voidtreckerexpress | A New Platform [Intro Post October]

On the Train

The train continues its journey

"Good morning Voidtreckers, it is day sixteen of the month of Nebula. Points have been updated on the system."

With points updated, everyone can spend the morning shopping. Most people will be expecting the second announcement that comes a few hours later.

"Shortly arriving into a designated void platform. Exit from void in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one." A lurch and a jolt and the windows fill with the fog that means they are at a platform.

The doors open. As usual, those who leave first notice nothing, walking silently, rucksacks on their backs, towards the barriers. Asch, Ayumi Uoshida, Cleopatra Selene, Della Duck, Ghost, Hanuel Min, Jaisyn Solo, Jonathan Sims, Martin Blackwood, Nie Huaisang, Vermouth; all pass across the platform, not looking back. And then they're gone, disappeared through the barriers and into the fog beyond.

But on the platform itself there are four new faces. Wearing hoodies, three in purple one orange, in various states of confusion.

For New Passengers

At first all they can see is steam billowing around them as they come to their senses. As their eyes adjust, they find themselves on a platform. The platform is relatively small, a brick wall behind them and cracked flagstones on the floor. It is cold, icy cold but the wall at least shelters them a little.

They are standing, in clothes that are not their own and a style they might not even recognise. They are carrying a rucksack on their back. For a moment it seems to just be them, alone on the foggy, freezing platform; then the fog begins to fade and they realise they aren’t alone.

The platform isn't large, but it is enough to hold the four figures scattered around, all facing the tracks, all dressed in cargo trousers and hoodies. Then there is a roaring sound and out of the fog arrives a train. Jet black with gold writing on the side. The Voidtrecker Express. There is a hiss as the doors slide open and out pours a strange assortment of people, over a hundred at least. Some are human, some are less so. Most are wearing the same hoodie in one of the four colours, red, orange, blue and purple, though some are sporting different clothes in a variety of styles.

Behind them, the doors close, and the train is cloaked in the same fog that hides the world beyond the platform.

The Train

After a short time, perhaps ten minutes or so, the fog clears and the doors hiss open again. Those from the train may encourage those on the platform to board. It’s not like there's anywhere else to go and even if there was, you feel a pull. A need to board, a feeling that staying on the platform would lead to something terrible. If that is not enough, there are plenty of people on the platform now, to encourage them onto the train.

Each ICP shows the same message and next to the screens there are stacks of leaflets written by those on the train, with further information (see
'Publications'). The store rooms have been restocked with fresh ingredients, including yadon tail, as well as all sundries.

For passengers that have bought items, these are also scattered around the luggage carriage in various suitcases and bags.

New passengers will find their ticket allows them into their cabins. In most rooms, the occupied beds are obvious, leaving the spotless, empty spaces for the newcomers. Room is tight but there are storage cubbies at the head of each bed, beds fold up and the bottom bunks double as benches for the small table. There is storage under those benches full of spare blankets and pillows.

Departure

A second horn sounds to encourage any stragglers taking advantage of the fresh air, and the doors slide shut. Veteran passengers know what will happen next, but they may wish to brief their new companions.

The train sets off, the fog obscuring the view again as it picks up speed.

"Welcome aboard, passengers of the Voidtrecker Express." A female-coded artificial sounding voice echoes throughout the train. "Please take the time to read the passenger information displayed on the Information and Communication points and familiarise yourself with the layout and emergency exits."

The train begins to tilt, leaving the ground and rising up into the fog-filled sky.

"Entrance into Voidspace imminent. New passengers are advised to remain seated. Entry into Voidspace in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one."

A shudder, a jolt, a lurch to the left. A flash of light, colourful and blinding. As quick as it happens it is done. The train seems to steady itself. The fog from the windows is gone now, replaced with a kaleidoscope of ever-changing colours.

