itself, disconnecting pathways between soul and body and rendering the soul inert. The Natural Soul is similarly disconnected; the Augmenter serves as a conduit to render a person disconnected fromt their bodies. Information for this can be found in some of the more exclusive-access areas of Patho-Gen, a few floors up. These documents - printed and physical, thank god - are beyond heavy doors that require a security key to unlock. Or, you know, some other crafty way in. Further info appears to be unavailable... Even researching from the angle of "imprints" doesn't seem to yield anything about a deliberate desire to control the Augmented. Not here, anyway. If there is information about this, it's elsewhere. 4. Where did Patho-Gen get the Spectral-types they're using in Kelesis? Unfortunately, there does not seem to be any information about this available in Patho-Gen's HQ, save for general information about how the Augmenter can contain a soul of a creature, as well as the soul of... an otherworldly entity! (Or just, a human soul. Maybe even more than two souls, as many characters have found out already.) There seems to be some kind of absurd document about how to insert a soul into the Augmenter, and it reads about as abstractly as that legendary Pepsi glove document, in that it has a lot of diagrams about SOUL BEING INSERTED INTO SMALL OBJECT, but little information about where the souls are from. ... But this still isn't about where the Spectral-types in Kelesis are from at all. It's the only thing even adjacent to it, alas: the answer as to where characters' Natural Souls come from are similarly obscured, aside from the fact that yes, they originally belonged to another living entity. It isn't a far stretch to believe the Spectral-types are no different: they were once autonomous entities themselves. Otherwise, see question 1! 5. The work Patho-Gen's performing on Golems: There is nothing in Patho-Gen HQ that specifically reads as being research into Golem-type entities. There are some short notes about Golem-types observed to be resilient against Katalyth, other observations about the soul type in general... In fact, there are some notes about the desire to help remind Golem-types that their agency must be preserved, as they seem to be somehow acutely aware that they are more pliant than most! It might even be a bit strange, how familiar Patho-Gen is with the ins and outs of Golem-types. Almost like they have experience with them... But there aren't any further notes aside from general listings of their attributes, how they could be most effective in helping to research Katalyth, how it's prudent to avoid tampering with their sense of self to give them the tools they need to remember what matters to them... ... Except for one strange document. This is in a digital file about various Natural Souls, an objective collection of some of their traits as Patho-Gen's come to learn of them... Thus, because it's digital and because of the Spectral-type tampering, it may be difficult to look into all soul types willy-nilly. There's a warning within the document pertaining to Golem-types: "DO NOT EXPOSE UNINTENDED SPECIMENS TO KATALYTH." Edited (teehee left link in here) 2026-02-27 12:53 am (local)
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| #2
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-08 |
I'm going to have him accept the pact, thinking he can go the "cut it off" route (though it wouldn't work) if it's an issue. Would anyone from Patho-Gen be able to tell he had the pact and react to it? and does the pact offer any protection against arcane radiation while in kelesis? |
Good luck Tighnari.... But Patho-Gen wouldn't be able to detect whether he, or anyone else had pacted with Kelesis. There's that, at least. And as the pact does enhance all Augmented traits and abilities while in Kelesian territory, if the character was already particularly resistant (Golem, Spectral, Fungi), it would further increase that protection. And as 'greater resistance, compared to an unaugmented human' is a universal trait amongst the Augmented, it could provide a dash of added protection from arcane radiation to everyone else. (It would not make Terras, or other susceptible types more susceptible. The pact-enhancements are only in a positive direction.) Additionally, if a character were to fall properly sick from arcane radiation poisoning (challenging to do on accident, or without hugging Katalyth), the pact would help to mask symptoms, and make the experience more bearable. Which could be good or bad, depending. |
| #3
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-07 |
Would kelesis be at all open to the idea of an augmented acting as a double agent? Tighnari's skill set is even more skewed towards passive fights these days so positioning him amongst patho-gen to fill them with spores and make them trip would be a better use for him than direct attacks. Would they still want a pact with him? If so and he agrees, is that pact detectable by patho-gen? Does fungi soul mean he could potentially find a loophole in the pact (splitting his sense of self and having only some of his consciousness engage with the pact, then uh disconnecting |
