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

2/2

[strangerpeople]

[And something does as something collides with his head, bouncing off wildly as he can see a...boot?

Yep, he just got a boot to the head.]

[zackthekiller]

[It knocks Zack to the floor.

Now he's rubbing his head and cursing up a storm.]

1/2

[strangerpeople]

[This time, he can hear footsteps coming towards him...]

2/2

[bendwiththewind]

[And coming into view before him is an unimpressed woman.]

A small hit took you down? Quite pathetic.

[zackthekiller]

[He sits back up pretty damn quickly, at least.]

Fuck you, I wasn't expecting that!

Grrr... [He finishes rubbing his wounds and actually takes note of the woman he's talking to...]

... Who the hell are you?

[bendwiththewind]

Twas the point.

[Oh look, she can bite back too.]

Just someone a bit curious about the situation.

[zackthekiller]

[He'd try to bite harder if he wasn't looking for ghosts or- Wait.]

... Whadya mean...? You're not from that carnival my sister was talking about yesterday, are ya?

[bendwiththewind]

A native of it, nay. Was I there before here, that is correct.

Why a circus is beyond me...

[zackthekiller]

That's... Kind of what I meant.

[He doesn't remember much about the ghosts from Town A, but he thinks he knows enough to piece together... Some kind of familiarity.]

Lemme guess, you also died in a fucked up murder game?

[bendwiththewind]

No, I died a different way.

[Although what she says next...well...]

So there are those who run the same kind of game I have.

[zackthekiller]

Yeah, like-

[Whelp. That hit him harder than the boot.]

Wait, what the hell is wrong with you?!

[bendwiththewind]

[Her expression doesn't change even as she begins to explain.]

Oh yes, since I find such joy in seeing others suffer. [Technically yes but he doesn't need to know that.] But they had a point: to choose those strong enough to withstand Noise infestation where they come from. A test which those who participated volunteered to go through via contract.

[zackthekiller]

Noise infection, huh?

[He crosses his arms at the apparition.] And what does this have to do with this shit going on here?

[bendwiththewind]

You haven't seen any around since you have arrived, have you?

[zackthekiller]

Noise...? Not really... Unless it's invisible or something.

[bendwiththewind]

[She has to think for a moment.]

Hmm, is that so? Mayhap I was mistaken.

[What? It's possible.]

But you can help me by explaining who is the responsible party of this and all that you know.

[zackthekiller]

Tch...

[Well, he may as well say something to the broad if this another person from the corpse carnival.]

Okay, long story short, some asshole Empress with time powers dragged a bunch of us from our worlds, a whacko terrorist group kidnapped us and fucked with our memories and powers, and now we're on this train for this "little courtesy" which must be fancy talk for "KILL EACH OTHER OR ELSE".

Anything else ya need?

[bendwiththewind]

[It's moments like these where she needs a smoke. Or a facepalm.]

And yet there is no substance to this game of theirs. Honestly, how can you screw up a simple concept so badly? Or even let it spiral out of control as such? This Empress must be a complete moron!

[zackthekiller]

Yeah, and apparently she's been doing these "courtesy" things for god knows how long! The locals even have a name for us, and I'm pretty sure they all hate us.

[bendwiththewind]

Dare I ask?

[zackthekiller]

... "Weftlanders."

It's stupid, I know.

[bendwiththewind]

[Give her a moment. What the hell is that?]

We agree on that, for certain. Weftlander? Really? That sounds like someone's brain was replaced by a gobbue's when they were trying to think of the name. Or insult. Either way, they could have done better.

[zackthekiller]

... Replaced by a what now?

[bendwiththewind]

A rather large and ugly monster. I heard it has a habit of sneezing on everything in its path.

[But then she pauses, remembering something said earlier but only now getting the chance to speak on it.]

Your sister then...are you two close?