The Tram
Contents
The Chant
Charitably referred to as Sigil’s newest means of public transportation, the “Tram” is the brain-child of a smart Thinker called Liz who was sick of having to walk between sample sites. There are three in the entirety of the Cage, and each constitutes the animate carapace of an enormous undead centipede, powered by experimental Necromancy. With an upper seating capacity of four dozen, and however many can squeeze into the carapace proper (there is no limit, and many a leatherhead has gotten themselves killed in a dispute around personal space).
The “Trams” cost a handful of coppers to board, and are accessed via a cut away section of shell some three feet in diameter. ‘Course, if you’re willing to splash out a whole silver piece then a cutter can get seating up top, where an eclectic array of cushions (most courtesy of the Sensates) are nailed to the top of the carapace. You’d have to put up with the Consortium ‘jinglers’ who pay premium to tout their wares mind, and there’s only so much a sod can take before someone is getting tossed off the top and into the dead books.
Services
This is the Cage, mind. So whilst things are “timetabled” it’s more a loose collection of promises devoid of any time frame. The logistics would simply be impossible - the City is too changing, too winding, and too volatile to set any particular route for starters. Toss a handful of wild necromancy into the mix and you’ve got a skeletal servant that knows where it’s going, but decides how it gets there however it feels like at the time. Not to mention the times they get confused or decide to just start running the route in reverse.
The Journey
One Tram serves the Hive Ward predominantly, starting at the Ditch and passing by the Mortuary, Gatehouse, Hive, and ending at the Academy.
The other two serve the rest of Sigil, and generally bounce between each Faction Headquarters in whatever order seems most appropriate to them. They generally run from the Ruined Temple, past the Foundry, Armoury, Prison, Court, Barracks, Airdocks, Gymnasium, Hall of Speakers, Festhall, and ending at the Academy.
There was a fourth tram, but the dark of that’s not for the faint of heart… needless to say, a centipede-full of sorry sods found themselves destined for a one-way trip to Undersigil.
Links & Inspiration
- [With thanks to Jack B. for pulling this concept from his brainbox -M]