voidtreckerexpress | A new platform [intro post September]

A new platform [intro post September]

For those on the train

“Good morning passengers, it is day one of the month of Bassoon.” The train announces the morning the month changes. It seems the train counts months in days of thirty. Team Points have been updated on the system.

The day continues as most days do, chores, eating, getting ready for another day. But those who suspect that a change of month may bring something else are correct. It is only an hour or two later that there is another announcement.

“Shortly arriving into a designated void platform. Exit from void imminent.”

By now they should know to hold on as the train jerks and jolts. There is only fog outside the windows but the train soon comes to a stop. The doors hiss open.

As they exit into the fog they may notice Evie exiting from the luggage carriage door. Much like Hibiki the last time they were on a platform. She leaves the train, backpack on her back as she walks through the station. She heads no call, reacts to no words and cannot be stopped as she walks to the ticket barrier and disappears through it.

Strange. But even stranger still is that there on the platform that whole time is Evie. Dressed in purple, backpack on back, with her are others. Waiting for the train.

For new arrivals

At first all they can see if steam. Billowing around them as they come to their senses. They are standing, in clothes that are not their own, styles they might not even recognise. They are carrying a rucksack on your back. For a moment it seems to just be them, alone in the white haze but then the steam begins to fade and they realise they aren’t alone.

The platform is not very large, but it hold twelve figures all facing the tracks, all wearing similar clothing. The tracks stretch left and right into steam, or perhaps fog. Nothing can be seen to either side. There is a wall around the platform and the only entrance is a ticket barrier. It cannot be open, nor do there seem to be any staff.

What there is, is a train. Jet black and gleaming where it stands on the rails.Voidtrecker Express is emblazoned in the engine in gold. There is a hiss as the doors slide open.

Out step a selection of people, some less human than others, wearing clothes just like those worn by those on the platform.

The Train

The doors hiss open. Those from the train may encourage those on the platform to board. It’s not like there is 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 not be a good thing.

Once on board there is lots to explore. Passengers both old and new will hopefully be delighted to see the boredom of this train journey is somewhat alleviated by the introduction of a game carriage. Plenty of games, both familiar and new to play with your new travelling companions.
Each ICP shows the same message. If Red team go and look they will find a box in the luggage compartment that contains their prize. A dralite themed cake lolly each. There are enough for the new members of Red team too, share in your teams previous success!

The food stores have been topped up with new fresh food. Salmon has taken over as the primary ingredient of choice. Hopefully everyone likes fish!

New passengers will find their tickets allow them into their cabins. They may need to negotiate for beds, especially if they want a top bunk!

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 and you will hopefully find a pillow for your bed if it has not been nabbed by a roommate, there are also spare blankets for if it gets cold.

Departure

A second horn sounds to encourage any stragglers and the doors slide shut. For those who boarded two weeks ago they will know what is coming next.

The train sets off, the fog obscuring the view 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."

Hopefully someone warns you that you really want to heed that warning because a moment later there is 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. The fog from the windows is gone now, replaced with a kaleidoscope of ever changing colours.

Welcome to voidspace.

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Reigen attempted to get past the invisible barrier on the jewel with more force, but it was a similar sensation of trying to get past a repelling magnet force. He elected to stop before he ended up accidentally poking the guy.

"Uh-huh...so are you guys psychic, or is just the jewels that have the energy? ...and isn't going to the Abyss bad?" He assumed that was hell, and if you go to hell, you died. Basic stuff.

"Wow. Okay, where to start?" he wondered. And despite their being seats all around them, he pulled a Jaenelle and just sat on the air where he had been, as if there was a stool there that kept him at about the same height. Just habit, really.

"Alright, so among the Blood, the people where I am from that have Craft, or magic, no matter the species, there are Castes, and there is Rank. There are also other considerations like being Aristo and what circle you serve in if you serve, but let's focus on Caste and Rank for the moment. Rank first."

"In order to be Blood you have to have the basic fundamental ability to do magic. If you are not strong enough to wear Jewels, or you are broken, that is all you have, it is a simple shallow pool of psychic ability, and doing much of anything will wear you out. Generally people who can do this basic Craft at such a shallow level and can't wear Jewels falls into one of three main groups. A Half blood or throwback, which can be a problem. Someone who wore Jewels and was broken. Or a child too young to go through their Birthright ceremony."

He ran a hand through his hair. "The Birthright Ceremony is a big deal. Not only is that when a child gets their first Jewels but it is also when paternity is legally acknowledged or denied. Until then a father has rights to his children only as their mother allows. If paternity is denied, he has no rights, even if she later changes her mind. If it is acknowledged, unless he breaks a law severe enough to have a Queen deny him rights, the child is as much his as the child is their mother's, by law."

