Homesick
by UbermenschBodhisattva

Begin Homesick

THIRTEEN.

THE NUMBER OF DAYS SINCE YOU WERE ABDUCTED BY MARAUDING PIRATES FROM YOUR HOME.

YOUR WHOLE WORLD AS YOU KNEW IT, ACTUALLY.

FOUR.

THE NUMBER OF DAYS IT'S BEEN SINCE YOU FOUND YOUR BEST FRIEND.

SHE DIDN'T WANT TO SEE YOU AT THE TIME.

TODAY. THE DAY YOU START YOUR ADVENTURE.

WHO ARE YOU ANYWAY?

> Introduce yourself

YOUR NAME IS JOHN, OF COURSE. JOHN. HOW COULD YOU FORGET? IT MIGHT BE BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT REAL.

> John: Holy shit!

YOU ALREADY KNEW THAT, OF COURSE. YOUR BEST FRIEND SAID SOMETHING ABOUT IT IN SPARSE DETAIL DURING YOUR SHORT MEETING. YOU'RE NOT PRECISELY CERTAIN WHAT IT MEANS.

SHE GAVE YOU AN ADDRESS TO VISIT.

SPEAKING OF PROPERTIES YOU CAN ADDRESS, LET'S ADDRESS SOME OF YOUR PROPERTIES.

YOU ARE FROM AN OCEAN WORLD THAT YOUR PEOPLE CALLED SOME LOCAL LINGUISTIC VARIATION ON "THE WORLD" BUT WHICH YOU HAVE COME TO LEARN IS REFERRED TO AS "ESZETT" ACCORDING TO OFFICIAL DOCUMENTATION KEPT BY THE GOVERNMENT OF THE CITY. ITS PRIMARY TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT IS BRONZE, WHICH YOU FORMERLY REGARDED AS BASICALLY MAGIC. SINCE COMING TO THIS CITY, YOU HAVE LEARNED THAT IT IS REGARDED AS EXTREMELY PRIMITIVE.

APPARENTLY, YOU ARE SOME KIND OF SAVAGE? YOU REGARD FARMING AS PROBABLY A MORE HONEST WAY OF MAKING YOUR LIVING THAN DOING WORK FOR A FARAWAY PERSON YOU DON'T KNOW IN EXCHANGE FOR CURRENCY YOU DON’T CARE ABOUT AND THEN TRADING CURRENCY AT A MARKET STALL YOU MIGHT NEVER FIND AGAIN. ON THE OTHER HAND, YOU CAN'T COMPLAIN ABOUT THE TASTY FOODS YOU’VE DISCOVERED AT SOME OF THEM.

YOU ARE PRESENTLY DRESSED IN CLOTHING ISSUED BY THE CITY GOVERNMENT UPON YOUR RECOVERY FROM THE CLUTCHES OF SLAVING PIRATES. A PAIR OF STURDY MONOGENDER BRITCHES, WORK BOOTS, AND A PLAIN AND SERVICEABLE WHITE SHIRT WITH AN ACCOMPANYING VEST AND A PAIR OF TOUGH FINGERLESS WORK GLOVES.

YOU ALSO HAVE A COMFORTABLE, FASHIONABLE, AND WARM PIECE OF NECKWEAR. THE CITY GOVERNMENT OFFERED YOU THE CHOICE BETWEEN A NECKERCHIEF AND A SCARF, IN A COLOR OF YOUR CHOICE. WHAT DID YOU CHOOSE?

EXCELLENT.

AS IT TURNS OUT, WARM AND COMFORTABLE CLOTHING IS VERY USEFUL IN YOUR NEW ENVIRONMENT. IT IS VERY COLD HERE ON THE RIM OF THE CITY.

> John: Speaking of which, try and remember what you can about the City.

CERTAINLY.

