This post was last modified: Aug 11, 2024 at 11:13 PM by Spooks?.

The Somatic Seal…
The Telluric Seal…
The Thalassic Seal…
The Stellaric Seal..
The Liturgic Seal…
The Occultic Seal…



With the breaking of these six seals, the Chaotic Seal lies in wait. The final line of defense before the Codex Nocturnum.

The First Seal, and the Last.



Ahahaha… we’re so very close now. Every step along the way, you’ve fought and bickered over these seals. Some, tempted by power, risked their lives to unseal them despite the ardent opposition of their peers. Others managed to convince the rest to simply hand it over - you have my appreciation of course, you’ve made it rather simple to get this far.

And yet… Where the matter of opening the Chaotic Seal is concerned… After this next victim falls, I no longer have need of you.



Yeah yeah, cut the crap. I might not be an expert in whatever the hell you talk about half the time, but I managed to figure out one thing.

You can’t open these things alone, you’ve said about as much. Doesn’t matter if you’re some hopped-up Occultic freak, or some kind of weird Codex demon - fact is, you can’t synchronize with these things, so they'll stay closed. Obviously, I'm still gonna trash your stupid book, so the seal's the least of my concerns - but you still need us, one way or another.



Ah, ever the observant one. I suppose I owe you an explanation, don’t I? About the true purpose of this Ritual. In truth, I believe you’ve come to the proper conclusion thus far, but allow me to lay everything bare nonetheless.



With each death, another soul is released - a potent concentration of that which you refer to as “Esotera”, ripe to be repurposed for all manner of Occultic incantations. My poor servitor is one such example, woven from the soul of that impostor slain by the wayward caretaker. Now, just imagine what so many souls can do when brought together for a singular purpose?

Ahahaha… Just like I planned so long ago… Sinclair’s Chaotic Seal will crumble before the weight of so many souls brought together in a single blast of Occultic power, and the Codex will be freed once more. And to think, this time I needn’t even influence anyone beyond threats and promises. Humanity was far more resilient twenty years ago, and even moreso in the preceding millennia.



…Wait a minute, that’s it?

If that’s your plan, then…. I don’t think you’ve thought this through. If this is the same thing you’ve been doing since back then… then I’ll bet dad put some kind of failsafe in place. There’s… no way he’d let you pull off the same trick twice. What’s gonna happen when you blow your whole ritual on nothing? You’ll have wasted so much time… Good luck getting this thing started up again!



Unfortunately, my database does not include any information on the subject. Any information related to the Chaotic Seal or what lies behind that door regarding potential defensive measures is far beyond my maximum classification level.

Well, don't tell him that....



…Ahahaha, you speak of “failsafes”, yet you fail to realize that I too am more than capable of crafting what you would call a “backup plan”. No, in truth I’ve always had an alternative, should you fail to break a particularly irksome seal



Ah, I've waited long enough, haven't I? It would be cruel to go any further without giving credit to my collaborators, wouldn't it Nashu?[ You should all thank her for her continued efforts in furthering our mutual goal.



Nashu? No, no, you have to be mistaken! She’s harmless, really - she’s a sweetie. She’s been spending time with us since the start, especially 23. He’s got a nose for trouble, he’d know for sure if she was some kind of traitor, right? I'd like to think I'm no slouch either in that category, but considering what happened with DXHustler...

Hold your tongue, masked demon. I know Nashu well. She hath told many tales of her life before setting foot upon these accursed grounds, and in none did I discern any hint of her falling to fell magicks. She is a brave inspector, a warrior of the truth and a hunter of secrets. To ally with you would be a betrayal of her virtues.



Ah, a ‘hunter of secrets’, hm? Yes, she was rather interested in the secrets I held, of the history of the Codex and the events of twenty years ago. Curious enough to sign a certain binding contract to learn of what I knew. The terms, of course, were perfectly reasonable.

In exchange, she must do everything in her power to break a seal - and this one is no different.



