[WORLD TWO | INTRO LOG]

[spellbindmods]

Who: All coven members
Where: In and around the new world’s apartment building where the coven is staying
When: Day (the calendar isn’t syncing for me hELP)
Open/Closed: Open to All

You’re in a room. It’s pretty bright — blindingly so, even. There’s something very stark and very clean about the place, and also the person you’re sitting in front of. You’re sitting? You’re sitting. There’s also a pane of very powerful plexiglass separating you from the uniform-clad person who is now speaking to you. It’s impossible to transcribe what they say verbatim, but here’s the gist of it: - You’re being welcomed to a city called Shehui. Depending on who you are, the level of technology may be light years ahead of you or child’s play. - There’s a very strict policy about magic. While there are measures put in place to prevent magic from happening, this is still something that they reiterate over and over. They don’t want to take chances. - Crime is also frowned upon. Small infractions will result in credit deductions, while major crimes will get you banned. Antisocial behavior is also looked down upon. You’re locked in the city for your initial eight weeks. You can leave afterwards, but trying to break out of the city or cause social unrest will result in monitoring and a potential ban. - This city is supposed to be somewhat relaxing. Is it a free pleasure cruise? No. Is it a self-contained society that runs on community and indulgence? Yes. - You’re being given an allotment of credits in order to stay in the city, which is what the economy there runs on. This goes on for quite some time. - You’re being moved to a housing location. Despite the slotted speaker in the middle of the plexiglass, the only time you have a chance to ask questions is when a small slit opens in the bottom and a package is slid towards you. - What’s in the package? There’s a credit card-like apparatus that has apparently taken a picture of you. It contains a place to write your name, an identification number and barcode. It also has a thin strip near the top that has scrolling script floating by. It states “WELCOME TO SHEHUI. YOUR ID WILL UPDATE WITH COMMUNITY NOTICES AND PERSONAL PINGS FOR JOBS AND VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES RELATED TO YOUR INTEREST.” It’s a lot to take in, but that’s the long and short of it. Have questions? The person will reiterate a few times that there are information desks around the city. That’s all for now…now you’ll be traveling to your next destination: your new home. The floor slowly lowers as if you’ve been in an elevator the whole time. It connects to several other glass containers, much like your own, all suddenly clanking together in a chain. After a short wait, the chain begins to move — quickly. Faster, maybe, than you’ve ever gone before. It’s hard to even make out the scenery when you’re zipping past everything so quickly. Where does this trip lead you? The ground floor of your new apartment building. The plexiglass cases open up and you’re in a hotel lobby. There’s a flashing board on the wall — NEW ARRIVALS, COME HERE. A ▢ So now’s the time to get settled into your new digs. Your name is on the board, and there’s a promise that your things — which, by the way, were mysteriously taken — will be located in your room. No need to fight over bedrooms; those also hold name placards that are digitally installed. Maybe everyone else is already there. Maybe you’re the first person there and need to find a way to stake your claim on the fridge or a bathroom. B ▢ Maybe you don’t want to fuck with anybody right now and are busy exploring the apartment building. You may encounter some aliens, some strangers, some ice machines. There IS that floor that’s nothing but recreational stations. If you’re overwhelmed, the garden is a good place to start. The sport court is pretty empty right now, if you want to have any regrouping meetings.

The apartment building is locked up tight for three hours in order to let new arrivals get their bearings. After that, the ground floor lobby doors open into the city of Shehui. There’s a lot to take in, but let’s cover the biggest bases: C ▢ Right outside this communal apartment building is a large, digital job board. The list of available jobs and credit opportunities are constantly flashing by. Want to pick one out? Just hold up that ID card you were given and the instructions and location will be sent to the ID’s text scroller. D ▢ You’ve got 500 credits to blow on clothes, food, strippers…whatever you’d like? Right next to the apartment complex are tons of local businesses, from bistros to outlet malls. A movie theater, an arcade, a video game store…and the best thing about Shehui? Most everything is dirt cheap. Where are you shopping? What are you buying? Enquiring minds would like to know! E ▢ Right next to the shopping area is a wooded park. It’s akin to a nature trail that’s similar to Yellowstone in scenery and topography. If you’re more comfortable someplace less…tech or modern…then this may be exactly where you’d like to be. F ▢ Wildcard! How will your character interact with this new and unusual world?

Comments

[transcutation]

[Look, nerds are her people. Well, cute girls are, but nerds are a solid second.]

It's not as if I have any real reason to keep any. Half of it won't be applicable here and the other half it would take you years to copy.

[Follow she does, like hell she's letting someone willing to stroke her ego get away]

[teratias]

That fact hasn't stopped mages from hoarding their secrets like dragons hoard gold. [He shrugs, walking through the set of doors that lead outside.]

Seriously, family secrets are what drives magecraft back home. Revealing it weakens the power, and so most people don't talk in depth about their work. It's...nice, having a change of pace.

[transcutation]

How petty. I'm amazed anyone can learn anything if they never share their research. [She shrugs[ But I suppose some people can't help but be afraid that those they teach will surpass them.

[She can't say she knows the feeling]

[teratias]

Well, your family is supposed to surpass you with every generation, but you can't be surpassed by others. The ecosystem's ridiculous.

[transcutation]

Sounds like an academic disaster. I can't say I've ever been fond of teaching, but that just sounds like a recipe for backstabbing and undermining each other.

[teratias]

....I mean, yeah. That's what it actually is.

