Backdated to 2 days into the second week of the month of the goat

[papacerberus]

As many of you already know, I retained the ability to discern the will of other creatures, and I have been employing that ability to gain knowledge of the Singer of the corrupted Song. It is a draining process, so I had to split it into two forays, and I reported the first a few days ago. I just finished the second one.

Just for the ease of listeners, this was what I discovered the first time: There were two wills, and one was dominating the other. The dominated will was bitter and anguished.

This time I focused my efforts more deeply on the dominated will. These are the results. The Singer has been...programed by that other will. There is room for disobedience to that programming, but the Singer shies away from contemplating it because of the painful consequences. The Singer also wills for an end, either for healing and freedom from the demands of the other will, or for death and the rest that brings, but does not strive towards those because the Singer believes both options to be impossible.

We can give the Singer hope for an end, and I believe we must. That anguish must be stopped, one way or another. Who is with me, and does anyone have ideas on how to undo programming of that kind?

Comments

[awitchdidit]

...the one the mermaids call an Empress is a real piece of work, even by my standards. Assuming this is her work.

[It almost makes her want to be nicer to her Goats, but then again, there's a difference between hurtful sarcasm and brainwashing.]

I don't have any experience with this, but I think I can help get people who do close. I seem to be somewhat more resistant to the Deepsong's effects than other non-mermaids, I just need the ability to breah underwater to reach it.

[thornsofmalkav]

There's a mermaid Song for that. I'm learning it.

[awitchdidit]

Oh good, normally mermaid legends are a lot more intimate than that.

I'm considering honing the few Psychic abilities I have to help me protect others. Aside from that, my main plan is to concentrate on a Calm Emotions spell to protect the more vulnerable Travelers.

...I'll be able to speak underwater with this breathing song, right?

[thornsofmalkav]

Well, I wouldn't mind giving you the Smooch of Breath, either, but nope, I just need to sing.

It doesn't normally let your Breathed person speak but, like, if you sing it like extra super hard it can.

[awitchdidit]

Ahaha, you winked in real life while you were thinking that, didn't you?

Anyway, I'm looking at Color Magic for my contributions here, and that requires me to speak in at least a murmur. If I can get a Charm Monster spell to stick, I can even hopefully reason with it.

[thornsofmalkav]

Of course I did. It's the most winking thing I can think of.

Anyway, I think I can get you murmur levels of speaking if I try really hard. I hope.

[awitchdidit]

I think by now I should be willing to put my life in your hands for a few minutes. Practice hard.

[thornsofmalkav]

Will do!

[papacerberus]

I can Sing the Song of Breath for others easily enough. I'm just not sure I could sing it for myself...

[Lupa pauses for a moment, thinking over the admittedly a little bit absurd image.]

We may be able to convince the Singer to stay near enough to the surface long enough for what needs to be done, although we shouldn't rely on that.

[awitchdidit]

As long as we have at least one mermaid on hand, you should be covered. Redundant Singers are going to be important, there, especially since you're more vulnerable to its Song, apparently.

Although, frankly, if you can think of any strategies that keep my head above water, I'll thank you immensely. This is the worst Jaunt about that...

[papacerberus]

I have been working on defenses against the Song. They are not perfect, but make it more manageable.

If your skills can be used from a distance, perhaps we could manage to row or tow out a boat and you can remain there?

[awitchdidit]

Hm. The main spell I was planning to use does have a decent range on it, although if I'm aiming it underwater I may need someone with Sensory Livestreaming to spot for me.

[D&D line of sight rules can get pretty screwy, and it's Color Magic.]

Although if I could get close, there may be an enchantment I can cast on the sea monster to help us stay close to it safely for the use of other techniques. Convince it, temporarily, that we are friends.

[papacerberus]

[When she says that, Lupa's first thought bounces to--] Charm? Or something similar, it sounds like.

I don't have Sensory Livestreaming myself, but I'm sure many accompanying us do, as it's a common skill.

[awitchdidit]

The Dolorosan name for the spell is Charm Monster, yes, although it actually works on anything that lives and can think. It has maybe a quarter of the range of the Calm Emotions aura I was thinking of projecting for our people, and it requires me to speak, but I don't think it could hurt to try it.

[papacerberus]

I know some spells that cause Charm, if it would help. I don't like casting them much, but I know them. Calm Emotions would definitely be helpful.

[awitchdidit]

Right. If you want to do that, it might help us try to heal it mentally, or break the external control. I'll give it a Charm Monster if I can get close enough, and otherwise focus on using Calm Emotions to make safe zones from the Song, or at least from Stricken symptoms.