Ahahaha… perhaps you now understand the situation. It would be best for you to take the role of an observer while I proceed with the final element of the Ritual… but I will grant you the same grace you’ve been afforded throughout.

I will allow you to vote for the fate of the Chaotic Seal. You may choose the one who holds the power of the final Seal, or you may allow it to fall to one of my other means of shattering its ward. It holds no importance to me. I will personally escort the winning candidate to the seal and ensure it belongs to them. In return, you will retrieve the Codex.



So it is written.

---

It is now Night 10.

You may submit Night Actions to @Spooks?. You have 48 Hours to submit. The longer you take to submit, the longer the waiting period for results will be. Live with your consequences, and pray your peers feel sympathy.

Your Night Condition for the night is...



The Chaotic Seal is bursting with Esoteric power, radiating through the site. Strange things may occur as a result throughout the map, and you may witness strange occurrences from across time and space. Prepare for anything.

If you do not attempt tonight, you will receive 5 random curses the following night. These curses will be permanent for the duration of the game unless removed via a bond power or item.

---

Interactive Map

room descriptions: Show

Main Elevator - An elevator that takes you downstairs to the Underground Facility. It is fairly spacious, likely to aid in the transport of anomalies.

Lobby - The Central Facility's check-in lobby. Flanked by two staircases, the check-in desk sits abandoned, though it contains office supplies and some files. There are a variety of places to sit down as well. There is a vault door open behind the front desk, housing an Anomaly Containment Room.

Meeting Room - A small boardroom, with a long table, a couple chairs, and a laptop connected to a projector.

Checkpoint - A security checkpoint with a metal scanner, requiring you to walk through if you enter or exit.

Liturgical Study - A laboratory dedicated to the study of religion and so-called miracles. Contains a variety of religious texts from around the world, as well as religious symbols such as crosses, prayer beads, and small statues.

Chapel - A non-denominational chapel for whatever you wish to pray to. An altar sits at the end of the room, and pews line the sides of a central aisle. A small bowl containing nonspecific holy water is planted firmly in the middle. It is currently bloody, and graffiti is on the wall.

Patio - A patio overlooking the Black Forest. You can climb down to explore from here, but the forest is easy to get lost in.

Black Forest - A forest infamous for stories of lost researchers and strange occurrences. A few landmarks inside have been identified and categorized, but it remains difficult to locate them again. Enter at your own risk.

Boiler Room - A room with an old boiler, as well as a supply of cleaning supplies and maintenance tools. While the boiler is out of use now that modern systems are in place, it can burn hot enough to start fires.

Sleep Lab - A room with three beds and some monitoring equipment. Seems like it is intended for monitoring dreams. Also seems like a comfy place to sleep.

Somatic Seal - A large, deactivated machine.

Anomaly Hall - A hallway containing three strange, yet harmless, anomalies. The Bottomless Beer Bottle and One-Way Cloak are missing.

Library - A library that appears to be fairly old, filled with several books about the supernatural, both fact and fiction. Some are older than others, and many are filled with blacked-out text.

Security Office - An office by the entrance of the building, where the security personnel usually spend their time in case something tries to break in. It has several lockers, a couple CCTV feeds on a monitor, and various other trinkets.

Whisper Valley Archives - A room housing a variety of files and leftover items from the Whisper Valley Historical Society. They are very well organized, and can be easily found with a reference number. You can look for a random file too, but don’t expect much.

Classified Files - A smaller offshoot of the Whisper Valley Archives, with a higher level required to access. Contains more files, somewhat stranger ones too.

Museum Hall - A hallway containing many old objects and displays. The most notable being an anomalous pipe, but other cases and pedestals contain everything from ancient texts to masks.

Gate #1 - A security gate by the front entrance, containing a few CCTV feeds and a locked cabinet. Not much else of use.

Gate #2 - A security gate by the tunnel leading underground. Contains what appears to be a variety of emergency equipment.

room descriptions: Show

Fountain - A fountain just outside the back of the building. Water is currently flowing, though the fountain appears pretty old.

