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]

I'll meet you there in an hour.

Sam isn't sure what Tyrion means by "used to getting overlooked" until he finds him standing outside of the Phoenix. The crowds here are highly diverse, but it's Tyrion's clothes that mark him as a clear outsider more than anything else, and along with the fact that he's obviously waiting for someone makes Sam fairly certain that he's found the right person. He's replaced his own clothes with local garb better suited to the desert sun, and while he definitely wouldn't be fooling any locals at least he doesn't stand out like a sore thumb anymore. At least aside from the fact that he's about half a foot taller than the average height of most crowds.

"Tyrion?" He asks, shifting to stand next to him near to the wall to avoid blocking the flow of pedestrians in front of the casino. He hasn't kept the man waiting for long, since he knows that the Syndicate has a fairly poor view of anyone who lingers too long around here without some sort of business. The casino itself has some impressive bouncers, and even out on the street he can practically feel eyes on him.

He's not used to it. At home he and his brother fly under the radar as much as possible, and if they get any curious glances at all it's usually for very mundane reasons. The politically charged - and subtly dangerous - situation here is something that Sam's only read about in books.

[smallprince]

As soon as he hears his name, he turns around. An amused smile appears on his face, when he looks up to greet Sam. "Yes. I'm glad you have found me, Sam."

Even through he had to endure jokes about his height all his life, there was nothing wrong with joking about oneself. After all, the statement was just secondary meant as a reference to it.
When Tyrion had strolled through the streets, seeing here and there someone who looked like they could be a member of the Circle, he had asked himself, if he would be capable of finding someone here.
Sure, it was easy to name a place but that was really all he had done. Not mention a certain piece of clothes or a physical feature, which would make it easier to get found.

"Enjoying El Minah? It's a beautiful place, isn't it? Yet, someone who knows how to use their eyes and ears realizes, that the first rule here is, to stay watchful."

He had spoken out the last sentence with a low voice. Tyrion was aware that it could be dangerous to talk about it, but part of him just wanted to speak out the little warning. He remembered what had happened in Meereen and how easy it was to slide into a dangerous situation.

[buff_for_a_nerd]

It's not hard for Sam to imagine that Tyrion has been on the wrong end of far too many jokes about his height. He gets teased about his own for being toward the other extreme, but he's very much aware that it's a world of difference to be on the other end of the scale, and he can't imagine it's much different where Tyrion is from. Too many people find it easy to be cruel to those who don't fit within the 'normal' standards of society, and that's a reality that seems to hold true across a broad range of societies. Maybe even here to some extent, though as far as tourists go he doubts the merchants much care what they look like as long as they have coin.

"It is beautiful," Sam easily agrees, glancing briefly around them. He's recognizes elements here, but the weave of the place as a whole is a new, almost overwhelming experience. "This is probably the most colorful place I've ever seen."

He nods in recognition of the inherent caution in the last part. This isn't the seediest part of town, but he's already been warned that it's the central location for the Syndicate. He assumes that there is far more to the casino than what the tourists are allowed to see.

"Is this place more like what you're used to?" He asks, nodding to the door in an unspoken question. If Tyrion wants to take this conversation inside and away from the street Sam wouldn't be opposed, not that he thinks they're any less likely to be subtly watched, either way.

[smallprince]

"It does." is the short reply. He gets the unspoken question.

The most frequented places in a city were usually the ones where everyone could be spy. He allowed himself to think about to King's Landing, the capital and in his opinion the most rotten city he had ever been. Still he had somewhat like the city, yet it had been full with people whose only job was to gather informations about everyone and everything.

"I hope they have good wine in here. The warmth is making me thirsty." That was only the half truth, the real reason why he wanted to hold a glass of wine in his hand was to calm down his nerves.
This was a foreign city whose population was split into two and he was now walking in one of the establishments of one of opposing groups.

Until now Tyrion didn't got a chance to met the King, therefore he had only the opinions he had heard from the people. He prayed that one day he could at least see the King from afar.

"What about this table?" he asked, pointing at one table, that was standing somewhat offside but still not in a corner. To sit in a corner could easily label them as foreigners who had come to gather informations.

[buff_for_a_nerd]

Moving over to a table near the bar works for Sam. He slides into a seat with a decent view of the room, habitually seeking an angle that allows him to see most of the crowd without needing to twist around in his chair. Not that he expects a fight here. Royal guards don't come anywhere near this place, and troublemakers are routinely escorted out before they can cause much of a disturbance. Sam has to admit that it seems to be a rather impressively organized establishment. It's definitely a far cry from the cheap bars and motels he's more used to.

