WEEK 4

[strangerpeople]

WEEK 4

[After the meeting, Lilac gives everyone a small vial of something red. Those who left the meeting receive it from the rats on the crew. She gives instructions as to how to take it. Take in a drink, preferably tea. Drink it slowly. Make sure you can get to your bed once you finish. The headache will come quickly.

Nevertheless, even as everyone slips into sleep, they are visited once more by the Conductor in what must have been a dream. Or was it? It's not clear.

She is quiet as she speaks, looking out the windows, even though the view is obscured by the glass.

"I know you think me as a monster. Maybe I am after all these years. I have no illusions. But I cannot regret the things I've done.

"Nor can I regret the Bazaar...it was so wonderful. It opened my eyes to the truth of things and opened doors I never could have seen on my own. It was the first time I felt true love for another. I wasn't the only one-my daughter, too, passed through the Wicket. Saw the sea more sunless within the Bazaar's body. Learned as I learned. She sought to rival me in symbols, in marking skin."

She closes her eyes.

"She is dead now, of course. Everyone I knew in the Neath-on our Earth-is. Well. Almost everyone. London endures, naturally. But the Echo Bazaar...it's beautiful promise...it's gone. The Seventh City will never fall, and it's Message will forever remain undelivered. Of all the creatures in the universe who might remember it, I am alone in honoring it.

"Perhaps it's noble. Perhaps it's foolish. In any case, maybe it doesn't matter. Maybe it's the thought that's important. As long as I am here, there is yet a possibility that the deed may be finished, somehow.

"Still, I wonder. Maybe you have the answer.

What happens to a Message, when neither the sender and receiver exist anymore?"




As the day dawns, everyone wakes up to the sound of howling winds and darkness. Their head hurts, but they do have a new memory to accompany the ache. They are also at a new port. It is a dark place, teetering on the edge of safe space and the unknown in between void, where those who enter rarely return. Or, so you have to assume, right? Either way, that blackness on the deep horizon doesn't look particularly fun to try to drive through.

There is a legitimate fear in Lilac's expression that betrays her for the first time, as she lets everyone disembark, including the unicorn and the young man, who quickly jump onto another train to get away from this place. She also refuses to leave the train. She does leave you with a fair warning.

The Synod of Carcels is dangerous, in its own way, and everyone can feel it. Everyone can feel something hanging in the air. It's not natural. It's bending reality. It's also not something that started with you or your arrival. Yet it threatens to become that way, to become part of you. You can feel the temptation gnaw at you. You can hear the winds whisper of it. There is a hunger here-and knowledge as well.

The question, of course, is whether the price to uncover those things is worth it-and what will be found here with the price that is paid. But as the Conductor said-a reckoning cannot be postponed. Not forever.


There are eleven strangers left in this place.]

((IMPORTANT OOC NOTE: This week and it's investigations involve major Fallen London spoilers, in particular spoilers regarding Seeking Mr. Eaten's Name and one of it's endings. If you, as a player here, are playing Fallen London and do not wish to be spoiled, let us know, and we will make sure you are not given any ending spoilers to the best of our ability. We will also be marking spoiler-filled comments with tags, and we request that our players do likewise, in consideration for those who might look through this post in the future.

With that said, have fun, and remember-all shall be well.))

Comments

[strangerpeople]

[After Caleb has seen the first Station, he will find himself in a maze of darkness. He can hear water lap, and somehow, he can hear someone shout, LUMPS! 5 ECHOES!]

[katzenpfote]

Betrayal, hm?

[Interesting. The voice makes him startle slightly, and he looks to Frumpkin.]

... Can you see anything?

Rrrow.

I didn't think so... what are these lumps you speak of?

FALLEN LONDON SPOILERS

[strangerpeople]

[There is the sound of a calliope, now. It gets louder as Caleb stumbles through the corridor. Suddenly there is a voice next to Caleb.]

‘another one, eh? Why ain’t I surprised.

[hello there]

[katzenpfote]

[What the hell is -]

... Hello there. I'm passing through, don't... mind me. Though if you have any information I wouldn't mind hearing it.

[strangerpeople]

Oh, no, don’t mind me. I’m the bleedin’ hallucination here.

[Chomping on a cigar. Well it definitely smells real.]

