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disco-elysium-via-polls · 19 hours

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🎵 Polyhedrons

2. "I'm starting to see that there is no curse, only business decisions and natural market fluctuations."

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "Exactly." She pinches the root of her nose. "Truth is always so disappointingly mundane and boring."

"But I'm glad we got this sorted out. Anything else I can help you with today?"

DRAMA [Medium: Success] - That's all she has to say on the subject. She's been thorough and truthful as far as we can see.

SUGGESTION [Easy: Success] - Plaisance is not going to like what you have to tell her.

6. [Shivers - Legendary 14] Why hasn't her business failed...

+1 The Remote Viewer

Boxcars! I wouldn't have even needed to change my outfit. I knew being in the Remote Viewers Division would pay off eventually.

SHIVERS [Legendary: Success] - A gust of cold air sweeps through the chimney. The stones and minerals on the shelves rattle as though agitated. For a moment it almost feels as though you're *outside* the building, exposed to the atmosphere...

"Hey, Neha... The curse is real and I figured out why it has spared you."

"This is still just a theory, but hear me out: I think I know why your business hasn't failed."

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "Didn't we already talk about this?" she asks, as the wind continues to seep in through the cracks in the old chimney.

"It's because you're not *in* the same building as the others. This isn't *technically* the Doomed Commercial Area."

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "What are you talking about?" she says, shaking her head. "My address is exactly the same -- Rue de Saint-Ghislaine 10."

SHIVERS - No. The old coal plant that used to be here was subsumed into the new venture, its ruins swallowed up -- yet it has a different address in the heart of the city.

"No, this used to be a coal plant." (Touch the safety curtains.) "You're in a chimney of *another* building."

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "This doesn't make any sense." She looks around the makeshift nest that she has carved out for herself, bewildered.

"Are you saying my business was spared because of a *technicality*? Where is this coming from?"

"Let's say I have my own methods... Unusual methods."

"It has a different address in the heart of the city."

"I'm just using logic -- it's windy in here. You probably haven't properly sealed the chimney crown." (Point above.)

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "And what, does it mean that I'm safe from failure?"

INLAND EMPIRE [Easy: Success] - Don't let her become complacent! She still needs to ward *her soul* against the evil forces!

"Actually, it's only your workshop that's protected. You should still do something to defend your person."

"No one's really ever safe from the failure."

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - She starts laughing, her fingers trying to rub away the exhaustion from her face.

"What?"

(Look away.) "I want to talk about something else now."

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "Do you know what this is?" She raises her hand to reveal a piece of metal shining on her index finger.

"Your lucky charm? Some kind of a ward?"

"It looks like a regular piece of jewellery to me."

"I don't care what it is, I only came to tell you about why you haven't failed yet."

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "It's a mourning ring," she replies. "I made this when my first company failed. It was a small jewellery shop right here in the East Delta Commerce Centre, built with the little I inherited from my parents..."

"I drove it into the ground within a year. I didn't have what you would call a *viable* business plan."

"See? The curse is real! I bet you didn't run this little jewellery shop from the protective depths of the chimney?"

"Why are you telling me this?"

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "No, you're right, I didn't." She laughs again, but it sounds rather small and sad.

"It wasn't just the jewellery shop either. I always thought that it was just the world, that you were supposed to try again and again until you finally succeed."

"And now you're telling me, what?" She closes her eyes. "That it was all because I didn't run my little shops and ventures from a dump inside an abandoned chimney?"

"Don't call it a dump, you've made it nice and cosy here."

"I'm sorry. I don't know what to say. It's entropy."

"Yes. Coincidence is all that safeguards us."

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "Yeah." She stares out of the window, not really hearing your words. "Or maybe it's the entire world that's cursed? It's such a precarious place. Nothing ever works out the way you wanted."

"That's why people like role-playing games. You can be whoever you want to be. You can try again. Still, there's something inherently violent even about dice rolls."

"It's like every time you cast a die, something disappears. Some alternative ending, or an entirely different world..." She picks up a pair of dice from the table and examines them under the light.

"But anyway... thanks for sharing your theories, officer." She gives you a tired smile.

Thought Gained: The Precarious World

+5 XP

THE PRECARIOUS WORLD

Temporary research bonus: All Red Checks fail Research time: 4h

Seems like the point of this game is *victory*. The absence of defeat on all fronts. Victory in business ventures and creative undertakings. Victory in love and over other people. Political victory. Ideological victory. Hell, even sexual victory. Definitely a lot of object-based victories, too -- having things and not losing them. One problem, though: not a lot of victors in sight. Everyone’s mostly losing. Why is that? And how do you *not* lose?

2. "Okay. I'd like to order a die from you."

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "Of course," she nods -- this is what she's here for. "Tell me what you have in mind."

"Do you know the *Wirrâl Untethered* setting? I want a die for that."

"Do you have any *cursed dice*?"

"Tell me about your most extraordinary die!"

"I'm sorry, I don't actually know what die I want…"

"Just a normal die for me, please. Very *regular*."

"I'm looking for something to help with my work."

"Actually, I need more time to think about it."

For the most part, we can only order one die (or set of dice) from Neha. Each of them will have a different effect. Right now none is particularly better than the others, so we're going to hold off on ordering anything. We can still ask about them, though.

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "Ah, yes, Fortress Accident." She shakes her head lightly. "It's too bad they never finished their game..."

"The Wirrâl Untethered die is a variation of a standard role-playing die, only instead of plants it uses motifs of ice and death. And loss, of course."

CONCEPTUALIZATION [Medium: Success] - Ice... death... loss... sounds like you.

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "I'm thinking something made from alligator jawbone, cast in black resin. The reptile bone is as white as ice and dead as... well... death," she smiles. "For seven reál I could have it ready in eight hours."

"What's a *standard* role-playing die?"

"Why do you need to cast it in resin?"

"It's a deal." (Order the die.)

"Hm... I should maybe get a different one." (Back off.)

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "It's an *icositetrahedron* -- a 24-sided die that can produce results for a 2-sided, 3-sided, 4-sided, 6-sided, and 12-sided die with a single roll. Technically you can also use it for many other sizes, but you may need to re-roll results."

LOGIC [Medium: Success] - Loving it. So nifty.

"Why do you need to cast it in resin?"

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "Untreated bone is porous and prone to chipping. Cast it in something hard like resin, though, and *voila*, it's perfect."

3. "Hm… I should maybe get a different one." (Back off.)

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "Maybe you have some other ideas for dice?"

2. "Do you have any *cursed dice*?"

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "What do you mean by *cursed*?"

"As cursed as this commercial area."

"As cursed as my life."

"Abraq-ad-abra, perished like this world!"

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "Alright, how about I surprise you? Come back in eight hours with seven reál and I'll give you your *cursed die*."

"It's a deal." (Order the die.)

"Actually, I need to think about it first." (Back off.)

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "Maybe you have some other ideas for dice?"

3. "Tell me about your most extraordinary die!"

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "A star that fell from the firmament? Those cost more than seven reál. Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm a star myself, a *superstar* -- and superstars don't care about money."

"No, I'm afraid it's not worth it, sorry."

+1 Superstar Cop

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "Yes, you definitely have the proper attitude. How about a pair of 100-sided dice? Made of ivory and inlaid with lodestone, a naturally occurring magnet, to complement your magnetic personality."

ENCYCLOPEDIA [Medium: Success] - Pieces of lodestone were used as the first magnetic compasses, from which they derive their other name: *course stones*.

SUGGESTION [Easy: Success] - That's a stone for leaders.

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "Ten reál and I can get these ready in eight hours."

"But do magnetic dice even roll properly?"

"It's a deal." (Order the dice set.)

"I need to think about it first." (Back off.)

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "It's true, magnetic dice are definitely different. When rolled together, the magnetic fields of the pips interact with each other to push and pull on each other as they are rolled. Just like all magnetic personalities do."

2. "I need to think about it first." (Back off.)

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "Maybe you have some other ideas for dice?"

4. "I'm sorry, I don't actually know what die I want…"

+1 Sorry Cop

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "How about an amber die?" she suggests.

"Amber, a poor man's gold?"

"No, amber sounds too boring."

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - The dicemaker laughs. "Who told you that amber was cheap? It's beautiful, really, and has been treasured since the ancient times."

"For seven reál I'll craft you a 13-sided die from a piece of amber with a fossilised insect. It's perfect for those who can't seem to let go of their past."

"That sounds like me."

"It's a deal." (Order the die.)

"I need to think about it." (Back off.)

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "I had a feeling." She smiles, but says nothing more.

2. "I need to think about it." (Back off.)

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "Maybe you have some other ideas for dice?"

5. "Just a normal die for me, please. Very *regular*."

+1 Boring Cop

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "A 'normal' die? I'm a novelty dicemaker, I don't make 'normal' dice."

"What do you do then?"

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "Polyhedral dice. Dice that have more than four sides. Octahedrons, trapezohedrons, dodecahedrons... But also barrel dice and teetotum balls."

"Come on now. Be a little creative."

6. "I'm looking for something to help with my work."

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "I think I have just the right one for you." She opens the top drawer of her work desk and takes something out -- two polyhedrons, red and blue, are cradled in her palm.

ESPRIT DE CORPS [Easy: Success] - Police colours.

"Because I'm a police officer, right?"

"Uh, I don't get it…"

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "Not the most original, I know," she smiles, almost apologizing, "but sometimes the obvious choice is obvious because it's best."

"Here, catch!" She tosses you the dice. "They're a gift from me."

These don't count towards the dice limit.

LOGIC [Medium: Success] - A beautiful woman tossing you a gift? Whatever you do, don't overthink it.

[Hand/Eye Coordination - Medium 10] Catch the dice!

Let them fall on the ground.

-1 Totally overthinking it.

Item gained: Icosahedral Dice Set "Sirens"

HAND/EYE COORDINATION [Medium: Success] - Mr. Smooth Moves! You snatch the dice out of the air with one hand, just like you're in a movie.

Wink at the dicemaker.

Say nothing. Act like you've done this a thousand times.

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "What are the odds?" The dicemaker winks back at you. "The red one is made of bloodstone with a lapis lazuli inlay and the blue one is the inverse. I believe these dice are your lucky charm, officer..."

HAND/EYE COORDINATION - She winked back at you! Can you believe it? You truly are Mr. Smooth Moves!

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "You'll definitely need luck in Martinaise." She closes her desk drawer. "Was there anything else?"

ICOSAHEDRAL DICE SET "SIRENS"

These two 20-sided dice have the colours of a police alarm -- bloodstone for red and lapis lazuli for blue. If you roll them and squint your eyes it looks like you're arriving on the scene. And it's raining. NOTE! Look at the MAP tab in Journal to see which White Checks have opened.

We'll look into ordering another die once we have more locked checks.

5. "Do you know what happened to other tenants? Everyone else is gone."

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "More or less." She adjusts the yellow scarf that covers her hair. "Are you interested in anyone specific?"

LOGIC [Medium: Success] - Oh, quite a lot of them spring to mind.

SHIVERS [Challenging: Success] - Rats scuttle in the dark rooms, under the abandoned blow driers and dusty mannequins, cobwebs cover rotors and radiocomputers alike... so much failure.

"There used to be a hair salon here, right?"

"What happened to the gym?"

"What's up with the broken windows?"

"Did someone here make stuffed animals? I saw mounts lying around."

"I found creepy mannequins…"

"What's with the rotor blades and skis?"

"I found a strange machine..."

"There was a terrifying taxidermied bear in the cellar."

"I found the building's intercom, but it's not working."

"Actually, I had other questions..."

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "Yes, I think it was called Androgynous Orlando or something similar. They weren't a big hit around here -- turns out that working class men don't like genderless haircuts. They're scared of that word."

PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT [Medium: Success] - You wouldn't like it either. The others would laugh at you.

CONCEPTUALIZATION [Medium: Success] - A bit of experimenting every now and then isn't bad.

COMPOSURE [Medium: Success] - It's not about the haircut, it's about the *confidence*.

#disco elysium #harrier du bois #neha the novelty dicemaker

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disco-elysium-via-polls · 2 days

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You - "Plaisance thinks it's because you're the *source* of it. A malignant entity."

Novelty Dicemaker - "Malignant *entity*, what does that even mean?" The dicemaker laughs. "Some kind of sorceress? What about you, officer? Do you think I'm the *malignant entity*?"

Half Light - The jig is up! The she-demon knows you've uncovered her true identity.

#disco elysium

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disco-elysium-via-polls · 2 days

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This tray is full of dice -- colourful polyhedral dice. Hundreds of them.

The candy dispenser has been repurposed to contain thousands of dice.

🎵 Polyhedrons

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "Hello, I'm Neha." A bird-like woman sits on a throne of tools, with emerald light shining through her hair.

"Did you try knocking on my window? I must have missed you, I've been listening to my *milieus*." She taps on her headphones.

"So, what kind of die are you looking for?"

INLAND EMPIRE [Easy: Success] - Could this be the malicious Entity? Perhaps it's wise to go along with this *masquerade* for now...

VISUAL CALCULUS [Easy: Success] - She's got a direct view to the backyard. You should interrogate her about the lynching.

"Hold on, what do you mean by *milieus*?"

"You must have me confused with someone else -- I haven't knocked on your window."

"Why are you asking me about *dice*?" (Move on.)

"Never mind, I'll be back later." [Leave.]

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "Yes, a milieu is like a call-in station. You need a two-way radio to access one. That's why I have these." She pats the headphones on the table.

"Mostly they just teach you to swear in different languages, but some of the stations can be quite interesting. I was so absorbed, I must have missed you knocking."

2. "You must have me confused with someone else -- I haven't knocked on your window."

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "Then how did you get inside? By the south entrance?" She blinks. "You know what, it doesn't even matter. What matters is that you're finally here. Let's talk dice -- did you have something specific in mind?"

3. "Why are you asking me about *dice*?" (Move on.)

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "I'm a novelty dicemaker," she says. "Tell me the name of your role-playing system and I'll make the die you need. That's why you're here, yes?"

PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT [Medium: Success] - As she speaks her bone-like fingers fiddle with a ring. Her bones light, but her hands strong.

ENCYCLOPEDIA [Easy: Success] - Role-playing games? You know the one made by Fortress Accident. Does that count?

"Sure, I like role-playing games and I need some dice."

"Maybe. I'm not really sure why I'm here, honestly."

"No, I was looking for something else..." (Squint your eyes mysteriously.) "*Answers*."

"I'm not interested in buying dice right now. I'm a police officer and I need to ask some questions."

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "How strange," she says. "Well, if you're interested, my rate is 10 reál per set, unless you want something really unusual..."

"Take a look around and see if there's any particular stone you want to use." The walls around her are covered with rows of precious stones and minerals.