While the guardians were expecting more of a direct assault to remove Patho-Gen from Kelesis... they can readily accept that there are multiple ways to achieve this. While they don't necessarily like underhanded tactics as a rule, they will accept it for a sufficiently good cause. They would insist on a pact should Tighnari suggest this method, however- both for his own sake (as it would protect him more from Calling) as well as their own (to ensure that he was not actually siding with Patho-Gen). Unfortunately, agreeing to the pact causes it to be etched into a character's underlying soul- the whole thing. Trying to segregate it off wouldn't work- and the guardians would be most upset if they caught on to this intended duplicity. Not agreeing to the pact would lead to no penalty from them- though they would warn about associating too closely with Patho-Gen on the battlefield. While they would not go out of their way to target Tighnari, if he showed signs of aggression towards them, they would retaliate. |
| #4
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-07 |
Question about the empty underworld, if Northly was to shepherd off some more restless souls as she did some months ago on aparallaxia, would they be able to be observed arriving in the underworld in any way? | No, there would be no evidence of these souls managing to arrive to the underworld. They must be lingering as ghosts...? Or maybe they're being interrupted along the way? Hm hm. |
| #5
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-06 |
too lazy to log out of my other journal gomen Does it mean the caster must be in danger for Furies' Sight to work or can the spirits be called to defend someone else? Like if Mel saw a friend was getting their ass whooped, could she feasibly summon them for that purpose in case she, personally, isn't getting beaten up? |
It's more likely to work should the caster be the one in direct trouble. But as Furies' Sight is inherently a bit luck-based where the 'luck' is determined by whatever the player would find more interesting... it could work out just fine. (And it really wouldn't be stretching the reasonability of the request, either. Even if there's always technically a chance for failure, it's most likely to go sideways if an Aves decided to poke the dead as a party trick, or something similarly trivial. Protecting someone else isn't trivial!) |
| #6
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-06 |
hewwo mod, is there anything about the SUSPICIOUSLY SPECTRAL nature of the weapons/attacks/etc that might give Helaena a clue that it's her brother that caused that? not that she'd tell anyone else most likely but so i have an excuse for her to text Aemond like BROTHER WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS etc. |
While most of the evidence would be kept in the form of documentation, in files and notes about the experiments done on Aemond and the result of months of labor, that doesn't mean that there's no practical evidence for someone looking. If Helaena is familiar enough with Aemond's Spectral powers, she could find that the techniques that Patho-Gen is using (both in Kelesis, and especially during the Celestial Shadows part of the event) has the distinct smack of him in there. Perhaps the Spectral-type entities move like him, very slightly... Or they seem to prefer using their powers in ways that Aemond is capable of. Patho-Gen learned a lot from him, based a lot of what they know about Spectrals (and about dream control/manipulation/illusion) from him. So while they've developed their weapons/powers since then... a part of him is still in that underlying 'code'. |
| #7
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-05 |
oh Hugo the spectral does not like The Implications here,,, But thank you!! I think at the very least Hugo and Silco will try to “tame” at least one of them, so just to double check for that! Assuming Hugo at the very least imprints with one of these Spectrals to calm them down, should I just treat them like a NPC that Hugo is good friends with? Or is there anything additional I should know about that? Like Hugo knows this is probably not the best idea but. He can’t let a spectral buddy be a tool :( |
Trying to imprint with any of these Spectrals... it doesn't quite work, or at least, it doesn't carry the same feeling as imprinting with an Augmented does. It could be described as more of an 'impression', or even a 'mark.' It's a frail, wisp of a thing, but it would allow both parties to recognize one another amidst a crowd. It wouldn't convey any of the usual benefits/complications of an imprint, but it is a form of connection. If kept safe from Patho-Gen and Kelesis both, any saved Spectrals will mostly come back to themselves. They're not Golems, who might have been more easily stuck in emptiness and dormancy- these are beings attuned towards spite, towards resentment. This leads to a kind of resilience, and will shake them back into activity. Many will flee, disappearing into the wilds of Eparsis to hide. Some will linger around Kelesis; the place is drenched in death, both old and new, and that makes it a comfortable place for Spectrals to be (The Kelesian guardians, should they still be in control of Kelesis, will tolerate this for a time. But the Spectral tendency to cause terror will lead to most of them being evicted for poor behavior. Not killed, just... put outside. Haunt somewhere else.). But Hugo and Silco could successfully leave an impression on one or two of the Spectrals they protect. And whether asked to do so or not, they could be inclined to follow them back to Karteria.... And yes, at that point they could be treated as NPCs that they're on good terms with. Their Spectral(s) won't exactly obey either party, and would mostly flit around Karteria getting their vengeance out. But they could turn up as you'd want, and would sometimes listen to requests (particularly if the requests were along the lines of 'haunt this person' rather than 'don't haunt this person.'). They're not particularly chatty, or have much that's very practical to share, as their interests revolve around causing mischief and getting fed (the two are frequently combined). |
