House of Stars (Book of Hours/Cultist Simulator/Celestial Grimoire)

[SupportWolf]

Thunder growling, Waves pounding.


I awake, feeling weak, disoriented. I start to cough and spit salty water from my mouth. I roll onto my side and open my eyes to a stormy seascape.
Coarse sand below me and waves lapping at my feet.

I can see a storm just on the horizon coming towards me.

Something tells me it will be here around when the sun goes below the horizon.

With a building sense of urgency I bring the thing in my hand to my face and find a bound book. It's soaked.

I try to piece together my thoughts. I was…
I was…

I don't remember.
My name is…

I look at the book to see if it may tell me anything. I feel something, tickling my brain, three words, Shapt, Fet, and Chor. I feel like they mean something but my brain cannot connect the thoughts together. I know these are important but how or why are lost to me. I look away from the book for now and look around the shore.

To the East of me is a pier, there appears to be a man tying a boat off, likely in preparation of the storm. I try to stand but my body feels wrung out and cold. My joints ache like I'm 100 years old.
Slowly I manage to stand but I am sure to collapse if I walk for any length. I call out to the man, "Hey", but my voice is horace and wispy. I try to wave my arm to get his attention when I see he is looking in my direction.
I see him acknowledge me but goes back to tying the boat off.

My strength is failing me so I decide to sit back down. Well, more like I plop back onto the sand, all energy expended just waving my arms.

I must have dozed off a little, since next I know, the man is directly in front of me.
"You alright there, boy?"
I try to focus on his face and can only really make out his bushy beard.
"Well? Can you understand me?"
I try to speak again but my voice is gone. I decided to nod my head yes.
"Looks like you came in on the tide, we'll get you to town and decide what to do with ya then."
He then helps me to my feet and we slowly make our way up the steep cliffs on a winding path.

By the time we make it to the top of the hill the man is carrying me like a sack of potatoes. He said, "If we take too long they will close the pub." I had no complaints since I could barely feel anything but the cold.

As we crested the hill I managed to turn my head enough to see the small village. A few houses and an active pub.

The man takes me towards the pub and inside starts talking with the barman.
"We got a castaway. Found him on the beach, half dead."
The barman replies, "Set him in the back, I'll get him some broth."
The man does just that and wanders back out the door.

I come to some time later, the barman trying to feed me some of the broth. I open my mouth and the warmth spreads through my whole body.

After finishing the bowl the barman sets it aside and turns to me, asking, "Ya feeling better?"
"Thank you"
"Aye, now, do you remember how you got on our beach?"
I try to dig into my mind but it's just filled with fog. "No, I can't remember."
"What about your name?"
"Nothing."
"Hmm, mind if I check your pockets?"
I hadn't thought about that, so I nod "Go ahead."
He pats my sides and chest, there's a faint sound of something and I also feel a mass in my coat pocket. He reaches in and pulls out a bundle of papers. Most are illegible, the sea water destroying most of the paper, but there is a legible address, to a one Mister and Mises Kille, Brancrug Village.
"Well, look at that."
"Huh?"
"You are in Brancrag Village, and I happen to know a couple named Kille. Seems you must have been on your way here when you fell into the sea. Lucky that."
The name doesn't pull any memories, but I guess it is lucky that someone here will know who I am.
"We'll go in the morning to speak with the couple, if you're feeling up to it."
I nod.
"Now, get some rest."
Even before he leaves the room darkness takes me.


I find myself drifting in dreams, the words for earlier return to me, Shapt, Fet, Chor. They mean something. I feel drawn to all of them but Shapt feels the closest to me. I speak the word in my dreams and remember. It is understanding, it is Doors open to me. It is also eloquence, being able to convey my understanding to others.

I awake the next morning to a knock at the door, I stretch myself and find some strength returned to me. The cold of last night is just a memory now. I open the door and see the barman waiting, he gives me a surprised look.
"You're up, and looking much better. Less like death warmed over. Now, let's eat and be off to the Kille's."

As I eat warm broth I cannot help but notice all the windows. My brain says they are Doors, but I am sure they are windows. I finish quickly and we make our way out into the morning light.

The village is not very busy but there are people going about their business. Some, like the man from last night going towards the sea. Some housewives are going about the front of their homes with a broom. Sweeping away all the detritus from the storm last night. The air has the clean quality only a good rain can produce.
On our way I spot a smithy, something in the Flame calls to me, but we move too quickly for me to puzzle out why.

Finally we reach a peculiar house. One side is a Cozy cottage with a stroller and bike, the other is a Cold looking coffin maker's workshop. Their morbid wears on display outside. The barman walks up and knocks. A feminine voice inside calls out, "One moment."

They open the door, to reveal an older woman, maybe late thirties-forties, she is tall as well as quite gloomy. Her face looks like it has not smiled since before the war. Wait, what war?
"Yes?"
"Good morning Mrs. Kille, we had ourselves a castaway that landed on our shores last night and he happened to have your address on his person. His memory appears to be gone, so I was hoping you would be able to shed some light on the poor fellow here."
She looks me over and walks towards me. She circles me a little and goes back to the door.
"Yes, I know him, I know him quite well." She says with almost a smile.
"Then my job here is done." The barman turns to me, "I wish you the best of luck on your recovery. Be sure to drop by if you ever need a pint or find some conversation. Good day."
With that he leaves and Mrs. Kille invites me in.
She directed me to a chair and motioned me to sit. She then goes into the kitchen and returns shortly with tea and some crackers with cheese.
"You said you know me?"
She motioned for me to drink then replied, "Yes."
I take a sip.
"I met you in Paris, when we were both much younger, I was living with my sister, who was your viscountess, teaching you your studies. You inspired me to become what I am today, a midwife to all the families in this small village."
"So I come from Paris? I'm French?"
"Yes."
"Then, what's my name, why was I on my way here? Was it to visit you?"
"Your name is René Sartre and no, you were on your way here for a job. It was one I helped you get but it was your own work that landed you it."
"What job?"
"The Librarian and custodian of the Hush House."
Something in that name sparked something. Understanding comes, I was a scholar, With the understanding more words come, Ereb, Phost, Mettle, Wist. I feel them trying to show me something but before they can I am drawn back to Mrs. Kille, "I have the key here to the gate and will show you the way. Come, follow me."
She gets up and pulls a brass key from a hook on the wall. I stand and follow her back out into the sunny sky.

The way is not far but as soon as we get out of the village I see it. A massive building, looking more like a castle than a Library. Flags flap from the top of what appears to be a broken clock tower. Closer to the front is a glass dome. Maybe a garden or observatory? The building towers over the region. Built on a separate island with a long stone bridge connecting them together.

Mrs. Kille brings me across the bridge and to the front of a small cottage off to the side of the front gates. She uses her key to open the door and then turns to me.
"If you need help, you can always come to my door." The dower woman says. Then turns and leaves.
I call out, "Wait"
She turns back.
"You're just going to leave me here?"
She turns her head a little and replies, "I said if you need me I'll always welcome you."
And before I can stop her again she makes her way across the bridge.
I turn back to the massive castle, trying to take in all its history. When my vision goes black, and stars fill the horizon. I feel a pull and one of the stars flies directly towards me. It enters my body and I feel burning all around. It travels my whole body but ends in my eyes.
Then, it's gone.
I open my eyes to the sky and try to calm my breathing. I feel knowledge that wasn't there before.
It tells of spirits, and their habits. It tells of how to control them, and how to use them. It tells me how I can use the recently dead for spirits to inhabit, creating a zombie under my control. I also learn of something forbidden, draining a spirit of all they are and unleashing them as a monster, in search of magic to devour.

