do we know a Koroviev? what about a professor M?

it seems that the flaming thing was searching through the crate so presumably it was looking for something left here. maybe we should stick around to see if it returns, if we don't think it's too dangerous

(1/1) kpwlt 2026/02/07(Sat)06:35 No. 1120892 ID: 127310
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>do we know a Koroviev?

Sam doesn’t.

>what about a professor M?

No, you don’t. Perhaps only in passing.

>What does Sam know about the pore Glundandra?

Aside from the fact that it appears as a subheading under ‘ARBOL FIELD’ in the book, nothing.

>See if anyone else can read the stuff you can't.

UBERTO: “Let’s see… Uhh…”

Uberto holds the paper quite close to his face as though struck with sudden nearsightedness. After a fair while, he speaks.

UBERTO: “Right… It looks like it says it’s some kind of person-mimicking demon, copying someone from the Executive by the looks of things. This part is talking about its mechanical arm and this part is talking about its other arm, which is made of… um… I can’t tell. The rest talks about how its clothes have the appearance of fabric but aren’t really. I can’t figure anything else out, I’m afraid.”

>maybe we should stick around to see if it returns, if we don't think it's too dangerous

Sam isn’t thrilled about simply waiting for things to happen, but she’ll do it. Uberto is more receptive to the idea. The other two make no comment.

After a short wait, a woman’s accented voice echoes around the corner.

???: “Come out with your hands raised, all of you! You have ten seconds to start leaving before I detain you.”

Uberto puts his hand on his sword’s hilt and looks to Sam.

Simone should talk to the other person while we remain here and stand guard for a little bit. At least until Simone finishes her conversation and we can continue without lowering our guards. That thing could show up the instant we "surrender" to whoever that is out there.

That said, I don't think it's very productive to just stand around, so we should continue on as soon as we resolve the issue with what I assume is another official guarding this place. Perhaps towards the dark red symbol?

shout back "on what grounds?"

and while you're stalling Jurist might try hiding

(1/2) kpwlt 2026/02/13(Fri)05:52 No. 1121046 ID: 127310
File 177096193368.png - (20.51KB , 700x700 , u14p1.png )

>That thing could show up the instant we "surrender" to whoever that is out there.

Indeed, but Sam is also worried that it could also show up at any instant without any warning whatsoever.

>and while you're stalling Jurist might try hiding

When told to hide, the Jurist is pulled under their cloak by whatever brainless legservant hides there. They scuttle over and reduce themself in the corner. It’s probably best not to get a member of the Judiciary embroiled in whatever legal trouble everyone else might be in right now.

>shout back "on what grounds?"

???: “On the grounds that you are trespassing on Crown land, and interfering with WOLAND’s operations in this area. If the Minister has also authorised you, please say so, but I am not aware of this being the case.”

>Simone should talk to the other person while we remain here and stand guard for a little bit.

Sam ponders this thought for a while. After deciding not to mention it, a nigh-imperceptible black dart shoots from her forehead and into Simone’s temple. I could tell you exactly how and why that happened, but that would be a confusing tangle of words and a royal waste of time.

SIMONE: “You know what? Maybe I’ll go talk to her. How bad can it go?”

Sam considers answering.

(2/2) kpwlt 2026/02/13(Fri)05:52 No. 1121047 ID: 127310
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After a discourse of considerable length, Simone and the reluctant-looking woman walk into the room. She wears a name tag that reads ‘HELLA’. Hella pinches the bridge of her nose and begins.

HELLA: “I’ve decided to let you continue your survey in the Catacombs.”

UBERTO: “Wonderful!”

She pulls a map of the Catacombs from her clipboard and circles a certain area in red marker.

HELLA: “This is my office. Please knock before you come in. Aside from that, feel free to look- but not touch- anywhere. EXCEPT here.”

She draws an X on the map. It looks like the place where the dark red symbol was.

SAM: “What’s there?”

HELLA: “There is a large, dangerous sinkhole in that room. You may look at it but please do not go into it. Oh, one last thing before I leave you.”

A faint pulse of darkness ripples through the room, and Simone and Uberto’s swords clatter to the ground.