WHILE THE MINUTIAE OF ITS SOCIETY ESCAPE YOU, YOU DID RECEIVE A BRIEF HISTORY LESSON DURING YOUR NATURALIZATION. IT WENT SOMETHING LIKE THIS:

5000 YEARS AGO, MORE OR LESS, A SMALL GROUP OF SURVIVORS ESCAPED THE DELUGE, WHEN THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE WORLD BROKE OPEN, AND ALL WAS LOST, CONSUMED BY THE ABYSS.

ACCORDING TO LEGEND, THEY WERE LED TO THE FIRST WORLD-ISLAND TO RE-EMERGE FROM THE RECEDING WATERS BY A TRIO OF SOVEREIGNS WHO RULED THE OLD WORLD. WHEN THE PEOPLE ARRIVED HERE, THEY THANKED THE GODS FOR THEIR SALVATION, AND NAMED THEIR NEW HOME "SANCTUM" - A HOLY PLACE DEDICATED TO THE GODS FOREVER.

OVER TIME, AS MORE SURVIVORS ARRIVED, THE NATURAL RESOURCES OF SANCTUM HAD TO BE FURTHER EXPLOITED. EVENTUALLY, THEY WERE USED UP. BY THIS TIME, OTHER WORLDS HAD BEEN SETTLED AND BROUGHT BACK INTO COMMUNICATION. SO NOW THE CITY OF SANCTUM ENCOMPASSES ITS WHOLE WORLD-ISLAND. IT HAS BECOME A HUB OF TRADE AND A SAFE PLACE FOR TRAVELERS.

> John: Boggle vacantly at these shenanigans.

YOU ALREADY KNEW THAT TOO, OF COURSE.YOU ALSO REMEMBER THAT IT'S COLD HERE AT THE EDGE OF THE CITY BECAUSE IN THE ABSENCE OF ANY OCEANS OR MANY TREES, SANCTUM IS POOR AT RETAINING HEAT OVERNIGHT. THE AMBIENT WARMTH PROVIDED BY THE SUN BLEEDS BACK INTO HEAVEN OVERNIGHT.

> John: Examine your surroundings

YOU ARE PRESENTLY IN YOUR HOUSE. IT IS REALLY MORE OF A SHANTY, MADE OF FLIMSY MASS-PRODUCED MATERIAL THAT IS POOR AT KEEPING OUT THE COLD. YOU CAN SEE THE CITY OUTSIDE THROUGH ONE OF YOUR TWO WINDOWS, THE HUGE BUILDINGS RISING UP INTO THE DISTANCE IN A GRADUAL SLOPE. THE WAY THE CITY IS ARRANGED REMINDS YOU OF A BEEHIVE. THROUGH THE OTHER WINDOW, YOU CAN SEE OUT TOWARD THE EDGE OF THE WORLD - CLEAR AND INFINITE HEAVEN BOTH ABOVE, AND FROM CERTAIN ANGLES, BELOW.

INSIDE, YOUR BEDROLL LIES ALONG ONE WALL ACCOMPANIED BY A STANDARD ISSUE BLANKET WHICH IS MUCH BETTER AT KEEPING IN THE WARM. THERE IS ONE ELECTRIC-POWERED LIGHT ON THE CEILING, AND ALONG THE OTHER WALL IS ONE GAS-POWERED HEATING UNIT WHICH DOUBLES AS AN OVEN AND STOVE – ABOVE IT, A CUPBOARD CONTAINING YOUR FOOD AND COOKING IMPLEMENTS. A FLUSH TOILET IS SEQUESTERED FROM THE REST OF THE SMALL SHACK BY A PARTITION. ELECTRIC LIGHTING, GAS HEATING, AND INDOOR PLUMBING ARE SOME OF THE VARIOUS AMENITIES WHICH SEEM TO BE AVAILABLE TO EVEN THE MOST IMPOVERISHED IN SANCTUM, WHICH FOR NOW INCLUDES YOU. KNICK KNACKS AND TCHOTCHKES HELP MAKE THE SPACE A LITTLE MORE LIVABLE.

