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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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Comments

[inordertobelieve]

[ Mikami wants to judge that outfit so badly, but he's in priest robes and that's cramping his judgmental style. ]

Naturally. We've been kidnapped and we are left to roam free for six hours before our captor decides to speak to us. Pardon me for not finding that a very satisfying explanation.

[ortion]

Oh, you're absolutely correct that it isn't. I was simply finding a base to start with. I do so detest wasting my breath on what others already know.

[You feel him, Mikami? Anyway, he'll go ahead and actually give some more information.]

From what I have gathered, the entire town's power supply is, annoyingly, out of operation. Thankfully there is a conspicuously convenient candle shop in the town square with which to provide ourselves a meager amount of light, but it is far from ideal. Further conspicuous is the lack of a real population aside from ourselves. It is almost as if we have been dumped in a ghost town.

[inordertobelieve]

[ He's almost surprised when the answer turns out to be actually helpful. They say you can't judge a book by its cover, but Mikami's never really adhered to that saying very strictly. ]

That raises the question of how long the power has been cut, if a candle business of all things can hold its own in the middle of the town. But even more than that, we have to wonder how long it's been abandoned...

What I have seen so far is a real lack of decay for a ghost town.

[ortion]

[Truly, any of Dist's peers back home would be equally surprised. No faith at all...]

A true ghost town, perhaps. But the place seems to be abandoned nevertheless. It may have been fairly recent, since as you say, everything still looks decently-maintained. I visited the tram station, and while the tram itself was inoperable, I couldn't detect a visible sign of disrepair. Nature has not yet begun creeping in.

[inordertobelieve]

What rendered it inoperable then? Has it been purposefully tampered with?

[ That would be reasonable, but better make sure. Depending on how far the railwork goes, fixing the tram might be a viable option to put some distance between them and whoever brought them here. ]

[ortion]

That I cannot say for certain. I couldn't find any sign of tampering at that particular station, but it is possible that a line is down somewhere else in town. Further investigation is in order, is what I am saying here.

[Though...]

Unfortunately, this damn fog makes it very difficult to navigate. We need a more powerful source of light than what the candles can provide.

[inordertobelieve]

If worse comes to worst, we'll have to create makeshift torches. Greater fire also isn't a reliable light source, but it should at least illuminate enough of the trains to start examining their mechanics.

[ Not that Mikami knows anything much about mechanics, which is... an obstacle. ]

[ortion]

A fair point. The trains would have strong enough lights to navigate dense fog.

[He taps his chin thoughtfully.]

I can take a closer look if we can properly light the area.

[Conveniently, Mikami is speaking with the mechanical engineer of the group, and he's just as interested in getting the trains up and working. Not for altruistic reasons, but...inadvertently altruistic?]

[inordertobelieve]

If we can't find a more elegant way of obtaining something flammable, we can always try and demolish the furniture. Though the wood is likely processed, so there'd be some trial and error there....

[ And also it's vandalism. Vandalism in the name of survival, but still. ]

I will keep an eye out.

[ortion]

Oh, we don't have to get barbaric. I am sure we can fashion some kind of torch with candles from that conspicuously convenient shop.

[Jeez Mikami, the furniture might be hideous but let's not resort to trashing it so quickly.]

[inordertobelieve]

That would indeed be preferable. In a worst case scenario, we might need the living spaces for a while...

[ They could be worse, as matters are now. At least they look clean. ]

[ortion]

That certainly would be a worst case scenario. They are so...unfortunate. Livable, certainly, but...ugh.

[Dist has slept in worse conditions but this is where he's choosing to place the most of his disdain, apparently.]

[inordertobelieve]

There's worse.

[ He's just been in jail, so this is an upgrade. But no, he can't pretend to really be satisfied either. ]

And yet I miss my apartment already.

[ortion]

[...He kind of likes this commiseration train that's starting to take off, so:]

You are perfectly within your rights to have standards even in a situation like this! After all, you didn't choose this!

[inordertobelieve]

[ Mikami doesn't usually yammer with people. That's also mostly because he doesn't talk to people, at all, period. So... ]

I'm also not particularly enamored with living in someone else's spaces. They appear clean enough, but who knows who has lived here and what they may have done beforehand. It's thoroughly unpleasant.

[ortion]

Honestly! That is exactly why I have always avoided inns whenever possible. They never seem to meet my standards.

[That and...he's had some Bad Experiences with inns in general.]

If we had proper appliances I would wash my bedding just to be safe, but even if we did, they wouldn't be functional.