trainmasters: (Default)
Aurora Express Mods ([personal profile] trainmasters) wrote in [community profile] auroraexpress2018-11-15 08:01 pm

Event: Opening!

Who: Everyone!
When: Day 1, starting in the morning
Where: ???

[It's morning on the Aurora and 36 newcomers, including you, are waking up queasy in their beds to the dim orange glow of emergency lights and the blare of an alarm. Lying beside you is what appears to be a smartphone -- but it won't turn on, and there's nothing to tell anyone from a lower-tech society what it even is. In fact there's no explanation for anything. All you can hear is the shrill alarm, and all you can see outside your windows is blackness. There's no sun, moon, or stars, just a complete, all-encompassing darkness and, if you look from the right angle, a view of the rest of the train hurtling through it.

The room you're in is oddly decorated, with a theme reflected by the clothes in your closet, all in a colour scheme that matches the colour of your smartphone. You may find a few other items in the closet as well -- things you need in order to access your abilities.

After a few seconds, the train jerks and shakes with impact. The alarm fades out, and in its place a recording begins to play, broken and full of static.]

"Heroes of Distant Stars, Welcome ......... The Aurora. My name is ... Prince of Stars. The worlds you knew have unfortunately ......... by Malice, and for that I can only offer my deepest condolences. You ...... why you alone were saved. ......... to that is simple: our numbers are too few. We can no longer repel the Malice. Without you, ......... You must use ......... to bring back the Light. Rely on your teammates for support, and ......... victory.

Please, save us all. You are our only hope."


[The recording repeats endlessly after that, with only a brief pause between -- a young man's voice, sad and desperate, over and over in the silence.

When you try to leave your room the door, while evidently automatic, needs to be manually dragged open. After that you'll find yourself in a two-floor dormitory in the same theme as your room. There are seven total doors in the hall, and stairs down to the elaborately decorated main floors. There's food in the fridge, but no actual power on to keep it cold, so if you want to eat you should do so now before it spoils. The doors are all similarly out of order -- they must be pulled or pushed open and shut in their sliding frames, and they don't have any locks to speak of.

At least you're not alone -- each train car has five or six total occupants, all who've been given the same set of colour-coded clothes and useless phone as you. Some of you are confused but intact. Some of you remember nothing before waking. Some of you remember, but have lost all the power you know yourself to carry. And yet there are no answers. Only the train, the darkness, and the increasing sound of lapping waves.

Look outside now, and you'll see the train has landed on an island in the midst of sea so calm it's like one big, black, mirror. The island itself has a beach of fine black sand, on which the train rests. Nearby is a huge pedestal above which floats an odd cube in the center of two concentric metal rings, all spinning like a gyroscope. It glows with black light and a malevolence so intense that even those without magical senses can detect it.

Further inland, however, it's all tangled growth and unintelligible whispers. Entering the jungle will prove terribly dangerous -- it's full of black snakes whose venom will leave you dizzy and nauseous, or if the snake is big enough could even stop your heart. There are furry pig-like beasts that are edible, but they're accompanied by carnivorous monsters reminiscent of tigers with horns, six eyes, and saber teeth. Some plants are harmless, or bear edible fruit, but others let off spores that cause frightening hallucinations, and others will reach out with tendrils to try to pull you into their many-toothed maws.

But it's not the jungle you have to worry about first. It's the water sneaking up the beach as if it's alive -- if you let it pool ankle-deep around you, it'll drag you with terrifying speed into the sea, pulling you under with intent to let you drown, your corpse to feed the unknown horrors deep below.

So what will you do, Heroes of Distant Stars?]

[[OOC NOTE: The only items in your character's closet are clothes and any mod-approved item-based power exceptions. For the duration of this event, all unnecessary systems have been disengaged. This means there's no power to anything but the lights and health pods, and your Chain will not come on. This will last an IC day or two, depending on game speed. For now make friends, and figure out as much as you can on your own until the Aurora's Prism comes back on!

You can make separate posts if you want a team meet-and-greet, etc, for your team only. This post is for engaging with the outside or hanging out in public spaces!

Also, this is an official Event post, so you can all add 300 sparks to your sheet if you tag in!]]
vitellina: (Sunshine came along with thee)

[personal profile] vitellina 2018-11-17 03:49 am (UTC)(link)
Why would my face be under my face?
nihilmancy: (Neutral 2)

[personal profile] nihilmancy 2018-11-17 03:52 am (UTC)(link)
Because you are using your human face to speak with your human mouth.
nihilmancy: (Surprised)

[personal profile] nihilmancy 2018-11-17 04:18 am (UTC)(link)
It just seems rather odd. Are you saying that you are just the skull? Those are not your arms or legs? Is this a case of possession?
vitellina: (Default)

[personal profile] vitellina 2018-11-17 04:31 am (UTC)(link)
Uhhhhhh.