Hard thoughts, given his own child was coming to that age faster than he thought possible. Not that he had any fear that Morghan would deny paternity, there was no question. He would be acknowledged. But it was still a tense time for any new father. So he moved on.

"What Jewels you come away with during your Birthright is a measure of how strong you are and how strong you will be, since you can only descend a maximum of three ranks during your Offering as an adult. Birthright and Offering are the ONLY times someone is granted their Jewels." Except for Witch, but everything was different when it came to Jaenelle Angelline, and he was leaving her out of the conversation for now. "I know one Warlord Prince who was not strong enough, emotionally and mentally, to take what was offered when he made his Offering, and from a Jewels standpoint he will always be less. He's healed now and is strong in many other ways, but he will never wear a Jewel darker than the Purple Dusk. That said, he is a strong leader now, a good husband to his wife, a good First Escort to his Queen, and a good friend."

He tapped his Jewel gently. "Sapphire is the strength I was gifted when I made my offering to the Darkness. I walked away with the Sapphire. In order, from weakest to strongest the Jewels are White White, Yellow, Tiger Eye, Rose, Summer-sky, Purple Dusk, Opal, Green, Sapphire, Red, Gray, Ebon-gray, Black." Ebony and Twilight's Dawn went with Jaenelle. Things to discuss later if at all. "The Jewels themselves store power for us, and if we drain them too far they can shatter, leaving us cut off from the Abyss. Leaving us broken. A shattered Jewel cannot be repaired. Someone who is broken cannot heal."

A deep breath. Hard thoughts. "The darker the Jewel the deeper into the Abyss you can go to reach your full power. While I can do some things without gathering power that a White Jeweled Warlord couldn't do at all, if I make a fast descent to the Sapphire in the Abyss and pull up fast, I have access to much more power for one strong spell. But that is dangerous because if I don't pull up in time, I can shatter my own web and break myself back to my Birthright, or cut myself off from the Abyss altogether."

"With me so far?"

"...yeah." God dammit, if only he had a notebook to keep track of all this stuff. Reigen more or less could wrap his head around the politics Khardeen brought up, he'd just have to adjust to all these new terms.

"So the jewel is like a generator, and the color is how much power you can handle...so the Abyss is where the power is stored? Why does it have such a messed-up sounding name?"

Reigen had assumed it was something like Hell. He wasn't sure he was wrong that yet, but...if he was right, he'd have to question if the man he's talking to is actually human.

"Not certain what a generator is, so that is a little hard to confirm. But yes, we can each touch the Abyss if we can wear Jewels, and some of us can go deeper than others. What do you mean about it having a messed up sounding name?"

"Well, where I'm from, an abyss is just a dark bottomless pit. Not a good place to go. Plus you mentioned your powers would break if you stayed there too long, so how worth it is it to use?" Any power was risky, sure, he figured as much from how tired Mob would get after using a large amount of psychic power, but something that would completely ruin you if you used it wrong? Reigen wouldn't do it himself, just saying.

"Oh, a generator. It's a machine that makes electricity. People can keep the lights on in their house with it."

"We use craft for lighting our houses, landens, those without Craft, use candles, or pay some blood youths to put spells on their lights for them. And yes, while everything has a price, that knife edge dance gives us the power to protect the people and lands we love? Yes, that is worth the risk and worth the price. Always."

"Ha...well, if you're using your power with good intentions, I think we'll get along fine, Khardeen." There was nothing worse than a psychic who used his powers with no regard for others, after all.
"Alright then, I think it all makes sense to me now. Consider the misunderstanding from before a language barrier. Different places refer to psychic power differently, you know?"

"I am coming to learn that, here. Which does make me wonder about this Web. But I figure the ladies will have it sorted soon enough. However back home, for me, Craft is Craft in all three realms. So this is either a very strong Tangled Web, or a very inventive one. I am not fully sure which yet."

Good intentions. Well, he tried, but wasn't that subjective? Especially if no one else served Witch?

“I’m rooting for your ladies too, I’d like to be able to go home. I’ve still got work to do.” Worst case scenario, Mob and Serizawa could keep the office functioning while he was gone, but Reigen really didn’t want to make them deal with customers longer than necessary. Neither of them were the best with people. “What country are you from anyway? I don’t know anywhere that relies on esp and candles for the lights.” He was still betting on somewhere in Europe.

"I am from Scelt in Kaleer. Yourself?" Terrielle was his guess, given that the boyo didn't know, if he was from any of the three Realms in the first place.

Reigen searched his memory of geography for a Scelt or a Kaleer, but he was drawing a blank. Curse his high school self for coasting on natural intelligence for subjects he didn’t care about! That or the place didn’t even exist for him. He was hoping for the latter.
“Seasoning City? It’s in Japan.”

"I do not think I have ever heard of a Territory called Japan. Is it in Terielle perhaps?"