Welcome to the Void!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"No, no. You're right. It's not a spell one casts lightly. It's to change someone's form permanently, and they asked me to do it. A powerful spell requires a lot of materials - or rare, expensive ones. This one is a bit of both."

He holds up a small box and shakes it. It sounds a little like sand sloshing around inside.

"Gemstone dust is also required."

"Magic that requires material is a slightly odd idea.." He adds, as he's managed to grab a hold of the wheeled bag, before starting to climb back over the suitcases until he's ready to hold it out towards Caleb. There, time to see if they can move the packages onto that.

"But I suppose it makes sense. Like.. equivalent exchange, I suppose? Not being able to get something unless you sacrifice something else for it.. It's like something you'd hear about in a story."

He readies himself to deal with a lot of weight - he's only got average strength. Thankfully it shouldn't be hard to at least wrestle the clay onto the bag.

"Something like that. It also has to do with how the components interact with the magical weave that wizards manipulate in order to cast spells."

Inigo pauses for a moment, like his brain needs said precious moment to try and parse this information. Try and understand it.

And while it does seem like his brain manages to process the information when given that slight bit of time, it just ends up making Inigo look really surprised.

"Wizards do that?!"

Inigo thought magic just.. came out of nowhere. Sue him.

"At least wizards in my world do. It's not as if you can just wave your hands randomly to get magic to do what you need it to."

He huffs a little at the very idea. "Anyone who studies hard enough can be a wizard, but it does take a lot of studying and hard work to develop the talent. Not everyone wants to or can study like that, either because they're just not the studying sort or because they don't get the opportunity to."

"I don't know, it always looked like it cost Laurent no effort at all to cast magic.."

Though he really was a huge nerd who liked to read a lot, so maybe that's what did it. Especially with what Caleb is saying right now.

.. and even moreso with Inigo realising exactly which category he belongs in.. what a callout.

"He'd just move his hands, and.. boom, a huge fireball would appear!"

"It could just be the difference between the worlds. Apparently requiring materials is quite unusual from some of the conversations I've had around the train."

If only he didn't need material components... that would be useful. And less expensive. "But as of right now I only know magic from my world, so I can only use magic that largely requires this sort of thing."

Inigo nods. At least he can understand that. If Caleb is used to doing things this way, then it's not like he could just suddenly jump on an entirely different kind of magic. Especially since Inigo has no idea if people who come from some specific world can even learn magic that comes from a different world entirely..

And he doubts he could figure that out, even if he thought about it much more. Inigo is not exactly an expert when it comes to magic, after all.

"Would you want to learn magic from different places if you could?" He instead asks.

"Of course." The answer is instant, his expression lightening significantly. "I'm always interested in new types of magic and how they can be used. The fact that there's so many systems here is fascinating, and I would like to one day have a meeting of everyone with magic on the train so we can discuss theory. ... Or those of us who care about theory, at least."

"Hah.. right." Inigo does shake his head at that, laughing a little. "I guess even people who do know how to use magic might not always exactly care about the hows or whys."

Inigo figures that he'd be like that if he knew magic, after all.. But Caleb seems to be much more of a ~~nerd~~ technical guy.

"I'm going to feel so sad to be left out though!" He jokes. "Maybe I should set up a rival meeting, of people who like.. uh.."

This was clearly a very on the spot joke, since Inigo looks like he's hard-pressed to suddenly come up with something here.

".. Who like swordfighting!" Nailed it.

"Given how often I hear the training gym in use, I think you'll have no shortage of members."

None of that for him, please. His arms are too skinny to swing around a sword and not hurt himself. "I'm sure there's people interested in the technical aspects of that, too."

He lets out another chuckle.

"You'd be surprised. I tried teaching one of my friends those, and he wasn't having it." Not that he sounds offended by that in the slightest. Inigo remembers when he was much younger, and he also thought any technical aspect during swordfighting lessons was the most boring thing ever.

"People don't care about swordfighting unless you can do flips during it, apparently!"

A New Platform [Intro Post October]

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