I pick myself up off the ground and turn back to the Hush House. I gaze at it again and notice an inscription above the gate, "BOOKS ARE THE MEMORY THAT DOES NOT DIE". I also notice, now I am closer, the damage to the whole building. I feel I need to collect myself before I do anything else. As I turn towards the cottage and I spot, what my knowledge tells me, a spirit. It floats outside, it looks to be trying to pull the weeds. Not realizing it's not able to interact with them.
I ignore it for now, and head inside, and find myself a very well kept room. A prepared hearth, with a kettle and pot, a kitchen stocked with all the essentials. Strangely, above the kitchen, instead of spices there is a collection of books. About five in all. There is a bed in the corner and well used tools all around the place, hanging from hooks. There is even a nice green coat and satchel right by the door. As I look at the satchel I notice that it appears to have something inside. I pull it off the hook and bring it to the table. Opening it I discover a pile of paper, as well as a sealed envelope. I decide to leave the envelope for last and leaf through the paper.
They are the deed to the land as well as an abbreviated evaluation of the damage done in a fire that happened several years ago. Not much beyond the front door is accessible, and the whole castle will need repairs.
I give up trying to piece together all that is wrong with the place and turn to the envelope. It's stamped with the mark of the House and written to me.

"Dear Librarian,
We hope this comes to you in good health, dear Librarian. We are eager to hear you have taken up the mantle and responsibility that is the Hush House. Know that visitors are already getting ready to visit the once illustrious House. Let us know you're all set up and ready to receive them. Included is this year's stipend to be used in any way you see fit. Please use the enclosed address to send a reply when you reach the place, to let the Trustees know you have arrived.

Sincerely,
The Trustees"

The address is somewhere in Wales, to a St. Rhonwen's Trust. There is also a Ten Pound note. I set everything aside and stare out the window for a while. Trying to get everything in my head in order.

I am from France, I was given the job to restore and curate the Hush House as its Librarian. I have a friend from my past in the village willing to help as well as money to hire others.

That all makes sense, what doesn't is the stars I saw earlier, that lets me now see the spirits of the dead and control them. It also doesn't explain the book or the words that appear in my head. I am not sure if the book and the stars are connected. They both put knowledge into my brain I shouldn't have. To top it off I also need to finish recovering from washing ashore. I feel weak and sore. No work will be completed on the House in my condition. I appear to have all the tools necessary here but the material will need to be sourced. I saw there is a forest to the East of the village, with the House being to the West. South is the beach with the North a sheer cliff to the water. Further West is a lighthouse on a small island. I am not sure if it is inhabited.

I have a lot of work ahead of me. I pen a small letter to the Trustees and head to the village. Where I am sure they have a post office.

 

[SupportWolf]

I wasn't much fan of the normal rules for the Grimoire so I changed them.
My rules.
I have a maximum of 10,000 points to spend, every 1000 words I roll for the branch then role for the skill. I can decline a skill if I do not like it or do not understand it with a quick google search.
My first roll is free

This limits the crazy shit I could get, since Book of Hours is not a very dangerous game. This also limits the out of context problem solving that will mess with the story.

Roll for this chapter:
Necromancy [Free - Libriomancer] No, this isn't your classic "bones rising from the grave" Necromancy, this is "control the spirits of the dead" necromancy. You are a fledgling medium, able to see and talk to the dead as you please. They frequently speak in long dead languages and are generally confused but using your very particular brand of magic you can bend them to your will. Forcing them to divulge secrets or knowledge long passed from mortal memory is one of the more common practices of necromancy. You will of course have to find their spirit first. Smart money is either their place of death or burial. As you grow you will find that you can command these ghosts to do more for you, such as spying on your enemies and reporting back or alerting you to intruders. Eventually you may even be able to force them into the bodies of the recently deceased, granting them a physical form able to impact the world. What? You want to make devourers? Well, I guess you can but why would you want to? Stripping away the ghosts identity until it becomes a blank burning slate of raw hatred and magical chaos? Immune to magical ingres and capable of suppressing or destroying magic in its entirety through simple contact. A creature bent on devouring magic and turning all other magic users (save you of course) into inhuman souls like them. I hope you can live with yourself if you do that.

 

[SupportWolf]

The screech of a seagull, and the sound of waves greats me as I leave the cottage and make my way back to town.
I continue to ignore the odd spirit I see. I will come back for them at some point but talking to the dead can wait. Hmm, maybe I can use them to help in some way with the House? I'll have to dig into that knowledge some other time.

The walk is scenic, with the village framed in the midday sun, with the dark forest in the background. I feel the urge to sketch this vista.

I make it to town and go to Mrs. Kille's place and ask for directions to the post office. She surprises me by walking out the door and leading me there. Claiming she also had a letter to send to her sister.

A bell tinkles when we walk in the door, and a dour postman rests behind a counter. I gave them my only money, the 10 Pound note, and got a whole handful of coins in change. All together it is a crown, a florin, a half-crown, a three pence and a two pence. If that is the correct amount of money, I will never know. I say my farewells to Mrs. Kille and decide to go to the pub for lunch. I do not have the strength to make it back to the cottage and cook.

It is a simple fare, one pence for the food and another to pay back the food I ate last night.
"So, you're the new caretaker of the House?"
I put my spoon down and replied, "Yes."
"Hmm, well, you may want to go talk to the smith. As well as talking to our dear Reverend."
"Why would I need the Reverend? Why not a stonemason or a woodworker?"
"Legend has it that the Hush House is haunted by no less than a battalion of ghosts."
I couldn't help but think about the spirit I saw, they seemed to not be totally aware, nor was it hostile. "I'll go to the Reverend if I need an exorcism, but for what I saw it was mostly old timber, and crumbling mortar."
"So long as you keep him in mind, but yes, our smith can help you with that. And if you need timber your friend's husband can work wood into more than just those coffins."

I finished my lunch and sat around for a little while, trying to figure out how I wanted to proceed. I could go to the smith and Mr. Kille to help reevaluate the House. I could go talk to the ghost and see what information it may have. I could go explore more of the island. I could do none of those things and try to focus on building my strength up. That didn't seem wise to do when I could tackle some of these things all at once.

I went and talked to Mr. Kille, seeing if he was free sometime. He said tomorrow he could accompany me. When I talked about going to the smith he said wait for him. The smith can be real ornery. I bid him good day and returned to the House.

In my walk I spied no less than a dozen spirits in town. They all looked nothing more than wisps. I don't know why the spirit at my cottage was so much… more. At that moment my vision swam again, and I saw a sea of stars. Again another brightened and flew towards me. I braced for more pain but nothing came. I felt a tug in my chest like something wanted out. I had made it back to the other side of the bridge when I decided to let it out.

The world shimmered in my vision then settled down. I noticed a few plants that were not there before. I went to my cottage and found a much larger amount of herbs and vials filled with many different colored concoctions.
I will need a trained eye to identify any of these.

I turn to the spirit outside and decide it's time to try to converse with him.

I follow my knowledge and take a few of the dried plants around the place and a bowl. I crush some with my hand into the bowl and grab a match. I take it outside and place it between me and the spirit.
"Spirit I command you, speak with me."
Then I light the bowls contents and they smoke and smolder, producing a thick smoke, much thicker than it should be. It drifts around the spirit and they float over to me. And proceeds to talk in a language I was not aware I knew.
"What is your will?"
I knew what he was saying but my ears were telling me this was a much different language then the one I was speaking with the village. "Who were you"
"I was the Keeper."
"What is a Keeper?"
"I was tasked with grounds keeping, and gate guarding. Others were tasked with watching the ways, or mending the roof."
"What does 'watching the way' mean?"
The spirit does not respond.
"Spirit, you said you were a groundskeeper, that means you know what is being stored in the cottage?"
"The Keepers Lodge has any plant or ink required by the Librarian to do their duties."
"Those vials contain inks?"
"Yes."
I could think of a few more questions but I felt my strength weaning. "I free you from my thrall."
The spirit goes back to picking at the weeds and the bowl stops spewing smoke. Leaving nothing but ash behind.

