Eidolon's escape

ygretteVisitedThird: false alreadyPossessedSam: false alreadyPossessedYgrette: false samBumpedHead: false knowsPassword: false hasPermissionSlip: false samDownstairsSansPermission: false knowsAboutPassword: false knowsAboutPermissionSlip: false checkedMotionsOfArcana: false checkedElementalFundamentals: false checkedAltharToZoltan: false checkedOfStavesEtc: false answeredRobesud: false answeredPassword: false answeredTrickQuestion: false labDoorLocked: true -- Once upon a time there was an evil Mage who lived in a stubby little tower on a hill. This Mage was a particularly nasty piece of work and had a habit of capturing incorporeal beings in order to study them. That's how _you_ came to be here, an abducted spirit floating in a crystal prison in the middle of a dark and disused laboratory filled with dusty alchemical equipment. When you were first captured, many years ago, you were wild and furious, lashing out frantically in your efforts to escape. Not only were these attempts futile but, in the course of them, you made the mistake of revealing your ability to inhabit and control the body of any susceptible mortals you touched. And by 'susceptible', you really mean 'young'; the fresher and more malleable the mind, the easier it was for you get inside and take control. Since that day, the Mage has taken steps to ensure that no one comes close enough for you to possess and you have had no choice but to wait and gather your strength. Now, after countless years of incarceration, you have finally accumulated enough power to begin your escape. And all just as the perfect opportunity has literally walked in through the door to the lab... > [[What opportunity?|Meet Ygrette and Sam]] > [[Wait, where is the mage now?|Where is the mage now?]]

For a few nights now two adolescents who reside within the tower have been meeting in the seclusion of the abandoned lab to babble inanities at one another between bouts of exchanging mouth fluids. Presumably this is a precursor to the disgusting process of procreation, but you cannot see what these fleshsacks get from this drawn-out, chattering ritual. And this "kissing" that they're so fond of, well, the less said about that the better, in your opinion. Like clockwork, you hear footsteps and giggling before the sound of a key in the door. So announced, they appear, tumbling through the door laughing and shushing and pawing at each other as usual. "Now don't get fresh," the female, Ygrette, chides, slapping the male's hands away from her. She closes and locks the door behind them before lighting a nearby candle with a small clicking device. The key and device are dropped back into the pocket of her apron. The male - 'Sam' you believe his name is, apprentice to the hateful Mage - leans back against a nearby table. He has followed his instruction but appears unperturbed by the admonition. He looks around the still, dimly-lit room. "There's so much in here that my Master has never explained to me." He muses. "Well now," Ygrette says, draping her arms around his shoulders, "We don't need to worry about all that right this second, do we?" > [[Interrupt the pair|Interrupt Ygrette and Sam]] > [[Continue to observe|Allow Ygrette and Sam to continue]]

alreadyPossessedYgrette: true -- There is a blinding flash of light as you expend the power that you have accumulated over untold years of incarceration to make the jump into the girl's body. You are beset by a flood of sensations as you take control. You feel the material of her clothes pressing and scratching on her skin, the hairs on her head tugging at her scalp, the burning weariness in her muscles after a day of labour, the chill breeze within the draughty space rasping over her calves, arms and cheeks, and the cold of the hard flagstone floor radiating up through her thin shoes. You are disoriented by the sudden change of perspective as you find yourself outside of your crystal prison staring back into it. You stumble and begin to fall. "Ygrette!" Sam catches you in an embrace and holds you steady, "Are you alright?" His eyes are wide, his pupils tiny dots after the flash. His voice, his breath, his touch: each is a brutal assault on your over-taxed senses. > [[Push Sam away]] > [[Suffer Sam's assistance]]

[if labDoorLocked] Careful to make as little noise as possible, you hurry back up the flight of stairs to the second floor where you locked Sam in the lab. A single candle still burns in a small alcove in the tower's outer wall. By the candle's light you find your way to the laboratory entrance where you can see the flickering light of another candle under the door. As the key rattles surreptitiously in the lock and the door opens you hear sudden, startled movement within. He at least has sense enough not to call out in case it is one of the guards opening the door. [else] Careful to make as little noise as possible, you hurry back up the flight of stairs to the second floor and the lab. A single candle still burns in a small alcove in the tower's outer wall. By the candle's light you find your way to the laboratory entrance where you can see the flickering light of another candle under the door. As you turn the door handle you hear sudden, startled movement within. He at least has sense enough not to call out in case it is one of the guards opening the door. [continue] You step in and push the door shut behind you. > [[Lock it behind you]] > [[Don't lock it behind you]]

The light and sound of the first floor draw you on as you pad down the stone steps. The tower staircase curves along the interior of the outer-most wall of the tower and halfway down the flight there is a wall-hanging from behind which comes a soft breeze. > [[Peek behind it|Look behind the wall hanging]] > [[Continue downstairs|Ignore the wall hanging and continue down the steps]]

"Listen," you say, touching Sam's cheek to try and ensure compliance, "I've just remembered that I need to run downstairs for something. Will you wait here for me?" Sam glances nervously toward the crystal cage before looking you up and down and finally nodding slowly. "You...you won't be long, will you?" He asks nervously. You pull your host's lips back to display her teeth in the hopes of calming the boy. "Of course not." Fishing the key from the pocket of the apron you're wearing, you unlock the door and slip out onto the landing. You pull the door shut behind you and look at the key in your hand. > [[Lock the door]] > [[Don't lock the door]]

You mount the steps leading to the third floor and climb. A dim light can be seen flickering above and when you reach the top you find a sleeping guard resting his back against the wall at the head of the stairs. Beyond him there's a landing with two doors leading off from it; one large and grandly decorated, the other modest and non-descript. The supposedly sleeping guard stirs and peeps at you briefly before flicking his glance to the candle, which he considers for a moment with a calculating air. "A late one for you tonight, eh Sam?" He chuckles drowsily. > [[None of your business|"That's none of your business"]] > [[What's that supposed to mean?|"What do you mean?"]]

You slip out of the room as quietly as you can and tip-toe across the landing to the top of the stairs. The guard grumbles something as you slip past but doesn't appear to wake fully. You pass the second floor landing, which is empty as expected, and make your way down the next flight to the first floor. As you reach the landing you find the guard, Trevor, seated on his stool once more, glancing up at you from over his book. [if samDownstairsSansPermission] Trevor sighs heavily and pinches the bridge of his nose while shutting his eyes tightly. He marks his page and stands to block you from the landing, leaving his book on the stool. "You again? Kitchen's closed, boy, so you best be turning around now." He growls, enveloping his fist with his other hand and squeezing to crack the knuckles. You shudder at the series of popping noises that result. [else] His face darkens somewhat behind that bright white moustache as he sees you. He places his book carefully on his stool as he raises himself from it. His gaze flashes momentarily to one of the corridors leading off from the landing before he moves to block you from the landing rather than the staircase leading down to the ground floor. "Kitchen's closed, boy." He growls. He seems totally different to how he was with Ygrette; he must not like your host, Sam, one bit. [continue] > [[Tell him you're not hungry]] > [[Show him your permission slip]]

You pad down the final staircase into a mid-sized reception hall. In the middle of the hall is a fire-pit around which two guards are sat. The staircase drops into the side of the room and the outer wall continues to curve around until the heavy doorway that must lead to the outside world. Across the back of the room there are several more doors. The room itself is sparsely decorated with the only splashes of colour coming from the fireside guards' uniforms and the simple wall hangings that fall across what you assume must be windows set in the outer wall. At your approach, one of the guards rises from the bench that he has pulled close to the firepit and trudges towards the bottom of the staircase. His face is a horrifying mask of scars and he mutters as he approaches. "...if this fool asks me one more question about his rutting horses..." He stops as he looks up at you properly and frowns. "Sam? What are you doing here?" [if samBumpedHead] He frowns as his eyes fix on a point somewhere above your eyes. "And what on earth happened to your head?" [cont] > [[I need to go outside|"I need to go outside"]] > [[I'm on a mission for the Mage|"I'm on a mission for the Mage"]]

You decide that there is nothing to be gained from observing their petting. You call out to the pair, soft and strained but loud enough to demand attention. "Help me." The girl leaps back from the boy, pushing him away at the sound. "What was that?" Ygrette turns to stare, wide-eyed, into the centre of the room where your prison stands; an innocuous-looking crystal on a wooden plinth. In her sudden alarm she has pressed a hand against the male's mouth in a pre-emptive shushing motion. "I 'on't mow," comes his answer, garbled by her fingers. She steps forward, her head tilted to the side, awaiting the next sound in order to try and fix upon its source. You call again. In unison they jump and both turn their gaze to the crystal before glancing at one another. "Who's there?" Sam calls, stepping forward cautiously. Unguarded, his voice warbles treacherously between his higher and lower registers. Ygrette is already a few steps ahead of him. "Please," you call softly, willing them closer, "please help." "Careful, Ygrette," Sam hisses, holding a hand out towards the girl. But it is too late, she is already within your grasp though the boy lingers just out of reach. Finally you are ready to begin. Soon you will have a body again. > [[Possess Ygrette]] > [[Reach out for Sam|Try to possess Sam]]

The male smiles and puts his arms around her waist. "I can't stay long," she whispers hoarsely, "she'll be looking for me." The boy nods acknowledgement though, even despite your unfamiliarity with human interaction, you can tell he has paid no attention. They bring their mouths together and begin the baffling kissing process that they always seem to engage in. You are aware of the mechanics and process of procreation but what these two are doing doesn't seem to advance that goal in any meaningful way. You just can't see the point nor the appeal of it. You're dismayed as well to see that they seem set on remaining in place near the door. They're currently too far away for you to reach them. Eventually it becomes clear that you will need to take an active hand in proceedings. Annoyed, you call out to the pair, soft and strained but loud enough to demand attention. "Hey!" The girl leaps back from the boy, pushing him away at the sound. "What was that?" Ygrette turns to stare, wide-eyed, into the centre of the room where your prison stands; an innocuous-looking crystal on wooden plinth. In her sudden alarm she has pressed a hand against the male's mouth in a pre-emptive shushing motion. "I 'on't mow," comes his answer, garbled by her fingers. She steps forward, her head tilted to the side, awaiting the next sound in order to try and fix upon its source. You call again. In unison they jump and both turn their gaze toward the crystal before glancing at one another. "Who's there?" Sam calls, stepping forward cautiously. Unguarded, his voice warbles treacherously between his higher and lower registers. Ygrette is already a few steps ahead of him "Come here," you call, willing them closer, "over here..." "Careful, Ygrette," Sam hisses, holding a hand out towards the girl. But it is too late, she is already within your grasp though the boy lingers just out of reach. Finally you are ready to begin. Soon you will have a body again. > [[Possess Ygrette]] > [[Reach for Sam|Try to possess Sam]]

"I'm fine." You insist, pushing him away. The flood of stimuli from the boy provokes a near-nauseated yet nonetheless pleasant sensation in your host that is confusing and distracting for you. She needs to be clear of him so that you can think straight. He looks hurt as he stumbles backwards. He glances at the crystal and then back at you. "What just happened?" He asks. "What was that flash?" > [[You tell me, apprentice|"You're the Mage's apprentice, you tell me"]] > [[Something dangerous: run!|"Something dangerous, let's get out of here"]]

