Hey buddy, if you are reading this I died, and you woke up in the spawn point without any memories. First of all your name is Haunt, sorry I don't have a real name for you, but at best you are going to know what I know. I am a wake up kid myself, but whoever came before me didn't leave any clues to my past.
Let's go over what you figured out so far. 1) You woke up cold and alone in this crazy place known as "The City" 2) The only clue you had to your past is a long tattoo on your right foot. 3) You were dropped off at Anna's clinic, given a phone, a good meal and a clean room 4) Hey it turns out that the tattoo is the password to get into the phone. Nice job figuring that out without outside help. 5) You might have noticed that touching people skin to skin is a very bad idea. Don't worry with practice, you can direct it. You won't ever really be able to control it, but that is what powers are like in the City. If you haven't noticed this don't touch anybody until you get to someone I can trust. I suggest Chloe if you can find her. She is the single best person in the City to help you figure out your powers.
Now if you want to survive more than a few nights, you have to be prepared. I've set up some files for you, the files go over my past. relationships, powers, your assets, and who is trying to kill you. Sorry about that last one, unless you have a new face and a new set of powers you are going to be hunted, and if you get captured, hopefully they decide to kill you.
Feel Free to jump into the files now. I suggest starting with powers right now, then jump to relationships, no rush on assets until you are ready to leave Anna's.
I've got some good news and bad news. The good news is you have some great powers, they will help keep you safe, make money, and even keep you entertained. The bad news is once you hear the downside, you are going to wish you didn't have powers, that is how they work in the City. If anyone tells you that their power has no cost they are lying or they haven't figured it out.
You can touch someone and create full sensory visions for them. You can control them or let them go wild. Sometimes letting go has benefits, if someone has trouble figuring something out or a partial memory an uncontrolled vision can sometimes work it out for them. Time is warped in the vision where one second in the real world stretches to one minute of time in the vision. This estimate of the time warping effect is a rough guess and it can very from vision to vision, but the time spent in the vision will always feel longer than the time that passes in the real world.
You can create illusions that can lift and move things. It's like imagining a hand tossing a rock, you will actually see the hand appear to toss the rock. It is a little odd to get used to. Don't plan on lifting anything heavy but you have pinpoint accuracy, and you can move small objects like nails very quickly.
Here are the drawbacks.
The touch is always on and if multiple people touch you at once you kind of short out. Doesn't seem too bad right? Wrong, you are the perfect drug . . . I'll talk about the past in a different post.
Wraith is some thing that uses the illusion and telekinetic powers without your permission. She is harmless most of the time, terrifying some of the time, and she is not afraid to hurt you if you piss her off. She is not all bad though, if your life is in danger, she will help you out.
Before I was Haunt I was Victor. Don't get too exited, it's not your real name. I just liked the sound of it, but if you want to use it go ahead.
I discovered the touch power first, for a while I thought it was pretty fun. I had a short client list that would pay me for visions, I typically asked for favors and gems in return. Gems were a smart choice they tend to go up in value as they become more scarce over time. It didn't take long to figure out this could not only be my living, but be a damn comfortable one. They seemed like happy years. Word spread about my power and people found out what happened to me when multiple people touch me at once. It didn't take long for them to take advantage of it.
I was caught, drugged, tied to a table, force fed with a tube and used as a drug. People would walk in and just touch me for a high. I have no idea how long I was out I just knew it was a damn long time. The day I woke up was an interesting one the ties were cut, and everyone around me was dead or dieing. The air pressure was odd and constantly shifting. That was my first run in with Wraith. It was shortly after this that I learned my own methods of moving things with my mind and projecting images.
I lived on the streets for a while telling no one about my power. I became pretty street wise and started picking up and delivering packages for people, this became RPS Runner's Package Service. It was through this service I started to form an information network. . . it is nowhere near as sophisticated as Gideon's or Madame Nacht's, but it was still good enough to learn that there were survivors of the gang I killed and they were after me.
Using this information I teamed up with Gideon and became an enforcer for him, it was an unpleasant way of getting things done, but Gideon paid well. The other thing is I could give someone the full sensory vision of breaking legs without doing anything. Knowing that people were going to experience it virtually or in reality helped me sleep at night.
Word spread a bit about the power and I picked up a few contracts for entertaining. It seemed like a bad idea even at the time, but I preferred it to breaking legs and it was a spectacular way to get information.
RPS started doing well and things were going well for me. I had more wealth then I knew what to do with. A few modest houses to call my own, and a deadly game of cat and mouse with the people who were trying to capture me.
