welcome to the kingdom of akvos.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. When you blink again, everything has shifted - changed, developed, like in that blink of an eye you have advanced . . . where, exactly? A NOTE FROM YOUR FRIENDLY . . . WAIT, WHO IS THAT?But before anything too weird can happen . . . your watch flashes again, beeps once, and on it has a new message, a hologram-sparkly image with a young man who (to some individuals!) looks quasi-familiar. He is thin, with large eyes and speaks quietly, but with great purpose. Whoever this is, it doesn't seem to be a person that is a fan of much pomp and circumstance. . . but wherever he is, he is speaking on dry-land, though he looks like he's just recently gotten out of a pool.
 "If you are watching this, then you are a member of the Circle, and have triggered a protective rune that I have cast within this Kingdom known as Akvos that has activated this message. I do not have much time, but my name is Kathashun. I need your assistance, and I am not sure whether we will ever find one another again. But if you are listening to this, heed my words: take care, because you know not what your actions do. The magic in this world is powerful, and whatever is seeping through this planet may not be able to be stopped, but trust me when I say that when we meet -- "
There is a noise, a banging on a door, and Kathashun's eyes dart to the left, before a voice off-screen says, "As much as I love listening to you talk, we need to go." There's a moment's pause before Kathashun refocuses his attention on you, and his eyes (normally a deep brown) begin to change into what appears to be a liquid gold color, and the message begins to crackle.
"We will meet again. Heed my words; find the Princess."
And, just like that, the connection dies, leaving you to the depths of the ocean.
Welcome to Akvos.  ARRIVAL A: THE PALACE OF WAHINE.The first group arrives at the Royal Palace of Wahine, smack-dab in the bustling center of what appears to be the lost city of Atlantis. It is in an area of Akvos that is completely underwater, with gentle currents wafting through the water that guide people on their merry way.
There is plenty to locate here, depending on what you want to find. There are dozens of musically inclined merfolk wandering through the courtyards of the Palace, a shopping area selling intricate jewelry and other decorative pieces, and even the Queen herself. Feel free to set up threads regarding any information you discovered in the World OOC post, but here are some ideas for those needing a place to start!
Prompt Ideas:
- Are you musically inclined? There seems to be a band of colorful mermaids striking up a merry tune with reed flutes, horns made out of massive seashells, and is that a bass playing the bass? You bet your ass it is. . There's even a potential spot for the Circle to join in, if you're so inclined! They may even pay you for your services if you're really good.
- The Queen has offered a reward for any information concerning the location of Princess Kea, who has been missing for a little over a week. A band of scrappy young investigators (complete with matching uniforms) is eager to begin, and has a list of potential "clues" to track down in the Palace area, ranging from: the Princess' prized hair-comb, her harpoon, information on her favorite restaurant, and her beloved pet flounder. None of these items are actually within reach except her favorite restaurant, which will happily either (1) talk about how amazing the Princess is or (2) accept help in the kitchens to serve up a busy restaurant time. Either way, you can earn some seashells.
- The Royal Guard is looking for some mercenary work to comb the city for clues, and seeing as the Circle is oh-so-eager to help out with whatever is going on in Akvos, they're willing to give you a shot! The only problem is that you have to be ready to swim, so be prepared to swim endless laps in circles around the perimeter of Queen Wai's massive home to seemingly no avail. . . . do they actually need the help or are they just laughing at you? Dammit.
- The Palace of Wahine has an underwater library, which is pretty expansive . . . how do they have all of these materials underwater? There are several helpful octopus-libraries that are using their various tentacles to grab books, scrolls, and other materials off of the shelves to hand them to nearby patrons, and there's a lot of material here about the history of Akvos! You may also find a pretty interesting comic book series revolving around a powerful mermaid who looks suspiciously like Queen Wai, who thwarts the evils of inequality. If you ask Queen Wai about it, she will assure you that she has nothing to do with it, and her constituents are creatively minded people . . . but she doesn't seem to mind the good press.
 ARRIVAL B: THE DEPTHS OF MARKOLOS.The second group arrives in a rare pocket of air in Akvos -- a massive cavern, with multiple alcoves along the walls. Here, the population seems to be rather bleak in comparison to the rainbow-colored folk in the Palace of Wahine -- merpeople with larger eyes, sharper teeth, and darker scales. You have successfully located the hunting grounds of the Kingdom of Akvos, known as the Depths of Markolos -- an impossibly deep sinkhole that stretches into the depths of oblivion.