You clutch at the rough cloth of his shirt as your mind wheels. He continues to talk to you but you cannot take any of it in; lights and images blind you, burn into your mind's eye and blur with new images. Sounds boom, rip and echo through your head, incessant waves of unbearable odours assault your nose, every touch sends lightning through your nerves and your mouth feels as though it has been packed with all the vilest effluvia that the world has to offer. So you cling and wait and slowly the hyperstimulation begins to subside. Sam's voice gradually becomes intelligible. "...gotta get the Mage, that flash hit you real bad. Just wait here, Ygrette, I'll be back with help, I promise." Mage? It's familiar but you are still struggling to link sounds to concepts... Wait, no, not the Mage. That's literally the worst option. "Sam," your voice croaks and he doesn't hear you initially over his own panicked prattling. As your eyes clear, you see that he is headed for the door. "Sam!" The call is louder this time and he stops to look around. You try to rise from the chair that he has found for you but you start to teeter forwards. He runs back as you catch a work bench and pull yourself up to a standing position. "Are you ok?" He's breathless and scared but relieved to see Ygrette standing once more. You nod. He looks over your shoulder to the crystal prison. "What in the Gods' names was that flash?" > [[You tell me, apprentice|"You're the Mage's apprentice, you tell me"]] > [[Something dangerous: run!|"Something dangerous, let's get out of here"]]

"How should I know?" You scoff as innocently as you can. "You're the only magician-to-be in this room. Maybe meeting here wasn't the best idea. How about we head outside instead? To the..." you note with detached fascination your hand waving a circular motion as you await inspiration, "...like, the woods or whatever." Sam looks at you strangely. "You sure you're alright? You know you're not allowed outside after dark. Heck, I'm not even allowed down to the lower two floors without a permission slip from the Mage ever since..." he glances up at you suddenly with a sick expression, "since, uh, spring." He concludes unconvincingly. > [[Ask about spring]] > [[Ask about permission slips|Ask whether he has a permission slip]]

"Nothing good, I'll warrant." You intone ominously, "We need to get out of here, Sam. We need to run before it happens again." He looks confused and glances nervously between you and the crystal prison. "What, like, down t-to the kitchens?" "No, we need to leave the tower. We've got to get as far away from here as possible, Sam." Sam smiles for a moment but this fades as he realises that you're not joking. He looks again, dubiously, at the now dull and lifeless crystal prison. "I think we're safe, Ygrette." he assures you softly, "Besides, you know you're not allowed outside after dark. Heck, I'm not even allowed down to the lower two floors without a permission slip from the Mage ever since..." he glances up at you suddenly with a sick expression, "since, uh, spring." He concludes unconvincingly. > [[Ask about spring]] > [[Ask about permission slips|Ask whether he has a permission slip]]

"Spring? What happened in spring?" You balk as blood rushes to his cheeks suffusing it with a red glow. His eyes become wide and you notice that his body has become very still. You wonder absently to yourself how much it had been moving before. "Nothing. Nothing of interest, just a misunderstanding between the Mage and me. I got lost on my way to do an errand and some assumptions were made - you know how stubborn the Mage can be sometimes." He seems to relax as he finds the rhythm of the fiction he is spooling out for you. > [[Press him on the spring story]] > [[Ask whether he has a permission slip]]

"Do you have a permission slip?" Sam looks down at his feet as he answers. "Kind of," is all he says. You are growing impatient. > [[Demand answers]] > [[Attempt seduction]]

"Answer the question, boy!" He gawps at you astonished. "Did I stutter?" You add insistently. The rate of his blinking increases and he begins to emit a droning sound: hesitation with the promise of imminent action. His mouth opens and closes several times, like a landed and particularly useless fish. He meets your glowering eyes and starts to talk at last. "Krull's beard, ok ok. I...I kind of wrote it myself." > [[Compliment him|Compliment his roguish nature (after demanding answers)]] > [[Berate him|Berate his foolishness (after demanding answers]]

You choke down your irritation and try to remind yourself of the pathetic and simpering manner with which Ygrette usually addresses this ignorant clod when she needs something from him. "What does 'kind of' mean, you, uh..." > [[Compliment his strength]] > [[Compliment his looks]]

"...you heavily-muscled paragon, you?" You ask. After a pause you try to replicate her giggle. It sounds quite different to what you expected to hear but you chalk that down to your unfamiliarity with using human ears. You're nauseated to see blood suffuse the male's cheeks though he still eyes you with considerable uncertainty. "Well, I, uh," he looks down at his feet once more and scratches his head. Discomfort radiates from him. > [[Wait]] > [[Shout at him]]

"...you aesthetically pleasing specimen, you." Sam's nose wrinkles and his brow furrows in confusion as he stares at you. "You know," you add, "with your symmetrically aligned features and such..." After a pause you try to replicate Ygrette's giggle. It sounds quite different to what you expected to hear but you chalk that down to your unfamiliarity with using human ears. You're nauseated to see blood suffuse the male's cheeks though he still eyes you with considerable uncertainty. "Well, I, uh," he looks down at his feet once more and scratches his head. Discomfort radiates from him. > [[Wait]] > [[Shout at him]]

You allow the deafening silence of his unfinished sentence to do the work of teasing the thought out of him. You realise that you have made your borrowed mortal form rigid with the coiled tension of your suppressed rage. You should be fleeing this place as fast as you can but instead you're listening to this fool child's halting confession. This had better be worth it or you might just have to kill him. You realise that your expression has unconsciously twisted into a snarl and focus on relaxing it back into the vacant smile that you associate with the girl. The navel-gazing male doesn't notice. "I kind of wrote it myself." He glances sheepishly up at you. After a moment you realise that he is expecting some kind of reaction or perhaps judgement from you. > [[Compliment him|Compliment his roguish nature]] > [[Berate him|Berate his foolishness]]

"Oh spit it out, you unbearable clod!" You roar. There is a long moment of silence as the sides of Sam's mouth drop and his eyes, heavily dewed with unshed tears, widen to the point where you start to fear that you will have to suffer the sight of his eyeballs dropping right out of their sockets. His lower lip trembles almost imperceptibly but enough that you feel your host react to it. You quell her foolish instinct to offer comfort to the boy. With a sigh you attempt to walk things back a few steps. "What did you mean when you said that you 'kind of' have a permission slip, Sam?" You ask in carefully even tones. "I...," those hurt, confused and accusing eyes of his are causing your host near-physical pain, "just that I wrote it myself, alright? There." He awaits your reaction with a martyred, sulky expression. > [[Compliment him|Compliment his roguish nature (after demanding answers)]] > [[Berate him|Berate his foolishness (after demanding answers]]

"Oh my," you coo breathlessly, "you sexually appealing crime...do-er, you." This appears to do little to ease his apprehension. "I've not been able to muster the courage to actually use it yet though." He sighs. "It's just been stashed in the back cover of my 'Potions, Ointments and Unguents of the Occult Sciences' textbook in my room for months now." > [[Let's go get it|"Let's go get that permission slip!"]] > [[Do I need anything else?|"Is that all you'd need to leave the tower?"]]

"So you don't so much have a permission slip as much as you have a hand-scrawled piece of paper saying 'Please let me past'?!" He looks back down at his feet for a moment, lips pursed against the embarrassment and injustice of the moment. "It's not like that," he insists, "I've been writing correspondence for the Mage for quite a while now so, for all intents and purposes, the Mage's handwriting is my handwriting. I copied as much of the wording as I could remember from the last slip the Mage gave me..." As he tails off you lean in close, desperately seeking closure. "But does it work?" You ask. He avoids your eyes. "I've not had an opportunity to use it myself yet." He sighs. "It's been stashed in back of my 'Potions, Ointments and Unguents of the Occult Sciences' textbook for months now." > [[Let's go get it!|"Let's go get that permission slip!"]] > [[Do I need anything else?|"Is that all you'd need to leave the tower?"]]

You fix him with a broad smile that seems to improve his mood somewhat. "Right, let's go get that permission slip!" Sam begins to wave his hands in front of him, palms upraised and crossing one another. "Hold on, hold on." "What?" You ask. "Well, firstly, you're also going to need the password to leave the tower, obviously - though I suppose _you_ already know it." He shoots you a hurt look that makes your host quail though you're not entirely sure why. "Secondly, that permission slip will only work for _me_: we can't both leave with it. And thirdly, whether you have a permission slip and a password or not, your aunt absolutely won't let you leave at night." He lets all of this sink in for a moment. "I'm sorry, Ygrette." Dullard though he is, he may have a point. Nonetheless, the way you see it, your first priority at this point is to get that password and you can figure it out from there. Whatever you decide, it's about time you got on with escaping. The more time you spend in the tower, the more chance that the Mage will sense your activities and recapture you. {embed passage: 'Leave the laboratory as Ygrette'}

"Well," he says haltingly, as if he fears that you might be mocking him, "yeah, that and the password of course. But no-one in the tower will tell me that, on pain of..." he wiggles his fingers at you in an idiotic motion that you assume he must equate with the practice of magic. "You know..." He finishes with a conspiratorial glance around the dusty room. Gods' teeth, the Mage must have really scraped the barrel hard to find an apprentice this inept. It's about time you got on with escaping. The more time you spend in the tower, the more chance that the Mage will sense your activities and recapture you. First things first: you need that password. {embed passage: 'Leave the laboratory as Ygrette'}

labDoorLocked: true -- The lock rattles and thunks into place and you hear Sam run to the door "Wait, Ygrette, wait! What are you doing?!" He calls to you in barely hushed hiss. > [[Calm Sam]] > [[Walk away]]

labDoorLocked: false -- You slip the key back into Ygrette's apron pocket. You figure that, even if the guards check the door and find it unlocked, they are also likely to find Sam there before they raise the alarm. In the meantime, Sam himself might panic in a locked room and pull the guards and the Mage down on you. There's the added risk that he might decide to head up to his room and out of your reach but you suspect that the promise of Ygrette's return will hold him in place. You turn your attention to the landing outside the laboratory door where a solitary candle stands in a small opening in the wall between two sets of stairs. One leads down to the kitchen and servants' quarters on the first floor and the other leads up to the third floor of the tower and the chambers of the Mage and the apprentice, Sam. You can see what appears to be the light of a single candle flickering up in the heights. Significantly more light radiates up from the staircase leading down. > [[Go downstairs|Go to the first floor as Ygrette]] > [[Go upstairs|Go to the third floor as Ygrette]]

You drop to your haunches and whisper in through the keyhole to try and calm the fool. "Shh, Sam. I'll be back in a moment to let you out. I just don't want the guards to find the lab unlocked in the meantime. You understand, don't you?" "Couldn't you have left me the key?" He whines. You hear him slide down the door to slump there before it. > [[Don't you trust me?|"Don't you trust me, Sam?"]] > [[Don't be foolish!|"Don't be foolish, Sam."]]

You ignore the boy's protestations and turn away from the door. His hissing becomes louder and he starts to knock against the door insistently. For a moment you start to worry that he will become too loud and draw the attention of the guards that you have heard are positioned elsewhere in the tower. Just as you are about to relent, he appears to give up and the landing falls quiet. Faintly you begin to hear a muffled sobbing from behind the laboratory door. You roll your eyes. {embed passage: 'Ygrette on the second floor landing (locked door)'}

"Don't you trust me, Sam?" You ask, pitching your voice high and hurt. He answers quickly. "Of course I do." He pauses for a moment, "Just, don't be long, will you?" "I'll be back before you know it..." > [[Kitten|"...kitten."]] > [[Puddin'|"...puddin'."]] > [[Meatbag|"...meatbag."]]

