Grave Reflection

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Encounter Conditions

Burning down the Ancient Thatched Hut

Initial Text

When the writing on the gravestone is covered in snow:

Looking into the mirror, you see a section of snowy forest, lit by the dying embers of a burned home. Just beyond the embers, their shifting light shows an old headstone, mostly covered in snow.

After choosing "Clear the snow:"

Looking into the mirror, you see a section of snowy forest, lit by the dying embers of a burned home. Just beyond the embers, their shifting light shows an old headstone.

You carefully move left and right, getting a clear enough view of the headstone to make out your name, today's date, and a detailed carving of a wolf.

You don't dream often, but you've heard this is what they're supposed to be like… although possibly not in broken old mirrors.

Or, after writing a ghoul name on the Gravestone in the Tunnels of the Black Book:

Looking into the mirror, you see a section of snowy forest, lit by the dying embers of a burned home. Just beyond the embers, their shifting light shows an old headstone.

You carefully move left and right, getting a clear enough view of the headstone to make out the carvings but… they seem to be complete gibberish.

Summary of Choices

1. Clear the snow - Replaces this action with "Contemplate the gravestone" and "Cover the writing." Replaces Dark Hunter with Wolf Reflection
2. Contemplate the gravestone - Gain energy of Grave's Perspective.
3. Cover the writing - Replaces this action and "Contemplate the gravestone" with "Clear the snow."
4. Leave a flower (with reflected flower) - Gain 10 XP in Will or 30 energy of Grave's Perspective
5. Leave a wolf tooth (with reflected wolf tooth and the snow cleared) - Further times gain 50 energy of Grave's Perspective
6. Pick through the ashes - Take 21-25 damage and gain reflected torch.
7. Lay near the ashes - Regain 37-38 HP and remove all energy of Numbing Chill.
8. Ignore the dead/Leave it be - Walk Away

Choice Text and Results

Clear the snow

You maneuver your reflection through the snow, helping it make its way to the headstone and clear off the layer of snow covering it.

It should probably surprise you more that the etchings include your name and today's date. However, the carving of a wolf could be a touch more puzzling.

Replaces this action with "Contemplate the gravestone" and "Cover the writing." Also replaces Dark Hunter with Wolf Reflection.

This also changes the writing in the Gravestone encounter to your own name.

Contemplate the gravestone

You spend a while, staring at your name, contemplating your own mortality or lack thereof. Unlike the usual navel-gazing on the topic, the cold stone carving inspires a strange calm.

Perhaps the abyss is staring back into you, but it seems… not quite welcoming, but unjudgmental… a perfect acceptance achieved by a perfect lack of thought. It's really quite comforting.

You've gained 10/30/??? energy of Grave's Perspective.

Conditions of energy gains for Grave's Perspective: Default/after choosing "Toss a torch" in Wolf Reflection/???

Cover the writing

You steer around your reflection, covering the headstone in snow so you don't have to look at it anymore. That did the trick.

This also scratches out the name in the Gravestone encounter.

Leave a flower

First time?

You carefully slip the shard of glass between the sharp edges of the mirror. It drifts into the reflection as a flower, even more blindingly white than the snow around it.

You've earned 10 XP in Will

Subsequent times or with some other trigger?

You push the shard between the sharp cracks in the mirror, letting it fall through into the world of reflections as a blossom even whiter than the snow surrounding it.

It takes a while to sort out the conflicting feelings, finding a center of acceptance and calm, but how many people can say they left a flower at their own grave?

You've gained 30 energy of Grave's Perspective.

Leave a wolf tooth

First time?

You carefully push the toothy shard against the mirror, until it passes through to your reflection's hand, pressing from the opposite side. You take a moment to look at the still-bleeding tooth in your reflection's hand, before gently guiding it to bury the tooth in front of your headstone.

Subsequent times or with some other trigger?

You carefully push the toothsome shard against the mirror, until it passes through to your reflection's hand, pressing from the opposite side. You take a moment to look at the still-bleeding tooth in your reflection's hand, before gently guiding it to bury the tooth in front of your headstone.

It gives you some time to think about life, death, purpose, and meaninglessness. By the time the tooth has vanished, you're actually feeling a sort of detached calm that you might think is fascinating or even marvelous if you weren't so detached and calm.

You've gained 50 energy of Grave's Perspective.

Pick through the ashes

You send your reflection into the glowing ashes, reaching in to search through the cinders for anything large enough to be of interest. Although you can't hear the crackle, the stomach-churning scent of burning flesh rapidly fills your nostril.

A quick glance at your own hands reveals the burning is by no means limited to your reflection.

You take 21-25 damage. (damage can be reduced with Fire Defense to a minimum of one)

(If you survive the damage picking through the ashes does)
A shard of nearly molten glass breaks off in your already smoldering hands. Gah!

You found: reflected torch

Lay near the ashes

You curl up on your floor with your back to the mirror, trusting your reflection to do the same. It's actually nice and warm here, in the pleasant warmth of the burned-out house.

Well, even if that doesn't make sense, it certainly still feels nice.

You regain 37-38 hit points!
Removes all energy of Numbing Chill.

Ignore the dead/Leave it be

You turn your back on the mirror for a moment, ignoring the reflections.

"Ignore the dead" is shown when the gravestone is covered. "Leave it be" is shown when it is revealed the gravestone has your name on it.