HELLA: “You must leave these behind while you explore. Come to my office to pick them up when you are heading off, but not a moment sooner.”

With that, she leaves. Simone and Uberto try to lift their swords, but find themselves unable to lift them more than an inch or so before exhausting their arms.

>>1121047
Rude... does she not know there's a dangerous fire being around here? Well, she removed *our* weapons, and we're in a room with other weapons. So grab replacements for the rest of the search I guess.

Let's check the cave paintings next.

>>1121049
hmm, could something be off about these weapons? Why didn't she take the knives off Sam?

since the only other places to go are where she just told you not to it makes sense to look at the paintings first.

(1/2) kpwlt 2026/02/21(Sat)05:33 No. 1121353 ID: 127310
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>Why didn't she take the knives off Sam?

Sam has a small pouch on her dress in which she immediately stashed the knives. It is almost invisible to the untrained eye. It is possible that Hella didn’t realise that she left someone armed.

>Rude... does she not know there's a dangerous fire being around here?

Something in the back of Sam’s mind suggests that that’s exactly why she removed the weapons.

>So grab replacements for the rest of the search I guess.

Simone grabs a mace. It looks uncomfortably heavy and unwieldy in her hands.

Uberto says “I should be all good.” and shows off a pair of brass knuckles he apparently had in his pockets.

>Let's check the cave paintings next.
>look at the paintings first

The group walk into the painting room. Sam is immediately struck by the strange and intricate illustration on the far wall. It’s quite birdish.
SIMONE: “Oh. Mary didn’t mention this one.”

UBERTO: “Weird...”

JURIST: “This is somewhat similar to certain symbols used by the University of ‘Pataphysics.”

Sam also finds some elements of the mark unshakeably familiar.

(2/2) kpwlt 2026/02/21(Sat)05:35 No. 1121354 ID: 127310
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Uberto occupies himself with the wall on the left.

UBERTO: “Do you think this diagram of the Halberd is related to the other drawings here? I’m not super certain of what I’m looking at.”

SIMONE: “Is that the coast? And here’s Shrikenest.”

Simone traces the squiggle with her finger before poking the crossed lines slightly ‘inland’.

SAM: “What do you think is under those metal plates?”

SIMONE: “I’m not sure. Mary never really spoke about the art in detail.”

>>1121353
Seems like bird-like elements, wings and clawed limbs. And with that fire person around; phoenix?
Or, the core of the symbol is a triangle, similar in shape to the figure's head on the diagram we found. connection?

>>1121354
there was a halberd on the cover of the book Umberto showed you

The Halberd is on the cover of the book we're investigating!

>>1121047
...huh, the boarded up passageway just leads back into the central corridor? Is it boarded up on both entrances? Wait, which room was the weapon storage? There were three storage rooms, we only went into two of them. Let's check the other. Should be the northernmost storage room, considering the orange symbol was in the southernmost storage room and presumably we entered it via its southern entrance. I didn't get a good look at the room itself; was there another tunnel leading northwest out of it, presumably blocked at the end by the boards?

Hey, do that divination thing again. The orange symbol should have moved, so... where did it go?

What exactly was Mary doing when the burning thing abducted her? If we know that, it could give us a clue as to what the creature wants. It may be the kind of monster that follows particular "rules" and attacks those who break them.

Oh, let's finish messing with this room before we check out the third storage room.
Can you unscrew the metal plates? Maybe with the point of a dagger?

What's familiar about the big bird symbol? Hmm, those are runes around the edge. Can they be translated?

(1/4) kpwlt 2026/02/24(Tue)13:48 No. 1122580 ID: 127310
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>What exactly was Mary doing when the burning thing abducted her?

SIMONE: “We were just walking out of the storage room. Did you see those, those weird rock things? The ones in the boxes? She was also carrying one of those.”

UBERTO: “Oh, the magnetic ones?”

SIMONE: “They were magnetic?”

UBERTO: “I’m really not sure…”

>Can you unscrew the metal plates? Maybe with the point of a dagger?
Sam retrieves a dagger from her pouch and sets to work unscrewing the plates.

