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[umbralant]

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Good morning.

Or perhaps it might be more appropriate to say good evening instead, considering how it is moonlight that will rouse you into consciousness. And what a bright moon it is, half-full and clear without contest in the sky as it outshines the stars and galaxies in the backdrop. But it’s all the better to emphasize that the buildings that speckle the landscape before you are all completely devoid of any light. And by the way—do you always sleep outside?

The lack of light can be something to deal with later though, at least when you've properly gotten up from the cold, unyielding stone below you. And that chill down your spine—no doubt that probably has something to do with combination of cool temperatures and poor sleeping conditions, but it’s odd how it seems to linger.

Checking your person for any items that should be in your possession yields disappointing results, but it seems you're not empty handed (or pocketed) because you are now the proud owner of one (1) small bundle of black cloth. Unwrapping it reveals a key imprinted with a roman numeral, along with a simple note.

“Come at 6PM to the place circled on this map:”

“Don’t be tardy, dear Survivors, that’d be a bad first impression. If you don’t want your stay here to be more unpleasant than it’ll already be, you’ll want to avoid seeming careless or disrespectful. You’ll want to listen to my opening speech~!”

Finally, after an empty space that may be simulating an intense pause, there’s one last line:

“I know what you’re thinking, so I’ll say it straight: if you don’t come, you’re as good as dead.”

The news likely isn't welcome, but it's a start. And it seems you're not alone in your plight, though whether company is within arm's length or a stone’s throw away is up to fortune’s whims. For now, you're free to explore the town square and the surrounding areas as best you can in the dim light.

For some reason or another, Krakow, Poland is now your new home. That much is clear from the sign posts that you can inexplicably read, as red and white flag posts with "Święto Niepodległości" flutter lightly in the wind. While the storefronts are dark, the street lamps that scatter the town provide some measure of light, providing some solace against the layer of fog that's begun to creep in.

( OOC: Welcome to Antumbra! This intro log occurs ICly Sunday. Your MM's will be around at 6pm EST to hear your complaints. )

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[ordealia]

[Sleeping outside isn't new to Lysithea; she had done it on missions and during battles. What is new is the fact that she isn't in a tent, tucked into her bedroll. She sits up and stretches, trying to get some sense of where she is and why she was sleeping on the ground. It's clear to her at once that she isn't in any town that she recognizes. That's alarming. What's worse? She's missing her usual items, her books and more importantly, her staff.

She finds the key and the note easily enough, frowning as she reads through it. After a second, she gets to her feet, opening the map. Lysithea recognizes the names of some things - main square, castle, opera house, church. But others?]

What is a 'tram', and what is a 'subway'?

[She looks at the map, shaking her head. After a little while, she can be found exploring the main square, trying to get her bearings. The clock tower and the bookstore are the two she finds most interesting, especially the latter. She's going to have to be pulled away from it eventually.]

Bookstore

[wishuponazoi]

[Well, there's a tall green man with wings standing outside the bookstore. He notices Lysithea heading inside, and holds out a book towards her.]

I have finished with this book. Could you return it to its shelf? [A pause before he seems to remember.] Please.

[ordealia]

[Green? Wings? Those she has no trouble with. She figures that those are some kind of magic things. It's his height that's startling; while she can't tell exactly how much taller than her she is, she can tell it's a lot.]

All right. I can get something else for you, if you'd like? I don't work there, but I love books, too.

[wishuponazoi]

Thank you. I was searching for books about this place, at first, but I suppose if you can find any about stars they would also be useful.

[ordealia]

It's no trouble at all.

[She nods, with a small smile.]

I think I saw something on astronomy inside. Oh, right - I'm Lysithea.

[noellemadic]

You...don't know?

[Hm. Maybe this person is from a rural place. Noelle thinks for a moment how to describe such a thing]

A subway is like a train. Just that it's underground.

[That's as simple as she thinks she can put it]

[ordealia]

I don't, no. We don't have anything like that back home.

[She frowns, shaking her head a little.]

A train? Is that something like a wagon? I'm sorry, I'm just a little confused. A lot of things here are new to me.

[noellemadic]

Yes! They're many wagons in a row. [Noelle sounds so relieved Lysithea hit onto something she could use to help describe that] A train is like many wagons moving at fast speeds.

