oh dear

[oneandmikleonly]

Who: Sorey and Mikleo
Where: IT'S COMPLICATED (above Aimintas)
When: Day 21 (7/29; day after the Palai Festival)
Open/Closed: Open to all!


i. gadgets and gizmos aplenty
What was that thing, anyway? Ugh, that stung--

[the afternoon after the Palai festival, an open telepathic broadcast flickers across your awareness from Sorey and Mikleo, the two of them speaking in low, rather cautious tones]

Hey, everyone. We've made it up to the island that's above the city, and it's...strange, to say the least. There's a lot of items here on the shore...it's a bit like the market? Lots of them are broken, though. There's no one else up here, at least in the bit we can see.

We think there's jungle on the rest of the island, but it's hard to tell. There's some kind of barrier up here that lures you closer and then shocks you if you touch it; it's making it hard to get a better idea of what's inland. Has anyone dealt with one of these before?

ii. they're beauty they're grace
[and, later, even if you ignored that, it's maybe harder to ignore when the sky ocean just straight-up spits out a small dragon with a human rider. the dragon's claws are fastened in something almost as large as it is and it's clear the moment it hits the open air that trying to carry that thing down was the worst idea.

even from that distance you might be able to make out the thin thread of panicked screeching as they gracefully descend (READ: DO A HORRIBLY DANGEROUS CONTROLLED DROP THROUGH THE SKY) towards the city. they do manage to aim for the open farmland instead of the more populated area within the city walls.

...if you head over there to check it out you'll find both dragon and rider prostrate with exhaustion in the middle of a group of curious Palai. there is still a small shark with its teeth firmly embedded in the dragon's tail; it looks like they had a rough ride through the ocean. the thing they were trying to bring down? it's gotten a bit smashed up from the fall, but it's still recognizable as a small wooden rowboat. the oars are still intact, at least.]

Comments

i, voice

[rebells]

You made it to the island?

[A pause.]

I've seen similar barriers before, but--I don't suppose you saw any kind of mechanism that might have been maintaining it?

[imsorey]

We made it, but we can't explore too much with the barrier up.

[there's silence as he checks around for a mechanism]

If there is a mechanism for it, it isn't one that we can see without getting drawn in by the barrier. Any chance you know how to turn one of these off without getting zapped?

[rebells]

[There's a sigh.]

No, we got around the ones we encountered by switching them off. Does it seem either magical or technological to you?

[imsorey]

Magical. I can't say that with complete certainty, but it doesn't seem like any of the technology I've encountered so far.

[humming as he mulls over]

I was hoping we could get around the barrier with just the two of us. Maybe that's over-ambitious...do you know if overcharging a barrier like this one might make it shut off?

[rebells]

I don't, sorry. The barriers I'm thinking of were definitely technological. I suppose you could try attacking it . . . or maybe another barrier would neutralize it?

[imsorey]

We'll just get zapped if we attack it. Still, it's worth a try if we don't have any other options. I can't think of any way to put up another barrier around it, and it wouldn't get rid of the problem of us not being able to check the place out.

[rebells]

Even using ranged attacks? Or can you not even get that close?

[imsorey]

Ranged attacks could work. I just can't--

Oh, wait, I might be able to try one, actually. Give me a few minutes.

[rebells]

I'll wait.

[He sounds distinctly amused.]

[imsorey]

[there is about three minutes of silence before a mental sigh can be heard over the line.]

It's no good. We'll have to get someone who's better at long-ranged attacks up here.

[rebells]

We should find a way to get as many people as possible up on that island. There's no way of knowing what approach will work best against the barrier.

[imsorey]

Mikleo might be able to carry a few people...

[not enough to try hitting the barrier with enough variety, though, not without it taking some time to pile everyone up onto the island]

Maybe someone can make a flying ship.

[rebells]

Talk to John and Dave about that.

[oneandmikleonly]

Somehow or another. I don't recommend coming up here alone.

And...So far, no. I suppose it could be buried in the items here somewhere, but...we'll keep looking.

[rebells]

I'm not sure my swimming abilities are up to par, anyway.

Hmm . . . in that case, I don't know. What I'm thinking of may not be all that similar.

[oneandmikleonly]

Can you at least tell us what the triggers for the barriers you encountered looked like? It'll give us some kind of possible reference point, at least. There's too many different kinds of items here . . .

[rebells]

They were consoles covered in a strange language . . . technological. Controls for something. Manipulating them in a specific fashion released the barrier.

[oneandmikleonly]

[there's a thoughtful silence, as he looks upon the pile of junk on the island shoreline

a lot of it has buttons and rudimentary joysticks and similar]

...This is going to take a while. I suppose if we can't find a way in I could try to take you up here later, though, if you wanted.

[rebells]

I'm not sure how much help I'd be, but I'd like to see it for myself, if you're willing.

[oneandmikleonly]

Mm. It'll depend on how easily we can manage to get back this time, I think, but it should be perfectly possible as long as our usual powers remain accessible to us. I can carry two as well as one.

[rebells]

I was told you can turn into a dragon.

[oneandmikleonly]

Yes, well. It's big, brightly-coloured and obvious.

[a little dry, a little cagey, still uncomfortable with the power]

But the wings work, and I can get people through the ocean if they're on my back and within my field of influence over the water.

[rebells]

Ah, that's right, you can control water. Then we should be able to get more people up there, should that prove necessary.

[A pause.]

That may be more feasible than the 'flying ship' idea.

[oneandmikleonly]

[a return pause]

...well, I mean, if you also want to make that a thing, we might be bringing one of these boats back if they still work...I've never seen one before.

[rebells]

I have, but it wasn't flying at the time. It was also a bit large for this.

If you know Dave and John, it was an idea of theirs. I assume the approach would be to fuse something flying with the boat.