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

[unwittingking]

Go ahead. I'm pretty sure most people shouldn't smoke, but I'm not going to stop you.

You're not wrong, considering I got about ten things, two of which I'm glad I got back.

[He can't help but fiddle with the tag of his collar when saying that, turning the king piece a little bit to each side.]

[awitchdidit]

[Beatrice will take the pipe, although she's not so crass as to light it immediately. The train's stopped, so she can smoke outside.]

What's the point of living a thousand years if you don't indulge in some unhealthy hedonism?

[unwittingking]

[That's good. King would prefer not to deal with any smoke right now.]

Fair enough. I'm not gonna argue with...your philosophy.

[He'd be specific and say witch, but he doesn't really know that yet. Either way he's not questioning the 1,000 years old thing.]

[awitchdidit]

I'm used to getting more incredulity out of people when I drop numbers like that. Naturally, I shouldn't expect that from Anubis in the form of a corgi, I suppose.

[unwittingking]

[He lets out a small chuckle at that reminder.]

Yeah, it takes a little more than that to stun someone like me. Though I am curious how a human managed to live for so long. May I ask how?

[awitchdidit]

Bold of you to assume I'm human.

[She smirks.]

I've already mentioned it to several people, so I suppose it's not worth obfuscating the fact that I'm a Witch.

[unwittingking]

Bold, stupid. Either works.

[He holds up both hands as he says that, raising one as says each option and shrugging at the final statement.

His eyes widen a bit when she says what she really is.]

Ah. Yeah, that...makes sense.

What, uh, kind of magic do you specialize in?

[He seems sort of...uncomfortable with the topic, even though he's bringing it up.]

[awitchdidit]

I am called the Golden and Endless Witch. I gained renown for bestowing gifts of gold, and for the endless possibilities of reality manipulation within my domain.

[unwittingking]

...okay, the gold thing does sound really nice, I'll be honest.

But I also have to be honest and ask what backfires if you give someone one of these gold gifts, or any...reality bending stuff in general.

[Not really the nicest way to ask it, but...he knows how magic can screw people over. You can't tell him that wouldn't be in play here, even if she seems alright so far as King's concerned.]

[awitchdidit]

Oh, the karmic balance for the gold is easy. Anyone who comes into a great deal of money suddenly is bound to be set upon by hardship as soon as someone else hears about it.

The Endless Magic is a bit more...finicky.

[unwittingking]

So...basically the regular things that happen with getting rich quick? Like how lottery winners get higher taxes or something like that?

[That's not as bad, at least. The latter, on the other hand...]

Finicky how. Like, "world could end if you try to make yourself an inch taller" finicky, or "getting magic powers of your own gives you a small nosebleed" finicky?

[He's joking a little bit. He's mainly just curious on what would happen.]

[awitchdidit]

Something like that.

[Beatrice sighs.]

I should have made my explanation public. I spent a solid fifteen minutes going over the rules with Caleb, and I don't feel like repeating it. It's something only I can do, and only in certain times and spaces, let's say.

[unwittingking]

Well, at least it's something you should expect with that one.

[He's pretty sure everyone should expect results like that when they get a bunch of gold.]

Yeah, I think I'm good with just that. I don't need an explanation that's over ten minutes. I'll just file it under "Manipulates reality but has a chance but has a chance of backfiring."

That sound good, or is it too generalized or something?

[awitchdidit]

It's not entirely right, and it's not entirely wrong.

I'll tell you what, if I can manage it, I'll arrange a demonstration. It's not likely while we're under the thumb of the Empress, though.

[unwittingking]

Sure, so long as it's for someone else. I appreciate trying to help me understand, but I've dealt with enough magic in my general, day-to-day life.

No offense to you, of course. Most of my experience with magic has just been terrible.

[awitchdidit]

Let me guess, you didn't start off life as a talking dog.

1/?

[unwittingking]

[…]

2/4

[unwittingking]

[He looks to one side of the car.]

3/4

[unwittingking]

[He looks to the other.]

4/4

[unwittingking]

Am I making it that obvious?

[Yeah, no point in keeping it a secret to a witch.]

[awitchdidit]

Not so much. I just put myself in the position of whatever witches you may have run across. I thought that if I wanted to really annoy a human, I'd turn him into an animal. And if I really wanted to annoy a dog, I'd give it human-like intelligence.

[She smiles.]

In fairness, I don't think anyone here cares.

[unwittingking]

Clever, but no. It was less of a witch and more of a demigod playing DnD with living beings, and for some reason, all the people they're using have to be animals. Most of which there are like me.

[Walking on two legs and talking, he means.]

Yeah, but I'd rather keep it a secret. It's kind of a pain to tell people about it, not to mention how insane it all sounds.

[awitchdidit]

Oh trust me, I can sympathize. Life is far too complicated to have to tell your life story to every stranger on a train.

I'm interested in this demigod, though. Playing a game with pieces forced into a certain shape sounds not unlike what the Empress is allegedly doing here.

[unwittingking]

Thank you. And for that, I won't ask about anything in your past unless you want to share.

I get what you're saying, but I don't think it's the same thing. I'm pretty sure I should be exempt from that kind of stuff already because of what I went through last time, and the rules of that game were more or less "Only people from this world, no one else". Plus, the players that actually followed the rules used actual animals, rather than turning a guy into an animal.

[Not that he's bitter or anything!]