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believerindaydreams · 6 years

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@exoplaneeet some fic for you, cos I felt bad about your lack of CS/FL fic...well, actually it’s more SS than FL, with a post-game Tireless Mechanic. (If some of the lore’s off, please note that I have not actually played that much of CS yet...)

The Unrepentant Smuggler leaning against her study wall looks wry and relaxed, from neatly groomed mustache to mildly anachronistic boots. He does not, the Cynical Herald reflects, seem like a man who spent half a Zee voyage raving mad and tied up in his own hammock. Then again, the mutual friend who introduced them is a player of the Great Game; appearances count for less than nothing.

“Ever since our trip to the Shattered Citadel,” he says. “I tried to loot something that the Mechanic told me not to, and, well, things got a little sticky.”

“No promises, you understand? Secret histories are fraught territory at the best of times, and I’m not even a Know yet.”

The Smuggler shrugs with evident lack of comprehension. “Better than nothing. We’ve been trying honey, laudanum, warm airag- do you know how foetid warm mare’s milk is? And none of it’s done any good. I just keep on dreaming.”

“If nightmares frighten you, go back to the Surface,” the Herald says indifferently. “Or simply wait it out. Even in the Neath, you’ll find that dreams have a tendency to cycle into complacency eventually.”

He glances her over, with the practiced eye of a born hustler, and speaks one word: “Illopoly.”

After that, __ it, she has to listen.

A blackened engine warms the Physius to a nigh-intolerable point; the launch’s warm is very welcome to her bones, after years of witnessing Kingeater’s cold. Anyhow, their after-dinner Sangiovese is perfectly chilled, after a stint in the iceless ice box.

“I take it the Mechanic’s as inventive as ever,” the Herald says, cutting herself neat slices of imported Parmesan. “To say nothing of thoughtful- I wouldn’t have expected such an appropriate tithe for my trouble. Or any at all, come to that.”

“Oh, well, that’s Ma- that’s the Mechanic for you,” the Smuggler agrees. “Do you mind if we get down to business now? Only I’d rather get it all out of the way before he wakes up. Talking about nightmares makes him real nervous.”

She studies the sleeping engineer, blissfully comatose now the ship’s safely docked, and nods. “All right. Is it always the same one? Are there patterns?”

“It starts with a desk. Faded viric-”

“It would have to be.”

“Which is far from my favourite colour,” the Smuggler says irritably, “but in the dream, I’m hanging on to the thing for dear life. Because there’s nothing else in the entire universe- literally nothing else to look at, except this desk and a pack of cards. So obviously I start laying out the cards for a game of solitaire, because what else are you going to do? Only that’s when it gets weird.”

“Trionfi,” the Herald murmurs, and draws a small case from her pocket. “Do you recognise any of these, by chance?”

He rummages through the pack. “A few. The Sun-in-Rags, that’s familiar. The Watchman. The Red Grail-”

“You needn’t invoke them,” the Herald says rather sharply, over the sleeper’s choking snore; she brushes an unkempt lock from his face, and he breathes easier again. “How new to the Neath are you?“

“Couple of years.” The Smuggler smiles crookedly. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it, however groovy the zeppelins are. Sorry. Only I don’t know what else you’d call them...”

“Don’t. Just point, and describe your symptoms.”

He does, for the following hour, while she takes notes in graceful Italian script. Possibly he is probing her knowledge of the occult for his own purposes, but the suspicion ebbs as she listens to his fraught accounting; clearly the Smuggler’s unaware of the greater import of his dreaming, and just as clearly doesn’t wish to.

“After a while I’m not myself any more. The longer I’m playing, the more natural it feels to me- if I spend nights walking through city streets, I find myself weary to exhaustion. I tend people’s wounds with hands that understand scalpels better than control columns. Wake up expecting to be young and beautiful and ravenous, when I shouldn’t be any of those things.” The Smuggler picks up a worn, brimmed cap, strokes it absently. “Simple hypnosis would be a piece of cake by comparison. So. Can you help me?”

Putting off the answer will be false kindness. “I can guide you, certainly. Lead you through the Mansus, bring you to apotheosis, but there’s a price. Though one,” she says, not looking at the innocent in the shadows, “that you might find easier to pay than he would.”

“Go on,” he says, with ready eagerness.

