Fear is Just a Lie By Kathleen Hyslop

Instruments: Deck of Cards





Game Description 


This is a game about making evidence pieces for a larger mystery. You take the role of an investigator researching all of the strange occurrences in an area, and building a case file of evidence.



Game Content Warnings 

These are content warnings that are from the game prompts and are present in all playthroughs.



Playthrough Content Warnings 

These are content warnings specific to this playthrough only.



Game Playthrough

Word Count: 1,591     Played: Nov 26, 2022







Phase 1 The Town 


City of Invale, Known as the only town that has a working ferry across the river. 

Climate: 2 seasons, wet and dry, 

Ironically harder to cross during the dry season as the river is too shallow for most of the bigger boats. The smaller boats are more operational but they carry less people. 

(Unfortunately it’s the dry season right now)

Original name of City: Unknown  people say it was affected by the end of the God’s War and the folks there either purposely changed it or were made to forget it 



Ancient Evil 


7 of Diamonds: Sorrow, Can it be broken?

Excerpt from an interview with Priestess XXXXXX

Me: Have you seen them in person? 

X: Only once. 

Me: Did you touch them? 

X: No it felt, um, it felt evil. 

Me: What do you mean? 

X: Being around it, um, my heart started to race, and I could feel a tingle in the back of my head, like.. Well you’re um, you might not feel this way but when you are walking down a street at night and you think someone might be following you. You don’t see anything but you know .

Me: Did it feel like you were being watched? 

X: yes. 

Me: By who? 

X: The gods. 

Me: Aren’t they always watching though? 

X: Not like this… It.. it’s not for us to know. It’s not for us to interfere. 

3 of Clubs: Shame, Can a motive be assigned? 

Notes from collated research in the library. 

10 found? 11 found? 

Someone is bringing them here? 

Divine script but iron? 

Someone wants them? A hunter?  Religious groups feel inclined to them. The Value Cult doesn’t want anything to do with them. 

Why here? 

7 of Hearts: Fear, Can the curse be broken? 

Tour Guide Brochure: 

Welcome to the Water Wheel Caves!

Deep below the waters, there was once a massive structure! After being hidden away for years they were discovered by a spelunker who fell through a hole and was thought lost. 

After a search and rescue mounted a successful recovery, vast machinery and works were found underneath the city. 

The river was used with a giant waterwheel to operate some of the works down here, but their purpose is still unknown! 

Note to self: What is down there? Whas something stolen? Should something be returned? This brochure is old, people aren’t allowed down there anymore. 

4 of Clubs: What aggression brought the curse? 

Note: No mentions of the ingots or people missing before the caves were found. 

Note to self: LOOK INTO WHO WENT MISSING AND WHO VISITED. LOOK FOR VISITOR LOGS 



Phase 3, Quelling the Wrath 


Ace of Spades: Pride, What sacred place was destroyed or sacrificed? 

Image description: A group of workers standing before the vast waterwheel under the city. They are wearing blast gear and are surrounded by period appropriate dynamite. All the faces have been scratched out in black ink and then a hole was burned where it was. 

Underneath the photo is the caption: ------ , ---- , and workers the day of the destruction of the wheel. 

King of Hearts: Skepticism, Has the quell been forgotten 

Library Notes 2

No record of any company destroying the Wheel. 

There are no records of the Wheel’s destruction date. 

There aren’t even records of approved usage of dynamite in the city. 

No newspaper mentions it either. 

Only one small magazine mentions people being evicted for a day in the area, but there’s no date attached. 

Only lead is the photo itself. I need to figure out what kind of camera was used then maybe I can narrow down the years. 

Queen of Clubs: Exasperation, How many souls were trapped in the quell? 

Snippet Interview with a spelunker, pseudonym: Vinny

Me: When did you go down to the caves? 

Vinny: It was when I was a young man, maybe 30 years ago? 

Me: How did you find out about it?

