acatalepsy_logs | WORLD JUMP # 1: EL MINHA.

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WORLD JUMP # 1: EL MINHA.

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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

[ it's the fire, that catches roy's eye -- but waver's angry 'dammit' catches his attention, and he soon makes his way over with one (1) dishrag and two (2) glasses of (non-alcoholic) liquid, which he sets down on the table. ]

What are you doing?

[ in slight exasperation, as he offers waver the rag to clean up the ink that is everywhere, good lord child ]

[DON'T CALL HIM A CHILD also he knows. Waver groans, blotting as quickly as he can.]

My new magic's stupid and calligraphy dependent, okay? The amount of preparation work for it is ridiculous.

[ there's an arching of his eyebrows as he sits down to assist in the blotting of the ink, but roy soon gets distracted by picking up a piece of paper, to look at the calligraphy in interest. ]

No more smoke signals, then? [ amused, as he picks up another example. ] How fortunate for you, that you received an upgrade.

[ roy pauses. ]

Have you been sitting and doing this since getting here?

No smoke signals, but I need fire to activate the whole thing. Like I said, convoluted.

[Waver's got the ink under control, and he looks over at Roy, a bit embarrassed to see the other man going through his passable calligraphy.]

Not the whole time. I just needed a break.

It seems like these gifts come at a price . . . I'd think convenience counts.

[ with a musing tone, as he neatly stacks together waver's calligraphy, without comment on the neatness or pass-ability of it. ]

How have you been spending your time here? The city is immense, for being walled in.

Apparently not. I've still gotta test out the actual action of it too.

[There is a little undercurrent in the statement, an unsaid you wanna come do magic-science?]

Trying to just get an idea of the layout. Walking, mostly, either at morning or before sunset. Shiro also pointed me to one of the libraries.

[ the unsaid question catches his ear, and he offers half a laugh at the unspoken question while he glances toward the door. ]

If you want to test any of these out, you would need a remote area. I don't think the Crown Guard would appreciate whatever . . . this is.

[ what are you even planning, waver, jeez. ]

Did you find anything of interest at the library?

Even if it means water? [Waver's smile is sly, and he's slowly standing up. Slowly. In case this gets the Mustang veto.]

Histories, mostly. They're general though, and half the information is likely exaggeration. They may as well be saints' lives.

Funny.

[ dryly, sliding his hands into his pockets. ]

And dictators and autocrats tend to write their own histories, don't they? [ roy isn't very impressed with the state of the supposed union, so to speak. ] The other side doesn't seem to be particularly willing to offer up a lot of information, either . . . neither of them want to do anything but point fingers.

I'm actually pretty serious.

[Okay yep. Waver looks around idly, and he makes his way towards a candle holder just for no reason at all.]

Mm. There's something I did notice though, about the kings here and magic. There's apparently a ritual the royal line can perform and only they can perform.

[ a silence, at that, before he follows waver, mulling over that information in his head. ]

So the sitting ruler is powerful. An easy reason for the people to hate him, or at the very least, not trust his rise to the throne. [ there's another pause, as he mulls that over. ] It passes through his bloodline, or did he learn how to do it? I've been avoiding the higher-end of town and speaking to the people in the lower-end, for the most part.

[ they, incidentally, do not have a fancy library on that side of town. ]

I don't know if powerful's the right word, exactly. There's not a lot of elaboration on what the rite can accomplish, which could mean it's got a lot of fire power, or it's full of shit. Either way, it seems to be an ability that can be accessed, but that doesn't mean there's no requirement of sitting down and learning it, you know?

[Waver casually looks around as he heads out the back door, totally cool and totally just grabbing a spare candle that he needs for this.]

What've you found where you've been?

[ there's a slight sigh at waver's ~~completely fuckin obvious~~ candle-theft, and roy follows him without much else fanfare. ]

This place reminds me a lot of my world. Or what portions of it used to be, anyway.

[ ishval was likely a lot like this, before roy helped in burning it to the ground. ]

I've spent most of my time exploring the marketplace and the casino. The people are frustrated and angry, fed-up with the prior ruler. The new King doesn't seem to be as malicious or horrendous as his father, which guarantees nothing. The poor yearn for democracy, the middle-class want more money, and the upper-class is desperate to keep what's here, here.

[ which, again. a lot like home. ]

This place is a powder keg set to explode. It won't take much for a revolt, judging from what people speak about in the streets. No one seems to be patiently waiting for the King to make his new mark.

[He's a successful thief. That doesn't mean he's a subtle one.]

Okay, so everyone has demands that are a tricky thing to balance out under the best of circumstances, and we're in whatever the opposite of best circumstances happen to be. That's so reassuring.

[Waver's content to find a little alclove where he sets himself up with a few scrolls, balancing them in one hand and the candle in the other.]

Let's assume something stupid happens. What's the appropriate role we have, if any?

You tell me.

[ an easy response, as he offers half a grin in waver's direction, in response to his tone. roy seems content to wander, to talk, and explore. he's in no rush to get to much of anywhere in this place. ]

What do you think our appropriate role is, and what do you think we should do, if it comes to that?

If I knew, I wouldn't be asking for an opinion on it, now would I?

[Roy may have a grin, but Waver's response is a scowl. It's a huge step for him to even ask for this kind of guidance. Well, opinion, really, but it counts as guidance too.]

You can have an opinion without knowing what to do, or what the right idea is. That's usually your starting point; what does your gut tell you is right?

[ only mild chiding, but roy acquiesces to waver's point. ]

I think our primary priority should be minimizing casualties, if there's going to be violence, or a sudden shift in whatever the status of the city is. The people here seem to be caught in the middle between a larger dispute.

Yeah, an uninformed opinion that has no knowledge or nuance of a situation's particulars. I don't pride myself on looking like an idiot.

[Well, he tries not to, at any rate. He'll keep any statements about the fact that mage morality has kind of made his gut sketchy at best to himself.]

Every city state ends up caught in power struggles. But is it appropriate to actually interfere with them, if the powers that be try to drag them into it? That's what I'm afraid of.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

WORLD JUMP # 1: EL MINHA.

sparkling sapphire.

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