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

[spaceforged]

I'll see what I can do.

[He grins back as he moves in when Noctis does. The swing is too slow especially compared to what he's seen him do before. He moves back turning his blade to parry with the edge but not making any move to attack yet.

What is in motion here?]

[reeliable]

[There's the parry, but there's no weight behind it - seems like his feint was read easily, so this might not go as well as he wants it to, but there's no point in not following through. Spinning quickly to drag his sword from the block and pivot around, Noct makes another strike from close range with the momentum.]

[spaceforged]

[He sees the spin and internally curses himself for switching arms. This would have been a good time to block with his arm again. But he has to get away from that habit now or he never will.

Once he reclaims the Bayard he'll need to learn new skills anyway. He turns towards him as Noctis pivots and readies himself to block. It's an awkward angle. He's been away from blades for too damn long.

But his left hand gathers into a fist and swings for the potentially unguarded side.]

[reeliable]

[That incoming sense of a swing aiming for him is all it really takes for Noct to glance his weapon up in an effort to worm his body out of the way, even if it looks ridiculous. It's not only an awkward angle to dodge at, the weight in his arms spins him out of step with screwing himself up and Noct has to ease off on an attack, the blade dinging off the ground for a moment as he finishes the turn to bring himself around.

It's easy to dodge after ruining the footwork, and Noct takes a moment to move his hand over that unguarded side with a phantom wheeze. That would have definitely nailed him right if he let it.]

Real quick - I used to be able to dodge that stuff better...

[spaceforged]

[He immediately draws back, but his sword goes down out of a guard position. That had looked awkward and his concern comes out. For him, for now the fight is over.]

I did notice you were having a problem with that. Are you alright? How about we take a second and you can tell me how dodging used to be for you.

I'll see what I can suggest to help.

[reeliable]

[His expression is sheepish at having to admit that at all, but that Shiro wants to hold up the spar entirely - aw man, Gladio is going to sit on him to get him back in shape, isn't he?]

It's uh.. I had magic that's been nerfed. I could phase through blows, so my personal fighting style is still sort of reckless, I guess. [It often leaves him open for a counter-attack that he used to be able to avoid entirely.] Sorry, that it's sort of obvious that somethings different.

[spaceforged]

At first only your face gave you away. [He'd suspected something was up but not what. It had been like a puzzle. He'd mulled it over in the background.] Until that last exchange it could have been any number of things.

So not that obvious. Seems more like while you're aware and slightly unfocused you can dodge just fine. But once you fully commit to a fight, your reflexes take over. I have that right?

[reeliable]

[Gladio did always say he shouldn't use his magic as a crutch, and it's why he banned it in training in the first place - but he did need to practice it, because when would he have ever been without his magic? Well, here and now is a great example of where that kicks in.]

Yeah. I'm used to a lot of quick combat, a sort of in and out style - I could warp around too by throwing my weapon, and the rest of me following it quickly after. [There's a thought, that when he gets his magic back, is he going to have to go through the motion sickness again of re-learning how to warp? Shit, that would be a pain.]

So while I've been trained to dodge normally, it's been a while since I've had to.

[spaceforged]

I have the same problem. I'm used to combat using my arm. The weapon program made it capable of blocking most projectiles and cut almost anything. The alloy its composed of also makes guarding or blocking simple very few things can even harm it. [He taps it with one finger. Purple light chases over the metal like water flowing over cracks in a rock. His hand glows pale purple. He cuts off the flow with a thought.]

I learned the sword but, it has been at least several months since I had to.

[But how he had learned the sword is still ingrained in him. It shows when he cuts with his hand. And he knows it. It's just better he doesn't talk about that. It isn't important to right now.]

We just need practice and we'll be fine. In worlds with low frequency we'll have this. In worlds our own skills and abilities return, we'll have what we know.

[reeliable]

[Letting his eyes move, looking over that metal arm and now realizing it's more than just a prothstetic, Noct can't help this curious look as that purple light moves along it. It's clearly some high tech rather than magic, the lighting just seems different, but it doesn't quite make his stomach churn the way Magitechs glow.

Giving a lighter smile then, rolling his shoulders as he tries to start limbering up again, Noct nods in agreement.]

You've got a good way to think about it, and this is all we can do to be ready in the meantime. Right?

[spaceforged]

Right. [He rolls his shoulders and steps back, stretching his left arm then his right. He's mindful of the sword in his grip.]

And if we're both watching for mishaps we'll keep each other from serious harm. Now I know what to look for I'll adjust as you need me to. [Shiro grins, adding.]

Until we both find our feet then it will just be sparring.

[reeliable]

Just as long as you don't suggest I get up early and do pushups and situps, I think we'll be on the same page. [Gladio is absolutely going to kick him out of bed early to work-out the moment he catches wind that Noct isn't up to speed. That is gonna suck... but it is still a tease, despite the complaint that comes with his words.]

But yeah - just sparring, pretty much. [Shaking his hands out, one at a time, Noct sets up his proper stance once again, waiting a few moments so Shiro can get ready as well.]

[spaceforged]

I promise I won't suggest that. [His grin is a little wider. What works for him doesn't do it for everyone. Even if it is the most effective method in his opinion.] You have to do what is effective for you.

[One breath in, release, and fall into stance again. His mind stills as he focuses on resuming their sparring. He can think about what comes after, after.]

Whenever you're ready.