UBERTO: “A king? And a bunch of stick people.”

SAM: “Strange that they felt the need to cover it up…”

SIMONE: “Maybe it’s part of some big conspiracy. Haha, probably not.”

UBERTO: “Not any conspiracy I’ve been let in on!”

Sam returns the plates.

(2/4) kpwlt 2026/02/24(Tue)13:48 No. 1122581 ID: 127310
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>there was a halberd on the cover of the book Umberto showed you
>The Halberd is on the cover of the book we're investigating!

The Halberd is a typical adornment on the covers and in the margins of mystic texts produced in Southshoals, as it’s the most iconic constellation visible here. It shows up more on astrological texts than tryptological.

Sam is unsure why Clerk would put the Halberd on his book aside from for patriotism’s sake. Or due to conflation of tryptology and astrology.

(3/4) kpwlt 2026/02/24(Tue)13:48 No. 1122582 ID: 127310
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>What's familiar about the big bird symbol?
>Seems like bird-like elements, wings and clawed limbs.

There was something else bird-like in this cavern, wasn’t there? Sam can’t quite place her finger on if there was or wasn’t.

The six blobs near the top of the symbol evoke the most familiarity. Like looking into the eyes of an old associate.

>Or, the core of the symbol is a triangle, similar in shape to the figure's head on the diagram we found. connection?

That’s a similar familiarity, but it gives Sam an impression distinct from this bird symbol.

>Hmm, those are runes around the edge. Can they be translated?

Sam recognises these runes. They function as a sort of alternate, officially unrecognised script. They might find themselves sprayed under a bridge or on the walls of a drainage tunnel, or on some country town resident’s hasty notes. All sides of the political spectrum have used them to paint themselves as ‘allies of the people’. They aren’t taught in schools, but they’re culturally osmosed from generation to generation.

A suburbanite like Sam would have been expected to learn them through notes passed at the back of the classroom, or etched into desks. Owing to her unpopularity during school, however, Sam has failed to pick these up.

When Uberto sees Sam gazing at the runes, he looks as though he’s digging up some mythic ancient lore, and then he points at the top left point of the symbol and calls them out in counterclockwise order.

UBERTO: “T, N, O, C, L, O, R. Any idea what t’noclor means?”

(4/4) kpwlt 2026/02/24(Tue)13:48 No. 1122583 ID: 127310
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>Hey, do that divination thing again. The orange symbol should have moved, so... where did it go?

Sure thing. Oh, hey. That’s what gave Sam the same vibe as the bird symbol. The map did, for whatever reason.

>Is it boarded up on both entrances? Wait, which room was the weapon storage?

That was the weapon storage. One of the entrances was boarded up, the other had a makeshift door. The orange symbol is now in the forbidden room.

>Should be the northernmost storage room,
>check out the third storage room.

Yes. The group moves to the northernmost storage room, the only one that they haven’t looked in yet.

SIMONE: “Oh, I don’t really want to go in there. Mary took one look and came straight back out.”

SAM: “Did she say why?”

SIMONE: “No, but she was holding her nose when she came back out.”

It’s not difficult to see why. This passageway reeks.

Uberto and Sam enter anyway. There are a bunch of bones with some rotting flesh clinging to them. Some corpses are more complete than others, so it’s difficult to tell how many are here or how they were all killed.

UBERTO: “Must be those… people that lived here before.”

He covers his mouth and pinches his nose with his right hand. With his left, he guides Sam back out. Sam is reluctant to leave. Not because it feels irreverent to leave so soon, but because she feels as though she is missing something. There is some presence of which she is not aware. There must be.

Trol Con eh? some kind of troll gathering?
just kidding it says 'control'

It feels like something's trying to communicate through your divination. Feels... corvidy
Does Sam know any birds?

also there seems to be a faint something right in front of you. Like a dark red star. Is that coming from the sigil?

also also, what are the red and green symbols?

>>1122582
>something bird-like in this cavern
Not really, but... those little stone figures could be similar if their arms were raised up instead of down.
>it's the map
Oh! There's birds in the background. Crows? They're saying something.
The first time, it was "Quit pro quo, Samantha"
This time, it's "I have waited... so long... ...to meet you"
>letters
CONTROL.

