Quote from LiofDanzig >>

"We clearly have a different idea of what 'honor' means... You can cherry pick whatever books you want but it will not change the fact THIS..." Direen points to the blood dripping heads "...is simply cruel and more of a 'ogre' behavior." and she ends the conversation covering her head with a new scarf. 

 

 Ryuji again turns towards her, voice finally bristling in anger, "Listen lady, I've been holding back my anger until now, but you dare try to lecture me on honor? Have you ever seen a samurai's head-viewing ceremony? It's not me cherry-picking, you've insulted the honor of the entire Kozakuran continent and the Hikari clan. If you were in the islands, that would be enough offense to put one to death. Have you ever seen a duel to the death between swordmasters? Have you ever witnessed the disgraced commit Seppeku (ritual suicide)? Have you studied the origins of ninjutsu? If you have not, do not speak on topics you know nothing about. The intricacies of honor originate in tradition and is never arbitrarily up to your decision. To throw honor away is to throw oneself away. To rebel, one must push the limits of honor while still remaining in the constricts of it. You monks never understand the reality of the world: the shady deals, the assassinations, the forced marriages, the dying orphans. Go back to your peace-loving monasteries and preach your nirvanas."

(OOC: Sorry for the long argument, I wasn't planning on it being so intense. It's just that, I have to play into Ryuji's childish and prideful character that never lets go of the values he believes in.)

Morax is jogging toward the platform, and doesn’t stop to take in the conversation or see the status of the decapitated heads in a bag behind him.  He is becoming worried about the lot that he has thrown in with and wonders about striking off alone on the train for his previous target.  He does a quick double take on the platform to look for his quarry.  He says to himself, “Not sure about that, that young one, has all the makings of a serial killer.  Best to watch your back, Morax.”  He finally arrives at the train, “Station keeper, do you have any idea when the train is leaving?  How much time…”

Direen walks towards the train station and suddenly turns towards Ryuji "I am sorry... You were saying something?" She asks with dissarming smile. Moment later without even waiting for an answer she continues walking towards the train...

Peace-loving monasteries my ass... She reminds herself the early morning training routines under watchful eyes of her teachers.

As you approach the train station, you can see the train awaiting them on the tracks. The train is unlike anything you've ever seen before. It looks like an ornate golden tube, with intricate patterns and designs etched into its surface, and it's gilded with blue gemstones that sparkle in the sunlight. The train is long, with several passenger cars behind the engine, and a small cabin on the front for the driver. The cabin is adorned with all sorts of gadgets and levers. Closing onto the train, you can see that it has no wheels. Instead, it attaches to the rails with magical clamps on both sides. The clamps glow faintly with a soft blue light, as if powered by some magical force. The passenger cars are equally impressive. The windows are made of a special glass that shimmers and changes color as the light hits it, almost as if it's alive. The doors are made of polished wood, and are intricately carved with designs that seem to come to life in the changing light.

Lan remembers that she read a lot about the train and it's engine. The engine itself is a marvel of engineering. It harnesses magical energies from the surroundings and converts them into steam, which moves the train forward. You can hear the soft hiss of the steam as it escapes from the engine, and you can feel the faint vibrations of the train as it waits for to be boarded on.

(OOG - @WhiteByakko please do a History roll for Lan!)

As you approach to the doors of the cabins, the goblin conductor and Faruq are already waiting for you, waiving heavily to you to board. The goblin turns to Morax: 
"Don't worry, Sir! We are waiting for you and your group by the order of the City Guard!" - he points to Faruq who nods to Morax. The conductor then turns to Ryuji - "Sir, I'm afraid our Travel Policy prohibits travelling with humanoid or animal cadavers and/or remains. Please hand over your...um...luggage of this type." - For this sentence Faruq holds up his arm to take over the severed heads.

Direen prepares her ticket "This should be fun..." she whispers quietly to Lan when the conductor requests Ryuji to hand over the heads.

Before she shows her ticket, she inspects it "Are these for a specific... cart?" she asks the conductor as she points to train cars.

"Well, let's see..." - the goblin takes out a monocle from his pocket - "You are one lucky lady, these tickets are for the First Class!" - he points to the first carriage just after the engine - "You will find refreshments at your seats, enjoy your travel!"

Morax smiles, excited to board.  He brings out his pass, saying “Is mine first class as well?  It certainly is a beautiful train!”  He then gathers himself and tries to appear more reserved, looking at the passengers coming and going, checking faces.  

History: Unable to parse dice roll.

Lan nods at Direen’s comment, can’t help but grin that someone’s finally addressing Ryuji’s luggage. "I'm glad someone is taking care of that." She says. She shows her ticket to the goblin conductor, turning her attention back to the train as she waits to board, taking in the intricate details of the passenger cars and wondering what other marvels await them on their journey.

