[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

[oneandmikleonly]

It's not that we have magic, they were happy enough to see it earlier . . . something else? I feel like I've been having trouble since splitting off from the main group.

[teratias]

--Okay uh. They don't travel alone do they? I'm going to come over to see if that helps.

[Which Waver does do, walking over quickly and just standing there.]

[oneandmikleonly]

I . . . suppose they don't.

[Mikleo looks out over the streets and shops again, raising his eyebrows; it's true that there are no loners to be seen among the Palai. and sure enough, the shopkeeper relaxes and starts to pay more attention to Mikleo's gestures the moment Waver joins him]

Oh. I think you're right, they're all in groups . . . there's such a throng I didn't pick it up at once.

[teratias]

I just can't believe that a stupid guess I made was right.

[It is nice having vindication though, and Waver just lingers slightly behind Mikleo.]

Do what you need to do.

[oneandmikleonly]

Stupid guess, or clever observation . . .?

[a little wry for a moment, ribbing him, perhaps; it's hard to tell just from the tone]

All right, let me just finish bargaining, it shouldn't take too long.

[and with that he switches to haggling with the shopkeeper for the staff and medicinal items he needs, brisk and to the point; he winds up committing to a couple of days' labour for them, and both he and the shopkeeper seem happy enough with the deal]

[teratias]

Probably the first.

[Rider would probably chide Waver for that response, but he lets the thought go, choosing instead to watch the world around this particular haggle. The novelty of being on another planet entirely is still there for Waver, and as gruff as he wants to be, there's still so much awe.

He looks back just in time to see the deal done.]

You good?

[oneandmikleonly]

Yeah. Good thing I don't need anything specialized, though, or I might wind up working the whole time we're here instead of being able to study it, haha. Anywhere else you wanted to go?

[he's in a good mood, now that the dealing's gone through successfully; his tone is much lighter.]

[teratias]

Er. Not really. I've been walking around by myself, but no one's given me flak for it.

[Then again, Waver hasn't interacted with any of the Palai lately either. He's too used to keeping to himself, in truth.]

What's the staff for?

[oneandmikleonly]

Fighting. The one I usually have was inaccessible the whole time we were on the island, since I store it magically . . . I mean, I've got it back now while we're here, but it's either carry it around forever and never put it away again, or just keep a spare in the caravan supplies.

[teratias]

Yeah, that makes sense.

[Waver pauses, then blurts out something completely ridiculous that he twinges red the minute it has left his mouth.]

What are you going to do with it when you transform?

[oneandmikleonly]

[he laughs -- but seems to be taking the question in good humor, overall]

Mostly I transform to carry someone, so I'd get them to hold it or tie it onto the harness.

Er, when I finish getting a good harness together. That might be a little bit still.

[teratias]

[Thank God for that. Waver relaxes visibly.]

Hm. Did you see any leather or supplies you could use for that here? I mean, who knows when we might be in another place where stuff's easy to get.

[oneandmikleonly]

The kelp that can be gathered is actually fine for initial tests, but I'd feel better with stronger material or hide of some sort. Buckles, too -- something to make it adjustable. I think both might be available here, but it's taking some figuring for where to go at the moment. You didn't see anything similar on your way here, did you?

[teratias]

I didn't see anything like hide, but I can keep an eye out. As far as buckles go, hell, you could probably go find some belts and just take the buckles off of them. Kelp prototypes seems....a cheap way to make mock-ups, I guess.

[oneandmikleonly]

Yeah, it's pretty sturdy. You'd be surprised at how many ways we've managed to pull our first tries out of shape, though. Sorey and I never made harness for something bigger than a Hyland goat before.

Oh -- belts are a good idea, though. Leather AND buckles? And there was definitely a market section with a lot of clothing --

[their wander through the market is a lot more pleasant, without Palai staring at either of them for being isolated]

[teratias]

[This is quickly becoming a shopping trip. Waver stops, and casts his eyes around the market.]

It looks like leather goods are up and to the left some. If we head there, then the buckles can get taken care of, assuming that the size is right. Something like a harness probably will need one or two very large buckles.

...We might be jumping ahead here.

[oneandmikleonly]

Heh...well, it won't hurt to take a look? At least we'll know the market layout for next time.

[teratias]

Mmm. Look around and maybe come up with some prototype designs. Then gather what materials we can. Although I guess investing in paper and supplies would be a good first step.

[oneandmikleonly]

Oh--that's right, we didn't take all the notebooks, did we. Goodness. I hope we stay awhile or it's going to be hard to pay for everything in time through labour.

[teratias]

No kidding. I don't even know what else we can barter with, since stuff's so scarce on the...

...I might have one of the weird fruits I found on the hub. It might've gone off though.

[oneandmikleonly]

...they might accept it as a foreign curiosity...just tell them not to actually eat it.

[teratias]

I guess I could pick out the seeds. Rare and exotic plant life could be theirs for...whatever price the supplies are.

[oneandmikleonly]

It's too bad Rose isn't here. She's a friend from home -- a merchant. She would upsell your fruit like nobody's business.

[teratias]

Hey, the pitch wasn't that bad!

[Okay. Maybe it was.]

But if you wait here, I can go get them.

[oneandmikleonly]

[he tilts his head]

Sure. You really should save them for something you need to get, though. I'm not averse to some heavy lifting.