The divination still has a dark red reading here. I think we need to do something with the big bird symbol. Try touching it, saying "control", or maybe using that lockpicking spell again.

This room also has an eye symbol on it... looking up? Is there anything on the ceiling? Could just designate that there's art here.
The black symbol shows up in the remaining two rooms we haven't been, and it's also drawn on the wall. I guess we'll get an idea of what it means when we visit those rooms. Fairly sure the red !! symbol signifies threats, and the blue/red arrow symbol is for travel.
The green symbol wasn't here before... did someone new show up? I guess it could be Hella, but I expected her to correspond to the orange symbol, due to her text color. Oh, she can't be the burning figure though, you saw what she was wearing and it didn't match what the figure was wearing, right?

>>1122596
given the eye symbol's placement on the first map it would seem to indicate Sam's position

>>1122580
Mary was holding one of those figurines? We saw the burning thing just after we found them, but it was in another room looking through a different crate. Maybe it's searching for them, and it sensed us messing with one of them, but didn't know exactly where they were because we put them back in their box. Or it could have been after something else in the box, like the amulet.

Where did Mary find the figurine she had, and how long did it take the burning thing to appear?

(1/3) kpwlt 2026/03/02(Mon)12:25 No. 1122841 ID: 127310
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>given the eye symbol's placement on the first map it would seem to indicate Sam's position

The symbol has moved with Sam and it’s the same as the one on her dress.

>red and green symbols

The green symbol generally indicates the Lower House or the Legislature as a whole. The red symbol is the logo of Hazard Association. It could be that Uberto and Simone’s weapons were either imbued with some power, or some power rubbed off on them, causing them to register.

>Does Sam know any birds?

Not personally. She has issues with Uberto’s cockatiel, though.

>Oh, she can't be the burning figure though, you saw what she was wearing and it didn't match what the figure was wearing, right?
Hella was wearing black and white, loose, sort of boxy clothing, and wore her long orange hair down. It was difficult to see what the burning figure was wearing because of its large and indistinguishable form.

>just kidding it says 'control'
>CONTROL.
>"Quit pro quo, Samantha"
>"I have waited... so long... ...to meet you"

This makes Sam a little nervous. Why does the big bird with ‘CONTROL’ written around its sigil want to meet her?

>Where did Mary find the figurine she had, and how long did it take the burning thing to appear?

SIMONE: “In the same room you did. We were in there for a little while, and the fire thing only appeared when we started to leave.”

>Maybe it's searching for them
>Or it could have been after something else in the box, like the amulet.

There seems to be only one way to find out, and Sam might need a little push before she volunteers herself as a lab rat.

>also there seems to be a faint something right in front of you. Like a dark red star. Is that coming from the sigil?
>The divination still has a dark red reading here.
>Try touching it, saying "control", or maybe using that lockpicking spell again.

Struck by (your) inspiration, Sam rushes back to the art room. In blatant disregard of the black and yellow tape, she reaches out and places her hand in the centre of the sigil.

SAM: “Control.”

Nothing happens. That would have been a little embarrassing if the others were here.

(2/3) kpwlt 2026/03/02(Mon)12:25 No. 1122842 ID: 127310
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Sam retrieves her documents on Kleidas and completes the ritual prescribed for a situation as close as conceivable to this one.

A ripple of darkness extends from Sam’s hand and corrodes a part of the wall. She steps back to allow the sliver of rock to peel away and crumble into nothingness. The room starts to smell quite strongly of the absence of black tea.

A feathered mass bulges in place of the star-shaped slice. It’s as though whatever was on the other side has pressed itself up to its own wall as best it can. A mound in the centre of the apparition cleaves itself in two to reveal a featureless eye.

(3/3) kpwlt 2026/03/02(Mon)12:25 No. 1122843 ID: 127310
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A pale membrane flicks across the viscous dark several times. With each pass, it embeds some greyish afterimage into Sam’s mind.