I take it back inside and dump it in the fireplace. I then set the bowl aside for cleaning.

I set the fire and grabbed one of the books from the top of the kitchen space and decided to spend the rest of my day reading.

The book is titled, Traveling at Night, Vol I, another book, I notice, is volume two. It is an annotated dream-journal of Christopher Illopoly. It was very entertaining, and bewildering. I still felt quite drained when I was done but it shed much light on the old way of categorizing the hidden truths of the world. I felt a connection to the feeling I have that all windows are actually Doors. It is known as the lore of Knock. The book briefly touched on some of the other principles but his words on opening the Doors to his own mind, of being open, were Illuminating. I also learned a few secrets old aspirants used to travel the Manus.

While reading the book I noticed strange inconsistencies with some of the print or spelling. My brain itched with whispered secrets, hidden between the lines.

I found myself hunched over the table with a bottle of glowing ink and a few pages that seemed to Rustle, like leave in the wind. I read them and found the words would seek to Hide behind one another, Change while I was reading them, the only reason I could understand anything was because the Door was already open to me. The title at the top of the page was "Edicts Liminal". They are the precepts of limitation and division, established by the enigmatic conclave of Hours, sometimes called the Chancel.

I then saw the stars again. I caught another star, and this time I noticed it was much smaller than the first one. I didn't pay much attention to the size of the last one.
It went into my body and I felt a weight on the top of my head. I reached my hand up and discovered a very nice Fedora had found its way there. It had a piece of paper with a 10/6 on the side but otherwise was unremarkable.

I put it on the hook by the door as well as the green jacket and satchel I had taken earlier in the day. I also located a pair of pajamas in the nightstand and changed for bed. I felt completely drained, I took a slice of bread and a piece of cheese for dinner, finishing them quickly, I went to sleep.
In my dreams I saw the words again, Ereb, Phost, Mettle, Wist. I spoke, "Ereb" and emotions filled me, passion, pride, hatred, fear. They swirled into my soul and with them, knowledge of Knives and Hunger.

 

[SupportWolf]

Rolls for this chap:
Spell Components [100 - Touhou Project: Forbidden Hermit] You have a large supply of common spell components, certainly enough to regularly cast a wide variety of spells. Rarer items for your most potent of spells may still require some hunting.

Hatter's Hat [200 - Wonderland No More] A fashionable piece of headgear that is suitable for practically every occasion. Wearing it magically boosts your charisma and increases protection to your head (also, if a blow to your head fails to overcome the armor enhancement, the hat will protect you 100%, preventing the blow from having any effects at all on your head). You can alternatively choose a hat or other headgear you already own to receive the benefits of this purchase.

Points: 9700
Misses: 0
Stars: 3

I had the rolls be every 2000 words at the start but changed it. That's why the word count is a little off at the start. It will now be every 1000 like I said it would be.

 

[SupportWolf]

A ray of sun snuck through the blinds and stirred me awake. I spent an hour or so getting ready for the day, changing out of the pajamas, dressing, washing my mouth and face, eating, tidying up the lodge.
I made my way to the village with my new fedora on and the green jacket on. Stopped by Mr. and Mrs. Kille to pick up Mr. Kille and said hello to the Mrs., then we made our way to the smith.

We met and were escorted into a smoky room. On the walls were tools for smiting as well as a musket hanging above the fireplace. He picked up a pipe, lit it, and stared at me.
"To business then."
"Yes, I need your help, gentleman, to restore the Hush House. There is much rotten lumber and crumbling mortar. Caved in roofs and general disrepair. I have also been told it may be inhabited by no less than a battalion of ghosts, but do not worry. I have come upon a way to use them for my own purposes."
The smith looked at me with a very critical eye and replied, "You're not Cold enough for that."
Mr. Kille nodded in agreement.
As soon as he said it I knew exactly what he meant, Cold is the domain of the dead, and it does not like to share.
"I appear to have a very queer ability. You see, I have been gaining things, magical things, ever since I woke up on the beach. I will see a black void and stars, thousands of them, then one will brighten and travel to me. I will then gain something. The first star let me see and command spirits of the dead."
Both men looked at each other. While I went though the exact experience I just described. When I came back I held a vial of something. It glowed faintly. Knowledge of its varied uses were also implanted into my mind. It was called Magic Powder. How descriptive.
When the two men looked back and saw the strange vial I said, "See, I just acquired this, it's called Magic Powder and can be used near anyway you want. Ignite your foes, remove glamor's, light a fire, even summon demons. I am not sure how the last one works but if I toss some in a well it will summon a demon."
"I would advise against such an action." The smith said.
"I agree with you." I replied. "Now, back to what we came here to discuss. How will we go about fixing the House?"
We talked for well over an hour, talking about what I knew was wrong, where, and how much I would be willing to spend on repairs.

In the end we decided that room by room would be the best path forward since the repairs would be too extensive and expensive for just what I had in my coin purse.
We left, after the two gentlemen grabbed some tools, and went to the front gate of the House. I used my key and we all went into the entryway to find it in surprisingly good order. There were paintings on the walls and a bust of someone on a table by some very nice furniture. An umbrella holster and surprisingly alive potted plant were the last things in the room. The way past this room was however blocked. The way up was closed off by debris and the way to the castle with what appeared to have been a garden was completely overgrown with brambles and other nasty plants.

Mr. Kille said that his wife used to come every month or so and tend to the accessible area. That included the Keepers Lodge and this entry room. She had tried to clear the brambles but they seemed to grow back much too fast to be natural. The smith's trained eye told us that it was overflowing with the lore of Nature and only those with a touch of Nature or the Illumination of Lantern could deal with the weeds. I knew I had the latter so I bid them to deal with the stairs.

I went to the Lodge and grabbed a pair of sturdy leather gloves, a pair of coveralls, and all the trimming tools I could carry. I set my bottle of Magic Powder with the inks and went to tend to the overgrown garden.

It took a few hours but they cleared out the stairs and the room above. I managed to clear part of the garden. There was a patch to the south that would need to be tended to at a later date. I felt my meager Light could not hold up to the overwhelming Hostility of the brambles in that area. We all went to my Lodge to eat lunch and converse about what they found on the second floor. It was a study, they also found a few books that were tucked away in the drawers of the furniture or sitting in the study. They appeared to be in quite remarkable shape for being uncared for for who knows how long. The writing was perfectly legible but the spines and covers seemed to need to be replaced. The pages themselves were also yellowed and dry. I knew I was going to have to transcribe the books if I wanted to save any of the writings. They said the study would have all the necessary tools to construct a new book to transcribe the writings.

When I traveled to the study to check it out my Light whispered into my mind how connected the old Lockwood Fen bog-yew desk was to Lantern. While exploring I found part of the journal of one Solomon Husher. He described his writings of the doomed romance of Winter with the Sun. This seemed to have left the desk with a very deep connection to Lantern, Winter, Sky, and Scale. No other lores would be allowed to be near this desk. It will reject them. Any writings that are connected with those lore will be amplified.
I did also find all the tools needed to transcribe books in the previous room, along with a lovely desk. It had a plaque on the side that said "Property of Lady Eva Dewulf". Against the window was an astrolabe and above the cabinet connected to the desk was another bust. I used some furniture to move the bust to the window sill. While handling the bust I found a name etched into the base, "Walter Dewulf". Maybe this was a brother to the Lady? Why else was his likeness above her desk? Could also be her father.

