trainmasters: (Default)
Aurora Express Mods ([personal profile] trainmasters) wrote in [community profile] auroraexpress2020-01-10 03:12 pm

Event: Worldhop #1 | Part III

Who: everybody
When: Day 55, daytime
Where: The Aurora, and...?

Right on schedule, in the morning a message blares over the intercom in The Construct's robotic voice, loud enough to be heard in the nearby jungle, and coming from anyone's Chain who happens to be out of range:
The Aurora will be departing Origin Star in one hour. All heroes please proceed to your team carriage. All residents of Origin Star please stay at least 100 feet from the train during takeoff.

The Prince of Stars would like to remind you that non-heroes are at extreme risk of corruption should they leave the purified sector. Likewise, heroes who remain on Origin Star will no longer have the protection of the Aurora's Prism and may face unknown adverse effects. We sincerely apologize for any concern and ask that everyone give their full cooperation as we proceed to our next mission.

Thank you, and stay positive!
PCs have exactly one hour from this notice to say any final goodbyes to the townspeople, and gather any last materials from the jungle. The Construct gives a warning at 15 minutes, at 5, and at 1, and then the outer doors and doors between cars close and lock and the train begins to lift off.

Outside the windows you can see Origin Star slowly drift away into the sea of stars for 10 minutes or so, before the train begins to warp -- a fantastic show of blurred light and square sparkles lasts about another hour, before the Aurora comes out into a starless, sunless sea above a Star coloured in shades of pink and white and brown and speckled in rainbow.

As you approach, you notice things are looking rather... delicious? The scenery below appears like some fairy tale witch's cottage, made of cake and candy and other such sweets, with lakes of chocolate and peppermint trees. You can't see what all is out there yet, especially given the darkness, but you can catch a glimpse of colorful somethings moving below.

Ultimately, the train lands on top of some kind of small plateau, next to a river -- and this Star's Prism, which glows balefully black, with a strong sense of unpleasantness wafting from it. The river is thankfully between you and it, but you're still parked awfully close. When the train is fully stopped, the Construct announces:
Congratulations on your safe journey. We have arrived at the Confectionery Kingdom. Please note this sector is currently completely corrupted. Likelihood of imminent danger is: extreme. Scanning and protection of immediate area will take six hours. Proceed with utmost caution until systems have completed setup.
From here, you can go outside, if you so choose. The plateau the train sits on, it turns out, is made entirely of brownie. Unfortunately, if you try to eat it, it's disgustingly salty. The river full of honey tastes good, however, as long as you're willing to brave the lemon-peel eels which give painful electric shocks. The grass is also sweet -- spun-sugar like, it shatters easily but seems to grow right back as soon as it does.

You don't have much time to enjoy it yet, though. As warned, there's imminent danger -- after mere minutes, the air is full of crackling growls, as you're beset by something resembling a very weird zombie nightmare. Faceless moving gingerbread men as big as a person approach in droves, smeared in rancid frosting that smells horrible and makes you feel light-headed. They'll try to grab hold of anyone they catch, and should they catch them, they'll tremble and beat them bloody, possibly even to death.

Despite their nimbleness, the gingerbread ghouls are hard as rock and not easily broken. They can be temporarily defeated by turning them to mush with water, but once dry their crumbs will roll together and they'll resume their old form. The only way to really beat them is to accept their resentment -- give them a hug and they'll crumble, their dust blowing away in the breeze.

Somehow, you must survive the next few hours... Good luck, Heroes of Distant Stars!

[[NOTE: We're still taking train upgrade suggestions here through the 12! The upgrade poll, along with the close of this event, will be posted on the 13th! Also, apps are open and will close on the 14th, so if you have an app in the works or a friend to invite, have at!]]
bluediligence: (Free to express your jubilation.)

[personal profile] bluediligence 2020-01-12 01:10 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you very much!

[ Bows! And at his question, she nods, practically radiating enthusiasm. ]

Mm, that's right. I need to figure out the strengths and weaknesses of these shields, but magic's still new to me; I don't know where to start.
bestbrotherever: (incognito)

[personal profile] bestbrotherever 2020-01-13 01:20 am (UTC)(link)
[Eyebrow raise]

Magic is new to you? Because you acquired it here?

[He makes a motion with his hands and a dagger appears.]

A good start is testing its efficacy against mundane weapons.
bluediligence: (You ever heard of toe beans?)

[personal profile] bluediligence 2020-01-13 01:56 pm (UTC)(link)
Ah, no, not here. It was ... someplace else. [ Not home, though. As far as she can remember, her home was as mundane as it gets. ] I-

[ ... maGIC DAGGER ]

Whoa, that was cool!
bestbrotherever: (smirk)

[personal profile] bestbrotherever 2020-01-15 03:11 am (UTC)(link)
[He beams.] Why, thank you. [And filing away that "someplace else" comment for later examination if necessary.]

Now, what is your shield intended to do when struck by an attack? [He'd rather not destroy his weapon.]
bluediligence: (She also has great taste in shoes.)

[personal profile] bluediligence 2020-01-15 05:37 pm (UTC)(link)
Was it magic? Or sleight of hand? [ With a stage magician for a childhood friend, she loves magic of all kinds. ]

It's s'posed to be like a wall, nothing fancy.
bestbrotherever: (joy)

[personal profile] bestbrotherever 2020-01-17 10:29 pm (UTC)(link)
Magic, of course. I have my own dimension for storage.

[He shifts the dagger into a stabbing position and holds it over the shield.]

So it should be solid when a weapon attempts to pierce it. May I?
bluediligence: (Speaking of our would-be murderer!)

[personal profile] bluediligence 2020-01-19 01:01 am (UTC)(link)
Oh my gosh, that's amazing.

[ She's so jealous; she can only imagine how useful it must be to have an actual pocket dimension just to put things in. ]

Go ahead! Thanks for doing this!