READER

[grigori]

ROLE: READER nero

A MEASURE OF TRUTH

On Monday, at 7 PM EST / 4 PM PST / 5 PM MST and later in the week on Friday at the same times, Disce catches Nero's attention. Both will innately know that they have somewhere to be, and Disce will be able to lead the way—even if they've never been there before. Her form changes, as they're both accustomed to, but takes that of a pine marten, and upon reaching their destination, they will be greated by the Watchers.

After finishing their business, Nero and Disce will not be able to return to this location again without being invited back, regardless of whether they attempt to return on the same day or in the same week. Disce will be able to take her pine marten form again on her own, but will revert to one of her original forms upon leaving. Nero and Disce both will know that this form cannot be shared openly, and that caution should be practiced with sharing it privately, as well.


As the reader, Nero will be given the opportunity to ask two questions each week, using the alethiometer to find an answer. They will have two meetings with the Watchers a week, on Monday and Friday, after awakening. They may ask both questions on Monday or save them until Friday, or they may split their questions between these meetings. Any further questions they ask of the alethiometer will remain unanswered.

The questions asked will be Nero's own choice, and any answers will be given in a series of symbols from the alethiometer. Nero will be granted only one initial meaning for each of the symbols on the alethiometer, and any others will have to be discovered on their own. Keep in mind that this leaves room for some answers to be interpreted incorrectly, leading to a false reading; while the alethiometer can be used to find the truth, it will by no means give an easy answer.

Additionally, Nero may use this time to speak directly with the Watchers each week. He may ask questions, receive small hints, or simply chat with them, though any information received will be subject to the Watchers' own discretion.

★ Keep it secret.
★ Use your daemon’s pine marten form sparingly.
★ Never let anyone else use the alethiometer.
★ If too many participants learn about the alethiometer, it will be requisitioned.
★ The alethiometer may answer up to two questions per week.
★ There are other meanings to each symbol beyond the basic meanings. You must learn to interpret them on your own.

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Comments

WEEK 1

[grigori]

Questions

[grigori]

[perfectdistance]

What's important about the places we end up in?

[grigori]

Nero turns the dials to the symbols that best suit what he wants, and concentrates on the question. The needle continues to spin, and at first it seems to be aimless. But he'll notice that they have a pattern to it. Swing - stop on a symbol; swing - stop on a symbol, swing again, stop on that symbol again. It continues like this, indicating that there are further meanings to the symbols that it lands on by taking multiple stops on the last three, until it's just repeating itself:

marionette, candle, apple, helmet

[perfectdistance]

Why are people killing here?

[grigori]

As before, the needle spins and spins, aimless at first but eventually revealing a similar pattern to before. Swing - stop on a symbol; swing - stop on a symbol, swing again, stop on that symbol again. This continues, indicating further meanings to the second, fourth, fifth, and sixth symbols.

helmet, bread, angel, marionette, ant, alpha & omega

Talk to the NPCs

[grigori]

[ Rameel, Satariel, and Yomiel are all here outside of the Solar to the left of the Castle where Disce has led Nero. Please indicate which one he'll be addressing.]

[perfectdistance]

[This is so much for a guy to suddenly deal with? Hello? Hello?

He'll approach Satariel, Disce in her new form on his shoulders.]

What's goin' on?

[grigori]

[ hello, nero! sorry about all this? you wanted to help though, right? right?? ]

So, hi. [ sympathetic, and their daemon croaks softly in raven form from their shoulder, but they say first: ] You look very lovely, Disce.

[ they reach into their cloak to pull out a velvet cloth that they unwrap, opening up the alethiometer out to offer to nero. ]

You're going to have a lot of questions, and we're going to try to answer all of them, but you were chosen by the higher powers on both sides to represent a neutral role in all of this. This is the alethiometer.

[perfectdistance]

[Yes, but also he didn't think he would be doing whatever this is?]

I- [He looks down at the alethiometer, Disce follows his gaze, as he looks back towards Satariel.] Uh. What? Why me? 'm the only one with it...?

