Otherworld TRPG Game Master - Chapter 56: Extra: S2 Session Introduction

༺ Extra : S2 Session Introduction ༻

You will experience a different word. Remember, only humans remain unchanged in this place where culture, customs, architectural styles, and the rules of the world are different.

Survival is guaranteed. Even if you face death, it is not the end and you will return to the original world without a scratch.

You have only one objective. It is to secure the Shining Trapezohedron hidden somewhere in the world. It is a mystical relic known to summon evil beings and, on the other hand, provide infinite wisdom. However, activating it comes with a bit of……sacrifice.

There are plenty of opportunities and time. In addition, forgetting the goal and accumulating good experiences can also be considered the right way to enjoy this different world. It is fine not to achieve it. Do not feel pressured or burdened to do so.

Playtime Per Round : 2 hours (6 days)

Additional Objective : Secure the Shining Trapezohedron

The following content is the record of preliminary investigations by a collaborator.

We hope it helps you in your understanding of this world.

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About the Stage ① :

I leave the first record. This is a strange civilization. The shape of the buildings is different and there is a huge difference in the concentration of mana in the atmosphere. This place is almost in a state of mana depletion. When I moved to the specified dimensional coordinates, the first place I opened my eyes to was a shabby back alley. It was full of bags made of a strange material, tied up with garbage inside.

I cut open a bag with a knife to check its contents. Something that seemed to be the peel of an unknown crop, a cylindrical object made of metal, tissue or newspaper, a dead cat’s carcass, and broken pieces of human bones. Besides these, there was nothing particularly noteworthy.

I moved warily, cautious of my first encounter with another life form. If it were a civilization hostile to external substances like the Spirit Realm, I would measure the risk level through combat and if it were below the Defense Bureau’s Threat Grade 3, I would continue the exploration. If it was Grade 3, I would temporarily retreat, and if Grade 2, I would fully retreat; this was the principle of my action.

After about 5 minutes of walking, I left the back alleys. The buildings here are incredibly tall. The roads are very large and wide, covered with a black material and well-maintained. I witnessed a carriage without a horse. It seemed like an unmanned carriage that wealthy merchants or wizards sometimes use, but here, it appears to be utilized en masse as there were many of them.

I confirmed another life form. It appears to be human. Although I cannot verify the similarity in anatomical structure, it has all the common features of humans. They have two arms, two legs, five fingers on each hand, and are divided into male and female genders. They also have round ears.

Overall, the city is dominated by a grayish hue. The expressions of the people are gloomy and although their nutritional status seems good, there is no vitality in their eyes. I believe there is a possibility that they are being ruled by a tyrant.

Fortunately, the clothing of the people here is similar to that of the imperial capital. Suits and silk hats. Dresses. Various clothes made of fabric. As long as it is not too vulgar or scanty, one should be able to blend in naturally. The Academy’s uniform is no exception.

Except for the guards (They are called police here), most people do not carry weapons. Whether it is because the public order is good or it is legally prohibited is unknown. Further verification is needed. I will resume exploration after setting up a temporary base.

The following drawings depict the appearance of this strange civilization.

About the Stage ② :

I leave the second record. I have established a temporary base. The location is 201 Carter Street, on the 2nd Floor of the East Shopping Mall. I repeat. 201 Carter Street, East Shopping Mall, 2nd Floor. The items collected during the exploration will be hidden here.

I focused on investigating the social atmosphere.

Carrying weapons is permitted, but displaying them carelessly is prohibited. This part is the same as our world. From now on, instead of repeatedly mentioning the same parts, I will only describe the elements that are clearly different.

Mana can only be handled by a very select few individuals and magic is ostracized by society as a whole. Wizards are conflated with words like witches and devils. I consider that there is no problem in thinking of society’s perception as similar to that of Black Wizards in our world.

Most citizens are powerless. However, those maintaining the city’s order, as well as a part of the citizens, possess artifacts called guns, which fire projectiles. Their power ranges from 『Rock Arrow』 to 『Earth’s Awl』.

Many religions are mixed together. The corruption of their believers is considered severe compared to our world. Scandals involving church ministers (Clergy) are openly circulating and citizens’ views on religion are extremely polarized. Since our religion is considered heretical to them, it is recommended not to disclose it.

Among them, there are groups that are considered cults, worshiping inappropriate gods or even evil deities. There are even bizarre rumors circulating about them capturing young children to use as burnt offerings, which has led to a very negative perception.

During an exploration, a strange stigma was discovered on the exterior wall of a building. Further investigation revealed three more locations with similar stigmas. The significance and function of these stigmas will be updated as more information becomes available.

About the Stage ③ :

Hamburgers are delicious. Fries are also quite good. The seasoning is a bit on the stronger side, but if you are accustomed to the cumbersome taste of aristocratic meals, you can enjoy it thoroughly. I have organized a list of restaurants I personally found tasty and sent it in the format of a table as follows.

About the Stage ④ :

I leave the fourth record. I inadvertently became entangled with a cult group called the Order of the Silver Twilight. The incident began as follows. I was carefully exploring the city’s back alleys to investigate the suspicious stigmas.

The vagrants did not come closer to me. They merely hid in the darkness of the alleys, glancing over with their foul eyes. Driving them away would have been simple, but I did not want to recklessly use violence and potentially cause friction with the local law enforcement.

By the time I found two more stigmas, vagrants with somewhat murky eyes approached me. They emitted a disgusting rotten smell from their mouth and it seemed they had almost no teeth. A man emerged from the center of their group.

That man was adorned with a necklace full of various symbols. Skulls, crosses, prayer beads, and several religious symbols that were unidentifiable. As well as someone’s dirty fingers. However, it seemed that they were not for the purpose of demonstrating religious faith, but rather for insult.