| #8
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-05 |
Will the information that the guardians will provide, upon Pacting, include (1) whether the citizens intended/wanted to turn into a necrodreamblob or got involuntarily yanked into the necrodreamblob and (2) whether the citizens are having a reasonably good time in the necrodreamblob versus existing in a state of cosmic horror? (Happy to wait and get the info itself in the main log, just curious if that sort of thing will be among the info provided.) | As part of the experience of offering a pact, the guardians will be willing to answer a few relevant questions from characters. They're pressed for time, literally being attacked- but they recognize that most people would not just say 'yes' without knowing more. The log itself will attempt to address whatever we can anticipate as questions, and players will be able submit more specific ones once the event faq is live (But for some short answers here: 1. The caretakers didn't have much of a chance to ask; everyone was dying. They strongly believe that this was wanted, however. 2. The citizens are having a good time. They're satisfied with their lives.). However, because this is a crisis situation, the caretakers don't have the time to sit down and explain everything. But they'll suggest that once Kelesis is saved and Patho-Gen removed from the city, that they'll be willing to say more about the situation. They'll only be willing to answer the minimum to convince characters to either pact with them, or to not pact but still help remove Patho-Gen from the city. They would prefer the former, but would still gladly accept the latter. Should Kelesis survive/come out on top of this (as opposed to Patho-Gen gaining control of the city), there would be more opportunities to ask them more. |
| #9
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-05 |
How would Spectral possession interact with the guardian pact influence or Patho-Gen's Calling effect? Considering having this guy attempt it to snap a few people out of things. Additionally, for curiosity's sake, what might happen if Jamil tried to possess a Kelesis ghost? |
Oh, that's a good idea. Spectral possession could wrest control away from Patho-Gen, and place it into their own hands. Basically overriding one control and replacing it with another. The possessing Spectral would have to be careful to not end up Called in their own right (which would break the possession + leave them also controlled). A well-meaning Spectral would also have to be careful about releasing their possession too, so they don't get snapped right back up again. Just possessing someone will mostly cancel Patho-Gen's influence at that particular moment, but they'll be left disoriented. So some caution is needed. (Similar mind-influencing powers would also work to disrupt Calling, such as an Aves' Orpheus' Song.) Trying to possess any of the Kelesian citizens... do they have bodies to possess? Of a sort, though to take possession of one would feel very very wrong. Wrong, in a weird way, not that it's rejecting them or not working, but that there's some fundamental mismatch there that's clawing at the edges of their perception. This wouldn't even be the work of Kelesis' guardians trying to force the Spectral out of there, but a side-effect of the strength of the dream bubbles that they've put everyone in, and the Kelesians' self-perception. Trying to persist with the possession will feel increasingly disjointed, as though the body they're moving doesn't match whatsoever with what's underneath it, in a gut-wrenching horror sort of way. On ending the possession, the Kelesian will stagger away, looking ill, and the Spectral will receive a hasty mental note from the caretakers (or find it scrawled on the street in front of them). "Please leave them alone. You're hurting them." With it is a feeling of displeasure and a sense of being watched; trying to possess someone again would lead to a temporary ejection from Kelesis. |
| #10
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-05 |
Obligatory Patho-Gen interaction question: are the units attacking Kelesis from the [redacted] Patho-Gen branch, HQ, or a combination of both? i.e. how many might Momo pick up bloodstream spores on from his October shenanigans and potentially have an easier time reinfecting if necessary | There are, of course, levels of secrecy and involvement in Patho-Gen. While many of the forces employed against Kelesis would belong to [redacted], some are otherwise 'normal', not involved in all of the darker things the company has been getting up to. But involved enough to be called in here. As this assault on Kelesis has been conveyed to them as necessary for Karteria's safety. Kelesis has been described as a threat, as something monstrous and wrong- controlled not by its human citizens (who are dead), but instead some manner of capricious beasts. Whether as a part of [redacted] or not, most of Patho-Gen here genuinely believe that Kelesis is a danger to Karteria's stability for one reason or another. This is all to conclude: yes, some of Momo's spores exist within a portion of these Patho-Gen forces. Roughly a quarter of them are infected. |
