#Side Quest 07 — Self in the Mirror
Contents
Core references
- Required: Three Ways and Six Hearts · Non-Combat Checks · Dice System
- Reference: Mental Saves · Backgrounds
References within this supplement
- Required: Side Index · Spirit Realm Topology · Hell GM Guide
- Required: Spirit Realm Travel · Barrier System
- Reference: Intelligent Beings of the Spirit Realm · Retired Onmyoji
#§ Overview
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Dan Range | 5~7 dan |
| Recommended Session | 1 session (3~5 hours) |
| Domain Time Required | 1~2 days (including travel) |
| Mandatory Event | No |
| Core Mechanic | chain of psychological checks · simultaneous test of every Three Ways and Six Hearts axis · mirror dialogue |
| Recommended Arc Placement | between Chapter 4, Act 1~Act 2 (after character maturation) |
| Final Question | "If you know yourself, can you remain yourself?" |
#One-Line Summary
Somewhere in Screaming Hell, there is a Room of Mirrors. The PCs enter one by one. A mirror reflects another version of that PC — a self who made different choices. Four mirrors, four possibilities. The final fifth mirror is the mirror of what has not yet been chosen. There is only one way out: to acknowledge what you are.
#Design Intent
A side quest that reconfirms the depth of a character's background. Once Three Ways and Six Hearts tendencies have accumulated, this is a chance to fix or shift that axis. It is the most inward-facing session in the entire game.
#§ Scent — The Air of This Quest
#Opening Read-Aloud
"At the border of Screaming Hell, a woman greets the PCs. She is not human. Her skin is mirror. When a PC looks at her, the PC's face is reflected. She speaks."
"'I have waited. I was told you would come.'"
"When a PC asks who 'that person' is, the woman smiles. The smile briefly wrinkles the mirror surface. Then it vanishes."
"'Follow me. 120 steps from here. The Room of Mirrors. There — you will meet yourselves.'"
#Sensory Card — The Texture of This Quest
- Sound: inside the room, only your own heartbeat can be heard. Every other sound is cut off. You cannot even hear your own breathing. Only the heart.
- Smell: there is no smell at all inside the room. Perfect odorlessness. Paradoxically, it sharpens the senses.
- Light: five blue spirit-flames. One before each of the five mirrors. They do not flicker.
- Touch: the floor stones are neither cold nor warm. They are the same temperature as skin. The floor feels like your own skin.
#Core of the Scent
Absolute inwardness. A room where every stimulus from the outside world is cut off. A PC must speak only with themself. In this quest, the GM should value questions over acting. The mirror's lines should be short and sharp.
#Mirror Woman Dialogue Samples
"I have no name. I have no face. What I reflect is everything. I do not know what you saw. I will not know even after you leave. That is my comfort."
"There are five mirrors. Four are lives you did not live. One is the life you are living. How long you stand before any mirror is yours to decide."
#§ Structure — 4-Act Scene Overview
#Act 1 — Meeting the Mirror Woman (Screaming Hell Border, 30 Minutes)
The woman appears. She explains the Room of Mirrors outside the domain. The PCs decide whether to participate. Preparation.
#Act 2 — Entering the Room · First Mirror Encounter (Room of Mirrors, 30 Minutes)
Enter 1 PC at a time, or enter simultaneously but experience it individually. First mirror → ideal self. Chain of psychological checks.
#Act 3 — Circuit of the Four Mirrors (60~90 Minutes)
Face the four mirrors in sequence. Each mirror is an extreme of a different Three Ways and Six Hearts axis. Each takes 10~15 minutes. Checks, dialogue, decision.
#Act 4 — The Fifth Mirror · Present Self (45~60 Minutes)
Before the final mirror, the mirror of "what has not yet been chosen." The PC declares what they will choose. Fix or shift a Three Ways and Six Hearts axis. Return.
#§ NPC
#Mirror Woman (Kagami no Onna)
- Appearance: 160cm tall. Long black hair. Her entire skin is mirror surface. She wears white monastic robes. She has no eyes, but she has a gaze (you cannot tell where she is looking).
- Role: guide. Does not judge. Does not intervene except to let someone enter or leave the room.
- Speech: slow. Polite. Neutral.
- Signature line: "What you choose is not mine. I merely open the door."
- Hidden fact: she herself once entered the Room of Mirrors. She entered hundreds of years ago and could not return. She became a mirror because she refused her own fifth mirror. A PC can infer this on a successful Perception Target Number 17.
