The Great Hellbound Railway
"The line will run west, following the Stolen River to the edge of Hell. Your advisor unrolls a map, showing the stations to be built. Ealing Gardens. Jericho Locks. The Magistracy of the Evenlode. B—. S—— VIII. Burrow-Infra-Mump... The names grow less familiar."[2]
The Great Hellbound Railway is a massive project by London to construct a railway to Hell through the Hinterlands.
An Enormous Undertaking[edit | edit source]
"While Lord Mayor, Virginia made it possible to build west. London is taking advantage!"[3]
In 1898, during her term as Lord Mayor of London, Virginia brokered a deal with Hell to allow London to begin developing the Hinterlands. She also founded the Ministry of Upper River Development, which distributed Hinterland Scrip as the region's new currency.[4] His Amused Lordship used this opportunity to found the Great Hellbound Railway Company alongside friends and investors.[5][6] He envisioned a railway[7] that would run from Moloch Street in London to Marigold Station in the Hinterlands, upon which it would merge with the Moloch Line to cover the remaining distance to Hell.[8][9]
The Brass Embassy tried to block His Lordship's plans, as they saw the GHR as competition to their Moloch Line,[10] only reneging on the condition that Virginia serve on the company's new board.[11] The Church also demanded representation, as the railway would run through consecrated ground.[12] Finally, the Bazaar placed the Efficient Commissioner on the board of the GHR to oversee the project and prevent any mishaps.[13] After the board was set up, the Tracklayer's Union, led by Furnace Ancona, were commissioned for their services.[14]
As the line continued west, its presence brought many changes to the Hinterlands. Some places, like Station VIII, welcomed the GHR,[15] while others, like Jericho Locks, saw it as a threat.[16] The new oversight from London also impacted other existing communities, such as Ealing Gardens[17] and Moulin.[18]
Main Stations[edit | edit source]
"Your train now serves points west of London. Where would you like to visit?"[19]
Railway Steel[edit | edit source]
"You should know: you've been driving your railway over the faces of old powers, and hoping that they do not mind. The Justificandes offer a kind of apology. You learned that from my recipe for the steel, when I allowed it to come into your hands."[20]
The Great Hellbound Railway's tracks were manufactured using a recipe developed by Mr Fires: an alloy of steel and Justificande coins.[21][22] The coins were supposedly added to "teach the tracks the shape of things-to-come;"[22] consequently, the martensite crystals in the steel always point west.[23]
A very long time ago, the Echo Bazaar incurred an enormous debt to the Creditor, the entity that rules the Hinterlands. Justificande coins mandate forgiveness from those who receive them, and the Creditor is a being of earth. Accordingly, by laying tracks infused with Justificandes across the Creditor's "face," Fires hoped to settle, or suppress, the issue.[24][25]
Fan-Made Map[edit | edit source]
A district in Ladybones Road.
A suburb of London.
Central hub of the Guild of Gondoliers.
An ancient courthouse and the furthest reach of London law.
Her Majesty's estate, which fell with London. Surrounded by moonlit woods.
A secretive factory run by the Masters.
A church in the wild.
A town near a waste marred by history.
A frozen, uninhabited wasteland.
The end of the line, the last stop on the way to Hell.
London's thriving, bustling, brawling harbor.
A center for the arts of Rubbery Men.
A resting point of Hillchanger Tower.
A meeting place of the Guild of Gondoliers.
A river for tribute of very strange fish.
An ever-burning water wheel.
An ancient forest, home to a ragtag band of exiled devils.
The resting place of the Sleeping Merchant.
An ancient palace surrounded by poisonous waters.
Thirsty for your lifeblood. Beware.
What once lived here?
Hell's rotten graveyard.
A mirror within a mirror within a mirror.
Littered with glass flowers.
Eternally ringing.
Dotted with infernal roses.
References[edit | edit source]
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