As I placed the bust down I saw the field of stars, and for the first time a star did not brighten or come to me. I just returned to reality the same as I was.
I left the books that needed to be transcribed on the desk and returned to the Lodge to collect the other books there.

Looking closer at the book I found them all to be in good shape. That's when I remembered the book I had from the beach. I found it had died out and in surprising shape. The cover felt like a kind of silk and the pages were undamaged. I flipped through the book to find most of it to be blank. I also felt the book to be… somehow unfinished or maybe incomplete. I couldn't describe it but my Grail was telling me I needed to connect to the book. Some deeper part of me needs to imprint itself into the book for its pages to be filled properly. I felt nothing would be better than my Hunger. I took the book with me to the Pale desk and started to flip the pages. As I went I started to flip faster and faster. Memories coming to me. Being in Paris, learning from Mrs. Kille's sister, Ms. Raveline. Being taught many languages, being taught to write in beautiful cursive and how to care for books. I also remember why I came here. I was an artist, no, an Artist. I painted many places, studied master works, even later apprenticed under a master and learned the craft. It just came naturally to me. I came here because I needed inspiration to finally create my Magnum Opus. The book turned into my journal, detailing my life up to this point. It also explained so much more about what it meant to be a Librarian as it had been explained to me by the Trustees before I had boarded the ship to Brancrug.

Hush House is a collection of esoteric books about the occult and secrets of the world. Visitors come with questions they wish to find answers to in the numerous volumes Hush House is filled with. I am to help them by cataloging and repairing the books found or brought to the House. The books inside the House each come from different eras of the House's history. I can also find ways to buy new volumes to fill the House. Each book requires me to be taught in the various lore's of the world before I can catalog them. I can use items such as the inks in the Lodge or trinkets infused with truths to augment my limited mind. I will also develop skills to channel more lore into my work.
Reading my journal has let me remember a skill I have forgotten, Desires and Dissolutions. The boundaries between flesh, pearl, and pleasure are equally contingent. I was and now am very French. That is also why I felt I must get away from those that knew me. If I wanted to create Art I could not have any distractions.
I also learned of the ritual that connects the Librarian with the lore's of the world. It is why the Hush House is so coveted beyond the numerous books. It is our ability to link into the world using the House, our Journal, and a Connection. The connection can be anything like a skill, a trinket, or writings. Already I felt I could use both my skills in Desires and Disillusions as well as my writings on the Edicts. I decided to use the Edicts for now since I was very skilled in the other and felt it would be a waste to just begin the connection with such an advanced skill. I would have to discover other connections before I would use that one.

I took my Journal and the Edicts and created a circle, with nine branches coming out of the middle. I set my journal there. I set the Connection at about the four o'clock position, representing the Connection with Skelokosophy. The study of things that should not be studied.

The entire ritual was called the Tree of Knowledge and my Journal was my representation of myself. The Connection was my connection and offering to learn something of the knowledge this world hides away. With the ritual prepared I started.
I felt roots connect with my soul and a small sprout whispered to me knowledge of a prophesied City that mortals would rise, the Hours of the Chancel have decreed it will not exist. The decrees of the Chancel are not to be defiled, but now and then they have been circumvented… and we might conceive that City with walls of shining flint be raised Nowhere; in the darkness below dreams.

My connection with Burred Things has been established.
Things buried in the earth are much easier to find, since I may have been the one to put them there, a millennia ago.
With this knowledge I will be able to tell when an area has an abundance of natural ores. The treasures and secrets of rocks. Finally I know the secrets of the abrasions in the world's skin. Parts where something scraped past our world and things were exchanged. I don't know where any are but I now know they exist.

I see the sea of stars again, a star as large as the first is pulled towards me. I brace myself for the pain but I was surprised to just find knowledge inserted into my head. I know I am now a mermaid. If I were to jump in the water I would lose my legs and gain a large flipper. I could also breathe water as well as air. But, most importantly, I know how mermaids are born. I think I will take a walk down by the shore.
I need some clams.

 

[SupportWolf]

Rolls:
Magic Powder [100 - Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening] Made from a toadstool, this stuff will ignite foes, remove transformation effects, light braziers, summon demons (if tossed into certain wells) and do all sorts of crazy stuff. Refills after about half an hour.


Pearl Dream* [600 - Peter Pan] Do you know how mermaids are born? You must, since you are one. A mermaid is born from the chaotic irritation within a clam creating a pearl, which then is enchanted by Never Never Land's magic and becomes at once a fully-aged mermaid; being the manifestation of that irritation, mermaids are naturally vain and jealous. This insight, combined with your magic, gives you the ability to enchant pearls with magic. But more than that, you know how mermaids are born, and can reproduce the process yourself. By growing clams under the right magical conditions, you can create new mermaids. The more magic the pearl is exposed to before the clam opens, the more mysterious and wiser the mermaid; the longer the pearl grows and the irritation intensifies, the more beautiful and vainer the mermaid. Generally, with a stable supply of magic, you can grow an average mermaid in 2 to 4 years, though she will not have any magical powers besides breathing underwater. To grow a mermaid with special abilities such as singing or controlling water can take up to seven years. As for creating a mermaid at the level of a nymph queen or water spirit, it would take 10 full years. That said, with a large enough aquaculture facility and ready access to natural magic, you can grow multiple pearls at once.

Points: 9000
Misses: 0
Stars: 5

 

[Andre Chaos]

Hmm, why does he want to make mermaids? Just to check how it works? Just because he is curious and artist at heart? ​

 

[SupportWolf]

I return from my afternoon walk with a bucket of clams. I am sure the House is a place oozing magic, so it should be easy to start the process of creating mermaids with just this bucket full. I am not entirely sure how to care for clams. My knowledge is telling me I will need to for years, even up to a decade. Does that make me Neptune, Father of all mermaids? I kind of like the sound of that. I will be sure to have them call me that when they are born. As I walk into the Lodge I notice I have a mirror, and have not once looked at myself in it. I quickly rectified that.

I was surprised, the face looking back at me was much more handsome then my memories say I was. Even rail thin as I am right now my skin is glossy and my hair is a wild kind of classy. Along with my hat I look very good, but these clothes, I think I will have to burn them when I manage to find a suitable replacement. They make me look like a boy, not the man I am. The colors are terrible and the edges are fraying. If I keep looking I think I will just burn them now and go nude.

I turn away from the mirror and decide what I want to do with the rest of my day. I already gave a seed of magic to the clam so they just need to be tended to for the next few years until they… hatch, or… birth. Whatever. They are coming out of a pearl so I will say that's like an egg and call it hatching. Normal mermaids will take two-four years, stronger ones with magic take up to six and at ten years they can come out a water spirit or nymph queen. As Neptune, father of all mermaids, I of course have all the powers of the race, and one more. My ability to walk on land. All the others of my progeny will be stuck under the sea. I may gain the power to gift this ability to them, but I am not sure I want to. They may become my kin but I will always need to show I am above them. What if one of the nymph queens decides she wants to rule over all, even myself. I must always have something to show they will never rise above me. And nothing says that better than being able to rise from the water to walk the land.

Now, back to what I was trying to do. Which was figuring out how I wanted to spend the rest of my day. I had a few hours of daylight left and could probably start to work on the books I need to transcribe. I decided to pick the book on lockworks and clockworks, titled "The Locksmiths Dream: Portions and Proportions". It is the second volume of Teresa Galmier's examination of the parallels in the mystic dreams of artisans. The front of this book has been slashed by some kind of blade. The pages are yellowed like all the others.

