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]

I ... couldn't say. I've been taught not to judge people based on their identity.

[awitchdidit]

A very wise policy!

"Witch" is a title and occupation both, though. The Endless Witch and the Golden Witch, but you can just call me Beatrice for the time being. Magic doesn't seem to work quite the same while we're in the Empress's realm, after all, so there's not much point worrying about that.

[eternaldivide]

I see. It's a pleasure to meet you then, Beatrice. I'm Mithos.

[ now that she brought it up ]

... I'll admit I was a bit worried at first when I realized I couldn't use my magic here. But you're right that there's little point in continuing to do so.

[awitchdidit]

Based on what I remember of my conversation with the Conductor yesterday, we seem to be in the realm of a powerful immortal sorceress, who also happens to rule the British Empire. And space, I guess? At any rate, it's likely our magic is being forced to conform to her rules, since we're in her world.

[eternaldivide]

To conform our magic to her rules ... she must be very powerful. I wonder if it's something we need to be cautious of. Most likely, as long as we don't know the reason why we are here.

[awitchdidit]

I'd certainly say so. Powerful Witches like to play games with hapless mortals. I don't think we qualify as the latter, but then, I've never met a Witch who was also an Empress. Maybe she has higher standards for games.

[eternaldivide]

Really? I've met a few witches, but none had any sort of rank. Perhaps it's simply different in my world compared to yours.

[awitchdidit]

Temporal power isn't usually our thing. I'm considered downright bourgeois for owning a small, basically worthless island and a treasury of conjured gold.

[eternaldivide]

Hmm. Well, I don't think that's a bad thing. As long as you're happy with what you have...

[ It's definitely more than he's ever had anyways ]

[awitchdidit]

Ha. Material possessions are good for amusement, but they're ultimately meaningless to someone who can make whatever she wants. I just got lucky from someone else's questionable inheritance choices, and happening to fall in love with a man who wasn't exactly a pauper either.

[eternaldivide]

Ahah. I see. [ ... ] Given all the necessary resources, you're truly able to make whatever you'd like? That's pretty impressive. I don't think I've met someone with that much skill in their work.

[awitchdidit]

[She'd make an Aladdin reference, but sadly, she's from 1986.]

I have had a long time to hone my skills. There are still rules, of course, but in my opinion, rules are there to make things possible.

[eternaldivide]

Of course. For things like alchemy, it would be unwise for such thing to be used without rules.

What kind of rules were there, for you?