Echoes in a Void

[voidtreckermods]

"Good morning passengers, today is day twenty of the month of Horseshoe." The day begins normally at least. Passengers wake in their bed, perhaps get up, begin to start their morning.

It is perhaps less than an hour after waking that the first problems occur, turbulence making the train shake and roll. It's not quite bad enough to throw most sure footed passengers off their feet, but it is not very pleasant. Anyone near the window will notice the void looks different. The colours are bolder and shift more violently than usual.

"Passengers of the Voidtrecker Express, please brace yourselves for a Voidstorm." The announcement is not that useful, but a moment later the ICPs all show a message.

The void continues to shift and swirl, violent and mesmerising.

Outside

It might be that the strange effects of the void draw them to the windows, or it might be that they hear a voice. A friend, a lover, a mother. Calling them. Soft and sweet, high and playful.

Join us. It's tempting, faces show in the void outside, pleading and cajoling. Passengers might even see places, a home, a land long lost. Just outside, not out of reach at all. All they have to do is join them, enter the chaos of the void. Or at least stay close, watch through the windows, stare into the void...

Inside

The shapes outside the train are not the worrying thing, as the storm progresses people will start noticing that the train seems fuller than usual. An empty carriage becomes full in a moment, people eating and playing or reading. A friend passengers thought long gone walking down the corridor towards them. Or perhaps it is not a voidtrecker that they know, but a stranger in uniform going about their business, seemingly normal until they pass through them, leaving them chilled and weak.

They gravitate towards those who are alone, following them, gathering around them, sapping them of energy.

Safety in Numbers

Sticking together is the safest course of action. Being together, physical contact or just shared activities will make the echoes leave them alone. Start a game, encourage a beanbag reading circle. Anything to keep people distracted and together.

Stay strong, Voidtreckers, the storm shall soon pass.

(OOC: Here is the ooc information for this event. This post can be used as a catch all, or you can start your own posts set during this time.)

Comments

[najaran]

Najaran, waking up some, nodded. "Yeah, if you see any of the other man headed-canes..." she yawned. "Come get us."

[swansongs]

"I'll do that." He paused for a moment, considering his next question, then added, "How dangerous can a talking cane be, though?"

[najaran]

"It is not so much the other Man-headed Canes," Goligan said, "it is their plans and their human partners. And their... less than human partners."

Najaran shuddered.

[swansongs]

"Oh. Right. That makes more sense." He still didn't know what kind of plans a talking can could have that would make them dangerous paired with a human or non-human partner, but he wasn't about to ask.

"What kind of less than human partners are we talking about?"

[najaran]

"The Elemental Lords. Well, two of them, anyway. The Dark Lord and the Lord of flies. The Black Cepters are trying to use the Elemental Lords to collect all the Culdcept cards to rebuild the Culdcept itself," Najaran said with a shudder.

[swansongs]

He blinked. Then blinked again. "I'm sorry I asked, because now I'm even more confused," he said with a bit of a laugh. "What's the Culdcept?"

[najaran]

"The Culdcept is the book of creation that the Goddess Culdra used when she created the multiverse. During the war of the gods it was shattered and the pieces fell onto the various worlds. In my world they fell as cards. Like these." She reached behind her back and a card flew out of the pouch that hung off her belt into her hand. She held it up, but would not let him take it. "This is a Culdcept card. Cepters, like me, can use them to summon the things written into their part of the Culdcept. Like this card is Knight, he's my friend and I summon him lots. He's also the card I use most often in combat." She gave a bright smile. "He gets to have a fun battle and get some exercise, and I get to not die! It works out for everyone."

"Najaran sees things in somewhat simple terms," Goligan added, "but in essence, she is correct. Cepters have a long and varied history and some Cepters use their cards poorly. Najaran might do some things she should not, like make her cards help with chores, but she would never use them to attack the innocent or to be a bully or in fights they have no chance of winning. She also, for the most part, does not fight just for fighting sake."

"For the most part?" she sputtered. "I'd never fight for fighting sake!"

"The tournament in Soron," he said, flatly.

She puffed out her cheeks. "How else was I supposed to investigate to see if the Black Cepters were there?"

"And of course your temper and the prize money had nothing to do with it?" Goligan asked dryly.

"So, would you like to meet any of my friends?" she asked Dyme quickly, changing the subject.

[swansongs]

That was a lot of information to take in. Then again, most things were a lot of information for Dyme. "Right..." he blinked a few times, letting all of that sink in. "That sounds pretty cool, actually." Definitely potentially dangerous, but also cool.

He also was pretty familiar with having a temper and the idea of fighting just for the sake of fighting, even if he'd been moving past that himself and doing a lot better. Once upon a time, he'd been pretty awful about it.

"Uh, sure?"

[najaran]

She grinned and held her card behind her back. It was sucked into her pouch and two more cards flew to her hands. She threw the cards into the air. They burst apart in a blinding flash of light and resolved into a small furry creature and a small scaly creature.

The furry one dropped to the ground and looked up at them. The scaly one landed on her wrist and climbed up onto her shoulder, hands on her head. "This is Eidolon," she said, nodding to the furry one. "And Gremlin."

[swansongs]

He wished he could say either of them were cute, he really did. Instead, he had to bite his tongue to keep from asking if they were all horrifying.

"And they're...friendly?" If they were her friends, he imagined they were, but he was still a little wary. Someone could have a dog, and that dog could still be unfriendly towards others, after all.

[najaran]

"Sure, unless we're under attack. Gremlin's been helping me learn how to use the ICP thing to shop. And they're very helpful with chores. And with eating the meals I cook!" She smiled brightly.