CONCEPTUALIZATION [Medium: Success] - It almost looks as if the stones and dice are a natural part of the room, growing out of the shelves like stalagmites.

SUGGESTION [Easy: Success] - This person means you -- or no one else -- absolutely no harm. She will answer freely and honestly.

DRAMA [Medium: Success] - No falsehoods are present. She's a novelty dicemaker and doesn't have anything to hide. Ask what you need.

"How did you become a dicemaker?"

"Okay. I'd like to order a die from you."

"What do you know about the man who was lynched behind the Whirling-in-Rags?"

"Hey, where are we anyway? What is this place?" (Look around the room.)

[Leave.]

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "How did I *become* one? It was a business decision. I was a regular jeweller at first, but that's an unfocused field -- with too much competition."

"Some of my friends were role-players. They asked me to make some polyhedral dice out of cobalt. That was my first order. I grew it from there."

"Do you like role-playing games yourself?"

"Understood."

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "Not especially. I like working with rare materials and a steady pay. And role-players as customers -- they're nice people."

RHETORIC [Medium: Success] - Some of those nice people have big bucks to spend on novelty items.

EMPATHY [Easy: Success] - She's thankful for the security they provide her.

3. "What do you know about the man who was lynched behind the Whirling-in-Rags?"

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "Nothing, really. I didn't know him."

INLAND EMPIRE [Easy: Success] - Who cares about the dead body? We might be dealing with a *malignant entity* here!

KIM KITSURAGI - The lieutenant looks at his notebook, then the woman under the large window...

"Your window looks directly onto the courtyard. You're saying you didn't see or hear *anything* unusual last Sunday evening?"

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "I'm sorry, detective, but -- as you know -- I usually have my headphones on when I'm working. It shuts out most of the daily ruckus behind my window."

"What do you mean by the 'daily ruckus'?"

"And you never took your eyes off the work to look out of the window?"

"Do you often work Sunday nights?"

"I see. Thank you for your answers." (Conclude.)

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "Well, there's always something going on in the Whirling's backyard..." She stops to try and come up with an example.

"During daytime there are usually those kids… And lately I've been seeing a lot of drunk workers hanging about. Must be because of the strike."

DRAMA [Medium: Success] - She's heard of the murder, but did not see it, sire.

EMPATHY [Medium: Success] - She's not sorry to disappoint you. Informing on someone in a murder investigation would intrude upon her focused existence.

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - She looks up at the window... Pale light comes in. "But I never saw anyone during that fateful Sunday night, I'm afraid."

2. "And you never took your eyes off the work to look out of the window?"

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "I might have," she admits, "but in this case all I would have seen is my own reflection staring back from the darkness."

VISUAL CALCULUS [Challenging: Success] - It's light here -- but dark in the yard at night.

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "It's really hard to make anything out in the yard when it's dark outside. Besides... I rarely get up to look out the window when I'm in the zone."

PERCEPTION (SIGHT) [Challenging: Success] - This person values focus above all -- she keeps her sharp sight on the instruments before her.

3. "Do you often work Sunday nights?"

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "It's an odd profession -- making dice for people -- but I like it. And I *prefer* doing this to sitting at home."

4. "I see. Thank you for your answers." (Conclude.)

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - She nods.

"Anything else, officer?"

4. "Hey, where are we anyway? What is this place?" (Look around the room.)

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "We're inside the chimney of an old central furnace. It's strange, I know." She looks at the ruddy bricks that make up the walls -- even though they've been repainted there are still signs of coal-black soot here and there.

"But when I arrived here, all the other rooms were taken, so I had to build myself a makeshift home. Besides, I don't really have to pay any rent here, so that's a plus."

INLAND EMPIRE [Easy: Success] - Plaisance was right... There's an entity living in the chimney! You should ask her about the curse.

AUTHORITY [Medium: Success] - Does it mean she's *unlawfully* occupying a part of the house? Shameful!

KIM KITSURAGI - "Creative." The lieutenant looks around the spacious room, its ceiling fading into shadows above.

REACTION SPEED [Medium: Success] - When she arrived here, there was no room anywhere else... She must've known the other businesses.

5. "I've heard this place is cursed. Did you know that people call it the Doomed Commercial Area?"

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "I've heard the stories," she nods, as the wind howls in from the furnace shaft above. "But I don't think those stories are true."

"Wait… how do you explain what happened to all those companies then?"

"Plaisance is the one who sent me. She's convinced that the place is swarming with malicious energies."

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "It's just capitalism." She shrugs. "We only hear about tales of success, so it's often surprising to realize how many ventures actually fail."

"Plaisance is the one who sent me. She's convinced that the place is swarming with malicious energies."

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "Plaisance, the bookshop lady?" She raises her brows. "I've heard that her business is doing rather well. Have the *energies* spared her somehow?"

"Actually, the bookstore isn't doing that well. There are hardly any customers and she has to exploit her own daughter to keep the company going."

"The curse is just biding its time before it strikes again. Sooner or later everyone will fail -- even her."

"I don't know why the bookstore hasn't gone bankrupt yet -- that's what I'm here to investigate."

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "Alright. But it's not just the bookstore that's still up and running. What about the Whirling-in-Rags? Some people say it's part of the building complex."

"Hold on, the Whirling is part of the Doomed Commercial Area?!"

"Yes, but it's still a separate building. The malicious energies can't reach there."

"No, the Whirling isn't doing well either: its waitress just took off and customers have trouble paying bills."

"You're right, the Whirling doesn't really look like it's cursed."

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "You could say so. Both houses were built at the same time and under the East Delta Commerce Centre project."

3. "You're right, the Whirling doesn't really look like it's cursed."

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "And then there's me..." She sighs, looking at her messy work table. All kinds of tools lie there scattered, from knives to carving files to wire cutters.

"I've been here for 14 years, selling novelty dice to role-playing enthusiasts. Not exactly a million reál business idea, yet somehow I've survived despite the talk of malicious energies. Strange, isn't it?"

HALF LIGHT [Medium: Success] - It's because she's in cahoots with the demons!

DRAMA [Medium: Success]- Maybe it's just because she's so talented that she's been able to woo the curse?

"Plaisance thinks it's because you're the *source* of it. A malignant entity."

"It's because you're competent, and dedicated to your craft. The curse doesn't affect people like you."

"The curse will get to you, have no doubt about it. It just doesn't care about earthly time frames."

"I'll be the first to admit there are many inconsistencies in this so-called 'curse'."

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "Malignant *entity*, what does that even mean?" The dicemaker laughs. "Some kind of sorceress? What about you, officer? Do you think I'm the *malignant entity*?"

HALF LIGHT [Medium: Success] - The jig is up! The she-demon knows you've uncovered her true identity.

INLAND EMPIRE [Easy: Success] - Time has come to face the Source. Fear not, for the forces of the universe are supporting you in this psychic quest.

#disco elysium #kim kitsuragi #harrier du bois #neha the novelty dicemaker

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disco-elysium-via-polls · 3 days

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UNLOCKABLE CHECKS

ENCYCLOPEDIA - [Formidable] Find the source of the Expresssion.

EQUIPPABLE THOUGHTS

MAGNESIUM-BASED LIFEFORM

Temporary bonus: -1 Shivers: No shakes Research time: 1h 15m

It is generally understood that human beings are carbon-based organisms, fusing little carbon tubes together to form complex, mushy structures capable of thought, love, and locomotion. It is also known that these structures sometimes like to “take the edge off” by consuming ethanol, amphetamine, etc. In such cases, it is important to supplement your body with magnesium. Tired? Mag it! Down? Mag time! Liver damage? MAXIMUM MAG! Some people say magnesium doesn’t really do anything and you just need to quit. What do we tell them?

DETECTIVE COSTEAU

Temporary bonus: -2 Conceptualization: An idiotic idea Research time: 2h 30m

Detective Raphaël Ambrosius Costeau – when you say it, it feels like you’re taking a bite of lemon meringue while sitting on the terrace of a seaside cafe. On a cool summer day. In Sur-La-Clef. It’s everything you’re *not*. You haven’t created many things during your stay in Martinaise, but you’ve created this. A fancy, sophisticated name that makes you sound intelligent. And that no one seems to *acknowledge*. Don’t you feel like you deserve a reward for coming up with something so special? And what would that reward *be*?

BRINGING OF THE LAW (LAW-JAW)

Temporary bonus: -1 Rhetoric: Weird jaw Research time: 2h 55m

Hey, so a little observation. It’s all cool, man. Don’t freak out, but every time you say “I am the law“ – and you say it *a lot*, it’s basically *hello* for you – your jaw does this *weird thing*. It sort of shifts sideways, hanging off your face at a jaunty angle, while the word *law* sounds oddly guttural and low. It’s… strange. You wouldn’t notice it, but after saying you’re the law eighty thousand times, the question *does* come up: why *do* you have Law Jaw?

DATE OF BIRTH GENERATOR

Temporary bonus: None Research time: 7h 15m

Your face looks like it’s 58 and your body feels like it’s 60. Your mind feels like it’s lived for one day or a hundred. Both longer than they ought to be, the day and the century…. But for how long, then, has this thing attached to your sentience walked the planet’s crust? Time to start racking those brains of yours, Elder One. When and where were you born?

ONE MORE DOOR

Temporary bonus: +1 Half Light: What is behind it? Research time: 0h 45m

God dammit, it cannot be. A disgrace! That door on the coast… you remember the one, right? The one that leads to the abandoned supply depot? Why, in the name of all that’s holy, does it not open? *Why*?! There *has* to be a way to get through that unopenable door. By gods, you’re the police – all doors are supposed to open before you. What will the others at the precinct think if you can’t open a goddamn door? There must be a way.

ARNO VAN EYCK

Temporary bonus: +1 Interfacing Research time: 0h 50m

The question won’t leave you – why did the melody line from a broken and discarded tape fit perfectly into a song played by some speedfreaks in a frozen tent? Can it be a coincidence? Maybe it’s the hand of the Man-Machine himself, in his attempt to craft a perfect song. Maybe Egg Head is actually Arno van Eyck in disguise!? Eyck? Egg? Hmm…

ANTI-OBJECT TASK FORCE

Temporary bonus: -2 Pain Threshold: Hurts! Research time: 2h 15m

Take a look at your hands. See how bruised they are? See those little scars? This is Exhibit A. The material world is holding you back. Containers, mailboxes, doors, chairs – they are all your enemies. Always have been. Atoms themselves are in on the conspiracy, forming shapes and structures that you hate. You are energy stuck in a body. You are spirit trapped in matter. Break free! Beat up that lamp post! Let it know just how much objects *suck*.

WASTE LAND OF REALITY

Temporary bonus: -2 Physical Instrument: Insomnia Research time: 20h

It has been brought to your attention that you’re an alcoholic. And that it’s a sickness. And it’s killing you. You’re crawling on your knees through life, your booze-filled belly dragging on the ground, your brain now fuzzy, now in overdrive, your hair sticking together with today’s cold sweat and yesterday’s vomit. Perhaps they’re right. Anything is better than this. Even bone-dry reality itself. Maybe you can quit?

#disco elysium

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disco-elysium-via-polls · 3 days

Text

🎵Doomed Commercial Area

3. "I'm not sure, Kim... but I think I can hear someone talking upstairs."

KIM KITSURAGI - "Wait, really?" He looks up at the ceiling. "Maybe it's coming from behind those safety curtains we saw upstairs?"

3. Smear your hands with coal.

CENTRAL FURNACE - A lush layer of coal now covers your skin, sinking into the wrinkles. Your hands look ancient.

INLAND EMPIRE [Medium: Success] - You feel the spirit of Ramout Karzai, ancient hero of Graad, pulsing through you. All that's left is to cover your face in war-paint.

Hadramut Karzai! Smear your cheeks black with coal.

No, let's not express ourselves. Let's just wipe our hands clean on our pants.

INLAND EMPIRE - Three dangerous stripes appear onto your cheeks, telling stories of your wild soul.

KIM KITSURAGI - "What... what are you doing?"

"I am the reincarnation of an ancient Iilmaraan warrior."

"Nothing!" (Wipe your face clean.) "Sorry, that was stupid."

KIM KITSURAGI - "Please wipe your face clean, officer."

CONCEPTUALIZATION [Medium: Success] - No, you're a proud warrior, keep it.

[Authority - Medium 11] Don't wipe it.

Wipe it clean.

+1 Kim trusts you.

AUTHORITY [Medium: Failure] - You can feel your cheeks turn red under the lieutenant's gaze -- you look like a kid, not a police officer. Even the war-paint can't conceal the embarrassment.

Wipe it clean.

KIM KITSURAGI - "Thank you," the lieutenant nods. "So, where were we?" He turns back to the furnace.

4. "Those voices I heard... Maybe it's the malignant Entity? Plaisance said it lives in a chimney."

KIM KITSURAGI - "You're right, the rooms do look like they're connected. But *malignant Entities* don't exist -- at least not the *supra-natural* kind."

RHETORIC [Medium: Success] - Always has to be the sceptic, this man...

HALF LIGHT [Medium: Success] - Then what was the chatter you heard?

6. Kick it with your foot.

CENTRAL FURNACE - A hollow ring echoes through the furnace. Your toe hurts.

-1 Health +1 The Destroyer

5. [Physical Instrument - Medium 10] Yell "Hello!" into the furnace.

+1 Kicked the furnace. +1 Called Slipstream SCA again. +1 Helping Soona with research.

PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT [Medium: Success] - Something *breaks loose* in you. A mighty bellow echoes throughout the chimney's depths. The chatter of tiny voices above suddenly cease. Then...

CENTRAL FURNACE - "Hello?" you hear a woman's voice answer.

INLAND EMPIRE [Easy: Success] - You've awakened the entity!

"This is the Remote Viewers Division! Identify yourself!"

"I summon the ghost of this Doomed Commercial Area. Answer me, spirit!"

"Hello! Are you there? Speak to me!"

CENTRAL FURNACE - "Hello! Did you say anything?" There's a pause. "I can't hear you, please come upstairs! There's a safety curtain on the second floor, I'll open it!"

+5 XP

Level up!

PERCEPTION (HEARING) [Easy: Success] - You hear a low rumble upstairs -- the sound of a curtain being pulled aside.

KIM KITSURAGI - The lieutenant nods, then points upstairs. "After you, officer."

6. [Leave.]

We're not quite done down here yet.

An ice cream maker, defrosted and unplugged.

The flashlight casts a strange shadow. There is a hidden doorway here...

Two rusty rifles are hidden above the piping, they look inoperable.

Someone has stuck some busted guns beneath the ceiling.

