WORLD JUMP # 1: EL MINHA.

[acatamods]

I ▫ main IV ▫ premise       XI ▫ applications XIV ▫ activity II ▫ logs V ▫ rules VII ▫ bestiary   IX ▫ canon updates XII ▫ taken XV ▫ drop/hiatus III ▫ ooc VI ▫ faq VIII ▫ setting   X ▫ mods XIII ▫ reserves XVI ▫ players welcome to el minha. It will happen at random- you could be asleep, or wandering the Temple, or a variety of other options. It will feel a little strange, like a sudden warmth spreading across your skin, and then your bracelet will light up and a semi-familiar voice will be heard. I hope you are able to help the people of El Minha! And oh- in case I didn't mention it already, water is very, very valuable here. And then you will blink, and it will be bright. Bright, and warm, as you are standing just inside the grand walls that protect the impressive city before you. At your hip there will be a small bag with a few bits of coin - nothing too crazy, and definitely not enough to last you the entire stay (which...you're not exactly sure how long it will be), but enough to get started. Your presence brings a couple of glances, a stare or two, but overall the city seems to continue on with its day. Welcome to the Red Desert, the city of El Minha. THE PALACE After a few hours of being within El Minha, the King has heard that a large amount of travelers are now wandering within the city limits. An audience is called in front of the Royal Palace, and King Kathashun steps out onto the dias. He is dressed rather plainly, for a monarch -- a purple robe, with some gold bangles and bracelets, but no ornate crown or anything like that. However, when he appears, the natives around you grow quiet, at the presence of their King. “I understand that there are a lot of new people, within our fair city. Welcome to El Minha, the Jewel of the Red Desert. Enjoy our culture, our people, our wares; we welcome you, and hope you enjoy your stay.” There is a pause, though, as King Kathashun seems to weigh out what he wants to say. “I normally do not spend my time greeting tourists to our city, as our Crown Guard typically handles educating our visitors on our ways,” he continues, folding his hands behind his back. “But the heart of our city has been heavy, in recent months, and I feel it is my duty as King to be clear, to be honest, and to speak the truth. Recently, we have been attempting to hunt down individuals who wish our city harm, who have harmed my family, and my people. The Syndicate has been active, as of late, and I warn all of you who are not familiar with El Minha to avoid certain areas of the city should you wish to keep your pocketbooks.” There’s a slight quirk of his lips, as he says that, before he tilts his head in a polite gesture of greeting toward the crowd. “Please, enjoy El Minha. And should any of you garner any information concerning the Syndicate, please do not hesitate to contact me.” For the duration of your time in El Minha, King Kathashun will be within his palace . . . or so the Crown Guard says, should you ask them for an audience. That being said, you might be lucky wandering the streets. The King of El Minha tends to mingle more with the common folk than the Crown Guard would lead you to believe . . . THE GRAND MARKET Welcome to the heart and soul of El Minha - a massive outdoor market in the center of the city. Covered by fabric stretched between the buildings, this market feels almost like a city, or living soul, in and of itself. It is constantly moving, constantly evolving. Anything you could imagine is for sale here - spices, jewelry, weapons - whatever you’re looking for, anything at all. While you won’t necessarily find specific items from your home, you can find any matter of similarly made or crafted ones. Think cheap knock-offs, or unnecessarily well-made versions, because they can vary widely. There can also be items of some level of magic, though nothing particularly strong or overly impressive. (feel free to ask the mods on the previous ooc post about if an item is too over-powered to be found in the market - and also know that there’s always the chance you could find it in the underground. It just depends on how determined you are to track it down.) Stalls can range from cobbled together boxes and goods to grand, incredible stands - it all depends on what you’re looking for, and how long you’re willing to look. There is no map here, so tread lightly! The merchants that work in the market are experienced, practiced sales people. They know how to sell to anyone, but especially tourists. Barter to your hearts content, but it will take a little more than a ‘please’ to get those prices down. They have expert eyes and will not take pick-pockets or thieves well. However, as experienced and watchful as the merchants may be, that won’t stop young kids on the streets targeting the tourists as well - so keep an eye out on your pockets! As long as you have coin, water, or something to trade you are welcome as long as you’d like to stay here in the El Minha Marketplace. However, if you loiter for too long, you might get a swift kick in the ass to either get moving or buy something - they’re not giving away anything for free, and that includes the shade. THE SPARKLING SAPPHIRE As the announcement from King Kathashun comes to an end, all members of the Circle will be communicated - in one way or another - the direction to the Sparkling Sapphire. Free housing, you’ve