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

[kimaris]

[ No, he doesn't think that at all! He would much rather a story about friendship prevailing! ]

Perhaps. I wouldn't call it a tragedy, but I wouldn't be able to say it was uplifting, either. Apparently the end of the tale was lost to time.

[ He'd like to find out how it ended. Was it as depressing as his own? And yet, he's still not calling it a tragedy. ]

[mcskittles]

That's a shame. Then again, open-ended stories lend themselves well to creativity. It can be fun to draw your own conclusions, too, sometimes.

[Of course, he'd like to know the real ending, himself, but he's prepared to draw some conclusions of his own regarding this particular situation.]

[kimaris]

[ He would like the "somehow you bring everyone back from the dead, somehow undo the emotional damage, then hold his hand and go skipping off into the sunset waving a BFF banner" ending but that isn't going to happen because McGillis is bad and also resurrection isn't possible. ]

Ah. Then maybe the ending is better left unsaid. [ There's the briefest pause, where... the tiniest laugh is forced out him. It's so annoying. Why is he laughing. ] Or it was meant to be that way from the start. Did you arrive with the others?

[mcskittles]

[It's good that he realizes this can only end in disappointment.]

I did. And I assume you did as well? You'll have to forgive me saying so, but you stick out like a sore thumb.

[His tone is friendly, teasing, as if any part of McGillis could possibly be any of those things.]

[kimaris]

[ He could stick out even more by removing his mask and making a scene with his face, but look, he's not doing that! ]

Do I?

[ He's very much asking that just to be aggravating, yeah. As if he's not aware of his metal head. But, for a completely different reason: ]

I believe you stick out just as much.

[mcskittles]

[Somehow, that only— amuses him, even though he doesn't know his reasons for saying it. He smiles.]

Do I?

[Certainly, it was clear he wasn't from here, but he's sure that's not what he means.]

[kimaris]

Mm. [ There's a moment where he's about to say forgive me for saying so before stopping himself. ] There's something about your presence that sticks out.

[ Well, he's not lying. That very same presence was what he's always liked about him. As strange as it is to think about, it's still very much true; just because he's angry and betrayed now doesn't mean he doesn't still think that.

Wild how emotions work, huh. ]

May I ask you a question?

[mcskittles]

[Cute. Of course, he's not the first one to say something like that about him, so he doesn't question it. For better or for worse, he did tend to stand out in that sense.

As for his question...]

Of course. Anything.

[kimaris]

[ Anything, he says. As if he believes that!! ]

Where were you before you arrived here?

[ If he keeps talking, he can hide himself well enough.

It's strange, because while he did hide himself before, it wasn't really from McGillis. Now he has to until he figures out why he's not dead. Or... anything else, really. ]

Specifically, did you come from your home, or were you somewhere else?

[mcskittles]

[Hey, he's welcome to ask anything, there's just no guarantee he'll get a straight answer—

Fortunately(?), this is a question where he sees little reason to be dishonest about his answer. Whoever this guy was, it didn't particularly matter if he knew things like this.]

The last thing I remember is being at work. [Of course he was.] It was early in the morning.

Was it similar for you?

[kimaris]

[ That's insulting! But Gaelio isn't embarrassing enough to mind read. Just stupid dreams.

Of course he was. Why wouldn't he have been. Oh yeah, because he's supposed to be dead?? That's why. ]

...not like that. [ It was very much different. He has no doubt that McGillis could pull himself together, given time, but... there's something he's not so sure of. As if he had never died at all, or had never gotten to that point. ] But someone here has experienced something different. The last I remember was definitely my own universe, but theirs was of another place. I was wondering if others were the same.

[ Actually, he was just wondering if McGillis was the same, giving him time to get his shit together. Hmm. ]

[mcskittles]

I see. That's quite interesting. I suppose if we could end up here, such a thing isn't all that difficult to believe.

[It was easy to suspend any disbelief he might have had when they were here, now, experiencing all of this for themselves. But certainly, that particular situation had not been the case for him—this was definitely the first new "world" he had been to.]

It sounds rather unfortunate, though. I don't think I'd care to make a habit of this.

[Being kidnapped to different worlds?!]

[kimaris]

[ So it's not that, either. He looks away, over at the others nearby, mingling away and listening to the bard crow on about a terrible desert earthworm, large enough to eat cattle. At this point, even that could be true. ]

Hm. So that's not the reason, then. [ That's to himself, though it's audible enough. ] Do you want to go back?

