Meat On A Chain

Image

HangingBeef.jpg

Encounter Conditions

None

Initial Text

Flipping aimlessly through the book, you find a detailed drawing of a slab of meat hanging from a long chain. Although the meat is certainly detailed, showing it to be decomposing and vile, the chain is granted far more room.

Most of the page is empty space, emphasizing just how long the chain is, stretching upwards toward infinity. Each link, although tiny on the page, is lovingly detailed. You can almost see the individual flecks of rust and blood.

Summary of Choices

  1. See if hero cuts it - Nothing or gain length of chain (if you have a jar of acid from the Against the Bugs choice)
  2. Look at cutting it again - Gain 5 XP in Reflexes (Replaces See if the hero cuts it after you have cut the chain)
  3. Search for a higher view - Gain 3 XP in Perception, or 5 XP if crates are in eye formation
  4. Study the image - Gain 3 XP in Will

Choice Text and Results

See if hero cuts it

You flip through most of the book and discover some horrible images, but none of them seem to involve cutting the chain. Ah well, maybe the artist couldn't come up with a good way for the hero to do it. Or maybe the chain's a complete red herring.

It would kind of figure.

(Or, after catching some acid in Against The Bugs)

After flipping through almost half the book, you find a sketch of the faceless hero burning through some chain with a small jar of acid you recognize. Huh, so that's what that was for.

A smaller sketch in the corner shows the hero dragging along a massive length of chain. It doesn't quite match the gleeful tone of the main picture, instead reminding you faintly of Sisyphus.

(Adds a long hooked chain to the list of items in your quest log**)

Look at cutting it again

(With the crates stacked)

You find the image of the hero cutting through the chain again. It's actually pretty impressive how he manages to scurry up the chain and burn through it without falling down.

It might be artistic license, but you feel rather inspired.

You've earned 5 XP in Reflexes

(With the crates in eye formation)

You find the image of the hero cutting through the chain again. It's fairly impressive how he manages to get on top of the crate nearby and scurry up the chain far enough to get a decent length.

It's actually a little inspiring.

You've earned 3 XP in Reflexes

Search for a higher view

(With the crates stacked)

After flipping through the book for a while, you find a view looking down through the chains from above. They seem to extend almost forever before finally terminating in hanging slabs of meat or rusty hooks.

You spend a while absorbing the detail. It's an entrancing view, but it still seems to need something.

You've earned 3 XP in Perception

(With the crates in eye formation)

After flipping through the book for a while, you find a view looking down through the chains from above. They seem to extend almost forever before finally terminating in hanging slabs of meat or rusty hooks.

You're not sure how long you spend absorbing each minute detail in both the chains and the stack of crates below them. It seems somehow more real than a similar view in "reality" would be, but that might be your experiences with Eclipse talking.

You've earned 5 XP in Perception

Study the image

You really should know better, but lean closer and study each minute brushstroke. For a sketch, even for a finished work, the detail shows a certain madness all its own.

You can see the texture of the meat and the tiny rivulets of dried blood. But it can't match how tiny things seem to burrow within it, moving everywhere but the point you're focused on.

When you finally slump back into your seat, you feel as though you've just gone through an exhausting mental work out.

You've earned 3 XP in Will

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