A lot going on here.
Looks like you working with the birds. wielding a feather, then summoning a bird, and it must have gone well because you have a crown in the third image.
Also of note is you are holding a halberd.

the question is; is this a premonition, or an offer?

The first image. You are standing in a room with thorned vines and bones. You are holding up a feather... there is someone in the doorway.
I think this means the feather can be found in the corpse room.

The second image. You have performed or are performing some sort of ritual, and a crow stands on a pentacle drawn on the floor.
Clearly you can use the feather to summon the crows.

The third image. You are wearing a crown, wielding a halberd, and there are symbols visible... those black symbols on the map that look like flies are attached to your hand by lines. There are buildings in the background.
Hmm. I guess this means you become ruler of... whatever this place is? They're promising good things will happen to you after you summon them. Perhaps they're saying you will have control.


Well, no harm in getting the feather at least. We can confer with our allies as to whether it's a good idea to summon the birds.

>>1122583
Ok now that we know what the symbols generally mean I think the black fly symbols are associated with Hella's group... assuming she's in her office. If Hella is in the pit room then the orange symbol is her, and there's someone else in the office.

>Hella is wearing black and white
>She peers through the makeshift door and spies a black and white clad figure hunched over a crate. The figure quickly ceases its rummaging and bursts into bright orange flame.
Yeah either Hella is the culprit, or someone that dresses like her, which would mean someone in her organization. After we decide what to do about the crows, we should confront her.

(1/3) kpwlt 2026/04/03(Fri)14:05 No. 1124264 ID: 127310
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>the question is; is this a premonition, or an offer?

How does Sam tell the difference?

>I guess this means you become ruler of... whatever this place is?

Shrikenest, the capital of Southshoals, perhaps? Or even all of Southshoals? Seems a little out there.

>They're promising good things will happen to you after you summon them. Perhaps they're saying you will have control.

Sam does like the idea of that. Even a little bit of control would go a long way in her life.

>After we decide what to do about the crows, we should confront her.

Very well.

>I think the black fly symbols are associated with Hella's group

What are the implications of Hella’s group using the same symbol that represents cosmic darkness? Could they be tryptologers, too? Sam wonders.

>I think this means the feather can be found in the corpse room.
>Well, no harm in getting the feather at least.

Sam jolts back out of the painting room.

UBERTO: “Sam, what’s going on? Could you slow down a little, please.”

Only one thing is on Sam’s mind now. This is the closest she’s ever been to something truly new. She might be the closest person ever to seeing the edge of the world and the border of human knowledge.

She winds around Uberto and enters the corpse room. She’s down on her knees and scrounging through the muck with nothing but her hands and her will. What she finds is no feather, but a box. A sort of smallish heptagonal prism emblazoned with the image of a feather at one end. There are a number of panels with small knobs on them, held in by some latches.

(2/3) kpwlt 2026/04/03(Fri)14:05 No. 1124265 ID: 127310
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UBERTO: “Sam! Oh hey, what’ve you got there?”

SAM: “A feather… Oh, I don’t know. It doesn’t look like a feather. I think I can use it to summon some kind of crow.”

UBERTO: “Why are we summoning crows?”

SAM: “I think they might be able to help me, us. With looking for the pages and other things.”

UBERTO: “...Alright. Well, just keep me in the loop about this stuff.”

Uberto gags a little from the smell and leaves. Sam can tell that he is utterly unconvinced that this ‘feather’ will be any more than a pataphysical dead end. She is a little disappointed. It feels as though he only goes along with all of this because she’s his friend, and not because he thinks anything will come of it.

(3/3) kpwlt 2026/04/03(Fri)14:06 No. 1124266 ID: 127310
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The box feels a little heavy in Sam’s hand. The placement of the knobs and latches makes it difficult to get a good grip on the thing. In the near silence, a quiet tapping comes from within.

Sam quickly unlatches the end panel to find nothing inside. Opening the other panels reveals the same interior. The tapper is nowhere to be seen.

Sam leaves and joins the others.

SIMONE: “Heya. What’s that?”

SAM: “A box. It’s empty.”