I had some interesting events that were typically linked to people I met. I'll get into this under people.
I am going to tell you about the people I have met,they will help you get set up.
Now let me tell you there are only two kinds of people Selfish and Selfless.
Selfless people are those who do it all for the love of helping people. They are warm, caring, and sweet. They are not very good at working the "What's in it for me?" angle. There are very few, but I seem to attract them, and I am attracted to them.
Selfish people are everybody else. "What's in it for me?" is how they survive. I don't know how you will turn out, but I was in this camp, not always happy about it, but selfish people tend to be better survivors.
Now I am going to remind you to think about how you were betrayed. Think about it until it aches, until it tears you apart. Don't get to close to people too fast and you may just avoid getting stabbed in the back. It's not a fun way to live, but you might just live.
Anna is fantastic. She is likely the first person you really talked to. You noticed that she is a bombshell. Free advice, flirt all you want, but don't touch . . . your love life is complicated enough, trust me.
She runs the clinic, go to her if things go south. She has food, medicine, and contacts. She will take favors in return for service, she is very fair about it, if anything she falls on the selfless side.
I was tempted to not mention this guy . . . but you should know what was going on in my head even if I don't understand it.
This guy is a businessman in the market place. He lives at the University, now that may not strike you as odd, but imagine the place crawling with nasties, and when they aren't around thrill seekers and bandits are.
He lives there.
Something about him struck me as odd first time I walked passed this guys shop. Sometimes just thinking about this guy makes me angry . . . I don't know why. I did some digging to find out if he was involved in the gang that is after me. Not only is he not, he is seen as one of the good guys of the marketplace.
Alyss is a blind seer so naturally I sought her out right away for help and advice with my problems.
Task number one was better control of my power. She did a vision for me drawing the person that could help me with my power. She drew herself, think about that for a minute.
If you are thinking "con artist" good, your survival instincts are coming back. You would also be completely wrong in this case.
Turns out she was the worst haggler in the city, she didn't want me to pay her, because clearly the reading was wrong. She said that she couldn't possibly be the one to help me. It turns out that she has crippling self doubt, she is selfless, and fearless to a fault.
In trying to figure out how my power worked with her we tried a few things. Leading in with vision failed to make a connection, Leading in with sound works, Establishing a link then letting go of control completely is a horrible idea. It brought forth her primary fear of shadowy entities called The People. I still don't know much about them, and frankly I doubt she knows much about them. She just knows they are out to get her. I wonder if it is like Wraith, connected to her power somehow. I just hope I never see them again.
There was a point where I tried a treatment with a transfiguration shop to get rid of Wraith. I could banish her but it weakened my other telikinetic power and brought up some really crazy side effects including blacking out and talking like someone else. I have no idea if this will resonate with you but a key phrase from that state was "Right as rain" I have no idea why, but even typing that out sends a cold chill down my spine.
I was weak, confused, and frankly scared. She nursed me back to health and even shared her bed with me. Nothing happened, she is very innocent, and I was not going to take advantage of that.
Since then there was an incident where I dropped a card from her Tarot Deck and it turned out to be The Tower. The picture is of two people falling from a crumbling building, and it means disaster. Since pulling that card she has looked out for me like no one else has ever done. She was warm kind sweet and affectionate in a very innocent way.
I don't know if your emotions will follow the same path mine did, but I was really falling for her. Listen I know I am just a bunch of text on a screen right now and frankly I don't know if you really care for how I felt with who, but please look out for her. I just know her lack of fear for anything but the people could lead to trouble . . . and though she didn't say the tower was about two people. I have the feeling the disaster is for the two of us.
Shit happens, get used to it. I have a bit of an update on this one. I was telling her about my customers for visions, yea I know, none of her business, but I was falling for her remember? So I was telling her about them and detected a hint of jealousy. So before anything became any more serious I let her know that I was dating a couple of people. She ran out the door, literally, apologizing like she had done something wrong. I asked if I would see her again, she dodged the question.
Who knows, it might be for the best I was falling madly in love with Chloe.
It still hurts to think about, even if what Alyss and I had stopped being romantic, I wish we still had something.
Chloe. The moment this frail girl walked through my front door everything changed. You will notice that the security film has been double encrypted then deleted. Sorry buddy, she has a secret I won't even share on this level of security.
I can tell you a few things. She works at the Raven's Nest. I know what you are thinking a frail girl at the Nest is not the best combination. I am trying to convince her to quit when she is ready. (yea go ahead and roll your eyes about me trying to be the knight in shining armor, I deserve it.) I am worried about her, not just because of her apparent frame.
