[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 She'll also give you a letter, which may give you more questions than answers since the information is a wee out of date.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

[rootandbranch]

B (the world is your canvas)

You really think so? Well, go ahead--

[Geir did not sign up for the face painting. however, some of the more artistic younger Palai realized that the largest member of the coven was basically a giant, continuous surface on which to display their work, and cheerfully accosted him where he was curled up against the far wall of a row of marketplace stalls. the Palai's enthusiasm probably has a lot to do with the alcoholic beverages being served, but whatever the reason, several Palai are climbing all over Geir's glossy scaled bulk, adorning him in floral patterns and offering a paintbrush to anyone who comes close.

for his own part, Geir seems more bemused than upset about this turn of events...]

Oh, I guess that's kind of pretty. --hey, give him a turn on my leg too! Be fair!

[anything you'd like to add to the masterpiece?]


D (nightlights)

[Geir's always been fascinated by lights, whether they be stars or bonfires or the subtle light shows that his summoner sometimes treats him to. these fireworks have him transfixed, quietly staring up into the sky to see how they reflect off of the ocean far above. he only makes one request: for a huge, beautiful tree which hangs glittering in the air for several moments before it fades away.

he's not even slightly hard to find if you're looking for him. however, he's so quiet and focused that in this shadowy square, dimmed for the fireworks, it may be hard to see him if you're not expecting those shadows to really be part of some enormous creature... hope you don't trip over his tail!]


G (unexpected friends)

[Geir supposes he counts as an "old" member of the coven now that it's been a month, but he still isn't expecting the Palai to arm wrestle one of the newbies over to him, happily babbling about introductions. he's still tired and worn-down from the last invasion and the subsequent power drain he experienced, not to mention the rebuilding effort... but he can probably make an effort to be friendly. everyone was so nice to him when he was new, after all!]

Oh... hi! I hope you didn't show up here in the middle of doing something more important.

[an unusually blunt opening pitch, but maybe it works for him? ...neither the Palai nor the dragon seem to think that you being introduced to a dragon is unusual, but you might have other opinions on that part, too.]


Wildcard (a moment of doubt)

[later in the evening, some of the older members of the coven might get a telepathy voice message:]

Listen, is anyone else-- worried about all this?

[there's a mix of sensations woven into the definition of "this"; the sound and color of the festivities, the other festivals the Palai have thrown...]

They keep having their city destroyed, then feasting more. I know that's how it's supposed to be a lot of the time, but... will they really be okay if it keeps up?

[Geir's never been good at telepathy, so a new coven member certainly has the potential to overhear the message too. in which case, well, that's a concerning start to your new adventure.]

d

[rootbound]

[he might be nearsighted, but he does know where Geir is, usually; rather than tripping he plops abruptly and on purpose into the coiled loops like a seat. he has a couple of the Palai eggs in a sling (temporarily, thankfully, he's not ready for parental responsibilities) but cushions them as he goes down.

...

aw man]

Geir, not all the paint on you is dry.

[rootandbranch]

No! Your new clothes!

[Geir's dismay is comical. dragons shouldn't be this worried about stained clothes, probably. he anxiously nudges Vern's cheek; there's a fetching pattern of red flowers and (for some reason) a simple =) smiley face stenciled under his left eye.]

Will it wash out?!

[rootbound]

Yeah. Don't worry, I should be able to wash it out.

[reaches up to skritch his jaw, making an amused little noise]

You've been thoroughly decorated, I see.

[rootandbranch]

[purrs and leans into Vern's hand automatically, eyes half-lidding; it's been a long if pleasant night, and he's tired.]

Mmmhmm. The Palai really decided to have fun with it. I never thought of putting paint on myself... I didn't even know they made paint in that many colors.

[rootbound]

Me either. Well, stranger things have happened in this world already, I suppose.

You had fun, right?

[rootandbranch]

[he hesitates, because he started the evening off thoughtful and not quite sure he was going to have a good time... but he did relax, in the end. so maybe the party was successful after all.]

...yeah, I had fun. There are new people here again. Meeting some of'em was nice.

H

[mech_and_mutt]

[Well, one of the 'senior' coven members does come through in a reply- and some of his troubled agitation comes through even from the first word.]

"Supposed to be?" I dunno who'd be celebratin' at a time like this.

Makes me think they might just be used to it. ...and that just makes me sad.

[rootandbranch]

[Geir's reply comes quickly, and it's just as clear that he's thinking along the same lines.]

That's just it! Lots of people feast after a victory, or even just surviving a battle. Because surviving one isn't something that happens every day. But they did this last time too, and it wasn't that long ago! Is this just always how it is?

[mech_and_mutt]

[There's a bit of a pause. A troubled, quivering trickle of doubt and worry makes its way from one mind to the other before the words start to take form.]

...Maybe this is a GOOD outcome compared to what they usually get.

[rootandbranch]

[now, THAT'S a sobering notion. Geir halts their speculation before it gets too wild.]

It. . . can't be that good, right? More Uvi than usual attacked this time, and the city got really wrecked! If it was usually worse than this, how could they rebuild?

[in a quieter train of thought, though...]

. . . maybe it feels better than normal, though. Since usually their people just died with no one to protect them.

[mech_and_mutt]

Yeah-- maybe they usually don't get people to help them. Poor li'l guys probably need all the help and friends they can get.

We'll just have to make sure they're really prepared before we head off.

[At least there was a little room for some hopefulness in there as well. The next words just seemed a tiny bit... brighter, albeit faintly.]

