Session 1 - Feb 11 1879
Lance Weston was a newer member of the London Spiritualist Confederacy. Lance was a powerful mystic who's supernatural abilities began at the age of 6 when he discovered he could speak with the dead. Naturally his well-to-do parents were very concerned about any scandal and tried to have him committed but he thwarted doctor's attempts to cure him when his body could not be submerged in an ice water bath despite a host of orderlies pushing him against the water's icy surface. Lance was discharged and his family sent him away to study with German Bohemians and Russian Yogis. He has accumulated some impressive powers but he lacks the showmanship to generate wealth as a spiritualist so recently he has played the assistant to charlatan spiritualists in the order who are better at selling the craft. In his spare time Lance was found at the Southerby School, blowing off steam in the fencing lanes. After three long years of making charlatans look good, Lance responded to a post in
the Communion Hall of the spiritualist's domicile looking for seance spiritualists in
the New Imperial Territories. As a mystic he has knowledge that the
colonies are otherworldly and possessed of a powerful spiritual symmetry. He hopes to discover unknown magics.
John Henry Jackson was the son of a 49'er, raised on a California gold claim. At the young age of 6 his father was confronted by claim jumpers while he was panning at the river. John saw his father's six gun in a box of tools. Allegedly boyhood john shot each of the men dead, he reality the shots sent them running, but he's satisfied with that tale enough that he doesn't disagree. As he grew John became quite a pistolier, partially out of fear that he might face other men after his father's gold but also out of the pride of his fame as the six-gun kid. John's father didn't like the idea of his son hanging out in shooting salons so he sent him off to school to become a geologist. John Henry didn't kick the pistol habit but instead adopted the manner of a mean drunk in school. When his father retired and sold the mine he went on to manage other mining interests, specializing in exotic ores and minerals like cinnabar and turquoise. He never lasted long at a mine before bourbon signed his walking papers.
While
working in the Arizona territories John Herny had taken a date to the
Wild Bill Hickock Traveling Western show and discovered how poorly
skilled professional pistoliers really are. He was between positions and
had been drinking a lot for a weekday and when he finally sobered up he
was on a train to the next show. John Herny found show business suited
him, he could do his act drunk, it flattered his vanity, and it
attracted his latest vice, women of poor character. The Show took John
Henry to England where he shook hands with the wealthy and influential
and discovered a curious metal in their fashionable jewelry, it was
called Orichalcum, it was all the rage. John's curiosity about the
strange metal has been peaked and he's determined to find out where it
is mined and founded.
Lady Emily Shaw was born to Lord Virgil and Lady Charlotte Grayson. Lady Charlotte
died in childbirth to her only daughter and left Virgil poorly equipped
to rear Emily. Lord Greyson departed for North India when Emily was 5,
taking her to a strange new world. Emily learned some of the language,
cuisine and custom and when her governess wasn't able to keep an eye on
her she learned Bandesh boxing down at the park with the Indian
children. To Emily India had become her home, eventually exploring the
remarkable land and culture by Lord Greyson's side. It made it all the
more horrible when in 1972 Virgil sent his daughter home for fear of
increasing hostility against visiting English in the Country. Virgil was
to finish his project for the Royal Geography Society and take a train
home to meet Emily at the Port but when she arrived he wasn't there.
Virgil Greyson had been killed when he train was derailed by radicals in
India.
Lady Shaw found solace in the company of Her Majesties Royal
Geography Society and would later become a member on her 18th birthday.
But while they all held esteem for Lord Virgil, Emily was a woman and
had no formal education in the sciences. They allowed her to assist with
organizing expeditions but she would never be an explorer. She did
attract the affection of a white-haired adventurer by the name of Sir
David Shaw, an accomplished mapper of South America and after a
prolonged courtship Emily finally agreed to marry him. Her marriage was
short-lived, Sir David returned to South America three years into their
marriage, never to be seen again. Perhaps this additional tragedy and
the increasing number of funeral services for Explorers in the New
Imperial Territory motivated Lord Peter Cavandish to offer Lady Shaw a
post in the New Imperial Territories as Darwinist on the project to
crack the native tongues.
Lady Shaw actually spent a year in the New
Imperial territories studying the notes of other explorers and found
that the spirit of sharing knowledge seemed to end at the Rabbit Hole.
