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westwhere2022-08-01 07:33 pm
groundrules) wrote in westwhere2022-08-01 07:33 pm
the mouse house
Welcome to Serthica’s Mouse House — a mini plot roll for recent newcomers, lasting until 11 August. Characters who opted in are in a different physical location but can contact the group at sea through their communicators. You can use the log post below to top level and mingle, or you can make your own logs and posts.
Characters awaken in the dessert, unburied from high sands, recovering in medical tents or drifting towards a caravan. After a day to mend, they are presented to the caravan leader — the Merchant, who provides them translation and communication devices.
He explains they are outsiders who have reached the world of Akhuras, where undead factions wage war with each other and the living. The undead summon otherworldly conscripts, to enslave or weaponise them in the conflict. The Merchant finds and transports such newcomers east, where beacons might return the visitors back to their home worlds. Other otherworldly guests are currently travelling the haunted Crossing Seas — the Merchant offers their names.
The group at sea will reach the beacon-bearing clockwork citadel of Serthica within days. Caravan newcomers are supplied 10,000 coins each, blade weapons and ship passage to the impoverished Mouse House — the underground outskirts of Serthica and home to beggars, smugglers, contrived thief networks and mercenaries. Here, they must complete a set of tasks to wrangle, muscle, thieve or bribe coveted Serthica passport papers for themselves and their incoming comrades. Good luck!
CHEESE FOR THE WHINE
- ■ The Mouse House is the literal industrialised underworld that surrounds Serthica. Coarse and labyrinthine, it has the gargantuan width of a very large vessel (50m). Here and there, crumbled makeshift stone roads show defunct rail tracks underneath. One train still runs in the outmost pathway of the Mouse House, taking daily imported coal shipments from the port to Serthica.
■ Often filthy, dangerous and entirely cavernous, the Mouse House comprises several crammed community homes — ‘rat mounds’ — some small illicit trade and forgery shops, and hideouts for opiate suppliers, slavers and thieves. Sleep lightly and watch your backs.
■ A pathway leads out to the ports. There are no windows, and the stuffy air is unhelped by limited ventilation. A strong scent of sedative incense blooms in the air to keep the criminal population tame(r).
■ Characters are taken in by Ma’am Mariol, the benevolent matronly leader of a ring of orphans who provide courier and espionage services for the various overlords of the Mouse House. Enjoy her hospitality: dried bread, questionable soup and a resting place in her breezy enclosures.
■ Ma’am Mariol looks after 12 valiant urchins. You can enlist their services but expect they’ll want pay.
■ Twice a day, at 6:00 and 18:00, the Mouse House suffers a dull shudder for a few minutes, as if suffering the echoes of a distant, rippling earthquake. Ma’am Mariol shares this is because the two city halves of Serthica are starting to swap places: Eidris comes up in the morning, while Minaras is overground at night. They only meet for one hour during the swap.
✘ PRIME OPPORTUNITY
Win passage into Serthica by completing quests from the list below. Multiple people can tackle the same assignment. Report in by 23:59 GMT on 10 August for your gains.
PLOY & PLUNDER
Highly superstitious gang leader Artemius Bale is holding a festivity to celebrate conquering the territory of former rival Edward Three-Hands . The crème de la crème of the Mouse House’s underworl attends in a bustling, tight space. Despite his recent victory, Artemius remains heavily paranoid and keeps his cronies on guard.
- ■ Steal decent garments and function invitations from attendees to join the party.
■ Ease the pockets of the many criminal merrymakers, while they’re enjoying their fine wine. The more coin you can collect for later bribes, the better.
■ Pass for one of the many séance holders and ‘necromancers’ Artemius Bale has commissioned to entertain his guests. Coax attendees that the dead want them to patron incoming travellers — You may need to pair up and simulate a few ‘haunting’ tricks to persuade them of your great necromantic talent.
■ Why not pull a fast one on old fox Artemius? You could even persuade him he has been cursed by Edward Three-Hands and will fall deathly ill or unable to enjoy his gains if he does not make amends for his wrongdoings… to your benefit.
ALL ABOARD
A time-honoured fixture of Serthica, the single coal train typically enters the Mouse House each day at 11:00 without threat or trouble. Loaded to brim, it brings in fuel and smuggled goods.
Come early morning, Ma’am Mariol’s orphan scouts mention the latest 6:00 shake has toppled large pieces of stone and metallic debris over a segment of the railway. As the train approaches, Serthica officials send word that anyone who
- ■ Grab a shovel. Use it wisely.
■ Careful with the various oversized rats that haunt the filthier depths of the Mouse House — they typically avoid groups of humans, but will jump you if you’re alone.
THE SCRIBE
Serthica’s most skilled forger, Rayssa is returning to the Mouse House after months of imprisonment in the citadel. She brings along decades of experience crafting passport papers — and a wealth of debt collectors who want the coin she owed before her disappearance.
It is widely known she will visit One-Eye Calliope’s tavern as her first point of call, to enjoy a first drink in freedom. Her pursuers will be waiting for her, armed, prickly and ready.
