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bindsthedead) wrote2022-03-29 06:37 pm
bindsthedead) wrote2022-03-29 06:37 pm
The Orbs and You (IC document)
[OOC NOTE: THIS IS NOT AN OFFICIAL DOCUMENT, is subjective IC information, and while available to everyone, is not mandatory reading.]
What are the orbs?
The orbs are powerful magical artifacts- sapient, as such things generally are, that crave chaos and operate through bargains, having somewhat less power when acting of their own accord. They are parts of a single, greater whole, one that was shattered, and then scattered to many different places.
Each of us has made a bargain with them, providing our time and effort to make them whole, in exchange for our greatest regret being undone. Even if you didn't fully understand what you were doing, that contract still binds you, unless you choose to revoke it. And even that may not be enough.
What do they want?
The orbs want chaos. What this means in terms of our bargain is... well, I will quote Viveca's words on this.
"Do you know how much chaos in the fabric of time and space it creates to have you here? If you bargained your life, you would die and that would be it. But by coming here, and staying here — the Orb can't ask for more than that. You're already giving it all the chaos it wants.
You are causing a disturbance to your timeline by exiting it to be here, which is the worst kind of chaos you can create. It isn't anything harmful, but it isn't supposed to happen, and that is the essence of chaos."
This suggests that the chaos the orbs create and desire is a defiance of either fate or the natural order of things. For most orbs, the suffering caused is a side-effect, rather than the goal. They operate through bargains, and have relatively little power outside of these, beyond reaching out to people to make offers and corrupting their surroundings.
The orbs seek chaos through means overt and subtle- the first one we collected extracted its payment by turning people into monsters, the second empowered the leader of a criminal gang, the third spread a sleeping curse through a kingdom thanks to a poorly worded request, and the fourth tormented a man who lost everything, before trying to get itself into the hands of a bandit leader. One of the orbs on the fifth mission got itself into the hands of a false god that intended to destroy the world.
The orbs also want to be whole. This is to our advantage, as it leads them to be somewhat cooperative at times, and can sometimes protect us from the effects of other bargains. However, this doesn't mean they like us, or that they can ignore the rules of their existence.
Please remember that while sapient, the orbs are not remotely human, and do not view things in the same way as us. Trying to appeal to their conscience, or attempting to develop any sense of friendship with them, is not going to succeed.
It is possible for us to strike a separate bargain with individual orbs, as our bargain to undo our regrets is with the orb as it will be, unified and made whole.
The individual orbs lack the power of their greater whole, and you will need to pay a price- but if you do, what you're bargaining for will be granted immediately. Said bargains are irrevocable once concluded. Be precise in how you phrase both your wish and what you are offering in exchange- some orbs are more malicious than others, but they do keep their word.
A final note: while you are under no obligation to get anyone's permission or inform the crew of your bargain, I would suggest speaking with everyone beforehand to see if there are any alternatives. The orbs are not kind, and their prices are high- dealing with them in such a way should be a last resort.
Viveca and Degar
You will probably interact with Viveca on occasion, and while we're not on missions, you can talk to her through the earpiece. You can request items from her, including ones from home, and ask for further information on the orbs. She seems to respond to the best of her ability, although she will not volunteer information, and there are some things she doesn't know.
She's an AI, which is a kind of spirit made through technology. She lost her body, because of the orb, but she's gotten another one back. She's probably about as trustworthy as Degar.
Degar is the commander. He mostly stays in the North Wing of the station, which is normally sealed off. We were allowed in once- the orbs are being kept in a magical containment field which he sustains, and there are signs that there were once other crew members living there. What happened to them is unclear, but seems to have happened before any of the current crew arrived.
He acts flippant, but is a powerful mage. Don't underestimate him. It's his spell that's keeping the orbs contained. Also, he's a skilled musician!
There is also Olivia. At one point, she was the station's AI, but was corrupted by the orbs before our arrival. Her actions led to the death of all of the previous crew, save for Viveca and Degar. She was thought to have been deleted, but survived, and has since been quarantined in a mechanical body. The hope is that we can restore her to her previous state eventually, but right now she is untrustworthy.
If she asks you to do anything, please inform someone else- preferably Viveca or Degar- before doing it. Or perhaps, don't do it at all.
Questions, and possible trends
Many of the orb's possessors have been powerful mages. It's unclear whether this is due to the orb's machinations, or if such people are more likely to be able to identify the orb's power and seek it out.
The Badrock and Braccia orbs were both originally found in mines.(Does this hold true for all unclaimed orbs?) The orbs in E23-b, Novis Nox, and Xrisora were also all first discovered underground. However, the Ciraiwei orb was found in a flower. This is a pattern, and may be useful in cases where there's no sign of anyone using an orb.
So far, all missions save Noth 11X8 and brought us to populated worlds, and a majority of missions saw us visiting populated areas. Are orbs naturally drawn to such worlds and places thanks to a high number of potential bargainers, or is it part of the nature of the chaos they seek?
The orbs have generally fulfilled their primary bargains in a way that left the bargainer satisfied. Even Welford Branson was happy, while the illusion lasted. Is this a true limitation, or just a sales tactic? Given what we saw in Xrisora, it's a sales tactic- Xoria regretted her wish as soon as she made it.
Degar and Viveca are being honest about their general purpose, even if they're vague on the details.
What happened to the earlier crew? This has been answered- the orb escaped containment thanks to Olivia, and corrupted one of them, leading to a conflict that led to their deaths, and the orbs being scattered.
Where did the orb come from, and how was it broken? Why did it happen twice?
Anything we can learn about the orbs, and the rules they operate by
List of orbs, bargains made, methods of recovery, and other notes
And attached are the official files on all the missions.
Gyeonje orb
Initially in possession of Gyeonje's ruler, Lord Suk-Ju. He traded away Gyeonje's Outer District in exchange for the rest of the city having wealth and prosperity, while those in the outer district were infected with a magical plague that twisted those infected into monsters, affecting both body and mind.
