Octagon - Another Purpose - Game Thread.

While others are resting, Ronna stares intently first at Horoika, then at Zinobia, as if contemplating something. Her fingers move as if she were going through the motions of casting one of her esoteries, but never quite completing it. Finally she sighs with a resignation and shakes her head to herself.

After a while she opens her back and takes out a candle that does not seem to need lighting. She sets it next to her and takes out a book, escaping to the one activity that has always helped her to shut out the world, and search for wonders: reading about the numenera.

Everyone was already awake, when Horoika went to center of bigger entrance room and started to speak loudly, pulling all guest's attention towards her.

"Dear guests, I hope you rested well. As I said I am invited You because I wanted to help You and because wanted to prevent You from making certain mistakes here... and because i wanted to give to my life certain spin... which brings some hope....
My offer is about leaving this damned place...but before i will talk about it, I am sure, that, as most of the settlers I saw, and because i was "The Settler" once - i know - you have no clue whats going on. This is strange land, and the bad news are that me and you are trapped here. I came here around 6-7 years ago, and I already lost the count of the time I spent here..... I was alone, was not aware about the meaning of this "Resettlement", and instead of using my oportunity to move myself to place I will feel comfortable with I stayed here, on this damned Edge.

I tried to be good, to follow way of life, which Dogmats require from anyone in order to accept him or her back to The White. I tried to adapt. I tried to be with Serenitas. But.... I failed, as my inner self had different purpose, and they found it by feeding me with their Acceptance. More than that, my heart could not accept.... me being one of Serenitas, it rebelled, and I failed my adaptation, and was thrown here back. At same day when i was thrown back to the Edge I saw as one my old friends, whom I met here before, was declared as Abomination, and under Acceptance was ordered to tie his neck with steel cord and to jump down from the ledge. There... on the edge... there alot of bones, and dead flesh. Here, you are indocrinated, brain-washed, and crystal-fed Dogmat, or nothing - poor, wretched remainder of human being, or the dead one, insipiring fear to anyone outside - to Scarvengers, the Reclaimers, and providing food to savage animals, which create another layer of protection for the Edge.

They say that "ones who are pure, belong to Daar Sa, and will follow him and serve him after the Death". But, really, I do not want to serve some Daar Sa. I want to live my life, want to have life full of purpose - I want to flee, and believe You do want that too - you can do nothing against them. Simply as it is You have limited time to go out, provided "generously" - and she smiled with hint of irony , and then continued -

by Daar Testament. They wont stop you, I mean us. If you wont, then... Acceptance..... Do you know what it is? It is when You see as your will crumbles.... You tell everything you know or think, and you do anything anyone requests from you.
When you are back to own self... you feel broken, and find yourself being wretched dweller, without rights, without food, without weapons.

So what are the options? They are few. At the north - there is a war front. Huge war going there, as centralized forces of Reclaimers trying to siege the Edge for few years already after they took somehow one of major strongholds of Dogmats. thye Octagon itself do not interfere, as seemingly, it is within the Daar Design - some old thing, conduct, made by creators of this land - Daars. They are gods. Or semigods. Someone. Someone ancient. Very ancient. Someone who helped to create this place together with all adjacent dimensions. I have very limited knowledge about Daars, but i were told that there are many.
I could share the tiny bits of all this Daar crap i know with you, but not now, it is unrelated to our business.

So this option, about north.... it is really really bad one. I was there once. The Reclaimers.... they are not better than Dogmats, if not worse. Violent, harsh, grim..... led by vicious warlords, they use Numenera to fight Dogmats which still have Numenera superiority. There are rumours that Reclaimers are led by another Daar - and all this endless war is a battle between two Daars.

That land ....the death is everywhere there. Armies of white clash with armies of black. It is good place if you want quick death, i think....

Another option? Well, the sons of the owner of this house once went to hunt. It is risky business, and if you was not marked by Dogmats they allow to do that - as long as you prove that you left for hunting, do it without weapons and pay high tax from what you bring with you back. They feed you with low portion of Acceptance, check what you saw there, and if you are not suspect of being spy or even worse - Abomination, they will let you to return. Yes, it sounds rediculous, but they need to hunt without weapons, and they do that with nets.

