welcome to
the collected nations of struxta.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 thousands of years into the future. Around you is a city, a technological marvel. Buildings rise up from the dirt and through the clouds, figures of all shapes and sizes buzz around you. They seem to pay you little mind - a quick glance, maybe a pause, and then they will continue on their away. Ahead, there is a low rumble of thunder, a dim flash of light. It doesn't seem to be raining, but there is an electric hum in the air. A NOTE FROM YOUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD WITCH
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 woman who (to some individuals!) looks a fair bit brighter than she did a few weeks ago. To those who are new, you will recognize the voice -- Astoria, the guardian of the Temple (or, if you're a bit more pessimistic, your effervescent kidnapper).
 "Hello, my beloved travelers ♥ and new ones, too! My name is Lady Astoria the Witchess-san." The way she says it, though, it is very clearly something of a joke. "I'm so glad you are settling in, adjusting to your new powers . . . I apologize for not coming forward and greeting you all like last time. But I am feeling much more like myself, and ready to send you to a new world ♥
This one is named Struxta . . . Struxa? No, I think it's Struxta. It's very metal. I'm not sure what's wrong in this world . . . but I can feel something building. Pulsing, it's very chaotic. I'm afraid I can't be more detailed than that, I did have a headache earlier . . . Akira told me I was fine ♥" And, again, you can likely guess that Akira definitely did no such thing. Astoria clasps her hands, her bright blue eyes shining, with a bright smile. "Now! Please be safe, and please mind your manners, and tell me all about it when you return! I'll see you soon. ♥"
And, just like that? The humming in the air grows louder, you feel an odd tug in your stomach, and before you can properly adjust yourself to the sensation of being cast across the universe . . . you find yourself in Struxta. (Astoria, it seems, did have it right the first time.)
 THE HOSTELJust as it was in El Minha, it appears that upon arrival, each character is outfitted with a room at one of the largest, arguably most impressive skyscrapers in the city. Nearly two hundred stories tall, and with each floor containing nearly sixty rooms. Every floor, every room, every door is of the highest tech and the more advanced security. The watches that Astoria has given each of the Circle Members act, in many ways, like a key, a credit card, an ID, and any other form of identification the players will need during their stay.
The rooms themselves are simple - one bed, roughly full sized, with a light, a desk, a chair, and a variety of plugs and buttons. Characters are welcome, if they are able to find the appropriate plug, to charge any and all devices they may have. There is a TV of sorts in the room as well, with access to all manner of shows and news stations.
The bottom floor of the building is almost as large as a city block. It is open, sleek, and clean-cut. A kind of open meeting room, which has - upon inspection - been modified to include what appears to be a restaurant. Which, given the fact the group of Circle members who have arrived in the city are the only natural bodies around? Includes the fact you are the only members of the city who have to consume food and nutrients. Upon even closer inspection, the technology used to make the food seems a few decades behind that of the rest of the city, but it still works, and the food can still be produced. It might taste a little weird and turn out to be some sort of glorified goop, but it has some nutritional value.
The rest of the floor has a variety of seating arrangements and places to sit and chat with your other Circle members, but beyond the Welcome Committee, who is set up on the far northern corner, there doesn't seem to be many of the natives walking through.  THE SUPER CENTERHave you ever wanted to go shopping in the most technologically advanced superstore possible? Here is your chance! It appears that if you use your watch, you have been given a moderate amount of credit to buy clothing, toys, electronics, items, and anything else that might suit your fancy. You will not have enough to buy anything significant, such as limbs, organs, advanced computer technology, etc. But you are more than welcome to find a job to help collected more credits! Many of the stores within the Supercenter are hiring - greeters, cashiers, manual labor, errand runners, and everything in between!
The Supercenter is attached, as most of the buildings seem to be in this city, by a roadway of interlocking bridges and stairways- to a point that you could, if you wanted to, move about the entire city without stepping foot outside. There are bridges on every level of the Supercenter, as well as a network of pathways and semi-roadways within the center itself.
There are no restaurants or bars, but there are plenty of areas to relax and people robot watch if you so desire. Otherwise, shop, explore, find weird mechanical devices of the likes you could never imagine back home. There are all manner of stores, some art galleries, music centers, arcades, and more here. There is no limit to what you can find and what you can experience.
