acatalepsy_logs | WORLD JUMP # 1: EL MINHA.

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WORLD JUMP # 1: EL MINHA.

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? :)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[He wouldn't notice her fashion faux-pas even if she was committing one, so she's in good company for that.]

Yeah, you're right about that. That just makes this place a little aggravating, instead of outright hellish.

[Still, they're going to have to get used to it, right...?]

I'd like to figure out what we need to do here so we can get outta here ASAP, to be honest.

We're supposed to be helping out with the political situation, right?

[She looks momentarily doubtful. The same can't be said of everyone here, but the two of them are definitely teenagers without any kind of socio-political degree.]

I know some of our group have gone to talk with the king. To be honest, I'm not even sure what I would say to someone in that position.

[She still kind of feels like Astoria picked the wrong girl, bringing her in on this one.]

Yeah, you're telling me.

[They seem to be on the same page a lot here, which is... nice, honestly. It's nice feeling like even if he's out of his depth, at least they're out of their depth together.

For whatever that's worth.]

I don't think I'm really the sort of guy to be talking to kings. Let's stick down here and see about talking to some more normal people--maybe they've got some clues.

[And it's a lot less daunting than dealing with kings]

[It's certainly better than feeling out of your depth alone. Ann is far from timid, but she still has no idea what she would say to someone like a king, let alone what might actually be helpful.

She smiles— she and Kou seem to have the same idea.]

I've been trying to do a little of that while learning my way around the city. If the people are unhappy, they probably won't be shy about saying so, right? And talking to them will tell us more about what day-to-day life is like here and what effect the situation is having on them.

[She's interested in their perspective.]

Yeah, exactly.

[Ann gets it!! He stands a bit more properly, rolling up his sleeves and stretching a bit. He's been revived... they can start walking a bit now, even if he doesn't have a particular place to try to go.]

I have to admit, I trust the opinions of the people here than the king anyway. If people are unhappy, there's always a reason, right? Just because someone in power says things are okay, that doesn't mean they really are.

[It could just be someone abusing his power...]

[Boy, that sounds familiar.]

That's what I figured. It's a pretty common story, isn't it? The person in power always thinks things are fine the way they are, even if they're definitely not. We'll learn more about the situation by talking to the people who live here.

[She exhales softly, glancing over her shoulder just to make sure nobody particularly official-looking is nearby to overhear them.]

The king seems alright, but some people are really good at pretending. I've known plenty of people who seemed perfectly nice, until you discovered what they were really up to.

Yeah, exactly.

[She gets it, really; the sort of way that people get burned by people in power. Kou's met some good ones, but there are a lot of them that really aren't good at all.

So quite honestly:]

Even if the king's a good guy, he's not the only one making these decisions, right? I'm not sure how monarchies work, but there have to be other people meddling with the government. Those people might be shady too. It's tough to say from here.

[Oh, she gets it. She understands how these things work all too well. Sometimes, she wishes that she didn't— but her experiences have given her the necessary perspective to help others who might be in trouble or otherwise feel helpless.]

I think even in a true monarchy, there are usually advisers and other people who weigh in on the decision making? A council or something. One person calling all the shots would just be a dictatorship, and from what I've heard people say about the Crown, it doesn't seem like they're just talking about the king?

[He's right, there have to be others.]

Even if he is the one to make the decisions, you have to consider that there are people carrying them out, and those people can always take matters into their own hands, too.

[So they're on the same page with this, too... he does, briefly, wonder what Ann's been through that she's got all of this on the tip of her tongue immediately when talking about corrupt politicians, but...

Well.

They can all watch the news, right?]

You're right... [He sighs.] Good grief. We've gotten ourselves into a hell of a mess, Takamaki.

[And...]

And this is just the first world we're supposed to be meddling with?

[He's already exhausted.]

[It's a long story, Kou— such a long story, best saved for when they're not in danger of heat exhaustion. He's not wrong, though: any news station worth its salt broadcasts more than enough evidence of this kind of thing, it's just that so often, people accept that this is just the way things are.]

We sure have, haven't we?

[As concerned as she is about the situation as a whole, she cracks a faint half-smile in reply.]