The local population here doesn't actually know what's at the bottom of it, but lately, there are odd happenings in the Depths that the population will tel you about. For one, dead fish seem to be appearing with increasing frequency, and the temperature of the Depths has dropped to a frigid point. Layers of ice have been found below the surface that were not there previously, and there is plenty of talk of whether or not their food supply for the Kingdom is endangered by whatever is causing this random bout of ice.
Prompt Ideas:
- Have you ever tried spear-fishing? An angler-fish mermaid, with haunting eyes and massively sharp teeth, is eager to teach the Otherworlders! She's pretty nice, despite her scary appearance, and will pay seashells to folks willing to stay in the "shallow" area of the Depths to spear pretty easy looking fish. She will also lend out fishing equipment for those want to give it a try!
- The Brig is located in the Depths, and if you violate the law in other areas, you will be brought here. The cells are small and cramped, with no beds or cots to speak of, and you are fed less-than-great quality raw fish while in here. Petty thievery and the like will be punished for two days, and once you are released, you are stuck in the Depths You can also talk to some of the prisoners here, who will be interested in swapping a surprising amount of seashells for fresh raw fish. They also like to gamble. :)
- There are some side-tunnels in the Depths along the walls that contain shellfish to hunt and scavange! The only problem is that some of them have a fairly strong current, and -- voila, it is a massive Slip-N-Slide. Sneaking into one will rocket you through a tunnel and spit you out at a lower level of the Depths, but be careful -- you might wind up face to face with a pretty terrifying looking fish that is a bit too big for you to handle, so explore these tunnels with some care.
- The mermaids here will warn against going too deep into the Depths, but there is nothing to stop you from exploring. In addition to the ice clustered along the western wall of the cavern, there's plenty of creepy looking fish in the depths. In particular, the mermaids will warn you against infuriating a creature named Honohu -- who is this beloved little Leviathian-looking monstrosity who will absolutely attempt to eat you if you go too deep. Enjoy?  ARRIVAL C: THE FIELDS OF AKOVOSIAThe third group will be deposited in a beautiful coral reef, full of color and swaying seaweed. It is an impossibly beautiful sight, and the merpeople here are equally bright and colorful, to blend in with tehir surroundings. There are no shortage of clownfish and angelfish-esque merpeople floating around, collecting plantlife, creating new clothing, or even hunting poisonous smaller fish for usage in their medicinal techniques.
However, the more you explore the fields, the more you begin to notice odd patches of dead coral. It almost looks as if certain random patches were afflicted by some type of illness that has completely robbed it of its color. The merpeople nearby will not know very much about it, but if you continue digging and asking the right people, perhaps you'll find out the source of this sudden illness.
Prompt Ideas
- Have you ever gone dolphin-racing? . . . or, well, they look like dolphins, complete with saddles and harnesses that the merfolk are entirely too eager to pass off onto the landfolk. It seems they race these dolphins in the currents for sport in between their collecting of plantlife and hunting. Feel free to ask the curator of these beings, a burly-looking mermaid who will happily lend you a dolphin for a seashell an hour.
- Batter up! You can find what appears to be a weird baseball/rugby crossover sport, in which the merpeople crack hunks of coral with sticks . . . but then tackle each other at the different bases instead of, you know, tapping them lightly to signify them being out. They're always looking for new players to join, but be warned! They take their sport seriously.
- Investigating the beautiful coral reef will garner a lot of pretty looking rocks and other types of intricate material that could be used for crafting, which is always up for collecting for money. Mermaids will be wandering around with baskets to collect various goods, so feel free to help out!
- Finally, there are a lot of mermaids just sitting around shooting the shit, gossiping, fussing about home, and collecting materials to make what's needed in their day to day lives. A few of them seem to be knitting some type of material underwater -- weird, right? But feel free to obtain some cool textiles fresh off the proverbial racks, for a price.  ARRIVAL D: THE THUNDERDOME.The last group to arrive may think that this is some type of stupid joke, as the merfolk around this area really do refer to it as the Thunderdome. It is a massive underwater cavern, filled with thousands and thousands of jellyfish. It seems that the merfolk tend to these beings for a multitude of reasons -- one, for food, two, for venom, and three, for . . . electricity?
The jellyfish in this area seem to crackle with energy, and the merfolk in this area will inform you that this is where they obtain power which they charge their weapons and lights with. The bioluminescence is pretty startling to see, and the jellyfish themselves seem to be relatively harmless. But there is a certain area of the Thunderdome that is flickering in and out of darkness . . . an area where the jellyfish seem to be a lot less bright. The merfolk don't really understand what's going on, but whatever is happening in Akvos seems to be affecting the jellyfish in a negative way. They don't seem horribly concerned, but. Here we are.