"I don't really drink wine, but I'd bet that they have some good ones if you're willing to pay enough for it."

The expectation for sitting at a table rather than gambling is that they're here to buy some sort of drink, and Sam will do exactly that. Not wine, but some sort of local ale that is closer to what he usually drinks. It's cheap, and it's also light enough that he can easily have a couple without being unduly impaired. He might not need to worry about a fight in here - probably - but he wants to stay sharp enough to notice if anything strange happens. The Syndicate has proven to be extremely difficult to understand, leaving him only with assumptions based on things like this casino.

"Do you gamble?" He asks, nodding toward the card tables. It's not even a question as to whether or not things like this exist where Tyrion's from. He's pretty sure it's one of those universally human activities that exists in most places in some form or another.

[smallprince]

Tyrion took a closer look at the interior decoration. It couldn't be unseen that the owners had a lot of money.

He nodded at Sam's remark about the prices. "Judging from how it looks here, I doubt that they have anything cheap here. Looks like the will only serve the best wines from Dorne."

Since he had never heard of a thing called a list of beverages he had no clue what he should do with that folded piece of paper. It was tempting to ask for a goblet of the finest wine this establishment had to offer but Tyrion had to remind himself, that he only had the amount of coins that he had been given from Astoria.

"I guess that has to wait until we have won something here" he laughed. He was no stranger to ale, still if he could choose between wine and ale, he would always chose wine. Mostly because he prefered the taste.

"You drink ale out of glasses? That is weird" he stated. "Is that the common way it gets served in the better establishments?".

Carefully he took a sip from the ale. It tasted different from the one he had drunk in Westeros. Not bad, but different. Definitely a taste he had to get used to.

"Now and then there is a tournament, I bet with a few people who will win. If you can trick the right people into betting with you, you can make a good fortune, not only money but also precious daggers or gemstones."

[buff_for_a_nerd]

"Personally I usually drink beer out of bottles, but this place isn't as technologically advanced as things are back home. They use a lot of magic here though, that's different."

Magic is a lot more common back home than most people would ever know, but here it's an open, commonly accepted part of life. No one bats an eye at simple, unobtrusive spells.

"My brother and I play a lot of pool." He hasn't seen any tables around here yet, and he imagines if there are any it would be different from the game he knows so well. "But I'm good at card games. Poker is popular where I'm from."

They have their own versions of those games here, but the core dynamic of the games is familiar enough for him to play many of them without too much difficulty. It makes sense that they would keep a number of simpler, popular games to draw in tourists who might not be familiar with the local culture. He might be on a different world, in a different universe but a casino doing its best to make as much money as possible off of tourists is a very familiar reality.

"I'm used to smaller places though," he admits, taking another drink as he glances around at the milling crowd. It's not as dense as it tends to be later on in the evening, but it's a far cry from the bars in the middle of nowhere that he typically ends up in while working. "... And we don't have anything quite like the Syndicate."

[smallprince]

"Ale in bottles?" He raised an eyebrow. That was a pretty neat way to use bottles. "Where I come from ale gets served in jars. It's unusual to store beverages in bottles. I guess for this kind of everyday use glass is too expensive" he explained.

"It's good that you know something that's played here. Makes me feel like an outsider. I guess that is why I am even more eager to see how these games get played. Well, I don't want to challenge my luck in one of these bets that take place here. Through I haven't heard what you can win. All I have heard is, that these are exclusive prices."

Tyrion had overheard a few conversations while he had strolled over the market a few days ago. He was pretty sure that no one had seen him, because who would look down in a crowed place like the market. He had hoped to find out what these 'exclusive prices' were but so far he didn't have any luck with it. To ask somebody was not an option, as curious as he was.

His imagination had given him possible prices such as high sums of money, jewelery, gems and the like, maybe even exotic spices and fabrics. Well, in general stuff you could turn into money.

"It has been a while since I had been somewhere, where a crowd of people had gathered to come together."
He took a sip from the glass, thoughtfully looking at it, while he was trying to find the right words to reply to Sam's last statement.

Carefully Tyrion began "We don't have something like that either but we have people who riot against their lords or even the king. But it is not involved in crimes like here ... I have been to a place with a similar situation ... sort of. I can understand the common folk but that doesn't mean that I condone their crimes."