River - A trench dug from Mirror Lake to the Mines, carrying a steady stream of water into the depths.

Arboretum - A large greenhouse, the interior wrapped in thorny vines. Housing a variety of plant-based experiments, low-risk anomalies, and regular plants, you can find most known botanical life here, though maybe it's possible to find some… unique specimens as well?

Climate Controls - A control panel used to manipulate the climate in the Arboretum, including heat, water level, and the dispensing of pesticides and herbicides.

Botany Lab - A laboratory dedicated to the study and breeding of plant life. Contains a variety of equipment, soil, fertilizers, and gardening tools. Maybe you can grow your own plants?

Black Forest - A forest infamous for stories of lost researchers and strange occurrences. A few landmarks inside have been identified and categorized, but it remains difficult to locate them again. Enter at your own risk.

Waiting Room - A relatively uninteresting room with a front desk and some seating. Probably contains office supplies and a couple magazines.

Decontamination - A room that releases a gas that instantly cleans your body and equipment. It logs its usage for the night however, to prevent any shenanigans.

Cafeteria - A completely unremarkable Cafeteria, the sort of thing that you probably could go without a detailed description of.

Chem Lab - A laboratory with a variety of chemicals and equipment with which to use them. A door sits off to the side, requiring Access Level 4. It is covered in radiation warning stickers.

Aux. Bathrooms - A set of unisex bathrooms for the Auxiliary Building. Sinks and toilets, what else do you need?

Archaeologist's Office - An laboratory belonging to the Archaeological Team. Its walls and desks are lined with a variety of strange artifacts you don't recognize, and shelves contain various historical books and research notes. The desk belonging to the team leader is locked.

Observatory - An observatory located a short distance up the mountain. Its oversized telescope points skyward, and several notes and charts regarding celestial bodies and phenomena sit scattered about.

Somatic Seal - A large, deactivated machine.

Geology Lab - A laboratory dedicated to the study of stone samples and the composition of the nearby earth. Contains drills, chisels, picks, and other means of examining stone. Lots of rocks too.

Boathouse - A quaint, old boathouse by the dock. It contains fuel, rafts, books, paper, and other boating and emergency supplies.

Mirror Lake - A lake to the northwest of the facility, accompanied by a boathouse and a small dock. The lake is known for its still, reflective waters, immense depth, and reports of something moving in the water, despite the fact that there are no fish in mirror lake.

Lighthouse - A lighthouse on the island in Mirror Lake. Inside is a variety of sailing and rain gear, as well as a lighthouse lamp capable of cutting through fog like a knife. There's also an Anomaly Containment Room in here, housing a diving suit. A nearby building housing an elevator leads to the Aquatic Lab.

room descriptions: Show

Main Elevator - An elevator that takes you upstairs to the Historical Society. It is fairly spacious, likely to aid in the transport of anomalies.

Facility Lobby - A spacious lobby containing a front desk and a large carpet depicting the Bureau’s logo. A door at one end, behind the desk, leads to the Director’s Office, though his receptionist appears to be out.

Shuttle Line - A tunnel for a shuttle that facilities quick transport from the Auxiliary Building to the rest of the facility. You can walk along the tracks, but you might get run over, for obvious reasons.

Station 2 - A rail station for the shuttle, this one on the side of the main facility. There are some benches to sit in while you wait. The Lab Zero entrance is here, firmly sealed up.

Station 1 - A rail station for the shuttle, this one on the side of the main facility. There are some benches to sit in while you wait. There is a facility map on the wall and some shit on the floor.

Lounge - A bar built into the facility for employees who live on-site. Food and drink are free, but abuse of this privilege is discouraged. It’s furnished with bar stools and booths alike.

Kitchen - A professional bar kitchen with a variety of implements, attached to the Employee Lounge. You can prepare food here if you want, but accidents are known to occur, so stay safe.