I decide I will read the book first then transcribe. I take it with me to Solomon's desk, to use the connection to Sky the book will have with it. In the volume Gelmier records fewer dreams, and explicates more on her own elaborate theories, "We see it again and again: what is below can't escape what is above." Another excerpt from the book reads, "The finest artisans all dream of the White Door in the end. I'm no artisan, only a scholar. I think there's a Secret that all these artisans know, but I think that Secret is only half the story."
The book also has a lot of ideas on how to build small clockworks, as well as how locks are made. Any Door is possible to open, even if it does not appear that way at first. The calculations required for clockwork are also used in the calculations for flying machines. This is why they have such a connection to the Sky.

With a new skill I decided to do the ritual again. More knowledge is never wrong. Sadly this skill only has a connection to Ithasrty. Which is the branch of the tree dedicated to the Bright Art of alchemy, metallurgy, and pyrotechnics. It is also sometimes called the Art that Alters. It is located at about the eleven o'clock position on the tree.
I start the ritual and feel another sprout whisper knowledge into my soul. The clocksmith's first duty: when the time comes, the device should speak its purpose. Since the Sun was sundered, Noon is not as it was. Perhaps, if we find the true hour of Noon, we'd know how the Sun might return.
With this cryptic knowledge also comes the knowledge of the Bright Arts. How to change lead to gold and some of the steps to create a pholifers stone. I also, more importantly, learn some of the recipes to the inks that sit in my Lodge. All of them can be found in and around the House or come easily from the sea. Some of the more potent come from the deep forest. Pyrotechnics are not important to me so I will likely never use the knowledge given to me. Maybe if I wish to present myself as a common street magician I can use my knowledge of clockworks and pyrotechnics to degrade myself to their level. It has barely been a few days and already I am more than I ever was before. Maybe if I travel and need a disguise? I will keep the idea but will likely never implement it. Now to move on to transcribing the book.

I spend the rest of my day preparing the items, ink, leather, paper, twine, wood, and get to crafting. While the Bright Arts do not cover making books it does help with overall skill. The sprout in my soul whispers to me little things I can do to craft better, move more efficiently, get something that would require three hours of work done in two and a half. I am nowhere near done when I leave the study and return to the lodge but I have accomplished more than I thought I would in such a short time.

When I walk through the door I see the sea of stars again and hook a smaller star. It tingles into my skin and seems to sit near the first star, but otherwise does nothing I can tell.

I use my new powers from my mermaid heritage to move water from the tap to the cauldron to boil for soup. I set the fire and add some ingredients that are lying about the place and let it boil for a while while I tidy the area up.
I will need to find new clothes soon, and I need to eat more often. I will never recover if I keep nearly starving myself like I have. I know I have much work to do but I should start to carry food around with me to eat. A loaf of bread and some cheese is a fine snack. I look around and find a few bottles of homemade dandelion wine. Along with some soup and my last loaf of bread I eat my fill tonight.

In the morning I take a walk to the village to find a baker. I use my three pence to buy a few loaves of bread and a wheel of cheese. I then make my way back while picking up any wild herbs I find along the front of the property. I take it all back and store it in the Lodge for later use while keeping the cheese to snack on. I prepare breakfast and return to the study to finish the transcription.

By noon it's done. I leave the old copy in the study and grab a new book. My compatriots from yesterday said they will need a few days before they are free again to work on the House. Thus I spend the rest of my day reading.

The book is titled, "The Viennese Conundra" by Van Driel describes odd events in Vienna - the disappearance of children; epidemics of parasite activity; animal mutilations; nightmares of worms; the activities of a charitable organization, the New Ligeians, that funds the burial of the poor. She proposes peculiar connections between these activities.
It is a book touched my Moon and Moth. I feel as though the book is a wolf, waiting to devour me, or maybe me to devour it. 'When the individual K. attends the meetings, black dogs are sacrificed and quartered. When the element M. is in attendance, black mares are found with their throats slashed. I propose that these sacrifices are not necessary, but that our Ligeian friends may consider them 'fitting'. Herewith diagrams of the mutilations -'
I regret reading this book after lunch, or maybe I am glad, as my appetite has vanished.

'Medusa's Riddle, then, I choose to render as 'What is Not Seen?' There is another riddle, one I have heard rendered as 'What may be Lost?' I will delineate some historic attempts to answer it- these are in themselves, in some sense, sacrifices - '

When I finish reading I am again compelled to notice the small details in the diagrams, they look to have been bitten by a wolf, not have their throats slit by men's hands. While writing I swear I hear a wolf's howl in the distance but I know there are no wolves on the island. In the corner of my eye I spot movement but when I turn there is nothing there.

When I finish I am as paranoid as I have ever felt, and in my hands are depictions of wolves. They are depicted in every manner of scene, hunting, fighting, mating, dying. I set the pages down and collect myself.
"There are no wolves on Brancrug Island. It is only a hallucination. There are no wolves on Brancrug Island. It is only a hallucination. Only a hallucination. Only a hallucination.
There are no wolves."

I spend the rest of my day occasionally looking behind myself, checking for wolves.

 

[SupportWolf]

Rolls:
Dispellation resistant [200 - Libriomancer] Resistance to magic is a fact of life most practitioners have to deal with. For you it is...less of an issue. While your magic is not appreciably more powerful it is much more resistant to effects that may dispel, counter or reverse it. Foes who are normally able to dispel or resist magic with ease may be caught off guard as your magic is composed of sterner stuff, requiring greater energy or concentration to be properly turned aside.

Points: 8800
Misses: 0 (I think)
Stars: 6

 

[SupportWolf]

A howl in the night wakes me from my dreams. A storm has blown in and the wind howls in the trees and around the door. I hunker in my bed, fighting the cold of the night and wind.

In the morning I am groggy and cold. I start a fire and refuse to leave the Lodge till noon. I go to the village and spend the day enjoying the activity, little as there is. I pop by the bar and listen to the local gossip while nursing a beer.

The day was successfully wasted.

The next I meet back up with my accomplices and we start working on what turns out to be an observatory. The way was blocked by a spirit infused with the lore of Winter. I command it to return to whence it came and it dissipates. The room was a bedroom infused with the lore of Winter.
In the observatory a large section looks damp and weak. The glass above has a few broken and cracked panes. Mr. Kille works on replacing the wood while the smith and I work on replacing the glass. It takes us most of the morning, but we finish much quicker since it was mostly just the observatory that needed work on. With all three of us working in just one room it goes by fast. They decide to wait to start working on the actual keep across the garden I cleared.

When they leave and I start to prepare for lunch the sea of stars appears again. A small star approaches me and I feel a weight on my nose. I gained a pair of glasses. They don't appear to be in any way special but the stars gave them to me so like my hat that must do something. I take them on and off again for the rest of the afternoon trying to see if something changes, and I find it. The spirit that lingers in front of the Lodge disappeared when I put the glasses on. I think I will use these when I go to the village, the spirits there are very annoying. They tend to scream in some dead language. It sounds like an odd dialect of Old English but I just can't make out what they are saying. Maybe if I spent some time studying Old English I may piece their language together but it's just not worth it to me.
If I wanted to learn old secrets I would use the ritual or talk to the spirits here, where the rich and actually knowledgeable lived. I hope to find the spirits of the old owners of the House. What secrets they uncovered, maybe I'll even source a dead body from Mr. Kille and revive one of them to be a servant to me. Well, maybe more like a mentor, since I am sure there are many secrets to the House I will never uncover without help.

For the next week I try to transcribe the book on wolves. I just cannot work on it long before the sensation of being hunted gets to me and I must stop my work. My accomplices are busy preparing for the summer season, as that's when many people visit the island for any number of reasons. Some visit family, some come for the rather nice beach, some just to see the House, from afar mind you, and one will be here to visit. I have been told, by telegraph from the Trustees. A one Mr. Zachary Wakefield, marksman, detective, renegade. He has always been a quiet man, but since he left the Suppression Bureau, he has grown even quieter, and terribly still - except for his fingers and for his eyes, always in restless motion.
He will be coming to share gossip and research the lore's of Winter and Knock for a case.

