Ghosts on a Train

Ghosts on a Train is an Actual Play Podcast taking listeners along on a story filled with danger and comedy. The Line Bulls and Conductor do their best to maintain a balance between the two, but there are times where a listener must beware; as the narrative might suddenly derail to serve one over the other. April 1st is one such time. Pippin's day drinking catches up to him. Drix has an uncomfortable encounter with a familiar face. Andrel gets into the hot tub...

The Imperium of the Shattered Isles is built upon the history of a world destroyed, of cultures broken. Survival is paramount, and the Imperial Railways is a resource aimed towards the preservation of the living now and do not stray far from their tracks to explore the people left behind in the cataclysm. The past will make itself known regardless as the spirits of the deathlands will jump at any chance to strike, even for a routine current collector realignment on the Pride of Duskwall...

Hadrathi chant made using the Hadrathi conlang by Ben Scerri, which can be found at https://bitd.gplusarchive.online/2017/03/09/inspired-by-the-uduasha-special-edition-ive-been-working-on-a-hadrathi-conlang/. Line Bulls are intimately familiar with ghosts: spirits lacking bodies and yet forced to persist. Inversely, it is possible to remove the spirit from a body and yet force the body to continue living...

The city of Kethrys (also known as Cloudspire) yields little of value for the Imperium, but what little may be produced is promptly sent away so the inhabitants of the city must fend for themselves. The settlement around the spire's base is surrounded by children, and the older they are the more they may have to do to survive. Cities like this bode well for Line Bulls who are always looking for Side Jobs, as the lack of Imperial investment means someone always needs something done...

The city of Kethrys, Imperial designation Cloudspire, is a scabbed over wound left on Iruvia from the Imperium's bolder days. Before the costly Unity War with Skovlan, it was the Immortal Emperor's belief that even sovereign Iruvia would eventually bend to his might as humanity's steward. An entire generation were worked into their graves, killed by Imperial Agents, or sent to die in the decades-long civil war; leaving behind the shell of a city populated by the children they left behind...

THE NEXT MAIN EPISODE WILL BE NEXT WEEK, THEN WE'LL STILL BE ON ALTERNATING THURSDAYS FROM THERE. Greg takes a break from any serious editing to be joined by Stefen and Hannah to just talk about the show so far and where it's going. We talk about why we don't use last names on the show, discuss Content Warnings, and encourage not just Reviews and Suggestions but criticism that can help the show grow...

Hadrathi title made using the Hadrathi conlang by Ben Scerri, which can be found https://bitd.gplusarchive.online/2017/03/09/inspired-by-the-uduasha-special-edition-ive-been-working-on-a-hadrathi-conlang/ (here) . Miser was dead, to begin with. There is no doubt whatsoever about that. Mr. Ma'at knew this when he stepped onto The Pride of Duskwall headed towards Kethrys, and it was for this reason that he treated the Line Bulls to a meal...

The Pride of Duskwall leaves U'duasha for Cloudspire, also known as Kethrys, along one of the rare Lines with an end. This comes with the assurance that the locomotive will make a return, though for a return is never assured for a Line Bull. Regardless, after the Bulls have faced a Demon and prevailed a normal Line should prove no challenge. Drix smells "bon". Andrel learns that adults can be cool (gay). Pip wallows in anguish. Ghost Lines by John Harper. Music by Sebastian Black...

The Pride of Duskwall, having been torn and shredded by the Demon Voldranai, enters the Iruvian capital of U'duasha. This octagonal city boasts no lightning barrier, deriving protection from a massive burning spirit well known as the U'du. But the culture shock experienced by a Line Bull entering U'duasha is dulled by the trauma brought on from the demonic encounter. The cruel black wind swirls above the fires of the U'du, an uncomfortable reminder of the last day's events...

As the Pride of Duskwall approaches U'duasha, a Black Wind roars across the deathlands outside of the train. The supernatural energy in the air manifesting in this strange paranormal event ensures that no spirit could accost the train if it so desired, and yet the Line Bulls have sprung loose the Demon Voldronai inside of the locomotive. Nature itself, and by extension a Demon's power, are warped by the Black Wind, though the clueless Earth Demon is just grasping it's new metal surroundings...