Remember a few weeks ago, when we discussed monsters in darkness?

I implied that the only way of dealing with them was to turn on your Heartlight. Actually, that’s not your only option – though the other options will require you to expend resources.

The other two ways of dealing with darkness are to use Flares or Hands of Glory.

Flares

A good timely explosion of light will send that monster slinking away. Unfortunately, each use will expend one of your Flares – and there will always be other nightmares, following.

Hands of Glory

Every serious intercellular traveller should have a Hand of Glory, although they must use it wisely – it is much more expensive than the Flare. Understandably so, as the production costs are enormous. First, you will need to find a murderer, definitely dead, preferably hanged. Chop off his hand – the left, please – and boil it in wax. Each fingertip will need an oil-soaked wick. Set all five fingers aflame. If the ghostly green glow only makes you nauseous, this is a good sign that you’re still human.

Monsters will be frozen in place by the Hand, allowing you to travel through darkness much longer in safety. Eventually the fingers will burn to five useless stubs, of course, in which case you better hope you already set your Heartlight is charging up. Denied so long, the monsters are sure to rush in like a tide…

Lore snippet: Phobetor Quinn

A smidgen of lore, I think, will accompany each of these devlogs from now on. This allows me to show you Catherine’s eye-bogglingly excellent art!

Phobetor Quinn (named for a Trickster-tier backer) is a city of dreams and drugs. Dreams walk amongst the population, insubstantial giants and fairies who will vanish when their creator wakes; and the air is a heady brew of chemicals and violet smoke.

The smoke gathers in a swirling knot at the base of the mile-high and impossibly slender Porcelain Spire, in which a trapped god sleeps. You can find enlightenment here, if you have the cash.