5179/WANTED: The Conductor

WANTED: The Conductor
Date of Scene:	02 April 2017
Location:	Lumiere
Synopsis:	A madman known as The Conductor is said to be controlling a flaming train in the tunnels beneath Lumiere. A bounty has been sent out to eliminate him.
Cast of Characters:	974, Count Kord, Tomoe, 774

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Carna (974) has posed:
    The last time a group expedition led people to scout out the subway tunnels in the part of Guillotine Square known as the Umberdark Tunnels, they experienced a time anomaly of some kind, duplicates of themselves, a Shrine Mimic (that later came in handy), and a flaming train full of screaming souls that has been running the tracks continuously for so long it has outlasted the full life cycle of the Earth's sun. The train and its master, a fiend known only as 'The Conductor', have been a threat for far too long.

    With exploration efforts into the Umberdark Tunnels now a priority in order to reach the second Marble Guardian of Barrowville, it's time to remove this problem.

    A Shrine of Light from the Church of Bleak Mercy allows instant transportation to the spooky abandoned subway station. It is quite dark, the structures that resemble a train platform crafted by human hands, but formed so seamlessly that they look more as though stone and metal had been woven into place rather than simply crafted.

    Sometimes, the coppery smell of blood wafts through the tunnels when the frigid air is sent into motion by unseen forces either further down the tunnels or nearer by and not-yet-encountered. The platform that was mirrored on the other side before is absent, the dozens of sets of tracks between here and an alcove in the wall no doubt hazardous to cross. And yet they are here specifically for the purpose of dispelling that hazard.

    Crow, an animated shadow, has chosen to accompany the party. It is unlikely to be crushed by a train given its two-dimensional, substanceless form, and it can scout without hint of presence of any kind. As long as Crow doesn't speak, at least, and keeps its cartoonish face hidden among the other shadows.

    The Shadow pipes up while sliding up one of the support pillars, "Hey, so who here has anti-train magic? One of you brought some, right?" :D

    So much for not speaking.

Count Kord has posed:
    "... I doubt any such magic exists in this or any other realm."

    Kord might be wrong but his reply to Crow is indicative of his tired acceptance of Crow's foolish questions and prodding. The Count of Shadows has crouched there on the platform for the train, and he stares down with glowing eyes at the tracks where they stand. He seems fairly focused on whatever he's doing, which becomes clear in very short order. The red-and-black dressed man reaches out with one of his claw gauntlets, his fingers outspread. As he does so, the shadows that hide within the tracks themselves morph and change.

    And Kord forms a strip of solid shadow blades, in the hopes that he can cripple the track-bound vehicle as it comes hurtling through the tunnels.

    "It is always best to improvise in the absence of a specialized ability," he adds, looking aside at Crow as if this was more a demonstration for the talking shadow than something he expects to actually work.

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe was here again she doesn't leave things undone if she can. She'd been hearing about the train and it's master. IT sounds like some kind of hell train and they are able to get to the station with some help from the Chuch of the Black Mercy and she seems uneasy. She knows her powers are no protection from anything really anywhere even more so in a place like this.

"I'm afraid I know of no such magic."

She's not Sabin sadly and thus she's gong to have to do this the hard way.

"We could try to disbale the engine though or detach it from the rest of the train perhaps?"

Dorian Pavus (774) has posed:
    Dorian is actually not familiar with trains. He spends most of his time in worlds that are either pre-development of trains or post-development of faster and more economical transportation. This is not to say that he doesn't know what a train IS, just that he's not super-familiar with them. So of course he's going to be examining the area pretty closely. And yes, he does know to stay off the tracks as much as possible.

    He is so wrapped up in examining this, in fact, that he doesn't register the presence of Crow. Not until he's suddenly THERE. "Gah!" He takes a step back from the pillar, instinctively channeling a spell. Partially. It only goes as far as the space between the dragon heads on his staff sparking with flame, as if it too was surprised, before it sputters out. No damage, just a bit of sparks.

    Taking a breath to replace the air lost to his surprise, he notes to the animated Shadow, "Do please TRY to warn me before you do that," he says. But the question is a good one. "Well, I didn't. But you did say fire, yes? Well..."

    Kord's shadow blades are a good idea. And Dorian has another idea, too. Though Tomoe gets a nod. "I assume we'd have to stop it first. Which I might be able to help with, at least." As he speaks, the eyes of the dragon heads on his staff glow, and the air between them seems to drop in temperature, until a light mist forms there. He raises a hand as if drawing something up from the ground beneath him. A blue glyph appears on the track, and the track might seem to frost over, just a little. No damage is caused, though. There will be a surprise when the train moves over that spot, though...

