The Weight of a Soul
Chin Kee Yong
blood coming of age cover art fantasy female protagonist horror I7 source available Inform 7 long mystery parser Published 2021 second person Spring Thing 2017 Spring Thing 2021 Spring Thing Game steampunk suspense
In a world of arcane mysteries, a young doctor's apprentice unravels a conspiracy most grim. A mystery-horror interactive novel inspired by IF classics like Blue Lacuna and Anchorhead. Content warnings: illness, death, medical procedures, emotional suffering.
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Too fast. It all happened too fast.

He was healthy not a day before, or so he said when he stumbled into the clinic just minutes ago. You should have seen the signs -- the shivers, the black stains around his eyes -- but the shadows were long in the hour of night, and in the darkness you couldn't see, you couldn't see...

The vomiting came first, then the weakness of the knees -- you barely caught him as he keeled over you -- Doctor Cavala seized him before you were crushed by his weight. "The surgery room!" she shouted, and together you half-carried half-dragged the goblin to the gurney and strapped him down. You hid behind the protection of your surgical mask, adjusted the lights as you had been drilled. Thoughts flitted across your mind -- flitted -- flitting --

"I've never operated on a goblin before," you say, trying to conceal the panic in your voice. "I did, in a way, on the Collegiate cadavers, but --"

"Steady, girl." Doctor Cavala snaps on her gloves and squeezes your shoulder. "Remember your training. I need your help. Are you with me?"

You take a deep breath. "I'm with you, Doctor."

"Good." She nods. "Try to keep up.

You are in a cold cylindrical chamber, thrown into sharp focus by hovering surgical lamps. Shelves of vials and medical supplies crowd around you, leaving little room to misstep. A shimmering calomel curtain frames the exit to the south.

The patient, Reden -- he shudders against his straps on the gurney, black blood streaming from his eyes and mouth, even as Doctor Cavala fights to isolate the infection.

"Eyes sharp, Marid," she says. "I'm going to need your help in a moment."

"Got it," you reply.
You look at Cavala
You came to know Doctor Cavala when she served with Lumina's volunteers during the troubles. Her clinic was your first choice for apprenticeship when you graduated. Since then you've watched her drag more than a few souls kicking from the brink of death -- and they won't be the last, not if she has anything to say about it.

Doctor Cavala is a dark-skinned surgeon in her early forties, sharp and regal of bearing. She circles the gurney with increasing agitation, doing all she can to keep her patient alive.

A convulsion -- Doctor Cavala takes a step back as the gurney creaks. "We need to sedate the patient," she says, "or we'll never get anything done. Marid, get the soporific from the shelves. I'm going to take a look at his eyes..."

You glance up at the shelves ringing the surgery room.
You examine the shelves
Nestled among the medical supplies, you spy an inhaler labeled aer vivificans and an inhaler labeled aer soporifer.

"...massive internal bleeding..." she mutters.
You take the aer soporifer
You tiptoe -- grab the inhaler -- press the device into Doctor Cavala's waiting palm. She shakes it experimentally and nods at you before raising the inhaler to Reden's lips with a hiss...

The goblin's pupils begin to dilate. "Easy now," Doctor Cavala mutters --
You look at the goblin
--His head bucks violently. Doctor Cavala drops the inhaler and the bulb shatters all over the floor. "Primes!" she hisses. "Marid, can you get me another dose?"
You take the aer soporifer
That is either not important or not something you can see.

(Type >look or a blank command to examine your surroundings.)
You examine the shelves
You spy nothing useful on the shelves, well-stocked though they are.

"That was the last one," you yell back, trying not to breathe in any of the fumes.

"Fine!" Doctor Cavala says. "We'll do this without anaesthetic, one way or another." She squints at Reden's body. "Marid, get me the stethoscope."

"Where is it?"

Doctor Cavala's answer is drowned out by another round of coughing from the patient.
You look
You are in a cold cylindrical chamber, thrown into sharp focus by hovering surgical lamps. Shelves of vials and medical supplies crowd around you, leaving little room to misstep. A shimmering calomel curtain frames the exit to the south.

The patient shudders against his straps on the gurney, black blood streaming from his eyes and mouth, even as Doctor Cavala fights to isolate the infection.

"Doctor, I don't know where the stethoscope is."

"The gurney, the gurney!" she snaps. "There. Hanging from the side. I can't reach it from here."
You look at gurney
You look behind the gurney and there it is -- a stethoscope reclining snakelike on its hook.

Doctor Cavala looks up from her work, irritated. "Have you found it yet?"

"I found it," you reply.

"Good," she says, "give it to me."
You give the stethoscope to Cavala
(first taking the stethoscope)
You carefully unwind the stethoscope and toss it to Doctor Cavala, who catches it with a practiced hand.

"Took you long enough."

"But it was --" you protest.

"Hush." Doctor Cavala pushes the device against Reden's chest and lowers her ear to the ausculting dish. "I'm trying to listen."
You wait for a while
Blood continues to run down the goblin's lips, and you hurry over to dab it away before it touches Doctor Cavala's face. At last she rises, her face grim.

"What did you hear, Doctor?" you ask.

"Nothing good," she replies. "I fear we may be too late -- but there is one last thing we can try."
You wait a while
is one last thing we can try."She pauses. "Have you ever heard of the breath of catholicon?"
No
breath of catholicon?"You frown. "I thought that was a myth."

"Check the shelves again," Doctor Cavala commands, turning back to her ailing patient. "And be quick about it."
You look at the shelves
The breath of catholicon -- could it really be here, hidden among this detritus? You glance across the crowded supplies, but nothing catches your eye, not yet...

"What would such a thing even look like?" you protest.

Doctor Cavala moves as if to speak -- but then there is another coughing fit from Reden, and she curses and adjusts the straps. You shake your head and turn back to the shelves.
You search the shelves
Curatives, laxatives, poisons, panaceas, blades of every shape and size... no. None of them...

"It's in an inhaler," she says finally. "Labeled in the old language. It cost me a great deal to acquire."

There is no mirth in her voice, and for a moment you are at a loss for words.
You search the shelves
Rows and rows of strange tools, tubes, vials, beakers, inhalers... inhalers?

There is another convulsion from the patient, but with less vigor than before. Much less.

"He's falling apart," Doctor Cavala says in a low voice. "Don't hesitate, Marid. Get me the catholicon."
You examine inhaler
You blink.

Nestled among the medical supplies, you spy an inhaler labeled
halitus catholiconis.

Distantly you hear Reden's ragged breathing.
You take halitus catholiconis
The halitus whirls within its glass cage as you lower it from the shelves; it billows as Doctor Cavala bears the inhaler to Reden's bloodsoaked lips. She breaks the seal, and in the bulb it spirals round and round in the dance of exhalation --
You wait a while
round and round in the dance of exhalation --And it is within him.
You wait for a while
round and round in the dance of exhalation --And it is within him.His breath is stolen away. His irises flare with the light of catharsis. He flails against the gurney straps as though puppeted by invisible hands.
Wait
hands."Doctor Cavala?" you ask. You look to her, and her eyes are as wide as yours.
You look at goblin
There is a sudden quiet, a moment when the surgical lights flicker and time itself seems to slow. For an instant something brilliant swims at the edges of your vision.
the edges of your vision.Reden's eyes close.
the edges of your vision.Reden's eyes close.The moment passes. Doctor Cavala seizes him, shouting, but the goblin is unresponsive. She checks his pulse. She produces a needle, lines up an injection -- the needle withdraws empty, stained with foul black effluvium. But he does not awaken.
not awaken.Seconds pass. A minute. Finally she stands, silent, her breathing level. She takes off her mask and sets it on the operating table with an air of grim finality.
table with an air of grim finality.(To continue, choose a response from the list by typing the corresponding number.)

1) "Damn it."
2) "I'm sorry."
3) <Take off your surgical mask.>
2
"I'm sorry." Your voice is a whisper.

Doctor Cavala shakes her head. "Don't apologize, Marid. We did all we could. But it's out of our hands now."

1) <Take off your surgical mask.>
2) "If only..."
3) "The catholicon -- what was that?"
4) "At the moment he died, I had a strange vision..."
5) "What happens next?"
3
"The catholicon --"

You glance at Reden, half expecting to see white fire in his eyes, and suppress a shudder.

"The catholicon, Doctor. What was that?"
"The catholicon, Doctor. What was that?"Doctor Cavala takes
the empty inhaler out of her pocket. She looks pensively into the glass, and holds it up to the light where it shines.
glass, and holds it up to the light where it shines."The
catharsis," she says quietly. "The purging of the soul. It is
the most destructive of all remedies, and the most irreversible once administered. But remember this, Marid: sometimes a thing must be destroyed before it can be built anew."
destroyed before it can be built anew."She turns to regard the body on the gurney, so frail and gentle in death, and sighs.
the gurney, so frail and gentle in death, and sighs."It was his only chance," she says. "He was probably going to die either way. But... I'm sorry you had to see that, Marid. I really am."

1) <Take off your surgical mask.>
2) "If only..."
3) "At the moment he died, I had a strange vision..."
4) "What happens next?"
3
"At the moment he died, I had a strange vision. It was... it was..."

You try to recall the strange sensation you experienced, but it fragments and swims away, and lingers at the edge of your consciousness where you can find no purchase. What words could describe that weightless moment?

describe that weightless moment?"It was..." you flounder, "it was..."

describe that weightless moment?"It was..." you flounder, "it was..."Doctor Cavala watches you intently.

was..."Doctor Cavala watches you intently."Strange sights are not uncommon at the moment of death, Marid. Especially when the animus escapes untethered. You studied such reactions in the Physicians' College, did you not?"

College, did you not?""This was different," you insist.

College, did you not?""This was different," you insist."It's been a long day," she replies. "Take a moment to collect your thoughts. Talk to me again tomorrow when you are certain."

to me again tomorrow when you are certain."You lower your eyes. "Yes, Doctor."

1) <Take off your surgical mask.>
2) "If only..."
3) "What happens next?"
3
"What happens next?"

"You can begin by taking off your mask," she reminds you. "We won't be operating on a cadaver any time soon."

You sigh and pull off your mask. "But what happens next?"
You sigh and pull off your mask. "But what happens next?""It's a unique situation, to be sure." Doctor Cavala takes the mask from you and begins to pace around the gurney. "For any other disease, our course would be straightforward. Log the death. Inform the family. Check for symptoms. Do our best to contain the contagion. Easier said than done, but at least it would be straightforward.
than done, but at least it would be straightforward."Now Reden has died of an illness I can't identify. And I've seen a lot of illnesses, Marid." She studies her gloved hands, stained black with blood. "In the morning I will reference the Alchemical Library of Fluids
and contact my colleagues for help... but we must be prepared for the possibility that we are dealing with an unknown affliction.
possibility that we are dealing with an unknown affliction."For now, we proceed with caution." She gives you a curt nod. "After you clean up the surgery room, Marid, you may retire for the night. You've been a good assistant. As for myself... I will begin on the paperwork, and on the task of moving the body to the mortuary."

1) "Yes, Doctor."
2) "Can I help?"
2
"Can I help?" you ask.

Doctor Cavala smiles and shakes her head. "I appreciate the sentiment, Marid, but you've seen and done more than enough for one night. Take my advice and get some rest. You'll need it for tomorrow."

1) "Yes, Doctor."
1
"Yes, Doctor."

"See that it's done."

Doctor Cavala hands her tools to you and leaves to dispose of the soiled surgical masks. The next half hour is spent in simple work: the comforting tedium of cleaning, sterilizing, organizing. Soon the surgery room is pristine and unblemished.

You wash your hands, switch off the lamps, and look to the calomel curtain to the south. It's time to go home.
You look around
You are in a cold cylindrical chamber, thick with quiet shadows. Shelves of vials and medical supplies crowd around you, leaving little room to misstep. A shimmering calomel curtain frames the exit to the south.

Reden lies on the gurney, lifeless and still.
Inventory
You are wearing your natron jacket, your clothes, and an animus pendant (containing the spirit of your father). On your person are your practitioner's badge, your scalpel, your purse, and an antiseptic cloth.
You look at the jacket
A utilitarian white garment, lined and sealed with alchemical sigils against contamination. It effectively shields its wearer against most communicable diseases.
You look at the clothes
Simple garb, but it keeps the wind and moisture out.
You examine the animus
Images tumble unbidden from memory ---- flames, licking at the
beams, melting glass, engulfing the silhouette of your father. "Marid, go!" he screamed, hoarse from the fumes, and you ran, ran, cheeks stained with tears --

stained with tears ---- turned to you, and her golden eyes
were haunted. "I'm sorry, Marid," she said, her voice cracking. "I couldn't save him. I'm so sorry --"

couldn't save him. I'm so sorry --""-- no promises," the
animologist said, his brow knitted. "If indeed your father died there, we can bind the residual energies to an animus stone, residual, you understand; there's no telling --"

understand; there's no telling --"-- flaring light, and you
reached out and mouthed the word --

reached out and mouthed the word --Father.

reached out and mouthed the word --Father.You shake your head to
clear your thoughts. The past belongs in the past. What matters is that he is with you now, in this pendant.
You examine the badge
This burnished badge bears the symbol of a snake coiling around a staff, certifying you as a qualified apprentice of the ars
vitalis.
Oops scalpel
This elegant blade was a graduation gift from the Physicians' College. It measures just over twenty centimeters long, and holds a finely graduated orichalcum edge.
Journal
Third of Aquaria, Auritum IV

I'm tired. I'm so tired.

I'm sorry, Reden. I hope your animus rests in peace.

Current objectives:

Marid's notes:

- I'm in the mood for a drink...

You are in a cold cylindrical chamber, thick with quiet shadows. Shelves of vials and medical supplies crowd around you, leaving little room to misstep. A shimmering calomel curtain frames the exit to the south.

Reden lies on the gurney, lifeless and still.
You examine the purse
You don't carry much money with you. Just enough to buy food and other necessities.
You examine the cloth
It's for cleaning your scalpel.
Clean scalpel
You polish your scalpel with the antiseptic cloth.
About yourself
You feel alert and well. Slightly on edge, perhaps, but that's nothing unusual considering the circumstances.

You are wearing your natron jacket, your clothes, and an animus pendant (containing the spirit of your father). On your person are your practitioner's badge, your scalpel, your purse, and an antiseptic cloth.
Places
You have not visited any notable locations in this game so far.

As you explore the game world, notable locations will be added to this page.

You are in a cold cylindrical chamber, thick with quiet shadows. Shelves of vials and medical supplies crowd around you, leaving little room to misstep. A shimmering calomel curtain frames the exit to the south.

Reden lies on the gurney, lifeless and still.
You look at the curtain
It decontaminates objects that pass through it.

(Type >go south to leave the surgery room.)
Characters
You have encountered the following notable characters:

Servator Marid Orpheia (yourself)
A seventeen-year-old graduate of the Physicians' College, currently apprenticed to Doctor Cavala. You have taken care of yourself ever since your parents died four years ago.

Your mentor in the ars vitalis. A former army doctor and a
surgeon of commanding skill.

A goblin bum who died in Doctor Cavala's surgery room of an hitherto unknown affliction.

You are in a cold cylindrical chamber, thick with quiet shadows. Shelves of vials and medical supplies crowd around you, leaving little room to misstep. A shimmering calomel curtain frames the exit to the south.

Reden lies on the gurney, lifeless and still.
You go south
A wave of warmth washes over you as you step through the calomel curtain.

Doctor Cavala's clinic is a small, unostentatious affair, neatly organized with little in the way of decoration. A row of chairs faces the prescription counter, where the medication and patient records are sorted in gridlike pigeonholes; further on is the consulting study, home to a desk strewn with notes and diagrams.

A calomel curtain leads north to the surgery room, stairs lead down to the mortuary, and the front door lies east.

Doctor Cavala is at her desk, engrossed in paperwork. As you emerge from the surgery room, she glances up and gives you a nod.
You look at the counter
The counter, with its latticework screen, divides the pharmacy from the waiting area. There is a drawer for money and a service handbell.
You examine the handbell
A small brass handbell. You know its sound all too well.
You look at your surroundings
Doctor Cavala's clinic is a small, unostentatious affair, neatly organized with little in the way of decoration. A row of chairs faces the prescription counter, where the medication and patient records are sorted in gridlike pigeonholes; further on is the consulting study, home to a desk strewn with notes and diagrams.

A calomel curtain leads north to the surgery room, stairs lead down to the mortuary, and the front door lies east.

Doctor Cavala is at her desk, engrossed in paperwork.
You examine the records
You could look up medication or patient records in the pigeonholes.
You look up Reden
That object or command isn't available.

(Type >commands or >c for a list of commands.)
You consult the patient records about Reden
On record are various minor illnesses typical for a goblin of his age: the homunculoid shingles, the common cold. There is no precedent for the sudden and dramatic affliction that took his life.
You consult the pigeonhole about the halitus catholiconis
catholiconis in your lifetime, let alone in these pigeonholes.
You consult the records about the aer soporifer
The more powerful medications are reserved for the surgery room.
You consult the records about yourself
Your own medical record is little more than an informal account, as your only treatment here -- for a bout of Midaes fever last month -- was self-prescribed.
You consult records about Cavala
Doctor Cavala has meticulously recorded her medical history starting from the day she opened this clinic six years ago. It seems she has been mostly in health, except for a recurrent ache in her right shoulder from her soldiering days.
You look at your surroundings
Doctor Cavala's clinic is a small, unostentatious affair, neatly organized with little in the way of decoration. A row of chairs faces the prescription counter, where the medication and patient records are sorted in gridlike pigeonholes; further on is the consulting study, home to a desk strewn with notes and diagrams.

A calomel curtain leads north to the surgery room, stairs lead down to the mortuary, and the front door lies east.

Doctor Cavala is at her desk, engrossed in paperwork.
Go east
"Good night, Doctor Cavala," you say.

"Good night, Marid. Don't stay up too late."

(first opening the front door of the clinic)
(closing the door behind you)

Via Terminalis, West End
You stand in the terminus of the Via Terminalis, a cul-de-sac of steel spires and buildings aspiring to the heavens. Night has fallen, broken only by the ghostly glow of bound animii in street-lamps and shop windows. Beyond, you see the great spine of the Channelworks District, receding from the lamplight into the beginnings of rain.

The white cross of Doctor Cavala's clinic is to the west, and the dormitory block where you live lies to the north. The rest of the district can wait until tomorrow.

(You may wish to save the game now by typing >save. You can do
this at any time.)
You examine the spine
It bears the burden of a thousand living souls.
You examine the lamps
There is a living quality to the light.
You examine the windows
All the shops are closed for the night.
You think about the animii
(Type >journal for a reminder of the information you've come
across.)
Go north
You have walked the grounds of this three-storey estate long enough to know it by heart. Here is the faded arch, with its years of verdigris; here are the too-small atrium and the fountain at its center. All around above are the lights of innumerable domiciles, linked by crumbling stairs and divided by flimsy plaster walls.

From here, you can go up to your dormitory room, visit the public house to the west, or exit the building to the south.

An old woman sits at the base of the fountain, feeding pigeons that wing down from the sky above.
You talk to the woman
(the old woman)
As you approach, the old woman looks up and smiles.

"Ah, hello, Marid," she says. "It is Marid, isn't it?"

1) "It's nice to meet you too, ma'am."
2) "Have we met before?"
3) "Sorry, I don't know who you're talking about."
2
"Have we met before?" you ask.

"Oh, no, no," the old woman replies. "It's just that everyone knows your name, you see; you are the doctor's assistant, are you not? And I hear you live all by yourself in this dormitory, poor girl... but I'm sure you don't need my pity.

"As I know your name, it's only fair that you know mine. My name is Saliunca."

1) "It's nice to meet you, Saliunca."
2) "Living by myself isn't that bad..."
3) "Do you feed the pigeons often?"
4) "I'm in a bit of a rush, actually..."
1
"It's nice to meet you, Saliunca."

"The pleasure is all mine." She bares her crooked teeth in a wry smile.

1) "Living by myself isn't that bad..."
2) "Do you feed the pigeons often?"
3) "I'm in a bit of a rush, actually..."
1
"Living by myself isn't that bad," you say. "I've gotten used
to it ever since I boarded out to the Physicians' College."

"Oh, I don't doubt you can look after yourself, love," Saliunca quickly adds. "I'm -- We're only worried for you, is all; just a spot of neighborly worry. It isn't easy for an -- for a young lady to -- to live like you do."
live like you do."An awkward pause.
live like you do."An awkward pause."I appreciate the concern," you say eventually, "but you shouldn't worry. I get by, in my own way."

1) "Do you feed the pigeons often?"
2) "I'll be seeing you, then."
1
You gesture at the flock surrounding her. "Do you feed the pigeons often?"

Saliunca cackles. "Feed them?" she says. "I suppose you could say that, in a way. Yes, I feed them; but if you think I harbor any love for the pigeons, you would be quite mistaken. I'm poisoning the pigeons, you see, love -- feeding them poison!"

1) "Poison!?"
2) "Then you're killing them...!"
3) "But why would you do something like that?"
3
"But -- but why would you do something like that?"

Saliunca shakes her head sadly. "Oh, Marid, don't you see? The pigeons are infesting the dormitory! All over the atrium they are, and even in some of the ground-floor domiciles. You never even noticed?"
some of the ground-floor domiciles. You never even noticed?""I -- I live on the third floor," you admit.
live on the third floor," you admit."Then you haven't noticed." She sighs. "The pigeons are everywhere, love -- a great nuisance they are making. Stealing food. Leaving their droppings about. And that's why their numbers have to be culled.
their numbers have to be culled."For some peace, Marid, for some peace. You understand, don't you?"

1) "I suppose you are right..."
2) "I don't believe that for a second..."
3) "But killing them...!"
4) "The corpses... the corpses will litter the ground."
5) "I'm sorry. I have to go."
4
"The corpses..." You shake your head. "The corpses will litter the ground."

Saliunca grimaces. "Yes. Yes, they will. The atrium will be rather unpleasant for a while; that's the cost of it, Marid. But you must see -- you must see it's something that has to be done."

1) "I suppose you are right..."
2) "I don't believe that for a second..."
3) "But killing them...!"
4) "I'm sorry. I have to go."
3
"But killing them...!"

Saliunca frowns. "You say that as though I'm a murderess," she says, "when I'm nothing of the sort. Think, girl, think!

"Do you think about the food you eat, of how the butcher earns his keep? No, of course not -- they are animals, animals! We know they are lesser -- we have measured their animii. And the animus of a
pigeon... why, it's little more than a candlelight. So why shouldn't I snuff them?"

1) "I suppose you are right..."
2) "I don't believe that for a second..."
3) "I'm sorry. I have to go."
2
You glare at her. "I don't believe that for a second. The pigeons may be pests, but -- but poisoning them? That's much too cruel.
There must be some other way."

"Oh?" Saliunca raises an eyebrow. "And what would this other way be?"

"I... I don't..."
"I... I don't..."You shake your head.

"I don't know. But there must be a way. There must be..."
"I don't know. But there must be a way. There must be...""And suppose I'm right, and there isn't?" She frowns. "You've got some nerve telling me off, young lady, when all I've heard out of you is talk. Get off your high horse. Don't tell me you're squeamish about killing a few birds -- or is that what the Physicians' College taught you?"
a few birds -- or is that what the Physicians' College taught you?"You tense up.

1) "What would a hag like you possibly know about the
Art?..."
2) "I'm sorry. I have to go."
1
What would --No. You start. You catch yourself.

Being emotional won't get you anywhere, Marid. It won't change anything. It won't bring him back.
anything. It won't bring him back.You take a deep breath.

1) "I'm sorry. I have to go."
1
"I'm sorry," you mutter. "I have to go."

You turn and walk away. "Suit yourself, love," Saliunca calls after you.

When you don't respond, she shakes her head and goes back to feeding the pigeons.
You look around
the pigeons.## Dormitory Block
You have walked the grounds of this three-storey estate long enough to know it by heart. Here is the faded arch, with its years of verdigris; here are the too-small atrium and the fountain at its center. All around above are the lights of innumerable domiciles, linked by crumbling stairs and divided by flimsy plaster walls.

From here, you can go up to your dormitory room, visit the public house to the west, or exit the building to the south.

Saliunca sits at the base of the fountain, feeding pigeons that wing down from the sky above.
You examine the fountain
A neoclassical sculpture of concentric basins. An image of Mercury takes pride of place, with sword aloft in one hand and water-spout chalice in the other.
You look at the public house
(the public house)
A refuge from the troubles of the world, at least for some.
You go to the west
(first opening the door of the public house)
(closing the door behind you)

Tucked away in the shadow of the domiciles, this cozy establishment offers a retreat from the melancholy of the night. Other patrons are scattered at the tables, engaged in drinking and conversation, while in the corner a solitary clockwork musician plays.

The door is to the east.

A smartly-dressed mutant is behind the counter polishing a glass -- this must be the new bartender. He gives you a nod as you enter.
You look at the mutant
(the bartender)
(It has been some years now since the mutants of the Dark Lands were integrated into society, and you have mostly gotten used to their haphazard anatomy, their alien perception of the world. Mostly.)

He looks to be one of the older generation of mutants, with few features that mark him as having once been human. He wears a dignified wooden mask and a tailcoat that has been modified to accommodate additional limbs.
You look at the mask
Its simple lines evoke a man's face. It has become fashionable for mutants with unsightly mutations to wear these.

starts on Magis Quam Amor.
You talk to the mutant
(the bartender)
You sit down at the serving counter. "Hello," you say.

The bartender stops polishing his glass and regards you thoughtfully.

1) "I don't believe we've met. My name is Marid."
2) "You must be the new bartender."
3) <Order a drink.>
4) "Actually, never mind."
1
"I don't believe we've met," you say. "My name is Marid."

The bartender bows and pantomimes a welcome.

1) "You can't speak?"
2) "It's nice to meet you." <Offer your hand.>
3) "You must be the new bartender."
4) <Order a drink.>
5) "See you soon."
1
"You can't speak?"

The bartender nods mournfully.

"I'm sorry," you say, feeling slightly guilty.

1) "It's nice to meet you." <Offer your hand.>
2) "You must be the new bartender."
3) <Order a drink.>
4) "See you soon."
1
"It's nice to meet you."

You offer your hand; the bartender bends and touches the wooden mouth of his mask to it.

1) "You must be the new bartender."
2) <Order a drink.>
3) "See you soon."
1
"You must be the new bartender."

The bartender nods sagely.

1) "How's business?"
2) <Order a drink.>
3) "See you soon."
1
"How's business?" you ask.

The bartender pauses in thought, then makes a noncommittal gesture with his tentacle.

1) <Order a drink.>
2) "See you soon."
1
"I'd like a glass of spiced wine, please."

The bartender measures out the wine, waters it down, and tosses it with a bag of spices before handing you the glass. You take your time to nurse the drink: it's sweet, with a pinch of nutmeg and other flavors you don't recognize.

Sweet and sad.

1) <Get something off your mind.>
2) <Finish your drink in silence.>
1
Your mind wanders to the things you've seen; the things you've done.

1) "I watched a man die tonight..."
2) <Finish your drink in silence.>
1
"I watched a man die tonight," you say quietly. "It was just around the corner. In Doctor Cavala's clinic."

The bartender is silent as you take another sip.
The bartender is silent as you take another sip."It all happened too fast. It was only when he collapsed on top of me that we knew, and -- and we rushed him to the surgery room. I was so scared. It was Doctor Cavala who steadied me... who believed we could cure him together. But he died on the gurney. He died just like that."
he died on the gurney. He died just like that."You close your eyes.
he died on the gurney. He died just like that."You close your eyes."We aren't even sure what he was suffering from... how he died. But now... what can we do?"

1) "I became a physician because I wanted to save lives..."
2) "Doctor Cavala tried so hard to stabilize him..."
1
You gaze into your glass, watching the wine swirl around and around.

"I became a physician because I wanted to save lives. I... I wanted to make a difference. But for every life I save -- every life we save -- it seems like a dozen more die out of our reach. How is that fair? How is it worth it?

"They teach you in the Physicians' College that you can't save everyone. It just isn't possible..."

1) "...but I keep wondering if we could have saved that
man..."
2) "...and now I'm beginning to understand what they
meant..."
1
"...but I keep wondering if we could have saved that man, if maybe we had done something different. And it's killing me inside."

1) <Finish your drink.>
1
You down the last of your wine.

"Thanks for listening."

The bartender takes the empty glass, and you feel a little better for having confided in him.

1) <Tip the bartender.>
2) "See you soon."
1
You tip the bartender and he bows.

1) "See you soon."
1
"See you soon."

You stand up. The bartender goes back to his business; you suppose you should as well.
Journal
should as well.## Public House
Tucked away in the shadow of the domiciles, this cozy establishment offers a retreat from the melancholy of the night. Other patrons are scattered at the tables, engaged in drinking and conversation, while in the corner a solitary clockwork musician plays.

The door is to the east.

The bartender is behind the counter polishing a glass.
Journal
Third of Aquaria, Auritum IV

I'm tired. I'm so tired.

I'm sorry, Reden. I hope your animus rests in peace.

Current objectives:

Tucked away in the shadow of the domiciles, this cozy establishment offers a retreat from the melancholy of the night. Other patrons are scattered at the tables, engaged in drinking and conversation, while in the corner a solitary clockwork musician plays.

The door is to the east.

The bartender is behind the counter polishing a glass.
You look around
Tucked away in the shadow of the domiciles, this cozy establishment offers a retreat from the melancholy of the night. Other patrons are scattered at the tables, engaged in drinking and conversation, while in the corner a solitary clockwork musician plays.

The door is to the east.

The bartender is behind the counter polishing a glass.
Go east
(first opening the door of the public house)
(closing the door behind you)

You have walked the grounds of this three-storey estate long enough to know it by heart. Here is the faded arch, with its years of verdigris; here are the too-small atrium and the fountain at its center. All around above are the lights of innumerable domiciles, linked by crumbling stairs and divided by flimsy plaster walls.

From here, you can go up to your dormitory room, visit the public house to the west, or exit the building to the south.

Saliunca sits at the base of the fountain, feeding pigeons that wing down from the sky above.
Go upwards
(first opening the door to your dormitory room)
(closing the door behind you)

Though this space of yours is small, you have done your best to furnish it with the comforts of home. In one corner is a dressing table, piled with stationery and assorted toiletries, and in another is the kitchenette. The only door leads back downstairs to the atrium.

Your bed is at the end of the room, beside the window.

You feel tired. Weary.
You enter the bed
It's been a long day.

You drape your jacket over the head of your bed and settle beneath the covers. Your room fades away as you will your eyes to close. But still your mind drifts, draws you back into the tides of memory, where you can only watch --

can only watch ---- watch the shimmer of the surgery room; watch Reden's eyes close a thousand times; watch the lights all around
--

You wake in a cold sweat. The bells of Miller's Gate are ringing.

Though this space of yours is small, you have done your best to furnish it with the comforts of home. In one corner is a dressing table, piled with stationery and assorted toiletries, and in another is the kitchenette. The only door leads back downstairs to the atrium.

Far off, the bells continue to ring: four, five, six, seven. Seven in the morning. You're lucky you haven't overslept. You quickly get dressed and run through your morning routine -- Doctor Cavala will be waiting for you at the clinic.
You look at your surroundings
Though this space of yours is small, you have done your best to furnish it with the comforts of home. In one corner is a dressing table, piled with stationery and assorted toiletries, and in another is the kitchenette. The only door leads back downstairs to the atrium.

Your bed is at the end of the room, beside the window.
You look through window
You can see little except the view of the rooftop.
You look at the table
You have little need for vanity, and so use the dressing table as a writing desk. A mirror and some delicate drawers are the only concession to its original purpose.
You open the drawers
You open the delicate drawers, revealing some folded clothing.
Close drawers
You close the delicate drawers.
You get in the bed
No, you have to report for work.
You go down
(first opening the door to your dormitory room)
(closing the door behind you)

You have walked the grounds of this three-storey estate long enough to know it by heart. Here is the faded arch, with its years of verdigris; here are the too-small atrium and the fountain at its center. All around above are innumerable domiciles, linked by crumbling stairs and divided by flimsy plaster walls.

From here, you can go up to your dormitory room or exit the building to the south.

The ground is littered with what must be dozens of dead pigeons. A char-golem is busy sweeping the carcasses into a bag, while a gobliness slouches beside the fountain nearby.
You examine the pigeons
Each carcass is contorted strangely, as though frozen in an instant of convulsion.
You look athe char-golem
An animated golem comprised of cast iron. The stamp on its forehead identifies it as property of the Council of Works.
You examine the gobliness
She's dressed like an odd-job woman. The pockets of her apron are stuffed with work tools.
You talk to the gobliness
"Good morning."

"Morning, miss." She tips her cap. "Take care you don't step on one of them pigeons. Nasty business."

You look at your feet. "Thanks for the warning."
You talk to the golem
Golems aren't sapient. You'd sooner get a response out of a lamp-post.
You go south
Via Terminalis, West End
You stand in the terminus of the Via Terminalis, a cul-de-sac of steel spires and buildings aspiring to the heavens. From here the street-lamps and shop windows line the great spine of the Channelworks District until, shrouded in the mists of the canal, it curves out of sight.

The white cross of Doctor Cavala's clinic is to the west; the dormitory block where you live lies to the north. The rest of the district will have to wait until after you report for work.
Go west
(first opening the front door of the clinic)
(closing the door behind you)

Doctor Cavala's clinic is a small, unostentatious affair, neatly organized with little in the way of decoration. A row of chairs faces the prescription counter, where the medication and patient records are sorted in gridlike pigeonholes; further on is the consulting study, home to a desk strewn with notes and diagrams.

A calomel curtain leads north to the surgery room, stairs lead down to the mortuary, and the front door lies east.

"Good morning, Doctor," you call. But she doesn't seem to be in the waiting area or the consulting study. Odd; where could she have gone?
You go north
A wave of warmth washes over you as you step through the calomel curtain.

You are in a cold cylindrical chamber, thick with quiet shadows. Shelves of vials and medical supplies crowd around you, leaving little room to misstep. A shimmering calomel curtain frames the exit to the south.

The gurney in the center of the room is empty.
You go to the south
A wave of warmth washes over you as you step through the calomel curtain.

Doctor Cavala's clinic is a small, unostentatious affair, neatly organized with little in the way of decoration. A row of chairs faces the prescription counter, where the medication and patient records are sorted in gridlike pigeonholes; further on is the consulting study, home to a desk strewn with notes and diagrams.

A calomel curtain leads north to the surgery room, stairs lead down to the mortuary, and the front door lies east.
You go downwards
You descend the steps into shadow...

The odor of camphor is overwhelming in this gloomy subterranean chamber. Shelves along the walls house organs in jars of formaldehyde. Deeper in, cadavers are organized in labeled niches, embalmed and awaiting cremation.

A flight of stairs leads back up to the clinic.

Doctor Cavala is here studying Reden's body with a loupe. His heart, lungs, and trachea are neatly laid out beside him on the slab.
You look at Reden
His chest cavity has been dissected, revealing a spiderweb pattern of blackened blood vessels and tissues.
You look at the heart
Reden's organs are black and withered. You might have suspected poor embalming technique if it hadn't been Doctor Cavala performing the dissection.
You talk to the Doctor
You cough politely. "Good morning, Doctor."

"Hmm? Oh." Doctor Cavala pushes up her loupe and acknowledges you with a nod. "Good morning, Marid. I trust you had a good night's sleep?"

1) "Um. Yes."
2) "I had a terrible nightmare..."
3) "I'd rather not talk about it."
1
"Um. Yes."

She sighs. "You're a terrible liar, Marid."

You redden.

You redden.Doctor Cavala gets to her feet, wipes off her gloves, and places her hand on your shoulder.

"Don't worry," she says, more gently. "It's not an easy thing to go through. I remember the first time I lost a patient. But I promise it will get better."

will get better."You shake your head. "I'll... I'll be fine, Doctor. Don't worry about me."

Don't worry about me."After a pause, she nods and squeezes your shoulder. "Good girl."

shoulder. "Good girl."Then Doctor Cavala steps back, and her businesslike demeanor returns.

businesslike demeanor returns."The order of business today is twofold," she begins. "We aren't expecting many patients today, so I don't need you to be at the counter. Instead, I need you to run an errand for me."

errand for me.""What sort of errand?" you ask.

errand for me.""What sort of errand?" you ask.She purses her lips. "First, I need you to deliver the documentation of Reden's death to the basilica. Second, I need you to inform Reden's next of kin that he has passed away."

1) "How should I go about delivering the documentation?"
2) "Where does Reden's next of kin live?"
3) "What will you be doing?"
4) "I'm on it, Doctor."
1
"How should I go about delivering the documentation?"

"It's quite straightforward." Doctor Cavala shows you a sheaf of papers. "I've already bundled the documents and sent word to the basilica by correspondence. All you have to do is pass the bundle to the censor's office."

You rack your memory. "The basilica is next to the forum, right? Across the Via Terminalis bridge?"

"That's right."

1) "Where does Reden's next of kin live?"
2) "What will you be doing?"
3) "I'm on it, Doctor."
1
"Where does Reden's next of kin live?" you ask.

Doctor Cavala frowns. "According to my file, he has a brother in Riggertown by the name of Zoiro, but I don't have an address for you. Your best bet is to look up his name in the census records. Or you could ask around in Riggertown -- I understand the goblin community is quite tightly knit."

"Is Riggertown that shanty town down the canal?"

"It is. Turn right at the bridge and you'll see it." She pauses. "And another thing -- check whether anyone in Riggertown is exhibiting similar symptoms. It could help in narrowing down the cause of the affliction."

1) "What will you be doing?"
2) "I'm on it, Doctor."
1
"What will you be doing?" you ask.

Doctor Cavala inclines her head at the slab. "When not receiving patients, you mean? I intend to spend the day studying Reden's affliction. I've already left correspondence for Doctor Arturus, who I expect shall join me in the afternoon. In the meantime, I am compiling observations and studying the mechanism by which Reden has died. If all goes well, we should be able to present our findings to the medical community by the end of the week."

1) "I'm on it, Doctor."
You examine the sheaf
Please choose a response from the list by typing the corresponding number.

1) "I'm on it, Doctor."
1
"I'm on it, Doctor."

She nods and presses the bundle of documentation into your hands. "Remember: first, deliver the documents to the basilica; second, look for Zoiro in Riggertown. Report back to me when you're done."
You examine the documentation
for Zoiro in Riggertown. Report back to me when you're done.""Okay."

"I'll be here if you need anything." She pauses. "Take your time. Consider today a break after yesterday night."
Consider today a break after yesterday night.""Yes, Doctor."
Consider today a break after yesterday night.""Yes, Doctor.""Run along."
along."With that, she sits down at the slab.
along."With that, she sits down at the slab.(Type >inventory or
>i to see what items you're carrying. Type >journal or
>j to review your current objectives.)
You check your inventory
You are wearing your natron jacket, your clothes, and an animus pendant (containing the spirit of your father). On your person are a bundle of documents, your practitioner's badge, your scalpel, your purse, and an antiseptic cloth.
You examine the documents
Comprehensive documentation of Reden's death. It's filled out in neat longhand and bound with Doctor Cavala's signature.
J.
Fourth of Aquaria, Auritum IV

I've been given an opportunity to get out of the clinic and see the sights of the Channelworks District... but I still feel a hollowness inside.

Current objectives:

- Find Zoiro, Reden's brother, in Riggertown
...by asking the censor for his address
...by asking around Riggertown

Marid's notes:

- I remember that the basilica is across the Via Terminalis bridge, next to the grand forum.
- I remember that Riggertown is down the canal from the Via Terminalis.

The odor of camphor is overwhelming in this gloomy subterranean chamber. Shelves along the walls house organs in jars of formaldehyde. Deeper in, cadavers are organized in labeled niches, embalmed and awaiting cremation.

A flight of stairs leads back up to the clinic.

Doctor Cavala is here studying Reden's body with a loupe. His heart, lungs, and trachea are neatly laid out beside him on the slab.
Go upward
You emerge from the darkness of the mortuary...

Doctor Cavala's clinic is a small, unostentatious affair, neatly organized with little in the way of decoration. A row of chairs faces the prescription counter, where the medication and patient records are sorted in gridlike pigeonholes; further on is the consulting study, home to a desk strewn with notes and diagrams.

A calomel curtain leads north to the surgery room, stairs lead down to the mortuary, and the front door lies east.
Go east
(first opening the front door of the clinic)
(closing the door behind you)

Via Terminalis, West End
You stand in the terminus of the Via Terminalis, a cul-de-sac of steel spires and buildings aspiring to the heavens. From here the street-lamps and shop windows line the great spine of the Channelworks District until, shrouded in the mists of the canal, it curves out of sight.

The white cross of Doctor Cavala's clinic is to the west, the dormitory block where you live lies to the north, and a gap between buildings hides an alley entrance to the south. The great Via Terminalis continues to the east.

(Type >map to view a map of the Channelworks District.)
You go east
Via Terminalis, West Street
You are adrift in the bustle of crowds and carriages, a raucous river that runs through the blood-vessel streets. Signage advertises a profusion of shops and services amid the sounds of leather rollers and stitching machines. In the distant mist, the Bilious Canal spills from the Channelworks into the heart of the city.

You can follow the Via to the west, or to the southeast where it bridges the canal. A condemned block is visible to the north. A hanging banner obscures an alley to the southwest, while a footpath follows the canal to the south.

Some civil guards are keeping vigil on the thoroughfare. Among them you see your friend, Horatio.
You examine Horatio
Vigile Horatio is a childhood friend of yours. He's always been a bit dense, but you're glad to have him around.
You look at the banner
The banner is an advertisement for a night market, now three weeks out of date. You can't see much behind it.

A carriage with drawn blinds trundles past.
You talk to Horatio
You smile at him. "Good morning, Horatio."

He grins. "Hey, Marid. Out and about early?"

1) "I should be asking you the same thing..."
2) "I'm on an errand for Doctor Cavala..."
2
"I'm on an errand for Doctor Cavala," you explain. "I'm on my way to deliver some documents to the basilica."

"No wonder you looked like you were in a hurry," Horatio muses. "Well, I shan't hold you up. You do know the way, don't you?"

"Even if I didn't, I'd know better than to ask you."

He hangs his head. "Fair enough."

1) "How is life in the Vigiles?"
2) "See you soon, Horatio."
1
"How is life in the Vigiles?"

Horatio folds his arms. "I've hardly done anything. It's been nothing but closet-scrubbing and guard duty. I thought I'd had enough of that after boot camp."
after boot camp.""I know the feeling."
after boot camp.""I know the feeling.""I'm getting antsy, you know?" He drums his fingers on the hilt of his saber. "I want to be out there catching criminals and stopping burglaries, not standing around. I want to see some action once in a while."

1) "See you soon, Horatio."
1
"See you soon, Horatio."

"You too, Marid."

You hug each other goodbye, and he returns to his post.
You go to the south-east
Here the voices and bustle wash over the arches and cobblestones. Mist rises from the Bilious Canal below, tarnishing the wayside statues green and gray, and fading into the fog and the overcast sky.

The Via Terminalis stretches away to the northwest and southeast, while a clandestine stairway descends to the south.
You examine Canal
The Bilious Canal is furious and vitriolic, as befits its name. Mist curls from the surface of the water.
You examine the bridge
The stones have been smoothed by decades of traffic.
You go to the southeast
Traffic revolves every which way around this old-fashioned rotunda, tracing the ancient alchemical lines inscribed on the stonework. An armillary sphere rotates in the center of the junction and guides carriages according to its lights.

The Via Terminalis runs northwest to the bridge and southeast to Miller's Gate. A colonnade to the north marks the entrance of the Channelworks. To the east lies the Turris Infinita, and to the south can be seen the grand forum.
J.
Fourth of Aquaria, Auritum IV

It feels good to be out and about making myself useful. Has it really been a week since the last time I went out on the town? Not that I should be going shopping at a time like this... but walking through the streets, seeing everyone going about their daily lives, it's almost enough to make me feel as though everything is going to be well.

Current objectives:

- Find Zoiro, Reden's brother, in Riggertown
...by asking the censor for his address
...by asking around Riggertown

Marid's notes:

- I remember that the basilica is across the Via Terminalis bridge, next to the grand forum.
- I remember that Riggertown is down the canal from the Via Terminalis.
- Perhaps I could go to the Turris Infinita and pay Justinian a surprise visit...
- Doctor Cavala told me to think about what I saw last night...
- This district is so much larger than the Lake District...

Traffic revolves every which way around this old-fashioned rotunda, tracing the ancient alchemical lines inscribed on the stonework. An armillary sphere rotates in the center of the junction and guides carriages according to its lights.

The Via Terminalis runs northwest to the bridge and southeast to Miller's Gate. A colonnade to the north marks the entrance of the Channelworks. To the east lies the Turris Infinita, and to the south can be seen the grand forum.
You go south
This immense paved square is alive with people of all kinds: couples, merchants, buskers. There are children flying their paper kites and old men watching the clouds drift by. A brilliant mural of Furopolis and Solphos hovers at the heart of it all.

The arch of Miller's Gate rules the east, and the curving canal cradles the basilica to the west. From the northern Via Terminalis junction, the Via Mercurii splits off and travels south.

passers-by.
You take libri
"Good morning," you say.