| #11
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-04 |
1. For the most part, no- the Spectrals don't seem to be particularly stressed, beyond the stress of fighting to protect their Patho-Gen keepers. 2. Characters could definitely kill those scientists. Kelesis would love it if you did. And to do so would free the Spectrals under their command. As long as there were other scientists nearby, control would soon be snatched back up, but if enough of their keepers were killed, or otherwise sufficiently separated from their pets, their freedom would remain. Of a sort. Characters who were taken in October, or otherwise exposed to Patho-Gen's treatment would understand that it's not the easiest thing to shake off. And these Spectrals have surely been in Patho-Gen's custody for a longer time than that- and without allies, imprints, or a break from their experiments, the damage done to their mental state has grown that much worse. Some will react with confused violence, continuing to attack the Augmented, Kelesian forces, and even other Spectrals. They would have to be restrained and calmed, which could be done through a variety of means; in their disoriented (and pre-primed to be manipulated) state, they'll have little defense to it. Others will simply... shut down. They'll stop doing anything, completely lost without direction. The Kelesian guardians will certainly take advantage of this to try and kill them, so unless they're protected (or if the battle is sufficiently over, in Kelesis' favor; the guardians will leave them alone if they're demonstrated to no longer be a threat) they'll be torn apart. |
oh Hugo the spectral does not like The Implications here,,, But thank you!! I think at the very least Hugo and Silco will try to “tame” at least one of them, so just to double check for that! Assuming Hugo at the very least imprints with one of these Spectrals to calm them down, should I just treat them like a NPC that Hugo is good friends with? Or is there anything additional I should know about that? Like Hugo knows this is probably not the best idea but. He can’t let a spectral buddy be a tool :( |
| #12
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-04 |
hi...it's me... I had several questions that were clarification, promptly forgot them, so this may be a thread I come back to. HOWEVER. Aves have Furies' Sight, which besides the usual seeing-souls stuff, has this: Lastly, they can call upon the dead in a bid for boons, such as protection in a pinch—but the dead are capricious, and may inflict a bane instead. Especially if they are called upon in situations that aren't so dire. 1. If this were to be used in Kelesis (without the intention of affecting the Kelesians but, you know), what might this look like? 2. If this is used in Karteria or elsewhere, when you say the dead.... Are we talking actually summoning other souls/spirits? Are they human or Natural/Wild souls? (Also if I've asked this before because my memory is shitty af, please forgive, thank you!) |
1. Assuming the character was in actual danger (and not chilling in Kelesis proper, out of harm's way) using Furies' Sight would most likely succeed. And on a battlefield like this, one that occurs in the distortion of a dream, full of manifested nightmares- the dead are particularly at home. To the point of answering physically when called up, providing the Aves with temporary familiars. They would be animal-esque in shape, matching the kinds of Natural/Wild Souls the Augmented are comprised of. Some are zombie-esque in appearance, while others are hazy concentrations of energy. While they can be explicitly instructed, they will also obey the unspoken will of their summoner. Rather than full beasts, an Aves-type could also obtain a more personal protection. A shield from attack, a sharper sight or faster reflexes, a powerful boost to magics and flight. Within this particular circumstance (and in any other dream-like, or otherworldly fields), this would also allow the Aves to see more than usual of how this occurs. A flash of a monstrous spirit blocking an attack, or carrying them higher, or possessing some part of their body for an instant, enhancing the character's strengths. (Were a character not in sufficient danger- or if the dead just weren't feeling it- all those protections and enhancements would be inversed. They'll be slower, weaker, and more easily hurt. Any summoned familiars would be hostile.) 2. That's a complicated one. As has already been noticed by some characters, the 'underworld' of this world is empty, hollowed, and has the feeling of having been that way for some time. So when an Aves-type calls on the dead, where are they coming from? They won't be able to answer that, but it is the souls of the dead that the Aves are invoking. And the only ones who are answering match those of the Natural/Wild Souls. If there's humans out there, they're not replying. For successful casts of Furies' Sight outside of Kelesis/dreams, there would be no opportunity to receive whole (temporary) familiars. The various physical and magical enhancements would be the outcome, applied more invisibly. |
