NPCAnother lancing pain in your head knocks you off your feet, and you barely manage to plant your hands on the floor before your vision is completely obscured by a blanket of colours. Slowly, the world re-forms around you, and nightmarish Commorragh erupts in the vivid splashes of another's emotions.
NPC"[Name], what's wrong?" Cassia leans closer, and her figure becomes swathed in bands of vivid hues. Pink, dark maroon, orange, bright blue... You see Cassia's colours sparkle like gemstones, and the sight takes your breath away.
NPC"[Name], can you hear me?" Cassia's clear voice echoes inside your head, the veins at your temples are pulsating, and a burning hot drop of blood falls into your hand. "Your nose is bleeding! Here, use my handkercher!" She helps you up and looks into your eyes nervously. A dark green halo shines around her head. "She is worried," you suddenly realise with clarity.
YOU"This is... mesmerising. I can see the colours of your soul, just as you can see mine."
NPC"It's... It's all because of me! When I bathed you in my Navigator's gaze, the energies of the Immaterium did not destroy you, but they did somehow affect you. And now... Oh, God-Emperor, what do I do now?" A noose of pale yellow tightens around Cassia's throat, and erratic flashes of red and dark blue whirl around her head.
NPC"Yes, of course... All I need to do is suppress your powers with mine before even more harm comes to you. Please... please let me do this."
YOU[Embrace Cassia and kiss her] "I do not revile this power, nor do I revile you."
NPCAs your lips touch, the air around you lights up with cascades of golden and pink sparks until a crimson haze eventually separates the world from you and Cassia. You breathe in her scent, and your hues merge together, raining down multicoloured mosaics of barely contained emotions.
NPC"Do you... see it too?" Cassia awkwardly pulls away from you, and crimson embarrassment drapes her shoulders like a gauze shawl. Then it melts away, and you are released from the ripples of this unnatural power. You do not even notice the moment when the pain and fear vanish, and somehow, you are confident that this sensation will not be nearly as difficult to bear next time. And that there definitely will be a next time.
YOU[Kiss her hand] "Your world is magnificent, Cassia. I am glad to have had the chance to see it."
NPC"And I am glad to have become part of yours." Cassia smiles warmly, but her gaze quickly darkens.
NPC"Please, if... something like this ever happens to you again, please, tell me right away. I will help, I will ease your pain! Even though I don't quite understand how my powers spread to you, all I know is that I cannot bear to see you suffer. For now... please get some rest."
end of branch
YOU"I am myself again, thanks to you."
NPC"I can only hope that things will stay that way." Cassia lowers her head guiltily, not daring to look at you.
NPC"Please, if... something like this ever happens to you again, please, tell me right away. I will help, I will ease your pain! Even though I don't quite understand how my powers spread to you, all I know is that I cannot bear to see you suffer. For now... please get some rest."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I've had it with your oddities and uncontrollable powers! Stay away from me."
NPCCassia steps back fearfully, hugging herself and avoiding your gaze. "Forgive me... Please, forgive me, [Name]. I... truly did not mean you any harm."
end of branch
NPCCassia freezes, startled by your touch, and your lips join together in a bittersweet kiss that tastes of blood and tears. You see confusion in her wide-open eyes, but then her body relaxes and her eyes close along with her Navigator's eye. She reciprocates slowly, uncertainly, gently... and as she does, the air around you flares with cascades of golden and pink sparks until a crimson haze eventually separates the world from the two of you.
NPCYou breathe in her scent, and your hues merge together, raining down multicoloured mosaics of barely contained emotions. "Please, no more! I cannot breathe... I fear I may faint..." Cassia awkwardly pulls away from you, and crimson embarrassment drapes her shoulders like a gauze shawl. Then it melts away, and you are released from the ripples of this unnatural power. You do not even notice the moment when the pain and fear vanish, but you can feel that this is not the last time you will experience this sensation.
YOU[Kiss her hand] "Your world is magnificent, Cassia. I am glad to have had the chance to see it."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I am myself again, thanks to you."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I've had it with your oddities and uncontrollable powers! Stay away from me."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"If you would be so kind... If this continues much longer, I might..."
NPCCassia carefully places her cold hands around your face, her claws slightly digging into your skin at the temples. "Trust me, and never stop looking at me." You focus on the two softly glittering rubies on Cassia's face. A moment later, you feel her will consume your being, all your emotions and worries. What remains is nothing — and this nothing dissolves the dimming colours of the surrounding world, Commorragh's turbulent flashes, and the peaceful silvery glow around Cassia's slender figure.
NPC"[Name], do you feel any better? Is there anything else I can do for you?" Cassia's face looks even paler than before. You see an expression of worry — a natural human emotion without any vibrant facets or accompanying headaches.
YOU[Kiss her hand] "Your world is magnificent, Cassia. I am glad to have had the chance to see it."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I am myself again, thanks to you."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I've had it with your oddities and uncontrollable powers! Stay away from me."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"It is quite all right, I can handle it myself."
YOU"What have you done to me, you monster?"
