the great escape.The Circle has quite a lot on their plate, this time around. Multiple players are fighting for the control of Akvos, and many difficult choices to make. No matter what path you choose, though, one thing is for certain: it is a bitter fight to the death to ensure that Akvos remains standing, one way or another. There are three main areas for the characters to explore in the final log of Akvos: (1) The Kingdom of Akvos, where the King is fighting to seize control; (2) The Rift, where the characters will encounter the Dreamscapes; and (3) The Kingdom of Polankos, which is where King Ka'pouli has reigned since his arrival in the pocket dimension. Decisions made in all there areas will affect the outcome of Akvos, so get to exploring.  THE ASSAULT ON WAHINE.The King’s forces will attack in three different fronts. There will be mermen attacking from above, riding saddled giant seahorses and manta rays, launching spears at the mermaid-warriors below with terrifying precision. They seem to be indiscriminate, in their aim -- the weaponry, charged with the same dark energy that the shadow creatures seem to be made out of, find their target in civilians and warriors alike, raining down a sea of terror upon the central stronghold of the Kingdom of Akvos.
The mermen will also be attacking at the ground-level, attempting to burst their way through the Palace Gates to flood the city with numbers. While the mermaids outnumber the mermen, the mermen are certainly more brutal than the mermaids. Some of them, though, in finding the city, are more concerned with looting it than with senselessly murdering everyone inside. Indeed, this is the most food they have seen in a long time -- and markets are destroyed in grabbing as much food and riches as they can, pressing closer to the Palace, and toward the Queen's stronghold.
And, finally, they will be attacking from below, navigating their way through a network of tunnels meant to transport goods and bursting their way into people’s homes, to sneak their way closer to their ultimate goal, which seems to be the Palace itself.
The Circle's main goal, here, is to protect civilians, usher theminto the underground strongholds beneath the Palace, and fight for their own lives should they attack the mermen first. Man the wall, if you so choose, to attempt to block the air attacks from the mantas. Fight on the ground, to protect Akvos from destruction. Or make your way to the underground strongholds and tunnels, to block access to the Palace. All of these will certainly assist in keeping Akvos safe.
In addition, please remember that shadow creatures (which can only be killed by magical means) are still making their way through the entirety of Akvos. While King Ka'pouli's forces are targeting the Palace of Wahine, the shadow creatures are still present everywhere. Get to killing!  INTO THE RIFT.Some of you, however, have elected to traverse into the mysterious rift that appeared in the midst of the Fields of Akvosia. It looks like a black hole into nothingness, crackling with odd energy . . . and passing through it feels as though you have stepped through an icy waterfall. For a moment, you cannot breathe -- and then, you are treated to beauty.
The gaps between time and space are full of sparkling lights, bolts of rainbow starlight winding around you as you move through the uncertainty that is the void. It seems endless, but something inside you is tugging you forward . . . and, suddenly, there is a soft voice in your ear. A familiar one, to those who reside within the Circle . . . the confused voice of Astoria.
 "Hello? My Travelers? How are you within the Void?" The Void? That word hadn't been used to describe whatever this magical place is before, but . . . well, a witch with the ability to send you all across the universe probably knows what she's talking about, right? "That should not be possible . . . who opened this doorway?"
You can tell her, or you can not. It seems to matter not, because: "Is this not getting through? Why can I not hear you . . . but I can feel you, I can -- please, if you can hear this, be careful. The Void is not something for mortals to interact with, and it can show you terrible things -- terrible things, so please--"
And, right before you have the opportunity to respond to our benevolent witch (or captor, depending on your point of view), you see a bizarre glass-like surface in front of you. It looks like a mirror, and you see a perfect reflection of yourself. It is absolutely captivating, and it beckons you . . . almost urging you to touch it. And Astoria's whisper grows a bit louder, more urgent:
"My dear Traveler, be careful what you encounter here -- can you hear me? Can you see me? I am trying to get you out of there, to bring you back home--Akvos is--"
But it is too late.
