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

I'm sure your body doesn't like passing out from the heat, either.

[ he's finally going to stand, rising back up to his fairly tall stature, and giving her a kind of smirk. ]

Heat is still heat and that doesn't look forgiving. [ jalin doesn't even know what to call that thick-fabric monstrosity. ] If you need help finding a deal, I know a few merchants.

[ abigail's mouth twists to the side and it's half that he's considerably taller than her tiny frame and half look at him making the point she's been trying to avoid. ]

Alright. Fine. [ her arms twist together in front of her, seemingly uncomfortable with all the attention on her and her clothes. new clothes would be less noticeable. ]

Lead the way.

[ she's not doing this on her own! ]

[ he is just going to stand there and wait for her answer, definitely not smirking but certainly with his brows raised. at least until she agrees, and then jalin just all out smiles, shrugging once. ]

That wasn't so hard, was it? But here- follow me.

[ and he will turn and start walking, making a noise for at least winston to follow, if not abigail. ]

Have you been to the Marketplace yet?

[ DON'T BE SO SMUG! abigail follows with a huff, folding her arms over her chest. winston seems happy to follow along after his new friend, tail wagging even as he swivels his head to make sure abigail is following. he takes his babysitting duties seriously. ]

It's hard to miss. [ loud and shouty and full of food she wants to try but is afraid of ]

[ he's only being partially smug!!! you wouldn't want to see his top tier smugness. ]

Did you buy anything? Or just get lost?

[ okay that was a little more smug. sorry? ]

Most people who don't live here get a little overwhelmed by it. Understandably, sure- but if you do know your way around, there are some pretty amazing things in there.

I didn't get lost. [ abigail is an only child, she is not built for this kind of good natured teasing!!!!!!!!!!!! ] I browsed. There's a lot of pretty scarves here.

[ which is important to abigail. ]

What sort of amazing things? Do you have a sphinx?

[ desert = egypt idk what you were expecting ]

Scarves, textiles, clothing in general...

[ it's just teasing!!!!! ]

But it's good you didn't get lost. Most newcomers can end up in there for days.

[ jalin easily weaves his way through the city, ducking through shortcuts and back alleys. he'll make sure to keep pace with abigail and winston, though, never really going too far ahead as they walk. ]

Not a Sphinx, though there are tales of one being lost to the sands outside the walls. [ casual shrug. ] But magic in general isn't too far fetched around here. Especially since not many of us can use it, there are more than a few items that make it easier. [ a beat, and then he looks back over. ] You you have a sphinx?

[ jalin weaves through the city the way abigail can navigate through the woods, blindly and with an ease that speaks to a lifetime of darting between houses or trees. ]

Only the cats, not a great big riddle telling statue. We don't have magic in Minnesota either.

[ thought abigail is not in minnesota anymore so. ]

Min-nesota.

[ jalin tries out that word, a little slowly as it is foreign, before glancing back to her. ]

Is that where you all are from?

It's where I'm from. Bloomington. I dunno where everyone else is from. [ she hasn't asked, she's not good at conversations, she doesn't care. there's a lot of options to choose from. ]

You're all from different places, then? How'd you get here together?

[ what? not good at conversation? he never would have guessed. ]

[ she will fight u in this street, tall boy! ]

Astoria brought us here. She brought us to the Circle, first. We're here to help. [ abigail shrugs, as if to indicate she isn't sure how much she can help but here they are anyway. ] She gave us all a gift but I'm not sure how helpful they're all going to be.

[ but she stoops down and plucks a small rock off the ground, wiping off the road dust on her pants and holding it in her palm. the gold spreads across it like ice crystals in fantasia until the entire rock is solid gold. she nudges jalin and holds it out for him. ]

[ bring it on!!!

he's not necessarily surprised by the series of events, but at the idea of 'we're here to help' has him looking at her a little more closely. ]

Any gift can be helpful if you know how to use it. What'd she give you? [ except that it's as she's asking that abigail reaches down to pick up the rock, and his eyes go very wide at the gold. the way it changes.

his eyes stay a bit wide as he looks back to you. ]

You could become a very wealthy woman with a power like that.

I could build a castle made of golden bricks and golden doors and golden fountains that spit liquid gold, [ abigail agrees. ] And people would come to take my gold and I am not strong and I would die as they destroyed my golden castle so maybe I won't be very wealthy.

[ a beat. ] Besides, I tried to pay with it in the market and the guy wouldn't take it so it's worthless.

Okay let me rephrase- you could be very wealthy if you knew what to do with it.

[ still, he kind of laughs at the whole idea as they keep walking. ]

Ah, yeah, some of the merchants can be pretty stringent on the kind of gold they accept.

I don't want to be wealthy, I-- [ she almost opens up with a fact about herself but she squashes that weakness down hard. no time to talk about wanting to go to school when there isn't a college she can go to here, even if she could afford it. ]

I just want to buy a scarf.

WORLD JUMP # 1: EL MINHA.

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