“Death,” she returns. “Not yours, other people’s. Acquaintances, friends, lovers. Special constables who’ll trace your trail. The prisoners who gave away everything they were, to be broken for your plans- and you will break them, before all’s well. The great appeal of Seeking,” the Herald says, as she links up wood-whispers, “is its solitude, the joys of private watches in the night and hugging secrets to your own heart. Cults are another affair altogether. But perhaps none of this worries you.”

“Not so much, now you’ve put it that way,” the Smuggler says, sober for a moment. “Sounds like I’ll just have to put up with this. Doomed to a lot of tedious clerical work every night, whoo.”

“Then the dreams will continue. Worsen, I should expect. Best improve your shining Hours, or find yourself consumed by them.“

“Which is the Neath all over, isn’t it...so it’s spending every night of my life wrapped up in these visions until I pay off the sacrifices?”

“Yes.”

Improbably, the Smuggler is smirking. “Guess I’m gonna have to ask the Mechanic for the recipe to that Darkdrop mess of his. He did warn me it might come to that.”

“A little more than that. Consider yourself under a geas from now on, as far as cardplay goes.“

That’s when he heaves the sigh. “Aw. Well, that’s okay. I never could beat anybody at Texas hold-em, anyway- hang about. How am I supposed to get by in London without the arcana? I mean, I wouldn’t be able to chat up factions, or find the way to my club, or anything...you sure that’s necessary?”

“There are...unspoken resonances,” the Herald says. “Lore has a way of drawing like to like, water always finds its level. You’ll find yourself making these connections whether you want to or no.”

“How about no,” the Smuggler mutters, and abruptly downs the remainder of his forgotten wine. “Okay. So it’s a strictly undercover, jati existence for me from now on- well, that’s okay. I wasn’t exactly a society highlight in the first place. Anyway, the Mechanic will always have my back.“

The affection, the swaggering intimacy, of the expression he casts at his partner takes the Herald off-guard; not for what it says about him, but herself, the unfamiliar kean of jealousy. Conversations left studiously unspoken, natural shipboard camaraderie and what goes for more than that, her ceaseless vigil at the loneliest place in the Neath. Necessary work, of sure and certain applications, but evidently more corrosive than she’d observed.

Here is a man, persuasive and fascinating and brimful of mystique; and here is his lover. Suffering from an affliction so exotic, no London physic could possibly promise him a cure.

“He came all the way here with you,” the Herald says, in a flat tone that threatens no more than it promises. “I wonder why. Kingeater’s Castle is about the last place anyone would seek refuge.”

“Yeah, I asked about that. He said...something about Dockers,“ the Smuggler says, chewing thoughtfully on his mustache. “Your being shipmates together, before, he trusts you. And didn’t want anybody else getting hold of me, in case...well, I dunno, they wanted to turn me inside out to rip a hole through the space-time continuum, or something kooky like that.”

That reasoning, now, sounds like a certain spy of her recollection. “In short, you’re at my mercy.”

“Completely,” the Smuggler agrees, with perfect self satisfaction. He winks.

She grimaces.

There is very little for the Mechanic to repair at Kingeater’s; but he finds a pile of murder-dimmed knives and busies himself sharpening them to usefulness. Which is just about typical, the Smuggler figures.

“...so. All’s well?”

“Uh-huh,” the Smuggler says complacently. “Slept like a top last night- or should I say, slept as hard as you? You were sure out of it yesterday. Missed a nice roasted blemmigan.”

“Hey, nursemaiding you here from Godfall wasn’t an easy job. To say nothing of sacrificing all those zee-stories.”

The Smuggler shifts uncomfortably. “She says you’re a damned optimistic fool, by the way. Well, not in so many words, it was more elegant language, but you know what I mean.“

“Oh?”

“Yeah. Said that it was ridiculous for you to think that a curse like this could be lifted without any blood being spilt, but fortunately she was clever enough to dissipate it harmlessly. Bully for your old navigator and all that.”

“That’s not what I had in mind at all. Not that it’s any of my business, but I thought she’d try to take it herself. I mean, look at this place,” the Mechanic says, waving at the castle’s ruins. “It’s ghastly, it’s freezing cold, and the only company is an occasional batch of half-dead zailors, who’ll probably try to eat you on sight. Some quiet warm dreaming about cities and real people would have done her a lot of good, I thought. But if she decided it was too dangerous, I suppose that’s her decision.”