"Then how would I get back in? By knocking? I'm trying to do this all as quietly as possible, Sam, and your interminable whining isn't helping." There's no response from behind the door. You nod in quiet satisfaction and turn back to the landing. {embed passage: 'Ygrette on the second floor landing (locked door)'}

"I'll be back before you know it, infant feline." You turn back to the small landing. {embed passage: 'Ygrette on the second floor landing (locked door)'}

"I'll be back before you know it, post-meal sweet treat." You turn back to the small landing. {embed passage: 'Ygrette on the second floor landing (locked door)'}

"I'll be back before you know it, meatbag." There is a brief noise of confusion from behind the door as you turn back to the small landing. {embed passage: 'Ygrette on the second floor landing (locked door)'}

Pushing the cloth aside, you find an arrow-slit opening in the outer wall of the tower looking out into the surrounding countryside. Little can be discerned in the darkness of the night but you can see the flat line of horizon where the land becomes a glittering star-strewn sky. You see, sudden and stark in your mind, the facets of your crystal prison sparkling around you and spin away from the window as a swooping sensation of panic overwhelms you. You trip down the last few steps, on the edge of falling until you feel strong hands catch your shoulders. "Whoa there, girlie." The voice is scratchy, thick and deep - just listening to it makes your own throat tickle in sympathy. The man stood before you is dressed in light armour and sports a long, white moustache that completely covers his mouth, with matching thick, white brows casting his bright, if slightly yellowed, blue eyes into shadow. He looks to be in his late sixties and moves stiffly but capably. "Lost your footing there, did you?" He looks back up the staircase with narrowed eyes. "Now what were you doing up there at this time of night in any case?" > [[Left something in the lab|"I left something in the lab"]] > [[None of your business|"None of your business"]]

You don't have time right now to stop and gawp at the world beyond the tower. There'll be plenty of chances for that once you've escaped this place. You carry on down the stairs to find a man in his late sixties, dressed in light armour, sat on a stool on the first floor landing, reading a book. As he looks up at you from the book you can see that his mouth is almost totally obscured by a large white handlebar moustache that drops from under his nose right down to his chin. Thick white eyebrows shift upwards on his forehead in acknowledgement of your approach as he folds a page and places his book on the floor beside him. "Ho there, girlie." He rumbles fondly at you. His voice is deep and scratchy and makes you want to cough in sympathy. "Here I thought you were in your room. What were you doing up at the lab at this time of night?" > [[Left something in the lab|"I left something in the lab"]] > [[None of your business|"None of your business"]]

"I forgot my...fire-maker...when I was cleaning earlier." "Mm-hmm." He smiles as if enjoying some manner of unspoken joke with you and returns to his stool near the staircase leading down to the ground floor. A wooden flagon and an empty plate lie on the floor next to the seat as well as a sword-belt and his book. "So it's sneaking off to find that lighter of yours that's got you so flushed and light-headed then, is it?" The man leans to retrieve the book from the floor and, after a quick appraising look to inspect the damage, fixes you with a sly grin. > [[Say nothing]] > [[Ask what else it might be]]

"That's none of your concern old man." His eyes widen in surprise as his eyebrows pull together in a V-shape above his nose. He blasts a short raspberry parp that causes his moustache to flutter before him as he seats himself on his stool once more. A wooden flagon and an empty plate lie on the floor beside his book and a sword-belt. All within easy reach for the capable-looking old man. "I remember when I used to sneak off at night at your age," he says as he leans down for his book, "I used to come back in a much better mood, as a rule." "You and the boy had a quarrel, have you?" He asks with a sly look. > [[Say nothing|Say nothing(nunya)]] > [[What boy?|Deny having been with Sam]]

You look at him blankly for a moment before turning your attention to the landing. Two corridors branch off to the left and right of the space while in front of you, between the corridors, is the broad portal into the kitchen secured with two large doors, one of which is propped open. Most of the light on the landing spills through that door. The room beyond is filled with heavy wooden tables, much like the laboratory on the floor above, but piled with bowls, pots, jars, tools and various kinds of food rather than dusty and mysterious apparatus. A large fireplace smoulders at the far end of the room. The steady clatter within the room ceases suddenly as a large matronly woman appears in the doorway and fixes her attention on you with a dark expression. "Ygrette," she growls, "where the devil have you been all evening? I swear to the gods that if you weren't Bessie's girl I'd give you such a clip around the ear, sneaking off on me like that." "Now, now, Marjorie," says the man on the stool before you can formulate a response. Your host Ygrette's reaction to the woman's presence and her scolding is powerful enough to make it difficult for you to think clearly. "Your niece was just explaining to me that she had to go and fetch her 'fire-maker' from the lab." A look passes between the pair. Aunt Marjorie looks back at you, still angry, but there is a quirk of amusement to her expression. "A 'fire-maker', is it? Hmmph. Well, come on then, make yourself useful and take Trevor's plate and tankard for him." > [[Follow Marjorie's instruction]] > [[Ask about the password first]]

"What are you grinning about, old man?" You ask peevishly, annoyed by his probing familiarity. The apex of his moustache rises under his nose, flattening out his handlebars to near vertical lines, as his mouth forms a comical O-shape. He appears to be affecting an exaggerated version of an offended reaction. "Ygrette," comes a dangerous-sounding growl from behind you. You turn to find a large matronly woman standing in the doorway to what appears to be a large kitchen glowering at you. "Where the devil have you been all evening? I swear to the gods that if you weren't Bessie's girl I'd give you such a clip around the ear, sneaking off on me like that." "Now, now, Marjorie," says the man on the stool before you can formulate a response. Your host Ygrette's reaction to the woman's presence and her scolding is powerful enough to make it difficult for you to think clearly. "Your neice was just explaining to me that she had to go and fetch her 'fire-maker' from the lab." A look passes between the pair. Aunt Marjorie looks back at your, still angry, but there is a quirk of amusement to her expression. "A 'fire-maker', is it? Hmmph. Well, come on then, make yourself useful and take Trevor's plate and tankard for him." > [[Follow Marjorie's instruction]] > [[Ask about the password first]]

You hesitate for a moment, caught off-guard by the request, and turn to the guard who has bent to pick up the items and is holding them out to you. As does he so the sides of his droopy moustache rise and part slightly, and his eyes crinkle to suggest a smile lurking beneath. He winks at you as you take them from him and nods to Marjorie before returning to his book. Marjorie tuts and, fixing you with a stern look, jerks her head toward the kitchen. "Today, Ygrette." She growls irritably. She places herself next to the door with her arms spread slightly to usher you through into the kitchen. The large room is quiet now: Marjorie alone must have been the source of all the clattering you heard earlier. Against the wall stands a counter in which a basin full of steaming, soapy water is set. Beside this stands a pile of gleaming crockery and pots. > [[Ask about the password]] > [[Wash the dishes]]

"Marjorie..." you begin, but before you can go any further, the woman interrupts you with a short bark of a laugh. "'Marjorie'?!" She scoffs, "Since when have you ever called your Auntie M 'Marjorie', child?" She places a firm hand on the small of your back and guides you towards the basin. Duly noted. "Auntie M," you start again keeping your voice as casual as possible, "what's the password for leaving the tower?" She rolls her eyes at you before whipping a cloth down from her shoulder. Until this point, you had assumed that the material was simply a part of her outfit. "Ever the airhead eh, Ygrette?" She chides as she sets to drying crockery stacked next to your basin. A firm glance and flick of her head suggests that you should get to scrubbing the items you hold in your hand. You drop them both into the suds alongside the submerged pile of washing already in the basin. > [[Wash the dishes in silence]] > [[Ask about the password|Ask about the password again]]

The woman appears to be implacable in her desire to have you clean the crockery so you see no point in asking her about the password until you have mollified her somewhat. You make your way over to the basin, drop the tankard and plate that you are carrying into the water alongside the rest of the items already soaking beneath the suds, and set to washing up. Marjorie watches you suspiciously for a moment before whipping a cloth from her shoulder that you had thought was just part of her outfit and joining you at the basin to dry. > [[Ask about the password|Ask about the password(after washing dishes)]] > [[Ask Marjorie about her day]]

The woman appears to be implacable in her desire to have you clean the crockery so you see no point in asking her about the password until you have mollified her somewhat. You set to work and allow a few minutes to pass until the woman beside you appears a little more relaxed. > [[Ask about the password|Ask about the password(after washing dishes)]] > [[Ask about Marjorie's day|Ask Marjorie about her day]]

"Apologies for my forgetfulness...Auntie M," you say, "but I swear to you that I'll retain the information this time." Marjorie harrumphs loudly to indicate what she thinks of this but seeing you scrubbing the items in the basin has mollified her somewhat. "I don't know what you need the password for at this time of night anyway, girl. Once we're done here I want you heading straight for bed. You hear me?" > [[What about in the morning?|"I might need the password in the morning"]] > [[Agree and wait|agree and wait]]

"But what if I need to exit the tower before you awaken tomorrow?" You object as calmly as you can. You are growing ever-more anxious at the time it is taking you to find a way out of this place. "And where are you planning to run off to tomorrow morning then, girl?" Marjorie stops what she's doing and stares at you for a long moment before making a short, sharp humming sound. Contextually you assume that this is tantamount to her having asked the question again a second time. > [[To run errands|"Doing errands"]] > [[Shrug evasively]]

knowsPassword: true -- "Yes, ma'am," you say as meekly as possible. You try to open your eyes as wide as possible, as you've seen Ygrette do whenever it seemed that she wanted to appear innocent. Marjorie looks at you with a mixture of wry amusement and exasperation. "What am I going to do with you, Ygrette?" She asks. It doesn't appear to be a question for you to answer so you remain silent and wait. Eventually Marjorie sighs and puts a hand on your shoulder. "Listen, Ygrette. Leave that." She leads you away from the basin and passes you her cloth to dry your hands. It's only marginally less wet than your hands are anyway so it does little good but you go through the motions nonetheless. "I just worry about you running off on some fool notion and getting yourself hurt, that's all. And if you go and get yourself killt, your mother'll kill me and then I'll have to get the Mage to resurrect you so my ghost can kill you all over again, you see?" She grins at you and you return the gesture. She searches your eyes, nods and sighs again, patting your cheek with her cupped hand. "Alright, it's _Rosebud_ if you must know; now get along to bed with you." {embed passage: 'Return the first floor landing'}

knowsPassword: true -- "To run errands," you declare as authoritatively as you can. Marjorie continues to bore into you with her eyes. You're beginning to understand your host's trepidation as regards the woman; she has an intimidating presence. "Tasks and such" you add, and immediately wish you hadn't. The woman smiles, albeit ruefully, and runs her thumbs and forefinger over her eyes before pinching the bridge of her nose. "Gods' teeth, girl. What on earth is the matter with you tonight, you bizarre creature?" She sighs setting the last piece of dried crockery down on the sideboard. "The password is '_Rosebud_', alright? And I swear to Kamar if I catch you using it to sneak off somewhere with that apprentice boy, I will tan your hide." She leans in close and softly adds, "And if you ask me for that password again tomorrow, you will long for the sweet caress of that hide-tanning I was just talking about." "Now, away to bed with you!" {embed passage: 'Return the first floor landing'}

knowsPassword: true -- Marjorie looks at you with a mixture of wry amusement and exasperation. "What am I going to do with you, Ygrette?" She asks. It doesn't appear to be a question for you to answer so you remain silent and wait. Eventually Marjorie sighs and puts a hand on your shoulder. "Listen, Ygrette. Leave that." She leads you away from the basin and passes you her cloth to dry your hands. It's only marginally less wet than your hands are anyway so it does little good but you go through the motions nonetheless. "I just worry about you running off on some fool notion and getting yourself hurt, that's all. And if you go and get yourself killt, your mother'll kill me and then I'll have to get the Mage to resurrect you so my ghost can kill you all over again, you see?" She grins at you and you return the gesture. She searches your eyes, nods and sighs again, patting your cheek with her cupped hand. "Alright, it's _Rosebud_ if you must know now get along to bed with you." {embed passage: 'Return the first floor landing'}

labDoorLocked: true -- With a thunk you lock the door again behind you, just in case a guard happens past to check the lock. The candle whose light you spied from the landing sits near the crystal prison in the centre of the room but Sam is nowhere to be seen - presumably he has ducked down behind one of the many work benches littering the room. > [[Call out to Sam]] > [[Remain silent]]

labDoorLocked: false -- You decide against locking it again as you don't really intend to stay long. The candle sits near the crystal prison in the centre of the room and Sam is nowhere to be seen - presumably he has ducked down behind one of the many work benches littering the room. > [[Call out to Sam]] > [[Remain silent]]

"Sam?" Your whisper booms through the stillness of the room but you're relatively sure that it wouldn't reach the landing even if there were a guard there to hear it. "Sam? It's me...Ygrette. Come on out." A floppy head of hair and cautious eyes pop up suddenly from behind the work bench on which the candle rests. "Where have you been?!" He hisses angrily, "You've been gone for ages!" > [[Manipulate him|Manipulate2]] > [[Dominate him|Dominate]]

You move towards the light of the candle near the middle of the room. Soon you're able to make out a trembling block of shadow huddled under one of the work benches near the crystal prison. Having spotted him, you find that you can't resist the notion that pops into your head. You start to sneak the remaining distance between you and Sam, keeping to the shadows as much as possible. Eventually you find yourself within arm's reach of the huddled mass of coward. > [[Scare him|Boo!]] > [[Don't scare him|Psst!]]