Just a word of advice though. Don’t.

[katzenpfote]

Of course. I'd offer you a light but I think my fire won't do much for you.

[Siiigh.]

Don't what?

[strangerpeople]

Not none of that Discordance no. I like my smokes warm.

[Exhale.]

Don’t go further, o’course. Wouldn’t be a right guardian if I didn’t would I? Even if the Name’s been got, you living lot are all still damned fools.

[katzenpfote]

['Discordance'... he'll keep that term in his mind.]

Of course we are. What is the Name? What are you guarding people from?

[strangerpeople]

That there’s a story. Depends on what you know about the Cities. London when she were Fallen, not floatin’ out here in the Wilderness.

[katzenpfote]

Not a lot... I'm not from this world. 'London' does not exist where I am from.

FALLEN LONDON SPOILERS

[strangerpeople]

Mm.

[She takes a long drag.]

The long ‘n short of it is, there were a place inside our ol’ Earth that could hide things from them bleedin’ suns. One of them there Messengers-big ugly crab things that hop between suns and can house apartments in it get some reason-made a deal with some suns. It had a bad message an’ it needed to change it before delivery. It had to use love stories. It got seven cities’ time to do whatever it was gonna.

[Blows it out.]

Things got right screwy with the Second City. One o’ the Bazaar’s flunkies got blamed for it, an’ let’s just say it weren’t pretty for him come the Third City. Got screwed right out of existence by the other flunkies. Ripped apart. Drowned. Eaten.

Mr. Eaten were born that day.

[katzenpfote]

And hiding it from the sun hides it from the 'Law', correct? How did - never mind, I suppose the love stories aren't important.

So one of these Messengers was made to take the blame, erased from existence, and came back as something else?

[strangerpeople]

Yer not half bad pickin' up what I'm droppin' for a newbie!

[wink]

Ah, well, the love stories-they're important, but not as important. Mr. Eaten...well, he were so buried he'd never come back. Not fully. But betrayal's a funny thing, y'know. It leaves a mark. A stain. It endures in it's own ways. Can't wash it all out, like Macbeth or what 'ave yous.

What Mr. Eaten became was a shadow that hated. That cried. That harmed. But especially hungered. And anyone who heard the call, looked into a well, saw a candle flicker. Some 'em went to Seek his Name. The thing buried most of all by them other Masters.

[katzenpfote]

There are things in my world that can open the door to darker things like that. It's not my field of study, but I've heard bits and pieces.

... His Name is part of his power, then? But if they're something so different than mortal... that power would change them?

FALLEN LONDON SPOILERS

[strangerpeople]

That it does, body mind and soul. I oughter know-Seeker in my younger, stupider years after all. Stopped after the second step- somehow that tied me to this here guarding.

[Blows some more smoke.]

Even after I stuffed it. Meet people at least, even if they ignore wot I say.

[katzenpfote]

... Yes. I cannot stop here. I have someone I need to help to defeat, after all.

[He's not sure which one he's talking about anymore.]

FALLEN LONDON SPOILERS

[strangerpeople]

....Well. Suit yerself. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Oh, and. When you get the chance.

[There is a strange glint in her smile as she takes one last drag.]

Tell Milly Mrs. Plenty says hi.

[She blows the smoke out. It's thick and hard to see through. When it does clear, the old woman is gone.

...

Continue on?]

[katzenpfote]

... All right.

[Of course he will. Fortunately his flames don’t hurt him.]

[strangerpeople]

[Soon enough he will see the second tablet. Then, after a long fall, the third.

It appears someone in Caleb’s group has gotten to these ones first, so far. It was all too easy to find them in comparison.]

[katzenpfote]

[He stops and looks at the tablets, memorizing them before continuing onwards.]

[1/2]

[strangerpeople]

[Then, the fourth.

Suddenly, as he walks, Caleb is plunged into a familiar color.]

[2/2]

[disregartist]

[Wait--is that the Conductor walking in front of him?]

[katzenpfote]

[Well.]

Is this where you stopped?

[disregartist]

[She looks over at Caleb at this, and Caleb will realize something is off. Namely, her eyes.

They are not violet, as she turns back around and walks.

They are blue.]

[katzenpfote]

... This is who you were. Vi see.