“That tool,” the Smuggler says, voice suddenly edged with hostility. “The one you told me not to touch.”

“What about it?”

“You specifically pointed out that thing in the Citadel, just to warn me not to touch it. Me. Your notoriously greedy, treasure hunting buddy.”

“Now, I wouldn’t have said that. It’d be rude.”

“...did you hijack me? Did I spend a month blithering out of my skull so that you could get a curse from A to B, just to cheer up your ex-shipmate?”

“Don’t be silly,“ the Mechanic says loftily. “If it was that important to me, why wouldn’t I have done it myself?”

The Smuggler considers. “Cos messing around with dreaming on that level might have earned you unwanted attention in Parabola again. What ever happened to that worm, anyway?”

“What worm?”

“The one you put in the suncatcher. The one that was trying to kill you, so you couldn’t sleep for ages. That worm.”

“Oh,” the Mechanic says, with relief. “We gave it to the Khanate to get rid of, they’re good at disposing of stuff like that. And that was a snake. Not the same thing at all.”

“You sure? I know I’ve seen that in old fairy tales- worms are dragons, dragons are snakey sort of things...”

Above them, in a half-ruined tower, the Herald makes a note to herself.

A preposterous suggestion. And yet, and yet- if the Khanate’s unwanted visitors were merely cast off elsewhere, does the war of illusions continue on another plane? Will I find my Mechanic’s foe there, reincarnated as some viscid ouroboros worm?

Strange to say, but I look forward to finding out...

#fic #cultist simulator #fallen london #crossover #always crossovers #ecstasy in cosmogone #sunless sea

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williamsjoan · 5 years

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Kingdom Hearts III — Here is Everything You Need to Know Before Release

It’s been a over a decade since the Kingdom Hearts series has seen a numbered entry. After being announced all the way back in 2013, Kingdom Hearts III has been a hotly-anticipated game from Square Enix. With seven spin-offs, three remastered collections, and one all-inclusive bundle, there has been a lot going on in the series in that time. Jumping in to Kingdom Hearts III can be daunting for newcomers and long-time fans alike, but don’t worry: here’s a breakdown of everything you need to know before playing Kingdom Hearts III on January 29, 2019.

The Story So Far

The Kingdom Hearts saga is first and foremost riddled with a complicated narrative and daunting lore. It’s both a mess and a delight. Much like Charlie in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, fans may come off as crazy when explaining the differences between Heartless, Unversed, Nobodies, and Dreameaters. Don’t even get us started on Organization XIII and Xion.

There is a TON to digest before the release of Kingdom Hearts III. Thanks to a buttload of spinoffs, the story has been made unnecessarily (but oh so necessarily) complex. Instead of trying to summarize this saga in written form, I’ve got two video recommendations that can sum up the series for you.

For a thorough recap of the entire narrative, the YouTube channel Suggestive Gaming whipped up a 36-minute explainer video. This video is dense: you’ll want to give it your undivided attention. While the video does tell the story clearly, concisely, and in chronological order, it helps if you’ve played all or most of the games, but just haven’t played them all recently…in order…while taking notes…and taking the Kingdom Hearts History and Lore class at your local college. The most important thing to remember about the story is that everyone is tied to Sora somehow, and Xehanort is bad.

youtube

For a pretty accurate, but much more comedic approach (and shorter), check out Video Game Dunkey’s “Kingdom Hearts Explained” video below. He’s pretty spot-on. Damn Pumba.

youtube

Which Games Should You Play?

If you are determined to play some Kingdom Hearts games instead of watching a recap, here is a list of the entries you’ll have to play. The past few Kingdom Hearts games have had summaries of the previous games included in the game’s menu, so it is safe to assume that Kingdom Hearts III will include a similar feature. Banking on this, the games listed below will give you the best context for Kingdom Hearts III’s story, based on how deep you want to get into things.

The Barebones Approach

Kingdom Hearts & Kingdom Hearts II

If you only can make time for two games, it’s best to replay the two numbered entries. Odds are that these are games you have already played in the past. This means it’ll combine nostalgia, context, and 40~ hours to create a cram-study-sesh for the upcoming release. It’s also likely that lots of people only played these games and are their only frame of reference for the series. You can’t go wrong with Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II: they are still both tremendous games.