> John: Consider your occupation

WHY ARE YOU SO POOR, ANYWAY? OH RIGHT. IT'S BECAUSE THE CITY GOVERNMENT HAS AFFORDED YOU EMPLOYMENT AS A MAINTENANCE WORKER. RIGHT NOW, SINCE YOUR ADVENTURE HAS NOT OFFICIALLY STARTED, YOU HAVE BEEN OCCUPYING YOUR DAYS WITH MENIAL LABOR TO SCRAPE TOGETHER SOME EXTRA CASH. YOU HAVE SPENT YOUR FIRST COUPLE WEEKS GOING TO AND FRO AND CLIMBING UP AND DOWN IN THE DOCKS, WAREHOUSES, AND YARDS HERE AT THE RIM, AND HAMMERING AT VARIOUS FIXTURES IN ORDER TO REPAIR THEM.

> John: Examine your belongings

POOR YOU MAY BE, BUT REMEMBER THAT CASH YOU’VE BEEN SCRAPING TOGETHER? IT’S ALLOWED YOU TO PURCHASE THE AFOREMENTIONED DOODADS AND WHATCHAMACALLITS WITH WHICH YOU HAVE POPULATED YOUR HOUSE AND MADE IT A LITTLE MORE OF A HOME. YOU HAVE IMMEDIATELY DISCOVERED A LOVE FOR MOVIES, WHICH ARE LIKE THE STAGE PLAYS ONE OF YOUR FRIENDS WRITES, EXCEPT THEY CAN BE WATCHED OVER AND OVER AGAIN, HAVE FAR MORE CONVINCING SPECIAL EFFECTS, AND HAVE ACTORS WHO ARE FAR MORE TALENTED AS A RESULT OF BEING ABLE TO DEDICATE ALL THEIR TIME TO PRACTICING.

YOU HAVE ACQUIRED POSTERS BASED ON SOME OF YOUR FAVORITES AND PUT THEM UP ON THE WALLS. YOU HAVE ALSO ACQUIRED A SELECTION OF KITSCHY CLOWN AND HARLEQUIN FIGURINES FROM THE CIRCUS YOU VISITED EARLIER THIS WEEK. NORMALLY, YOU DON’T LIKE CLOWNS, BUT THESE REMIND YOU OF YOUR FATHER, SO THEY STAY. THERE ARE AN ASSORTMENT OF OTHER GEWGAWS, BUT EVEN YOU AGREE THEY’RE INCONSEQUENTIAL TO DESCRIBE.

IN ADDITION, YOU HAVE A HANDFUL OF THINGS ON YOUR PERSON.

THERE’S A CANDY BAR THAT YOU’VE BEEN NURSING FOR A WHILE. YOU CAN’T EAT MUCH LATELY WITHOUT FEELING GORGED. YOU HAVE A HOUSEKEY THAT LETS YOU ENTER YOUR DWELLING LEGALLY. YOU HAVE A HAMMER, WHICH IS ACTUALLY A USEFUL MULTITOOL THAT YOU CAN USE TO REPAIR THINGS WHILE ON THE JOB, BUT YOU LIKE TO THINK OF IT AS A HAMMER. YOU HAVE A DECK OF CARDS YOU PICKED UP FROM A GAMING STORE, WITH WHICH YOU’VE BEEN PRACTICING PRESTIDIGITATION.

YOU ALSO HAVE A PAIR OF NOTES.

YOU SHOULD PROBABLY FIND OUT WHAT BOTH OF THESE PEOPLE WANT TODAY, BUT RIGHT NOW, YOU ONLY HAVE TIME TO SEE ONE OF THEM. THE OTHER WILL HAVE TO WAIT.

WHAT WILL YOU DO?

SO ONCE MORE WITH FEELING:

WHAT WILL JOHN DO?