The Hapax Legomenon is a ship traveling the chimneys like a traveling circus that gains/loses people with each stop, stated goal of making it all the way around the galaxy. Two contingents, scientific and mythological, who share different stories along the way, depending on who they’re talking to. Some strife between them. Also provides framework for other stories.
The Hapax Legomenon is a ship that acts like a traveling circus, but is actually a knowledge-gathering expedition with two contingents, scientific and mythological which are kept somewhat secret, even from each other. They share different stories along the way, depending on who they’re talking to. Some strife between them. They pick up people at one stop who are likely to know at least a little about their next stop so that the jump in knowledge isn’t as great (languages learned, etc).
Someone joins two stops back as a performer and runs into a mythos librarian who has some suspicions. They get embroiled in this weird group of mythologists/folklorists who think some of the research is way more sinister than it actually is. Turns out science side is kept on the DL because of this exact thing: they don’t want people burning books, basically, the last thing they do before leaving a system is leave a timed capsule behind disguised as a Fireplace-Builder vessel that will dump the collective knowledge on the planet. The mythologists’ job is to plant the idea of the Builders to keep the story going.
- 000 — The HL heads into a chimney and the MC reminisces about what all happened on the last stop