Exiting the room I see look at where the telecrescope had been previously, in its place was a worm like face eating its own tail.
"Rhers dimension warps things and gives them otherworldly power, the Bremen army is using that fact in order to create Logic"
I explain to Twig as I turn left and get into a runners stance
"Now you better hold on Twig, because I'm gonna run through this place as fast as I can and collect all the pearls this place has to offer"
Taking off I pass by two buried Ronteals almost immediately, they come out of their holes and start chasing me as I turn right and head into a room with a ladder, sending my hands to pick up the pearls I start climbing. Once I have the two pearls I climb all the way up and leave the room, taking a left I run past another Ronteal and continue going forward until I see a glowing golden gate, taking another left I open a chest and find some arm guards which I put on. Waiting at the golden gate for the Ronteal to catch up I explain a bit about the gate to Twig.
"These can be used if I learn the spell Golden Gates which is a spell under Rher, it lets me teleport between the different Rher dimensions that also have a gate like this one"
Twig nods and my attention is caught by the Ronteal shambling over to me, he was blocking the only escape I had so I had to wait for him to get a bit closer in order to juke him. Once he does get closer I dodge roll past him and start running, grabbing its pearl as I run past its hole. Finding myself at another fork I turn left and position all my puppet hands infront of me, once I get close enough the Ronteal is expelled from its hole and using my puppet arms I push it with all the otherworldly force I can muster, pushing it back steadily until I eventually push it off into the endless never ending darkness. I raise a puppet arm to my head in a salute to it and then quickly run back and grab the last pearl, going the other way in the fork I climb the ladder that was in that direction.
Popping my head out I'm suddenly met with the normal outside world, it seems I'm at the entrance to the tunnel. That's when two legs block my vision, looking up Pav, Bremen pig himself stood infront of me, he looked down at me with a smug smile.
"Hey there no need to get jumpy on me now, I don't mean any harm, you should have gotten the Eagle key to unlock the gate into the city right, I would have gone down myself but you never know what lurks deep beneath the soil, besides the festivals only at its beginning. I don't want to do anything too 'risqué' just yet, now I know your a reasonable person, so would you please open the gates, anyway I got other stuff to do… so - be killing you later — I mean seeing you later~!"
Pav walks off not even waiting for my reply, hands in his pockets he seems not even scared at the environment he's in. I watch his back as I fully climb up the ladder and put my feet on the soil. I mutter as I pat my clothes off of any dust that got on it"
"I guess things become a bit dull after being in the Bremen military for most of your life huh"
Twig seems to have gone is a tizzy as he irately jumps around on my should, making it clear how he felt about Pav.
"Why did you let that guy talk to you like that, if I was you I would have socked him right in the face"
I chuckle at Twigs righteous anger and lecture him.
"Pav already has enough going on with his life, besides he doesn't want to kill me, the only person here he wants to kill is the Kaiser, and he won't succeed in his effort. Besides I managed to nab a few stuff from him, he won't be needing these as his plan will fail either way"
Two of my puppet hands show up and hand me a Lugr and ten 9mm bullets. I load five bullets into the two Lugrs I have and put them on each side of my hip with a puppet arm holding each pistol in a firm grasp, ready to quick draw at any moment. Twig looks worshpfully at me as he whispers.
"Someday I'm gonna be able to steal just like you, and make my enemies kill themselves!"
Ignoring the definitely not scary proclamation by Twig I walk back the way I came but this time take a different path that leads me directly to the city. By now the sky had gotten noticeably darker and it had definitely turned to around early midnight. Walking across the town I see my way blocked by a bunch of wooden crates, spotting a basement cellar door I open it and down the stairs. Continueing forward from the bottom of the stairs I loop around the basement following the walls. Going inside a room I see a chest and a bookshelf, the chest has a rusty pipe which I had one of my puppet arms hold, while the bookshelf had something a little more interesting, a Book of Enlightenment.
'In the game the book allowed the character to have a save point when read. But since this isn't a game anymore I'm unsure on what it'll do'
Twig notices my pause in movement as I observe the book and gives the book a cautionary glance, only to double take as his nonexistent eyes almost pop out of his skull.