She was forbidden access to field notes and maps, even journals. So she
languished in Neverwhere battling her lace ceiling. On Christmas Day
1978 there was a boy sent to lady Abernathy's house to fetch an explorer
to answer a summons from one of the Speakers of the Sylvan people, an
enigmatic tribe of natives that fascinated Emily, and all other Society members had
returned home to be with their families. Emily rode out to meet the
Sylvan with cavalrymen from the fort, exchanging goods with an officer
who spoke some of their language. After 4 hours on horseback she giddily had a clumsy conversation
with a bored elfin man with a ridiculously pompous sense of entitlement,
but the conversation connected many of the dots in her research and she
became convinced that the Sylvans held many secrets from their English guests. Now she is returning to present her work to the Royal
Geography Society in hopes of being granted another year in the New Imperial territories.
Patrick's Finnegan Omallie's history is a tale of painful woes. Patrick was a middle son in
six brothers and sisters with a father that drank and a mother that
fought. Nancy O'Mallie died of consumption when he was just five.
Patrick was bullied by children in his school for being motherless and
knocked around by his father when he came home. At 14 Patrick heard
screams coming from a the Christian work home and saw smoke. Without
thought for his safety he rushed in to save who he could. He was nearly
killed but worse than the physical scars from the ordeal was the horror
of the dying and his helplessness to do anything but watch them burn. At
16 Patrick stood his ground when his father came home angry and knocked
the old man down. Instead of backing his play and tossing the old drunk
out, his siblings kicked Patrick out.
Patrick became a miller going where
the work took him. He was in a boarding house outside of Cork when he
met a Portuguese sailor named Ernesto Pella. Pella was excited about a
revolution sweeping Portugal called Marxism that seemed to answer all of
the injustices that Patrick felt held him down. He had a book called
The Communist Manifesto that he gave Patrick, and it lit a fire in the
downtrodden young man. While working in England he caught a train to London to
seek out more books about Marxism, and found a group that met in the back
of a bar, what felt to Patrick like ground zero of the revolution.
Patrick took to proselytizing about labor and the oppression of power on the London Streets
after he got a few beers in him and a few times he was jailed for
Disreputable Manner. He had bought a pistol because London in he 1980's had
become a dangerous place. He didn't even think about it when he stepped
out onto the corner to teach the workers. He had a good crowd gathered
when a mob came out of a nearby bar, angry for some reason and began to
brawl with those gathered to listen. He pulled his pistol to fire it in
the air to scare them off when he was suddenly seized by constables. He
went down and the gun fired and a constable was injured badly. This
event received a great deal of attention, now instead of a rabble-rouser
Patrick was guilty of assaulting a constable while spreading treasonous
propaganda. And instead of a night in jail he was sentenced to 12 years
in Castle Rock prison.
Lance had received a notice of his posting to Fort Alice, he cancelled residency for his apartment, packed his things, fished all the shillings he could from his couch and caught a coach to Hyde Park. The gate guards wouldn't allow his coach in the gates so he had to hike the long road towards the encampment. He found a day officer who confirmed his train to the New Imperial territories was departing at 9p, so he find a quiet corner and meditated. As he was finding his center a cute woman in safari wear walked up to him and asked "Is that a Yogi Pose?" Lance opened his eyes and looked up "It is, I was just meditating, miss?". She smiled "Lady, Emily Shaw, I'm not used to men who won't stand to greet a lady.." Lance flashed a devilish grin "I'm not accustomed to a woman who interrupts a man so clearly engaged in contemplation. Well met Lady Shaw, I'm Lance Weston of the London Spiritualists Confederation.."
John Henry Jackson had spent the days between shows asking around jewelers and dropping bribes with local metalworkers until he found that the Oricalcum came from a mysterious train line that came through London station but didn't seem to have rails that led out. He snuck into the tunnels under the old train station and deep into the dark. When he emerged he found himself in a military encampment with dozens of soldiers turning their rifles at him. He was taken into custody without explanation and left in a make-shift brig to sweat out his reckless decisions. However, one thing was clear, this wasn't a mine, it was something else entirely.