Vinny: I dunno, from some caving buddies? I think you folks would call it ‘urban exploring’ now? There was a crack in some old tunnel, and they said they felt a calling to explore it. Like an itch, that you keep scratching but keeps on itching. 

Me: And you were invited to go along with them? 

Vinny: Nope. Didn’t about it till after the fact but when they talked about it I felt that itch too. 

Me: Yeah. 

Vinny: You’re starting to feel it too. 

*5 sec pause*

Vinny: Don’t go down there. 

Me: What did you find? 

Vinny: It was a large cavern mostly. Surprised the whole city hasn’t collapsed like, what’s that old city? The one…

Me: Iacester? 

Vinny: Yeah, yeah, My grandpa used to tell me stories that his grandpa used to tell about how he was almost in that sinkhole that day but he--

Me: Yes, but what about here? 

Vinny: Right, right, it was huge. Miles wide, hundreds of stories tall. There were these †̵̮̥̠̣̦̽̏͌̎͂ŕ̷̥̠͍̣̮͌̒̕͝å̴̻̟͕̞̤̔̈́́̃̎¢̸̪͓̠̼̲̈́̓̂̀̋ḳ̴̮͎̻̺̀̊̃͗͝§̷̡̙͇̯͔̾͑̇̆̕ ̶̢̘̯͇͙̄̓̋̿̚å̴̻͙͙̻̙̑͗͛̂͂ņ̸͎͈͕͕̃̎͌̈͑͝Ð̸̛̰͔͖̫͓̉͊̎͘ ̶͉̠͉̥͖͛̎̉̑͝ï̴̙̭͙̺̽̾̒̔͜͝ȓ̶̨͙̼͇̹͑́͐̄ð̵̲̲̲͖̣͋̾́̊̒ñ̴̘̘̘̩̿̒̒́͂ͅ ̴̡̛̥̞͕́̅͑̕ͅß̷̬̦͇̹́̍͆̏͗͜ǻ̸̛͕̳̦̩̮͊̎͠r̵̙̦͕̜͚̀̀͊́͝§̷̨̤̤͕̖̓̃́̈́͠ ̴̮̰͚̖̮͑͐̏̎͝¢̷̺̠̰͖͇̋͑͒̿͘ŗ̶͉͔̗̖͊͂́̈̕į̵̞̝͇̤̈̾́̉̂̌§̷̧̥̣̣̰̄̐͆́̚§̵̰̼͖̩̓̈͆̿̃ͅ¢̷͎̘͎̤̭͋̈͆͒̔ŗ̴̩͖̝̱̏̎̿͑̄ð̷͚̞͇̋̾̓͛̚͜ͅ§̴͈͙̣̝̬͌̈́̀̒́§̵̧̻̟̩̜̀͐̎̒̕ï̶̤̖͇̮̮̂͗͆́͝ñ̷̢̡͓̰̣̈̍̈́͆̕g̸̡̛͈̹̩̖̋̅͝͝  and we could see what looked like bones. 

Me: Animal bones? 

Vinny: They looked like human bones to me. 

Me: How many? 

Vinny: I dunno, they were all torn to shreds. 

Jack of Hearts: Skepticism, do you emerge from the same as when you entered? 

Photo copied snippet:

Მ̶̦̹̺̖͍́̌̍͐̌٢̸̖̜͎͕̩̽̓̇͌͝8̵̝̳̺͕̇̔̋͋͘ͅς̸͓̺̗̟̙̽́̒̈́̊ Census, Week of Ą̵̢̘̺͍͔͈͈̗͚̥̼̣͚̟͚̽͋͋́́̉̎̌̿́̏͒̃̿̚͘͠q̵̡̧̧̛̛̛͇̱̞̺̝̤̖̜̣͇̯͔̫̣̋͑͛̒̏̓̀̃͗͆̈͆͊͝͝ͅɿ̴̢̨̙̹̠̣͕̺̞̤̤̗̦̗͔̪̝̹͈̌͂̎̓̂̒̄͒̐͊́̂̈́̔̊̎̓͝ì̴̡̢̨̩̼̟̻͇͉̺̣͔̰̗̰̰͍̺̃͆̈́͛͑́̓̀́̿̑̀̈́͑̄̅̉̚ľ̶̡̝̼̮̗̠̳̠͉̝̱͖̠̞̗̦̱̻̉͗͆̈́͛̄̊̃͌́̿͐̎͘͘ ̸̡̛̟͎̝̩̬̩̲̣̫̟̤̤̲̟͚̝̤͑͑͆̂̈́̾͌̑̈́̽͑̈̈́̉͆̀͜͝ς̵͈̪̫̪͈̖͚͔̖̳̰͓̮̜̟͔̪͍̥͛̓͐͋̅̔̏̌́̓̔̓̀̇̂͘͠͠0̸̡̢̢̲̳̲͎̻̠̬̜͙̤̩͕͙͖̻̏̽̀͛͆̈̈́͆̊̑͂̈́͐̈́̈́̌͊́͝

Aged:  42

Childbirth: 6

Stilborne: 7

Falling: 3

Pellagra: 2

Scurvy: 3

Missing: 353

Მ̶̦̹̺̖͍́̌̍͐̌٢̸̖̜͎͕̩̽̓̇͌͝8̵̝̳̺͕̇̔̋͋͘ͅς̸͓̺̗̟̙̽́̒̈́̊ Census, Week of Ą̵̢̘̺͍͔͈͈̗͚̥̼̣͚̟͚̽͋͋́́̉̎̌̿́̏͒̃̿̚͘͠q̵̡̧̧̛̛̛͇̱̞̺̝̤̖̜̣͇̯͔̫̣̋͑͛̒̏̓̀̃͗͆̈͆͊͝͝ͅɿ̴̢̨̙̹̠̣͕̺̞̤̤̗̦̗͔̪̝̹͈̌͂̎̓̂̒̄͒̐͊́̂̈́̔̊̎̓͝ì̴̡̢̨̩̼̟̻͇͉̺̣͔̰̗̰̰͍̺̃͆̈́͛͑́̓̀́̿̑̀̈́͑̄̅̉̚ľ̶̡̝̼̮̗̠̳̠͉̝̱͖̠̞̗̦̱̻̉͗͆̈́͛̄̊̃͌́̿͐̎͘͘ ̸̡̛̟͎̝̩̬̩̲̣̫̟̤̤̲̟͚̝̤͑͑͆̂̈́̾͌̑̈́̽͑̈̈́̉͆̀͜͝ς̵͈̪̫̪͈̖͚͔̖̳̰͓̮̜̟͔̪͍̥͛̓͐͋̅̔̏̌́̓̔̓̀̇̂͘͠͠0̸̡̢̢̲̳̲͎̻̠̬̜͙̤̩͕͙͖̻̏̽̀͛͆̈̈́͆̊̑͂̈́͐̈́̈́̌͊́͝