"Morning, miss." He thrusts a newspaper into your hands. "Compliments of the press."

"Um, thanks."
You examine it
The Bilious Canal is furious and vitriolic, as befits its name. Mist curls from the surface of the water.

A prison carriage rolls past. You glimpse what looks like a squid through the bars before it turns a corner and is gone.
You examine the libri
FEATURE: IS ANIMUS POWER ETHICAL? Cathode-bound animii produce the energy that sustains our civilization, yet these souls are acquired through the coercion of society's most deprived...
MUTANT CULTISTS AMONG US? Witnesses have reported individuals in
the Lower City performing rituals in contravention of the Declaration of Religion Act...
SIX AUTUMN FASHION TIPS. Look your best in the coming season with these products and recommendations from our featured experts...
You look at the mural
The mural is a three-dimensional work of art magically inscribed upon the aether. Walking through it you see the world exquisitely captured, so finely detailed that you can make out the pinprick-lights of the constellations. There are the continents Terra Munda and Terra Nova, the great black sea of the Pelagus, and the four domed periochs -- Kardiapolis, Kreopolis, Furopolis, and Neopolis.
You examine the Neopolis
Neopolis is still sparse in comparison to the other periochs, but there is a haunting wonder to its symmetry.

A couple walks past, arm in arm.
You look at Pelagus
A vast dark expanse that seems to undulate as you move around the mural.
You examine the Furopolis
The artist has magnified the image of the city so that the forty-nine districts are reproduced. There is the Upper Perioch with its breathtaking spires, and the gold-stained rows of the Lower Perioch; and on the boundary, caught between worlds, you see the tiny Channelworks District and the even tinier forum nestled within.
You look at the kreopolis
Massive with its multiple domes, and ensconced amid the mountains.
You examine the kardiapolis
At this scale, the capital city looks like a fairy-tale palace on the ocean.

Some young men walk past, pointing and laughing at something out of sight.
You examine the basilica
An imposing gothic hall. Petitioners trickle in and out.
You go west
Footsteps and whispers echo through these high-vaulted halls. The aisles on either side are lined with the doorways of countless clerical offices, and surrounding the raised chancel are the seats of the Magistrates' Court. The exit is to the east.

Nearby is the censor -- but he appears to have fallen asleep at his desk.
You look at the censor
A middle-aged man with a receding hairline. He's slumped over his desk, fast asleep.
You touch censor
You tickle the censor's forehead and nose. He shifts and groans a little, and furrows his brow in his sleep.
You talk to the censor
"Excuse me?"

The censor snores by way of response.
Shake censor
You grab the censor's shoulders and give him a firm couple of shakes.

He sniffs. He sighs. And then he keels over and resumes snoring.
Yell
You take a deep breath and yell, "Censor, in the name of Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Natron, Mercury, and Sulfur, would you kindly. Wake.
Up!"

There is a very long silence.

The censor is wide awake now. He scrambles to a seated position, staring at you all the while.

"Er," he says. "Um."

1) <Clear your throat.>
2) "Sorry..."
2
"Sorry," you say, a little sheepishly. "It's just that you were asleep at your desk, and..."

The censor turns red. "Of course, of course. Let's not speak of that. Entirely understandable. On to business." He adjusts his collar and puffs out his chest. "Censor Provis at your service, miss. What can I do for you today?"

1) "I have documents from Doctor Cavala's clinic..."
2) "I need the address of a Channelworks District citizen..."
1
"I have documents from Doctor Cavala's clinic regarding the death of a Channelworks District citizen," you say. "A middle-aged goblin man by the name of Reden."

You hand the bundle of documents to the censor, who regards it with an appraising eye.

"Let me see." He breaks the seal and quickly scans the contents. "Yes. Hmm. Unfortunate, this. Not to worry. All shall be in order..."
Hmm. Unfortunate, this. Not to worry. All shall be in order..."The censor's gaze pauses on one section of the report. He reads it -- rereads it.
rereads it."Hmm!" he says. "Well excuse me! An unknown
disease? Hmm! Now this is highly irregular. Highly irregular. I will have to contact my superiors."
have to contact my superiors."He puts a big red stamp on the bundle and files it away in a clattering of drawers, muttering to himself all the while. At last he pats the desk and nods with an air of self-importance.
self-importance."Very good, miss," he says. "Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Now was there anything else you needed?"

1) "I need the address of a Channelworks District citizen..."
2) "Nothing, thank you."
1
"I need the address of a Channelworks District citizen. His name is Zoiro."

The censor furrows his brow. "Right then," he says. "Just a moment. Wait here, if you please."

He gets up and vanishes into one of the side doorways of the basilica, muttering a stream of incomprehensible jargon involving coordinates and street names. You hear the sounds of wooden scroll cases being rifled through, and furtive frantic consultations among the clerks.
rifled through, and furtive frantic consultations among the clerks.After an appreciable wait, he emerges from the doorway flush-faced and triumphant.
flush-faced and triumphant."Seventh on Layabout Row," he proclaims, "Upper Riggertown. Property under the name of Zoiro and Koriph. And his place of employment, which I've taken the liberty to look up, is the Riggertown Mechanistry. Here, let me write it down for you --"
the Riggertown Mechanistry. Here, let me write it down for you --"He scribbles on a scrap of paper, hands it to you, and sits back down at his desk looking eminently satisfied.

"There we go," he says. "Now was there anything else you needed?"

1) "Nothing, thank you."
1
"Nothing, thank you."

The censor beams. "Have a good day, miss. Per radium sophia."

You step away from the censor's desk.
Inventory
You are wearing your natron jacket, your clothes, and an animus pendant (containing the spirit of your father). On your person are a note with Zoiro's address, today's copy of the Libri Liberi,
your practitioner's badge, your scalpel, your purse, and an antiseptic cloth.
You examine the note
It's the scrap of paper the censor gave you. It reads:

Home address: VII Layabout Row, Upper Riggertown
Employment address: Riggertown Mechanistry, Upper Riggertown
Go east
This immense paved square is alive with people of all kinds: couples, merchants, buskers. There are children flying their paper kites and old men watching the clouds drift by. A brilliant mural of Furopolis and Solphos hovers at the heart of it all.

The arch of Miller's Gate rules the east, and the curving canal cradles the basilica to the west. From the northern Via Terminalis junction, the Via Mercurii splits off and travels south.

passers-by.
Go south
The Road of Change is a snaking, secretive thing. It curls in the side streets and in the dark places. Here along the canal, the opulence of the Upper Perioch peels away to reveal midnight hues and scarlet lamps, cabarets and pawnbrokers and establishments of ill repute -- but for now, at least, they slumber in the daylight.

To the north is the grand forum, vibrant and lively, while to the south the Shanty Quarter begins.

A fortune-teller is plying his trade by the road. As you pass him, he meets your gaze and beckons you with a smile.
You talk to the teller
You approach the fortune-teller's table.

"Hello," you offer.

"Good afternoon, young one." His accent is disarming. "Have you come in search of answers?"

1) "I have."
2) "I came because you beckoned me."
3) "I was curious."
3
"I was curious."

"Ah, curiosity. I can hardly fault you. It's only natural to be curious about a tradition such as mine."

The fortune-teller spreads his hands, and the deck of cards seems to fly apart and flow into itself.

"I am a reader of messages, of portents. We often ask -- What should I do? Where will I go? The cards can show us all these things and more."

1) "I've never seen cards like these before."
2) "How does it work?"
3) "Do you get many patrons?"
4) "I'd like a reading."
5) "Perhaps another time."
1
"I've never seen cards like this before."

The fortune-teller nods enigmatically, and slowly riffles the deck for you to see. The card backs are baroque, inlaid with gold, brilliant with light as they collapse inward.

"The Aubedore," he murmurs. "The lost art. Here, you may not have heard of it. But the tradition exists, and I assure you that it is real."

1) "What did you mean by 'the lost art?'"
2) "How does it work?"
3) "Do you get many patrons?"
4) "I'd like a reading."
5) "Perhaps another time."
1
"What did you mean by 'the lost art?'" you ask.

He only smiles. "Perhaps I've said too much. A magician can only reveal so many secrets."

1) "How does it work?"
2) "Do you get many patrons?"
3) "I'd like a reading."
4) "Perhaps another time."
1
"How does it work?"

The fortune-teller holds the cards close to his chest. "The strings of fate -- but perhaps you know them better as the chains of causality. They are intimately connected to all things in ways you can't imagine. By shuffling the cards, I am attuning them to your past, present, and future, to the parallels and possibilities."

1) "I don't believe in fate."
2) "Do you get many patrons?"
3) "I'd like a reading."
4) "Perhaps another time."
2
"Do you get many patrons?" you ask.

"Many," the fortune-teller replies. "I've told the fortunes of the rich and poor, young and old. They all sought answers in their lifetime, and the cards helped them discover the way."

1) "I don't believe in fate."
2) "I'd like a reading."
3) "Perhaps another time."
2
"I'd like a reading," you say cautiously.

"Very well," he replies. "Please, sit down. What question do you wish to ask the Fates?"

You take your seat at the table, facing the fortune-teller. After a long moment, you give your answer.

1) "There's a boy I like..."
2) "A man died in the clinic where I work..."
3) "I've been having nightmares..."
2
"A man died in the clinic where I work. I want to know what happened to him."

The fortune-teller's smile fades, and he nods more seriously.

"You pose me a sober question, my friend," he says. "I will endeavor to ask the cards on your behalf. Let's see what the River pattern has to tell us about your patient."

He upturns his hand. Cards slide off the deck and onto the table in a flowing line. With his other hand, he turns the path of the cascade until a curving tangent has been formed.

until a curving tangent has been formed."The River flows from the source," he says, "through the upper course and the bend, into the lower course and the delta. Here, the tributary is fed by the lake."

lower course and the delta. Here, the tributary is fed by the lake."He gestures to each of the face-down cards in sequence.

gestures to each of the face-down cards in sequence."Now we will reveal the cards, one by one, and see what they reveal about the flow of causality."

of causality."His gold-gloved hand hovers over the source.

of causality."His gold-gloved hand hovers over the source."Shall we begin?"

1) <Watch him reveal the upper river.>

Please choose a response from the list by typing the corresponding number.

1) <Watch him reveal the upper river.>
1
You nod. The fortune-teller touches the source, and brings it to light.

light.The illustration is of an ancient forge, immaculately detailed and filled with artifacts of esoteric design. You see swords and cups, cloaks and crowns. But in front and center, set above the rest, is a band of purest, most exalted gold.

band of purest, most exalted gold."The Ring," says the fortune-teller. "The most brilliant of the Fixtures. The source was a device, or perhaps a discovery, that possessed vast potential."

perhaps a discovery, that possessed vast potential."The next card is upside down, and all you can make out is a crowded and colorful vignette. But in the center, almost unnoticeable, is one stooped figure devoid of color.

figure devoid of color."The Servant. The lowliest in the realm of the court, so humble as to go unnoticed. But it is inverted; I dare say your patient drew unexpected attention, for good or for ill."

your patient drew unexpected attention, for good or for ill."The third card bears a young woman's face in stark definition, with blue eyes eerily like your own, but with only pale skin where her mouth should have been. You involuntarily touch your lips.

have been. You involuntarily touch your lips.The fortune-teller shakes his head. "The bend is the Mute. The event, then, the death, had to do with silence. But did your patient die because he did not speak out... or was he killed to ensure he never did?"

or was he killed to ensure he never did?"He purses his lips.

"Let us take a step back, and see if the tributary sheds light on the mystery."

1) <Watch him reveal the tributary.>
1
He reveals the card, and it turns out to be an idyllic scene of the land before the Darkening, a picture of a forest with green trees and blue skies. In its center is a body of still and silvery water.
blue skies. In its center is a body of still and silvery water."The Pond," says the fortune-teller. "It represents a place far from civilization where one can reflect and find reflection. It is the indirect cause -- could the discovery have been made in such a place? The place your patient drew attention? Or did he not speak out because civilization would not have heard him?"
civilization would not have heard him?"You frown. "I came here for answers, not more questions."
answers, not more questions.""I am sorry you feel that way, my friend," he replies. "I can only convey what I can see with my own eyes, and what the cards see fit to provide. The Fates can be temperamental even at the best of times.
temperamental even at the best of times."But look! There are still three cards we have not revealed."

1) <Watch him reveal the rest of the river.>
1
"We have seen what has come to pass," he says, reaching for the lake. "Now we see what could have been..."

"Now we see what could have been..."The card bears the image of an old woman in a dungeon. She is strung up by iron manacles and horribly withered, with her emaciation illustrated in exacting detail.

withered, with her emaciation illustrated in exacting detail."The Manacles." A grimace. "If not for your patient's death, someone would have been imprisoned. Yes, an unpleasant picture is beginning to emerge..."

emerge..."The fortune-teller turns over the lower course, revealing it to be another dark and disturbing illustration; but upside-down, so that you can only see a bone-white figure.

that you can only see a bone-white figure."Ah!" he declares. "The Ghost appears, but inverted. The dire message it brings is not heard, and the course of fate is not changed. And that brings us to our final card, the delta --"

card, the delta --"The delta is a storm at sea, heaving with rain-lashed ships and alive with forked lightning. Above all in the pitch-black sky is a terrible sphere that can only be the
Luna.

Luna.The fortune-teller sets the card down.

Luna.The fortune-teller sets the card down."The Tempest," he
whispers. "The future will be filled with change and turmoil. It could be in many years, or it could be tomorrow. And all because of a humble man who drew the wrong attention -- and was silenced."

A long pause.

1) "...I see."
2) "Are you sure?"
3) "I hope you aren't expecting me to believe this drivel."
2
"Are you sure?" you ask.

He nods. "It is what the Fates have shown me."

1) "...I see."
2) "I don't believe in fate."
3) "I hope you aren't expecting me to believe this drivel."
1
"...I see," you say at last.

He is still and pensive. The wind grasps his hood, making its edges billow.
billow.At length, he places a hand on his deck. His eyes flicker to it; his lips twitch. Then he picks up his cards, one by one, and shuffles them away and out of sight.
shuffles them away and out of sight."I should go," he murmurs. "I have other places to be."

1) "Goodbye."
2) "Wait..."
2
"Wait..."

He gets to his feet. You rise, your mind buzzing with questions. "Wait!" you cry. "Wait..."
"Wait!" you cry. "Wait...""Goodbye," he says. "Live on, my friend. Live well."
Live well."And he vanishes with a whirl of his cloak, leaving only a whiff of incense on the wind.
whiff of incense on the wind.It's a while before you notice the sounds of the city around you again.
You look around
The Road of Change is a snaking, secretive thing. It curls in the side streets and in the dark places. Here along the canal, the opulence of the Upper Perioch peels away to reveal midnight hues and scarlet lamps, cabarets and pawnbrokers and establishments of ill repute -- but for now, at least, they slumber in the daylight.

To the north is the grand forum, vibrant and lively, while to the south the Shanty Quarter begins.

The divining table sits vacant by the road.

A dozen goblins meander down the street, chatting loudly.
You examine table
A simple tin-framed table with two matching chairs.
You go south
The cobblestones grow crooked and broken underfoot. The buildings crowd inward until they blot out the darkening sky. You hesitate.

Is there really no other way?
You go south
With a deep breath, you press onward.

No words can describe this place. It is claustrophobic, oppressive, a place where light does not reach. The air is heavy with the stench of offal and waste, and other things better left unimagined -- and you are hemmed in by ropes, walled off by concrete, entombed with the walking dead.
walking dead.You instinctively take a step back, only to bump into a wall. You turn around and see a labyrinth of crawlspaces and ladders and rag curtains.

You are lost.
You go south
You wander blindly...

Deeper, Darker
And you cannot find your way. All is awash in the spectral light of broken cathode lamps, and in the shadows phantasmagoria creeps. Frightened children eye you from the rooftops. Rats are strung up like hanged men.
hanged men.You walk through a broken arch and someone grabs your arm. The point of a knife touches your back.
The point of a knife touches your back."Don't scream," says a cracked and leathery voice. "I'll kill you if you scream."

1) <Scream.>
2) <Remain silent.>
3) "What do you want?"
3
"What do you want?"

The knife blade pushes deeper into your jacket. You're forced up against a wall. The bricks are hard and cold.

"I want your money. All of it. Now."

1) <Scream.>
2) <Try to grab the knife.>
3) "Okay..." <Take out your purse.>
4) "Okay..." <Take out your scalpel.>
4
"Okay," you say. "I'm -- I'm getting my purse. Please don't hurt me."

You reach into your jacket. The knife point trembles -- his hands are shaking. You feel for the familiar weight...
shaking. You feel for the familiar weight..."Hey," a different voice says. "The girl... doesn't she, doesn't she look familiar?"
says. "The girl... doesn't she, doesn't she look familiar?""I don't know what you're talking about," your assailant growls.

"No. Look. I swear she's the girl from the clinic. The Doc's
clinic. She's got the tattoos and everything --"
clinic. She's got the tattoos and everything --"The knife recedes.

"Oh Primes." The voice sounds panicked. "Oh Primes. I'm sorry. We didn't know. Please don't --"

"Please don't tell anyone. We just --"

"Don't tell the Doc --"
"Don't tell the Doc --"They take off at a run. Their footsteps vanish into the crowd, into the din of the underworld.

You are alone once more.
Inventory
You are wearing your natron jacket, your clothes, and an animus pendant (containing the spirit of your father). On your person are a note with Zoiro's address, today's copy of the Libri Liberi,
your practitioner's badge, your scalpel, your purse, and an antiseptic cloth.
Look around
Deeper, Darker
And you cannot find your way. All is awash in the spectral light of broken cathode lamps, and in the shadows phantasmagoria creeps. Frightened children eye you from the rooftops. Rats are strung up like hanged men.
Go south
There are so many people here. Mothers. Daughters. You see goblin boys fighting over scraps, and mutant children with two mouths and nothing to eat. You push through the crowd and they barely even notice your presence, so lost are they in their own suffering.

You find yourself suddenly set upon by a legion of beggars, grabbing at your trousers, thrusting empty hats into your face, baying like starving dogs.
You talk to the beggars
1) "Leave me alone!"
2) <Give them some money.>
3) <Never mind.>
1
"Leave me alone!" you cry.

But they don't hear you. All they see is a rich stranger.
You go south
You flee from them...
You flee from them...## Into the Fire
A rubbish fire, roaring and acrid and unmistakably fecal. The flames are green and blue from alchemical decomposition, and dead bodies feed the fire and stoke its insatiable hunger with their animii.
the fire and stoke its insatiable hunger with their animii.You sink to your knees.
You look
A rubbish fire. The green and blue flames lick at your jacket and sting your eyes raw with tears.

But somewhere far to the west, you think you see sunlight.
Go west
You get to your feet.

You get to your feet.Unsteadily, you walk.

You get to your feet.Unsteadily, you walk.You close your eyes.

You get to your feet.Unsteadily, you walk.You close your eyes.You keep walking.

walking.You don't stop until you feel the sun on your face once more.

walking.You don't stop until you feel the sun on your face once more.## Cadaver Walk
You've emerged out onto a bridge, if it can be called that: a haphazard assortment of ropes, planks, chains, warning signs, layers upon layers bound up in incomprehensible knots. Below the lines trail where they have snapped and never been repaired, and the Bilious Canal gobbles them up as they descend.

Riggertown is to the west, while the Shanty Quarter is to the east.
Go west
Riggertown, Lower Level
This peculiarly goblin neighborhood bristles with mechanical-chymical detritus. There are twisty catwalks made for childlike feet, and sheet-metal shacks you must stoop to enter. Here and there in the shadow of the upper landing, neon lamps glow and windchimes tinkle like laughter.

You can climb a ladder up to the next level, wander among the shacks to the west, or cross the canal east by way of Cadaver Walk.

A scruffy old goblin sits on a post, chewing on a golden stick and watching the midday crowd.
You talk to the goblin
(the scruffy old goblin)
The old goblin raises an eyebrow as you approach. He pops the half-chewed stick out of his mouth.

"Something on your mind, girlie?"

1) "Good afternoon, sir."
2) "What's that you're chewing on?"
3) "Has anyone in Riggertown come down with a mysterious illness recently?"
4) "Nothing, sorry."
2
"What's that you're chewing on?"

"This?" He holds up the half-chewed stick. "It's a stick of gold. I'm sucking on it, see? Brings out the flavor."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

1) "I'm curious. What does gold taste like?"
2) "By the way, I never caught your name."
3) "Has anyone in Riggertown come down with a mysterious illness recently?"
4) "I'll be back soon."
1
"I'm curious," you remark. "What does gold taste like?"

"Ah," he says. "Now there's a fine question. Metals, see, all of them have got different flavors. You're a doctor, ain't you?"

1) "Um, yes."
2) "Um, no."
2
"Um, no."

"No?" His ears droop. "I thought I had you figured from your jacket. Anyway -- you've surely heard of the metal correspondences, yes? Lead to yellow bile, tin to blood, iron to black bile? It tastes just like that. You can taste them like a bouquet on your tongue -- the correspondences, the extremes."

1) "That doesn't sound very palatable."
2) "So what does gold taste like?"
2
"So what does gold taste like?"

"Gold, you ask?" The goblin leans forward with shining eyes. "Gold is different from all of them. Gold corresponds to the heart.
Tasting it is like tasting the sun, the soul. Biting
down on a freshly transmuted nugget -- ah! Now that, I dare say, is a feast fit for a king."

1) "That's... very interesting."
2) "Is it healthy to be snacking on gold like this?"
2
"Is it healthy to be snacking on gold like this?"

He shrugs. "You tell me, Doc."

"I -- I already told you, I'm not a doctor..."

"So it is, so it is. Healthful, not healthful -- who's counting? Not me, that's for certain."

He takes another bite out of his stick, and grins a toothy grin.

1) "By the way, I never caught your name."
2) "Has anyone in Riggertown come down with a mysterious illness recently?"
3) "I'll be back soon."
1
"By the way, I never caught your name."

His lips curl wryly. "Never caught yours either."

"Um... I'm Marid," you say. "Marid Orpheia."

"Well, I'm Donti," he says. "Just Donti. Good afternoon to you, Marid Orpheia."

1) "Has anyone in Riggertown come down with a mysterious illness recently?"
2) "Talk to you later, Donti."
1
"Has anyone in Riggertown come down with a mysterious illness recently?" you ask.

"Eh?" Donti frowns. "What kind of illness?"

You briefly elucidate the symptoms, and a black look comes over his face.
face."Talk about a nasty business," he remarks. "No, I can't say I've ever come across something like that before, and I don't know anyone who has. But I'll keep an eye out, and I'll spread the word for you. You'll know if someone so much as sneezes in this town, so it is."
You'll know if someone so much as sneezes in this town, so it is.""That would be a great help," you say. "Thank you."
is.""That would be a great help," you say. "Thank you.""Don't mention it. Just doing what I can."

1) "Talk to you later, Donti."
1
"Talk to you later, Donti."

"Good health to you."

He waves you off and goes back to chewing on his stick.
J.
Fourth of Aquaria, Auritum IV

The poorest parts of the district have been an ordeal to walk through, but the worst has finally passed. After everything that I've seen today, having to break the news of Reden's death... somehow doesn't seem as bad.

Current objectives:

- Find Zoiro, Reden's brother, in Riggertown

Marid's notes:

- I learned that Zoiro lives on Layabout Row, in Upper Riggertown, and works at the Riggertown Mechanistry.

Riggertown, Lower Level
This peculiarly goblin neighborhood bristles with mechanical-chymical detritus. There are twisty catwalks made for childlike feet, and sheet-metal shacks you must stoop to enter. Here and there in the shadow of the upper landing, neon lamps glow and windchimes tinkle like laughter.

You can climb a ladder up to the next level, wander among the shacks to the west, or cross the canal east by way of Cadaver Walk.

Donti is sitting on his usual post, chewing on his golden stick and watching the midday crowd.
Go upward
Riggertown, Upper Level
This is the more industrial part of Riggertown. The buildings here are scrap-heap spires that twist and turn around each other, with cubby-carts trundling along cables strung between them. Amidst horns honking advertisements, there is a great mess of little people shuffling about, and roads winding in ways wholly inexplicable to your human sensibilities.

To the south looms an enormously noisy factory, which signage identifies as the Riggertown Mechanistry. A quieter road leads southwest to the suburbs. You could also descend a series of ladders to Lower Riggertown, or take a footpath north along the Bilious Canal.
Go south
This building is just as haphazard inside as it is on the outside. Assembly lines run up and down and all around the many levels of this building, weighed down by unfinished, not-quite-manufactured things. At stations along the lines, factory workers are hunched over workbenches, welding disparate parts together within acceptable margins of regularity.

To the north, through a series of raised metal shutters, is the exit.

A large gobliness is walking among the workers, pausing now and then to dish out a tongue-lashing. This must be the forewoman of the shift.
You talk to the gobliness
As the forewoman finishes lecturing one of her workers, you take the opportunity to approach her.

"Excuse me," you say. "Are you the forewoman here?"

She turns and grimaces. "What do you want? Make it quick. I'm busy."

1) "Do you greet everyone like that?"
2) "I'm looking for a man named Zoiro..."
3) "Never mind. Forget I asked."
2
"I'm looking for a man named Zoiro. I have it on good authority that he's employed here."

"Yeah, he is." The forewoman narrows her eyes. "What's this about? He miss a payment for something?"

1) "Something like that."
2) "I have a message for him. From Doctor Cavala."
3) "There's been a death in the family. I'm here to break the bad news."
3
"There's been a death in the family. I'm here to break the bad news."

She covers her mouth.

"Oh," she says. "Oh dear. I didn't think..."

She shakes her head and trails off. With a wave of her hand she beckons you to follow, and the two of you make your way across the factory floor.

"Damned unlucky business," she mutters. "Was it violence or disease that -- oh, it doesn't matter. I suppose I'll have to give him compassionate leave either way..."She leads you to one of the side stations, where a pair of men are hard at work assembling animus lanterns. They look up with trepidation as you approach.
lanterns. They look up with trepidation as you approach."Zoiro!" she says. "This here lady's got a message for you. Listen up, because she's only going to say it once."
she's only going to say it once."You glance at her. She inclines her head, as if to say you're on your own now, before turning and disappearing into the forest of assembly lines.
disappearing into the forest of assembly lines.You're left with the two goblins, who are more than a little nonplussed. They look at you. You look at them.

1) "Um."
2) "Hello..."
3) "Which one of you is Zoiro?"
2
"Hello," you say. "My name is Marid. Marid Orpheia."

The goblins look at each other and shrug.
The goblins look at each other and shrug."I'm Koriph," says the goblin on the right.
on the right."I'm Zoiro," says the goblin on the left.

1) "Um."
2) "I have some bad news."
2
You take a deep breath.

"I have some bad news."

The goblins look at each other. The atmosphere has grown abruptly heavier.

heavier."Shit," Zoiro says, after a pause. "What kind of bad news?"

heavier."Shit," Zoiro says, after a pause. "What kind of bad news?""This isn't the best place," you tell him. "Is there a smoking room around here? Somewhere we'll have peace and quiet?"

room around here? Somewhere we'll have peace and quiet?"Zoiro licks his lips nervously. "The... the smoking room, yeah. Come on. I'll show you. Come on, Koriph -- you too. Let's get this over with."

you. Come on, Koriph -- you too. Let's get this over with."You are brought into a little cubbyhole of a room, past a curtain you have to stoop to go through. The odor of smoke lingers uncomfortably in the air, just on the edge of your nostrils.

air, just on the edge of your nostrils.Zoiro sits in an armchair. Koriph sits next to him. You take a seat opposite, going over your words in your mind.

1) <Be direct.>
2) <Be gentle.>
3) <Be professional.>
3
"It's about your brother, Reden."

Zoiro leans forward. "Why? What happened to him?"

"Last night, during the last shift at Doctor Cavala's clinic, he staggered through the door seriously ill. His symptoms were unlike anything Doctor Cavala had ever seen."Zoiro's eyes widen. "He -- he wasn't sick at all when I saw him last."

wasn't sick at all when I saw him last."You take a breath, keep your eyes fixed on him.

eyes fixed on him."His heart and lungs had failed. He was hemorrhaging badly. We rushed him to the surgery room, but -- but --"

badly. We rushed him to the surgery room, but -- but --""-- Oh Primes --"

--"You look away.

--"You look away."I'm sorry," you whisper. "He died on the gurney. We couldn't save him."

couldn't save him."Zoiro falls silent. He nods, bites his lip, buries his head in his hands.

his head in his hands.Koriph puts a hand on his shoulder.

his head in his hands.Koriph puts a hand on his shoulder."Well," says Zoiro at last. "I... I shouldn't be surprised. It was bound to happen sooner or later. He was a bum. A fucking disgrace. He was going to catch something, living the way he did..."

catch something, living the way he did..."He hangs his head.

catch something, living the way he did..."He hangs his head."But it hurts," he says. "Knowing that he's gone."

1) "I'm sorry..."
2) "Do you need a moment?"
3) "You can ask me anything..."
4) <Say nothing.>
1
"I'm --"

You blink back tears.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

Zoiro shakes his head. "Don't beat yourself up, kid. It was... it was his time. Like I said... it was bound to happen."

1) "Will you be okay?"
2) <Say nothing.>
1
"Will you be okay?"

Zoiro looks down, and is quiet.
Zoiro looks down, and is quiet."There's something I want to know," he says. "About Reden."
says. "About Reden."A pause, uncertain.
says. "About Reden."A pause, uncertain."Where is his body now?"

1) "We're dissecting his body..."
2) "We couldn't recover his body..."
1
"We're... we're dissecting his body," you tell him. "Doctor Cavala has invoked the ius medici --"

"The what?"

"The right of the doctor," you explain. "The illness that took Reden's life... it's unlike anything we've encountered before. We don't know how contagious it is, or who else might be at risk. We need to study the cadaver so we can make sure it doesn't kill anyone else."
the cadaver so we can make sure it doesn't kill anyone else."Zoiro nods slowly.
nods slowly."I... I guess that makes sense," he says. "Do what you need to do. Just... promise me you'll cremate him, when this is all over."
over."He clenches his fists.
over."He clenches his fists."And make sure you find out what you're looking for. Promise it."

1) "I promise..."
2) "I can't make that promise..."
2
"I... I can't make that promise."

Your voice trembles. You look into his eyes.

"I don't make promises I don't know if I can keep. I don't know if I'm strong enough. I don't know if Doctor Cavala can do it.

strong enough. I don't know if Doctor Cavala can do it."But I promise that we will try."

that we will try."Zoiro nods, even as tears well up and glitter on his cheeks.

He stands up and offers his hand. You shake on it.

"Good luck." He squeezes your hand. "I believe in you."

"Good luck." He squeezes your hand. "I believe in you."He takes Koriph's hand and nods at you in lieu of farewell.

Koriph's hand and nods at you in lieu of farewell."Come on, Koriph. Let's talk to the forewoman about compassionate leave..."

Let's talk to the forewoman about compassionate leave..."You get up and make your way back to the Mechanistry floor. Your work here is done. It's time to go.
Look around
This building is just as haphazard inside as it is on the outside. Assembly lines run up and down and all around the many levels of this building, weighed down by unfinished, not-quite-manufactured things. At stations along the lines, factory workers are hunched over workbenches, welding disparate parts together within acceptable margins of regularity.

To the north, through a series of raised metal shutters, is the exit.
Go north
Riggertown, Upper Level
This is the more industrial part of Riggertown. The buildings here are scrap-heap spires that twist and turn around each other, with cubby-carts trundling along cables strung between them. Amidst horns honking advertisements, there is a great mess of little people shuffling about, and roads winding in ways wholly inexplicable to your human sensibilities.

To the south looms the Riggertown Mechanistry, while a quieter road leads southwest to the suburbs. You could also descend a series of ladders to Lower Riggertown, or take a footpath north along the Bilious Canal.

It's getting dark out. The spires and factories are closing for the day.
You go downwards
Riggertown, Lower Level
This peculiarly goblin neighborhood bristles with mechanical-chymical detritus. There are twisty catwalks made for childlike feet, and sheet-metal shacks you must stoop to enter. Here and there in the shadow of the upper landing, neon lamps glow and windchimes tinkle like laughter.

You can climb a ladder up to the next level, wander among the shacks to the west, or cross the canal east by way of Cadaver Walk.

A boy walks past doing a handstand.
Go west
You wander among the shacks for a bit, but it's getting dark out. You return to the main level before you get lost.
Go upward
Riggertown, Upper Level
This is the more industrial part of Riggertown. The buildings here are scrap-heap spires that twist and turn around each other, with cubby-carts trundling along cables strung between them. Amidst horns honking advertisements, there is a great mess of little people shuffling about, and roads winding in ways wholly inexplicable to your human sensibilities.

To the south looms the Riggertown Mechanistry, while a quieter road leads southwest to the suburbs. You could also descend a series of ladders to Lower Riggertown, or take a footpath north along the Bilious Canal.
You go north
Glittering waters roar alongside the footpath, running from north to south in an ever-restless torrent. North lies the Via Terminalis, and beyond it the mouth of the Channelworks; to the south, the path descends by steps and turns, ending in the algae and grime of Upper Riggertown.

A closed manhole is recessed into the footpath.
You go north
Via Terminalis, West Street
You are adrift in the bustle of crowds and carriages, a raucous river that runs through the blood-vessel streets. Signage advertises a profusion of shops and services amid the sounds of leather rollers and stitching machines. In the distant mist, the Bilious Canal spills from the Channelworks into the heart of the city.

You can follow the Via to the west, or to the southeast where it bridges the canal. A condemned block is visible to the north. A hanging banner obscures an alley to the southwest, while a footpath follows the canal to the south.

A harried-looking alchemist runs past.
Go west
Via Terminalis, West End
You stand in the terminus of the Via Terminalis, a cul-de-sac of steel spires and buildings aspiring to the heavens. From here the street-lamps and shop windows line the great spine of the Channelworks District until, shrouded in the mists of the canal, it curves out of sight.

The white cross of Doctor Cavala's clinic is to the west, the dormitory block where you live lies to the north, and a gap between buildings hides an alley entrance to the south. The great Via Terminalis continues to the east.

Wait a moment.
Wait a moment.Someone on the street has just drawn her sword and stalked into Doctor Cavala's clinic.
You go to the west
A row of chairs faces the prescription counter, where the medication and patient records are sorted in gridlike pigeonholes. Further on is the consulting study, home to a desk strewn with notes and diagrams.

And she is there, walking slowly toward the mortuary stairs. Her sword glints in the final rays of sunlight.
Go downward
glints in the final rays of sunlight."Coming!" Doctor Cavala calls. You hear the doctor's chair shift, her footfalls climbing the steps.
You hear the doctor's chair shift, her footfalls climbing the steps.The hooded stranger raises her sword.
Yell
"Get away!" you scream.

The assassin turns her head and looks directly at you.

The assassin turns her head and looks directly at you.Her face catches the light and she has so

the light and she has somanyteethand Doctor Cavala comes up the stairs with a flying tackle that sends the assassin staggering into the waiting chairs. In three steps she is reaching under the counter -- but the assassin is quicker -- her blade faster -- blood spatters the floor -- Doctor Cavala cries out -- a blur of motion -- and there is a flash and thunder from the walls.

flash and thunder from the walls.The assassin clutches at her face. Doctor Cavala raises the cutter and pulls the trigger again -- lightning arcs, misses by inches.

lightning arcs, misses by inches."Get the fuck out of my clinic," she growls.

growls.A rush of wind. The assassin is gone. You whirl around and see a dark shape disappearing into the night.

a dark shape disappearing into the night.Doctor Cavala takes a deep breath. Stifles a cry.

breath. Stifles a cry."Marid," she says. "My leg."

breath. Stifles a cry."Marid," she says. "My leg."You find her slumped on the floor, her chest rising and falling. A gash has been torn above her left knee. Her entire trouser leg is stained red.

1) "Doctor...!"
2) "Oh Primes..."
2
"Oh Primes..."

You rush to Doctor Cavala's side. Even from a cursory examination, it's obvious that she needs help, and quickly.

"Hurry," she says through gritted teeth. "There's a first aid bag behind the counter..."
behind the counter..."(This scene has lethal consequences. You may wish to save the game by typing >save.)
You take the bag
You grab the bag and wrest it open. Inside are a bellows, an aspirator, a stethoscope, a blood pressure gauge, a pair of scissors, a pair of tweezers, a bar of soap, a roll of tape, five vials (containing saline, laudanum, smelling salts, aqua vitae, and tincture-of-resins) --

There. An antiseptic dressing and an elastic bandage.
You put the dressing on leg
(first taking the dressing and the bandage)
"There's no debris." Doctor Cavala's voice is shaking. "Remember. Apply pressure --"

She cries out as the dressing touches her wound. You force yourself to ignore her gasps, press down hard, loop the bandage tight. And natron sigils flare on the fabric: the wound is sealed.

"Not... not bad," she croaks, when she has the voice to speak.
"Not... not bad," she croaks, when she has the voice to speak."Can you move?" you ask.
move?" you ask.Her face twitches.

"Primes, it hurts. I... I think my tendon's gone."
"Primes, it hurts. I... I think my tendon's gone.""You're still bleeding," you tell her. "I need to --"

"-- raise my leg above chest level," she finishes. "I understand. Do it, Marid. Prop it up on the chair."
Prop leg on chair
(first putting down the first aid bag)
Taken --

Doctor Cavala grits her teeth and screws her eyes shut. Her bloodstained trousers stick to your gloves. Her leg feels heavy and fragile in your hands, like a porcelain model that will shatter if you slip.

Seconds pass before her leg finds its place, before you dare loosen your grip and let go --

your grip and let go --You let go.

your grip and let go --You let go.Doctor Cavala breathes a sigh of relief.

relief.You exhale. Something in your expression makes Doctor Cavala chuckle, and her laughter is infectious. The two of you, master and apprentice -- you can't help but start laughing at the terror, the absurdity of the situation.

absurdity of the situation."The bleeding's stopped," you say, wiping your gloves on your apron. "I... I think."

your gloves on your apron. "I... I think.""Then we've done the best we could," Doctor Cavala replies. "You've done well, Marid. Very well. I'm afraid this evening would have gone rather worse without you --"

I'm afraid this evening would have gone rather worse without you --"She smirks at her own gallows humor, and looks morbidly satisfied.

1) <Smile.>
2) "I'm just glad you're all right, Doctor."
3) "I was so worried for you..."
3
"I was so worried for you," you say. "I thought..."

"I know." Doctor Cavala's voice is soft. "I know."

1) <Smile.>
2) "I'm just glad you're all right, Doctor."
3) "Will you be safe here?"
3
You glance at the clinic door. The Luna is ascending,
painting the Via Terminalis in the colors of moonlight.

"Will you be safe here?"

"I don't think she'll be coming back, if that's what you mean." She holds up her cutter. "You may rest assured that I'm a very good shot."

"But what about your injury?" you ask. "Are you going to sleep on the floor? What if you need to relieve yourself? I -- I don't know if I'm comfortable leaving you here. Perhaps I should --"Boots clatter on cobble. Lanterns approach. The clinic door swings open, admitting a bustle of hard-eyed civil guards.
bustle of hard-eyed civil guards."Hullo!" the point man says. "Doctor Cavala. The neighbors reported a scream, and we responded as soon as we... what happened here?"There's something oddly familiar about him...

him..."...Horatio?" you say.

him..."...Horatio?" you say."Marid?" He turns -- it is him,
the buffoon. "What are you doing here? Is everything alright?"

the buffoon. "What are you doing here? Is everything alright?""You've arrived with commendable timing," remarks Doctor Cavala. "I've just chased a violent hoodlum out of my clinic, and Servator Marid here has seen to my injuries. We were just on the topic of informing the authorities, but it seems that won't be necessary..."

* * *

* * *It takes the better part of an
hour to sort everything out with the Vigiles. You're interviewed by a bored-looking patrolwoman, and given a steaming mug of tea to wash away the foul taste of the evening's events. An agreement is made: Doctor Cavala will remain under Vigiles protection for the time being, with Horatio assigned as a personal assistant and bodyguard.

with Horatio assigned as a personal assistant and bodyguard."...and you're saying you have no idea who the assailant was?" the interviewer is asking. "Surely you must have made an enemy of someone."

is asking. "Surely you must have made an enemy of
someone.""I'm telling you, I know this district."
Doctor Cavala takes another sip from her drinking straw. "No one is fool enough to antagonize the only pro bono doctor in the
city. Just ask Marid."

city. Just ask Marid."The interviewer shoots you an inquiring look.

1) "It's true. I was almost robbed in the Shanty Quarter..."
2) "Aren't there other doctors operating in the area?"
3) "Something definitely smells about this incident..."
4) <Remain silent.>
1
"It's true. I was almost robbed in the Shanty Quarter..."

You describe how you were accosted; how the robbers were terrified once they realized your identity. The interviewer writes furiously in her little black notebook, pursing her lips all the while.

"You see?" Doctor Cavala says. "Even if I stepped on someone's toes, they wouldn't have the stones to touch me."

"But clearly," the interviewer counters, "someone does."

1) "Aren't there other doctors operating in the area?"
2) "Something definitely smells about this incident..."
2
"Something definitely smells about this incident. I can't imagine why someone would have it out for Doctor Cavala -- and why now,
of all times?"

The doctor falls silent. The interviewer's eyes dart between you.
The doctor falls silent. The interviewer's eyes dart between you.It is Doctor Cavala who breaks the silence, with words that prick like pins.

"Do you think it's connected to Reden?" she asks. "To what happened last night?"
last night?"You hesitate.

1) "Yes..."
2) "No..."
3) "Maybe..."
4) "I don't know."
3
"...Maybe," you say. "It's uncomfortably close. I can't imagine it being a coincidence. But if it isn't -- how could the surgery possibly be connected? Why would anyone want you dead for such a thing?"

Doctor Cavala furrows her brow. "I certainly hope it's a coincidence," she says. "If the alternative is true..."

She doesn't finish her sentence. She takes another sip of tea, looking greatly perturbed.
greatly perturbed."Well," the interviewer finally says. "This has all been very fascinating -- but the hour is growing late, and we are no closer to discovering any answers. I shall recommend a better equipped team to join you tomorrow, Doctor. Until then --"
team to join you tomorrow, Doctor. Until then --"The guards leave the clinic following a perfunctory sending-off. You are left in the company of Doctor Cavala and Horatio, who have settled down in the waiting area for the long haul.
waiting area for the long haul.## Clinic
A row of chairs faces the prescription counter, where the medication and patient records are sorted in gridlike pigeonholes. Further on is the consulting study, home to a desk strewn with notes and diagrams.

A calomel curtain leads north to the surgery room, stairs lead down to the mortuary, and the front door lies east.

Doctor Cavala is recuperating in a makeshift bed, with Horatio keeping watch nearby.

You catch yourself yawning; you didn't realize how tired you were. Perhaps you should get back home before it's too dark out.
You talk to Horatio
You approach the makeshift bed, and Doctor Cavala and Horatio turn to you.

1) <Speak to Doctor Cavala...>
2) <Speak to Horatio...>
3) "I should be going..."
3
"I should be going," you say. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Good night, Marid."

"G'night, Marid."

"Good night, Doctor, Horatio."
You go to the east
(first opening the front door of the clinic)
(closing the door behind you)

Via Terminalis, West End
You stand in the terminus of the Via Terminalis, a cul-de-sac of steel spires and buildings aspiring to the heavens. Night has fallen, broken only by the ghostly glow of bound animii in street-lamps and shop windows. Beyond, you see the great spine of the Channelworks District, receding from the lamplight into the beginnings of rain.

The white cross of Doctor Cavala's clinic is to the west, and the dormitory block where you live lies to the north.
You go north
Here is the faded arch, with its years of verdigris; here are the too-small atrium and the fountain at its center. All around above are the lights of innumerable domiciles, linked by crumbling stairs and divided by flimsy plaster walls.

From here, you can go up to your dormitory room, visit the public house to the west, or exit the building to the south.

You notice a single pigeon half-hidden under the stairs. The gobliness and her golem must have missed it.
You look at pigeon
You take a step closer --The pigeon twitches.

You take a step closer --The pigeon twitches.Before your eyes, the pigeon begins to move, like a delicate clockwork replica that has been wound up again. It rights itself in a flutter of feathers, and coos, unmistakably alive.

unmistakably alive.It looks around. It cocks its head in your direction.

direction.And with no more than a thought, it leaps awing, and disappears into the glittering night sky.

disappears into the glittering night sky.You touch your pendant.
Go upwards
(first opening the door to your dormitory room)
(closing the door behind you)

Though this space of yours is small, you have done your best to furnish it with the comforts of home. In one corner is a dressing table, piled with stationery and assorted toiletries, and in another is the kitchenette. The only door leads back downstairs to the atrium.

Your bed is at the end of the room, beside the window.
You get in the bed
You change out of your clothes and curl up beneath the sheets. But sleep does not come easily.

You close your eyes and drift in that listless limbo between wakefulness and slumber. A clockwork clicking echoes in your mind, behind your eyelids, like a promise you've forgotten and cannot remember.

remember.You barely notice when the world melts away -- when it dissolves, fades, becomes a haze of images and memories.

dissolves, fades, becomes a haze of images and memories.Your last thought before you fall asleep is a quiet realization --

thought before you fall asleep is a quiet realization --the clicking in your mind is the sound of teeth.