Everything is automated, but there are still helpful employees of various appearances at each of the stories to help you decide and browse- small, flying blocks that speak in primarily beeping noises that (thanks to Astoria's wonderful watches) you can somehow understand, completely human-appearing androids of the utmost style and elegance, and everything in between. Take your time, do a little shopping or go to work, and enjoy the pique of futuristic capitalism.  THE RACESIn the south-eastern district of the city, a large section of the city has been modified into a multi-level, vast, complicated race track of sorts. Think Tron, meets Speed Racer, meets a type of racing that is something all their own. It's fun as hell, fast as hell, and dangerous as hell. Sounds great, right?
What is simply known as ‘Racing’ here in Struxta is complicated, but at its heart is exactly what it says: it is a race. A race of cars, bikes, and everything in between through an obstacle course of everything you can imagine. It seems to all be linked, electronically, to a motherboard that decides - each race - what the drivers will find. Each race was drastically different, with dangers galore. One day you might find that the road is full of spikes, the next it might be slick as oil, there could be loops that defy gravity and breaks in the road that seem to be impossible to cross, but that's what the modifications and specialists in the garages are for, right?
The rules are simple: if you have a vehicle, and you have a driver, you are allowed to race. First one to complete the track, wins.
Surrounding the main track is an entire industry of shops, stores, garages, meeting places, lounge areas, and viewing rooms. There are robots who make entire livings on the industry surrounding the Races, without ever having to step food onto the course. Some of the areas will be cleaner, like the rest of the city, while others may air on the side of back-house garages. While there won't be any dirt or natural life forms, for the first time you might catch sight of rusted metal, oil slicks, broken down previous versions of what's out on the road. There are some practice tracks, some experimental safety sections to test out new additions, etc.
The one thing that holds everyone together, here, is the excitement around watching. The excitement around the competition. There are Races every five days, so that gives you just enough to get settled. And maybe find a car.  THE LIBRARYAs many have already come to hear, there are plenty of libraries and museums all across Struxta. However, there is one that is known as The Library, which archives anything and everything in the history of all of Struxta, spanning back its entire history, over thousands and thousands of years. The building itself is as large and impressive as The Hostel, nearly two hundred stories tall, possibly more, and as wide and long as a city block. But where in the Hostel each floor had been made up of rooms, each of these floors are large, open areas, with dark, imposing servers held behind tight, clean cabinets.
No one else seems to be here, which gives the impression that The Library is not open to just any native of Struxta, and that in fact - as members of the Circle you are being given special access to what would normally be off-limits.
In the middle of each floor, there is a small collection of tables, with large screens. These touch-screens will be your access into the Library archives. And that is the thing - you will have access to everything, but as it turns out, everything really means everything, and with backups spanning the course of thousands of years in the past, it will take a lot of time and a lot of energy and a lot of research determination to find anything of use. Not because it is difficult, just because it is so massive and so overwhelming.
The only natives you will find will be on the first floor, as a kind of secretarial position for the building. They are more than happy to try and help guide you through the search process, but they will not follow you up to any of the other floors, and there is a distinct feeling of being entirely alone when you do go up to begin your search. Alone, but watched, somehow.
Remember- if there is something that you wish to look up specifically, please ask over on the world interactions post so we can be sure that the correct information is shared! The best way to go about finding something in the Library will be going at search terms in teams, as there is so much information there is no way one person will be able to wade through it all. 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 mod questions thread back in the OOC post from before! And if you have any ideas regarding how your character will interact with the world, also feel free to check back into the world interactions comment from the OOC post from before, as well! From this point forward, the Circle has become involved with the Collected Nations of Struxta. 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? :) |
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
acatamods) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
acatalepsy_logs2018-07-11 12:02 am
no subject
[This is his first 'other' world outside of the Temple, so he's not sure if there are actual 'rules' any more. But he's gotta work with something, so he'll go with that particular conceit for now.
Maes nods at the question, not embarrassed by his ignorance so much as frustrated by it. After all, it's hindering his ability to help here.]
We have cars, telephones, and radio...but that's about the extent of it.
[He appears thoughtful for a moment.] If this isn't so strange to you...maybe there's a way we could coordinate our efforts to make this research actually beneficial for the both of us. [You can practically see the gears turning.] But there's a lot of information here...I'm not sure how practical that would actually be.
no subject
[So where did they all go exactly? Keith considers for a minute.]
But even if you've only investigated one conspiracy, that's one more than me. I mean, I get sent on infiltration and info gathering missions, but it's not exactly the same.
[It's snatching some data or access codes or intel and making a run for it (usually blowing things up as he goes because what is stealth anyway).]
The Galra aren't only robots, but a lot of their troops are robotic sentries. I'm no tech whiz, but I get the general idea, how these things work. So... yeah. Maybe we can help each other.