been told. All you have to do is go, give them your name, and let them know you are part of the group that King Kathashun has directed here. Here, as it turns out, isn’t too shabby of a place. A large building with plenty of rooms, it is clean and fairly busy, with a bustling tavern area and rooms upstairs. You can pick up your key from the older woman behind the front desk, and are directed to the staircase in the middle of the establishment. The rooms are clean, but plain, with one or two beds depending on your preference. Downstairs in the tavern you can find food served for both breakfast and dinner, which is included in the room. Otherwise, there is a small fee for food or drink, and the servers are talented and experienced and very, very friendly. It is in the tavern that you can find the hookah, and some strange liquor as well, but it’s up to you if you choose to drink it. The food is incredible, beyond incredible, and they can make almost anything that you’ll like, though it may come out a bit creative. The main room is comfortable - with a roaring fire but without the suffocating heat. There is a bard in the corner, who will sing or tell stories or simply play, depending on the feeling of the room. Have a drink! Or a meal! While most of the people here are indeed Circle members, there may be a couple of natives mixed in as well. Take a load off, relax, and enjoy the hospitality that only a King’s Coin can bring. THE FIGHT RING The ring itself is somewhat on the outskirts of town - a colosseum-esque collection of buildings that watch over a pit-like arena. The buildings protect the Fighting Ring from any outside eyes, or any unwanted attention, as this area is solely under the command of The Syndicate. Anyone is allowed inside, as long as you don’t cause any problems and don’t start any trouble. There are a number of what you can assume are Syndicate-employed figures that are constantly canvasing the area as well, so don’t expect to be able to sneak in unless invited or allowed. The Fight Ring is open for volunteers at any time, and once you’ve been checked for any fun business and told the rules (no magic, only weapons allowed are the ones provided, the fight will end once one side relents or is taken out of commission). If this still feels like your cup of tea, you are invited to take a spot in line. Perhaps, if you’ve shown yourself promising enough, The Champion may appear to protect their crown. Otherwise, you will find plenty of adversaries around. If you are looking for a less aggressive route, there are plenty of seats open to watch, as well as many other members of the city taking a break to watch the fights, and they certainly wouldn’t mind sharing some of their favorite stories of matches or victories. The Champion is the resounding favorite, but the stories shared will vary to the point that almost no useful information can be gleaned. Join in the festivities that surround the ring! Pick up some food, bet on some fighters, enjoy the competition, and maybe you’ll be lucky and catch a sight of The Champion, or any of the other legendary figures of the El Minha Fight Ring. THE GOLDEN PHOENIX The Golden Phoenix is the central location of the Syndicate . . . and locals will make absolutely no effort to hide that fact from the Circle members. However, people don't seem to be afraid to go, though you definitely need to have coin to get through the door. There are multiple tables where various dice and card games are being played, as well as old slot machines. There are multiple employees in dark uniforms wandering around, offering drinks to all those who are spending coin on the machines, free of charge. If you loiter too long without spending money, you will be asked why you're there -- not in a threatening way, of course. But the relationship between the Syndicate and the King isn't all that great, as of late . . . can't be too careful with spies. In the back of the Golden Phoenix, there's a tiny racing ring in the back where small lizards are being raced in a little track set on a table. You can place bets on any of the lizards and, who knows? You may win a prize, including a little lizard! How cute! (Be careful, though: they nip.) But out back, there's another lizard racing ring, though these ones are . . . well, they're certainly not tiny. In fact, people seem to be riding on them akin to horse racing . . . and jockeys are a dime a dozen, in El Minha. Fancy yourself the next Triple Crown winner? Step right up, step right up, and take a spin on the track outside! Additionally, please feel free to write up and work with your own prompts! These are presented as jumping off points for your characters, not limitations. The idea of this world- as with all the others- is to explore. There will be some NPCs interacting with characters as well, so keep an eye out for those as well! If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask them back on the mod questions thread back in the OOC post from before! From this point forward, the Circle has become involved with the political stasis and climate of El Minha. What your character finds out, decides, and does from here on out will affect the future of this city- one way or another! But what you do is completely up to you. What you discover, explore, and uncover in this city will be yours to discover, explore, and uncover. Who knows what you might find? :)

