acatalepsy_logs | WORLD JUMP # 1: EL MINHA.

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WORLD JUMP # 1: EL MINHA.

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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

[He growls:]

It sure does... It makes sense now why Astoria's place was such an improvement.

[He reflects that he'd take Alcatraz any day over that hostage situation. ...Though then it occurs to him a moment later that a hostage situation is pretty much why he's there in the first place. Still, at least Ennis is with his Family and, hopefully, safe for now.]

Who's the bastard doing all this?

Here? [She's startled briefly by his question, though she pieces it together soon enough.]

Ah. Back home he was the Emperor, the ruler of the kingdom of Liang.

[The road turns, and the surrounding houses grow shabbier the farther they go. It won't be long until they're solidly in Syndicate territory.]

Emperor, huh? So not the kind of guy you can just take down a peg.

What's he want with the two of you in the first place?

[She'd mentioned somebody she knew (or somebody who knew somebody she knew? It was hard to keep track) having some sort of relation to the emperor, but surely such a tenuous connection doesn't lead to kidnapping and death threats.]

[She's keeping a careful eye out, but mostly trusting in Firo's experience for the moment, just as she's trusting him throughout this conversation.]

Ah, well, my son is also the son of the Emperor. One of his sons, anyway.

[Firo pauses mid-nod.]

Wait, what's that make you?

[Didn't she say that emperor guy had already married twice? Three sure seems like a lot, but Firo supposes that it's also possible--though he has to wonder what horrible fate the other two met, if this is the kind of guy who holds people captive.]

I... I was originally just a physician to one of the Emperor's Consorts, but after my son was born, I was considered a concubine. [She's honestly a little heartened by the fact that it seems this isn't the normal way people do things anymore, judging by Firo's reaction of confused indignation.]

[Firo nods again like he totally knows what that is.]

Oh. Yeah, like the queen, right?

[Too cute, Firo.] Something quite similar, yes. There was also an Empress, of higher rank. I imagine things are a little less complicated and formal in the world and time you're familiar with.

By a longshot. We don't have kings or anything where I'm from.

[Even not being the most civic-minded individual, he knows that much. He can't say he's ever been a big fan of the government, but at least he can be thankful that his seems somewhat straightforward, comparatively.]

How do you have an Empress and a queen?

The position...it's more like being a... a companion. The Empress has the highest status, but there are other consorts and concubines of varying levels.

[Sorry, she's anticipating your eyes glazing over, Firo.]

It's a lot of things to remember. I wasn't really born into it, like some of the others.

[And she would be right! He tries to disguise his utter consternation by craning his neck to see if he can spot the fighting ring yet.

That sounds like way more women than any one emperor or man can be married to--by Firo's view. His unfavorable opinion may show well enough in the twist of his mouth.]

Sure sounds like a crazy thing to be born into. Are all of those ladies kidnapped too?

[Sorry, he's still not really over that.]

There are many benefits to agreeing to enter the palace if you happen to catch the eye of the Emperor. [She says, quietly.] For some, those benefits outweigh other considerations. Riches, power... [Continuing to live...]

Edited 2018-05-27 23:43 (UTC)

[Firo takes his eyes off the road to look back at her, wondering why she sounds a bit more quiet all of a sudden. Is she offended?]

Hey, I didn't mean anything about you by it.

But honestly, he sounds like an asshole, so none of that really sounds worth it either.

[Sure, he gets swearing your allegiance to someone you really respect, but he also can't imagine respecting someone who marries a bunch of women and locks them up in the house.]

[Firo, you have to say all these thoughts out loud sometime, stop holding back...]

Ah- [Instinctively, she makes a muffled sound, half shock and half amusement. Old habits die very hard, and it really hasn't been that long that she feels comfortable with the blasphemy of openly criticizing the Son of Heaven...] It... It does seem that way, doesn't it?

[He can't tell quite what that sound means, but she doesn't seem angry and she's not telling him to shut up--so he figures he's good to keep blabbing.]

It sure does. What, you're not gonna try and tell me I'm wrong, are you?

[That would be a very tough sell.]