Chloe and I have a connection, I can't explain it, but it is profound. I told her everything. Yes everything. I know what I said about not getting too close too soon, but she is different. If you get to meet her you will understand. Ask her about what we shared, ask her about the conversation we had in each other's arms.
Chloe is warm, kind, smart, and affectionate. We connected in ways I didn't think were possible, deep feelings fell into place quickly for both of us.
Damn, I know I am being vague, but please understand that Chloe understood me more than anyone else could, perhaps more than any one else could possibly understand. Seek her out early and keep her safe.
I should tell you that she told me she wanted to be part of my life. If that doesn't melt through the ice, nothing will. I said yes. It would be just a couple of days later that I realized that was the moment I fell in love. I asked her if I could be part of her life and she said yes. If this exchange reminds you of popping the question, that is exactly what I was thinking. I didn't, but I will. I need to sort out what is going on with the people hunting me. If I can shake them, I will ask her to marry me.
If you are reading this now, it means I never got the chance.
Shade's Death, The Destruction of RPS, and One Shattered Kneecap.
There are some days that are so big they change everything.
For Victor it was getting captured.
For me it was meeting Wraith escaping capture and starting a new life.
. . . and then there was last night. The cliff notes, I was attacked by Shade the leader of the gang The Shadows. He and his right hand, a woman named Lock came after me.
Things started normally enough, I was hiring Merrick to handle some of my dangerous deliveries. I had a shoulder wound thanks to Wraith. I was on the upswing but not quite back to normal.
We had gotten a message that a shipment of gemstones needed to go out that night. When my contact made the drop off he signaled to me that we were followed. Shortly after that I had gotten an Email from Alyss telling me she had a vision of RPS on fire and me wounded on the ground. Find somewhere safe.
I didn't have much choice, I knew I was being followed. I could've walked into a pub or shop, but instead I went to RPS. Honestly I figured if I went somewhere else I would just end up getting other people dusted.
Well when I get in this shadowy figure glides or teleports in and starts attacking me with a knife. Wraith tried to dust him but she was frozen in mid attack, I would later find out that was Lock. Her power is stasis.
There was a fight, a nasty one. I did wound Shade and that is when I got reckless. A few things happened in the blink of an eye. Lock freaked out, loosing concentration on Wraith. . . Wraith killed her in the blink of an eye. I tossed a grenade on top of an explosives crate, you might think that is overkill, but if so you don't remember fighting Shade. It was like trying to fight Wraith.
There was a huge explosion and I got banged up pretty badly. I woke up in Anna's clinic, she gave me a warm breakfast and the news that my kneecap is shattered. I think that this is still sinking in.
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hauntedone) wrote2012-03-03 01:51 pm
no subject
Let's go over what you figured out so far.
1) You woke up cold and alone in this crazy place known as "The City"
2) The only clue you had to your past is a long tattoo on your right foot.
3) You were dropped off at Anna's clinic, given a phone, a good meal and a clean room
4) Hey it turns out that the tattoo is the password to get into the phone. Nice job figuring that out without outside help.
5) You might have noticed that touching people skin to skin is a very bad idea. Don't worry with practice, you can direct it. You won't ever really be able to control it, but that is what powers are like in the City. If you haven't noticed this don't touch anybody until you get to someone I can trust. I suggest Chloe if you can find her. She is the single best person in the City to help you figure out your powers.
Now if you want to survive more than a few nights, you have to be prepared. I've set up some files for you, the files go over my past. relationships, powers, your assets, and who is trying to kill you. Sorry about that last one, unless you have a new face and a new set of powers you are going to be hunted, and if you get captured, hopefully they decide to kill you.
Feel Free to jump into the files now. I suggest starting with powers right now, then jump to relationships, no rush on assets until you are ready to leave Anna's.
Powers
You can touch someone and create full sensory visions for them. You can control them or let them go wild. Sometimes letting go has benefits, if someone has trouble figuring something out or a partial memory an uncontrolled vision can sometimes work it out for them. Time is warped in the vision where one second in the real world stretches to one minute of time in the vision. This estimate of the time warping effect is a rough guess and it can very from vision to vision, but the time spent in the vision will always feel longer than the time that passes in the real world.
You can create illusions that can lift and move things. It's like imagining a hand tossing a rock, you will actually see the hand appear to toss the rock. It is a little odd to get used to. Don't plan on lifting anything heavy but you have pinpoint accuracy, and you can move small objects like nails very quickly.