When he arrives in the following week he will talk about The Affair of the Messenger's Casket. In a hidden fold of the mountains above the city of Cluj lies the enigmatic relic they call Saint Mihail's Coffin. Decades of patient work have finally breached its outer shell.
He asks for a book to help either open the casket or deal with the Cold it will unleash. I don't have a book on hand for the last request but I do have one on the first.

I share it with him while I wonder why the sea of stars has not visited me in weeks. My leading theory is excitement. Since the last visit I have done virtually nothing. No progress has been made while I was preparing the guest bedroom for my visitor and finishing the transcription of the book. I have not read any new books or done the ritual for the Stories of Wolves. The only connection it could have is to Birsong, and it does not reward me with anything connected to my goal. I will need to dig deeper into Wolves to use it for the next level in Skelokosophy.

Birdsong is the lore of not secrets, but gossip. It is the words of the gods said on the tongues of birds. It gives the skills of singing and riddles. It also has some skills that do not fall into other lore's. None I have read about are of any use to me. If I wish to hear gossip I travel to the bar and hear it from another human's mouth.

My guest is not one for much conversation so once he has completed his research he leaves. He hands me a Bronze Spintria, occult treasures are purchased with occult coin: spintriae. Bronze spintriae usually display the act of shaping on their reverse side.
A bronze coin with a hammer and anvil depicted on it. I can use it to pay for services my guests can provide me. Mostly to learn any languages they may know or buy new books for the House.

The day after my guest leaves my accomplices and I return to repair the house. I share with the smith some secrets of a knife's Edge, over a tea specially prepared to Bite. I then lend him my gardening tools to Cut the brambles that cover part of the garden. While he does that Mr. Kille and I brave the The First True Threshold. We have reached the threshold of the House proper. The Librarians of the Curia were scholars of note - some were potent adepts. From here we should proceed carefully, observing the proper forms, making the appropriate offerings. The villagers and other locals know the ways of the earth and sea hereabouts. His assistance was invaluable.
We used my current mastery of Doors to seek entrance to this hallowed realm. He coached me on the proper forms. Then we went further to the bottom of the grand assent. A seven story staircase that leads to what I have been told is the Nave of the Abbey Church.

For a thousand years the Unconquered Sun has been worshipped here in all his Aspects - though since the heresies of the Intercalate, many of those aspects are considered distinct Hours in their own right, and the Sun's death and birth are both now celebrated.

The Abbey Church used to be more golden, but many of the valuables were lost at the Abbey's dissolution, including the original stained glass. These magnificent windows are of recent manufacture, financed by the eighth Librarian, Greene, who was a believer of the Second Dawn variety.
I wish to see these stained glass windows but we are far from getting there yet. The Grand Ascent was clear, but the air was thick with old magics. we had to move carefully. Still no sign of any fire. Why then was the House abandoned?

Did a ghost spook the old Librarian and they fled into the night. Maybe there was a fire but it didn't catch as much as they thought. All I can say is this has been much less yet more expensive then I thought it would have been. After about a month of work I am down to a Crown and a Shilling. I am sure I can afford to work on a few more rooms. I wish to keep some funds for supplies to last the winter. I am not making any at the moment and I do not see much of a way to unless I want to sing in the bar. Not that I would ever degrade myself to become a bard. I will use my singing ability to woo fair maidens but to sing for the masses is no better then becoming a common whore.

As we leave the House I see the sea of stars again. When the star ignites it doesn't ignite alone, two smaller stars also ignite and are pulled along with it. I brace for pain and am rewarded with it. All across my body pain flairs and my mind expands with otherworldly knowledge. Knowledge of Fey magic, how to cast, how to create it, and where it comes from. I also gain a Familiar, a creature bound to my soul I can command to do my bidding. It's small but I can send my new Fey magic to power it up and transform it into a full on elemental. It usually takes on the form of a water sprite. A small orb of water that shape changes depending on its mood, usually it looks like a fish made of water swimming in air. It produces magic for me to cast other Fey spells, mostly in the realm of other summons, growing plants, scrying, and dealing with wild animals. But along with a Fey spirit I also gain a Fey's Pact. It's a pact with a minor Fey that allows me to create a pack with another. If they are some kind of nature spirit I can gain a portion of their power, in return of whatever the contract is for. In my Lodge is a stack of empty contracts, waiting for me to create a deal with another.

I guess it was building up to such a massive reward. I am not sure how much I will use this Fey magic but being able to summon Fey servants sounds like a much better strategy then binding the souls of the dead to reanimated bodies to do my bidding. I send my familiar to fetch a book while I head to the study. They return with the book "An Impertinent Vitulation" A book of kitchen-garden techniques and aphrodisiac recipes recorded by Ernestine Peterhans, the 'Iron Seneschale' of Hush House for three generations of Dewulfs.
A book written in these very halls. I feel the Grail that infuses this book. It sings to me of the pleasures of flesh and the pleasures of food. Both are pleasurable to a student of Grail. I feel my connection to this lore more strongly than any other. Even then I require the ink of the Catwink. I have my familiar grab some from the Lodge while I prepare.
The book is about preparing ingredients so the book will mostly be about Nature. I am coming to realize that no Lore truly stands alone. They lead into each other, some more than others.

My familiar returns and I begin my reading, taking notes with the Catwink ink.
Peterhans asserts casually that the rousing liquor called 'Rubywise Ruin', which Leaves & Thorns techniques can brew from flowers, was a favourite of the notoriously severe Baron Thomas. If true, this would have raised eyebrows had it been known in his lifetime…
Peterhans mentions that one of these Leaves & Thorns techniques, with sufficient Nectar aspect, can supposedly cause 'a marvellous copper fruit' to burst from wood, although she has never managed it herself - but in a 'certain season' the pear-trees in the Practice Garden will deliver something similar.

With the completion of the book I have recorded Peterhans's understanding of Leaves & Thorns. I have also compiled a small list of recipes that require its use to properly complete. I am sure the poor housewives of the world have been scratching their heads in wonder while trying to complete these recipes at home, with no knowledge of the esoteric or secret. That is of course if these recipes have ever managed to travel outside these very halls.

I prepare my dinner while I have my familiar compile the tools to transcribe the book. I take my recipes and set them near the kitchen. Maybe I will find more to add to what may turn into a cookbook of the esoteric and weird.

I go to bed tonight with plans on adding more servants to tend to the growing available space.

 

[SupportWolf]

Rolls:
Mystic Eye Killers [100 - Tsukihime] - A set of glasses that prevent the wearer from using Mystic or Pure Eyes accidentally or otherwise. This particular version is able to suppress ocular powers of both the wearer and protect them from similar powers requiring eye contact, though they're otherwise just a pair of glasses. Comes in a frame or design of your choosing. Your eyes will function normally once they are removed. They also can't be broken or destroyed by physical force.

Familiar [600 - The Gods Are Bastards] A minor spirit bound to your will, this being is both adorable and useful. Though you cannot command it mentally, it is perfectly obedient, and will reappear by your side if slain. By pouring power into it, it can switch from its portable form as a small animal made of an element into a large elemental. Finally, as you have a pact with it, it will provide a small but steady amount of power for your Fey magic, without any limitations on when it will permit that power to be used.
Fey Caster [Free - The Gods Are Bastards] Fey magic. The magic of nature, Witches are most experienced with growing plants, indirect, shamanistic scrying, dealing with animals, and summoning and binding powerful spirits to do their bidding. It devours the magic of demons, but quickly falters when faced with the Divine.
Fey Pact [Free - The Gods Are Bastards] The problem with being a mortal Shaman is that Shamans do not, strictly speaking, gain much magic of their own. Instead, their talent lies with making pacts with powerful fairies, and borrowing their power. Fortunately, you seem to have forged a pact with a minor fairy, and are capable of calling upon its power for your personal use. Oddly enough, this has taken the form of an actual written contract, in which there are no conditions pre-written. You will find in your warehouse a number of copies of this contract. By having someone sign it, you can call upon their reserves of energy to power your fey spells.
Obviously, this is only really useful if they're some form of nature spirit, but perhaps you can reverse-engineer the principles involved?