Aged:  53

Childbirth: 1

Stilborne: 6

Falling: 0

Sciatica: 1

Strangulation: 2

Missing: 532

Მ̶̦̹̺̖͍́̌̍͐̌٢̸̖̜͎͕̩̽̓̇͌͝8̵̝̳̺͕̇̔̋͋͘ͅς̸͓̺̗̟̙̽́̒̈́̊ Census, Week of Ą̵̢̘̺͍͔͈͈̗͚̥̼̣͚̟͚̽͋͋́́̉̎̌̿́̏͒̃̿̚͘͠q̵̡̧̧̛̛̛͇̱̞̺̝̤̖̜̣͇̯͔̫̣̋͑͛̒̏̓̀̃͗͆̈͆͊͝͝ͅɿ̴̢̨̙̹̠̣͕̺̞̤̤̗̦̗͔̪̝̹͈̌͂̎̓̂̒̄͒̐͊́̂̈́̔̊̎̓͝ì̴̡̢̨̩̼̟̻͇͉̺̣͔̰̗̰̰͍̺̃͆̈́͛͑́̓̀́̿̑̀̈́͑̄̅̉̚ľ̶̡̝̼̮̗̠̳̠͉̝̱͖̠̞̗̦̱̻̉͗͆̈́͛̄̊̃͌́̿͐̎͘͘ ̸̡̛̟͎̝̩̬̩̲̣̫̟̤̤̲̟͚̝̤͑͑͆̂̈́̾͌̑̈́̽͑̈̈́̉͆̀͜͝ς̵͈̪̫̪͈̖͚͔̖̳̰͓̮̜̟͔̪͍̥͛̓͐͋̅̔̏̌́̓̔̓̀̇̂͘͠͠0̸̡̢̢̲̳̲͎̻̠̬̜͙̤̩͕͙͖̻̏̽̀͛͆̈̈́͆̊̑͂̈́͐̈́̈́̌͊́͝

Aged:  13

Childbirth: 3

Stilborne: 3

Falling: 8

Teeth: 3

Ulcer: 6

Missing: 2468

Მ̶̦̹̺̖͍́̌̍͐̌٢̸̖̜͎͕̩̽̓̇͌͝8̵̝̳̺͕̇̔̋͋͘ͅς̸͓̺̗̟̙̽́̒̈́̊ Census, Week of Ą̵̢̘̺͍͔͈͈̗͚̥̼̣͚̟͚̽͋͋́́̉̎̌̿́̏͒̃̿̚͘͠q̵̡̧̧̛̛̛͇̱̞̺̝̤̖̜̣͇̯͔̫̣̋͑͛̒̏̓̀̃͗͆̈͆͊͝͝ͅɿ̴̢̨̙̹̠̣͕̺̞̤̤̗̦̗͔̪̝̹͈̌͂̎̓̂̒̄͒̐͊́̂̈́̔̊̎̓͝ì̴̡̢̨̩̼̟̻͇͉̺̣͔̰̗̰̰͍̺̃͆̈́͛͑́̓̀́̿̑̀̈́͑̄̅̉̚ľ̶̡̝̼̮̗̠̳̠͉̝̱͖̠̞̗̦̱̻̉͗͆̈́͛̄̊̃͌́̿͐̎͘͘ ̸̡̛̟͎̝̩̬̩̲̣̫̟̤̤̲̟͚̝̤͑͑͆̂̈́̾͌̑̈́̽͑̈̈́̉͆̀͜͝ς̵͈̪̫̪͈̖͚͔̖̳̰͓̮̜̟͔̪͍̥͛̓͐͋̅̔̏̌́̓̔̓̀̇̂͘͠͠0̸̡̢̢̲̳̲͎̻̠̬̜͙̤̩͕͙͖̻̏̽̀͛͆̈̈́͆̊̑͂̈́͐̈́̈́̌͊́͝

Aged:  50

Childbirth: 11

Stilborne: 3

Falling: 2

Rickets: 5

TB: 7

Missing: 15



Phase 4: When there was Peace


8 of Spades: Gratefulness, did the prosperity reach everyone? 

Library notes: 

After the week of ------ signif. less people missing 

One report of wheel being closed for ‘repairs’ then nothing. Cave remained closed after then. Cave opened up one week later. 

Look into closures of wheel

Ace of Hearts: Determination, what industry did the town build around? 

Six travel brochures: 

A Night on the River

Times of Crossing

Who Faires Best? A price comparison guide

The Official Invale Ferry Guide

The Invale Ferries

Not just for travel! 

3 of Spades: gratefulness, where did the town see overblown successes? 

Library notes: 

Increase in boatworkers/dockworkers/ river activity. 

Seems like the town also bought out all the other ferry companies along the banks. 

Lots of acquisitions to make things only happen in the city. 