"Woah I'd be careful with that book buddy, I've heard some nasty rumors about it. I heard it makes the reader a bit crazy in the head, spouting off mumbo jumbo about fraying bonds between the body and mind and thinking themselves godlike beings"
I look curiously at the book Twig had described, in the game there was some dialogue when the book was read that talked about giving a new perspective and the bond between body and mind deteriorating, could that be what Twig is talking about? In that case maybe I should avoid reading it for now. Putting the book in my bag I walk into a more open room with a stone circle in the middle, engraved inside the stone circle was a three by three formation of squares.
To my right was a chest and bookshelf, the bookshelf had an Occult Grimoire inside which I decided to stash and read later and the chest had nothing inside it. Turning left I walk down a hall and pick up a bone saw that would make it a lot easier for me to sever the limbs off of corpses. Walking back to the room I walk past the stone circle and continue forward towards a ladder, climbing up it I enter a small house on the outskirts of the town. As I step fully into the house Twig asks me curiously.
"What's up with that stone circle we walked by?"
"That was an Imperfect circle, it's used to summon New Gods, the only ones that are alive right now are The Heartless One, The Tainted One, The Radiating One, and The Tormented One. Each one can me summoned with certain items, like a particular heart shaped locket for the Heartless One, or severed grades for the Tainted One. The New God we want to summon is the Radiated One who sells us valuable items in exchange for the pearls, but right now we are one pearl short for the item I want to buy from him. We will get that pearl at the Mayors manor just outside of this house we are in."
Twig nodded in acknowledgment and I walk outside, darkness had set in now and I could feel the gaze of something, it wasnt fully focused on my but it felt similar to The God of Fungers gaze. Looking up I see the moon stationed above, almost as if held there by a string. My gaze focused on the craters that dotted its surface forming a face.
'Nothin to worry about Sam, just a moon god staring balefully down at the Earth.'
Taking a deep breath I let it out and look away from the moon, stepping forward I begin whistling the tune Song of Storms, turning left I walk through a gate and enter into the Mayors manor.
"Well hello dear guest welcome to the Mayors manor, your in luck we just received a new Mayor today and he told me to invite guests to join him for dinner. The Mayor is just upstairs to your right, he will probably already beginning dinner so feel free to join him, oh and do be careful not to mention his antlers, it's a bit of a sensitive topic you see"
The voice of a moon burnt man reached my ears as I walked in, the speaker, Jeeves, was standing beside the stairs as he greeted me. I nodded at his greeting and acknowledged the invitation. Heading up the stairs I turn right and take another right, reaching the dining room I immediately notice the giant hulking figure of The Gentlemen, the moon scorched form of Henryk another one of the festivals victims, on one side of the dining table. The Mayor looked up at me as I walked in, his voice was deep and gravely as he opened his arms wide in welcome, gesturing to take a seat.
"Ahhh visitors good, please have a seat I was just enjoying some particular delicacies and would be overjoyed if you joined me"
Pulling up a seat I introduce myself and Twig as I grab a cloth and tuck in for dinner.
"Hello my name is Sam and my buddy over here is Twig, it would be wonderful to enjoy the intricacies of food with such a cultured individual as yourself"
The Mayor seems to blush a bit as he laughs and waves in Jeeves to bring in some more plates and cutlery, heading back inside the kitchen once he's done.
"Oh I'm but an enjoyer of the finer things in life, nothing more, it's a pleasure to meet you and your pet, I'm amazed you have managed to tame such a fascinating creature."
The Mayor was inturrupted as Jeeves walked in with a trolley full of different kinds of food, Twog seems a pit ticked off a being called a pet but a few pats on the head calms him down. The Mayor exclaimed joyously as Jeeves places the plates infront of us.
"Oh good Jeeves seems to have plated all the food you know I cooked this food it's only with a truly great cook that food can be transformed into art, now Sam tell me… what comes to your mind when you look at these dangling beauties, use your imagination, food can be as inspiring as the highest form of painted art or the most complicated musical arrangements"
He gestured to two weird sacks of meat that resembled kidneys, putting my hand to my chin I examine the food before giving the Gentleman my answer.
"I think they resemble embryos, the beginning and the end of life"
The Mayor hums in agreement as he stabs one with a giant fork he carries in his hand.
