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

[eternaldivide]

[ that is likely one of the first one that catches his attention because ... dragon.

he'll proceed with caution! since he absolutely knows how dangerous dragons can be. ]

[strangerpeople]

[...Well, this dragon is...sick.

Which is an understatement. It looks like it not only died, but merged with the hive mind. It's skin roils with the forms of arms and legs, and it stinks. It's also definitely not going to attack anyone, whether or not the chains on it held it back.

Indeed, at the sight of the bread pellets, it lets out a moan, its voices letting out a whine simultaneously.]

nO...no MorE...brEaD...pLEasE...

[whitemoontiger]

[ That's about the time when Atsushi joins him, having lingered in the doorway earlier and just staring a little in disbelief at this unusual beast he's sure he's only ever seen in books or heard about being in movies. Except this one is WAY more deformed and much creepier. ]

...I uh... didn't imagine it speaking just now, did I? You... You heard that too, I hope...

[eternaldivide]

Yeah, I did.

[ Mithos doesn't hesitate to pocket the bread that he was holding and go over to the dragon. It speaking doesn't phase him at all, it seems! He doesn't seem to be bothered by the smell either. ]

It looks ill. I wonder what's wrong ...

[ He kneels down to try to get a closer look all the while he speaks to the dragon in a soft gentle tone. ]

Don't worry. I won't feed you any bread.

[ is there anything new to see now that he's closer? ]

[strangerpeople]

[Other than the creepy arms and legs that keep rolling and poking out beneath its skin?

It's also huge.]

yOu...YoU arE...fRoM bEyoNd.....?

[whitemoontiger]

[ You get major props for being unaffected by the thing there, Mithos. SO much of it.

Going to follow along behind him, his unease was soon shifting to something almost concerned. For a beast so big, it's demeanor was far from intimidating and was kind of sad to look at the poor thing. ]

Y-Yeah. Something must have happened to it before we got here.

[ Still a little unsettling to hear the dragon talking but okay he can do this. ]

We are. Have you always been here? In this world?

[eternaldivide]

[ So big ... what happened for such a Dragon to become in this bad of a state? Was it whomever chained it to begin with? ]

Yeah ... I wonder if it'd help if we did something about these chains but ... I don't think we have anything that'd help.

[ while Atsushi is speaking to the Dragon Mithos continues to look it over. Slowly and delicately he'll try and put a hand on the dragon where an arm is poking out. Why ... Why is it like this. ]

cw: body horror

[strangerpeople]

[And said arm tries to grab Mithos on the wrist, along with several faces popping up as well. All the faces are twisted, mouths open, ready to scream.]

nO...no...mUnduS...I...

...hElp...yOu...caN heLp uS.

[whitemoontiger]

I doubt we'd be able to get anything strong enough to cut these chains anyway...

[ Just an absent observation more than anything. He's supposed to pick up on things, what with working for a detective agency and all so this was a good thing.

Maybe perhaps that's why he had allowed his gaze to go over to where Mithos was making to try and touch the dragon, just in time to see that arm trying to grab Mithos's wrist. Something that immediately had him instinctively pulling the smaller teen away, just out of reach of that arm.

Just a little freaked out because that arm now had faces on it, nearly making him feel sick at the sight of them. ]

H-Help you? How would we be able to do that?

[eternaldivide]

[ Mithos makes a startled noise as he's pulled back from the reach of the arm. He was expecting something to possibly happen but... but not the twisted faces. Those are new. And very nauseating to look at. ]

Wha-- are they--

[ okay just breathe. There's ... something Mithos catches when the dragon speaks again. ]

Help us ... I don't think the Dragon is speaking about itself.

[ or just itself.... another deep breath. Atsushi took care of one question so Mithos will question the other thing that was said. ]

Mundus... is that where you are from?

cw: suicidal ideation

[strangerpeople]

[Sorry, just a thing they do.]

KIlL...uS...eNd thIs...vAmpIre...caNnot...but...

[whitemoontiger]

T-That's what I was thinking. If not itself then... maybe the people here or... I don't even know.

[ God this was sickening. Ugh. He really couldn't look at that thing, but it was hard not to when it spoke again and he turned a little pale. ]

Kill you? No.. I... hold on. What vampire?

[eternaldivide]

[ As much as he ... doesn't like the idea of killing it the dragon looks to be in so much pain. It's likely that it might be the only way to give it relief.

... He's also curious about the vampire bit, so he'll wait for the dragon to respond before putting in his two cents. ]

[strangerpeople]

...noT...nOt here Now...sHe...shE cAnnOT bRinG...hErsELf...buT...tHIs...wE aRE noT lIVinG...!

[whitemoontiger]

She...? That has to be the vampire but... I... when you say 'we'... who are you directly referring to? Yourself or...?

[ Was it the mass that seemed to exist as part of the dragon? Or any of them who have come off the train? He has MANY concerns. ]

[eternaldivide]

Y-Yeah ...

[ Honestly Mithos is half paying attention to Atsushi and more attention on the Dragon.

... ]

I'll do it. Just ... tell me how.

[ if he has to go get a weapon from the forge he'll do that or ... make some sort of potion from the apothecary. but the dragon is right seeing this ... that isn't living at all ]

[strangerpeople]

jArRin roOt...iN....shOp....!

[whitemoontiger]

[ God this just left a bad taste in his mouth and he hated it so much. He hated the idea of killing, but in this case maybe it was more of a mercy kill. He then looked over to Mithos, exhaling a small sigh. ]

...You seem set in doing this, so... just be careful. There could be a lot of consequences in killing this poor thing.

[ But see how he's not exactly protesting this though? ]

[eternaldivide]

Maybe ... But it's better than leaving it like this. That ... hellish state of living.

[ which isn't living at all so.. yeah, Mithos is definitely considering it a mercy kill. And he's glad Atsushi isn't protesting which will make it ... mildly easier.

Not by much, but just a little. ]

I'll be back. If there's anything you think we need to ask before I come back see if it'll answer.

[ with that he stands and turns to head to the shop. time to go uh ... acquire some jarrin root ]

[strangerpeople]

[As he goes to do so, he will notice a pamphlet near where the jarrin root is kept.]

[whitemoontiger]

You're right. This thing probably has been suffering for some time now, so it would be better to end it instead of leaving it be.

[ Atsushi's gaze turns back to the dragon, expression somewhat unreadable. This was pretty high up on the list of things he never thought he'd experience. ]

Understood.

[ Frowning a bit, he twisted his expression into something a little less grim. ]

Hey. Have you been like this for a long time?

[eternaldivide]

[ Mithos had given Atsushi just one final nod in agreement before he leaves for the shop.

Once he finds the shop he spots the pamphlet near the jarrin root. Huh ... let's open it up and see what it says! ]

EVIDENCE

[strangerpeople]

HISTORY

About three years ago, the pieces and people of this fascinating Egyptian world began to appear from the wefts. Of these pieces of land, Menahoven is among the largest and best preserved, and it appeared two years ago in this very spot.

Though its small cadre of citizens claim that this was part of an area called "Skyrim" on a planet named "Mundus", the evidence absolutely and overwhelmingly suggests that, in fact, this was the last, lost palace of Ozymandias, aka Ramesses II, and that he learned how to create British-style stone buildings from an ancestor of out beloved Empress.

To suggest otherwise is, of course, slander.

[strangerpeople]

[A quiet groan, and...something of a nod.

It can't move all that well, sadly.]

[whitemoontiger]

I see. Who... Who did this to you?

[ Because this level of existing didn't just happen on it's own. Someone did this to the poor thing at some point and he wants to know if he can find out who did it. ]