Carna (974) has posed:
    Crow definitely watches what Kord is doing intently, even as pointy-tipped 'ears' (or horns?) stretch to 'listen' more closely to the surroundings. "Hmmmmm? So Miss Tomoe recommends removing the fuel source? So like if fire has nothing to burn. And if it's burning the dead people on the train for fuel, then maybe they'll stop hurting when the engine can't keep feeding on them!"

    The Shadow turns its attention on Dorian belatedly, post-surprising. Glassy little circles stare at the wizard, while a fixed cartoonish smile rests easily upon the otherwise pure-black 'face' of the creature. "But it's funnier when people are surprised. Sometimes they even do silly things, like leap off of ledges." Then Crow focuses back on the tracks and what Dorian is doing with his spells. "But don't worry. I don't want you to jump off a ledge. I'll let you know I'm here if we're near any."

    Little shadow nubbins extend out from the sides of the two-dimensional thing as it peels itself off the column (or appears to. It's still a depthless shadow) which extend out into masses of slender shadow tendrils which wind down the pillar, and spread across the floor, using the light provided by the others to extend its range from how far Crow would otherwise be able to reach.

    Whatever Crow is trying to do, it seems they won't have to wait for slong. Somewhere distant the growing high-pitched sound of steel or perhaps screams, begins to echo up the cavernous tunnel that extends left and right like twin mouths of a pair of great subterranean monsters.

Count Kord has posed:
    Kord redoubles his shadow trap, trying to emphasize its presence in the spots where Dorian's ice trap is lacking so that their abilities do not interfere too much. They're both using magic and it wouldn't do for their combined efforts to clash instead of synergize. He has to concentrate especially hard on what he's doing, so his baritone voice sounds fairly distracted as he speaks with the others. He even manifests some spikes along the ceiling of the tunnel, basically trying to create makeshift 'emergency' brakes.
    "If we can get the train to stay still, then it will be possible to eviscerate its key components quickly enough." Such confidence. "I say at least one of us concentrates on restraining the fell machine while the rest combat its master and the engine itself."

Tomoe has posed:
Crow is now paid attention ot for a moment.

"Yes, that's the plan. If it acts like a normal trian on my world. If not? I don't know then. Its better than having no plan though." Dorian gets a nod from her and a bit of a grin.

"Or get aboard somehow."

Cowboing it up would certainly an idea but for now she looks to Kord ponding his idea for a moment.

"Okay we have several ideas that's also a good one."

She'll have to wait to get aboard before her plan could even be attempting hopefully Cord's attempt to CC this demon train will work and give them a chance to get aboard.

Dorian Pavus (774) has posed:
    It isn't really the freakiness of the Shadow's presence that Dorian objects to. Dorian has a weird fascination with dead things, so the weird 'dead Cheshire cat' smile is one he can deal with. It's just the suddenness. However, Crow's words of not jumping off ledges get a flat look. "Thank you EVER so much for the kindness." There's a touch of wryness in his voice as he speaks. More than a touch, actually. But he doesn't disparage. On some level he understands that Crow's mind works MUCH different than a mortal being's mind.

    Kord needn't worry. Dorian's magic accepts assistance pretty easily. It's not overly 'good' or 'light', so Kord's shadow shouldn't interfere with it, nor it interfere with Kord's shadow abilities. In fact, it may have a bit of a dark tint to it by itself, so that may make it easier for Kord to 'fill in the gaps' of Dorian's spell. The suggestion gets a nod. "I can do that," Dorian offers. "I've acted in the role of what you might call a 'mook-herder' before." He smirks a little. He does indeed have CC abilities.

    Tomoe's words draw his attention, and he suggests, "A combination, perhaps? Keep it still, but if it starts to break free before it's dismantled, we jump onboard and start to dismantle it from the inside?"

Carna (974) has posed:
    Traps are laid. Plans are hatched. Spikes are prepared, shadows extended, and the infernal sound of over-taxed machinery and tortured metal and the roar of flames is nearly drowned out by the unending screams of the victims aboard the long line of cars following the front of the subway train. And as it's a subway train, it seems that it doesn't actually have an 'engine' to speak of.

    That leaves a few possibilites as the abominable thing comes tearing around the corner, preceded by its noise and the illumination it provides from the fires: it really is being fueled by the dead as Crow suggested; perhaps the tracks are empowered somehow or otherwise keeping it going; or it's a reproduction of a subway train in the underworld and it has no reason to work like a real one would in a normal environment.