After two days of enjoying the hospitality of Victoria's army John Henry was visited by a well-dressed English gentleman who introduced himself as Lord Peter Cavandish. Lord peter knew his name and credentials and more than a few details about run-ins with the law. He told John Henry that he was in the awkward position of having stumbled upon one of England's little secrets that must be kept but that it may end up working in his favor as they currently need a geologist with experience mining soft metals. John Henry heard out the offer and saw no shortfall for himself. He agreed and was told that his train would be departing for the colony in 6 days and he had the run of the camp and would be given resources to catch up on the work being done.
Emily Shaw had contacted the camp and was delivered through the gates in a luxurious coach but left to handle her considerable baggage. She arrived the day before her departure as she had learned that the Crystal Palace station becomes somewhat chaotic the day of departure. She claimed a bunk for the night in the sciences building and went to the mess tent to see what was cooking. While she ate she was approached by a man in an American costume, complete with Stetson hat and belted pistols. His name was John Henry Jackson and despite his roughness he seemed to be a pleasant enough man. He was also making the journey to the New Imperial Territories and wanted to know where he was going. Having been through the whole veil of secrecy for the Rabbit Hole Emily simply explained that the journey was a very quick trip by train. Jackson continued to press her for details but she just smiled and explained that she was sure all of his questions would be answered tomorrow.
Patrick Finnegan O'mallie languished in prison for weeks, taking beatings from the Christians for his frank views on religion and getting rough treatment from the guards who were friends of the injured constable. Each Sunday the friar would call on him to offer him the Lord's absolution and each Sunday he'd politely refuse. It was a tedious exercise but a welcome break from the loneliness of Castle Rock prison. One Sunday as Patrick was escorted to the visitors chamber, rather than the far friar in black robes, he was greeted by a young man in a black suit. The man introduced himself as Donovan Sullivan, a clerk for The Company, and he wanted to offer Patrick a chance to work for the queen rather than doing his time in prison. Patrick was irate. he told Sullivan that capitalists like him are how he ended up in prison. Donovan calmed him and said that he's merely a man with an opportunity, that the crown has imprisoned him but his case doesn't seem to show Patrick to be a dangerous man or even a real criminal. He explained he wanted to give Patrick a fair shot, to do his time doing fair labor in the Queen's colony rather than rotting in prison. Patrick's temper cooled and he looked over the contract. The language was thick in places and he noticed that if he failed his employment over the next 10 years that he would be returned to prison for his full sentence, but he could see a better deal when it was handed to him. He signed and he was told a carriage would be picking him up the next day.
Patrick was woken early the next day and marched in line with 20-some other prisoners to collect their possessions and sign their agreement of early release. They piled into two wagons and rode to a train stop where their shackles were removed and they were boarded, still in their prison clothes. Once they reached London the switched trains to a cramped little car that traveled deeper into the station tunnels and emerged in a military camp somewhere in the city. Patrick and his fellows were directed to rows of chairs that sat under the huge skeletal remains of the Crystal Palace fairgrounds and they were told they would wait for the duration.
As the little engine pulled through the tunnels from London Station and pulled up to the Crystal Palace train platform Lance made his way towards the bustle of people preparing the train for it's trip and was directed to stand in line with other gentlemen and ladies boarding the train. He greeted a friendly American by the name of John Henry Jackson who was apparently travelling through the Rabbit Hole to dig up rocks or some-such.
Emily Shaw boarded the train and was conducted to the velvet padded seats at the rear of the train. She was seated next to a handsome but boorish nobleman named Michael Cabbot who seemed very keen on impressing her with his appointment in the New Imperial Territories working under the governor Lord Poole. Emily knew the trip was very short so it cost her little to smile and nod along. As she waited and watched the bustle outside the train, a host of professionals boarded the train and found seats on the benches, including the spiritualist and the American she had met. Lastly a pack of brooding looking laborers were shown onto the train and told to sit at the front. The doors were closed and the conductor rapped at the timbers of the train car advising in a loud voice "We are to be underway soon, please keep your hands and feet within the train car for the duration of the trip. Do not look directly into the horizon as we travel. If you experience nausea or feel unsteady do not be alarmed. Remain seated and it will pass.
