acatalepsy_logs | WORLD JUMP # 1: EL MINHA.

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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? :)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[She'd seen Sam a few times in and around the vicinity of the House of Wisdom, browsing the shelves in their library. Her own research had been much more general - genealogies and local histories - and also more discussion-based, listening in to the discussions of the scholars and the librarians as she strolled through the area, reverting to old habits of unobtrusiveness. She wouldn't know where to start when it came to magic and ritual, but she keeps seeing references to something even in what would seem to be bland accounts of the royal bloodlines, and Sam seems like a good person to ask.

So in a spare moment, when he doesn't seem to be occupied with anything else:]

Sam, how are you doing? Are you busy right now?

[ Sam has been hitting the books pretty hard. It's turning out to be more of a time sink than he'd expected, since there's just so much to this place, and it seems like for every question he answers he acquires five more. It's all actually really interesting, but what he's really looking for is what's going wrong around here. They only have so much time in this place to fix it, presumably.

He was just making his way back out into the bright sunlight of the street from another long session of peering at old books when he hears a familiar, gentle voice hailing him. He's seen her reading here before, but he hasn't attempted to disturb her from it. ]

Auntie Jing. [ He's quick to smile at her typically-polite request. ] I'm fine, and no I'm not busy. Where are you headed?

[ Saying that he's fine might be a slight exaggeration, but he's used to pretending under far more extenuating circumstances. ]

It's been a long day. [She says, conversationally, though she doesn't look especially weary.] You've been really hitting the books, haven't you? I was planning to head back to our lodging. Did you already have plans?

That's where I was going too, actually.

[ He'll wait for her to fall into step with him before heading out into the street proper. Even if he wasn't going back, he would have accompanied her there regardless. This is far from the shadiest part of town, but still, with how tense things are lately he's inclined to be more vigilant than he might have otherwise. ]

I have been. [ Only partially because that's just what he does. ] There's a lot to learn about this place, and if we want to accomplish anything here we kind of have to understand what's going on here first, right?

That was my thought as well. [She really appreciates the escort, it's still a little weird for her to be anywhere without a nearly literal crowd of attendants.] I remember you mentioned that you were used to looking in books for information when you and your brother were hunting monsters and other strange things back in your home.

I wonder if you ran across any information about how King Kathashun's family came to rule here.

[ That's not something Sam specifically set out to learn, but he did find a few things that caught his eye when referencing the royalty here. ]

I've found a few things, but a lot of it is hard to understand without context. It looks like they wrote down a lot of these things with the expectation that whoever read it would know what they meant by 'the blessing of the Phoenix' and something about 'old powers.' I think it's referencing some sort of special magical ritual that only someone of the royal bloodline can perform, but I don't know what it actually does.

[ He tilts his head toward her curiously. ]

Do you think that has something to do with why we're here?

I had that thought as well, but it seems like the sort of secret that would be limited to a very small group. [If that was Astoria's goal in sending them here, it wouldn't be easy to gain access as outsiders.] So most people wouldn't have any additional insight beyond what might be an official story put out by those in authority...

[She falls silent for a moment, still thinking.] There also seem to be many other differences between King Kathashun and his predecessors.

[ Sam has noticed some element of secrecy to the whole thing, even beyond the normal lack of cultural understanding that outsiders would have. He suspects that even people who have lived here their entire lives don't fully understand the sort of power that the King wields. And he's honestly not entirely convinced that the King isn't some sort of a phoenix himself, but considering the lack of purely magical creatures here he's aware that's just based on his own experience of meeting someone who was exactly that.

He's frowning thoughtfully himself, even though his attention never narrows too much while he's walking these unfamiliar streets, especially when he has company. He wouldn't be too quick to assume that Auntie Jing is helpless on her own, but she's definitely not a fighter. Though it's equally hard to imagine anyone trying to cause her harm. But he'll still be careful, regardless. ]

Aside from his drastically different approach to ruling, you mean?

[ It's no secret that Kathashun's father was a tyrant, and the poor definitely had no love for him. Sam hasn't had a chance to talk to some of the city's more affluent citizens about him. ]

That is common enough. [She says, musing mostly to herself.] It is not so strange for fathers and sons to have different approaches. But those changes don't come from nowhere. Whether it is in his upbringing, or some innate characteristic in the young King Kathashun...

His approach and care for the poorer citizens is admirable. I can't help being curious about where it comes from, when by all reports his father was so different.

WORLD JUMP # 1: EL MINHA.

[1]/[4] - [[OOC: We mentioned this in passing on plurk, but feel free to tweak as needed!]]

[[ Yess, this works for me! ]]

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