Here are the drawbacks.
The touch is always on and if multiple people touch you at once you kind of short out. Doesn't seem too bad right? Wrong, you are the perfect drug . . . I'll talk about the past in a different post.
Wraith is some thing that uses the illusion and telekinetic powers without your permission. She is harmless most of the time, terrifying some of the time, and she is not afraid to hurt you if you piss her off. She is not all bad though, if your life is in danger, she will help you out.
Re: Powers . . . and your past
I discovered the touch power first, for a while I thought it was pretty fun. I had a short client list that would pay me for visions, I typically asked for favors and gems in return. Gems were a smart choice they tend to go up in value as they become more scarce over time. It didn't take long to figure out this could not only be my living, but be a damn comfortable one. They seemed like happy years. Word spread about my power and people found out what happened to me when multiple people touch me at once. It didn't take long for them to take advantage of it.
I was caught, drugged, tied to a table, force fed with a tube and used as a drug. People would walk in and just touch me for a high. I have no idea how long I was out I just knew it was a damn long time. The day I woke up was an interesting one the ties were cut, and everyone around me was dead or dieing. The air pressure was odd and constantly shifting. That was my first run in with Wraith. It was shortly after this that I learned my own methods of moving things with my mind and projecting images.
I lived on the streets for a while telling no one about my power. I became pretty street wise and started picking up and delivering packages for people, this became RPS Runner's Package Service. It was through this service I started to form an information network. . . it is nowhere near as sophisticated as Gideon's or Madame Nacht's, but it was still good enough to learn that there were survivors of the gang I killed and they were after me.
Using this information I teamed up with Gideon and became an enforcer for him, it was an unpleasant way of getting things done, but Gideon paid well. The other thing is I could give someone the full sensory vision of breaking legs without doing anything. Knowing that people were going to experience it virtually or in reality helped me sleep at night.
Word spread a bit about the power and I picked up a few contracts for entertaining. It seemed like a bad idea even at the time, but I preferred it to breaking legs and it was a spectacular way to get information.
RPS started doing well and things were going well for me. I had more wealth then I knew what to do with. A few modest houses to call my own, and a deadly game of cat and mouse with the people who were trying to capture me.
I had some interesting events that were typically linked to people I met. I'll get into this under people.
People
Now let me tell you there are only two kinds of people Selfish and Selfless.
Selfless people are those who do it all for the love of helping people. They are warm, caring, and sweet. They are not very good at working the "What's in it for me?" angle. There are very few, but I seem to attract them, and I am attracted to them.
Selfish people are everybody else. "What's in it for me?" is how they survive. I don't know how you will turn out, but I was in this camp, not always happy about it, but selfish people tend to be better survivors.
Now I am going to remind you to think about how you were betrayed. Think about it until it aches, until it tears you apart. Don't get to close to people too fast and you may just avoid getting stabbed in the back. It's not a fun way to live, but you might just live.
Anna
She runs the clinic, go to her if things go south. She has food, medicine, and contacts. She will take favors in return for service, she is very fair about it, if anything she falls on the selfless side.
Benjamin Better
This guy is a businessman in the market place. He lives at the University, now that may not strike you as odd, but imagine the place crawling with nasties, and when they aren't around thrill seekers and bandits are.
He lives there.
Something about him struck me as odd first time I walked passed this guys shop. Sometimes just thinking about this guy makes me angry . . . I don't know why. I did some digging to find out if he was involved in the gang that is after me. Not only is he not, he is seen as one of the good guys of the marketplace.
Alyss
Task number one was better control of my power. She did a vision for me drawing the person that could help me with my power. She drew herself, think about that for a minute.
If you are thinking "con artist" good, your survival instincts are coming back. You would also be completely wrong in this case.
Turns out she was the worst haggler in the city, she didn't want me to pay her, because clearly the reading was wrong. She said that she couldn't possibly be the one to help me. It turns out that she has crippling self doubt, she is selfless, and fearless to a fault.
In trying to figure out how my power worked with her we tried a few things. Leading in with vision failed to make a connection, Leading in with sound works, Establishing a link then letting go of control completely is a horrible idea. It brought forth her primary fear of shadowy entities called The People. I still don't know much about them, and frankly I doubt she knows much about them. She just knows they are out to get her. I wonder if it is like Wraith, connected to her power somehow. I just hope I never see them again.
