Subway In the light of an oncoming train

[Theo Crowhurst]

The Upper Fens' central subway station was well-maintained and well-built, modernised just enough to maintain the old look while making it far more comfortable to traverse. Well, to a degree. It wasn't as reliable as the Lower Fens line, and while it didn't have the more shocking incidents the Newton line endured, it was just as weird and dangerous. A little more ominous, Theo might term it. The Upper Fens subway tunnels offered a slow descent into madness if one didn't watch their step.

It was extraordinarily silly to seek it out deliberately, but there were always extenuating circumstances that drove the Inquisitor on paths he knew to be approaching stupidity. The uptick in rumours about the subway through Easthaven was worrisome enough, but he knew enough to know it was either worse in the Upper Fens or the Upper Fens was the origin point. It could be the proximity to the dead centre of town, or it could be the particular architectural choices made–by man or something else, who could fucking tell at this point–but whatever it was, Upper Fens was closer to the sort of realms the living were better off avoiding. It was contagious, apparently.

“I'd like to know who was the architect in charge of all of this,” Theo muttered, his voice carrying down the empty tunnel they were walking down, heading towards one of the platforms where they'd found out had been particularly active. “I'd give him a right walloping.”

This particular subway line was temporarily shut down for 'maintenance,' but Theo knew it was because too many people had gone missing for the Easthaven branch of the MBTA to feel secure in keeping it open for now. Hence why Theo was heading straight towards it.

[Asphodel Malvolia]

Outfit

The leylines of Easthaven were a long-running personal project of Asphodel's, a slowly evolving body of research she'd been building since she arrived in the early 70s. The scholars at Baxendale had already concluded that the subway lines seemed to follow the leylines. Curious happenings in the tunnels were no surprise, but genuinely notable events were rare. She'd only seen a handful in her decades living in the city, but she was always sure to be at ground zero, archivist or not.

Whether this was a notable event remained to be seen. Rumors were only rumors, and an increase in odd sightings could be attributed to anything: the moon phases, the time of year, celebrations, or an infestation of some sort... It didn't have to be the leylines. But she hoped! That was why she was here, having forced her way onto the exploratory teams without so much as a how-do-you-do.

Still, it was good luck to be paired with the Inquisitor for this particular expedition, especially since Asphodel had the answer to his gripe.

“Long dead, I'm afraid!” Asphodel chirped, her voice low, so it didn't echo down the tunnel ahead of them. “Gregory Thatcher was his name. He was an apprentice of William Jackson, the city engineer who designed the original Boston subway lines. Whether he knew what he was doing or not, who knows...” Shrugging, the vampire smiled over at Theo, clearly delighted to be here, in her way, despite it being a dank, dark, abandoned subway line. “Nobody liked the idea of subway lines back then, though: underground is where the dead are supposed to go.”

[Theo Crowhurst]

Coat

As Ash spoke, Theo glanced her way, arching an eyebrow as she did offer the name of the man he'd like to deck. It wasn't a surprise the man was dead–subways weren't too old, but they were old enough–leaving Theo to uselessly threaten the man when he had to deal with the consequences of what Mr. Gregory Thatcher had built.

However, what was more interesting than a dead man was the evident delight Ash displayed about their little venture. Was it the history? Was it the magical connections the subway lines had, be they purposeful or accidental? Theo didn't know, but perhaps he'd find out if she kept talking.

“They're still bloody here,” Theo pointed out, letting out a low chuckle, as he adjusted his coat to hook over the hilt of his sword. With the illusion, it simply looked like his coat was caught on his belt. “Big fan of subways, are you?” As he asked, he looked at her, cheerfully curious.

[Asphodel Malvolia]

Theo swearing over the dead still hanging around made Asphodel snort through her nose, amused. The dead would always hang around, being nuisances or worse. When he adjusted his handsome new coat, it was a struggle not to reach over and unhook it from his belt. Though, wasn’t that where he kept his sword? In any case, Asphodel kept her hands to herself, arranged neatly over the leather satchel she carried. Naturally, she was here to take notes.

His question earned him a sidelong glance and a sharp little smile. Was he asking about trains in general or these subways? Or was he being snide? It didn’t matter, the Inquisitor had earned the ever-so-coveted position of being subjected to Asphodel’s little monologues.

“Oh, Theo, imagine-” the vampire chuckled, her blue eyes glimmering with real delight as she waved a slender hand through the air, setting the scene. Her flair for the dramatic would never die. “The loudest thing you’ve ever heard in your life is a cavalry charge. Fireworks perhaps, but if you’re very unlucky, a broadside. Then, you hear a steam engine for the very first time. You see a steam engine, rushing out of the dark, hauling carts, belching steam, screaming along metal tracks that men have died to build. And it roars, deafening you until it’s out of earshot. It’s unforgettable.” Asphodel grinned, flashing straight, white teeth. “Of course I enjoy trains.”

[Theo Crowhurst]

Tilting his head, Theo considered Ash's words as they walked, the long tunnel stretching ahead, but he thought he could see the stairwell's downward dip leading to the platform.

How Asphodel framed her thoughts on trains reminded him of how men these days got over engines, especially supercar engines. Even Theo wasn't immune to that. He hadn't gotten the Vantage for his health; he'd genuinely admired it as a car. Although he hardly thought of those who'd died in the pursuit of advancing said technology, they were a little before his time. And wasn't that some of Ash's point?

“The supercars of their era, I suppose,” Theo spoke, thinking out loud. “What do you think about the maglev trains coming into use? None of the noise, more speed.” What was the record to date? Something like over 500 km/h? Trains were admittedly not Theo's field, and he'd come into the habit of avoiding traversing through the Easthaven subway.