It was akin to collecting the symbol of the Goddess Church and the tongue of a stray dog together. The man approached me with a creepy smile, speaking in a deliberately gentle voice.

Man : For what reason are you wandering around, searching for graffiti?

Investigator : It is for the purpose of environmental beautification. Is there a problem?

Man : This place may be old and dilapidated. A place where poor lives crawl without illumination. But it is still clearly private property. You have no right to damage the graffiti.

Investigator : I understand, so please step aside. I shall leave.

Man : You will have to explain your reasons.

The man was smiling, but his eyes were filled with refined killing intent. It seemed he intended to feed me to the stray dogs after extracting information, so I preemptively attacked.

I threw a brick that had fallen on the ground.

1) About 20cm in front of the man, the brick disappeared. It seemed that there was a magical barrier. Since there were no byproducts such as steam or rock fragments, it is speculated to be special displacement rather than annihilation.

2) As soon as the brick disappeared, the eyes of one of the vagrants standing behind the man rolled back / fell down bleeding from the nose. It is presumed to be a cost of the magic.

There were more than ten vagrants and it was unclear how the man’s ‘barrier’ would function in close combat. Therefore, I ceased the engagement and retreated.

The man intercepted with an unknown spell, not one that launches projectiles, but one that guarantees to hit targets within sight. It was an incorporeal fist. Although I was knocked back, it was not to a level where it would be highly threatening if one’s body was protected by mana.

After the engagement, the Silver Twilight was considered a hostile force. An investigation was initiated.

About the Stage ⑤ (Silver Twilight) :

It is a cult that has recently been growing. They regularly hold meetings in a building at the city center, promoting the goal of ‘entering God’s embrace to enjoy eternal happiness’.

They hold a 『Summons Meeting』 every week, praying for God to arrive in this city soon while shouting the holy name to the sky. Despite complaints from nearby residents about the noise and police reports, it doesn’t appear that any action has been taken.

I have attended a Summons Meeting for the sake of investigation. It was confirmed that the name of the god they worship had a collective hypnotic effect. If one maintains strong and stable mental barriers, it is not a problem, but it is not recommended to approach them if one’s mental state is vulnerable or susceptible.

The following content records some of the behaviors of participants in the Summons Meeting.

“His name we hear is truly glorious and blessed. When we move our tongues to pronounce it, the dizziness, that giddiness makes our hearts race and our pulses quicken. We cannot fully articulate it, so it is sad not to be able to contain the evidence that He exists in our mouths.”

“The twinkling night sky is drawing closer. I can feel Him approaching. Though we, with our dull and incomplete human senses, cannot fully capture His blessed form, I will empty the space for His arrival even if it means enduring the very limits of my headache.”

The emotions that were typically expressed consisted of awe, overwhelmed, and fear.

During the investigation, it was determined that the man adorned with many necklaces was the religious leader of the Order of the Silver Twilight.

Most of the vagrants in the back alleys seem to be affiliated with the Silver Twilight. It is believed that hypnotic magic and other forms have been actively used to control them. It is because the city’s people have no interest in the impoverished.

The stigmas being engraved throughout the city are speculated to be their doing. The effects of these have yet to be uncovered.

About the Stage ⑥ (Battle Record) :

Attempted to infiltrate the Order of the Silver Twilight’s building.

Confirmed the presence of detained civilians. Attempted rescue.

Discovered. Started battle. Shot five cultists to death.

Acquired information from a civilian. Confirmed the existence of a basement in the Order’s building.

Attempted escape with the use of a vehicle. Entrusted the rescued civilian with driving.

Shot an additional seven cultists to death.

Initiated battle with the religious leader who chased after──.

⋯⋯⋯⋯.

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After quietly reading the Session Introduction that was completed with Pink-Haired Lesbian’s help, she pointed to the last part, where it abruptly ended, and asked.

“Why did you erase the latter contents?”

“Because it’s too much of a spoiler. It would be no fun if they knew everything from the start.”

“You seem to be filled with the idea of creating trials and ordeals. There certainly does seem to be much to gain. After all, there is no need to worry about losing their lives……”

Pink-Haired Lesbian spoke with her eyes. Still, is it right to push students into such a place?

Of course, it’s fine. This was a TRPG and I was a kind GM who didn’t like to see players suffer. The thrill of a horror experience where a giant octopus appears was not about the player freaking out and going crazy. Instead, there was meaning in them overcoming such challenges.

I was going to be there, helping them out with all my effort from behind.

And I had no intention of urging them with something like “Kehehehe, you’ve already registered, so you must go no matter what!”. I was going to show them the Session Introduction and ask them to think about it by saying, “It’s gonna have this kinda vibe. Do you have any thoughts of trying it out?”.

If the response was lukewarm, I was willing to come up with something new.

However, considering that the students’ growth was the goal, I didn’t think a mere Hahahoho virtual experience would suffice for training, so I planned to keep the fact that it was all Illusion Magic a secret for now.

If it seemed like the players were having too hard a time, it wouldn’t be too late to reveal that it was actually all Illusion Magic then.

“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”

I guess I did need to reveal to Pink-Haired Lesbian one day that this was all Illusion Magic. Then Pink-Haired Lesbian would report it to the higher-ups. And following that, maybe the Second Prince, who had been stubbornly delusional, would wake up from the illusion and fuck me up with a dropkick.

And so, because of that, I decided to keep it a secret. It was with a heavy heart that I did so, kinda like hiding a test paper that only received a grade of 20%…….

I organized the introduction and invited the three lecture applicants to my office. I’ll need to have a discussion with them.

***

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