>>5208976“They reflect your desires, your dreams, mitigate and shore up your anxieties.” The Chaplains says, regarding you almost with compassion—with condescending gentleness. “They ingratiate themselves, appealing to your insecurity and loneliness, crafting a façade designed by their very nature to appeal to your weakness… And you, a human-spawn, sadly have no shortage of such weakness.”
The words hit you like a sledgehammer with their implication—that Irinnile’s affection, her affirmations, her love, are all a reflexive adaptation, a simple shadow of your own needs and wants, reflected back at you like a dark mirror. A plot, targeting the most vulnerable—most HUMAN—part of you.
‘Irinnile,’ you ask, looking inward, ‘is this true?’
‘Babe…’
‘Is… Is what we have, what you have shown me and been to me…’
You swallow, staring down at the basin beneath your face, remembering Irinnile’s projected form, her mischievous and lusty smile, her voice, her touch.
‘Was it real?’ you ask.
Irinnile doesn’t say anything.
“Infiltrator,” The Chaplain says, “it MUST be done, for the good of The Grand Design and the Great Conspiracy. I understand that the beast makes this a difficult thing, to sustain its own power, but it must be cut away to make you clean, and to make us all safe.”
“I will lose much,” you mutter. “We all will lose a great deal.”
“We will re-summon it, purified of forbidden knowledge,” The Chaplain reassures you.
‘I won’t remember you!’ Irinnile cries out, silent no longer. ‘I won’t… I’ll be like I was before I ever met you! I won’t be ME! Maybe what we have is, like… Just a part of my camouflage, but it FEELS real! I promise, it does, for me just like for you!’
“Can I… Take a moment to consider this?” you ask.
The Chaplain says nothing. It is a mercy that he humours your impudent request at all, you know.
“Please?” you whisper.
“Infiltrator,” The Chaplain says quietly, but without softeness, “detach yourself from this parasite, now.”
What do you do?
>Surrender Irinnile [will double your heartbreak penalty and cause her ego death]>Attempt to bargain for Irinnile’s life [make your argument, politesse roll ensues, failure results in your disgrace]>Invoke the <DIVINE FAVOUR> to grant Irinnile your Gods’ protection and blessing forevermore [expends the <FAVOUR>]>Write-in