Once they were attacked by huge Suup - it is vicious huge and rare creature in Tonus Woods - and were saved by strange people. The people saved them, killed Suup with numenera, and went back to the woods. They were not Scarvengers, and they were not Reclaimers. They saved the brothers, while anyone other would simply kill them. They said they had dark aubergine and bordeaux coats, and some had camouflage robes that hid them well in the forest background. Older people from here told that those are people from one of the Citadels - they told it is called Turola. They say, that there are majestic cities, powerful and independent. Full of armed people with purpose and agenda, which differ from dwellers, Dogmats, Reclaimers and from Sacrvengers.

The brothers were inspired and left to find those mysterious men. And never returned. They went to find that place. They wanted to join those people in coats. They deicided to risk their lives to find that Citadel and pledge.... They felt that this place is not the place where they should be anymore... they felt that they are obliged to have better lives with certain purpose.
I hope they found it. Chances are low, considering the fact that went out without any weapons, but..... I do really hope someone made it.

Now.... I know it sounds risky. Impulsive, but..... please trust me, I know what other options are..... And I am being in full control of my mind and myself doing this proposal to you - and this means, that it is the best thing I could find for myself. Please value my honesty.
The only hope and less risky option for us, is that you allow me to join you, and we will depart as soon as possible. We will go through wild and dangerous woods to find that Citadel of Turola. As you have weapons, and I can hold myself in battle with my own means, this could be risky but real.

I know, may be some of you will think of me as mad girl which trying to cinvince you to risk your lives. But please... please trust me - the main risk is inaction here. Octagon creator forced Daars to follow certain rule, and Octagon itself enforces them. If even Dogmats fear to break those rules, perhaps it is worthy to get the benefit from them - and you can do that.

So what will you choose? Will You stay in this rotting place, will go to the warfront, or will join me, and then we together, as one, will go and find that Citadel of Turola? If you have questions - ask. Please, advice with each other and let me know. I really hope you will be brave and will accept my offer.

Free conversation. Party needs to agree on what it will be doing now - will accept Horoika's offer or else. Anyone can ask Horoika questions, it seems. Everyones participation required, because it involves serious party decision.

Horoika, Resilient Nano who Needs No Weapons requests to join the party

"Horoika, would you be so kind as to leave us for a short time whilst we discuss this grave matter together?"

(Presuming Horoika does leave us.)

"So, what do we think about this? And what can we do now? It seems by entering this Octagon we have entered an enormous prison, and none of the options are particularly appealing. For what it's worth, my seskii seems interested in the Citadel..."

Mandoric pats the beast on its scaly head, and looks enquiringly at his companions.

Horoika silently nods and moves her self to sleeping room.
She sits on the rugs, hugs her kneels, puts her head on them, and waits.

T'Jekyll looks around at the motley group and waits for a while as they mull over the implications of what Horoika has told them. certain War...mind control...or aimless wandering in the woods without weapons, trying to find a Citadel that may not even exist...

Through their bond, OOLIN can sense T'Jekyll's conflicted thoughts. She looks up at him and whispers, I think we should go with Horoika. I don't know why...I just... I just... I can't stay here!"

Part of T'Jekyll hates the idea of being controlled, or of being restricted in his choices. But he learned to mostly manage that part of himself long ago; he's had to accept so much that's outside his control for most of his life. So when OOLIN urges that they accompany Horoika, he resists the idea reflexively at first, mostly because he doesn't trust the joyous feeling he has at the thought...but the fact is, he likes the other options even less. In the end, he nods acquiescence. "I know; I can't either."

Then, more loudly to the rest of the group: "It seems our choices are between war, losing our minds, or wandering. None of them are good options, but of the three, I must choose wandering, searching for the 'citadel' Horoika hopes to find.

"It sounds like these Dogmats have us in their power now, but if we disarm ourselves and carry only nets for catching prey, the Dogmats will let us go into the woods. No weapons hurts, but I have always been able to make new spears, clubs, staves in every woods I've yet seen...I don't think these woods would be any different."