A HOLE IN THE WALL - A few bricks have fallen off, revealing a compartment behind the wall. It's too dark to see in.

"Where are we?" (Look around the secret room.)

"Look, there's a hole in the wall." (Shine light on the hidden compartment.)

[Leave.]

KIM KITSURAGI - "Seems like an old bunker from the Revolutionary period. Look at all those rifles..." He points up, at the rifles under the ceiling. "Must be an old weapons cache."

2. "Look, there's a hole in the wall." (Shine light on the hidden compartment.)

KIM KITSURAGI - "There is, yes. And there also appears to be something *inside* the hole... Interesting. Do you want to take a look?"

"Okay, I do…" (Look inside.)

"No, you do the honours." (Back off.)

A HOLE IN THE WALL - Your hand reaches deep into darkness and spider webs, rummaging around. You find rusty rifles, hidden away...

"Rifles, Kim!"

Inspect the rifles.

KIM KITSURAGI - The lieutenant steps closer, curious: "Are these any good?"

Inspect the rifles.

A HOLE IN THE WALL - Most of them are rusty and inoperable like the rest, but one catches your eye -- a bolt action model with a fine wood stock. In better cosmetic order than the others.

AUTHORITY [Easy: Success] - Take it! You're a police officer. Police officers carry guns.

"This one looks nice." (Take the rifle.)

KIM KITSURAGI - "An old Belle-Magrave, from the Revolution," the lieutenant notes with approval. His eyes are gleaming. "Seems to no longer be functional, but still -- a beautiful thing, in its own way."

Item Gained: Antique Belle-Magrave rifle

"Could the murder weapon we're looking for be similar?"

KIM KITSURAGI - "It's the same *type* of weapon, yes. A breechloader. An interesting coincidence that we should find something so similar. But I'm afraid our search for the real murder weapon must continue."

2. "What does this mean -- a rifle here?"

+1 Reputation

KIM KITSURAGI - "It means there are firearms -- albeit inoperable -- still lying around in Martinaise. It's an interesting coincidence, I would say. Might come in useful in the future."

+5 XP

EMPATHY [Trivial: Success] - He likes this find.

3. [Leave.]

ANTIQUE BELLE-MAGRAVE RIFLE

A broken Belle-Magrave BM446 from ages past. It's a four-shot, bolt-action military rifle with a wooden frame. It misses a bolt-spring and the mechanism is jammed shut.

Hmm... you know what?

FRACTURED BULLET - The bullet is still safely sealed away in a plastic bag bearing the RCM stamp.

4. [Hand/Eye Coordination - Legendary 14] Try to determine what type of weapon shot this.

+4 Have a similar rifle on hand. +1 Aware of the name of the antique rifle you found. +1 Have the full bullet specs.

HAND/EYE COORDINATION [Legendary: Success] - A rifle. Revolutionary-period. Your bullet looks to be an old 4.46 mm -- from the surplus left over from the turn of the century. Probably an antique or a retrofitted antique.

Make?

HAND/EYE COORDINATION - The 4.46 calibre was widely used with the *Belle-Magrave* rifle, a Revacholian manufacturer. The B-M dominated the battlefields of the Insulindian theatre of the Antecentennial Revolution, 50 years ago.

Incidentally, you have just such a rifle with you. The dusty old thing you found hidden in the basement below the commercial area. It's unusable, sadly. If it were, the bullet would *probably* fit the chamber.

+5 XP

Is anyone still making these rifles?

HAND/EYE COORDINATION - No, but Zieleger, a major firearm manufacturer, ended up with a surplus after the war, so there are still a lot of these old military rifles floating around, usually broken. The quality was appalling.

Who uses Belle-Magrave rifles these days?

HAND/EYE COORDINATION - Antiques enthusiasts, guerrilla fighters in distant countries, a few lucky Jamrock bangers. You're looking for the same thing you found in that hidden weapons cache -- only in working order.

KIM KITSURAGI - "Hmm..." The lieutenant jots something down in his notebook. "What are you thinking? Bullet?"

4. "I think I know where this came from." (Dangle the bag thoughtfully.)

KIM KITSURAGI - "Okay. And?"

"The shot probably came from a Belle-Magrave rifle."

"I mean... have some ideas, but I can't be sure..."

KIM KITSURAGI - "An antique. That makes sense. There can't be many breech-loading rifles floating around in Martinaise, or anywhere in Revachol, really..."

"Why not?"

"That's probably a good thing."

KIM KITSURAGI - He nods. "I have to hand it to the monarchs -- it's quite admirable that they took the advice of criminologists last century and banned the use of breechloaders in peacetime."

"Some new RCM recruits get impatient with their muzzleloaders once they've trained with military-grade weapons, but they realize it's worth it, in the end."

ENCYCLOPEDIA [Medium: Success] - Prohibiting peacetime law-enforcement to front loaded rifles is a policy enforced by the Moralist International in all the nations of the Reál Belt.

"Worth what? Getting shot?"

"I think we should have more *powerful* guns. We're the law!"

"Makes you consider every shot. I like it."

KIM KITSURAGI - "Imagine if everyone -- cops, citizens -- had access to firearms that could shoot multiple rounds without pausing to reload. After the first shot, the second, third, and so on -- come much easier."

"But back to the investigation."

"Seems we're looking for an antiques enthusiast."

"Could the victim have been mixed up with some foreign guerrilla fighters?"

"Have well-armed Jamrock bangers started crossing over into Martinaise?"

"Yes. Something *mysterious* is afoot with this antique bullet type."

KIM KITSURAGI - "Let's find out. Next step -- finding the gun itself."

+5 XP

5. The bullet has nothing more to say. [Put it away.]

A frozen ice cream maker that's still running.

INSANE MESH TANK TOP

+1 Drama: Clinically insane

Where did you even get that one? No really, who put it in that drawer. No further comments. Wear it at your own risk.

Intercom wires running into the breaker box.

A cellar window: people's feet shuffling by on the street.

BREAKER BOX - Two cables are plugged into the breaker box. The red one leads to the ice bear fridge and the black one to the ice cream maker nearby.

Unplug the giant red cable.

Unplug the black cable.

[Leave.]

BREAKER BOX - An electric sizzle! The room is slightly quieter now.

Maybe turning the ice bear fridge off will help stay the curse. A little.

2. Unplug the black cable.

BREAKER BOX - Something close to you dies with a soft electric purr.

KIM KITSURAGI - "Why did you do that?"

"It's black, it's not like it's the red one."

"Because it's black, the colour of immeasurable cosmos."

"I don't know why I unplugged it, I do things without any reason."

KIM KITSURAGI - The lieutenant raises his brows, but doesn't say anything. The electric distribution board now has one cable missing.

3. [Leave.]

Before we continue, I just want to show that these stairs lead to this door, which we can now open from this side.

ICE CREAM MAKER - This orange machine is dead-still. It has a hand-cranked ice cream churner and an electric freezer, the ice around it slowly melting.

Turn the ice cream crank.

Try to crack open the lid.

[Leave.]

ICE CREAM MAKER - Turning the crank feels oddly satisfying, like stirring your childhood dreams... In the distance you hear water dripping.

INLAND EMPIRE [Easy: Success] - It's all gone now. You never became a poet or an entroponaut.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY [Medium: Success] - What better to assuage the creeping sense of failure than some frozen fat and sugar?

2. Try to crack open the lid.

ICE CREAM MAKER - You slip your fingers under the frozen lid, but the ice is too cold for you to get a good grip. A prybar would come handy here... or something stronger, like the Kvalsund KR+2 Multi-Tool.

KIM KITSURAGI - "Didn't Soona give you a perfect tool for this kind of job -- the Kvalsund? You should take it out."

TUTORIAL AGENT - Equip the MULTI-TOOL by going to the TOOLS tab in your INVENTORY. From there, you can equip it to a HELD slot.

Yeah, ok, I got it the first time.

2. [Physical Instrument - Heroic 15] Crack open the lid.

+2 Machine unplugged. +1 Better grip with gloves.

PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT [Heroic: Success] - Ice groans and howls under the strain of your giant Kvalsund multitool -- until the lid cracks open.

ICE CREAM MAKER - Darkness lies inside, but you can faintly make out an object, intricate and foreign, left there for a sub-zero beauty sleep -- a filament memory with the words "OFF-SITE COPY" written on its side.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY [Medium: Success] - Disappointment washes over you as you stare into the almost-empty ice cream maker.

"What? No ice cream..."

Take the filament memory.

KIM KITSURAGI - "A scoop of ice cream would have been nice, yes," the lieutenant agrees. Someone's stomach grumbles. The room feels very cold.

Take the filament memory.

ICE CREAM MAKER - You gently lift the cube from its frosty bedding, careful to not damage it.

Item Gained: "Off-Site Copy" Filament Memory

KIM KITSURAGI - "We should take it back to Miss Luukanen-Kilde as soon as possible. I'm not sure how well unused filaments tolerate room temperatures."

INTERFACING [Easy: Success] - Yes, but aren't you curious to know what's on the precious filament? There's a radiocomputer upstairs...

[Close the lid.]

"OFF-SITE COPY" FILAMENT MEMORY

The cube-like crisscross of filaments feels oddly fragile in your hand, its intricate structure still cold to the touch. Silver tape on the side reads: OFF-SITE COPY. NOTE! This filament contains information that can be read using a radiocomputer.

You know, I *do* want to know.

MAINFRAME - Tiles on the cube are still smouldering, casting the framework in a soft glow. Virescent PLAY and PRINT keys shine on the keyboard.

2. Insert THE OFF-SITE COPY.

MAINFRAME - Like a smooth drawer, the filament slides into place. On the keyboard, the PLAY key starts blinking.

+5 XP

3. Press PLAY again.

MAINFRAME - The speaker comes to life, static seeps through the machine's planar magnetic driver. An old lady greets you, her voice sounds a hundred years old...

EAST-INSULINDIAN REPEATER STATION - "Good afternoon, Fortress Accident on Rue de Saint-Ghislaine, this is East-Insulindian Repeater Station 1."

"Please repeat, is this the off-site copy?"

2. "I might have a password for the off-site copy."

EAST-INSULINDIAN REPEATER STATION - "Good. Please repeat the password."

Say: "After life -- death."

EAST-INSULINDIAN REPEATER STATION - Her answer is short and sharp: "No, that's not it."

HALF LIGHT [Medium: Success] - What does she mean *that's not it*?! What's the password then???

CONCEPTUALIZATION [Medium: Success] - Maybe it's the second part of the leitmotiv you saw on the stained glass window.

Say: "After death -- life again."

EAST-INSULINDIAN REPEATER STATION - "Good, I've unlocked the off-site copy. After ending the call, please press PRINT to access the filament."

CONCEPTUALIZATION - *Ka-ching*!

EAST-INSULINDIAN REPEATER STATION - "Fortress Accident, is there anything else I can do for you today?"

3. "That's all for now." (Press OFF/SILENT.)

EAST-INSULINDIAN REPEATER STATION - "Thank you and good bye," the old lady's voice disappears along with the static.

MAINFRAME - Tiles on the cube are still smouldering, casting the framework in a soft glow. Virescent PLAY and PRINT keys shine on the keyboard.

4. Press PRINT.

MAINFRAME - It sounds like something cracks, before the piece of paper starts filling up with pure black ink.

INTERFACING [Medium: Success] - Something's broken. Machines aren't supposed to behave like this.

2. Remove THE OFF-SITE COPY.

MAINFRAME - The filament slides out of its glowing nest.

7. [Leave.]

Well, I think we've done enough for one day. Tomorrow we'll confront *The Entity*.

#disco elysium #kim kitsuragi #harrier du bois #yvonne

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disco-elysium-via-polls · 4 days

Text

You - Look inside the furnace.

Central Furnace - It's dark and grimy here. In the darkness, you can hear *chatter*. It's coming from above. A voice -- or several voices -- talking to each other, near the smoke chamber upstairs.

Perception (Hearing) - The echo is so prominent, it's impossible to discern what the voices are saying. Or what's producing them.

#disco elysium

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disco-elysium-via-polls · 4 days

Text

🎵Doomed Commercial Area

"It's obvious -- this is what remains of Soona's radio game studio, Fortress Accident."

KIM KITSURAGI - "Yes, I got that." The lieutenant shifts on his feet. "What I meant was -- what were they trying to achieve with this damn game..."

"What were their ambitions? Because this here looks rather *advanced*."

EMPATHY [Easy: Success] - He has respect -- and curiosity -- for this failed endeavour.

CONCEPTUALIZATION [Legendary: Failure] - This is *way* above your tiny little policeman head.

"I don't know, I'm not an artist."

KIM KITSURAGI - "Okay, well, *I* think..." The lieutenant takes a step back, steepling his hands.

INTERFACING [Medium: Success] - Like he's ready to lay out a fine theory, crafted together like a puzzle box.

KIM KITSURAGI - "It looks like one of those popular pen-and-paper role-playing games -- only these people were trying to *automate* it. Make it work on *radiocomputers*."

ESPRIT DE CORPS [Easy: Success] - Utter madness, he thinks -- as a compliment.

"How were they planning to do that?"

"Has anyone ever done this before?"

"And this was a role-playing game?"

"Wow." (Conclude.)

KIM KITSURAGI - "Through call-in stations." He nods at the fireplace. "None of the players have to be physically present... Anyone in the world can participate in the game, as long as they have a two-way radio."

"Then there's the Game Master Frequency that listens in on the smaller call-in stations. I think that was supposed to coordinate the stories. Functioning as a master of ceremonies of sorts."

ELECTROCHEMISTRY [Medium: Success] - His fascination has swept aside other concerns for the moment. He's a little *hooked*.

INTERFACING [Medium: Success] - Coordinating so many games would take a whole switchboard of people, possibly divided into sub-frequencies.

2. "Has anyone ever done this before?"

KIM KITSURAGI - "Not to my knowledge. They make automated games in Graad, Messina, Königstein... You know, places with industry."

RHETORIC [Medium: Success] - *Not* in Revachol West, among the ruins.

KIM KITSURAGI - "But I don't think *anyone* has attempted to create an *interisolary* game before. We just don't have the technology."

3. "And this was a role-playing game?"

KIM KITSURAGI - "Indeed. Those *welkins* are a dead giveaway." He points to the chalkboard. "Role-playing people love that stuff. The world looks like a modified version of the Wirrâl boardgame... with heat death thrown in."

CONCEPTUALIZATION [Medium: Success] - Super cool! Someone should give them millions of reál *immediately*. This game is too good to be left unfinished.

4. "Wow." (Conclude.)

KIM KITSURAGI - "Indeed. It's ambitious. And *untethered* from reality, but..." The lieutenant tilts his head, thinking.

"They were insane if they thought they could do this."

