Rose was momentarily surprised by the fox's new, universally visible manifestation, but then she smiled at him. "Well, hello little friend," she said, her smile widening as the boy fussed with her hand. "These are Davin and Phoenix, they both helped out a lot when that bad man attacked us." She stood up as the boy started to guide her. "Would you like them to come along, or is this just for me?"

(OOC - holding off on the long-term plan for now since I'm not sure what's happening :))

Phoenix cocks his head curiously at the child.  This place is getting curiouser and curiouser all the time.
He looks outside, seeing the wonder of the Aurora.  Even switching to thermal to see what it looks like that way.  He then turns to look about himself to see the thermal variations.  To see if there is something of interest as they head for the sleeping car.

Davin smiles at the spirit in a reassuring manner, "It is my pleasure to meet you. I am as you can guess not from around here. Though I was sired here and this is the homeland of my father. If Lady Rose and I continue to travel together perhaps one day you might even visit my homeland. I think you would find it fascinating." He nods his head respectfully to the spirit. Though he does glance out at the shining sky. "My homeland has something similar though it tends to be purple and blue rather then green."

UPDATE!

 Rose's companion smirks sheepishly at Davin's words, and hid behind Rose. The little boy seemed intent on getting Rose through the door to the car in front, and didn't seem overly concerned anymore for Davin and Phoenix. James noticed that the little one gave off no heat at all, not cold per se, but the normal amount of heat for the rest of the car, invisible to his heat senses.

 That was when Rose looked up and saw a feminine figure silhouetted in the frosted glass between cars. The figure being about the right height and shape to be Miss Tia, exaggerated hair and all. The door slides open from the catch and Miss Tia enters, a concerned look on her face. The child runs to Tia and hides from the two men in the skirts of her puffiest nineteenth century gown. Her grey heavy coat concealed her upper body. To Davin, he sees her as another spiritual being, but, perhaps even more powerful than any he'd seen before. Likewise, Phoenix noticed that this person gave off heat in hot waves, even more peculiar.

 Both Rose and Davin felt a presence when they look outside, a very strange sense of wrongness and as they look out the northern side of the train, they can see small barely noticeable bubbles drifting in the distant sky intermittently, softly glowing in the light of the Aurora. They tickled the magikal senses in the way that skin can catch upon rough sandpaper at the slightest touch.

 "We're getting closer agents," she says, looking to Rose. Her dazzling eyes eyes alighting on each of you momentarily though, "soon enough you'll understand what it means. Until then you should get some rest, make your plans. I'll keep watch over you until you get off of the train. The Baron won't be visiting here again."

 She looks to Rose and draws near speaking softly, "I can't be apart of what's going to happen there. It's against the rules my kind must follow. I can give you this though," she withdraws a leatherbound portfolio. A quick scan of it's contents reveals that it contains a study of an ancient tablet written in a very peculiar tongue called sanskrit from Mesopotamia. The completed translation seems to be an epic poem about a leader among gods called Marduke.

 Phoenix kind of recognizes this woman from the statue the agents had found back from on the Neustria, though the connection is tenuous at best.

 Soon everyone has found their way to the sleeping cars and James' compartment.

OOC
Folks in this thread:
Davin
Rose
Phoenix

NPCs: Vulpine Child, Miss Tia


This message was last edited by the GM at 08:22, Sat 16 Mar.

James begins to open the beds for his companions,then stops.  Who feels the need for a trip to the dining car?

Davin had turned his head to study the Lady Rose thoughtfully as these beings came to visit her. "Perhaps we should. As we eat, it might be time for everyone to share more about themselves. Rather more is going on then what it seemed at first."

 <UPDATE!>


 "Why don't you simply ring for the waiter? Their tea service extends to all hours," Miss Tia calls as she shuffles towards her own compartment. She calls back, "tell Miss Rose goodbye for now."

 The little boy sticks out a hand from behind Miss Tia's skirts. "Blast you child, get back you wild little thing."