All aboard could hear the engine building up steam and then the train lurched forward, moving slowly down the tracks in the dark of night. They could see people running alongside the train, soldiers rushing ahead and kneeling in positions with rifles aimed towards the rail stop at the end of the tracks. A bank of limelight flashed to life and the tracks were bathed in bright yellow light. The train slowly accelerated towards the barricade at the end of it's rails. Lance pushed his face to the narrow windows to see ahead and could see the barricade open wide like a yawning mouth and the train driving into a circle of electric light. The train car was bathed in bright blue light from the passage into the Rabbit Hole and when it emerged from the darkness it was pulling into an enclosed rural train station in the bright afternoon sun.
Passengers began to rise shakily and gather their possessions. Sir Michael Cabot was having a bit of trouble with his stomach after the short Journey. The doors were opened and the conductor cautioned "Stand carefully and disembark. You may experience disorientation. If you feel ill remain seated and someone will assist you." As the characters each disembarked and looked around they found themselves in a long narrow fortification seemingly built for the little four-car train, heavy steel portcullis closed behind the train, massive barred doors ahead, and all around people hurriedly unloading and loading cargo, above the train platform was a balcony were a silver-haired man in an armored uniform looked down unhappily and an almost skeletal man in an expensive black suit supervised the work on the platform while watching his pocket watch with a frown.
As they acclimated to the much warmer and more humid weather and began to wonder what to do next there was a thunderous boom from above and the loud ringing of a bell. Soldiers ran to the parapets of the fort and in seconds another boom rang out, the sound of cannon fire coming from the corner fortifications of the Fort. Soldiers ran to check the barricades for the doors of the Fort. John Henry saw that nobody seemed to be paying attention to the passengers and he darted up the stairs of the battlements to see over the walls, Lance Weston close on his heels. Emily Shaw looks around at the confused and scared passengers and called out in a clear voice "Everyone, please remain calm, stay low and near the train until you are told to do otherwise.." and upon seeing that Lance and John Henry had charged up the walls she followed behind them. Patrick looked at all of the madness breaking out and he sat down against a stack of crates, having no interest in getting shot or stabbed for the imperialists. As Emily Shaw ran up the battlements the silver-haired knight on the upper platform held out a gloved hand and cautioned her "Young Lady I don't think you should be up there.." Emily chafed visibly and nodded at the other two now reaching the top of the wall "Should they be up there??". She elderly knight glanced at Lance and John Henry and just shrugged, drawing back his hand in disinterested surrender and allowing Emily to the top of the walls.
As they stood and leaned over the walls to see the commotion they could see a huge ring of buildings below the fort walls and inside a secondary wall of log Palisades with reinforced gates leading out of the town and patchworks of farm fields around the town. At the far edge of the Northern fields was a group of people fending off attackers in horseback. The cannons would fire from the walls and huge clods of dirt and mud would explode around the battle. Soldiers took aim but didn't fire at the extreme range, however within the melee there were puffs of smoke and little cracks of gunfire. The seventh staggered cannon shot struck one of the horses, causing an explosion of gore, and the rest of the riders turned and fled the fight bringing cheers from the soldiers on the wall.
Once the fighting was over there was a complex drill of checking the portcullis locks before the fort's main doors were unbarred and opened and the passengers began to spill into the town of Neverwhere, greeted by strangers come to meet the train just outside. A East India Company clerk called out for all common labor to line up and Patrick filed in with his caste, following them out the long way around town to the dormitories for Irish and Scott workers. John Herny had heard the call of the clerk and asked if he wouldn't mind showing him where he's bunking down. The Clerk politely agreed, leading him on to the chalk hall where the few academics studying unique materials or exotic flora work. He found the work areas a mess and his tiny sleeping cubical not much more grand. Emily walked Sir Kenneth to the home of the Pooles, finding them on their porch unphased by the battle outside the walls. Mrs Poole offered Lady Emily a pleasant greeting veiled with the subtle reminder of her social superiority to the young explorer. And then Emily continued on to Lady Abernathy's residence to share the good news of her extended appointment to the Territories. Lance Weston followed the simple directions down the Port Road towards Madam Torkov's home. As he knocked at the door he was greeted be a slender dour black man who looked at him expectantly. Lance introduced himself and presented his appointment letter to which the man gestured into to home and collected his bags. Madam Torkov was an elderly Russian Jew with all the uniform of a gypsy mystic. She greeted Lance and performed a prefuctory reading of his aura that assured him she had at least some skill as a legitimate spiritualist. Then she sent Mr Bokom to prepare a room for their guest for the night. Once they were left alone Madam Torkov warned Lance that the dead of the New Imperial Territories are not dead gentlemen or ladies and should not be taken at their word, they are wily trixters with no motive for honesty.