History: 19 

(OOC: Hmm, I thought the heads were in the bag after the blood was let out? Does this mean the goblin sees through the bag with a device or magic or something of that sort? Or perhaps a detail was missed?)

Quote from Araeious >>

(OOC: Hmm, I thought the heads were in the bag after the blood was let out? Does this mean the goblin sees through the bag with a device or magic or something of that sort? Or perhaps a detail was missed?)

 
(OOG - "Using rope from his bag, Ryuji binds the heads, slinging them over his shoulder with a strange passion." - Sorry, for me this sounds like the heads are hanging from a rope on Ryuji's shoulder. If you put them into a bag and they aren't dripping with blood of course the goblin won't notice or won't care what is inside.) 

Quote from WhiteByakko >>

History: Unable to parse dice roll.

Lan nods at Direen’s comment, can’t help but grin that someone’s finally addressing Ryuji’s luggage. "I'm glad someone is taking care of that." She says. She shows her ticket to the goblin conductor, turning her attention back to the train as she waits to board, taking in the intricate details of the passenger cars and wondering what other marvels await them on their journey.

 
"Yes, sir! First Class as well, have a nice travel!" - says the conductor to Morax while checking Lan's ticket - "And for you too, young lady!"

Lan remembers that the engine of the train was designed and built by the famous artificier and aether engineer, Nasir al-Muhandis Harfi, (or often called: "the Engineer") who worked for Achmed al-Assad, the late father of the current Grand Caliph, Khalil al-Assad al-Zahir. Nasir was determined to bring prosperity and worldwide renown for his nation and worked hard on it with his apprentice, Zahra Al-Mahira Al-Mushtaqira. Besides being a revered engineer and a genius of his time, Nasir was an avid pacifist in his whole life, so he refused to use his craft to forge weapons. Ultimately his ideals turned him against his caliph and after numerous pressures from the ruler to build war equipment, Nasir commited suicide. He hanged himself with a silk scarf in his beloved workshop. His apprentice, Zahra become the new Chief Engineer of the Grand Caliph (and his son, the next Grand Caliph). Although, there are also rumours that Nasir did not take his own life, these are often labelled as conspiracy theories by the general public.

"First class?" Direen asks with a surprise in her voice. "Well... I can't wait to see the inside!" she says cheerfully. 

She quickens her steps and heads towards the first car just behind the engine. "Oh, when does the train leave? And how long will be the ride to New Haran? I believe it's 12 stops..." she asks the conductor as she recalls the words of a blue skinned figure... Blue skinned... Blue? 

(OOC: Well, it's perfectly fine that it's outside. After thinking about it, I would like to explore Ryuji's character a bit more as well with this opportunity hehe.)

With the adrenaline pumping through his blood and the argument burning freshly in his memory, Ryuji feels a rise of anger at the innocent goblin. If I were a samurai, his head would be gone...

The engine hummed. Almost musically. It was wrong. A little too structured. The vibrations sounded faintly like chimes, magical and ethereal, reminiscent of the Furin (wind chimes). Chime. Chime. Chime. Wind. Chime. Fire. Chime. Ash. Chime. Scorching. What did I do then? I wanted to kill. To kill those samurai. To kill those daimyo. To kill those who lit the fire. Like now? It's the same, right...? I need to bypass the honor system. I need to tear it down from the inside. I need to achieve my ultimate goal? It's not here. Not here. Never was here. Hayate. Dearest Hayate's words: "The world only bows to the strong. Never the weak." That's right... I must-

Ryuji laughed. Laughed as he imagined an emperor would. "If I were an emperor, bringing back the heads of the legions and the general I slaughtered, you would be falling on your face, begging for me to ride your golden Pringle can. To be treated like so, since I am but a shadow in this nation. Tell me, what's the difference between an emperor and a robber, besides the difference in the size of their army? The emperor is but a pirate, only with more fleets, yet why is he praised as a saint? The world calls the strong a ruler, and the weak a bandit. Why is that?"

In a blur, Ryuji draws a dagger, plunging it into the soft tissue of the temple of both heads. Extending his arm as if giving the goods to Faruq, he drops the heads with contempt right before contact. Showing his ticket to the conductor, he laughs good-naturedly, contrary to the scene he caused. With three apologetic pats to the attendant's shoulder, he whispers with a smirk, loud enough for everyone to hear, "Tough day, isn't it? You're not paid enough to deal with such a bad customer. Haha, sorryyyy. Some days you just have these kinds of people, but they're good stories for the grandkids, right?"

