The Diary of Verity, Viscountess of Seawatch
Volume III
This volume contains the early notes of Verity Touraine, then the Viscountess of Seawatch, as she began her exploration of occult secrets forbidden by the Church of Inner Light. It details her continuing relationship with a woman named Anastasia Issorat.
Possession of this tome is worth **** Research Points per session. If delivered to the Church, this tome is worth **** Church Prestige Points.
The following note is written in newer ink on the front page of the diary, as though it was added at a later date than the majority of the text.
Hear me, oh seeker into forbidden lore!
My name is Verity Touraine, and in life I was known as the
Duchess of Touraine.
I sacrificed my life to the pursuit of knowledge, out of belief
that truth is a virtue, and wisdom an honorable aspiration.
History will decide if I was a monster or a hero, but the truths I
discover will survive me. These texts contain all that I learned
during my life.
Read them and follow me in my journey through light and
darkness.
I have visited Anastasia Issorat three times. Each time she summons me, I learn more of her arts, and more of the secrets that she has concealed for so long. I have learned other things as well. I am aware of the ebb and flow of the seasons, and can feel the fabric of time around me. For instance, I know that Anastasia Issorat will only summon me on the perihelion of Lucien's orbit. I also know that her hands are smooth and white when she extends them beyond her concealing screen, and that her voice is rich with honey and silk. If she is the broken-skinned hag she claims, she hides it well.
...
I have learned the named of many of the first circle attunements from Anastasia.
* Solariel is the Light of Perfection, apparently a healing power.
* Mirariel is the Mirror of Light, Anastasia's cardinal pact.
* Nyctariel is the Darkness that Devours. Anastasia claims that Paraceln was initially pacted to Nyctariel.
* Seiriel is, of course, my own patron, the Pathway through Shadow.
I know, too, that any initiate can bind another to their cardinal pact, if the other bears a Cosmos deck. However, once the first pact is made, the initiate's fate is decided. If there is a way to attune to another cardinal pact, Anastasia will not tell me.
...
This year, Anastasia has taught me of the rituals associated with pacts. The basic rituals for the cardinal pacts are simple cantrips that can be invoked by stating the name of the attunement, and pleading for the associated power. For example, I could have said "Seiriel, please grant me the rite of Reading the Stars", had Anastasia not shown me it herself. The other powers are the Sun's Health, What the Mirror Sees, and Shadow Binding.
...
She had a pair of beautiful young men in her chamber when I arrived. They reminded me of my lost youth. I could barely bear to be in the same room as them. Anastasia told me that they were for me, to advance my understanding of the art. They took my hands, and I will not write of what followed.
When my instructions ended, she offered me the men. When I rejected her offer, she simply said, "Then I will dispose of them."
Two weeks have passed since then, and I believe I understand what happened now. The golden man must have been an initiate of Solariel, and the shadowy man of Nyctariel. In Anastasia's "wedding ceremony", we initiated each other by invoking the name of a pact that seems to lie between our cardinal pacts. Between the golden man and I, a pact to Kikyonosai, the Judge of the End, was born, and I invoked the power of the Judge of Truth.
Between the shadowy man and I, a pact to Ankoku, the Living Darkness, was born, and I invoked the power of the Shadow Veil. Thankfully, naught else was born of that encounter. It will not happen again.
...
I have investigated further into the library. Using the power of Reading the Stars, many of the texts that were once obscure have become clear to me. I have learned that Anastasia likely once paired with a follower of Solariel to bind herself to Lumenia, the Living Light. Her power would have been that of the Aura of Light. Likewise, it appears that a pairing with an initiate of Nyctariel would have granted her a pact with Rakshasa, and the power of Chaos Dancing.
...
Three red-haired boys. In their eyes, I saw memories of lost Yoin. Of the men, there was no trace. I feigned illness, and left her estate early.
I crave the power she offers.
But not the price she asks.
What can I do?
...
The perihelion of Lucien has come again. This year, I will find answers to my questions.