[Even if he's right. There's almost too much information. Where to start? Well he has on idea.] I'm Keith.
no subject
Agreed. [Pause] Although, we could probably use some of the infiltration and information gathering part too. We can find out about the past here, probably, but some of the answers may require actual digging into places they might not be as willing to open up to us. [He rubs his chin, thoughtful.] Honestly it will probably require a combination of research and on the ground work to truly figure out what's going on here.
[Maes has no context for what Galra are, but he figures based on the context that they are another classification or group from Keith's world. An enemy by the sounds of it, so at least Keith has some experience. Maes nods at the offer, it's always hard when there's no plan...but at least exchanging names get them somewhere.]
Maes Hughes. [An idea occurs to him.]
Actually, maybe that can be our starting point. We could look into food production. If we can find books, it might give us clues about their creators and we can go from there or on the other side of things, maybe we can go to places where they produce the food and see why that production is still continuing or storage facilities might have files as well.
no subject
[He's good at getting into trouble at least, and almost as good at getting out of it. Sadly there's a small disconnect in talent there, but he makes do. More or less.
Maes certainly seems like he knows what he's talking about, and what he's saying makes sense. Keith is not quick to trust people, but there is something about this guy that seems trustworthy. For now anyway.]
That sounds like a good place to start. It's the one piece of this place that doesn't exactly line up with the existing technology. Or what the existing population needs.
[Robots, so far as Keith can tell, do not eat food goo.]
no subject
Assuming there IS a conspiracy...probably shouldn't jump to conclusions at this stage.
[Maes was well aware of how that worked out the last time. He'd try to be more careful and if he could get some of the Circle helping him to gather that information then maybe it wouldn't be quite as obvious.
Although, he's not sure how subtle they can all be either given that they are all the only flesh-and-blood beings around.]
What do you mean it doesn't line up with the existing technology?
[To him everything about this place seemed like out of the craziest science fiction. He wasn't sure he could differentiate between "old tech" and "new". Keith seemed to be suggesting there was a difference.]
no subject
[Well. Lots of people popping up from the same worlds, huh? But all right. This actually inspires a bit of further confidence in this guy. Keith may have snarked back and forth with Roy when they first met, but he's decided he likes the guy. And Shiro seems to trust him. ...also Keith thinks Riza is pretty great, so this whole group gets a decent amount of goodwill.
But he focuses on Maes' question.]
Well, the food tech, everything about it is way behind the rest of the technology in the city. Like it's been out of use for decades and they just dragged it out because we showed up at their door.
no subject
I am. Roy and I joined the military around the same time and have been friends ever since. [He leans in conspiratorially, holding up a hand in a fake stage whisper.] But don't worry, I'm not nearly as much of a stick in the mud.
[He winks. It's a joke. One he is sad that Roy isn't here to appreciate. God he loves teasing that man even when he isn't around. But, back to business.]
Hmm. [He thinks on that for a bit, parsing through what he's heard from the Welcome Committee so far.] But they've been telling us that organic life forms haven't been around in their memory for some time. These things have to live a long time, right? How come they can't remember their creators but they can remember where to find the machines that makes food goo? A few decades doesn't seem like it would be that long ago for machines.
no subject
Seems like the Witch grabbed a bunch of folks from the same worlds this time.
[SOmething else on his mind. But first and foremost here.]
Yeah, that's their story. But they've got the means to keep us fed. And I don't think I buy them forgotten. Just typing a search term into the database here is almost too much information. It's like they keep track of everything. It's really convenient that they forgot their creators.
no subject
[His statement implies as much, but it's just a guess. Roy had mainly been dealing with the past back home and Maes hadn't thought to ask about anyone he had become close to here. For all his posturing Roy was the kind of guy to make friends or find people to join him just about anywhere.]
Yeah, the fact that they have a repository of knowledge like that would definitely further point to them being less likely to completely forget. [Back home he might suggest that things were destroyed or burned, just as they had in the library when the Elrics had been researching about the stone, but that seemed less possible here.] Is there a way to destroy information like that? Information that's just...what did you call it? A database?
no subject
[So basically it's a party. And while Keith wouldn't in any way wish getting dragged to this place on anyone, part of him wishes that Pidge or Hunk were here because they'd have this city figured out in no time flat.
As for Hughes' question, Keith nods.]
Sure. Files can be deleted. Or over-written. Or they can be encrypted and hidden away too.
no subject
[He sighs. This just got much more difficult. He'd had an ace in the hole last time there had been destroyed information to deal with. He doubted he would get so lucky a second time.]
Is there a way to retrieve information like that? I have to wonder if that might be what we're dealing with in this case. It might explain why the robots don't seem to have any memory of their creators.
no subject
[His friend is small and terrifying in general, but all the more so when it comes to machines.]
