Reshy is not actually a puppeteer or leatherworker and was not abducted. Pressed to tell the truth, she admits to Joe that she is a robotics researcher looking into how the magical art of "soulcrafting," practiced in other dimensions, could be used to animate magically-augmented puppet bodies such as those that she and Joe are trapped in. She was brought to the pocket dimension, which appears to be a testing facility for refining magical soulcrafted puppets, by Don Donaldson, aka the "Puppetmaster." Donaldson is the CEO of a tech startup that had stabilized a portal into the pocket dimension. Reshy was hired to advise Donaldson's team on the potential of soulcrafted puppets, and to assist with a magical summoning ritual needed to activate the testing facility. The ritual summoned the amorphous creature, which Reshy identified as a Chaos Demon; the creature proceeded to kill the team members, or soulcraft them into a variety of puppet bodies.

Unlike other artificial bodies in the pocket-dimension testing facility, the doll body has a port for a data key which can unlock its ability to synchronize with the inhabitant. When the data key, which somewhat resembles a memory stick, is inserted into the doll body's hip, a dial appears on the doll body's upper right thigh, just below the hipbone. Turning this dial clockwise, given the correct conditions and active intent by the inhabitant, increases the synchronization between the doll body and the inhabitant's soul, moving from Sync Level 1 to Sync Level 2, then to 3, 4, etc.

Sync Level 2: Improved Motor Control and Attunement

"I've only been able to piece together information about Sync Level 2 based on the limited documentation and references surrounding what Donaldson and his pals are calling 'the doll,' meaning that fancy, female-configuration artificial body with the blue hair. Since I haven't been able to figure out how to activate it (which makes Donaldson increasingly pissed at me) all this is hypothetical."

"Sync Level 2 seems to require something called a 'data key,' probably a small cryptographic memory module used to unlock functions. I theorize that this data key might be used in the small port on the doll body's thigh."

"According to what I've found, Sync Level 2 puts the soul inhabiting the doll body in better control of the body. Motions should become more fluid and natural, with less of the disconnected feel. Probably a lot less clumsy. From what I can tell about the musculature and design of the doll body, the right soul (maybe with training? or existing ability from their own body) should be able to pull off some athletic or even acrobatic moves at Sync Level 2. Impressive... I wonder what the higher Sync Levels can do!"

Sync Level 3: Synthetic Skin and Regeneration without Pain

"This is very interesting indeed. The doll body is more advanced than I thought... apparently it has the ability to grow a layer of synthetic skin, around and over the basic puppet frame. Perhaps even replacing some of the frame to create a more 'realistic' looking body?"

"The doll body seems to designed at least in part for combat. I finally figured out some of the notation that has been eluding me. If a soul in the doll body is attuned to Sync Level 2—maybe it's Sync Level 2 or greater, I'm not sure—the synthetic skin generation kicks in. What's more, damage to the skin and frame should regenerate, although there seem to be some limits on this. Energy isn't infinite, after all."

"If my theories are correct, the sensory and motor harmonization of a soul with the doll body should increase at Sync Level 2, allowing superior control, fluidity, and speed. That seems very useful, especially since the synthetic skin specs indicate a lack of pain sensors. However, it also sounds like some negative side-effects might kick in at this point, similar to soulcrafting-rejection syndrome. A soul in this body will probably start to feel disoriented or disgusted, especially if the body doesn't resemble their own self-image. I mean, I wouldn't mind looking like that body much, but it would be weird, and probably much weirder or worse-feeling for Donaldson, or Iji, or one of the other guys!"

"I do not understand what the purpose of this unusual body is supposed to be! My theory about it being a combat model don't line up with the incomplete specs I've found for Sync Level 4. This configuration seems to be smaller, weaker, and lacks the regeneration and pain-dampening abilities of Sync Level 3."

"Instead, it looks like there are neural-lace behavior modifications that kick in. Potentially disturbing, but I can't confirm exactly what they do. Some of it seems related to... well, actual synchronization. Making the soul work better with the body, without the friction, disconnection and bodily dysphoria of the earlier levels. But there are other effects too. Maybe I'll figure it out if I can find the notes on the higher levels."

Below the notes, a crude scrawl in a different hand reads "A SISTER MUST LEARN TO SERVE."