Your fingers graze the edge of the mirror, and you are pulled -- a sensation that is familiar to you, the same pull in your stomach that you feel whenever Astoria thrusts you across the universe, into new realities. And, when you blink your eyes again, and look around . . . you are no longer in Akvos, or the Void. You are somewhere entirely new.
Welcome to the Dreamscape.  THE KINGDOM OF POLANKOS.Once the Circle emerges from the Rift and the Dreamscape, they will stumble into another world . . . but this one's wateris shallow, in comparison to the massive depths of the crystal-clear kingdom of Akvos. You can quite clearly see the surface, here, and there are shallows that allow you to come up onto islands, tropical in nature with fruit, odd creatures that appear to be multiple-headed monkeys and parrots, and sandy shores. It's a bit jarring to see, after spending so long underwater. Indeed, you emerge to trudge onto land, and look around, somewhat mystified that the deep-dwelling mermen would be from a place like this.
However, exploring the islands (which is not very difficult to do, as they are all small and will not take very much time) will yield the discovery that on the islands themselves are tunnels -- underwater caverns that thread through the islands to much deeper water. It's almost as if the islands themselves are barriers to the underwater caverns below -- shallow water, a layer of land, and then a (mer)man-made bubble of water below the barrier of land. And that whoever lived on these islands tunneled through them to find deeper water. Princess Kea, (who will attend on these journeys, while remaining in the water), will tell the Circle members that King Ka'pouli told her that when the mermen were cast out, they landed on solid land, and had to slowly dig deeper to their salvation.
Navigating through these tunnels will be somewhat perilous -- and the Circle members will need to carry Princess Kea to the nearest tunnel to get her into some water, because while she can breathe on the surface for a certain period of time, she cannot navigate the land as quickly as you people with legs. Additionally, underwater caving isn't exactly a blast, but the deeper you go, the more clues of civilization you can find. And, eventually, once you go deep enough, you emerge into a massive underwater cavern to find the small Kingdom of Polankos.
In comparison to the Kingdom of Akvos, Polankos is witheringly depressing. It is not brightly colored, nor open -- indeed, it is tiny, with mermen huddled together waiting patiently for the forces that went through the rift to return. There is not a lot to find here, save for some interesting weapons that possess a dark energy, versus a lightning energy -- and those weapons will be given to the Circle members who ask for them, because those who wield them are in no condition to fight. There is little food, little room to sleep, and these are a people clearly in need of assistance.
In order to get them out of Polankos, you will need to usher them through the tunnels back up to the Rift above -- it seems that King Ka'pouli opened the Rift on the surface, rather than risk the city below in case it did not work. The mermen there (who seem to be elderly and weak) will be eager for the assistance to get out Polankos, and at the promise of being brought into Akvos, they will happily go. There will be no resistance from them.
You may also see Princess Kea, who has filtered in and out of the Rift to assist on the journey -- teary-eyed, heartbroken at the sight of these individuals who require rescue, organizing the mermen with the promise of keeping them safe in Akvos.
"Hurry," she tells you, as she rouses another merman into getting to the nearest tunnel. "We do not have a lot of time to pull this off, and we must work quickly." Additionally, please feel free to write up and work with your own prompts! These areas of the world are presented as jumping off points for your characters, not limitations. The idea of this world- as with all the others- is to explore -- you may use as much leeway as you want in order to come up with what your character will do, especially in the Dreamscapes. If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask them back on the various threads back in the OOC post from before! |
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acatalepsy_logs2019-01-04 10:22 am
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she squeezes his fingers before letting go of him, and the sensation lingers, a mixture of what was before and something lighter, something more difficult to name. missing the contact, but grateful that it has ended. he nods, instead, as she walks him through the process of the night. he trusts her knowledge of him to know if any information is important, that she would share what would help him understand.
kaz nods, once, as his eyes scan back around the small tented room. looking for materials, for things that might be useful. ]
Do you have other costumes in here? Something you could change into? [ he leans down to pick up a pile of silks on a box near his feet, turning back to meet her eyes, to give her the space to center herself but keeping them both moving. needing to get them both out of here as quickly as possible. ]
And what about the layout of the camp? What is the easiest way to the water?