Comments

[buff_for_a_nerd]

It's just that in my experience when gambling is involved it usually ends up being unnecessarily cruel to the animals for the sake of profit. So far though it seems like they treat them pretty decently here.

[ Sure, they're just lizards, but Sam doesn't think that any living thing should be tortured for the sake of amusement. If he had to guess, he would assume that they don't do anything like that here because they don't want to scare off gentler patrons with money to spend, rather than a sense of morality.

But it's hard to say. He's still trying to get a feel for these Syndicate people. By all appearances it would seem that they're essentially this world's equivalent of the mob, but that could just be part of the story here. ]

So what brings you here?

[ Gambling is the obvious answer, of course, but they all do have a job here. Sort of. Apparently. ]

[purrtagonist]

[well, Akira would certainly agree there. but thoughts of animal cruelty hadn't entered his brain at all. mostly because this particular set of lizards look healthy and well-cared for. thank goodness]

[as for that question--]

Blackjack and roulette. [ha ha] Kidding.

[he takes a quick look around to make sure there aren't any eavesdroppers before giving his real answer]

I heard this place was run by the Syndicate. I wanted to check it out because of that.

[buff_for_a_nerd]

[ Sam casts a glance around of his own to look for anyone paying particular attention to their conversation, mostly out of habit. He can't shake the feeling of being watched, especially not here, but as far as he can tell no one's actually listening to them. He's still going to be careful about what he says. ]

They're an interesting bunch.

[ That's the most diplomatic way of putting it. ]

I still don't get why there's so much tension. It seems like things were working just fine up until recently, what happened to set this all off? I mean, aside the obvious.

[ By the obvious he means the apparent murder of the previous King. It's more of a general question than one he expects to hear an answer to from a fellow 'tourist,' but it's worth thinking about, and getting perspectives from other people helps them figure things out. ]

[purrtagonist]

[aha. it's, surprisingly enough, a question Akira finds himself capable of answering, thanks to all the time he's been spending in the Grand Market helping out the pickpockets. making connections with those often overlooked by regular society is his specialty]

The previous king wasn't very popular.

[he responds, tone casual, like he's talking about the weather. he does keep his voice low, though. he's also used to being watched, to keeping his activities on the down low to avoid suspicion]

He was a tyrant, and he's the reason there's such an economic disparity between the citizens of the city. The poorer people from the slums don't have a lot of confidence in the crown.

[. . . but there's one thing Akira doesn't know, if only because he hasn't spoken to El Minha's current ruler yet. and that's what the current king intends to do about the mistakes of his father]

I think. . . there has always been some amount of tension in the city. It's just all now beginning to come to a head.

[which? is probably what Astoria meant when she said El Minha was on the precipice of some huge change, right?]

[buff_for_a_nerd]

[ Sam holds his reply until a trio of fairly drunk gamblers manages to stumble past them, even though they seem too distracted to care what a couple of tourists are talking about between themselves at the table. It's a pause that he's done countless times during conversations with his brother while at a diner or a bar where talk about vampires and ghosts might get them kicked out of the establishment, or, even worse, questioned by local police.

When they're out of earshot, he casually takes a sip of his drink and frowns thoughtfully. ]

It would make more sense if it was the poor causing the unrest. They've been on the worst end of things for a while, and that's enough to start something, but presumably these are the people causing problems. [ He shrugs a shoulder vaguely at the casino around them. He means the Syndicate. ] They seem to care more about money than public service. You'd think a tyrant would be less of a hindrance than a King who cares.