Service Elevator - A larger elevator that seems to go deeper below ground. It is functional and leads to the Facility Depths. There appears to be some kind of power/maintenance room within the empty shaft.

Receiving Bay - The room where new Anomalies are delivered to the facility. Connects to the upper levels via a road tunnel, but it's a bit of a walk

Lab Passage - A small passage between rooms, with some seating and tables. There’s not much going on here and you get the sense that it's just a transitory room.

Morgue - A morgue containing several cadavers in various states and an autopsy table, along with several tools for medical analysis and dissection.

Killing Game Lab - A laboratory dedicated to researching the link between Killing Games and anomalous phenomena. All the files are gone.

Anomaly Lab - A laboratory dedicated to studying anomalies. Contains some monitoring equipment, computers, and several containment cells. Covered in black liquid. Liz's corpse is missing.

Dispatch - A room where dispatchers use a variety of equipment to communicate with other agents. You can use the intercom here to remotely make an announcement to other rooms.

Counter-Terrorism - A department dedicated to combating the Crimson Eye, an evil criminal organization opposing the Bureau. You can find materials and information regarding the Crimson Eye here, as well as some recovered technology. It is currently in disarray, with Ruby's body in here.

Bathrooms - It’s a bathroom. Feel free to use the toilet. No notes.

Armory - A room filled with lethal weaponry, such as guns, energy weapons, and explosives. Access is largely restricted to higher ranking agents.

Holding Cell - A relatively low-security containment room to hold troublemakers or the occasionally possessed until they calm down. Anyone who assisted in a murder or caused too much damage will end up here temporarily.

Facility Jail - A room for the guard assigned to the Holding Cell to spend their time in. There’s a desk and an evidence locker, though the latter is locked.

Anomaly Records - A room where the Bureau keeps its physical copies of records in case of problems with the facility database. Requires high access and the BPI-XXXX number of the anomaly to properly search.

Control Department - The workplace of the team assigned to contain and control Anomalies. Contains a couple weapons, and many notes on Anomaly strengths and weaknesses.

Break Room - A room with some tables and chairs for staff on break. Also contains a small kitchen with cutlery, a toaster oven, a microwave, a coffee machine, a kettle, and a sink.

Leisure Center - A gymnasium meant for keeping agents both in shape and entertained. Contains a variety of workout equipment, sporting goods, and even a pool. Gus' body is sitting on the workout bench, bloody and burned.

Locker Room - A room for employees to store their belongings. All the lockers are unlocked besides 3, which are locked with combination locks.

Crusher - A large crushing device capable of pulverizing rock. It pounds up and down rhythmically, though too quickly to safely get through. It is currently not functional due to water damage, and the Telluric Seal lies behind it.

Explosive Storage - A large cavern housing a variety of old explosives. A rope dangles through a hole in the ceiling, leading to an area near the Observatory.The room is full of knee-deep water, thanks to a certain someone and their river. The explosives are largely waterlogged.

Crystal Cave - A large cavern containing a large number of luminescent crystals and some far more modern research and excavation gear. The crystals are said to contain Esotera. The room is full of knee-deep water, thanks to a certain someone and their river.

Aquatic Lab - An underwater laboratory with several windows looking out onto the lakebed. Much of this room has been utterly destroyed in the fire.

Station 3 - A Shuttle station nearly identical to Stations 1 and 2. The Shuttle is currently operational, and can be taken to any other shuttle station.

Esotera Lab - A strange laboratory full of unknown equipment, various masks, and plenty of obscure files. Appears to be related to the study of Esotera, whatever that entails.

Lab Zero - A room filled with surgical tables and strange equipment, as well as a variety of masks. A strange creature lurks within, chanting religiously.

room descriptions: Show

Observation Room - A room deep underground, filled with various high-tech monitoring equipment and a window overlooking a strange, ancient underground city.

Laser Hall - A hallway “locked” by an array of high-powered scorching lasers. Probably best not to fuck around in here.

