daybreakacademy | Spirit Tracks

Who: Ziggy, Nekane, Kisara, Minako, Serena, Bai Lin, Doreen, Keith, Ryuji, Ren Amamiya
What: Trying to calm a train, possibly via suplexing
When: June 10th
Warnings: Death-related stuff, possible stirring of traumatic memories

[Boarding the train is easy, perhaps surprisingly so, given how many of the mission group are fully alive. Once on board, however, they'll find that the cars don't even passingly resemble the outside structure of the train, arranged in a confusing mess of doors and cabins. The ghostly passengers drift about, passing easily through walls as they move through the train, mostly indifferent to the boarding team.

Mostly. Some of the spirits will try to approach the living, wearing the appearance of people they know to have died, and try to convince them to settle down and join them in the ride to the afterlife. Their arguments can be compelling, especially to those who have lost loved ones, but not supernaturally so. Conspicuously, they don't try to touch the targets of their arguments, and move away from attempts by the living to touch them. If someone should make contact, the illusion breaks, and the ghost is revealed to be nothing more than an unfamiliar interloper.

To anyone not immediately distracted by the dead (or the valuable cargo), something is obviously amiss as soon as they board. Sigils are painted on windows, or chalked onto the walls and floors of the cabins. They radiate obvious magic, and those with the knowledge to identify it will recognize it as a form of necromancy.]

Threaded | Flat

[Before boarding the train, Ziggy looks around at the assembled students, doing a brief headcount to make sure everyone's here.]

This hopefully won't be a combat mission, but be cautious regardless. The dead are often buried with a number of defensive spells and curses meant to deter grave robbers, and we have no way to be certain who or what aboard the train may have defenses of that nature. Keep focused as well; be aware of the possibility of painful memories arising, and try not to let your emotions overcome your better judgment. Focus on logic and planning, and you will be successful.

If anyone has anything they'd like to say or ask before the train arrives, now is the time.

[The train is a maze, and ghosts passing through walls rather than using doors only seems to add to the confusion. What's more, going in a straight line can sometimes loop you right back to where you began. The team is going to have to apply some clever thinking if they ever want to reach the engine room...]

[However the group reaches the engine, they will find it covered in an array of sigils matching those in the cars. These, however, are far more concentrated and powerful, and stir the train to violence. As soon as the living enter the room, it lets out a shrill whistle that calls the interfering spirits from before to its aid. Though they can't harm anyone, they can distract...and the train's engine has no such limitations.

Fire and hot steam jets from the engine at the students and their supervisors, passing harmlessly through the ghosts but potentially burning or scalding the living. Complicating the battle even more, the train's movement has become erratic, abruptly shifting directions in an attempt to knock the unwanted passengers off balance to become easier targets. When the ground starts to rattle, hold on to something tight, because the ground might just become a wall, or even the ceiling...fortunately, such tilts require the train's full attention, and the engine will be unresponsive and vulnerable until it returns to moving upright.]

[Once the engine is dealt with, one way or another, the mission team is able to safely disembark at an old, unused train station in France. It's not immediately obvious where they are, but fortunately GPS functions normally, it's easy enough to contact the school for a pickup.]

Is everyone alright? There should be medics arriving soon, but I have emergency supplies in case anyone is in need of immediate first aid.

Pre-boarding

On-board

Engine Room - Boss fight time

Aftermath