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 She'll also give you a letter, which may give you more questions than answers since the information is a wee out of date.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

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...

[bulletbiter]

I don't know. If we do leave, I'd not leave until we're done.

[ Julius could probably have a crack at the barrier with the Singularity, but not right now. ]

Seems like we'd have to wait until we can feasibly get more clues.

[rootandbranch]

I hate waiting!!

[Geir bites back the rest of that retort; he recognizes that it's pretty pointless to kvetch about it, considering the circumstances. they're all in the same boat here.]

...in a couple more days, I should be fit to really fly again. We can explore the territory down here-- maybe head back to the island or Uvi base. There must be something we're missing. Vern couldn't get much information from the Uvi's feelings, but maybe someone else can sense something different.

[bulletbiter]

[ Julius doesn't react to Geir's outburst; it's only natural. His own patience had worn thin, only that he's good at concealing it. ]

I doubt I'll be well enough to accompany you, but I'd like to hear your findings.

[rootandbranch]

Well enough? Were you hurt?

[Geir's tone shades into concern, immediately distracted; his worry for Julius's well-being comes through clearly across their connection.]

Was it really bad? There are healers in the coven--

[bulletbiter]

[ It's appreciated. He made his original decision on the grounds that his presence may not be missed in case of the worst, but... ]

I've been seen to. All that's left is to rest.

[ That much is true, and it helps since his mind is much clearer now. ]

I'm glad most of us aren't hurt badly.

[rootandbranch]

...yeah. At least most of us are good fighters, or we can hide.

[Geir sighs deeply. his own sore body is a reminder that he made a bad choice during the course of the fighting; physical or magical injuries wouldn't have affected him nearly so badly.]

I was stupid, but at least I'm doing better now. I'll try to fly up there at least one more time in the next few days, depending on if anything else happens... I'll tell you what I find. Last time it was just a lot of sand and frustrating stuff. The Palai said that it was the same sort of barrier they made, but they couldn't imagine how whoever made it got it so big, or powered it.

I wonder if whoever's in there is the reason the ocean stays up? I don't think the Uvi could do that on their own, either.

[bulletbiter]

[ Geir freely admits his mistakes. Julius... still has problems doing that; not out of pride, but out of a sense of shame at his failure. ]

Yes, that's what I was concerned about. It might be magic, but... what if the Eltos had a role in keeping it up? That would explain a lot of things.

[rootandbranch]

[Geir would laugh if Julius confessed that much to him-- after all, he's already turned his back on the entire reason for his existence. if he doesn't want his whole life to be nothing but reflecting on failure, he has to come up with some new definitions for his own success, fast.

in the meantime, he's very interested in Julius's ideas on this. Julius has consistently struck him as a smart and thoughtful guy.]

What do you mean, the Eltos kept it up? Do you think they're lying to us? I'm not sure.

[bulletbiter]

[ Old habits die hard. ]

No, not exactly. We didn't see the Uvi eating the Palai, so they must be used for something else. The Eltos can emit electricity. I'd guess the Uvi use it to keep their ocean up, or something of the sort.

[rootandbranch]

--do you think they're smart enough for that? We can't get them to understand us no matter what we do...

[there's a pause-- he senses that Julius is on to something. even if he's not right in the specifics, he's right in the general thrust of his ideas.]

You're right, though. Even if it's not that, they're using the Eltos for something.

[bulletbiter]

Then someone smart enough would be commanding them.

[ There's a grim determination coming from his side. Given all that he's experienced, it didn't seem outlandish that someone would use beasts as tools.

It's happened to him before. ]

Even if not, I wouldn't believe that they couldn't be made to do whatever they need to do elsewhere.

[rootandbranch]

Oh. Oh.

[honestly, Geir can see it. tricking the Uvi into action from the shadows somehow like some kind of puppetmaster sounds... exactly like something his dad would do, actually. he's not going to settle on it as his ultimate theory, but he can't discount it out of hand, either.]

I know people like that. Okay, you could be right.

But if you are, I have no idea what to do about it.

[bulletbiter]

[ It's what the woman who called herself his mother did to him. ]

Find them. Then stop them.

[ By force if necessary. But this is vague, so: ]

That would take quite some time, however.

[rootandbranch]

So you don't know how, either.

[fully engaged in the problem, Geir takes his typically blunt line on Julius's grand statement -- he tends to see things very simply, after all. his next words show that his lack of tact doesn't necessarily mean that he lacks optimism.]

That's okay. If we're thinking it might be true, we can keep an eye out for what happens next. Maybe we'll see things we've been missing.

[bulletbiter]

Definitely.

[ Multiple perspectives are bound to bring more answers. ]

Are you at the festival?

[rootandbranch]

Yeah, I am-- why?

[he sends Julius a mental picture of the fireworks.]

[bulletbiter]

Could I come see you?

[ It's not far away from where he is, keeping himself at the fringes of the celebration. ]

[rootandbranch]

--sure! Please do.

[surprised and pleased; he obviously welcomes Julius's visit.]

[bulletbiter]

I'll be there.

[ It's but a short while until he finds Geir's form spread out on the ground. The youth wears a cloak with a hood that covers his hair. ]

Hello.