"It was just a play to cheat money out of their investor's pockets."

"The world is cold and lonely. This would keep it company. Let's *finish* it."

"Do we have any *money*? Let's give them more money so they can finish it and make it even bigger."

KIM KITSURAGI - A half-smile breaks out on his face. "It's too late for that, I'm afraid," he says, looking around the derelict room. The pipes howl and a rat crosses the floor.

"Okay," he concludes. "Let's keep moving."

+5 XP

We're going to start by retracing our steps a little. Let's engage in unsafe practices.

BARBELL - The barbell waits patiently on the floor, like a dog for its master.

3. [Physical Instrument - Legendary 14] Lift the barbell.

+1 Noticed collars. -1 head hurts. +1 High performance weightlifting gloves.

PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT [Legendary: Success] - Conjuring up an inhuman amount of strength, you raise the barbell up in the air. Your biceps tremble, but you're a savage. This is a children's game!

"Oh yeah."

"I'm a true champion!"

(Say nothing, revel in the feeling.)

PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT - A warm wave of accomplishment washes over your head, as you drop the barbell to the floor. For a moment it feels like you're strong enough to succeed at anything you ever set your mind to.

+1 Morale

INLAND EMPIRE [Easy: Success] - Hey, but you're still in a ghost house... What if someone heard this? What if they know you're here?!

KIM KITSURAGI - "Good technique." The lieutenant nods with approval.

Now... I kind of want to see what Plaisance thinks about us breaking down her door.

🎵 Bookstore

PLAISANCE - "You... broke down... the back door?" She looks very sad, resigned even. "The wards... the door... it's all gone now. Dark psychic energy, leeching onto my shop..."

"I don't know what I was thinking, barging in like that…"

"Sometimes it's necessary to resort to extreme measures."

"Look, I've got this decomposing body I *really* need to put in a fridge down there."

Well, actually, we took care of the body already. If we *hadn't* been able to find the bullet on our first try, we might have needed it for this. Still...

PLAISANCE - "You fool! You've gone and unleashed unimaginable evil, all for the sake of a refrigerator!"

"What are you talking about? It's just a door."

PLAISANCE - "Just a door?! This place is cursed, detective! They don't call it the Doomed Commercial Area for nothing -- just look at the sheer amount of companies that have failed in this house!"

"I hope you're happy now, happy that you've *ruined* everything... Now that you've broken the door the curse is coming to get *me* as well." She closes her eyes and starts mumbling something to her pendant.

PERCEPTION (HEARING) [Medium: Success] - "Host Almighty," she prays, "guard me and my honest business venture from the curse that lurks behind the door, blessed be your name..."

"Oh, sorry, I didn't know about the curse."

"Cursed? But I thought the curse wasn't real."

PLAISANCE - "Of course you did, you're nothing but a policeman." She shrugs, visibly dejected.

"Alright, you know what? I'm willing to let you investigate the Doomed Commercial Area. We are set on the path… there's little else to do."

New task: Investigate Doomed Commercial Area

COMPOSURE [Medium: Success]- Her façade has dropped. Now you see the curiosity behind the fear.

PLAISANCE - "But... before we go on, tell me... did you encounter *the malignant Entity?*" Her eyes narrow, as she whispers the name.

"The Entity? No, I don't think so."

"Of course, the Entity..." (Close your eyes.) "I didn't see her, but I sensed her presence."

PLAISANCE - "Yes, the malignant *Entity* that lives inside the chimney... It takes the shape of a woman, a witch probably. I've suspected that she knows more about the curse than she lets on ever since I first saw her."

"Chimneys aren't big enough for anyone to live there."

"Chimney... the passage between heaven and hell, of course. It all makes sense now!"

PLAISANCE - "No, this chimney is part of the building's central furnace and it's enormous. She has barricaded herself behind some metal security curtains... God knows what she's doing there."

"Some unnatural magic, I assume." She shivers. "You should go find the *Entity* and ask what happened to all the companies in the building. And do return to me after you've talked to it. I'm quite *anxious* to know what she has to say about the curse."

"I had a few more questions about the curse..."

PLAISANCE - "Okay, but please, only a few questions." She peers at the curtains. "You wouldn't want to disturb the spirits..."

"How does this curse manifest itself?"

"Why didn't you just tell me right away it's the curse?"

"Have you sought help from anyone?"

PLAISANCE - "The curse... is so much worse than you could imagine. It's a *disease*, eating at the very foundation." A shiver runs through the woman, as she looks around the dimly lit store.

"It's the curse of *financial distress*." Her voice drops to a whisper. "Of *ruin* -- and bankruptcy." She peers at the curtains again…

INLAND EMPIRE [Easy: Success] - Didn't... didn't that curtain just *move*?!

"Okay. I'm a little confused. What does that mean?"

"Ah! Annette mentioned that the previous tenants have experienced some financial troubles."

"Wait, that's it? I was hoping for something more... *paranatural*."

PLAISANCE - "It's not just that, officer, we're dealing with something *supra-natural* here. It's the *caco-daemons* feeding off bad business practices and disappointing income statements!"

"There's something *wrong* with this building, I can tell you. Ever since I arrived, I've sensed an eerie lingering presence -- as if I was *unwanted* here."

EMPATHY [Easy: Success] - Sounds familiar.

"Strange… I feel unwanted too. What does it mean?"

Don't mention it.

PLAISANCE - "Truly so?" Her eyes narrow, as she tries to get a read on your energy. "Perhaps the dark energies are leeching off you? You shouldn't stay in the store too long, it may be dangerous."

2. "Why didn't you just tell me right away it's the curse?"

PLAISANCE - "It's not good to talk about the curse, not in detail. The negativism..." She shivers. "It's dangerous. Talking about the void wraiths angers them!"

CONCEPTUALIZATION [Medium: Success] - Wow. *Void wraiths*. You have new words.

PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT [Medium: Success] - Such wraiths may prove a formidable enemy. Suit up.

3. "Have you sought help from anyone?"

PLAISANCE - "Yes, I've contacted numerous parapsychologists and even a pair of Semenese mediators -- they provided me with the wards." She nods at the strange cage-like trinket on the curtains.

"The wards help to keep the doom at bay and protect us against the darkness that lies further in the building. Even though now I fear... it's not enough."

4. "Is your pendant part of the wards as well?" (Point at her necklace.)

PLAISANCE - "Oh, this?" She holds the pendant in her palm. Its ochre heart glistens under the lights. "No. It's a special *Himean amulet* blessed by desert pygmy shamans with a *spell of compulsion*. It's to compel people to buy books..."

"There are numerous spells cast throughout the store. I had the books anointed with a different inducement spell, for example." She nods. "It's guaranteed to boost sales *fifteen percent*!"

RHETORIC [Medium: Success] - Desert pygmy shamans...? That sounds like a rather questionable way to describe a group of people.

LOGIC [Challenging: Success] - Doesn't seem like the spell is working... There are no customers around except you.

"There are hardly any customers in the store. Do you think it's really working?"

"Honestly, it seems like this pendant thing is a scam. You could be doing so much more."

PLAISANCE - "Sir, I am well-educated in the commercial and esoteric arts. I know what to do and what to avoid." She nudges her spectacles.

"Have you ever thought about a sale? Maybe this could lure in some customers."

"I'm only trying to help... What about some neon signs and blinking lights?"

"You could try to be friendlier with the customers."

"Maybe you should try to *reconceptualize* your business... Martinaise doesn't look like the best place for a bookshop."

That *definitely* worked for the ski shop.

PLAISANCE - She stands silent for a second, before exhaling sharply. "You're right. A bookstore wasn't even my original plan, I actually wanted to sell esoteric paraphernalia to help to balance out this neighbourhood's dark energies."

"Great idea. What happened?"

"I'm not sure that a trinket shop is a better idea for business."

PLAISANCE - "My husband suggested otherwise. He said it's less... stupid. More appropriate. Cultured and all that."

"But being *cultured* doesn't offer any protection against the curse, does it?" She looks around the dusty store. "Maybe I shouldn't have listened to him after all..."

5. "What about the wards on the back door? Are these Semenese as well?"

PLAISANCE - "Yes, the Semenese are very crafty and their wards are extremely powerful. Lesser wards simply won't do here."

6. "Never mind, I had other questions."

PLAISANCE - The woman looks aloof, her features much softer. Occasionally she glances at her daughter's silhouette.

Well... let's go see if we can track down this 'Entity'.

🎵Doomed Commercial Area

The floorboards creak.

POSTCARD "LA DELTA '51"

The sunlight has made this postcard almost completely sepia-toned. Midtown traffic passes, overhead the ghosts of skyscrapers disappear into a beige mid-day mist -- vapour rising from the delta on which the district was built. The postcard is pre-paid.

Shoes in a puddle of melting snow.

We apparently can't take these.

SAFETY CURTAINS - An iron safety curtain curves before your eyes, folded like a bellows. It covers half the room -- blocking the way into a colossal industrial chimney.

INLAND EMPIRE [Easy: Success] - This must be where the *Entity* lives...

Knock on it.

[Leave.]

SAFETY CURTAINS - What an odd thing to do.... Nothing happens.

Knock on it harder.

SAFETY CURTAINS - Still nothing. No one's home.

Knock *even* harder!

-1 Health

SAFETY CURTAINS - Those curtains prove to be surprisingly sturdy... Your fist hurts now.

LOGIC [Easy: Success] - If this is really an entrance to the chimney then there must be a furnace somewhere as well. Maybe there's another way to get in?

KIM KITSURAGI - "Can you please try to refrain from attacking random things?"

"I need to find the *malignant entity*, Kim. This is the chimney."

"This is not random, this is *significant*. I want to see what's on the other side."

"I can try..." (Blow gently on your bruised knuckles.)

KIM KITSURAGI - The lieutenant sighs. "Ghosts aren't real, didn't your parents tell you that? In any case, there's no way we can get in right now. Let's investigate further."

2. [Leave.]

There's a door to the far left of the Fortress Accident room.

Which apparently leads to a flight of stairs down into the basement.

The wind howls in from the coal chute above.

ICE BEAR FRIDGE - You see a terrifying ice bear with a strange compartment in its belly. The door is covered in frost and the bear's eyes are glowing red.

HALF LIGHT [Medium: Success] - This ice bear is a hypercarnivore. Be careful.

VISUAL CALCULUS [Medium: Success] - The bear looks oddly realistic. Is it taxidermy?

REACTION SPEED [Easy: Success] - This must be the giant ice bear fridge that Soona mentioned. Look inside.

Crack open the door...

Back off. [Leave.]

ICE BEAR FRIDGE - A gust of freezing cold air rushes to greet you. You hear a low grumble, as the bear regulates itself... This is the inside of a refrigerator.

KIM KITSURAGI - The lieutenant takes a peek inside. His hand has found the holster of his gun.

"Relax, Kim, it's a fridge."

Look inside the refrigerator.

KIM KITSURAGI - "Of course. Just a giant, ice bear shaped fridge..." He relaxes his hand, his face bathed in the harsh light of the open fridge door.

"Let's take a look inside."

Look inside the refrigerator.

ICE BEAR FRIDGE - The shelves are empty. All you see are crumpled ice cream wrappers with the brand name *Revachol Ice City*. A handwritten note has been attached to the door. The fridge is huge.

REACTION SPEED [Trivial: Success] - But where's the filament memory? It's not here...

"Hey, I can't see the off-site copy anywhere…" (Check the shelves again.)

Take the note from the door.

Examine one of the ice cream wrappers in there.

"What is a giant bear-shaped fridge doing in an abandoned cellar in the first place?"

Close the door. [Leave.]

KIM KITSURAGI - "Someone must have taken it... What does the note say?"

2. Take the note from the door.

ICE BEAR FRIDGE - You pocket the note -- *and* the little fridge magnets keeping it on the door.

Item Gained: Handwritten Note from the Fridge

2. Examine one of the ice cream wrappers in there.

ICE BEAR FRIDGE - A friendly cartoon bear smiles back at you from a glossy cellophane wrapper. It looks nothing like the fridge.

PERCEPTION (SMELL) [Medium: Success] - The paper still smells of vanilla and chocolate.

3. "What is a giant bear-shaped fridge doing in an abandoned cellar in the first place?"

KIM KITSURAGI - "Good question. It looks like an ice cream fridge." The lieutenant reaches for one of the wrappers. He studies it in the light.

SHIVERS [Challenging: Success] - Somewhere in the past it's summer. Five-year-old Fifette lets go of her mother's hand, change jingling in her pockets, as she hops towards the ice cream stand right across the plaza.

Shake from the sudden cold sensation.

"So they tried to sell ice cream from this hypercarnivore?"

SHIVERS - As she makes her way to the market stall the girl starts crying: a ferocious ice bear is guarding the fridge! Its paws raised to ward off any potential customers.

Her mother rushes to soothe her, but Fifette doesn't want ice cream anymore, she just wants to go home. The ice bear stares at them as they leave the plaza. A gust of wind flies one of the wrappers right past the sobbing girl...

"So they tried to sell ice cream from this hypercarnivore?"

KIM KITSURAGI - "I know," says the lieutenant, "what an unfortunate marketing choice."

"What is even worse -- the bear is still costing them money, to this day..." The lieutenant points at the red snaky cable running from the fridge.

The fridge buzzes with energy. The electricity bill on this thing must be *catastrophic*.

4. Close the door. [Leave.]

HANDWRITTEN NOTE FROM THE FRIDGE

A handwritten note you found from the giant ice bear fridge. It still bears some marks from the fruit-shaped kitchen magnets that were used to secure it to the refrigerator door.

>INTERACT

A NOTE FROM THE FRIDGE - The note is written with a blue pencil on a piece of lined office paper. The kitchen magnets have left spots on its surface.

KIM KITSURAGI - "Does it say anything interesting?" The lieutenant leans closer to read the crumpled note over your shoulder.

ESPRIT DE CORPS [Trivial: Success] - This is tangential at best, but the lieutenant's *detective instinct* is still active.

Read the note.

[Put the note away.]

A NOTE FROM THE FRIDGE - Someone has scribbled: "S, I can't believe the off-site copy is still here! The illiterate ginger kid keeps stealing stuff from the studio, so I had to hide it somewhere safe."

"You'll find the filament memory with the off-site copy in the frozen ice cream maker. Please take it home ASAP, it's important. I'd do it myself if I lived in a civilized place with a freezer. Take care, Sulisław."

2. "Someone has moved the filament! But who?"

KIM KITSURAGI - "Sulisław... wasn't he one of Miss Luukanen-Kilde's coworkers?" He tilts his head. "I remember coming across this name when we were reading her personal log."

3. "Remind me again -- what's a filament memory?"