| #13
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-04 |
Hello, hello! Doesn't this look like a good ol' time... I'm curious to know, would Augmented-run businesses be under threat during this time? Would local citizens just steer far away from them in fear, or feel compelled to target them? As for the guardians of Kelesis, would they be more inclined to listen to reason if a character has provided aid in the past? (Say, thoroughly torch the hellish experimentation tunnels?) Would they be more inclined to look the other way, if said character was on the guardians' side, but also verbalized discontent on behalf of Kelisian residents, and maybe even snuck a couple to freedom via Ereshkigal's underworld? And, that said, how possible do you think it would be to locate Anh's parents? |
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| #14
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-04 |
Is it possible to get through to any of the citizens of Kelesis about the fact that it's an illusion, even just on a one-by-one basis? | cw: death, body horrorIt'll take quite a bit of convincing... And will require giving a bit of a history lesson, if the character's up for it. If this is an illusion and they're dead, how did they die?! Kelesian citizens will need to be reminded of arcane radiation poisoning; they'll need to be told that they died from it, and may even need to be given an explanation of some symptoms to really help them recall the experience of dying. ... Doing this will create sudden, intense nightmares around the particular soul. As the guardians of Kelesis will explain to any curious Augmented, this construct is made not of one large dream, but many pockets of dreams; each pocket is a moving, malleable thing that has been being carefully safeguarded and let to become harmonious with its fellows, but this sudden jarring into reality shatters the peace, even if it doesn't quite wake them. These nightmares will be sickly, with vivid memories of mutated dead bodies (a la intense exposure to arcane radiation), foul odors, loud and discordant cries and voices, and pain. Even Augmented Ones will be subjected to the kinds of pain this soul endured in death, as though they seek to share in that experience. Merely shattering the illusion doesn't quite free them from the grasp of Kelesis's guardian. After a bit, Augmented Ones will find themselves forcefully ejected from the entire city, just to get them out of that nightmare bubble. (They're free to reenter the city immediately afterwards.) Augmented Ones won't see the Kelesian guardians, but they will feel as though they're being watched and judged while they tend to the disturbed soul, as though tucking it back into bed. The soul will return to a more peaceful dream after it's tended, the shroud pulled over their eyes once again. "Please do not do that. It causes suffering." That's all the guardian has to say. |
| #15
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-04 |
will it be possible to investigate the timing of (and motivation behind) the sudden attack on kelesis? because the last time there was shit happening and patho-gen were less than thrilled at the augmented showing up was the plant creature, and... yeahhhhh. depending on more of the specifics, tighnari is going to go full <img src="https://sighnari.dreamwidth.org/file/5921.png" width="200px" class="imageshrink-actualsize"> about: rogue plant augmented nixed as food source + kelesis interfering with the mt pneuma getaway = suddenly deciding to wipe kelesis off the map Edited 2026-02-03 10:13 pm (local)
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Oooh, a chance to investigate it... Hmmm. I'm trying to think about something that might tip off what caused Karteria to go down this path of attacking Kelesis. The answer is not a single source, though interest in Kelesis's underground is definitely a factor. But for this answer, I'm gonna focus on this: Some of this response is fueled by actions that the Augmented have taken since the start of the game. Certain parties seem to have inspired Karteria down a path of prioritizing its ability to defend its city... and to attack its foes. While Karteria's interest in Kelesis is a maintained, longer-term thing, this choice to attack isn't one that would've happened without that push... So, there's one bit. Evidence of that facet of what's going on... If a character chose to take advantage of the Spectral Madness in the city, they might be able to find correspondences if they break into the Counsel Offices, home of law enforcement and security. It'd be a lot of boring poring through papers and reports, but a conclusion could be deduced that there seems to be a greater inspiration towards defense preparedness of the city... despite there being no tangible threat? Who would attack Karteria, given the circumstances of the world?? Doesn't matter, what if someone attacks??? And what if Karteria needs to attack... someone? ?????? Really, it seems unnecessary, doesn't it. But they've been convinced of the fact that they need to be ready for something. ... In Patho-Gen HQ, of course, there might be some documentation that points towards Tighnari's suspicions: that laboratory beneath Kelesis is invaluable, and Karteria definitely had a hand in creating it. That they're being blocked from going to Kelesis is a move they disagree with, but the choice to attack isn't one they've always been prepared to do. Now they have all these cool Augmented to experiment on and to call to their aid, so things are really looking up for Karteria's ability to handle itself! |