[Asphodel Malvolia]

It actually took a bit of effort for the vampire to keep her composure past her excitement at the question. She hummed, grinning at the descending stairwell ahead of them, listening to the abandoned terminal beyond. Of course, Asphodel's excitement wasn't the sort where she got out of hand, but without that restraint, she might've babbled on about locomotives for a while. Unfortunately, now was not the time, much as she wanted to.

“I haven't had the opportunity to travel East and ride one, but I would very much like to,” she confessed, one side of her mouth crooked up in a smile. “Perhaps after we solve this particular mystery, I'll put in a request for leave.”

[Theo Crowhurst]

During their chat, the pair had reached the stairs leading further into the depths of the subway tunnels. Theo's hand moved to brace on the hilt as they began their descent, preventing it from rattling against his hip as he looked over the subway walls around them, the stairs and the railing. The MBTA hadn't shut down the platform for too long, but long enough, it seemed eerily untouched from the last time it'd gotten cleaned. The tiling was well-maintained, their polished shine looking good under the overhead lights, but it was all so quiet.

The silence was what Theo was thinking about as he looked at Ash and her plans for a little holiday inspired by train sightseeing. It was a quaint thought, far removed from what they were doing. What Theo did, in truth. Ash was only along for her curiosity, far as he knew. She rarely worked as an agent. Imagine taking a vacation.

“Well, train sightseeing is as good an excuse as any for a holiday,” Theo remarked drolly. “So long as you don't put an idiot in charge of the archives while you're gone.”

[Asphodel Malvolia]

Asphodel's musical laugh drifted down the stairwell as they descended. “I don't have any idiots working for me,” she answered loftily, her tone playfully derisive. It wasn't a comparison, though--if the vampire had a chance to brag about her division, she would take it. “But fear not, I'm in no hurry to get away.”

The space around them possessed a near-sepulchral quiet. Asphodel could still hear the faint rumbling of faraway trains, the sound carried through the tunnels and the earth, but beyond that, it was like stepping into a mausoleum. Comforting, in a way. The vampire lowered her voice automatically, unwilling to disturb it. A faint cool breeze drifted through the terminal.

[Theo Crowhurst]

Theo smirked, keeping it to himself how his definition of an idiot might differ significantly from hers. It'd only get them in a circular discussion about the aspects of moronic behaviour, of which Theo had broad definitions.

“Lucky us,” Theo said, angling an amused look her way, absent of sarcasm. They were moving down into the platform proper, the ceiling arching upwards and making space. His words echoed gently, and Theo trailed his eyes upwards and along, letting out a low hum as he considered their surroundings. Not a bad place to haunt, all things considered. When he spoke next, his voice was a hushed murmur, avoiding the echo. “There's something disconcerting about abandoned platforms.”

Even as he made his observation, there was a distant clatter up ahead. A faint sound that Theo couldn't place. But he had a feeling it wasn't anywhere well-lit and comfortable. He eyed the drop off from the platform and onto the tracks dubiously. The third rail would be inactive, but no one liked the idea of wandering along them.

[Asphodel Malvolia]

Asphodel followed Theo to the platform's edge and stopped, looking up and down the ugly exhaust and oil-stained channel that held the tracks and the train. With wide-open tunnel mouths at either end, she could agree that it was disconcerting. They led down into darkness so far that even her keen eyesight couldn't penetrate it. Ostensibly, they would go to the next station, but when one was standing there, in the stillness...

“Yes,” she agreed, her tone thoughtful as she built on the idea. “The sign says these tracks will go down to Ironwood, but... Can we really be sure?” A clattering sound echoed out of the darkness, interrupting her but making a point. “Your imagination runs off with you.” She smirked at Theo and noticed him considering the tracks below. Her smirk turned into a frown. “You don't mean to go down there, do you?”

[Theo Crowhurst]

Theo glanced at Ash, taking in her comment and mentally tacking on his own. He was sure it did lead to Ironwood, but it didn't mean that was the only way it led, and if the tunnels split off into disused tunnels. The trains kept on track–there'd never been evidence of an entire train going missing–and eventually got to where they wanted. But they couldn't make a claim of which path they'd taken and what strange things they may have spotted through the window.

His thoughts on the possible detours and alternate paths to the next station brought his eyes back to the tracks, walking along the platform and taking the measure of it. It wasn't a long drop onto the tracks, although he could see a maintenance door at the far end of the platform. Perhaps the better choice than just dropping straight onto the tracks. The clattering sound drew his attention, Theo's eyes straining to look into the dark.

“Where else?” Theo murmured, gazing down the tracks and into the tunnel. “I don't see us figuring anything out standing around here.”

[Asphodel Malvolia]

“Well, no,” Asphodel muttered, rolling her eyes a little as they both gazed into the darkness. She smirked. “I mean, do you mean for us to walk along the tracks like a pair of bindlestiffs?” She couldn't hear the tell-tale hum of the third track, but it was a bit dirty down there, and she looked down at the tracks with a look of mild distaste.

[Theo Crowhurst]

Theo arched an eyebrow at Ash's apparent distaste at the prospect of jumping onto the tracks, smirking more than a little at the look on her face. Not delighting in it, but certainly finding more than a bit of entertainment at her turning her nose up at a dirty job that was, for Theo, just another aspect of it all.

“It does look like that is our only choice,” he remarked, nearly cheerful about it. “I don't see a convenient handcar available for us.”

[Asphodel Malvolia]

His cheerful tone got him a sour look, and then she scowled when he suggested a handcar.

“Oh, that would be even worse,” Asphodel declared, disgruntled as she stepped up to the edge of the tracks and considered how she would get down. She hated that Theo was right, but in a way, she'd known it would come to this. They'd have to get down the tunnels one way or another. “I would rather walk than look like some fool pumping a handcar.”

