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 She'll also give you a letter, which may give you more questions than answers since the information is a wee out of date.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

[transcutation]

You mean their falling bodies were, or are they able to fly?

[Either scenario sounds amusingly surreal. As is watching him pour shrimp into his mouth... what a weird dragon.]

You want to know who I am? [Voice full of menace, a smug grin on her face as she rises to her feet and turns around to face the creature hanging over her throne. She raises a hand up high as if she's about to bring down lightning... only to drop it to eye level, fingers out in a V as she poses cutely, her expression suddenly worthy of pop idol in brightness and her tone just as bubble]

Cagliostro is the cutest pretty girl alchemist in all the sky! Teheh~☆

[rootandbranch]

Ugh, I wish they were just falling bodies. They rode flying fish, and we had to fight them all. It was a pain.

[Geir watches that display more or less without reaction, either good or bad. he's still not socialized enough to humans to really judge how weird that was, especially in this mixed company, so his feelings are more or less... sure? that can be your thing, lady. he doesn't judge.]

Hi! You are new. I'm Geir.

[transcutation]

[That did sound like a pain, but Cagliostro doesn't doubt she could have taken care of a bunch of fish, flying or otherwise, quite easily. She's more disappointed by the lack of reaction... guess a dragon was still just a lizard.]

Geir, huh? I take it there's not too many like us stuck here then, are there? [If he supposedly knew everyone by name otherwise. Switching gears back again,] Cagliostro is sooo pleased to meet you, Geir! You won't be as annoying as any little red dragons Cagliostro knows, right?

[rootandbranch]

[Geir doesn't know everyone by name by any stretch, but he's seen most of the coven around at this point, even if only from above. Cagliostro doesn't match up with anyone he's heard of or noticed before.

her affected mannerisms are getting more interesting to him, though -- he's never seen someone try to be cute before. this is a whole new world.]

I-- I have no idea. Are they annoying?

[he speaks a little slower, hoping that the conversation will maintain more meaning for him that way somehow.]

[transcutation]

[Her cute appearance is ruined by the rather condescendingly annoyed look that crosses her face briefly.]

Tch, the little lizard never knows how to appreciate cuteness... [She brightens up again pretty quickly though] You think Cagliostro is cute though, right?

[rootandbranch]

[Geir does Cagliostro the courtesy of considering the question seriously. she's referring to herself in third person, which in his experience is more of a power move-- Thor shouting "witness the power of Thor" and similar incidents comes to mind. so this might be something bound up in her Name and title... the Cuteness of Cagliostro.

on one hand, she hasn't displayed any of the behaviors he personally thinks of as cute, like getting charmingly flustered, and most of her speech so far has been what looks to him like power moves and being bored and judgmental. on the other hand, she's pretty small, and some small things are cute. and it's rude to offend someone about the powers attached to their Name. crap, has this pause been long enough to offend her already? he should probably learn these things sometime. oh well...]

Yeah, I guess so.

[transcutation]

[Yeah, it's not really a convincing answer, especially when he takes that long to come up with it, but she's in a good mood so she'll let it slide]

Really? Tee hee, thank you! [She's got a smile as bright and sparkly as the fireworks]

So then, so then ☆ Are you from another world too? [Reptilian as he is, he might be native but it didn't sound that way]

[rootandbranch]

[the smile was actually pretty cute, so the answer is more true than it was a second ago! not bad. Geir nods to her, feeling as if he's on firmer ground with this woman.]

Uh-huh. I got here about a month ago. I wonder if there's any pattern to when Qri calls people? We'll have to keep track.

[with clear hints of the exasperation he's feeling towards Qri at the moment:]

Since we can't ask her...

[transcutation]

[And that adorable expression disappears immediately at that mention, a look of annoyance crossing her face]

Qri, huh...? The one who brought us all here... now there's someone I'd like to question...

[rootandbranch]

[the ridges by Geir's face flatten down, and his voice drops to something closer to a hiss or a growl.]

You and everyone else, lady! I'd say "stand in line," but if anyone else can get to her before I do and get some answers, I'll give them my blessing.

[he scrapes his claws against the back of the throne, frustrated; Geir has really low standards for people, so seeing even these not being met is an insult for injury. if Qri had had even one meet and greet to answer questions bluntly, he'd probably think her kidnapping everyone was fair enough, honestly -- clearly she has the power, so why shouldn't she exercise it? but not knowing exactly what it is they're doing is driving him up the wall a little.]