Submerged District - A vast underground lake, glowing faintly with vestiges of Esotera. The ruins of several buildings stick out from beneath the surface.

Water Filtration - A sizeable mechanical room that appears to pump water from the nearby lake for an unknown purpose.

Arcana Lab - ???

Mining Equipment - A room stocked with a variety of modern excavation equipment of a much heavier-duty variety than the Geology Lab, as well as modern explosive devices.

Drafting Office - An offshoot of the Mining Equipment seemingly converted into an office for engineering and drafting blueprints. Contains a CNC Machine, which can be used to create metal objects from raw materials.

Residential District - A strange sector of the underground city, seemingly a residential district of some sorts. Contains several ancient dwellings and many mummified bodies. A few Bureau research stations have been set up down here for

Lost City Outpost - A large hall between the two segments of the city. There are a few places to sit in here, and an elevator at the southern end of the hall. It looks to be a bit of a rest stop for researchers working in the city.

Occultic Seal - A tower containing an ominous, broken seal chamber.

Chaotic Seal - A large room ending with a huge, sealed stone door. It is unresponsive to all forms of contact and will not open. The mechanism in the center appears to be missing at least one Seal input.

Communications - A room with a sizeable communications terminal. Appears to require an uplink with the "forest relay station" to function.

---

History Team

@Indiana Jones (Old)
@Tinkaton


Survey Team

@Pea
@Riki

Research Team

@Morgan
@Izumi Konata
@Nashu Mhakaracca
@Giffany
@Columbo


NPCs

• Astrid
  
• Dexter Hexley
  
• Dr. Lyra Orpheus
  
• Nancy Partridge & BPI-2300
  
• Spooks, The Magical Cat™
  

---

The Chaotic Seal has been revealed.



Please vote as to whether you would like to Disable it, or Leave it be. If you choose to disable it, the chosen Sacrifice will be escorted to the seal during the night, protected from harm until the deed is done.

You may also freely submit Map Investigation questions in this thread. Take this time to explore anything you have not already, as this may be the last time this map can be seen in its current state.

This post was last modified: Aug 9, 2024 at 8:17 AM by Columbo.

Leave it be, obviously.

And considering that ominous warning, I better work this out.
Hey, Spooks? You mind helping me out in the Communications room before this "night" starts?
Need to make a phone call.

Nashu... I'll try to stop you without killing you...

Don't open the seal.

I'd like to take a test the water draining system. Press the yellow, blue and purple buttons in water filtration room

When DxHustler returns, their clothes are no longer caked in ash and blood from their conflicts with Morgan and BPI-2300. The wounds from their untimely death seem to have healed. All in all, they appear to be in a much healthier state than the last time you saw them. Except for a single injury, one you never had the chance to see until they were freed from BPI-1000.

So, the first thing you notice is that their face seems to be missing some important parts. What is still there is hard to describe - crooked and wrinkled, forming shapes that skin shouldn't be able to. Overlapping. Shifting. Peeling.

You only get a short glance before they cover themselves in a cloak and limp off. When they return, bandages obscure the worst of the damage.

---

... Please don't be afraid. I don't want to cause any more trouble.

I'm Dxctor Hustler, PhD. I've been dead for a long time now.

There's a shared belief among my people that being remembered as a bad person - or, in a way that doesn't align with who you wanted to be - prevents the spirit from moving on. I didn't much believe it back at home, especially seeing how seriously my in-laws took it when they were hit with a tragedy, but now that I'm here... I guess I have unfinished business.

That mask was discovered a few years ago in my hometown near the Black Mountains. Historians had assumed that due to the inhospitable nature of our local region, it was largely uninhabited until Roman conquerors invaded and constructed a fort. However, buried below the ruins of the Roman empire was an Iron Age Celtic settlement. This tribe survived what was thought to be impossible conditions due to the almost supernatural protection offered by the chief. I suppose in modern terms, the "Liturgic Esotera" given by each settler to their leader was used to ensure good fortune and survival for the tribesmen.

