Intro Log: The Forgotten City

GOOD MORNING NEW ARRIVALS

This time for real!

WAKEY WAKEY.

As the storm finally peters out and characters can once again move above ground it becomes abundantly clear that the landscape has changed. Where vast expanses of sand dunes once laid is now the half-buried remnants of what looks like some sort of...city? Full of structures. It stretches so far it's really hard to tell. But there is one thing characters will notice:

There are more stasis pods.

Revealed by the sandstorm, a whole new flurry of pods can be found scattered on the way to the city (curiously though, not in it. Hurry and wake those guys up!

SPREAD THE LOVE. OR ACID.

With the departure of the storm there's even more new arrivals to be found besides those fellow travelers of yours! The "Seedlings" and "Cactus" are now both available, the former blown in by the storm and the former uncovered.

The Seedlings are generally pretty harmless. They like to burrow into the sand so only their "Leaves" plant-like leaves remain above ground, and they're quite happy to stay that way until surprised. Then they pop up and trip over themselves a little, before slowing down and wandering aimlessly. When they find a patch of sand that looks comfy they begin burrowing back down.

Pull or yank on their leaves though and you'll find yourself with a face full of pollen that makes you want to just tell everyone how super-cool they are. It lasts a while, and then you get a fever and vomit for two hours. Good times.

The Cacti are much less harmless and just...why would you eat them? Everything about this plant is poisonous, and cracking it open causes a corrosive acid-like substance to spill out. It'll eat through everything but...dirt, oddly. Metals and flesh are like hot oil on plastic.

DON'T GET LOST

And last but not least: The Forgotten City. Maybe you want to check out the Hull first for some loot, but maybe that's not such a cool idea anymore? Although it looks like the ship's definitely more powered after draining the suits of whoever went in, now it's started to spread and fill the sinkhole the ship's in. Suits can go from 100% to 0% in just ten minutes--not good!

Lucky for everyone else, it looks like finally there's some sort of civilization up ahead. Go on and check it out!

OR DO. THAT'S OKAY TOO.

Go nuts, have fun, and enjoy! (This is the wildcard option)

OOC

The Flora, Fauna & Resources page has been updated with information on the seedlings, cacti, and crystals! These items are now all available for Discovery, and The Forgotten City will be available indefinitely from now on! Characters can take this time to settle & build up a foundation for themselves, explore the area, and of course, harass those poor little seedlings.

We encourage players to make their own open posts for this setting--you don't need to stick to just this intro log! But make sure to make our newbies feel welcome!

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[ Really? Did he say try and get up? No, he sure as hell did not. Why does everything with a pair of balls have to pull out the bravado card at times like these?

Instead of trying to push him back down, McCoy let's him pretend he has control for a bit because only one of two things are ultimately going to happen. ] Either you lay back down and let me do my job, or keep staggering around like a newborn calf and see where that gets you.

[ Passed out again that's what! Then he can easily finish what he started without being interrupted. ]

[ Now that makes Bull actually stop. He's from the only race in Thedas that invented gunpowder; he knows how dangerous an explosion can be.

Anyway, he comes away from the pod and over to Inui. ]

So what you're saying is, everyone sleeping in these things is at risk of blowing sky high? Hm.

[ Clark blinks as a strange man appears in his view, smiling brightly. He glances around if there's someone else he seems to be looking at. Slowly Clark meets his gaze, still lost at being the center of attention. ]

Can I . . . help you?

[ He crosses his arms, stiff. ]

You could have asked for help.

Easy, tiger.

[ Okay, so it's not the calming drawl he'd like it to be. Actually more of a wheeze. He coughs convulsively, and then makes a growly frustrated noise and thumps his own bare chest, like that'll get it to work. ]

Piece of crap...

[ So he's not going anywhere. Shit. Finally he acknowledges McCoy properly, glances him over, as best he can when his eye is watering, the other one burning like it wants to do the same. ]

You know how to fix this?

[ WAKE ME UP INSIDE ]

[ More pods. Clark didn't know if he was horrified or just numb to the fact that there were more people out there.

Once he got over his momentary shock, he hadn't wasted any time in checking the contents. A cursory scan was enough to see if people were still breathing and with that, Clark wrenched the doors open, tossing them to the side.

