Planescape: Torment
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PLANESCAPE: TORMENT Original text by Chris Avellone and Colin McComb Novelization by Rhyss Hess Original text by Chris Avellone and Colin McComb Novelization by Rhyss Hess This novel has been composed from text copied from the computer game Planescape: Torment by Black Isle Studios. It was turned into a novel by Rhyss Hess, and typeset by Lucian Wischik. (There is a separate novel called just “Torment”, based on the plot and characters of the computer game, and written by Ray and Valerie Vallesse). Rhyss writes: “Even after playing Planescape: Torment several times, I found I was still interested in going back and replaying some scenes, just to read through the excellent dialog again. What I really would have liked would have been a listing of the dialogs in the game, which brought about the project you are reading here.” “I decided not to literally pull the dialog trees from the game, since in a linear format like this it would have made for very awkward reading. Instead, I followed one path through the game, creating a written story from the source material. The quoted speech, along with much of the other material, is taken directly from the game and only lightly edited.” “It is possible to read the entire, continuous story. I have suppressed much of the combat in the game to concentrate on the story and the interaction with the characters, and some sections and characters have been entirely omitted. Even so, the entire document runs to over 150,000 words. It is also possible to skip to certain sections, re-reading selected portions of the story, hopefully allowing you a new chance to appreciate the writing, or perhaps discovering a dialog option you had not investigated before.” “If by chance you are reading this without first having played Planescape: Torment, and what you read is of any interest at all, get the game and play it; the actual game, including excellent voice-acting, music, art and game system, is a much richer experience.” “I would ask that if this document is distributed in any form that it be kept intact and unchanged, and that no fee be charged in association with such distribution. Thanks to the entire team at Black Isle which worked on Planescape: Torment, especially those responsible for the story and dialog.” The Mortuary..............................................1 Deionarra....................................................14 The Hive.....................................................20 Morte, Part I................................................29 Hive Market................................................31 Mazed.........................................................38 Smoldering Corpse......................................42 Dak’kon, Part I............................................52 Ragpickers’ Square.....................................56 Buried Village.............................................66 Unbroken Circle Of Zerthimon, Part I.........74 Weeping Stone Catacombs..........................80 Dead Nations...............................................86 The Fate Of Soego......................................92 The Silent King...........................................93 Drowned Nations........................................98 The Tomb....................................................100 Pharod.........................................................104 Xachariah, Part I.........................................110 Dak’kon, Part II..........................................114 Xachariah, Part II........................................119 Annah, Part I...............................................122 Chaos Dogs Barking...................................128 Alley Of Lingering Sighs............................134 Master Of The Bones..................................138 Unbroken Circle Of Zerthimon, Part II.......144 Lower Ward................................................150 Coaxmetal...................................................163 Clerks’ Ward...............................................167 Ignus...........................................................174 Fall-From-Grace, Part I...............................183 Brothel Of Slaking Intellectual Lusts..........188 Nenny Nine-Eyes........................................191 Marissa........................................................194 Kesai-Serris.................................................196 Kimasxi Addertongue.................................199 Dolora.........................................................203 Yves The Tale-Chaser.................................208 Art And Curio Galleria................................218 Curiosity Shop............................................223 Aelwyn........................................................231 Civic Festhall..............................................236 Festhall Lectures.........................................241 Public Sensoriums.......................................253 Tieing Loose Ends......................................260 Rubikon.......................................................264 Nordom, Part I............................................273 Quell...........................................................277 Sensory Stone Trap.....................................282 Deionarra Sensory Stone.............................285 Message From Ravel...................................291 Fall-From-Grace, Part II..............................294 Nordom, Part II...........................................304 Dodecahedron Journal.................................313 Advocate Iannis..........................................319 Preparations................................................326 Ravel Puzzlewell, Part I..............................332 Ravel Puzzlewell, Part II.............................345 Unbroken Circle Of Zerthimon, Part III......357 Curst............................................................361 Trias............................................................366 Vhailor........................................................371 Annah, Part II..............................................379 Fhjull...........................................................382 Pillar Of Skulls............................................388 Morte, Part II...............................................397 Carceri........................................................402 Trias The Betrayer......................................404 Sigil.............................................................408 Mortuary Portal...........................................411 Fortress Of Regrets.....................................416 Companions’ Fate.......................................419 Trial Of Impulse..........................................423 Maze Of Reflections...................................426 Escape.........................................................440 The Transcendent One................................443 The Mortuary 1 THE MORTUARY A Dream: Lying on a slab, in a mortuary. A pillar covered with names. Racks of skulls. A symbol. A woman. A ghost. I awoke, on a slab, in what was obviously a mortuary. As I levered myself up, I caught movement from the corner of my eye. A floating skull. No, I realized as it spoke: a floating, talking, skull. “Hey, chief. You okay? You playing corpse or you putting the blinds on the Dusties? I thought you were a deader for sure.” I was confused, and had trouble focusing on what the skull was saying. “Wh…? Who are you?” “Uh… who am I? How about you start? Who’re you?” “I… don’t know. I can’t remember.” I realized that I didn’t remember anything about myself. “You can’t remember your name? Heh. Well, NEXT time you spend a night in this berg, go easy on the bub. Name’s Morte. I'm trapped in here, too.” “Trapped?” “Yeah, since you haven’t had time to get your legs yet, here’s the chant: I've tried all the doors, and this room is locked tighter than a chastity belt.” I needed to orient myself, and find out from the skull where I was. “We’re locked in… where? What is this place?” “It’s called the ‘Mortuary'… it’s a big black structure with all the architectural charm of a pregnant spider.” Could I have died? Did that explain the lack of memories? “ ‘The Mortuary?’ What… am I dead?” “Not from where I'm standing. You got scars a-plenty, though… looks like some berk painted you with a knife. All the more reason to give this place the laugh before whoever carved you up comes back to finish the job.” “Scars? How bad are they?” “Well… the carvings on your chest aren’t TOO bad… but the ones on your back…” Morte paused. “Say, looks like you got a whole tattoo gallery on your back, chief. Spells out something…” 2 The Mortuary I looked down at myself, and realized the truth about the scarring. They covered every visible bit of skin. There was a tattoo on my arm as well, the same one from my dream. I wondered what was on my back, though. “Tattoos on my back? What do they say?” “Heh! Looks like you come with directions…” Morte cleared his throat. “Let’s see… it starts with… ‘I know you feel like you've been drinking a few kegs of Styx wash, but you need to CENTER yourself. Among your possessions is a JOURNAL that'll shed some light on the dark of the matter. PHAROD can fill you in on the rest of the chant, if he’s not in the dead-book already.’ ” “Pharod…? Does it say anything else?” “Yeah, there’s a bit more…” Morte paused. “Let’s see… it goes on…” ‘Don’t lose the journal or we'll be up the Styx again. And whatever you do, DO NOT tell anyone WHO you are or WHAT happens to you, or they'll put you on a quick pilgrimage to