The Hunt for the Third Eye

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Xndar
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Posted by Xndar »


((This is an IC research thread where folks can detail what actions they are taking to prepare for the abovementioned expedition, anyone involved can feel free to post after me.))

Following the meeting at the Spice Rack Intisar would spend many evenings combing the Civic Festhall's archives, as far back as they go, to find any and all references possible to the jammer known as the Third Eye.

She'd sit in her quarters, dandling one or both of her twin girls on her lap as she pores over stacks of dusty tomes and scrolls, and sifts through a pile of sensory stones. Any stones the sensorium possesses, that a Factor can grant her access to, that deal with 'jammers is at least glanced over, but priority is placed on the older stones, in the hope that even a mostly irrelevant memory of flying, constructing, or taking a piss on a 'jammer might contain indirect references to the Third Eye that could prove useful.

If she is unsuccessful in finding information directly relevant to the Third Eye, she would content herself in researching ancient and more modern methods of 'jammer construction as theorized and executed by Sensate artisans specifically.
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Taurus Daggerknight
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Posted by Taurus Daggerknight »


Most Sigilians think of the Fraternity of Order when it comes to any notion of vast libraries, or near endless tomes of lore. Yet as Intisar was no doubt being reminded, the Society of Sensation also held a wealth of knoweldge, covering ancient histories of the whole 'verse.

In all of that, however, there were surprisingly few mentions of the mysterious Third Eye. Oh, there were several mentions of many "Third Eyes", for sure; the third eye of the mind, the third eye of the triclopse adventurer, the third of eight eyes of the great and terrible spider queen Arachanadia VII of Loronain, the Third Eye of the Council of Sight... indeed, as Intisar continued her research, she may begin to feel that, as far as names for ships went, The Third Eye was an almost shockingly unimaginative one, all things considered. Alas, a whole cycle of focused research passed, with not even a single reference to a Sensate spelljammer by such a name.

Likewise, there were many, many sensory stones that dealt with all manner of topics connected to sailing on a spelljammer. By the second evening, the intensive but up until then fruitless study would have began to bring about quite the headache. Not at all helpful was the fact that one or the other of the two children kept reaching for the stones!

One such bit of mischief actually saw a good pile of them rolling down. No chips or other damages, thankfully enough, but it did force Intisar to pause her research yet again. Re-ordering them to their correct stands also meant painstakingly experience them one at a time.

This would, however, turn out to be quite the turn of fortune.

The fifth of the renegade stones held a curious experience. One of thrill, discovery, and betrayal.

* * *

The thoughts are chaotic at first. Hope, fear, uncertainty, need. A finality almost to all of it.
You're in Sigil, but it looks so unfamiliar. You're outside. No, not entirely; you are surrounded by walls, seemingly under construction. The sound of chisels and hammers surround you, but where you stand is not their source.

Familiar sights can be seen; sensory stones! Maybe a few hundred, set along temporary shelves and even baskets. There is incense burning around this side of the construction camp. It is potent, but does little to ease the anxiety welling inside you.

There are many people around you. Some look like Sage's, smoking from pipes and grasping the stones in hand. Others simply pass by. One creature is the focus of your attention though.

To the viewers eye, it looks strange, almost like a less gaunt dabus with hair that does not flow upward, and feet that walk the ground. The creature is garbed in rich looking cloths and jewels. It speaks in a language that is somehow familiar to you as you see it, but the words do not translate as you experience this past time. What you do know is that this is a negotiation of some kind; the creature is finalizing a deal.

It gestures in a dramatic way upward, to the sky. To your prized home and vessel, docked just at the border of the ward.

Then the chaos returns.

You hear sounds now, but they are not from the place around you, and not, somehow, from that -time- . An anxiety fills you again. You cannot stop! You must ensure the truth remains!

The panicked screams are overwhelming, not at all matching the tranquil scene you -see- . They are joined by the sound of unseen breaking glass, and of stones being torn from the foundations.

The vision of the blue skinned creature flickers for a brief moment, as does the scene itself. Replaced by the same spot, but now a finished room. Or rather, a room that seems almost as if it is being hit by an earthquake.

Focus!