[Well, you made her laugh a little, anyway...]

No, I wouldn't dream of it, Firo. [She's just very grateful you don't live in her world, it would make her sad if you ran into problems.]

Are we almost there? [There did seem to be an interesting change in the other people walking along the road with them.]

[Yes, Firo, you have a mission besides insulting people. He nods and jerks his chin to indicate the building they're coming up on.]

Oh--yeah, it's this building right up ahead.

[There's a decent-sized stream of people heading into it right now, a rougher-looking group than the sort they would've passed several blocks ago.

Firo points down the road in the general direction of the Golden Phoenix.]

And then if you wanted to see the casino too, it's down that way.

[Despite her seeming lack of misgivings, Firo's not quite done with his, and he finds himself hesitant even as they draw closer.]

You, uh, you ready?

[She has a feeling this is probably about as chivalrous as Firo gets, and it is much appreciated.]

I'm ready. [She says, trying to be reassuring.] Do you ever participate in the fights yourself, Firo?

[As they step inside, Firo steers them towards some open seats around the middle of the stadium, enough to have a decent view but far away from the action that the crowd isn't so heavy.

They've arrived as one fight is winding down, one combatant plainly flagging beneath the other's blows.]

Me? I've gotta have more of a reason than that to fight somebody. Blood sports aren't really my thing.

[Said reasons may not really be enough for most people, but they're good enough for him.]

What about you? You're not thinking of pulling something like your princess, are you?

[He's joking; please don't.]

[Shaking her head almost immediately, with a widening smile as she focuses more on Firo than the competition in the ring.] That Princess is unique, I'm afraid. When it comes to a physical fight, I know some measure of self-defense, and nothing more.

[For anything other than a physical fight though...]

Are there any competitors here who are particularly famous? Someone mentioned a Champion?

We could work on that, if you wanted.

[The offer is perfunctory but genuine. Who knows what kind of trouble they could encounter, here or in future worlds. A bit of self-defense is good, but a lot of it is even better.

Firo bobs his head when the Champion comes up. He knows basically nil--only hearsay really--about that guy, but enough to run his mouth about it.]

Oh, yeah, people keep talking about him like he's crazy strong. I haven't seen him yet, though--if that's what you came for, you might be disappointed.

Honestly, with all the stories people say about him, he could just be a gimmick to keep people interested. Then again, this stuff really doesn't seem like it's faked... Could still be fixed, though.

[She's...probably going to take you up on that, at least a little bit.] That does seem wise. Perhaps if there is some extra time, if we return to the Temple. It has been a long time since I've been out on my own. [Hopefully Firo doesn't take that the wrong way, but he's heard the story.]

Hm. [She shakes her head, smiling.] I'm just a tourist really. The Fight Ring and the casino are two places I haven't seen yet. But considering the environment... finding out the fights here are fixed would be rather demoralizing to the local children. [Not that that would stop someone truly determined.] Many of them seem to look up to the fighters.

[He sure has--who could blame her for wanting to make the most of her freedom? He nods, smiling.

At the comment on the fighters, he shrugs one shoulder.]

Hey, it's just a guess.

For some of those kids, it might be the only way they can think of to make a name for themselves.

[That was how it'd been back home--kids always looked up to the prizefighters or the criminals. Of course, neither path was exactly an easy way out of their situation. That, again, he assumed would be the same here.]

How'd you hear that? You been talking to the locals much?

A few people have mentioned it. [Yes.] But I remember something similar at home, though not among the children of the nobility. When each day feels like a struggle, these thoughts do tend to surface.

Do you know if most of the strong fighters in the Ring are from that kind of background?

I don't know for sure, but that's all that'd make sense. First off, I don't think all these people-- [He gestures to the crowd around them. And he doesn't mean it in a derogatory way; the poor citizens here are essentially the equivalent of his friends and neighbors back home.] --would cheer for anybody who's not from around here. And I don't know as much about the bigwigs up by the king, but something tells me they wouldn't let too many of their kids run off and join this.

It's the same way back home. You see a lotta boxers who came from places like this and happened to pick the ring instead of sticking up banks.

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