KIM KITSURAGI - "It belongs inside a radiocomputer, storing its memory. It's like a tape -- you listen to disco tapes, right? It's like one of your disco tapes, only for a computer."

INTERFACING [Easy: Success] - It's like the *production schedule* you found, only this one's an *off-site copy*.

3. "Who's the illiterate ginger kid?"

KIM KITSURAGI - "Really?" The lieutenant looks at you, the corner of his mouth curved into a smug grin. "You don't have a single guess?"

"You mean Cuno?"

"No, no idea at all."

KIM KITSURAGI - "Oh, I'm sure that child would *love* to get his hands on a filament memory -- even if he doesn't know what to do with it. He'd probably try to pawn it for speed, based on our encounter."

+5 XP

4. "Do you have any idea where the frozen ice cream maker could be?"

KIM KITSURAGI - "I don't know... I assume it's somewhere close to the ice bear fridge."

5. [Put the note away.]

The wall collapsed. It's inaccessible now.

CENTRAL FURNACE - A thick layer of coal dust covers the furnace, colouring it pitch-black.

INLAND EMPIRE [Easy: Success] - Looks like this furnace has a face and it's a face of agony.

"Kim, what is this thing? Is it a furnace?!"

Look inside the furnace.

Smear your hands with coal.

Kick it with your foot.

[Leave.]

KIM KITSURAGI - "Looks like it. Looks like an old central furnace used to heat the building. It's connected to the chimney..." He opens the door and gingerly peeks inside.

"No one has used it in ages... No signs of any recent fire, only dead rats."

2. Look inside the furnace.

CENTRAL FURNACE - It's dark and grimy here. In the darkness, you can hear *chatter*. It's coming from above. A voice -- or several voices -- talking to each other, near the smoke chamber upstairs.

PERCEPTION (HEARING) [Medium: Success] - The echo is so prominent, it's impossible to discern what the voices are saying. Or what's producing them.

KIM KITSURAGI - "What are you doing?" the lieutenant asks when he sees you climb half-way inside the furnace.

#disco elysium #kim kitsuragi #harrier du bois #plaisance

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disco-elysium-via-polls · 5 days

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Ok, we had a tie, so..

#disco elysium

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disco-elysium-via-polls · 5 days

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#disco elysium

4 notes · View notes

disco-elysium-via-polls · 5 days

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5. Smash into the door and shout: "Fuck, it hurts!"

KIM KITSURAGI - "What is this place?" The lieutenant stares at the dusty training equipment.

"It's an adventure!"

"It's the netherworld. Beyond the veil."

"Looks like a gym to me."

"No idea, Kim... but my head hurts... my head hurts *bad*."

"I think this may be the Artemitep's Boxing Club For Young Athletes."

KIM KITSURAGI - "We don't *have to* explore an abandoned gym, you know. Besides, no one's been here in ages..."

"I doubt the electricity still works... Good thing we have a flashlight on us. Don't forget to take it out of your bag before we move on."

PERCEPTION (SIGHT) [Medium: Success] - Some specks of dust shimmer in a faint beam of daylight falling from the window. Other than that, the room is dark.

INLAND EMPIRE [Trivial: Success] - An eerie feeling rises in your chest...

"What if there's a *reason* why no one's been here for ages..."

"Let's just keep going, I'm sure it's just a regular abandoned house, nothing mysterious here."

KIM KITSURAGI - "Yes, because it's *closed*..."

"No need to look for *supra-natural* explanations where a banal one will do. Now, let's move on, shall we?"

🔊 Wind, Creaking

Sand is dripping from a punchbag...

The poster says: "Citius* *Fortis*... The rest is worn off.

Smells like leather and sweat.

SHOT PUT BALL

A ball used for playing shotput. You feel like you should hold on to this and make good use of it. To sell such beautiful, old school sports equipment would be a sin.

Worn out wallbars. They look unsafe.

BARBELL - A barbell lies on the floor. The colour has worn off its weight plates.

PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT [Trivial: Success] - It's 60 kg. Your triceps hum at the sight of these weights. Show the world what kind of beast it's dealing with. Lift them.

VISUAL CALCULUS [Easy: Success] - There are no collars on the barbell. This is a safety hazard.

INLAND EMPIRE [Easy: Success] - Why does it feel so familiar?

Is this familiar because I'm a weightlifter?

"Look, Kim, it's a trap. There are no collars on the barbell."

[Physical Instrument - Legendary 14] Lift the barbell.

[Leave.]

INLAND EMPIRE - No, it's not that... It's the stale smell of rubber, the squeaky sound of sneakers, your bruised knee against the mat. And a whistle... then the feeling is gone.

LOGIC [Easy: Success] - It's just a memory.

ENDURANCE [Easy: Success] - A memory from another life -- when you were young and fit.

2. "Look, Kim, it's a trap. There are no collars on the barbell."

KIM KITSURAGI - "You're right, the weights may fall off. Better not touch it then."

"What kind of a bastard would just remove the collars? It should be a felony."

"Actually, I don't really care about safety hazards."

KIM KITSURAGI - "It would be a violation of EPIS safety regulations if the gym was still operating. But it isn't. No one's supposed to come here anymore."

We're going to skip this check for now, partially because it's very low but mostly because I can't put two videos in one post.

4. [Leave.]

KIM KITSURAGI - "It's dark," the lieutenant states the obvious.

"And the flashlight works a lot better if you *hold it in your hand*."

"Fair point. Yes, totally obvious."

"Flashlights go *in* hand?" (Stare at your hand uncomprehendingly.)

"Got it, Kim, no need to rub it in." [Leave.]

KIM KITSURAGI - "Yes," the lieutenant says. "You might even call it a *feature* of the universe, that you need to *hold* tools to *use* them."

"That makes so much sense."

"That makes no sense at all."

KIM KITSURAGI - "I'm sorry the fundamental laws of the universe don't seem to agree with you, detective, but the fact remains that it's too dark to see in here without the flashlight..."

"So come on. We've got work to do."

TUTORIAL AGENT - Some areas are inaccessible without your FLASHLIGHT. After you’ve acquired it, go to your INVENTORY and equip it in a HELD slot to continue exploring.

Ok, fine.

🎵Doomed Commercial Area

The hallway is blocked by old windowpanes and debris.

Looks like the remains of the "24th Window" Repair shop.

A large demijohn full of strange liquid...

Is it potable?

Wild animals stare at you in the dark, suffed and mounted.

Poor animals. No rest for their bodies after death.

Airship rotors covered in spider webs. They remind you of blades.

A naked mannequin torso. A strange yellow colour.

Blue velvet, soft to the touch. Moth-bitten.

Skis with "Slipstream" painted on the laminated top layer.

Steel rotor blades bearing a "Slipstream" logo.

CONCEPTUALIZATION - Looks like someone tried to *reconceptualize* their business here.

I don't get it.

[Discard the thought.]

CONCEPTUALIZATION - Look: The skis and rotor blades both bear the same "Slipstream" logo. It seems likely that they started out making one, failed to turn a profit, and then pivoted to producing the other.

But the question is -- which did they start with, and which did they pivot to?

What a strange leap of imagination... And yet they still failed. How sad. [Finish thought.]

That's just speculation. We don't know anything for sure. [Finish thought.]

CONCEPTUALIZATION - That's a good question.

What a strange leap of imagination... And yet they still failed. How sad. [Finish thought.]

CONCEPTUALIZATION - Reality is ruthless.

"PRODUCTION SCHEDULE" FILAMENT MEMORY

The cube-like crisscross of filaments feels oddly fragile in your hand, its intricate structure covered in dust. Silver tape on the side reads: PRODUCTION SCHEDULE. NOTE! This filament contains information that can be read using a radiocomputer.

Well, Soona wanted us to get a filament from a *fridge*, but maybe this is related?

Is this Emma's Atelier?

But where are the clothes it used to display?

Scribbled across a notebook: "Developers of the most advanced RPG in the universe."

PROJECT DREAD BOARD - Your flashlight slides over an old green chalkboard covered in scribbles, sketches and schemes like some ancient cave mural.

Some of the writing has faded with age, but you can still make out sections here and there; photos and drawings have been pinned to the board.

Inspect the drawings.

Inspect the photos.

Inspect the schedule.

Inspect the notes.

[Leave.]

PROJECT DREAD BOARD - These lithe, pointy-eared creatures appear to be different types of *welkins*. You make out autumnal *candle-welkins* casting wax-based magic...

*Translucent welkins* with organs shining under their skin, and even aether welkins -- hailing from the vast emptiness of sidereal space.

INLAND EMPIRE [Easy: Success] - Who are all those creatures? Fantasies of a tortured, feverish mind?

DRAMA [Medium: Success] - You should adopt one of those welkins as your *persona*. No longer a mere man -- but a welkin...

PROJECT DREAD BOARD - One of the welkins -- towering among the rest -- appears to be different, however.

Examine the welkin -- this is important.

I don't care -- step back.

PROJECT DREAD BOARD - It's Vaarahamira, a *high welkin* -- his face white and scarred like cracked marble. This is clearly a welkin supremacist. The note says: 'All non-welkin races will be purged.'

The huldur, the dweorg, the humans, and even headless men... all of them. Purged. Imagine a world filled *only* with welkin! Green welkin, dread welkin... and the high welkin to rule them all.

KIM KITSURAGI - The lieutenant can't help but comment: "An inordinate amount of time has gone into drawing these little welkin creatures..."

"Why would anyone spend so much time on this?"

"Who *are* these creatures? Who drew them? Are they *real*? I have so many questions..."

(Whisper) "One of them is a welkin supremacist."

"Well. This has been educational -- let's move on from the welkins."

KIM KITSURAGI - "Some people really *like* building a world, I think. Even if it's just for a game."

Hm.

2. "Who *are* these creatures? Who drew them? Are they *real*? I have so many questions..."

KIM KITSURAGI - "This looks like *concept art* for a project. It's not really real."

3. (Whisper) "One of them is a welkin supremacist."

KIM KITSURAGI - "Mhm... political commentary. That one has a great beard too..." The lieutenant nods at the welkin's facial hair.

4. "Well. This has been educational -- let's move on from the welkins."

KIM KITSURAGI - "Just look at those details. So much effort..."

EMPATHY [Easy: Success] - ...and for what? All gone.

2. Inspect the photos.

PROJECT DREAD BOARD - The photo collage depicts barren, icy landscapes wrapped in perpetual night. You see permafrost and glacial landforms, dead trees groaning under the snow.

Entire oceans have been frozen from shore to shore. There are pictures of settlements on dried up riverbeds, abandoned in a storm. Animal corpses in the dark, carcasses and bones.

ENCYCLOPEDIA [Easy: Success] - You see primitive oil rigs built into glaciers -- by *boreal dweorg* -- yurts under the snow, great mammoth-like beasts of burden...

ELECTROCHEMISTRY [Easy: Success] - Albeit dark and cold, this vision also feels cosy in its own way. Like eggnog, or morphine! A much needed respite from our own world.

PROJECT DREAD BOARD - A pinned postcard reads: 'The heat death scenario -- a desperate fight for geothermal energy engulfs the world as Wirrâl becomes untethered from its sun, drifting through the Universe.'

3. Inspect the schedule.

PROJECT DREAD BOARD - This is a monthly calendar from the year '50. Cryptic words like 'sprint', 'daily minime', and 'GPI' span the marker-drawn grid -- the grand scheme of production and money.

PERCEPTION (SIGHT) [Medium: Success] - It looks a bit like an academic calendar. Only much more *brutal*.

EMPATHY [Medium: Success] - Everyone is constantly teetering on the edge of the abyss. An abyss of *production*. These squares look orderly but beneath them is chaos, worry, pain...

ENCYCLOPEDIA [Medium: Success] - 'Minime' stands for a 'mini-meeting'. It's part of a bigger framework for managing work called R.U.N.. Station 41 tried to implement it a few years ago, but failed.

Keep reading -- what happened?

Step back and look at something else.

PROJECT DREAD BOARD - As time goes on, the numbers in the boxes grow rarer and rarer. The board becomes an empty snowfield in the final days... Only failure and regret dwell in this region.

KIM KITSURAGI - "Looks like they didn't make it." The lieutenant looks at the frigid ice field of nothingness.

+5 XP

PROJECT DREAD BOARD - A note in the bottom left corner of the chalkboard says: "SEE THE PROD. SCHEDULE FILAMENT FOR DETAILS."

4. Inspect the notes.

PROJECT DREAD BOARD - The handwriting is only partly legible, but you can still make out three slogans: 'Call in, tune out!', 'WIRRÂL UNTETHERED', and 'Heat death of the Universe'...

PERCEPTION (SIGHT) [Medium: Success] - The full text reads: 'Heat death of the Universe is the new black'. Another note says: 'The biggest advancement in role-playing systems since the Thirties'.

SHIVERS [Medium: Success] - Outside, a cold wind wraps the building in its bosom. Snowflakes in the wind. An old woman passes what the locals call the Doomed Commercial Area. She tries hard not to look at the bookstore windows. It's *unwise*.

5. [Leave.]

FREQUENCY FIREPLACE - This old fireplace is covered in lines drawn in blue and red marker, the mesh spreading over the stone like blood vessels on alabaster skin. It looks ghostly and strangely ancient.

INLAND EMPIRE [Medium: Success] - A diagram for summoning some time-forgotten being? The symbols seem very esoteric.

CONCEPTUALIZATION [Medium: Success] - The whole thing resembles Kedran mosaic tiles. Very Pisantic.

Hold on, how do I know what Kedran mosaic tiles are supposed to look like?

What am I looking at?

[Leave.]

CONCEPTUALIZATION - History classes. Students with their textbooks open, studying the roots of our civilization. Those aquarelle-blue tiles looked beautiful in the sun.

2. What am I looking at?

FREQUENCY FIREPLACE - Radio frequencies, it seems. UKV123.6, UKV123.7, UKV123.9... some written notes too. Sparse and cryptic.

Radio frequencies for what?

FREQUENCY FIREPLACE - Unclear. It looks like a cardiovascular system, split into veins and capillaries. Very advanced.

So we're dealing with something medical here?

This must be an elaborate piece of art.

Of course... (Narrow your eyes.) The anatomy of *the curse*.

+1 Art Cop

FREQUENCY FIREPLACE - You think so? The web is comprised of radio stations. All lead back to one red heart, titled: The Game Master Frequency. A note says: 'This one can listen in on any station it wants?!'

HALF LIGHT [Medium: Success] - Looks like a surveillance programme...

INTERFACING [Medium: Success] - They must have had *massive* airwidth. These things don't come cheap.

Wait, who's the Game Master?

If it's a game, then who's playing?