Prompt Ideas:
- The armory is located in the Thunderdome, and you can buy a bunch of cool weapons here! Glow in the dark swords, electrified knives, bows, and harpoons can be found here, varying in price. They all seem to be rust-proof, too, given their environment, and the craftsmanship here is like no other. The people here really take their craft seriously, so happy shopping.
- The main attraction here, though, is definitely the jellyfish. They deliver a rather nasty shock, and anyone who touches them will glow a weird blue color for at least three days afterwards. The merpeople seem to know how to fix this, but likely will not do so because they warned you not to touch the damn things, you stupid landfolk. Navigate them carefully, and you may even be able to earn some coin in helping shepherd them!
- A group of mermaids are looking for people to fish out the sickly looking jellyfish in order to be treated by what appears to be Akvos' version of a veterinarian. The sickly looking ones are the ones that are flickering dim, and while the veterinarian has no idea what is going on with them, they want them out. Just be careful not to touch them, though. You will definitely glow blue for a few days, even though these ones are ill!
- The mermaids in the Thunderdome enjoy practicing their skills with each other, in terms of weaponry, battle tactics, and the like, but they also enjoy their downtime too! Find little pockets of folks hanging out, chatting, and playing some weird game that involves what appear to be coral dice and flattened stones. It almost looks like they're gambling seashells or something . . . time to get in on the action, if you can learn the rules, anyway. 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. If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask them back on the various threads back in the OOC post from before! REMEMBER: For the entirety of this log, you can only physically interact with those in your group. For the first two weeks, the network will be completely defunct. After two weeks, you may send intermittent text messages to those in other groups. From this point forward, the Circle has become involved with the Kingdom of Akvos. 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 will be yours to discover, explore, and uncover. Who knows what you might find? :) |
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acatalepsy_logs2018-11-12 08:55 am
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Aaaand then he brings that up. A deeper gold flashes before she reins it in. She strikes out to vent some of the anger that tastes of sulfur in her mouth and finally spears something rather than catching it with her fangs. Well, perhaps she only needed to be riled up, after all.]
If she wished for someone who would roll over and did as she commanded, she should have summoned one of my comrades instead. They would be happy to bend over backwards assisting any who so much as batted their eyelashes and begged. I, however, couldn't care less of what our endearing kidnapper desires.
[And yet, her grip tightens on the spear, almost as though it is of a small comfort as some of the edge wanes.]
Survival is all I care for, and if the two align? Then I will do my utmost to aid you and the others. ...I have spent all my years avoiding those who would have me leashed to a Circle or killed because of even the faintest glimmer of magic, only to find myself in one I could not defend myself from and bereft of the very skills I sought to preserve.
[So no, she is not... and attempting to gain her bearings in the only way she knows how.]
no subject
And the anger he hears in her at least feels genuine, and like it has deep roots.
A brief glance as he watches the spear strike true. Well. Not bad.]
I'm not pleased to be torn away from my world either, and I can't say I believe the lines this Astoria gives us. Pretty words and thin explanation aren't exactly a comfort. For what it's worth, I'm of a similar mind here. I will fight how I can to see our company make it through whatever errand we're sent on, and I mean no harm to any residents of these worlds so long as they mean none to me, but... as noble as the reasoning and premise may be framed... [And there's a hint in his voice that he isn't sure it's that true, or that simple, yet,] ...we are still prisoners. Ruled by a being who holds far too much power over all of us. It's genuinely fucked up.
[And shades of it are too familiar; he's not a fan.]
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She hates that she can't argue the points he's making.]
...Indeed. The only comfort is that she seems to truly believe what it is she is attempting to sell. But then, so did another, and it was at least transparent in its mentioning of those it entrapped were it's slaves.
[She picks up on that hint of disbelief and snags onto it, glancing back at him.]
At the very least, she doesn't try to ensnare us into a delusion she thinks will leave us entirely complacent. Not that it excuses her in the slightest.
[It doesn't excuse her at all, really.]
no subject
[He's a lawyer, which essentially makes him a professional skeptic, so maybe it's not surprising that his "open mind" is open in a way that includes the worst case scenario in all of this.]
I suppose there is that. Not brainwashing us is a very low bar, but if that's our bright side, that's our bright side.
[He divests his spear of his fish as well and casually casts it at another, spearing it and retrieving, glancing to it.]
