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? ​