    Guess they'll find out shortly, because as shadow spikes and frost traps stab into and try to freeze in place the blazing train, Crow is... Down on the tracks directly in front of it for some godawful reason.

    When did it even get down there!?

    Spells and traps and other methods of slowing or stopping the monstrosity take effect, and Crow uses all those shadowy tendrils it has spread all across the area to link up with the flickering shadows produced by the flames, using the 'blind spot' for the light directly in front of the thing, where the flames spill out the operator's booth but not that one spot right below its window.

    The subway train suddenly slams to a stop so suddenly that the flames and the burning figures inside keep moving. A flamethrower stream pours out the front of the train, casting the entire tunnel in front of the platform into blinding clarity, as Crow struggles to maintain a link with the shadows it is manipulating.

    It can't hold on with the flickering light tossing the Shadow's boundaries into chaos, but with shadow spikes and magic now firmly lodged in metal or afflicting the thing, it isn't really going anywhere.

    As though stopping tons of metal hurtling through a tunnel at hundreds of miles per hour by grabbing the shadows underneath it were the easy part, instead of maintaining a cohesive shape in the face of the fire, Crow calls out, "If someone wants to douse the flames and rescue the people, now would be a good time! I don't think I can stay in this spot much longer without losing some of my--AH!" A shadowy tendril 'snaps' as sparks of deathly energy sizzle from the tracks underneath the train, producing sparks and light that severs Crow's connection to the train's shadow.

    "Maybe someone can cut open the train too, 'cuz I don't think those doors are going to open the normal way!" D:

Count Kord has posed:
    Kord sucks in a breath as a cacophony of fire, steel and stone slams into the enclosed space around him. His ears ring and his eyes squint through the spike in burning orange light, his cape billowing in the flowing heat and the draft of an enormous locomotive grinding to a sudden stop. He remains crouched while he waits for it to blow past him, his head turning to observe the rest of the cars as they all grind to a halt as well, unlikely to create that accordion effect since this isn't a normal train.
    Once his vision clarifies and he realizes Crow is there helping to restrain it, his scythe comes from the holster from behind his waist, and snaps unfolded with a flick of his arm. He marches to the doors and makes big, slicing swings, several of them, as he goes from door to door to free the trapped inhabitants from their Unlit prison. They might appreciate the help, but he doesn't pause to think about it, just cutting open the train a bit at a time like a woodsman slicing open a mythical monster's belly.
    That leaves the Conductor and the engine itself to Tomoe and Dorian.

Dorian Pavus (774) has posed:
    And there comes the train, right on schedule. If such a thing even HAS a schedule. When it runs over the Ice Mine, a 'geyser' of ice explodes upwards from the mine, trying to freeze the train in place. Kord's added shadow manipulations should make it even more difficult. Black Ice, perhaps? Dorian raises an arm to shield his face from the fire and debris. He DOES fear fire, despite using it primarily. A healthy respect for dangerous things, right?

    Dorian's not aware that Crow is on the tracks until it's too late. And as much as he tends to claim he doesn't much care about others, what's the first thing out of his mouth? A panicked, "Fool! Move, or it'll hit you!" Though that doesn't seem to be what happens, thanks partially to the traps and partially to Crow's grabbing of the shadows underneath the thing. The fire and sparks are making it difficult for Crow, though.

    Douse the flames? He can try. Winter is not his best school, but he knows its intrinsic nature. And so... he sweeps his free hand out to the side, balls his hand into a fist, and then raises that fist into the air, in front of him. As he raises his fist, a whirling, icy wind begins to swirl around the place where the flames are the brightest. It's a blizzard, localized around that area.

    He also stumbles a bit afterwards... that was a little more mana than he was expecting to spend just then...

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe is the meat she knows it she has long embraced this job for herself when it comes to her life in the multiverse. It could be a lot worse all things considered she muses. The traps are laid the plans are set she agrees with Dorian's idea to make ith both ideas. They are going to likely need to do so. She tenses her body and gets reayd to move. She's chilled by the scremas but a Dorian seeks to put out the flames she moves she knows what she has to do, she'll keep an eye on her HP on her hud though even as she springs to get aboard tyhe trian and start pulling people out. Dead or not even if they had been horrid in life? They have been on the train so long enough /is/ enough the torment has to end and she's going to strt hauling people out as best she can and trying to et others to move. She's getting out as many people as fast as she can.

