Ask Luna #93

From: Matthew Shepherd

hey Luna could i please get some clarification on how the monkeys paw could be freed. when Alex asked Arachne she said it had no body but didn’t clarify if alex could let it die or pass away… in that same conversation she said that they can be destroyed and that someone with empathy could release them. whats the deal here?

And on that same line of thought would empathy actually work on the Monkeys paw, could it grant wishes with no bad side effects or is it to twisted?

Wasn’t there for the conversation, but I think you might have gotten things mixed up. From the sound of it, the empathy discussion was just a fancy way of saying that co-operating with jinn worked a lot better than trying to force them. It didn’t let you accomplish anything different, it just made them less inclined to screw you over.

Problem with trying something like that on the Monkey’s Paw is that that assumes that it has goals OTHER than trying to screw you over. I’m not at all sure that’s true.

From: Kurt Von Bosse

Hi Luna, I have a simple and straightforward question for you today. That whip focus that Arachne made for you; is it just a focus item or is it an imbued item? If it is imbued can you tell us what it was like when you were first introduced to it.

Focus. It’s nowhere near powerful enough to be imbued.

From: Kurt Von Bosse

Hi Luna,

I have what might be difficult questions for you today. Shireen (her spirit, shade?) told Alex that when two people go into Elsewhere together, it creates a kind of bond between them. Richard took all four of his apprentices into Elsewhere at the same time.

Apparently, when Rachel used the harvesting crystal on Shireen the connection between Rachel and Alex was intensified. I guess whatever connection Shireen had with Alex was combined Rachel’s. So now Rachel/Deleo can find Alex whenever she wants to and she can gate to wherever he is.

Do you know if the reverse is true? Can Alex find Rachel/Deleo whenever he wants to? (Even though he lacks the ability to gate to her and probably wouldn’t want to in any case.)

Second question: It follows that whatever connection Rachel developed with Richard Drakh by going into Elsewhere together would also have been intensified when Rachel used the harvesting crystal on Shireen. Whether she realizes it or not, this means Rachel/Deleo can find Richard any time she really wants to. She also must sense Richard’s presence; though perhaps unconsciously, whenever Richard is close by, or even if he is in disguise; much as she would look right where Alex was standing when he was wearing his mist cloak. Does this sound correct to you?

I don’t know if this could have significance later on, I just find the idea of this connection to be an interesting one.

It’s kind of an interesting question, yeah. Alex has never said he can find Deleo, but the times he’s gone looking for her, he never seems to have any trouble finding her. So maybe it works at some sort of unconscious level.

No idea whether Deleo can find Richard, though. I suppose it makes some kind of sense, but I’m not sure if Richard would have allowed it. He always struck me as the kind of person who’d want to keep tabs on his servants, but who wouldn’t be keen about letting them do the same to him.

From: Bentham

Good evening–this is just a minor curiosity, but it seems like since y’all met Anne all the narrative installments have been named after something that happened to her. Does Alex name these?

He does, yeah. Funny the way that works.

From: Elena

Hi Luna,

I really miss Starbreeze. Is she ever coming back?

Elena

Okay, seriously, this is like the fifth time I’ve been asked this one. How on earth do you guys expect me to know?