The orb was then stolen by So-Yeon, a young woman from the outer district, who made a bargain to counteract the plague. What she offered- seems to have been herself. She had the orb inside her body, and it hollowed her out until by the time she gave it to us in exchange for us creating a cure, she appeared to fade from existence.
What we learned:
-the orbs operate through bargains
-Rulers can offer their land and people in bargains with the orb, but orbs will not request something that is not the bargainer's to give (by the orb's standards, anyway).
-The orb-created plague responded to spells made to counter magical corruption, rather than mundane illness.
-Helping whoever has the orb with their problems was an effective strategy this time.
Braccia Orb
Found in the mines beneath the city centuries before our arrival, the orb was held by one Cheruvia. The bargain made was unclear, but appeared to involve killing others in order to add their magic and lifespan to her own. She was unable to use this power on crew members- the orb claimed that doing so would not add to the chaos, and it wished to be whole.
We tried stealing the orb, having learned in the previous mission that we would be brought back to the station as soon as we had the orb... only to instead have a building collapsed on our heads while we played keep-away with the orb. Eventually, Cheruvia decided the orb wasn't worth the likely death of either her or her lover, and gave up on recovering it, at which point we returned to the station.
What we learned:
-We can't just steal the orb. If someone's made a contract with it, the contract needs to be ended.
-If we have to fight an orb holder, we should bring as many strong fighters as possible
Kilnan orb
This orb was in the custody of Remi, a powerful illusionist, and brother of the queen of Kilnan. More than any other individual, I believe he understood the most what he was dealing with when he made his bargain. He offered half his magic, in exchange for saving his niece- only for that magic to end up inside the girl, forcing Remi to feed the orb magic every month. We ended this bargain by feeding magic to the orb, enough to fulfill Remi's end of the bargain, at which point he happily gave us the orb. The orb had spread a sleeping curse through the realm, after 'creatively' interpreting one of Remi's orders.
I will note that while Remi did not regret the bargain he made, granting his niece that power caused trouble, as her mother sought to use her as a weapon in her wars against a neighboring country.
What we learned:
-it is possible for others to help pay the price of a bargain. It is unclear if the orb holder's cooperation is needed for this.
-again, cooperating with the orb holder proved to be a good idea.
Badrock orb
This orb was the cruelest one we've encountered. A little over a year before our arrival, the town of Scorpion's Bend was annihilated a pulsefire storm, annihilating every living thing, body and spirit, save for one Welford Branson, who had hidden deep in the mines. Shortly afterward, Branson made a bargain with the orb. 'Reality erased, for the low, low price of having to live with what happened forever, should reality return.' to quote the orb itself.
So Branson lived in this simulation of the town, in which only his close family seemed to display much personality, quite happily for a year- until we arrived in search of the orb, and our investigations inadvertently triggered the clause in the bargain- forcing Branson to recall what really happened, leaving all of living in a ghost town as Branson fled. The orb then drew bandits to the town- the same ones who had massacred it the year before. During the fight, we were able to find Branson and recover the orb- and it turned out that he'd become unable to die, forced to live forever with what happened.
This orb was the cruelest we've encountered so far, and the most talkative. It seemed to view the entire thing as a kind of game, and claimed it was bored.
What we learned:
-Some orbs are exceptionally cruel.
-For some bargains, the price is a condition that if fulfilled, ends the contract and imposes some consequence on the one who made the bargain. It is unclear if all bargains have such clauses.
-The orbs cannot or will not end contracts on their own, although they may reach out to others with the potential to do so.
-The 'people' populating Scorpion's Bend could not be read telepathically, and most outside of Branson's family displayed little true personality, instead repeating routines and conversations if not word-for-word, then very closely. The food lacked any true substance or taste, and orb-created documents in the town were gibberish. It is unclear if these reflect limitations of the orb's power, or if it just didn't care and knew Branson wouldn't notice.
-If one of the crew dies, it is possible for them to be resurrected by someone with the power to do so. However, the orb will extract a price from both resurrector and resurrected.
Giva orb
There were two orbs this time. The crew was sorted into two realms, Taeum and Sedorum. Supposedly, these were for good and sinful souls, respectively, but people could buy their way into Taeum, and many souls in Sedorum had committed no sin other than being poor and unable to pay bills and debts. Both realms allowed people to indulge freely in their vices, and both realms were led by leaders who did not care about their people. In retrospect, we should have seen this as significant.
One orb was held by Entr'i, Sedorum's minister of war, who sought to merge the two realms, creating a fairer afterlife, having stolen it after attacking the Highest One some time ago and then fleeing to Sedorum. The other orb was held by the Highest One, Taeum's leader. Who it turned out, was also 'Him', the leader of Sedorum. V'Rizz, the Chief Minister of Sedorum, was also involved in the deception, and had helped reshape Giva's religion to his master's design a century earlier. It became apparent that V'Rizz and his master were plotting against Entr'i, hoping to use the war to kill her and her supporters, and retrieve both orbs.
It is not entirely clear what the Highest One was planning, just that it would have resulted in the destruction of Giva, and using both orbs to return to wherever he came from. Fortunately, Entr'i's earlier actions, and our own, ended up disrupting his schemes, and he, along with V'Rizz, were killed (V'Rizz by us, the Highest One by Angriel, Entri's estranged lover who finally understood the Highest One's true nature), and Giva's afterlives became a single realm- Purgatory, which along with Long Cloak, did not deserve the awful reputation the locals had given them. But I suppose it is natural for the living to fear death and the unknown.
-There can be multiple orbs in a single mission.
-According to Yzak, the Highest One said "That's what we do, destroy planets." along with claiming that he needed both orbs to return to wherever he came from. (Another sign of the limits on the power of individual orbs)
-The Highest One wasn't from Giva or any of its afterlives- where was he from? Are there more like him out there?
-If a ruler has an orb, it's cause for deep concern (See notes from Gyeonje mission).