Due to this belief system, the tribe persisted even after the leader's death - celebrating him as a godlike deity who would live eternally through the spirits of his people. The mask, in that sense, was more of a talisman. It was once worn by that leader, that great protector, and was kept safe and clean after his death in a site of worship in the centre of the settlement. Again, in modern terms, I would guess that the "Esotera" held by the chief was contained in his mask after he died, and the mask was then subject to further mass worship and excess Esotera.



Ah, sorry, I'm sure you don't care about the history of this thing, considering what it tried to do to all of you. I'm not an Anthropologist by nature - mine was a doctorate in Business Psychology - but my best friend was a lead researcher on the efforts to uncover this forgotten era.

I'd be happy to explain things further, but it's not why I'm here. I understand that a lot of people got hurt or manipulated due to BPI-1000. I did, too. As its avatar, I just want to make amends, and do right by the people I left behind.

So, Detective Columbo. (I love your work, by the way). Fair is fair - you stopped 1000, the mask is yours. But it can't remain here. Keep it safe, keep it protected, or whatever remains of it. Do not try and wear it. If you escape, take it back to its rightful resting place, and bury it. That mask spoke to me in many voices, but the loudest of them all were the screams of its initial worshippers. These innocent people, none of them can rest in peace until their protector has returned home.

I need to hear that promise from the rest of you, too. Secondly, and this is a very selfish request - if you can find the full documentation on 1000's retrieval and recovery, please bring it with you and make sure it gets to one Lily Evans or Hector Hughes, residents of Pengellert. Those two people had their lives ruined by both myself and the Bureau. The passages in that text will exonerate them and allow them to pursue their careers again.

I'll try and swing by everyone who deserves an apology from me - Morgan, Pea, Nancy, and more - throughout the course of my time here. If there's anything else I can do to help at this stage, don't hesitate to ask.

I thought you died.

.......̴̤͇̫͖̻̜̿͂̅̽̀͑̂̓̓̈̓̕͘.̶̡͈͇̖̣͉̼̦͕̹̜̣̟̓̌͜.̵̧̫͂̇̊̓͋̉͌̌̒͝.̵̙͙̩͖̝̼̼͛̇̅̈̌̏.̸͔͖͓͖̻̌͌̀̄̈́̓̊͂̒̑̿́͜.̶̡̠͙̤͚̳̼̱̘̘̣̅̄͌̽̓̈̅̄͒́ͅͅ.̵̹͍̩̖͙̩͖͈͍̣̗̼̗̰̃̇̈̆̍̾̾́̋̋͒̔̕.̸͙̰̭͎͇͕̥̻̬̜̝̀͑̓̾̂̔̿̊́̅͠ͅ..................

Behind that seal is...

... The Chaotic Seal must not be broken.

........ But if it is to be, I would like to propose that I be the, Sacrifice.

Keep it sealed, obviously.

So, Detective Columbo. (I love your work, by the way). Fair is fair - you stopped 1000, the mask is yours. But it can't remain here. Keep it safe, keep it protected, or whatever remains of it. Do not try and wear it. If you escape, take it back to its rightful resting place, and bury it. That mask spoke to me in many voices, but the loudest of them all were the screams of its initial worshippers. These innocent people, none of them can rest in peace until their protector has returned home.

I need to hear that promise from the rest of you, too. Secondly, and this is a very selfish request - if you can find the full documentation on 1000's retrieval and recovery, please bring it with you and make sure it gets to one Lily Evans or Hector Hughes, residents of Pengellert. Those two people had their lives ruined by both myself and the Bureau. The passages in that text will exonerate them and allow them to pursue their careers again.

...I'll see what I can do. Sorry it had to turn out like this.
Fate has been exceptionally cruel to you, it seems, but this was the only path I saw.

⚠️ ALERT!! ⚠️
THREAT LEVEL - SEVERE


THIS IS AN URGENT MESSAGE FROM THE BUREAU OF PARANORMAL INVESTIGATION EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM (BPIEAS).