FREQUENCY FIREPLACE - Someone very important.

AUTHORITY [Easy: Success] - The leader of a massive on-air game built by these people.

CONCEPTUALIZATION [Medium: Success] - A conductor for the hundreds of story threads that pass through the Game Master's Frequency.

If it's a game, then who's playing?

FREQUENCY FIREPLACE - Whoever decides to call in to a call-in station, it looks like.

PERCEPTION (SIGHT) [Medium: Success] - A list of names under the stations suggests people across *six isolas* would be playing: Mundi, Insulinde, Katla, Graad, Samara, and even Iilmaraa.

EMPATHY [Easy: Success] - All of this gone, left unrealized.

LOGIC [Easy: Success] - There's no way a little basement studio working *here* could pull anything like this off.

KIM KITSURAGI - "My god..." The lieutenant leans closer, his finger tracking the maddening rhizome. "It's as if the *less money* they had, the more ambitious their project became."

"Mhm. The cost of airwidth alone must have been huge."

"Why do you say that?"

KIM KITSURAGI - "Exactly." He nods at the calendar on the chalkboard, wiping his marker-stained fingers clean against his jacket. "This schedule -- I know *doom* when I see it. The company was running out of funding."

+5 XP

What else? (Squint at the lines.)

FREQUENCY FIREPLACE - Nothing. It's just lines on marble, an echo from times long gone. No one has used the fireplace in ages.

MAINFRAME - A dusty radiocomputer sleeps on its wired frame, forgotten and unused. Its keyboard has a rectangular ON/OFF button; a piece of paper still hangs from the printer.

KIM KITSURAGI - "Another radiocomputer..." says the lieutenant, watching you circle around the machine. "Just sitting here without anyone in sight."

REACTION SPEED [Medium: Success] - What he means is that these things cost *money*. Why would anyone just leave it behind?

INTERFACING [Medium: Success] - This is the Rehm Civic radiocomputer, model RC5120, equipped with a Feld mainframe and a Rehm-compatible printer.

"Do you think I should turn it on?"

Turn on the machine.

[Step away.]

KIM KITSURAGI - "It's your call." He looks over his shoulder, then back at the machine. "You're in charge of this expedition, officer."

SAVOIR FAIRE [Medium: Success] - Of course you should turn it on -- don't you want to know what's on the filament?!

2. Turn on the machine.

MAINFRAME - The machine lights up like some prehistoric animal stirring from its slumber, revealing virescent PLAY and PRINT keys on the keyboard. The hatch on the machine's central compartment is wide open.

Look inside the compartment.

Press PLAY.

Press PRINT.

[Leave.]

MAINFRAME - It's empty like a beehive without its brood. Some cables have been left dangling, disconnected...

INTERFACING [Trivial: Success] - The filament you have would fit perfectly inside the compartment.

2. Insert THE PRODUCTION SCHEDULE.

MAINFRAME - Like a smooth drawer, the filament slides into place. On the keyboard, the PLAY key starts blinking.

+5 XP

3. Press PLAY.

MAINFRAME - The speaker comes to life, static seeps through the machine's planar magnetic driver. An old lady greets you, her voice sounds a hundred years old...

EAST-INSULINDIAN REPEATER STATION - "Good morning, Fortress Accident on Rue de Saint-Ghislaine, this is East-Insulindian Repeater Station 1."

"Please repeat -- is this the production schedule?"

"Yvonne, it's me again! How are you?"

"Let's try the password for the production schedule."

"That's all for now." (Press OFF/SILENT.)

EAST-INSULINDIAN REPEATER STATION - "Good, thank you." It's not clear whether she recognizes your voice. "Please repeat, is this the production schedule?"

2. "Let's try the password for the production schedule."

EAST-INSULINDIAN REPEATER STATION - "Good. Please repeat the password."

Say: "After life -- death."

"A password? I'm really bad at passwords. Can you give me a hint?"

"Is it my birthday?"

"This is the police. Please open this thing."

"I don't know the password."

EAST-INSULINDIAN REPEATER STATION - "Good, I've unlocked the production schedule. After ending the call, please press PRINT to access the filament."

KIM KITSURAGI - "Really? She just used the same password?" The lieutenant seems almost disappointed to discover that, as he murmurs: "Maybe those radiocomputer guys aren't that paranoid after all..."

EAST-INSULINDIAN REPEATER STATION - "Fortress Accident, is there anything else I can do for you today?"

3. "That's all for now." (Press OFF/SILENT.)

EAST-INSULINDIAN REPEATER STATION - "Thank you and good bye," the old lady's voice disappears along with the static.

MAINFRAME - Tiles on the cube are still smouldering, casting the framework in a soft glow. Virescent PLAY and PRINT keys shine on the keyboard.

4. Press PRINT.

MAINFRAME - With a quiet determination the printer starts printing, a piece of paper unfolding like a hand-held fan. A black criss-cross of letters covers its surface.

5. Read the printout.

MAINFRAME - It's a project report written by the lead producer Andrew 'Andy' Schott about 'Wirrâl Untethered', a radio game developed by studio Fortress Accident.

The first few pages give an overview of the capital and workforce, while the rest of it seems to be a production schedule.

Read about capital... I want to know about *money*.

Read about the workforce... Who worked there, how long?

Skim through the production schedule, whatever it is.

Tear off the printout and throw it away.

MAINFRAME - In its short time of existence, Fortress Accident SCA managed to burn through truly *insane* amounts of money.

The first tranche of seed financing brought in 150,000 reál, but then came the *delays*.

Eventually the damage reached 400,000 reál with only half of the game finished.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY [Medium: Success] - Four-hundred thousand reál?! Jommaijoo, these guys knew how to party!

Gosh, where did they get all this money?

MAINFRAME - Let's just say it was a *real adventure* for their Igaunijan investor.

2. Read about the workforce... Who worked there, how long?

MAINFRAME - Fortress Accident employed 18 people, the bulk of the team composed of writers and concept artists. There were also radio programmers, sound engineers, a CEO, two marketing experts...

…and a single overburdened producer who developed a habit of popping Pyrholidon in the basement to escape his obligations.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY [Medium: Success] - But on the other hand, their obligations *were* piling up at an inhuman rate -- a rate that could only be amended by Pyrholidon.

LOGIC [Easy: Success] - Why did Fortress Accident have so many concept artists?

Wait, why did a *radio game* need so many artists?

I don't really care. (Look at the table of contents again.)

MAINFRAME - It didn't.

It didn't need so many concept artists?

MAINFRAME - No, definitely not. A few more producers could have come handy though -- especially when dealing with writers, some of whom routinely skipped work because of 'mental health issues' and extremely unprofessional sleep schedules...

One of them even managed to steal some valuable company property before skipping town for good.

3. Skim through the production schedule, whatever it is.

MAINFRAME - The production schedule depicts their glorious descent into bankruptcy.

Because of the concept artists?

Right, what happened?

MAINFRAME - No, not the concept artists. It wasn't even the writers, with their panic attacks and three-hour lunches...

It was impossible not to fail. The project was too large and no amount of money could satiate the ever-expanding ambitions of the development team.

They tried to make a 4,000,000 reál game with 400,000 in their bank account.

They thought they could bridge the gap with pure willpower and imagination.

They couldn't.

I could have bridged the gap.

Oh, so they were done in by their own ambition.

MAINFRAME - No. Even then success remained within an ever-narrowing margin of possibility that, despite everything, never entirely disappeared...

That is, until they discovered the Valley of the Heads.

The what?

That sounds bad.

MAINFRAME - No, it was good. Too good.

At the eleventh hour, the lead designer, Zsiemsk-born Sulisław Zawisza, decided that what 'Wirrâl Untethered' needed was a secret mystical location at the extreme edge of the map...

This place was to be the *Valley of the Heads* -- where the heads of all the *headless* constructs could be found. The player would have been able to choose a head for their headless party member, and each head would been voiced on-air by a professional actor.

This is some insane shit. Who were these people?

How many heads were there?

MAINFRAME - The world had never seen their kind before and might never again.

How many heads were there?

MAINFRAME - So many. At last count there were approximately 10,000 heads for 10,000 headless men, all of which could be endlessly recombined.

How many combinations could you make out of that?

That's pretty bad. So that's what did them in?

MAINFRAME - Do you really want to know? There seems to be a calculation here, but it may take a while...

Yeah, how bad could it be?

No, let's not go there.

🔊 Static

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Keep going.

Uh oh.

MAINFRAME - 542677005771489943351471625042523651737102660686472534581201866832739536825474565365535975466857887000569883602866864507402569930874834410940860863037079082952405767316849418558104824753047589233928015713028241062349999459323905214098565595656613460033961505151647588527422147325179995489779928495227460298556667008118712008561550164574004841702103030389963392533374665568178244107374093369192941046323077319947598263073834996007703724104462854146487041162738956498345551621656851145513838220470054839966717062464675661012913820489091211172293862442531589130669874620455872448060528293781483026221645422804217577607623654598282230708155034694049383177550533050946989994761194192312807218072169643784333136067606769651871383943387724854936890618457005720436966664650807344958144959663062466986798328725863000642152202101718139173252751736722626214549454685060063346927138383117158497530926432524869602200590998026637653862254632651684149633063695480865511012567577178906166947583440434862184853695916021720304561834975241620399264413316518847686068306420048585579244733402901425888764037125186422290163336915850632737271995963629127833447862188878710095337535510546889802363782637149269132895643394408994701214521345721177156575914517348951950168006213539271754198438761635434798069208866662270995123717062419249142825764531257699397353416730468645851819796682320156937926849269999839924135719414968822737040228208051718080034004806152617920139789451862952905584407037383005335524211539033851858293667791906101163062336731444192028938572018555695963308336154502904248223092970871247880020173830720604826801566753975937899317935157999589295621563073384162945999002767308328277165950642179665231904392505432267537318117553154767807394703389311851072977243183789726749574557781833454959423173535582910469673153912759756872818616911610831563372326399688814905439432611971822749967911766285534018601983158096299817911072088049922920160620590672712735994618716349457749958053379471871054564525793960242102591364155283983952017730127125148920510617082280083399856657866469207371142696823017704163248294794095586946990893791651910063051853521023451897981276191430618643627030819771249927510567329094812020577471006877033797089342292071839037441675034938188363422292849467906602856742932516425690443634730876567970565956772852910812427331544065801998027115791262541727974528625748659219332938059152395247355188871198603913196542875762901905039640835602462775343144091556421817294599415960619796226332427158634259779473486820748020215387347297079997533329877855310538201621697918803807530063343507661477371359393626519052222425281410847470452956886477579135021609220403484491499507787431071896557254926512826934895157950754861723413946103651766167503299486422440396595118822649813159250801851263866353086222234910946290593178294081956404847024565383054320565069244226718632553076407618720867803917113563635012695250912910204960428232326289965027589510528443681774157309418748944280654275614309758281276981249369933130289466705604140843089422311409127222381484703643410196304136307367710600381595908297464101144213583210425743583502207371732197450890355731873504458272387707282714061629979196293572241044771550516525358675441093950792183690152611384403826800541509243465117114364778994445539936536677275895657139875055429908245856095100369346631006737147080299276569334355009271898540501099174749799915543920319089619676154446860481754006956894714639282453838070104441810455061713051605843558175210323384658292010710300611242834074586070060601948305513648670210203647084708074227043718937069656887956179287130452245168420274020219664156052803350612935587390793935244040925842483806071774446099640352218910229619090325690423813744924949068923143308842243996313963915458540652863264688075811487483714082841764552263863135202648940162624948023885682315991029526203371264492799019382111345184463875445163912393779741905766499117642376377222828023184657380501212778096803156914772649102575035087587922481102235445244108724485657007551871321465920935485045528291707495...

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KIM KITSURAGI - The lieutenant taps his foot impatiently, his arms folded tight against his chest.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY [Medium: Success] - He's dying for a cigarette. Come to think of it, you are, too.

MAINFRAME - 778130390574620824491719213118641296337046614064569001789423567387755231309527859127745332418554424844844936642107313488191806401892223173021566458134731864499979057816620914698707180393888857812807402263636022941143548698714021435720559477308928086536789202019351026053615679244832767494761178583160718657103108422005602595451151913913091195444478443610327418761023388433916875892334237908598419682665256106287512375723184914749519459857288979349817917618226524804082371281097907726388642860679170822885758527034708397145616199262478447946927949968459456323827022973641735034307831941156982478200132908512028784748058601889600459017459740556307327144876790852888679788099706952406810066256114400149834135808897372468440649488570741676879164132242053736540673301863924979109154747859591638655975070905811759248995022147992509456355825143158144640601342834904227983579396592589852007638456466816407326819283460077672858762849000688745646392749644159040340336723378144915970329417872941550610541295154001593938516639293256774295575494800466582735796539909402335436446493768272725418736275475329768081903253361410864330842377717389952215367630953020459024386946327028952939944830135775890812148845584938198745059209140672095224690962630769417533409836988593637003149737289779963600186265001749292900879311899978229637123066422979961635825726001122889836476514180459757700421208339493646596473364642890444993253962270919073737057720513228159578632275919127860542978629531886155598047281607108641328035854001600555756868557917859778991979026565926212830072253514015259735693007290153922111168685047404021721744420517380002513610004945341193243316683442431259630988123969622023588583955878316851948331266535773532443799356832152691770422490345745348589138125826813669089294768090526355606381196613060639369384118177135459298843172329122362624588683942028899816935611698654298847765131182276625267399788088160104706515423350156713537448170862343146625311902910401522629271040992850724188433290072777947541116375521765635893163266360493812184018375128188847711689754794837676640848427536230740195421832179854962606665903479258163423926709478399070629231665350372850197513248138038370708946389254708870390857235810061306286466647100061043521157789266134322146553114118825969429262845221090266884149757633415549211355812546165580782734701158140060083457621331303899878432706537199567095708473857860926491888583787392391655542635773012922436416040625517368923356365688543658516462078218757417243645258141434876327613417527073767549222762877822647651543153415857137735227303354033763642042580342572647496862178236669513534106773784211313711319873732228918052750628122777164124944124012071259543199917465747458925826137128255555350804041439445572959945546356084872513394629363589408320989648016195831304297209647941285393889962653689282638076771687595885022164645824309401650096887973661577335603168367103868952282709415095452227440027354992536702147159940565448138421863801287999008209335763207363694059914242637182940006137419005795130962985453307481978025683010896728738022348204888629731303696898826406579047815623897784853650256910642317957360253309087632717849111897484322468680863403839641761276057886465744722848249326874430625512205069551684646694771836819114328735448158363505481464110999601433905957997662906468812950250391509236330110760706328633173933781496933802475800350527897827557509286040394205063429393270646361610318228792481526793068627492372756318522256542660085568494977202859091509304954259674736483314372363495554489015986684083621769135596560395196704253688634823695871294625247590317768131849775882765767404825581365021036495855057032592199576753342642237837235860585094035839771034766706447886408311096503025652156074640196527169997323734652371734565955145594930981666440062115993491331801351505286518421788280263433259347558507611686977091255800561856837105408560812495194031480646187194025776632852670196983875675615246967590281068648968692933159543520976875271372016161609311742501997092896849400346962423256884106651133043774122561

Keep going.