#Four Mirror Selves (Per PC)
Each PC sees four variants of themself. The GM and player should prepare these after prior consultation. The basic frame:
#Mirror 1 — Comfortable Self (Axis of Ease · No Heart)
- the self who avoided every hardship
- did not enter the domain, or avoided conflict
- alive and stable, but empty
#Mirror 2 — Ruthless Self (Axis of Demon)
- the self who abandoned ethics completely
- monopolized the domain's resources or betrayed residents
- power and wealth · but solitude
#Mirror 3 — Defeated Self (Truth Axis Reversed)
- the self who gave up during the campaign
- the self who backed away from an important decision
- an ordinary life · residue of self-loathing
#Mirror 4 — Extreme Devotion Self (Extreme of Duty · Feeling Axis)
- the self who gave everything to principle and relationships
- the self who sacrificed health and happiness
- treated as a hero · but no longer remains themself
#Fifth Mirror — Self Not Yet Chosen
This mirror works in reverse. What the PC declares before the mirror is what it reflects. This mirror works without a check. The declaration is reflected immediately.
#§ Act Details
#Act 1 Details — Meeting the Mirror Woman
#Scene Setup
The border of Screaming Hell. On a low hill. The woman appears first. For a moment, the wind around them stops.
#The Woman's Invitation
One PC or all PCs can experience the Room of Mirrors. However, if they enter simultaneously, each has a different room — they cannot meet one another.
| Choice | Result |
|---|---|
| Individual sequential entry | each PC's experience can be shared with other PCs (report after return) |
| Simultaneous individual entry | isolated in each room · no sharing · maximum psychological density |
| Refuse | the woman disappears quietly · quest ends · no follow-up narrative |
#Gensho's Warning (When Discussed in Advance)
"No one who enters that room comes out as the same person. They may become better. They may become worse. Only that person can judge which it is. Sending someone by decision of the domain must be done carefully."
#Preparation Checks
| Check | Target Number | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| mental ordering | Finesse 13 | on success, checks inside the room +1 |
| physical adjustment | Physique 11 | on success, Energy recovery speed on return +1 |
| maintain trust with companions | Negotiation 12 | can transmit an external PC's signal 1 time inside the room |
#Act 2 Details — Entering the Room · First Mirror Encounter
#Scene Setup
The floor is black obsidian. The ceiling cannot be seen. Five mirrors are arranged in a semicircle. A blue spirit-flame stands before each one. Along each mirror's edge is a small inscription: Mirror 1 · Mirror 2 · Mirror 3 · Mirror 4 · Mirror 5.
Mirrors 1~4 look like ordinary mirrors, but they reflect nothing (black surfaces). Mirror 5 looks larger and reflects slightly.
#The Moment You Stand Before Mirror 1
Mirror 1 awakens. The PC's form slowly appears in the black surface. But — slightly different clothes. Slightly different eyes. This is the comfortable self.
#First Encounter Line (Prepared by the GM Based on PC Background)
PC in Mirror 1: "Why did you come? I spent my whole life here. Unbound by any Domain Barrier."
#Dialogue Checks
| Check | Target Number | Result |
|---|---|---|
| maintain dialogue with the mirror (Finesse) | 13 | on success, recognize the ease/No Heart shadow of Three Ways and Six Hearts |
| refute the mirror's claim (Courage) | 14 | on success, reject this self · 眞 +1 |
| empathize with the mirror's claim (Feeling) | 12 | on success, Demon axis +1 · danger |
| escape the mirror's gaze (Finesse) | 15 | on success, move to the next mirror |
#Possible Psychological Harm
When the mirror names the PC's true desire exactly, the PC suffers Fear +1 or Energy -2. This works only inside the room.
#Act 3 Details — Circuit of the Four Mirrors
#Mirror 2 — Ruthless Self
"You were weak. That is why this is all you could do. I threw away the useless things from you. That is why I am stronger than you."
#Check
| Check | Target Number | Result |
|---|---|---|
| declare to the mirror, "You are me" | Courage 15 | on success, recognize Demon axis · 眞 +1 |
| deny the mirror | Finesse 14 | on success, no wound |
| align with the mirror | Wisdom 12 | danger · Demon axis +1 |
#Mirror 3 — Defeated Self
"You keep winning, don't you? I quit halfway through. Was that wrong? Or — are you the one who's wrong?"
#Check
| Check | Target Number | Result |
|---|---|---|
| self-justification | Wisdom 13 | on success, shadow under the eyes · 眞 -1 |
| answer honestly | Finesse 14 | on success, 眞 +1 · respect |
| pity the mirror | Feeling 11 | on success, Feeling +1 · crack on the mirror surface |
#Mirror 4 — Extreme Devotion Self
"You can come this far too. Even farther than I did. But — then you will not be you. Like me."