JURIST: “Hmm. It is too shallow here. Too bright. The Daughter will not find this bird far from its nest.”

The box is much lighter now.

It sounds like the jurist is saying it will cone back after you go down the well.

I suppose now is as good a time as any to ask Uberto what he thinks of crow visions, and where to go from here.

Hmm. Close it again, I think, and bring it to the gallery. Closer to the nest. Open it there, the feather should appear.

(1/4) kpwlt 2026/04/29(Wed)03:56 No. 1126033 ID: 127310
File 177743501218.png - (29.38KB , 700x700 , u19p1.png )

>I suppose now is as good a time as any to ask Uberto what he thinks of crow visions, and where to go from here.

SAM: “Uberto, listen, when I went back into the gallery, I saw-”

Uberto interrupts. He takes on a precatory tone.

UBERTO: “Sorry. Guys, could we maybe have a moment, please?”

He’s always reluctant for Sam to discuss her tryptology in the presence of others. Sam knows he’s not embarrassed of her or anything, there’s just a certain stigma surrounding it that he would rather her not have to deal with. In the past, people have been executed by angry mobs for practising, and even today ‘black magic’ (as its opponents call it) carries connotations of death and inhumanity. Still, Sam can’t help but feel a little offended, for some reason.

The Jurist and Simone leave the room and strike up a conversation of their own.

SAM: “-a crow, or a raven, or a rook or whatever it is. I found it because it showed me a map earlier in the caves. And so I ‘unlocked’ the sigil and,,, there was an eye that showed me visions.”

Sam relays the contents of the visions to Uberto.

UBERTO: “Wow. That’s, wow. That’s a lot, Sam. Do you think the first bit is already finished? You always said these things could be pretty symbolic. And you called it a feather earlier. And it wants you to summon it? Or it says you will summon it and come into power, you think?”

SAM: “Something like that, yeah. What do you think?”

UBERTO: “Well, seems ominous. Maybe even a little Faustian!¹ We should definitely be careful, but carpe diem, right? Isn’t this what you wanted? And surely we can figure things out without committing to something… unfavourable.”

SAM: “True. Alright, carpe diem. Come on now, we’ve got to figure this thing out.”

Sam shows Uberto the feather-box, inside and out. It is still empty.

¹ Here, Uberto used a word derived from the name of a literary character who is not Faust, but the translator felt that it would be best to use the more familiar term.

(2/4) kpwlt 2026/04/29(Wed)03:57 No. 1126034 ID: 127310
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>Hmm. Close it again, I think, and bring it to the gallery. Closer to the nest.

Sam and Uberto make tracks to the gallery, picking up the others on the way.

SIMONE: “Productive chat?”

SAM: “Productive enough.”

UBERTO: “Yeah! Pretty good. We’re going to go check out something in the art room now.”

The Jurist and Simone wrap up their conversation as they trail behind. It sounds as though they’re on the topic of their families.

The sigil has returned to normal. The monster from before is nowhere to be seen, but Sam feels as though its presence still lingers. A greying aura subtly exudes from the lines, but nobody comments on it.

When Sam walks into the room, the tapping returns and grows stronger the further in she travels. She almost drops the box in shock, but manages to compose herself enough to start unlatching it.

However, as Uberto, then Simone, then the Jurist quickly draw nearer to see what the fuss is about, the tapping dies down. Once again, the box is empty.

SAM: “Odd.”

SIMONE: “Weird?”

UBERTO: “Strange!”

JURIST: “Peculiar…”

Nobody addresses the thin black mist that emerges from the box. Nobody but Sam even seems to watch it rise and dissipate. The tiny particles float and burst like bubbles.

SIMONE: “How was it making that noise if there was nothing inside it? Is it like a puzzle or something?”

JURIST: “Nothing must have been making the noise.”

SIMONE: “Do you guys get what they’re talking about? Usually?”

UBERTO: “Haha. Too soon to say.”

>It sounds like the jurist is saying it will cone back after you go down the well.

SAM: “Come on. I’ve got another idea.”

(3/4) kpwlt 2026/04/29(Wed)03:57 No. 1126035 ID: 127310
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Uberto remarks about the catacombs as the group traverse through it.