Then again, maybe they're just a li'l bit braver than I gave 'em credit for.

[rootandbranch]

I think that they'll want to do more now that they know they can defend themselves. So yeah, we need to leave them with some way to do it!

[Geir's not an pessimistic dragon, and the force of his words lends them a feeling of conviction... despite the fact he has no idea how exactly to do that. maybe they can wrok on that part.]

I still want to find out what's up there on the island, too. At the least, that's a barrier no one's been able to crack. If the Palai had that then they'd be safe for sure.

wildcard

[bulletbiter]

[ Julius had essentially allowed himself to go berserk during the fight, which resulted in... repercussions. So much that he isn't exactly in the thick of the celebrations anymore, still recovering from injuries.

When Geir hears his voice, it's tinted with a little noise, as if listening to static on a radio. ]

LIike being trapped in an endless cycle of needless violence.

[rootandbranch]

[considering that even mostly uninjured, Geir overdid it with his Qri-granted ability during the fight and couldn't move much for a full two days afterwards, he would certainly sympathize. and he can't at all disapprove of going berserk to defend the Palai when the numbers of Uvi were so very large in the last attack.

"cycle of needless violence" is a little high level for a creature used to prophecy, though. does that automatically imply that there's an option that's... not that?]

What do you mean by that? Needless?

[bulletbiter]

[ It's clearly a wise decision to sacrifice yourself for the greater good. ]

There must surely be another reason why the Uvi hunt the Palai thus. Maybe they were being used. There must be another way.

[ Even as his curse whispers the contrary; that the strong will always prey upon the weak. ]

[rootandbranch]

[Geir would probably argue with that one, but maybe another time...]

I keep thinking about that. We don't know why the ocean is so stupid here or what's up with the island. We haven't found anything out, so how can we just leave things like this?

[Geir sounds impatient, like he's been chewing over that particular tidbit for a while and finds it too unappetizing to swallow.]

[bulletbiter]

Exactly. We should leave only after we have a concrete solution.

[ Just leaving them to suffer here never sat well with him. ]

I'm not in a state fit for exploring, however. Someone else will have to take it.

[rootandbranch]

Were we planning to leave soon? I hadn't heard anything.

[Geir's interest sharpens; is Qri or one of the handmaidens finally talking to someone? he continues his train of thought, still trying to find solutions.]

I don't know where else to explore. I know some people went to look at the Uvi base and couldn't get in far. We threw everything we could think of at the barrier up on the island and that didn't work, either. Ugh...

b!

[neatlytuned]

[With so many lizard people running around, Nazuna's gotten pretty used to them but what he didn't expect to see was what seems to be a dragon. Please excuse him as he gawks, just a little.

While a creature this big would normally be scary, seeing the young Palai scrambling all over it with no issues makes Nazuna can't help but find the whole situation pretty cute. This encourages him to approach the dragon and the busy artists.]

Sorry I might be ignorant since I just got here not too long ago, but is this common with you and your people?

[He's gesturing at the young Palai painting all over the dragon. It seems he might be under the impression that the dragon is also from this world because dragons are kinda lizards so they are also part of the lizard people, right...?]

[rootandbranch]

[Geir regards Nazuna in return with equally frank curiosity; he's met a lot more humans now, but the ways in which they're all different still hasn't stopped fascinating him, especially not when the ones in the coven come from such varied places. everything about Nazuna is unfamiliar, from his clothes to his haircut. he shifts so he can look at him a little better, stretching out and tilting his head.]

It's fine, but you're going to have to help me out. Which this, and which people?

[it doesn't immediately occur to him that Nazuna is identifying him with the Palai; he looks back at himself bemusedly at the gesture. is it normal anywhere to have flowers painted all over you? ...maybe??? he sure doesn't know.]

[neatlytuned]

[Oh. He thought he was being obvious so he's confused why the dragon is confused and doesn't think that maybe he's gotten something wrong here.]

The painting with you uh... [A pause as he tries to remember] Palai?

[He hopes he got that right. He doesn't want to offend anyone.]

Do you always do things like this?

[rootandbranch]

[Geir looks at the Palai, then at himself, then at the Palai again. he gets the feeling that there's grounds to be offended here, but mostly he just wants to laugh -- they're so far apart. he decides it's easier to go with that feeling.]

I don't know whether it is for the Palai, but no one's ever painted my scales before. Do you mean that you think I'm a Palai, too? Hahaha! Geez, can't you see how much smaller they are?

[one of the Palai mutters something indignant at that; Geir nudges it in return, still amused]

Don't get mad! If I wasn't so much bigger, you guys wouldn't have as much room to paint!

[neatlytuned]

[Finally realizing his mistake, Nazuna is horrified.]

Oh no, I'm so sorry about that. I just assumed... I thought maybe you're like their boss or something and that's why you're kinda different... and bigger...

[rootandbranch]

[Geir is NOT their boss, the offended Palai starts explaining! NOBODY is its boss! it's its OWN PERSON--

Geir nudges it again before it can get too far into it.]

Shhh, you're really drunk. It's okay, he didn't mean anything.

[he turns back to Nazuna, still willing to be entertained by the mixup. there's a certain level of respect he'd normally expect from others, but it would be unreasonable, he reflects, to stand on one's dignity when one has giant purple flowers painted on one's butt.]

No, I got summoned here by Qri, like you humans. Are you new? It seems like some new people have just started turning up again. I noticed a few of them.