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

[jalin]

Good! [ jalin looks honestly pleased with the answer, grinning a bit before his eyes follow to the other creature...thing that's there. ] But I wouldn't be too sure of yourself. The Champion is something else entirely. But I'm sure the fight would be incredible.

[ equally excited, but don't tell anyone. ]

And oh, I don't know. I've been in there a few times, but... [ he shrugs. ] The Ring isn't for everyone.

[sunborne]

The Champion!

[ the mere mention of them has daylight’s winglets hitch up high in excitement without any warning. the sudden movement causes poor meddy to get startled and finally give up the ghost, completely disappearing behind daylight now in an attempt to keep out of the mayhem.

unaware of meddy's departure from the conversation, daylight ends up doing something that most people would call gushing. ]

They’re why I’m here, actually. I’ve heard so many things about them while I was asking around and they sound so cool. [ where to start? where to start? ] Apparently they're a person with honour and great skill and and and there was this one time they entered the ring and their presence was so scary, so intimidating, that it caused their opponent to give up there and then! How cool is that? That's totally, like, cool and-

[ chill, day. ]

... Sorry about that. [ he looks pretty embarrassed now. ] I guess you can tell that I'm... really excited at the idea of meeting them. If I get the chance, of course.

[ he's not holding his breath that he'll be meeting them anytime soon but a daylight can dream, can't he? ]

[jalin]

[ the burst of excitement isn't as strange as daylight might assume, with how embarrassed he looks once it passes. jalin just keeps smiling as he listens, nodding along to the familiar details of the stories. while the champion's list of accomplishments grows each and every day, most of the general details remain the same. ]

No, no, it's fine, really. The Champion is a legend in and of themselves. How long have you been in the city?

[ with how many people move in and out, jalin has a hard time keeping up with the waves of tourists and when they arrive. ]

[sunborne]

[ grateful that there's no noticeable reaction to his gushing, daylight takes a moment to let out a sigh of relief before he answers jalin's question. ]

I think we just came a day or so ago. My friends and I are pretty new so we're still trying to get a feel of the city, you know? [ scouting, in a sense.

maybe that's why daylight is in such high spirits at the moment. not just from the rush of fights and noise and activity or the fact he's meeting someone new and neat, but because he's supposedly in his best element. ]

The city has been amazing so far. I've never been to a desert world before so this is all new to me and it's been a blast! We even got to meet the king and he seems neat. [ wait. huh.

he pauses, realising something now that he said that aloud. ] Umm- Is it alright for me to say stuff like that? About the king? Or should I avoid saying that at all?

[jalin]

Then just wait a bit longer. They usually only show up every few days, and with all the new opponents in the ring I doubt they'll stay away for long.

[ because jalin is familiar enough with groups of tourists from other worlds. getting used to the city, scouting, figuring out their routines, etc. ]

Well- the desert itself isn't much. A lot of sand and heat and chances to get lost. The city is the best part, by far. [ and then, of course, there is mention of the king. and jalin just sort of laughs. ]

You can here. In some of the more stuffy areas of the city they might scold you for it, but- [ a shrug. ] It's not like you're wrong. King Kathashun is impressive.

[sunborne]

I definitely got the feel of the heat and the sand, trust me.

[ to prove a point, his wiggles his winglets and some sand falls out from the seams. ick.

he looks pretty excited when he hears about the possibility of running across the champion, the idea of meeting them soon clearly a highlight for him. it's quickly replaced with a look of confusion at the last comment. ]

… Why would the stuffier places not like it? You’d think they’ll like someone saying the king is neat because... Um? He's the king? [ that is daylight’s logic. he was never one for diplomacy. ]

[jalin]

[ jalin nods, understanding, as day wiggles some of the sand out of his seams. ]

Yeah- no, that's pretty normal. It'd be worth getting used to.

[ the excitement is noted, for sure, but jalin moves the conversation on, shrugging once. ]

They'll take offense to the words. They'd think you're being too formal with him. The King himself might be alright with it, but the nobility has a weird idea of what royalty needs to be. [ one that jalin doesn't necessarily agree with. ]

[sunborne]

[ ... too formal? really? doesn't sound like the nobles here sound like a fun (or nice) bunch, which is a sharp contrast to the seemingly friendly king he and the others met when they first arrived here.

daylight wants to ask more the nobles and stuff but a sudden explosion of noise coming from the ring soon claims daylight's attention and interest. ] Oh man. The match is going to start soon!

[ and he hasn't placed a bet yet!! shoot!!! ]

I, um, gotta go. It was nice talk to you!! [ he begins to pull away, gesturing for meddy to follow his lead. they do, reluctantly. ] Have fun while you're here, Jalin! Hope you have a good time and- and- Oh! [ before he forgets! ] If you ever see the Champion, let me know? Thanks!!