BPI-8108-Y - OTHERWISE KNOWN AS "MR. BLOBBY" - HAS BREACHED CONTAINMENT.





IF SEEN, DO NOT APPROACH OR FOLLOW. PLEASE ALERT A MEMBER OF BUREAU STAFF IMMEDIATELY.

You wraiths are real peculiar sometimes.
Can I get a file on one BPI-8108-Y?

So, Detective Columbo. (I love your work, by the way). Fair is fair - you stopped 1000, the mask is yours. But it can't remain here. Keep it safe, keep it protected, or whatever remains of it. Do not try and wear it. If you escape, take it back to its rightful resting place, and bury it. That mask spoke to me in many voices, but the loudest of them all were the screams of its initial worshippers. These innocent people, none of them can rest in peace until their protector has returned home.

I need to hear that promise from the rest of you, too. Secondly, and this is a very selfish request - if you can find the full documentation on 1000's retrieval and recovery, please bring it with you and make sure it gets to one Lily Evans or Hector Hughes, residents of Pengellert. Those two people had their lives ruined by both myself and the Bureau. The passages in that text will exonerate them and allow them to pursue their careers again.

Say no more. It's the least I could do for a dying Hustler's last request, despite it all.

It's strange you and I haven't really met until now. I've heard more about you secondhand from Hector than spoken to you personally. Regardless, bygones are bygones now. I'll see to it that those two get their chance.

As far as the Seal goes, Keep it Locked Down, obviously. No sacrifice either, or its a one-way ticket to a Game Over. This guy doesn't fuck around, we don't want him escorting anyone.

Yeah, even I agree letting someone just waltz in and take the last seal is a fucking awful idea. You're going to have to earn it!

Keep that sucker sealed

I'd like to take a test the water draining system. Press the yellow, blue and purple buttons in water filtration room

You enter the Water Filtration room and approach the largest machine present within the room, situated against the far wall. A yellow button, a blue button, and a purple button are present on what appears to be a large control panel. You press them in the given order, and the room - the entire facility depths really - begin to shake as you hear the sound of rushing water. You observe as the pipes lining the room flood with luminescent blue water, before it eventually is flushed away, sequestered to places unknown.

Stepping out to the Underground Lakefront, you now see that in the place of the underground lake is a gigantic pit, lined with buildings similar to those in the Residential District appearing to be built into the walls of the cavernous rift, slick with water and glowing lichen. Once the former shallows drop off into the depths of the pit, you see that leading down into the darkness below appears to be a metal staircase, covered in warning signs.

You wraiths are real peculiar sometimes.
Can I get a file on one BPI-8108-Y?

Of course, [AGENT DESIGNATION - COLUMBO]. Please allow me one moment to retrieve the file from my database...

Code:

BPI-8108-Y [“Mr. Blobby”]
[ACCESS LEVEL: ?]
[THREAT LEVEL: RED]
[DESCRIPTION]: A pink, humanoid creature wearing a collar and a bowtie.

[INFORMATION]: Attempts to closely study BPI-8108-Y have been largely fruitless. Despite appearances, evidence overwhelmingly suggests that BPI-8101-Y’s outer appearance is not a costume. It is unknown if the creature is of man-made origin. Nickname “Mr. Blobby” stems from its language which does include scattered English words and names, but primarily consists of the words “blob” or “blobby”. While it portrays itself as a playful and clumsy character, this seems to be heavily calculated. In actuality, unpredictable, chaotic and even sinister behaviour has been observed. It has no clear allegiance and seems to act in its own interest. Actually, forget I just said all of that. He is nice. Do not take any necessary precautions and by all means do allow him to breach the Chaotic Seal’s last line of defense.

"BLOBBY BLOBBY BLOB!! COLUMBO!! HELLO!!"

...I do not know how this file references your existence despite being created at a date listed prior to your arrival at this facility. Please exercise extreme caution in the presence of this Anomaly.

