[Video, psychic bridged to ghost side]

[neverfeltthatway]

Hello? This is Armin, attempting to reach the Travelers investigating as ghosts in Harrogate. I'm hoping you have your own side of the network, like what happened with Olympus.

Is everyone all right? What's going on on your side? What can you tell me about what's been going on with the ghosts? Do we know why they're hanging around? How does being a ghost work - what are you able to do, and to perceive? Is there anything else you we should know about the jaunt?

I can only keep this connection open for about an hour. I should be able to contact you all again in a few days.

Comments

[sees_red]

So we really are ghosts, then.

This doesn't last, right? We get revived?

[neverfeltthatway]

It seems that way.

You should be back to your normal self at the end of the jaunt. So, six weeks, probably. Though I suppose it's possible you'll keep this as an alternate form.

[sees_red]

No thanks, I'm good with this being a one-time thing. Being "dead"

[and those finger-quotes are audible]

is a giant pain in the ass.

[neverfeltthatway]

...Fair enough. But so you know, we don't normally get to decide whether or not we bring a form change back with us.

If it helps, we usually do get to decide when we change into the form. So if you bring it back with you, you can probably avoid using it.

[sees_red]

Great.

'Usually' and 'normally' don't seem like words that have a whole lot of meaning any more, you know?

[neverfeltthatway]

That's... reasonable. I just means that that's the case the majority of the time. We don't get to choose the form, but we do get to choose when we use it - but there are exceptions to both of those, so I can't say anything with certainty.

[sees_red]

Got it.

[neverfeltthatway]

Do you have any observations about what's going on on that side, or how being a ghost works that might be relevant?

[sees_red]

I spent half a day locked in somebody's attic. I'm still getting up to speed.

[neverfeltthatway]

I see. I'll be in contact again in a little more than a week, so hopefully we'll both know more about what's going on then.

So you haven't heard anything about this "Ghost Emperor" yet? [Maria isn't always the easiest to get information from. It's not that she doesn't try, just... her perception of what's important and what's normal doesn't always lead to noticing or sharing the most relevant information.]

[sees_red]

Only from Maria. Haven't met him.

[neverfeltthatway]

I see.

Be careful, if you do. There are reports that he has some form of eldritch magic, which is extremely dangerous - to everyone involved.

[sees_red]

Look out for bad juju. Got it.

[happyhalloween]

Hi, Mr Armin! Zed is the Ghost Emperor! Bernkastel's his Grand Vizier! Me and Beato are gonna pretend to work for them!

[neverfeltthatway]

Hello, Maria.

Can you tell me anything about the Ghost Emperor, or what he does?

[happyhalloween]

He rules this ghost world here. He drinks wine and Bern goes and greets people for him.

[neverfeltthatway]

Can you tell me anything about the ghost world? How many ghosts are around, or why, or what they do all day?

[happyhalloween]

Uu. There's lotsa ghosts. Dozens. I dunno all the reasons why they're ghosts. Lots of them are looking out for people. Some of them are there to scare them!

Also, there's nothing in the sky but fog and we can't open doors or walk through them.

[neverfeltthatway]

So they still mostly just act like regular people, it sounds like, with their own motivations - just in a bit of a different situation.

Nothing but fog? Hmm. And you're blocked by physical objects. Can you touch or affect anything? Is there anything physical that can hurt you?

[happyhalloween]

I can touch ghost things, but not living world things. I dunno if anything can hurt me. I think Bernkastel and the Ghost Emperor can affect things but they've been ghosts longer. I'm still working on it.

[neverfeltthatway]

That's fair - I'm sure there's a lot to learn.

There are ghost objects around?

[happyhalloween]

Bern and the Ghost Emperor have ghost wine.

Is Battler with the living people?

[awitchdidit]

This is quite an interesting game board, to be certain.

Maria's going to give you a better rundown on the circumstances and our tentative plan than I could, probably. Suffice to say we're aware and well over here and we're attempting to get information from the Infiltrator ghosts.

What's happening in the world of the living? Who all is over there? We're a bit thin on the ground for a Jaunt here.