What have I done?

MAINFRAME - 762586589412367281711455264238945126317178347902769211714528873529550193367592189080060486337377867281806102547825704367884495035189257874998366947859086129755430841226770609543476121337174331567837901620123372370233383164147064285921859776101582327219979150628718681867509816655377450130208803339043536397702633638090985264945326281465580655465048234864294953906132574004969128883405182229336444766838550379679758096199835758070277595359687882261946596122230445492756002749551685835425822953360428344263184780688253954507466918778977654060384325128438128113168562046086172894082296586261744207669202974279300881295198546787135486232366104132165812792671515459615943525934567574459923078892055195400823164097195912500254552375031067356397488355424804496813830306718519314913357892021236053081999520205845034234999321509626349778124566583046805818245635248146258493319261954068848184464452484294860630161694766632426252314763223711096953694838244823164103962245076754056142874682678357237048956069906527926884558445120466548533785340266466450423396384882577198749536113004942155937355452119261867214782654168856040949282900566168838076376566905107408925105491652229688786769686316525149177014999000666373445461202627807019256987062255409289451947187780043061300218282874258670487484808269485734447782440787341027108248702695238308049109604820139012940246312448001593366702126583176778797529659634725768943265404358892672939506878608306262662632873920873273025479100999321133889778078143367287914487683736864677485287777374035474728716442177678207129645062708809786379281440711925051411480049070556080972292997924414710628522470298706998692276763417735132586029089038757074543680778764223853337006920896163510092335873039865439060718809525575533803647258950073067721225280781794710564811713785574510576910443229254290241494335883960936793213616969542512997310310328044369545019298438208423831212658257405945094269427773071248021769157818357200871705387732560179871330055059113778238417916402808414096238208476373930139307784285545452223675598246662506087542848761041456613622276424059143044555808563181809352304077938916149021162924005150749140684432032303656099548786209991943065644553325471355573653185160117003215506907877167520628815278858971494103209869840830489665243510305024446799317791476591034289491290541203616016956712221408063694059403045521862128799330928562310224184463652890974446401519866231838819624448225907835859140436861930190414589626938789070349821698686969344480862139905345917928266543047982072196341347556465254831437711566784590777971965107724680002935815462676463102242790073136313525220670629511259358744731341864924972827847966445854489629329052620580652485887070208793891344760833446531709392424082493280089157313195413483118209277524868805487339433158675626661221793550511906099929113794456349956273918984590290217131557060962678816733029401984642373904450980280309489759812592520558509735374365568257803136819020071516756938272818188245875417107211808065564480391225045370894226953583821925350756928340956398592655997403913167092900439962759768303752175033608790282956730688622630777297335338536826687345190357097096873223237383004940901232392743187590465263270951784062672648288936468965932191695211063617297570743761480616013311049116922713186094041450148428664236347169828924181804843652305388645598098392738364906854808230142678031439374404318078226787794940062064891512489525165430056344483750467517542070433133724868706332375616452323604819320243775968909147833721795536769926032357151855133910984027390637532807023133017557542693962026294239109453235379101259489649418125636729929670842506675998034562734555985596285122814145825560248417833056452405084500659887559875186013358606249327844877720068422965919455165395629829605916100465789072148420548618304181756045598151680880317830802614459944446779180124321464009836106786834129748725967292587868062230801158220262890143644590023016458236667092655712645599257906223047452356255751117707915120027893809757754685461210173075227992414070263081377929719094614131458...

020810877381216245398587696973714258818361526050693809269177120873219150058319771133227935723850719406127612918725720994049302502777481566140213274347438819664133300526342290829064009279449248085561311834401618048013570325078363239389215676431596204426128097009441077761306389090712944563940566015592460254542047711861404201552333712705013771210345700095780093892653293857204785765087771496634030035623805957571916093821713122228104658583889435071764319399730126615914238371702844001203994858809962318594724748587765843550770069340992203403787721927283703013808381443941149849717307661629613420591050148142839497006959516769390415579028563569110555473126845714974496353205546779407751840566676372229690903461287068298871042787610900909991604438217945117636208353797161618331243644312678554355508005079861246643977241355021282380267267199149897272485129812872836974892764207928686669701772597944078581559093325085541312999465811185276916524647908191193842332758976995730120981030091710016957187916169422700795289151919125210538918385389593151674005057238174010306210043802430111879777042523280732365751296093724560536800375165961642361477093303912244097528717320679761281204280267392565573056759315126457500478757565318548258214115740304731474925119108356157657320025461096867018903076485313738329126824817411813590328266250825493132114314789533523170439890539285349466428860742683718249024980924794872266336868237995808756370408086556493219054896377855495311673979352707994704523991532975343586905141058640965345141828964744393671828527118435607992858959781765439501130888484191635166732136928608309567445028018003737164580091680829727087156091850386540534366600455049856246873760225570415958002501740953618392876434580036708649540579417200851363571271637683234931342307038212744845014405295416953743819454594565331651409909937227228010196546527262278315121034676861668261314718436100255178632479501500229536954663177395893441314814858346943745239811599546660712059977943634401850783608991089480734196339392593189739409431100421167291201997226266098719270140241058055153151001098049960441472910394510303126641147267368399733150350367427415469926331652704329406752374490750567395089296747791158008643999925648172088474292508215462798560791277686119460862103494055358501344721902445438245210892844094981327170106739664711149318967899776615954881861931769001750279017838246243878738314832795008790264339925770265880058497789846242956603212769458108243481296908409725506710547324713172549971919010395533058470407280816931586260938860191476899441376736214320836073751315743763167546664791867538965715551008506268100051198274868077805926677656541008347785710242501332533915873847610241297947367510011634989778037459300254576098706710921535971151782520142812166475430340751286002402970384286159842898166021434298490889173596821922844691230359043298772318433099141872646746075583187257131388323560158090095941825302077993976484625979018833417938309209658414635744119858782964758509430530081483418217478266037737622529977034687529035173107920832200380808092121643465868179898105042743753857867891863505177175016065318264069288832501359195171785376878658817523664215340109612957630747626480703127573657877623528590571539324845765039443904966680877118991924989338965248523955367958275306141671317579157563866060048399941795487058682092011951549520312945624513154225065748586291616065237966430101726939502822946674896817468211639967949502942840130992359012782504374281925576345332175761622927511105983682715672297786200537229323140828870587494440601162365216277175585030134514714527658418642770717699684354996202575474318119948833858067596923595806221658324640920953506483579358177429030183153512900143214955181774569083887193206977696956577717544991499114313689508361606925396064698933748709429332191856012991085644702562571635055086206892402975896847142836786847354555335834776525361565781899969830686546717364459963431364681954274204904724330646750014426975083223690130838954926370667784065313286648860801295137717208475811577194910123451417749414827735800414

INTERFACING [Legendary: Failure] - What if you broke the radiocomputer? What if it's never going to stop?!

Just let the numbers wash over you.

Please stop.

MAINFRAME - 32667332379617716965698582785832300505265883502247868050648201444570593197343382923860072601696510903258980909912837652275381493529845099414966933862815568031306981064525192703818515872648691762563239441425216118427769145067718411735714396681005615483952443154944864238384298900399826113322468963346522104692545137969276009719645338955332105584245640187448611050959111766828942711640054010503770420346052521318228045892998637903572350665108782350043349942391285236308896510989246641056331584171142885304143772286629832318970869030400301325951476774237516158840915838059151673504519131178193943428482922272304061422582078027829148070426761629302539228321084917759984200595105312164731818409493139800444072847325902609169730998153853939031280878823902948001579008000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000... and that's it.

Okay, so that's what did them in?

MAINFRAME - Well, yeah. That, and the catastrophic data loss.

The what now?

This must be the anomaly Soona mentioned in the church log.

MAINFRAME - On the nature of the data loss, there's ominously little information in the production log. It comes at the very end, where things get fuzzy and dark, where tables and numbers seem to vanish into an eerie nothingness, before their Igaunijan investor pulled the plug...

What is clear is that one day an unidentified numeric anomaly occurred on the East-Insulindian Lintel front, just as the 'Wirrâl Untethered' project was being compiled that day.

And the anomaly caused all the data to get lost in the air?

I didn't understand a word of that.

MAINFRAME - When the project was returned, it was completely blank.

The team spent weeks on the phone with Lintel, the service provider, but despite their diagnostics they could never produce a satisfactory explanation or pay for the loss.

What! They lost the whole game and wouldn't even pay for it?

Wasn't there a copy of the game, a *backup*?

MAINFRAME - Always read the terms of service.

LOGIC [Medium: Success] - And let's face it, they didn't have any money left for a legal action.

Wasn't there a copy of the game, a *backup*?

MAINFRAME - Mysteriously enough, it seems that the off-site copy happened to be *on-site* when the catastrophic data loss occurred...

It was the lead programmer's responsibility to oversee weekly maintenance of the off-site copy and, well, keep it off-site. An explanatory note from the lead programmer has been attached.

What does it say?

MAINFRAME - S. Luukanen-Kilde, the lead programmer of Fortress Accident: "The off-site copy was on-site because there was no *off-site* anymore, not for me, not after eight months of crunch."

"I didn't have a home anymore, so I started keeping it in the basement, in the ice bear refrigerator (near where I went to sleep). It was perfectly safe there, the temperature conditions were *optimal*."

It's not very convincing, is it?

Seems like a perfectly reasonable explanation.

Is there anything else from this lead programmer? (Proceed.)

MAINFRAME - That's not what her colleagues thought.

Is there anything else from this lead programmer? (Proceed.)

MAINFRAME - The production schedule ends with a few random notes that seem to be added sometime later.

4. Read the notes at the end.

MAINFRAME - Four months later by an unknown author: "I am the only one left and it's gotten rather damp here. A few other businesses have gone under too. Slipstream switched to making skis and the hairdressers just left, cursing Martinaise. They're right, though, something's seriously wrong with this place. Martinaise, all of it."

"Still haven't gotten an answer from Lintel about what happened. All I could get were the physical coordinates of the error on the East-Insulindian front on that day. Since the computation happened on-air, I reckoned it had to coincide with an actually existing location..."

"I have compared the coordinates to a map of Revachol West. Turns out it's only 800 metres from here. The address is Saint-Brune 1147. I am going there to look this thing in the eye..."

REACTION SPEED [Easy: Success] - Saint-Brune 1147? That's what the street sign next to the church said...

5. Tear off the printout and throw it away.

MAINFRAME - Tiles on the cube are still smouldering, casting the framework in a soft glow. Virescent PLAY and PRINT keys shine on the keyboard.

2. Remove THE PRODUCTION SCHEDULE.

MAINFRAME - The filament slides out of its glowing nest.

5. [Leave.]

#disco elysium #kim kitsuragi #harrier du bois #yvonne #soon #soona luukanen kilde #uhh... really hope no one is reading this with a screen reader. sorry.

9 notes · View notes

disco-elysium-via-polls · 6 days

Text

UNLOCKABLE CHECKS

ENCYCLOPEDIA - [Formidable] Find the source of the Expresssion.

SUGGESTION - [Heroic] Ask Lilienne on a date.

HAND/EYE COORDINATION - [Legendary] What kind of gun fired the bullet? MAXED

EQUIPPABLE THOUGHTS

MAGNESIUM-BASED LIFEFORM

Temporary bonus: -1 Shivers: No shakes Research time: 1h 15m

DETECTIVE COSTEAU

Temporary bonus: -2 Conceptualization: An idiotic idea Research time: 2h 30m

BRINGING OF THE LAW (LAW-JAW)

Temporary bonus: -1 Rhetoric: Weird jaw Research time: 2h 55m

DATE OF BIRTH GENERATOR

Temporary bonus: None Research time: 7h 15m

ONE MORE DOOR

Temporary bonus: +1 Half Light: What is behind it? Research time: 0h 45m

ARNO VAN EYCK

Temporary bonus: +1 Interfacing Research time: 0h 50m

ANTI-OBJECT TASK FORCE

Temporary bonus: -2 Pain Threshold: Hurts! Research time: 2h 15m

Take a look at your hands. See how bruised they are? See those little scars? This is Exhibit A. The material world is holding you back. Containers, mailboxes, doors, chairs -- they are all your enemies. Always have been. Atoms themselves are in on the conspiracy, forming shapes and structures that you hate. You are energy stuck in a body. You are spirit trapped in matter. Break free! Beat up that lamp post! Let it know just how much objects *suck*.

WASTE LAND OF REALITY

Temporary bonus: -2 Physical Instrument: Insomnia Research time: 20h

It has been brought to your attention that you’re an alcoholic. And that it’s a sickness. And it’s killing you. You're crawling on your knees through life, your booze-filled belly dragging on the ground, your brain now fuzzy, now in overdrive, your hair sticking together with today's cold sweat and yesterday's vomit. Perhaps they’re right. Anything is better than this. Even bone-dry reality itself. Maybe you can quit?

#disco elysium

3 notes · View notes

disco-elysium-via-polls · 6 days

Text

You - Break down the door.

Pain Threshold - You smash into the wood and see a small crack appear on the door frame. It's going to take one more try to break through to the other side, but you've done it...

#disco elysium

2 notes · View notes

disco-elysium-via-polls · 6 days

Text

🎵 Bookstore

It actually *is* possible to convince Plaisance to open the door for you, if you haven't already tried to break it down. For us, the only way forward is through.

WARDED DOOR - A heavy door with a missing handle stands before you, covered in dozens (if not hundreds) of Semenese trinkets and charms. It appears to be locked.

2. [Pain Threshold - Challenging 12] Break down the door.

+2 The Destroyer! +1 One More Door +1 Broke into Cuno's parents apartment. +1 Broke into the communard apartment.

PAIN THRESHOLD [Challenging: Success] - You smash into the wood and see a small crack appear on the door frame. It's going to take one more try to break through to the other side, but you've done it...

+5 XP

Level up!

KIM KITSURAGI - "You're not thinking of trying again, are you?" The lieutenant stares at you as you stand there, silent and brooding.

#disco elysium #kim kitsuragi #harrier du bois

9 notes · View notes

disco-elysium-via-polls · 7 days

Text

🎵 Instrument of Surrender

ANNETTE - "Hi, ace detective." She smiles warmly. "Are you here for more books?"

