TAKSHAKA

[soulping]

[ The Traveler steps in front of all of you, her arms raised dramatically! ]

Today, we take the first step of a very, very long journey together! This dream belongs to a young man, a criminal and his gang who on an otherwise normal heist has gotten in way over his head! Normally, this would be a nightmare, full of blood and death and abject horror!

Fortunately, I have taken the liberty of altering this dream so that it is completely safe and above all, fun! It would not do to have your first foray into the world of unreality to be so unwelcoming! The goal of this game is to survive, reach the end, and solve the mystery...

The mystery of the Train Tracker!

Comments

[barrette]

[ ...well, she's glad the death and horror parts are omitted. ]

How do we solve the mystery? Will there be clues?

[chuggachuggasnoozesnooze]

Yes, there will! You only need to guess his identity at the end of the dream.

[barrette]

Alright! Let's get started!

[ FIST PUMP!!!

followed by a wince. ]

Ouch...

[swordedpast]

Survive?

Didn't you just say that this is completely safe? Then why is survival one of the goals?

[chuggachuggasnoozesnooze]

No harm will come to you.

[swordedpast]

What about anyone else?

CAR 1

[soulping]

[ A young conductor ushers you aboard, his frumpy red hair gleaming beneath his hat.

You're in the dinner car of your team's train, where some very clearly high-class people are mingling...for the most part. There's some people up at the bar that you can tell are LESS THAN SCRUPULOUS. Also, one of them is apparently a cowboy? It's 1931, for godssakes.

The cowboy appears to be telling the young nervous man a story. Something about a TRAIL TRACKER, that appears on trains to murder everyone, at which point the train vanishes...obviously a urban legend, but the nervous man proceeds to FLIP THE FUCK OUT ABOUT IT, and runs off out of the car, insisting that he needs to find the young conductor to warn him that everyone on the train is going to die.

The moment he vanishes, you hear the sound of a pistol firing, and people start to panic. Welp.

OBVIOUS EXITS ARE EAST.

> ]

Re: CAR 1

[barrette]

[ hey, Takshaka dresses like magical girls, they don't notice weird clothes.

but ooh, she tries to listen in on the story and peers after the nervous young man, then jumps out of her seat the moment the gun goes off. ]

Excuse me! I need to get through!

[ as one would expect from a HERO, Sparrow does the opposite of what a reasonable person should and tries to push through the people in the car to chase the nervous man. what if he was shot?! ]

Re: CAR 1

[swordedpast]

[ Suspiciously handing the conductor his ticket and getting on... ]

Your hat is ridiculous.

[ This to the cowboy, but before he can get more in-depth about it, there's the sound of gunshots?! Heading east to investigate... ]

CAR 2

[soulping]

[ As you leave the dinner car, you see a group of people in black suits, carrying cases for musical instruments, running into it. The nervous man seems to have stopped for a second, watching them as they file in, wondering what the christ they're doing when someone just fired a gun.

OBVIOUS EXITS ARE WEST, EAST, and NORTH.

> ]

Re: CAR 2

[barrette]

[ > approach the nervous man ]

Do you know where that shot came from?

Re: CAR 2

[swordedpast]

[ Ignoring the nervous guy; he looks like a useless moeblob anyway. Trying to figure out on his own what direction the gunshot sounds like it came from. ]

CAR 3

[soulping]

[ As you enter this car, you hear MACHINE GUNS firing back from where you came. There's nothing in here but a few crates, which if you wanted you could probably climb up to the HATCH on the roof.

SUDDENLY, a man in a white suit carrying a pistol walks in. The nervous man cries.

OBVIOUS EXITS ARE EAST, WEST and UP.

>]

Re: CAR 3

[swordedpast]

[ Swan knew that guy was a useless moeblob!

The tears still bother him, though, so he glares a bit, then quickly reaches out to try to disarm the white-suited guy who is probably not a psychopath or anything. ]

CAR 4 - ROOF

[soulping]

[ You go up through the hatch, to find yourself on the roof of the train. There doesn't really seem to be much up here, and if you could find another hatch it might be a easy way to get to the conductor's cabin!

...Seems really hard to climb across, though. One wrong step would mean death.

Swan's status changes to 'BLEEDING SEVERELY'.

OBVIOUS EXITS ARE DOWN and EAST. ]

Re: CAR 4 - ROOF

[barrette]

[ ...well, she's trying to get onto the roof of the train. ]

Swan, you keep checking inside! You, [ pointing at hottub-kun ] come with me!

Re: CAR 4 - ROOF

[swordedpast]

[ Frowns at Sparrow!

He reaches up to peel off the sticker and looks at it thoughtfully for a moment. Then he takes off his cape and ties it tightly around his "wound" like a bandage. ]

CAR 5 - ROOF

[soulping]

[ The winds are picking up! You can just barely stay atop the train...but there still seem to be no ACTUAL OBSTACLES in your way.

HOTTUB BLEMISH informs you that the next car should be the conductor's!

Swan's status is "WOUNDED". ]

Re: CAR 5 - ROOF

[barrette]

[ Sparrow determinedly pulls herself along, keeping a firm grip on her PISTOL. ]

We're almost there!

CAR 6

[soulping]

[ You reach the CONDUCTOR'S CAR. This is it! You've finally made it!

Except, looking over the edge, you can see A RED-HAIRED FIGURE COVERED IN BLOOD, GRINDING A BLACKSUITED MAN'S HAND AGAINST THE RAIL.

The BLACKSUIT is SCREAMING. The figure has SPOTTED YOU and drops him, leaving him to be crushed by the train. He is now climbing towards you, incredibly fast.

Swan's status is 'WOUNDED'.

Obvious exists are WEST and DOWN. ]

Re: CAR 6

[barrette]

[ WE DID ITTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT OH MY GOD

G-GRIPPING THE PISTOL TIGHTLY BUT NOT FIRING PLEASE SHE DOESN'T WANT TO FIRE ]

W-Who are you?

Re: CAR 6

[swordedpast]

[ Moving himself in between Sparrow and the creepy bloody guy! ]

Don't hurt her.

CAR 6

[soulping]

[ You have reached the FRONT OF THE TRAIN. Here you spot A DEAD, HORRIBLY MUTILATED RED-HAIRED PERSON. There is a PRISTINE CONDUCTOR'S HAT on the ground.

The NERVOUS MAN is staring in ABJECT TERROR. ]

H-he's dead! I'm too late, the Train Tracker's already got him!

[ HOTTUB BLEMISH CRIES. ]

Re: CAR 6

[barrette]

[ Sparrow lets him cry for the moment, and gingerly kneels next to the body to check it for anything important. ]

Re: CAR 6

[swordedpast]

[ Takes the conductor's hat and puts it on. It might be important. ]