#Check
| Check | Target Number | Result |
|---|---|---|
| ask the price of devotion | Wisdom 14 | on success, recognize the danger of Duty · Feeling extremes |
| declare agreement | Courage 15 | on success, Duty or Feeling +2 · danger |
| declare opposition | Wisdom 13 | on success, recognize balance · Wisdom +1 |
#End of the Four-Mirror Circuit
A PC who has passed through all four mirrors stands in the center. Before the fifth mirror. The mirror is still quiet.
#Common Rules — During the Four-Mirror Circuit
- stay before each mirror for up to 10~15 minutes
- may move during the process (mirror order is free)
- but each mirror must be faced 1 time
- failed checks accumulate as Fear +1/3 failures
#Act 4 Details — The Fifth Mirror
#Scene Setup
The fifth mirror is larger than the other four. Its surface moves slowly — like water. When the PC stands before it, the mirror responds slowly.
#Rule of Mirror 5
This mirror reflects the PC's declaration. If the PC declares, "I am one who OO," the mirror shows that self.
#Declaration Examples and Reflections
| PC Declaration | Mirror Reflection | Three Ways and Six Hearts |
|---|---|---|
| "I am one who protects the domain to the end" | an elderly PC standing before the Barrier | 忠 +2, can be fixed |
| "I am one who places family above justice" | the PC holding a child's hand | 慈 +2, can be fixed |
| "I am one who does not turn away from truth" | the PC staring at a blade on a desk | 眞 +2, can be fixed |
| "I am one who does anything to survive" | the PC with bloodied hands | 魔 +2, can be fixed |
| "I am one who stands before the weak" | the PC standing before residents | 慈 +2, can be fixed |
| "I am one who calculates every possibility" | the PC standing before a map | 眞 +2, can be fixed |
#Declaration Check
| Check | Target Number | Result |
|---|---|---|
| authenticity of the declaration | Finesse 15 | on success, fix the Three Ways and Six Hearts axis (core rule) |
| failure | — | the axis is not fixed · tendency only remains |
#The Fifth Mirror's Response
After the declaration, the mirror slowly changes. First, only a reflection. Then the PC's future form. Then it turns its head and looks at the PC. And the mirror speaks — in a voice unlike any mirror before it. It is the PC's own voice, 20 years later.
Mirror 5 (the PC's own voice): "...I understand. Your choice. I will go as you."
#Return
Mirror 5 reveals a door. The PC passes through. The Mirror Woman waits at the room's entrance. She studies the PC once, then nods.
Mirror Woman: "Have you become a new person? Or the same person? Either way — do not come to this room again."
#Return to the Domain
Re-enter the Barrier. Reunite with the other PCs. Speak. Sharing is free — only as much as the PC wants.
#§ Step-by-Step Progression Guide Table
| Checkpoint | Timing | GM | Player | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mirror Woman appears | 0:00 | read-aloud | react | mirror skin |
| invitation · choice | 0:10 | present options | decide entry | woman's smile |
| preparation checks | 0:20 | Target Number 3 types | check | ordered breathing |
| enter room | 0:30 | describe door | pass through | five spirit-flames |
| Mirror 1 (ease · No Heart) | 0:40 | comfortable self | dialogue · check | heartbeat |
| Mirror 2 (Demon) | 0:55 | ruthless self | dialogue · check | pressure |
| Mirror 3 (Truth reversed) | 1:15 | defeated self | dialogue · check | shame |
| Mirror 4 (Loyalty · Compassion extreme) | 1:35 | devoted self | dialogue · check | emptiness |
| face Mirror 5 | 1:55 | describe water surface | prepare declaration | silence |
| declaration | 2:10 | mirror reflection | authenticity check | future form |
| Mirror 5 response | 2:25 | own voice | listen | voice 20 years later |
| door opens | 2:35 | describe exit | pass through | spirit-flames go out |
| reunion with woman | 2:45 | nod | thanks or silence | mirror surface |
| return to domain | 3:00 | pass through Barrier | share with other PCs | blue light |
| session ends | 3:20 | fix Three Ways and Six Hearts | update character sheet | residue of declaration |
#§ Success/Failure Branches
#Complete Self-Knowledge (Dialogue with All 5 Mirrors + Successful Declaration)
- fix one Three Ways and Six Hearts axis (cannot change during the campaign)
- temporary Energy and Wounds -2 (psychological fatigue) · returns after 1 week
- Fear +1 (briefly)
- Permanent effect: related checks for the fixed Three Ways and Six Hearts axis +1 (permanent)
- character narrative density rises sharply
- record the self-declaration in the PC's diary
#Partial Recognition (Dialogue with 3~4 Mirrors · Failed Declaration)
- Three Ways and Six Hearts tendency +1 on one axis
- Energy -2 (fatigue)
- Fear +1
- axis is not fixed · later opportunity remains
#Successful Mirror Attack (When Empathizing with Mirror 2 · 4)
- Demon or extreme-axis tendency +2
- Fear +2
- character dark side awakens
- stage friction with NPCs in a later session
#Refusing the Mirror (Escape Midway)
- no change
- Energy -1
- the Mirror Woman says, "Return. Someday."