"You stole the very words from my mouth Sam, I'm glad to see your not a looney yet, unlike those others… you've seen those people right? Savages they are, truly savage people, how am I supposed to have an in-depth discussion with them? I wish to talk about poetry, music and the culinary arts… though it is a terrible thing what happened to the denizens of this town, I haven't heard much but rumors say that the moonlight scorched the Earth into something unrecognizable… ahem! But that's a dreary topic, let us continue dining I have so much more delicacies to show you! Let's see… Yes that will do, what about this little squirmy thing… what comes to your mind?"
He shows me his plate, on it was what could only be described as a degloved moon scorched penis, the thing was disgusting but all I could do was make a show of examining it before nodding resolutely.
"It reminds me of a snake, of slithering on the ground, of deceit."
The Mayor nods at my words. In truth all these words are stuff I am remembering from the games wiki, I'm just taking the answer the player gives and adding on the reason the Mayor tells the player, but it seems to be working well for me so I'll just continue sticking to the wiki.
"Yet again you have practically stole the words from my very mouth, yes you are truly a connoisseur, well let me show you the final meal this one is my favorite, please expound upon its beauty"
He reveals a fungus that looks incredibly similar to a penis in the act of penetrating the bottom half of a torso, Twig mutters into my ear about how he's going to need a paler cleanser after this and I just chuckle to myself and give the Mayor my answer.
"Hmmmm, this one is interesting in its appeal, it reminds me of a rainy day, I can still smell the damp forest floor"
The Mayor claps his hands as he laughs and then begins to cut the fungus into pieces to eat.
"Truly you must have a perceptive eye, either that or you possess the ability to read minds, it would not surprise me considering the things I have seen, but I trust your not lying to me. Anyway I dont know about you but I'm quite stuffed, I thank you for the company, in fact let me give you respite tonight. As I understand it you are needed in the city but that shouldn't stop you from getting a goodnights sleep today, I have a spare room you can use, but first I must ask you one last question"
The air around the table stills and a serious expression appears on the Mayors face, he readies his gigantic fork and knife in his hands as if he would use them if my answer did not satisfy him. He cleared his throat before asking me.
"Do you support the Bremen army? Are you a Man O'Kaiser so to speak?."
Twig stills, frightened at the knew situation I had gotten my self into, I just look the Mayor dead in the eyes and respond in kind, the same serious reflecting in my voice.
"I am against the Bremen army and in fact I am personally against the Kaiser and his ways"
The Mayor laughs and stands up and walks towards me, Twig tenses up thinking he harbors ill intent but I just stand up as well and wait for him to come up to me. Clasping my shoulders I can feel the power lying within his hulking form.
"Ha ha, yes you have my support, feel free to treat my manor as your own, I do not wish to start trouble with the Kaiser so this is all I can help you with"
I use a few puppet arms to pull his hand from its strong grasp on my shoulder and clasp it in a handshake.
"Thank you Mayor, I would accept your offer were it not for the priest that lives here, I am afraid he houses ill intent for me and my friend and would make an attempt on my life the instant he lays eyes on me"
The Mayor waves off my words and walks out of the door, fork and knife in hand, trailing behind him I hear him call back to me.
"Nonsense, no guest of my shall have harm done to them in my house, I will take care of it right away, then you will able to sleep safely without worry"
I followed him till we got near the priests ritual room, the Mayor walked in and soon followed the woosh of air being displaced and the bang of a decapitated head falling to the floor. Out walked the Mayor polishing his giant dinnner knife with a handkerchief, he nods to me and walks downstairs to his study and room, leaving a few parting words.
"I repeat my statement, feel free to use my manor as if it were yours, any foe of the Bremen is a friend in my books, down the hall the way we came is the room you can use."
Following the directions given by the Mayor I find my room and enter, checking the bookshelf I find a flyer between a few books, pulling it out I take a look at it. The flyer had a drawing of an ominously smiling man wearing an interesting hat, underneath the drawing was some writing about the man appearing in the citizens of Prehevils dreams and that if he was seen I should contact us, the thing is there isn't any contact information on the flyer.
"Per'kele"
I mutter as I ball up the flyer and stuff it in my pocket.
'I could worry about him right now but I'm to tired to care.'
Lying on the bed I let out a relieved sigh, Twig lays down next to my head and mutters a goodnight before going to sleep, I do a quick check to make sure both doors into the room are locked before going back to the bed and falling into a light and dream addled sleep.