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

[smallprince]

"We never had a Queen ruling all the Seven Kingdoms until recently my sister stepped on the throne. Sadly she doesn't make a good ruler. But I don't doubt that a woman is capable of ruling a country."

He made a minute paused before he continued "I guess here it is safe to confess, that the Queen I am serving will be the next to rule the world I come from."

Since Tyrion had spent much time reading about the past kings, he'd come to the conclusion that some of these kings had been incapable of ruling and a few times he had asked himself, how history would have changed if there would have been a Queen. In the end every ruler had their council who was there for advice and having argumentation over decisions.

[tranquilforest]

She tilts her head slightly in thought, mulling over his pronouncements. While the place he came from seemed very different from her home, there are echoes of parallel in the political structure that she hadn't seen with many of the other people she'd met so far.

"In my experience, it has not usually been lack of ability that hindered the rise of any particular woman into power," she says after a moment. "If the Queen you serve has other loyal subjects such as you following her, I can only admire her." But...

[smallprince]

"She has. She was able to surround herself with loyal people from many corners of the world and people from the part of the world I come from."

There was so much more he wanted to say, especially about the ones who weren't members of the Houses of the Seven Kingdoms. But he wasn't having any idea how he could formulate his thoughts without giving a wrong impression about most of the people in the Seven Kingdoms. But weren't prejudices something that existed everywhere? Still this was a risky topic and probably not suitable for a first conversation.

"I'm glad that, thanks to her I got the chance to met people from places I've never been and have only read about."

[tranquilforest]

"But then you were swept up here due to the Lady Astoria's actions." She notes with a small smile, mostly to herself. "I can't imagine the people you've met here are any less strange or foreign compared to those from your home world, though perhaps not from the land of the Seven Kingdoms that you hail from."

[smallprince]

"Exactly. Even through I didn't ask for it, I want to make the best out of it."
He tried to sound as optimistic as the words he had chosen. He had wanted to explore the Known World when he had reached manhood and now he had gotten the chance to explore different worlds. If that wasn't something. Still, he got dragged away from his world at a time when he was content with how everything was.

"So far I haven't got the chance to met a lot of members from the Circle, but at the first look, some could be from my world. Isn't it beyond believe that there are different worlds existing at the same time and most of their inhabitants look about the same?" he marveled.

[tranquilforest]

"I wonder sometimes about that. Lady Astoria also seems similar to most of the members of the Circle, at least, outwardly. If it's a matter of her choice, perhaps there are even more worlds out there, inhabited by those who are entirely beyond our ken."

It was a fun thing to think about, anyway.

[smallprince]

"You think that Lady Astoria could have chosen to appear like one of us?" Now, that was something he hadn't thought of. That's indeed an interesting idea.
It seemed save to assume that now he could develop all kinds of ideas what and who was out there with a spark of possibility.

"It's a nice chance to let our imagination run free. Also, think of all the great things we could learn from each other."

He swallowed down a remark about how it could also be dangerous to become aware of different worlds and their species. It was no secret that it was hard for people from one world to live together, when they had grown up in different parts of it. "Have you ever met someone non-human in your world?"

[tranquilforest]

"The kind of power she seems to have..." She trails off a little, still somewhat in awe of the scope of it. Gathering people and transporting them from world to world, granting them seemingly miraculous abilities, including the translation that allowed them to understand each other...

"I think we're already learning a lot." She admits honestly, with a small smile. "So much more than I could have at home. I've met... two people, I suppose, who outwardly might not meet the definition of being human. But that was due to an unfortunate alteration. Before coming here, I would have said encounters like that were reserved for mythologies, where the gods alight to the earth and toy with the lives of mortals."

[smallprince]

"Before this journey, I have only heard stories about non-humans beings that have lived in the Known World - that is how we call the world where I am from - many thousands of years ago. Some believe that they never died and are just hiding somewhere, where humans can't find them. Beings with magical abilities ..."

If asked he could tell a lot of stories about the Children but also about the Others that were living in the depths of the North, far beyond the wall.
"I believe that all the tales have some truth in them. No one can guarantee that they are all lies. I mean, I never through that it would be possible to find myself suddenly from one minute to the other in a different world. But here we are."

He shuddered when he heard Jing talking about 'unfortunate alteration' but didn't dared to ask for more details. Part of him was curious but that was the kind of information he didn't want to get before breakfast. What if she would tell me stories like the ones I have heard about some Maesters and their obscure own way of understanding everything?

"Gods are a topic for themself. It's hard to understand their actions. In my opinion they are all ..." but then he remembered that he was talking to a Lady and should better watch his words. After all they had just met each other and he didn't want to present himself in a bad light.

