Chapter 1: City of Lies

The study before you is a scene of chaos: embossed books and fine quills are strewn about haphazardly, while parchment, ink, and a lamp have been knocked from the desk, leaving only a small black orb sitting atop it. Kneeling on the floor, a man in ripped and shredded finery screams and babble incoherently as he claws at his own face - his lips are ripped to tatters, and blood streams from numerous cuts and tears across his face. Lying near him is a bloody letter opener and two pulped white globes - his eyes.

Everyone in the room make a Will check. Feel free to spend a Fate Point to invoke any of your relevant aspects.

So you could spend a Fate Point to invoke that and get a +2 to your roll or a reroll.

You all feel the miasma of the warp roll over your minds, like insects buzzing inside your skull. McFelson, Dracas and de Gael, you're able to shrug the effect off. Severian, you fall to your knees and vomit, the power of chaos too much for you to handle this time. Dracas, you create a sort of shield around the orb, and it's effects cease.

Between Dracas' shield and the cloth McFelson drops on the orb you're able to ignore its effects. The man on the floor continues to moan and wail, and begins gasping for breath.

The man, presumably Lans Guljian based on his attire, wails and moans some more. "The orb! The orb! The Black!" he screams.