 With that they disappear into one of the forward cars, leaving Rose, Phoenix, and Davin, in the agency's compartment.

Ringing for service will allow us privacy, James concedes.

Davin relaxed as the two left. Dealing with spirits was something he had only had lectures on, stories from his mother, and two encounters. Neither went very well in his opinion. "As long as recent events have not disrupted service unduly that is fine." Davin glances around as though making sure they were alone. "Now, whatever is happening seems to be rippling out of this world. We encountered a countryman of mine and he could not get home. When done properly, at the right time, at the right place, and by one of the blood that shouldn't be possible without a major warding of some type. Even then only in that one place. So, what are you involved in that might explain how the barriers between worlds are becoming...hardened."

Rose was happy to exchange affectionate greetings with Miss Tia, and saw off her and the boy with similar warmth. With them gone and tea service seen to, she settled back into her seat. "I can't say I'm involved in anything like that directly, as such, but a cult is pursuing me. Perhaps they're the ones responsible. And, perhaps we should study Miss Tia's gift in more detail?"

James gives a small smile as he moves to signal for the porter.  I'll ring the porter and see if we can get some food, then.
As soon as he has pulled the signal, he turns back to the others.  So, now we are dealing with something of a supernatural or spiritual nature?  Interesting.

UPDATE!

 A few moments later, a rapping on the door signals that the waiter had arrived. His French accent seemed to indicate new waitstaff had boarded, and this man seemed quite polite. As he set the tea tray onto the foldout he called through the door, "May I take your orders, Monsieur?"

Un moment, the agent says, then turns to his companions to ask what they would want to eat.

"I believe that our opposition is more supernatural, and the boy is more spiritual... I would guess Miss Tia is both. I'm glad she's on our side," Rose answered Phoenix's question, along with a little editorializing. She didn't have time to explain about the Heralds of Eternal Winter before the waiter arrived. "Lemonade and a cold sandwich for me please," she answered with a slight smile. "Actually, perhaps two sandwiches. That was rather draining."

Davin pauses for Rose to order before speaking, ”The largest steak you have as rare as you can get it and a glass of bourbon please.” Only after the waiter departs does he speak about the larger problem. ”And what what in the gift of knowledge she granted you, Lady Rose?

Once the others have made their order, James decides upon his.  Some beef roast if you have any, a baked potato, some bread, and some borsht, with a bottle of vodka, and a cup of tea, he says to the waiter.  Thank you.
He turns back to his companions.  This gives me pause to wonder how useful my Fire might be in combatting some of the things we may encounter.  Or, how effective my firearms may be.

"I'm not sure," Rose said to Davin. "I suppose we should look into it now, unless there are other leads to go on. I'm sure Miss Tia gave it to us for good reason. Shall we take a look?" As she set up to examine it with the others, she said to Phoenix "My family fought them in force some time ago... the Heralds of Eternal Winter draw most of their powers from cold, but they're still mortal to some degree at least. Bullets work well, and fire even better."

Phoenix smiles.  That is comforting.  Good to know we have a method or two to kill them if we can't get them to see reason.

INFO-DUMP UPDATE!


  While the three ordered, the waiter took down each item and seemed most polite. Leaving them alone then for a bit to peek at the contents of Miss Tia's gifted satchel to Rose. Upon pulling out the translated manuscript and reasearch notes by a Doctor Braddock, the trio noticed the remarkable depictions of ancient Babylonian lore illustrated by the rubbings on the top of the carefully slotted notes. One looked a bit like the submersible suits used offshore by deep sea divers currently, which was slightly confusing. About midway through the initial examination, the waiter returns with servings for each of them.

  The poem and translations themselves told a story of the king of babylonian gods called Marduke, some think he inspired the Zeus of later Greco-Roman mythology. His friend called Asari travelled with him and though they have great adventures, the two turn against one another and Asari drives off Marduke after Marduke slays the Goddess Tiamat in a great battle, using the artifact called the Imhulu, "Evil Wind" or "Four Winds", whom was said to have created the oceans as her blood spilt out. This turn of events, however created Atlantis, to which Tiamat becomes patron Goddess of the deep. Marduke was said to have fled to the night skies to protect the world from those who would do Gaia harm as penance, while ensuring that the heavenly bodies stayed on-course.