[Theo Crowhurst]

Theo allowed himself a chuckle at Ash being so particular about gallivanting in closed-down subway tunnels but didn't linger on the platform. In a smooth movement, Theo leaned down to brace a hand on the platform's edge and jumped down, landing on both feet in the gravel with a crackling thud.

“Perish the thought,” Theo murmured, crookedly smiling as he reached up to offer his hands to Ash and help her down.

[Asphodel Malvolia]

Huffing, Asphodel was well aware of Theo's amusement at her prissy attitude, but it was preferable to annoyance, especially when she knew there was no alternative. It was just the prospect of walking along the sooty tracks that was objectionable. Nevertheless, she would still do it. They had a job, after all.

The man jumped down without a second thought and then turned to offer her a hand down into the channel. Asphodel let herself smile, pleased at the gentlemanly offer, but she was more careful about getting down. First, she unlooped her satchel and put it down at the platform's edge. Then she sat down on the edge and, rather than take his hands, reached for his shoulders, leaning in so he could catch her around the waist and set her down. Better than taking the full brunt of the impact, even if the vampire could take that and more. Didn't mean breaking her ankle wouldn't be uncomfortable.

[Theo Crowhurst]

Theo waited, hands dropping a bit as she situated herself before she reached for his shoulders, and he raised his arms to catch her around the waist. Putting her feet on the ground, Theo dropped his hands, stepping away to rummage in his coat pocket for the large Maglite he'd thought to bring, knowing he didn't intend to do any sunlight summoning with Ash accompanying him.

With the torch in hand, he slapped it against his palm before clicking it on, the beam of light piercing the tunnel's darkness. He thought this led towards Old Town, with the other going further into the Upper Fens. The only question was in which direction they should take.

“What do you think?” Theo queried, swinging his torch towards the other tunnel, illuminating dirtied tracks and flat gravel.

[Asphodel Malvolia]

Asphodel thanked Theo as he set her down on her feet before reaching up to pull the satchel from the platform. Pupils pinning as her eyes adjusted to the new directed light source, the vampire looked one way and then the other with him, considering the yawning mouths of the tunnels.

“I think we'll want to stay in the Upper Fens,” she said as she started in that westerly direction, gravel crunching under her shoes. “I think the closer to Eden Cemetary, the better, no?”

[Theo Crowhurst]

Theo made a thoughtful sound at Ash's suggestion but not in disagreement. Either direction would take them towards some trouble, but she was right that Upper Fens was something of an eye of the storm, based on its history and the rumours. Dealing with the dead was sometimes like shovelling water, which was why the Exchange didn't prioritise hauntings that generally flew under the radar. The dangerous ones, though, were another matter. This felt dangerous and more so, although all was quiet so far.

“The dead centre of town will definitely be busy underground,” Theo murmured, beginning to walk down the western tunnel, matching Ash's pace. He was sure the subway tunnels did not go underneath the cemetery, but very close wasn't out of the question. Easthaven did not have the same issues as the London Underground, where they had to go around earth packed densely with the dead.

He shone his torch down along the tracks they walked, holding it steady as Theo got the lay of the land. He thought he could see the tunnel gently curve ahead, but it was tough to tell. The darkness was thick, too close to the platform for any safety lighting to be present.

[Asphodel Malvolia]

Strike Preternatural senses (4/3), complete success

Ash huffed, giving Theo a sidelong look as they traversed into the shadows. “Didn't think you were one for puns, Theo,” she mused. Then, lifting her eyes to take in the tunnel as they slowly adjusted to the dimmer light, she took in the details of the arched ceiling and the square honeycomb-like construction of the walls. At the same time, she listened closely for another clattering sound.

She picked up Theo's heartbeat, finding it steady and sure, but no other living thing around them. It was a little eerie even for a dead thing like herself, although that didn't make her uncomfortable so much as quietly thrilled. Having relegated herself to the archives, she didn't often have the chance to see what fieldwork was like for the Exchange these days.

[Theo Crowhurst]

Ash's remark had Theo looking her way, brows furrowing in momentary confusion before he cottoned on to what she meant, and the furrow eased up. He hadn't thought of it when he'd said it, automatically phrasing it based on habit, something of an inside joke in the family.

“I can be one for puns,” he said mildly, not arguing her point, but he wasn't a complete stick in the mud. He wouldn't explain it, though. An inside joke never landed well when told outside the sphere it was created. “And it is technically correct.”

Theo swept the torch over the tracks as they walked, gravel crunching under his shoes, slowly scanning what was coming up ahead and wondering what they might run into. He imagined it would be... dead or dead-ish, but that wasn't the only thing that could be out there. It would be naive to count his eggs before they'd hatched.

[Asphodel Malvolia]

It was somehow funnier that Theo seemed confused by her pointing out the pun, and Asphodel chuckled aloud at his look. The sound echoed down the tunnel as she tipped her head, conceding the point. Then, without knowing the inside joke, she went with the pun, taking a somewhat pedantic route.

“I, for one, would not like to find a busy graveyard,” she said, amused, eyes following the circle of light cast by Theo's torch. The air was growing cooler the further they got from the platform. “But I wouldn't be surprised if that's precisely what it is, with the spirits becoming restless.”

[Theo Crowhurst]

“Something definitely kicked the hornet's nest,” Theo murmured, directing the torchlight upwards to look closer at the vaulting ceiling of the tunnel. The old bricks and concrete were dirty, and the intermittent supports of solid steel had spots of rust. It all looked perfectly stable, even if Theo didn't have an eye for building inspection.

There wasn't much to do but keep walking, but he kept an eye out for scratched symbols on the walls, out-of-place objects, or anything else vaguely suspicious.