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the blank in her mind, where she normally has a map of rooftops, alleyways, and shadows, only solidifies that she is a different person, now, which makes her useless, in this scenario. all of her gifts from ketterdam mean nothing, here, if she can't figure out how to get them out.
wordlessly, she moves toward a trunk in the corner of the room, opening it to reveal fairly neutral-colored clothing, traditional ravkan outfits, one of which is a darker-colored cloak. she yanks it up, along with a pair of looser pants and a loose shirt. she tugs the shirt over her head, over the silks, not bothering to change out of the silks. ]
I do not know the easiest way to the water.
[ finally, as she pulls the loose pants up and over her hips -- again, over her silk pants, methodical and quick, almost immediately blending into the darkness. comfortable, quiet. ]
There are a number of tents . . . I remember three, but there may be more. I remember going to the water on the main road into the town, but I don't know the . . .
[ inej speak. and, with a slight resigned tone, which sounds much more like inej, rather than someone scared in the dark: ]
We are going to have to make it up as we go.
[ she hates making it up as they go. ]
no subject
i do not know the easiest way to the water.
he hides the surprise well enough, not quite used to the wraith not knowing something like this. but maybe that is part of it, maybe here she is not yet the wraith, but just inej. inej, before ketterdam. it makes him feel a bit like he's intruding, even more like he's not supposed to be here, but he pushes the thoughts back into his chest.
for later. for now, he has to get them out of this. out of here.
he retraces his steps, goes back to the road between the tents, tries to remember if he saw water, if he could map out the routes through the city. inej is....inej is struggling. struggling in a way that throws him off. he nods - three tents - on the way to the water. he lets out a breath, not quite a sigh - before he nods. ]
Then we will be adaptable. [ his eyes go to the door then back to her, seeing her in her new clothes. her new look. the adrenaline slowly starts to build under his skin. ] Are you ready?
no subject
her parents who . . . are not real. they would know their daughter looked different, was older. had a scar along her side, right into her stomach, where pekka rollins' men attempted to gut her, peeking through the silks of her performance outfit. they would know her hair was longer, she was more muscular, and more . . . darkened, really. by ketterdam, by the menagerie. but no, they had greeted her as they always had. as they had in the memory, without noticing the differences.
it was then, really, that she knew this was not real.
she should have explored more, she should have tracked out their escape. she shouldn't have allowed herself to become paralyzed in this room and waste precious time. she should be able to answer kaz's questions, but she can't, and there is no changing that now. instead, she has to leave. again. there is a vicious prickling at the back of her eyes, but inej swallows it back, refusing to shed another tear over this mockery of comfort and home.
instead, she pulls up her hood, the shadows obscuring her face. ]
I always am.
[ it's said quietly. inej has never been a good liar, so she won't lie and say yes. but she makes her very best effort, now. ]
Let's go.
no subject
kaz, like the slavers supposably coming for her, are unwelcome guests. reminders of the horrors of what happen. of what will happen.
he was not supposed to be here.
but he was, and he had made inez a promise. a promise to get her out of here, before any of the rest could happen. he doesn’t know how this all works, what it means or if it will do anything at all, but inej flips up her hood and it is back to the task at hand.
i always am.
she was never a good liar. but kaz does not bring it up, nodding once and checking out the flap for any eyes or figures that could be looking towards them or coming for inej. when he deems it clear, he holds it open, letting her step through with him, casual and simple.
they have to make it through the camp, and then to the water. they are on a port town of rafka, but they would need to get out. get away from the city. without much information at all, he sets off between a set of tents as his leg throbs, assuming that she follows. ]
no subject
at the next set of tents, though, inej gently takes kaz's arm, stopping him before stepping out onto the main road. her eyes scan the surroundings quickly, wracking her brain for any semblance of memory before she notices a set of carriages, tucked away further down the road. not her family, but they appear to be merchant carts . . . with cargo, surely, that came from ships further down the port. and in the air, there is the distinct scent of the sea, salty, brisk, cool. ]
That way.