"Oh quit your whining, will you please?" You hiss back. Sam falls silent and glowers at you sulkily. He glances toward a book that lies open next to the candle and takes a quick breath as if he's just remembered something. You see him hesitate as his eagerness to relay his findings wars with his sense of injustice. "Out with it, Sam." You demand. He pouts for a moment longer. "I think I know what the flash was earlier." He finally mutters. You become very still. > [[Remain calm]] > [[Possess Sam|Possess Sam before he can say more]]

"Aren't you pleased to see your Ygrette?" You ask, pushing your lip out with a dismayed expression. You have seen the female successfully derail the boy many times with the gesture, just as his smile will often inexplicably mollify her. You wonder at the fact that they both don't seem to see their own emotional strategies being played against them. "I think I know what that flash was earlier." He announces. You become very still and notice, for the first time, a book that lies open next to the candle. The Mage's notebook. > [[Remain calm]] > [[Possess Sam|Possess Sam before he can say more]]

Before he can finish the thought, you reach out to grab his head in your hands. He tries to pull away but it has already begun. You experience a spinning, falling sensation as your essence springs clear of Ygrette's body. Getting out is the easy part, your hosts' spirits are always striving to push you away; _getting in_ is where it gets tricky. There is a dull, muffled thud behind as you strain against Sam's mind. You no longer have the power you used to overcome Ygrette so quickly and, while their youth makes them particularly susceptible to your control, they are still old enough to make it a struggle for you. Eventually you manage to overcome Sam's resistance and find yourself in control. It takes you a few moments to adjust, though this possession is not as disorienting as the first had been. You're more accustomed now to the minutiae of corporeal existence and the two bodies are broadly similar. This one carries less of the sensation of muscle ache and you notice in passing that his hands are softer somehow. In its absence, you realise that Ygrette seemed to have been suffering some manner of tension in her midriff that Sam does not. You are glad to have been relieved of this. [if samBumpedHead; append] Unfortunately, thanks to your prank, you now find yourself with a terrific headache to deal with on top of everything else. [continue] A sound from the floor draws your attention and you look down to see Ygrette there slowly getting to her feet. "S-sam? What...what happened?" > [[That flash knocked us out|"The flash knocked us out"]] > [[You're no longer useful|"You have served your purpose"]]

"...somehow we've managed to let a ghost escape from this thing. Who knows what it could be up to, or where it is right now." "Calm down, Sam. It might be perfectly benevolent." "Benevolent?" Sam looks confused for a moment but presses on. "The Mage's notes say that the Eidolon is the spirit of someone special, someone they once knew. It says that the Eidolon can take hold of people's bodies, use them like puppets!" He looks at you with wide-eyed panic, he's ratcheting up his own sense of panic as he talks, you realise. "We have to tell the Mage what's happened - they need to know. There's no time to waste." Sam starts to move towards the door. > [[Possess Sam|Grab him and possess him]] > [[Calm him down]]

[if !labDoorLocked] "Whatever that incandescence was," you say, reaching down to help her to her feet, "it caused us both to lose consciousness, it seems. I only just awakened myself." "Incandescence? I had the strangest dream..." she begins but then opens her eyes wide in panic. "Krul! How long have we been unconscious? Oh Gods, Auntie M is going to kill me!" She siezes the candle and grabs hold of your wrist. "Come on, let's get out of here before the guards find us." She runs across to the door and finds it ajar. She turns to look at you as you approach. As she stands before you, painted vividly by the light of the candle she holds, you receive a jolt of the sensation that Sam feels when looking at the girl. You push that nonsense down, firmly. Honestly, you wonder how the pair of them ever manage to get anything done. "Sam," she is terrified, "I know I locked this. I know it." > [[Maybe you didn't|Convince her that she did not lock the door]] > [[What can this mean?|Ask her what this can mean]] [else] "Whatever that incandescence was," you say, reaching down to help her to her feet, "it caused us both to lose consciousness, it seems. I only just awakened myself." "Incandescence? I had the strangest dream..." she begins but then opens her eyes wide in panic. "Krul! How long have we been unconscious? Oh Gods, Auntie M is going to kill me!" She seizes the candle and grabs hold of your wrist. "I'd better get back before I'm missed. Come on, I'll lock it after us." Ygrette douses her candle, places it on a work bench near the door and pulls the key out of her apron. You both shuffle out onto the landing where the candle still gutters in its alcove. She locks the door as quietly as she can before grabbing your shirt-front and kissing you. With that, she darts quickly down the stairs, leaving you reeling in a confusing blend of your own personal disgust and Sam's delight. > [[Go upstairs|Sam goes to the third floor with the password]] > [[Go downstairs|Sam to the first floor without the permission slip]]

A dusty metal orb rests on the work bench next to you. You take hold of it and, in a swift motion, bring it crashing down on Ygrette's head. You suffer a moment of spasm as she falls limply to the floor. You feel your host's fury spiking deep within you. You try to look away from the body of the girl and the blood now pooling around her head but he won't let you. The spasms grow more pronounced. You focus on maintaining control of this form but it's no use, he's slipping away from you, wresting back control through the power and focus that his rage has granted him. You hang on for as long as you can but suddenly you're expelled from the boy's body. You find yourself floating in front of the boy; he is leaning forward, panting and shaking his head. He looks for a moment at the girl and then straight at you. There's no question of possessing either of them now; she's at least unconscious, he's ready for you, and you're too weak. You start to move towards the door as you hear the boy cry out. "Llac'tekth!" There is a blinding flash and a wrenching sensation. You feel, for a moment, nothing. As your mind begins to clear you experience a floating sensation and realise you feel nothing. As your vision returns you see the laboratory around you once more; the view of it cut into facets. No. The boy is there. He looks at you and nods before kneeling down to tend to the girl. No. Around you the room is distorted by crystal facets. No, how did he... You're back. Back in your crystal prison. You have failed.

"Are you sure?" You ask dubiously. She looks at you incredulously. "Something might have escaped the lab..." she begins. You talk over her. "You're extremely tired and we have both experienced an unexplained loss of consciousness." "All the more reason to raise the alarm..." she protests. "The most likely explanation," you continue implacably, "is just that you forgot, Ygrette, and even if not, the chances of there being anything in here to escape are vanishingly small. What we need now more than anything is sleep." "But, Sam..." "Plus," you're ready to add the coup de grâce. You step closer to her, put your arm around her and draw as close to her as is practicable. You feel the mind-addling result it has on your own host and you remember all too clearly the effect that this meat-puppet, Sam, has on Ygrette. Looking deep into her eyes you continue quietly and insistently, "we can't let anyone find out that we were in here. Alone. Together. They'll never let us see each other again." Ygrette bites her lip as she looks up at you. Your body is rigid with the tension of the moment as well as the rising rebellion of your host who appears to be impotently aware of what you're planning to do if Ygrette doesn't take the bait. Finally she sighs and nestles her head in the crook of your neck. The thrilling sensation that your host experiences as a result of this contact is difficult to ignore, and likely to make walking difficult for a time. "OK, ok, you're right. I'd better get back before I'm missed. Come on, I'll lock it after us." Ygrette douses her candle and places it on a work bench near the door. You shuffle out onto the landing where the candle still gutters in its alcove. She locks the door as quietly as she can before grabbing your shirt-front and kissing you. With that, she darts quickly down the stairs, leaving you reeling in a confusing blend of your own personal disgust and Sam's delight. So what now? > [[Go upstairs|Sam goes to the third floor with the password]] > [[Go downstairs|Sam to the first floor without the permission slip]]

"But how can that be?" You ask. "Have you still got your key?" The girl digs quickly into her apron pocket and pulls out the key from where you left it. "Yes." "So how would the door have been unlocked?" Confusion overtakes the girl's terror as she considers this, her eyes dart hither and thither over the middle distance as she plays out scenarios in her head. "Well," she hazards after a few moments of thought, "there are other keys to the lab in the tower." "Ok," you keep your tone ruminative, as if you're working with her and dismissing ideas only out of logical necessity, "but who would have unlocked it, why would they have left us in here unconscious, and why would they not have locked it again after themselves?" Ygrette's brows knit and her mouth puckers into a tight pout "I don't know, Sam!" She snaps. "Maybe, maybe a guard found us here and ran off to get help." "Could be, though we'd probably be able to hear some kind of commotion if that were the case." Ygrette huffs. "Look, all I know is that this was locked," she pulls a finger back to count off each of her points, "we got knocked out by a magic flash, and now this is unlocked." She releases her fingers and holds her palms out toward you, imploring you to see sense. "I don't understand why this isn't bothering you, Sam!" "It is, it is!" You insist, moving closer to her. "I just don't think we should fly off the handle." You hold your arms out and take her into an embrace. Not only do you feel that this is the best way to calm Ygrette but it will also settle your host who's still bucking a little following your possession. After a moment you pull back to look Ygrette in the eye. "Listen, how about I go and talk to the Mage about what happened and we can see what comes of that." She nods as her shoulders drop in relief. She looks as though she might cry. "You're exhausted." You continue. "You get on to bed and I'll let you know what happens in the morning." Her face puckers for a moment in petulant resistance before finally she sighs, nods, and nestles her head in the crook of your neck. The thrilling sensation that your host experiences as a result of this contact is difficult to ignore, and likely to make walking difficult for a time. "OK, you're right. I'd better get back before I'm missed anyway. Come on, I'll lock it after us." Ygrette douses her candle and places it on a work bench near the door. You shuffle out onto the landing where the candle still gutters in its alcove. She locks the door as quietly as she can before grabbing your shirt-front and kissing you. With that, she darts quickly down the stairs, leaving you reeling in a confusing blend of your own personal disgust and Sam's delight. So what now? > [[Sam goes to the third floor with the password]] > [[Sam to the first floor without the permission slip]]

samDownstairsSansPermission: true -- You let Ygrette go on ahead and, once you're happy that she's moved off the first floor landing, you pick your way carefully back down the steps. The guard, Trevor, sighs as he hears you coming, dropping his book into his lap with a finger marking his page. His expression darkens as you step fully into the light and you see his moustache puff out slightly. He glances to one of the corridors leading off the landing. "Forgotten something, boy?" As low as his voice usually sounded, he seems to have dropped another octave. You marvel somewhat at his vocal range. "No, I just need to..." "'less you got a good reason for being here," he growls in a level tone straining against an underlying sense of violence, "you best head back up those stairs, young 'un." You stare at each other in silence for a moment before your eyes flick towards the staircase down to the ground. Groaning under his breath, Trevor rises from his seat. You take a step back and hold out your palms to calm him. "Okay, okay," another step back, "I'm going, I'm going." New plan. Third floor. {embed passage: 'Sam goes to the third floor with the password'}

