acatalepsy_logs | WORLD JUMP # 1: EL MINHA.

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? :)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Ah, how comforting, she knows just what to say to calm his nerves... ]

Sounds painful. Who'd want to hide knives in their smile?

[ She knows she didn't mean it literally, but that's not going to stop him from being a punk! He lets his head tip back more fully onto the cushion, knowing full well he's going to regret falling asleep on the floor like this (what if someone trips on him? and think of his poor back!) but he's too tired and comfortable at the moment to care. He tries to fight it, but it's an uphill battle, and soon enough, he starts to doze. ]

[ shutup, prompto.

is what she wants to say.. but all that comes out is a murmured grunt. distantly, a voice at the back of her mind urges her to move, to go to the room that she shares with her brother, but standing up sure seems like a major hassle. she definitely doesn't have the energy for that, just now. maybe in a minute..

.. nope. she's out. ]

[ He catches himself dozing a few times and goes through much the same thought process as her. He really should get up and go back to his room and sleep there...no doubt the other two will never let him hear the end of it if they discovered he fell asleep in the middle of a common room floor. So he'll just rest his eyes for a minute...but a minute becomes several, and every time he halfheartedly tries to rouse himself, he only winds up snuggling closer to his cushion, curling up on his side and right towards Alisaie.

It doesn't rouse him from sleep when her ahoge tickles his nose, even if he dreams vaguely of needing to sneeze. It doesn't rouse him from sleep even when his knees bump against hers. Guess he was more tuckered out than he even thought. ]

[ please don't sneeze in her hair, prompto.....

alisaie is a relatively deep sleeper, though it is admittedly situational - she sleeps more lightly when she's on the road, or somewhere she does not feel entirely safe - but still, she's quite tired. tired, and full, and comfortable.

curling onto her side, alisaie soon buries her face against her cushion - or maybe that isn't a cushion at all, but prompto's shoulder?? not that she notices it, she's dreaming of nymian tonberries in little mortarboard caps. ]

[ Compared with the hard ground beneath a tent, even the cushion and floor is relatively comfortable, and...warmer than expected, considering he has no blanket, thrown over him. Deep asleep as it is, it doesn't even occur to Prompto that that heat might be from the body of the person next to him, who is in very much the same position that he is.

So he draws closer, an arm slipping over her side, nose buried deep into her hair. It smells nice, because it smells like her, and that's a comfort, too. It's newly familiar, and it draws him in. ]

[ well, that's weird. an arm? she's probably dreaming that someone is trying to like, grab and fight her tbh, alisaie isn't used to, you know, affection. it's weird!!

but also nice and warm and cozy. who knows how long they spend like this? time is inscrutable when you're tired and sleeping, but alisaie falls into a comfortable, long doze, her fingers working their way into the front of his shirt, her head tucked up beneath his chin.

it's a loud noise that has her stirring at last, the crash of a cast iron pot nearby, followed by raucous laughter. with a start, she jerks, knocking the top of her head against -- prompto's chin?? ]

[ Talk about a rude awakening.

First comes the clang of a pan which is enough to make him stir in earnest, and become quickly aware that the warm thing he has gotten closer to is not a blanket or the fire, but a body. Then comes Alisaie's head butting right up against his jaw, his teeth snapping together painfully as they collide.

Oh.

Oh gods.

All at once, Prompto is very much awake, and springing away from her as quickly as he can manage, stammering out an apology before he can even think. ]

I-I-I d-didn't—I wasn't—

[ Oh, gods above, she's going to think he's some kind of weird pervert now, putting the moves on her in his sleep. No matter how comfortable and nice it may have been, it does not cancel out his abject dismay at having woken up in such a state. What was he thinking? Why did he fall asleep on the floor in the first place??? ]

[ amazing how quickly one can become Awake when something wildly embarrassing is happening.

prompto's reflexes are a bit faster, and he scrambles away before she can even completely lift her head, but it only takes her a half-moment to realize just what's going on here. oh gods.

immediately she flushes red right to her hairline, jerking back to sit up, and smooth the front of her dress. how humiliating.. how did this happen?? clearing her throat, alisaie looks away, keeping her gaze focused on literally anything and everything but him. ]

M-my apologies.

[ Back up against the wall, Prompto presses as far up against it as he can, tucking his knees close to his chest and holding onto them tightly. He's never...held a girl so close before...and his heart is reminding him of that fact unrelentingly, with the way it hammers against his ribs.

He's quick to shake his head, making himself dizzy with the movement. ]

N-n-no, you don't—d-don't need to—I should—

[ He stares very intently at some distant corner of the room that is as far away from her as possible. ]

I sh-should go. S-sleep. In bed.

[ neither of them will ever look at each other again.. or at least not for the rest of this conversation, she has no way of knowing if he is looking at her at all, given she is staring right into the fire, and he has no idea, either. they're doomed.. ]

Y-yes.

[ a good excuse. immediately, alisaie scrambles to her feet, shaking out and smoothing her skirt, lifting the cushion from the floor to replace it where it had come from. ]

'Tis - very late.

Y-yes. Very. V-very much late.

[ He more or less just...kicks his cushion into some corner of the room in his haste to get out of there. But some stubborn part of him won't let him just breeze out the door like he wants to. He can't leave things this awkward and unsettled, even if his attempts to make things less so might to the opposite of what he wants.

Still, as he stands, edging along the wall, Prompto finally manages to look at her, even if doing so causes his face to erupt in flames once more. ]

Um. G-good night, A-Ali...saie. Um—

[ Yeah, he's getting out of here. ]

WORLD JUMP # 1: EL MINHA.

no subject

no subject

no subject

is this thread making u sleepy

it sure is....

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject