[WORLD ONE | SEPTEMBER INTRO LOG]

[spellbindmods]

Who: The new coven members, old blood & Palai people
Where: In and around the city land of Aimintas
When: Day 61
Open/Closed: Open to All

The initial setting information found here should be utilized for threads here.

There's no official OOC account for the Palai people. You're free to roleplay their actions and reactions on your own, as in depth as you want -- asking questions, hand-waved interactions, becoming best friends. The new world is your oyster!

All characters are told briefly what their powers are by Genette -- no extemporaneous details. For instance, if your character has the ability to detect lies, they'll be told as such -- no warning about limitations, repurcussions or the like. They'll also be given a variant of this letter so they aren't totally ignorant of the situation -- though of course adapt this letter to the current setting and surroundings of the game.

This setting may be familiar to you -- maybe you caught a glimpse of it when you first visited. Maybe this is your first time experiencing this weird world and the panic is setting in. If you're totally lost, a tall human woman with a long scroll of paper will stop by to give you the run down. She'll also give you a letter, which may give you more questions than answers since the information is a wee out of date. (Maybe someone else can fill in some gaps for you). What you may not know is that this world recently experienced something of a tragedy. You wouldn't be able to guess this based on the festive energy in the air. The main marketplace where you've shown up finished reconstruction last night, and after grief comes joy to the Palai -- those lizard creatures you see wandering around. They're now hosting a festival to celebrate their success and the lives of those both still present and those lost. It's also a chance for them to host one of those big celebrations like they'd previously seen in human books. However, their resources are limited -- don't blame them if things are a little cut-and-paste! A ▢ One of the preferred methods for masking grief in the Palai world is playing games. Because the Palai are still on their shrimp kick (the old blood characters are probably sick of them at this point), the shrimp are being used as part of a few festival games: Shrimp Scoop: Live prawns have been placed in a tank of water. Instead of paper scoops, players are handed small scraps of cloth which they may then dive into the six-foot tall tank to try and grab the prawns with -- no hands! And no magic or your prawn will be revoked. For extra incentive, sacks of golden coins have been tied to the prawns. These coins can be exchanged for goods and prizes, though what your character receives for their coin -- no matter how bland or wacky -- is up to your character. Shrimp Shock: Dead shrimp have been placed in a wading pool. Your character and another character enter the pool while Elto shock the shrimp out of the water. With about 20 shrimp in the water, the character with the most shrimps caught out of the air wins an allotment of coins. Whack-a-Shrimp: Eltos have powered six large, stuffed shrimp dolls (made with cloth), that will pop out of cut holes in a large game board. Hit the shrimp as many times as you can in 30 seconds, and your number will amount to the coins you receive. Shrimp Fest: Is your character a big eater? Your character is given a plate of cooked jumbo prawns. If they can eat all 50 jumbo prawns in 30 seconds, they win 100 coins. B ▢ What good is a festival if there's no face painting? Don't worry, you have more options than shrimp. Palai have an assortment of paints and are making colourful designs on both their kin and coven members -- your request may not look exactly as you want it to since they have bumpy hands and claws that get in the way.

This is all pretty juvenile, but fear not! For the mature sort and adults of Aimintas, there's a more quiet part set up that may cater to your older interests. A softer atmosphere, away from the excitement of things. If you want to wind down from the thrill of being magicked away to a new world, this is probably the best way for it. C ▢ Fans of alcohol will find that the Palai have broken out their best spirits for themselves and the coven. Some of these aged spirits are decades old and have aged accordingly, giving them a bitter flavor with a nasty bite of alcohol. Others are more recently distilled or imbued with magic for an extra buzz. Accordingly, some drinks can get you inebriated pretty quickly. Some drinks are essentially giddy truth serums. Others may have an effect on magic or telepathy. Pick your poison! D ▢ The environment in this more secluded area of the marketplace is supposed to be more relaxed, but it's also the best place to sit if you want a front row seat to the fireworks exhibit the remaining Eltos are putting on. Through balls of dye and their electrical powers, they're quickly blowing up the sky with arcs of color that rain down in the form of bright pieces of glitter once the spectacle is over. They also have a special service they're offering -- the Eltos have a grasp on electrical magic, which means they can draw certain things in the sky with these dye balls. If you have a request for a written message or a drawing of some sort, they'd be happy to comply with your wish! For the real adult experience, however, you may want to check out the large rolling cart that Palai are pushing around the marketplace, landing it in the fireworks area. This cart is filled with all of the eggs that were a product of their mating season, and this part of Aimintas is the warmest. E ▢ For newbies and those who missed the egg train, your character can instead be Egg Parent for a Night. The Palai are holding their eggs to warm them for the evening, but (like most parents with new babies) they're certainly trying to show off their creations. Hold them, pass them around -- or maybe even act a fool and fend off a fiercely angry Palai parent.

Finally, the Palai are getting used to the standard familiar faces, so they aren't unaware that there are quite a few new faces in the mix. Based on how familiar your character is, they'll receive a nice little gift from the Palai. Older coven members will receive a scrolled parchment that lists them as honorary citizens of Aimintas and a handmade, harden clay sculpture of their likeness. It may not look a lot like them, but they tried. F ▢ What about new members? Well, they get the Aimintas Starter Kit: an unmarked vial containing Palai mating pheromones (makes your character affectionate, etc), a bag of cooked shrimp, a collection of their baked goods and energy drinks (containing Elto magic that makes magical abilities hard to handle), and a harmless paper flower. Your character likely isn't used to the dangers of some of these items, so maybe someone can help them...or is it too late? G ▢ Because the Palai recognize new faces, these new coven members will be dragged to other coven members who they do recognize. In an effort to help make introductions, the Palai are trying to connect new members with old members in order to foster friendships. Say hi to a new, awkwardly introduced covenmate...? H ▢ Wildcard! How will your character interact with this new and unusual world?

Comments

[hydrostorm]

Magigigika Mirdin Do Din Nolurun Dou.

[ she sounds serious. ]

[hydrostorm]

[ ... apples are a distraction? for monsters? that's weird. ]

Uh-huh.... [ she sounds so convinced! ]

If you're a knight, what are you guarding? A damsel in distress? A grumpy King? A sadistic Queen?

[deem]

That's not really how soldiers see it...

[And he sounds as perplexed as he is]

Have you actually been on a battlefield?

[demomofdownside]

It was used to crush Bialanthius the hive-titan in ages past, according to a friend.

But...I was not intending to compare it to you specifically, no. I can see how that might be taken badly.

[demomofdownside]

A blink.

"Festival?"

[mech_and_mutt]

...Huh.

[As the last few popped out in rapid succession, he could almost swear some pop or digit was skipped at some point... but maybe it was just his imagination. It would explain why, even with his precise and expert play, the machine seemed impervious to his--

okay, yeah, maybe it was time for a break.]

Y' may be right. So you play these things a lot or what?

[rootandbranch]

I... I guess that's one way to crush Bianlanthius the hive-titan...

[Geir's just. bemused and laughing now. what a surreal first conversation, even for someone not very used to how first conversations should go.]

This is how dragons look. Nice to meet you?

[neatlytuned]

[Nazuna stares at Geir with wide eyes as he processes what he's being told. Sure the letter had mention some places being dangerous but coming from a relatively sheltered life, Nazuna didn't expect something like actual fighting. Especially not on the scale like Geir is describing.]

You sure had a busy month. Wow. I'm kind of speechless, it didn't seem something like that could've happened not that long ago. I mean the Palai seem to be in pretty high spirits despite everything.

[demomofdownside]

Likewise.

[The artist finished painting the indigo fish on her face with a little flourish. Jodariel nodded thanks and stood up, still crawling with young palai.]

But now we must get these children back to their parents, for the hour grows late.

[mech_and_mutt]

It's not half bad, but remember what I said about it leaking out?

[His thoughts took on a bit more of a sheepish tone.]

First day I got here I ended up fighting a boar for hours because I couldn't find my weapon and NEITHER of us were actually tiring out.

[neatlytuned]

Honestly, I'm not sure what can count for normal anymore.

[If this guy's also been kidnapped by Qri that means they're in the coven together so Nazuna figures he might as well introduce himself and try to get along.]

I'm Nazuna, I got here not too long ago so everything's still weird for me. What about you?

[cuchulainn]

[ C | OTA ]

[ the sentiment being the celebration happening in the city didn't matter so much as the going on's inside it. not that lancer didn't have his moment of curiously watching the lizard residents, as well as the more familiar human (or mostly human) ones. but after scoping out the area, without the words of a master whispering in his ears and the rule that he had to kill anyone that laid eyes on him, lancer eventually ended up at a bar with a cup of some spirit or another in hand.

somehow or another, he ended up with a pleasant buzz. how it managed to that didn't matter much, although there had to be something magical about it. ah, well, whatever. ]

Heh, this is a nice change of pace. [ to say the least. ] Whatever this is it's good, no?

[ why yes he's talking to you, whoever happens to be sitting in his vicinity. ]


[ D | OTA ]

[ what's this? some idiot perched on a roof to watch the fireworks? sure seemed like it. some might catch the glint of silver as the fireworks went off, illuminating a clearly human form sitting on the roof, looking up at the sky with what looked like a drink in hand. he sure did manage to bring something back from the bar earlier.

...and while drinking, as lancer moved his foot, something dislodged itself from the roof- it wasn't clear what, a shingle or something. regardless it fell with a clatter and crash to the ground below- or perhaps is managed to knock someone upside the head. whoops.

after a moment, a somewhat crass voice called down from above- ]

Didn't hurt anyone down there too bad, did I?


[ H | OTA ]

[ WILDCARD!! anything else you'd like with lancer especially since these are pretty limited. feel free to pm to plot. ]

[neatlytuned]

[That is actually something Nazuna hadn't thought of before. He doesn't really know much about shrimp after all and the only reason he chose it to practice with was because it was accessible.]

No idea but if I can somehow make it jump then that should count as a success. Got any tips?

[Probably a reach in the dark, asking a stranger for tips, but it's not like he has any other choice seeing as he's stuck in a new place with no one he knows.]

[probablynoteren]

That depends on what you're trying to succeed at...

[Is it a favor for a Palai? A personal hobby?? Or... and then he finally hits upon the possibility that maybe this is about magic, but shrimp magic? His own magic is the bizarro type too, but he'd have to feel sorrier for this guy, if that was the case. Nevertheless, Lenka obligingly crouches down to peer at the shrimp.

It doesn't seem very lively. Maybe it's drying out?

Honestly he really doesn't know a whole lot about shrimp either. Underwater biomes are more of a mystery than usual where he comes from...]

But I think you should give it some water.

[He nods behind him, where there's a... public fountain. He's not entirely sure how the citizens will feel about seafood in their fountain, but they've certainly put it in stranger places themselves.]

[pussywhips]

[ Maybe he didn't actually say disgusting, but Ann can only imagine that's exactly what he meant. Some of the old resentment and anger comes back to her now, as if he'd never left the Phantom Thieves at all. It had always made her skin crawl to act so friendly to him, knowing what his true aim was—and to have him act so friendly to her in return. ]

Oh, did they give you one of those too?

[ She glances towards his empty hands, secretly hoping to hell that he didn't just ditch the poor defenseless egg somewhere. That seemed like something he would do. ]

[actus]

[ ... he knows how to handle this! except that he doesn't have treats on him and he isn't carrying around food. so he'll just try and reach out to pet the cat instead. ]

Ah... do you like fish?

[ it's easier when they talk back. ]

[neatlytuned]

Oh...

[Nazuna looks back at his shrimp. Now that it got pointed out to him, he feels kind of bad for accidentally being mean to the shrimp and keeping it out of water.]

Yeah... that's probably a good idea.

[So Nazuna stands up and heads for the fountain. Wow, thanks Lenka, you're helping already!]

Apparently I can control animals now so I was trying it out but it isn't really working.

shrimp!

[pussywhips]

[ Ann stops to watch the whack-a-shrimp action, her interest piqued by this very... unique guy. Hm. Anyway, she isn't standing too far away as she watches him whack away, her arms crossed in front of her—in fact, she's kind of secretly rooting for him at this point, since he's so into it.

The second he goes down, though, a kind of snort-laugh leaves her. This is what concern looks like! ]

Hey, are you okay?

[probablynoteren]

So it is about magic.

[Lenka follows, turning that over in his head -- he hasn't met someone with the power to control animals so far, though there are some similar powers in the coven. He's still kind of a terrible advisor for these things, but he can at least suggest common sense things like hydrating sea creatures, so... what would be the basics for this sort of magic? Maybe they can start there.

Well, first off, they have to invade the fountain; there's some younger Palai playing in it already, so he climbs onto the rim of the fountain to see if he can shepherd them a little farther away. After a few moments of that, he throws a suggestion over his shoulder:]

Maybe... have the shrimp do something easier. Something it already does. They're not that smart.

[Do shrimp even have brains??]

[pussywhips]

Um...

[ She pauses. She actually has no idea if fireworks can still work in rain. Science isn't really her best subject... nothing is really her best subject except English. Well, whatever! ]

I mean, they usually stop them because nobody wants to sit out in the rain, you know? It was kind of a bummer, actually.

[probablynoteren]

[...... what kind of face is that, Souda, goodness.

Well, now Lenka has to go see just exactly what's going on with the other fridge, whether he's messed up his magic (again?) or not -- so they can switch. He peers in warily only to be met with the weird specimen(??) jars, pickles, and other regular foods mixed with unmentionables. Huh. After a couple of blinks, he shuts the fridge.

It's not all that appetizing, but at least it's nothing dangerous.]

... Sometimes they come with stranger things. [being real reassuring here; but it's true, he's Seen Things at this point] But they're usually safe.

[Or usually dead! Same difference. He'll come back around now and watch to see what Souda does to the cooling unit. And watch Souda in case he somehow makes an enemy of the fridge again. Multitasking!]

[apatheia]

[There's something very... endearing, in how excited and happy he is over this. She's glad she found him to offer the gold to. But she nods, taking out another bag.]

Here you go.

pats i didn't even notice lol

[apatheia]

Not the peaceful ones. [Never mind the potential for play cruelty in attacking non-hostile machines or destroying Pascal's Village, but ANYWAYS.] They were... allies, you could say.

[With how much Pascal and the other villagers, there's really no arguing that they helped them, but it still feels strange to say.]

[neatlytuned]

[After the Palai are chased to the other side, Nazuna drops his shrimp into the fountain. He hangs over the edge and watches as it floats there for a second or two before slowly flexing its legs.]

I guess that makes sense. Man, I wish there was an instruction manual or something for this.

[As he talks, the shrimp seems to have gotten used to being back in the water because it starts to swim around. Relieved the shrimp seems to be doing okay, Nazuna starts thinking over the suggestion. Hmm, something shrimp already do... he doesn't know what that'd be beyond swimming, eating and pooping so his best bet might be to tell it which direction to go.]

Let's try... swim downwards.

[The shrimp goes to the left.]

[probablynoteren]

[The fountain rim is a pretty good place from which spectate the magical shrimp Olympics, so that's what Lenka does, crouching and staring intently as the shrimp returns to its natural(?!) habitat -- somehow he expected it to be quicker, but the small currents generated by the fountain itself seem to be pushing it around. It doesn't seem to mind, though.

That is, until Nazuna tries to get it to do anything direction-related. It's actually hard to tell where the shrimp is trying to go -- how do shrimp steer, anyway? Did it intentionally go to the left? Can shrimp even swim vertically? There are so many questions.]

I think you just have to... keep trying. [instruction manuals are forever out of stock-- on the bright side, this doesn't look like the type of magic to be too dangerous, right? at least as long as shrimp are involved] Stop? Roll over?

[It's not a dog, Lenka.]