Just then a flicker of shadow passed over the town. As the characters looked skyward curiously the alarm bell rang out once more. Emily Shaw ran upstairs to Lady Abernathy's balcony, searching the sky for what imagined was one of the Territory's rarest beasts. Lance Weston rose from tea with the Madam and walked outside looking skyward. John Henry walked slowly towards the open barn-doors of the chalk hall where other academics were clustered. Patrick O'mallie backed away from the burst of shadow that flitted across all of the dormitory windows and pressed his back against the wall. Overhead a great beast, glistening and red flew over the fort, diving and sweeping past buildings as it beat it's huge bat-like wings, a dragon. It soared low over the town long enough for everyone to get an undeniably good look before a number of rifle shots from the walls of the fort made the massive beast dive low and shoot away over the fields. It was about that time that each of them decided they needed a drink.
One by one the characters filed in to the Lonely Hart pub to find that everyone else in the little town wanted a drink and the place was filling up quickly. knowing virtually nobody else in the crowded bar they all ended up around the same table. They sat around the table and drank and commiserated about their unexpected stakes in the New Imperial Territories and Emily Shaw beamed with excited optimism about the unknown. Soldier's in the street announced a recommendation that all persons be indoors by dark and the characters headed to bed one-by-one.
Arriving in his little barn-house cubical John Henry found a tall woman in plain work clothes looking through his belongings. As he unsnapped the stays on his holsters audibly she turned with a start and smiles embarrassed "I head heard you Americans have a flare for the dramatic.." she introduced herself as Miss Laura Popwell, a chemist working with the Aether team and his bunk mate for the duration. Miss Popwell's tone and pitying smile made it clear she wasn't impressed with the vocation of Geology. John Henry, four whiskeys into his evening, couldn't think of anything more diplomatic to offer than a charming grin and Laura uncomfortably changed under her blanket and wished him good night.
The following morning Patrick was woken by a kick to his bunk from a big Irish Bloke who introduced himself as Theador McShane, and established well enough that he ran the Irish dorm. McShane showed Patrick to the mill and introduced him around to the Miller and his crew then left Patrick to his work. Patrick struck up a conversation with the Miller, curious how often people die out in the woodline with the attacks and flying beasts. The Miller told him if you're smart you have no troubles... if you're smart you never get stuck working out at the woodline.
Lance woke late in the day and made the rounds to find a room in one of the boarding houses in the town. Later he looked around the outskirts of the town for a place to practice his craft but he didn't like the idea of being out in the open. He ended up bribing Patrick O'Mallie to come out on his lunch break and watch Lance practice for a bit. Patrick followed him with a woodsman's ax remembering the advice about smart people while he munched on a warm pasty from the tavern. Lance threw a couple of lightning bolts to see if his magic felt any different in the Territories but he didn't sense anything different. So the two of them walked back across the fields talking about Lance's supernatural powers.
John Henry woke and got his bearings. He found the lab space a mess after he had cleaned it the night before. Hung over and naturally a bit mean spirited in the morning he drew his pistol and began using it to point out the unacceptable level of cleanliness for a work space. He tracked down the form to acquire Oricalcum for his work and got a lockbox to store it. He found the Company clerk managing the Oricalcum stores less than helpful but putting him in just a little inconvenience got him a very large chunk of Oricalcum ore from one of the locked ore bins with very little accountability.
Emily Shaw rose and shared breakfast with Lady Abernathy to discuss her role with The Society in the coming year Lady Abernathy cautioned her against hasty disclosure, that crown is less eager to hear about the wonders of the New Imperial Territories than she thinks.
John Henry Jackson had spent the days between shows asking around jewelers and dropping bribes with local metalworkers until he found that the Oricalcum came from a mysterious train line that came through London station but didn't seem to have rails that led out. He snuck into the tunnels under the old train station and deep into the dark. When he emerged he found himself in a military encampment with dozens of soldiers turning their rifles at him. He was taken into custody without explanation and left in a make-shift brig to sweat out his reckless decisions. However, one thing was clear, this wasn't a mine, it was something else entirely.
