15strangers | FINAL TRIAL

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.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

{ . . .

MisErIcoRdiA suFfiCes aT prEseNt.

sHalL We? }

[Cue the golem...staggering towards the wall in a somewhat drunken manner. She goes to press what looks to be a hidden button by one of the photographs, whereupon the entire wall slides...into darkness.]

I think we shall.

[Caleb looks around at the group - including Lilac - and nods. He produces a flame in his hand, just enough to cast some light. He steps forward.]

And so we venture into the depths at the behest of Cthulhu, I suppose...

[He'll follow you, Caleb, but he won't like it.]

What else are you going to do? Twiddle the thumbs you don't have?

This near to the Sun? No, I've found the dark is much safer, provided you remember not to touch the walls.

[He stops to actually think about what he just said for a moment.]

...Well, I suppose touching the walls will be less of an issue here, given the lack of ocean.

... You are going to have to explain more of your world to me later.

...I suppose after all we've been through, you do deserve a bit of context. For now, I will simply tell you that the sea is called the Sea of Limen. Should we survive, I will tell you how it came to be.

Caleb, please, this is the most obvious trap I have ever seen in my life. Please stay in here.

[Don’t do this to him man YOU’RE ONE OF THE FEW COMPLETELY REASONABLE PEOPLE HERE]

Sometimes you need to get a little crazy for the answers you seek.

... And besides, I'm going to keep an eye out for things. I'm not stupid.

I guess, but...can’t we just stay in here? And not risk being stuck in some shadow dimension type thing?

[He’s...hoping to all hope D&D has something of that caliber.]

Loverbird over here is not going to give us answers that make sense. We need to find the truth of this place.

...I hate that you’re right.

[FINE HE’LL GO THROUGH THE DEATH DOORWAY...eventually]

I.. King, Caleb, I - wait.

[She is small, and foolish, and just this side of useless, and has been paralyzed by all of that until now.

(There are things that are supposed to happen in throne rooms in places as awful and majestic as this there are some things that are just supposed to happen and none of them did - instead worse things happened, worse because she didn't know to expect them, couldn't expect them - Towa could have died and Minato could have hurt himself even worse and she couldn't even move - )

If they're heading into darkness... they'll need something Bright to show the way, won't they?]

I... it worked in the Well. It worked a little bit, at least.

[All of her body glows, not just her eyes. She still has the dark fabric hanging around her like a mantle, but it's pushed back over her shoulders, her cape flipped inside-out with it from where it lay underneath. She walks towards them, towards the void, carrying nothing but a book with a fancy bit of paperwork tucked into the middle -

And stops walking to roll her socks down, when she gets there, because more visible skin means more unfiltered light, right now.]

... Ah. Very helpful, thank you. I cannot make my Dancing Lights right now, and I do no have darkvision.

[He steps close to her, his voice low.]

If things go... to shit... you need to escape. Don't worry about me. You are the one with the proper audience... and you need to help take care of the others.

[Wow, thanks for the complete lack of acknowledgment, Charlotte. He's with the group too, you know.

Thus, it is with partial pettiness, partial practicality that he cranks up the brightness of his screen to make a makeshift flashlight.]

Ambient light is useful, but something a bit more directed will likely be necessary if we want to put a spotlight on anything.

...how about we talk in here instead?

[Like HELL is he walking into the shadow dimension like that. Nah-uh, no way, not in a million years.]

{ i tHouGhT yOu cAmE hEre fOr aNsweRs? }

I’d also like to not walk straight into the Dark Dimension, thank you very much.

[But alas, Caleb does his thing.]

[Ris is actually not that upset by this darkness. Frankly, the weird drunken robot movements are worse.

But it is as Ris has said. The darkness is comforting, in its own strange way.

She's not going to go forward immediately. There's a promise to keep, after all. So, before doing anything else, Ris is going to head over to Mithos, quietly brushing the back of her hand against his and looking at him.

Wherever they go, they go together, right? So... hold hands?]

[ Mithos doesn't... mind the darkness. Really, it's something he's been experiencing in a way since his arrival. To where, much like Ris, its comforting in a way.

But there's that promise, so when Ris brushes the back of her hand again he looks over before taking hers into his.

Wherever they go, they go together indeed. So here they are. Holding hands as they go through that darkness. ]

FINAL TRIAL

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mild TPOH spoilers

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