-Information and pictures from the earpieces cannot be easily shown or transmitted to anyone outside the crew.
Novis Nox Orb
Our shortest mission so far- and the one where we started furthest from the Orb. Most of the mission was a train ride between the cities of Craemore and Vrefesea, although this was interrupted by a murder, and two of our number being falsely accused. However, we were able to solve the murder, and we learned that one of our number was possessed by the Precursors- a parasitic hivemind that sends monsters called Kaiju to scour worlds clean, so they could take all their resources. The Precursors reached out to the orb, and used that connection to summon a small Kaiju, in an attempt to kill all of us and take the orbs for themselves. This plan failed, and the Kaiju was killed and the possessed crew member was subdued.
When we returned to the Ximilia, we used the connection the Precursors had established to both free said crew member, and shatter the Precursors' minds and memories, to stop them from seeking the orbs through other avenues, or preying on other worlds.
-In worlds that entirely lack magic, our abilities and any magical items will not work. We were warned ahead of time that this was the case.
-If Viveca is confident that the orb is in a particular location, that's probably where it is.
-More confirmation that the orbs can reach out to, and empower, people remotely. Yet another reason that stealing them without resolving their bargains is pointless.
-This was the third case of an orb having been originally found underground.
-Possession and mental connection to an outside force are a potential security problem.
E-23b orb
This is Viveca's homeworld- it turns out that she once had her own flesh and blood body, and was part of a group called the Fables fighting against the injustice of her homeworld. E-23b was technologically advanced, but suffering from both man-made and orb-caused damage to the environment. We worked with the Fables to liberate the prison camps, and get the people in charge out of power. Then, we located the orb and spent several weeks attempting to fix some of the damage to the world. However our use of force during the camps liberation did not endear us to the people of that world, and we were asked to leave. The orb was in one of the camps- at the bottom of a reservoir, at the epicenter of an earthquake. The orb was spreading a toxin that had similar traits to the infection in Gyeonje, although this time it sickened and killed, rather than transforming.
-Keeping our abilities secret is advisable, as those unused to such powers may be frightened.
-If we're working with people, and they ask us not to kill their enemies, don't kill them. Even if you think they deserve it.
-If all else fails when locating the orb, look underground at the epicenter of strange events.
Xrisora Orb
This mission took place underwater- Degar put together a spell to change our forms, so we could blend in and not drown. This mission involved several weeks of relaxation as the inhabitants prepared for a festival, but things went far, far north when it became apparent that the orb had previously been in the palace, but was currently missing, along with the queen and the princess. It turned out that the princess Xoria had thought the orb was a toy, and wished the queen (Her mother, Xephia) would disappear when she tried to take it away. Her attempts at undoing this failed, and she fled to the nearest settlement, the city of Gorgonion. There, we spoke with her, and the Queen Mother, Xemiane, made another bargain to bring Xephia back, at the cost of disappearing herself. Xephia gave us the orb- and letters from Remi and Aurelia. We had to fight giant crabs during this mission.
-Remi and Aurelia are still out there, traveling from world to world. Remi is a man with white hair, and Aurelia is a young woman with red h air. Remi was able to keep the orb from passively influencing things, but could not stop it from making bargains.
-The orbs will stick to the exact wording of wishes, even if the person making the wish didn't really mean it.
-Orb bargains cannot simply be backed out of- they need to be concluded. (Our bargain to undo our regrets may be an exception, but this is not certain.)
-Orbs can corrupt their surroundings, possibly by spreading/worsening illnesses, and by making creatures more aggressive and monstrous.
-the orb was originally found underground, in a sacred cave.
Forsythe Heights Orb
The orb was located in a town that appeared normal in most circumstances, but was heavily haunted, with many locations manifesting strange phenomena, including manifesting our own fears. We learned that there was a house, thought to be haunted, once owned by the Cooper family, but there was no record of any kind of tragedy that might have lead to a haunting. The Cooper family simply moved away, and the house was haunted after that. We also learned of 'Freddie', which appeared to be the ghost of a child, who simply wanted to play, and hand once been a friend of Sam Cooper.
- Freddie did not seem affected by methods normally useful against ghosts, leaving his true nature uncertain.
-The orb said it 'gave Freddie existence' Was he initially created by a wish made by Same Cooper, who was known to be interested in horror media? Freddie seemed to share those interests.
-The orb took the form of a VHS tape, and its bargain with Freddie appeared to be that it would bring Sam back, and he and Sam could play forever, as long as he watched the tape. Our choice to play it may have ended its bargain, as we were able to recover it as an orange sphere after playing it, while handling it in its previous form did not end the mission.
-This orb was generally talkative once found, and actively malicious.
Noth 11X8 Orb
This was the first and only mission to occur on a planet without any form of civilazion- or any sapient beings at all, though there was some highly aggressive wildlife.
-Not all of the crew was sent on this mission, due to an error
-Orb found in a volcano.
-Orb retrieved without issue.
Alydhion Orb
This is Degar's homeworld. This mission took over a month, and our abilties and forms were replaced with the magic and shapes of beings native to this world. Magic, in this world, was divided between different 'Classes' such as Bards, Clerics, Druids, and Paladins, to name only a few. The orb was known as an heirloom of the king, stolen years ago, as groups of adventurers sought to obtain it. Degar was part of one such group, along with his brother, among others, including Elia Roundtree, his brother's fiance. After his brother's death, his best friend Jun Shortaxe joined, and the group almost tracked down the orb. However, in that confrontation, Jun was badly injured, apparently by Elia's spell, and the group split up, with Jun gaining a reputation as a great hero.
In truth, Jun had made a deal with the orb, framing Elia for the attack. We only learned this when after following Jun to the place where he hid the orb, we learned that not only was Elia not at fault, but that Jun had a bargain in the orb and no intention of handing it over. The orb turned him into a dragon, but we were able to knock him out, and Elia was able to partially reverse the transformation, and bring his mother figure, Nina, to the area via portal to talk some sense into him. Jun was convinced to hand over the orb, and the mission concluded.