After two days of enjoying the hospitality of Victoria's army John Henry was visited by a well-dressed English gentleman who introduced himself as Lord Peter Cavandish. Lord peter knew his name and credentials and more than a few details about run-ins with the law. He told John Henry that he was in the awkward position of having stumbled upon one of England's little secrets that must be kept but that it may end up working in his favor as they currently need a geologist with experience mining soft metals. John Henry heard out the offer and saw no shortfall for himself. He agreed and was told that his train would be departing for the colony in 6 days and he had the run of the camp and would be given resources to catch up on the work being done.
Emily Shaw had contacted the camp and was delivered through the gates in a luxurious coach but left to handle her considerable baggage. She arrived the day before her departure as she had learned that the Crystal Palace station becomes somewhat chaotic the day of departure. She claimed a bunk for the night in the sciences building and went to the mess tent to see what was cooking. While she ate she was approached by a man in an American costume, complete with Stetson hat and belted pistols. His name was John Henry Jackson and despite his roughness he seemed to be a pleasant enough man. He was also making the journey to the New Imperial Territories and wanted to know where he was going. Having been through the whole veil of secrecy for the Rabbit Hole Emily simply explained that the journey was a very quick trip by train. Jackson continued to press her for details but she just smiled and explained that she was sure all of his questions would be answered tomorrow.
Patrick Finnegan O'mallie languished in prison for weeks, taking beatings from the Christians for his frank views on religion and getting rough treatment from the guards who were friends of the injured constable. Each Sunday the friar would call on him to offer him the Lord's absolution and each Sunday he'd politely refuse. It was a tedious exercise but a welcome break from the loneliness of Castle Rock prison. One Sunday as Patrick was escorted to the visitors chamber, rather than the far friar in black robes, he was greeted by a young man in a black suit. The man introduced himself as Donovan Sullivan, a clerk for The Company, and he wanted to offer Patrick a chance to work for the queen rather than doing his time in prison. Patrick was irate. he told Sullivan that capitalists like him are how he ended up in prison. Donovan calmed him and said that he's merely a man with an opportunity, that the crown has imprisoned him but his case doesn't seem to show Patrick to be a dangerous man or even a real criminal. He explained he wanted to give Patrick a fair shot, to do his time doing fair labor in the Queen's colony rather than rotting in prison. Patrick's temper cooled and he looked over the contract. The language was thick in places and he noticed that if he failed his employment over the next 10 years that he would be returned to prison for his full sentence, but he could see a better deal when it was handed to him. He signed and he was told a carriage would be picking him up the next day.
Patrick was woken early the next day and marched in line with 20-some other prisoners to collect their possessions and sign their agreement of early release. They piled into two wagons and rode to a train stop where their shackles were removed and they were boarded, still in their prison clothes. Once they reached London the switched trains to a cramped little car that traveled deeper into the station tunnels and emerged in a military camp somewhere in the city. Patrick and his fellows were directed to rows of chairs that sat under the huge skeletal remains of the Crystal Palace fairgrounds and they were told they would wait for the duration.
As the little engine pulled through the tunnels from London Station and pulled up to the Crystal Palace train platform Lance made his way towards the bustle of people preparing the train for it's trip and was directed to stand in line with other gentlemen and ladies boarding the train. He greeted a friendly American by the name of John Henry Jackson who was apparently travelling through the Rabbit Hole to dig up rocks or some-such.
Emily Shaw boarded the train and was conducted to the velvet padded seats at the rear of the train. She was seated next to a handsome but boorish nobleman named Michael Cabbot who seemed very keen on impressing her with his appointment in the New Imperial Territories working under the governor Lord Poole. Emily knew the trip was very short so it cost her little to smile and nod along. As she waited and watched the bustle outside the train, a host of professionals boarded the train and found seats on the benches, including the spiritualist and the American she had met. Lastly a pack of brooding looking laborers were shown onto the train and told to sit at the front. The doors were closed and the conductor rapped at the timbers of the train car advising in a loud voice "We are to be underway soon, please keep your hands and feet within the train car for the duration of the trip. Do not look directly into the horizon as we travel. If you experience nausea or feel unsteady do not be alarmed. Remain seated and it will pass.