| #16
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-03 |
A push and pull, delightful. In a prior question, I'd gotten the answer that the difference between waking and dreaming in Kelesis is nigh indistinguishable. For the purposes of Perissodactyla When Hubert is tasked to protect a thing, he does so no holds barred and would do so with the full extent of what the Guardians taught him. Given the blurring of waking and dreaming in the area, I want to be super sure what he can do where so I don't cross any lines. |
Yes, the Patho-Gen employees who enter Kelesis enter through: dream spaces. They don't mean to do this, but the guardians' influence is such that entering Kelesis from any angle is guaranteed to land you in a dream space of their making. Hubert would find that their influence seems to exist prominently in the city and not beyond it; if they were ever asked, they'd answer that they could extend it, but they would need to physically relocate themselves to exert that influence. And they're unwilling to leave. Thus: Hubert is able to manipulate space within the city's borders, and in a radius beyond it, but not everywhere on the island of Eparsis or beyond. They are unable to create these dream pockets far from Kelesis proper, but they will offer that anywhere one of their brethren is, such dream spaces can be created and linked together... But as it stands: they are all pact-bound themselves from leaving the city. Hubert has freedom to use his powers anywhere within Kelesis proper, and unfortunately, no such other dream space is available anywhere else at this time. |
| #17
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-03 |
meowdy, mods! quick character question: would it be alright if wriothesley is a touch less immediately affected by the madness during the celestial shadows event? not so much true resistance, but more a different threshold or susceptibility due to prior exposure (namely touching things he very much should not have at a certain pillar). |
Sure, that would be just fine! It's entirely up to every player just how much they would prefer their character to be affected during the event. Whether that's having a particularly rough time, or more capable of riding things out. And Wriothesley's recent and severe Katalyth exposure could totally be a justification for keeping a greater command over himself. With all that madness he'd endured so fresh, it could place him at a higher threshold of tolerance- so that it would take more than what's going around to knock him off-kilter. Additionally, as this accompanies, and deepens, the occurrence of a New Moon, Wriothesley's Carnivora side could be said to be another protection. It's quieter, and in its dormancy, is failing to be so reactive to the madness. (That said, any Carnivora can also use this opportunity to go snappish and wild... there's plenty of ways to approach things.) We're always welcoming of character specific questions (or general questions, or anything that comes to mind), so please feel free to come to us with thoughts! While we try with the event FAQs to account for the most likely situations/questions, we can't think of everything- and we're always ready to accommodate the particular nuances and specific situations that each character might be going through. |
| #18
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-03 |
Kinda wondering about the strength of the Calling magic PG are going to use to compel Augmented to fight for them... I know it's been said in the past that it's mostly a "suggestion" that can be ignored, but would it be stronger for this? Or perhaps it would be more effective on, say, a fully corrupted golem-type who already had an obedience complex in the first place.........? (I am trying to make an excuse for Dedue to hurt his friends do you see the vision) |
The Calling magic these Patho-Gen employees uses would definitely be stronger than the form performed by the average Karterian! Not because they're inherently talented mages, but as the result of proprietary technology enhancing, augmenting the effect it has on characters. It would additionally be stronger against Spectrals, and anyone who'd been taken in October, or has otherwise spent time in Patho-Gen custody. Golems, of course... they're just so good at following orders. They would be inherently highly susceptible to Patho-Gen influence. Dedue seems like he'd be perfect for Patho-Gen to grab.... |
| #19
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-03 |
so mods hi you lovely folks you how uh... feasible would it be for certain individuals, after seeing the way Patho-Gen is going after Kelesis, to maybe sort of... infiltrate Patho-Gen to get more intel on how they developed their weapons? Before I start REALLY digging in on plotting/gettig folks together/getting a plan together, I want to know if it is feasible or something that could lead to some good information, or if it's a no-go. Given that they are using Spectrals in nature, I think Silco (who generally doesn't give a shit) is probably going to want to know more about it! I can compile the list of how they try for this/what they are going to be looking for if we get a go ahead! |