The original scene return. The creature speaks again. It's words are drowned by the panicked cries of that other time.

And then by pain.

You feel as if razor knives have slashed over your back. One, two, three, four, five- ten, sixteen, twenty!

The scene switches again. You go down to your knees. No! This is not important!

Again, it goes back to the meeting. The creature extents its hand in offered friendship.

Again, you are brought back to the other time. There is no blue skinned dabus like creature before you. There is only HER, and her shadow over everything.

Your skin is torn like so much fabric, yet you grasp the stone still. You cannot focus on the past, for the pain is too intense!

A final word escapes your lips, with a thought only of hope that you succeed.

"D'Nianos!"

No sooner is the word spoken than the blades lascerate your lips, sheering through your teeth and cleaving your tongue. Every inch of your body is subjected to this torment, until you can no longer stand, and your mind no longer focus on anything at all. The vision of the stone abruptly ends, on that note of such perfect pain.
I just want to kill monsters and get prizes for it. Is that REALLY so much to ask for?
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Taurus Daggerknight
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Posted by Taurus Daggerknight »


A new excitement had been building up in the Festhall since word of -another- crew going after the legendary ship spread. The first crew could have been chasing rumors, but now there were two Factors, seemingly working on opposite ends! Needless to say, the gossip flowed, and the bets began to escalate, so much so that some of the higher ups began to worry about Fated snooping around over gambling regulations...

Of course, the Sensates that now made up the crew of the Siren's Song for this adventure were more focused on the situation at hand. With the help of (former) captain Kumonous and some charts from town, they managed to locate the Shou Lung port Tai-Chi Pan Zing, where the minotaur claimed to have last met the mercane D'Nianos.

The trip was likely to be a long one, and would involved a voyage across the phlogeston itself. Preparations would need to be made accordingly...

((We will finalize a date soon, but as a small heads up; to simulate the travel time itself, there will be a little RP restriction about two days ahead of the event proper. Those who are going on the trip will need to limit their RP to the Siren's Song ship to simulate the voyage proper, and should not be involved in local RP accordingly.))
I just want to kill monsters and get prizes for it. Is that REALLY so much to ask for?
silinrul357
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Posted by silinrul357 »


The next several days (and weeks if necessary) saw the Factotum Ulanshio all throughout the City of Doors, on the hunt of information of *some* kind, apparently looking for a particular group of people (and very quick to rebuke any asking of whom she looked unless she had done the asking). As her typical fashion, she tended to ask very nice at first and use sweet words, garnish, and maybe a bit of look, to get her information. That said, in the less-reputable areas of the city where laws were more of suggestions and politeness followed the same concept, she was seen asking the same questions with some very big 'friends' and the occasional promise of 'fiery warmth'.
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mimifearthegn
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Posted by mimifearthegn »


Sasha made a few inquiries in the Festhall, asking if anyone had heard of any chapterhouses of the Cult of the Black Scrolls in or near the Cage.
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Red the Rogue
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Posted by Red the Rogue »


After being suggested to search the Sensorium archives for any experiences related to the Black Cult of Ahm, Tavia busied herself looking through the sensory stones to find any related to that. She inquired with anyone running the Sensorium at the time concerning it, then did her own searching.

... Naturally she spent time checking each stone and experiencing them, too, possibly beyond the usually-allowed limit.
Sharon Raynsford - Experienced adventurer finding renewed purpose beyond her prime.
Lyanna Wayfarer - Traveler of worlds, cultural explorer, and experienced physician.
Tavia - Bardess, tale-teller, daring-doer.
Xndar
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Posted by Xndar »


Intisar makes a point to attend mass at the Temple of the Abyss at the next possible opportunity. She stands among the gathering and listens with passing interest to a temple priestess deliver a sermon honoring Pale Night, the Mother of Demons, exhorting the congregation to follow the Mother of Demons' example and seek to spread demonic bloodlines and crossbreeds as far and wide across creation as possible. Being the half-blood offspring of a major demon herself, the sermon's subject matter gives Intisar pause and cause for reflection on the manifold agendas one could serve without realizing it, just by living and breathing.