[transcutation]

Well, I suppose once you do that for a few generations, it's a hard tradition to break. You need a real idiot who has both the power and stupidity to turn those traditions over on their head. [She smiles a bit as she looks off elsewhere for a moment. Then she looks over back at him with an appraising eye] You.... seem too smart for that, hm?

[teratias]

...Yeah, well. [Waver sighs. He appreciates the compliment! He does! But talking about this always makes him sour.] Being a crappy third generation mage doesn't make anyone take you seriously.

[transcutation]

[It's half a compliment, anyway] Is that how things are measured? Well, whatever... just go invent a new branch of magic or something else so ridiculous they can't dare ignore you any more.

[IF SHE CAN DO IT, THEN well probably not many other people can but hell, they might as well try]

You might have to struggle twice as hard, uphill and through hell, but at some point, there are accomplishments not even the most boorish, traditionalist idiots can't ignore.

[teratias]

[HOW DO YOU KNOW HIS LIFE STORY ALREADY LADY?! Waver breathes out, his cheeks puffing up a little in frustration.]

Believe me, I'm already trying that! Just...it's hard going.

[transcutation]

[DON'T PROJECT WHILE SHE'S BUSY PROJECTING]

Well, if it was easy, everyone would do it, now wouldn't they? Well, though I suppose most people don't have the stumbling block of "kidnapped by witches into another dimension".

[teratias]

[NOPE NEVER.]

Well no, although that kind of dimension hopping is something we know is possible.

[transcutation]

Hmm, I wonder if I would have considered this before... where I come from, there's the Astral Realm and the Crimson Horizon both, but I feel like travel between those is still different from whatever brought us here.

[She breaks off from her serious lecturing to bounce cutely on her feet and point out a cafe] Oh, oh! How about that one?

[teratias]

Well, could you apply similar theories to explain it? The way we organize our magic, this and time travel are both accounted for.

[Right, a cafe! That was the whole point, wasn't it? Waver starts to head over, and once at the door, holds it open.]

[transcutation]

Time travel? Now that's pretty ridiculous. Or do you just mean in terms of theory? [Well, she supposes it could be possible but...] In the first place, I mentioned those two realms but they aren't places that even a genius like me can travel to easily. I suppose for those that could, it would stand to reason they might be able to access realms even beyond that...

[She's preoccupied mulling it over as she walks in the door, barely waiting for him to follow. It's only the smell of food that reminds her to look up and consider the menu] For such a quaint looking little shop, they seem to have quite the selection...

[The Starbucks-like menu looks almost intimidatingly large to her, coming from a world that still runs on taverns and bars for the most part.]

[teratias]

In theory and in practice. There's a line between magic and magecraft in my world, with magic being true power beyond belief and magecraft being an attempt to scientifically mimic that same power. Getting to real magic is a labor of generations, but it is possible. So, not theory, but very rare.

[He nods as realms are explained, then adds:] If you can do that, there's no reason to rule it out as a potential thing that might happen.

[Back to Not a Starbucks. Waver's happy to stand near the door before trying to order.]

I'm just getting tea.

[transcutation]

Hmm, so something like divine providence? I suppose that sort of power could lie beyond the truth of the world that Alchemy seeks to reach as well... though, my focus is more on knowledge than power.

[This menu looks like its own spellbook of knowledge. She suddenly turns to him, a brightly innocent look in her eyes, practically sparkling, her tone suddenly a lot less academic.]

Ne, ne... Do you think a frappuccino caramel soy latte grande tastes good- ah, I guess I didn't even get your name, did I? [Her tone rather jarringly switches back as she interrupts herself]

[teratias]

Kind of? The goal of mages is reach the Root of the universe, which is where the energy to make Magic happens. So it's mostly about energy, as well as a competition to see who can get there first.

[....That's a hell of a turn around that takes Waver by surprise. He blinks, and then all of the words are....what the hell is this place?!]

Oh uh. Waver, Waver Velvet. And I don't...actually know. I guess we can try and find out?

[transcutation]

Okay! One frappuccino caramel soy latte grande with extra whip! [She sure adapted to this shop quickly.

While she waits for her order, she turns back to the subject at hand]

The Root... so all that research is just to find a way to tap into that? I suppose I could see why there's a level of competition - it's not the kind of thing that would grow by sharing it.

[teratias]

[Waver adds his tea order in and takes care of the payment before heading off to the side.]

You've got it exact. The more people that know, the less power there is in the Root.

[transcutation]

A finite resource. It pains me to imagine a barren world like that - if someone actually gathered all the magic in the sky where I come from, I think they'd go mad, or literally explode, before they even came close to grasping it all.

[teratias]

I don't discount that as a possibility at home either but...people are pretty willing to take that risk. [Mages are idiots.] How does your home world's alchemy work within society? Is it hidden, or are people used to it or...?

[transcutation]

It's just one branch of magic - I wouldn't say it's widespread but it's not exactly a hidden art either. Well, every island has their own cultures and traditions, so it's not surprising that there would be a variety of types of magic and no real cohesion throughout.

It seems these days, most alchemists are associated with the Helmuth Alchemy Guild, led by my sister's descendants - and the same ones who sealed me away for a few hundred years.

[teratias]

...Sealed... [Waver frowns, even as he has to stop listening for a second to grab their drinks from the barista. He clutches his tea close to himself, and gives Cagliostro her the...whatever she ordered, he isn't sure what it truly is.]

The hell did you do to earn that?

1/2

[transcutation]

Oh, any number of stupid reasons - something about recklessness or being a mark of shame on their oh-so-honorable guild or a danger to them all... honestly, they were just afraid of my power.

[Some serious stuff then.]