[Asphodel Malvolia]

As they meandered around a curve in the tunnel, the light from the platform behind them gradually disappeared from view. It left them in the darkness with Theo’s torch and the low safety lights at regular intervals along the tunnel’s length. It wasn’t the lack of light that made the space thrillingly eerie, it was the space itself. There was no visible end ahead of them, no light at the end of the tunnel, and their footsteps echoed against the vaulted ceiling. Knowing there were tons of earth above them made it feel utterly remote. Chthonic.

Something certainly kicked the hornets nest. She nodded in silent agreement. It didn’t take chaos for something to be wrong. Sometimes it was in the whispers in the still air.

“Does death bother you very much, Theo?” the vampire asked conversationally, voice soft so it stayed between the two of them and the echo couldn’t swallow the sound up. Lifting her eyebrows, she glanced over at the Inquisitor, her lips quirked in her usual smirk. It was a serious question but not one she asked to chase any philosophical debate. She was simply curious.

[Theo Crowhurst]

Theo hummed thoughtfully at Ash's question as he shone his torch at an alcove ingress along the tunnel wall. It looked like an access door, possibly to maintenance tunnels or simply a spot for storage for maintenance equipment. He wasn't familiar enough with it, but he suspected it was locked.

“No, I wouldn't say so,” he answered, looking to Ash with an eyebrow quirked. “Not overly. I suppose I've grown used to it.”

He couldn't claim to have seen death when very young, but its presence and how it was talked about had persisted. The earliest encounter with death that he remembered had been one of his uncles, dead from a hunt. Theo hadn't seen the body, but he'd heard his other uncles whisper about the extent of the damage, why there would be no showing of the body before cremation.

After that, there'd only been more to follow. It was the risk they took by choice. Theo imagined the senseless deaths bothered him more, but only because of how useless it was, rather than the concept of death itself.

[Asphodel Malvolia]

That he'd grown used to it came as no surprise and Asphodel hummed in mild interest. She'd always known the Crowhursts as the kind of hunting family willing to get its hands dirty, and Theo had shared before that his first kill was at the tender age of sixteen.

“Being around it or knowing it's your eventual fate?” she asked, eyes focusing ahead when she heard what she thought was the gentle patter of water on concrete. That wasn't suspicious by itself since there might be a leaky water line running along the tunnel, but the vampire was on alert. At this point, there was no telling what they might find.

[Theo Crowhurst]

It took longer for Theo to notice the sound of water, but when he did, he directed the torchlight towards it. His human eyes strained to see what was happening, but it all looked the same. Dirt, gravel, concrete, and the occasional rat scurrying across the tracks when the torchlight caught them.

“Both, I'd say,” Theo murmured, frowning as he looked ahead. He focused on what they were doing, but the idle chatting wasn't a large distraction. “Seen enough of it and known long enough that the same goes for me. A fact of life, even if I'd certainly like to avoid it as long as possible.”

In that same vein, Theo was well aware it was more than a little likely that his death would be violent. He'd rather not give any bastard the satisfaction of him dying at their hands, but there was little he could do but fight tooth and nail when it came close.

[Asphodel Malvolia]

A fact of life, even for her, but when he said he'd like to avoid it for as long as possible, Asphodel tittered a dry little laugh. “You've picked the wrong profession for that,” she said frankly. It was interesting that the topic of Theo as the Inquisitor kept coming up--Asphodel still hadn't parsed her feelings about it. Did it bother her? If it did, was it his recklessness? If it didn't, why did she constantly circle back to the fact that it was dangerous?

Still, she wouldn't belabor the point, and there was something to be admired. After all, there was a difference between striving to live as long as possible by avoiding all potential danger and doing the same while facing it head-on. “But one could argue you're living life to the fullest.”

Grimacing, she watched the rat disappear into a hole in the wall, and when she listened, she heard the sounds of more tiny rodent feet from inside.

[Theo Crowhurst]

Theo chuckled darkly as Ash echoed his thoughts, shaking his head just a little at the topic. One might say it was an exercise in stating the obvious, but it was their work's undeniable nature.

“Being a Crowhurst or being the Inquisitor hardly makes a difference,” Theo pointed out, knowing if he'd followed the family legacy, he'd be in a similar position, although far more independent. He suspected if he hadn't been approached by the Exchange first, he may have gone back to his father eventually. “And the way a Crowhurst avoids death is being hard to kill, so I'd say that's living life to the fullest.”

Theo looked down, turning his left hand around, recalling the golden cage that had trapped it and what he'd discovered a few weeks ago. Perhaps they were unrelated, but it was hard not to think something interfering with his curse had galvanized it further. He grimly considered it another tool at his disposal, even if using it would be just as chaotic as the rest of his tricks.

By virtue of his curse, many might consider him dead already. He was quite happy to spit in their face as long as he could.

[Asphodel Malvolia]

“You didn't want to step away completely?” Asphodel asked, gently lifting an eyebrow as she considered the difference between being a Crowhurst and the Inquisitor. There was the opportunity to do something else between those two professions.

She hummed and glanced over at Theo. They talked about living life to its fullest, which she agreed he certainly was doing, but she was curious. Part of that was that it wasn't something the vampire didn't see herself as capable of doing by her very nature. Perhaps she could stop being in the Exchange, but this was about Theo's mortality.

[Theo Crowhurst]

Letting out a dry chuckle, Theo shook his head, eyes still front as the question prickled painfully at his past. Theo had an entirely mundane life he'd tried to lead, as many everyday bits of life as he could get before it all fell around his ears. Having it all catch up to him, however incidental and tragic, felt like he was being told there was no putting it behind him. He'd gotten a few years of normalcy that counted for something, even if he'd had to kill the one person who'd come to represent that time.

