15. Epilogue

In a secluded section of Sanctuary’s garden, Condor sits cross-legged on a tarp. Their gloved fingers pull a needle delicately through moldering flesh. Thin red thread trails behind, securing skin to bone, tracing ligaments, knotting around knobby exposed joints. It’s not meant to be structural, not really. Just a trick to let the maggots that

Demesne Ritual: Part 5

16:44 This is it, Condor thinks as the Spirit-mist swirls, our most powerful Challenger, as implied by Christine’s augury. They glance around, making sure that the countermeasures for this specific Other are in place. They don’t know much about it: it’s big, it resides in the Spirit World, and it involves colorful thread and heavy

Demesne Ritual: Part 4

12:30 Condor hears another vehicle approaching and quickly turns around, leaving Landis Jr.’s charms only half-rewritten. They grab their Implement and stand at the entrance. But as the old dark green station wagon rounds the corner, they breathe a sigh of relief. The station wagon parks neatly next to the wreck of Condor’s car and

Demesne Ritual: Part 3

09:14 Condor skips backwards as the lesser elemental swipes out with a tendril of quicksilver. The mass of soot and mud and liquid metal has taken a few forms over the course of the brief fight; the current one is a sort of rolling pincushion of lashing tendrils. Condor had been prepared for Boss Hackensack

Demesne Ritual: Part 2

08:21(transcript of roleplay, with surprise guest star viceVersailes) A pickup truck rattles towards the Factory, leaving a trail of dust and dark exhaust fumes in its wake. Condor stands just inside the doorway, waiting for it to approach. Strong challengers, but at least these ones are expected. Planned for. The pickup trick crashes directly into

Demesne Ritual: Part 1

06:32 The sun rises upon Condor standing in the larger of the Factory’s two doors, the one that was originally a loading dock. Three symbols are drawn on the concrete in front of them in various substances: the catalysts for an Alchemical variant of the Demesne ritual Condor had stumbled upon a while back. At

14. Sable and Alabaster Trials

Condor shows the paper to Handyong. “I have retrieved the echo, and its emotions are mine once more. You were right, Azure Dragon. I… didn’t realize how big a part of me was missing. Thank you.” The legendary figure smiles wide. “Christine and I discussed your story while you were gone. It seems your tale

13. Justin’s Visions

The trail back toward Baguio felt like more than a trail. It had been a test, he thought, one that he’d failed. Justin had put on a brave face with Daiyu, because that had been the only thing to do when desperately stalling for time and trying to throw her off. He could still feel

12. Carmine and Azure Trials

Content Warning: this chapter contains flashbacks (in blue) that depict graphic violence, death, and body-puppeting. Condor and Lady pick their way along a ridge, arched like the spine of some mountainous leviathan breaching the morning mist. As the two Practitioners climb above the cloud level, they gaze out across a wispy sea of white lit

11. Four Become Two

Condor wakes from their half-sleep to Lady’s soft but urgent voice: “Trouble approaches.” They sit bolt upright; adrenaline already burning in their veins. They’d fallen asleep on Justin’s shoulder — what? When did that happen? Next to them, Justin scrambles to his pack, fumbling for sticky notes before his eyes are even properly open. The