[Somehow, just talking about subways and trains seems to be doing wonders to Noelle's mood]

[ordealia]

I get it, I think. Thank you for the explanation.

[She smiles brightly, with a nod.]

I really do appreciate it. I'm Lysithea, by the way.

[indulgently]

Allow me, my dear.

[Olivert will be so kind as to answer your question.]

Trams are designed to carry travelers from one location to another in large cities. It's a convenient way to avoid having to walk everywhere on foot. It would appear that subways serve a similar purpose underground, but over larger distances. Most likely between cities.

[ordealia]

[She starts to say something about the words 'my dear', but thinks better of it.]

I see. Thank you for the explanation. We don't have anything like that where I'm from. We have coaches, wagons, things like that, but nothing quite that convenient.

[indulgently]

Not at all, I'm glad to be of assistance.

[It's not surprising that they have different levels of experience if they've all come from locations as far as it seems they may have.]

There have been some recent additions in my home country lately, but they are still a fairly uncommon sight. But the capital has been using trams for a while now to connect the different districts. Still... I think there is something very quaint and romantic about travel by coach.

[ordealia]

It would certainly make travel back at home easier. As it stands now, it's at least a day's trip via coach from my home to the center of Fódlan. Maybe slightly shorter if you get pegasi to pull it, but that's risky to say the least.

[pr159]

[ Since he's only just woken up himself and has yet to figure out much about where they are, his initial reaction to her question and style choices is just -- Ugh. Rieze Maxians.

...Never mind that he isn't 100% sure either, since Elympion trains are above ground and for intercity transit, but he's going to sound like he is! ]

Types of trains, I would assume, hence the "stations". You're at least familiar with the concept of trains, yes?

[ordealia]

[She raises an eyebrow. It's not that she's insulted, per se, but she can tell when shade is being thrown, even if it's not out loud.]

I'm afraid not. I'm beginning to suspect that I'm from a time before these 'trains' were invented.

[pr159]

[ ...Hm. That's kind of a curious conclusion to jump to. ]

So your first suspicion is time travel, rather than just being in a new place that happens to be more technologically advanced?

[ordealia]

They aren't mutually exclusive. It's entirely possible to be in both a new place and one that's further ahead than Fódlan.

[baitless]

[-oh holy shit it’s someone he actually recognizes.]

Ah, Lysithea. You are here as well...

[That last sentence is almost said to himself, though it does cause him to do another scan of the other “survivors” to see if there’s anyone else he recognizes that he missed the first time.]

I am afraid I do not know what those are either. This is... well, I cannot make much sense of it at the moment.

[ordealia]

Seteth?

[She has never been more glad to see a familiar face. She's not going to run up to him, but that's certainly a fast walk.]

I can't make heads or tails of the situation, either. This doesn't look like any of the cities I've seen back home, that's for sure.

[baitless]

[Seteth gives Lysithea a once-over, checking to see if she’s injured in any visible way.]

There are elements that do seem vaguely familiar, but they do not fit together in a way I recognize. The language is also entirely unfamiliar, yet I seem able to read it without issue.

[ordealia]

[She is none the worse for wear, at least for the moment.]

I had noticed the same thing. Some of the accents are familiar enough, but I’ve never seen them used like this. I had originally been wondering if this was some ancient dialect that got lost to time, but it doesn’t seem to be the case.

bookstore;

[reanbeans]

[ He was already here at some point, and was looking through some of the books, but he found it odd he could actually understand them, considering.

When he noticed someone else was in here with him, he couldn't help but approach. ]

Did you find anything that caught your eye?

[ If she didn't and just entered, that was possible too. But he figured he should ask—it could even apply to other places outside of here. ]

[ordealia]

A few things, actually.

[Lysithea smiles.]

I’ve been reading up on exactly where we are right now. I’m done with some of these, if you want to take a look.

[reanbeans]

I wouldn't mind.

[ He'll hold out his hand, ready to take some of those books off her hands since that's only polite. ]

...What do you think of the town?

[ Since she was reading up on it, anyway. ]

[ordealia]

I think that while it’s a lovely city, there’s something that’s off about it. I don’t mean the darkness, it just has a feeling of being wrong somehow. I can’t put my finger on it.