Direen stops and listens to Ryuji's words.  With shame she recalls her outburst... He was just following his ways, as I would follow mine. She takes a look as they pass her by and get into the train car.

While waiting for the train to leave, Direen sits quietly looking at her own hands. for a moment she contemplates the long hours of discourse with her teachers and other students. "Responsibility." she says standing up and taking a few steps to stand in front of Ryuji. "I would say the difference between the emperor and a bandit is in responsibility. The emperor is responsible for the whole country and his subjects... and that includes the bandit, whereas the bandit is responsible only for his actions." She looks away to avoid Ryuji's eyes but a moment later she gets the courage to look into his eyes. "I am sorry for..." she hesitates for a moment... "Just... I am." and she returns to her seat.

"Hey guys, did you know that the engine of the train was built by this famous artificer and aether engineer dude named Nasir al-Muhandis Harfi?" Lan says excitedly to her friends as they gets onto the train. "He worked for the Grand Caliph's dad and was all about bringing prosperity and stuff to their nation. But get this, he was also a total pacifist and refused to make any weapons for them. So when the caliph kept pressuring him to make war equipment, Nasir offed himself in his own workshop. Sad, I know. But then his apprentice, Zahra Al-Mahira Al-Mushtaqira took over and became the new Chief Engineer for the Grand Caliph and his son. Some people even think Nasir was murdered, but who knows? It's just a rumor."

Morax, sitting near Lan perks up at the conversation, saying “Really?  I wonder what evidence they based that on?  I wonder how he offed himself?  I guess the prime suspect would be Zahra, correct?”  He pauses, considering.  “It is a marvel of a train, a true feat of engineering.  I wonder what other marvels he could have made…”. Morax contemplates in his seat, always keen on discussing a mystery.

As you enter the First Class cabin of the train, you're greeted with a luxurious interior designed in a classic Zakharan style. The walls are lined with intricately designed carpets and tapestries, and the ceiling is decorated with ornate chandeliers with candles inside that emit a warm, yellow light. The seats are plush and comfortable, with richly embroidered cushions and backrests. Each seat comes with its own small table made of dark, polished wood, adorned with carvings of mystical creatures and sigils. The tables are adorned with crystal glasses and silverware, indicating that refreshments will be served shortly. At the front of the cabin, there is a small bar area where travellers can pick some drinks or food. The bar is stocked with exotic beverages and spirits, many of which you've never seen before. On the walls there are intricate carvings and paintings of magical creatures, such as dragons and giant sand worms, as well as depictions of ancient Zakharan cities and landscapes.

Arpagic is the last one getting onto the train. He just nods to the goblin and Faruq and clearly confused by the luxury of the cabin, cannot really find his place. Touching the plush carpet of the seats and the tapestries, he visibly struggles where to sit and how to behave.

You are not alone in this coach though, there is a wealthy-looking merchant travelling with a big, muscular goliath, supposedly his bodyguard. A noblewoman dressed in all black, reading a book and drinking something from a cup and a dwarven male sitting face-to-face with a tiefling talking in a modest tone.

Quote from LiofDanzig >>

Direen stops and listens to Ryuji's words.  With shame she recalls her outburst... He was just following his ways, as I would follow mine. She takes a look as they pass her by and get into the train car.

While waiting for the train to leave, Direen sits quietly looking at her own hands. for a moment she contemplates the long hours of discourse with her teachers and other students. "Responsibility." she says standing up and taking a few steps to stand in front of Ryuji. "I would say the difference between the emperor and a bandit is in responsibility. The emperor is responsible for the whole country and his subjects... and that includes the bandit, whereas the bandit is responsible only for his actions." She looks away to avoid Ryuji's eyes but a moment later she gets the courage to look into his eyes. "I am sorry for..." she hesitates for a moment... "Just... I am." and she returns to her seat.

 Why am I making an enemy out of her? Have I forgotten the second son's words? "Like a wandering bird collecting feathers from every shore, gather friends far and wide, for their diverse plumage will adorn the wings of your soul, lifting you higher towards the boundless sky of possibility."

As she returns to her seat, Ryuji holds on to her shoulder, tightly. A hard grip. Painful. Still shaky. Who is my true enemy? Is it her? Is it myself? Is it the fire? The unending scorch?

With slight awkwardness, Ryuji clears his throat, plastering on his practiced smile. "Listen, why don't you follow me to the bar? The bill is on me, and I have... a word to say."

Morax practices his skills of observation and he looks for any reading material nearby, then starts to read, but really is listening to the conversation between the dwarf and the tiefling.  He concentrates to listen and tone out all of the ambient noise.  

Perception : 17