-The King made a bargain that affected the entire kingdom, but removing the orb from his possession ended the bargain. (So perhaps stealing the orb will be worth a try in future missions, if we're out of ideas?)
-Jun's bargain created portals that spat out monsters in the cave where he first contracted with the orb.
-Even without being in contact with the orb, Jun was able to use it to attack one of the crew, gravely injuring them. (So another risk of stealing a still-contracted orb.)
Ciraiwei Orb
This mission lasted 10 days, and we had less than half an hour to prepare for it. We were informed that the planet was on a collision course with an asteroid- one large enough to completely destroy the planet, which would be arriving 10 days after we did. We were able to locate the orb, and by contacting Remi and Aurelia, we managed to evacuate some of the planet's people, the Hivawei, and recover the orb.
However, despite our best efforts, we were not able to evacuate all of the Hivawei that wanted to leave. Many of them died with their planet's destruction.
-The means we used to reach Remi and Aureliah was one use only. We probably will not be able to contact them again, unless we devise some other method.
-If we had not spent so much time in E23-b, we may have had more time to help the Hivawei, and Viveca would have been able to get help from a nearby planet to evacuate them. In the future, we should keep in mind that dragging out missions may have consequences.
-The nature of our bargain with the orb interferes with any long range teleportation abilities we possess. The interference of other mages not among the crew can act as a loophole though.
-Remi was able to rescue Welford Branson, who is currently residing at Remi's castle.
-The orb was not in a bargain, and was found in a flower called the Lamawei, which had sprouted from the ground in a somewhat remote location. The Hivawei revered the Lamawei, but the orb had not gotten up to any mischief.
Ndiera Orb
This orb was in the Ndiera complex, a group of three planets surrounded by a field of particles known as 'ghost matter' that blocked abilities- or rather it did until ten years ago, when it mutated thanks to the orb, and began killing anyone who used their abilities- slowly, as their bodies begain attacking themselves. Our bargain offered us some protection- we were able to use our powers twice. The orb was being held by a man named Zandr, who was trying to reverse the mutation in ghost matter, to neutralize it. He was being opposed by the government, but with Emerton's help, we were able to assist him in accomplishing his goal.
Zandr had a bargain that was preventing those affected by ghost matter from dying, but was unable to cure them. The crew voted to leave rather than attempt to save them.
-Emerton was the first person we've encountered who was a former member of the crew. He probably won't be the last.
??? Orb
This orb was found on a past version of the station, and seemed to have been fragmented. Recovering it involved reliving our own and other memories- and those of the past crew.
To summarize, briefly, what we learned from those memories
-Olivia fell under the orb's sway, who then allowed the orbs to corrupt Emerton
-Emerton killed the rest of the crew, with Viveca and Degar the only survivors. This happened while there was only one orb remaining to be collected.
-During the mission to gather the last orb, Viveca sacrificed herself to stop Emerton.
-Then, Degar altered his regret- he chose to bring back everyone who died, at the price of remaining on the station for eternity.
-Viveca agreed to this as well, becoming the ship's AI in the process.
-At this point, something happened, and the orbs were scattered once again.
Missions, and how to prepare for them
Our shortest mission lasted several days- and most of them have been longer, often about two months. You will get some information on the world of the mission before arriving there, but it will be incomplete. Still, it will give you some idea of what to expect, and Viveca will highlight individuals who may be of interest- it is likely, but not certain, that one of them has the orb, or some connection to it, so working to investigate them is advisable.
Gather spare clothing, nonperishable food, and anything else you think you might need- missions generally take place in populated areas, but we nearly starved once, and no one wants to repeat that. Viveca will supply clothes for blending in if that's needed. We are not always given local currency, but have often found ways to earn it, and these jobs are often a valuable source of information. If such things don't appeal, take something valuable with you to sell. When we need to blend into a world, it's often helpful to collaborate with other crew members to put together interlocking cover stories. And remember- just because a world lacks advanced technology or knowledge of magic, it doesn't mean the people there are stupid. Be careful when using abilities or technology that are foreign to a world.
As we are teleported in, you will hear a voice, giving you instructions. That is the voice of the orb on that world, and if you want it to lend its power to undoing your regret, you must fulfill its request. However, there is no punishment for refusing to do so. It's acceptable to tell people what you were asked to do, and most of us will be happy to help you achieve it- we're all here because of our regrets.
I want to be clear that each mission has been very different- trying to describe a 'typical' one is difficult. The most I can say is that the first few weeks tend to revolve more around gathering information and locating the orb than dealing with serious danger.
However, many of our missions have involved combat in the latter stages- you do not have to fight, or learn how to, but prepare yourself for the possibility of it happening. Gathering information- whether through research, interviews, observation, or simple eavesdropping- is an important skill to focus on. Don't hesitate to be proactive- often, the most valuable information is be found by approaching individuals of interest, or seeking out things kept hidden. Just try not to get caught. It is important not just that we locate the orbs, but also understand what bargains have been struck with them and by who, and what was given in exchange- remember, we can't take the orbs unless their existing bargains have been ended.
If the one holding the orb is not some power-mad tyrant, then offering to assist them in whatever they're trying to do in exchange for the orb has proven effective on multiple occasions. Honesty is the best policy- be upfront about our mission, and what we are seeking to do. Make it clear that the orbs are dangerous, but don't exaggerate, or present us as more powerful than we truly are.
It is possible that during some future mission, mere persuasion will not be enough. However, torture is not an option and will not work. Setting aside the obvious moral issues, and that many of the orb's contractees have been too powerful to easily restrain, a contractee can use the orb to attack us even if it's not in their possession. And causing them great pain and fear is more likely to push them into making another bargain, rather than surrendering it.
Please understand that worlds are not in a state of equilibrium when we arrive- they have already been altered from their natural state by the orbs and the bargains made with them, and will be further altered by us ending the bargains and removing the orbs. None of us want to make things worse, but the very nature of our task means we will change worlds we visit- hopefully, for the better. Don't wring your hands too much about meddling.