A knocking at the door jolts you awake.

"Marid?" comes Horatio's voice.

1) <Ignore the knocking.>
2) <Answer the door.>
2
You clamber out of bed, throw on your jacket, and shuffle up to the door.

1) <Look through the peephole.>
2) "Horatio?"
3) "What is it?"
4) <Open the door.>
1
A peep reveals a Horatio who looks as tired and disheveled as you are.

1) "Horatio?"
2) "What is it?"
3) <Open the door.>
1
"Horatio?"

"Marid! So you do live here." He sounds relieved. "Marid,
listen. There's been trouble. Doctor Cavala wants you to come down to the clinic as soon as you can."

1) "What's going on?"
2) "Trouble? What kind of trouble?"
3) "I'll be there."
2
You're wide awake now. "Trouble? What kind of trouble?"

"Big trouble. We've gotten wind of more deaths in the Channelworks District, and Doctor Cavala thinks they all died of the same disease as Reden. People are saying it's an epidemic --"
as Reden. People are saying it's an epidemic --""Oh Primes --"

"I know. Come down as soon as you can. The doctor will fill you in."
"I know. Come down as soon as you can. The doctor will fill you in."Horatio's footsteps disappear down the stairs. You hurry through your morning routine and slip your boots on.
Go downward
(first opening the door to your dormitory room)
(closing the door behind you)

Here is the faded arch, with its years of verdigris; here are the too-small atrium and the fountain at its center. All around above are innumerable domiciles, linked by crumbling stairs and divided by flimsy plaster walls.

From here, you can go up to your dormitory room or exit the building to the south.
Go south
Via Terminalis, West End
You stand in the terminus of the Via Terminalis, a cul-de-sac of steel spires and buildings aspiring to the heavens. From here the street-lamps and shop windows line the great spine of the Channelworks District until, shrouded in the mists of the canal, it curves out of sight.

The white cross of Doctor Cavala's clinic is to the west, and the dormitory block where you live lies to the north.

Some pigeons fly overhead.
You go west
(first opening the front door of the clinic)
(closing the door behind you)

Doctor Cavala and Horatio have been busy this morning. You spy fresh cups of tea beside the makeshift bed, and plates with crumbs that Horatio is in the process of tidying. Doctor Cavala, for her part, looks up from a newspaper as you enter.

"Marid. Has Horatio told you what's happened?"
"Marid. Has Horatio told you what's happened?""More deaths?"

She passes the newspaper to you. "Take a look at this."
She passes the newspaper to you. "Take a look at this."DOCTOR
FOUND DEAD IN HIS OWN HOME. Doctor Arturus, the renowned pathologist of the Channelworks District, was found dead this morning. Black blood was observed running from his eyes and mouth, a symptom shared by several patients he had recently received. Doctor Justinian, who discovered the body, expressed fears that his colleague's death could mark the beginning of a dangerous epidemic --
mark the beginning of a dangerous epidemic --A chill grips your
spine.
spine.Doctor Cavala nods grimly. "Our suspicions have proven true. Reden is the first of many. More than that -- Doctor Arturus himself is among the casualties."

1) "Oh Primes."
2) "How could this have happened?"
3) "What do we do now?"
2
"How could this have happened?"

She shakes her head. "Very easily. It is unlikely for a medical practitioner to contract a patient's disease -- not with the proper safeguards in place -- but not inconceivable. And Doctor Arturus... oh, the bloody fool. He should have known better..."

1) "Oh Primes."
2) "What do we do now?"
2
"What do we do now?"

"That, Marid, is a very good question."

Doctor Cavala folds her arms. Her expression seethes with disquiet, with the agitation of an invalid accustomed to physical activity.

"Recent events have backed us into a corner," she says. "I can't do much of anything, on account of my injury. Horatio's hands are full with matters around the clinic. That leaves only one person to look into the situation --"
into the situation --""Myself," you say.
into the situation --""Myself," you say."Exactly." She snaps her fingers. "Before we can combat the disease, we need data -- data that can only be gathered through firsthand observation. You've proven yourself to be dependable and resourceful. You have enough medical expertise to make informed judgments. It will have to be you who investigates this series of deaths."
investigates this series of deaths."You consider her words carefully.

1) "Does it have to be me?"
2) "Where should I begin?"
3) "What should I look out for?"
4) "Can you tell me anything about Doctor Arturus?"
5) "Do you think Doctor Justinian can help?"
6) "I'm on it, Doctor."
2
"Where should I begin?" you ask.

"You could begin by examining the bodies," Doctor Cavala says. "He'll be in his clinic -- I suppose it's Doctor Justinian's clinic now. Talk to Doctor Justinian about it, and check his patient records for possible contagion vectors between the deceased.

"It might also be worth asking Zoiro about his brother's associations. See if you can find any correlation between the patients so far. With any luck, we'll uncover the source of the outbreak."

1) "What should I look out for?"
2) "Can you tell me anything about Doctor Arturus?"
3) "Do you think Doctor Justinian can help?"
4) "I'm on it, Doctor."
1
"What should I look out for?"

"Our goal is to combat the disease," Doctor Cavala replies. "We need to determine the means by which it is transmitted -- whether it is endemic to a particular area, or spread by contact, or something else entirely. Once the transmission method is determined, we can take measures to isolate the disease and find a cure."

1) "Can you tell me anything about Doctor Arturus?"
2) "Do you think Doctor Justinian can help?"
3) "I'm on it, Doctor."
1
"Can you tell me anything about Doctor Arturus?"

She sighs. "Not much, I'm afraid. Doctor Arturus was from before my time. I'm familiar with his corpus of work, of course -- even met him once or twice, in a professional capacity -- but he was a reclusive man, and rarely involved in everyday affairs.

"Try asking Doctor Justinian instead. He's had more contact with the man than anyone else."

1) "Do you think Doctor Justinian can help?"
2) "I'm on it, Doctor."
1
"Do you think Doctor Justinian can help?" you ask.

Doctor Cavala nods. "He likely can. At minimum, he can give you a better picture of the events that led to Doctor Arturus's death. Beyond that, he's now the only other qualified doctor in the district. He'll be a useful ally if we are to contain the disease."

1) "I'm on it, Doctor."
1
"I'm on it, Doctor."

She nods. "Remember: talk to Doctor Justinian in the Turris Infinita. Investigate all the deaths that have occurred so far. If you find a connection, we can isolate the transmission vector and quarantine the disease."

disease.""Got it."

She holds up a hand. "Before you go, I have a couple of things to give you. First -- Horatio, would you fetch me a pen?"

you. First -- Horatio, would you fetch me a pen?"The pen is delivered. Doctor Cavala signs a small piece of paper, then seals it with a sigil-brand and hands it to you.

sigil-brand and hands it to you."This is my signum," she says. "It's proof that you're acting on my behalf, for anyone who asks. And another thing --"

another thing --"She has Horatio retrieve a sleek instrument from her desk. It is orichalcum, threaded with tiny magnification lenses, and your eyes widen as he places it in your palm.

your eyes widen as he places it in your palm."Yes, Marid." She smiles wryly. "Since you'll be dealing with a lot of dead bodies, you can borrow my endoscope for this investigation. Just promise me you'll return it in one piece -- I'd hate to take the cost out of your next paycheck."

paycheck.""I -- I understand, Doctor."

She squeezes your hand. "Good luck, Marid. I'm counting on you."

She squeezes your hand. "Good luck, Marid. I'm counting on you."You step back and put the endoscope in your pocket.

(The endoscope can be used to look inside narrow pathways. To use the endoscope, >put it in the object you wish to inspect.)
You examine the endoscope
An intricate assembly of lenses mounted on adjustable orichalcum rods. It can be inserted into cadavers to examine their internal pathways, and may be useful for inspecting other crevices of a similar nature.
You look at the signum
A piece of paper signed and sealed by Doctor Cavala. It declares that Servator Marid Orpheia is formally authorized to act in the signatory's stead, and that anyone who disagrees is welcome to take it up with the signatory.

Horatio yawns.
You talk to Horatio
You approach Horatio, and he grins a little bashfully.

"Hey, Marid," he says.

1) "You don't look too good. Did you sleep well last night?"
2) "What do you think of the situation so far?"
3) "See you around, Horatio."
1
"You don't look too good," you say. "Did you sleep well last night?"

"Well... no." He rubs his eyes. "I couldn't get any shut-eye in the clinic -- too much calomel in the air. Doctor Cavala slept like a baby, though. I don't know how she does it..."

He sighs and looks you over.

"To be honest," he says, "you don't look too good yourself. Your tattoos are all in a jumble. I know the doctor has you running errands for her, but -- just watch yourself out there, all right?"

"I will," you say. "I promise."

1) "What do you think of the situation so far?"
2) "See you around, Horatio."
1
"What do you think of the situation so far?"

Horatio's jaw hardens, and he looks contemplative.

"I... I don't really know what to think," he says. "You and Doctor Cavala have been at this for a lot longer than I have. All I know that people seem to be dropping like flies all of a sudden. Doctor Arturus is dead -- even Doctor Cavala's got a ruined leg. How can we fix the problem when we don't even know what's going on?"

1) "See you around, Horatio."
1
"See you around, Horatio."

"You too, Marid."

You step back, and Horatio returns to his duties.
You look at the tattoos
Your father gave you these tattoos when you were a young child, as is tradition in some alchemical families. Even now, the flowing, circuitous lines remind you of him.

"I expect we shall be waiting awhile," Doctor Cavala observes. "How about a game of crucible, Horatio?"

"Sure, I guess."

Horatio produces a pack of cards and sits opposite Doctor Cavala.
You go east
(first opening the front door of the clinic)
(closing the door behind you)

Via Terminalis, West End
You stand in the terminus of the Via Terminalis, a cul-de-sac of steel spires and buildings aspiring to the heavens. From here the street-lamps and shop windows line the great spine of the Channelworks District until, shrouded in the mists of the canal, it curves out of sight.

The white cross of Doctor Cavala's clinic is to the west, the dormitory block where you live lies to the north, and a gap between buildings hides an alley entrance to the south. The great Via Terminalis continues to the east.
Go east
Via Terminalis, West Street
You are adrift in the bustle of crowds and carriages, a raucous river that runs through the blood-vessel streets. Signage advertises a profusion of shops and services amid the sounds of leather rollers and stitching machines. In the distant mist, the Bilious Canal spills from the Channelworks into the heart of the city.

You can follow the Via to the west, or to the southeast where it bridges the canal. A condemned block is visible to the north. A hanging banner obscures an alley to the southwest, while a footpath follows the canal to the south.

"That poor doctor!" you overhear someone in the crowd say. "What is the world coming to?..."
You go to the south-east
Here the voices and bustle wash over the arches and cobblestones. Mist rises from the Bilious Canal below, tarnishing the wayside statues green and gray, and fading into the fog and the overcast sky.

The Via Terminalis stretches away to the northwest and southeast, while a clandestine stairway descends to the south.
You go southeast
Traffic revolves every which way around this old-fashioned rotunda, tracing the ancient alchemical lines inscribed on the stonework. An armillary sphere rotates in the center of the junction and guides carriages according to its lights.

The Via Terminalis runs northwest to the bridge and southeast to Miller's Gate. A colonnade to the north marks the entrance of the Channelworks. To the east lies the Turris Infinita, and to the south can be seen the grand forum.

Above the Turris Infinita, a black banner casts its trailing shadow across the sky.
You examine the black banner
A black banner is traditionally put up when the head of the house has died.

A mutant in work clothes tromps past.
You go to the east
(first opening the ornate double doors)
(closing the doors behind you)

The atmosphere within the tower is utterly still. The lights that normally circle the mirrors have been dimmed, and the chandeliers overhead brood like thunderclouds. You find yourself treading softly, lightly -- as though if you took a wrong step, the whole glass tower would come crashing down.

As you enter the foyer, two gargoyles land to your left and right. They move to seize your arms.
They move to seize your arms."I am sorry to inform you that the Turris Infinita is now closed." The porter regards you humorlessly.
"There is to be no trespassing -- no idle journalism --"
"There is to be no trespassing -- no idle journalism --"Her lower lip curls.

"No gawking."

1) "I'm charmed."
2) "Why is the Turris Infinita closed?"
3) "I'm here on business."
3
"I'm here on business," you say pointedly.

She rolls her eyes. "You and every dullard that comes through these doors. Do I look as though I give a whit about your business? Which part of 'no trespassing' do you not comprehend?"

1) "You're being completely unreasonable!"
2) "Doctor Cavala has authorized me..." <Present the signum.>
2
You hold up the signum. "Doctor Cavala has authorized me to investigate the death of Doctor Arturus in her stead. If you have a problem with that, you can take it up with Doctor Cavala."

The porter's gaze falls on the slip of paper in your hand. The corner of her mouth twitches."Is that so?" she says. "I believe I
shall take the matter up with her. Thank you for the kind
offer, and do inform the good doctor to arrange a meeting at
her earliest convenience. Until then... the gargoyles will escort you to the door."

to the door."Your face flushes. "You --"

to the door."Your face flushes. "You --"A curtain rattles open. Surgical boots click on glass.

Surgical boots click on glass."What's going on here?" a smoky voice demands.

demands.You turn, and a young man with auburn hair is striding purposefully from the arch of Doctor Arturus's clinic. His coat ripples with natron filigree. There is an intensity in his expression, his visage.

his visage.Your heart skips a beat.

"D -- Doctor Justinian," you say.

"D -- Doctor Justinian," you say."Marid?" He furrows his brow. "Excubitores! Unhand this woman. She is a guest."

The gargoyles release you and vanish into the rafters. The porter looks accusingly at him.

looks accusingly at him."Doctor Justinian," she says. "This is exceedingly irregular --"

exceedingly irregular --""Regulations be damned," he replies.
"This is my friend, porter. I don't care what she's done.
We'll have words about this later."

We'll have words about this later.""But --"

He holds up a hand, and the porter falls silent.

He holds up a hand, and the porter falls silent."Good," he says.

He holds up a hand, and the porter falls silent."Good," he says.He turns to you, and his voice loses its edge, grows gentle.

turns to you, and his voice loses its edge, grows gentle."Marid," he says. "I thought you might be coming."

1) "Thanks for that."
2) "It's good to see you, Doctor Justinian."
3) "I wouldn't miss a chance to see you, Doctor Justinian."
1
"Thanks... thanks for that," you say lamely.

"It's the least I can do." He nods. "Come with me. We can speak more freely in the clinic proper..."

* * *

* * *## Arturus's Clinic
This upscale clinic exudes a muted elegance. Chrome fixtures are lit by surgically placed spotlights and underscored by dizzyingly intricate sigil-work. But you can't bring yourself to focus on your surroundings -- not when Justinian's hand feels so warm around yours, and demands so much of your attention.

You know, intellectually, that it is normal for girls to develop crushes. That doesn't stop you from wanting to bury yourself in a hole right now. Why do you have to be so awkward?

right now. Why do you have to be so awkward?Justinian leads
you to a coffee table and gestures to one of the armchairs. "Please," he says. "Take a seat."

he says. "Take a seat."You sit down, and he sits opposite you. His eyes -- those eyes! -- they study you. Troubled. Concerned.

eyes -- those eyes! -- they study you. Troubled. Concerned."This is about Doctor Arturus's death, I take it?"

1) "I'm so sorry you have to go through this, Justinian."
2) "I can't believe something like this is happening."
3) "Doctor Cavala sent me. We're investigating the disease that
killed Doctor Arturus..."
1
"I -- I'm so sorry you have to go through this, Justinian."

He lowers his eyes. "I appreciate it, Marid. Doctor Arturus -- I haven't always been on the best of terms with him. But he was like a father to me."

1) "I can't believe something like this is happening."
2) "Doctor Cavala sent me. We're investigating the disease that
killed Doctor Arturus..."
2
"Doctor Cavala sent me," you say. "We're -- we're investigating the disease that killed Doctor Arturus. Now that we three are the only medical professionals in the district, we -- we have to work together. If we're going to get through this."

Why are you blushing at a time like this? What is wrong with
you?
you?Justinian leans forward and clasps his hands. "Marid," he says. "I wish I could be of more help, but I'm afraid last night took... a toll on me. I don't know what I can provide that you don't already know..."
on me. I don't know what I can provide that you don't already know..."You try to compose your thoughts.

1) "I believe in you, Justinian."
2) "Can you tell me about how you discovered the body?"
3) "Can you tell me anything about Doctor Arturus's
patients?"
4) "What are your thoughts on the disease?"
5) "There was an attempt on Doctor Cavala's life. Do you have any
idea why?"
6) "I'll look around the clinic. Perhaps I'll find something the Vigiles have missed."
1
You can already feel the blood rising in your cheeks. Justinian -- you -- no. No!

You can't say it. You just can't.

1) "Can you tell me about how you discovered the body?"
2) "Can you tell me anything about Doctor Arturus's
patients?"
3) "What are your thoughts on the disease?"
4) "There was an attempt on Doctor Cavala's life. Do you have any
idea why?"
5) "I'll look around the clinic. Perhaps I'll find something the Vigiles have missed."
1
"Can you... can you tell me about how you discovered the body?"

He shakes his head. "It's all a blur. Doctor Arturus had cloistered himself in the back of the clinic. I was instructed not to disturb him -- he seemed fine when I left in the evening. It was only when he didn't turn up for work this morning that I thought..."

"...You thought something might have happened?"

"Exactly." Justinian looks at his hands. "When I called on him in his domicile -- the disease had taken him."

1) "Can you tell me anything about Doctor Arturus's
patients?"
2) "What are your thoughts on the disease?"
3) "There was an attempt on Doctor Cavala's life. Do you have any
idea why?"
4) "I'll look around the clinic. Perhaps I'll find something the Vigiles have missed."
1
"Can you tell me anything about Doctor Arturus's patients?"

Justinian's jaw hardens. "I know very little," he says. "Doctor Arturus... even in this clinic, with his aide, he was circumspect about his clients. He never told me anything. Never let me handle any of the administration. It's almost as if he didn't trust me -- but he was always a private man. I'm afraid I can't help you more."

1) "Do you know where the patient records are kept?"
2) "What are your thoughts on the disease?"
3) "There was an attempt on Doctor Cavala's life. Do you have any
idea why?"
4) "I'll look around the clinic. Perhaps I'll find something the Vigiles have missed."
1
You squirm in your seat. "Do you know where the patient records are kept?"

"Try Doctor Arturus's domicile," he says. "He was obsessed with control. It would be like him to have every record on hand."

1) "What are your thoughts on the disease?"
2) "There was an attempt on Doctor Cavala's life. Do you have any
idea why?"
3) "I'll look around the clinic. Perhaps I'll find something the Vigiles have missed."
1
"What are your thoughts on... on the disease?"

A serious cast comes over Justinian's features, and he pauses before speaking.

"I know that it is dangerous, Marid. It has killed so many in mere days -- not even Doctor Arturus was safe, and he was the most cautious man I ever knew. If you plan to investigate this -- you must be careful, Marid. Very careful."

1) "Was Doctor Arturus a cautious man? Doctor Cavala didn't give
me that impression."
2) "There was an attempt on Doctor Cavala's life. Do you have any
idea why?"
3) "I'll look around the clinic. Perhaps I'll find something the Vigiles have missed."
1
"Was Doctor Arturus a cautious man?" you ask. "Doctor Cavala... didn't give me that impression."

Justinian looks almost disappointed for a moment, and the look in his eyes breaks your heart.

"Doctor Cavala didn't know him like I did," he says, quietly.

1) "There was an attempt on Doctor Cavala's life. Do you have any
idea why?"
2) "I'll look around the clinic. Perhaps I'll find something the Vigiles have missed."
1
"There was... there was an attempt on Doctor Cavala's life. Do you have any idea why?"

"Hmm?"

You relate your recollection of last night's events, and Justinian purses his lips.

"I don't know what that's all about," he says. "It sounds like Doctor Cavala is the one you should ask."

1) "I'll look around the clinic. Perhaps I'll find something the Vigiles have missed."
1
"I'll... I'll look around the clinic. Perhaps I'll find something the Vigiles have missed."

You stand up a little too anxiously -- no, Marid, you're blowing
it -- and then Justinian grabs your wrist and you react in an
entirely unladylike fashion but his attention is focused completely on you.

"Marid," he says.

"Marid," he says."J-- Justinian?"

"Marid," he says."J-- Justinian?""Be careful." His voice is trembling. "I don't want anything to happen to you. If -- if it's too dangerous -- you can just go back to Doctor Cavala. No one will begrudge you for it."

it."His words wrench at your heartstrings. For a moment you have the urge to hug him and forget about everything -- forget about blood, forget about tears, forget about the dying and the dead.

forget about tears, forget about the dying and the dead.But when you close your eyes, you know you'd never forgive yourself. Not for the rest of your life.

rest of your life."I'll be careful," you tell him. "I promise."

rest of your life."I'll be careful," you tell him. "I promise."He reluctantly lets go.

reluctantly lets go.You turn and make your way into the frigid light.

reluctantly lets go.You turn and make your way into the frigid light.## Arturus's Clinic
This upscale clinic exudes a muted elegance. Chrome fixtures are lit by surgically placed spotlights and underscored by dizzyingly intricate sigil-work. Yet for all its technical mastery, the space seems somehow empty, somehow melancholy.

An arch to the west leads back to the Turris Infinita foyer.

A Vigiles examiner and his investigators are huddled around a group of tarpaulin-covered bodies. Beside them, Justinian sits at a coffee table, brooding.
You look at the examiner
The Vigiles examiner appears to be the one in charge of the team. He looks surprisingly human, if you discount his quivering mustache.
You talk to the examiner
You approach the team of Vigiles, signum in hand. The examiner's cilia twitch as he looks you over.

"Examiner Velox," he says. "Channelworks Division. And who might you be?"
be?""My name is Servator Marid Orpheia," you reply. "I'm here on behalf of Doctor Cavala. I need to study the bodies so we can develop a cure for the affliction."
a cure for the affliction.""The ius medici?" He nods. "Very
well, Servator. You may inspect these bodies at your own risk. Do not damage them, however -- we are considering the possibility of quarantine, and they may be used as evidence in the tribunal."

1) "Quarantine?"
2) "Tribunal?"
3) "I'll do my best to avoid damaging the bodies."
4) "I can't promise that I won't damage the bodies..."
1
"Quarantine?"

"Indeed." His mustache bristles vigorously. "If there is even a possibility that Doctor Justinian's fears ring true, it is imperative that the spread of the disease be contained -- if not within the Turris, then within the Channelworks District."

1) "The disease isn't confined to the Turris."
2) "You mentioned a tribunal?"
3) "I'll do my best to avoid damaging the bodies."
4) "I can't promise that I won't damage the bodies..."
1
"The disease isn't confined to the Turris."

He frowns. "Then the situation is worse than I had imagined. We
must quarantine the district in the name of the public good."

1) "You mentioned a tribunal?"
2) "I'll do my best to avoid damaging the bodies."
3) "I can't promise that I won't damage the bodies..."
1
"You mentioned a tribunal?"

Examiner Velox flashes his badge. "We are here on behalf of the district councils. At this very moment, a hearing is under way regarding measures to be taken against the disease."

1) "I'll do my best to avoid damaging the bodies."
2) "I can't promise that I won't damage the bodies..."
1
"I'll do my best to avoid damaging the bodies."

He nods. "Excellent. To business, then. If you'll follow me..."

He nods. "Excellent. To business, then. If you'll follow me..."You follow him to the slab, where he draws back the tarpaulin. You recognize Doctor Arturus, but there are three others: a man dressed in finery, a man built like a fighter, and a reedy young woman. All have black stains around their mouths and eyes.

black stains around their mouths and eyes."Here are the four victims of the disease," Examiner Velox says. "We've made some preliminary investigations into their identities. Looking for identification on the bodies, cross-referencing against our records, et
cetera..."

cetera...""What can you tell me?" you ask.

cetera...""What can you tell me?" you ask."The man on the left is Doctor Arturus -- I see you're already familiar with him. Very good. The one beside him, the well-dressed man, is Creditor Nacarat of the Furopolis Securities Exchange. He's rather well-known in certain circles of society -- has been implicated in some fraud allegations, but nothing concrete."

but nothing concrete.""What about the other two?"

but nothing concrete.""What about the other two?""Ah." Examiner Velox furrows his mustache. "They are more of an enigma. They carry no identification; they are not in our records. We believe they were unregistered criminals hiding in the Shanty Quarter. According to our contacts, they match the description of Sal and Piper, a villainous duo of some notoriety. They were underworld enforcers, and not particularly well liked."

particularly well liked."You consider the facts laid before you.

1) "The victims all died of the same disease?"
2) "Regarding Doctor Arturus..."
3) "Regarding Creditor Nacarat..."
4) "Regarding Sal and Piper..."
5) "I'll keep investigating."
1
"The victims all died of the same disease?"

Examiner Velox shrugs. "Like you, we cannot damage the bodies, making any detailed examination impossible. It seems clear, however, that these deaths were all caused by the same affliction of the blood."

1) "Regarding Doctor Arturus..."
2) "Regarding Creditor Nacarat..."
3) "Regarding Sal and Piper..."
4) "I'll keep investigating."
1
"Regarding Doctor Arturus..."

1) "You're certain about his identity?"
2) "What was the state his body was found in?"
3) "What was the time of death?"
4) "Is there anything I should be aware of?"
5) "Regarding Creditor Nacarat..."
6) "Regarding Sal and Piper..."
7) "I'll keep investigating."
1
"You're certain about his identity?"

Examiner Velox's mustache wriggles. "You and Doctor Justinian have both identified the body. We have detected no illusions, if that is what you are asking. The body on the slab is, without a doubt, that of Doctor Arturus."

1) "What was the state his body was found in?"
2) "What was the time of death?"
3) "Is there anything I should be aware of?"
4) "Regarding Creditor Nacarat..."
5) "Regarding Sal and Piper..."
6) "I'll keep investigating."
1
"What was the state his body was found in?"

"Doctor Justinian notified the Vigiles at five in the morning," Examiner Velox replies. "When we arrived at quarter-past five, we found Doctor Arturus's body already laid out here on the slab. Doctor Justinian testified that he had found Doctor Arturus motionless in his domicile, and moved him here in an attempt to revive him."

1) "What was the time of death?"
2) "Is there anything I should be aware of?"
3) "Regarding Creditor Nacarat..."
4) "Regarding Sal and Piper..."
5) "I'll keep investigating."
1
"What was the time of death?"

His mustache squirms. "The varying temperatures in the Turris Infinita make the precise time difficult to ascertain. Complicating matters is the fact that Doctor Justinian moved the body, interfering with the natural processes of rigor mortis and livor mortis.
All we can gather is that he died last night -- sometime between eight and twelve hours ago."

1) "What was the state his body was found in, again?"
2) "Is there anything I should be aware of?"
3) "Regarding Creditor Nacarat..."
4) "Regarding Sal and Piper..."
5) "I'll keep investigating."
2
"Is there anything I should be aware of?"

"We believe that he was infected through his gloves," Examiner Velox replies. "They are stained with black effluvium both within and without. If you are concerned with the method of transmission, you might examine them further."

Through his gloves? That shouldn't be possible...

1) "What was the state his body was found in, again?"
2) "What was the time of death, again?"
3) "Regarding Creditor Nacarat..."
4) "Regarding Sal and Piper..."
5) "I'll keep investigating."
3
"Regarding Creditor Nacarat..."

1) "Who was he again?"
2) "What was the time of death?"
3) "What do you know about the circumstances of his death?"
4) "Is there anything I should be aware of?"
5) "Regarding Doctor Arturus..."
6) "Regarding Sal and Piper..."
7) "I'll keep investigating."
2
"What was the time of death?"

"By my estimation," he replies, "and assuming his body has remained in the clinic the whole time -- he died a little over thirty hours ago, on the night of the Third."

The night Reden died, you mentally append.

1) "Who was he again?"
2) "What do you know about the circumstances of his death?"
3) "Is there anything I should be aware of?"
4) "Regarding Doctor Arturus..."
5) "Regarding Sal and Piper..."
6) "I'll keep investigating."
2
"What do you know about the circumstances of his death?"

He shrugs. "Creditor Nacarat was a patient here before he died. All the signs suggest he died here, together with Sal and Piper."

1) "Who was he again?"
2) "What was the time of death, again?"
3) "Is there anything I should be aware of?"
4) "Regarding Doctor Arturus..."
5) "Regarding Sal and Piper..."
6) "I'll keep investigating."
3
"Is there anything I should be aware of?"

A twitch of the mustache. "There is a glyph of recording in the inner lining of his jacket. It holds an intriguing, if fragmented, phonographic transcription. We did not find it particularly useful, but it may be worth listening to regardless."

1) "Who was he again?"
2) "What was the time of death, again?"
3) "What do you know about the circumstances of his death,
again?"
4) "Regarding Doctor Arturus..."
5) "Regarding Sal and Piper..."
6) "I'll keep investigating."
5
"Regarding Sal and Piper..."

1) "Who were they again?"
2) "What were the times of death?"
3) "What do you know about the circumstances of their
deaths?"
4) "Is there anything I should be aware of?"
5) "Regarding Doctor Arturus..."
6) "Regarding Creditor Nacarat..."
7) "I'll keep investigating."
2
"What were the times of death?"

"Both of them died around the same time," Examiner Velox replies, "though the precise time is uncertain. I am given to believe that they died around the same time as Creditor Nacarat -- around thirty hours ago, on the night of the Third."

1) "Who were they again?"
2) "What do you know about the circumstances of their
deaths?"
3) "Is there anything I should be aware of?"
4) "Regarding Doctor Arturus..."
5) "Regarding Creditor Nacarat..."
6) "I'll keep investigating."
2
"What do you know about the circumstances of their deaths?"

"As they were patients in the clinic," he replies, "they likely died here, together with Creditor Nacarat. The signs they exhibit corroborate that."

1) "Who were they again?"
2) "What were the times of death, again?"
3) "Is there anything I should be aware of?"
4) "Regarding Doctor Arturus..."
5) "Regarding Creditor Nacarat..."
6) "I'll keep investigating."
3
"Is there anything I should be aware of?"

"We found some things in their pockets," the examiner says. "You may wish to look at their possessions... although I am uncertain, personally, how relevant they are to this series of deaths."

1) "Who were they again?"
2) "What were the times of death, again?"
3) "What do you know about the circumstances of their deaths,
again?"
4) "Regarding Doctor Arturus..."
5) "Regarding Creditor Nacarat..."
6) "I'll keep investigating."
6
"I'll keep investigating."

"Very well. I will be here if you have any further questions."

You step back, and Examiner Velox returns to his work.
You examine the gloves
Which do you mean, Doctor Arturus's gloves, Creditor Nacarat's gloves, or the clothes?
Doctor
You get a loupe and a pair of tweezers, and carefully -- very carefully -- you inspect Doctor Arturus's bloodstained gloves.

Your heart hammers in your ears. Your breath condenses on the tarpaulins.

tarpaulins.There! Is that --

tarpaulins.There! Is that --Nothing.

tarpaulins.There! Is that --Nothing.There's nothing at all.
The gloves are perfectly sealed. Brand new, in fact -- if you brush away the blood, you can see the sigils glowing softly on the rubber.

away the blood, you can see the sigils glowing softly on the rubber.That means there are two possibilities. Either this disease can somehow be transmitted through an alchemically-sealed
waterproof barrier -- which is in defiance of everything you learned in school, and besides you and Doctor Cavala are still alive, so that can't be right --

can't be right --Or there's something else at work here. Something more insidious.

more insidious.You carefully decontaminate the equipment you borrowed and return it to the clinic. You're going to have to keep investigating.
You examine Doctor
You approach the body.

The first time you saw Doctor Arturus's face was in De historia medica, your first-year medical textbook. You still remember it
-- sharp, black and white, with a jaw like a the edge of a knife. You were nervous, when you moved to the Channelworks District, to meet the famed pathologist in the flesh.
famed pathologist in the flesh.But the man who you met that day was smaller, somehow. His features, so arresting in his youth, had crinkled under the burden of years. He did not look you in the eye when he shook your hand.
when he shook your hand."His time is past," Doctor Cavala had said, afterwards. "He hardly practices these days..."
afterwards. "He hardly practices these days..."The body laid before you is gaunt, almost pitiful. The sleeves of his natron coat are completely soaked in eerie black stains. His glasses are stained opaque, and his mouth is frozen open in horror.
opaque, and his mouth is frozen open in horror.You could examine Doctor Arturus's head, his torso, his arms, or his legs.
You examine the doctor head
Death has not been kind to Doctor Arturus. The black blood from his eyes and mouth has seeped into his wrinkles, crisscrossing his face with a spiderweb of decay.

His mouth is wide open. It occurs to you that you could put your endoscope in and look around inside.
You put the endoscope in the doctor mouth
You insert the endoscope into Doctor Arturus's mouth...
Mouth
A cavern ringed with tombstones. The cavity glistens black -- the capillaries are visible behind the membranes, diseased and withered and creeping. It is almost impossible to distinguish blood from shadow.

Light streams in from outside. The pharynx lies further in.
You examine the cavity
The walls are streaked ebon where the diseased blood has set.
You examine the teeth
At this scale, Doctor Arturus's teeth are colossal bone plinths.
Go inside
You descend...
Pharynx
A tunnel splitting, twisting darkly. Fleshy folds press inward, tight bundles of muscle and cartilage frozen in black ivy.

The esophagus is blocked by the epiglottis. You can only descend through the larynx.
You examine the ivy
The scutiform cartilage. The smuggler's fossa. The ventricular folds.
Go downwards
You descend...
Trachea
It is almost completely dark, save the small ring of light from your lens. Your world is a hollow pit with no beginning and no end.

Below are the lungs.
You examine the lungs
Somewhere beneath are the bronchi, the bronchioles.
Go down
You descend...
Lungs
The terminus of the respiratory system. A thousand dead ends, holes, alveoli -- they greet you like blood-choked eye sockets.
alveoli -- they greet you like blood-choked eye sockets.Something is wrong here.
wrong here.The pattern of decay isn't consistent with an airborne pathogen. If the disease were transmitted by air or aether, it would attack from the alveoli inward. Here, it looks like the infection spread outward, from the blood vessels into the lungs.
spread outward, from the blood vessels into the lungs.Further
on, you see the cast-off tethers of Doctor Arturus's animus still lingering in the aetheric weave. But the skeins are fragmented, somehow. Different from the textbooks.
You look at the animus
The animus, colloquially known as the soul, is bound to a person's body by aetheric skeins. When the body dies, the skeins are loosened, and the animus drifts apart from the corpus. Every first-year medical student knows that.

Here, the animic skeins were not loosened. They were ripped apart.
You examine the infection
Here, the animic skeins were not loosened. They were ripped apart.You can see auroral fragments flickering in the halo of your lens-light. They shine weakly, painfully, unable to fade away.
They shine weakly, painfully, unable to fade away.What are you looking at here? What kind of disease attacks the soul?

(Type >out to end the endoscopy.)

(You think you've learned all you can from Doctor Arturus's body. You should look for more clues elsewhere.)
Go outside
You withdraw upward...
You clean the endoscope and put it in your pocket.

This upscale clinic exudes a muted elegance. Chrome fixtures are lit by surgically placed spotlights and underscored by dizzyingly intricate sigil-work.

An arch to the west leads back to the Turris Infinita foyer.

Examiner Velox and his investigators are huddled around the bodies of Doctor Arturus, Creditor Nacarat, Sal, and Piper. Beside them, Justinian sits at a coffee table, brooding.
You examine the doctor legs
Doctor Arturus is wearing formal trousers and rubber boots -- relatively dignified, in comparison with the rest of his body.
You look at doctor torso
The doctor is a thin man, shrunken with age. His natron coat is of that old-fashioned button-up sort you see in laterna magica
pictures. Your eyes are drawn to his ruined sleeves, which cling to his skin like grotesque pelagic rays.
You examine the sleeves
Doctor Arturus's sleeves are streaked with black blood. Like a living thing, it seems to have oozed up from his hands, twisting and squirming and crawling up his forearms. His gloves are almost completely black.
You look at the gloves
Although the gloves are coated in blood, they're brand new. You can still see the sigils glowing on the rubber.
You look at Nacarat
There is a certain poise surrounding this man, even in death. His facial hair is immaculately trimmed; his features are not diminished by the black trails that stain them. But something in his bearing sends a shiver up your spine, something that is cold and callous and utterly without sympathy.

You could examine Creditor Nacarat's head, his torso, his arms, or his legs.
You look at the head
Like you, he bears tattoos on his face, but his are in the mode of the Austri rather than the alchemical. Alongside, his pearl earrings catch the light -- his face is framed in pale off-white.

Blood runs from his open mouth. It occurs to you that you could put your endoscope in and look around inside.
You examine the earrings
They strike you as slightly ostentatious.
You put the endoscope in the mouth
You insert the endoscope into Creditor Nacarat's mouth...
Mouth
The tongue is a diseased behemoth. It wallows in a pool of dark dried blood, broken by stained folds and bleached teeth. On the tip a piercing has become infected, revealing the ragged holes at either side.

Light streams in from outside. The pharynx lies further in.
You examine the piercing
Blood leaks beneath the engraved orichalcum.
You examine the teeth
Markers in a sunless sea. There are white trails where his tooth-powder has melted.
You examine the pool
The shadows are opaque.
You examine the tongue
Withered within and without.
Go inside
You descend...
Pharynx
This grotto is barely recognizable. Flesh has corroded, sloughed from cartilage. The throat weeps with the ruins of ruptured blood vessels.

The epiglottis blocks the larynx. You can only descend into the esophagus.
You go downward
You descend...
Esophagus
You hang between sphincters, slashed apart and seized with rigor mortis. The walls, flickering in your unsteady lens-light, run
with black streaks into the yawning darkness.

The stomach lies beneath.
You examine the streaks
Death flows through this place.
You go down
You descend...
Stomach
The stain of disease is everywhere. The humidity is almost palpable. The pylorus is stopped -- a glistening black expanse rises in the light, residual bile and vitriolic secretions unable to drain into the small intestine.

There are things drifting lazily in the body-of-stomach. You
can see festering tumors that have crawled up the stomach lining, embedded themselves in the mucosa, insinuated themselves into the circulatory system. And from them, sickly veins crawl outward, each a deadly trail that points back to the heart.
You examine the things
deadly trail that points back to the heart.There is no doubt. This stomach -- this spawning pit -- this must have been the
origin of Creditor Nacarat's infection.
origin of Creditor Nacarat's infection.But what does that imply? Was the disease in something the man ingested? Was it something
he ate, something he drank?
he ate, something he drank?There's too little evidence. You have to keep investigating.
You examine the things
You'll have to specify which one.
You examine the tumors
You have the urge to throw up just looking at them.
You look at your surroundings
The stain of disease is everywhere. The humidity is almost palpable. The pylorus is stopped -- a glistening black expanse rises in the light, residual bile and vitriolic secretions unable to drain into the small intestine.

There are things drifting lazily in the body-of-stomach. You
can see festering tumors that have crawled up the stomach lining, embedded themselves in the mucosa, insinuated themselves into the circulatory system. And from them, sickly veins crawl outward, each a deadly trail that points back to the heart.
You examine bile
Unidentifiable boli drift across the pool's surface.
You examine the thing
Black. Bloody. Spherical. They elude description.
Go outside
You withdraw upward...
You clean the endoscope and put it in your pocket.

This upscale clinic exudes a muted elegance. Chrome fixtures are lit by surgically placed spotlights and underscored by dizzyingly intricate sigil-work.

An arch to the west leads back to the Turris Infinita foyer.

Examiner Velox and his investigators are huddled around the bodies of Doctor Arturus, Creditor Nacarat, Sal, and Piper. Beside them, Justinian sits at a coffee table, brooding.
You look at the torso
The creditor's jacket is dark, embellished with buttons of brass and mother-of-pearl. There are black stains here and there, where blood has run down from his chin and seeped into the fabric.

The jacket has been partially undone, revealing a quicksilver glyph embroidered in the lining.
You look at the glyph
It appears to be a glyph of recording. Although it has suffered partial bloodstain damage, it still appears to be functional. You could listen to it if you wanted.
You listen to it
"Sonate," you say.

The glyph flickers aglow, coursing with stained quicksilver, and the inscription begins to revolve around the index.

inscription begins to revolve around the index."--for your hospitality, Doctor," a bass voice crackles. "I hope you will consider what I have said."

what I have said."There is noise for a few seconds -- a clink that sounds like porcelain or glass. An inhalation.

sounds like porcelain or glass. An inhalation.The crash of shards shattering.

shattering."Creditor?" you hear Doctor Arturus's voice echo. "Are you feeling quite all right? Perhaps we should --"

feeling quite all right? Perhaps we should --"The words are drowned out by coughing. You hear the sound of friction on fabric, growing louder and louder.

louder and louder.The recording cuts out. The glyph returns to its resting state.

resting state.It sounds like Creditor Nacarat was taking tea with Doctor Arturus when his symptoms emerged.
You look at the stains
(the dried black blood)
You know these symptoms all too well, now.
You look at the arms
He wears the smooth black gloves of a businessman. Decorative gilding plays across the back of each hand, surrounding the faint molded silhouette of a raven.
You examine legs
Elegant pin-striped trousers. There appear to be some items in his pockets.
You examine the items
Most of the things in Creditor Nacarat's pockets are detritus, but that black pocketbook looks interesting.
You look at the pocketbook
It appears to be a coded record of business transactions. Of particular interest is the last chronological entry, which records a significant sum made out to "S&P".

Strange. You don't know any company in the Channelworks District with those initials. Unless...
those initials. Unless...The fact that Sal and Piper have those initials can't be a coincidence. Can it?

(You think you've learned all you can from Creditor Nacarat's body. You should look for more clues elsewhere.)
You examine Sal
The man on the slab is muscle-bound -- built like a gray longhorn, with a countenance to match. His coat has the whiff of sweat and blood. It does not quite conceal the scars that split his knuckles, nor the black lines that crisscross his chest.

You could examine Sal's head, his torso, his arms, or his legs.
You look at the head
His skull is monstrous and chiseled. His eyes bleed, glisten, like orbs of bloodshot onyx. But beneath the brutishness so prominent in his features, there is an indescribable and all-too-familiar sadness.

His mouth is closed. An endoscopy will not be possible here.
You examine the eyes
Small and sunken.
You examine torso
If Sal wasn't a canal-man, he had the dress sense of one. His work coat is an intimidating leather mass that could stop knife blades, and looks like it has. Beneath is an unbuttoned shirt, revealing a mass of savage black scars.

You notice a bit of metal glinting in his coat pocket.
You examine the scars
Once, these would have been red. Now they are black and diseased.
You examine the metal
You draw back the leather, revealing a pair of knuckle-dusters. Wicked-looking implements, with holes for the fingers, and grim stains surrounding the pointed nubs.

Weapons like these aren't uncommon in the Channelworks District. Even Horatio used to own a set. One can't be too careful living and working in the less-frequented parts of the city.
in the less-frequented parts of the city.But you don't often see a knuckle-duster with a raven engraved in place of the manufacturer's logo.

That's the second time you've seen that raven symbol today. Is it connected to these deaths somehow? Perhaps someone will know something about the symbol's significance.
You look at the coat
It's a crinkly brown, with unprepossessing stains splashed here and there.

There is a set of knuckle-dusters in his coat pocket.
You examine the shirt
Some unbutton their shirts to look fashionable. Others do so because they sweat a great deal in their line of work. You suspect Sal falls into the latter category.
You examine the legs
Tough trousers and work boots. There are clumps of grime encrusted in his soles, and other things that you don't really want to dwell on.

Hanging from Sal's belt is a battered keyring.
You examine the keyring
A loop of steel wire. It holds a pair of crudely fashioned keys, the sort used in old buildings and cheap locks.

You wonder if Examiner Velox will allow you to borrow it.
You ask Velox about the keys
(Use the command >talk to or >t to converse with other
characters.)
You take the keys
You glance at Examiner Velox. "There's a keyring on Sal's body. Do you mind if I borrow it for a while?"

"Well --" His mustache wriggles. "You are not officially
permitted, Servator, but if you believe it will further your investigation... let us agree that my attention is divided, focused elsewhere. Just be sure to return it to the basilica when you are finished."
finished.""I will," you reply. "Thank you."
finished.""I will," you reply. "Thank you."You pocket the keyring.

(You think you've learned all you can from Sal's body. You should look for more clues elsewhere.)
You look at the belt
A rugged leather belt.
You look at the boots
Tough trousers and work boots. There are clumps of grime encrusted in his soles, and other things that you don't really want to dwell on.
You examine Piper
A tall, thin specimen of a woman with arms and legs like sea-stilts. Of all the patients, her posture is the most contorted, as though her body had convulsed in the hour of death: she is a broken marionette, loosed from its strings and cast aside.

You could examine Piper's head, her torso, her arms, or her legs.
You examine the head
A dark thin face with dark thin hair. Her lips are colorless, foul with trails of long-dried ichor; her eyes, glassy and expressionless, are buried in black rings of decay.

