[WORLD ONE] AIMINTAS (INTRODUCTION)

[spellbindmods]

Who: The coven & Palai people
Where: In and around the city land of Aimintas
When: Days 13 & 14
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!

Just like how you arrived, the process of leaving the hub and reappearing somewhere else is quite quick and uneventful. Brie and Genette gather as many people as possible so that everyone can explore the new world together in a group, which is where they all land once Qri has worked her magic. If you weren't in the vicinity, or thought that not being social meant you'd get to stay on the island, you come along as well, though you didn't exactly show up with the group. A ▢ Everyone starts their journey a reasonable distance from the outer city walls of Aimintas. It's about a four hour trek to the rocks on foot, which Genette tells everyone to move towards -- though you're free to do as you please. You may discover that traveling on your own too far away results in something quite unpleasant. The initial terrain is quite interesting -- it's at least different from the hub island, though you may not be particularly impressed. There's sticky kelp to step in, water in the sky to look at and sand to get stuck in every orifice of your body. How do you like the new digs thus far? B ▢ Genette explains that the gang must enter the city of Aimintas to survive, but it's easier said than done. Maybe as something of an incentive, Genette climbs into Qri's caravan and it floats away, over the rock face. There go all the supplies you brought! The rest of you losers will have to climb through the craggy rock walls, hundreds of feet tall with very few crevices and cracks that are navigable. Hope you can climb...or maybe you can find a way to get through using someone's magic? The sun sets while the coven is busy trying to get through the craggy infrastructure (at least, that's the fate of those who don't find a quicker way to get into the city). Brie locates a large cave in one of the rocks, and that's where everyone sets up camp for the night. If you want to carry on, that's your choice...but who knows if anything that goes bump in the night is out there bumping in the night time? C ▢ What will your character be doing tonight? Sleeping on a hard rock? Stuck awake? Even if they do manage to fall asleep, they may be haunted by the occasional high pitched screech that comes through the night, though the location of the noise is unknown as of right now.

It takes about a day to travel to Aimintas, climb through the rocks and come into the city. Thankfully the city hub is close to the side of the city the coven managed to climb through, so civilization is awaiting. That civilization is decently modern, lizard-like and very, very nosy. D ▢ Upon entering civilization, the Palai are immediately curious and in awe of their taller, bipedal visitors. They've only seen people like those in the coven in pictures, and if they learn that your character has magic? It'll be as if an A-list celebrity just wandered into town. Because they're so enamored, the Palai will readily give coven members gifts as a token of their appreciation. What exactly do they appreciate? Don't be afraid to ask a few simple questions. They'll be more than happy to give out answers. E ▢ Some Palai, though, will want to see some of that magic before they offer up any gifts. Some may be a little demanding, just because their curiosity is so overwhelming. A harsh no will result in an apology and a gift anyways, but maybe just show them some magic anyway...? Even outside of interacting with the Palai, there's quite a bit around here to look at. Genette can be found in the middle of one of the parks, handing out the stored supplies to their owners. (Don't worry, she'll tell you where she is with a little telepathic poke. Your supplies will give you access to shopping and bartering...your status as a magical humanoid thing will only get you so far. F ▢ The Palai marketplace is rather large and home to a variety of businesses, shops and services. Want a good night's sleep? Want to eat a delicious shrimp wrap? Need your hub technology charged? You can do that here. What strange items will you fine? Is their technology level something you're familiar with? G ▢ Finally, the Palai are a people of culture. That culture can be quite unforgiving to those who choose to wander around alone. Some Palai people, after the initial wonder has worn off, will deny services to people who are on their own. It just doesn't compute! Your character is better off with a group of three, but a friend is fine. Travel in groups or couples and your character will find that they get fewer strange looks and questions.

It can be easy to get overwhelmed within the Palai marketplace, so no one will blame a coven-member for escaping the city for a bit. On the outside of the marketplace is a very large house with dozens of Palai congregating -- and my dozens, we mean at least 200. A Palai mate triangle just committed to each other, and this is certainly worth celebrating. H ▢ The guests feel blessed by the presence of a coven-member, and they readily invite any that happen by to the festivities. There's cake, alcohol, drinks, dancing. The Palai people certainly know how to get down. I ▢ Wildcard! How will your character interact with this new and unusual world?

Comments

c

[mapsio]

I dozed off for a moment... but I couldn't fall asleep completely.

[Haru has never had to sleep like this before. The first time is rough and unforgiving. The things she's hearing don't make anything like this any better.

So when she sits down next to Madoka she's immediately bringing her knees up to her chest.]

Are you hanging in there okay?

[soulcomet]

[Madoka nods, the gentle smile never fading from her face. she really doesn't like the sounds she's been hearing in the distance, but at least she doesn't have to endure them alone.]

It isn't very comfortable here, is it?