Well, Astoria did say we'd be going to places that needed fixing— we're supposed to help restore balance, right? We probably have a lot worse than this to look forward to.

[It is exhausting just thinking about it.]

[They can talk about such things later, when they've got some time to breathe. Things are going to get worse before they get better, and they need to get ready for that. Still...]

... Well. One world at a time. Let's focus on that.

[Or they really will get overwhelmed.]

We're gonna be fine, even if this is a huge mess we're stuck cleaning up now. Alright?

[She nods in agreement.]

Right. We'll just focus on what's in front of us, for now.

[She's steering him towards their lodgings now, which means a comfortable escape from the heat, and Ann casts him a sideways glance along with a faint smile.]

You know, you give a pretty good pep-talk.

[Or maybe they'd kind of given it to each other? Whatever. He has protag skills.]

I can say the same of you, honestly.

[It was a dual pep talk and it worked pretty well, actually... so he's smiling a bit too, shaking his head.]

Anyway, I'm not actually very good at it, but you've got a pretty good way of spinning things positively too. Thanks for that.

Well, teamwork makes the dream work, right?

[People totally say that! Her smile hitches a little wider.]

I've had a lot of practice. Besides, instead of focusing on what I can't do anything about, I'd rather do my best with what I can. I'm not entirely sold on this whole circle thing yet, but since we're here whether we like ir or not, I'm going to try and make the most of it.

[... He's not really sure people say that, but it's endearing that she did, so. It's fine? It's fine.]

... Right.

[Sure. Whatever you say, Ann!]

That's a good way to look at it, I think. I mean, I know that if there are people in trouble right in front of us, it's going to be awfully hard to just leave them to fend for themselves.

[So.

Here they are.]

[People say it, Kou.]

Sounds like we're on the same page there.

[She's grateful that there are like-minded friends among the circle. She offers him another smile as they approach their lodgings, at which point she steps behind him and gives him a gentle push with both hands flat against his shoulderblades.]

Alright, here we go— no more sun for you, for awhile.

[Okay, Ann, okay.......

Also it is a literal relief to step into the shade, even if just by means of a building. It's still intensely cooler, and Kou breathes out a sigh of relief, shoulders slumping.]

You won't hear any complaints from me about that. I think that's been more than enough sun for me for about... I dunno, a year?

[Yep.]

You seem to be holding up a lot better.

Yeah, I'd say you're set for awhile.

[At his observation, she just offers a shrug and a smile.]

Not my first time in the desert. [What??] Plus, I've been pacing myself— only heading out for short stretches of time and making sure not to overdo it. There's a lot to be said for a good fan, too— I bartered for one earlier. The little things help!

... [What?]

When the hell did you end up in a desert? Aren't you from Japan too?

[The rest is very good advice that he's keeping in mind, but still--]

Uhh—

[Usually she's so much smoother about keeping most of the Phantom Thief escapades under wraps? Fortunately, she has a good excuse lined up for this one.]

Well, I was born in Japan, and moved back during middle school, but the years in-between, my parents and I traveled all over the place! I've been to so many different cities I've lost count, and in all kinds of climates.

[Yeah! Nailed it.]

[Super smooth, Ann... he at least seems willing to accept it, nodding quietly.]

Must've been interesting to travel the world like that. I've never even been out of my hometown.

[For Reasons.]

[Hey, at least it's the truth, mostly!]

It had its pros and cons. I mean, I got to see a lot of places— but it gets lonely. You're always new, you know?

[That gets old.]

You've never left home at all?

Guess I could see that. There's something comforting about familiarity...

[a beat, and he shrugs]

Yeah, I've never been anywhere but Morimiya, for better or for worse. My parents travel sometimes, but I've always stayed home to go to school.

Not even out of Morimiya?

[The neighborhoods in Tokyo are pretty big, but...]

Like, you've never even been to Shibuya?

[Kou, there is a crepe shop there that is AMAZING.]

Uh... yeah, I haven't been.

[There were definitely some extenuating circumstances that he now understands for why, that he didn't before, but he doesn't have any interest in delving into them.

Instead--]

Maybe... someday, when we all get back home. It wouldn't be bad to travel a bit, I guess.

WORLD JUMP # 1: EL MINHA.

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