[ Then again... ]

But who knows. Do you know if anyone's been able to talk to one of them at all?

[ He's had the distinct feeling that he's being watched now and again, but any attempts to pin down one of those people has turned up empty so far. ]

[purrtagonist]

[Sam's presumptions about the Syndicate caring more about money than public service gets a deep frown from Akira]

No, I don't think that's right. I think the Syndicate cares more about the people of El Minha than the old king ever did.

[jury's out on the new king, though. if only because Akira hasn't spoken to him]

I haven't talked to anyone who has spoken with an officially recognized member, but-- you know those kids back in the marketplace? [he continues speaking as he turns towards the table again, watching the race referees shoo the lizards to the starting line to begin the festivities in a few minutes or so] They insist it's the Syndicate that provides the most aid to the poorer parts of the city.

And I believe it.

[not because Akira has met anyone from the organization specifically, especially since those scrappy pickpockets refused to point anyone out to him, but. . . well. personal experience. tyrannical rulers always tend to foster the growth of crime-related organizations whose main goal is to help those stuck underneath the heel of the rich]

[he was a member of one of those organizations, after all]

[buff_for_a_nerd]

[ For every scrappy group of rebels who want to bring more justice to their situation, Sam's known another that was different but just as bad. It could be that it's made him overly cynical of all of them, but it's been a necessity in staying alive back home. ]

If they are helping the poor around here, that's great, but I've known more than one organization that's only helped people to gain influence and trust to gain or stay in power. It would be nice if the they really do want the same thing that the new King supposedly does, but I just can't take any of that for granted without knowing more about them.

[ He gestures vaguely at the casino around them. ]

Places like this are usually all about draining as much money out of people as they can, whether they can afford to lose it or not. Do you think they're using a reasonable amount of that profit to help people?

[ It's not a facetious question, he genuinely means it. He hasn't seen enough to know just how much the Syndicate is doing to help versus how much coin they're gaining from this place. ]

[purrtagonist]

[personal experience definitely has a funny way of coloring one's opinions. Akira's own run-ins with outwardly legitimate political figures and members of authority has made him err on the side of trusting those outside of it. but even so, Sam isn't wrong]

That's fair. [he agrees with a nod, gaze flickering towards the lizard races. the bookie is making a last call for bets] I'm not saying they should be trusted. I'm saying they've at least done some small amount of good, whatever their motivations behind it may be.

[and then, he focuses his attention on Sam again]

I don't have any insight on what their accounting books look like. [a fancy way of saying he can't answer that question with the information he has] It isn't like the Syndicate's bookkeeper has a public office we can run into and say, "hey, let us take a look at your ledgers."

[buff_for_a_nerd]

Considering how secretive they seem to be, I'm not sure how close we're going to be able to get to them in the time that we're here, but it wouldn't hurt to try to get a better understanding of how they work. It might help us understand what their goals are.

[ The odds on the red lizard haven't improved much at the last minute, apparently. It seems that most observers are drawn to the run of luck that the green one's been having, or taking a chance on one of the more unknown competitors in hopes of finding an even better payout. ]

I'm used to dealing with types more like the royal guards myself. [ More specifically, he's used to working with and skirting around the authorities as needed to get to where he needs to be.

He pauses again to glance around for anyone who's close enough to overhear even their quiet conversation. ]

What I'd really like to know is why people are going missing and turning up dead. I'm going to try to talk to some people and find out.

[purrtagonist]

That--

[. . . yeah, Akira's heard whispers of that, too. nothing from the pickpockets, and nothing direct from anyone with whom he's spoken, but a little bit of eavesdropping sure goes a long way]

[he frowns, brows furrowed, and lifts a hand to tug at his bangs, fingers twirling into his locks]

. . . if you find out anything on that front, can you let me know?

[what he'd do with the knowledge is still up in the air, since he's decided to focus on helping the poor and the pickpockets the most while here, but. . . knowledge is power. or something?]