A new platform [intro post September]

[voidtreckermods]

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.

Comments

[sell_tickets]

"Oh they vary from realm to realm, territory to territory. The ones in Scelt, where my wife rules, tend to be fairly open, especially the more recently built ones, so as to accommodate any who wish the aid of a Priestess."

[myblueskies]

Scelt is a place he's never heard of, but he's not heard of lots of places and there are lots of different worlds. "That's good lord Khardeen! Things are always better when everyone works together, that means jobs get done more quickly and it's more fun!" He smiled.

"Does your wife rule a whole country?"

[sell_tickets]

"She is the Queen of Scelt which is in the Realm of Kaleer. Other than the Territory of Little Terielle and one Island, Kaleer is ruled by my friend Jaenelle Angelline. So my wife reports to Jaenelle when she needs to, but otherwise is the law in Scelt. Likewise, the Provenance Queens report to her, and the District Queens report to them, and down the line to the Queens that rule single villages."

[myblueskies]

That all sounded very complicated. Very very complicated but Romeo did his best to listen really carefully! His wife was a queen of a place called Scelt but that was in a realm that was ruled by another lady who was lord Khardeen's friend.

"So there's one big boss, Jaenelle and then there's lots of smaller bosses but they all listen to her because she's the leader?"

That was a lot of people, she must be a good leader if she could even rule lots of other bosses, queens. He nodded with a grin.

[sell_tickets]

"Yes, we all listen to her, because she's the leader." An impish grin. "No matter how much she claims she isn't, anymore. But if you ever meet her," if she sent a Shadow or something similar into the Web to look for his mind, "you stick close to her, okay? Do what she says, and help keep her safe for me. Alright?"

Jaenelle was going to kick his ***. But since that meant she had to find him first, it was totally worth it.

[myblueskies]

"Yes, Lord Khardeen!" He would do that! He doesn't know what she looks like but he will listen out for her name and if he meets her he will make sure to listen to her and help keep her safe!

Lord Khardeen seemed very nice so he was sure his leader was a really good person!

Can he ruffle his hair? You mentioned being a ghost. Of not, please let me know and I'll edit.

[sell_tickets]

"Thank you." He ruffled his hair. "So, shall we see what this place has for a couple hungry adventurers to eat?"

Yes he's solid and has very ruffable hair

[myblueskies]

Romeo grinned as his hair was mussed and his grin grew at the suggestion. He was very hungry. He's always hungry of course but he's learned to tell when he actually probably needs food and when is just the constant endless hunger.

"Let's go and see Lord Khardeen! I hope they won't mind us getting food, since we didn't choose to come here or plan at all!"

Awesome

[sell_tickets]

He grinned and offered his hand. "We'll figure something out, I'm sure. I don't know about you but I could eat a whole cold box full of stew right about now and a tray of nutcakes to finish it off. Wonder who runs the kitchens here..."

Thought they were on the train already, lol.

[sell_tickets]

"Sure. Lead the way, kiddo."

I got muddled

[myblueskies]

"That sounds really really nice lord Khardeen!" He grinned and looked around. They were near the bedrooms now but would a kitchen be near the bedrooms? Romeo had no idea. He had never been on a train with bedrooms before and he was pretty sure the train he and Ginia had ridden on had not had a kitchen either!

"Maybe this way?" He pointed down the corridor, they wouldn't find it standing still!

happens to us all. :D

[sell_tickets]

"Alright, let's explore! Lead the way!"

[myblueskies]

"Okay Lord Khardeen!" He grins and sets off through the corridor, the doors open by pushing a button. Just like magic. Or more likely science but Romeo is still a little unsure on where one ends and the other begins.

The next carriage along is not a kitchen, but it is full of board games. Romeo looked around with wide eyes. "That's a lot of games!"

[sell_tickets]

"That is," he agreed, walking inside to look at the games. "Wonder if any of the ladies here play chess," he said with an impish smile.

[myblueskies]

"Chess! I know how to play chess! Miss Hibiki taught me!" It had been fun but had had a lot of rules! A very tricky game!

There was bound to be a chess set in here because there seemed to be every other game ever! Romeo didn't recognise most of them!

