FINAL TRIAL

[strangerpeople]

FINAL TRIAL

[The Strangers manage to escape. By the time anyone has realized they have left, the Analemma is already on a course to a new destination, one not intended by their Conductor-who was certainly surprised to find their ride gone, hours later.

Cardia has turned off radar and other equipment that would allow anyone to find the train easily. There is no barrier around this train, so everyone can see the Clockwork Sun as it gets closer and closer.

They aren't going to London, obviously. Cardia manages to explain that, originally, the Throne of Hours was located there, but after Victoria became Twice-Renewed, the Throne was ordered moved closer to the Sun. Now, it is connected to the station called Sunspur-a desolate place, formerly an exhibition hall, where only the Sun's engineers and wayward captains now go. No one dares to cross the bridge that connects the Throne to it, when they are there.

That will change, but not immediately. Even at top speed, it will take several hours for the train to reach its destination. Cardia suggests everyone relax in the Lounge of this new train. Apparently, this one was going to pick up its newest passengers very shortly, and so the bar and kitchens are stocked with food and drink, at least.

There is much to talk about. Much to look through, and much to consider. The past four weeks have been difficult to process, but the evidence from Perdurance has been especially daunting. It only shows just how stark the situation is-and it's up to the Strangers to figure out just what they will do when they do, at last, confront Her Enduring Majesty.
After all.

Whatever happens, a reckoning cannot be postponed. Not indefinitely. And the bill is almost due...]





[It's time! The objectives are simple in this trial: untangle the story of this place and decide what to ultimately do when they finally confront Victoria, the Mastermind of the Little Courtesy! It will not be easy and the truth, as ever, will not be a light one.

Will they triumph? Will they go home? What else might happen? What else could be in store? There's only way to find out!

Have fun, and good luck! And remember-

All shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.]

Comments

[unwittingking]

[He gestures to the newspaper]

Her name's Chaesun Moon...or Mun. There's an article about her blowing up a mausoleum. Not sure how accurate it is any more, considering it's from 1906.

[biddentodance]

...The "Most Serene Mausoleum"? [He still has his cuff's photo of a map!]

Have had some amount of contact with three agents of the Night. Know there's a council - prone to disagreeing. Not sure exactly how big the group is, but there's probably twelve on the council.

[unwittingking]

Uh...yeah, actually.

[She also referenced G.I. Joe, but that's probably unimportant...except maybe...]

Did you hear any of them be called some military term? Like general or something?

[Perhaps her nickname references G.I. Joe as well?]

[biddentodance]

No, nothing.... Auntie, I had the most contact with, called February. Also met July in person, in a world inside the mirror, he's the one who wanted to know if his brother was alive. Know they were trying to keep me secret, even from the rest of the organization.

[unwittingking]

Figures it wouldn't be that simple...

[Said a bit quietly, before speaking louder.]

So at least twelve of them, probably...did they say anything about a boss? Someone that has the most leadership of the group? Or does everyone have equal power with the council?

[biddentodance]

Didn't say....probably twelve, it's definitely called the Calendar Council. July and February work in information and intelligence. Said a different part of the organization is....remember how Conductor-san said we were rescued? That our memories and powers were altered by the Liberation of Night? Different part of the group did that.

...December sent the bomb.

[unwittingking]

So, the group does have some good parts, it just also has some corrupt parts...

Well, at least we don't have to cancel the 4th of July or Valentine's day.

[He...he needs some lighter talk, okay]

Any chance they've already taken care of December and whichever one of them brought us here, or do I need to retract the previous statement?

[biddentodance]

When I brought up the bomb, Auntie was... Think she was trying to tell me how to defuse it. But December interrupted the communication. Broke the mirror, thanked my for my sacrifice... Didn't know it was-- Didn't know it wasn't from Auntie and July until then. Closest I've had to contact since was the scone delivery. [Which, that was weird???] Auntie and July don't seem to be sure I'm still alive.

Don't know if December is still out there or not...

[unwittingking]

Well, they better have taken care of him by now, otherwise I’ll be doing it, and it won’t be pretty.

But, more on topic, did you hear anything that could sound like Chaesun is still leading them? Or is it only the council that does the leading?

[biddentodance]

Auntie said she would.... [He. Doesn't like the implication.] ...here. [He just....hands the letter to King.]

And....no. Should've asked more about their organization, but "information for information" - was already avoiding giving them some of what they asked for, didn't want them to demand it...

[unwittingking]

[He reads over the letter and, for the sake of Minato’s feelings, doesn’t say anything verbally. Though he is hoping that this Aunt is implying something with the mention of that Brandy.

He will speak for the other thing, though.]

It’s fine. At this point, if there’s a council that’s leading most of it...I’m not sure if Chaesun is actually in power anymore.

[Whether or not she’s dead or brainwashed, he’s not sure, but it feels like a good conclusion. What happens when your sole leader is taken out by your enemy? Get twelve new ones in charge of different positions, so even if one gets taken out, you’ve still got eleven others.]

[biddentodance]

Hard to say. Didn't even hear of any other agents - aside from Gary-san and one of the rats, not sure which.

[unwittingking]

I feel like it makes sense. Say your leader gets captured after blowing up a mausoleum, will you put someone else in complete control, risking they'd get captured too, or have multiple leaders, so if one gets captured they can be replaced with one of the other eleven?

[biddentodance]

...was she the sole leader? Or one of several leaders?

[unwittingking]

I mean. They only mentioned her as the rebel leader, so...

[He sort of assumed]

[katzenpfote]

Why probably twelve?

[biddentodance]

Codenames they use are months. Had contact with February, July, and December.

...Earth years have twelve months. January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December.

[katzenpfote]

... Horisal, Misuthar, Dualahei, Thunsheer, Unndilar, Brussendar, Sydenstar, Fessuran, Quen'pillar, Cuersaar, Duscar. Eleven.

... Do you have different days of the week, too?

[biddentodance]

Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Seven days of the week, roughly four weeks to a month - a little over, actually... 365 days in most years.

[You know what, this is a much-needed reprieve. Normal, non-emotional conversation.]

[katzenpfote]

Miresen, Grissen, Whelson, Conthsen, Folsen, Yulisen, Da'leysen.

Quen'pillar has 27 days, Unndilar has 28 days, Horisal, Fessuran, and Cuersaar have 29, Misuthar and Dualahei have 30, Thunsheer and Brussendar have 31, Sydenstar and Duscar have 32. 328 days total.

[biddentodance]

"Thirty days hath September, April, June, and November"... The rest all have thirty-one, except for February, which has twenty-eight - except every four years there's a "leap year" where it has twenty-nine.

Swear there's a reason it's like that.

[katzenpfote]

There's been a lot of reshuffling months in the past... I'm not a hundred percent sure on the history.

[biddentodance]

Yeah, same for Earth. "Sept", "Oct", "Nov", and "deci" refer to seven, eight, nine, and ten respectively, but they're the ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth months...not to mention all the shifting around different cultures. And that's the solar calendar, the lunar is different.

[katzenpfote]

Lunar... but which moon?