WEEK 1

[strangerpeople]

WEEK 1

[The train wouldn't stop. Not until very early the next morning. The few who might have been awake would be able to exit the train, entering the cool twilight of the dawn. The star is dark, and few stars can be seen in the sky as a cold breeze begins to blow from the mountain beyond. You can see some chunks of rock floating idly nearby, far away from the station that it won't hit trains, but near enough that one can see they are larger than the train they just disembarked.

Lastly, laid out in front of them, the first port of call: Menahoven. The mountain: The Throat of the World.

But which world? Who knows. Not any of yours. Maybe it doesn't matter. Not when you are so far from home. Not when you have no way to get off this rock without the aid of the trains-and they will not let you pass.

It looks like you're stuck here until the Conductor decides to leave. In the meantime, everyone will need to get comfortable.


There are fifteen strangers left in this place.]

Comments

DEEP CUTS

[strangerpeople]

[There are two, this week.

-The key is a gift to the top.

-Passage to the Egyptian Land of the Dead can only be found through a knife's edge.

Good luck.]

DEEP CUT 1: The Gate

[strangerpeople]

[There is a locked gate that prevents passage to the top of the mountain.

The only way to access what might be up there is to unlock it.]

[technicolourdifficulties]

[Funny how stealing keys that unlock strange places continues to be a running theme in RGB's existence, even here in a world so far from his own. And, well, if that leads to climbing a mountain, then he's going to unlock that gate and climb a mountain.]

[strangerpeople]

[The key turns slowly, but turn it does. Soon the doors are unlocked-it will take effort to get them open, but open they will.

Now. Go up the mountain?]

[technicolourdifficulties]

[No point in turning back when he's gotten this far. Onward up the mountain it is.]

[strangerpeople]

[...This will take a bit, just as a warning.

You got good shoes I hope?]

[technicolourdifficulties]

[When does climbing a mountain ever take a short while?

And considering all these shoes have been through and come out largely unscathed, these may be among the best shoes in the world. They'll be just fine.

He starts walking.]

[strangerpeople]

[Ok! It's time to climb them steps. Yeah, this has steps to go up to the mountain.]

[technicolourdifficulties]

[Well, that's not ideal, but it's not like he's unused to spending entire days walking. He's just kind of glad at this point that he can take this at a walking pace instead of running in terror.

Maybe he'll even stop to sightsee for a moment if there's anything interesting on the climb.]

[strangerpeople]

[There are tablets on the way to the top. Stone, and broken.

Still, RGB will be able to make out things like "voice" and "Jurgen".]

[technicolourdifficulties]

[These things mean nothing to RGB, wholly without context as he is. Still, he can't help but think aloud on occasion as he walks.]

I wonder what stories these old things told before they ended up like this...?

[strangerpeople]

[It takes awhile, but...finally, RGB gets to the top.

It's cold and snowy. Which would be all that could be said, but there's a particular patch of snow that looks...different from the others.]

[technicolourdifficulties]

[Well, snow is unpleasant, but at least it's not sand.

He'll poke around in that different patch of snow, though carefully so he gets as little on him as possible.]

DEEP CUT 2: The Passage

[strangerpeople]

[A razor-thin book opened up a passage.

Caleb is starting to look into it, but perhaps others might end up finding it, as well.]

[katzenpfote]

[He ascends, sticking close to the wall as he does, keeping his eyes open.]

[strangerpeople]

[Well, he actually descends, but anyways.

Its hot and dark in this place. And the passage seems very long.]

[katzenpfote]

[I'm good at words I am a good editor.]

[He's starting to sweat in his coat, but it wouldn't be the hottest place he's been. He keeps going, pausing the instant he hears something.]

[strangerpeople]

[And what would he hear??

Cats meowing. It's..surprisingly cute. But it's clearly near the other end of the passage.]

[katzenpfote]

[... Cats! He starts moving a little bit faster.]

[strangerpeople]

[And at the end of the hall...well, there's more cats. They all look at him with disinterest, talking among themselves about Caleb's beard.

Oh, and he is inside a large room, with a mural carved into the very rock, staring down at him.]

[katzenpfote]

[... oh. Talking... cats. He's had this dream before.]

I mean I was going to, but Yasha is not here to shave me. Do you... know what this mural is about?

[strangerpeople]

[The cats all look up at this, eyes glowing as they stare.]

...It's hieroglyphs. They tell a story.

[Like. Duh.]

[katzenpfote]

I do not know how to read this language. Can you read it for me?

[strangerpeople]

I can. It's about the little girl who built this place.

[katzenpfote]

Oh? What happened to her?