NPC"I..." Cassia blinks with a dazed expression, her eyes darting frantically. "It's... It's all because of me! When I bathed you in my Navigator's gaze, the energies of the Immaterium did not destroy you, but they did somehow affect you. And now... God-Emperor preserve you, what do I do now?" The colours are swimming before your eyes, and you are hit by another wave of pain.
NPC"Yes, of course... All I need to do is suppress your powers with mine before even more harm comes to you. Please... please let me do this."
YOU"Do something already!"
NPCCassia carefully places her cold hands around your face, her claws slightly digging into your skin at the temples. "Trust me, and never stop looking at me." You focus on the two softly glittering rubies on Cassia's face. A moment later, you feel her will consume your being, all your emotions and worries. What remains is nothing — and this nothing dissolves the dimming colours of the surrounding world, Commorragh's turbulent flashes, and the peaceful silvery glow around Cassia's slender figure.continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Stay out of my head! I will deal with this myself!"
YOU"My eyes... I can see the colours that you see!"
NPC"It's... It's all because of me! When I bathed you in my Navigator's gaze, the energies of the Immaterium did not destroy you, but they did somehow affect you. And now... Oh, God-Emperor, what do I do now?" A noose of pale yellow tightens around Cassia's throat, and erratic flashes of red and dark blue whirl around her head.continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I think I can now see people's emotions too. It is quite all right, I can handle this myself."
Entry point 2 of 7
NPCYou close your eyes and summon your strength, trying hard to ignore the approaching nausea and the blood that trickles from your eyes instead of tears. You grit your teeth and drive away all thoughts of the colours that have flooded your head and of the experience of standing in the gaze of the Navigator's eye. Eventually, the unseen clamp on your mind releases, and the pain slowly dissipates along with the strange power.
NPC"[Name], do you feel any better? Is there anything else I can do for you?" Cassia's face looks even paler than before. You see an expression of worry — a natural human emotion without any vibrant facets or accompanying headaches.continues where this line first appears above
Entry point 3 of 7
NPCYou close your eyes and summon your strength, trying hard to ignore the approaching nausea and the blood that trickles from your eyes instead of tears. You grit your teeth and drive away all thoughts of the colours that have flooded your head and of the experience of standing in the gaze of the Navigator's eye. Eventually, the unseen clamp on your mind releases, and the pain slowly dissipates along with the strange power.
NPC"[Name], do you feel any better? Is there anything else I can do for you?" Cassia's face looks even paler than before. You see an expression of worry — a natural human emotion without any vibrant facets or accompanying headaches.continues where this line first appears above
Entry point 4 of 7
NPCYou shut your eyes and try to focus, but the approaching nausea and the blood that trickles from your eyes instead of tears are too distracting. Frustrated, you open your eyes again, and a new torrent of colour crashes against your mind, forcing you to empty your stomach.
NPC"Lord Captain... Please, allow me."
YOU"Do something already!"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Stay out of my head! I will deal with this myself!"continues where this line first appears above
Entry point 5 of 7
NPCYou shut your eyes and try to focus, but the approaching nausea and the blood that trickles from your eyes instead of tears are too distracting. Frustrated, you open your eyes again, and a new torrent of colour crashes against your mind, forcing you to empty your stomach.
NPC"Lord Captain... Please, allow me."
NPCCassia carefully places her cold hands around your face, her claws slightly digging into your skin at the temples. "Trust me, and never stop looking at me." You focus on the two softly glittering rubies on Cassia's face. A moment later, you feel her will consume your being, all your emotions and worries. What remains is nothing — and this nothing dissolves the dimming colours of the surrounding world, Commorragh's turbulent flashes, and the peaceful silvery glow around Cassia's slender figure.continues where this line first appears above
Entry point 6 of 7
NPCYou shut your eyes and try to focus, but the approaching nausea and the blood that trickles from your eyes instead of tears are too distracting. Frustrated, you open your eyes again, and a new torrent of colour crashes against your mind, forcing you to empty your stomach.
NPC"Lord Captain... Please, allow me."
NPCCassia carefully places her cold hands around your face, her claws slightly digging into your skin at the temples. "Trust me, and never stop looking at me." You focus on the two softly glittering rubies on Cassia's face. A moment later, you feel her will consume your being, all your emotions and worries. What remains is nothing — and this nothing dissolves the dimming colours of the surrounding world, Commorragh's turbulent flashes, and the peaceful silvery glow around Cassia's slender figure.continues where this line first appears above
Entry point 7 of 7
NPCYou close your eyes and summon your strength, trying hard to ignore the approaching nausea and the blood that trickles from your eyes instead of tears. You grit your teeth and drive away all thoughts of the colours that have flooded your head and of the experience of standing in the gaze of the Navigator's eye. Eventually, the unseen clamp on your mind releases, and the pain slowly dissipates along with the strange power.
NPC"[Name], do you feel any better? Is there anything else I can do for you?" Cassia's face looks even paler than before. You see an expression of worry — a natural human emotion without any vibrant facets or accompanying headaches.continues where this line first appears above