Missions end as soon as the orb has been recovered and all its contracts ended. Once that happens, we are immediately teleported back to the station. If you wish to buy souvenirs or bid farewell to people you've met, do it before then.
Upon return, we will often eat a kind of greasy pie with cheese and tomato sauce called pizza (it's better than it sounds!), and watch movies.
What are the orbs?
The orbs are powerful magical artifacts- sapient, as such things generally are, that crave chaos and operate through bargains, having somewhat less power when acting of their own accord. They are parts of a single, greater whole, one that was shattered, and then scattered to many different places.
Each of us has made a bargain with them, providing our time and effort to make them whole, in exchange for our greatest regret being undone. Even if you didn't fully understand what you were doing, that contract still binds you, unless you choose to revoke it. And even that may not be enough.
What do they want?
The orbs want chaos. What this means in terms of our bargain is... well, I will quote Viveca's words on this.
You are causing a disturbance to your timeline by exiting it to be here, which is the worst kind of chaos you can create. It isn't anything harmful, but it isn't supposed to happen, and that is the essence of chaos."
This suggests that the chaos the orbs create and desire is a defiance of either fate or the natural order of things. For most orbs, the suffering caused is a side-effect, rather than the goal. They operate through bargains, and have relatively little power outside of these, beyond reaching out to people to make offers and corrupting their surroundings.
The orbs seek chaos through means overt and subtle- the first one we collected extracted its payment by turning people into monsters, the second empowered the leader of a criminal gang, the third spread a sleeping curse through a kingdom thanks to a poorly worded request, and the fourth tormented a man who lost everything, before trying to get itself into the hands of a bandit leader. One of the orbs on the fifth mission got itself into the hands of a false god that intended to destroy the world.
The orbs also want to be whole. This is to our advantage, as it leads them to be somewhat cooperative at times, and can sometimes protect us from the effects of other bargains. However, this doesn't mean they like us, or that they can ignore the rules of their existence.
Please remember that while sapient, the orbs are not remotely human, and do not view things in the same way as us. Trying to appeal to their conscience, or attempting to develop any sense of friendship with them, is not going to succeed.
It is possible for us to strike a separate bargain with individual orbs, as our bargain to undo our regrets is with the orb as it will be, unified and made whole.
The individual orbs lack the power of their greater whole, and you will need to pay a price- but if you do, what you're bargaining for will be granted immediately. Said bargains are irrevocable once concluded. Be precise in how you phrase both your wish and what you are offering in exchange- some orbs are more malicious than others, but they do keep their word.
A final note: while you are under no obligation to get anyone's permission or inform the crew of your bargain, I would suggest speaking with everyone beforehand to see if there are any alternatives. The orbs are not kind, and their prices are high- dealing with them in such a way should be a last resort.
Viveca and Degar
You will probably interact with Viveca on occasion, and while we're not on missions, you can talk to her through the earpiece. You can request items from her, including ones from home, and ask for further information on the orbs. She seems to respond to the best of her ability, although she will not volunteer information, and there are some things she doesn't know.
Degar is the commander. He mostly stays in the North Wing of the station, which is normally sealed off. We were allowed in once- the orbs are being kept in a magical containment field which he sustains, and there are signs that there were once other crew members living there. What happened to them is unclear, but seems to have happened before any of the current crew arrived.
He acts flippant, but is a powerful mage. Don't underestimate him. It's his spell that's keeping the orbs contained. Also, he's a skilled musician!
There is also Olivia. At one point, she was the station's AI, but was corrupted by the orbs before our arrival. Her actions led to the death of all of the previous crew, save for Viveca and Degar. She was thought to have been deleted, but survived, and has since been quarantined in a mechanical body. The hope is that we can restore her to her previous state eventually, but right now she is untrustworthy.
If she asks you to do anything, please inform someone else- preferably Viveca or Degar- before doing it. Or perhaps, don't do it at all.
Questions, and possible trends
Many of the orb's possessors have been powerful mages. It's unclear whether this is due to the orb's machinations, or if such people are more likely to be able to identify the orb's power and seek it out.
The Badrock and Braccia orbs were both originally found in mines.
So far, all missions save Noth 11X8 and brought us to populated worlds, and a majority of missions saw us visiting populated areas. Are orbs naturally drawn to such worlds and places thanks to a high number of potential bargainers, or is it part of the nature of the chaos they seek?
The orbs have generally fulfilled their primary bargains in a way that left the bargainer satisfied. Even Welford Branson was happy, while the illusion lasted. Is this a true limitation, or just a sales tactic? Given what we saw in Xrisora, it's a sales tactic- Xoria regretted her wish as soon as she made it.
Degar and Viveca are being honest about their general purpose, even if they're vague on the details.
What happened to the earlier crew? This has been answered- the orb escaped containment thanks to Olivia, and corrupted one of them, leading to a conflict that led to their deaths, and the orbs being scattered.
Where did the orb come from, and how was it broken? Why did it happen twice?
Anything we can learn about the orbs, and the rules they operate by
List of orbs, bargains made, methods of recovery, and other notes
And attached are the official files on all the missions.
Gyeonje orb
Initially in possession of Gyeonje's ruler, Lord Suk-Ju. He traded away Gyeonje's Outer District in exchange for the rest of the city having wealth and prosperity, while those in the outer district were infected with a magical plague that twisted those infected into monsters, affecting both body and mind.
The orb was then stolen by So-Yeon, a young woman from the outer district, who made a bargain to counteract the plague. What she offered- seems to have been herself. She had the orb inside her body, and it hollowed her out until by the time she gave it to us in exchange for us creating a cure, she appeared to fade from existence.
What we learned:
-the orbs operate through bargains
-Rulers can offer their land and people in bargains with the orb, but orbs will not request something that is not the bargainer's to give (by the orb's standards, anyway).