Her mouth is slightly parted. It occurs to you that you could put your endoscope in and look around inside.
You look at the eyes
Her eyes are empty.
You put the endoscope in the mouth
You insert the endoscope into Piper's mouth...
Mouth
It is dark. What little light filters through the lips is absorbed by countless black ulcers, each an eruption of effluvium and contagion. Between them run stains on a stained tongue, and capillaries that have shriveled and died.

The light leads out. The pharynx leads in.
You look at the tongue
It's utterly black.
You look at the ulcers
You are acutely aware of your own mouth.
You look at the lips
At this magnification they are monstrous, engorged.
Enter
You descend...
Pharynx
Dead flesh constricts you. Muscles seized by rigor mortis
impede your entry, distended as though in a perpetual scream. The walls stain the endoscope lenses.

The epiglottis blocks the larynx. You can only descend into the esophagus.
You look at walls
Masses like black bezoars.
You examine epiglottis
The epiglottis, too, is frozen in rigor mortis, and will not
move.
Go downwards
You descend...
Esophagus
A well without an end. You stare into a palpable darkness that goes on and on, a purgatory of black branches and devouring rings.

The stomach is beneath.
You look at the branches
Arteries, veins, twisting and spiraling into the dark.
Go down
You descend...
Stomach
A flooded cavern. You hang terrifyingly over a pitch-dark expanse of undigested bile. The stomach walls are ruptured and lacerated and pockmarked with ulcers that leer evilly in your lens-light.

And in the center of it all there is a mass, an island in the body-of-stomach. Sickening boli that have clumped together and extended their tendrils into the surrounding vitriol and flesh -- infected the bloodstream.
infected the bloodstream.These are the things that killed Piper. These -- these things -- they must have grown inside her stomach.
They must have destroyed her from the inside.
They must have destroyed her from the inside.Not a comforting thought. It raises more questions than it answers.
You look at the stomach
Layers of flesh have been flayed away.
You look at the bile
Acid. Mucus. Chyme.
Go outside
You withdraw upward...
You clean the endoscope and put it in your pocket.

This upscale clinic exudes a muted elegance. Chrome fixtures are lit by surgically placed spotlights and underscored by dizzyingly intricate sigil-work.

An arch to the west leads back to the Turris Infinita foyer.

Examiner Velox and his investigators are huddled around the bodies of Doctor Arturus, Creditor Nacarat, Sal, and Piper. Beside them, Justinian sits at a coffee table, brooding.
You examine the torso
Piper's clothes are muted and loosely fitted. She wears a cut-off frock, and above it a watchwoman's jacket with unidentifiable stains along the flaps. She would have been difficult to pick out in a working crowd -- or in a dark alley.

You notice a square, flat outline in one of her jacket pockets.
You examine the pocket
A folded scrap of paper. Further investigation reveals it to be a list of names followed by -- numbers? Prices?

of names followed by -- numbers? Prices?Sums of money.

of names followed by -- numbers? Prices?Sums of money.You recognize some of the names on here, too -- you've bought your groceries, or your clothes, from these people in the past. All of the names have check marks beside them. Some of them are crossed out.

check marks beside them. Some of them are crossed out.Has Piper been collecting debts?

collecting debts?You reach the end of the page, and turn it over only to find the reverse side blank.

to find the reverse side blank.Only... hold on a second.

to find the reverse side blank.Only... hold on a second.The front of the paper was slightly yellowed, but this side is completely white. It looks almost -- almost bleached.

looks almost -- almost bleached.Yes. It's not just your
imagination. The texture is different. The stains have been removed.

imagination. The texture is different. The stains have been removed.The reverse side of the paper wasn't blank. Someone
blanked it.
You take the paper
The name list is evidence. You should leave it for the Vigiles investigators.
You examine the torso
Piper's clothes are muted and loosely fitted. She wears a cut-off frock, and above it a watchwoman's jacket with unidentifiable stains along the flaps. She would have been difficult to pick out in a working crowd -- or in a dark alley.

The list of names you found is in one of her jacket pockets.
You examine the stains
This jacket was either stolen or poorly tailored. Possibly both.

The list of names you found is in one of the jacket pockets.
You examine the arms
Her arms are surprisingly toned, beneath the concealing folds of her jacket. There are calluses on her hands, clumps of dirt under her fingernails.
You examine the legs
Piper wears jackboots and a tattered half slip, leaving her thighs mostly exposed. Close to the pelvis, you can see ink-black blood vessels running perversely beneath the skin.

You notice an inconspicuous leather strap around her right thigh.
You look at the vessels
The color has drained from her skin.
You examine the strap
The strap looks like it can be opened.
You open it
You draw back the false lining, revealing a set of throwing knives.
You examine the knives
On the hilt of each knife is embossed the symbol of a raven.

(You think you've learned all you can from Piper's body. You should look for more clues elsewhere.)
You check your inventory
You are wearing your natron jacket, your clothes, and an animus pendant (containing the spirit of your father). On your person are a battered keyring, an endoscope, Doctor Cavala's signum, today's copy of the Libri Liberi, a note with Zoiro's address, yesterday's
copy of the Libri Liberi, your practitioner's badge, your
scalpel, your purse, and an antiseptic cloth.
J.
Fifth of Aquaria, Auritum IV

I've made my choice. I have a job to do -- and I'm going to finish it.

Current objectives:

- Investigate the victims of the disease and identify the transmission vector

- Go to Riggertown and ask Zoiro about his brother's activities

- Look around Doctor Arturus's domicile, in the Turris Infinita

- Look up the patient records in Doctor Arturus's domicile

- Look up the patient records in Doctor Arturus's domicile

- Ask around about the meaning of the raven

Marid's notes:

- I learned that the disease is unlikely to be airborne.
- I learned that the disease can be transmitted by ingestion.
- I learned that the disease is bloodborne and attacks the animus, or the soul.

- I remember that Reden died on the night of the Third, two days ago.

- I found that the gloves on Doctor Arturus's body were brand new. He couldn't have been infected through his hands if he had been wearing them.
- I learned that Doctor Arturus died sometime between last night, on the Fourth, and this morning, on the Fifth.

- I learned that Creditor Nacarat was killed by something he ingested. - I found a raven symbol on Creditor Nacarat's gloves.
- I learned that Creditor Nacarat could have hired Sal and Piper recently.
- I learned that Creditor Nacarat was taking tea with Doctor Arturus when his symptoms emerged, and he broke a piece of tableware as a result.
- I learned that Creditor Nacarat died on the night of the Third, two days ago.

- I found a raven symbol on Sal's knuckle-dusters.
- I found a raven symbol on Piper's throwing knives.
- I found a list of names that suggested Piper had been collecting debts. The reverse side of the paper had been intentionally blanked out.
- I found a battered keyring on Sal's belt.
- I learned that Piper was killed by something she ingested.
- I learned that both Sal and Piper died on the night of the Third, two days ago.

- I'm in the mood for a drink...
- I hope Doctor Cavala and Horatio will be all right at the clinic...
You talk to the Examiner
This upscale clinic exudes a muted elegance. Chrome fixtures are lit by surgically placed spotlights and underscored by dizzyingly intricate sigil-work.

An arch to the west leads back to the Turris Infinita foyer.

Examiner Velox and his investigators are huddled around the bodies of Doctor Arturus, Creditor Nacarat, Sal, and Piper. Beside them, Justinian sits at a coffee table, brooding.
You talk to the Examiner
You approach the team of Vigiles, and Examiner Velox looks up from the bodies.

"Servator," he says. "What can I do for you?"

1) "Does a raven mean anything to you?"
2) "Regarding Doctor Arturus..."
3) "Regarding Creditor Nacarat..."
4) "Regarding Sal and Piper..."
5) "Nothing, never mind."
1
"Does a raven mean anything to you?"

The examiner raises an eyebrow. "It does, now that you mention it. The raven is one of the symbols of the Greater Corindia Trading Company -- it's a criminal syndicate, one of the biggest in Furopolis. If some of these people had been involved..."

That can't be good. You make a mental note of the connection.

1) "Regarding Doctor Arturus..."
2) "Regarding Creditor Nacarat..."
3) "Regarding Sal and Piper..."
4) "I'll keep investigating."
3
"Regarding Sal and Piper..."

1) "Who were they again?"
2) "What were the times of death, again?"
3) "What do you know about the circumstances of their deaths,
again?"
4) "Is there anything I should be aware of, again?"
5) "Regarding Doctor Arturus..."
6) "Regarding Creditor Nacarat..."
7) "I'll keep investigating."
7
"I'll keep investigating."

"Very well. I will be here if you have any further questions."

You step back, and Examiner Velox returns to his work.
You talk to Justinian
Justinian brightens up as you approach him.

"Marid," he says.

1) "Where are the patient records, again?"
2) "Can you tell me again about how you discovered the body?"
3) "What are your thoughts on the disease again?"
4) "The Vigiles told me that you moved Doctor Arturus's
body."
5) "Nothing, never mind!"
4
"The -- The Vigiles told me that you moved Doctor Arturus's body."

Justinian looks down. "I thought -- I believed he was unconscious at first. I thought he could have been revived..."

1) "Where are the patient records, again?"
2) "Can you tell me again about how you discovered the body?"
3) "What are your thoughts on the disease again?"
4) "I'll keep investigating."
2
"Can you tell me again about... about how you discovered the body?"

He closes his eyes. "Doctor Arturus had cloistered himself in the back -- he had instructed me not to disturb him. When I left him in the evening, he seemed his usual self... but when I called on him this morning, he was already dead in his domicile."

1) "Where are the patient records, again?"
2) "What are your thoughts on the disease again?"
3) "I'll keep investigating."
3
"I'll keep investigating."

He nods. "Be careful, Marid."

You scurry away before you start blushing.
Look around
This upscale clinic exudes a muted elegance. Chrome fixtures are lit by surgically placed spotlights and underscored by dizzyingly intricate sigil-work.

An arch to the west leads back to the Turris Infinita foyer.

Examiner Velox and his investigators are huddled around the bodies of Doctor Arturus, Creditor Nacarat, Sal, and Piper. Beside them, Justinian sits at a coffee table, brooding.
You go to the west
A chill washes over you as you step through the arch.

The atmosphere within the tower is utterly still. The lights that normally circle the mirrors have been dimmed, and the chandeliers overhead brood like thunderclouds.

A hydraulic lift provides access to Doctor Arturus's upstairs domicile. Doctor Arturus's clinic is east, and the exit is to the west.

The porter is silent at her desk.
Go upwards
The lift bears you upward.

This suspended mansion echoes with a grandiose hollowness. There is no comfort to be found in these faux hearths and chaises longues, these mantelpieces burdened by decades of history.

A study lies to the north. The hydraulic lift leads back down to the foyer.

By the frosted-glass windows, a coffee table has been set for three.
You examine the hearths
Empty stone fixtures. They're more for decoration than anything.
You examine table
A dark wooden table set with linen and porcelain. There is a serving platter of crackers and cheese, barely touched; surrounding it, there are three smaller plates, two of which are accompanied by wineglasses.

The third wineglass is nowhere to be seen.
You examine the wineglasses
The wineglasses still contain traces of red wine.
You look at the wine
An expensive claret, if you had to guess.
You smell it
The table smells of red wine and sharp cheese.
Go north
A chamber decked with aging bookcases and dusty plaques. The frieze that circles the walls is engraved with scenes from antiquity, lines in the lingua libria; by the exit to the south, a clock ticks
the minutes and seconds away.

A rosewood desk stands in the heart of the room. Beside it, there is a storage cabinet.
You look at the clock
A pendulum clock. Its arm sways to and fro, never quite finding rest.
You examine the frieze
The wood has been painstakingly carved and sigiled. You could examine the scenes or lines further if you wished.
You look at scenes
One scene depicts Pharmacos discovering the humors. Another shows Merula and Collis treating refugees during the Corindian Civil War.
You look at the lines
(the lines in the lingua libria)
Nascentes morimur finisque ab origine pendet. "When we are
born we die; our end is but the pendant of our beginning."
You look at the desk
The desk is drenched with tobacco, stained with ink, and weathered by decades of use. It curves around a high-backed armchair, piled with stationery and never-finished drafts.

At the end of the table sits a correspondence machine, accompanied by its box of ticker-tape reels.
You look at the machine
A complex alchemical-mechanical device. It purports to receive and transmit messages through the aether without the need for magical training.

The machine consists of a dial, a keyboard, a feed wheel, and a letterpress. Next to the dial, there are three indicator lamps, of which the first and second are lit.

There is also a box of ticker-tape reels beside the machine.
You look at the tape
You could take a reel if you wanted.
You take the reel
You fish out a reel of ticker tape.
You examine the letterpress
A grid of metal punches, each cast in the shape of a letter or number. They are mounted on a crankshaft that allows them to rapidly piston up and down.
You look at the stationery
A pen and inkpot have been set out, as though Doctor Arturus had been midway through writing something.
You examine the cabinet
Silver-inlaid casework. The cabinet is currently closed.
You open it
You open the storage cabinet, revealing a stack of leatherbound files.
You look up Sal in the files
Upon closer examination, they appear to be patient records. The three most recently updated files are labeled 'Nacarat,' 'Salio,' and 'Piper.'
You examine nacarat
The patient record for Creditor Nacarat. It states that he developed nausea and vomiting during an afternoon visit on the Third of Aquaria, and was immediately admitted -- but the handwriting is rushed, and the rest of the file is blank.
You examine Salio
The patient record for Sal. It states that he was admitted together with Piper on the morning of the Third of Aquaria, complaining of migraines, nausea, and vomiting. Doctor Arturus initially diagnosed food poisoning, but the diagnosis has been scratched out. The rest of the file is blank.
You examine Piper
The patient record for Piper. It states that she was admitted together with Sal on the morning of the Third of Aquaria, exhibiting the same symptoms as him. The rest of the file is blank apart from a cryptic note that reads "cellar in f.h. shanty quarter."

It's frustrating. All of these files look like they were written in a hurry and left unfinished. Why didn't Doctor Arturus leave more information for you to work with?
information for you to work with?You suppose you'll have to follow up on that cryptic note in the 'Piper' file. It's the only lead you've found here.
J.
Fifth of Aquaria, Auritum IV

I've made my choice. I have a job to do -- and I'm going to finish it.

Current objectives:

- Investigate the victims of the disease and identify the transmission vector

- Go to Riggertown and ask Zoiro about his brother's activities

- Continue investigating Doctor Arturus's domicile, in the Turris Infinita

- Investigate the note in the 'Piper' file about the Shanty Quarter

Marid's notes:

- I learned that the disease is unlikely to be airborne.
- I learned that the disease can be transmitted by ingestion.
- I learned that the disease is bloodborne and attacks the animus, or the soul.

- I remember that Reden died on the night of the Third, two days ago.

- I found a coffee table set for three in Doctor Arturus's home. The table had not been tidied up, but the third wineglass was missing.
- I found that Doctor Arturus rushed through his patient record files for some reason, leaving them unfinished.
- I found that the gloves on Doctor Arturus's body were brand new. He couldn't have been infected through his hands if he had been wearing them.
- I learned that Doctor Arturus died sometime between last night, on the Fourth, and this morning, on the Fifth.

- I learned that Creditor Nacarat was killed by something he ingested. - I learned that Creditor Nacarat was connected to the Trading Company.
- I learned that Creditor Nacarat could have hired Sal and Piper recently.
- I learned that Creditor Nacarat was taking tea with Doctor Arturus when his symptoms emerged, and he broke a piece of tableware as a result.
- I learned that Creditor Nacarat was admitted to the clinic on the afternoon of the Third, two days ago.
- I learned that Creditor Nacarat died on the night of that day.

- I learned that Sal and Piper were connected to the Trading Company. - I found a list of names that suggested Piper had been collecting debts. The reverse side of the paper had been intentionally blanked out.
- I found a battered keyring on Sal's belt.
- I found a note in Piper's patient record that read "cellar in f.h. shanty quarter."
- I learned that Piper was killed by something she ingested.
- I learned that Sal and Piper were admitted to the clinic on the morning of the Third, two days ago.
- I learned that both Sal and Piper died on the night of that day.

- I learned that the raven is the symbol of the Greater Corindia Trading Company, a criminal syndicate.
- I'm in the mood for a drink...
- I hope Doctor Cavala and Horatio will be all right at the clinic...

A chamber decked with aging bookcases and dusty plaques. The frieze that circles the walls is engraved with scenes from antiquity, lines in the lingua libria; by the exit to the south, a clock ticks
the minutes and seconds away.

A rosewood desk stands in the heart of the room. Beside it, there is a storage cabinet.
You look under the desk
Nothing is under the desk.
You examine the bookcases
Doctor Arturus has a small collection of antique medical texts.
You examine the texts
Mostly outdated, but they have historical value.
Go south
(first closing the storage cabinet)

This suspended mansion echoes with a grandiose hollowness. There is no comfort to be found in these faux hearths and chaises longues, these mantelpieces burdened by decades of history.

A study lies to the north. The hydraulic lift leads back down to the foyer.

By the frosted-glass windows, a coffee table has been set for three.
Go downwards
The lift bears you downward.

The atmosphere within the tower is utterly still. The lights that normally circle the mirrors have been dimmed, and the chandeliers overhead brood like thunderclouds.

A hydraulic lift provides access to Doctor Arturus's upstairs domicile. Doctor Arturus's clinic is east, and the exit is to the west.

The porter is silent at her desk.
You talk to the porter
"Excuse me --"

She doesn't acknowledge your presence.
You go east
A chill washes over you as you step through the arch.

This upscale clinic exudes a muted elegance. Chrome fixtures are lit by surgically placed spotlights and underscored by dizzyingly intricate sigil-work.

An arch to the west leads back to the Turris Infinita foyer.

Examiner Velox and his investigators are huddled around the bodies of Doctor Arturus, Creditor Nacarat, Sal, and Piper. Beside them, Justinian sits at a coffee table, brooding.
You look at the ticker
A thin paper strip. You took it from the box beside the correspondence machine.
You talk to Justinian
Justinian brightens up as you approach him.

"Marid," he says.

1) "Can you tell me again about how you discovered the body?"
2) "What are your thoughts on the disease again?"
3) "A wineglass was missing from Doctor Arturus's
domicile..."
4) "Nothing, never mind!"
3
"A wineglass was missing from Doctor Arturus's domicile. Do you have any idea why?"

Justinian regards you curiously. "I believe a guest broke one of the glasses. Do you... do you think it was relevant to Doctor Arturus's death?"

You can already feel yourself reddening. "Never mind," you say. "Forget I asked."

1) "Can you tell me again about how you discovered the body?"
2) "What are your thoughts on the disease again?"
3) "I'll keep investigating."
Go west
Please choose a response from the list by typing the corresponding number.

1) "Can you tell me again about how you discovered the body?"
2) "What are your thoughts on the disease again?"
3) "I'll keep investigating."
3
"I'll keep investigating."

He nods. "Be careful, Marid."

You scurry away before you start blushing.
You go to the west
A chill washes over you as you step through the arch.

The atmosphere within the tower is utterly still. The lights that normally circle the mirrors have been dimmed, and the chandeliers overhead brood like thunderclouds.

A hydraulic lift provides access to Doctor Arturus's upstairs domicile. Doctor Arturus's clinic is east, and the exit is to the west.

The porter is silent at her desk.
You look at lamps
Each of the lamps seems to be associated with one of the channels on the dial.

Currently, the first and second indicator lamps are lit.
You examine the dial
It looks as though this machine operates on one of three predefined frequencies. You could set the dial to channel 1, 2, or 3.

The dial is currently set to channel 3.
You put the tape in the machine
(the ticker-tape reel in the correspondence machine)
You'll have to specify which part of the correspondence machine you mean.
You put the tape in the feed wheel
(the ticker-tape reel in the feed wheel)
You thread the ticker tape into the feed wheel, which it fits perfectly.
You turn the dial to 1
You set the dial to channel 1.
You turn crankshaft
You'd better not. You might break the mechanism.
You look at the keyboard
It looks like a grand piano with letters and numbers printed on the keys. Unfortunately, only the playback key at the end of the keyboard appears to be functional.
You turn dial to 2
You set the dial to channel 2.
You examine the tape
(the ticker-tape reel)
A thin paper strip. You took it from the box beside the correspondence machine.
You take the tape
(the ticker-tape reel)
Taken.
You turn the dial to 3
You set the dial to channel 3.
Go south
(first )

This suspended mansion echoes with a grandiose hollowness. There is no comfort to be found in these faux hearths and chaises longues, these mantelpieces burdened by decades of history.

A study lies to the north. The hydraulic lift leads back down to the foyer.

By the frosted-glass windows, a coffee table has been set for three.
Go down
The exit is to the south.
You go west
(first opening the ornate double doors)
(closing the doors behind you)

Traffic revolves every which way around this old-fashioned rotunda, tracing the ancient alchemical lines inscribed on the stonework. An armillary sphere rotates in the center of the junction and guides carriages according to its lights.

The Via Terminalis runs northwest to the bridge and southeast to Miller's Gate. A colonnade to the north marks the entrance of the Channelworks. To the east lies the Turris Infinita, and to the south can be seen the grand forum.

Above the Turris Infinita, a black banner casts its trailing shadow across the sky.
Go northwest
Here the voices and bustle wash over the arches and cobblestones. Mist rises from the Bilious Canal below, tarnishing the wayside statues green and gray, and fading into the fog and the overcast sky.

The Via Terminalis stretches away to the northwest and southeast, while a clandestine stairway descends to the south.
You go northwest
Via Terminalis, West Street
You are adrift in the bustle of crowds and carriages, a raucous river that runs through the blood-vessel streets. Signage advertises a profusion of shops and services amid the sounds of leather rollers and stitching machines. In the distant mist, the Bilious Canal spills from the Channelworks into the heart of the city.

You can follow the Via to the west, or to the southeast where it bridges the canal. A condemned block is visible to the north. A hanging banner obscures an alley to the southwest, while a footpath follows the canal to the south.
You go south
Glittering waters roar alongside the footpath, running from north to south in an ever-restless torrent. North lies the Via Terminalis, and beyond it the mouth of the Channelworks; to the south, the path descends by steps and turns, ending in the algae and grime of Upper Riggertown.

A closed manhole is recessed into the footpath.
Go south
Riggertown, Upper Level
This is the more industrial part of Riggertown. The buildings here are scrap-heap spires that twist and turn around each other, with cubby-carts trundling along cables strung between them. Amidst horns honking advertisements, there is a great mess of little people shuffling about, and roads winding in ways wholly inexplicable to your human sensibilities.

To the south looms the Riggertown Mechanistry, while a quieter road leads southwest to the suburbs. You could also descend a series of ladders to Lower Riggertown, or take a footpath north along the Bilious Canal.

You hear a mourning chant from some distant cathedral.
You go to the southwest
This rustic little house is one of many that squat here and there along the lane. A pair of scrap-metal sculptures flank the steps to the front door. Beside it is a tarnished old pull-bell, dangling from a rope that has seen better days.

You can enter the front door of the house to the west, or return along the walkway to the northeast.
You look at the sculptures
Twin dragons. One is painted blue, the other green.
You pull the rope
The bell clatters noisily. "Come in!" you hear Zoiro call.
You go to the west
(first opening the front door)
(closing the door behind you)

The shutters have been drawn in this tiny cottage, cloaking its confines in somber shades. In the shadows glimmer vases, knick-knacks, and wishing-eyes; the furniture is small and faintly unreal.

The front door squats to the east.

Zoiro is here, looking quite unlike the last time you saw him at the Riggertown Mechanistry. He is dressed in a deep black cassock and lighting beeswax candles around the sitting room.
You look at Zoiro
An air of solemnity surrounds him.
You examine the candles
They glow with eerie light.
You examinthe knick-knacks
Bric-a-brac, whim-whams, folderol...
You talk to Zoiro
"Zoiro," you say. "Hello."

The goblin pauses mid-motion. He inclines his head respectfully.

"Hello," he says. "Marid."
"Hello," he says. "Marid."He turns around, shuffling his feet on the floor.
floor."Sorry about the mess. I wasn't expecting a visit so early."

1) "It's okay."
2) "I didn't mean to interrupt."
3) "What are you doing?"
4) "I wanted to ask you some things about Reden..."
2
"I didn't mean to interrupt."

"Don't worry about it," he replies. "It's nothing all that urgent. What's on your mind?"

1) "What are you doing?"
2) "I wanted to ask you some things about Reden..."
2
"I wanted to ask you some things about Reden," you say. "We're looking into the transmission vector of the disease, trying to find out how he could have contracted it. If you could tell us about the places he'd been, or the things he'd been doing..."

Zoiro's shoulders slump.

"Yeah," he says. "Reden."
"Yeah," he says. "Reden."He shuffles over to an armchair and sits with a sigh. He fidgets with the tinderbox in his hands.
a sigh. He fidgets with the tinderbox in his hands."I suppose I can help. I don't know how much use I'll be, though... practically cut off contact with him before he died."

1) "You weren't close to him?"
2) "Do you know anything about the places he frequented?"
3) "Do you know anyone else that Reden associated with?"
1
"You weren't close to him?"

"No." Zoiro closes his eyes. "Primes, no. He was a dead weight, always cadging, borrowing money."

He turns over the box in his hands.

"I hated him. When he walked out the door and never came back, well... I can't say I was sorry to see him go."

1) "Do you know anything about the places he frequented?"
2) "Do you know anyone else that Reden associated with?"
3) "Reden was unemployed?"
4) "Reden left and didn't come back?"
3
"Reden was unemployed?"

Zoiro nods. "He was a janitor at the Channelworks, let go for drunkenness and unprofessional conduct. He was unrepentant -- no company would have him."

1) "Do you know anything about the places he frequented?"
2) "Do you know anyone else that Reden associated with?"
3) "Reden left and didn't come back?"
4) "Could you tell me more about what he did at the
Channelworks?"
3
"Reden left and didn't come back?"

Zoiro gazes at the door.

"Yeah," he says. "He just... left. He did it so quietly, I almost didn't realize he was gone.

"I guess he realized this place wasn't his home any more."

1) "Do you know anything about the places he frequented?"
2) "Do you know anyone else that Reden associated with?"
3) "Could you tell me more about what he did at the
Channelworks?"
4) "Do you know where he could have gone after he left?"
3
"Could you tell me more about what he did at the Channelworks?"

Zoiro shrugs. "I've never been there myself," he says. "Reden wasn't one for talking about his work. It wasn't anything important... he was just a janitor, some kind of canal scrubber or something. I remember he always came back smelling like a wet rag..."

It occurs to you that there was a dampness about Reden on the night he died. It didn't register to you at the time, but... it wasn't raining that day, was it?

1) "Do you know anything about the places he frequented?"
2) "Do you know anyone else that Reden associated with?"
3) "Do you know where he could have gone after he left?"
3
"Do you know where he could have gone after he left?"

Zoiro rubs his chin. "Actually... I did see him once or twice after he left. Or someone who looked a great deal like him. It was around the shacks in Lower Riggertown..."

"Do you think he might have found someplace to stay?" you ask.

Zoiro shrugs. "It couldn't hurt to take a look."

1) "Do you know anything about the places he frequented?"
2) "Do you know anyone else that Reden associated with?"
1
"Do you know anything about the places he frequented?"

Zoiro shakes his head. "No... not really, no. He was hardly around the house... he'd go out in the morning and come back late, smelling of shitty booze. Some days he was like someone I didn't know.

"I never asked him where he was going. Don't think I cared. When he left... I don't know what happened to him afterward."

1) "Do you know anyone else that Reden associated with?"
2) "Reden was a compulsive drinker?"
2
"Reden was a compulsive drinker?"

"The biggest dipsomaniac I ever saw." Zoiro smiles grimly. "He'd go through cheap wine by the bottle. He didn't care what was in the stuff, or who sold it to him, as long as it got him buzzed."

1) "Do you know anyone else that Reden associated with?"
2) "Could there have been a public house he especially
frequented?"
2
"Could there have been a public house he especially frequented?" you ask.

Zoiro frowns, and his ears stiffen.

"There could have," he says, "now that you mention it. Something about a bird's nest... they sell the cheapest booze in the district, or so Reden used to say. I can't quite remember the name, though."

1) "Do you know anyone else that Reden associated with?"
2) "That's all the questions I have regarding Reden..."
1
"Do you know anyone else that Reden associated with?"

A shake of the head. "The only thing he associated with was alcohol. He never talked about his friends... never talked about his work. When he got fired, I wouldn't be surprised if no one even batted an eye. He was that kind of person."

1) "That's all the questions I have regarding Reden..."
1
"That's all the questions I have regarding Reden," you say. "You've been a great help."

Zoiro nods. "If I can help you with anything else, let me know."

"I will."
"I will."As Zoiro returns to his work, you step back and mull over what he's told you. Reden's connection to the Channelworks... a public house involving a 'bird's nest'... Reden's shack in Lower Riggertown.
house involving a 'bird's nest'... Reden's shack in Lower Riggertown.Does it mean anything? How much of it is relevant?
Riggertown.Does it mean anything? How much of it is relevant?You suppose you'll just have to keep investigating.
suppose you'll just have to keep investigating.## Zoiro's House
The shutters have been drawn in this tiny cottage, cloaking its confines in somber shades. In the shadows glimmer vases, knick-knacks, and wishing-eyes; the furniture is small and faintly unreal.

The front door squats to the east.

Zoiro is here, lighting beeswax candles and arranging obsidian beads.
You go east
(first opening the front door)
(closing the door behind you)

This rustic little house is one of many that squat here and there along the lane. A pair of scrap-metal sculptures flank the steps to the front door. Beside it is a tarnished old pull-bell, dangling from a rope that has seen better days.

You can enter the front door of the house to the west, or return along the walkway to the northeast.

For a moment, you smell smoke on the wind.
You go northeast
Riggertown, Upper Level
This is the more industrial part of Riggertown. The buildings here are scrap-heap spires that twist and turn around each other, with cubby-carts trundling along cables strung between them. Amidst horns honking advertisements, there is a great mess of little people shuffling about, and roads winding in ways wholly inexplicable to your human sensibilities.

To the south looms the Riggertown Mechanistry, while a quieter road leads southwest to the suburbs. You could also descend a series of ladders to Lower Riggertown, or take a footpath north along the Bilious Canal.
Go downward
Riggertown, Lower Level
This peculiarly goblin neighborhood bristles with mechanical-chymical detritus. There are twisty catwalks made for childlike feet, and sheet-metal shacks you must stoop to enter. Here and there in the shadow of the upper landing, neon lamps glow and windchimes tinkle like laughter.

You can climb a ladder up to the next level, wander among the shacks to the west, or cross the canal east by way of Cadaver Walk.
You go to the west
One shack among the others catches your attention. You enter cautiously...

This tiny hovel is visibly shabbier than the rest. The roof is uncomfortably low, and the space just a little too cramped to stand in. A pile of bedding dominates the only room, draped in dirty clothing and empty wine bottles.

The only exit is to the east.

You notice some paper tickets scattered among the wine bottles.
You examine the bottles
The labels denote shoddy liquor, third-pressed or fourth-pressed. It's charitable to call it wine at all.
You examine the tickets
Upon closer examination, they appear to be coupons from an establishment called the "Crow's Nest," located in the rooftops of the Shanty Quarter. Five coupons entitle the holder to a free drink and a spin of the "Daemon's Wheel."
You take tickets
Taken.
You look at the bedding
It's messy and unmade.
You look at the clothing
The clothing is crumpled and dirty, but otherwise unmarked. They smell like their owner has been wading around in canal-water.
J.
Fifth of Aquaria, Auritum IV

I've made my choice. I have a job to do -- and I'm going to finish it.

Current objectives:

- Investigate the victims of the disease and identify the transmission vector

- Go to the Shanty Quarter and investigate the Crow's Nest pub

- Investigate the note in the 'Piper' file about the Shanty Quarter

- Find a way to convince the bouncer to let you into the Crow's Nest

Marid's notes:

- I learned that the disease is unlikely to be airborne.
- I learned that the disease can be transmitted by ingestion.
- I learned that the disease is bloodborne and attacks the animus, or the soul.

- I learned that Reden was once a Channelworks worker, and it reminded me that his clothes were unusually wet when he stumbled into Doctor Cavala's clinic.
- I learned that Reden frequented a rooftop pub in the Shanty Quarter called the Crow's Nest.
- I remember that Reden died on the night of the Third, two days ago.

- I learned that Doctor Arturus was in debt, and the Trading Company was involved.
- I found a coffee table set for three in Doctor Arturus's home. According to Justinian, one of the wineglasses had been broken by a guest.
- I found that Doctor Arturus rushed through his patient record files for some reason, leaving them unfinished.
- I found that the gloves on Doctor Arturus's body were brand new. He couldn't have been infected through his hands if he had been wearing them.
- I learned that Doctor Arturus died sometime between last night, on the Fourth, and this morning, on the Fifth.

- I learned that Creditor Nacarat was killed by something he ingested. - I learned that Creditor Nacarat was connected to the Trading Company.
- I learned that Creditor Nacarat could have hired Sal and Piper recently.
- I learned that Creditor Nacarat was taking tea with Doctor Arturus when his symptoms emerged, and he broke a piece of tableware as a result.
- I learned that Creditor Nacarat was admitted to the clinic on the afternoon of the Third, two days ago.
- I learned that Creditor Nacarat died on the night of that day.

- I learned that Sal and Piper were connected to the Trading Company. - I found a list of names that suggested Piper had been collecting debts. The reverse side of the paper had been intentionally blanked out.
- I found a battered keyring on Sal's belt.
- I found a note in Piper's patient record that read "cellar in f.h. shanty quarter."
- I learned that Piper was killed by something she ingested.
- I learned that Sal and Piper were admitted to the clinic on the morning of the Third, two days ago.
- I learned that both Sal and Piper died on the night of that day.

- I learned that the raven is the symbol of the Greater Corindia Trading Company, a criminal syndicate.
- I'm in the mood for a drink...
- I hope Doctor Cavala and Horatio will be all right at the clinic...

This tiny hovel is visibly shabbier than the rest. The roof is uncomfortably low, and the space just a little too cramped to stand in. A pile of bedding dominates the only room, draped in dirty clothing and empty wine bottles.

The only exit is to the east.
You look at the roof
You don't think whoever lived here got many human visitors. Or many visitors, for that matter.
Go east
You emerge from the shack...

Riggertown, Lower Level
This peculiarly goblin neighborhood bristles with mechanical-chymical detritus. There are twisty catwalks made for childlike feet, and sheet-metal shacks you must stoop to enter. Here and there in the shadow of the upper landing, neon lamps glow and windchimes tinkle like laughter.

You can climb a ladder up to the next level, visit Reden's shack to the west, or cross the canal east by way of Cadaver Walk.
Go east
You are on a bridge, if it can be called that: a haphazard assortment of ropes, planks, chains, warning signs, layers upon layers bound up in incomprehensible knots. Below the lines trail where they have snapped and never been repaired, and the Bilious Canal gobbles them up as they descend.

Riggertown is to the west, while the Shanty Quarter is to the east.
Go east
You take a deep breath.
You take a deep breath.## Shanty Quarter
A labyrinthine morass of concrete and claustrophobia. You know this place better now that you've seen the worst of it -- you know which paths to take, which alleys to avoid -- but there is a horror here that sinks its teeth into you, and does not let go.

Tangled rope ladders lead up and down. A crumbling flophouse lies to the east. Somewhere to the north is the Via Mercurii, and to the west, Cadaver Walk.
You go east
This place was once a beautiful townhouse; now it is a ruin. The walls have been stripped of their furnishings, leaving bone-white plaster and rotting wood. Vagrants sleep on the stairs or in the corridors, curled up in makeshift bedding and soused with laudanum or alcohol.

To the west is the exit. To the south, a passageway leads to the rooms.

In the reception office, a nightmarish many-armed creature crouches, and pores obsessively over an assortment of keys.
You examine creature
There's something deeply unnatural about the way it moves. You have to look away before you get a headache.
You talk to the creature
"E-Excuse me?" you say.

The creature freezes. It rears up, bringing undulating folds of flesh to bear, and it fixes you with seven unblinking eyes.
to bear, and it fixes you with seven unblinking eyes."I am,"
it says. "Landlord."
it says. "Landlord."A clatter. It has dropped its keys -- it
rushes forth like an engulfing wave. Its eyes surround you, press inward.
inward."You are," it breathes. "You are?"

1) <Panic.>
2) "Please get away from me."
3) "My name is Marid. Servator Marid Orpheia."
3
"M-My name is Marid," you stutter. "Serva... Servator Marid Orpheia."

"Hmmmmmm."

The creature lowers itself close. It inspects your neck. A wriggling presence touches your hair, your ear.
presence touches your hair, your ear.Then it withdraws, and collects its keys from the floor.

"You are not resident," it says, in a tone that sounds almost disappointed. "You are not key-bearer."

1) "No. I'm not."
2) "Who are the residents?"
3) "What's a key-bearer?"
4) "You operate this establishment?"
5) "Actually, I have some keys right here." <Present the battered keyring.>
6) "Okay... I'll be going now."
3
"What's a key-bearer?"

The landlord licks its beak. "Key. Key important. Bearer of key? Key-bearer. Owner of room."

1) "Who are the residents?"
2) "You operate this establishment?"
3) "Are you sure I'm not a key-bearer?" <Present the battered keyring.>
4) "I'll come back later."
3
"Are you sure I'm not a key-bearer?"

You hold up the keyring. The landlord rushes up to you, quivering, scrutinizing the keys from all directions.
scrutinizing the keys from all directions.There is an uncomfortably long pause.
long pause."Strange," it says at last. "Right key. Wrong
person."

1) "The owner of the keyring is dead. I'm investigating his
death."
2) "The keyring was given to me by the previous owner."
3) "I have the keyring now. Does it matter who it used to belong
to?"
1
"The owner of the keyring is dead. I'm investigating his death."

The landlord's tentacles coil around your arm, cradling the keyring, and you suppress the urge to shudder.

"Maybe," it says. "Maybe you lie. Maybe you thief."
"Maybe," it says. "Maybe you lie. Maybe you
thief."It exhales wetly, and recedes. Saliva runs from its beak
and strikes the floor with a hiss.

"Conundrum. Compromise. You have key? Tell which room. Correct,
you enter. Wrong, you leave. Yes?"
you enter. Wrong, you leave. Yes?""Um..."

1) "The key unlocks the first room."
2) "The key unlocks the second room."
3) "The key unlocks the third room."
4) "The key unlocks the fourth room -- the cellar."
5) "That seems like an overly arbitrary way to decide."
6) "I don't know which room this unlocks."
4
"The key unlocks the fourth room -- the cellar."

The landlord regards you wordlessly, and your lips feel suddenly dry. You're no longer quite so sure about your guess --

You're no longer quite so sure about your guess --"You see."

You're no longer quite so sure about your guess --"You see."A
crescent opens up in the landlord's body, a ring of grinning white teeth. "You see. You know."

teeth. "You see. You know."Then it says a word that doesn't
-- doesn't quite register in your mind. Your head feels fuzzy
for a second, and you -- you blink --

for a second, and you -- you blink ---- Where did that
trapdoor come from?

trapdoor come from?There's a trapdoor to the south where there was carpet just moments ago. It's cut into the floor, with a half-eaten ladder descending into darkness.

ladder descending into darkness.And the landlord...

ladder descending into darkness.And the landlord...The landlord is gone. There's no one there. The office is empty.
Go downwards
(first opening the trapdoor to the cellar)

A dimly lit mouse-hole of a hollow that has been bricked off from prying eyes. A pair of mattresses lie near the entrance, where Sal and Piper must have slept. Further in, a guttering candle on the only table illuminates bladed weapons, counterfeit bills, and other contraband.

A trapdoor ascends out of the cellar.

You notice a wine bottle on the table that seems particularly out of place.
You examine bottle
The bottle is still half-full; the label suggests an expensive claret. But the odor surrounding the mouth of the bottle is not quite the odor of wine.

Next to the wine bottle, you spy a stained ribbon and a handwritten note.
You examine the ribbon
A sigiled natron ribbon of the kind used in gift-wrapping. It is stained black on blood-red.
You examine the stain
You have a feeling that they aren't inkstains. And they definitely aren't wine.
You examine the note
(the gift note)
A gift note written on plain stationery. It reads:

Congratulations to both of you on a job well done. Here is a gift
to our continued partnership. Let's keep it a secret between us, shall we?
A. Z. B. N. Creditor Nacarat
A. Z. B. N. Creditor Nacarat'A. Z. B. N.'? That's an
old-fashioned way to end a letter. You thought the instructors at the Physicians' College were the only ones who still wrote that.
Physicians' College were the only ones who still wrote that.More importantly, this is proof that Creditor Nacarat had been working with Sal and Piper.
Sal and Piper.Or is it?
Sal and Piper.Or is it?There's something off here that you can't quite put your finger on.
You look at the candle
A slow-burning phlogiston candle. It looks as though it was lit some days ago, then forgotten.
You look around
A dimly lit mouse-hole of a hollow that has been bricked off from prying eyes. A pair of mattresses lie near the entrance, where Sal and Piper must have slept. Further in, a guttering candle on the only table illuminates bladed weapons, counterfeit bills, and other contraband.

A trapdoor ascends out of the cellar.

On the table is a wine bottle.
You examine table
There are many shapes that glisten in the candlelight, but that wine bottle seems the strangest.
You look at the mattresses
One is big; the other, small.
You look at the weapons
Knives, mostly, of various sizes and shapes.
You examine the money
You don't carry much money with you. Just enough to buy food and other necessities.
You examine bottle
The bottle is still half-full; the label suggests an expensive claret. But the odor surrounding the mouth of the bottle is not quite the odor of wine.

Next to the wine bottle, you spy a stained ribbon and a handwritten note.
Smell bottle
At first it smells like red wine, light and fruity. But there is the barest coppery undertone to it.
You examine the note
(the gift note)
A gift note written on plain stationery. It reads:

Congratulations to both of you on a job well done. Here is a gift
to our continued partnership. Let's keep it a secret between us, shall we?
A. Z. B. N. Creditor Nacarat
You take the bottle
It's uncorked, and you might spill it while moving around. Best to just leave it where it is.
Go upwards
This place was once a beautiful townhouse; now it is a ruin. The walls have been stripped of their furnishings, leaving bone-white plaster and rotting wood. Vagrants sleep on the stairs or in the corridors, curled up in makeshift bedding and soused with laudanum or alcohol.

To the west is the exit. To the south, a trapdoor descends to the cellar.
Close trapdoor
You close the trapdoor to the cellar.
You go west
A labyrinthine morass of concrete and claustrophobia. You know this place better now that you've seen the worst of it -- you know which paths to take, which alleys to avoid -- but there is a horror here that sinks its teeth into you, and does not let go.

Tangled rope ladders lead up and down. A crumbling flophouse lies to the east. Somewhere to the north is the Via Mercurii, and to the west, Cadaver Walk.
Go up
Rotting beams spiral from the Shanty Quarter like a stairway grasping for the stars. At their head is a jutting structure like a watchtower, and it shadows all that is beneath it, shielding grimy brick and concrete from desolate sky.

The Shanty Quarter yawns below. Above you is the public house called the Crow's Nest -- but a fearsome eight-legged bouncer blocks the way.
You examine bouncer
He is human, though you wouldn't have guessed from his silhouette. He wears cracked welding goggles and the greasy leathers of a mechanist. Below the waist, his legs have been entirely replaced with a roaring pistoning walking-chassis.
You talk to bouncer
"Hello," you say, rather meekly.

The bouncer peers down at you and frowns. He wipes soot from his goggles; he blows on his bandaged fingers.

"You don't look like you're from around here," he finally remarks.

1) "What do you mean?"
2) "Neither do you."
3) "I work at Doctor Cavala's clinic."
3
"I work at Doctor Cavala's clinic."

He appraises you with a raised eyebrow. "Thought you looked the sort. White jacket. Gloves like a surgeon. You don't ever take those gloves off, do you?"

You look at your gloves, and he shakes his head.

"I don't know why you'd come down here," he mutters. "People like you don't ever come down here. Not unless there's something you're looking for."

1) "I'm just looking for a drink."
2) "I need to get inside."
3) "I'm investigating a series of deaths..."
3
"I'm investigating a series of deaths," you say. "Some bodies have turned up in the Turris Infinita, all dead of the same affliction. I've been looking around the district for clues, and... and I thought..."

The bouncer shakes his head and looks away. He gazes across the spires of the city, rising from the smoke and the water.
of the city, rising from the smoke and the water."Sounds like a bunch of important people died," he says. "I'm sorry to hear that. But this is the Shanty Quarter. People die like flies here, each and every day, and no one gives a damn. Am I supposed to step aside for everyone who's lost someone?
who's lost someone?"Your heart is in the right place, sweetheart. I don't begrudge you or nothing. But if you're looking to learn something about people that matter... you should look elsewhere."

1) "Doctor Cavala sent me." <Present the signum.>
2) "Sal and Piper lived in the Shanty Quarter..."
3) "Reden came here often, didn't he?"
4) "I'll be back. I'll find something that matters to you."
3
"Reden came here often, didn't he?"

There is a shift in the air. The bouncer starts, and looks at you with something approaching incredulity in his eyes.
something approaching incredulity in his eyes."Reden," he says. "Where did you hear that name?"

1) "He's one of the victims I'm investigating."
2) "I watched him die in Doctor Cavala's clinic."
1
"He's one of the victims I'm investigating."