[sell_tickets]

He grinned. "I have a set, if you want we can play while we eat. Or before, if you prefer." Besides if a female was the one to teach him, the poor boyo probably completely misunderstood the game.

[myblueskies]

"That would be nice si... Mister Khardeen! Playing chess is lots of fun!" He smiled. "I don't mind, we can eat and play or play here." Here had places for playing after all and food could probably wait.

[sell_tickets]

"Alright then, a quick game to see what you know and then we can find food and maybe play again after." It would give Khary a chancer to keep his temper from boiling over. He didn't have much of one, but generally playing chess with a woman could do it. So if this kid was taught to be that illogical, he might need the cooldown time.

He dropped into a seat at the table and called in his chess set, taking the board, pieces, and dice from the velvet pouch he kept his chess set in. A quick shield around the board, each piece, and each die to keep them clean, he started setting up.

What he didn't know was that the game of chess that Romeo knew was only vaguely like the game he was setting up. The black and light grey board might have been familiar since some sets were interestingly colored, but the dice wouldn't be and the pieces... They were red and black rather than white and black, to start. The board was thirteen by thirteen. There were two castles that could have been Rooks. There was a Queen. There... were no kings, and the other pieces... well they were oddly shaped and hard to identify. "Shall we roll for Rank before we set up?" he asked. "And would you prefer to be black or red?"

[myblueskies]

Romeo sat down as well and watched as Khardeen started taking out pieces. His grin quickly turned into confusion though as he saw the pieces. This wasn't like the game he knew at all. He had only played it once but he remembered there were a line of pawns and then a king and a queen and some horses and castles and priests. No dice.

"Um... Sorry Lord Khardeen I think maybe I know a different game. I never saw this game before."

He had been sure it had been called chess though. Hibiki could be strange sometimes but she never taught him wrong things... She was a genius after all.

[sell_tickets]

"I thought you said you played chess. I suppose I misheard. I don't mind teaching, if you want." Well, at least the kid wasn't going to give him a heart attack. That was good."

[myblueskies]

"I did lord Khardeen. But I think it was different." He looked confused but brightened up at the offer. "I would like to learn sir! Then maybe if I can find the game I learned in here somewhere I can teach you back and then we will both know two games!"

That was the best way!

[sell_tickets]

He gave him a bright smile. "That sounds wonderful, you have yourself a deal. So the most important thing in this chess, at least is the Queen. She is your most powerful piece, however if she is taken, you lose." Which was true of so much more than chess. "So no matter what when you play, the Queen must be protected at all costs. As long as she is alive and free you still have a chance to win, if anything happens to her, the game is over and you lost. With me so far?"

[myblueskies]

It was a good deal! He grinned and leaned forward as he listened carefully.

The queen was the most important. She was the most powerful in the chess he had learned but here she sounded more like the king.

"Yes sir! Is the aim to capture your opponents queen?"

Here comes a mix of rules we get in canon and me trying to extrapolate the rest.

[sell_tickets]

"Exactly. Now the besides the Queen, there are a number of other pieces to be aware of." He held up what looked like Rooks. "Castles. They can be hidden behind and cannot be captured. But they don't move once the game starts, so you need to think strategically when deciding where to place them. Then there is the Sanctuary." He lifted it. "This can move but only if two other pieces move with it on either side, and that move cannot be a capture move. Now, the rest of the pieces can move on their own, I'll get to how in a moment, but to identify them..." He touched each in turn. "Healers. Priestesses, who are the ones that move with the Sanctuary. Black Widows. Witches." Those were among the smallest and most numerous. "Blood males." Those were the others that were small and many. "Blood males and witches are generally the weakest pieces, the first taken, and the least likely to capture." Having had a few too many bruises from the girls in the Coven, Queens all, he tried not to use the word 'pawn' but that was very much what they were. Then he went to the ones that remained of power. "Princes. Warlords. Warlord Princes."

That done, though he still had to explain how each moved, he gestured to the board itself. "Thirteen by thirteen. The five rows closest to you are your territory, and you may place your pieces wherever you wish within them for starting position. The five closest to me are mine, and I may do the same. The middle three are the battlefield. Most of the capturing will happen there, especially at the start of play."