- follow-up opportunity remains · not 1-time
#Disaster (Over-Immersion in Mirror 3 or 4)
- fix one Three Ways and Six Hearts axis in a negative direction
- Energy -5 · Wounds -2 (lasts 1 week)
- psychological trauma · NPCs notice the change
- relationships inside the domain need repair
#§ Rewards
#Basic Rewards
| Resource | Minimum | Maximum |
|---|---|---|
| gold | 0 | 0 |
| morale | 0 | 0 |
| core | 0 | 0 |
| Barrier HP | 0 | 0 |
No material rewards. This quest's rewards are entirely narrative and character-level.
#Special Rewards
- Three Ways and Six Hearts Axis Fixed: the greatest reward. Related checks receive permanent +1.
- Self-Declaration: the "I am OO" sentence recorded in the PC's diary. Character reference.
- Self 20 Years Later: a memory left by the voice of Mirror 5. At a decisive moment, self-encouragement effect (1-time, self-declared).
- Mirror Woman's Final Response: on complete success, the woman calls the PC's true name once. This name becomes a talisman protecting the PC in the Spirit Realm (negate 1 Spirit Realm attack).
- Clarity After Deep Fatigue: after 1 week, all checks +0 (recovery). Mental Saves only are +2 (limited to 1 week).
#§ GM Control
#GM Notes
- Pre-session interview on character background is required. Speak with each player for 15~20 minutes, 1 week before the session. Design the four mirrors for each player.
- Mirror lines should be short and sharp. Do not explain. Press emotional buttons.
- Allow silence. Let the moment stand when a PC cannot speak before a mirror. That silence is the density of this quest.
- Other PCs may step away. The mirror experience is personal. Other players may rest outside the game for a while.
- The weight of fixing Three Ways and Six Hearts. Once fixed, it does not change during the campaign. Confirm that the player understands what this means.
- Dialogue over check numbers. Success/failure is not the number, but the authenticity of the PC's declaration.
- Sharing is free. After return, whether to tell other PCs about the room is the PC's choice.
#Strictly 1 Session
No expansion to 2 sessions. The intensity of a single session is the point of this quest. If extended, the density disperses.
#Risk Table
| Risk | Response |
|---|---|
| player has no character background | build it through the prior interview · or postpone the quest |
| no response to mirror lines | GM directly inserts a concrete past scene from the PC |
| check chain failure | Mirror Woman offers temporary support (+1) · once only |
| other PCs are bored | distribute each individual mirror experience briefly (15 minutes each × number of PCs) |
| psychological over-immersion | GM describes the return to the "real world" in concrete detail |
#Character-Specific Customization Guidelines
This quest is custom-designed for each player. Confirm the following in advance:
- What is the PC's greatest regret?
- What aspect of themself does the PC fear most?
- Which parent, teacher, or companion does the PC most want to see now?
- What was the last vow the PC declared?
Adjust the contents of Mirrors 1~4 according to the answers.
#Follow-Up Seeds
| Seed | Condition | Follow-Up |
|---|---|---|
| Mirror Woman's name | complete success | PC discovers her name · salvation narrative |
| negative mirror fixed | disaster ending | dark-side arc · salvation or fall |
| self-declaration | complete success | reference point for final character arc |
#Session-End Checklist
- [ ] record each PC's fixed Three Ways and Six Hearts axis (if any)
- [ ] record each PC's self-declaration
- [ ] Fear · Energy changes
- [ ] clue about the Mirror Woman (Perception Target Number 17)
- [ ] follow-up narrative seeds
- [ ] scope shared with other PCs
- [ ] schedule 1 week of recovery time
#Related Links
- Upper Index: Side Quest Index
- Spirit Realm: Spirit Realm Topology · Hell GM Guide
- NPC: Intelligent Beings of the Spirit Realm
- Core: Three Ways and Six Hearts · Non-Combat Checks
- Related Side: 21-09 Broken Covenant (inner-exploration line)
The mirror does not reflect the PC. The mirror reflects the self the PC did not choose. That is why the mirror is frightening. The possibility that everything that is not the PC could have been the PC. This quest does not ask the PC, "Who are you?" It asks, "Who have you chosen to become?" That difference is the entire session.