"Primes," the bouncer whispers. "He's dead, then. I... I never imagined --"
imagined --"He shakes his head and falls silent. His hands ball into fists, exposing knuckles covered with angry scars.

1) "I'm sorry you had to find out this way."
2) "You were close to Reden?"
1
"I'm sorry you had to find out this way."

He just shakes his head, his mouth a thin line. He does not reply.

1) "You were close to Reden?"
1
"You were close to Reden?"

The bouncer looks at his mechanical legs; he leans heavily on the struts. The cracks in his goggles glint in the cold light.
struts. The cracks in his goggles glint in the cold light."We were co-workers," he says. "Way back when in the Channelworks. Back before I lost my legs, before everything came tumbling down..."
I lost my legs, before everything came tumbling down..."He looks off into the distance.
into the distance."We were drinking buddies. Him and me and Crow. We all knew each other back in the day -- told jokes, comforted each other when we had a bad run. I don't think he had anyone other than the two of us.
the two of us."And now he's gone. It's just the two of us left."

1) "Who's Crow?"
2) "There's no one else?"
3) "I'm here because I don't want anyone else to die..."
1
"Who's Crow?" you ask.

"Used to be the most cheerful girl on the night shift," he says. "Now... well. People change. Some more than others."

1) "There's no one else?"
2) "I'm here because I don't want anyone else to die..."
1
"There's no one else?"

"Not anymore. Not since..."

He trails off, and looks up at the clouds. He does not continue.

1) "I'm here because I don't want anyone else to die..."
1
"I'm here because I don't want anyone else to die," you say. "I... I need to find out everything I can about the victims. Please."

The bouncer looks at you, and the eyes behind his goggles are dark and tormented.

"I don't know," he says. "I don't know anymore."
"I don't know," he says. "I don't know anymore."He turns around with a hiss of steam. For the first time, you notice the assembly woven into his spine -- a sprawl of alchemical glyphs and gears, messily sewn together.
together."You want to get into the Crow's Nest?" he whispers.

1) "Please."
2) "For all our sakes."
3) <Remain silent.>
1
"Please." Your voice cracks.

He takes a deep breath. The gears in his spine turn.

He takes a deep breath. The gears in his spine turn."Go," he says. "Just go. I'm putting my head on the block for you -- for Reden. Don't make me regret this. Go and find out whatever you can find."

make me regret this. Go and find out whatever you can find.""Thank you," you breathe. "I..."

you," you breathe. "I...""Don't thank me." He shakes his head. "This is for Reden's sake. If I die tomorrow... I can tell him I died making a difference in the end."

a difference in the end.""I --"

"Just go. Please."

"Just go. Please."You don't have to be told twice. With a final lingering look at the bouncer on his perch, you push past him, and onward, upward, into the tavern at the edge of the sky.

onward, upward, into the tavern at the edge of the sky.## Crow's Nest There is a strange crooked serenity here, amidst the rags that catch the wind. From discarded blocks and beams have been built tables, landings; odd patrons mingle all around you, engrossed in the late-afternoon murmur.

The exit lies below.

A disaffected young woman lounges behind the bar, chewing on a stick of gum and idly spinning a rota fortunae with her finger.
You examine the woman
(the bartender)
She's dressed in a disheveled shirt, wearing a hairpin of feathers and bones.
You examine the rota
"THE DAEMON'S WHEEL. Step up and spin for your fate!"
You talk to woman
(the bartender)
You approach the bartender. She doesn't bother looking up from the countertop.

"So," she says. "You got past Webster. Makes me wonder why I hire him at all."

1) "Do you greet all your customers like that?"
2) "Nice to meet you too, Miss..."
3) "I'm here about Reden."
2
"Nice to meet you too, Miss..."

"Crow. Just Crow."

She leans back, and spreads her arms in an all-encompassing gesture.

"This is my nest."

1) "I'm Marid."
2) "I'm here about Reden."
1
"I'm Marid."

She shrugs.

1) "Do you greet all your customers like that?"
2) "I'm here about Reden."
2
"I'm here about Reden."

Crow spits her gum into the bin beside her. She gets up and paces back and forth, hooking her thumbs in the loops of her trousers.

"Yeah," she says. "I heard."
"Yeah," she says. "I heard."Her eyes flicker to the device behind the bar, flared like a foghorn. She brushes the sigiled feathers in its bell, sending them fluttering, whispering.
bell, sending them fluttering, whispering."You hear all kinds of things on the wind."

1) "You heard everything?"
2) "Then you know why I'm here."
1
"You heard everything?" you ask.

"I heard enough."

She uncorks a bottle and mixes a drink, a rich dark rum you can smell from across the bar. She pours out a glass for herself -- then she retrieves another, raises it with a sidelong arch of her brow.
retrieves another, raises it with a sidelong arch of her brow."Drink?" she asks.

1) "Please."
2) "I'm fine."
3) "I'm more of a spiced wine person, actually."
1
"Please."

She fills another glass and pushes it across the countertop. You take a sip -- it's powerful stuff, warm in your throat all the way down.
a sip -- it's powerful stuff, warm in your throat all the way down."I'm impressed," she says. "Not a lot of people around here with the stomach for that."

She takes a long swig from her own glass. For a long while she is silent, absorbed in her own thoughts.
silent, absorbed in her own thoughts."Reden," she finally says. "You wanted to know more about him."

1) "I understand he frequented this place."
2) "Were you on good terms with him?"
3) "Could you tell me what he was like?"
1
"I understand he frequented this place."

"Frequented?" She chuckles. "More like he lived here. Between you and me, I don't think he had anywhere else to go.

"His heart, though, was always elsewhere. You could see it in his eyes. He was always thinking back on old history... stuck in the past."

1) "He was stuck in the past?"
2) "Were you on good terms with him?"
3) "Could you tell me what he was like?"
1
"He was stuck in the past?"

She gazes at you intently. "He was. He didn't tell anyone -- wasn't the kind to go on drunken tirades, unlike me --"

She looks down and chuckles softly.

"But I always saw, when he was a few bottles in, that look in his eyes. He was always thinking, thinking of going back. And then he'd say he was done for the night, and he'd lope off and down the gangway... but I don't think he was ever going home. Not really."

1) "Where do you think he went when he was drunk?"
2) "Were you on good terms with him?"
3) "Could you tell me what he was like?"
1
"Where do you think he went when he was drunk?"

"There's only one place he could have gone," she says quietly. "Back to the past. Back to where it all started.

"Back to the Channelworks."

There is a silence that settles. You make a mental note of this information.

1) "Were you on good terms with him? Reden, I mean."
2) "Could you tell me what Reden was like?"
1
"Were you on good terms with him? Reden, I mean."

She shrugs. "I suppose I was. Webster -- he made it sound like we were chums, didn't he? We were, in a way. The three of us, just raging against the unfairness of the world..."

She takes another swig.

1) "It sounds like the three of you have history."
2) "Could you tell me what Reden was like?"
1
"It sounds like the three of you have history."

"That's a mild way to put it." She looks at her painted nails. "The three of us... we built each other. We shaped each other.

"On the night shift it was just the three of us in the whole of the Channelworks... we were the whole world to each other back then. Can you imagine? The three of us, kings and queen of the Channelworks? And now... now we're nobody."

1) "What happened with the Channelworks?"
2) "Could you tell me what Reden was like?"
1
"What happened with the Channelworks?"

She shakes her head. "Everything. It all started there. I... I don't know how I can tell you.

"It was late. Webster asked for a whiskey, to keep his bones warm, and I... I just gave it to him.
I... I just gave it to him."Next day I heard he'd slipped and walked into the rubbish grinder."
into the rubbish grinder.""Oh Primes..."

She looks into your eyes. "I got found out after that," she says. "The whiskey, I mean. And then Reden took the heat, too, for supplying me. All three of us got handed our letters on that day."
All three of us got handed our letters on that day."It's a while before you can compose your thoughts.
before you can compose your thoughts."Sorry," Crow says. "That got dark fast."

1) "Could you tell me what Reden was like?"
1
"Could you tell me... what Reden was like?"

Crow looks into her glass, and her reflection stares up at her.

"Of all of us," she says, "he was the most... detached from the world. I always had the Crow's Nest to keep me busy, even after everything happened. Webster had me to stay in touch. Reden...
happened. Webster had me to stay in touch. Reden..."I offered him a job, but he never took up the offer. He just stayed here, going through bottles and bottles of cheap wine.
through bottles and bottles of cheap wine."I never had the heart to charge him."

1) "Could you tell me more about the Crow's Nest?"
1
"Could you tell me more about the Crow's Nest?"

"Oh, it's nothing special." She waves her hand dismissively. "Time was, there was an employee refectory I ran in the Channelworks... I ran the after-dark shift, together with the reception. I served drinks when the commissary wasn't looking.

"Now... the surroundings have changed, and my employer's a little less strict. But otherwise it's just like old times."

1) "You have a new employer?"
1
"You have a new employer?"

Crow's expression darkens. She takes a swig from her glass.

"Yeah," she says. "It wasn't like I had a choice. Place like the Channelworks District, there's only two avenues of employment you have as a bartender. You either work for the Council of Works -- and for people like me, that's off the table -- or you pay your dues to the big fat raven."
big fat raven.""The Company," you say.

Her lips are thin. "I didn't have a choice. You take what employment you can get, even if it means kissing someone's hobnailed boots."

1) "That's all the questions I have..."
1
"That's all the questions I have," you say. "Thank you, Crow. You've been very helpful."

She drains the last of her glass, and runs a hand through her hair. For the first time since you've met her, she does not quite meet your eye.
eye."You know," she whispers, "I still feel numb inside. Maybe it's the rum -- I keep thinking Reden's going to climb up the gangway any moment, asking for a bottle of the Bilious Canal's finest..."

She stares at the bottom of her glass.
She stares at the bottom of her glass."But we both know that's not going to happen. Isn't it?"

1) "...I know what you mean."
2) "Doctor Cavala and I will get to the bottom of this. I
promise."
3) <Remain silent.>
2
"Doctor Cavala and I will get to the bottom of this. I promise."

She looks into your eyes. Her gaze is intense at first, like a sky split by thunder -- then it mists, quivers, and she turns her gaze downward before you can see it falter.

"Yeah," she says. "All right."

She closes her eyes and a tear runs down her cheek, staining it dark in the light.
in the light."I should get back to bartending," she says, very softly. "It... it was nice talking to you."

1) "Goodbye."
2) "I'll leave you to it."
1
"Goodbye."

You get up from the bar, conscious of yourself, of the quiet. You wonder if you perhaps shouldn't have asked so many questions --

But it's too late now. Sometimes you must hurt someone before they can truly be healed.
truly be healed.## Crow's Nest
There is a strange crooked serenity here, amidst the rags that catch the wind. From discarded blocks and beams have been built tables, landings; odd patrons mingle all around you, engrossed in the late-afternoon murmur.

The exit lies below.

Crow sits quietly behind the bar.
You examine the patrons
There are the shabby homeless you'd expect from a public house in the Shanty Quarter -- but there are also well-dressed patrons, unfamiliar workmen and work-women.
You examine the wheel
"THE DAEMON'S WHEEL. Step up and spin for your fate!"
Spin wheel
You give the wheel a spin. It lands on a space marked "Free Drink."
Go downwards
Rotting beams spiral from the Shanty Quarter like a stairway grasping for the stars. At their head is a jutting structure like a watchtower, and it shadows all that is beneath it, shielding grimy brick and concrete from desolate sky.

The Shanty Quarter yawns below. Above you is the public house called the Crow's Nest, watched by the bouncer Webster from his perch.

It's getting dark out. You should return and tell Doctor Cavala what you've learned.

(You can >go to a place you've visited before to quickly travel
there. For instance, >go to clinic.)
You go to the clinic
(Doctor Cavala's clinic)
You go down to the Shanty Quarter, north to the Via Mercurii, north again to the grand forum, north again to the Via Terminalis junction, northwest to the Via Terminalis bridge, northwest again to the West Street, west to the West End, and west again to Doctor Cavala's clinic.

A row of chairs faces the prescription counter, where the medication and patient records are sorted in gridlike pigeonholes. Further on is the consulting study, home to a desk strewn with notes and diagrams.

A calomel curtain leads north to the surgery room, stairs lead down to the mortuary, and the front door lies east.

Doctor Cavala is curled up in her makeshift bed, staring at an intricately engraved pocketwatch. As you enter, she snaps the watch shut and gives you a nod.
shut and gives you a nod."Marid," she says. "I was wondering when you'd be back."

1) "How are you holding up, Doctor?"
2) "Where's Horatio?"
3) "That's a nice watch."
4) "About the things you told me to investigate..."
1
"How are you holding up, Doctor?"

"I'm fine," she says. "It's a bit dull here, especially since Horatio's refused to play any more crucible with me, but it's nothing I haven't endured before."

1) "He's refusing to play crucible?"
2) "Where's Horatio?"
3) "That's a nice watch."
4) "About the things you told me to investigate..."
1
"He's refusing to play crucible?"

She smirks. "Something about running out of cash on hand."

1) "Where's Horatio?"
2) "That's a nice watch."
3) "About the things you told me to investigate..."
1
"Where's Horatio?"

"He's popped back home for a shower," she replies. "Don't worry -- I told him to go home and freshen up. He'll be back soon enough."

1) "That's a nice watch."
2) "About the things you told me to investigate..."
1
"That's a nice watch," you say.

Doctor Cavala looks at the little brass case in her palm.

"It is," she replies. "Someone gave it to me, long ago... I was just thinking about it. Had Horatio dig it up."

1) "Thinking about someone, Doctor?"
2) "About the things you told me to investigate..."
1
"Thinking about someone, Doctor?"

After a pause, she puts the watch away.

"It doesn't matter," she says. "It's all in the past now. You had something for me, Marid?"

1) "About the things you told me to investigate..."
1
"About the things you told me to investigate..."

Doctor Cavala's expression hardens. You settle down beside her, and she listens raptly to your account of the day's events.

You tell her about your run-in with the Turris Infinita security. The chill of Doctor Arturus's clinic, the silent stare of the departed -- the macabre sights reflected in endoscopic lenses. You tell her of the doctor's correspondence; the web of intrigue and not-quite-coincidence that bound him; the lives that labored in the shadow of black wings. And through it all, like a pervasive pathogen, the darkness seeps and drips coppery from your words.

drips coppery from your words.Doctor Cavala is silent as she takes in everything you've told her.

everything you've told her."Marid."

everything you've told her."Marid."She takes a deep breath.

everything you've told her."Marid."She takes a deep breath."This is everything I'd asked for and more. You've taken great pains to acquire this information -- you've done the Channelworks District a great service. If I'd known the investigation would take you into the Shanty Quarter..."

Quarter..."She trails off, shaking her head.

Quarter..."She trails off, shaking her head."Regardless. You've uncovered a wealth of information pertaining to the affliction. We are now able to draw several conclusions. The transmission vector, for starters --"

1) "It has to be airborne."
2) "It's contracted internally, through ingestion."
3) "It's spread through skin contact."
4) "It's transmitted by both ingestion and skin contact."
2
"It's contracted internally, through ingestion."

"A strong hypothesis," Doctor Cavala replies. "Your endoscopies certainly seem to corroborate it. But consider Doctor Arturus -- did he really ingest something that was contaminated? He was a magister of the ars vitalis, after all, and would have taken precautions
to avoid such a careless mistake. From what you described, it sounds more like he was infected through his hands --"

"He couldn't have been infected through his gloves," you say. "Otherwise both of us would be dead."

She raises her eyebrows. "But he could have been infected through his hands."

1) "It has to be airborne."
2) "It's transmitted by both ingestion and skin contact."
2
"It's transmitted by both ingestion and skin contact."

"Yes." She nods. "I believe that to be the only explanation for the evidence you've gathered. Nacarat and the thugs were killed by something they ingested -- and Doctor Arturus was almost certainly infected through his hands, though I can't fathom why he would have been handling a patient without his gloves. Perhaps if he was present at the outset of symptoms..."

She glances at the curtain of the surgery room, and runs a gloved hand through her hair.
through her hair."In any case," she continues, "the transmission vector seems to be clear. It requires proximity to an infected individual, and that implies close ties between the victims. From what you've learned --"

1) "All of them were patients of Doctor Arturus."
2) "All of them were linked to the Greater Corindia Trading
Company."
3) "All of them drank wine."
4) "All of them had been to the Shanty Quarter."
2
"All of them were linked to the Greater Corindia Trading Company."

Doctor Cavala grimaces. "That's not saying much in this district," she replies. "Even I've had to deal with them in the past. But you're right. The raven symbols you found on Doctor Arturus's patients all but confirm their connection to the Company... and if the message you found on Doctor Arturus's correspondence is genuine, he must have had dealings with the underworld as well."
dealings with the underworld as well.""Even Reden frequented the Crow's Nest," you point out. "That's a front for the Trading Company, too."
too."She rubs her chin thoughtfully. "It's possible," she says. "It's possible that the Company had something to do with the outbreak of the disease. But there are aspects of this theory that don't quite gel.
disease. But there are aspects of this theory that don't quite gel."The Company is a business first and foremost -- so why would an affliction like this come into the picture? They deal in protection rackets, not plagues and poisons; even Nacarat and the thugs were among the victims. I can see how their ties might have caused the affliction to spread... but which one of them was patient
zero?
zero?"It's not the full picture, Marid. I have the feeling there was something else they had in common."

1) "All of them were patients of Doctor Arturus."
2) "All of them drank wine."
3) "All of them had been to the Shanty Quarter."
2
"All of them drank wine," you say.

Doctor Cavala opens her mouth -- then she pauses, closes it again.

"Now that you mention it," she says. "That is odd. Reden was
a heavy drinker. Doctor Arturus had been hosting Creditor Nacarat. And there was that bottle you found beneath the flophouse. The affliction can be transmitted through ingestion --"

can be transmitted through ingestion --""Do you think it's the
wine that's killing them?" you ask.

wine that's killing them?" you ask.She furrows her brow.
"It's certainly possible. A contaminant could be hidden in a dark wine and remain undetected, masked by the color and aroma. It would certainly explain why there have been so few victims. It wouldn't be an epidemic -- it would be a poisoning. If only certain
bottles of wine were contaminated... Marid, did you notice anything in common about the bottles?"

common about the bottles?"You shake your head. "They were all different labels. Different manufacturers. Reden didn't even drink red wine."

wine.""That's deeply troubling." She looks at her injured leg. "If there doesn't appear to be any correlation between these poisonings, but the victims are all connected by the same symptoms..."

but the victims are all connected by the same symptoms..."She falls silent, engrossed in thought.

1) "You think the cause is undetectable?"
2) "You think it could surface anywhere?"
3) "You think foul play is involved?"
3
"You think foul play is involved?"

Doctor Cavala crosses her arms. Her eyes trace the bandages around her destroyed tendon.

"Suppose we assume that this is deliberate," she says. "That this is part of someone's larger agenda. Many things fall into place -- the attack on my clinic, the connection to the Trading Company, the fast-acting and improbably lethal affliction.

"Until now, we've been operating under the assumption that this is a simple infection, one that obeys statistical models and adheres to the precepts of medicine... but what if that isn't the case? What if this is, in reality, a series of murders?"

is, in reality, a series of murders?"You regard her with growing unease. "Then... then that would be beyond us. It would be a matter for the Vigiles."

for the Vigiles."She nods grimly. "Correct. And if this is true, Marid... whoever is behind this has it out for me. The culprit might be looking to bury the evidence, silence the doctors in the district who have a chance of stopping them --"

who have a chance of stopping them --""That means Doctor Justinian is in danger."

in danger.""And you as well." Doctor Cavala shakes her head. "I'm sorry, Marid. If I had known earlier, I would never have sent you out on your own..."

on your own..."She shifts in her makeshift bed, wincing as the dressing on her leg chafes. Her shoulders are tense as she checks items off her fingers.

items off her fingers."If our conclusion is correct, time is of the essence. I will correspond with Doctor Justinian as soon as possible, and warn the Vigiles by way of Horatio. The quarantine will buy us some time to track down the culprit. As for you, Marid --"

some time to track down the culprit. As for you, Marid --"She looks at you, and something causes her to falter. She closes her eyes. Her words catch in her throat.

words catch in her throat."Go home and rest," she says. "You've done your part. I'll handle things from here on."

1) "Yes, Doctor."
2) "Can I still help somehow?"
2
"Can I still help somehow?"

A long, tense silence -- and Doctor Cavala shakes her head.
A long, tense silence -- and Doctor Cavala shakes her head."I appreciate all that you've done, Marid. But this is bigger than we'd imagined. It's bigger than any of us. Upon my conscience, I will not allow you to put yourself in danger.
allow you to put yourself in danger."Get some sleep. Take a sabbatical. Let me and the Vigiles handle this."

1) "Yes, Doctor."
2) "Surely you can let me do something!"
2
"Surely you can let me do something --"

"Marid."
"Marid."You realize that in all the months you've worked
here, you've never heard Doctor Cavala raise her voice.
here, you've never heard Doctor Cavala raise her voice.She takes a deep breath.
deep breath."Marid," she says. "This is not a friendly request. This is a command from Doctor to Servator. I will not allow you to
wager your life on this. Do you understand me?"

1) "Yes, Doctor."
2) "No! I don't care what you think!"
1
You look at your feet.

"Yes, Doctor," you say, softly, quietly.

Her eyes linger on you -- on the tattoos that run like tears down your neck and fade into your pendant.

neck and fade into your pendant.She exhales.

neck and fade into your pendant.She exhales."Go," she says. "Go home, Marid. Take care of yourself."

Marid. Take care of yourself."You rise from the waiting chairs. There is a dull ache in your shoulders. You give Doctor Cavala one last look as you prepare to depart for the night.

as you prepare to depart for the night."Good night," you tell her.

as you prepare to depart for the night."Good night," you tell her.You can't bring yourself to meet her gaze.

can't bring yourself to meet her gaze.## Via Terminalis, West End
You stand in the terminus of the Via Terminalis, a cul-de-sac of steel spires and buildings aspiring to the heavens. Night has fallen, broken only by the ghostly glow of bound animii in street-lamps and shop windows. Beyond, you see the great spine of the Channelworks District, receding from the lamplight into the beginnings of rain.

The white cross of Doctor Cavala's clinic is to the west, and the dormitory block where you live lies to the north.
Go north
Here is the faded arch, with its years of verdigris; here are the too-small atrium and the fountain at its center. All around above are the lights of innumerable domiciles, linked by crumbling stairs and divided by flimsy plaster walls.

The public house is closed tonight. You can only go up to your dormitory room or exit the building to the south.
Go upwards
(first opening the door to your dormitory room)
(closing the door behind you)

In one corner is a dressing table, piled with stationery and assorted toiletries, and in another is the kitchenette. The only door leads back downstairs to the atrium.

Your bed is at the end of the room, beside the window.
You enter bed
You sit down on the edge of your bed. The sweat and stress of the day cling to you, pool in the shadows behind your eyes.

cling to you, pool in the shadows behind your eyes.Doctor Cavala is right. This is no longer a medical investigation -- it's a murder investigation. You should take a break. Leave matters to those qualified to handle them.

qualified to handle them.But you can't get the thoughts out of your head. The images. Everything that you've seen and done... it
clings to you. Creeps within you.

clings to you. Creeps within you.So do you drift
down and down into darkness, thinking of corpses
staring, pigeons twitching --

staring, pigeons twitching ---- burnt-out lamps in broken
housing --

You open your eyes.

You open your eyes.You're covered in sweat and your breathing is ragged. A nightmare?

You'll have time to ponder that later. Someone is knocking on your door.

1) <Ignore the knocking.>
2) <Answer the door.>
2
You clamber out of bed, pull your jacket close, and shuffle up to the door.

1) <Look through the peephole.>
2) "Who's there?"
3) "Horatio?"
4) <Open the door.>
1
You look through the peephole.

That's odd. You can't make out anything. All you can see is a misty gray.

1) "Who's there?"
2) "Horatio?"
3) <Open the door.>
1
"Who's there?"

There is no response.

1) "Hello?"
2) "Horatio?"
3) <Open the door.>
1
"Hello?"

wood out of its housing like

wood out of its housing likesomanyteeth.

wood out of its housing likesomanyteeth."Hello," the assassin whispers.

whispers.She draws her sword and kicks in the remaining pieces of your door. Beneath her hood she's smiling, grinning a rictus grin. Or maybe her mouth is fixed that way.

her mouth is fixed that way."You've been a lot of trouble, you know. Asking dangerous questions. Getting dangerous answers."

Asking dangerous questions. Getting dangerous answers."You back away slowly.
You talk to the assassin
"W-What do you want?"

The assassin walks towards you. Calmly. Unhurriedly.
You go through the window
You roll, twist, force yourself into a run. Your knees are aching. The air is freezing, stinging your cheeks. Your boots dislodge old and broken tiles, sending them hurtling off the roof into the mist below.

A balcony lies to the east. Behind you is a clattering, a shrieking that is not human.
Go east
and tumble panting across the rotting woodwork. The balustrade shudders with your footfalls, tears away as you frantically grasp for purchase. Behind you, a terrible bulk splinters the flooring and catches up to you with dreadful certainty.

South you glimpse a doorway.
You go south
The hall is thick with ash. Moonlight lances through shattered walls. You run blindly through unlit passages, fumbling, your lungs burning as claws rip through the timber and plaster behind you.

There is no escape except to the south.
Go south
The hall is thick with smoke. Moonlight lances through
scorched walls. You run blindly through burning
passages, fumbling, your lungs melting as flames rip
through the timber and plaster behind you.

There is no escape except to the south.
Go south
The hall is on fire and the beams are crashing down pinning you choking your lungs and you know it's not real but you're screaming and your jacket is burning

south.
You go south
she writhes and claws and smashes through the fallen beams. You blink back tears -- you inhale ash -- and tumble through the only exit you see, tread empty air, fall screaming down a broken down chute into

Everything hurts.

Everything hurts.Sounds are echoing in the dark. The assassin's voice, calling out for you. Other things.

calling out for you. Other things.Did you get away? Where... what is this place?

this place?You grit your teeth and force yourself to get up.

this place?You grit your teeth and force yourself to get up.You need help. You need to get out of here.
About yourself
You hurt all over. At least nothing seems to be broken.

You are wearing your natron jacket, your clothes, and an animus pendant (containing the spirit of your father). On your person are some drink coupons, a ticker-tape reel, an endoscope, Doctor Cavala's signum, today's copy of the Libri Liberi, a note with Zoiro's
address, yesterday's copy of the Libri Liberi, your
practitioner's badge, your scalpel, your purse, and an antiseptic cloth.
You examine the shape
A trick of the light?
A trick of the light?You grope in the dark and your fingers close around cold iron. A handle -- a bulb -- a fuse?
around cold iron. A handle -- a bulb -- a fuse?An animus lantern.
around cold iron. A handle -- a bulb -- a fuse?An animus lantern.You pick it up and strike the fuse. The bound aurora flickers to attention, chilling the fingertips of your gloves, tracing the area in otherworldly dancing light.
otherworldly dancing light.## Calefactory
You've landed in some kind of underground heating room, long abandoned. The floor is seared with scorch marks. The corpses of pipes and machinery litter the area, claimed by rust and layers of fine black soot.

Above dangles a destroyed chute. To the west there is a closed blast door, with a wheel-shaped handle fitted nearby.
You examine the lantern
A phylactery cathode in a glass-and-iron housing. It glitters with the cold light of the bound aurora within.
You examine the pipes
Gnarled, unrecognizable shapes.
You look at the door
A forbidding slab of metal. It looks like the wheel nearby will open it.
You examine the wheel
A rusted hydraulic wheel.
You take the lantern
You already have that.
You examine the marks
Darkness billows from the walls and scars the ground.
Turn wheel
You grip the wheel and turn with all your might. There is a groaning, a painful screeching sound, as rust cracks and crumbles from the base of the handle.
of the handle.The blast door grinds open.
You go to the west
Something is off about this creaking hall, this bending passage that seems to fold inward. The pipes pass in and out of shadow, traced by your lantern-light, writ large in the cold gray darkness.

To the east is the blast door you emerged from. To the north, the hall widens and distends.
widens and distends.And there is something -- something
moving there --
moving there --No. Gone. It's gone.
You look at the pipes
The pipes are parallel. The pipes intersect.
You look at the hall
You feel a little sick, as though whatever is affecting the hallway is also affecting you.
You go north
The floor falls away here. The path is shredded and broken. In another time this might have been the servants' quarters: the remains of furniture and domestic objects are strewn across this distorted space. But the seams of reality are showing, and an otherworldly pulsing darkness seeps forth that makes your eyes throb.
darkness seeps forth that makes your eyes throb.You've seen places like this before. When the magical foundations of a building are damaged, it tears the fabric of the world, exposing the irrational dimensions that lie beyond. And things crawl through the
cracks that are not quite alive.
cracks that are not quite alive.You'd best not linger here.
cracks that are not quite alive.You'd best not linger here.The service hallway lies south. East you see the door to a service lift, and beside it, a hydraulic wheel.
You examine the furniture
The laws of nature are tattered here. Abused.

You hear things stirring in the darkness.
You look at the lift
The lights are still flickering. It might be your way out of here.

The noises are growing louder. Claws and legs are creeping into the light.
You enter it
The door is closed. The nearby wheel seems to be the only way to open it.

Limbs scratch at reality's seams. Eyes push through the stonework. Teeth float through the air, gnashing, approaching.
Turn wheel
You grip the wheel, and with incredible effort, turn it a couple of degrees. But the door is barely budging -- you suspect you will have to give the wheel a few more good heaves.

They're very near now. They're all around you. They're brushing your neck, raking your back, pulling your hair, closing in, closing and you need to run or you will die --
You enter the lift
-- and before you can do anything else, anything, there is a thrust and an impact and a sudden, sudden coldness.
and an impact and a sudden, sudden coldness.Teeth are ripping into your skin.
your skin.It hurts. It hurts so much. Your eyes are tearing up. You can't think. You feel sick. You need to throw up --
Turn wheel
You grip the wheel, and with incredible effort, turn it a couple of degrees. But the door is barely budging -- you suspect you will have to give the wheel a few more good heaves.

You hear things stirring in the darkness.
Turn wheel
You grit your teeth and shift the wheel another couple of degrees...

The noises are growing louder. Claws and legs are creeping into the light.
Turn wheel
You squeeze your eyes shut and throw your weight into it. You can feel the wheel shifting, moving faster...

Limbs scratch at reality's seams. Eyes push through the stonework. Teeth float through the air, gnashing, approaching.
Turn wheel
Your muscles are aching. Your palms are sweating. The door is opening. Just... a bit more...

They're very near now. They're all around you. They're brushing your neck, raking your back, pulling your hair, closing in, closing and you need to run or you will die --
You go south
You break and run for your life.

Something is off about this creaking hall, this bending passage that seems to fold inward. The pipes pass in and out of shadow, traced by your lantern-light, writ large in the cold gray darkness.

To the east is the blast door you emerged from. To the north, the hall widens and distends.

You take a moment to catch your breath and collect your thoughts. It seems those creatures will attack if you stay in the next room for too long.
You go north
The floor falls away here. The path is shredded and broken. In another time this might have been the servants' quarters: the remains of furniture and domestic objects are strewn across this distorted space. But the seams of reality are showing, and an otherworldly pulsing darkness seeps forth that makes your eyes throb.

The service hallway lies south. East you see the door to a service lift, and beside it, a hydraulic wheel.
Turn wheel
You scream as the wheel shifts suddenly. The service lift door opens.

You scream as the wheel shifts suddenly. The service lift door opens.You stumble into it, pushing past mandibles and slithering things, searching frantically for the control panel, hammering the rusted buttons as the aether-daemons close --

rusted buttons as the aether-daemons close --The lift lurches. The door slams shut. There is a crack as a creature's limb is severed, and slides wetly to the floor.

slides wetly to the floor.You take a deep breath.

slides wetly to the floor.You take a deep breath.You stomp on the limb with your boot. You keep stomping until you can't distinguish the limb from the other smears on the metal.

from the other smears on the metal.And at last you dare to rest.

* * *

* * *## Service Lift
The lift has ground to a halt here, suspended between doorways. You are acutely aware of the creaking of the ancient mechanisms; the gentle cant of the platform within its cradle.

To the west, the doorway opens up into a large kitchen, while to the east a cobwebbed scullery can be seen.
You look at the lift
Thank the Primes that this thing worked when it did.
Go outside
Do you mean going west (to the kitchen) or going east (to the scullery)?
You go to the east
Your footsteps squelch in this stale, cramped space. The cobwebs here glitter with moisture and silk-wrapped things. Flies flit through your lamp-light, disturbed by your movements, gathering on moldy plates and slime-encrusted piping.

A pitch-black shaft gapes above you. The lights of the service lift glow to the west.

A rickety ladder leans against the wall, providing access to the pitch-black shaft.
You look at the shaft
It appears to be the maintenance access for the service lift.
Examine flies
They nest here, feeding, multiplying.
You examine the cobwebs
Spiderwebs crisscross this place. They are caught in the light of your animus lantern; they insinuate themselves among your clothes and hair.
You look at the ladder
A long wooden ladder, worn from repeated use. Right now, it leans against the wall and provides access to the maintenance shaft.
You look in the shaft
That's too far away.
You drop the ladder
You prop the ladder up so that it leads to the pitch-black shaft.
Go upwards
You squeeze into the shaft...

It is cramped and dark and hard to move. You are prone on your elbows, wedged between unfeeling bricks, and your eyes hurt from the too-close lantern-light.

The scullery is below.

Engraved before you are the glyphs that conduct the galvanism of the service lift, and barely -- just barely -- keep it from plummeting away into the abyss.
You examine the glyphs
The glyphs are worn and decrepit. A few scratches from your scalpel, and the lift would become a deathtrap for the unwary.
Scratch glyphs
That would untether the service lift and turn it into a deathtrap. You're not sure that's quite warranted at the moment.
Descend
You drop down from the shaft.

Your footsteps squelch in this stale, cramped space. The cobwebs here glitter with moisture and silk-wrapped things. Flies flit through your lamp-light, disturbed by your movements, gathering on moldy plates and slime-encrusted piping.

A pitch-black shaft gapes above you. The lights of the service lift glow to the west.

A rickety ladder leans against the wall, providing access to the pitch-black shaft.

You catch a glimpse of a spider in the corner of your vision.
Go east
You can go up to the hoistway access or west to the service lift.
Go west
The lift has ground to a halt here, suspended between doorways. You are acutely aware of the creaking of the ancient mechanisms; the gentle cant of the platform within its cradle.

To the west, the doorway opens up into a large kitchen, while to the east a cobwebbed scullery can be seen.
You look at the platform
Thank the Primes that this thing worked when it did.
Go west
Light streams thinly here, between dirt-choked basins and dust-coated countertops. Your steps raise plumes of snowlike ash, which slither among your battered boots and cling to them.

To the east is the service lift; to the south is a collapsed corridor.

Nearby is a forlorn kitchen stool.
You look at the countertops
Covered in ash, perhaps. Or the castoffs of vermin.
You examine the ash
Cold white specks.
You examine the corridor
The shapes of the walls crumble, there.
You examine the stool
A fragile thing, riddled with the marks of absent woodlice.
You get it
Taken.
You go south
You approach to get a better look and --She's there.
You approach to get a better look and --She's there.The
assassin is there. She stalks the collapsed corridor, humming tunelessly, playing with the edge of her sword. She doesn't seem to have noticed you.
have noticed you.You step back for now. If you get her attention, you'd best have a plan to survive it.
You go to the east
You slip away as silently as you can manage.

The lift has ground to a halt here, suspended between doorways. You are acutely aware of the creaking of the ancient mechanisms; the gentle cant of the platform within its cradle.

To the west, the doorway opens up into a large kitchen, while to the east a cobwebbed scullery can be seen.
You go to the east
Your footsteps squelch in this stale, cramped space. The cobwebs here glitter with moisture and silk-wrapped things. Flies flit through your lamp-light, disturbed by your movements, gathering on moldy plates and slime-encrusted piping.

A pitch-black shaft gapes above you. The lights of the service lift glow to the west.

A rickety ladder leans against the wall, providing access to the pitch-black shaft.
Go west
The lift has ground to a halt here, suspended between doorways. You are acutely aware of the creaking of the ancient mechanisms; the gentle cant of the platform within its cradle.

To the west, the doorway opens up into a large kitchen, while to the east a cobwebbed scullery can be seen.

It occurs to you that if you were to put down the rickety ladder here, it would bridge the width of the service lift.
You drop the ladder
You place the ladder across the lift so that it bridges the gap between the doorways.
You go to the east
Your footsteps squelch in this stale, cramped space. The cobwebs here glitter with moisture and silk-wrapped things. Flies flit through your lamp-light, disturbed by your movements, gathering on moldy plates and slime-encrusted piping.

A pitch-black shaft gapes above you. The lights of the service lift glow to the west.
You drop the ladder
You prop the ladder up so that it leads to the pitch-black shaft.
You go west
Light streams thinly here, between dirt-choked basins and dust-coated countertops. Your steps raise plumes of snowlike ash, which slither among your battered boots and cling to them.

To the east is the service lift; to the south is a collapsed corridor.

In the corridor, the assassin paces back and forth with languor.
You drop the ladder
Dropped.
You drop the stool
You place the kitchen stool underneath the pitch-black shaft.
Go down
You drop down from the shaft.

Your footsteps squelch in this stale, cramped space. The cobwebs here glitter with moisture and silk-wrapped things. Flies flit through your lamp-light, disturbed by your movements, gathering on moldy plates and slime-encrusted piping.

A pitch-black shaft gapes above you. The lights of the service lift glow to the west.

A rickety ladder and a kitchen stool provide access to the pitch-black shaft.
Yell
Are you sure you want to get the assassin's attention?
Yes
You cry out. The assassin turns her head --

You cry out. The assassin turns her head ---- her lips peel from a carnival of teeth --

carnival of teeth --You break and run. The kitchen is a blur. You crash through the service lift -- send it lurching with your footfalls -- tear through the viscous cobwebs. All the while she gains, gains with impossible speed upon you, until --

with impossible speed upon you, until --A dead end. A stone wall. There is nothing further this way; nowhere else you can hide.

There is nothing further this way; nowhere else you can hide.You don't know why you thought there would be.
You go west
You can go east to the service lift or south to the collapsed corridor.
You go to the east
You slip away as silently as you can manage.

The lift has ground to a halt here, suspended between doorways. You are acutely aware of the creaking of the ancient mechanisms; the gentle cant of the platform within its cradle.

To the west, the doorway opens up into a large kitchen, while to the east a cobwebbed scullery can be seen.
Yell
No. You have to keep your cool.
You go to the east
Your footsteps squelch in this stale, cramped space. The cobwebs here glitter with moisture and silk-wrapped things. Flies flit through your lamp-light, disturbed by your movements, gathering on moldy plates and slime-encrusted piping.

A pitch-black shaft gapes above you. The lights of the service lift glow to the west.

A rickety ladder and a kitchen stool provide access to the pitch-black shaft.
Go east
You slip away as silently as you can manage.

The lift has ground to a halt here, suspended between doorways. You are acutely aware of the creaking of the ancient mechanisms; the gentle cant of the platform within its cradle.

To the west, the doorway opens up into a large kitchen, while to the east a cobwebbed scullery can be seen.

A rickety ladder has been laid across the lift, neatly bridging the gap between the doorways.
Go east
Your footsteps squelch in this stale, cramped space. The cobwebs here glitter with moisture and silk-wrapped things. Flies flit through your lamp-light, disturbed by your movements, gathering on moldy plates and slime-encrusted piping.

A pitch-black shaft gapes above you. The lights of the service lift glow to the west.

A kitchen stool has been placed under the pitch-black shaft, providing access.
Scratch glyphs
You draw your scalpel from your pocket. You steel yourself, and with as much force as you can manage in these cramped quarters, gouge a scratch right through the center line --
scratch right through the center line --A shock. You can feel enchantments disintegrating, unraveling around your fingers. You sense the lift grow heavy as its binding forces wither and fail.
the lift grow heavy as its binding forces wither and fail.You scratch the glyphs a few more times. When you're finished, your scalpel is noticeably hotter. You clean the edge and let it cool before stowing it. You try not to think about the fact that you're plotting to murder someone.
Go down
You drop down from the shaft.

Your footsteps squelch in this stale, cramped space. The cobwebs here glitter with moisture and silk-wrapped things. Flies flit through your lamp-light, disturbed by your movements, gathering on moldy plates and slime-encrusted piping.

A pitch-black shaft gapes above you. Through the sabotaged lift to the west, you see the abandoned kitchen.

A kitchen stool has been placed under the pitch-black shaft, providing access.
You go west
The ladder creaks as you crawl across it...

Light streams thinly here, between dirt-choked basins and dust-coated countertops. Your steps raise plumes of snowlike ash, which slither among your battered boots and cling to them.

To the east is the scullery, across the rickety ladder; to the south is a collapsed corridor.

In the corridor, the assassin paces back and forth with languor.
Yell
You cry out. The assassin turns her head --

You cry out. The assassin turns her head ---- her lips peel from a carnival of teeth --

carnival of teeth --You break and run. The kitchen is a blur. You crash through the service lift -- send it lurching with your footfalls -- tear through the viscous cobwebs. All the while she gains, gains with impossible speed upon you, until --

with impossible speed upon you, until ---- wood splinters --

with impossible speed upon you, until ---- wood splinters ---- metal fails and reality turns.

fails and reality turns.The lift has been dislodged from its
unnatural suspension. Its arcane skeins have entangled the assassin in their coils. Now, shackled again to the chains of gravitation, that whole unwieldy apparatus has begun to collapse, and the assassin has been caught up in its descent.

been caught up in its descent.Her smile falters. She tenses. Stops.

been caught up in its descent.Her smile falters. She tenses. Stops."I -- you -- what --"

-- you -- what --"She scrabbles desperately for purchase.
Impossibly, her claws gouge into the stone. She grasps at your feet --

Impossibly, her claws gouge into the stone. She grasps at your feet ---- digs into the flesh of your ankles -- you scream in pain
--

---- and she slips. She slips.

---- and she slips. She slips.It is enough. The machine has been set in motion. The cacophony, the wailing gnashing whirlwind, it takes her and bears her down -- bears her shrieking into the abyss where reality ends, where all things end and are consumed.

ends, where all things end and are consumed.And she is gone.

ends, where all things end and are consumed.And she is gone.You collapse there on the edge of the shaft, inches from empty space. You start to cry.

Your footsteps feel strangely heavy as you walk down this final hall. The dust -- your footfalls -- your heartbeat -- they throb in time with every breath.

You can see the light just up ahead. Just a little further. To the south.
You go south
You --You stumble a little. You pick yourself up, blink the fog out of your eyes. You don't feel quite so well at the moment.
your eyes. You don't feel quite so well at the moment.Is that blood? Is it yours?
Is it yours?It doesn't matter. You can't stop now. You have to keep going.
Go south
You take a wobbly step.

You take a wobbly step.And another.

You take a wobbly step.And another.Step by step, with agonizing certainty, you push onward.

certainty, you push onward.## Condemned Block
You emerge into a sea of lights, of sweeping rain and hazy twinkling stars. The city of Furopolis rises all around you, and it has never been more beautiful nor a more welcome sight: you realize the light of the stars is rippling and wavering through your tears.

the stars is rippling and wavering through your tears.Why, then, are your feet so leaden, when the city is so close?

your feet so leaden, when the city is so close?Drenched, shivering, you make your way towards the gate that divides you from the world. Freedom is so close that you can taste it. There is a workman's access sealed by a thin padlock -- with trembling scalpel you press, and cut, and slowly separate the lock from its bonds...

and slowly separate the lock from its bonds...But the work will take an eternity, with this iron padlock, and this tiny blade. And your consciousness wavers and you are so, so tired.

consciousness wavers and you are so, so tired.No. You --

consciousness wavers and you are so, so tired.No. You ---- you slump to your knees, the scalpel slipping from your fingers. It's growing cold, now. Harder to see. The pavement about you is flecked with something like blood or rainwater.

something like blood or rainwater.Perhaps you should take a rest. Just a short one.

a short one.You clasp your pendant to your heart and close your eyes.

There is a familiarity about this place, although you are rarely allowed inside. The aroma of your father's favorite tea mingles with that of ink-blotted corkboards and bubbling athanors; the alchemical lines, alight with power, swoop and soar above you into the rafters.

Father is decanting a spirit at his workstation.
About yourself
You're thirteen years old.
You check what you're carrying
You are wearing your clothes. On your person is nothing of importance.
You examine the corkboards
The markings writhe and change, never quite coalescing into formulae.
You examine the athanors
A foreboding heat emanates from the furnaces.
You look at the lines
(the soaring laboratory rafters)
They're too bright.
You look at the Father
He's still alive. Lively. Warm.
You talk to the Father
1) "How are you alive?"
2) "I love you."
3) "Please come back."
2
Tears well up in your eyes. You blink them back, but they keep coming.

"I love you."

He turns around and smiles. He's so young. You'd almost forgotten his face.

1) "I missed you so much."
2) "Don't do this to me."
3) "Don't leave me again."
3
"Don't -- don't --"

You can't do this. You choke. Your hands are trembling.