"Terielle? Nope, don't know where that is. If it's not in Europe...America. Have I got it?"

"I have never heard of a Europe or America. If not Terellie or Kaleer, maybe H***? I'd have to ask Uncle Saetan what the Territories there are called."

"H--what? Your uncle is who?!" Reigen was starting to think Khardeen was messing with him, if not for how in-depth the whole Dark Jewel thing had been. If there were elves and giant spiders on the train, why not a relative of the actual devil? "I'm definitely not from there. I'm an ethical man who pays taxes!"

"When we were fifteen, we all descended on the Hall in Kaleer. He's been the uncle and honorary Steward to the Dark Court before there was an official Dark Court. Uncle Saetan and Uncle Aduvlar. Prothovar and Memphis were more like cousins. Not sure why you are conflating that with tithes or morals, though." Or rather he had a suspicion and unlike Lucivar he was willing to remain pleasant and give the other man a chance to prove him wrong, rather than say, punching him in the face. Or like Surreal which would would have been a lower punch, with a knife.

The air however was slightly chilly now, at least... more so than it had been a few moments ago.

Yikes, Reigen definitely felt the pressure in the air increase. Maybe assuming someone's uncle was the literal devil was a bad move on his part. Time to backtrack before Khardeen decided to curse him or something.

"Ok... maybe I'm thinking of a different Satan. There's a guy where I'm from with the same name who's associated with a lot of bad people. But that raises the question of what kind of place your Hell is compared to mine--"

He trailed off on the last sentence, before quickly looking back up and chattering even more, accompanying his rambling with a lot of nervous hand movement. "I'm sure your uncle pays taxes, though! Definitely not like the other Satan! Maybe his place is actually nice to visit, if he started a whole form of government he must be doing something right! Anyway, you got other family, Khar? Can I call you Khar, are we at that point of our partnership?"

The air chilled ever so slightly more for a moment, then the chill vanished as he leaned back against a wall... that didn't exist, and sighed.

"Uncle Saetan is the High Lord and he rules ****, yes. And **** is not a great place to be, but that is not because that is how he chooses it to be. When people die but are too strong to return to the Darkness, they become Demon Dead, and thus become his. He keeps the line between the dead and the living, and it is his say when that line is blurred. When..." he swallowed a bit, and the smile fell away. "When Morton died, the High Lord knew that ties had to be cut, that even though we knew Demons like Ucle Anduvlar and Memphis and Prothovar and Duje and Titian that Morton was different. We hadn't known any of them when they were alive. they had been dead thousands of years before we met them. Morton had to adjust to being dead and had to have the freedom to do so without feeling like he still needed to be who he was before. It hurt, Mother Night it hurt like losing him all over again to know enough of him survived but that we'd never see him again, but we trust the High Lord and we understand."

He ran a hand through his curls. "Yes, Uncle Saetan was involved with some bad people. ****s Fire. You think he doesn't hate that he was married to that ****? That he didn't see Heketabah for what she is, what she would be, back then? Ever since he has done everything honor allowed to fight against her. He taught us more about honor, by word and deed, than anyone else before him ever had."

And then, because he needed a lighter topic, he managed a weak grin. "Besides, he is the Warlord Prince of Dehlman in the living realms, besides being the High Lord of ****, and he is the Steward in the Dark Court, he doesn't pay tithes, he's one of the one tithes are paid TO."

Ok, Reigen has definitely stepped on a landmine in whatever was going on in Khardeen's life before he got here, judging by the morbid background that was coming out. Now he felt a little bad for accidentally insulting the guy's uncle when apparently he'd dealt with the aftermath of a toxic marriage and managing a bunch of property.

"...jeez. Sounds like you've all been through a lot. I hope the thing with his ex-wife clears up." Reigen had pretty much given up on acting like he knew what was going on with the whole Uncle Satan thing, especially with how touchy a subject it seemed. He liked having his bones. "Oh, uh, and sorry about your friend," he quickly added.

Ok, now that they were on a less death and suffering related topic, Reigen could manage a smile back. "That's a lot of places to manage. He sounds like a busy guy, I've gotta respect that."

"Oh, she no longer exists," he said and his grin was a bit savage, the glitter in his eyes dangerous. "Not even a whisper in the darkness."

"Oh. Con...gratulations?" What else was he supposed to say to that?

He laughed a bit and clapped him on the shoulder. "One way of looking at it, I suppose."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

A new platform [intro post September]

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Sorry for the info dump

Lol I also apologize for the short response

Oh hush, it is not short.

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Seasoning city? I think my brain just broke. Cooking anime, or.....?

LOL MP100 is about psychics the locations are just named after spices for some reason

weird.

Uncle Saetan? And I'm the weird one??

We're both weird. :D

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