[mapsio]

No, not really.

[Frowning, resting her forehead on her knees. She doesn't want to complain. She doesn't want to set a bad example. So she continues to try and bare with it.]

I'm sure...we're going to be okay.

[soulcomet]

[Haru. ;; Madoka frowns as well, and scoots herself a bit closer. sorry if personal space is a thing; she's always been very up close with people she considers friends.]

... Do you want to talk? I might not be able to help, but ... I can at least listen.

[mapsio]

[It's fine, because it makes her feel better. She is also going to take the offer.]

I've been missing my friends a lot lately. They're very close to me, very similar to a family. Two of them are here with me... but the rest are at home. I'm very worried about them.

It's been bothering me for the last couple of days especially.

[soulcomet]

[Madoka can relate. her friends back home mean everything to her, and she was the only one pulled here. though ... she perhaps has the luxury of knowing that though they might be worried about her, they would be able to continue on just fine. magical girls have a duty to keep fighting, after all.]

It is hard ... [she pauses, lifting her head to the sky. the ocean.]

If we were able to come here, one way or another, that means we must still be connected to our homes somehow, right? Maybe someone in the city will have a way to contact your friends.

[mapsio]

It would be nothing short of a miracle if something like that were there. It doesn't hurt to ask.

[She's tired, and she's worried. That doesn't make for an easy time to sleep.]

I want to go home knowing everything here is okay too. It feels wrong to abandon the people who asked for our help.

[soulcomet]

[Haru can expect Madoka to do a lot of searching for her in the marketplace later, when they get there.]

We'll stick together, won't we, Haru-san? If we're lucky, we'll both have fun stories to tell our friends back home.

[mapsio]

We will, you're right. Maybe this group can become something like a family too.

[Haru is going to keep close to Madoka for now, feeling comfort by sticking close and actually talking out what is bothering her.]

[soulcomet]

I think we will.

[Madoka's just happy she can help in some way.]

It helped me a bit to talk about my mama earlier ... do you think it might help to tell me about your friends?

[mapsio]

... I could tell you about my friends.

[She nods.]

They're all very different. All of us are different, but all of us have similar stories. It's funny to say it like this, but, we're like a band of misfits. [How to go about this, she wonders:] We're all working for a similar goal, so we're a team.

I miss Morgana a lot, he's our cat and a very valuable asset to the team.

[Don't let Morgana hear her call him a cat though, HAH.]

[soulcomet]

[ope Haru said the magic word.]

Ah, I love cats! I bet Morgana is really cute ... Do you guys all play a sport together or something?

[mapsio]

It's kind of a secret back home what we do.

[She smiles a little at that.] Do you ever have something really important that you have to keep a secret? Because this is kind of like that. If someone were to find out it could be really bad.

[Haru, stop making it sound like you're up to no good....]

[soulcomet]

[it would probably be a bit suspicious, maybe if it were someone other than Madoka. but she nods, in total understanding.]

Ah, I get it. [she'll just assume that, like her and her friends, Haru and her friends are allies of justice, as Sayaka-chan puts it, and leave it at that.]

No wonder you all are so close ... it sounds like you're working on something really important together.

[mapsio]

[She's going to turn to Madoka.]

We're Phantom Thieves. [Letting that leave her mouth feels a little wrong. She feels a little strange saying it that way. She takes a breath.]

We change criminals hearts.

[soulcomet]

Eh? [Madoka's a bit startled, but she catches herself.]

You mean you change them into ... not criminals?

[mapsio]

Well, we get them to admit their crimes at the very best. We try to stop them from harming anyone else.

[She still seems a little bit hesitant to say something about this. But it shouldn't be a problem. She doesn't feel like it should be.]

[soulcomet]

Really? That's so cool, Haru-san — you're like a team of superheroes!

[mapsio]

IS that really what it sounds like?

[soulcomet]

It does! [she pauses, and. well, Haru shared her secret, it's only fair that Madoka do the same?]

[she turns to face Haru properly, picking up her Soul Gem as she does so.]

I guess I sort of have a secret, too.

[mapsio]

Do you?

[She glances at the soul gem. What a curious little object.]

[soulcomet]

[she nods, and, with the utmost seriousness in her voice, as she holds the Soul Gem up so that Haru can see.]

I'm a magical girl.

[mapsio]

You're a magical girl?

[She repeats that, taking in the look of the soul gem. It's such a delicate and pretty little trinket.]

What do you do as a magical girl?

[There was absolutely no disbelief in her voice.]

[soulcomet]

[it's both pretty and deceptive, sadly.]

Well ... There's a group of us that protect my city! We fight these monsters called Nightmares. They're sort of like ... bad thoughts and dreams come to life.

[mapsio]

You fight those with your friends? That sounds kind of what like my friends and I do.

[Definitely an honorable cause, right?]