Father's eyes soften. "Is something wrong?"

1) "Father, you have to listen to me."
2) "Please listen to me."
3) "You have to run while you still can."
1
"F-Father. You have to listen to me. Please..."

He's not listening. The power lines have surged. A thump rocks the laboratory -- flames are licking at the lids of the athanors, and smoke is starting to fill the room.

"Marid..." he breathes.

1) "Please..."
2) <Grab his hand.>
3) <Cry.>
2
You reach out, but it is already too late.

You've had this dream a thousand times. Each time, it ends the same way. Each time, you are powerless to prevent it.

way. Each time, you are powerless to prevent it.The athanor closest to your father explodes. Glass shatters. A plume of fire erupts, and both of you are thrown back from the blast -- you are dimly aware of porcelain pieces, scattered across the desk, shimmering in the intense heat.

heat.Your father is calling your name. You see him then: bleeding out, barely recognizable. Another beaker falls to the floor and shatters. You can't breathe -- you force yourself up, unsteady, tottering towards your father, toward the flames...

towards your father, toward the flames..."Marid, go!" he screams. "Just go! Run! Get help... get help... g..."

"Just go! Run! Get help... get help... g..."His words are stolen away. They vanish with him in the smoke and the fire. You feel yourself slipping away -- feel the world buckling and crashing around you, as you stumble amidst the twisted metal and the ash --

you stumble amidst the twisted metal and the ash ---- excruciating pain --

pain ---- and then a long dark silence.

Your senses return in fragments and echoes.

Your senses return in fragments and echoes.Something cold and numbing is pressed to your lips. You awaken -- you cough up dust, your parched throat cracking from the exertion. Standing over you, in the darkness, is a woman all in white.

1) "Where is my father?"
1
"Where... where is my father?" you ask weakly.

The woman looks away.

"Hush," she replies. "Don't exert yourself."

1) "Are you going to take me to see him?"
1
"Are you going to take me to see him?"

She doesn't respond. Not for a while. Instead she kneels and places a hand upon your cheek, inspecting you like a broken sculpture. Her face is a mask, tattooed and impossible to read -- and you find that you know it well.
know it well.After all, the face is your own.
know it well.After all, the face is your own."It's time," the other you says. "It's time to go."

1) "Where are we going?"
2) "Who are you?"
3) "I'm not ready."
3
"I'm... I'm not ready..."

She stands up -- and so do you. The ruins of your father's laboratory flicker, fade, and collapse into ash; it piles among your feet with the skeletons of your past.

"You're free now, Marid," your other self says. "You've suffered enough. It's time to move on."
enough. It's time to move on."And she points up -- up into the great aether, where the sparks of countless souls twinkle like stars.
aether, where the sparks of countless souls twinkle like stars.You imagine that your father is among them.

1) <Gaze at the stars.>
2) "You're taking me away."
1
You watch the stars. In this time outside of time, you watch.

There is a beauty to the movement of the world; to the movement of the souls that orbit it. You remember where you've seen it before: an eternity ago, in Doctor Cavala's surgery room, you caught a glimpse of that animic light.

But here, now, the light washes over you, and you feel yourself being drawn to it like a river to the sea.

1) "You're taking me away."
2) "I want to go..."
1
"You're taking me away," you say.

She nods. You feel a chill run down your spine.

1) "I want to go..."
1
"I want to go," you admit. "I want to leave it all behind..."

You lower your gaze. Your other self is silent.
You lower your gaze. Your other self is silent."...But I can't. I can't go. Not like this."
can't go. Not like this."The animic light bears down upon you, harsh, questioning. It is difficult to stand beneath its weight -- to stand tall before the jury of numberless eyes.
tall before the jury of numberless eyes.Your other self cocks her head. "Why?"

1) "It's not just about me..."
2) "I need to know..."
3) "I'm not done yet..."
1
"...It's not just about me."

You remember those moments, frozen in time and etched in memory. Laughing with Horatio on the Via Terminalis. Consoling Zoiro about his brother's death.

brother's death."I'm caught up in something. I -- I don't know what. But I know that it's big. Bigger than all of us. And it's going to touch the lives of a hundred more, or a thousand more, before it ends.

touch the lives of a hundred more, or a thousand more, before it ends."And... and maybe for the first time in my life... I can do something. To save them. To make a difference. And... and I..."

something. To save them. To make a difference. And... and I..."You look at your other self, trying desperately not to cry. And she looks at you.

at you.And her eyes are alight with white fire.

at you.And her eyes are alight with white fire."Vive," she
commands. "Vide."

commands. "Vide."And you feel yourself rising up, up into the
lights, and you gasp for air, and you breathe, and you see --

-- you jolt awake, shuddering, blinking, coughing. Everything feels heavy. A pair of hands grips your shoulders, steadies you.

heavy. A pair of hands grips your shoulders, steadies you."Is she awake?" a voice breathes. Doctor Cavala's voice.

awake?" a voice breathes. Doctor Cavala's voice."Yes," comes the reply. Then again, closer: "Marid? Can you hear me?"

reply. Then again, closer: "Marid? Can you hear me?"You close and open your eyes. There are strange patterns, echoes, swirling in your vision, infinitely long, and it hurts to see. It hurts to
see...

see...You slip back into unconsciousness.

"...stabilizing..."

Lights. You see lights.

Lights. You see lights.You force your heavy eyelids to open. You're staring at the ceiling of Doctor Cavala's clinic. From the shadows it must be afternoon, around the time of your usual lunch break. But there's something off about the color of the light. Something strange.

there's something off about the color of the light. Something strange."Doctor?" you croak through parched lips.

strange."Doctor?" you croak through parched lips."Marid!" a voice exclaims. "Thank the Primes..."

A shadow falls across you; a hand grips your wrist close. You turn your head to see the smiling face of Doctor Justinian.

your head to see the smiling face of Doctor Justinian.Wha -- what --

1) <Panic.>
2) "Doctor Justinian?"
2
"D-Doctor Justinian?"

"Thank the Primes." He's checking your pulse now, leaning in to examine your eyes. Your gazes meet for a second, and his irises are fiery and alive and close.

fiery and alive and close.You take a few deep breaths, trying
to compose yourself. Neither of you speaks for a moment.

to compose yourself. Neither of you speaks for a moment."I thought we'd lost you," he says at last. "The Vigiles found you bleeding out in the condemned block... I heard your door was broken down.
It boggles my mind that anyone could do a thing like this --

It boggles my mind that anyone could do a thing like this --"But what matters is that you're here now. You're safe."

matters is that you're here now. You're safe."There is a sound from the waiting chairs. You turn and see Doctor Cavala watching from her cot. Her throat is choked. Her eyes are red from crying.

cot. Her throat is choked. Her eyes are red from crying."You're safe," she breathes. "Marid, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

1) "Doctor Cavala?"
2) "...Thank you, Doctor Justinian. For saving me."
3) "How long was I out?"
4) "I was attacked by a mutant woman with a sword..."
5) "What's wrong with the color of the light?"
1
"Doctor Cavala?"

She shakes her head. "I... I should have asked for a guard. A warding glyph. Something. I should have... I almost lost you, Marid.
I... I let you down. I failed you."
I... I let you down. I failed you."You've never seen her like this before.
before."She's been like this since they brought you in," Doctor Justinian says quietly. "We'd best give her some time to herself."

1) "...Thank you, Doctor Justinian. For saving me."
2) "How long was I out?"
3) "I was attacked by a mutant woman with a sword..."
4) "What's wrong with the color of the light?"
1
"...Thank you, Doctor Justinian," you tell him. "For... for saving me."

He smiles. "You would have done the same for me."

1) "How long was I out?"
2) "I was attacked by a mutant woman with a sword..."
3) "What's wrong with the color of the light?"
1
"How long was I out?"

Doctor Justinian checks his pocket watch. "The guards found you lying in the rain... seven hours ago? You've been fading in and out ever since. You were deathly pale then, even paler than you normally are... it's a good thing I got to you in time."

1) "I was attacked by a mutant woman with a sword..."
2) "What's wrong with the color of the light?"
1
"I was attacked by a mutant woman with a sword. The same person who broke in here the other night..."

He nods grimly. "The Vigiles told me everything. Her name is Carnicer -- she's a hired assassin. The Greater Corindia Trading Company pays her to do its dirty work. But don't worry -- we've called in all the guards we can muster to protect you and Doctor Cavala."

1) "Carnicer is dead. I killed her in self-defense."
2) "Do you think the Trading Company is behind this?"
3) "What's wrong with the color of the light?"
1
"...Carnicer is dead," you say. "I killed her in self-defense."

"...Oh." Doctor Justinian blinks. "Well. I'm sure the captain will be glad to hear it. Still, you should remain here in case your enemies send someone else."

1) "Do you think the Trading Company is behind this?"
2) "What's wrong with the color of the light?"
1
"Do you think the Trading Company is behind this?"

He sighs. "Perhaps. Perhaps someone within the Company... but it's not my job to speculate. And you definitely shouldn't be doing any investigating in your current state."

1) "What's wrong with the color of the light?"
1
You try to focus on the light. It's out of place somehow, both here and not here -- shimmering and scintillating in a way that makes your head spin.

"What's wrong?" you mumble. "What's wrong with the color of the... the..."
the..."Your breath catches in your throat. Your brain refuses to comprehend what you are seeing.
comprehend what you are seeing."Marid?" Justinian asks.

1) <Wrench your eyes shut.>
2) "I have to go."
1
You close your eyes, but the image does not fade.

It lingers.

1) "I have to go."
1
"I -- I have to go."

"Hold on --"
"Hold on --"You get up despite your body's aches and protests. The world swirls around you, feels unreal. Justinian raises a hand but does not stop you.
does not stop you.And you see. You still see. In
life as in death.
life as in death.## Clinic
The light you see is not quite of this world. It does not originate from the fluorescent lamps. Yet it radiates still, engulfing this place, leaving its imprints in chair and counter and tile.

A long shadow falls from the north, from the surgery room.

Doctor Cavala and Justinian are staring at you in concern. Neither of them appears to have noticed anything. A calomel curtain leads north to the surgery room, stairs lead down to the mortuary, and the front door lies east.
You look at the chair
They're for waiting patients to sit on.
You examine Justinian
He returns your gaze uneasily.
You examine Cavala
Her eyes are red from crying.
Go north
The curtain parts.

You are in a cold cylindrical chamber, pulsing in a thousand dimensions illuminated from within. Dozens or hundreds of afterimages creep like specters at the edge of your vision. To the south, the exit is wreathed in calomel.

A shimmering and fractured Reden sits upon the gurney. He looks at you with eyes that run black.
You talk to Reden
"H -- Hello?"

Reden twitches, as though animated by a jolt of galvanism. Again. His empty eyes pivot in their sockets. He opens his mouth, but you can't quite make out the words...
quite make out the words...You feel a curling in your spine -- a beckoning to listen closer.

1) <Hesitate.>
2) <Listen closer.>
2
You close your eyes and focus. The light of the real world vanishes -- but the other light, that light that permeates the boundary,
remains. You hold on to that light and follow it like a thread...
remains. You hold on to that light and follow it like a thread...And the world shifts.
...broken...

...hurts... everywhere...
1) "Hello?"
2) "Reden?"
2
"Reden?"

...yes...

1) "How is it that I can speak with you?"
2) "You're breaking up..."
3) "Are you in pain?"
1
"How is it that I can speak with you?"

...must... be dead...

...didn't peg... for a chatty one...

1) "I'm not dead. At least, I don't think so."
2) "You're breaking up..."
3) "Are you in pain?"
1
"I'm not dead. At least, I don't think so."

...

1) "You're breaking up..."
2) "Are you in pain?"
2
"Are you in pain?"

...hurts...

1) "You're breaking up..."
2) "Is there any way I could help?"
2
"Is there any way I could help?"

...

1) "You're breaking up..."
2) "Doctor Cavala and I have been investigating your
affliction..."
2
"Doctor Cavala and I have been investigating your affliction..."

You do your best to explain what you've uncovered. You sense a presence following your train of thought, in bits and pieces, in half-remembered parts.
half-remembered parts....maybe...
half-remembered parts....maybe......find... where...
caught...
caught......Chan... works... find...
1) "The Channelworks?"
1
"The Channelworks?"

...
...A vision assaults you. A canal splits and runs off. A
sewer heaves with misery and regret. You sit and drink, waiting, waiting for an answer that will never come --
waiting for an answer that will never come --It's gone as quickly as it arrived.

1) "I understand."
2) "I don't understand."
1
"I understand."

...

1) "I'll find the place in the vision. I'll find out what happened
to you."
1
"I -- I'll find the place in the vision. I'll find out what happened to you."

...

1) "I promise."
2) "Goodbye, Reden."
1
"I promise."

...
......thank you...
1) "Goodbye, Reden."
1
"Goodbye, Reden."

...

...The current buoys you upward. The world shifts.

You return gradually to your senses. The cold glare of the surgery room envelops you. The shelves, the gurney, the curtain: these things fall into their rightful place, and your body of flesh and blood among them.

them.As your sense of self returns, you look instinctively to the center of the room -- but the ghostly Reden is nowhere to be seen. The gurney is empty.

gurney is empty.And yet...

gurney is empty.And yet...And yet you sense his presence. The pull of that other world still remains, inviting you to look beyond
the curtain. Perhaps that other world was always here, and you only lacked the eyes to see it.

lacked the eyes to see it."Marid? Are you all right?"

lacked the eyes to see it."Marid? Are you all right?"You turn. Doctor Justinian's brow is furrowed with worry. His eyes flicker between you and the empty gurney.

1) "I'm fine."
2) "I think I just had one of my hallucinations."
3) "I think I just saw a ghost."
3
"I think I just saw a ghost."

Justinian looks at you. "A ghost? Surely -- but you don't mean..."

Justinian looks at you. "A ghost? Surely -- but you don't mean...""I know what I said," you tell him. "I think... I think I spoke to a dead man. It felt too real to be a vision -- it wasn't like any hallucination I've ever experienced."

hallucination I've ever experienced."Justinian falls silent. He opens and closes his mouth, unable to muster a reply.

and closes his mouth, unable to muster a reply.As the two of you exit the surgery room, Doctor Cavala's eyes are on you. She reaches for your hand as you walk past.

your hand as you walk past."Marid," she murmurs. "If... If you're --"

your hand as you walk past."Marid," she murmurs. "If... If you're --"She's interrupted by footsteps approaching the doorway. You barely have time to look before the door swings open and a man in a gray coat barges in.

barges in."Justinian!" he rasps. "There you are. Just what have you been doing all morning? Do you know how much time you've cost the Court?"

Court?"Doctor Justinian stiffens. "Yes, of course, Doctor Serpens," he replies. "I wasn't aware that meetings took precedence over saving the life of a friend."

life of a friend."The man called Serpens narrows his eyes. "Don't get lippy with me, Justinian. This is not a 'meeting.' It's an emergency inquest from the Philosophers themselves. And mark my words, you'll have your hide strung up if you don't move your damn fool behind."

have your hide strung up if you don't move your damn fool behind."Doctor Justinian sighs and looks to you. "I'm sorry, Marid. We'll see each other again."

We'll see each other again."They depart. A small group of Vigiles salutes the doctors as they exit, and escorts them down the street and out of sight.

out of sight.Beside you, Doctor Cavala shakes her head. "Doctor Serpens," she mumbles. "Twenty years on and still a curmudgeon."

1) "Who is Doctor Serpens?"
2) "You knew him, Doctor?"
3) "What was that he said about an emergency inquest?"
1
"Who is Doctor Serpens?" you ask.

"I'm surprised you haven't heard of him," she says. "He was... is... one of the foremost experts on physiology. A close rival of Doctor Arturus, back when they were both still practicing."

1) "You knew him, Doctor?"
2) "What was that he said about an emergency inquest?"
1
"You knew him, Doctor?"

"Before your time," she says. "I apprenticed under him at the Valetudinarium. That was... twenty years ago? Before I
enlisted..."

1) "What was that he said about an emergency inquest?"
1
"What was that he said about an emergency inquest?"

Doctor Cavala stiffens. "Right. We... we haven't told you. Much has changed in the district while you were out. Take a look outside."
changed in the district while you were out. Take a look outside."She tilts her head at the door. You follow her gaze, and the shadows of soldiers can be seen through the glass.
soldiers can be seen through the glass."The death toll of the affliction has climbed into the hundreds," she says. "The entire district is in a -- a panic. Word has reached the higher-ups and martial law has been declared. There are Vigiles patrols, checkpoints in the streets... and the quarantine.
in the streets... and the quarantine."No one can leave the district until a cure has been produced by the inquest, or until everyone up and down the canal is dead."
1) "Oh, Primes."
2) "What did you mean by checkpoints?"
3) "What about food and water? Or correspondence?"
4) "So this inquest is to find a cure for the affliction?"
5) "Didn't we establish that the deaths were murders, not a result
of infection?"
6) "So what do we do now?"
1
"Oh, Primes."

Doctor Cavala nods grimly.

1) "What did you mean by checkpoints?"
2) "What about food and water? Or correspondence?"
3) "So this inquest is to find a cure for the affliction?"
4) "Didn't we establish that the deaths were murders, not a result
of infection?"
5) "So what do we do now?"
1
"What did you mean by checkpoints?"

"The -- The Vigiles have divided the district into cells," she replies. "Do you remember the Golden Reckoning?"

You rack your memory. "Now that you mention it, I remember something like that. Lots of walls and calomel curtains?"

"It's the same system. Each section of the district has been partitioned off and quarantined. It's a way to forestall the spread of the disease until a cure is found."
the disease until a cure is found.""And no one is allowed to move between these cells?"
between these cells?""Very few can." Doctor Cavala sighs. "Doctor Justinian wasn't even supposed to be here. He's needed for the inquest, which is why Doctor Serpens made an exception for him. Magisterial fiat aside, not even I can pass through the checkpoints... and neither can you."

1) "What about food and water? Or correspondence?"
2) "So this inquest is to find a cure for the affliction?"
3) "Didn't we establish that the deaths were murders, not a result
of infection?"
4) "So what do we do now?"
1
"What about food and water? Or correspondence?"

"We can still receive packages from the rest of the city," Doctor Cavala says. "There's a crew of physickers at the tram station -- they're teleporting rations to each section of the district, to be distributed by the Vigiles. We can also pass along messages through the Vigiles network, though obviously nothing material can be sent out."
out."She pauses.
out."She pauses."I... I've already asked Horatio to pass along my messages. If there's anyone outside the Channelwork District you want to contact, you should do so."

1) "So this inquest is to find a cure for the affliction?"
2) "Didn't we establish that the deaths were murders, not a result
of infection?"
3) "So what do we do now?"
1
"So this inquest is to find a cure for the affliction?"

"It is," Doctor Cavala replies. "A research station has been set up in Doctor Arturus's clinic. Doctor Serpens is the head of operations. I'd have recommended you, but after what happened..."

1) "Didn't we establish that the deaths were murders, not a result
of infection?"
2) "So what do we do now?"
1
"Didn't we establish that the deaths were murders, not a result of infection?"

She fixes you with a hard look. "Hypotheses can change, Marid. Hundreds have turned up dead. Whether this is an epidemic or a slaughter, measures have to be taken."

1) "So what do we do now?"
1
"So what do we do now?"

Doctor Cavala leans her head back. She closes her eyes, and for a terrible moment she looks like a corpse bereft of life.
terrible moment she looks like a corpse bereft of life."I don't know," she says. "I don't know."
she says. "I don't know."Her fingers twitch. Her voice cracks.
she says. "I don't know."Her fingers twitch. Her voice cracks."Honestly, Marid, there's nothing we can do. There's nothing either of us can do. All we can do is wait."
either of us can do. All we can do is wait."You feel a cold pit in your stomach.

1) "Doctor? Are you all right?"
2) "You don't have any ideas?"
3) "I could go out there on your behalf, like last time."
1
"Doctor? Are you --"

"Marid," she says quietly. "I know what you're thinking. You want to go out there. Make a difference. Marid, you just recovered from a case of severe hypoxia. You shouldn't even be standing right now."
of severe hypoxia. You shouldn't even be standing right now."She chuckles bitterly, and sinks into her makeshift cot like a wretched leaden thing.
leaden thing."You were dead, Marid," she says, very quietly. "Just moments ago, you were clinically dead on the tarp."

1) "What?"
2) "This isn't the time for jokes, Doctor."
3) <Say nothing.>
1
You feel a chill down the back of your neck. "What?"

"I told Justinian you were still in there." she says. "I was so scared -- I was so scared I'd watch your animus leave your body -- and I'd lose you again --"
lose you again --"Doctor Cavala chokes up, and begins to sob.
lose you again --"Doctor Cavala chokes up, and begins to sob."Is it worth it?" she asks. "Is it worth it to risk your life like this? To gaze into death?"

1) "I'm not afraid of death..."
2) <Hesitate.>
1
A fire rises up in you, a bile white and furious. The words come to mind like armaments of Truth.

mind like armaments of Truth."I'm not afraid of death," you tell her. "I've seen beyond the curtain."

"I've seen beyond the curtain."You look Doctor Cavala in the eye, and she returns your gaze with bated breath, with fearful wonder.

she returns your gaze with bated breath, with fearful wonder."I've gone to the other side," you say. "I clawed my way back. And I fought every bit of the way -- I fought my way back to the land of
the living, Doctor -- because I realized something.

the living, Doctor -- because I realized something."I can't run any more. There's no running from this... this madness. That's why we have to face it. That's why we have to heal it. It's what we do.

to face it. That's why we have to heal it. It's what we
do."Maybe you've forgotten what the point of everything is. Maybe the stress of it all has broken you. But I haven't broken. Not yet. And I'm going to get out there, and save lives, and find the truth.

I'm going to get out there, and save lives, and find the truth."It's what Father would have wanted."

what Father would have wanted."You take a deep breath. You feel blood seething and pounding in your temples.

seething and pounding in your temples.Doctor Cavala has fallen silent, and there are tears at the corners of her eyes.

1) <Hesitate.>
2) "I'm sorry..." <Leave her.>
2
In all your life, you have never come across a more terrible decision to make. Yet the more you have thought on it, the more the choice has become clear. It is the same choice you made when you applied to Doctor Cavala's clinic a lifetime ago.

Doctor Cavala's clinic a lifetime ago."I'm sorry," you tell her. "This is what I have to do."

is what I have to do.""Marid --"

is what I have to do.""Marid --""I'll take care of myself. It'll all be fine. I promise."

be fine. I promise.""Marid --"

be fine. I promise.""Marid --"Doctor Cavala reaches madly for
you as you pull away. She tries to stand and almost falls out of her cot.

cot.Like a nurse subduing a patient, you push her back into her cot and draw a white blanket over her body. She stares at you with eyes like a terrified deer. You blink back tears.

like a terrified deer. You blink back tears."I'll be fine," you say, "I promise. And I promise you this: no one else has to die."

"I promise. And I promise you this: no one else has to die."Doctor Cavala has no words for you. She is quiet, whimpering, sobbing to herself like a child. It is almost too much for you to see her in this state.

state.So you do the only thing you can do.

state.So you do the only thing you can do.You turn around and place your hand on the door handle. With a final forlorn step, you leave everything behind.

Via Terminalis, West End
You stand in the terminus of the Via Terminalis, a dead end of steel spires and buildings grasping fruitlessly at the sky. In the ceaseless rain, smears of animus-light weakly glow, winking in and out of existence like so many wandering souls.

The dormitory block where you live lies to the north, and a gap between buildings hides an alley entrance to the south.

The way east to the Via Terminalis has been barricaded by a Vigiles checkpoint.
You go to the north
Here is the faded arch, with its years of verdigris; here are the too-small atrium and the fountain at its center. All around above are innumerable domiciles, linked by crumbling stairs and divided by flimsy plaster walls.

The public house is closed tonight, and your room appears to have been cordoned off with warning tape. You can only exit the building to the south.
You go to the south
Via Terminalis, West End
You stand in the terminus of the Via Terminalis, a dead end of steel spires and buildings grasping fruitlessly at the sky. In the ceaseless rain, smears of animus-light weakly glow, winking in and out of existence like so many wandering souls.

The dormitory block where you live lies to the north, and a gap between buildings hides an alley entrance to the south.

The way east to the Via Terminalis has been barricaded by a Vigiles checkpoint.

Some schoolgirls walk past, not meeting your eye.
You go south
You shuffle through the gap...

A thin, twisting thread that winds between buildings. Rubbish accumulates around pipes and corners, not quite blocking the smoking vents of underground distilleries.

You can escape by a gap between buildings to the north or a hanging banner to the northeast.
You examine the vents
The south wall of the alley is lined with fume-spewing vents.
You look at the banner
The banner is an advertisement for a night market, now three weeks out of date. You can't see much behind it.
Go northeast
You duck under the banner...

Via Terminalis, West Street
You drift through empty blood-vessel streets, a speck of white mingling with cobblestones ashen and black. In place of carriages and people, there are quarantine signs and body bags. The air rings with silence, and in it there is the foul creeping odor of something terrible afoot.

You are trying to make out the end of the bridge in the rain, when --
You are trying to make out the end of the bridge in the rain, when --"Marid?"
--"Marid?"-- you freeze. A voice echoes through the mist, anxious, painfully familiar in its concern.
painfully familiar in its concern.You look away. A young Vigile in a gas mask is pushing through the billowing rain. He's wiping raindrops from his lenses, struggling to make you out.
from his lenses, struggling to make you out."Marid, is that you?"

1) "Horatio."
2) <Say nothing.>
1
"Horatio."

"Marid? Oh, Primes, what's happened to you?"
"Marid? Oh, Primes, what's happened to you?"Horatio's uniform is faded and a little ragged, and his natron-inlaid overcoat is ill-fitting. Rain pools in the crevices of his leather gloves as he takes your hand.
hand."I thought you were with Doctor Cavala," he says. "I... She didn't..."

1) "Where were you?"
2) "I'm not with Doctor Cavala any more..."
3) "She's just sent me on an errand..."
2
"I'm not with Doctor Cavala any more," you tell Horatio. "Things have changed."

His eyes widen. "What?"

His eyes widen. "What?""I'm investigating the epidemic, Horatio." You push his hand away. "People are dying. I can't just sit and wait in the clinic. I can't just give up on everything we've done."

the clinic. I can't just give up on everything we've done.""Marid..."

the clinic. I can't just give up on everything we've done.""Marid..."Horatio moves as though to embrace you, but you stop him with your hand. He dares not come closer. His dark eyes beseech you from behind gas-mask glass, as if to say: why?

you from behind gas-mask glass, as if to say: why?"Marid,
don't do this," he whispers. "You don't..."

don't do this," he whispers. "You don't...""I don't what?"

don't do this," he whispers. "You don't...""I don't
what?"Horatio shakes his head. "...Marid, I was there when
they brought you in. You were dying." Do you know --" His
voice cracks. "Do you know how I felt, seeing you like that?

voice cracks. "Do you know how I felt, seeing you like that?You think of your father's face wreathed in flame.

of your father's face wreathed in flame."I know," you tell Horatio. "I know. I'm sorry. Take care of Doctor Cavala for me."

know. I'm sorry. Take care of Doctor Cavala for me."You turn away from your old friend and start walking. You don't look back, for fear that you won't have the willpower to break his heart again.

you won't have the willpower to break his heart again.## Via Terminalis, West Street
You drift through empty blood-vessel streets, a speck of white mingling with cobblestones ashen and black. In place of carriages and people, there are quarantine signs and body bags. The air rings with silence, and in it there is the foul creeping odor of something terrible afoot.

To the southeast, the Via Terminalis bridges the canal. A condemned block is visible to the north, and a footpath follows the canal to the south.
You check what you're carrying
You are wearing an animus pendant (containing the spirit of your father), your natron jacket, and your clothes. On your person are your practitioner's badge, your scalpel, your purse, an antiseptic cloth, an endoscope, Doctor Cavala's signum, an animus lantern (providing light), yesterday's copy of the Libri Liberi, a Fourth of
Aquaria copy of the Libri Liberi, a note with Zoiro's
address, some drink coupons, and a ticker-tape reel.
J.
Sixth of Aquaria, Auritum IV

There's nothing left to say. I've burned my bridges. I'm sorry.

Now it's time to do what I set out to do. Reden, Doctor Arturus, all of them -- I'm going to make sure they didn't die in vain.

Current objectives:

- Find the place from Reden's vision

Marid's notes:

- Reden's vision showed me a canal or sewer somewhere in the Channelworks, where he was drinking.

Via Terminalis, West Street
You drift through empty blood-vessel streets, a speck of white mingling with cobblestones ashen and black. In place of carriages and people, there are quarantine signs and body bags. The air rings with silence, and in it there is the foul creeping odor of something terrible afoot.

To the southeast, the Via Terminalis bridges the canal. A condemned block is visible to the north, and a footpath follows the canal to the south.
Go southeast
Here your footsteps echo like a crowd among the arches and cobblestones. Endlessly does the rain dash itself against the bridge, making the Bilious Canal churn with forbidding mist and the eyes of the wayside statues run with tears.

A Vigiles checkpoint blocks the path to the southeast. You can only retrace your steps northwest, or failing that, descend a clandestine stairway to the south.
stairway to the south.As you take a moment to catch your bearings, a mysterious hooded woman climbs up the steps from the south. She takes a fleeting glance at you --
a fleeting glance at you --She withdraws as if stung, and walks away quickly across the bridge to the northwest.
Go northwest
Via Terminalis, West Street
You drift through empty blood-vessel streets, a speck of white mingling with cobblestones ashen and black. In place of carriages and people, there are quarantine signs and body bags. The air rings with silence, and in it there is the foul creeping odor of something terrible afoot.

To the southeast, the Via Terminalis bridges the canal. A condemned block is visible to the north, and a footpath follows the canal to the south.
south.You spy the hooded woman on the side of the street. As you catch up with her, she notices you and flees south along the canal.
You go south
Glittering waters roar alongside the footpath, running from north to south in an ever-restless torrent. North lies the Via Terminalis, and beyond it the mouth of the Channelworks; to the south, the path descends by steps and turns, ending in the algae and grime of Upper Riggertown.

The entrance to Riggertown appears to be blocked by a Vigiles checkpoint. There will be no going south from here.
checkpoint. There will be no going south from here.The hooded woman is climbing down through the manhole, having opened it by unknown means. As you approach, she lifts her head. Only darkness is visible beneath her hood.
her hood.She regards you like that -- the rain and the wind tugging at the hem of her cloak -- before she disappears into the manhole and slams it firmly shut behind her.
slams it firmly shut behind her.You rush over and pull at the manhole cover, but it's useless. However she did it, the manhole seems to be locked from the inside.
locked from the inside.But the chase may not have been in vain after all. In her haste, the woman seems to have left an odd-looking stone behind.
You examine the stone
(the stonework key)
An artificially carved stone fragment that reminds you of a puzzle piece or key. One of its faces is crescent-shaped and covered in moss and graffiti paint.
Go north
Via Terminalis, West Street
You drift through empty blood-vessel streets, a speck of white mingling with cobblestones ashen and black. In place of carriages and people, there are quarantine signs and body bags. The air rings with silence, and in it there is the foul creeping odor of something terrible afoot.

To the southeast, the Via Terminalis bridges the canal. A condemned block is visible to the north, and a footpath follows the canal to the south.
You go southeast
Here your footsteps echo like a crowd among the arches and cobblestones. Endlessly does the rain dash itself against the bridge, making the Bilious Canal churn with forbidding mist and the eyes of the wayside statues run with tears.

A Vigiles checkpoint blocks the path to the southeast. You can only retrace your steps northwest, or failing that, descend a clandestine stairway to the south.

Some guards lead a prisoner down the street in chains.
You look at the moss
(the moss on the east embankment)
Grim tufts of pelagic moss; a Dark Lands weed notoriously difficult to eradicate.
You examine the graffiti
(the graffiti on the east embankment)
Various vandalisms in aspirated paint. There are the usual signatures and faux-alchemical designs, as well as more esoteric images of the celestial and fantastical. Here, a three-headed sphinx; there, a crescent inscribed among stars.
You look at the crescent
(the crescent in the graffiti)
Running your fingers over the graffiti, you are startled to discover that the crescent in the graffiti conceals some kind of keyhole.
You look at the door
An iron door flush with the embankment. It is dirty, but without rust, and unmarked except for a crescent-shaped window. There is no handle.
You put the key in the keyhole
The stonework key fits into the mural with a tingle, as though an alchemical glyph has been completed. The world blurs into the rain, and the rain into the world, and you see it -- a change in
the order of the skeins that are woven before you.
the order of the skeins that are woven before you.The iron door swings open.
You enter
In this lightless passage, the air is still and the sounds of the world seem to die. Yet the tunnel is alive nonetheless: it teems with raindrops, seeping from unseen cracks, sparkling with mirth as they reflect the dancing eye of your animus-light.

To the west, you hear the echoing roar of the Bilious Canal. In the east, there is murmuring, and a candlelit glow.
You look at the glow
The east flickers.
You go east
You are in a massive subterranean chamber, dark but for glittering glyphs and candlelight. There are countless pipes and galvanic lines running from the city's workings into the heart of this chamber; and there a great sculpture rises, many-headed and many-armed, like a monstrous irradiated god.

A crowd of worshippers, all mutants, is kneeling before the sculpture in prayer. A green-robed patriarch stands among them, overseeing the ceremony; and he looks at you.
ceremony; and he looks at you."Hello, child."
ceremony; and he looks at you."Hello, child."His is a voice that throbs, as though it were bubbles of vocalization escaping from broth. He regards you with a face full of holes and crinkles his jaw in a way approximating a smile.

1) <Recoil instinctively.>
2) "Hello." <Try to stay calm.>
2
"H -- Hello," you muster. Your voice is trembling.
"H -- Hello," you muster. Your voice is trembling."Oh... Oh!" the mutant exclaims. "You are not of our kind. My sincerest apologies."
mutant exclaims. "You are not of our kind. My sincerest apologies."He -- at least you think it is a he -- he reaches behind himself with a gaunt arm and pulls his hood up. Colorful streamers dangle in front of his face, veiling its ragged angles from sight.
his face, veiling its ragged angles from sight."I am so very sorry for the shock." He steps closer. "We receive so few visitors. Especially from the world above."

1) "My name is Marid."
2) "Who are you?"
3) "What is this place?"
4) "I hope I'm not trespassing..."
5) "Are you aware that the Channelworks District is under
quarantine?"
4
"I hope I'm not trespassing," you say. "I... There was a woman who dropped a key in a hurry, and..."

The patriarch tilts his head. "You are a friend of ours, are you not?"

The patriarch tilts his head. "You are a friend of ours, are you not?""Um..."

not?""Um...""If you are not, I am afraid this conversation will take a rather unpleasant turn."

rather unpleasant turn.""...Yes," you say. "Yes, I'm a friend."

rather unpleasant turn.""...Yes," you say. "Yes, I'm a friend.""Then you have nothing to worry about." He chuckles, his chest heaving wetly. "As long as you pledge to leave us in peace, we shall afford you the same respect. I trust we are clear on this."

you the same respect. I trust we are clear on this.""Yes, sir."

you the same respect. I trust we are clear on this.""Yes, sir.""Very good."

1) "My name is Marid."
2) "Who are you?"
3) "What is this place?"
4) "Are you aware that the Channelworks District is under
quarantine?"
1
"My name is Marid," you say.

"Greetings, Marid." The mutant inclines his head. "Marid Orpheia, is it not? You are a brave woman to venture so far from home."

1) "Who are you?"
2) "What is this place?"
3) "Are you aware that the Channelworks District is under
quarantine?"
1
"Who are you?"

"Ah! I have forgotten my manners." He clasps his hands together. "Forgive me. I am Natos, Natos Web-eye; but most here call me Patriarch Natos.

"Here I am..." He sweeps a robed arm around the chamber. "Here is my congregation."

1) "What is this place?"
2) "Are you aware that the Channelworks District is under
quarantine?"
1
"What is this place?"

You gaze at the terrible hydra in steel, and the dozens of mutants prostrating themselves before it.

"You are not from the basilica, then. Thank the stars." The patriarch laughs wetly and shakes his head. "And here I was, preparing to offer you a bribe."
you a bribe.""A bribe?"
you a bribe.""A bribe?""We are outcasts, my child. Cast out from the temple of your people to walk the dark places. Tell me --"
temple of your people to walk the dark places. Tell me --"He fixes you with an eyeless gaze. "What do you know of Reason, and of mutantkind?"

1) "Reason is the law that governs all things, just as the Philosophers govern society."
2) "Mutants -- your people -- you were exiled to the Dark Lands,
and mutated by the irradiata."
3) "...I've come to realize that I know a lot less about the world than I thought I did."
3
"...I've come to realize that I know a lot less about the world than I thought I did."

The patriarch regards you quietly for a while, a little eerily, though not without fondness.

not without fondness."You are wiser than I was at your age," he says.

not without fondness."You are wiser than I was at your age," he says."There are many things I don't know," you say. "And I've seen some things that made me question myself."

some things that made me question myself.""Very well... very well..."

some things that made me question myself.""Very well... very well..."He nods, and for a moment you wonder if he is not smiling beneath his hood. Then, with a gnarled hand, he gestures at the statue of the hydra.

of the hydra."Now it is my turn to answer," he says. "You asked me, my child: what is this place? It is a church, if you would like to call it that. Here we worship, and we pray, and we venerate the old traditions from the Dark Lands. Our rites have been handed down through generation after generation of mutants; and so they have passed into my care.

passed into my care."Before you is a likeness of Anu Va, the Hydra God. It is one of the powers in the world, although the Philosophers would have you believe that it is not so. Trust me, for I have seen the Hydra with my own eyes. We worship and give offerings so that its terrible chaos does not consume us."

terrible chaos does not consume us.""And you do this in secret," you say.

say."Indeed," Patriarch Natos says. "The Philosophers do not take kindly to those who challenge their sacred idols: Reason, or Knowledge, or the Scientific Method. They call us 'cultists,' or else 'subversives,' and persecute us as they persecuted our ancestors. They will not admit that there are answers that cannot be found in textbooks, or that there are things Reason cannot explain.

textbooks, or that there are things Reason cannot explain."That is why we hold our services in this abandoned cistern... and why we have to bribe Council officials from time to time."

1) "Do you know a mutant woman with a distinctive smile? One with
lots of teeth?"
2) "Are you aware that the Channelworks District is under
quarantine?"
1
"Do you know a mutant woman with a distinctive smile? One with lots of teeth?"

The patriarch nods grimly.

"I knew the one of whom you speak," he says. "Carnicer was her name. We had not seen her here in some time... I had my misgivings about the paths in life she had chosen. It is a tragedy that her choices led her to such a terrible end."

1) "Are you aware that the Channelworks District is under
quarantine?"
1
"What do you mean, 'cursed'?"

"I mean what I say." He lowers his head solemnly. "Ever since we began our worship here, all who have chanced to go into the passage have died."

1) "How did the deaths happen?"
2) "Can I see the bodies?"
3) "Does anyone else know about this curse?"
4) "Thank you for the warning. I'll be careful."
1
"How did the deaths happen?" you ask.

"It is different every time," Patriarch Natos says. "Now and again, one of us is foolhardy enough to brave the passage. They will go, and they will return, seemingly none the worse for wear. They always say the same thing: that it is only an old, disused aqueduct, and there is nothing for us to fear.

"And yet, within the week, it will transpire that some terrible malady has befallen the explorer. They will bleed from within, or they will go insane, or their flesh will melt off their bones. And then they will die."

1) "Can I see the bodies?"
2) "Does anyone else know about this curse?"
3) "Thank you for the warning. I'll be careful."
1
"Can I see the bodies?"

"I am afraid not," Patriarch Natos says. "There was a time when we buried those who had succumbed to the curse, but we soon found that the curse could linger in the graves. These days, we incinerate the bodies. We do not take chances."

1) "Does anyone else know about this curse?"
2) "Thank you for the warning. I'll be careful."
1
"Does anyone else know about this curse?"

He shrugs. "In the beginning, we tried to get help. Discreetly, of course. There is an appeal, somewhere in the basilica, that a magistrate sympathetic to us has filed. But no one has come. I can only assume that it has fallen through the cracks of your bureaucracy."

1) "Thank you for the warning. I'll be careful."
1
"Thank you for the warning," you say. "I'll be careful."

"You do not seem to be dissuaded," Patriarch Natos observes.

"You do not seem to be dissuaded," Patriarch Natos observes.You think of Reden's black eyes, full of forlorn hope. You feel the weight of your pendant on your skin.

your pendant on your skin."...I see," the patriarch says. "You are determined. Very well. I hope you know what you are doing."

determined. Very well. I hope you know what you are doing."He unlocks the grate, and with a tumultous creaking, pulls it open on its hinges. The ink-stained curtain billows like a flag.

The ink-stained curtain billows like a flag."Thank you," you say. "For showing me the way."

showing me the way."He nods. "Good luck on your journey, Marid Orpheia. May the Hydra have mercy upon you."

Orpheia. May the Hydra have mercy upon you."## Church of One Thousand Faces
You are in a massive subterranean chamber, dark but for glittering glyphs and candlelight. There are countless pipes and galvanic lines running from the city's workings into the heart of this chamber; and there a great sculpture rises, many-headed and many-armed, like a monstrous irradiated god.

To the west is the passage back to the surface. To the north, an abandoned aqueduct leads to a Channelworks maintenance tunnel.

A crowd of worshippers, all mutants, is kneeling before the sculpture in prayer. Patriarch Natos stands before them, overseeing the ceremony.
You examine the sculpture
It is a strange and terrible mutant built of optical illusions and alien angles. Many times larger than a man, it looks down on the worshipping congregation with one thousand fearsome heads, each one an impressionistic smear blending into the next.
Go north
The candlelight dies here, where the aqueduct narrows. The ragged curtain hides a dark and dismal tunnel which bristles with rusted wires and broken pressure valves. And all around you, pale and half-formed, lurking in the crevices of your consciousness, are the spirits of the dead.

You can follow the aqueduct south to the underground church, or northwest where it opens out onto the pouring rain.
You examine the spirits
They are the apparitions of unfamiliar mutants, somehow damaged and tied to this place. Some are skeletal, missing flesh. Others are without faces or limbs.
You talk to them
You fix the wandering spirits in your mind's eye. The tunnel melts into the rain and catches fire and shifts.
This is a dead place.
This is a dead place.You should not be here.
This is a dead place.You should not be here.1)
"I come in peace."
2) "Who are you?"
3) "What happened to you?"
4) "I'm here on an important mission..."
1
"I come in peace."

Then why do you disturb us?

1) "Who are you?"
2) "What happened to you?"
3) "I'm here on an important mission..."
1
"Who are you?"

...
...It has been so long since anyone asked our names.
...It has been so long since anyone asked our
names.We do not remember.
names.We do not remember.That part of us is
gone.
1) "What happened to you?"
2) "I'm here on an important mission..."
1
"What happened to you?"

...We died.

...We died.There is something here that kills.

...We died.There is something here that kills.We
did not heed the warnings.

did not heed the warnings.We were young and foolhardy.

did not heed the warnings.We were young and
foolhardy.Too bad it took death to humble us.

1) "I'm here on an important mission..."
1
"I'm here on an important mission," you say. "Hundreds of people are dead in the district. I think it may have something to do with the Channelworks. It might even be related to how you died."

...
...So the curse has found the upper city at last.
...So the curse has found the upper city at
last.So that is what it took for them to send someone.
last.So that is what it took for them to send
someone.What do you want?
1) "Do you know what exactly killed you?"
2) "What do you remember of your time in this passage?"
3) "Do you have any advice for me?"
1
"Do you know what exactly killed you?"

No.
No.Death came for us without a sound.
No.Death came for us without a sound.If we knew,
we would have told the others.
1) "What do you remember of your time in this passage?"
2) "Do you have any advice for me?"
3) "Thank you for your help."
1
"What do you remember of your time in this passage?"

This passage is our grave.

This passage is our grave.We remember it clearly...

This passage is our grave.We remember it
clearly...Or do we?

clearly...Or do we?We do not remember the end.

clearly...Or do we?We do not remember the
end.None of us do.

end.None of us do.Strange.

end.None of us do.Strange.It never seemed
relevant.

1) "Do you think your memories were manipulated?"
2) "Do you have any advice for me?"
3) "Thank you for your help."
1
The way none of the spirits remember the end of the passage is suspicious. It reminds you of an old rumor you once heard at college. You never really believed it, but now...

You never really believed it, but now..."Do you think your memories were manipulated?" you ask. "Like what they say the Philosophers once did to dissidents?"

did to dissidents?"...

did to dissidents?"...What you speak of is only a
rumor.

rumor.We do not know what to believe.

rumor.We do not know what to believe.It may be as
you say, but...

you say, but...We would rather not speculate on ghost
stories.

1) "Do you have any advice for me?"
2) "Thank you for your help."
1
"Do you have any advice for me?"

...
......Don't die.
1) "Thank you for your help."
1
"Thank you for your help."

...
...Good luck... girl who talks to spirits.
...Good luck... girl who talks to spirits.You close
your mind's eye. The fire consumes you and the world shifts.
Terminal Vein
The candlelight dies here, where the aqueduct narrows. The ragged curtain hides a dark and dismal tunnel which bristles with rusted wires and broken pressure valves. And all around you, pale and half-formed, lurking in the crevices of your consciousness, are the spirits of the dead.