All aboard could hear the engine building up steam and then the train lurched forward, moving slowly down the tracks in the dark of night. They could see people running alongside the train, soldiers rushing ahead and kneeling in positions with rifles aimed towards the rail stop at the end of the tracks. A bank of limelight flashed to life and the tracks were bathed in bright yellow light. The train slowly accelerated towards the barricade at the end of it's rails. Lance pushed his face to the narrow windows to see ahead and could see the barricade open wide like a yawning mouth and the train driving into a circle of electric light. The train car was bathed in bright blue light from the passage into the Rabbit Hole and when it emerged from the darkness it was pulling into an enclosed rural train station in the bright afternoon sun.
Passengers began to rise shakily and gather their possessions. Sir Michael Cabot was having a bit of trouble with his stomach after the short Journey. The doors were opened and the conductor cautioned "Stand carefully and disembark. You may experience disorientation. If you feel ill remain seated and someone will assist you." As the characters each disembarked and looked around they found themselves in a long narrow fortification seemingly built for the little four-car train, heavy steel portcullis closed behind the train, massive barred doors ahead, and all around people hurriedly unloading and loading cargo, above the train platform was a balcony were a silver-haired man in an armored uniform looked down unhappily and an almost skeletal man in an expensive black suit supervised the work on the platform while watching his pocket watch with a frown.
As they acclimated to the much warmer and more humid weather and began to wonder what to do next there was a thunderous boom from above and the loud ringing of a bell. Soldiers ran to the parapets of the fort and in seconds another boom rang out, the sound of cannon fire coming from the corner fortifications of the Fort. Soldiers ran to check the barricades for the doors of the Fort. John Henry saw that nobody seemed to be paying attention to the passengers and he darted up the stairs of the battlements to see over the walls, Lance Weston close on his heels. Emily Shaw looks around at the confused and scared passengers and called out in a clear voice "Everyone, please remain calm, stay low and near the train until you are told to do otherwise.." and upon seeing that Lance and John Henry had charged up the walls she followed behind them. Patrick looked at all of the madness breaking out and he sat down against a stack of crates, having no interest in getting shot or stabbed for the imperialists. As Emily Shaw ran up the battlements the silver-haired knight on the upper platform held out a gloved hand and cautioned her "Young Lady I don't think you should be up there.." Emily chafed visibly and nodded at the other two now reaching the top of the wall "Should they be up there??". She elderly knight glanced at Lance and John Henry and just shrugged, drawing back his hand in disinterested surrender and allowing Emily to the top of the walls.
As they stood and leaned over the walls to see the commotion they could see a huge ring of buildings below the fort walls and inside a secondary wall of log Palisades with reinforced gates leading out of the town and patchworks of farm fields around the town. At the far edge of the Northern fields was a group of people fending off attackers in horseback. The cannons would fire from the walls and huge clods of dirt and mud would explode around the battle. Soldiers took aim but didn't fire at the extreme range, however within the melee there were puffs of smoke and little cracks of gunfire. The seventh staggered cannon shot struck one of the horses, causing an explosion of gore, and the rest of the riders turned and fled the fight bringing cheers from the soldiers on the wall.
Once the fighting was over there was a complex drill of checking the portcullis locks before the fort's main doors were unbarred and opened and the passengers began to spill into the town of Neverwhere, greeted by strangers come to meet the train just outside. A East India Company clerk called out for all common labor to line up and Patrick filed in with his caste, following them out the long way around town to the dormitories for Irish and Scott workers. John Herny had heard the call of the clerk and asked if he wouldn't mind showing him where he's bunking down. The Clerk politely agreed, leading him on to the chalk hall where the few academics studying unique materials or exotic flora work. He found the work areas a mess and his tiny sleeping cubical not much more grand. Emily walked Sir Kenneth to the home of the Pooles, finding them on their porch unphased by the battle outside the walls. Mrs Poole offered Lady Emily a pleasant greeting veiled with the subtle reminder of her social superiority to the young explorer. And then Emily continued on to Lady Abernathy's residence to share the good news of her extended appointment to the Territories. Lance Weston followed the simple directions down the Port Road towards Madam Torkov's home. As he knocked at the door he was greeted be a slender dour black man who looked at him expectantly. Lance introduced himself and presented his appointment letter to which the man gestured into to home and collected his bags. Madam Torkov was an elderly Russian Jew with all the uniform of a gypsy mystic. She greeted Lance and performed a prefuctory reading of his aura that assured him she had at least some skill as a legitimate spiritualist. Then she sent Mr Bokom to prepare a room for their guest for the night. Once they were left alone Madam Torkov warned Lance that the dead of the New Imperial Territories are not dead gentlemen or ladies and should not be taken at their word, they are wily trixters with no motive for honesty.