"What do you mean by that?" You ask. The man frowns and rubs his nose with the flat of his palm rather too emphatically for your comfort. "It might come as a surprise to you, book boy," he grumbles, "but you're fooling no one with your 'late-night research' nonsense." "Is that so?" You continue past the guard onto the landing. "Particularly not Trevor." He continues. "You wanna watch yourself there - that girl's like a daughter to him and he may not take kindly to your fooling around." "Fine, fine, understood - go back to sleep." The guard makes a half-hearted offended noise and proceeds to follow your instruction. > [[Go through the smaller door|Enter Sam's room]] > [[Go through the larger door|Enter the Mages room]]

"That is none of your concern," you respond quietly, "just go back to guarding those eyelids of yours." The guard seems to wake up somewhat and raises an eyebrow. "We all strike out sometimes, kid. No need to take it out on me." He settles back again on his stool pulling his arms around himself with a little jingle of mail. "Plenty more," he stops to yawn, "fish in the sea." > [[Go through the smaller door|Enter Sam's room]] > [[Go through the larger door|Enter the Mages room]]

You pad over to the smaller, non-descript door and slip inside. The floor of the small room cannot be seen covered as it is with a haphazard layer of clothes, books, and papers splayed across every square inch. A wardrobe, a desk and a bed all rise from the jumble, in various states of disorder. There is a shelf on the wall, the only outbreak of order in the place, upon which are lined-up five particularly formidable-looking tomes of magical learning. The faked permission slip was apparently hidden in a book. What was the name of it again? You scan the names of the books on the shelves to see whether any of them ring a bell. > [[Motions of the Arcana: Dance Your Way to Mastery]] > [[Elemental Fundamentals: Getting Started with Anthropomorphosis]] > [[Potions, Ointments and Unguents of the Occult Sciences]] > [[Althar to Zoltan: The Great Mages of our Time]] > [[Of Staves, Wands and Crystal Balls: The Tools of Spellcraft]]

You feel the soft caress of magic upon you as you near the door and it swings silently open as you approach. You step through quickly, glancing back at the guard who is oblivious to where you've gone. The room is dark but you can see a steady silver-white light, similar to moonlight, some distance ahead of you. The space is larger even than the laboratory on the floor below, it seems, though you're not sure how that can be. You walk toward the light, which reveals, as you draw closer, a large bed in which a sleeping figure can be seen. The light itself, you discover, is cast by small orb that hovers above the bed, about two meters above. The Mage has aged considerably since you last saw her. Thin white hair sparsely covers her liver-spotted head and her thin, papery skin is marked with a network of wrinkles and bruises. Her breathing is shallow but steady. You experience a moment of unease. There's still time to turn back... > [[Continue to the Mage]] [if !hasPermissionSlip] > [[Go to Sam's room instead|Enter Sam's room]] [if hasPermissionSlip && knowsPassword] > [[Head for the ground floor|Sam goes to the ground floor with password and permission slip]]

hasPermissionSlip: true -- You reach up and take 'Potions, Ointments and Unguents of the Occult Sciences' from the shelf. Heavy as the thing looks, in reality it is, in fact, even heavier and, caught off-guard, you can't prevent the thick wedge of leather and parchment from slamming down onto the cluttered desk below the shelf. You pause for a moment and listen for any reaction to your mishap. The silence in the aftermath is cacophonous. Out on the landing, you hear the guard shift and mutter but the night remains otherwise undisturbed. You quickly discover the permission slip tucked inside the back cover of the tome and tuck it into your pocket. > [[Head for the ground floor|Sam goes to the ground floor with password and permission slip]] > [[Head to the Mage's room|Sam goes to the mage with password and permission slip]]

checkedMotionsOfArcana: true -- The book seems to vibrate as you lay your hand on it and by the time you have it down on the desk it is positively humming - you can feel the magic throbbing within it. As you crack open the back cover of the book, it bursts into life with not only a full-throated musical performance that you fear will awaken the whole tower but a light show to match. You scan the back inside cover for any sign of the slip before slamming the book shut and shoving it back onto the shelf. [if !checkedElementalFundamentals] > [[Elemental Fundamentals: Getting Started with Anthropomorphosis]] [if !checkedAltharToZoltan] > [[Althar to Zoltan: The Great Mages of our Time]] [continue] > [[Potions, Ointments and Unguents of the Occult Sciences]] [if !checkedOfStavesEtc] > [[Of Staves, Wands and Crystal Balls: The Tools of Spellcraft]]

checkedElementalFundamentals: true -- You pull 'Elemental Fundamentals: Getting Started with Anthropomorphosis' from the shelf and are surprised to see that it is bound with a leather strap around the middle. The book seems to squirm unpleasantly under your fingers as you untie the binding. Once undone the book springs halfway open and eyes appear along the top of the spine. "Greetings, Sam!" The books calls out cheerily and a little too loud for your comfort. As you shush it, it lowers its volume without missing a beat. "Are you ready to _learn_?" "Shut up, shut up, shut up," you hiss, "just tell me, do you have a permission slip hidden in your back cover?" "Why no I do not, Sam. What else can I d-" You cut the book short by firmly securing the leather strap around it once more and return it to the shelf. [if !checkedMotionsOfArcana] > [[Motions of the Arcana: Dance Your Way to Mastery]] [if !checkedAltharToZoltan] > [[Althar to Zoltan: The Great Mages of our Time]] [continue] > [[Potions, Ointments and Unguents of the Occult Sciences]] [if !checkedOfStavesEtc] > [[Of Staves, Wands and Crystal Balls: The Tools of Spellcraft]]

checkedAltharToZoltan: true -- You reach for the most drab-looking book on the shelf and pull it down. 'Althar to Zoltan: The Great Mages of our Time' is covered in significantly more dust than the rest of the books on the shelf and seems to somehow exude a sense of soporific boredom such that you find it difficult to finish reading the name on the cover. You don't even sense any magic about the tome, it simply seems to be a naturally occurring attention-well. You feel your host getting sleepy just looking at it. A quick check in the back reveals no hidden slip and you drop the book back on the shelf quickly before it saps any more energy from you. [if !checkedMotionsOfArcana] > [[Motions of the Arcana: Dance Your Way to Mastery]] [if !checkedElementalFundamentals] > [[Elemental Fundamentals: Getting Started with Anthropomorphosis]] [continue] > [[Potions, Ointments and Unguents of the Occult Sciences]] [if !checkedOfStavesEtc] > [[Of Staves, Wands and Crystal Balls: The Tools of Spellcraft]]

checkedOfStavesEtc: true -- Despite its place on the shelf next to educationally themed magical texts, this book appears to be little more than a catalogue of arcane tools that the writer has available for sale. Granted some of the wands do look top class but nonetheless, you find the whole thing just a little crass. With no slip to be found in the back, you slide it back onto the shelf with a feeling of having wasted your time and of having been soiled in the process. [if !checkedMotionsOfArcana] > [[Motions of the Arcana: Dance Your Way to Mastery]] [if !checkedElementalFundamentals] > [[Elemental Fundamentals: Getting Started with Anthropomorphosis]] [continue] > [[Potions, Ointments and Unguents of the Occult Sciences]] [if !checkedAltharToZoltan] > [[Althar to Zoltan: The Great Mages of our Time]]

You fish the permission slip out of your pocket and hold it out to him. "It's alright, sir, I'm headed downstairs. The Mage wanted me to..." > [[Pick night-blooming flowers|"...pick some night-blooming flowers"]] > [[Deliver an urgent message|"...deliver an urgent message"]]

"...pick some night-blooming flowers...for a spell." You raise your hands and wiggle your fingers in the manner of Sam's earlier approximation of magic. You see your own revulsion at this foolishness reflected in Trevor's eyes. He scans over the slip and looks from it to you several times. Eventually he hands it back to you, pressing it into your sternum with more force than you would have thought was necessary. Perhaps it slipped out of his hand... "This looks like so much horse manure to me, Sam, but I'll let Malaki downstairs deal with it. I assume you have the password, right?" You nod at which he tips his head slightly as if inspecting you. Eventually he smiles, though there is a predatorial sharpness to it. "You better had, boy. Else he's liable to give you a whoopin'." He spits out the final word with sufficient passion to push his moustache up and away from his mouth for a moment With that, the guard regains his seat and returns his attention to his book. > [[Sam goes to Malaki with password and permission]] > [[Ask Trevor what his problem is]]

"...deliver an urgent message." The white blocks of hair above his eyes lift in surprise as he takes the permission slip from your hands. "An urgent message at this time of night? For who?" > [[It's "whom"|Tell him that he should have said "whom"]] > [[It's a secret]]

"You don't seem to like me very much, Trevor. Why is that?" The guard sighs, dropping his book into his lap and looks at you with a grim expression. "Boy, I couldn't give two shits about you either way." > [[Is it because of Ygrette?]] > [[Leave it and go downstairs|Leave it]]

[if samBumpedHead] You reach up and gingerly touch the bump on Sam's head. "Oh nothing, just an accident in the lab." The guard smirks at this. [cont] "I need to leave the tower immediately." [if samBumpedHead; append] You continue. [cont] As the guard starts to ask you why you need to leave in the middle of the night, you interrupt him. "Here's my permission slip from the Mage." He takes the permission slip from you and peers at it for a moment. You stare with horrified fascination at how his changes of expression ripple across the pocked and valleyed flesh of his face. "It's really quite urgent." You add trying to sound calm and to not react too viscerally to the guard's face. He sighs and holds the scrap of paper up in front of your eyes. "Ok, let's assume I believe that this is genuine; the Mage can't fault me for that, I reckon..." He tucks the note in his pocket and says to you as an aside, "I'm keeping this by the way." > [[Accept that it's gone|Accept the loss of the permission slip]] > [[Try to get it back|Argue that you might need the permission slip later]]

You nod. He continues with his main argument. "...you still need to give me the password and the Gods only know how I'll tan that stupid, stupid hide of yours if this is another fool escape plan, Sam." Despite your preparation, you feel a thrill of fear at this, to a large extent generated by your host's terror for the scarred man standing before you. This must be the man Trevor mentioned earlier, Malakai. "So?" he continues, crossing his arms, "Out with it." > [[Rosebud|"Rosebud"]] > [[Robesud|"Robesud"]] > [[Password|"Password"]] > [[There is no password|"Trick question, there is no password"]]

You reach out to retrieve the slip, drawing breath to object, only for the guard to whip the piece of paper out of your reach. He holds a finger up to you. "Don't push it, lad." His voice is friendly but there is an edge, a soft suggestion that he could become otherwise if given cause. {embed passage: 'Accept the loss of the permission slip'}