“I tried,” he said, the words echoing in the tunnel around them. “I stopped hunting for the family when I left for the RAF; after that, I never took it back up. Until the Exchange, and, well...” Theo left it unsaid, shaking his head as he frowned and focused on the darkness ahead.

A part of him felt that, as someone who was cursed, he couldn't just pretend everything wasn't happening. Perhaps that was his genetic inheritance, an inability to stand and ignore what was happening just because he didn't want to deal with it. Maybe it was family propaganda, their dedication to fighting monsters becoming a pathological need. Whatever it was, Theo had not successfully shaken it when he'd gone out on his own.

[Asphodel Malvolia]

There was a lot unsaid, but Asphodel could read between the lines. She knew he'd had a wife at one point, and when she added two and two, she got four. Regardless of missing information, this was not a happy tale, but to Theo's credit, he wasn't a sad sack about it. If she were in his shoes, she would never stop moaning about it, just because she could, but that was neither here nor there.

“I know a bit about reinventing oneself,” she said, contemplative. “If it is any comfort, there are some things that an immortal cannot outrun...” Then the vampire huffed a little laugh and teased, “Perhaps you're doomed to hunt the supernatural forever!”

[Theo Crowhurst]

Theo's torch sagged in his grip, the pool of light dropping ahead of them as Asphodel teased, and he let out a little unhappy groan. “I bloody hope not; forever's a long fucking time.” A brief evaluation of eternal life from the likes of Theo. He wasn't in a hurry to die, of course, but he rather liked that there was an end waiting where he saw those like Aldane living forever, eternally working towards something close to them in life.

Perhaps he was lucky to be driven by obligation and commitment, with plenty of room to be flexible rather than fanaticism or deeply abiding duty. That sort of thing caused curses of eternal life from wicked fey and other such twisted creatures who took exception to the type who hunted the supernatural. And a few accidental ones, like Aldane, who'd believed so deeply in his sacrifice that he'd remained sleeping in that bog until his people were no longer there.

[Asphodel Malvolia]

Whether his reaction was exaggerated or not, it made the vampire, the only person present who could look forward to forever, laugh heartily. Stepping close, she slipped her hand through Theo's elbow in a fit of friendly affection and amusement.

“You would make a terrible vampire anyway,” she declared, bumping the tall man with her hip.

[Theo Crowhurst]

Theo was not generally a funny man, but that Ash found some humour in his words felt somewhat gratifying. Perhaps it was only funny to her because she did have forever, theoretically. As she stepped close and slipped a hand through his elbow, the Englishman offered her an arched eyebrow before it morphed into a crooked smile at her declaration.

“Why thank you,” he said with exaggerated poise even as she hip-bumped him.

[Third on the Match]

A Fee for Ferrying

DC
3

Intent
Enigmatic, Hostile

Keywords
Metal, Necromancy, Vampirism

Cinder
6d6

Strike
6d6

Luck
4

There's no sudden rush of water, no roaring flood. The river Styx flows toward the pair along the tracks, smooth and sedate, much like death itself. The cool clear water takes its time, wetting the concrete, trickling between gravel, and running along the rails. If they don't pay attention, they'll step into the oncoming river and wet their shoes.

However, even if the water is moving smoothly, it floods the space quickly, turning the tracks into a channel. The tunnel around them begins to shift as well, the walls turning to blackened stone. Rock ledges form nearby, allowing them to get out of the water, and if they look down into the newly formed riverbed, they will see gold coins glinting on the bottom. If they look up, they see the train tunnel is gone and they are in some vast cthonic cavern, filled with eerie, distant song and low green light from the water.

Next to Theo and Asphodel, there is a sudden splash and then they notice someone swimming down into the clear stream. A spirit, from the looks of them, their form ghostly and indistinct. More spirits resolve in the dimness around them, doing the same while others covetously count their coins. Across the stream, they see a fight break out between two spirits when one knocks a handful of coins out of the other's hand.

Below the surface of the water, the spirit that dove in first startles. A dark shape shoots by, long and serpentine, and disappears before it turns back on itself, long spines breaking the surface. Then, it dives again and angles for the spirit. In a panic, the spirit starts rushing for the shore but doesn't make it. It's dragged down beneath the surface and wrapped in the serpent's coils. A river guardian, one can assume, and as they watch, it drains whatever life is left in the shade until there is nothing. Then, well-fed, the serpent shakes itself, dark scales falling from its body that harden to shimmering gold.

Finally, the raison d'etre reveals itself: a low deep bell tolls the dead, and at the far end of the tunnel, the pair spots a golden light on the water. The ferry, and aboard, a ferryman who will take coin for passage. The spirits that can afford it gather at the water's edge further along the platform, a chaotic, jostling crowd. Some are inadvertently pushed into the water. Others rush to collect enough to make the fare themselves. Overall, it is a miserable affair of spirits left without the means to travel, but nothing can be done but partake. With the train tunnel around them gone, the ferry is the only passage out of the Underworld, and they will need gold to pay the ferryman.

The object of this encounter is to Escape by rolling Strike or Cinder against the encounter's DC. This can take the form of fending off the spirits when they try to steal your gold, fight the river serpent if it tries to drag you beneath the water, rowing the ferryboat, or other ways that might speed you towards the exit.

However, before you may take down the encounter's Luck, both PCs must collect two obols with two successful Strike or Cinder rolls each. You have two rounds before the spirits trying to do the same notice you. Only after you get on the ferryboat will you be able to beat the encounter's Luck and find your way out of the depths of hell.

When you reach the empty platform it will be much transformed, with the ghostly image of the Underworld creeping over reality while the veil between worlds grows thin. However, at the very far end, you recognize the stairs up to the surface, the bright green Exit sign glimmering on the gently-flowing water.

