Object 1292: The Holder of Violence

In any city, in any country, go to any prison or penitentiary you can get yourself to. When you reach the front desk, ask to visit someone who calls himself "The Holder of Violence?' The attendant will almost instantly call for security. You will be beaten and tased painfully before you pass out. When you come to, you will be dragged through the prison down to the "Hole", solitary confinement. If, while you're being transported, the prisoners begin jeering and reaching out at you, yell loud enough to make the guards shiver, "Your battle will arrive soon enough!" If this has not quieted the inmates, they will break down what separates you from them and will tear you limb from limb, and you will remain conscious down to the last visceral pop of your flesh.

If you are lucky, you will arrive at your destination. They will bring you down a hall to a door. When it opens, it will be pitch black. Don't be filled, this is not your holding cell. This is an elaborate series of underground tunnels, long plagued with the rest of the Seekers who failed their objective. You must be quick not to join them. Dispatch the men who brought you here as fast as you can so you don't fall victim to what only the gods can know. Dash back through the door they brought you through, and be careful to choose the right one.

You will not burst back into the hallway you were dragged down, but instead, you will find yourself trapped inside an arena, the likes of Ancient Rome. You will be dressed as a gladiator. The audience gathered under this eternal twilight wants to enjoy a show, and not to be spectated themselves. You will be sent, one after the other, creatures of an increasingly grotesque manner which you must kill before they have the chance to do the same to you. However, as you do this, you will feel the same pain you inflict, and what they dish out will be a thousand times worse. You will live through every single bit of it.

When the wave of demons stops coming, from behind you will come your loved ones, your family, your friends to congratulate you on your feat, but do not be fooled. Instead of being lulled into a sense of security, you must execute them as well, and show no mercy lest you want to face a fate not meant to be yours. Once every droplet of blood has spilled onto the sand beneath your feet, you will collapse on all fours, ready to fall into eternal sleep.

Do not falter. Look up into the stands. It does not matter where you face. An emperor will be at ease on his throne, surrounded by servants and beautiful women catering to his every whim. You realize this entity is the Holder of Violence. He will put up a hand to pause the crowd. As he casts his gaze down at you and the gory scene surrounding you, the man will extend an arm, his fist clenched except for a thumb stuck out sideways. It grows silent as you wait for his judgment.

There is no wind, no hushed whispers in the crowd. Your ears begin ringing. And soon enough, he will present his judgment. He may turn his thumb down, and the crowd will simultaneously rush toward you from the stands, decimating every part of your physical being into a fleshy pulp. If you are lucky, he will approve of the show presented and give you a thumbs up. Now, you must stand and ask a single question, "What violence is in store for the Reunion?"

The Holder will descend from his platform and approach you. He will describe to you every act of violence, every murder, rape, arson, torture, to anything and everything. Your mind will flood with images that will drive you to the brink of insanity, but you must not fail so close to your goal. Your body will be overwhelmed with a jolt of searing pain, which will last until he finishes his story. When he finally stops, his body will simply disappear. At your feet lay his robes. Search through them, and you will come across a golden rod. When you grasp it, you will be back in the prison. You will be dressed in an orange jumpsuit. They will hand you whatever you came in with, along with what you brought back with you.

That scepter is Object 1292 of 2538. May it lead your army well when They come together.

Object 1298: The Holder of the Middleman

In any city, in any country, make your way to any halfway house, mental institution, or hospital that you have sought and obtained an Object in. Once there, find a receptionist to the establishment. If this receptionist is the same one who you spoke to when you obtained your Object, then you have chosen wisely. If this is not the case, this establishment will remain mundane.

Once you find this receptionist, walk up and speak to them. If you wish to seek the Object, the receptionist will know. Even so, it is best to try to lead the conversation informally and speak as you would to a friend or family member. You do not want the receptionist to hate you any more than they already do. Once you have been talking for some time, thank them for their help in your quest, and ask them how they know so much.

The receptionist will grow silent, any cheer in their face will fall away, their gaze will wander to the floor, and they will begin to walk away. Follow them, no matter how long the walk. They will eventually stop at a small apartment or a large storage closet. The receptionist will look directly into your eyes and ask with desperation and sorrow in their voice, "Why?"

They mean to ask why you seek, why you want to seek, why you had to ask this receptionist in particular for your Object, and why you followed them. You must answer with detail, as much as you can muster. Your memory may start to fade as you explain. If it does, hope that it comes back or that you have enough memory to answer. If you do not, your fate is one of demise from an uncertain source.

If you finish your tale, and the receptionist is satisfied, they should continue to look into your eyes. You must take your turn, and ask your question, "What?"

If the receptionist was satisfied by your answer, then the receptionist will explain what "the receptionists" roles are, what they themselves are, what they stand at the receptionist's desk for. The receptionist's tale will have the same effect on you as yours did on them.

After they are finished speaking, they will walk inside the closet or apartment. If they walked to a closet, they will look back at you from a background of sheer blackness, no larger than the outside would suggest. If they walked to an apartment, they will walk inside a purely black living room and sit on an unseen chair. They will invite you in. You must sit directly in front of them, several feet away, in another unseen chair. Be very careful to sit on a chair and not the floor, as it is not entirely real. The receptionist will begin to drink something from an unseeable cup, sipping at it like tea.

Either way, they will tell you their tale. Who they are, who they were, what they went through, why they help the Seekers, what you must do to them, and things that go well beyond.

They will hand you a black item, unseeable in the darkness, and they will beg you to kill them, release them from what you know they go through and the memories of what they went through. You must do so with haste and efficiency, otherwise, the death they beg for will be your own. If you manage to end their life painlessly and quickly, you will suddenly awaken in an armchair, despite never falling into slumber. In front of you will be a television, tuned to your local news station.

They will report an establishment burning down, the establishment you went to, leaving no survivors. If you watch for a few minutes after, they will report a mass disappearance around your area, most of the missing persons being receptionists, several will be found in the fire days later, but not nearly as many as the television states were lost.

When you reach for your remote, you will find the Object of your receptionist's death, still completely black. On it is a small sphere on one end, and a blade on the other. This Object is 1298 of 2538. There is no middleman now, no guide. Speak to Them directly.