The man looks genuinely surprised for a moment and glances back to the guard still sat by the firepit who considers the pair for a moment and shrugs. [if answeredRobesud || answeredPassword || answeredTrickQuestion] "Alright, kid," the guard in front of you says with an air of conceding defeat, "I guess you're just lucky I let you take another swing at that. Just don't stay out too late, I guess." [else] "Alright, kid," the guard in front of you says with an air of conceding defeat, "just don't stay out too late, I guess." [continue] With that he walks to the door as the second guard stirs up the fire with a long piece of wood. A heavy wooden timber is removed from the brackets holding it across the door and a lock much like that of the lab a few floors above rattles open with a satisfying clunk. The door is swung open and cold night air sweeps in from outside. The guard stands with a hand on the open door and looks at you. {embed passage: 'Say nothing and leave the tower'}

answeredRobesud: true -- [if answeredPassword||answeredTrickQuestion] "That's enough, Sam." This isn't good. Why can't you remember the damned password? You protest that you do know it, that you just misspoke. The guard talks over you. "I'm not going to stand here all night while you try and guess the password. I'm taking this slip and I'll be talking to the Mage about all this in the morning." The guard turns and starts to walk back to the fire where the second guard stares across at you both with an expression of deep disapproval. "Best get on back to bed now, Sam. I'd say you're in for a rough day tomorrow." > [[Make a break for the door]] > [[Plead for them to let you out]] [else] The guard's expression twists into a mask of disdain. Wait, why did you say it like that? You know that's not right. What was it? He's about to send you away when you jump in to correct yourself. "No, no, wait, wait, I was just kidding," you insist, forcing a laugh despite your growing desperation. "Obviously the password is..." > [["Password"]] > [["Rosebud"]] > [["Trick question, there is no password"]]

answeredPassword: true -- [if answeredRobesud||answeredTrickQuestion] "That's enough, Sam." This isn't good. Why can't you remember the damned password? You protest that you do know it, that you just misspoke. The guard talks over you. "I'm not going to stand here all night while you try and guest the password. I'm taking this slip and I'll be talking to the Mage about all this in the morning." The guard turns and starts to walk back to the fire where the second guard stares across at you both with an expression of deep disapproval. "Best get on back to bed now, Sam. I'd say you're in for a rough day tomorrow." > [[Make a break for the door]] > [[Plead for them to let you out]] [else] The guard's expression twists into a mask of disdain. You realise that you've given the wrong answer. He's about to send you away when you jump in to correct yourself. "No, no, wait, wait, I was just kidding," you insist, forcing a laugh despite your growing desperation. "Obviously the password is..." > [["Robesud"]] > [["Rosebud"]] > [["Trick question, there is no password"]]

answeredTrickQuestion: true -- [if answeredPassword||answeredRobesud] "That's enough, Sam." This isn't good. Why can't you remember the damned password? You protest that you do know it, that you just misspoke. The guard talks over you. "I'm not going to stand here all night while you try and guest the password. I'm taking this slip and I'll be talking to the Mage about all this in the morning." The guard turns and starts to walk back to the fire where the second guard stares across at you both with an expression of deep disapproval. "Best get on back to bed now, Sam. I'd say you're in for a rough day tomorrow." > [[Make a break for the door]] > [[Plead for them to let you out]] [else] The guard's expression twists into a mask of disdain. You realise that there is in fact a password, that you were told earlier. What was it again. He's about to send you away when you jump in to correct yourself. "No, no, wait, wait, I was just kidding," you insist, forcing a laugh despite your growing desperation. "Obviously there _is_ a password and that password is..." > [["Password"]] > [["Rosebud"]] > [["Robesud"]]

With a nod to the man at the door you step briskly out through the portal into the darkness beyond. You follow the dimly visible path winding down from the hill on which the tower stands and wait until you hear the distant boom of the door closing behind you before breaking into a run. You may never know exactly why the mage chose to imprison you there for all those years and, frankly, you don't care. It's hard to believe it, after all this time but, you've done it: you're finally free.

ygretteVisitedThird: true -- You climb the staircase up to the third floor. A long strip of heavy cloth about a metre wide hangs against the outer wall half way up the flight. It undulates softly in the gentle night breeze. Your attention is so consumed by this motion that you do not notice the guard at the top of the steps rising and starting to descend towards you. He clears his throat and you find yourself looking up at a stern and implacable face. "You know you're not allowed up here, Ygrette. Doubly so after dark." "I just..." "This is not a debate, girl. Turn around and go." He doesn't look like he'll listen to any argument on the matter and you're not going to achieve anything by pushing past him. Ugh. You'll have to try downstairs instead. [if knowsPassword] > [[Find Sam in the lab|Ygrette returns to the lab]] [else] > [[Head to the first floor|Go to the first floor as Ygrette]]

You now have everything you should need to leave the tower. You're almost free. Nonetheless something still nags at you - the question of the Mage. Escaping them doesn't feel like enough; you feel like you need... Well, frankly you don't know what it is that you need, whether vengeance, closure or just a moment of crowing victory, but you feel compelled to see your captor, the Mage, one last time before you slip from their clutches. You crack the door to Sam's room as quietly as you can, gently sweeping some of the detritus aside in the sweep of the door. Peeking out onto the landing, you don't appear to have disturbed the guard from his slumber. You ease, crablike, out of the door and tip-toe across the second, larger door on the landing. {embed passage: 'Enter the Mages room'}

Her tone suggests that she will will brook no argument on the matter so you head straight for the door. The landing is deserted when you emerge from the kitchen and muted conversation can be heard from downstairs. Trevor's book has been left propped open on his stool so you assume he must be coming back soon. If Sam's right then your current host, Ygrette, won't be allowed out of the tower at night time, password or no, and you don't want to risk waiting around until morning. The path back upstairs appears to be clear and, the way you figure it, the only thing to do now is return to Sam - your best route out of here. > [[Return to Sam|Ygrette returns to the lab]] [if !ygretteVisitedThird] > [[Go to the third floor|Go to the third floor as Ygrette]]

"Is that right?" You ask carefully, stepping forward slowly. The boy has emerged entirely from his hiding spot and is trying to find his place on the page. He looks hard at the book as you draw closer to him. "The master's notes call it a..." he refers quickly to the page, "an 'Eidolon' - it's a fairly dangerous type of spirit, it seems, though the Master had another name for it somewhere. There's nothing about it flashing in here though." You're a few steps away from him now and he is distracted with his research and presentation, organising the ideas in his head only as he says them. "We're meant to be able to see the spirit in the crystal vessel, though," he muses, "so I don't know why it's not in there any more. Maybe it has something to do with the flash we saw." He pauses for a moment before looking up at you sharply, revelation spreading across his face. Surprised by the distance you've closed while he was talking, he flinches back. "Oh Gods, Ygrette..." > [[Possess Sam|Possess Sam immediately]] > [[Wait for him to finish|Wait for Sam to finish]]

Before he can say any more you reach out to grab his head in your hands. He tries to pull away but it has already begun. You experience a spinning, falling sensation as your essence springs clear of Ygrette's body. Getting out is the easy part, your hosts' spirits are always striving to push you away; _getting in_ is where it gets tricky. There is a dull, muffled thud behind as you strain against Sam's mind. You no longer have the power you used to overcome Ygrette so quickly and, while their youth makes them particularly susceptible to your control, they are still old enough to make it a struggle for you. Eventually you manage to overcome Sam's resistance and find yourself in control. It takes you a few moments to adjust, though this possession is not as disorienting as the first had been. You're more accustomed now to the minutiae of corporeal existence and the two bodies are broadly similar. This one carries less of the sensation of muscle ache and you notice in passing that his hands are softer somehow. In its absence, you realise that Ygrette seemed to have been suffering some manner of tension in her midriff that Sam does not. You are glad to have been relieved of this. [if samBumpedHead; append] Unfortunately, thanks to your prank, you now find yourself with a terrific headache to deal with on top of everything else. [continue] A sound from the floor draws your attention and you look down to see Ygrette there slowly getting to her feet. "S-sam? What...what happened?" > [[That flash knocked us out|"The flash knocked us out"]] > [[You're no longer useful|"You have served your purpose"]]

"That's alright," you assure him, "I'm not hungry." Trevor's scowl deepens. "What are you doing down here, boy?" His tone is flat and dangerous. {embed passage: 'Show him your permission slip'}

You have not seen the Mage for what must be a number of years now (it is difficult to keep track of time, incorporeal and trapped as you are). After your initial mindless rage had subsided to a seething, rational fury, the Mage had made a daily habit of sitting with you and asking questions. Nothing the Mage said had made any sense; relating old memories, listing names. You would try to reason, to wheedle, to manipulate and to cajole, but never to any avail. Each session you would inevitably lose your temper and end up screaming to be released. The Mage would simply sit, and stare, and occasionally cry. Though hardly young to begin with, you had watched the Mage becoming ever-more burdened with age until finally the visits had stopped. Even were the Mage to still visit you, your hard-earned power would be of no use against such as wizened and well-established mind. Since then, barring occasional cleaning visits from servants, the lab has been silent and dark. Until recently, that is. {embed passage: 'Meet Ygrette and Sam'}

"What assumptions? How did you get lost?" You ask. "It's not important, Ygrette. Let's talk about something else, can we?" There's a dark expression and a fixed set to his jaw that suggests he's determined to say no more on the matter. > [[Press him further on the spring story]] > [[Ask whether he has a permission slip]]

You plead with Sam to tell you more but he refuses to the point of snapping at you. You've never seen him so much as frown at the girl. Sounds like there's a tale there but you'll not get it from him and it will probably have no bearing on your escape attempt. You decide to change the subject {embed passage: 'Ask whether he has a permission slip'}

"Oh my," you coo breathlessly, "you sexually appealing crime...do-er, you." This appears to do little to ease his apprehension or his sense of mild betrayal. He stares at you with wide and startled eyes. "Uh, Ygrette, are you sure you're ok? You're acting pretty strangely." "Oh don't be silly," you chide lightly, "I'm perfectly fine." "So," you continue, eager to keep his mind on the problem at hand, "did your permission slip work?" "I've not had a chance use it yet." He mutters defensively. "It's just been stashed in the back of my 'Potions, Ointments and Unguents of the Occult Sciences' textbook." > [[Let's go get it!|"Let's go get that permission slip!"]] > [[Do I need anything else?|"Is that all you'd need to leave the tower?"]]

"So you don't so much have a permission slip as much as you have a hand-scrawled piece of paper saying 'Please let me past'?!" His expression hardens into a glowering sulk. "It's not like that," he insists angrily, "I've been writing correspondence for the Mage for quite a while now so, to all intents and purposes, the Mage's handwriting is my handwriting..." As he tails off you lean in close, desperately seeking closure. "But does it work?" You ask. He avoids your eyes. "I've not had an opportunity to use it yet," he mutters defensively. "It's been stashed in the back of my 'Potions, Ointments and Unguents of the Occult Sciences' textbook for months now." > [[Let's go get it!|"Let's go get that permission slip!"]] > [[Do I need anything else?|"Is that all you'd need to leave the tower?"]]

