Thomas totally failed to realize here that he was in over his head. But he said he spoke with Daniel, didn't he? Must be okay.
"Well, typically the forms come preprinted from the company, but it is not uncommon for temporary forms to be handed out before the official ones are processed. They're usually typed as well, but if handwritten is what must be done, then so be it. But blood? That's a bit... unhygenic. Is there... like... berries or something to write with?"
Look for berry juice or something to write with. Failing that, blood will do if there's no other option.
[Contract Work: 6+1]
The small group gathers around you as leather is gathered - or, rather, what seem to be for the most part leaves dried and somehow worked to assume a state not unlike leather, along with long pieces of cured tree bark. A family secret, the muscled fellow relates, passed down many generations.
Generations of what? Ah, he says, generations of Trees Be Bound. Is that his last name, you ask as you start to figure out what to put in his contract. No no, he says, that's just his dynastic identifier. It's an El thing. His name is Nobody Cares, actually. Is that his birth name, you raise your eyes from the first draft springing slowly on a patch of leathery leaf. No, he says, they gave him that one after he was disowned, it's something of a tale...
... they probably don't need fire insurance, you tell the Eke siblings. The sister, Undine, nevertheless insists. She's always been terribly afraid of fire. Could you assure her that she's safe in case anything happens regardless? And do you have lightning assurance, her brother Prosper asks. In a moment, Mr. Eke, you've got a plan exactly for a man like him, you just need a moment to collect your thoughts, and also more ink, a lot more ink...
... you've written up all of Gamble's - that's the bearded fellow's name - insurance papers written in the juice of what they call fuzzy berries. You're assured it will hold - Helen still has some stains on her fingers from several years ago. They don't come out for nothing she's been able to try, she says, shaking her head a bit sadly. Gamble has wasted no time in garbing himself in the contracts like a suit of armor. Thankfully you've kept copied for yourself, you think as he proclaims his invincibility to the forest. There were rather a lot you had to do...
... and being involved in a scientific experiment against your will, y'reckon that there contract will cover it, Helen squints at the fine print. You're not entirely sure she can read, so you dictate the terms to her again - unethical scientific experimentation should fall under life insurance under most mad science methodologies, you repeat in a tone that sounds almost entirely normal. She listens intently and nods feverishly. Make that out to Helen Clampitt, she says at the end, and signs with an X that she takes the time to embellish slightly...
... that just about covers everything, Lily taps her cane as she reads through the contracts again. Excluding something called a force majeure, apparently, and also thermonuclear war. Acts of god, you translate, and if that last thing happens the fulfillment is impossible because New York is a prime target for nuclear strikes and thus they probably won't be able to take your calls at the Albany office for the near future. So like the twilight of the gods, she says. Yes, you say after thinking a moment, a lot like that now that you think about it...
... Silver's a dab hand at this, you noticed somewhere along the third contract when he offered to help with all the writing and such. He used to be a clerk, he explains, filling out paperwork is his only survival skill. And what a survival skill it is, you tap him on the shoulder. Paperwork filled out properly is what makes everything run smoothly. Very right, he laughs! He should think even gods need their forms filled out every now and then. Celestial bureaucracy and all that, you know...
Night has fallen and then abruptly lifted by the time you've made the veritable mountain of paperwork in triplicate required to insure seven whole individuals. There's something of an untapped market here insuring Australian mountain clansmen, you discover. The secret seems to be to phrase things in understandable terms. For instance, they've never heard of a monthly premium, but they do appear to be very ready to sacrifice generously on the 8th day of every month to ensure their safety from every curse known to gods and men in all perpetuity.
Right, you say after all this. The clansmen have been napping in shifts, skipping sleep to watch you work. You were going somewhere. Elizabeth, you turn to Silver, who nods, where all the metal dragons take off and land.
You need not even ask, Gamble proclaims under his protective mountain of leafy parchment, of course they will accompany you! Their holy duties demand it, in fact!
Hmm. Perhaps this was not a wholly good idea, but then again what is?
Make sure I didn't accidentally lobotomize myself or erase my own memories or anything, then bid the nice alchemist farewell and go ... ah yes. Go find Rainbow, on the guise of having forgotten where the captain's quarters were.
You're sure you'll be fine. Your thoughts aren't being eaten, after all, just being kept safe.
Anyway, you look into the window. You've gone up the street and down, and it occurs to you now that you forgot to look around. Did you ask someone for directions? There's a frightened-looking fellow behind the glass. He shuts the drapes in front of you, looking quite terrified. Seems that you did.