[Asphodel Malvolia]

Cinder Telekinesis (6/5), extraordinary success

The change overcame them so gradually that they might've missed it if they weren't already in the tunnels looking for things out of the ordinary. Asphodel felt the air change, growing cool and a little wet, with the barest hint of wet stone. The hand looped through Theo's elbow tightened, but less out of fear than absent-minded protectiveness. Whether it was because he was food or she was well aware of his human frailty, it didn't matter.

Then the gravel beneath their feet darkened with moisture, and the walls around them grew dark and metallic. Looking on with perplexed anticipation, the vampire stilled as the world shifted, more thoroughly than any illusion or other mental magic. The water soaked into her shoes, lapping up over her ankles. Something glimmered in the riverbed a few feet off, and with a flick of her hand, she fished it from the water.

A golden coin landed in her hand, the stamping worn away by time and flowing water, which in and of itself was unnerving. It had been there for a long time, not something that had only just appeared. Leaning over, she showed it to Theo in mute astonishment.

2/2 rounds before they are noticed

[Theo Crowhurst]

Cinder (Metal/Earth) Complete success
Cantrip (Metal)
Sorrows (8) Sunburn

Not blessed with enhanced senses, Theo was a little slower to realise something was happening, but the realisation quickly caught up to him. He felt the change in the air quality, not thinking much of it until Ash's arm tightened around his elbow. He glanced her way, eyebrow quirking before his eyes caught on the way the tunnel's sides changed, and he heard the soft sound of water lapping at the gravel.

Theo's steps slowed and stopped as the vampire stilled, feeling the cold radiating around his shoes as the water reached them. Looking down, he bent to scoop up a handful of now-wet gravel, straightening up and seeing that it wasn't the gravel they'd been walking over but smooth river stones. Absently, he saw Ash getting something out of the water, but he rolled the handful of rocks in his palm instead, bafflement and worry warring in his head.

The shine of gold as Ash held out the coin caught his eye, and Theo looked at the worn coin as the slow realisation of the symbolic meaning behind it all. Even as he looked at it, dread pooling in his gut, the embers banked underneath his sternum flared painfully, and he clenched his hand around his handful as he clenched his jaw in pain. It felt like a spasm in his hand, his fistful burning as his hand helplessly clenched around the handful, and his inner inferno roared to life, a warning even as it lashed out at him.

As quickly as it had happened, it faded, allowing Theo to unclench his hand around his handful. Settled in his burned palm was a single shining coin to match the one Asphodel had, although it had certainly come at a higher cost than hers.

“Fucking hell,” Theo cursed, words echoing in the tunnel even as he urged them to step towards one of the ridges that had erupted along the sides of the tunnel. There was a shimmering figure in the water, confirming his suspicions. “Fuck the Greeks,” he swore, pointlessly furious. “These are coins for passage.”

Magic could go fuck itself, thought Theo viciously.

[Asphodel Malvolia]

Cinder Telekinesis (2/3), partial failure

The sight of the coin seemed to trigger something in Theo, and the vampire looked on with a look of pensive calm as he curled over the stone. She kept one hand on his elbow while she listened to his heartbeat rush from pain and magic. Fortunately, the sudden fit passed as quickly as it started, and Theo put two and two together for her. She looked around at the changed subway tunnel, the cool air tugging at her pale hair. They'd stumbled straight into another world. Asphodel couldn't help a laugh, amused at both Theo's irritation and the sheer absurdity of it all. “Delightful. That would explain quite a lot,” she chirruped. Thematically, anyway. Ghosts and the Underworld did go hand in hand.

Following the Inquisitor's urging, after tucking her coin in her pocket, the vampire hoisted herself onto the ledge with little effort. Then she crouched to offer the man her hand. She would help him with a similar lack of effort, easily strong enough to hoist him overhead if she needed to.

As she crouched by the edge of the stream, she spied another glimmer of gold and reached out with her power to catch it. At the same time, however, the shadowy river serpent shot past, fast and vicious, which startled the vampire, and she lost her grip on her prize.

1/2 rounds before they are noticed

[Theo Crowhurst]

Cinder (Metal) Exceptional success
Sorrows (3) Gilded, applies to both
Spirit Manifested Strike 5 passes vs. DC3
Theo Strike 2 passes vs. DC2

Asphodel seemed unperturbed by Theo’s outburst. She was amused, if anything, laughing outright at their situation. She took his evaluation of the problem to heart, though, trusting his knowledge and recognition of the telltale signs of Greek myth unfolding.

With the sound of struggles and scattering metal picking up around them, Theo looked out into the river coming into existence around them, the waters rising with each second passing. There were spirits appearing, coalescing together from whence they’d come, some to dive straight for the glittering gold of the obols scattered along the riverbed, others to fall on those who had come first, handfuls of gold plinking into the water and clattering against stone.

The sight only encouraged Theo to move faster, Ash heeding his urging and hoisting herself up and out of the water. She offered her hand to Theo, and the Englishman grabbed for it and pulled to hoist himself up. He didn’t pussyfoot around it, well aware that she could handle far more than a grown man. It was complicated by a desperate spirit grabbing onto his coat, clawing at his burned hands for the golden coin he still held, and trying to escape the oncoming serpent that Theo couldn’t see.

Theo was weighted down, but he clawed at the spirit's hands with his burned ones to get the spirit off, snarling out a harsh, “Get off, you bastard.”

It was only the sudden vicious tug as the serpent caught the spirit that freed him but also ripped one of Theo’s hands free from Ashphodel’s grip. His coin flew from his grasp, the spirits own handful of coins along with it, even as Theo managed to drag himself up on the ridge and let go of Ash.