Still, she's there with a job to do aside from waxing philosophical. Under cover of the loud and disturbing demonstration by the priestess of Pale Night of the most efficient manner of breeding fiendish animals, Intisar approaches Noxana (known as 'the Unwilling' in some circles), daughter of High Priest Noshteroth of the Umber Scales, and record-keeper for the Temple of the Abyss.

Intisar would intimate that in spite of the Temple's current lack of public favor at present, she felt that Noxana was the most qualified individual possible to consult with on matters of Abyssal lore, politics and history. She'd ask after the fate of the prime world of Lep, and which layer ended up absorbing it, indicating if pressed that she wished to record a Sensory Stone of her experience visiting a world so utterly conquered by the Abyss and all the emotions it might entail.

In exchange for this information, Intisar would offer not only to arrange a ritualized viewing of said Stone, so all the congregation could bask in the glory of the Abyss, victorious, but also information regarding the most stable and reliable portals into the Abyssal layer of Occipitus (her mother's realm) along with the keys assigned to each.
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Taurus Daggerknight
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Posted by Taurus Daggerknight »


Somewhat surprisingly, finding mention of the Black Cult of Ahm (or it's other knonw alias's, such as the Order of the Black Scroll) was not very hard. After some digging and inquiring, each of the Sensates looking would come by information suggesting that this group was indeed active in the city for close to a century. They are described as having been one of the city's most badly kept secrets; a group that attempted to shroud its existence, but that the planewalker community at large was quite aware of. Chant and lore has it that they once operated out of a small estate, located just on the edge of the Slags. However, it appears that they were driven out of Sigil between 130 and 131 HA. According to the Society records and those in the know, it seems it was the result of an unofficial purge; during the height of the troubles involving the Mnemure Scrolls, many adventurers apparently mistook the cult for being the same as the one trying to resurrect Kakos Kruphai, or at the least wield the power of the Mnemure scrolls to ill ends.

Once the Cult's holding was attacked and ransacked, little has been said of them within the City of Doors. Many a Sensate guesses that the survivors of the Sigilian chapter likely integrated into the Factions, or else simply left for greener fields. When it comes to finding someone specific from that group? It is suggested that if anyone might have a solid lead, it would be someone in the Temple of the Abyss.

----------------------------------------------
Intisar’s meeting with Noxana is a strange one. On the one hand, the tiefling seems to regard Intisar with something akin to reverence (or at least, a very well done show of such), likely thanks to the Sensate carrying more of the unholy blood of the Abyss in her veins. On the other hand, there is no doubt that she finds the offers made wanting.

“To bask in the victories of the Abyss,” she says, “One need step no further than these walls. The glories of the infinite chaos does not need those toys you so treasure to reach the minds of others.”

She offers a malicious smile before she continues. “But ah, you are close to something that may hold promise. You offer knowledge of the fate of Occipitus, for the fate of Lep?” She waves a hand. “And vex me not with false claims to your intention. You seek something there, as others seek in the layer stolen by Maelfina the Usurper. Let us bargain clearly then, yes?”
I just want to kill monsters and get prizes for it. Is that REALLY so much to ask for?
NeverOutPunned
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Posted by NeverOutPunned »


*Gahiji wasn't at the forefront of any important research, never-mind trying to deal with the temple of the abyss given that they were something of a natural enemy, they did what they showed up on the ship int he first place and stayed quiet until a opportunity came or they had a specific task to perform. They suspected their task would involve talking and sneaking around, so they prepared for that by building a few psychological profiles on members of groups in play and mapping their likely personal, social and political desires in the near future. It was mostly reading broker's notes, consulting with the quippers nodes and occasionally trying to pick the brain of one of the investigation team having more direct contact with the subjects or their cold, dead trail.*
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mimifearthegn
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Posted by mimifearthegn »


Sasha penned the following letter, and sent it to the Courthouse - desk of one Nicholai Rachturan.

Nicholai Rachturan,

I hope this letter finds you well. I have been considering the matter we spoke of some weeks ago; in order to proceed, we will need to know the names and descriptions of your comrades - the ones who strayed. Let me know if it is possible to obtain this information as soon as convenient.

Sasha Andor
Society of Sensation
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