-The orb-created plague responded to spells made to counter magical corruption, rather than mundane illness.
-Helping whoever has the orb with their problems was an effective strategy this time.
Braccia Orb
Found in the mines beneath the city centuries before our arrival, the orb was held by one Cheruvia. The bargain made was unclear, but appeared to involve killing others in order to add their magic and lifespan to her own. She was unable to use this power on crew members- the orb claimed that doing so would not add to the chaos, and it wished to be whole.
We tried stealing the orb, having learned in the previous mission that we would be brought back to the station as soon as we had the orb... only to instead have a building collapsed on our heads while we played keep-away with the orb. Eventually, Cheruvia decided the orb wasn't worth the likely death of either her or her lover, and gave up on recovering it, at which point we returned to the station.
What we learned:
-We can't just steal the orb. If someone's made a contract with it, the contract needs to be ended.
-If we have to fight an orb holder, we should bring as many strong fighters as possible
Kilnan orb
This orb was in the custody of Remi, a powerful illusionist, and brother of the queen of Kilnan. More than any other individual, I believe he understood the most what he was dealing with when he made his bargain. He offered half his magic, in exchange for saving his niece- only for that magic to end up inside the girl, forcing Remi to feed the orb magic every month. We ended this bargain by feeding magic to the orb, enough to fulfill Remi's end of the bargain, at which point he happily gave us the orb. The orb had spread a sleeping curse through the realm, after 'creatively' interpreting one of Remi's orders.
I will note that while Remi did not regret the bargain he made, granting his niece that power caused trouble, as her mother sought to use her as a weapon in her wars against a neighboring country.
What we learned:
-it is possible for others to help pay the price of a bargain. It is unclear if the orb holder's cooperation is needed for this.
-again, cooperating with the orb holder proved to be a good idea.
Badrock orb
This orb was the cruelest one we've encountered. A little over a year before our arrival, the town of Scorpion's Bend was annihilated a pulsefire storm, annihilating every living thing, body and spirit, save for one Welford Branson, who had hidden deep in the mines. Shortly afterward, Branson made a bargain with the orb. 'Reality erased, for the low, low price of having to live with what happened forever, should reality return.' to quote the orb itself.
So Branson lived in this simulation of the town, in which only his close family seemed to display much personality, quite happily for a year- until we arrived in search of the orb, and our investigations inadvertently triggered the clause in the bargain- forcing Branson to recall what really happened, leaving all of living in a ghost town as Branson fled. The orb then drew bandits to the town- the same ones who had massacred it the year before. During the fight, we were able to find Branson and recover the orb- and it turned out that he'd become unable to die, forced to live forever with what happened.
This orb was the cruelest we've encountered so far, and the most talkative. It seemed to view the entire thing as a kind of game, and claimed it was bored.
What we learned:
-Some orbs are exceptionally cruel.
-For some bargains, the price is a condition that if fulfilled, ends the contract and imposes some consequence on the one who made the bargain. It is unclear if all bargains have such clauses.
-The orbs cannot or will not end contracts on their own, although they may reach out to others with the potential to do so.
-The 'people' populating Scorpion's Bend could not be read telepathically, and most outside of Branson's family displayed little true personality, instead repeating routines and conversations if not word-for-word, then very closely. The food lacked any true substance or taste, and orb-created documents in the town were gibberish. It is unclear if these reflect limitations of the orb's power, or if it just didn't care and knew Branson wouldn't notice.
-If one of the crew dies, it is possible for them to be resurrected by someone with the power to do so. However, the orb will extract a price from both resurrector and resurrected.
Giva orb
There were two orbs this time. The crew was sorted into two realms, Taeum and Sedorum. Supposedly, these were for good and sinful souls, respectively, but people could buy their way into Taeum, and many souls in Sedorum had committed no sin other than being poor and unable to pay bills and debts. Both realms allowed people to indulge freely in their vices, and both realms were led by leaders who did not care about their people. In retrospect, we should have seen this as significant.
One orb was held by Entr'i, Sedorum's minister of war, who sought to merge the two realms, creating a fairer afterlife, having stolen it after attacking the Highest One some time ago and then fleeing to Sedorum. The other orb was held by the Highest One, Taeum's leader. Who it turned out, was also 'Him', the leader of Sedorum. V'Rizz, the Chief Minister of Sedorum, was also involved in the deception, and had helped reshape Giva's religion to his master's design a century earlier. It became apparent that V'Rizz and his master were plotting against Entr'i, hoping to use the war to kill her and her supporters, and retrieve both orbs.
It is not entirely clear what the Highest One was planning, just that it would have resulted in the destruction of Giva, and using both orbs to return to wherever he came from. Fortunately, Entr'i's earlier actions, and our own, ended up disrupting his schemes, and he, along with V'Rizz, were killed (V'Rizz by us, the Highest One by Angriel, Entri's estranged lover who finally understood the Highest One's true nature), and Giva's afterlives became a single realm- Purgatory, which along with Long Cloak, did not deserve the awful reputation the locals had given them. But I suppose it is natural for the living to fear death and the unknown.
-There can be multiple orbs in a single mission.
-According to Yzak, the Highest One said "That's what we do, destroy planets." along with claiming that he needed both orbs to return to wherever he came from. (Another sign of the limits on the power of individual orbs)
-The Highest One wasn't from Giva or any of its afterlives- where was he from? Are there more like him out there?
-If a ruler has an orb, it's cause for deep concern (See notes from Gyeonje mission).
-Information and pictures from the earpieces cannot be easily shown or transmitted to anyone outside the crew.
Novis Nox Orb
Our shortest mission so far- and the one where we started furthest from the Orb. Most of the mission was a train ride between the cities of Craemore and Vrefesea, although this was interrupted by a murder, and two of our number being falsely accused. However, we were able to solve the murder, and we learned that one of our number was possessed by the Precursors- a parasitic hivemind that sends monsters called Kaiju to scour worlds clean, so they could take all their resources. The Precursors reached out to the orb, and used that connection to summon a small Kaiju, in an attempt to kill all of us and take the orbs for themselves. This plan failed, and the Kaiju was killed and the possessed crew member was subdued.