Between a solitary candle in a small opening in the wall lie two sets of stairs; one leading down to the kitchen and servants' quarters on the first floor and the other leading up to the third floor of the tower and the chambers of the Mage and the apprentice: the mewling clown you've just locked in the lab. You can see what appears to be the light of a single candle flickering up in the heights. Significantly more light shines up from the staircase leading down. > [[Go downstairs|Go to the first floor as Ygrette]] > [[Go upstairs|Go to the third floor as Ygrette]]

"The boy?" You ask innocently, "What boy? I don't know what you're talking about, old man." The guard snorts in derision, blowing his moustache out in front of him, but says nothing more. You turn your attention to the landing. Two corridors branch off to the left and right either side of the broad portal into the kitchen secured with two large doors, one of which is propped open. Most of the light on the landing spills from that door. The room beyond is filled with heavy wooden tables, much like the laboratory on the floor above, but piled with bowls, pots, jars, tools and various kinds of food rather than dusty and mysterious apparatus. A large fireplace smoulders at the far end of the room. The steady clatter within the rooms stops as a large matronly woman suddenly appears in the doorway and fixes her attention on you with a dark expression. "Ygrette," she growls, "where the devil have you been all evening? I swear to the gods that if you weren't Bessie's girl I'd give you such a clip around the ear, sneaking off on me like that." The man on the stool widens his eyes for a moment before smoothing his moustache with his index finger and thumb. The woman looks at him and then follows his glance up the stairs. She turns her gaze back to you, her glower softened slightly by the beginnings of a smile. "I should have known. Well, come on then, make yourself useful and take Trevor's plate and tankard for him." > [[Follow Marjorie's instruction]] > [[Ask about the password first]]

You look at him coldly for a moment before turning your attention to the landing. Two corridors branch off to the left and right and between them stands the broad portal into the kitchen secured with two large doors, one of which is propped open. Most of the light on the landing spills from that door. The room beyond is filled with heavy wooden tables, much like the laboratory on the floor above, but piled with bowls, pots, jars, tools and various kinds of food rather than dusty and mysterious apparatus. A large fireplace smoulders at the far end of the room. The steady clatter within the room stops as a large matronly woman suddenly appears in the doorway and fixes her attention on you with a dark expression. "Ygrette," she growls, "where the devil have you been all evening? I swear to the gods that if you weren't Bessie's girl I'd give you such a clip around the ear, sneaking off on me like that." The man on the stool widens his eyes for a moment before smoothing his moustache with his index finger and thumb. The woman looks at him and then follows his glance up the stairs. She turns her gaze back to you, her glower softened slightly by the beginnings of a smile. "I should have known. Well, come on then, make yourself useful and take Trevor's plate and tankard for him." > [[Follow Marjorie's instruction]] > [[Ask about the password first]]

"Wait," you say holding up a hand to the woman, "I just need to get the..." What hint of a smile there might have been on Marjorie's face has disappeared entirely and, though you're sure she has not moved in any significant way, she now seems to be looming over you somehow. "You just need to take those dishes from Trevor and get that work-shy behind of yours to the sink; _that's_ what you need." The guard has quietly collected the plate and tankard from the floor and holds them out to you. While you can't see his mouth, his moustache is lifted slightly on either side and his eyes crinkle more so around his crow's feet suggesting that he is smiling at you. He winks at you as you take them from him and nods at Marjorie before returning to his book. Marjorie tuts and, fixing you with a stern look, jerks her head toward the kitchen. "Today, Ygrette." She growls irritably. She places herself next to the door with her arms spread slightly to usher you through into the kitchen. The large room is quiet now: Marjorie alone must have been the source of all the clattering you heard earlier. Against the wall stands a counter in which a basin full of steaming soapy water is set. Beside this stands a pile of gleaming crockery and pots. > [[Ask about the password]] > [[Wash the dishes]]

The pair of you settle into a comfortable routine: scrub, rinse, pass, squeaky dry, stack. You allow a few minutes to pass before you finally broach the subject. "Marjorie..." you begin, but before you can go any further, the woman interrupts you with a short bark of a laugh. "'Marjorie'?!" The older woman snorts, "Since when have you ever called your Auntie M 'Marjorie', child?" Duly noted. You start again. "Auntie M, what's the password for leaving the tower?" you ask in as casual a manner as you can muster. She rolls her eyes at you. "Ever the airhead eh, Ygrette?" {embed passage: 'Ask about the password again'}

"So," you keep your eyes on your work, "how's your day been?" Out of the corner of your eye you see Marjorie consider you strangely for a moment before gratefully accepting the opportunity to let off a little steam. "Well, since you ask, Ygrette, it's been quite a day for your Auntie M. For one thing, that clown of a farmer," she flicks her head towards the back of the room and, following her gesture, you are surprised to see a middle-aged man in drab, workman-like clothing sleeping on a pile of what appear to be potato sacks. "He's been buzzing around this place all day bringing in this week's order. Fussed over it so long that he's had to kip here. I told him, I said, 'ain't no room so you best not be fussing too long'. No one ever listens to your Auntie M though, oh no..." Despite yourself you start to zone out somewhat. Your host's muscle memory all but automates the process of scrubbing, rinsing and passing the items in the basin. You've given up listening to the content of Marjorie's - or, rather, Auntie M's - monologue, but you listen carefully to the intonation; the flow of it. If you can hit her either at the point of peak distraction, or when she mentions the outdoors, you should be able to get the info you need without her even realising. > [[Await a distraction|Wait for the distraction]] > [[Await mention of the outdoors|Wait for the subject of the outdoors]]

knowsPassword: true -- You continue to scrub and listen, ignoring the words and tracking only the cadence until you notice her falter in her rhythm. She's trying to remember something, the name of an acquaintance from the nearby village it seems. "What was it now? Dearie me..." As she murmurs to herself you see your opportunity. "Auntie M, what was the password again?" You ask without looking up from the basin. Casual. Unimportant. Apropos of nothing. "The what? Oh, uh, _rosebud_." Her eyes narrow to thin slits and she turns to stare at you silently for a moment. You stiffen nervously under this sudden scrutiny but are careful not to react. "Was it Mildred?" She asks. It is unclear whether this question is directed at you or rhetorical so you shrug just in case. She abandons the effort and returns to her story "So anyway, I says to her..." You zone out again and, a few minutes later, find that you have cleared the basin of all washables. "Now then," Marjorie says brightly, "that wasn't so bad, was it? Off to bed with you, you hear?" {embed passage: 'Return the first floor landing'}

knowsPassword: true -- You continue to scrub and listen, letting the chatter wash over you until finally... "...so eventually I had to march him down to the door myself. I said, 'John, so help me if those carthorses of yours trample my herb garden one more time.'..." You see your opportunity. "Auntie M, what was the password again?" You ask without looking up from the basin. Casual. Unimportant. Apropos of nothing. "The what? Oh, uh, _rosebud_." Her eyes narrow to thin slits and she turns to stare at you silently for a moment. You stiffen nervously under this sudden scrutiny but are careful not to react. "What was I saying?" She asks. It is unclear whether this question is directed at you or rhetorical so you shrug just in case. She soon regains her thread in any case. "So anyway, I says to him..." You zone out again and a few minutes later find that you have cleared the basin of all washables. "Now then," Marjorie says brightly, "that wasn't so bad, was it? Off to bed with you, you hear?" {embed passage: 'Return the first floor landing'}

samBumpedHead: true -- You grab him by the shoulders with a hushed "boo!" To your surprise, the boy unfolds at incredible speed and propels himself straight upwards. His shrill scream is thankfully curtailed by a heavy impact with the work bench above him and he falls to the floor with a drawn-out moan. "Sam, are you alright?" You ask, in part due to the swell of concern gushing from your host, but also simply because he hit his head _so_ hard. For a short while, Sam can do nothing but moan. His arms are wrapped tightly around his head and his fists rub manically at his crown. You don't see how this can possibly help. "What are you _doing_, Ygrette?" He hisses finally, "and where have you been? You've been gone for ages!" > [[Manipulate him|Manipulate2]] > [[Dominate him|Dominate]]

You decide that scaring him would be somewhat reckless, so you try to quietly make him aware of your presence. "Psst!" You whisper, "Sam." "HolyKrulhowdidyougetoverthere!" He yells, words running into one another as he skitters backwards out from under the bench. He takes a moment to collect himself and rounds on you angrily. "What are you _doing_, Ygrette?" He hisses venomously, "and where have you been? You've been gone for ages!" > [[manipulate him|Manipulate2]] > [[Dominate him|Dominate]]

Before he can go any further, you spring onto his back and grab his head in your hands. He bucks to try and break your grip on him but it has already begun. You experience a spinning, falling sensation as your essence springs clear of Ygrette's body. Getting out is the easy part, your hosts' spirits are always striving to push you away; _getting in_ is where it gets tricky. There is a dull, muffled thud behind as you strain against Sam's mind. You no longer have the power you used to overcome Ygrette so quickly and, while their youth makes them particularly susceptible to your control, they are still old enough to make it a struggle for you. Eventually you manage to overcome Sam's resistance and find yourself in control. It takes you a few moments to adjust, though this possession is not as disorienting as the first had been. You're more accustomed now to the minutiae of corporeal existence and the two bodies are broadly similar. This one carries less of the sensation of muscle ache and you notice in passing that his hands are softer somehow. In its absence, you realise that Ygrette seemed to have been suffering some manner of tension in her midriff that Sam does not. You are glad to have been relieved of this. [if samBumpedHead; append] Unfortunately, thanks to your prank, you now find yourself with a terrific headache to deal with on top of everything else. [continue] A sound from the floor draws your attention and you look down to see Ygrette there slowly getting to her feet. "S-sam? What...what happened?" > [[That flash knocked us out|"The flash knocked us out"]] > [[You're no longer useful|"You have served your purpose"]]

"Sam, wait. There's been no sign of anything unusual since the flash. If there was a ghost trapped in there, odds are that it just ran away. There's no need for us to inconvenience the Mage." The boy stops a few steps away from you towards the door. You can't see his face but his head is raised and tipped to the side slightly. "Unusual..." he mutters. He turns to look at you, his brows furrowed. "'Benevolent'..." He takes a step closer to you. "Sam, what are you..." "'Inconvenience'." He interrupts, his eyes narrowing. He sounds as if he's mostly talking to himself. "There's something else in the notes that you might find interesting, _Ygrette_." > [[What's that?]] > [[Possess Sam|Possess him finally]]

He tilts his head as he looks at you; a searching, measuring look. Finally, he appears to make a decision. "Llac'tekth!" There is a blinding flash and a wrenching sensation. You feel, for a moment, nothing. As your mind begins to clear you experience a floating sensation and realise you feel nothing. "Sam, what was..." Your voice rings strangely in your ears; no longer shrill and feminine it echoes back at you immediately and with a crystalline edge to it. Oh, no... As your vision returns you see the laboratory around you once more; the view of it cut into facets. No. The boy is there. The girl is slumped in his arms as if he has just caught her. She is in his arms but he is looking at you. He nods with grim satisfaction. No. Around you the room is distorted by crystal facets. No, how did he... You're back. Back in your crystal prison. You have failed.

You lunge towards him, your hands reaching to grasp his head, but he is ready for you. Though taken aback, he dodges your clumsy lunge, knocks your arms away from him and shouts. "Llac'tekth!" There is a blinding flash and a wrenching sensation. You feel, for a moment, nothing. As your mind begins to clear you experience a floating sensation and realise you feel nothing. "Sam, what was..." Your voice rings strangely in your ears; no longer shrill and feminine it, echoes back at you immediately and with a crystalline edge to it. Oh, no... As your vision returns you see the laboratory around you once more; the view of it cut into facets. No. The boy is there. The girl is slumped in his arms as if he has just caught her. She is in his arms but he is looking at you. He nods with grim satisfaction. No. Around you the room is distorted by crystal facets. No, how did he... You're back. Back in your crystal prison. You have failed.