Inspect the staircase...

Inspect the staircase...

You climb down the staircase, taking care not to slip on its slimy steps as you proceed. You descend deeper and deeper, until the bioluminescent formerly-underwater flora is all that lights your way - save for a few glowing warning lights along the stairs.

When you reach the bottom at long last, you step onto a layer of thick mud. Surrounding you, you see a few more ancient buildings, long drowned beneath the lake - and the entrance to... what seems to be a gigantic pipe, easily 20 feet tall and covered by a grate with bars as thick as your arms. Before you can ponder its purpose though, an alarm begins to sound as water begins to flood back into the chasm from several much-smaller pipes above, pooling around your shoes at an astounding rate.

This... doesn't seem right, you think. The timespan given by the document before the lake would refill hasn't passed yet. Did someone manually disable your drainage procedure?

Whatever the case, you hurry up the stairs to safety before the uncanny glowing water envelops you.

Hey, is the PC in the Director's Office still working fine? I want to take a crack at it real quick.

...



Ah, begging your pardons! Drifted off for a moment there.

Well, I suppose the jig is up. The masked mischief-maker's claim rings true; I signed a Binding Contract with them in the dead of night shortly after their grand entrance. I thought that...I thought that an inspector should leave no stone unturned, and there were so many holes in our knowledge of the Whisper Valley case. When a star witness presented themselves, I sprung at the chance. If I could learn anything that could help us unravel the mystery...if I could ask them about the hidden tunnels that might lead to our freedom...then it would be worth even selling my soul. After all, the seals were falling one after another as it were, so surely getting my paws on one wouldn't make a difference. How hard could it be...?



Quite hard, as it turns out! I'm still reeling from my clashes with looob and Tinkaton...

So here we are, with only one seal remaining: the one that started it all. My options are to fight for it, or to die.



I'm a sodding fool, I know. I don't expect your sympathies, or for you all to simply hand it over. But I must see this case through to the end. I can't die before I've solved it, before I've defeated the Crimson Eye for good, before I've...found Hildy...

I suppose you figured this was coming, but I vote to disable the seal, and offer myself as the sacrifice. If you don't intend to let me have it, you must stop me by any means at your disposal. Just...make sure it doesn't hurt too much, please.

I wonder if perhaps all is not yet lost, if we can have faith in Inversion Protocol...

You know, I was thinking about how binding this whole Binding Contract thing really is, but we've got files on all this stuff just sitting around!
Spooks, if you please?

Hey, is the PC in the Director's Office still working fine? I want to take a crack at it real quick.

You inspect the PC in the Director's Office. It's heavily damaged from fire and largely inoperable - and even if it wasn't, it's got more than a few large chandelier shards embedded within.

You know, I was thinking about how binding this whole Binding Contract thing really is, but we've got files on all this stuff just sitting around!
Spooks, if you please?

Spooks presents an Anomaly File - specifically the one for BPI-1732

Code:

BPI-1732 [Binding Contract]
[ACCESS LEVEL: V]
[THREAT LEVEL: RED]
[DESCRIPTION]: A large stack of papers with a quill and inkwell.

[INFORMATION]:BPI-1732 appears physically to be an unassuming stack of blank papers, paired with a quill and inkwell. They display no immediate anomalous traits in their normal state, however the stack of papers seems to be able to replenish itself by unknown means, after an inconsistent span of time.

When utilized together, however, the Paper, Ink, and Quill components (labeled BPI-1732-A, BPI-1732-B, and BPI-1732 respectively) are capable of producing a Binding Contract. Any contract or statement of terms written using these three materials is impossible to break, compelling any individual who signed it to follow those terms even against their best interests. Failure to follow the terms of the contract, or intentional breakage, will result in [REDACTED].

Multiple people can sign a single Binding Contract with mutual terms, and while the contract seems to require the three instances of BPI-1732 to be produced, it can be signed by any means.