Just then a flicker of shadow passed over the town. As the characters looked skyward curiously the alarm bell rang out once more. Emily Shaw ran upstairs to Lady Abernathy's balcony, searching the sky for what imagined was one of the Territory's rarest beasts. Lance Weston rose from tea with the Madam and walked outside looking skyward. John Henry walked slowly towards the open barn-doors of the chalk hall where other academics were clustered. Patrick O'mallie backed away from the burst of shadow that flitted across all of the dormitory windows and pressed his back against the wall. Overhead a great beast, glistening and red flew over the fort, diving and sweeping past buildings as it beat it's huge bat-like wings, a dragon. It soared low over the town long enough for everyone to get an undeniably good look before a number of rifle shots from the walls of the fort made the massive beast dive low and shoot away over the fields. It was about that time that each of them decided they needed a drink.
One by one the characters filed in to the Lonely Hart pub to find that everyone else in the little town wanted a drink and the place was filling up quickly. knowing virtually nobody else in the crowded bar they all ended up around the same table. They sat around the table and drank and commiserated about their unexpected stakes in the New Imperial Territories and Emily Shaw beamed with excited optimism about the unknown. Soldier's in the street announced a recommendation that all persons be indoors by dark and the characters headed to bed one-by-one.
Arriving in his little barn-house cubical John Henry found a tall woman in plain work clothes looking through his belongings. As he unsnapped the stays on his holsters audibly she turned with a start and smiles embarrassed "I head heard you Americans have a flare for the dramatic.." she introduced herself as Miss Laura Popwell, a chemist working with the Aether team and his bunk mate for the duration. Miss Popwell's tone and pitying smile made it clear she wasn't impressed with the vocation of Geology. John Henry, four whiskeys into his evening, couldn't think of anything more diplomatic to offer than a charming grin and Laura uncomfortably changed under her blanket and wished him good night.
The following morning Patrick was woken by a kick to his bunk from a big Irish Bloke who introduced himself as Theador McShane, and established well enough that he ran the Irish dorm. McShane showed Patrick to the mill and introduced him around to the Miller and his crew then left Patrick to his work. Patrick struck up a conversation with the Miller, curious how often people die out in the woodline with the attacks and flying beasts. The Miller told him if you're smart you have no troubles... if you're smart you never get stuck working out at the woodline.
Lance woke late in the day and made the rounds to find a room in one of the boarding houses in the town. Later he looked around the outskirts of the town for a place to practice his craft but he didn't like the idea of being out in the open. He ended up bribing Patrick O'Mallie to come out on his lunch break and watch Lance practice for a bit. Patrick followed him with a woodsman's ax remembering the advice about smart people while he munched on a warm pasty from the tavern. Lance threw a couple of lightning bolts to see if his magic felt any different in the Territories but he didn't sense anything different. So the two of them walked back across the fields talking about Lance's supernatural powers.
John Henry woke and got his bearings. He found the lab space a mess after he had cleaned it the night before. Hung over and naturally a bit mean spirited in the morning he drew his pistol and began using it to point out the unacceptable level of cleanliness for a work space. He tracked down the form to acquire Oricalcum for his work and got a lockbox to store it. He found the Company clerk managing the Oricalcum stores less than helpful but putting him in just a little inconvenience got him a very large chunk of Oricalcum ore from one of the locked ore bins with very little accountability.
Emily Shaw rose and shared breakfast with Lady Abernathy to discuss her role with The Society in the coming year Lady Abernathy cautioned her against hasty disclosure, that crown is less eager to hear about the wonders of the New Imperial Territories than she thinks.
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