I don't even mind helping out, but at least tell us what we're doing.

[transcutation]

[Oh? So the amicable dragon could get angry too. That makes her chuckle.]

I see, I see... so no one's had success so far? What about the ones who send the letters we receive?

[rootandbranch]

Genette and Brie? They say they hardly ever talk to her either. And I've only been able to find them for a couple minutes at a time.

[his growl scales up to something more plaintive; Cagliostro's correct that he has a fairly easygoing personality, and it's hard for him to sustain that kind of pique over mere annoyance. still, he is annoyed.]

It's not like she doesn't have the power to back up what she wants. I wouldn't even really mind if she'd just tell us what's going on.

[transcutation]

[...kind of cute. He reminds her a little of Ouroboros. Mostly in the being large and scaly part.]

And I'm guessing the natives here haven't been much help either. [They seem... not the brightest to her, honestly. She doesn't realize they aren't related to the coven yet]

[rootandbranch]

Oh, the Palai don't know anything about Qri. They seem like they're happy we showed up here, but it's not like she's talked to them either. I wonder if everyone we visit will be this glad to see us?

[there's a bit of wry irony in his tone now; Geir can very easily envision a less welcoming local population. he hopes that the next world doesn't require the coven to fight to make a place there; he certainly doesn't anticipate Qri doing anything to smooth their way.]

[transcutation]

[Showed up? Visit?] So you mean... this Coven we're supposedly a part of now, it's not from this place? And we're set to travel to yet more?

[Well now, wasn't that interesting... perhaps it was related to her own arrival.]

[rootandbranch]

Sure! I haven't gone anywhere else myself, but some of the people who were here when I got summoned have been to a "Hub." Did you get a letter? I couldn't read mine, but Vern read it to me.

[Geir searches his memory, which is quite good. He was very fond of the desciptions of other places to go, too...]

I think it talked about even going to other universes.

[transcutation]

Hmph, I suppose they did mention that... elevated mages, different universe...

[Her muttering trails off, and for a moment she goes quiet. Then her voice comes back, not as words, but as a dark, cackling laughter]

hmhmhahahahhahahAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Well perfect, just perfect! I was getting tired of knowing everything in the world! Maybe this can finally surprise me after two thousand years!

[rootandbranch]

[Geir politely waits out the crazy laughter. he's not a crazy laughing guy himself, but he can respect some good crazy laughter; Cagliostro clearly has her take on it down cold, and you know where you stand with someone like that. he tilts his head in interest when she hits the bolded bit. nice, nice.]

You knew everything in the world? Geez, I see what you mean! That does sound boring.

[transcutation]

From an alchemical standpoint, yes - I'll admit current politics and the like could be out of my realm after being sealed for a few hundred years. But even just in the time I've been here I've been seeing all kinds of interesting new things.

[She grins at him]

Though I'll admit, I haven't gotten as many opportunities to study dragons as I'd like - especially dragons from other worlds.

[rootandbranch]

Sure, how would you? Unless you traveled to other worlds a lot, that'd be hard.

[he's not immediately alarmed at the prospect of being studied, if that's indeed what she's going for.]

"Interesting" is a good way to put all this stuff! I like it, though.

[transcutation]

Well, I was originally on a journey to Estalucia, the island at the end of the sky and the realm of the Astrals... but it seems that goal was still a ways off.

I suppose the lizards are the most interesting thing though... their magic and biology.

[rootandbranch]

"Biology?"

[that's an unfamiliar word to him. he's going to assume that she's talking about another kind of lizards, not the dragons again-- that would just be rude.]

[transcutation]

Their bodies - how they work and all that. It seems like only certain types of them can use magic, based on physical differences.

[rootandbranch]

[oh! Cagliostro is talking about the Palai. Geir nods his understanding now that he's followed her train of thought; the Palai are sort of interesting, though he hasn't asked them much about their magic.]

Oh, right, the Eltos. I don't know what it is that makes it so they can use magic -- I'm not sure the Palai do, either. That's something that you study?

[transcutation]

Of course - I want to know everything, but especially things relating to magic are of interest. Getting to study magic from another world could lead to all kinds of new discoveries for Alchemy. [Or it could be completely useless if it's species-exclusive, but hey, that's science.]