Vanessa DeVore's mask
Overview
From the Story Arc "Upon the Psychic Plane" given by Harvey Maylor.
This Souvenir is restricted to the level range of 45-50.
Souvenir's Text
Vanessa DeVore's mask
It all started when Harvey Maylor came to you for help. One of his reporters, Ellie Weissman, had been kidnapped by the Carnival. You went to her office and found the Carnival trying to dispose of her notes. You were only able to save one thing: an appointment calendar that listed a meeting with Percy Winkley of the Midnight Squad.
After obtaining the location of his secret library from Maria Jenkins, you paid Mr. Winkley a visit. You arrived just in time to rescue him from some Carnival goons. He told you that he had spoken to Ellie about some bracelets called the Bands of Shu. He also gave you a mental monocle that would allow you to pluck Ellie's current whereabouts from the minds of the carnies.
You took to the streets and returned with knowledge of Ellie's location.
She was being held in an old warehouse. You ventured there, and managed to free her from the Carnival. She told you about her investigation into the Bands' power. She seemed to believe they could help you fight the Carnival.
To recover the Bands, you had to go up against the Malta Group, who were keeping the bracelets locked away in one of their bases.
Then you had to empower them. You brought the Bands into contact with some Devouring Earth creatures to anchor them in this reality. Then you faced the Praetorians while wearing them, in order to give the Bands a taste of that which lies beyond this world. Lastly, you brought them to Sister Psyche to complete the ritual.
With the Bands empowered, you were ready to set foot on the psychic plane for the first time. You journeyed there and uncovered three of Vanessa's memories: some travel guides to Italy, a porcelain mask, and a pile of bones belonging to a woman named Giovanna Scaldi.
Giovanna Scaldi had to be important, but you didn't know how. You went back to the psychic plane, but this time you were unable to learn anything. Vanessa had found a way to protect her memories.
Harvey suggested you turn to Sister Psyche for help. You brought the mental monocle to her, and she was able to greatly amplify its power.
The next time you went to the psychic plane, you were able to use the monocle to summon forth a memory of Vanessa in her younger days. She told you about her first trip to Venice, where she found a lovely porcelain mask.
It was enough to pique your curiosity, and you went back to learn more. The next time you encountered a memory of Vanessa, she told you about the first and only time she put on the mask. When she put it on, the mind of Giovanna Scaldi flooded into hers. It seemed that Giovanna was an old Venetian criminal who had preserved her life by putting her soul into the mask. Terrified, Vanessa packed away the mask and vowed never to wear it again.
You and Harvey agreed: you had to know more. You went back to the psychic plane, where you encountered one last reflection of Vanessa. She told you that She had put on the mask in order to use its powers to battle the Rikti. She succeeded, but she was never again separate from Giovanna.
Harvey had a bold idea. If you could defeat Giovanna upon the psychic plane, Vanessa might be freed. You went again to Sister Psyche, who modified the monocle once more. Now you could use it to draw forth the soul of Giovanna. You did so, and defeated the mighty villain on the psychic plane.
You were hopeful that Vanessa and her minions had now been freed from Giovanna's psychic grip. You went to one of their hideouts, but learned that your hopes had been in vain. The Carnival was still going strong, with Vanessa holding the reigns. Apparently she had learned much from her time with Giovanna.
You had come to sympathize with Vanessa, but you knew she had to be stopped. You used the mental monocle to uncover her whereabouts, then went to her hideout and defeated her. Vanessa DeVore is currently serving time in the Zigursky Prison, under the watch of several talented telepaths. It is unknown whether her mental powers are strong enough to subvert their control.