With embarrassment he cleaned his throat. "... inscrutable", he ended the sentence. But it was a helpless attempt since it was obvious that this was not, what Tyrion had wanted to say.

[tranquilforest]

She raises one eyebrow in curiosity, noting a lot of words unsaid behind Tyrion's comments, but she nods in initial agreement. "There are many things in all the worlds that are difficult to discern, whether they have to do with men or gods. This entire experience has just added on a few more.

"But it's both reassuring and awe-inspiring to see how even in truly different and strange places, there is still other familiarity. Stories that are the same. People of so many different shapes and sizes, but still people. Even if gods would choose to interfere with that, I don't think it negates our actual experience."

[smallprince]

He was glad that she decided not to point out, that this was not what he had wanted to say.

"It is a relief to know that there are basic things that seem to never chance too much. Maybe it has to do with Gods knowing each other or it is just a coincident. No matter what which of these reasons might be true, it's one of these things I could see myself thinking about for a longer time. Not that I believe we will have a lot of time once we know why we are here."

After a minute pause he asked. "Since we have talked about Gods. Are there many Gods in the world where you come from?"

[tranquilforest]

Of all the questions he might have asked, this one was a bit surprising. The way he asked it seemed to imply an assurance of concrete existence that she had never quite had - except that she did have her own gods and idols, though perhaps not in the way that Tyrion was implying.

"The stories speak of many gods," she says slowly, tilting her head slightly. "But in my own lived experience, I have never met one face to face."

[smallprince]

"I never met a God personally, too. Sometimes I ask myself if they are really out there but then events like this happen and I'm convinced that they have exist." he replied.

"There are different faiths in my world but they are not accepting each other very well. The only exceptions are sometimes the Old and the New Gods."

He had never been a very religious man but he couldn't deny that studying the faiths was interesting. There were parallels in each faith and some aspects were more or less the same, yet it was somehow impossible that they all accepted each other. All were claiming that their god or gods were the only true ones.

[tranquilforest]

She nods in thought, Tyrion's words sparking off something else in her mind that she tries to follow to their rightful conclusion.

"Actually... there is a goddess here as well. From the stories of the origin of the city itself."

[smallprince]

"There is?" he asked interested. So far he hadn't found the time to grab some books about the history of El Minha. Part of him regretted that now, since he had always been interested in history. The past was as interesting as the present, at least for him.

[tranquilforest]

"There is," she confirms with a nod. "I spent some time in the library - the House of Wisdom - and she is referenced in many of the records in conjunction with the founder of El Minha herself."

[smallprince]

"It seems that I have missed something that could be useful while staying here" he remarked. He made a mental note that during the next days he should go to the library, hoping that he would find books he could read. That they were magically speaking the same language as the citizen of the city didn't guarantee that this would be the case with their books too.

[tranquilforest]

"There's still plenty of time. The librarian is very," gossipy, "friendly, if you can tell her what you're looking for. For a long time I didn't have many opportunities to travel, so books were my only link to other places. And now that I suddenly am thrust into an entirely different world... I still find them very comforting."

[smallprince]

"A good book can be your best friend and the gate to places you've never seen." He himself had spent many hours in the libraries of the castles he had stayed in. It was thanks to them that he had gathered a respectable widely varied knowledge.

"You mean there is someone working in the library?" he asked curious.

[tranquilforest]

"Several people, actually." She smiles in response to his agreement regarding her experience with reading. "It's nice to know that this place values knowledge at least that much, though I can't say the same for their methods of sharing it."

[smallprince]

"What do they do? Are they only there to advice people? I'm sorry if these questions sound dumb but I've heard of people who are working in libraries."

It had taken him by surprise to find out that the library was public and didn't belonged to any ruler or rich man. He'd accepted that and thought that this was something that only existing in the temple, because it was a place to gather people from different worlds. But it seemed that this was a common thing in other worlds too.

"Knowledge is precious and should be accessible for every generation. Why don't you agree with their methods of sharing it? If you allow me that question?"

[tranquilforest]

She has a little more experience with libraries, in a similar vein to Tyrion, but at the same time she comes from a tradition that at least paid lip service to the importance of education for all and civil examinations. "I imagine they have the same duties here as in most places - organizing and cataloging all the various books and materials, making sure they can be found when asked for, copying them over when the older ones wear out - that sort of thing."

A slight sigh at his additional question. "I don't know if this is deliberate. But the library here isn't easily accessible to all of the citizens here in El Minha. I'd wager a guess that many of the poorer citizens aren't even aware of its existence."