But the falling coins were on his mind, his hand whipping out on instinct. Theo’s magic flared hot in his chest, and he felt an invisible force catching the metal bits about to fall into the river, flinging them back into the ridge as he snatched his hand back. In his disorientation, Theo would only briefly consider some magnetic force before his hand curled progressively around two coins lying on the ground.

His stomach swooped unpleasantly as he saw the ground was slowly spreading gold outwards from where his hands touched it.

Sunburn -1d6 Strike: 1/5

[Asphodel Malvolia]

Asphodel Cinder Telekinesis (5/5), exceptional success
Cinder Uses Left 1/4
Spirits Strike 2vsDC4, miss

Asphodel saw the spirit's approach but it was on Theo before she could call a warning. Crouching, she braced herself against the opposing force and held fast to the Inquisitor's hands. However, she refrained from trying to heave him over the edge. Without knowing the creature's strength, she was just as likely to injure the human as to help him. So, she gave Theo a chance to fight the thing off and squirm out of its grip. Then, the sudden movement of the river serpent caught her eye.

As it lunged, Asphodel saw no alternative but taking the chance and pulling him up and over the ledge. Fortunately, the only thing that tore away was the spirit, a few gold coins flying spinning in its wake. Like Theo, she took the opportunity to reach into the shower with her freed hand, and nabbed another coin. The next few seconds had them tumbling over the ledge, out of danger for just a moment. The vampire wasn't out of breath, although the tension had the taste of venom leaking over her tongue.

As she watched Theo gather up his coins, she brushed her hair out of her face, and then straightened her blouse. A moment later, she felt the strands she'd touched grow heavy, true gold threading with her flaxen hair. Then, her top began to change too, the fabric weighing heavily on her pale skin.

“Oh, bother,” the vampire muttered, making the mistake of pulling her shirt away from her body and turning more of it to gold. As the metal spread across her chest and waist, Asphodel dropped her shirt and held her hands out to either side. Then, with an irritated huff, she looked up at Theo for an explanation, strands of golden hair falling in her face.

Asphodel Luck 4/4
Encounter Luck 4/4

[Theo Crowhurst]

Encounter Strike 1 pass vs. DC3, miss
Theo Cinder (Metal) 5 passes vs. DC3, hit
Sorrows (8) Sunburn

The rough rock under his palms stung, scraping against burns and putting pressure on blisters. With the pair of obols that'd be his ticket out of this illusory or real mess pressing into his palm, two round spots of cool metal warming under his burned hand. The spreading gold served as an effective warning of what price Theo's curse had asked, and in the grand scheme of things, becoming a temporary Midas was a small thing to pay.

Sitting up, the golden rock pressing into his knees, Theo pulled himself up, fingers curling around the coins as he braced one hand on his knee, the threads beginning to take on a golden hue as he hoisted his six foot plus bulk back on his feet. The scrape of the fabric on his burned palms hurt, and the gold didn't help, wincing as he flexed his fingers once he was upright.

When Ash spoke, Theo looked at her, seeing the gold threads winding through her hair and the threads of her shirt turning golden as well. “Ah, that's new,” he muttered, eyebrows raised and expression quietly baffled. Being surrounded in glittering gold while grasping for their two coins for payment to the ferryman had some irony in it, but it was all fool's gold.

There was nothing to do about Asphodel's golden touch, so Theo cast his eyes out to the river, to the spirits clawing at each other, at the edges of the rocks, swept away by the current of the river or the serpent lurking in the depths. Floating above all that, making its way slowly along, were the ferryman and his boat, the lantern an eerie glow and the boat itself dark, water-stained wood.

“Let's see if we can't catch that bloody boat,” Theo muttered, reaching out automatically to touch her shoulder and guide her further along their narrow ledge, but he stopped himself before he made physical contact. He turned it into a gesture, urging her forward, away from clawing fingers scraping over his shoes, catching on his shoelaces as the scaled hump of the serpent swept past and the spirit screamed.

Theo, feeling the urgency of the situation, began stepping along the stones and half-reached out for the boat, as if that would help, but it caught on the glowing coal lodged behind his sternum and flared to life, the boat creaking as the metal embedded in it and the metal of the lantern began listing towards them, tugging the boat slowly to their edge, while still maintaining its forward momentum. The ferryman observed, quiet beneath his cloak, and Theo's hand tightened on his two obols even as he felt the skin of his outstretched hand burn and peel, the damage spreading.

Sunburn Sorrows 5/5
Theo Luck 5/5
Encounter Luck 3/4

[Asphodel Malvolia]

Spirits Strike 8vsDC4, hit
Asphodel Strike 5vsDC3, hit

“'That’s new'?” the vampire repeated shrilly, puffing up with nothing but feminine fury. She'd expected far more of an explanation than that. Maybe something in the realm of any explanation at all. Instead, Asphodel incredulously watched Theo's hand as he reached for her and then turned the reach into a gesture. Offended, she stormed after the man, demanding, “Is this you? This is you, isn't it?”

In spite of all her fury, she understood the urgency of their situation. She carefully kept her hands out to either side while moving past Theo along the ledge. While he worked on flagging down the approaching ferryman, the vampire eyed the swelling mass of spirits on their other side. They'd quieted down, and she realized it was because they'd all, as one, affixed their hollow eyes on the two living--mostly living--beings in their midst.

The vampire gave them a baleful look lest they interrupt this very serious conversation, but it didn't seem to phase them. A heartbeat later, the ghostly crowd shifted, and the perimeter seemed to swell. Then, the tension broke, and a few rushed the vampire, grabbing at her gilded clothing, and hair. Asphodel snarled in outrage as one grabbed the golden strands and yanked her head to one side. At the same time, she felt her shirt give way at the seams, the other spirit trying to tug the gold from her body.