UBERTO: “I never knew there were such huge caverns down here! Makes you wonder what else is just under the City, huh?”

(4/4) kpwlt 2026/04/29(Wed)03:57 No. 1126036 ID: 127310
File 177743503480.png - (45.80KB , 700x700 , u19p4.png )

The well stands before the four. It looks ancient. It looks prehistoric.

Sam leans over the opening. On the inside, several handles have been drilled into the walls of the well, allowing safe passage up and down.

SIMONE: “Down there? Didn’t Hella say that was off-limits?”

UBERTO: “Hey Simone. We’ve explored everywhere else. If Mary’s anywhere in this place, she’ll be down there. I don’t think she’d be in the office.”

There is a small device blinking in the corner of the room. One of its two lights started flickering weakly ever since Sam drew near. She’s too far to get a good look at it.

>>1126034
>However, as Uberto, then Simone, then the Jurist quickly draw nearer to see what the fuss is about, the tapping dies down.
Try again, alone this time.

>>1126036
You could check the light, but imo that's a security device to sound an alarm when someone unauthorized approaches the well. Probably shouldn't approach either before finalizing our research on the box.

>>1126039
These assertions make sense. The boxed entity seems to want to meet you alone, which is worrying.

>>1126067
It MIGHT be sufficient for them to stand back a ways

(1/4) kpwlt 2026/05/06(Wed)13:04 No. 1126422 ID: 127310
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>You could check the light, but imo that's a security device to sound an alarm when someone unauthorized approaches the well. Probably shouldn't approach either before finalizing our research on the box.

Sam agrees. Best to remain sceptical.

>Try again, alone this time.

SAM: “Everyone stay here for a moment please.”

>It MIGHT be sufficient for them to stand back a ways

SAM: “Or just don’t come into the art room. Okay? Maybe just standing back will be enough.”

The others regard her with puzzled looks, but Uberto gives her an unsure thumbs up.

(2/4) kpwlt 2026/05/06(Wed)13:04 No. 1126423 ID: 127310
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Sam walks back to the gallery in total silence.

>The boxed entity seems to want to meet you alone, which is worrying.

It’s worrying, is it? Sam’s mind is plagued with tales of tryptologers triumphantly running through their towns, exclaiming that they’ve made contact with some cosmic intelligence from beyond the stars only days before their half eaten corpses are found by police in a ditch somewhere.

To push this fear back beneath the surface, Sam cracks open Clerk’s book again, back to where she was before. She turns the page.

It doesn’t really make much sense. There are elements that make sense in isolation but the whole is confusing. The heptagram reappears, and there’s another letter. At least it’s distracting.

(3/4) kpwlt 2026/05/06(Wed)13:04 No. 1126424 ID: 127310
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Sam decides to turn another page just to make sure whatever she was worried about stays away. Much better.

(4/4) kpwlt 2026/05/06(Wed)13:04 No. 1126425 ID: 127310
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Sam reaches the gallery and stands squarely in front of the sigil on the wall. The tapping returns, and with it, Sam’s worries resurface. Regardless, she calms her shaky hand and opens the box. A small beak emerges from within. It opens with a croaky voice that dims the soft light around it.

BEAK?: “Samantha… hello. It is good to rrk speak to you. You, your friends, your nation,,,,,, your future, are in danger. I can… help you. But first, you must… help me.”

SAM: “What? Hold on, who are you? What are you? What kind of danger are you talking about and will you help me? And how do I help you?”

BEAK?: “I have no name… I have been called many things, Samantha, but none,, ring true. In bygone years, I have been hailed as a god.. But, yours is an enlightened era, isn’t it? No gods govern this world, anymore, only philosophies. And, in truth… I am no god. I am but… a teacher and servant.”

The beak clicks a little before continuing.

BEAK?: “The other countries… have their eye on Southshoals, the orphaned nation. They want its riches and… splendour,,, for themselves. And your leaders, Samantha, they are willing to sell. The Prime Minister invites the usurpers in, and the, the Governor turns a blind eye. All other positions in this Government exist to protect those two and allow them to sell out the Crown.