You can follow the aqueduct south to the underground church, or northwest where it opens out onto the pouring rain.
You go to the north-west
In the shadow of the Channelworks is this little crumbling ledge, where the roof has caved in and rain batters stone. Here is a manhole, and a waterway heaving with the Hydra Aquifera's runoff;
beside it is a broken old chair surrounded by dozens of wine bottles. In their glass, you see distorted the face of the Channelworks above and the fury of the Bilious Canal below.

To the southeast, the aqueduct leads back to the mutant church. To the north, you can enter the bowels of the Channelworks.

A tiny string of glistering black runs along the ground and disappears into the north pipe.
You look at the manhole
A rusted manhole with a dented grille.

On closer examination, it's too small for you to fit into. But a goblin-sized person might be able to climb in. It looks like a shaft runs all the way from this manhole to Riggertown.
runs all the way from this manhole to Riggertown.Your guess is that a certain goblin has been using this manhole to sneak onto this ledge beneath the Channelworks.
You look at waterway
A solution of horrible-smelling alchemical detritus. It runs from the wastewater channels leading out of the Channelworks.
You examine the chair
A tiny, rickety folding steel chair. You see the stamp of the Council of Works on its backrest.
You look at the stamp
The chair has probably been stolen from the Channelworks and left out here.
Bottles
It's the same brand you saw in Reden's shack.
You examine the string
It's a trail of some kind of liquid, shadowy in its consistency. You would have missed it if not for the way it caught your lantern's animus-light.
animus-light.Something about it feels wrong.
You examine Channelworks
Hydra Aquifera, pride of the district, cathedral to Knowledge
and Power. Stunning bas-relief adorns its architecture, and the Bilious Canal flows from its mouth.
You examinbas-reliefs
It's too far away to make out.
You go to the north
You are in the belly of the beast now, in one of the many pipes that radiate from the Channelworks' pumping heart. Here the walls are sloped and plated in ancient sigiled brass, leaving you only a precarious steel catwalk to tread upon. Below and alongside you, rushing water flows, filling the pipe with a roaring echo like a tempestuous ocean.

You can follow the pipe north or south.

A black ribbon winds through a hairline crack in the brass plating, flowing in a steady drip from the north.
You look at the ribbon
Its shadowy length is a throbbing scar on your retina.
You look at the catwalk
It leans a little when you shift your weight.
You go to the north
From this observation deck, you can see the grand scale of the operation of the Channelworks. A solid mass of machinery extends everywhere within this ancient building, filling its domed chambers and its high stone arches. Everywhere you look, pipes converge in a dizzying cacophony of hissing steam and flowing water, of whirling turbines and rolling metal drums.

A foul-smelling tunnel leads out of the Channelworks to the south.

There is a console here, and a hydraulic door to the east which stands out from all the others. The black trail flows from one of the leaking pipes near this door.
You examine the console
A grand table finished in rosewood and orichalcum. There are a myriad different needles and indicator bulbs, labeled with arcane symbols and organized with geometric precision.

An inkstained memo has been left on one wing of the console. Beside it, there is a row of pistons with handles that can be pushed or pulled.

Currently, the I piston is retracted, the II piston is extended, the IV piston is retracted, the VII piston is extended, and the X piston is extended.
You examine the memo
I've shut the laboratory until the crisis blows over. No seal yet,
but the pressure safety lock should be enough to keep muties out.
-S
You get it
You shouldn't. If you tampered with the memo, the Channelworks operators might realize you've been trespassing.
You look at the machinery
These are the workings that underpin a society, which so few are able to glimpse.
You examine the door
A steel-and-brass door that looks like it pistons open and shut. It's currently shut, with a protesting pressure gauge in place of a lock.

"HYDRAULIC PRESSURE BELOW SAFETY LIMITS," the rotary disc informs you.
You look at the trail
The leak is thin and insidious, so difficult to see that you might not have noticed it under any other circumstance. It seems to be coming from the other side of the hydraulic door.
You look at the disc
"HYDRAULIC PRESSURE BELOW SAFETY LIMITS," the rotary disc informs you.
You examine the piston i.
A brass piston labeled with the number 1. It can be pushed or pulled using the handle on its end. At the moment, it is retracted.
You examine piston III
Which do you mean, the I piston, the II piston, the IV piston, the VII piston, or the X piston?
You pull the vii
The VII piston is already extended.
You pull the i.
The I piston extends out of the console with a weighty hiss.

Now, the I piston is extended, the II piston is extended, the IV piston is retracted, the VII piston is retracted, and the X piston is extended.
You pull the IV
(the Fourth of Aquaria copy of the Libri Liberi)
Nothing obvious happens.
You pull the piston iv
The IV piston extends out of the console with a weighty hiss.

Now, the I piston is extended, the II piston is extended, the IV piston is extended, the VII piston is retracted, and the X piston is extended.

The pressure lock on the door makes a grating sound. Now it says "HYDRAULIC PRESSURE BELOW SAFETY LIMITS."
You pull the piston vii
The VII piston extends out of the console with a weighty hiss.

Now, the I piston is extended, the II piston is extended, the IV piston is extended, the VII piston is extended, and the X piston is retracted.
You look around
From this observation deck, you can see the grand scale of the operation of the Channelworks. A solid mass of machinery extends everywhere within this ancient building, filling its domed chambers and its high stone arches. Everywhere you look, pipes converge in a dizzying cacophony of hissing steam and flowing water, of whirling turbines and rolling metal drums.

A foul-smelling tunnel leads out of the Channelworks to the south.

There is a console here, and a hydraulic door to the east which stands out from all the others. The black trail flows from one of the leaking pipes near this door.
You look at the steam
It's the processed lifeblood of the district.
You look at the console
A grand table finished in rosewood and orichalcum. There are a myriad different needles and indicator bulbs, labeled with arcane symbols and organized with geometric precision.

An inkstained memo has been left on one wing of the console. Beside it, there is a row of pistons with handles that can be pushed or pulled.

Currently, the I piston is extended, the II piston is extended, the IV piston is extended, the VII piston is extended, and the X piston is retracted.
You examine the memo
I've shut the laboratory until the crisis blows over. No seal yet,
but the pressure safety lock should be enough to keep muties out.
-S
You go south
You are in the belly of the beast now, in one of the many pipes that radiate from the Channelworks' pumping heart. Here the walls are sloped and plated in ancient sigiled brass, leaving you only a precarious steel catwalk to tread upon. Below and alongside you, rushing water flows, filling the pipe with a roaring echo like a tempestuous ocean.

You can follow the pipe north or south.

A black ribbon winds through a hairline crack in the brass plating, flowing in a steady drip from the north.
You look at the pipe
(the leaking black trail)
The leak is thin and insidious, so difficult to see that you might not have noticed it under any other circumstance. It seems to be coming from the other side of the hydraulic door.
You look at the machinery
These are the workings that underpin a society, which so few are able to glimpse.
You talk to the spirits
You have learned all they have to offer.
Go south
You are in a massive subterranean chamber, dark but for glittering glyphs and candlelight. There are countless pipes and galvanic lines running from the city's workings into the heart of this chamber; and there a great sculpture rises, many-headed and many-armed, like a monstrous irradiated god.

To the west is the passage back to the surface. To the north, an abandoned aqueduct leads to a Channelworks maintenance tunnel.

A crowd of worshippers, all mutants, is kneeling before the sculpture in prayer. Patriarch Natos stands before them, overseeing the ceremony.
J.
Sixth of Aquaria, Auritum IV

So this is the Channelworks. I've always dreamed of visiting, but I never imagined it would be like this.

What killed you, Reden? What curse lurks in the bowels of this place?

Current objectives:

...and figure out how to open the hydraulic door

Marid's notes:

- It looks like the hydraulic door is automatically locked because the water pressure is currently unsafe.
- I think the pistons on that console control the water pressure somehow.

You are in a massive subterranean chamber, dark but for glittering glyphs and candlelight. There are countless pipes and galvanic lines running from the city's workings into the heart of this chamber; and there a great sculpture rises, many-headed and many-armed, like a monstrous irradiated god.

To the west is the passage back to the surface. To the north, an abandoned aqueduct leads to a Channelworks maintenance tunnel.

A crowd of worshippers, all mutants, is kneeling before the sculpture in prayer. Patriarch Natos stands before them, overseeing the ceremony.
You examine the valves
Old fixtures ruptured by the weight of years, and never mended.
You put endoscope in manhole
You take a peek with the endoscope, but it's too dark to make anything out from the outside.
You put lantern in the manhole
If you dropped it in the manhole, you'd never be able to get it back.
You pull the piston X
The X piston extends out of the console with a weighty hiss.

Now, the I piston is retracted, the II piston is retracted, the IV piston is retracted, the VII piston is retracted, and the X piston is extended.
You pull piston vii
The VII piston extends out of the console with a weighty hiss.

Now, the I piston is retracted, the II piston is retracted, the IV piston is retracted, the VII piston is extended, and the X piston is extended.

The pressure lock on the door makes a grating sound. Now it says "HYDRAULIC PRESSURE BELOW SAFETY LIMITS."
You pull the piston iv
The IV piston extends out of the console with a weighty hiss.

Now, the I piston is retracted, the II piston is retracted, the IV piston is extended, the VII piston is retracted, and the X piston is extended.
You pull the piston ii
The II piston extends out of the console with a weighty hiss.

Now, the I piston is retracted, the II piston is extended, the IV piston is extended, the VII piston is retracted, and the X piston is extended.

The pressure lock on the door makes a grating sound. Now it says "HYDRAULIC PRESSURE BELOW SAFETY LIMITS."
You pull the piston i.
The I piston extends out of the console with a weighty hiss.

Now, the I piston is extended, the II piston is retracted, the IV piston is extended, the VII piston is retracted, and the X piston is extended.

With a satisfying metallic click-click-clicking, the hydraulic door unlocks and telescopes open.
You describe your surroundings
From this observation deck, you can see the grand scale of the operation of the Channelworks. A solid mass of machinery extends everywhere within this ancient building, filling its domed chambers and its high stone arches. Everywhere you look, pipes converge in a dizzying cacophony of hissing steam and flowing water, of whirling turbines and rolling metal drums.

A foul-smelling tunnel leads out of the Channelworks to the south.

There is a console here, and a hydraulic door to the east which stands open. The black trail flows from one of the leaking pipes near this door.
Go east
It is dusky here, and cold. The walls are austere bunker-brass. Looming about are locked cabinets and metal crates stamped with esoteric ciphers; there is a laboratory counter that bristles with papers, alembics, syphons, the skeletons of mice, the detritus of knowledge. The floor is dirty and scuffed. The counter has been used recently.
You examine the cabinets
These look like filing cabinets for highly restricted treatises, the sort you would find in the Philosophers' animological research libraries. Each is labeled according to what you assume is a secret cataloguing system. All are physically locked and sealed by dozens of warding glyphs.

There is one odd cabinet, though, that seems newer than the rest. The wards are the same, but the metal is a little less tarnished.
You look at the odd cabinet
This cabinet is a little less tarnished than the others.
You examine the wards
Harsh red triangles are inscribed in a lattice all over the cabinets. You're no sigiler, but you know a deadly defensive spell when you see one.
Examine crates
You recognize them as the type of crate used to transport dangerous substances.
You look at counter
A cold desk light illuminates dated scientific theses and yellowed medical reports. By the looming shadows of old alembics and syphons, there is a glass containment cage filled with skeletal corpses of mice.

You feel like you need to investigate the items more closely.
You examine the reports
There are human, goblin, and mutant anatomical diagrams; skeletons, musculatures, and circulatory systems. And there are other diagrams: ones with concentric circles, amorphous cross-hatched zones, rays of differing magnitude.

differing magnitude.Slowly you realize what the diagrams are depicting. They are charts of the other light, the unseen light. They are meticulously measured and recorded diagrams of souls.

are meticulously measured and recorded diagrams of souls.Some are fulgurant and whole, looking much as the spirits in the aqueduct did. Others are fractured, like Reden's animus, and torn apart.

Others are fractured, like Reden's animus, and torn apart.The fractured souls are labeled "NOCTIS TEST RESULTS."

fractured souls are labeled "NOCTIS TEST RESULTS."There is some writing on the back of one of the reports. It reads: "I cannot do this anymore. My conscience weighs too heavily. Philosopher Scepter is no more and it is for the best that her atrocities are forgotten."

more and it is for the best that her atrocities are forgotten."A line below it, in a newer hand: "You always were too cautious, Arturus, my friend."
You examine  the line
Your father gave you these tattoos when you were a young child, as is tradition in some alchemical families. Even now, the flowing, circuitous lines remind you of him.
You examine the cage
A box for the observation of small creatures. The insides are dirty and coated with fungus.
You look at the mice
Parts of the ribcages are black and corroded, as if eaten from within. There are no animii that you can see.
You put the endoscope in the cage
The glass containment cage is empty.
You examine alembics
Opaque liquids in warped glass. They look like solutions of bile left to stand, or perhaps what is left after oxygen is purged from blood.
You look at the syphons
Droppers, needles, and syringes, glistening and ruddy from recent use.

You notice a protruding shape hidden behind the syphons, cleverly concealed in the clutter of the laboratory counter.
You examine the shape
It's a small push-button.
Journal
Sixth of Aquaria, Auritum IV

I wish I never knew. I wish I'd never come here.

Current objectives:

It is dusky here, and cold. The walls are austere bunker-brass. Looming about are locked cabinets and metal crates stamped with esoteric ciphers; there is a laboratory counter that bristles with papers, alembics, syphons, the skeletons of mice, the detritus of knowledge. The floor is dirty and scuffed. The counter has been used recently

You can go west to the hydromotive control room, or east through the open door of a false cabinet.
You go east
A freezing cold storage chamber not meant for the living. Desolate mist fills the aisles between banks of opaque black vats, which cast long and looming shadows in the flickering light.

In the faint glow of floor-to-ceiling sigilwork, the silhouettes of isolation chambers are outlined along the walls.

The exit is to the west.
You examine the chambers
Person-sized capsules with a single door and a small crystal window. You recognize them from the College laboratories for the study of infectious diseases.
You examine the sigilwork
It is a massive cooling system inscribed in mercury.
You look at the vats
Huge alchemical storage vats. They are merciless pillars with empty visages. At first you think they are painted black. Then you look closer.
closer.The vats are filled with darkness. It is the ineffable blackness that you saw leaking from the pipes. It is the night that descends when you go to sleep or die.
descends when you go to sleep or die.It is broiling and it is seething and it hurts your eyes -- it hurts to see -- like looking
into a hole in the fabric of the universe.
into a hole in the fabric of the universe.This is what you are looking at, in these massive, chilled storage vats. This is a laboratory for making more.
J.
Sixth of Aquaria, Auritum IV

I wish I never knew. I wish I'd never come here.

Current objectives:

A freezing cold storage chamber not meant for the living. Desolate mist fills the aisles between banks of opaque black vats, which cast long and looming shadows in the flickering light.

In the faint glow of floor-to-ceiling sigilwork, the silhouettes of isolation chambers are outlined along the walls.

The exit is to the west.
You go west
You stumble back, away from the cold, away from the terrible nothingness that in those pillars broils. You are fumbling,
looking for the exit, when --

looking for the exit, when --"...someone there?"

looking for the exit, when --"...someone there?"You draw back, your heart racing. A voice rings through the Channelworks, and it is a familiar one.

familiar one."Damned mutants," Doctor Serpens's murmuring echoes. "Who's there? Identify yourself!"

"Who's there? Identify yourself!"There is a loud hiss from the hydromotive control room. For a moment you hear nothing. Then it is there: the cold, atonal clanging of footfalls on metal, drawing closer and closer to where you are.

and closer to where you are.You need to hide. Now.
2
You stare out of the window with bated breath, not quite able to believe your eyes.

Justinian's face is twisted with the specter of anguish. He looks around, but he does not see you. He paces through the freezing aisles, clutching his coat close to his shivering shoulders as he scans the corners and the shadows.
corners and the shadows."Marid, Marid, Marid," he says, in a voice that is almost cracked from grief. "Please... Marid... tell me you're here."
1) "Justinian?"
2) <Remain hidden.>
2
You dare not emerge, but you feel tears welling up in your eyes.

You watch as Justinian painstakingly searches the room, sometimes sobbing, sometimes begging for a sign. His hands are shaking as he struggles with the glyphs on the isolation chambers. He opens one only to find it empty, and slams the door shut with a scream of frustration.
frustration."Please, Marid, please," he repeats hoarsely. "Please be okay. I can't lose you. I can't lose you..."
okay. I can't lose you. I can't lose you..."You are beginning to feel horrible.

1) "Justinian?"
2) <Remain hidden.>
2
He goes around the room, opening and closing each isolation chamber in turn, calling your name over and over with such despair that you can't take it any longer. You just can't.

There are some things that you have to do.

1) "Justinian?"
1
"Justinian?"

Your voice is a thin thread, a whisper that must be almost inaudible from outside the walls of your prison. But if it is a whisper, it is one with the power of a lightning bolt.

one with the power of a lightning bolt.Justinian stands bolt upright, and his eyes widen and he looks around madly.

and his eyes widen and he looks around madly."Marid!" he says. "Marid? Marid, is that you?"

Marid, is that you?""Justinian. I'm here."

Marid, is that you?""Justinian. I'm here."You tap the safety release glyph and the door opens. With a hiss the cool air rushes in, and the light, and a feeling of relief like a held breath finally letting go.

light, and a feeling of relief like a held breath finally letting go.Justinian takes a couple of steps forward and embraces you. His dirty cheeks are stained with tears.

dirty cheeks are stained with tears.You feel weightless with Justinian's arms wrapped around you. He is close, and he is warm, and his heart is filled with fire. A part of you notifies your conscious mind that your cheeks are burning. But the embarrassment is less, somehow, after you have already died once.

somehow, after you have already died once."Marid," he murmurs, almost under his breath. "I've been looking everywhere for you. Do you know how insane this is? You could have died."

how insane this is? You could have died.""I know," you say. "I know. Listen --"

Listen --""Marid, it's not safe here. You need to --"

Listen --""Marid, it's not safe here. You need to --""Justinian, listen to me," you say. "I've found the source of the contagion. It's being produced right here in this laboratory. There's a stack of research notes on that desk. You need to tell the inquest to get a team down here so that... so that..."

team down here so that... so that..."Something is wrong.

team down here so that... so that..."Something is wrong.Justinian's demeanor has not changed. He has shown no surprise, no reaction apart from his concern.

from his concern.You try to pull away, but you cannot. His embrace has turned rigid.

turned rigid.You look up, and his eyes sear into yours like dark sunsets.

1) "Justinian?"
1
"Justinian?"

"Yes, Marid?" His voice is soft.

1) "What's going on?"
2) "Why are you here?"
3) "You already know, don't you?"
3
"You already know, don't you?"

Those unreadable eyes of his flicker across your face. Slowly, very slowly, he inclines his head in a nod.
slowly, he inclines his head in a nod."I do."
slowly, he inclines his head in a nod."I do."You begin to feel something creeping in your heart. It is a kind of pain.

1) "How long have you known?"
2) "Why didn't you tell me?"
3) "...What else have you not told me?"
1
"How long have you known?"

Justinian's lips tighten with sadness, with unspoken regret.

"A long time," he says, very quietly. "I had hoped to be the one to tell you."

1) "Why didn't you tell me?"
2) "...What else have you not told me?"
2
There is a sense of a voice in the back of your mind that has been silenced, for a long time, and which you are only now able to hear. Now it is telling you something you had never wished to believe could be true.

be true.For perhaps the first time you look at Doctor Justinian, and in the other-light that follows him, you see it.

in the other-light that follows him, you see it."...What else
have you not told me?" you say.

have you not told me?" you say."You still aren't ready," Justinian whispers. "There's so much I wanted to tell you, Marid. If only --"

whispers. "There's so much I wanted to tell you, Marid. If only --""If only what?"

only what?"There is no more warmth in his embrace -- only a
kind of sickening smoldering hurt that makes you want to throw up. You shove him with such force that he lets you go, and you stumble into the cold brass of the isolation chamber at your back. He looks away. His brow is furrowed with pain. Sorrow.

His brow is furrowed with pain. Sorrow."I wish I didn't have to do this," he says. "I promise, Marid. I promise that one day you will forgive me."

forgive me.""Justinian, what have you done?"

forgive me.""Justinian, what have you done?""One day you will
forgive me," he repeats, and then he lunges at you with a cloth in his hand, and

hand, andyou can't breathe, and your vision swims and

hand, andyou can't breathe, and your vision swims andthe world ceases to be but for

to be but forshadows cast inflame.

The weather is cool outside, and Father is gardening.

The weather is cool outside, and Father is gardening.The towers of the Lake District are silvery bronze against the sky. The streamers on the balcony sway with a late-afternoon wind. You watch as Father reaches into the bucket and pulls out a fully grown pigeon, which struggles and twitches in his grip.

and twitches in his grip."Why do we have to bury the pigeons?" you ask.

ask.Father turns to you and smiles warmly as he holds the scalpel in his hand.

his hand."So they will make the flowers grow," he says. He slits the pigeon's throat with a quick and brutal motion, and black blood pours from the wound, staining the soil in the pot with the dark, viscous consistency of ink.

consistency of ink.Father buries the pigeon in the pot, and as he covers its body with cold black soil, you feel a fog coming over
your mind and something wet and clammy pressing into you, and

Your head hurts.

Your head hurts.It's hard to think. Your body is numb and prickly all over. You're hungry and thirsty, and the back of your throat tastes like bitter wine.

like bitter wine.You try to move your arms and legs, only to realize they have been bound. You rock experimentally and find yourself tied to a chair. Rope bindings chafe and dig into your skin.

to a chair. Rope bindings chafe and dig into your skin.It is dark; very dark. But then you remember, and you force yourself to wake up so you can see the other light. It works for you, after a
fashion.

fashion.You see your breath, swirling around in the
nothingness, catching the emanations of your weakly glimmering animus. There are motes and sparks trailing from above, probably the afterimage of some ceiling light seared into the fabric of the veil.

afterimage of some ceiling light seared into the fabric of the veil.And you see him.

veil.And you see him.He switches on the light. It's blinding;
you reflexively squeeze your eyes shut. You feel the rhythm of his heart, the unevenness of his exhalation, as he draws closer. He kneels down right next to you and presses a bowl of warm porridge to your lips.

lips."Go on," comes the soft voice of Doctor Justinian. "Drink up."

lips."Go on," comes the soft voice of Doctor Justinian. "Drink
up."1) <Drink.>
2) <Don't drink.>
1
You gaze into the bowl. It's millet porridge that smells like it's fresh from the stove. There are almonds in it, and an egg, and a bit of honey. It smells exactly like the fare you used to have at the Physicians' College.

Like the fare that your father used to make.

Like the fare that your father used to make.Tears run down your cheeks as you lap up the porridge. Justinian holds the bowl to your mouth as you finish your meal. Then he takes a handkerchief out of his pocket and delicately dabs around your lips.

and delicately dabs around your lips.You cannot bear to look at your captor any longer. You turn away, shoving his hand aside with the motion.

motion."What's wrong?" he asks.

motion."What's wrong?" he asks.Everything is wrong. But in a way that you cannot describe. Your heart sinks as it hits you -- the full ramifications of what has happened, and what is now happening. You feel as though your head is spinning and the world is slipping away.

feel as though your head is spinning and the world is slipping away."Justinian," you whisper. "Please. Don't... don't do this."

away."Justinian," you whisper. "Please. Don't... don't do this.""Marid..."

this.""Marid..."There is warmth in his voice still, like a fireplace in the evening. But there is also pain, and anger.

in the evening. But there is also pain, and anger.Justinian walks up to you and grabs your chin. He forces you to look at him. His jaw is set; his brow is furrowed with sorrow.

set; his brow is furrowed with sorrow."Marid."

set; his brow is furrowed with sorrow."Marid.""Please," you beg. "Please..."

"Please..."Slowly, he releases his grip. He turns around, clenching and unclenching his fists. There is silence for a long moment before he speaks again.

he speaks again."I don't understand." His voice is low. "I'm just trying to help you. Why do you keep struggling, Marid? Why do
you force yourself to suffer?"

1) "Where have you taken me?"
2) "Why have you tied me to a chair?"
3) "Did you do it, Justinian? Did you kill all those people?"
1
"Where have you taken me?"

Justinian sighs. You watch the particles of his breath swirl dispassionately in the air.
dispassionately in the air."You're safe, Marid," he says. "If you must know, we are still in the Channelworks. Not far from where I knocked you out. But this time, Doctor Serpens will not find you. The quarantine enforcers will not find you. Here we are in a safe space, where no one will break down your door, or hurt you, or threaten you again."
again.""I would feel safer if you let me go," you say.
again.""I would feel safer if you let me go," you say.Justinian shakes his head. "Marid... when will you learn to trust me? I will not hurt you, Marid. I could never hurt you."

1) "Why have you tied me to a chair?"
2) "Did you do it, Justinian? Did you kill all those people?"
1
"Why have you tied me to a chair?"

"Marid." He pauses. "You must understand that I take no pleasure in doing this. I wish that I did not have to treat you like... like a common asylum patient. But you are not ready.
common asylum patient. But you are not ready."I know that you
hate me, Marid. You must hate me, after what I have done. But if I were to let you go free, you would run at the first opportunity. You would undermine everything that I have worked to accomplish."
would undermine everything that I have worked to accomplish."He looks at you with a fire in his eyes.
at you with a fire in his eyes."I can't let that happen."

1) "Did you do it, Justinian? Did you kill all those people?"
1
The air is heavy in the chamber, the rope bindings like leaden weights upon your skin. You can hear Justinian's quiet breathing; feel the labored pulse of your own heartbeat, and how the contractions and releases mark the passage of the hours.

releases mark the passage of the hours."Did you do it, Justinian?" you ask, very softly. "Did you kill all those people?"

ask, very softly. "Did you kill all those people?"Justinian turns away from you and begins to pace. His eyes are dark; his hands are trembling.

trembling.He is searching for the right words, like a lyrist trying to grasp the pain in his heart.

grasp the pain in his heart."Do you remember the Physicians' College?" he murmurs. "Not so long ago, when we were young and foolhardy, and thought we could learn the origins of life. When we believed we could change the world."

change the world."He turns around and gazes into the distance. He sighs. He begins again. His voice is quieter now, drawn tightly like a bowstring.

bowstring."The Physicians' College lied to us, Marid. We were fools.

bowstring."The Physicians' College lied to us, Marid. We were fools."Think, Marid. Humor me for a moment. We are both the apprentices of doctors. We have seen death aplenty. How many times has Doctor Cavala succeeded? And how many times has she failed? How many patients of yours have slipped away, no matter how much you tried to save them?"

save them?"His gloved hands ball into fists.

save them?"His gloved hands ball into fists."Do you want to know the truth, Marid?" he says. "Let me tell you the truth. The truth is that death will happen with or without us. By illness, by injury, by old age, it hardly matters. The truth is that all our reason, all our years of learning -- they are nothing in the face of Death.

Death."We cannot change the world. We cannot even save lives. All we do, Marid, is lie to ourselves. All we do is prolong the suffering, the uncertainty, before the fire and light of existence turn to ash."

the uncertainty, before the fire and light of existence turn to ash."There are tears glistening in Justinian's eyes, but his gaze does not waver as he speaks to you. You find that you cannot look away.

not waver as he speaks to you. You find that you cannot look away."Listen to me, Marid," he says. "For four years we have known each other. You know me. You know that I am a principled man, and educated in the ars vitalis. I have sworn to do no harm. I
have always upheld Reason.

have always upheld Reason."And I know you, Marid. I know that you see what others do not. I know that you have experienced more loss than anyone. Marid, you are the one person who could possibly
understand what I relate to you now.

understand what I relate to you now."I tell you this because I trust you, and I know you, and... and I... I love you. I love you,
Marid. I always have.

Marid. I always have."So listen to me. Listen to me, Marid.
Listen to me when I say that there is no use going in circles, trying and trying only to fail and fail again. Listen to me when I say that something has to change. That is why we have to do away with
the old, and we have to tear out the rot, and we have to act.

the old, and we have to tear out the rot, and we have to
act."You asked me, Marid, if I killed those people. I didn't
answer your question because you weren't ready. I never told you because... because perhaps deep down, I always knew that it would come to this, with one of us tied to a chair.

to this, with one of us tied to a chair."But now, Marid... now you know. Now I have told you the truth. And perhaps now you will understand when I tell you the answer to your question.

understand when I tell you the answer to your question."I killed those people, Marid. I found Doctor Arturus's weapon, and I brought it back from the grave, and now it is my scalpel to wield.

from the grave, and now it is my scalpel to wield."No one can fight Death, Marid. That is why it is the only thing with the power to change the world."

change the world."Justinian grips your shoulders and gazes at you, and you feel like you are about to cry.

1) "Why did you kill Reden?"
2) "Why did you kill Creditor Nacarat and the thugs?"
3) "Why did you kill Doctor Arturus?"
4) "Why did you start the epidemic?"
5) "Why did Carnicer try to kill me and Doctor Cavala?"
6) "How much does Doctor Serpens know?"
7) <Change the subject.> "What will you do with me now?"
1
"Why did you kill Reden?"

"Reden? You must mean the drunkard."

Justinian places his hands on his hips and starts to pace.

Justinian places his hands on his hips and starts to pace."He was..." he begins. "He was an unfortunate casualty. He kept coming to the outflow of the Channelworks. He tripped our alarm sigils. At first I believed he had discovered something.

believed he had discovered something."In the end, we decided to let him drink in peace. But we were careless. One of our Noctis tanks... sprung a leak."

sprung a leak."You recall the thin black strand that led you from Reden's haunt to the storage room.

Reden's haunt to the storage room.Justinian lowers his eyes. "It was a hairline fracture. I didn't notice until it was too late. By then, he had already been exposed."

had already been exposed.""Then Reden's death... was an accident?"

had already been exposed.""Then Reden's death... was an accident?"Justinian folds his arms. "I would have taken more precautions in hindsight. I don't... Perhaps he didn't deserve to die. But I knew the risks when I set out to do this. If a few accidents are the cost of changing the world... so be it."

1) "Why did you kill Creditor Nacarat and the thugs?"
2) "Why did you kill Doctor Arturus?"
3) "Why did you start the epidemic?"
4) "Why did Carnicer try to kill me and Doctor Cavala?"
5) "How much does Doctor Serpens know?"
6) <Change the subject.> "What will you do with me now?"
1
"Why did you kill Creditor Nacarat and the thugs?"

"Why?" Justinian looks almost surprised. "Marid, you've been all over the Channelworks District. You know the Greater Corindia Trading Company, don't you? They are criminals, Marid. They are parasites. They are the worst aspects of society congealed into a tumor."
They are the worst aspects of society congealed into a tumor.""They don't kill people with biological weapons."
don't kill people with biological weapons.""Marid, Doctor Arturus was in debt to them." Justinian's eyes flash. "You weren't there, Marid. You don't know what they did. What they were capable of. Scum like that doesn't deserve to... to even breathe the same air as us.
that doesn't deserve to... to even breathe the same air as us."When I needed test subjects for Noctis, I didn't have to think twice. Nacarat and his goons were the first ones to die because I knew the Channelworks District would be a better place without them."

1) "Why did you kill Doctor Arturus?"
2) "Why did you start the epidemic?"
3) "Why did Carnicer try to kill me and Doctor Cavala?"
4) "How much does Doctor Serpens know?"
5) <Change the subject.> "What will you do with me now?"
1
"Why... why did you kill Doctor Arturus?"

Justinian's face darkens, and he turns away.

"Arturus..."

"Arturus..."He gazes contemplatively at his hands.

"Arturus..."He gazes contemplatively at his hands."I held him in high regard. I believed in his ideals. He was the best pathologist in Furopolis, I'm certain. Perhaps the best in the world."

Furopolis, I'm certain. Perhaps the best in the world."His jaw tightens.

tightens."I wish..." he says. "I wish he had understood. What he had on his hands... a weapon that could topple nations. A power that could change things for the better. But he didn't see it that way. All he saw, when he looked at Noctis, was a tool of destruction."

saw, when he looked at Noctis, was a tool of destruction.""Maybe he was right," you say.

was right," you say."He was wrong." Justinian clenches his fists. "He was wrong, and he was deluded. Trapped in the past. Death is not an end, Marid. It is a means, a tilling of the soil for a new beginning. We could have done so much..."

We could have done so much..."He exhales.

We could have done so much..."He exhales."I tried to reason with him," he finishes. "But he was too set in his ways."

he finishes. "But he was too set in his ways.""And you killed him for that?"

that?""There was no other way." His voice is quiet. "There was... there was nothing else I could have done. He would have ended the plan before it started. Destroyed his own creation, after I had spent so long following in his footsteps.

long following in his footsteps."I couldn't let that happen. I had to make him look like another victim."

make him look like another victim."You gaze at Justinian. "If I don't agree with you, will you kill me too?"

agree with you, will you kill me too?"He looks away and does not reply.

1) "Why did you start the epidemic?"
2) "Why did Carnicer try to kill me and Doctor Cavala?"
3) "How much does Doctor Serpens know?"
4) <Change the subject.> "What will you do with me now?"
1
"Why did you start the epidemic?"

Justinian puts his hands in his pockets and looks into the distance.

"I thought you might ask that question," he says. "Let me ask you a question in return.

question in return."Marid, have you ever wondered why the people of the Shanty Quarter suffer? They are good people. Hardworking people. Their hands are just as able as yours or mine. So why do they still starve? Why do they languish without homes? Without jobs? Without even the pity of the Council of Works to protect them?

the pity of the Council of Works to protect them?"The truth is that there is no place for them here. The Channelworks District has no room for them. Furopolis has no room for them. There is an upper limit to the number of people that can be made to live in one space."

the number of people that can be made to live in one space."You glare at Justinian. "And the epidemic is your way of... of culling
them?"

them?"Justinian's face hardens, and his voice becomes humorless.

them?"Justinian's face hardens, and his voice becomes humorless."Don't get me wrong, Marid. I don't enjoy killing. I never have. But do you remember what I said? Death will happen with or without us. The people in the Shanty Quarter will die with or without me.

in the Shanty Quarter will die with or without me.The only question is -- should they be made to bear a lifetime of suffering first? Scrounging for scraps and inflicting the same burden on generations of children? Should their descendants be forced to suffer because we couldn't imagine an alternative?

couldn't imagine an alternative?"With Noctis, we have a choice. They have a way out. And it pains me to say this, but killing them may be the only moral choice. Even an atrocity such as this may be
justified if it averts countless lifetimes of suffering.

justified if it averts countless lifetimes of suffering."That is why I am doing this, Marid. I am killing them, yes -- but I am
euthanizing them. I am setting them free."

1) "Why did Carnicer try to kill me and Doctor Cavala?"
2) "How much does Doctor Serpens know?"
3) <Change the subject.> "What will you do with me now?"
1
"Why did Carnicer try to kill me and Doctor Cavala?"

"Carnicer." Justinian clenches his fists. "I didn't... She was out of line. I told her specifically that you were not to be harmed. But she took matters into her own hands."

took matters into her own hands.""Why?" you whisper. "Why send her?"

took matters into her own hands.""Why?" you whisper. "Why send her?"Justinian shakes his head. "I never had a choice. If I could have resolved this any other way...

resolved this any other way..."After Doctor Arturus, I realized you and Doctor Cavala were the only remaining obstacles to my plan. Doctor Cavala is too paranoid... too set in her ways, like Arturus was. Given time she would realize what was happening and formulate a cure. And all of this --" He sweeps his hand across the room. "All my plans would have been for nothing."

would have been for nothing.""So you... you sent an assassin
after her?"

after her?""There was no other option." His voice is strained. "Negotiating with her was too risky. A bomb or poison would have put you in danger. I believed -- I thought that hiring a hitman was the best solution.

best solution."I didn't account for Carnicer's unprofessionalism. Her cruelty. Had I known that she would go after you... I would have killed her myself."

1) "How much does Doctor Serpens know?"
2) <Change the subject.> "What will you do with me now?"
1
"How much does Doctor Serpens know?"

"Doctor Serpens is my accomplice," Justinian says. "He has helped to misdirect the authorities, to manage the logistics of transmission. He is the kind of person you need on your side when performing an operation on this scale.
operation on this scale."How should I say this..." He exhales. "I wish I didn't have to work with him. Doctor Serpens is an evil man -- he sees this as a cruel game, an opportunity to perfect his masterpiece in spite of the cancellation of his project.
in spite of the cancellation of his project."I can only hope that I have turned his cruel impulses towards a more productive cause."

1) <Change the subject.> "What will you do with me now?"
1
"What will you do with me now?"

Justinian takes a long moment to reply. The light flickers a little.

Justinian takes a long moment to reply. The light flickers a little."I don't know," he says.

don't know," he says.He takes a couple of steps forward, placing his hand on the backrest of your chair. He gazes at the wall behind you.

hand on the backrest of your chair. He gazes at the wall behind you."I..." he begins. "I have told you everything, now. I have laid myself bare to you. Now you see... the full magnitude of what I have been fighting for. What I have sacrificed everything to accomplish.

been fighting for. What I have sacrificed everything to accomplish."The other doctors could never understand. They could not know... what a terrible thing it is, that has to be done. But you, Marid, you are different. I know you are. I know you can see things differently, and perhaps you too will know, and understand the truth.

differently, and perhaps you too will know, and understand the truth."One day... one day, we may even..."

truth."One day... one day, we may even..."He trails off, and shakes his head.

his head."It doesn't matter. I... I don't expect you to understand me now, Marid. But I hope -- I know that you will understand, too, in the end. That this is the best way. The only way."

end. That this is the best way. The only way."The man you once knew walks back around to the front of your chair, and he gazes quietly into your eyes.

into your eyes."You understand why I'm doing this, Marid. Don't you?"

into your eyes."You understand why I'm doing this, Marid. Don't you?""I..."

you?""I..."It is too much. It is all too much.

you?""I..."It is too much. It is all too much.You are hungry, and you are exhausted, and you feel like a hollow and broken and dead thing inside. The weight that is now pressing upon you -- that Justinian has forced upon you -- is too much to bear.

forced upon you -- is too much to bear.You try to imagine the hundreds of lives -- the thousands of lives that Justinian has snuffed. You look at him and you see, in his animic wake, ten thousand skulls weeping black tears.

weeping black tears.You feel light-headed. You feel like you cannot move, you cannot breathe. Your pendant weighs on your heart like a stake, and you can feel your blood rushing in your ears, thumping, congealing like a tumor.

congealing like a tumor.You close your eyes. You block out the image of Justinian, and you try to breathe. It helps, a little.

of Justinian, and you try to breathe. It helps, a little."Justinian," you say. "Stop. Please."

you say. "Stop. Please."He is very quiet. He does not make a move as you take deep breaths, as you tremble in your seat and try to regain your composure.

your composure."I'm sorry, Marid," he says, his voice low. "You weren't ready. I should have... I should have waited..."

weren't ready. I should have... I should have waited..."You open your eyes, and he is walking away, his head bowed. He does not look at you, as though he cannot bear to see you in such pain.

as though he cannot bear to see you in such pain."You need time to think," he says. "I understand. I won't rush you. Take as long as you need."

need.""Justinian..."

need.""Justinian...""I'll be back for you." He places his hand on the light switch. "I have things to do now, but I will come back for you. I'll be back, Marid. I promise."

I'll be back, Marid. I promise."You gaze at him mutely, your heart pounding, your thoughts a disastrous jumble. You open your mouth but find that you have nothing to say.

find that you have nothing to say.Justinian looks at you one last time, sadly, silently, and then switches off the light. Your world collapses into darkness.

collapses into darkness.At last you find your voice. "Justinian --"

collapses into darkness.At last you find your voice. "Justinian --"But he is already gone. Further and further his footsteps echo, until they too melt and vanish into the pitiless silence.

too melt and vanish into the pitiless silence.And you are alone.

1) <Cry.>
2) <Try to compose yourself.>
2
You close your eyes and take a ragged breath.

You close your eyes and take a ragged breath.The thrum of the Channelworks envelops you. You can hear the machinery of the Hydra Aquifera -- of the sanitation of the entire district -- churning ceaselessly. You hear the displacement of hundreds of tons of water, and the grinding of mechanical turbines, and distant hisses of steam like a great creature's exhalation.

like a great creature's exhalation.It is the lifeblood of the district that you are hearing. It is that which bears the lives of the thousands that live here.

thousands that live here.You think of Horatio in the rain, his face dirty after a long shift. You think of Doctor Cavala and her self-assured smile. There is the bartender with his mask, and the ice-cream salesman, and the boy with the cap who hands out the newspapers every morning.

newspapers every morning.You take another breath. You try to hold it steady. Your heart isn't pounding as hard any more.

steady. Your heart isn't pounding as hard any more.You aren't okay. Not really. But you're a little better.

Not really. But you're a little better.It will have to be enough.

1) <Try to loosen your bonds.>
1
You will your sore muscles to move. You test the limits of the ropes Justinian has tied you with. They're tight -- but not so tight that you can't wiggle a little.

you can't wiggle a little.One of the ropes binding your hands is perhaps a little looser than it should be. You can feel it give when you twist your wrist just so -- feel the knot shifting, letting your wrist move an infinitesimal distance further than before.

wrist move an infinitesimal distance further than before.Was Justinian in a hurry? Or is this just another mercy he chose to grant you?

in a hurry? Or is this just another mercy he chose to grant you?It doesn't matter. What matters is that you have a way out of this chair. It will take a long time. It will take hours. But it's not as if you have anything else to do.

have anything else to do.Now, at least, you have something to work at, to take your mind off things. Perhaps without the ropes constricting your blood flow, you will be able to think clearly -- to think of something that will make Justinian return to his old self.

something that will make Justinian return to his old self.It must be possible. It must --

possible. It must ---- because you don't know what you're going to do otherwise.

* * *

* * *You think an hour has passed. You
have a stinging rope burn and a terrible cramp in your wrist. But it's done, and your right hand is free. You reach over and painstakingly loosen the bonds around your left wrist and your left elbow, and then with your left hand reach into your coat pocket and pray.

with your left hand reach into your coat pocket and pray.There it is -- your scalpel.

-- your scalpel.You have to pause for a moment, take deep breaths to steady yourself. Your heart is racing. You draw out your scalpel and use your free hand to remove the safety cover. Fumbling in the darkness, you press the blade into the rope binding your right elbow -- and it parts.

-- and it parts.You work slowly, carefully, but not without a tremor of excitement. The circulation returns to your limbs as you free yourself from rope after rope. Each cut makes the next one easier. At last you reach down and slice through the ropes binding your ankles in a single stroke.

a single stroke.You are free.

a single stroke.You are free.Now you need to figure out how to get out of here.

You are somewhere dingy and humid and shut off from the outside world. There is no light here, and even your second sight is not enough to pierce the suffocating gloom.

At the foot of the chair, a faint glimmer of other-light outlines the shape of your animus lantern. But the lantern is dark, and its phylactery cathode no longer shines.
You get the lantern
You pick up the animus lantern, finding its rough angles, its weight. You trace the alchemical lines to its fuse glyph, and strike the fuse to light it. But nothing happens.
to light it. But nothing happens.You peer into the lantern, and you see that the animus that once danced within its cage is still. The life in the lantern has gone out.
life in the lantern has gone out.Without an animus to replace the one in the phylactery cathode, the animus lantern will be of no use to you in the dark.
Inventory
You are wearing an animus pendant (containing the spirit of your father), your natron jacket, and your clothes. On your person are an animus lantern, your practitioner's badge, your scalpel, your purse, and an antiseptic cloth.
You put the pendant into the lantern
Your pendant...

You run your fingers along your collarbone and find the weight of the pendant resting against your heart. You pull it out and look at it. In your mind's eye it seems to glow against the animic veil.

your mind's eye it seems to glow against the animic veil.How long have you worn this reminder of your father around your neck?

you worn this reminder of your father around your neck?"Father," you say --

say --But even before you open your mouth, you know there will be no reply.

reply."We can make no promises," the animologist said, his brow knitted. "If indeed your father died there, we can bind the residual energies to an animus stone, residual, you understand; there's no telling how much of his energy remains, or indeed if any of his energy has remained. Consider the pendant a memorial to your father, rather than a way to bring him back. The sooner you accept that, the sooner both of you will find peace."

both of you will find peace."You will never speak with your
father again. There was a time when you dared not admit that to yourself. But now it seems impossible to imagine that things could have happened any other way.

have happened any other way.Perhaps there is a better way to remember your father, after all, which does not bind him to a stone.

your father, after all, which does not bind him to a stone.You use your scalpel to make a chip in the stone of the pendant, and the other-light streams from it like sunlight rippling in the ocean. You touch it to the fuse glyph of the animus lantern, and brilliance fills the animic lines and the metal grows warm beneath your hand.

the animic lines and the metal grows warm beneath your hand.The pendant is empty now. It is the lantern that glows, and is alive.

pendant is empty now. It is the lantern that glows, and is alive.## Oubliette
The light of your lantern reveals what looks to be an industrial cistern, now emptied and repurposed as a holding cell. A metal chair has been placed among dingy grates and concentric water-purification rings. There is only one door leading out of this prison, and it appears to be locked.