That's a good point though. If it were wiped or hidden, some of them might not even be aware of it. ...I wonder why.
no subject
[Maes obviously has limited context for the skills of this 'Pidge' person, but Keith seems to think highly of her ability with computers. Maes isn't so sure given how Connor has reacted and that man IS a computer. But, maybe the tech here is more closely aligned or she has a skill unique to her. Either way the point is moot, she isn't here and so they are going to have to work with what they've got.]
Do we know who our computer people are among the Circle? This might be something we can ask them to look into, if they haven't thought to do so already. I have a feeling if we find out what information was covered up or if there actually IS any covered up information that will give us a clue as to the 'why' of it. Usually things like that are tied together.
no subject
[Those are the two Keith can think of off the top of his head who seem the computer and tech expert type.]
I think you're right. What they are and aren't trying to hide could be important.
no subject
Well, we know they are willing to let us use their libraries and resources. So they really either aren't hiding anything or they trust that it is hidden deep enough that we won't find it. They've told us about their shared subconscious and made the food goo available in the first place. We're more or less allowed to come and go as we please in terms of exploring the area, but it seems fairly large and populated enough that the chances of us wandering somewhere we aren't wanted are slim. At least not without being noticed.
[He pauses. Looking back to Keith. For the most part he'd been talking out loud, getting his thoughts in order.]
What are some things you've noticed? I've mostly been making my way between the hostel and this place. Have you visited anywhere else?
no subject
[Also Keith isn't the most trusting by nature so his suspicions are already on high alert about everything to do with this place. Things that seem too good to be true usually are. The Witch dropped them here for a reason, so there has to be something beneath the gleaming metallic surface.]
I've spent a bunch of time at the race track. Here. I've tried to make my way to as much of the place as I can. And you're right. We aren't impeded or stopped from going anywhere that I've tried yet.
no subject
This place is pretty big. It'll probably be a good idea to keep poking. Investigating something like this isn't just going to be accomplished in the library.
[Of course, there are risks to poking around.]
The downside is that once you do cross that line of where you aren't allowed things might get a little tricky. I'd proceed cautiously if I were you.
no subject
[Keith sums up. It makes sense to him. It's how he figured out his magic too. ...thankfully with Shiro helping so he didn't wind up falling out of the sky and killing himself because he pushed too much too fast.]
You're right. Caution is important. But the Witch wouldn't have dropped us here without a reason. Something is going to go down eventually, and we need to be ready for it.
no subject
Though I know telling you to 'be careful' is only going to get old and probably lead to you ignoring me anyway. [He smiles slightly, true he's toeing the line about revealing his past, but it's still not without recognizing that part of being young is also being stupid.]
Yeah, that's what the research is supposed to be for. If we do it right, we should be prepared with information that can help. I just didn't realize how much information we were talking about here. You'd think someone sending us on a mission to help would provide a little more information from the get-go.
no subject
I won't ignore you. I'll take it under advisement.
[He will. And he is, shockingly, less reckless than he's been in the past. Something about spending all this time training and working with the Blade of Marmora has given him a bit more self-discipline. So it could be worse.]
You'd think, but the Witch doesn't exactly give us much to go on. We all got blindsided in El Minha. We can't let that happen again.
no subject
If you don't mind me asking, what happened in El Minha exactly? Or would you prefer to stay on topic with this world? [Not that he can think of much else they can discuss on that matter. Not without getting back to some investigation and research.]
no subject
[More information trade is better than less.] For a while everything seemed fine. Tension between the classes, but everything seemed to be sort of existing in a stable status quo.
Until it very suddenly wasn't. Violence erupted. In the streets everywhere, the guard was attacking instead of protecting people. The King was taken prisoner by his own people. A lot of people got hurt... and honestly I don't think we ever really got it under control. We didn't see any of it coming, not the way it played out.
no subject
And there wasn't an inciting incident? What kind of tension and was there an explanation for it or just general economic disparity? What were you guys expecting to happen?
no subject
[And by the hard edge in Keith's tone, that's pretty unforgivable.]
Economic disparity seemed the biggest issue. In the end the two factions were the palace guards and a group called the Syndicate who ran most of the underground businesses. Most people were caught in the crossfire.
no subject
That's...usually how conflicts like that are going to play out. I'd say we're dealing with different circumstances here...at least there don't seem to be any factions or disparity. But, that just means we have to find another aspect of this society to explore. I'm grateful we don't have to deal with something like that at least.
(no subject)
(no subject)