- ■ Win Rayssa’s good will and services by rescuing her from the inevitable bar brawl.
■ Head into her heavily watched quarters in the Mouse House to collect her tools of trade — inks, parchments, pens and stencils.
■ Hold her watch or her hair while a heavily inebriated Rayssa writes up your forged passport papers.
LADY LUCK LOVES YOU
If you’re no fan of honest looting, leave your fate to chance: the Mouse House’s various taverns and gathering places host nightly gambling games, from cards to bone dice, arm wrestling and a local favourite, mouse races.
Pair up to rig the games in your favour, and win coin, passport forgeries, clandestine passage or a crime lord’s patronage. You never know what favour the right name can earn you later!
NPC CONTACT
GAINS
GRAB A FRIEND
no subject
Just before we woke in the desert. I was tinkering with her circuit board, all well and good, on my way to pick up a friend and then - well, what happened to me happened to you. We're connected, though, her and I. She'll find me, I'm sure. Eventually. Unless I find her first. Bit tricky just now, I don't have my usual tools.
[ He pulls out a small device from his pocket and shows it to Finn. ]
My sonic screwdriver. Just a screwdriver at the moment. So being here, it's sucked the power out of this. And this screwdriver can do everything, literally everything. [ Well, almost. He may be exaggerating a little. ] Now it's just a screwdriver. [ The look in his eyes, though, says, For now because he doesn't give up so easily. ]
no subject
He doesn't say that. The Doctor looks so hopeful. Also... maybe a little crazy. That's not even a screwdriver, Finn's pretty sure.
He can't help but already like this guy, though. ]
Being here-... Do you think we can recharge it somehow? [ Because what if this thing is real??? ]
I mean, if it can help you find your ship, it's worth trying, right? I'm not sure what kind of technology the rest of this planet has, though.
no subject
Oh, I think we can do anything, don't you? The pair of us, eh? Absolutely anything. Including fixing this old thing up. [ He gives it a little toss up in the air for good measure before sticking it back in his pocket. ]
This planet and its technology, I'm still working that out. There aren't many places left in the universe that I haven't been before, but there are some. This being one of them. Not to worry, I'll have it sorted out soon enough. Or we will.
no subject
So, of course, he's smiling. ] I'll help however I can.
But... I talked to someone out on the ships, the people we're supposed to be bringing in. He thinks we're in a completely different universe, said that there are people from alternate versions of his home or from different points in time.
You think... we could manage that?
no subject
Not in this case, though. Not by a longshot. Finn's a good lad, he can tell already. ]
It's not a question of can we, but rather, when will we. Not tomorrow, probably, but soon enough. There's a lot to be done here, admittedly, but we've got a project on our hands that's just our own. I'll have to think through the parts I need. It'll be different here than how I've got it working before, but we will most certainly manage, Finn.
[ He'll have to adapt a little differently. ]
As to where we are - it's all one big universe, one very, very vast universe, but what a lot of people don't grasp are all the possibilities out there, the little pockets tucked away, splintered off from linear time. We're seeing it here, I think. An alternate reality of some sort, perhaps.
no subject
And now the Doctor's just blowing his mind a little. ]
Oh... Like... an alternate reality where a bunch of other realities... meet? That sounds-...
[ Dangerous?? ]
But if it's all one universe- Wait, your ship can cross realities? And time? [ Whole dimensions?????
Finn's not exactly a physics genius, but he did okay with his First Order-Approved Education. And that- How is all that possible? This is incredible. ]
no subject
My old girl can do anything. Space and time and all points in between. We're just biding our time here for the moment, but she'll come. And she's big enough to fit all of us. An infinite amount. We'll have grand adventures, soon enough. [ Is he basically just recruiting Finn to travel with him and not even considering the first place he'd want to go if his ship actually did show up would probably be home.
The Doctor doesn't consider it just because his ship is his home, and he always wants friends to travel with him. ]
sorry for the late tag!!
But the Doctor looks so happy. Finn can't just be mean to him and walk away, at least not now that he's gotten to know him a little bit. The guy's so nice! And it's apparent he really believes and cares about everything he says. Apparent to Finn, at least.
And who is he to say that none of it is true? Look where he is!
So, he just stares dumbly for a second until a smile comes to his face. It's happy and warm and small but there. ]
That would be amazing. I hope your ship comes sooner rather than later. You think there's any way we can help it along from here or is the, uh... screwdriver-thing the best bet?
[ Might as well try helping the man fix it. What else is Finn going to do in between running away from the undead (apparently)? ]
never worry it's all good!
He also appreciates meeting someone in their group already who's apparently receptive to what he's saying. ]
Likely our best bet, but I wouldn't rule out what the TARDIS is capable of, not at all. Whatever spare parts you can find around will be useful. Anything at all, even if you think otherwise. Even a spoon!
So where were you before all this by the way? I wonder if there's anything in common between any of us at all.
[ Just launching into it apparently. No natural segue even. He loves people, loves hearing their stories, so out he comes with the questions. ]