You sit on the roof thoughtfully. You were looking for someone. It was... the minder, yes. You're starting to forget. Best get back to it.
[Somewhere Over The Rainbow: 6]
You bump into somebody who looks like they might know. Gray, emaciated, with a long branching bramble of bristly white hair, stalking around the streets and casting hungry glances at onlookers. You tap it on the shoulder. It turns and regards you with a trio of faceted eyes. Its teeth chatter, an overly long spiked tongue dragging along the inside of its mouth.
There is a terrible, sudden noise as a tone tries to steal its way into your mind. MR. DANIELS, it screams suddenly without true awareness of its intrusion, SHE DIDN'T SEE YOU TH-
The thought is not finished before a swarm descends on it, yanking it inward, the immaculate thoughtform unraveling as it is pulled screaming and kicking into your mindscape. The creature looks momentarily frozen in utter confusion. Your murder-thought, thus far occupied with keeping time on any convenient solid object, suddenly springs to your side. You had to do something, you think. A decapitation, was it?
"Point me in direction of emptied drink reserves. You said reserves got broken into, so I'll see if I can fix the situation."
Locate empty barrels of tasty tasty alcohol.
Not
broken into, the lamplighter corrects. Technically, that is. She does remember somebody broke a barrel open in frustration at one point. But mostly the reserves were tapped the old-fashioned way. Should be a cask lying around somewhere, she shrugs. She thinks she saw Kava cradling one of the smaller ones back up the passage a little ways? Anyway, take a look around. Should be a simple enough thing to locate with all the debauchery going around. When she's done with her rounds, she'll probably head over to the upper passages. Somewhere with a view today, she thinks.
[A Cask For My Troubles: 4]
You head off and, true enough, a little ways up the nearby passage next to a faintly glowing blue brazier lies a surprisingly slight woman, presumably Kava, her arms and legs very tightly wrapped around an empty cask of what you're fairly sure was some strong liquor, a faintly glistening trail of drool coming down its side as she snores contently and open-mouthedly from atop it, doing an admirably good job of balancing despite being completely unconscious. A few others, you notice, have not been so lucky, men and women of disparate ages all sprawled around the cask as if vanquished by a superior force of drunkenness.
"That's a kind offer, thank you, but I'm sure you're busy enough running the town. Speaking of which, what can you tell me about it? I'm afraid I don't even know this place's name."
Oh, the alderman growls in surprise. How terribly remiss of him to not mention that. He rather thought you knew already, with that impressive entrance and all. He clears his throat and stands to his full height.
This, he sweeps his arms around himself, this is the Tell of the Setting Sun! Westernmost tell of the kingdom at the moment, he's fairly certain unless one of the other ones has made a beeline for the border for whatever reason. It'd be rude of them to do so without giving advance warning, mind you, but it'd also hardly be the first time.
But yes, this may look to be a quaint little crawling citadel on the surface of the bog, but he'll tell you what, he's tuned it to work like a finely tortured machine if he's done anything at all in his long career. It's a hub of commerce! A seat of local industry! A nest of stories so old they predate certain notions of time itself, sometimes. If a thing could ever be said to have happened, taken or enjoyed, you will find it in this tell, he assures you, or at least someone who once had it.
He'd advise taking an unguided tour, personally. They always do put on something of a show when he comes around. Take a walk around town! Take in the sights! Perhaps visit the merchant quarter, the fair should last a few decades yet!
Leif Erikson, Miner and Lush
- Half-basket of apple-like mushrooms
- Paper party crown (worn)
- Moth-robe (worn)
- Itchy Woolen Britches (worn)
- A Word: INEVITABLE
- A Word: APOCALYPSE
- A Word: DRINK
- Body Count: 228
- Mead of Poetry (4 shining revelations remaining)
- Enders' Friend: The Grave of Red Clouds Parting
- Inscribed Wooden Stylus
- Iron spear
- 1.03 gp
- The Box: ?
