[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

[rebells]

[With a sigh, he follows. He's pretty good at 'acting casual,' at least, now that he's calmed down a bit.]

This whole situation is ridiculous.

[probablynoteren]

[Lenka's not particularly good at acting, but he is good at sneaking, and so away around the corner they go with the initial Palai none the wiser. Hopefully they'll escape further ambushes.]

I feel like it's been ridiculous since the island...

[rebells]

Well, yes, but there's ridiculous and there's "a band of lizard people following you around."

[probablynoteren]

I've been followed by worse things...?

[Chased, rather. He's gotten chased by Palai a few times, too, but at least they're well-meaning.... That probably isn't too helpful to the situation at hand though; granted, all of the above did make him really good at running away.]

It's hard to come outside, though. They're after anyone who isn't Palai...

[So it's a bit. Harder to blend in. RIP.]

[rebells]

Monsters are different.

[He sighs, letting this one go for the moment.]

What are your impressions of this place? Other than the obvious.

[probablynoteren]

Loud. [is the immediate answer, but that probably falls under obvious] It's peaceful right now, but... they're afraid of something.

[He's not great at asking after stuff, especially when the Palai are much more interested in pelting him with questions first and foremost -- but he has ears, and he knows what the weight of community fear feels like, even buried under excitement and festivities and confusingly structured amphibian facial expressions.

And then there's the exciting nighttime symphony from the ocean-sky above their heads: it's a little more muted under the bustle of the city, but he remembers them clearly from their trek up.]

[rebells]

[Jay, on the other hand, has been asking questions and then some. When he's not getting harangued to show the Palai his powers, that is.]

They've mentioned a . . . predator? An adversary? They conduct periodic raids and spirit vulnerable Palai away from this settlement.

[probablynoteren]

[Lenka stiffens, just slightly, at the word 'predator' -- it's more a slight twitch of his shoulders than anything else. He looks automatically up at the sky again. It's still daytime, but the ocean suddenly looks more ominous -- and it had been pretty ominous in the first place.]

It comes from up there, doesn't it? They're better at moving than the Palai.

[He's investigated transportation between land and "sky", just a little. The Palai really haven't gotten much of anywhere.]

[rebells]

From above, yes. That's what I gather.

[probablynoteren]

Has anything happened since we came here? I hear them, but I've never seen them.

[He still doesn't know exactly what sort of creatures they're talking about. There are mentions of the Uvi here and there on the Palai World Wide Webbing, but precious few decent pictures. Almost as though they want to avoid looking at them as much as possible.]

[rebells]

I think we would have noticed raids. [A little dry, although he seems concerned as he scans the sky above them.] At any rate, from talking to them, it appears to be a regular occurrence--they make preparations when one is about to happen.

[probablynoteren]

That's true.

[If it's a regular raid, and they're kidnapping multiple Palai -- even in a city as big as this that would raise the alarm. He's just not entirely sure how things work here; first of all, he still isn't sure how far to trust the assurance that the sky isn't going to come crashing down.

(Back home may have been a disaster, but at least the sky stayed put. The rains could be pretty dire, though.)

If there's going to be preparations, though, then maybe that's one less thing to worry about. On the other hand--]

They know when the raids are, but they can't stop them? Is that what we're here for...?

[He's not opposed, exactly, but it seems odd that they've received no instructions.]

[rebells]

You'd think someone would have mentioned it if we were. [He sighs.] We certainly have a capacity for fighting that they don't seem to.

[probablynoteren]

I don't think anyone mentioned anything. [Jay gets a questioning look, though; did anyone mention anything? Lenka's been out and about in the city, so he could have missed something going on in the coven.] I don't know how fighting would help Qri.

[Actually, he doesn't know how them being here is supposed to help in the first place. Qri seems to be the one moving them, so aren't they taking up magical energy rather than creating it?

Refrigerators aside, he's still trying to figure out why he got dragged into this particular job.]

[rebells]

They didn't; they've been oddly silent ever since we arrived in this place. [A little annoyed, though not at Lenka; he doesn't like being deprived of information.]

It would help if they at least told us what they wanted us to do. But since they don't seem to be doing that, we have to decide how we'd like to deal with the Palai situation.

[probablynoteren]

Since we're in their city, does that mean we're siding with the Palai...?

[Certainly, they've been more than generous with their gifts and their rooms, so they do owe them as hosts -- and as overwhelming as the general hospitality has been Lenka doesn't mind it beyond situations where he has to throw down refrigerators and run away.

There have been a few of those now.

(Who is he kidding, it's not like he can just watch a raid and walk away. It may be a character flaw.)

But if they're expected to fight, or have been put into a situation where the fight's going to be brought to them...]

I guess we should learn more about the attackers.

[rebells]

Are we? We can do as we like, of course.

[But he's more prodding at Lenka than actually raising an objection; he's concluded that given the makeup of the coven, some of them probably will try and help.]

The Palai are the best source of information we have. Although they may not have been in a position to make a lot of observations.

[probablynoteren]

For now. But if we live here, we're part of the raid targets.

[In other words, merely by appearing to be part of the Palai community and accepting their gifts and houses -- they might find themselves the target of attack anyway. Of course, that's assuming the predator in question doesn't have some way of distinguishing between the Palai and others (or would care).

He doesn't have to be happy about the prodding, but he also doesn't have to walk blindly into something like this, even if he leans on the helpful side.

Lenka nods towards the direction they're going -- it's not the bustling mall, but it's still a decent shopping street, lined with cafes and snack stalls. It's entirely possible to pick up gossip here, despite his lack of skill at it.]

So we should find out what we can. We can go if they really want to crowd us.

[He mostly means Jay, but it's not like they can avoid the Palai forever in a Palai city.]

[rebells]

It's fine; they just surprised me that time.

[He seems a little embarrassed about the whole thing, now that he's recovered. He shakes it off and goes serious--analyzing the situation.]

What we need to know . . . as much of their capabilities and usual numbers as the Palai can tell us. Whether they approach from one particular direction, or converge on the city from multiple directions. [A pause.] Whether they're sentient, and can therefore be negotiated with.

[probablynoteren]

Okay.

[Lenka looks only a little bit skeptical -- Jay had been skedaddling awfully fast back there -- but for now they have bigger and not-so-much-better things to worry about.]

Right. If we're going to be defending the city-- [or fighting in it, but you know, leaning] --then we'll need to know the defenses and layout. There should be maps, and maybe some hidden parts of the city.

[Given that the ground is so sandy, it's doubtful that there's much underground, but with the Palai's confusing level of technology and magic... you just never know.

The idea of negotiating, though...]

... If they're like the Palai, and can talk, then -- maybe it's worth trying.

[rebells]

[He nods his assent--a map of the city would certainly be useful.]

Negotiating was one of Dirk's ideas. It's probably worth a try, at least.