  The tale is extended through examples of Marduke sailing the ocean of night upon his ship called Niburu, a great Oracle tells Asari that Marduke would return like a flaming bird if the Demiurge was ever threatened. The research has some notes theorizing on what exactly this Demiurge represented but felt it analogous to the primeval being Gaia. The godking goes on to fight against Lamashtu with Pazuzu, demons of the wind and skies. The Oracle tells Asari this and so he meets with Pazuzu in secret to tell him a message to send to Marduke when he meets him, telling him of the treacherous evil of Enten.

  Asari plotted with the god of winter then, Enten, to set a trap for Marduke, so that upon his return they could exact their revenge for the attack on the great mother Tiamat. They would lure him with a daughter of Winter, an unbroken bloodline that stretched from Enten himself during the Hyborean age that lead up to the formation of the Babylonian empire. Enten planted the seeds of this trap in the land of Winter, which was a powerful place in the prehistoric times. When he landed he would be lulled into a dreamless sleep by the cool air, and then frozen until the Daughter comes to take his power and usher in an Age of Winter. Asari would then kill both gods to take their power for himself, to become the King of the Primeval Gods in an act of epic double-crossing.

  Gods of many realms are present for the slaying according to the translations, and many people, who according to the tablet, are struck with greed for the magical golden blood that leaks from Niburu, which ultimately leads to it's destruction. This lot is forced to worship Asari and become his army as he takes the mantles of power.

  Doctor Braddock theorizes that the tablets are a prophesy more than a history, that the writing is a warning to future peoples, of an apocalyptic end-times age, much like Revelations, which he goes on to compare it to at length.

  When alls said and done, dawn seems to be creeping across the eastern skies, a purple-ish refraction of it's light across the skies.

OOC
Folks in this thread:
Davin
Rose
Phoenix

NPCs: Waiter


*Editted mispellings.
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:37, Fri 26 Apr.

Wow.  The Bureau agent seems impressed.  The gods from these various pantheons seem so... Human.  Always with the tales of betrayal and vengeance.

Davin had absently crafted a small globe of crystal that he absently spun in his hand as the story progressed. "All too often mortals are simply gods writ small." He shrugged slightly uncomfortably at that and turned slightly worried eyes towards Rose, "Now, I have serious qualms about Lady Rose getting any closer to our destination then she already is."

Rose nodded slowly in agreement with Phoenix and Davin, but was clearly feeling disquieted as well. "I do feel... uncomfortably significant at the moment. I'd never thought the Heralds to be so potentially world-shaking. Assuming it really does mean me, of course. But I imagine Tiamat's attention to me does support that thesis. I wonder if I'm actually playing into their hands."

The agent looks to the floor a moment, and give a quiet sigh.  All you can do is what you feel you have to do,bhe says to the woman.  If that plays into their hands, then so be it.  You have to follow your conscience and your heart.

UPDATE!
DAWN


  A few minutes later another round of tea arrives and any of the items you requested. With a bow, the waiter leaves without much fuss.


   So just popping into this to tell you to continue your conversation as long as you need to decide what you are up to collectively. When you feel you are ready to move forward, let me know by putting an OOC line in the bottom of your posts. Of course, post questions in the OOC if you need any clarification on anything. ^_^
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:48, Yesterday.

"The problem with trying to avoid your fate is that you either meet it on the road you have taken to avoid it or you find that it was never your fate at all. Do you have perhaps sisters? Cousins? Aunts? Even if you are not the one spoken of there might well be another who could fit into the role. So, do as you will. If you think you wish to take another course I am sure something can be arranged. If you wish to stay on the current path then perhaps they are playing right into your hands."