Could certain individuals infiltrate Patho-Gen during the attack on Kelesis... absolutely! Patho-Gen HQ won't be in any sort of lockdown, and to enter the building everything will appear to be business as usual. There'll be fewer people around behind the scenes, and while a number of the regular staff have clued in to there being something going on, they don't know much about it. The building hasn't been cleared of everyone involved by any means, but most of the information to be found would be buried in offices and labs and behind computer terminals. Assuming the investigative parties are able to manage a certain amount of security, they could get something out of their excavation. Just let us know the sorts of things they'd be digging for (whether it's just about using Spectrals as weapons and how, or if there's any other specific aspects of that or anything else), and we can pull together some results. |
| #20
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-03 |
Sorry for bothering you again mods, but there are a few characters interested in helping Ereshkigal, and I was wondering if they could |
If that's something her power would permit, then some of Erishkigal's accomplices could take a few of those souls to her Underworld. This would naturally provoke the ire of Kelesis' guardians, more so than only supplying her with energy (which they would already disapprove of). It wouldn't approach the consequence that Erishkigal would face, but they would also face fierce scrutiny, and their time in Kelesis made disorienting and unpleasant. The caretakers are upset, hurt; this is a betrayal, in their eyes, of the kindness the Augmented has shown their city. It is also a threat to its survival, which is not easily forgiven. The more entwined in Erishkigal's work, the more unwelcome a character will become in Kelesis. |
| #21
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-02 |
I love it I knew this would bite him in the ass so for the idiot Perissodactyla that made a pact before he knew pact magic was a thing, and also as a first-round Augmented repeatedly subjected to the Calling experiments in October: What's stronger? The binding of the pact, or the pull of the Call? | The pact magic is powerful, and provides an element of protection from Calling within the Kelesian sphere. To someone particularly inundated with Patho-Gen influence like Hubert, it might not be enough: he could well feel strong pulls to help Patho-Gen, or to at least hesitate on the battlefield. But it would be significantly more muffled, compared to someone who did not ally with Kelesis. A nagging urge that he might be able to resist, or recognize as irrational. Anyone who elects to form a pact with the caretakers of Kelesis would also experience a similar level of protection. Hubert conveniently pre-registered for the privilege.... |
| #22
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-02 |
So if someone has an Imprint with Patho-Gen because of all the experimentation a while back (and the fact she got her head blown off), and would be easily compelled to side with them during the Kelesis event, could someone who is Pair-Bonded with her break that Imprint somehow with their own? Does the Patho-Gen Imprint lessen over time with exposure to their other Imprints? How much cuddling does Pom need to do, or is it kind of up to us? Just making sure there aren't hard and concrete rules for this sort of thing. | Recovering from head displacements and additional brainwashing is some hard work, but it's good that there's folks like Pom around to help.... While Patho-Gen has certainly been committed to the understanding and harnessing (for questionable good or very unquestionable bad) of imprints, their ability to artificially create and maintain one remains limited. In certain cases, the sort of 'wound' they've left behind is particularly deep and lingering- but that doesn't mean it can't heal. A lot of cuddling, a lot of exposure and time spent around true imprints/pair bonds will do a lot to 'resettle' a character forcefully imprinted to Patho-Gen. Active emotional vulnerability with their partners and friends also encourages this healing. The Patho-Gen imprint has no natural ground, it's built on nothing; filling that void with trust and affection with real people will stabilize the character in a better place. (Weaker versions of the false imprint will simply fade over time. The equivalent of a light sunburn, or a scratch- something that may sting, but can heal on its own without complications.) For Augmented who've suffered a deeper imprint to Patho-Gen: a susceptibility to their influence is likely to remain even after healing from it, but the degree (and when/if it comes into play) would be left up to the players. But the company of natural imprints (and especially pair bonds) would work as a protection from being controlled (by making it easier for the character to recognize the compulsions as irrational, unwanted). Were the character caught alone and compelled, imprints/pair bonds intruding on the scene would also have a better time at breaking them free of it. But for the passive/everyday level, a Patho-Gen imprint can be successfully recovered from given enough time and love. |
| #23
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-02 |