Points: 8100
Misses: 0
Stars: 10

 

[SupportWolf]

A sigh of defeat. I do not have enough fey magic accumulated to perform a ritual. It may take months with only the small amount my familiar generates. It should be an exponential growth though. Two fills the energy faster than one and three even faster than that. All I can do for now is wait.

I decided to wander the gardens we cleared. It's a lovely open area that appears to once have been a training yard. It has a training dummy on a dirt field. There's a few statues around. One is of a man in armor holding a sword, point in the ground. It has a simple inscription, "Brian". I am not familiar with the Dewulf lineage so this may or may not be a depiction of someone who used to use this yard. This area connects to other gardens around the sides of the House, as well as the kitchens. None of those areas has been accessed yet but I can see them well enough.
I wander my way to the entrance hall. Filled with art, from more busts, to full statues. Simple paintings fill the space between the pedestals. They have simple compositions, and are quite good.
I move on to the Grand Ascent. Something I noticed once we cleared the place were the plaques on the walls, first Baron Brancrug, second Baron Brancrug, third Baron Bruncrug. I am sure it will continue going up all the way until myself, as the twelfth Librarian. I posit that the busts were meant to be displayed here, and someone moved them all around the House. For what reason I cannot know.

We have found more books lying about the place. I collect them all in the study but some are far too advanced for me to even attempt to read and others I do not have the correct lore's. I appear to need to focus on clearing the house so I may acquire more of the books scattered about.

I see the sea of stars monetarily but nothing is acquired.

I feel like I am stalling. I have not cataloged any books for a while and none I have I am able to read. I cannot summon any spirits to be my servants and I do not wish to use the dead. Maybe I will just have to hire those living in the village. Yet I do not think I have the money for that to be a worthwhile investment. I have no income other than the Trust every spring.

Hmm, that may be where I can spend my time, while I wait for my accomplices to sort their business. What could I do here on this faraway island to procure money? I wander around the House, I go around the Lodge. I look to the sea and there, I find my answer. I am a mermaid. I can easily find underwater treasure, with the secrets of the earth whispering in my soul. I know the sea nearby is treacherous, the ship I took to get here is a testament to that. I return to the Lodge and store my horrendous clothes. I am tempted to swim to the mainland to buy proper clothes but I have no way to get them back without damage. It is also not the best use of my money.
Regardless I walk to the cliffs surrounding the House and look for a good diving spot. Sadly the sea is in low tide and there is no water below the bridge. I will have to go through the village to reach the water. I do not want the villagers to see me disappear into the waves and burn me at the stake when I return, so I must venture to the rear of the House and dive there. It is a bit treacherous but I manage to make the jump into the sea.

I feel my body quickly change into my other form and experience the joy of swimming.

I spend more time than I care to admit just exhilarating in the sensation. I expected to be cold but I was surprised to feel perfectly warm. I swam around the island to see how fast I could travel, and managed it far faster than even a ship could round the island.

Now, time to explore the bottom of the sea.

(your in for a bad time)
(a shipwreck where the spirits of the dead are infused with the Cold of Winter and attack any who come near the ship Needs Winter 6 to pass or Edge 6 to fight for victory.)

I explore for a few hours, when I notice I start to get Cold. I play a little game of hot and cold to find the source and see in the gloomy distance a sunken ship. As I swim near I see figures exit the ship, old, belated corpses float towards me, swords drawn. I quickly swim away and reassess. I could fight them off but I am no warrior. I think, if I have enough Winter, I could blend in as one of them. I need to return and gather some tools to augment my small amount of Winter.

I swim back to the House and use my water power to shoot myself to the top of the cliff. As soon as I left the water I felt my legs return to me. I looked to the sky and saw it was nearly sun down and decided to collect my things and return tomorrow.

I had to somehow augment my meager Winter into something much more fierce. I do not know any skills or rites to do it, but I do have tools that are heavy with Winter. The key to the House is infused with both Winter and Knock. That brings me much closer.
I decided to explore the study of Soloman. Since that area is typically heavy in Winter, there may be something I can use.

I wandered around for a while thinking what could be of use when I found myself quite thirsty. Being surrounded by water all day but unable to actually drink any of it, madaning. That's when it hit me, food. I even read a whole book on it. Food can carry the lores and augment the consumer for a shot while. I look around and quickly find some tea leaves that feel infused with a multitude of influences. One of them being Winter. Ah Ha.

With the Key and a bit of tea I should be able to move right past the dead and enter the ship. Hmm, but I may encounter another obstacle. I am almost sure Knock will be required. Oh I wish it would be possible to bring another person along, but since it's at the bottom of the sea none would make it down. Let alone past the dead who haunt it. Oh I wish it didn't take years for Mermaids to be born, I could teach them or augment them with other tools to help. Alas, I am the first of my kind.
The sea of stars returns and with it a star enters my soul. With it a card appears in my hand and pain explodes across my body. I feel like magma is being run though my body. Once the pain clears I locate the card I dropped. It is very ornate, with a beautiful woman on the front. The top of the card says Cater and the bottom says Medea. Knowledge of how to use the card appears as well as why my body was in such pain. I can 'equip' the card, for as long as my magic can sustain it, or I can use the card to summon the woman depicted on it. She will then be connected to my magic. So if I run out I will need to resummon her? The knowledge does not say what happens if I run out of magic when I summon her. Only when I equip the card. I am going to say if I run out of magic she will unsummon and I will lose the ability to summon her again. I also gained forty magic circuits of top quality. My knowledge says that's very good and I will likely not have much trouble keeping Medusa summoned, so long as she does not need to use my magic for heavy combat over two hours or so. Sadly I did not gain the knowledge of how to use my new circuits. Just that I have them and I need them to use the Card.

I decide having a Servant will be more helpful than bumbling around with magic I don't understand. I go to the garden and draw a circle in the yard. I set the card in the middle and go over if I need anything else. My knowledge says no, so I begin.

Let silver and steel be the essence
Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation.
Let red be the color I pay tribute to.
Let rise a wall against the wind that shall fall.
Let the four cardinal gates close.
Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate.
Let it be filled. Again. Again. Again. Again.
Let it be filled fivefold for every turn, simply breaking asunder with every filling.​