I'll get back to you on that one.
nihilmancy: (Neutral)

[personal profile] nihilmancy 2018-11-17 05:06 am (UTC)(link)
[Tabby considers this.]

Well, in any case, a single skull would make bad charcoal. It may not be bad idea to gather some wood. We could make a fire and cook the food on it. Or build a fire pit.
vitellina: (take me for eternity)

[personal profile] vitellina 2018-11-17 07:24 am (UTC)(link)
Never made a fire before.
nihilmancy: (A Look)

[personal profile] nihilmancy 2018-11-17 07:09 pm (UTC)(link)
The difficult part is time. It will take at least an hour, maybe two, to gather kindling and prepare the fire, since the jungle is so wet. It may be easier to just scrounge up flammable material in the car, though it won't burn very long or very hot.
vitellina: (praising Aura Lee)

[personal profile] vitellina 2018-11-17 10:26 pm (UTC)(link)
Well...you seem like you're smarter than me, so tell me what you think I should be doing.
nihilmancy: (Wistful)

[personal profile] nihilmancy 2018-11-17 10:41 pm (UTC)(link)
Hm. Let me try something.

[She glares hard at the ground nearby, extending her hands, and tendrils of shimmering light lash that spot with a sizzling sound.]

Mm, no, don't think I can start a fire with magic. Maybe if I use friction. At any rate, we have a few fruits and vegetables that could be eaten raw.
vitellina: (---)

[personal profile] vitellina 2018-11-18 12:09 am (UTC)(link)
That's not even enough for like, just us. I guess we can just check the jungle, but I don't know if I'm actually good at fighting at all.
nihilmancy: (Neutral 2)

[personal profile] nihilmancy 2018-11-18 12:29 am (UTC)(link)
[They could just ask if any of the other teams has a fireplace, but trusting people sounds fake.]

We should check back in the car. We might be able to find a tinderbox or the like, and something to put the fire in. If we're willing to sacrifice a chair or two, we might not even need kindling.
vitellina: (-)

[personal profile] vitellina 2018-11-18 12:33 am (UTC)(link)
[ trusting people sounds super fake ]

...Okay. Whatever you think's best.
nihilmancy: (Neutral)

[personal profile] nihilmancy 2018-11-18 12:37 am (UTC)(link)
[Heading back to the car, silent for a while.]

We'll still want to light the fire outside, on account of the smoke.
vitellina: (As the blackbird in the spring)

[personal profile] vitellina 2018-11-18 07:12 am (UTC)(link)
I figured. Would hate to burn down the train.
nihilmancy: (Sneer)

1/2

[personal profile] nihilmancy 2018-11-18 07:28 am (UTC)(link)
[Destruction on that scale from a tiny spark. Deaths on deaths in the middle of the empty black. Nobody to remember them.

How beautiful. It makes her shiver with excitement.]


Heh.
nihilmancy: (Distressed)

2/2

[personal profile] nihilmancy 2018-11-18 07:31 am (UTC)(link)
[And just as suddenly there's a cold wave of nausea that sweeps over her. What was that? She quite abruptly slumps against the wall, breathing hard.]

Ah, um, just a little hungry, that's all.
vitellina: (my dearest Aura Lee!)

1/2

[personal profile] vitellina 2018-11-18 07:34 am (UTC)(link)
vitellina: (-)

Re: 2/2

[personal profile] vitellina 2018-11-18 07:35 am (UTC)(link)
...Yeah sure let's go with that. Should I go get the stuff for the fire while you...

[ gestures ]
nihilmancy: (Laugh)

[personal profile] nihilmancy 2018-11-18 07:43 am (UTC)(link)
There isn't anything wrong. Let's go.

[She continues to walk in any case, trying to catch her breath as she does so. She doesn't understand anything. She just has to move forward.]
vitellina: (I give my all to thee)

[personal profile] vitellina 2018-11-18 07:52 am (UTC)(link)
[ f...ollowing ]

Whatever you say, boss.
nihilmancy: (Blush)

[personal profile] nihilmancy 2018-11-18 06:06 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm not your boss.

[Steadfastly ignoring that comment, and entering the cabin, and immediately heading for the trash can. She pulls the bag out.]

This will do.
vitellina: (Aura Lee! Aura Lee! Maid of golden hair!)

[personal profile] vitellina 2018-11-19 01:13 am (UTC)(link)
It's a figure of speech, I'm my own boss.
nihilmancy: (Curious)

[personal profile] nihilmancy 2018-11-19 01:37 am (UTC)(link)
Hm.

[She bends down, and uses the magic from earlier to punch a few holes around the bottom of the can.]

Get a spare bedsheet.
Edited 2018-11-19 01:38 (UTC)
vitellina: (---)

[personal profile] vitellina 2018-11-19 04:41 am (UTC)(link)
On it.

[ runs off to grab one, coming back when she does ]

This good?

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