Being a weapons master Nyom does not like the idea of giving up the tools of her trade. "At this point I'd rather die fighting a war than being under someone's control."

Zinobia spits on the floor, and says to everyone, while turning towards T'Jekyll. "Damn all this. You.... " - he hesitates and adds:
"Well, I must ask her about getting into another octant.
In any case wilderness is not new thing to me. I would prefer it to war or indoctrination.
By the way I think she meant that we have those exceptions. So... Perhaps we can take weapons if we go to wilderness now. We must clarify this."

He turned towards in Horoika's direction and called her loudly : "Horoika! Is there any way to go into another section, octant? And you said we have exceptions... Does that mean we can carry weapons with us? "

Horoika raised from her position and came back to the hall. She calmly responded to Zinobia's call :
"As for octant - I have no clue. I do not think it is possible or at least it is not something that any mortal here can do . As I understand you need Doorkeeper or passage through An - Octagon's Parrarel - another world, dimension to which Octagon is linked. Only most powerful of the Octagon have access to that, as I know.
As for exceptions - certainly. That's why I waited near the Doors entrance hoping for luck - and then it came - you arrived. Yes, as ones who have Rule of Resettlement exceptions you can hold weapons in territories of The White. Dogmat's can not do a thing unless exceptions expired, or you violate rules prescribed by the Testament. You are bound to it's rules for now, so you should use the advantage of exceptions you have.
That's why it is best time to leave the Edge. Before it is too late. And with your weapons, before exceptions expire and you get some dose of Acceptance.

"3 of 6 agreed on wilderness option. 5/6 vote required to choose any option. Open conversation, still missing Ronna's input.

T'Jekyll relaxes quite a bit more, now. "Well then we should definitely leave for the wilderness now, while we still have our weapons and minds intact."

He turns to OOLIN and whispers intently.

Mandoric scratches his seskii behind the ear, saying in an uncharacteristically playful tone, "You want to go to the citadel, girl?" Then smiling grimly to his companions he says, "The citadel certainly sounds like the least of the evils we face..."

T'Jekyll nods in agreement with Mandoric. "I have no desire to become a soldier in someone else's war, and the thought of becoming a sheep (*)? Absolutely not!"

(* - an ancient phrase that is believed to mean a slave, since no one knows what the sheep animal is in the Ninth World)

"If I'm allowed to go with my weapons then I too will join in the search for the citadel." Nyom says in a dejected tone.

Allright, i am happy that you made clever decision. I agree that for you it perhaps best of three evils, but from perspective of my knowledge and experience it is the best one.

The thing is that in such case we must go now. I mean really now. At this moment. I planned this way - it is early morning now, and you rested around 10 hours.

We should go now, as we will have more time of day light to find some place to camp at night.
Please follow me. I will give some explanations while we travel.
And be peaceful to Dogmats - certain things do belong to Daar Testament - so violating them will mean losing your exceptions.

She made signal to Mandoric and got key from him, opened the door of the appartment, and placed the key under the rugs in the sleeping room.
I assuming there were no problem with that, in order to save time and advance with plot

She explained: "He is coming back very soon, anyways", and made signal to the party to exit the appratment.
She waited for everyone to exit, and then after brief "Follow" moved through the Edge's streets.
She walked very fast, and her tempo required the party members to walk really fast.

During the walk Zinobia asked Horoika :
I agree on the point of early departure. But can you explain me how you going to help us if any... dangerous situation will happen?
You do not have any weapons.....

Horoika dismissed his remark with silence, rushing through the city streets. Few minutes after she said calmly:" You will see... I have my own means".

Lets go in. This is speed tube. Transportation numenera. It will move us quickly to one of the exits and then will throw us out of this place. I confirmed that we are going to do this forever, without any possibility to pledge to return. I know the Testament, they obliged to accept your will, for now. Say thanks and bye to this damned place, and you will have plenty of time to say "Thanks" to me.

She waved with her hand, and entered the tube first.
Dogmats surrounded the party and one of them made suggestive movement with his head.

Come - she said