How can you play these now, you ask? You can dust off your PS2 and boot up your original copies if you still have them. If that’s not possible and you own a PS4, you can pick up Kingdom Hearts: The Story So Far. It includes not only Kingdom Hearts I & II, but every game of consequence in the series (sorry Kingdom Hearts V CAST).

The Beginning & The End

If you want to make a gaming binge out of the series, but just want the essentials, your next two targets should be Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep and Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. Birth by Sleep serves as a prequel to the entire series up to its release, providing context for the Keyblade War and Xehanort as a villain. It also introduces key characters such as Aqua, Terra, and Ventus as you play through three intertwined campaigns.

Dream Drop Distance is the most recent game in the narrative, and its events lead right into Kingdom Hearts III. The game has had the largest impact on the overall story to date and frames things nicely. Outside of the narrative, it offers a fair glimpse at some of the mechanics that Kingdom Hearts III will have.

To play these games on their original hardware, you’d need a PSP and a 3DS, respectively. However, this is nowhere near as convenient as playing them through Kingdom Hearts: The Story So Far, which has both games remastered in HD on the PS4.

The Icing on the Cake

If you miraculously have time, you should play (deep breath) Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth By Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage. That doozy of a name acts as a sort of Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes for Kingdom Hearts III. It provides a backstory to Aqua after the events of Birth by Sleep, while giving a look at what a modern Kingdom Hearts game looks like on PS4. This is the closest to playing Kingdom Hearts III as fans have gotten since its inclusion in Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue in 2017.

The best way to play this short game is on the PS4 in Kingdom Hearts: The Story So Far. The original physical release of Kingdom HD 2.8 appears to no longer be made, making The Story So Far bundle the best and cheapest way to play it.

All of the Confirmed Worlds

One of Kingdom Hearts’ biggest selling points is the opportunity to explore Disney-themed worlds and team up with the popular characters from those worlds. Here is a list of every confirmed world set to appear in Kingdom Hearts III:

Frozen – Arendelle

Tangled – Corona

Big Hero 6 – San Fransokyo

Toy Story – Toy Box

Hercules – Mount Olympus

Winnie the Pooh – 100 Acre Woods

Pirates of Caribbean – The Caribbean

Monsters, Inc. – Monstropolis

Twilight Town/Old Mansion

Yen Sid’s Tower

Every Edition of Kingdom Hearts III

When it comes to playing Kingdom Hearts III itself, there are a few different editions of the game that you can pre-order. All of them come with the exact same game, just different goodies you may or may not enjoy having.

Kingdom Hearts III Standard Edition – First up is the plain old, regular version. For $59.99, you can get Kingdom Hearts III for PS4 or Xbox One. Woo! You may pre-order it on Amazon here.

Kingdom Hearts III Deluxe Edition – This $79.99 edition of the game comes with a simple and clean SteelBook case. There is also a small artbook and an official Disney Collector’s Pin, which has been a staple of the past few deluxe/collector’s editions for Kingdom Hearts games. You may pre-order it on Amazon here.

Kingdom Hearts III Deluxe Edition + Bring Arts Figures – Sold exclusively on the Square Enix Store, this bundle combines the regular Deluxe Edition with Bring Arts statues of Sora, Donald, and Goofy in their Toy Story form. The statues do not seem to be available for individual release at the time of this writing. It goes for a whopping $229.99 and currently has a waiting list here.

There are also exclusive pre-order bonuses for Kingdom Hearts III on Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, GameStop, and the Square Enix Store. Check out the short list below detailing those.

Amazon – The exclusive Dawn Til Dusk Keyblade and a $10 credit (if you are a Prime member)

Walmart – A set of art cards and a variant box art cover

Best Buy – A Kingdom Hearts keychain and a $10 credit (if you are a Best Buy Rewards member)

GameStop – A fabric poster

Square Enix Store – A set of stickers with the name of various worlds in the game

And that’s pretty much everything you need to know before diving into Kingdom Hearts III on January 29. For the spoiler-sensitive folks (like myself), we here at DualShockers whipped up a spoiler-free guide to avoiding spoilers for Kingdom Hearts III. You ought to check that out to make the internet as safe a place as possible. We also showed off the Kingdom Hearts pop-up shop at Disney Springs in Orlando, FL.

The post Kingdom Hearts III — Here is Everything You Need to Know Before Release by Max Roberts appeared first on DualShockers.

Kingdom Hearts III — Here is Everything You Need to Know Before Release published first on https://timloewe.tumblr.com/

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