[mcskittles]

[What an interesting person.]

Why wouldn't I? [An ironic answer, probably, to anyone that knew him, but very few people actually did.] I suppose I don't dislike this place, but I've got better things to do with my time.

[He had never been fond of unnecessary things like— days off or vacation time or whatever, unless he'd had other plans, and that was pretty much the problem here. There was nothing better to be doing with his time as long as he was stuck here. There was nothing he could do that would benefit his future plans... Although that was no reason not to try, of course. He just wasn't anywhere near as busy as he'd like.]

[kimaris]

[ "You always were—"

But that gives him another avenue— ]

A hard worker. Was your work so great?

[mcskittles]

Well, things could be better, but I do like my job, if that's what you mean.

[He liked what he could do with his job. He liked the potential that it had. The organization was still just a far cry from what it was "supposed" to be.

Though, a part of him wonders—does he even have to ask?]

[kimaris]

[ Likes it—likes the power and authority he gets from it, no doubt. Gaelio's not really impressed by the answer, but he shrugs it off. ]

It might have been what I meant. [ The important part is how he took it, and how he answered. Which was aggravatingly like him. ] But it must mean a great deal to you if it's more important than something like this.

[mcskittles]

I don't think this is an unworthy cause, assuming we can trust our "benevolent" captor. However, it's only natural to favor dealing with the struggles of one's own world before another's, don't you think?

[Not that McGillis was the benevolent type himself. In a perfect world (that is, if their world was perfect, the way that he'd always dreamed), he... may or may not even bother trying to help out other ones. He wasn't exactly doing any of this out of the kindness of his heart, after all.]

[kimaris]

[ Maybe it is, but he's not sure he should even consider agreeing with McGillis. On the other hand, there's a reason he admired him so much. Looked up to him. Wanted to be his friend, confidant, beside him forever—partially because he was a quiet child that Gaelio wanted to befriend, and later because he grew attached and believed in similar things.

Sometimes he wonders if his admiration only came from liking him to begin with, but... no, there were some true traits that McGillis employed that Gaelio still thinks highly of.

It's why he's having such a terrible time of this. Why couldn't you just stay dead!

(Ironically, he thinks McGillis may have thought that about him, once.) ]

And if this captor of ours brings us to yours?

[mcskittles]

[He smirks at that.]

I wonder? I suppose it would be interesting. I can't deny that our world is one in need help. ["Our," he says. He feels like he can say that with confidence.] But aren't they all?

Either way, I think visiting a world we're already familiar with would be a good way to determine the witch's true intentions.

[He thought himself intimately familiar with the struggles of their own world. If whatever they're meant to do would be helping or harming it, they would certainly know it then.]

[kimaris]

[ Ours. Good, he's catching on. Gaelio isn't playing this "keep your identity a secret" thing very well. He looks at McGillis from the side, fingers drumming against his arms briefly. ]

Perhaps. I'm not sure what the others would think if they were to arrive on ours.

[ Confirmation. He can do that. ]

[mcskittles]

[Oh, he's not even denying it. It's not necessarily a surprise, but interesting.]

Why is that? I do suppose it's rather different from a place like this, at the very least.

[But he didn't doubt that there were others that came from worlds similar to theirs, too.]

[kimaris]

There's a—

[ Nope, he's cutting himself off because for a second there he was responding like he would have years ago. He was about to excitedly tell him about the robot guy. How could he do this thing, in such a tone, so familiar— ]

[mcskittles]

[THE ROBOT GUY

Something about this whole thing had seemed off from the start, but it's the familiarity in that brief moment that causes him to tense up. For a similarly brief moment, he clenches a fist at his side, but his tone remains mostly even when he speaks again.

He has a "good" feeling about who this is... Even if it doesn't make any sense. But it's easy to stay at least somewhat cool as long as he's wearing that (stupid) mask. He could— still be wrong, after all. Unlikely, because he was rarely wrong, but it was a still a possibility.]

What's the matter? [A bit sharper:] Cat got your tongue?

[He doesn't say his name at the end, but it's almost implied.]

[kimaris]

[ Almost implied. But good enough. He's just watching him for a long, silent moment. ]

Something like that. [ If Gaelio is Rustal's dog, McGillis is definitely the cat. ] There's a person here who caught me off-guard, mostly because something about them was so familiar, but something else was so off.

[ He's talking about the robot guy. ]