But beside the disconcerting stains and discarded pieces of rope, there is a drain cover that looks like it can be opened.
You get the rope
The leftover bits of rope are too short to be of any use.
You look at the chair
You're glad to be free of it.
You look at the drain
On the other side of the drain, there is the sound of rushing water.
Go down
You push the drain cover out of the way and carefully lower yourself into the opening. The cold and clammy walls of the pipe swallow you whole, and the shadows from your lantern turn the nooks and crannies into long billowing black stains. Into them you descend.

into long billowing black stains. Into them you descend.The walls are close enough that you can keep yourself propped up with your elbows and the soles of your shoes. But then your left foot slips on something and you find yourself losing purchase. You grab your lantern close and tuck in your head as you find yourself accelerating, rapidly, sliding out of control into a drainage system not built for human traversal --

human traversal ---- and the Bilious Canal opens up before you, vast and writhing and pungent, the carrier of all the district's fury and decay, and you plummet from the drain pipe into cold noxious water twenty meters deep -- flailing, squeezing your eyes shut, holding your breath --

breath ---- a gasp, as your head bobs above water, and the sun burns your face, wind, klaxons --

your face, wind, klaxons ---- and then you crash into the Canal proper, and it buffets you without mercy. You cling on to the lantern for dear life as you are thrown across stretches and around bends, as arches and bridges fly past, as the lights of the city stretch out into streams of aquamarine other-light. You swim for dear life. You breathe, and breathe again --

breathe, and breathe again ---- and then you see a dangling rope, and on bare instinct reach out and grab it like a lifeline. You slip a couple of inches -- your grip holds. And there you are, swaying from a rope as the rest of the Canal washes away before you.

rope as the rest of the Canal washes away before you.You take a couple of deep breaths, and then you climb up.

of deep breaths, and then you climb up.## Flooded Row
Between towering foundations, the rain lashes rusting hulks and flapping canvas shelters; it eats away at corpses piled in ankle-deep water. Where once there were buildings, posters, lamplights, the Bilious Canal has burst through the polder and swept them all away, carrying off the detritus of innumerable unknown lives.

Through an open sewage pipe, you see lights to the south.
Go south
The Bilious Canal's runoff rises. It swallows these buildings and alleys in dark writhing water. Unsteady plank bridges run between the few islands of dry stone; hollow-eyed residents crowd around what lanterns pierce the gloom.

A sewage pipe spews outflow from the north. Above, rope ladders climb to the rest of the Shanty Quarter.

The bouncer from the Crow's Nest sits quietly by the shore, cradling Crow's body in his arms.
You examine Crow
She isn't moving. A thin stream of black liquid runs from the edge of her mouth.
You examine webster
Webster stares into the water, transfixed.
You talk to him
You step gingerly between the rivers of bile as you approach him. The rain is merciless, and it has not stopped since you left the Channelworks. It stings your cheeks where it lands; it runs in the joints of Webster's walking-chassis, pooling in his shadow.
joints of Webster's walking-chassis, pooling in his shadow.As your reflection appears in the water, he starts. He turns to face you with disbelieving eyes.
disbelieving eyes."You?"
disbelieving eyes."You?"He looks you up and down.
disbelieving eyes."You?"He looks you up and down."What on earth happened to you?"

1) "I fell into the canal."
2) "It's a long story."
2
"It's... a long story."

Water drips from your disheveled hair. His eyes flicker across your tattered clothes.
tattered clothes."You don't say," he replies.
tattered clothes."You don't say," he replies.The tide of decay rises and falls around you. The rain plays on the face of the girl in his arms, and her eyelids run black like ink.

1) "Are you all right?"
2) "Is she..."
3) "I'm sorry."
4) "Aren't you worried her body will be contagious?"
5) "Listen. I've found out the truth about the disease..." <Tell
him about Justinian's plot.>
6) "I need to get into the Channelworks. Can you help me?"
2
"Is she..."

Webster's shoulders stiffen. He looks down at Crow -- at her unmoving form.
form.She has been dead for a while. You can see the black blood settling in her body. You can see the skeins trailing from
what remains of her animus.
what remains of her animus."I should have listened." Webster murmurs. "When you talked about the disease... I thought it was just another run of bad luck. Another bug. The kind that happens in the Shanty Quarter all the time."
Quarter all the time."He touches Crow's cheek and his shoulders shake silently. He does not meet your eye.
silently. He does not meet your eye."She didn't deserve this. No one deserves this."

1) "Are you all right?"
2) "I'm sorry."
3) "Aren't you worried her body will be contagious?"
4) "Listen. I've found out the truth about the disease..." <Tell
him about Justinian's plot.>
5) "I need to get into the Channelworks. Can you help me?"
3
"Aren't you worried her body will be contagious?"

He laughs. "What does it matter? She's dead. The Crow's Nest is dead. I'm living on borrowed time anyhow. It's only a matter of... of when."
I'm living on borrowed time anyhow. It's only a matter of... of when."He strokes her hair.
when."He strokes her hair."Maybe a pair like us wasn't ever meant to last. Maybe we just weren't meant to be part of this world."

1) "You don't know that."
2) "Are you all right?"
3) "I'm sorry."
4) "Listen. I've found out the truth about the disease..." <Tell
him about Justinian's plot.>
5) "I need to get into the Channelworks. Can you help me?"
1
"You don't know that," you say.

He gazes at Crow's face for a long while, and does not reply.

1) "Are you all right?"
2) "I'm sorry."
3) "Listen. I've found out the truth about the disease..." <Tell
him about Justinian's plot.>
4) "I need to get into the Channelworks. Can you help me?"
3
"Listen," you begin. "I... I've found out the truth about the disease. It isn't an epidemic. It's a genefactured weapon, and someone is using it to kill people."

Webster stares at you.

"Uh huh," he says.

"Uh huh," he says.You feel yourself growing flustered. "I'm serious. I've seen the laboratory where it was produced. I... I read the research papers." Your voice cracks. "Webster, I nearly drowned trying to escape --"

to escape --""Calm down." He shakes his head. "I... You're serious, aren't you? You aren't joking."

aren't you? You aren't joking."He stares at the sky for a moment. He takes a couple of deep breaths.

takes a couple of deep breaths."It... it really is. Primes. It's just another fucking alchemist's joke..."

another fucking alchemist's joke..."He chokes, a little. His gaze falls to the earth, to the filthy water lapping at his mechanical legs.

legs."I'm so fucking tired," he says. "I'm tired of feeling like a pawn in someone else's game."

1) "Are you all right?"
2) "I need to get into the Channelworks. Can you help me?"
1
"Are you all right?"

A moment passes. Webster stares mutely at you. Then he looks down at himself, as though he has forgotten his tired arms and creaking joints for some time.
for some time."I'm... I'm fine," he says. "Don't worry yourself about me."
me."The silence returns. The rain traces the world in stinging white.

1) "I'm sorry."
2) "I need to get into the Channelworks. Can you help me?"
1
"I'm sorry."

You feel numb as the rain falls around you. You don't know what to say.
say.Webster just gazes at the body of his friend, before reaching up and wiping his goggles with the back of his hand.
and wiping his goggles with the back of his hand."It's none of your fault, sweetheart," he says. "You've got nothing to be sorry about. Don't go around feeling sorry for other people, you understand?"

1) "I need to get into the Channelworks. Can you help me?"
1
"I... I need to get into the Channelworks," you say. "Can you help me?"

Webster gives you a long, probing look. After a moment, he reaches into his jacket pocket.

into his jacket pocket."You'll need this," he says.

into his jacket pocket."You'll need this," he says.He tosses something small and oblong in your direction, and you catch it with a fumble. It's slick from the rain, glowing with faint sigil-work and warm with alchemical energy. The insignia of the Council of Works is etched into its face.

its face.You look back up at Webster, who simply regards you quietly.

its face.You look back up at Webster, who simply regards you quietly."It's the disease, isn't it?" he says. "That's what you're heading back to the Channelworks for. You have unfinished business."

heading back to the Channelworks for. You have unfinished business.""I... Yeah."

business.""I... Yeah."He smiles grimly. "Crow won't need her passkey any more. You, on the other hand... Go spit in the guy's face, you hear? It's what she would have wanted."

hear? It's what she would have wanted."You turn over the passkey in your hands. It is only a small weight in your hands, but it feels heavy all the same.

1) I have to go."
1
"I have to go."

The canal-water heaves around you, and the mist curls around the passkey in your hand. You grip it tightly.

Webster gazes at the body he is carrying in his arms.
Webster gazes at the body he is carrying in his arms."You do that, sweetheart," he replies. "You do whatever you have to do. I... I think I'm going to stay here for a while."
I'm going to stay here for a while."## Rats' Run
The Bilious Canal's runoff rises. It swallows these buildings and alleys in dark writhing water. Unsteady plank bridges run between the few islands of dry stone; hollow-eyed residents crowd around what lanterns pierce the gloom.

A sewage pipe spews outflow from the north. Above, rope ladders climb to the rest of the Shanty Quarter.

The bouncer from the Crow's Nest sits quietly by the shore, cradling Crow's body in his arms.
J.
Seventh of Aquaria, Auritum IV

My heart is pounding. I can feel white fire in my blood. There's nothing to do now but go -- go and finish what Justinian began.

Current objectives:

The Bilious Canal's runoff rises. It swallows these buildings and alleys in dark writhing water. Unsteady plank bridges run between the few islands of dry stone; hollow-eyed residents crowd around what lanterns pierce the gloom.

A sewage pipe spews outflow from the north. Above, rope ladders climb to the rest of the Shanty Quarter.

The bouncer from the Crow's Nest sits quietly by the shore, cradling Crow's body in his arms.
Go upward
A labyrinthine morass of concrete and claustrophobia. You can feel death about you, like a fog that clings to every corpse and every brick. In the edges of your perception there are dozens or hundreds of spirits, broken and fractured and too incoherent to utter a whisper -- but you can feel their misery and longing all the same.

Tangled rope ladders lead up and down. Somewhere to the north is the Via Mercurii, and to the west, Cadaver Walk.
Go up
Rotting beams spiral from the Shanty Quarter like a stairway grasping for the stars. At their head is a jutting structure like a watchtower, and it shadows all that is beneath it, shielding grimy brick and concrete from desolate sky.

The Shanty Quarter yawns below. Above you is the public house called the Crow's Nest -- closed, locked, and empty.
You look at the structure
At first glance it is haphazardly built. Only on closer inspection do you see the buttresses, the care that has gone into its construction.
Go downwards
A labyrinthine morass of concrete and claustrophobia. You can feel death about you, like a fog that clings to every corpse and every brick. In the edges of your perception there are dozens or hundreds of spirits, broken and fractured and too incoherent to utter a whisper -- but you can feel their misery and longing all the same.

Tangled rope ladders lead up and down. Somewhere to the north is the Via Mercurii, and to the west, Cadaver Walk.
You go north
The Road of Change is a snaking, secretive thing. It curls in the side streets and in the dark places. Here along the canal, the opulence of the Upper Perioch peels away to reveal midnight hues and scarlet lamps, and rivers of black blood like festering scars in the city's skin.

To the north is the grand forum, bleak and empty, while to the south the Shanty Quarter begins.
You go north
A mural of Solphos hangs over a desolate paved square, against the spires of the Channelworks District and the pungent smell of the dead. All around you are crowds of formless spirits and empty-eyed apparitions, which writhe and weep and claw at the mist like an unquiet sea.

To the north, framed in illuminated mist, the Via Terminalis glimmers.
You talk to the spirits
There are so many, and their spirits are so fragmented -- it hurts just to see them, let alone speak with them.

The sounds of a distant pipe organ echo in the street.
Go north
The armillary sphere that marks this place is dormant, and the traffic-guiding glyphs have been replaced by hazard signs and quarantine barricades. You must flatten yourself against the walls to avoid the watchful eyes of the Vigiles patrols, which stalk the crossroads like masked interlopers in the mist.

The checkpoints are a stark reminder that you aren't supposed to be traveling around the city at this hour. You doubt you will be able to convince the Vigiles of your innocence if they are on Doctor Serpens's payroll. And Justinian...

payroll. And Justinian...Even if the authorities were to recognize his guilt, the idea of his execution makes your skin crawl. The thought of him being brought to trial on your account --

treason, remembered as a mass murderer --

treason, remembered as a mass murderer --The thought sends a cold stabbing pain through your heart. It is almost too horrible to envision. He... he isn't a mass murderer. He never has been. Surely if you just talked to him...

you just talked to him...There has to be another way. You can still make things right. Can't you?

make things right. Can't you?You watch the patrolling Vigiles for some time, but you cannot see an angle of approach. They are too observant, and the searchlights too numerous. You would be spotted instantly no matter which path you took, and you are beginning to lose hope in finding a way across, when --

finding a way across, when --Is that...?

finding a way across, when --Is that...?It's him. You'd recognize that mop of hair anywhere.

mop of hair anywhere.Horatio is posted at one of the crossings not too far from where you are, rubbing his mask and staring into the mist.

1) <Approach him.>
2) <Don't.>
1
You pass between shadows, being careful to avoid the notice of the other enforcers. As you approach Horatio, he freezes.
other enforcers. As you approach Horatio, he freezes.Slowly he lowers his hand from his face, and reaches out as though to touch you. He stops short halfway, and takes an awkward step back.
stops short halfway, and takes an awkward step back."Marid," he whispers. "I... I thought you left."

1) "I did."
2) "I'm sorry. About yesterday."
1
"I did," you say.

Horatio averts his eyes. "I... er... yeah. Yeah. You did."
Horatio averts his eyes. "I... er... yeah. Yeah. You did."A searchlight passes perilously close to you, and you instinctively take a step back. Horatio realizes that you are both in the open, and he leads you behind a nearby concrete pillar, just out of sight.
leads you behind a nearby concrete pillar, just out of sight."Listen," he says. He glances back at the scanning searchlight. "You shouldn't be here."

1) "I can't turn back now..."
2) "Doctor Justinian tried to silence me..."
3) "Horatio, I need to get to the Channelworks..."
2
You take a deep breath.

"Doctor Justinian tried to silence me," you say. "He... he's behind it all, somehow. He's using this affliction as a weapon -- a tool to kill people. He wants to change the world."

Horatio stares at you, and his eyes widen. For a moment time stops.

Horatio stares at you, and his eyes widen. For a moment time stops."Primes," he says. "Oh Primes. What are you saying? What did he do to you?"

do to you?""He locked me in a room. He... he talked to me, and it was like... it was like he was a completely different person. He was totally different from the Justinian I knew. But it was -- that was a lie, wasn't it? He had always been that way. I just never realized it."

it."You realize you are shivering again, and you cross your arms, pulling your jacket tighter to try to block out the cold.

pulling your jacket tighter to try to block out the cold.Horatio puts a hand on your shoulder. "I can't believe it," he says softly. "Doctor Justinian..."

Justinian...""I... Horatio, I can't believe it myself. I still keep thinking that -- perhaps it was a dream, a hallucination. But it was real. The cistern he locked me in was real. I had to swim my way out -- I had to cut myself free and wash down the Bilious Canal. And I can't stop thinking about it, Horatio, I just can't..."

can't stop thinking about it, Horatio, I just can't...""I..." Horatio takes your hands. "It's okay, Marid, it's okay. You're here now, aren't you? You're going to be fine."

aren't you? You're going to be fine.""Horatio, I..." You close your eyes. "Horatio, I'm scared. Because Justinian... the Justinian I knew... he always knew what he was doing. Horatio, what if Justinian knows what he's doing? What if he's right?"

knows what he's doing? What if he's right?"Horatio just watches you, stunned, and you can tell he has no idea how to respond. The wind rises and tugs and whips at the two of you. The rain falls.

1) "I can't turn back now..."
2) "Horatio, I need to get to the Channelworks..."
2
"Horatio, I... I need to get to the Channelworks," you say. "It's the only way. If I get there I can fix everything... I can make things right."

You reach out and squeeze Horatio's hands, and he gazes at you with a look approaching awe.

look approaching awe."I..." he says.

look approaching awe."I..." he says.He looks you up and down and takes a deep breath. You see yourself doubled in his lenses, staring back with eyes wide.

with eyes wide.Then he nods.

with eyes wide.Then he nods."Okay, Marid," he says, very simply. "What do you need?"

do you need?""Can you get me there?"

do you need?""Can you get me there?"Horatio looks out across the junction, at the patrolling enforcers and the swiveling lights.

junction, at the patrolling enforcers and the swiveling lights."I... Let me see." He scratches his head. "If I make it look like you're a lost civilian, I can walk you to the concourse out front. I don't think anyone will bother us if we look like we're supposed to be there. But I... I don't know how to get you across the bridge. The Channelworks is closed, and the bridge only comes down for workers with passes."

1) "I have a pass." <Show him Crow's passkey.>
1
"I have a pass."

You reach into your jacket and take out the little oblong device that Webster gave you. The rain sparkles around it, its sigils reflected over and over in droplets.

over and over in droplets."That..." Horatio rubs the lenses on his mask. "Huh. Where did you get that?"

mask. "Huh. Where did you get that?""A friend said it would get me into the Channelworks," you say.

into the Channelworks," you say.He studies the glowing lines. "You've... really thought this through. All right. Since you already have what you need..."

have what you need..."He walks over to the pillar and peers around the side.

side."Nobody's looking. If you want to get to the Channelworks, now's the time."

the time."You nod. He takes your hand and leads you into the billowing rain.

rain.It is nerve-wracking at first: being out in the open, in full view of the sentries and the searchlights. Your heart skips each time one of the patrolling enforcers looks in your direction. Each time, you tense in anticipation of a shout and raised alarm -- but that moment never comes. Somehow, the looks cast in your direction slide off you like drops of oil, like you are the tiniest speck beneath the scrutiny of the Vigiles machine.

scrutiny of the Vigiles machine.So the rings of the armillary sphere loom like thunderclouds; and the black banner of the Turris Infinita billows like a specter in the sky; and Horatio leads you, steady in the grip of his hand, beyond the spotlights and the covered bodies and the battered barricade walls. By the light of your lantern, the two of you walk the ancient paths in the stonework, through the oppressive drizzling rain, until you have left the sight of the other enforcers and followed the northernmost crossing to its end.

and followed the northernmost crossing to its end.And there the
Hydra Aquifera awaits you. The concourse stretches out before
your eyes, and the Channelworks rises at the end of the district -- or perhaps the beginning.

perhaps the beginning.Horatio lets go of your hand and turns to you. "This is your stop," he says.

"This is your stop," he says."I..."

"This is your stop," he says."I..."You find that you cannot look Horatio in the eye.

Horatio in the eye."Thanks, Horatio," you say. "You've been a good friend. I won't forget this."

friend. I won't forget this."Horatio nods, and he grows solemn. He looks at the Channelworks, at that golden-white fortress that almost seems to glow in the rain.

seems to glow in the rain."Don't worry about it," he says. "I suppose... I suppose this is where we part ways again. Isn't it?"

suppose... I suppose this is where we part ways again. Isn't it?"He gazes at you.

gazes at you."Marid... will I see you again?"

1) "I'm counting on it."
2) "I'm glad I met you, Horatio."
1
"I'm counting on it."

Horatio smiles. He steps forward and hugs you one last time, and you give him a peck on the cheek like you used to when you were children. When death and disease were things that only happened in stories and history books.

history books."Good luck," he says.

history books."Good luck," he says."Yeah." You bump his chest. "You should go. You'll get caught for deserting your post again."

should go. You'll get caught for deserting your post again."He nods and squeezes your arm, before turning around with a whirl of his coat. He trots back toward the junction, looking over his shoulder, waving like only a dunce like him could manage.

like only a dunce like him could manage.You watch him until he has vanished out of sight. Then you turn back to the Channelworks concourse with a new sense of resolve in your heart.

concourse with a new sense of resolve in your heart.Now there is only one thing left to do, and fate has placed the responsibility upon you to see it done.

to see it done.## Channelworks Concourse
You stand before the fortress through which all waterways flow. Enormous colonnades line the concourse, flanked by selenite sentinels; hydra-like channels snake in patterns and merge into bas-reliefs of dizzying scale. Before the fosse, the statue of Reason bears aloft the Azoth.

The bridge to the Channelworks floats disconnected above the fosse, like the suspended pieces of a puzzle. Yet you see dozens of
wandering ghosts here, shimmering animii treading paths around the Channelworks concourse in cycles; and they cross the empty air to the Channelworks in a spectral procession.
You talk to the spirits
There are so many, and their spirits are so fragmented -- it hurts just to see them, let alone speak with them.
You look at the passkey
A small oblong piece of ceramic that glows with sigil-work. According to Webster, you need it to get into the Channelworks.
You examine the bridge
Curving plates of orichalcum hover in midair over the fosse. You only know them to be parts of a bridge from watching workers cross back and forth.
Wave passkey
Nothing happens.
You look at the fosse
An immense water-filled moat bars access to the Channelworks.
You look at the statue
She is sculpted in the image of the Trismegistus. A cloak billows around her, and a blindfold hides her eyes.
You examine the cloak
A cloak, because Reason is only revealed to the devoted.
You move blindfold
Nothing obvious happens.
You look at the blindfold
A blindfold, because Reason gazes beyond worldly things.
You look at your surroundings
You stand before the fortress through which all waterways flow. Enormous colonnades line the concourse, flanked by selenite sentinels; hydra-like channels snake in patterns and merge into bas-reliefs of dizzying scale. Before the fosse, the statue of Reason bears aloft the Azoth.

The bridge to the Channelworks floats disconnected above the fosse, like the suspended pieces of a puzzle. Yet you see dozens of
wandering ghosts here, shimmering animii treading paths around the Channelworks concourse in cycles; and they cross the empty air to the Channelworks in a spectral procession.
You show the passkey to the statue
You can only do that to something animate.
You examine colonnades
The pillars are taller than some buildings.
You look at the sentinels
Golems of war. Not even Death fazes them.
You look athe bas-reliefs
Carved upon the Channelworks are dozens upon dozens of vignettes from history and myth. All of them pertain to water and life.
You searcthe bas-reliefs
The detail is breathtaking.
You put the passkey in the fosse
If you did that, you'd never get it back.
You examine Azoth
A representation of the Staff of the Philosophers that stands for the Ineffable Truth. Or so you were taught in school.
You look at the passkey
A small oblong piece of ceramic that glows with sigil-work. According to Webster, you need it to get into the Channelworks.
You pull Azoth
It is fixed in place.
You put the passkey ithe bas-reliefs
The bas-reliefs are high out of reach.
You look at your surroundings
You stand before the fortress through which all waterways flow. Enormous colonnades line the concourse, flanked by selenite sentinels; hydra-like channels snake in patterns and merge into bas-reliefs of dizzying scale. Before the fosse, the statue of Reason bears aloft the Azoth.

The bridge to the Channelworks floats disconnected above the fosse, like the suspended pieces of a puzzle. Yet you see dozens of
wandering ghosts here, shimmering animii treading paths around the Channelworks concourse in cycles; and they cross the empty air to the Channelworks in a spectral procession.
You examine the fortress
Justinian awaits.
You show the passkey to the sentinels
You can only do that to something animate.
You follow the ghosts
(You'll have to specify which cardinal direction you want to go in. For example, >go west.)
You look at ghosts
The ghosts move as though following the steps of a dance. They pour in from the streets and the side roads, congregating on the concourse; they take something out of their coats or their handbags and make a motion with it like turning a crank. And then, as though guided by some invisible signal, they walk across air over the fosse and disappear into the mouth of the Channelworks.
You turn passkey
The passkey grows warm in your hand, and there is a sensation like pulling on invisible strings in the air. You feel as though something tremendous is happening which you cannot directly observe.
tremendous is happening which you cannot directly observe.After a second, the parts of the bridge lower into place with a
thunk. Orichalcum fuses to orichalcum, forming an unbroken
crossing over the fosse.
You go north
Past the swooping gates and the gilded halls, there is a weight: the weight of ten thousand tons of brass and machinery and art, of hundred-year-old frescoes and pumping mechanisms, all bearing the weight of the district which upon this building rests. This, then, is the Channelworks, in all its grandeur, its might, its immensity, its capacity to change lives.

There are dozens of halls here and hundreds of stations, but you know almost on instinct where Justinian will be. You have known him for too long -- his penchant for drama, his desire for control -- and it only seems clearer now that you have seen his true self. There could only be one place where everything would end.

The stairs spiral from the heart of the Channelworks, and they lead upward.
Go upward
Here the mechanisms fall away, replaced by a vast emptiness. Motes of dust are suspended in the skylights, as though frozen in time; the stairs pause and morph into a mezzanine from which you can see over all the vaulted arches of the Channelworks. Yet the plants and statues here do not overlook their domain, but gaze skyward, into the rarified tower above.

tower above.As you emerge upon the landing, you hear voices and footsteps, and you instinctively look about for somewhere to hide. You crouch behind a nearby sculpture and turn your eyes to the end of the landing with bated breath.

landing with bated breath.A door opens. Doctor Justinian steps out into the walkway, followed by the spittle-flecked protests of Doctor Serpens -- "This was not in the agreement," he barks, gesturing and yelling as though he could skewer his junior with words. "We had a plan, and you have overturned it. You have ruined everything -- ruined the most basic integrity of our project!"

the most basic integrity of our project!""Your 'project,' Doctor?" Justinian whirls around to face him. "You would claim ownership of this too? Is there nothing that you will not twist to serve your perverted interests?"

perverted interests?"Doctor Serpens's expression darkens yet further. "You? You accuse me of twisting Noctis's purpose? You little
-- you petulant child. You know nothing about what
Arturus and I sacrificed for this. You could not stomach the plans we had, the power we crafted. Now you use our work to live out your little fantasy and you threaten me -- you threaten me --"

--"Doctor Justinian chuckles lowly.

--"Doctor Justinian chuckles lowly."What I said was not a threat," he says. "It was a declaration. I have no need to threaten something that has already been done."

has already been done."The older man's eyes widen. Justinian closes his hand into a fist in a sudden motion, and it hits you -- you
see an emptiness and a sun and an ocean and a beginning. For
an instant something brilliant swims at the edges of your vision.

an instant something brilliant swims at the edges of your vision.Doctor Serpens wails as the fingers of Noctis burrow into his animus and begin to rip it apart.

animus and begin to rip it apart.He collapses to his knees, convulsing like a man possessed, ichor spilling from his slack-jawed mouth and bloodshot eyes. It reminds you of the way that Reden died in Doctor Cavala's clinic -- only this time you see what is truly
happening. You see every gory, unpleasant detail of what is
happening to Doctor Serpens's soul.

happening to Doctor Serpens's soul.He screams, incoherently at first, then desperately, deliriously. "You -- bastard -- the wine --"

then desperately, deliriously. "You -- bastard -- the wine --"Justinian shakes his head. "You are no longer useful to me, Doctor. You should have thought about that before making demands."

You should have thought about that before making demands."He spits on the ground beside the flailing Serpens, before walking down the landing and through the double doors of a waiting lift. Doctor Serpens crawls pitifully after him, in fits and starts, leaving a trail of dripping black blood.

dripping black blood.Justinian turns and looks directly in your direction. He gazes at you for a while, his lower lip stiff, his hands shaking ever so slightly.

shaking ever so slightly.Then he presses an unseen button and the doors close. Doctor Serpens whimpers and cries, and slams his fist on the panel and vomits a puddle of blood at their feet.
You examine Serpens
He's moaning, spasming, coughing his own guts up. He will not see another sunrise.
You talk to him
Serpens chokes and gasps for air as you approach him. He clutches his hands to his eyes, trying to staunch the flow of blood that trickles forth.

"You," he manages to utter. "Come... agh... come to gloat, did you?"

1) "I'm so sorry."
2) <Watch him struggle.>
1
"I'm... I'm so sorry," you say.

Doctor Serpens scowls. He raises a quivering, accusatory finger.

"I... don't need... your pity," he breathes.

1) "Why did Doctor Justinian turn on you?"
2) "Is it true? What he said about you?"
3) "Is there anything I can do?"
4) <Leave.>
1
"Why did Doctor Justinian turn on you?"

Doctor Serpens gazes at you with bloodshot eyes. "He is a fool," he croaks. "A naive... reckless... fool. He thinks... he can change the world... alone."

1) "Is it true? What he said about you?"
2) "Is there anything I can do?"
3) <Leave.>
1
"Is it true? What he said about you?"

The doctor retches and spits a glob of blood onto the floor. He takes a ragged breath.

"Hypocrite," he says. "The boy... is out for himself. Like everyone else..."

1) "Is there anything I can do?"
2) <Leave.>
1
Your hands tremble. "Is there anything I can do?"

Doctor Serpens cranes his head up with some effort. His mouth opens in a gape -- he closes his bleeding eyes.

"Nothing," he whispers. "Nothing. Our weapon... designed too well. Leave me be."

1) <Leave.>
1
You step back from the quivering wreck of a man. He is moving less, now. Waiting to die.

You can feel the weight of your scalpel in your coat pocket.
You look around
Here the mechanisms fall away, replaced by a vast emptiness. Motes of dust are suspended in the skylights, as though frozen in time; the stairs pause and morph into a mezzanine from which you can see over all the vaulted arches of the Channelworks. Yet the plants and statues here do not overlook their domain, but gaze skyward, into the rarified tower above.

Justinian has sealed the doors of the control room lift, leaving Doctor Serpens to die on the landing. To reach him, you will have to ascend the rest of the stairway to the top of the Channelworks.
You examine the lift
A red lamp glows over the doors, indicating that the lift is occupied.
You kill Serpens
As Doctor Serpens writhes in pain on the floor, he does not notice you standing over him.

1) <Put him out of his misery with your scalpel.>
2) <Walk away.>
2
You step back.
Inventory
You are wearing your animus pendant, your natron jacket, and your clothes. On your person are Crow's passkey, an animus lantern (containing the spirit of your father), your practitioner's badge, your scalpel, your purse, and an antiseptic cloth.
Go upward
Climb the stairs and confront Doctor Justinian?
You kill Justinian
You draw your scalpel and take a step towards Justinian. Your heart is pounding. Your lips are dry.

His face is haggard in the storm-light. You can see the crevices in his cheeks, the cracks in his skin. He lowers his hands and looks at you with those smoldering eyes of his, like coals that might burn through your breast and make a blackened husk of your heart.
through your breast and make a blackened husk of your heart."You shouldn't have come here," he replies.
shouldn't have come here," he replies.He turns his eyes to the raging tempest outside. The rain runs down the glass in dark droplets.
tempest outside. The rain runs down the glass in dark droplets."You could have stayed in the cistern," he says. "You were safe there. Dry. Why did you leave?"

1) "I had to find you..."
2) "I don't appreciate your idea of safety..."
2
"I don't appreciate your idea of safety," you say. "You locked me up, Justinian. Did you think you were doing me a favor?"

"Marid..."

You take another step forward. You can feel the air of the Channelworks parting around you, heavy and buzzing with enchantment. You can feel all the threads of power that touch this place.

"I'm tired, Justinian," you say. "I'm tired of this nightmare. I'm tired of all this -- this insanity."
tired of all this -- this insanity."Justinian closes his eyes and purses his lips. "Marid, I told you -- you still do not understand --"

1) "No, Justinian. I've finally seen the light..."
2) "Shut up, Justinian..."
2
"Shut up, Justinian."

You ball your hands into fists. Tight enough for your fingernails to jab into your skin.

"I've been all over the district," you say. "I've seen things that no one should have to see. I've seen through the curtain between life and death. You keep talking down to me about your great plan, about your vision. Haven't you ever wondered what I've seen? What I think?"
vision. Haven't you ever wondered what I've seen? What I think?""I..."
vision. Haven't you ever wondered what I've seen? What I think?""I...""I've seen a lot of things, Justinian. I've done things that no one should have to do. And all for what? I've been thinking, Justinian, thinking about what I did and whether -- whether any of it was worth it."
was worth it."You close your eyes.

1) "Because until today, I haven't saved a single life..."
2) "Because you're right, Justinian. No one can outrun
Death..."
2
"Because you're right, Justinian. No one can outrun Death. I've been chasing you for so long... chasing something that I didn't have a name for... and I'm starting to realize that perhaps it was a dream that never existed.

never existed."For the longest time, I held on to the memory of my father. I kept clinging to that day when I was fourteen years old and my life went up in flames... as if I could have gone back in time and done something to bring him back. I kept thinking -- could I have stopped Reden's death? Could I have fought the Trading Company? Could I have solved the Shanty Quarter's problems, if I had only looked close enough to find the answer?"

close enough to find the answer?"You touch your pendant.

close enough to find the answer?"You touch your pendant."I was mistaken," you say. "I never had a choice.

mistaken," you say. "I never had a choice."I grew up thinking Furopolis was beautiful. The gleaming statues, the towers and the lights. But it's all a lie, isn't it? It's a mask over a city that has been falling apart from the beginning. Looking down from above, we only see the glittering machine, not the blood and mud and tears that keep it going."

keep it going."A flash of lightning. It scores the Channelworks District in white, every skylight and spire rendered in a twisted tapestry. A peal of thunder rolls over the city, making the windows of the tower shudder; yet you wonder if the people of the Shanty Quarter, buried in concrete and neglect, will know its passing.

buried in concrete and neglect, will know its passing."So you do understand," Justinian murmurs.

understand," Justinian murmurs."I'm tired of chasing after a dream," you say. "It's about time I owned up to the truth. And the truth is that Death has always been here, in our city, in our world. We just chose not to see it."

chose not to see it."He nods, steps forward, takes your hand. He is alive now, eyes aglow, and there is an electric current in his fingers that touches yours.

that touches yours."You see it," he says. "The Channelworks District I see. Finally you understand. Then you see --"

see. Finally you understand. Then you see --"He turns and
sweeps his arm across the whole panorama of glass, encompassing the skyline of the city.

skyline of the city."You see why this has to be done," he says. "We cannot change the city alone. We cannot change it with our clinics, our medicines, our surgeries. But with Noctis... With Noctis, we have a choice. We can make a difference.

a choice. We can make a difference."You see the purpose in all of this. The potential that this has to change the world for the better. Don't you?"

1) "Noctis isn't the answer, Justinian..."
2) "Noctis is a means to an end. I see that now..."
1
"Noctis isn't the answer, Justinian."

Lightning flashes once more, illuminating the two of you. The clouds beyond the glass broil and rage and whimper.

beyond the glass broil and rage and whimper."I wish it was so easy," you say. "If only it were so easy -- that we could stand in this tower, and snap our fingers, and it would fix everything. But life isn't like that. Death isn't like that. Death is like a fire, taking and taking and taking, until there's nothing left to take.

and taking and taking, until there's nothing left to take."You've seen it, haven't you? You've seen how death tears people apart. It leaves scars that our eyes can't see -- in our city, in our souls, in the world. It never creates something without taking something away.

world. It never creates something without taking something away."I gave up everything to stop you, Justinian. What did you give up? What did you sacrifice to get to where you are now?"

did you sacrifice to get to where you are now?"He looks out the window. His eyes are hard, his jaw set. Doctor Serpens's blood oozes down the front of his coat, slowly, in long dark fingers.

down the front of his coat, slowly, in long dark fingers."It will all be worth it," he says.

be worth it," he says."Will it, Justinian? Will it?" You circle around and grab his shoulders, making him face you. "How many lives have you destroyed? How many people have you put in the ground? Justinian, you took everyone who I cared about away from me. I died and came
back because you couldn't stop your own people from killing. Do you really want to bet on a biological weapon? Are you willing to stake the Channelworks District on that bet?"

the Channelworks District on that bet?"Justinian pushes you away with sudden force.

sudden force."You think I don't know that?" he says. "You think I don't regret what I've done?

don't regret what I've done?"Everything has a cost, Marid, and the cost is highest when we are trying to change the world. But it will be worth it. Pharmacos knew this. The Philosophers knew this. I can create a better world -- I know I can -- and I have weighed
the consequences --"

1) "No, Justinian. No one can measure the weight of a soul."
1
"No, Justinian. No one can measure the weight of a soul."

You stare down Justinian as the storm rages around the two of you, setting your confrontation to a chorus of wind and rain. Your heart hammers in your chest and the world spins, and you close your eyes and let the bitter tears fall.

let the bitter tears fall."I understand," you say. "Believe me. I understand. I've seen just how little anyone matters in the grand scale of things... like pigeons that are born to fight for breadcrumbs and die. So why do we keep going? Why do we fight Death in a war that we can never win?"

we can never win?"You turn to the windows and place a hand on the cold glass. It mists around your fingertips, tinging the city lights in somber white.

somber white."Because we have to," you whisper. "Because without us, there's no one else.

there's no one else."It's a thankless profession we chose, Justinian, to be the keepers of life and death. We keep the oath, and we hold the line, knowing that our faith may never be rewarded. We gather all the knowledge and the wisdom and the strength we can harness in ourselves, hoping that we can mend a broken world one patient at a time...

hoping that we can mend a broken world one patient at a time..."Perhaps one day, our strength will run out. We'll lose our knowledge, and our wisdom, and our hope. Perhaps one day the sea will claim us.

claim us."Until that day comes... I'm going to fight."

claim us."Until that day comes... I'm going to fight."Justinian shakes his head. He averts his gaze, whirls around, clenches and unclenches his fists -- he wails at the sky, a long and loud and inhuman cry of rage and terror and anguish. His eyes are wild and his cheeks are wet with tears.

with tears."I don't believe it," he whispers. "I don't understand. Why? Why? Why? I loved you, Marid, I loved you! So
why must you be the same as all the others? Why... after all you've gone through... why do you still cling to that stupid -- fucking -- delusion?"

delusion?"His head falls. He grips the railing around the
chamber, the life gone from his body, a shuddering wreck of the man you once knew. With your second sight, you see all the power
of the Channelworks control tower wound up and clenched tightly in his hands.

hands."It's over, Justinian," you say.

hands."It's over, Justinian," you say.He shakes his head slowly, his shoulders trembling, his knuckles bone-white. Slowly, he draws himself up, inch by inch. He struggles to compose himself, twitching and shivering, as though your words have carved open one of his arteries and drained dry his beating heart.

and drained dry his beating heart."No," he breathes. "No. You will not stop me, Marid. You... cannot... stop me.

stop me, Marid. You... cannot... stop me."I see now. You could never understand. You are as deluded as everyone else is. No matter -- I won't allow you to hold me back any longer. I will keep my promise, Marid, and not lay a finger on you -- but from now on, we part ways, and all ties are severed between us.

and all ties are severed between us."If you still wish to end my life's work, you can do it over my cold, dead body."

life's work, you can do it over my cold, dead body."He gazes at you. His eyes are alight; his chest rises and falls in ragged breaths. His is the countenance of a man prepared to die.

1) <Kill Justinian.>
2) <Walk away.>
1
You close your eyes and walk forward.

You close your eyes and walk forward.It is all so easy. You have imagined this many times; first morbidly, then purposefully, with deliberation, as you realized the nature of the power entrusted in your hands. You practiced with your peers at the Physicians' College until it became second nature to you, and you learned to wield your scalpel as easily as an extension of yourself.

scalpel as easily as an extension of yourself.For to save a life is difficult, and exhausting, and never guaranteed; but to take a life with the flick of your wrist is the simplest thing in the world.

with the flick of your wrist is the simplest thing in the world.You stab Justinian in the neck with your scalpel. He collapses on the floor, blood spurting from his wound; and you see the world
swim as his soul is shorn from his body in the same fluid motion.

swim as his soul is shorn from his body in the same fluid motion.His animus stares at you, eyes bulging in shock, a dark river running from its neck. Then the other souls in his wake, ten thousand strong, grasp his hair and clothes and phantom limbs, and his mouth distends in a wordless scream. Together they are pulled into a windless vortex, and they are borne away, into the reaches of the veil beyond your second sight.

sight.You take deep breaths. Your knees are weak. You close your eyes and rest on the railing for a moment, trying to steady your hammering heart, and to ignore the sight and scent of pooling blood.

heart, and to ignore the sight and scent of pooling blood.In death Justinian looks almost content.

Justinian looks almost content.Perhaps you have failed him. Perhaps you have failed the Philosophers, by dishonoring your oath. Certainly, by the standards of the Physicians' College, you are no longer worthy of bearing a scalpel.

of bearing a scalpel.But you have not failed the Channelworks District. Justinian will kill no one else. You have made sure of that.

District. Justinian will kill no one else. You have made sure of that.You step over Justinian's body and gaze upon the city and its lights, and all its meandering souls. The storm has passed, leaving a myriad glimmering raindrops to flow into each other on the other side of the glass. There is a feeling in the air that you have almost forgotten: a feeling of weightlessness, of a time without fear. And there -- on the horizon, on the clouds, on the flashing lenses of your animus lantern -- the first rays of dawn.

The sunlight hits the counter, and you blink the dust of sleep out of your eyes. You sit up, stretching your sore arms and rubbing the old ache in your neck.

ache in your neck.Those old dreams -- have you fallen asleep on the job again? What Doctor Cavala would think if she saw you now...

job again? What Doctor Cavala would think if she saw you now...You straighten your jacket and brush your hair into some semblance of presentability. Your mentor will back from the hearing soon, and you need to be ready for whatever tidings she brings.

need to be ready for whatever tidings she brings.## Clinic
The waiting area is bathed in late-afternoon sunlight, illuminating plaques, memorabilia, the odd passing ghost. A row of chairs faces the prescription counter, where a battered animus lantern casts a comforting glow. Further on is the consulting study, home to a desk strewn with unfinished notes and diagrams.

A calomel curtain leads north to the surgery room, stairs lead down to the mortuary, and the front door lies east.
You examine the plaques
CRISIS OF AURITIUM IV.
You examine the diagrams
The beginnings of a research paper on the Noctis vaccine. It's still a work in progress, but you have some promising results.
J.
Seventh of Libra, Auritum V

It's been a long time since I thought about Justinian.

I thought I was over him -- I'd been for a long time -- but his memory still fills me with a kind of painful longing. I know how silly it is to pine for something that could never have been... but I still feel as though something precious was lost on that day.

Looking back, my experiences seem almost too incredible to be true; and yet I cannot deny that what happened to me was real. It's left its mark on the world around me, and it haunts me wherever I go, in the corner of my second sight. When I go to bed at night, sometimes I still see him beneath my eyelids, calling out to me with
those fiery eyes...

Perhaps you were right, Justinian. In the end, I took the easy way out, just as you did. I couldn't escape the circle of life and death. But I told you, on that day, that until I lost every ounce of hope I would continue to fight.

I'm still fighting, Justinian. I owe you that much.

Current objectives:

Marid's notes:

- Now that I think about it, the clinic has changed quite a bit since then...

The waiting area is bathed in late-afternoon sunlight, illuminating plaques, memorabilia, the odd passing ghost. A row of chairs faces the prescription counter, where a battered animus lantern casts a comforting glow. Further on is the consulting study, home to a desk strewn with unfinished notes and diagrams.

A calomel curtain leads north to the surgery room, stairs lead down to the mortuary, and the front door lies east.
Go north
It's best to stay in earshot of the front door.
You look at the lantern
It glitters with the warm light of your father's animus.

A chime issues from the front door. Is she back?
You open the front door
You open the door and Doctor Cavala barges through, her greatcoat flapping and her mechanical leg hissing and clicking. She has a boy on her back with his arms wrapped over her shoulders.

"You took your sweet time, Marid," your mentor quips. "Get over here and help me --"Damn it. "I'll handle him," you say. "You prep the gurney --"

gurney --"Cavala lifts the boy's forearms, and you shoulder his weight with quick, practiced motions. He's coughing and gasping, and his breath is cold -- probably inhaled some kind of halitus or wraith disturbed by the Shanty Quarter remodeling. You steal a glance at Cavala, and your assumption is confirmed when she retrieves an emetic and an air pump from under the counter.

and an air pump from under the counter."Breathe slowly," you tell the boy as you carry him to the surgery room. "You're going to be fine. Just take deep breaths -- in and out -- in and out, okay?"

Just take deep breaths -- in and out -- in and out, okay?""I'm scared," he cries. "I can't breathe... Am I... Am I going to die?"

scared," he cries. "I can't breathe... Am I... Am I going to die?""No, you're not," you say firmly. "Just keep breathing deeply. As long as you keep it steady, you'll be fine."

you keep it steady, you'll be fine.""I -- I want to live..."

you keep it steady, you'll be fine.""I -- I want to live...""You'll live," you tell him. "You'll live. We'll make sure of that."

live," you tell him. "You'll live. We'll make sure of that."The two of you pass through the calomel curtain into the cold light of the surgery room. Cavala nods at you, a hint of a smile on her lips. You sit the boy down on the gurney, head back, arms apart. You kiss your pendant for luck before pulling your gloves on.

pendant for luck before pulling your gloves on.The boy might live, or he might not. Ever since the Council demolished the Shanty Quarter without consulting its residents, you've seen dozens of cases like his. And if you save him, the chances are that he'll die a week later of a knife wound or a throat infection. There's nothing you can do to change that.

change that.But here and now, you can do something. You can make sure the kid gets the chance to live one more day.

the kid gets the chance to live one more day.Your mentor looks at you. "Ready, Doctor Marid?"

"Ready, Doctor Marid?""Always."