Looking Glass Incident #2, Report 2
The initial exploration of the Folklore Forest has shown that reality in this place seems to reform based on the thought of those observing. For this reason, according to Royal Decree 9, this, as well as any other report in name of His Majesty the King, will include any reasonable opinion, interpretation and hunch regarding the explored area.
Soon after the previous report, we approach the Shrine. Outside the Shrine are two mice groups: the Vengeful Villains and the Troublemakers. 
The Vengeful Villains are all former criminals on the run from prosecution. They are swarmed around the outer walls of the Shrine, monologuing as if their lives depend on it. After all, the only thing guarding them from certain death is the myth of the Saint, protecting those around the Shrine so long as their speech drones on.
To assist themselves with this endeavour, these shady figures have some tools at their disposal. Firstly, there are Fake Flashcards. These contain exotic words that help them stay original. Some of these words, like ‘grass’, may be foreign to you, but what makes a word real anyway? The second are Literary Devices. These are magical little boxes that you can fill up with Fake Flashcards, which, when filled, will then transform into a Protected Phrase - guaranteed to be original and they will surely grab the attention of the mice inside the sanctum.
The second group, the Troublemakers, are quite different. They live for two things: music and festivals. Some of them are experienced in making music or assisting in the organisation of such events, but most of them are just plain loud. This clearly upsets the Vengeful Villains, who aim to do nothing but stay focused on their own monologues to stay safe. Once the Villians hear the Troublemakers, the chanting horde will come rushing out to destroy any Broken Records or Smash Hits being played by the rowdy bunch.
| One of these Troublemakers is our dear ally, Rodentriguez, the Sneaky Stagebuilder who has helped me with the setup of numerous major events in the past. In exchange for some juicy SUPER | Brie+, we manage to convince him to gather some information for us while he sneaks inside the Soliloquy Shrine. The next morning, we find 3 books near the entrance of our tents: |
The first one is ‘How to Run Not a Mousecult’, which was previously hidden in the Abbreviating Archbishop’s room. This book details how go steer a shady organisation without your definitely-not-cultists figuring out what’s going on. While we don’t have any actual information on the inside workings of the Shrine, we can make some educated guesses using this book. Some of the marked sections described the following: -Create and spread impossible myths promising salvation for the lost to attract the hopeless with nowhere left to run. -To ensure loyalty, create an artifical, symbolic, and difficult requirement to join the group. -To guarantee an easily controllable hierarchy, make sure the internal power structure values the opposite of what is required to join the group. -Do not let any other group member read this book. This seems to imply that while verbosity is needed to enter the Shrine, silence and listening would be more valued inside. It also could mean that the Soliloquy Saint doesn’t actually exist, but considering we are deep within the Folklore Forest, caution on this end is still warranted.
The second book is titled ‘The Hangers of the Cliff’. It is an encyclopedia that details about mice living on a mythical cliff, located deeper within the Folklore Forest. It includes some critters that vaguely resemble other draconic mice around Gnawnia, as well as a number of rodents that haven’t been discovered yet, like the Ginger Gatherer and a very traumatized Kite Flewer. Considering Rodentriguez’ skill in gathering useful information, we are somewhat confused as to why he returned with this book, but we assume time will tell. Maybe the other path revealed by the Mythweaver can tell us more about this.
The third book seems to be a sequel to ‘The Hangers of the Cliff’, named ‘The Woven’. Oddly enough, this book is primarily filled with myths from before human records. One example is the story of a mouse’s battle with the Queen of the North, a dragon that nourished agriculture in the unexplored lands north of the Toxic Spill. While the story ends vague suggestions of a potential fall in its near future, the illustrations hint that this mouse may very well be the threat we now know as Icewing. The latter half of the book is ripped apart and covered with blood, which terrifies our mouse experts. They have definitely seen worse, making their fear unusual. The final legible page is an introduction to the final chapter, named ‘The Unwritten’.
Details about the latter two books will be translated and analysed between this and the next report, in which we hope to be able to provide a more technical explanation on the workings of the Shrine. A story from these should be delivered approximately once a week for the forseeable future, unless more pressing events demand reporting. 