Carna (974) has posed:
    Deathly steel that has endured flame and velocity and the battering of fists and clawing of ashen fingers is sliced through by Kord, and Dorian's icy wind quells the flames enough that the train is no longer an overflowing box of fire. That allows Tomoe to get aboard and start extracting people who have spent so much time screamning and writhing that they don't even realize the source of their suffering has stopped, let alone remember how to walk on their own. Shovelling them out and onto the platform is grisly work, and there's still fire licking at Tomoe's digital avatar as she does so, charcoal skin peeling away or crumbling in her hands as she tries to get everyone off in the limited time available.

    As the light level diminishes, so too do Crow's extend limbs begin to thin and fade out of definition, retreating towards any other light sources available. More and more of the train's shadow that was being held firmly in place is released.

    Tomoe is fighting her way through the blackened metal and the stench of burning dust, and the sight of these poor souls, car after car, pulling out bodies. It's possible the others might choose to help in this endeavor, or to try to reinforced Crow's slackening grip, or to heal Tomoe or some of the Dead or whatever they deem most useful.

    But time is ticking away as the number of burning bodies diminishes, resulting in fewer sources of light, and then... Crow can't hold onto enough of the train, as arcane runes in the tracks glow a ghostly blue and seem to spread all up and down both tunnels and out of sight. There's a surge of energy to the train right as the last of the Dead are gotten off the train, and then it runs right over Crow (without harming it because it's already pretty flat, though the Shadow does wail dramatically in surprise), and take off with Tomoe still aboard...!

    ...Only to coast to a stop at a boarding ramp about two dozen feet away. Whatever they just did by getting the Dead to disembark, it seems to have 'reset' the train. Or something.

    Unless one of the twitching bodies is this 'Conductor' they seek, it seems the bounty wasn't on this train... But if this train is theirs to command from now on, maybe riding to wherever the train goes will take them to him.

    After it's been cleaned, checked to make sure it's not going to burn anyone else, repaired, and so on, at least.

    More pressing is the need to get these Lit back to the Church right now, for treatment. It's unclear if their minds are even intact, but at least something can be done for their bodies.

Dorian Pavus (774) has posed:
    Dorian's blizzard, thankfully, continues without much command from him. So he's able to concentrate on getting his breath back, on letting his mana reserves replenish themselves. In the meantime he assists Tomoe as much as he can, by staying near the train for her to 'hand off' the dead on the train. His hands are going to get burned and some of that charred skin will come off in his hands too if he does this, but he pays that no attention for the time being. These people need help.

    When the train takes off, he calls out in warning, "Tomoe! Be careful!" Though it turns out the train must be mostly out of juice anyway, as it stops not too far away. Dorian breathes a sigh of relief. Waving a hand to 'turn off' the blizzard, he hurries to where the train stopped.

    As for getting everyone out of there? Once the adrenaline of the conflict fades, Dorian can probably heal some of them enough to make it possible for them to walk home. He can't concentrate on healing when he's in fight-or-flight mode. Well... he can heal them physically, anyway. There isn't much he can do for their minds...

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe does not want to think of how long these people have suffered, she really does not want to. She moves to star pulling people out. Once they are out she will do what she cna to help them. She feeling the pain she's in a lot of pain and the feedback from this is going to be not fun the heat's still pretty bad and she does what she can for the dead. She keeps focused as she moves to pull them free of the train.

"I can't keep this up forever!"

She's tring to not scream many of the victems are burning, and thus she's gtyting burned she can feel the pain her and likely on her actual body will have injuries of sort fom this. She keps going though adrenaline kicks in and helps with the pain for /the/ moment as she hauls people hopefully Dorian's abkle to help once they are done though she's going to just kinda of try to back off for a moment.

Or that's what she was planning to, she's pulled along for the crazy ride and she's expecting to burn and thankfully does not end up new fuel for the train. It seems they now can make use of it but dare they now after what they saw?

Count Kord has posed:
    Kord is not very pleased with what he finds following his act to help free the passengers. As the noise dies down entirely and the vehicle comes to a complete halt, he can't help but let his gaze wander among the piles of charred bodies, still vaguely animated but in such terrible pain that it would take forever for them to get back on their own. He readies his communication gem for the sake of calling some of his own soldiers down to help move them, the Count making it clear that only those with iron stomachs should be doing this.

    He looks down the side of the train, grimacing behind his mask. The absence of the Conductor, the source of this problem, causes a great deal of unhappiness in him. He makes a thoughtful rumbling noise and begins to investigate the train as best he can while he waits for the Lit to be gathered up. He even pauses to check on Crow.

    "... good work," he tells the shadow, but not the others, notably.