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

[memoryandtheft]

Programmed how? Are we talking brainwashing, or some kind of magical binding?

[papacerberus]

I'm not sure; I wasn't able to get that much detail. I'm sorry.

[A pause.]

If we have enough time, I could make another attempt in a few days, but I'm worried that time is something we're short on.

[memoryandtheft]

It could be important. I don't know if we can dismantle it either way, but magic might have failsafes brainwashing wouldn't.

[papacerberus]

The programming I'm aware of and most familiar with is as much what others here would call 'magic' as it is computer code. That might be where I'm coming up short in determining the source? I don't truly perceive a difference between the two.

The magic that it sounds like you're familiar with, what failsafes does it have? If we can't discover the exact nature, preparing for all outcomes is the best we can do.

[memoryandtheft]

The kind that let the person who put the binding in place know when their victim steps too far out of bounds.

[papacerberus]

Which would incite reprisals.

[Lupa makes an attempt to convey his sigh over the network.]

I wouldn't be surprised if everything the Singer sees and hears is also transmitted back to the dominating will, so any attempt might end up with the same.

[memoryandtheft]

If it is, then this entire problem is just the tip of the iceberg. The person who sent it knows where these people are, and can come for them whenever they want.

[papacerberus]

The best option would be leaving the Singer alive, healthy, and free, especially if the Singer would be willing to remain and protect this island and all of its inhabitants.

Doing nothing allows the Singer to remain in anguish, and visit even more horrors on everyone here. When all the humans and mermaids are Stricken and gone permanently mad from it, the dominating will still wins.

There is no good option without severe risks. We simply have to find the option that is least disastrous for everyone involved.

[memoryandtheft]

No one's suggesting doing nothing. But if we can figure out how the Singer is bound and how - and if - information's being passed back, we can at least give these people enough warning to brace for the next attack.

[papacerberus]

Do you have suggestions? My probing of will can only do so much, and it will take me almost a week to gather the energy to make another attempt. I will do it, of course, if it's needed and things haven't come to a head before then, but a faster method is preferable at this point.

[memoryandtheft]

Those Grid skills everyone was talking about sounded like they might come in handy here, if they could be focused on the link between the Singer and its master.

[papacerberus]

They will be useful. They also require direct contact to be used. There will be almost no time to change our plans at that point. Still, knowing the link will let us better prepare for the aftermath.