The Stalkers RPG - Main Action and Team Status Thread [SEASON 3] *SWEET VICTORY!*

[Neo Emolga]

So, Dr. janobii, what should our destination be today?

Well, Mr. Hatter, I say we go check out (38) The Escapist Bookstore!

You decide to head over to the Escapist Bookstore, which at a first glance, doesn't even look like there's anything wrong and you can tell Devis the Torterra hasn't been dead for long considering if you didn't know, you could have sworn the store would be opening up any minute now. Despite this small area of town appearing to be quiet, you could see why this used to be an interesting place to check out.

You check the front of the store and the back, traveling around the Deckler Apartment Building and the A Goal in One Sporting Goods store, but nothing really seems that unusual. This dark gray building seems to be in okay condition as well, so you're convinced that's not really a factor.

You decide to head inside and check out the store itself. The wooden interior seems somewhat dimly lit from the outside sunlight. And while you are able to flick the lights back on, the amount of light they provide seems a bit limited especially in the darker areas toward the back of the store. Nonetheless, it's more than enough to make your way around the store and not crash into anything in the dark.

Out of respect for Devis, most of the books have been completely untouched, though you're convinced would be thieves would be more out to steal something higher in value like jewelry as opposed to literature. As you search around the shelves, you find a lot of very interesting novels that beckon to be read and delved into. Even just flipping through the first few pages strikes your inspiration. At first, you find a story titled "Unbound by Fate" about an Unfezant with multiple souls and then a novel entitled "Wishchaser" about two Chespin brothers and their sister who gain the ability to grant wishes, but it only works for others and not their own. The premises behind most of the stories seems quite captivating and you're convinced you could easily spend a lifetime in here delving into all of them. Unfortunately, given the current state of affairs, you know now's just not the time.

As you search around the store, you also discover that Devis was a collector of rare antiques and artifacts. Many of them are fascinating as well and add to the mysterious ambience of the store. However, turning around one corner of the back of the store, one of the items that you thought was one of Devis's harmless relics doesn't appear to be something that belonged to him. Not̡̡̤̳̗̬̺̮͕ͫ̇ͬ̄̉̉̚ at al͇̼͖̮̟͙̪͌̿͑́́͑́͊ͅl. Someone hid it here and you know for certain this is not something Devis would have put here himself.

It looks like a metallic display for... h̟̜͖͇̭͜e҉̤̭̝̩͓̪ͅa̡̨͔̗d̵͖͈̘͕͜͞s̵͇̹. Like a twisted, deranged version of a bust display. You're only further convinced there's something seriously wrong with this when you read the plaque on the bottom.

"THERE IS NO PURPOSE IN RELINQUISHING THE TOKEN OF SACRIFICE UNTIL THE HEADS OF THE KING AND QUEEN ARE MOUNTED HERE FOR ALL TO SEE AND DISPAIR."

As soon as you read the word "despair," a sudden macabre presence thrusts into your spi͊̉͗͌̿̔ͨͣ͘͝͏̳͉̘̩͈̱̥̝̮͙ne a͑̄͌͋͆̔͌҉҉̮͔̱̪̪̗̣̠́͟͢nd your mi͊̉͗͌̿̔ͨͣ͘͝͏̳͉̘̩͈̱̥̝̮͙nd, causing yö̶̠̠̼̲̜͚̥͉̤̮̭͙̲͔͈̼͉̬́̀̉̊̈́ͧ̍ͣ͠u to feel a sudden, dea͑̄͌͋͆̔͌҉҉̮͔̱̪̪̗̣̠́͟͢thly chill unlike a͑̄͌͋͆̔͌҉҉̮͔̱̪̪̗̣̠́͟͢ny ö̶̠̠̼̲̜͚̥͉̤̮̭͙̲͔͈̼͉̬́̀̉̊̈́ͧ̍ͣ͠ther you've felt before...

Madder has suffered 1 Damage to Sanity

Object {Head Display: Missing Head of the King, Missing Head of the Queen} #Disturbing Presence# (1 Sanity Damage) has been noted in the Team Records.

You then decide to get away from this thing and head upstairs to see what Devis had in his apartment. As you discover, it's locked, but it doesn't take much to force and disable the lock to head inside.

From what you find, Devis was slightly aloof and strange with his obsession for fantasy and fiction, but he did gather a lot of interesting things over the years. Things that probably belong in a museum, but nonetheless, you find he believed in a lot of supernatural presences and forces. You also discover he had books regarding Abyss and Utopia, and while many would have dismissed those as silly fiction, he believed it.

It almost seems like it was for this reason that the Stalkers killed him early...

You don't find too much else upstairs, so you decide to head out. Your nerves are still feeling a bit singed from that head display, and you don't feel inclined to give it another look on your way out...

Madder the Mimikyu (S: Ghost/Fairy)

Health: 4/4
Sanity: 3/4
Perk: Lockpick | Learned Abilities: Exorcism
Failed Assassinations: 0/2