Kult - The puzzle boxes

Wow this is an oddity. Something I wrote for Kult but never put up on any of my sites or blogs that I can remember. Basically this was a write up for putting the puzzle boxes from Hellraiser, or something very similar, into the game. According to the date last saved stamp I finished writing this in 2005. I even found an old logo for Kult that I used on my old website 'Parchment of Flesh' as well and put it up above.

The Puzzle Box

Appearance:

The box itself is about six inches square and weighs about five pounds. Layered on the outside in a very ornate design are silver runes, symbols and various moving pieces. Underneath the silver there is a base material of red that is so dark it is almost black, this can be seen through various spaces in the details.

All of the design work can be moved around in a fashion somewhat resembling a slide puzzle. Moving one piece allows one or two more to be moved in its place, while some others make be pressed in causing various other reactions. But it always stays in the same shape of a square box.

Sounds:

Each move makes an audible click. Every now and then a small whir can be heard from the inside, usually once a part is depressed. A small whistle, breathing noises and a heartbeat are heard as well. Also it may emit a quite old-fashioned music box melody that lasts only for a few seconds.

What it does:

Through the arrangement of the design work and the sounds that come from within, this box teaches you subconsciously. It slowly puts all that is needed to use the Lore of Death into your head. Also, while you are in possession of the box, your character acts as thought they have the Magical Intuition advantage.

But in the end there is a price to pay. Once the box teaches you everything it can and you still continue to try and solve more sections of the puzzle it will reveal a final prize. The user is pulled into Inferno and placed into their personal Purgatory, the box will be left in our reality for someone else to find.

Game Stats:

There are twelve steps in the box before you are gated to Inferno. Each time you solve one you add a point to your Lore Rating in the Lore of Death. Solving each step takes time; roughly you must spend a number of hours straight in working on the box equal to the step you are trying to solve. Once you have worked that time an EGO check is made, if successful add a point.

Notes:

There are more than one of these puzzle boxes in existence. Many cults know of them and are actively searching. From time to time they turn up mysteriously in small antiquity shops, museum warehouses or the occasional crime scene. How they got there is never determined, as they seem to ‘find’ their owners.