But, I can grant you… the strength to oppose this. The strength to mould this nation into something that pleases you.”

It pauses now, and shivers uncomfortably. It seems sick.

SAM: “Are you alright?”

BEAK?: “Your will is corrosive to this feather of mine. I am unharmed. But listen, Samantha. I am locked outside. I cannot come in. I need your help. You must find the three missing pores and make me an entrance. I can tell that one is already close, but in another’s control…”

The beak lapses into silence.

>>1126424
...ah, we came here in search of the missing pages, but it seems we are likely to rediscover the content of the missing pages in a more direct fashion.

>>1126425
What it says supports what we found remaining in the book. "Protect the Crown" most importantly-- that is a noble goal. As for molding the country... honestly you should forget about that, aside from perhaps implementing more protections to keep the Crown protected.

Ask how you can open the pores. Did you already open this one?

On the one hand this seems like it could be a classic temptation lure you into freeing something evil.

On the other hand, crows are cool.
You should go along with this until information presents itself that it would be a bad idea.

To that end, ask it why it wouldn't talk in front of the others.

(1/2) kpwlt 2026/05/12(Tue)15:41 No. 1126734 ID: 127310
File 177860047464.png - (26.90KB , 700x700 , u21p1.png )

>What it says supports what we found remaining in the book. "Protect the Crown" most importantly-- that is a noble goal. As for molding the country... honestly you should forget about that, aside from perhaps implementing more protections to keep the Crown protected.

Sure, Sam can get behind the idea that the vague idea of ‘protecting the Crown’ is good, in the same way that ‘promoting peace’ and ‘ending conflict’ are, but what, specifically, does this mean? And Sam isn’t convinced that moulding the country is necessarily a bad thing. She knows Southshoals has its problems. If she was at the reins, maybe things would be better for everyone?

You should go along with this until information presents itself that it would be a bad idea.

What kind of information would clue Sam in to that?

>To that end, ask it why it wouldn't talk in front of the others.

SAM: “So. Why did you want to talk to me alone?”

BEAK?: “It is not… a want. Your will corrodes the feather. Your acquaintances’ will does too. Perchance, imagine a tree that spreads outwards as it grows upwards. You are currently in one of the… lowest boughs, of this tree, where my feathers can reach you. When you are… joined by others, there is not enough room in the low parts of the tree, and… without even realising, you climb to a higher branch. Now that my feather is in the tree, it is easier for it to stay in the tree than before, and perhaps it could ascend slightly, but it is a poor climber.

SAM: “If your feather is here, where are you?”

BEAK?: “In the… roots.”

>Ask how you can open the pores. Did you already open this one?

SAM: “How do I make a way for you? How do I open the pores?”

BEAK?: “Steal them from the weak. Learn them… Harness their power. Unite them… in your mind.”

>it seems we are likely to rediscover the content of the missing pages in a more direct fashion.

SAM: “Steal the pages, you mean?”

BEAK?: “If you… think that would be best. But I know… you are past needing that. When the pores’ power is used… in your presence, pay attention to the flow of the darkness and you may… discover them yourself.”

(2/2) kpwlt 2026/05/12(Tue)15:41 No. 1126735 ID: 127310
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Sam’s train of thought is interrupted by a jabbing sensation in her left forearm. It’s as though someone is jabbing around with a needle. This is a sensation that Sam is fairly used to. Sam and Uberto have a small sympathetic alphabet tattooed on their non-dominant arms that they can use to communicate if need be. It’s fairly rudimentary, but it gets the job done.

This particular message roughly translates to
UBERTO HERE IF SAM NEED HELP LOUD SAY.

>>1126734
>If she was at the reins, maybe things would be better for everyone?
Do you have any experience governing? Or being in a position of power/authority? You could easily make things worse with an ignorant or reckless approach.

>>1126735
Well, time to see if the feather can ascend to Uberto's branch. Call him in.

Ask the feather what protecting the crown means exactly. In what ways could this be done?

you can message back that you're fine and headed back.

unless beak has anything else to say you should return to the others.