How would attempting to persuade Kelesis's guardians to tell the truth go over? Would being against Patho-Gen/willing to help the guardians out help those chances at all? | While more information will naturally come out in the log: the Kelesian guardians will be telling the truth in everything that they present to the Augmented. Arthropoda/Ruminantia will be able to feel it, along with anyone else who has any good sense for honesty. However, they would not be willing to explain everything at that time, which they would admit to. They are currently being attacked, and Kelesis' existence threatened; they're willing to talk, but only on the most crucial topics right now. They are withholding things out of caution and urgency, but their dedication to save the concept of Kelesis is genuine. So there's not any persuading necessary, in that regard- everything they say will be true. |
| #24
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-02 |
Ah, sorry! That's what I get for trying to ask a question after just waking up... By "tell the truth" I mean something more like showing the truth. Giving people the chance to face their own death and decide what they want. |
Oh no, not at all- that's on me for not thinking about that other aspect of 'truth'.... The caretakers would be solidly against this. Dante would be free to make their case, but as of yet it would be unlikely that they would be moved to change their minds. Their dedication is to the protection and saving of Kelesis- and feel that they know best what their people want. They made a pact to save Kelesis, and this was the only way they knew how to do it. They would never break their oath, and it would be immensely challenging to convince them that what they're doing does not qualify as saving Kelesis. |
| #25
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-02 |
Hello mods! That's the longest shot, but... Ereshkigal is absolutely all in to save the dead and allow them to rest in peace, keeping them in a false reality is totally wrong and against everything she is, but she's also 500% against helping Patho-Gen! She will if she has to, but she hopes there is a third path. She's going to try and use her Noble Phantasm (her limit break, her super huge power) to manifest a portion of her Underworld underground and allow the dead to go and find refuge in there! If they did, she'd lead the souls to spear cages where they can sleep and rest until they're ready to move on. Of course, normally she can't use her NP in that setting. So she's going to shift, she's going to use her monthly mana bomb, she's going to ask those she's imprinted with for help, she's even going to try and grab Katalyth for it to work if she has to. I am fully expecting for it to fail, but I'm wondering if something will happen even while failing? Or if it's just going to be irresponsible and she'll waste her time to the last second. Thank you in advance mods! |
We are absolutely on board with this! This is an excellent time to use that EXCLUSIVE POWER to see her will enacted... Which is to say: Ereshkigal's attempt won't fail! It won't liberate the whole of Kelesis, but it can absolutely liberate a good chunk of people, seeing their souls properly off to death. Up to 50 citizen souls can be ferried off in this manner. Doing this, however, will 100% put her in opposition of the Kelesian guardian's will. They'll immediately view her as an enemy. While Ereshkigal won't be fully banned from Kelesis in future (if Kelesis remains intact in its current form after this month! we'll see!), her experience in the city will be vastly distorted: while citizens will be blithely unaware of her behavior, each turn or doorway in the city is likely to spit her out somewhere completely unpredictable, turning the city into a maddening maze. She will be subjected to individual pockets of "dreams" that citizens aren't ever subjected to, where her deepest nightmares assault her senses. The goal is to wear down on her sanity; the more worn someone is, the easier they are for the Kelesian guardians to take down. Whenever in Kelesis, Ereshkigal will gradually weaken, and her mental state will deteriorate. Being with an imprint will help reduce the strain. This kind of experience will begin as soon as uses her NP even once. The guardians of Kelesis will manifest before many of the Augmented during the event. When they speak to Ereshkigal, they'll make it abundantly clear that she is their enemy for her stunt. They won't forbid her from the city, but they'll tell her that every step in their domain is a step towards her ruination. They mean to kill her slowly, if she unwisely spends too much time in Kelesis. Likewise, any Augmented One who decides to make a pact with the guardians of Kelesis... will feel compelled to attack Ereshkigal! Feel free to use that tidbit to stir up some exciting drama. Thus, Ereshkigal can absolutely make her mark without even allying herself with Patho-Gen! But at this point, Patho-Gen's enemy is her enemy, so.... Nonetheless, if she ends up going this route, definitely let us know in your monthly reputation report once the log goes up! |
| #26
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-02 |
tacking on to ask: will those who help Ereshkigal with her plan also become enemies of Kelesis? | Anyone who helps Ereshkigal send the souls off... yes. They will be considered enemies, though they won't be as directly targeted as her. If these Augmented Ones also do other things to help the guardians of Kelesis maintain the integrity of their dream city, the scrutiny on them will also be lessened. |