- Induced Lucidity: A Map of Things Real and Imagined
- Compatibility: Minding
- Tricks of the Mind: Perception, Memory
- Tricks of the Mind: Engagement, Negation, Abstraction, Prestige
- Tricks of the Mind: the Self, the Other
- Gods of the Underground: Did You Just What
- A Visit From The Stork: Is What You Yes
- The Voracious Dark: Two Deals Made
- The Voracious Dark: The Promised Sixth
- Moth's Flight: Honorary Clansman
- A Night That Burns Forever: Later Today
- The Miracle of Life: Wayward Rabbit
Eileen Minett, Vinyl Collector
- The Mind, It Goes A-Wandering: 2
- Distilled alcohol (in flask)
- Spirits of salt (in clay jar)
- Soaps of elk, bear, bat and snake
- 4 flasks of lamp oil
- Oil lamp (lit)
- Linen stoat shirt (worn)
- Stoat trousers (worn)
- Comfy slippers (worn)
- Never-made scimitar (blackened, slightly dull)
- Tooth-handled hunting knife
- Black leather boots
- An assemblage of amber and amethysts
- Silver thread-necklace
- Onyx spiral earrings
- 2 oaken rings
- Rusty, bloodstained knife
- A Word: HUNGER
- A Word: SYNTHESIS
- A Weapon: Explosive Cysts
- Grenade Jumping: A Solid Technique
- The Good Doctor: Secret Histories
- Sword of the Sand People: Cleaning Supplies
- Sword of the Sand People: The Services of a Minder
- Higher Tonight: There And Back Again
- The Gods of the Underground: A Welcome Guest
Jack Daniels, Karate Man
- Red and gold vest and breeches combo (worn)
- Leather boots (worn)
- Rubber mattress (filled with water)
- 14033 gp (in sack)
- Poor Unfortunate Soul: Forever Captive
- The Queen's Guard: Actual Asset
- Powers of the Beyond: Gardener of Thoughts
- Garden of Thoughts: the Stoat-Magistrate
- Dusty Wooden Speaking-Trumpet
- Crossbow Bolt (in throat)
- A Word: REND
- A Word: SILENCE
- A Weapon: Murder-Thought
- Uncoupled: Strength
- Wooden Door
- The Winding Path of Inspiration: Run Like Hell
- Induced Lucidity: The Silent Garden
- Elongated Affairs: Enemy of the New State
- A Place In History: Vastly Unreliable
- 2 rats, crushed
- 1 rat, strangled
- 1 rat, live
- Travels In The Fourth Dimension: Sunday ± 2 Days
- Doomstones: So High Up But Such A Bitter View
- The Majordomo: A Great Divide Between Us Now
- The Voracious Dark: Decreasing Demand
- The Voracious Dark: More Specific Requests
- The Vault of Heavens: The Captain's Quarters
- Body Count: 3
Thomas Minstep, Insurance Agent
- A Word: ABSENCE
- A Word: GOODBYE
- A Word: WORM
- A Weapon: The Sword They Fear
- Insurance contracts, signed in triplicate: 7
- Gamble
- Nobody Cares
- Helen Clampitt
- Lily
- Undine and Prosper Eke
- Silver
- Make A Man Out Of You: Battle-Tested
- The Grip of Tharn: Insurance Against The Storm
- Ranging fork
- 2 feet of sinew-thread
- Tooth-needle
- A Bowl, Black and Knobby
- Tight Leather Pants (worn)
- Incredibly Tight Blue Dress (worn, mutilated, mildly provocative)
- Travels In The Fourth Dimension: Sunday, July 25th, 409 S.D.
- The Queen's Guard: A Reward Well Earned
- The New Queen: Lasting Gratitude
- Lonely Roads: Walk Away
- The Box: Absolutely Delightful
- Body Count: 2
Oscar Wilde, Chemistry Teacher
- A Word: REVELATION
- The Wicked King's Missive On Economic Reform (in massive silver scroll case)
- Wounds: 1
- Traces of Mischief: Glowing Facial Rift
- The Serpent's Egg: Dissemination
- Body Count: 4
- Cornerstone Helm (worn, collecting light)
- Time-ender's measure (wrapped, processing? stopping?)
- 10 m of rope
- Half a candle
- 1 rat, skinless and smoked
- 6 gp
- Poor Misshapen Dice
- Lock of Hair (unidentified)
- Iron nail, unused
- An Inauspicious Key
- Burlap Foot Wrappings (worn)
- Burlap Hand Wrappings (worn)
- Moth-Eaten Hat (worn)
- Respectable Brown Skirt (worn)
- Old Brown Waistcoat (worn)
- Bright Yellow Tunic (worn)
- A Wealth of Burlap Ribbons
- The Winding Path of Inspiration: The Less Dangerous Friend
- The King's Court: The Greatest Gift of All
- The King's Court: The North Wind's Gift
- The King's Court: The East Wind's Gift
- The King's Court: The South Wind's Gift
- The King's Court: The West Wind's Gift
- The King's Court: A Gift For The Wicked King