At the end I feel my magic circuits activate and a blinding flash originates from the card. Once I can see again there stands the woman depicted on the card, she bows to me and says, "Welcome, Master."
"Hello Medea."
"Why do I not feel the grail? Have you summoned me early?"
"No, There is no grail in this world that I know of."
"Then if there is no grail how did you summon me?"
I proceeded to explain the sea of stars and how I obtained my circuits as well as her card.
"Then there is no grail war, no other servants will be summoned to fight?"
"No, I summoned you because I did not want to bumble around with your power, possibly destroying the Hush House or killing the villages that live across the bridge."
"Then you wanted me for my powers?"
"I did not want you, I was given you. I just decided what to do with you. If you do not wish to be here, I am sure we could come to an arrangement."
She does not respond for a while, she looks around the yard and at the House.
"That will not be necessary."
"Good. Now, I was not given much information other than how to summon you. I know what the card would have given me, but is there a difference between equipping the card and summing you?"
"Yes, there is a big difference, if you equipped me you would have been overwhelmed by my nature and memories. We would have blended together to a degree. You would be much weaker using my abilities and prolonged use may render you unable to split without permanent damage. As a servant I am capable of much more., Is there anything you want me to do right now?"
"I would like to learn how to use my magic circuits but that is not a priority at the moment. I was going to make dinner after preparing for an expedition tomorrow."
"Expedition, to where?"
"There is a sunken ship off the coast of this island and I wanted to explore it for any treasure it may possess. Alas it was guarded by the dead crew, reanimated by the overwhelming Cold."
When I spoke the last word, Medea's eyes glazed over. She started to sway and I had to reach out to her and slow her fall.
When she came to she pulled me to her with surprising strength and said in my face, "What was that? That thing you did with your voice."
"I spoke the lore of Winter. The secrets of the dead and still."
Her eyes glazed over again, but she quickly recovered, "Stop that. Every time I hear those words I remember every time I have been killed. The countless eons I have been in the throne of heroes, waiting, still."
"I am sorry, I cannot help it. For those who hold the secrets it's impossible to withhold them from influencing us when we speak about them."
After a few more apologies she was able to stand again and I led the way to the Lodge.
"The House needs repairing and placating. It has been abandoned for nearly a decade and the last Librarian was not very attentive. It will likely be years before the entire House is traversable again. Until then there is a bedroom available, but it is infused with the lore you don't like. So we may need to come to a new arrangement."
"As a servant I do not need to sleep. I also don't need to eat or use the restroom. So long as you supply me with magic I will be able to sustain myself."
Before I was able to respond the sea of stars returned, and left just as abruptly.
"Master, are you alright?"
"Yes, I saw the stars again but they did not give me anything this time. I do not understand when they do or do not give me anything. I am sure, however, excitement generates more while boredom generates less or none at all. Now, back to what we were discussing. You can live off my magic power alone. But, that does not mean you cannot partake in those things. At least eat with me. I will feel strange sitting at a table eating while you do not."
I made dinner, and Medea and I conversed more about the House, and about the world. I told her my plans for selling the treasure to buy proper clothes for myself. She commented that she could set up her own workshop to enchant tools or clothes. She also asked to be taken along on the expedition tomorrow. I was unsure how she could travel under the water and she asked how I was going to. I explained the sea of stars had made me into a mermaid and how I was Neptune, father of all mermaids. I do not think she believed me. Claiming mermaids do not come from clams.
"Then do you know where mermaids come from?"
She hesitated but replied, "They were created by the gods, they are also able to give birth just like any other creature of the earth."
"Ah, but you see I was given the heritage of the mermaid and the ability to create more. How am I not Neptune, father to all mermaids?"
She quickly gave up trying to fight me.

She also showed me that she can do something called astralising, essentially becoming like a ghost. She can phase through walls and move far faster than when in her corporal form. The problem is she cannot attack in this form. When I pointed that out she said she could turn when we got to the ship. I agreed but asked how she was going to deal with the pressure? It is quite far down. She said not to worry, she could use her magic to withstand the pressure. Since she solved all my problems with her coming along I agreed. Now I need to figure out some way to bolster her with Knock to overcome what I am sure will be some kind of barrier. It may be to the chest itself or a blockage in the ship leading to the hold. I could pass her the key as that had quite the power in Knock, but as she is uninitiated that will be her only link.
Maybe I can give her something to carry so that I may use it to override the tea I will be drinking for Winter. The tea in the Lodge has a small amount of Knock, So I shall prepare the winter tea. Drink it, travel down to the ship, and pass by the dead crew. I will then have her bring me a cup of tea for knock. But then how am I to escape with the treasure? I will have lost the small boost of winter I needed to pass them by so they will surely come to attack me when I leave. Maybe she can bring the treasure with her and I will just have to make a swim for it. I am sure I am much faster than they are. But in the confined ship that will be of little use. I will just have to blow a hole in the side to escape.
Damn. I will need to use my knowledge of pyrotechnics after all. If that's the case maybe I will do the ritual to connect with Birdsong and there will be something worthwhile there worth while. Hmm… Nah. I think getting the second level of Skelokosophy is far more important.

Now I need to prepare an explosive that will ignite underwater. My knowledge is just saying to use TNT and encapsulate it in some kind of waterproof container. It also will need to withstand the pressures, while allowing the explosion to occur. What if I craft it like a musket? Three sides will be heavily reinforced while I leave one weaker. That will allow me to direct the blast and hopefully reduce any damage it could do to me. Now I need to figure out a way to ignite it. I can get it down there, direct it, but if it doesn't ignite then why even go through all this trouble. A regular fuse will not work as they don't like water. Hmm, magnesium can burn underwater. A flare, I could use a flair. Now, where would I find a flare? Maybe someone in the village will have one I can buy? As I turn my vision blurs and suddenly there is a box of flairs set on one of the shelves.

I work though much of the night, but by the next day it's all prepared.

 

[SupportWolf]

Rolls:
Caster [800 - Fate/kaleid liner PRISMA ILLYA]
The Class Card of Medea of Colchis, the Witch of Betrayal.

Include: Limit Expand. This allows you to summon a noble phantasm that is in the form of a weapon.

Install: Phantasm Summon. This allows you to gain the abilities of a servant and their noble phantasms.

Parameters of skills and noble phantasms are more a ranking of how they are compared to fellow servants.

Cards can be installed for as long as your magical energy can sustain them, after being uninstalled they will require an hour before being able to be used again

Parameters:
Strength: E
Mana: A
Endurance: E
Luck: C
Agility: D

Class Skills
tem Construction: B - Item Construction is a Caster-class skill. It is the skill to manufacture magical items.

Territory Creation: B - Territory Creation is a Caster-class skill. It is the skill to build a special terrain that is advantageous to oneself as a magus. At rank B creation of a "Workshop" becomes possible.

Personal Skills
High-Speed Divine Words: B - High-Speed Divine Words is the power to activate Thaumaturgy without the use of Magic Circuits. The language of the Age of Gods, back when words played a heavy role in spellcasting. As such, it is power long lost by modern magi.

Noble Phantasm:

Rule Breaker: C - Rule Breaker: All Spells Must Be Broken is a weapon that materializes the divinity of the witch of betrayal. It is an iridescent and jagged dagger that is thin, brittle, and blunt. Its effectively nonexistent capacity as a weapon is that of a regular dagger at most, and it would not be suitable for even killing a single person. Greatly differing from other Noble Phantasms, its unique ability is that it is the ultimate anti-magic Noble Phantasm capable of dispelling and destroying any kind of thaumaturgy, an effect suitable to the Noble Phantasm that is a manifestation of Caster's nature as the "Witch of Betrayal". It "transgresses" on all the magecraft of the targets it pierces, contracts made from magical energy and life born from magical energy. Once it comes into contact with the ensorcelled item or person, enchantments, connections bounded through contracts, and creatures created and maintained by magical energy will all be returned to their original components in a state "before they were made." Contracts will be wiped clean and those with life will immediately cease to exist. There is a limit to what it is able to dispel, meaning artifacts on the rank of Noble Phantasm will never be returned to their original state no matter how low their rank.
Magic circuits [Free - Fate/kaleid liner PRISMA ILLYA] Magic Circuits are a pseudo-nervous system that spreads through the body and acts as an organ that converts lifeforce into magical energy. Magic Circuits reside within the soul and what is found in the body is a physical expression of them. The number of Magic circuits one possesses is determined at birth and cannot decrease or increase naturally. You gain twenty magical circuits of top quality and a further twenty each time you purchase this option.

Points: 7300
Misses: 1
Stars: 11