[ it's murmured, quietly, as she releases his arm to move down the street, keeping to the shadowed areas, moving along the stopped carts and impromptu merchant tents pitched along the side of the road. it doesn't take long, to move down the road, to be in view of the sea . . . but once they see the water properly, inej slows to a stop, her eyes scanning the harbor where there are no shortage of ships, and merchants, and -- inevitably, slavers.
she knows the ship, not because she saw it when she was taken, but when she was pulled from it in ketterdam. when her so-called indenture was signed, and she was brought to the menagerie. and it's almost incredible, how innocently it sits in the harbor, blending in with the other merchant ships. with white sails, and proper papers, and a crew who swears innocence.
how many girls are already in the ship? how many did they take here? did those same men attend the show, and see her perform, and decide that she was worth taking? did tante halene already buy her requests for young suli girls, to fulfill her ranks, and complete her proverbial zoo? did they come all this way specifically for her?
her fingernails dig into her palms, cutting neat semi-circles into her flesh, and it takes all of her self-control not to want to go and burn it to the ground, but instead: ]
None of this is real.
[ it's said quietly -- mostly to herself, but kaz can hear her, and inej doesn't bother to hide that she said it.
and, with that in mind, inej brushes back her hood, puts her best smile on, takes kaz by the hand, and pulls him out onto the roadway properly, right in the pathway of a nearby guard, to which inej says, in (quite good) broken kerch, despite the fact that she is perfectly fluent: ]
Ship? Ketterdam?
[ in her best attempt to portray a helpful, long-suffering suli guide for this poor lost idiot tourist, using kaz's language to maintain some level of politeness, before inej adds, in (slightly better, but still broken) ravkan: ]
We need to go to Ketterdam.
no subject
but those thoughts are quickly pushed away by the task at hand. they have to get inej out of this town before the events that follow can be put into motion. he is not letting her get taken, not when he is here to do something about it. so despite his curiosity, they continue off down the pathway between tents, inej pulling up her hood and lightly setting her hand on his arm, pulling him back from the main road. he’s about to comment on it, ask if she saw something, when they redirect. inej would know better, and he does follow her as they keep to the shadows of the paths, the tents. kaz takes in as much of it as he can, aware of how low his chances and his interests are of ever traveling to ravka outside of this impossible memory of inej’s. it’s a moment to gather information. even if they are relatively on the run.
but then again - when aren’t they?
it’s not much longer before they reach the docks, and kaz comes to a quick pause, scanning just as inej does across the line of possible escape routes. if he had more time he could have bought their way onto one (with or without the actual funds). but as it stands, they have a limited window and a need to find out a way out, fast. he can assume what each of the ships are for, can tell the merchant ships from the slavers, the ones that fly the ravkan double eagles, most likely military, and then-
inej goes still at his side, but by the time he turns to try and figure out why, her voice is whispered out. none of this is real, and instead of butting in, kaz let’s her take control of the moment for herself. giving her the space, and the time, for whatever it is she needs. he’s aware of their surroundings, keeping watch in case anyone tried to approach, and then inej lets out a breath and takes him by the hand (causing him to immediately tense, body going tight) and she pulls him down into the street. he figures out what she is trying at a moment later, and instantly slips into the role of the moment, giving the guard a slight, polite bow, repeating in much more (genuinely) broken ravkan. ]
Ketterdam?
[ the guard looks between the two of them, at first suspicious before she is able to understand the situation. ah, of course, the poor tourist and his guide. this is a familiar enough situation. easy enough to wrap her head around, and she nods, turning to point off to one of the ships a little further down the docks.
kaz feels himself tense a bit at it, the ravkan out of his understanding. something feels wrong, but he can't figure out what yet. was it going to be this easy? ]