Hi, Annette. Been a while.

6. [Suggestion - Medium 11] What are you missing here? Why does this feel familiar?

+1 Knows the Law.

SUGGESTION [Medium: Failure] - You have absolutely no idea. Familiar how? You must have forgotten something you heard again.

Again? Maybe we can figure out more if we go inside.

🎵 Bookstore

Let's do some browsing.

MAN FROM HJELLMDALL SERIES - The display rack is brimming with worn paperbacks featuring an extremely muscular, sword-wielding barbarian on the cover. Nearly all the titles contain the word *Hjelmdall* somewhere.

3. [Pain Threshold - Medium 10] Do any of the books call out to me?

+1 Hjelmdellerfan.

We got this bonus for buying the shirt from Roy's.

PAIN THRESHOLD [Medium: Success] - A twinge at the back of your head makes you flinch. Your eye starts twitching.

Ow!

Ugh, what is it?

MAN FROM HJELLMDALL SERIES - Your hand reaches toward a book with glossy cover art of the very muscular Man from Hjelmdall -- in *chains* -- kneeling in front of a staircase leading to a throne. A woman sits on the throne, leering at the man.

INLAND EMPIRE [Easy: Success] - She's laughing at him. Belittling him.

MAN FROM HJELLMDALL SERIES - Between the throne and the Hjelmdallermann lies a bonfire, casting shadows on the wall. The shadow of the woman's head-dress looks like a pair of devil horns. The title reads: "Man from Hjelmdall and the Devil Woman".

Hmm, aren't all women devil women?

"Storekeep, this book is misogynistic. How can you peddle such filth?"

Interesting.

+1 Feminist Agenda

KIM KITSURAGI - "The entire series is also *endearingly* racist, if I may add."

PLAISANCE - "Oh, sirs, I know." The storekeep apologizes immediately. "This really isn't representative of our values. But the store has to cater to its customers."

MAN FROM HJELLMDALL SERIES - The display rack before you is burdened under piles of Man from Hjelmdall novels.

4. "I want to buy 'Man from Hjelmdall and the Devil Woman'."

Let's pick this up in case we need to kill time later.

PLAISANCE - She nudges her glasses. "It *is* a best-seller for a reason."

4. [Leave.]

BOOK "THE MAN FROM HJELMDALL AND THE DEVIL WOMAN"

The frontispiece of this old paperback features a muscleman in chains, kneeling before a salacious-looking woman on a regal seat. A bonfire lies between the throne and the man, casting shadows on the wall – and the shadow of the vixen's head-dress looks like a pair of demonic horns...

SHELF OF CRIME NOVELS - Shelves filled to the brim with crime novels featuring the supposedly stalwart Vespertine detective, Dick Mullen.

3. [Reaction Speed - Medium 10] Who is Dick Mullen?

REACTION SPEED [Medium: Success]- Your quick eye notices a small caterpillar crawling across the spine of a book. The title reads: "Dick Mullen and the Mistaken Identity."

What do we have here? Mistaken identity...

SHELF OF CRIME NOVELS - A worn paperback from Dick Mullen's classic *hard-boiled* phase. The premise seems to be that Dick Mullen is framed for the murder of his best friend, and has just a few days to prove his innocence.

Hmm. Why does this speak to me?

SHELF OF CRIME NOVELS - Could it be the motifs of unstable identities and shocking betrayals?

That's probably right, I'm a complicated guy, full of contradictions.

No, it's gotta be something *else*.

SHELF OF CRIME NOVELS - Perhaps you're drawn to the dark and *noirish* atmosphere?

Yeah, I'm pretty intense. I'm all about that dark stuff.

No, that's not it either.

SHELF OF CRIME NOVELS - Is it because the smoking dame in the slinky red dress on the cover is giving you a hard-on?

Oh, right. That's definitely it.

What? No. That's not what's happening.

SHELF OF CRIME NOVELS - Yes it is. The bulge in your pants is embarrassingly obvious.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY [Easy: Success] - Relax. It's not that bad. Also, this means your bloodflow is returning to normal. Good news, really.

"Nope, all good here." (Casually adjust your pants.)

"Kim, would you describe this woman as a *smoking dame*?"

KIM KITSURAGI - The lieutenant narrows his eyes and contemplates the book for a moment.

"I would certainly say she fits that description, providing that's your type."

3. "I want to buy this Dick Mullen novel."

Let's pick this one up too.

PLAISANCE - "Hrm, of course." She shudders. "Such violence and immorality... uh, I mean, enjoy!"

3. [Leave.]

Another Dick Mullen book woefully misrepresenting the police work. In this one our detective returns from a trip, having successfully solved a 100-years-old cold case, only to embark on another. Does he finally face the taxing nature of his occupation? No! He doesn't even look like a normal law officer.

SHELF OF BIOGRAPHIES - Shelves full of biographies of *famous people*, whoever they are.

3. "I'm interested in that 'Greatest Innocence' book."

You know, it might also be useful to know more about these guys.

PLAISANCE - "A true cultural touchstone." She nods. "Enjoy the read."

This dusty tome brings knowledge on the history of Innocences. It is written by one João Paolo Salomao Lopez de Fuego, a Mesque fascist, who tries to reach a conclusion on which of the Innocences is the coolest in the world.

We could also buy the book on the pale, or a board game, but I think we have enough literature for now.

PLAISANCE - "Hello again, esteemed officer. And welcome to Crime, Romance, and Biographies of Famous People." Her stare is cold and harsh but the line remains the same.

She really didn't like us trying to break down that door.

"I was told that there's a huge fridge in the building's cellar. Can you lead me there?"

"What if I want to buy a book?"

"The girl outside mentioned that this place is cursed."

"About your daughter..."

"All the pressure has made Annette really anxious. You know she's been chewing her nails?"

"Farewell for now, book peddler!" [Leave.]

PLAISANCE - "A fridge?" She fidgets with her pendant. "No, I don't know anything about a fridge. Aren't you interested in books?" She nods at the bookshelves.

DRAMA [Easy: Success] - For whatever reason she's lying to you about the fridge. Seems like you have to find your own way to the cellar.

4. "All the pressure has made Annette really anxious. You know she's been chewing her nails?"

PLAISANCE - "God, I've told her not to do that. It's disgusting. And I told *you* to mind your own business." Her voice is firm. "Clearly you have no idea how hard it is to raise a girl in this economy."

INLAND EMPIRE [Easy: Success] - *This economy* is a mysterious force, like cosmic weather. Mysterious and harsh.

"I don't think she can do anything about it."

"Okay. Forget it." (None of your business.)

PLAISANCE - "She can, if she has enough *willpower*. This is what's called *growing pains*. Life isn't easy, life doesn't give breaks."

KIM KITSURAGI - "Come on, ma'am. It's obvious she can't do anything about it. You're placing an unnecessary burden on a young child."

"What you're doing is wrong. Even I know that, and I usually don't know anything."

"That *is* true -- and obviously the will of the market -- but maybe make an exception for your daughter?"

"Yeah, actually it's super all right for kids to chew their hands off. Forget I said anything."

PLAISANCE - She stands stiff and severe, silently fuming. Ten or so seconds pass without change.

VOLITION [Easy: Success] - This is a person coming to terms with a new reality. One where they are *wrong*. It's not easy.

RHETORIC [Medium: Success] - She's looking for one -- but there simply aren't any good arguments for being an asshole.

PLAISANCE - All of a sudden she exhales sharply. Her shoulders slump down. "Oh no..." she mutters. "Hold on, I need to invite her inside and apologize. She must be freezing out there..."

Fade to black and back in.

"There," she returns with a nod. "I don't know what to say to you. My husband, he tries to teach me business lessons. I have... what my mother called a *dull mind*. All this stress..." She stops, but her mouth keeps moving.

+5 XP

EMPATHY [Easy: Success] - It sounds like both the husband and the mother treat her the way she treats Annette.

"You're like Annette to your husband. And your mother."

Just nod compassionately.

EMPATHY - Yes. Sometimes it's better to let people come to these conclusions themselves.

"Is this husband Annette's father?"

"Is she an only child?"

"She told me she doesn't go to school anymore."

"Alright. I had something else in mind." (Conclude.)

PLAISANCE - "Yes. My husband is a successful entrepreneur East of the river. If only he were more *involved* in the business we're running up *here*." She says gloomily. "No matter, soon we'll both be off for Grand Couron!"

"Wait. Grand Couron? What's that?"

"And your husband's also involved with the bookstore?"

PLAISANCE - "It's a *proper* place to live -- one of the most peaceful neighbourhoods east of Jamrock. You may know it for its massive housing projects..."

SHIVERS [Challenging: Success] - Your head feels light and dizzy... a cold breeze caresses your flesh.

What's going on?

Shudder, let it pass.

SHIVERS - Monstrous buildings loom over Grand Couron. A cold wind howls in the empty halls of homes built upon delusions.

Why?

SHIVERS - There is no life in Grand Couron. No one can afford to live there.

PLAISANCE - "Most of the buildings are empty at the moment!" Her smile is wide. "It's a great opportunity to get ahead of the crowds. Better times ahead, for sure."

"And your husband's also involved with the bookstore?"

PLAISANCE - "He made the initial investment. Since then he's been what you might call a *silent partner*."

RHETORIC [Medium: Success] - Super silent. Almost inaudibly so.

2. "Is she an only child?"

PLAISANCE - "Yes, I'm afraid so. A real treat she is. It would be nice if she had..." She pauses for a second. "No, we couldn't have afforded more children really. Not in this economy."

COMPOSURE [Medium: Success] - A glimmer of sadness blinks through the well-crafted exterior.

"Why not?

"Of course. Yes. This economy."

PLAISANCE - "We're quite busy people, you know, my husband and I. Quite busy." Her voice wavers a bit. "Children are a lot of work. You don't look like a father, so I don't expect you to understand..."

"I'm sorry.“ She catches herself. "I'm sure you do understand."

3. "She told me she doesn't go to school anymore."

PLAISANCE - "She's been too busy, helping me here, so she's studied at home this trimester. This is a temporary solution, of course." Plaisance nods.

"I assure you, I of all people understand the importance of *education*. She will be back in school the moment the store takes off."

LOGIC [Medium: Success] - And hell freezes over? Never mind, it's not a good topic to get into.

4. "Alright. I had something else in mind." (Conclude.)

PLAISANCE - The woman looks aloof, her features much softer. Occasionally she glances at her daughter's silhouette.

2. "Farewell for now, book peddler!" [Leave.]

ANNETTE - "I'm sorry, sir, I can't talk right now. I'm very busy with my homework... I have so much homework now."

EMPATHY [Easy: Success] - You just can't win.

LOGIC [Easy: Success] - Out of the rain and into the gutter.

"What are you doing now?"

ANNETTE - "Math..." She looks into her notebook with trepidation. "It's really difficult. Like -- really. They say you need it to get rich. Better than standing outside in the cold, I guess."

"Oh, oh...!" Suddenly, she smiles and perks up. "I found something while you were away."

"What is it?"

ANNETTE - "I thought this would fit you... Like thanks for helping out! Not me -- the city I mean. Like a detective does." She gives you a hat -- almost exactly like the one Dick Mullen wears on the covers.

Item Gained: Dick Mullen's Hat

"Wait, where did you get it?"

"It's a... fedora?"

"A detective hat?"

"Okay, I get it. I can look just like Dick Mullen -- except I'm an actual police officer."

ANNETTE - "Just what Dick Mullen would ask!" She lowers her voice. "I got it from behind the curtains. I'm not really supposed to go there..."

3. "Okay, I get it. I can look just like Dick Mullen -- except I'm an actual police officer."

ANNETTE - "Yes!" She grins. "I bet it looks good on you. Really serious."

"Right. I have to get back to my homework now, before Mum notices. Man, this is *hard*..." She looks back at the infernal scribblings under her nose.

DICK MULLEN'S HAT

+1 Encyclopedia: Book-smart

If anything, this wide-rimmed hat looks even *better* than the hat Dick Mullen wears. Dick Mullen is stupid -- and not even real. You're real. Your brain is real. Your real real brain is inside the hat.

[Suggestion - Medium 11] What are you missing here? Why does this feel familiar?

+1 Knows the Law. +1 Helped her in.

SUGGESTION [Medium: Success] - Because you know each other. She's been talking to you so openly because you've talked before.

"Hang on. So you... know me? We've met before?"

"On second thought, maybe I shouldn't remember. Maybe there's a reason I forgot."

ANNETTE - "Yes! I used to stand out there all the time, before mother told me to focus on my homework."

"You've been running around all week without your shirt on, sir. Apologizing to everyone. I don't really understand what you've done wrong..."

"Did I ever talk to you?"

ANNETTE - "Of course. You stopped by a few times." She looks at you intently. "You certainly look better than the last time I saw you!"

"I doubt that."

"What do you mean better? I look like shit."

"Thanks. I'm trying."

ANNETTE - "Yeah, I can see. You don't have party eyes anymore."

KIM KITSURAGI - The lieutenant slowly -- ever so slowly -- realizes something. "Party eyes. Yes, of course. That makes sense."

ESPRIT DE CORPS [Easy: Success] - I'm not surprised children have seen you running around with *party eyes* on, he thinks. Not at all.

"*Party eyes*?"

ANNETTE - "You know... like a cat in the dark! All big-and-wide-eyed." She giggles at the thought. "It certainly looks odd on a man."

COMPOSURE [Easy: Success] - The swivelling eyes of a loony drug addict. That is what she meant. You were probably gurning too.

SAVOIR FAIRE [Easy: Success] - Good thing she's didn't say PARTY EYES loud, her mother's nearby...

ELECTROCHEMISTY [Easy: Success] - Fuck yeah! You should get some party eyes right now! Snap those sequins on you, boy.

Does that mean... I've been partaking in *narcotics*?

The girl doesn't know what she's talking about! Forget about this.

ELECTROCHEMISTY - Oh baby, that's not what you have to worry about. Worry about the important thing!

"So... why didn't you tell me you knew me to begin with?"

"Thanks -- I've learned something about myself today." (Conclude.)

ANNETTE - "I didn't know I had to do that." She looks puzzled.

"I don't really like this detective-deduction game anymore..." (Conclude.)

"Thanks -- I've learned something about myself today." (Conclude.)

ANNETTE - "I'm glad I could help you, sir." She smiles a wide, helpful smile.

+5 XP

"Okay, bye. See you around, Annette." [Leave.]

That's as much as we can do in the main body of the bookstore. Tomorrow we'll see about getting into the back.

#disco elysium #kim kitsuragi #harrier du bois #plaisance #annette

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