When we returned to the Ximilia, we used the connection the Precursors had established to both free said crew member, and shatter the Precursors' minds and memories, to stop them from seeking the orbs through other avenues, or preying on other worlds.
-In worlds that entirely lack magic, our abilities and any magical items will not work. We were warned ahead of time that this was the case.
-If Viveca is confident that the orb is in a particular location, that's probably where it is.
-More confirmation that the orbs can reach out to, and empower, people remotely. Yet another reason that stealing them without resolving their bargains is pointless.
-This was the third case of an orb having been originally found underground.
-Possession and mental connection to an outside force are a potential security problem.
E-23b orb
This is Viveca's homeworld- it turns out that she once had her own flesh and blood body, and was part of a group called the Fables fighting against the injustice of her homeworld. E-23b was technologically advanced, but suffering from both man-made and orb-caused damage to the environment. We worked with the Fables to liberate the prison camps, and get the people in charge out of power. Then, we located the orb and spent several weeks attempting to fix some of the damage to the world. However our use of force during the camps liberation did not endear us to the people of that world, and we were asked to leave. The orb was in one of the camps- at the bottom of a reservoir, at the epicenter of an earthquake. The orb was spreading a toxin that had similar traits to the infection in Gyeonje, although this time it sickened and killed, rather than transforming.
-Keeping our abilities secret is advisable, as those unused to such powers may be frightened.
-If we're working with people, and they ask us not to kill their enemies, don't kill them. Even if you think they deserve it.
-If all else fails when locating the orb, look underground at the epicenter of strange events.
Xrisora Orb
This mission took place underwater- Degar put together a spell to change our forms, so we could blend in and not drown. This mission involved several weeks of relaxation as the inhabitants prepared for a festival, but things went far, far north when it became apparent that the orb had previously been in the palace, but was currently missing, along with the queen and the princess. It turned out that the princess Xoria had thought the orb was a toy, and wished the queen (Her mother, Xephia) would disappear when she tried to take it away. Her attempts at undoing this failed, and she fled to the nearest settlement, the city of Gorgonion. There, we spoke with her, and the Queen Mother, Xemiane, made another bargain to bring Xephia back, at the cost of disappearing herself. Xephia gave us the orb- and letters from Remi and Aurelia. We had to fight giant crabs during this mission.
-Remi and Aurelia are still out there, traveling from world to world. Remi is a man with white hair, and Aurelia is a young woman with red h air. Remi was able to keep the orb from passively influencing things, but could not stop it from making bargains.
-The orbs will stick to the exact wording of wishes, even if the person making the wish didn't really mean it.
-Orb bargains cannot simply be backed out of- they need to be concluded. (Our bargain to undo our regrets may be an exception, but this is not certain.)
-Orbs can corrupt their surroundings, possibly by spreading/worsening illnesses, and by making creatures more aggressive and monstrous.
-the orb was originally found underground, in a sacred cave.
Forsythe Heights Orb
The orb was located in a town that appeared normal in most circumstances, but was heavily haunted, with many locations manifesting strange phenomena, including manifesting our own fears. We learned that there was a house, thought to be haunted, once owned by the Cooper family, but there was no record of any kind of tragedy that might have lead to a haunting. The Cooper family simply moved away, and the house was haunted after that. We also learned of 'Freddie', which appeared to be the ghost of a child, who simply wanted to play, and hand once been a friend of Sam Cooper.
- Freddie did not seem affected by methods normally useful against ghosts, leaving his true nature uncertain.
-The orb said it 'gave Freddie existence' Was he initially created by a wish made by Same Cooper, who was known to be interested in horror media? Freddie seemed to share those interests.
-The orb took the form of a VHS tape, and its bargain with Freddie appeared to be that it would bring Sam back, and he and Sam could play forever, as long as he watched the tape. Our choice to play it may have ended its bargain, as we were able to recover it as an orange sphere after playing it, while handling it in its previous form did not end the mission.
-This orb was generally talkative once found, and actively malicious.
Noth 11X8 Orb
This was the first and only mission to occur on a planet without any form of civilazion- or any sapient beings at all, though there was some highly aggressive wildlife.
-Not all of the crew was sent on this mission, due to an error
-Orb found in a volcano.
-Orb retrieved without issue.
Alydhion Orb
This is Degar's homeworld. This mission took over a month, and our abilties and forms were replaced with the magic and shapes of beings native to this world. Magic, in this world, was divided between different 'Classes' such as Bards, Clerics, Druids, and Paladins, to name only a few. The orb was known as an heirloom of the king, stolen years ago, as groups of adventurers sought to obtain it. Degar was part of one such group, along with his brother, among others, including Elia Roundtree, his brother's fiance. After his brother's death, his best friend Jun Shortaxe joined, and the group almost tracked down the orb. However, in that confrontation, Jun was badly injured, apparently by Elia's spell, and the group split up, with Jun gaining a reputation as a great hero.
In truth, Jun had made a deal with the orb, framing Elia for the attack. We only learned this when after following Jun to the place where he hid the orb, we learned that not only was Elia not at fault, but that Jun had a bargain in the orb and no intention of handing it over. The orb turned him into a dragon, but we were able to knock him out, and Elia was able to partially reverse the transformation, and bring his mother figure, Nina, to the area via portal to talk some sense into him. Jun was convinced to hand over the orb, and the mission concluded.
-The King made a bargain that affected the entire kingdom, but removing the orb from his possession ended the bargain. (So perhaps stealing the orb will be worth a try in future missions, if we're out of ideas?)
-Jun's bargain created portals that spat out monsters in the cave where he first contracted with the orb.
-Even without being in contact with the orb, Jun was able to use it to attack one of the crew, gravely injuring them. (So another risk of stealing a still-contracted orb.)