What does this do?

[grigori]

The higher powers thought you'd be the best pick. You're the only one with it - so it's yours to have, and yours to keep safe.

[ they don't insist that he takes it, and instead just holds it out. the needle is lazily sweeping across the face of it on its own, almost like it's waiting, or just idle. ]

You ask it questions, and it gives you answers - though, you sort of have to figure out how to interpret them? Each symbol has multiple meanings. Like how justice can be represented by the sword, or nature by the garden.

[perfectdistance]

It doesn't come with a manual at all? I'm basically flyin' totally blind with this thing?

[... He's not quite ready to take it just yet.]

Can I stash it with you when I ain't usin' it?

[grigori]

[ they wince a little. ]

I'm sorry, Mr. Turner. I wish we had more for you, there, but we can't read it beyond the basic meanings, either. You'll have to build up the dictionary from those, so to speak.

[ their daemon croaks a confirmation before its person can even say anything, though, and it makes them huff a laugh. ]

Of course you can.

[perfectdistance]

Thanks.

[He does not want to try and explain this weird compass thing if somebody decides to pickpocket him for whatever reason.]

Trial and error, sounds like. Is it more accurate than... "Hachimaru"?

[Yeah, the 8 ball from trial that Tsuru had.]

's it fine if I bounce my ideas off of you guys? Ain't like I wanna talk about it to anybody else.

[No man is an island, really. That goes for wizards too, even if some of them (nero) would prefer it that way.]

[grigori]

That - [ their mouth pinches a bit in confusion, before becoming an O of understanding. ] The little eight ball thingy that answered questions? Yeah, this one's supposed to be way more accurate.

But it will take a little fine tuning, so you can definitely come to us if you want to bounce it off of us. We can't, you know, give you the answers, especially since we won't be able to read it. But I did promise you a quiet place away from other people, and you might need that for practicing with it.

[perfectdistance]

Thanks for the space.

[A nod. And then both he and Disce pause.]

You can't read it? Does it look totally blank to ya?

With a limit of two questions per week... 's gonna take a while, I think.

[perfectdistance]

[He'll look at Yomiel with some exhaustion.]

It happened again, didn't it?

[grigori]

[ mood, man. after a nice sleep, they're sitting where the floor and wall meet and leaning their head back against it listlessly. ]

Yeah. And one of ours, too.

[perfectdistance]

[Mood.

Nero takes a seat next to them, Disce curling up in his lap.]

One of ours... [sigh] We're in for a real exhaustin' time.

'm thinkin' of asking why the murders are happening. What do you think?

[grigori]

I think we both have an idea what the answer will be, but it won't hurt to get a solid confirmation, will it?

[perfectdistance]

The last time I thought I'd get a simple answer I got somethin' heavy...

[ Ah well, here he goes. ]

[grigori]

So I saw. But I don't think it's going to get any better with the one you're asking now.

[perfectdistance]

I don't know if I can ask questions that aren't heavy. With just two of 'em a week I don't wanna go wastin' them.

Apparently the guys that went to the candy castle found a letter about greedy hands. Wonderin' if that has somethin' to do with the question I asked on Monday...

[There's always next week.]

[grigori]

"Greedy hands" being why the people supposed disobeyed, maybe?

[perfectdistance]

Maybe. Or they were the people who were disobeying and were punished for it.

[helmet, bread, bread, angel, marionette, marionette, ant, ant, alpha & omega, alpha & omega]

Okay so the helmet's not weird. Kinda figured it was part of whatever conflict we're here for.

Bread is "sustenance" or maybe... food? [DON'T LIKE THIS.] Angels are "messengers", but it could mean somethin' else. The marionette is "obedience" and "disobedience". [Guess what else came back.] Ant means "busy". Alpha & Omega is "finality"... or maybe "eternity".

[How does he construct this into an answer.]

Does the order of the symbols on the alethiometer matter? Or should I just take it as a whole?