"Mage." She stirs and her eyes open, already staring straight into yours. "Corinne." She croaks with a smile. Again with that infernal name. Again and again she would chant that name at you, pleading with you to remember. You had grown to hate the sound of it and you cannot help your reaction: your twists into a scowl. The Mage's sleep-addled joy fades to an expression of deep regret. With considerable difficulty she pulls herself up into a sitting position and considers you for a moment. [if samBumpedHead] "My apprentice will need his body back," her eyes narrow for a moment as she stares at something above your eyes, "and what have you done to his poor head, Corinne?" [else] "My apprentice will need his body back, Corinne." [continue] You flinch at the sound of that name. "Don't call me that." She is silent for a moment and then nods. "Release me." Pain flashes across the Mage's face and she looks down at her hands, clutching and squeezing at each other in her duvet-covered lap. As she looks back up with a sniff, you see that she has started to cry. "I always hoped that I could find a way to make you remember. I fought so hard to get you back; to bring you back to me." "I am not _yours_, Mage." She looks down again, nodding. "No, you're right, you're not - but you were once. Just as I was yours." She holds the knuckle of her index finger to her nose for a moment. "I should have let you go years ago. I should have; I know I should have. But I've never known how. I couldn't lose that last piece of you. Of us." You wait in silence, as decades of rage fade into discomfort and pity. "Whoever it is you're talking about, that's not who I am." You tell her. She nods again, her unfocused gaze directed into, and beyond, her lap, back into memories that you will never be able to share with her. Eventually, she draws a long, shuddering breath and raises her hands. You see a radiance growing around her fingers as threads of magic appear there, like loose strands of liquid moonlight waving in an unfelt breeze. "I know who you are and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She gestures sharply and your world blazes white. "I love you, Corinne." You hear her say as the world fades away. You feel yourself coming apart, your essence drifting away into the ether and it feels good and right and peaceful. Finally, you can rest.

She is the source of all this, she is the reason you are here, and she is the person most likely to prevent your escape. You can put an end to this here. Slowly you draw up to the edge of the bed and gingerly take an unused cushion from beside the old woman's head. You grip the pillow tight in both hands and raise it over her face. As the shadow of the cushion falls across them, her eyes open, already looking straight into yours. You experience a fatal moment of hesitation before you start to drive the cushion down onto her face. "Llac'tekth!" The Mage cries. There is a blinding flash and a wrenching sensation. You feel, for a moment, nothing. As your mind begins to clear you experience a floating sensation and realise you feel nothing. "Wait, what was..." Your voice rings strangely in your ears; no longer boyish and warbling, it echoes back at you with an unusual immediacy and a crystalline edge. Oh, no... As your vision returns you see the laboratory around you once more; the view of it cut into facets. No. Around you the dark and empty room is distorted by crystal facets. No, how did she... You're back. Back in your crystal prison. You have failed.

You stand over the sleeping figure, once so powerful and daunting, now so weak and vulnerable. You remember the endless weeks of chatter that she would subject you to as you roared for her to release you. Your hands - Sam's hands - tighten to fists by your waist. > [[Wake her]] > [[Smother her]]

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You reason that the apprentice is your best route to the Mage and you are a creature of spite and rage. You reach recklessly for the boy and strain to push out past the magical chains that bind you to this crystal prison of yours. Energy strains against energy as you stretch across the intervening space; it's a matter of only a few metres but for all intents and purposes the boy is worlds away from you. You realise suddenly that you are in danger of frittering your stored energy on this vain pursuit and turn instead to the girl. {embed passage: 'Possess Ygrette'}

Trevor's eyes widen and he stares at you. Ten seconds pass in deathly silence before you hear a tearing sound and see your permission slip pull apart in the middle. Trevor continues to meet your eyes as brings the two separate halves of the slip together again to rip them into four separate pieces with a tearing sound that echoes in your head like distant thunder. You watch, gaping in impotent astonishment and growing rage as this key part of your escape plan is destroyed before your eyes. After a few more passes at it, Trevor allows the various scraps of paper to drift to the floor in a careless shower of now-useless detritus. "Urgent or not, boy, I'm going to have to see a permission slip from anyone whom wants to go further." His face doesn't even twitch. "The Mage should really have given you one before they sent you down here..." > [[Try to possess Trevor]] > [[Shout at Trevor]]

"The Mage says that it's a secret: I can't tell anyone." He scans over the slip and looks from it to you several times. Eventually he hands it back to you, pressing it into your sternum with more force than you would have thought was necessary. Perhaps it slipped out of his hand... "This all looks and sounds like so much horse manure to me, Sam, but I'll let Malaki downstairs deal with it. I assume you have the password, right?" You nod at which he tips his head slightly as if inspecting you. Eventually he smiles, though there is a predatorial sharpness to it. "You better had, boy. Else he's liable to give you a whoopin'." He spits out the final word with sufficient passion to push his moustache up and away from his mouth momentarily. With that, the guard regains his seat and returns his attention to his book. > [[Go downstairs|Sam goes to Malaki with password and permission]] > [[Ask Trevor what his problem is]]

You were so close to escaping and now everything is falling apart. Dizzy with rage and sudden helplessness, you do what you always seem to end up doing. You lash out. Already aware that your efforts to possess such a mature subject will be futile, you leap at Trevor nonetheless and take his head in your hands. He reels back in surprise and you both find yourselves crashing to the ground in the middle of the landing. You spring clear of Sam's body and drive your consciousness into Trevor's mind, encountering, as you knew you would, a solid wall of resistance. It's like trying to push over a metre-wide oak tree. While you can bend the young, sapling-like minds of the youngsters to your will, the more mature the mind, the harder it is for you to influence and control. Nonetheless you press on driving at Trevor with everything you have, straining to try and make _some_ impression upon him. Sam, it seems, has come round and been pushed clear of the conflict. You hear a confused muttering from him before he calls out to Trevor and asks him what's going on. You keep your focus on the task at hand but you're aware of Sam panicking, shouting. You can't worry about that right now. You feel Trevor's mind starting to give; you thought there was no hope but it might actually be possible. Just a a few more pushes. You just need to hold on. Hold on for a few moments more. Just. A. Moment. Mo- "Llac'tekth!" There is a blinding flash and a wrenching sensation. You feel, for a moment, nothing. As your mind begins to clear you experience a floating sensation and realise you feel nothing. "What the..." Your voice rings strangely in your ears; it echoes back at you immediately and with a crystalline edge to it. Oh, no... As your vision returns you see the laboratory around you once more; the view of it cut into facets. No. Around you the room is distorted by crystal facets. No, how did you... You're back. Back in your crystal prison. You have failed.

As you stare at the scraps of paper on the cold stone floor, your mouth opens and closes a few times before you gather yourself enough to speak over your confusion and choking rage. "You..." the word scratches your throat and you feel your eyes start to burn, "you've ruined everything." You look up into Trevor's carefully neutral and implacable face. "You, you...clown!" You shout, jabbing at his chest with a finger. The man takes a step back and his eyebrows furrow into one V-shaped bushy line across the tops of his eyes. "I'll let you have that one, boy, but let's not wake the whole tower, eh?" "Why would you do that?!" You scream as you start to thump on the man's chest with your fists. "Why?!" The man starts to press back, trying to take hold of your arms and coax you into quietude. You are not to be hushed. Decades of frustration, anger, loneliness, and self-pity, all of which had been repressed under the promise of escape, now come boiling out in a torrent of meaningless words and thrashing blows. The guard fends you off, trying his best, you realise on some level, not to harm your host but your attacks continue and escalate nonetheless. As he pleads with you to be calm, you're vaguely aware of more figures appearing around you, taking hold of you and pulling you away from Trevor. As your arms are held steady, you start to flail your whole body, throwing yourself hither and thither, heedlessly seeking to wrest yourself from their hands. The last thing you recall is an explosion of pain and dizziness and a swooping, dropping sensation something blunt and cold and heavy clubs Sam's right temple. In your last moments of consciousness as you drop you know, as you've known ever since you saw that permission slip pulled into two parts, that it's over. Your escape attempt has failed. You fall into the dark prison of your Sam's unconsciousness and await your fate.

"Is it because of Ygrette?" You ask. The man's gaze flicks again to the door to the servants' quarters beside the kitchen before settling again on you with an unreadable expression. "What that girl does is her own damn business." He raises his book once more. "And my personal opinion of snotty-nosed apprentices is mine." He settles in to reading his book with a quiet finality that carries with it an unspoken warning to those who would disturb him further. You decide that it would be best to continue along your way. {embed passage: 'Sam goes to Malaki with password and permission'}

You decide that this is perhaps not a useful conversation to be having in terms of your main priority. Whether or not this guard likes or dislikes your host, Sam, will not help you to escape. Indeed, antagonising the man by digging into it might endanger your plan. You shrug a response to the man and continue on your way. {embed passage: 'Sam goes to Malaki with password and permission'}

[if samBumpedHead] You reach up and gingerly touch the bump on Sam's head. "Oh nothing, just an accident in the lab." The guard smirks at this. [cont] You show the guard your permission slip and repeat the story you told Trevor on the floor above. The man peers at the slip for a moment and looks back up at you with a wry expression that twists his scarred face in an extraordinarily repugnant way. He sighs and holds the scrap of paper up in front of your eyes between two of his fingers. "Ok, let's assume I believe that this is genuine; the Mage can't fault me for that, I reckon..." He tucks the note in his pocket and says to you in an aside, "I'm keeping this by the way." > [[Accept that it's gone|Accept the loss of the permission slip]] > [[Try to get it back|Argue that you might need the permission slip later]]

No. You were so close. It can't, it _can't_ end like this. The guard settles in next to the fire and passes the permission slip to his partner with a look of muted amusement. The second guard snorts and shakes his head in disbelief. As the idle chatter, recently disrupted by your arrival, begins once more, you find yourself gawping at the door, cursing your memory, your stupidity. It's right there. Right. There. You're moving before you even realise you've made the decision. You hit the door heavily and throw all your strength into lifting a heavy timber out from the brackets where it rests, barring the door. You ignore the shout behind you and allow the timber to clatter clumsily to the ground. You take hold of the door handle, twist and haul at it with reckless abandon, hoping to swing the door open as quickly as possible. Your shoulders wrench painfully as the door clatters against its lock and remains stubbornly in place. You have a moment to realise the totality of your failure before a blow to the side of your head explodes your senses and sends your host tumbling to the ground. You look up, senseless through glassy eyes, trapped in a cage of unconsciousness as the two guards look down at you. "Why you hit 'im so hard?" One asks the other reproachfully, "He wasn't going anywhere." Sam's eyes close and his hearing fades and you are trapped once more; this time within the unconscious darkness of Sam's mind.

"Wait," you cry again, "please, give me one more chance, I have it. I know it." "You had your chances," the guard sighs without turning around. He passes the permission slip to his partner who snorts and shakes his head in disbelief. "You want out of the tower, that's between you and the Mage - no way I'm getting in the middle of it." The guard seats himself in front of the fire with a loud groan. "Please," you feel your eyes grow hot as your throat seems to swell with hopelessness, "please I need to get out. I've been trapped here for so long." "Not sure I'd complain as much as you do about learning to be a Mage, child." The second guard pipes up suddenly, his voice rich and gruff. "There are worse paths in life." "You don't understand." You insist as you feel the hot tears that had been gathering in your eyes start to roll down Sam's cheeks. "I have to get out..." You find yourself staring at the door as the pair of guards return to their conversation. Your freedom lies just past that door. Just past that door. You're moving before you even realise you've made the decision. You hit the door heavily and throw all your strength into lifting a heavy timber out from the brackets where it rests, barring the door. You ignore the shout behind you and allow the timber to clatter clumsily to the ground. You take hold of the door handle, twist and haul at it with reckless abandon, hoping to swing the door open as quickly as possible. Your shoulders wrench painfully as the door clatters against its lock and remains stubbornly in place. You have a moment to realise the totality of your failure before a blow to the side of your head explodes your senses and sends your host tumbling to the ground. You look up, senseless, through glassy eyes, trapped in a cage of unconsciousness as the two guards look down at you. "Why you hit 'im so hard?" One asks the other reproachfully, "He wasn't going anywhere." Sam's eyes close and his hearing fades and you are trapped once more; this time within the unconscious darkness of Sam's mind.