There was a point where I tried a treatment with a transfiguration shop to get rid of Wraith. I could banish her but it weakened my other telikinetic power and brought up some really crazy side effects including blacking out and talking like someone else. I have no idea if this will resonate with you but a key phrase from that state was "Right as rain" I have no idea why, but even typing that out sends a cold chill down my spine.
I was weak, confused, and frankly scared. She nursed me back to health and even shared her bed with me. Nothing happened, she is very innocent, and I was not going to take advantage of that.
Since then there was an incident where I dropped a card from her Tarot Deck and it turned out to be The Tower. The picture is of two people falling from a crumbling building, and it means disaster. Since pulling that card she has looked out for me like no one else has ever done. She was warm kind sweet and affectionate in a very innocent way.
I don't know if your emotions will follow the same path mine did, but I was really falling for her. Listen I know I am just a bunch of text on a screen right now and frankly I don't know if you really care for how I felt with who, but please look out for her. I just know her lack of fear for anything but the people could lead to trouble . . . and though she didn't say the tower was about two people. I have the feeling the disaster is for the two of us.
Shit happens, get used to it. I have a bit of an update on this one. I was telling her about my customers for visions, yea I know, none of her business, but I was falling for her remember? So I was telling her about them and detected a hint of jealousy. So before anything became any more serious I let her know that I was dating a couple of people. She ran out the door, literally, apologizing like she had done something wrong. I asked if I would see her again, she dodged the question.
Who knows, it might be for the best I was falling madly in love with Chloe.
It still hurts to think about, even if what Alyss and I had stopped being romantic, I wish we still had something.
Chloe
I can tell you a few things. She works at the Raven's Nest. I know what you are thinking a frail girl at the Nest is not the best combination. I am trying to convince her to quit when she is ready. (yea go ahead and roll your eyes about me trying to be the knight in shining armor, I deserve it.) I am worried about her, not just because of her apparent frame.
Chloe and I have a connection, I can't explain it, but it is profound. I told her everything. Yes everything. I know what I said about not getting too close too soon, but she is different. If you get to meet her you will understand. Ask her about what we shared, ask her about the conversation we had in each other's arms.
Chloe is warm, kind, smart, and affectionate. We connected in ways I didn't think were possible, deep feelings fell into place quickly for both of us.
Damn, I know I am being vague, but please understand that Chloe understood me more than anyone else could, perhaps more than any one else could possibly understand. Seek her out early and keep her safe.
I should tell you that she told me she wanted to be part of my life. If that doesn't melt through the ice, nothing will. I said yes. It would be just a couple of days later that I realized that was the moment I fell in love. I asked her if I could be part of her life and she said yes. If this exchange reminds you of popping the question, that is exactly what I was thinking. I didn't, but I will. I need to sort out what is going on with the people hunting me. If I can shake them, I will ask her to marry me.
If you are reading this now, it means I never got the chance.
Shade's Death, The Destruction of RPS, and One Shattered Kneecap.
For Victor it was getting captured.
For me it was meeting Wraith escaping capture and starting a new life.
. . . and then there was last night. The cliff notes, I was attacked by Shade the leader of the gang The Shadows. He and his right hand, a woman named Lock came after me.
Things started normally enough, I was hiring Merrick to handle some of my dangerous deliveries. I had a shoulder wound thanks to Wraith. I was on the upswing but not quite back to normal.
We had gotten a message that a shipment of gemstones needed to go out that night. When my contact made the drop off he signaled to me that we were followed. Shortly after that I had gotten an Email from Alyss telling me she had a vision of RPS on fire and me wounded on the ground. Find somewhere safe.
I didn't have much choice, I knew I was being followed. I could've walked into a pub or shop, but instead I went to RPS. Honestly I figured if I went somewhere else I would just end up getting other people dusted.
Well when I get in this shadowy figure glides or teleports in and starts attacking me with a knife. Wraith tried to dust him but she was frozen in mid attack, I would later find out that was Lock. Her power is stasis.
There was a fight, a nasty one. I did wound Shade and that is when I got reckless. A few things happened in the blink of an eye. Lock freaked out, loosing concentration on Wraith. . . Wraith killed her in the blink of an eye. I tossed a grenade on top of an explosives crate, you might think that is overkill, but if so you don't remember fighting Shade. It was like trying to fight Wraith.
There was a huge explosion and I got banged up pretty badly. I woke up in Anna's clinic, she gave me a warm breakfast and the news that my kneecap is shattered. I think that this is still sinking in.
I'll finish later, I think I hear Chloe.