I wonder though. If our communicators have ceased working, if that means Astoria genuinely can't hear us... for once.
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[And she is a maleficar, who was taught to be suspicious of many things. Astoria fell under so many of those qualities it's ridiculous.]
So low, in fact, a dwarf could trip over it. Yet there it is, lying there. Someone should raise it just a little.
[And she's right back to snark as she just barely manages to spear another and divest her loaned weapon of it.]
T'would certainly be a nice break, at the very least. [Though this implies she cares about the spirit hearing her complaints.]
no subject
[He'll stop the spearfishing for a moment before nodding his agreement.] A break, but also a decent time to discuss contingency planning.
[The time may come when they need to move against Astoria. It's not out of the realm of possibility. Currently, it seems suicidal at best, but Barabas likes having his options laid out.]
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I assume you have been in this tangled web she weaves for longer than I have, considering you had the time to write up reports from your own observations as well as testimony of others. I arrived but recently.
[The very same thought had crossed her mind as well. Thoush she... is far more direct than her peers in the Warden's camp.]
no subject
[Tangled web. Yes, that does sound right, doesn't it? There's certainly some deception going on, though where and to what purpose still remains a mystery.]
The reports have been for my own sanity. I hate being thrown into situations blind.
[Which he still has, but at least he's gotten some background about how these things have gone down before.]
no subject
[And she would know enough of deception. Her mother taught her well in that regard, though despite that she never has lied. Avoided giving answers, perhaps... Though she's found fewer reasons to do so of late. And, since this perhaps means Astoria can't hear.]
Agreed. Granted, doing so could prove deadly in my experience. [Ha... haha.]
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[Waiting for wherever they'd be shuttled off to.
And here they are. Soggy. So very soggy.]
Oh? Is that so?
[Prove deadly? Now he's just curious.]
no subject
[what the fuck is a bus. what's a terminal. so much new technology she has no idea of.
If only she had a few more months under her belt, it would not be so strange a concept.Morrigan sighs in a way that almost implies 'you sweet summer child' as much as it does her annoyance at not knowing that the aforementioned thing is.]
There are three broad groups of mages in Thedas: those of the Tevinter Imperium, who are reviled for what their ancestors did and the practices they still do yet deny happening. There are the Circle of Magi, all of whom are bound to their cages through blood. If they leave without permission, they are branded as the third type, found by the chantry's templars, and killed. Then, there are the apostates; mages who seek freedom and refuse to bend their knee to those who fear them, and some keep magical traditions forbidden by the chantry alive. Those who do are labeled worse: maleficarum, and often slain on sight rather than left to rot in cells.
I am one such "maleificar," just as my mother was; thus being unprepared when going to foreign lands without information or an idea of what the people are like could risk discovery. Here, however, I believe there's less to worry about save ruffling some feathers by asking too many questions about a certain missing someone rather than "illegal magic" they have no idea of.
[Or, well, stealing and murder. But that's just common sense, really.]
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[Though "bus" is a flexible term in the post-Shift world. But there's no need to get into that at the moment.
More important is the information that Morrigan is giving. Barabas frowns, expression darkening as she continues.]
I see. So your survival skills certainly involve knowing what you're getting into. You're right that here, you likely won't see that threat from the other members of this Circle. And so far the worlds I've heard described have not had any particular animosity towards magic. That could change.
[However.] Back home, my kind are viewed by many as somehow less than human. We keep ourselves safe by living within strict rules we impose upon ourselves, and by our numbers. For us here... numbers may be something we come to rely on in the future.
[That said.] But you're right about that, I think, in this particular place.
no subject
Her eyes narrow slightly as she crosses her arms. She's half tempted to point out someone's pet miniature dragon had gone after her in cat form not long after she started to settle in the temple. She does not.]
By "your kind" I am assuming you refer to shapeshifters. [It isn't that hard a leap, after all. That has been a strong point of their conversation thus far.]
How odd man's fear of the unknown other manifest between worlds, yet remain much the same. [Subjugating or cutting down what is different. Powerful beyond the mundane, yet even those mundane powers have much to fear of the little people beneath them. Her frown deepens.]
What you describe is much like the lie that my Warden was told for all his life since his magic manifested. He was one of the few who were allowed to leave their cage. A cage that soon ran rampant by the very creatures all mundanes fear mages will become without "proper observation."
[Yes, she realizes she sounds very much her age when she says that. Hush.] ...Let us hope that does not change in the coming days any time soon, and that we locate the others soon.
[None of those she's met before they arrived here are in their group from what she's seen, after all.]