Event: A Prelude

[trainmasters]

Who: Everyone!
When: Day 8, evening
Where: around

[It's a beautiful evening in the jungle tonight. It's warmer than usual, and some new plants have appeared, black vines that climb up the trees near the Aurora, opening hundreds of tiny white flowers that glow in the darkness. They let of a sweet smell that's soothing like a chamomile tea, and are filled with a dew that, if consumed, leaves characters feeling relaxed and just a little more likely to act on positive impulses.

However, the vines of this plant aren't so harmless. When broken they drip a milky white substance which irritates the skin, leaving red welts that burn and last anywhere from an hour to a full day, depending on how long the substance is in contact. Eating this won't kill you but it'll give you really intense heartburn and nausea for a few hours.

Additionally, if you're walking around in the nearby jungle, you might trip over one of the small cracks that have appeared in the forest floor. Mostly they're not visible underneath the grass and underbrush, but the bigger ones have caused a slight unevenness in the ground that can catch careless toes. There doesn't seem to be any particular pattern or origin to the cracks, nor do they have any other affect on their surroundings. They're just there, suddenly, in a roughly 100-foot radius from the train.

But there's plenty of reason to ignore these natural phenomenon, because there are some new teammates waking up in your carriages! In response to this new wave of arrivals, existing players will hear a cute jingling ringtone come from their Chain. Upon checking, the screen displays... a silly animation of balloons and confetti and the words "WELCOME NEW HEROES", which goes away on its own after a few seconds or when characters tap it. The same display is shown on the big screen in the lounge, in which trays full of colourful drinks have mysteriously appeared. The drinks taste like Kool-Aid and change some part of you the corresponding colour -- pink hair, blue skin, purple eyes, or maybe just a literal green thumb!]

[[OOC NOTE: Newbies can review the arrival scenario on the navigation page if necessary. The drinks in the lounge come in any colour you want, and cause colour shift in whatever and however large an area you want. It could just be a strand of hair or it could be your entire body, whatever you feel like playing with.]]

Comments

[ewestmarch]

Seems lonely for these guys. I guess they don't mind, though. ...Do they know they're dead?

[Gentler pets.]

[bowtiedbones]

I believe they're aware, but it doesn't fully register, either. One of the benefits of a passive summoning is that only the fragments that are at ease with the situation will attach— They're not scared or sickened by themselves. This is just the body they have.

[ewestmarch]

[Quiet:] Good.

[She doesn't say it, but a significant problem for the Forsaken is just keeping most of the populace motivated to keep living on in a body that will always feel wrong and be repellent to everyone including themselves.

The means by which the Dark Lady keeps up "morale" is something Emilia has never agreed with, but keeps to herself.]

Do they like each other? ... Can I meet the others? Is it any strain to keep them manifested physically?

[bowtiedbones]

They get along, and Isolde is Isildur's packmate, but um... I can't call them. My powers aren't working right, and I don't have any of their bones.

[Isildur lifts his head, stepping over to shoulder against Eliza, picking up on her distress. neither of them like being without the other familiars.]

[ewestmarch]

[A short, jerky nod.]

I'm missing my ... familiar, too. I don't know how many sparks I'll need if he counts as a person.

[bowtiedbones]

Person? ...Your familiar isn't an animal?

[ewestmarch]

I didn't raise him or make him what he was, but he was mine to take care of. Some of us didn't come back with all of our faculties -

[Her face twists, her gaze fixed on the same patch of ghost shoulder she's been petting.]

Abominations are dangerous to everyone around them if they're not kept occupied, but when it comes to judgement they're like children. They'll follow someone they trust, and that's how we keep them safe and occupied.

[bowtiedbones]

...Would it be safe to bring him here? Not because of what you said, but um— if he's human, I wonder if his powers or memories would be risked like ours are?

body horror ment

[ewestmarch]

He's... sort of human. Technically, he's parts of nine humans, and some animals. ...But I don't want to leave him dead, even if he comes here without powers. I was working on fixing how tangled up he was, getting all the different ... people out.

[bowtiedbones]

That's possible?

[she doesn't seem horrified or disgusted so much as just completely bewildered]

You have a construct of humans and animals together, and he's stable? Seperating humans— I might be able to help you with that? If our necromatic systems are compatible, I do a lot with composites, two of my familiars are, but... He's really stable?? The summoning hasn't collpased?

(medical horror ment)

[ewestmarch]

Yes. They're a whole... [Mm, how to word it.] Not a species, but there are a lot of them that were made as shock troops. They're held together mostly by creative surgery, it's one of the reasons I learned how to sew. He pops his stitches a lot, and losing an arm won't help with the problems with his soul.

Re: (medical horror ment)

[bowtiedbones]

That's horrible! Is that a war crime? That has to be a war crime.

[ewestmarch]

I don't know. I don't think you can charge the Scourge with that kind of thing...

[bowtiedbones]

Well it should be and they should be! Their mages seriously just go along with that?

[ewestmarch]

None of them have wills of their own, they're under the thrall of a... murderous prick with a lot of magical power.

[bowtiedbones]

That kind of summoning work is going to blow up in his face one day, and I hope it does. That's everything magic and necromancy aren't for!

[ewestmarch]

Oh, it will.

[Emilia is struck by a thought, and frowns.]

Unless the... entire world is gone, I guess.

[Back to petting for a bit while she processes this.]

[bowtiedbones]

[waves a hand]

I'm sure the worlds are fine. Or will be fine. It would be ridiculous if they were all relying on only us.

[ewestmarch]

It's what they told us... Not that I really believed it, but what if the construct was right?

[bowtiedbones]

It's not really a hypothetical I care to entertain.

[ewestmarch]

[Emilia glances over, skeptical. Denial's not gonna help, man.]

If you want.

[bowtiedbones]

Yep.

[simple and matter-of-fact, but Isildur's scales for a second go icy cold]

[ewestmarch]

[Emilia's sense of touch is pretty much shot, but she's not about to start a fight.]

Mm. ...You think we were kidnapped?

[it's a strong possibility, honestly, she'd buy that one too.]

[bowtiedbones]

Conscripted. Press-ganged. Kidnapped. Same difference.

[ewestmarch]

Very possible.

[Deep frown.]

I'll admit all I've been focused on is my abomination not being here with me, no matter how it happened. I'll deal with the rest after I fix that.