Fortunately, she knew that if they were grabbing her, they were made manifest. Snapping her hands out, she grabbed the spirit by its tattered clothing. With a grunt, she gracelessly hauled it over the edge of the canal. It splashed into the luminous water and the dark body of the river serpent darted forward to turn the surface of the river into a froth. The second quickly followed, splashing them with river water, and, scowling, Asphodel stepped back from the edge, touching the wall behind them for balance and turning the rock to gold.

Asphodel Luck 3/4
Encounter Luck 2/4

[Theo Crowhurst]

Encounter Strike 4 passes vs. DC3, hit
Theo Cinder (Earth/Metal) 3 passes vs. DC3
Sorrows (7) Silver-tongued

It felt like pulling a rope, one with a heavy, resisting weight at the end of it. The current of the river resisted and so did the boat's natural course, controlled by the cloaked figure who stood at the bow. Their silent observer seemed unperturbed by the spirits frothing up the water or the two making a spectacle of themselves, and quietly indulgent of Theo's power tugging on the lantern brackets to redirect the boat enough to bring it up alongside the rocky edge ahead of them.

With Asphodel's shrill voice grating his ears, Theo kicked at the spirits clawing at the side of the rocks as they traversed the narrow space towards the boat, ghostly fingers spindly and creepy. The kicking was ineffectual, his hand going for the hilt of his sword–gold sparking along the pommel as his fingers brushed it–but a spirit surged up over the backs of those clawing their way up and latched onto his arm to yank it away, unbalancing the Englishman as he was mid-step.

“Bastard! Get off-” Theo yanked his arm away, stomping his foot down on the grabbing hand of another spirit, and felt the curse swell in power under his sternum as it flared hot and deadly. A jagged crystal burst out of the rocks, piercing the spirits. The shrieks as the salt-based crystals crumbled and warded them off was a cacophony of noise, Theo shouting to Ash, “Get to the-!” before he choked on his words, his tongue going heavy in his mouth, a strange metallic tang to it.

The Englishman could only let out a wordless noise of apoplectic rage, whipping his arm out and taking a few more steps to grab the boat, waving for Ash to get in. Gold began to spread over the wood, following the woodgrain in dizzying patterns as it spread from his touch, although it stopped its progress about a handspan away from the point of touch.

Sunburn Sorrows 4/5
Gilded Sorrows 3/5
Silver-tongued Sorrows 5/5

Theo Luck 4/5
Encounter Luck 1/4

[Asphodel Malvolia]

Spirits Strike 4vDC4, hit
Asphodel Strike 5vsDC3, hit

Asphodel tossed her attackers into the river but several more took their place, the mad spirits wailing with greed and fury. Fortunately, she'd put space between herself and the ledge, and was momentarily safe from being toppled into the water. However, the spirits still battered the vampire, momentarily overwhelming her with numbers.

She tore herself from their grip, and felt her clothing give way completely. Her shirt was left hanging open, the golden patches clinging to the fabric by a few strands. With a heave, she tossed two more spirits into the water. Then, a spire of salt ripped through the rest, cutting off the rest of the horde from overtaking their position. It was a panicked game of King of the Hill, where they needed to hold out just long enough for the boat to get close enough to board.

Though the vampire couldn't make out the ferryman's face beneath his deep hood, she could tell he looked on the chaos with complete dispassion. Even as Theo redirected his boat, he did not stir from his perch--he only watched and waited. It seemed perfectly in character for a psychopomp. However, Asphodel wished he'd show a little more pep, considering he theoretically wanted their gold.

As the spirits' shrieking reached their crescendo, Asphodel didn't hear the way Theo's words cut off, but she did see him turn the ferryman's boat to gold. The vampire had enough time and wherewithal to shoot him a dirty look, assuming this was confirmation of her accusation. Then she jumped the gap between the ledge, and boat. Landing lightly, she watched for Theo's jump, ready to catch him, but mindful of her golden touch.

On the shore, the spirits spilled over one another trying to reach them before they both jumped, but the attack seemed far less vicious than before. They knew the opportunity was lost. At the back of the boat, the ferryman fixed the boarders with his heavy sightless gaze. Then, a skeletal hand extended from his robes, holding a black leathery pouch, expecting payment for passage.

Encounter Luck 0/4 Defeated
Asphodel Luck 2/4

[Theo Crowhurst]

Theo did not see Ash's dirty look, seeing instead her torn shirt and narrowing his eyes for any hint of a wound. That she was a vampire wasn't on his mind, pinpoint focus entirely dedicated to the hostile situation they were in. It wasn't until he recognised that she was unharmed that he had the wherewithal to look away as she leapt into the boat, face turning red on reflex as he followed.

He was vaulting into the boat the moment Ash had cleared the lip, landing feet first and feeling the rocking motion of the boat underneath and the rushing water. Their silent ferryman was still and unbothered, his hand extending for the owed fare. It incensed Theo some, that they were not even given a moment to catch their breath before a price was asked, but such was things.

With his silver tongue weighting his words down, Theo could not offer the fury that brewed as he slapped two coins into the bony hand. His golden touch did not infect the ferryman, but Theo had long since learnt to accept the idiosyncrasies of how his curse reacted to others' magic. With his payment offered, Theo began shrugging out of his coat, face still red as he draped it over Ash's shoulders, the fibres spreading golden spidering lines over the fine fabric even as Theo tried to limit how much and how long he touched it.

He offered a wordless noise, an attempt to communicate irritation at the whole matter, but anything more eloquent was beyond him.

Sunburn Sorrows 3/5
Gilded Sorrows 2/5
Silver-tongued Sorrows 4/5