A has been chosen
Celling pushed open the door and stepped into the meeting room. “General Merrowitz-”
Lieutenant General Madeline Merrowitz turned in her chair. “In a moment, Captain Celling. As you might see, I am currently holding a meeting.” She gestured at the various people seated around the table she was at.
“Now, alleged cleric, from where do you come and for what do you ask?” This question was directed at a woman seated across the table from Merrowitz, dressed in flowing layers of purple and orange.
“I come as a representative of the Children of the Shrubbery, soldier,” the cleric said in a dreamy, aloof voice. “We wish your assistance in spreading the universal truth of the Overgrown God to all corners of this fine world.”
“So let me get this straight,” said Merrowitz. “You want us to create a state religion?”
“Our enlightened members are sadly shackled by the realities of this world and require military and economic support,” the cleric calmly replied. She spread her arms wide. “A notable fraction of the citizens of your city have already turned to the light of the Overgrown God. In exchange for your help, we could convince many of us to have a more positive view of your government. Should you rebuff us, this fact will find its way to our followers and you may find a large group of people opposed to your rule.”
“So you’re actively threatening us now. Real nice,” Merrowitz answered sardonically. She turned to one of the other officers at the table. “Denis, you’ve read their scriptures, right?”
The dark-haired woman looked up from her notes. “Yes.”
“What do you think of them?”
Denis thought. “In frank terms, ma’am?”
“Yes, please.”
“They’re a pile of undiluted high-grade BS designed to allow spineless charlatans and vile con-men to infiltrate the hearts and minds of our people, ma’am.”
There was a long silence at this.
“Every single promise is designed to be either deliberately vague and easy to misinterpret or simple to fake with the easiest of stage tricks,” she continued. “Sometimes both. Most times both.”
Merrowitz turned back towards the cleric and glared at her. “I think that settles it, eh?” she growled.
“There will be those that have little faith and those that slander us, but, but, but!” The cleric’s voice was now shrill with anger. “But they will all fall like trees before the storm and the light of the Overgrown God will wade through the darkness!”
“Ma’am,” a blonde woman on the opposite side to the table of Denis began. “Ma’am, I’ve looked at the characteristics of their church, and she’s right. A lot of people are joining. It could help our public image immensely if we could show them support.”
“No. Barking. Way.” Merrowitz answered. “They are popular because they are tricksters that have fooled our people!”
“Tricksters prey on the minds of the unbelievers but the believers can see only truth!” the cleric shouted back.
“Help me - help me - HELP ME!” Denis screamed suddenly, making everyone jump. Merrowitz looked at her, but saw only that she was eagerly taking notes on proceeds.
“What’s the matter?” Merrowitz asked, puzzled. She leaned over the paper Denis was writing on, only to find that it was covered in repeats of a single phrase - They say they’ll make us fall. They say they’ll make us fall. They say they’ll make us fall They say they’ll make us fall They say they’ll make us fallThey say they’ll make us fallThey say they’ll make us fallThey say they’ll make us fallThey say they’ll make us fallThey say they’ll make us fallThey say they’ll make us fallThey say they’ll make us fallThey say they’ll make us fallThey say they’ll make us fallThey say they’ll make us fallThey say they’ll make us fall-
The blonde woman leaned over the table. “What’s wrong?”
Denis savagely ripped off a paper and continued on the other side. They say they’ll make us fallThey say they’ll make us fallThey say they’ll make us fallThey say they’ll make us fallThey say they’ll make us fall - She suddenly jerked her head to face Madeline Merrowitz with wide, frightened eyes and features distorted by terror. “I can’t stop” she whispered fearfully. Then she jerked her head back to the paper and continued to write, robotically, shakily, frantically. They say they’ll make us fallThey say they’ll make us fallThey say they’ll make us fallThey say they’ll make us fallusfall fall fall fall fall fall fall fall fall fall fall fall fall fall fall fallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfall-
“HELP ME - Stop me - Help me, oh please god, help me-” Denis sobbed, as her hands continued to write, tearing through pages, changing pens, ripping the paper with wide, jerky strokes.
“Disencursion,” the cleric said abruptly.
Every eye turned to her.
She turned to Denis. “The Overgrown God helps those that come to him,” she said softly.
Merrowitz leapt up and strode toward the cleric, eyes simmering with barely contained rage. “You - you did this… planned this-”
“Oh?” said the cleric, nonchalantly. “When have I ever claimed to be anything more than a humble servant - a messenger - of the great power that holds the world?”
“No more games,” Merrowitz hissed. She grasped at the hilt of her sword. “No more veiled threats. You caused this. Or, at least, your organization knows what caused this-”
“Disencursion,” the cleric repeated, as calm as ever. “Her mind is tied to a single thought and is looping over it. It manifests as a severe form of OCD and a tendency to repeat actions.”
“HELP ME!” Denis shouted. She was crying now, her hair all in a mess, her hands jerking and shuddering as they continued to writefallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfallfall-
Merrowitz drew her sword and pointed it at the cleric. The blonde woman grabbed her arm in an attempt to calm her down. “WHY DID YOU DO THIS?” she spat. “Why did you do this to an innocent woman? How do we stop this?”
“I have no presumption of having done anything,” the cleric replied. “But the mind cannot long endure once the love of the Overgrown God is retracted.”
Merrowitz stared at her in shock and fury before whirling around and opening the comms panel in the wall. She rapidly pulled two emergency levers before turning on the intercom. “Medical team to floor 14, Corridor B, Meeting Room 2, right now! Prepare for neurological crisis of unknown origin!” She turned back to the cleric. “We will begin treating her now. If you would care to stay-”
“I have no interest in seeing an unbeliever receive her due punishment,” the cleric replied coldly. “Just know that all those that have seen the truth we offer and yet turn from it will be similarly struck dead by the infinite will of the Overgrown God.”
With that she turned around and strode towards the door. Merrowitz groaned and turned to Celling. For the first time, he saw something approaching fear in her eyes.
“You’re our local expert on unique and deranged enemies,” she said. “What do you suggest?”
Your reply?
A: “Frankly, I don’t think there’s anything we can do besides watchful waiting. Try to treat Denis but let the cleric go.” (SAN -3, INF -3)
B: “There is certainly room for suspicion here - I recommend putting the cleric and all of her colleagues under military surveillance.” (SAN -5, INF -1|2)
C: “I hate to say this, but it would appear that they have some real power. We should consider their requests.” (SAN -5, INF -4|7)
D: “We need to know what, if anything, they have done. Send people to infiltrate their organization.” (SAN -6, INF +1|0)
E: “The cleric must have had something to do with Denis’s condition. Detain her!” (SAN -6, INF +1|0)
F: “They have threatened and attacked us. This is an act of war and must be treated as such. Send the army to seize the cult’s property and find and capture their leaders.” (SAN -7, INF +2)
Sanity check
Fame carryover: Influence +2%, Fame -1
Began a new arc: Sanity +9%
Sanity: 100%
Influence: 100%
Fame: +1
Notes:
There is at least a slight sanity decrement on all choices, simply because the thought of a psychic attacker is quite scary.
There are two types of influence at play here - Celling’s control over the government, and the government’s control over the people. The first is represented as the INF number and changes instantly, but be assured that any option besides the “totally acquiesce” one (C) will result in bigger problems with public disruption down the road.