City law in მ̴̲̩͚̤̬͍̱̣̯̫̳͒̃̿͂͑̓̀̽̑̚̚8̵̢̢̢͓̬̱̩̰̺͉̲́͋͊̏̊̈́͌̂̌̓͆μ̷̧̨̣̲̰̻̣͈͕̖̣̇̓̌͂͐͊͑̋̍͘͠ς̸̨̢̙̣͉̗͚͈̪̲̀͑͗̂̿̆͊̄̽͠͝     made it illegal to ferry people without a license and the license could only be granted who people who lived within the city limits. 

Notes on crime going up as people illegally ferry people. 

King of Diamonds: confidence, Who in the town became a hero? 

Newspaper article:

Local Mayor Solves Missing Persons Mystery!

“It was never a mystery of missing persons to begin with,” the beloved mayor was quoted. “From a legal standpoint, if we never found a body, they would be declared missing, even though we were certain that they drowned in the river.

“To combat drownings, we have issued new river permits. We won’t let any Jane, Tom, or Macy, just take people out on to the dangerous waters! Our priority is, and always has been safety!”

The mayor refused to elaborate on how much the permits would cost or who would be able to apply to receive one. 



Phase 5: The Simmering Return


Jack of Clubs: Security, What physical manifestations occur? 

Transcript of a Radio News Report: 

*Chimes* 

Reporter: Local authorities are issuing a warning regarding river safety today. Several small whirlpools have begun to form in the center of the river. 

There are no indications of when these whirlpools will arrive and all seem to vanish without a trace. Parents are advised to not let children play in the rivers today, even if the waters seem calm. 

4 of Spades: Defense, is there a pattern to the signs of the return? 

Library Notes: 

Week 1: 

Missing: 345

Week 2: 

Missing: 462

Week 3: 

Missing: 348

Week 4: 

Missing: 451

5 of Spades: Defense, What is the final seal? 

Continuation with Interview with Priestess X

Me: So what are you doing with them?

X: I’m not in charge of it. 

Me: But do you know who is? 

X: Yes, but I cannot say. It is someone above me. Someone I trust, um, who I know that they know what they are doing. 

Me: What are they doing? 

X: Moving them out of the city. 

Me: To where? 

X: Further East, where they came from. 

Me: Where they came from? Do you know where they came from!?

X: Ƨ̵̨̨̖̜͉̠͍̗̪̠̩͊͒̉̈́͊̄̏̆̑͐̏p̷̛̫̮̻͇̫̖̖̬͉̥͓̃͊͊̐͐́́̚͝͝υ̴͙̣̺̰͓̲̗̝͇͓̗̉̈́̽̾̀͐̓̋̾̕͝ǝ̴̧̪͕͕̲̰̟̰͇̖̪́̿̎͊͛͌͋̉͑͝'̵̧̡̲̣̻̖͕͈̲̯̝̑̆̓̏̆̀̌̊̀̓͑ʜ̶̼͔̗̟̼̰͔̘̲́͑͌̔͒͗͆͑̆̓͘͜ǝ̷̢̻̼̝̻̼̘̜̹̠̱͗̏̔͊͗̈̑͂̓͐͘v̸̫̺̼̦͇͎̗̙̘̹͓̆̏͗͐̆̌̇̃̀͐

Me: Before the fall?

X: No. 

Me: So after? 

X: It’s said they appeared the day everything happened. When everyone realized the destruction they were littered among the city. And now they are coming here. 

Me: Why? 

X: I don’t know. I don’t know they are evil and they have to leave. They have to leave…. *sob*

9 of Hearts: Regret, when the curse began its return, who was there to meet it? 

Scrawled, bloodstained notes, found inside the victim’s mouth

I saw someone. It was a woman all in black armor. She had a terrible bow on her back and an equally terrible knife. 

She had one of those ingots… I saw her drop it into the water. Then she saw me. She’s coming for me. 



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