Ciraiwei Orb
This mission lasted 10 days, and we had less than half an hour to prepare for it. We were informed that the planet was on a collision course with an asteroid- one large enough to completely destroy the planet, which would be arriving 10 days after we did. We were able to locate the orb, and by contacting Remi and Aurelia, we managed to evacuate some of the planet's people, the Hivawei, and recover the orb.
However, despite our best efforts, we were not able to evacuate all of the Hivawei that wanted to leave. Many of them died with their planet's destruction.
-The means we used to reach Remi and Aureliah was one use only. We probably will not be able to contact them again, unless we devise some other method.
-If we had not spent so much time in E23-b, we may have had more time to help the Hivawei, and Viveca would have been able to get help from a nearby planet to evacuate them. In the future, we should keep in mind that dragging out missions may have consequences.
-The nature of our bargain with the orb interferes with any long range teleportation abilities we possess. The interference of other mages not among the crew can act as a loophole though.
-Remi was able to rescue Welford Branson, who is currently residing at Remi's castle.
-The orb was not in a bargain, and was found in a flower called the Lamawei, which had sprouted from the ground in a somewhat remote location. The Hivawei revered the Lamawei, but the orb had not gotten up to any mischief.
Ndiera Orb
This orb was in the Ndiera complex, a group of three planets surrounded by a field of particles known as 'ghost matter' that blocked abilities- or rather it did until ten years ago, when it mutated thanks to the orb, and began killing anyone who used their abilities- slowly, as their bodies begain attacking themselves. Our bargain offered us some protection- we were able to use our powers twice. The orb was being held by a man named Zandr, who was trying to reverse the mutation in ghost matter, to neutralize it. He was being opposed by the government, but with Emerton's help, we were able to assist him in accomplishing his goal.
Zandr had a bargain that was preventing those affected by ghost matter from dying, but was unable to cure them. The crew voted to leave rather than attempt to save them.
-Emerton was the first person we've encountered who was a former member of the crew. He probably won't be the last.
??? Orb
This orb was found on a past version of the station, and seemed to have been fragmented. Recovering it involved reliving our own and other memories- and those of the past crew.
To summarize, briefly, what we learned from those memories
-Olivia fell under the orb's sway, who then allowed the orbs to corrupt Emerton
-Emerton killed the rest of the crew, with Viveca and Degar the only survivors. This happened while there was only one orb remaining to be collected.
-During the mission to gather the last orb, Viveca sacrificed herself to stop Emerton.
-Then, Degar altered his regret- he chose to bring back everyone who died, at the price of remaining on the station for eternity.
-Viveca agreed to this as well, becoming the ship's AI in the process.
-At this point, something happened, and the orbs were scattered once again.
Missions, and how to prepare for them
Our shortest mission lasted several days- and most of them have been longer, often about two months. You will get some information on the world of the mission before arriving there, but it will be incomplete. Still, it will give you some idea of what to expect, and Viveca will highlight individuals who may be of interest- it is likely, but not certain, that one of them has the orb, or some connection to it, so working to investigate them is advisable.
Gather spare clothing, nonperishable food, and anything else you think you might need- missions generally take place in populated areas, but we nearly starved once, and no one wants to repeat that. Viveca will supply clothes for blending in if that's needed. We are not always given local currency, but have often found ways to earn it, and these jobs are often a valuable source of information. If such things don't appeal, take something valuable with you to sell. When we need to blend into a world, it's often helpful to collaborate with other crew members to put together interlocking cover stories. And remember- just because a world lacks advanced technology or knowledge of magic, it doesn't mean the people there are stupid. Be careful when using abilities or technology that are foreign to a world.
As we are teleported in, you will hear a voice, giving you instructions. That is the voice of the orb on that world, and if you want it to lend its power to undoing your regret, you must fulfill its request. However, there is no punishment for refusing to do so. It's acceptable to tell people what you were asked to do, and most of us will be happy to help you achieve it- we're all here because of our regrets.
I want to be clear that each mission has been very different- trying to describe a 'typical' one is difficult. The most I can say is that the first few weeks tend to revolve more around gathering information and locating the orb than dealing with serious danger.
However, many of our missions have involved combat in the latter stages- you do not have to fight, or learn how to, but prepare yourself for the possibility of it happening. Gathering information- whether through research, interviews, observation, or simple eavesdropping- is an important skill to focus on. Don't hesitate to be proactive- often, the most valuable information is be found by approaching individuals of interest, or seeking out things kept hidden. Just try not to get caught. It is important not just that we locate the orbs, but also understand what bargains have been struck with them and by who, and what was given in exchange- remember, we can't take the orbs unless their existing bargains have been ended.
If the one holding the orb is not some power-mad tyrant, then offering to assist them in whatever they're trying to do in exchange for the orb has proven effective on multiple occasions. Honesty is the best policy- be upfront about our mission, and what we are seeking to do. Make it clear that the orbs are dangerous, but don't exaggerate, or present us as more powerful than we truly are.
It is possible that during some future mission, mere persuasion will not be enough. However, torture is not an option and will not work. Setting aside the obvious moral issues, and that many of the orb's contractees have been too powerful to easily restrain, a contractee can use the orb to attack us even if it's not in their possession. And causing them great pain and fear is more likely to push them into making another bargain, rather than surrendering it.
Please understand that worlds are not in a state of equilibrium when we arrive- they have already been altered from their natural state by the orbs and the bargains made with them, and will be further altered by us ending the bargains and removing the orbs. None of us want to make things worse, but the very nature of our task means we will change worlds we visit- hopefully, for the better. Don't wring your hands too much about meddling.
Missions end as soon as the orb has been recovered and all its contracts ended. Once that happens, we are immediately teleported back to the station. If you wish to buy souvenirs or bid farewell to people you've met, do it before then.
Upon return, we will often eat a kind of greasy pie with cheese and tomato sauce called pizza (it's better than it sounds!), and watch movies.