Carefully, Clark backs up to give them any breathing room they might need, crouching down to eye level and speaking calmly. ]

Breathe. It'll be all right.

[ THE FOSSILIZED TREE ]

[ Clark wasn't used to people.

That wasn't the full truth. The full truth was Clark wasn't used to people being nice to him, or wanting him around. And it was . . . difficult. It wasn't the rosy fantasy he had pictured it out to be and even now, he feels like he's stumbling in the dark, trying to figure out who he is and who he is meant to be.

The helpful alien? The nice guy?

None of them quite fit, nothing felt quite right and the longer they remained here, the longer Clark felt like a stranger in a strange land. Constantly trying to navigate people and landmarks in the dark. So, after he's checked up on the others and set up perimeters with a few other helpful people, Clark finds himself retiring to the tree. Everything slows down and it feels like he can breathe easy. ]

[ WILDCARD ]

[ Embark on a golden age adventure with superman! Or something else. ]

[There are advantages to playing pretty and stupid, Max knows them well, but stuck on a strange planet with people who don't know her from Adam she's better off letting herself be competent.

So when she sees a man with a significant amount of guns, and realizes that he's trying to fix them, she doesn't hesitate to approach.]

I'm fine, thank you.

[It's an absent response to his question, because pleasantries are for nerds.]

Would you care for some assistance?

[ Clark stares a little because he's still not used to people like himself - non humans simply ambling along as if nothing has changed while Clark continues to feel like the world has spun him on its axis.

All the same, he offers a tentative smile. ]

It gets cooler during the nights at least.

[ Right. McCoy's the one that should calm down. That makes sense. But he does appreciate that he's got the man smacking himself so McCoy doesn't have to do it. That's nice. ]

'Course I do. [ He gestures up and down with one very impatient hand. ] Put your damn suit on.

[ It's fiiine, the Bull is used to staring. And he's definitely not going to object from a guy who looks like Clark. One eyebrow lifts. ]

Cooler? Or two-to-a-bed frosty?

[ Is that an innuendo?

Maybe it's an innuendo. Clark gracefully ignores that implication and answers honestly. ]

I'm not the best judge, but the others seem to manage.

[ Jaw drops aren't really a thing that happens outside cartoons, but the Bull's expression gives the impression he'll have to look for his on the floor. ]

You're shitting me.

[ Bull, put the damn suit on. He does, after a second, realize what a dumbass he's being, and unknots it, pulling it back up and struggling his arms into the sleeves. ]

[ Ohh...man. This guy? Is much taller in person than from a safe explosion distance. Inui can't help staring, somewhat dumbfounded by Bull's appearance. ]

Pretty...much, yeah? I think it's only if you mess with them though.

[ No, No. McCoy will wait with his arms crossed over his chest. And, to be honest, he's a little curious to see if this beast of a man can actually put his tree trunk arms back into the suit. ]

[ Innuendo implies a level of flirtatious delicacy — the Bull is being crude. ]

Good. Heat, I can handle no problem. But I've spent long enough freezing my tits off in the past year.

[ Maybe if he put a shirt on, ever!

He is curious about that 'not the best judge' comment, prods at it. ]

So you're the type of guy who runs hot...

[ Now that's innuendo. ]

[ Clark coughs suddenly, looking a touch bemused. ]

I'm just not affected by change in temperature, that's all.

[ It's a lightweight, stretchy fabric, and Bull is surprisingly flexible — all that AOE swinging, maybe. Anyway, tragically the slab of scarred muscle does actually end up covered, and he even zips the front up.

Almost immediately, he feels better. Not perfect by any means, but breathing no longer feels like razors, and the suit is working hard to cool him and help heal the damage he did to his lungs and skin. He still feels like he's suffering under the worst hangover he's ever had in his life. Bull runs a hand over his face (remembers he doesn't have the eyepatch, winces, lets it go, in a surprisingly visible succession of emotions.) ]

Well. Thanks.

[ The Iron Bull is pretty used to being a monster giant among ordinary men, though (and dwarves ... man he loves dwarves) so he isn't too bothered. However he's also picked up ways to make himself a touch less intimidating. There's nothing to lean or sit on, so he slumps, keeps polite eye contact, gives a friendly smile. ]

Mess with them like, say, smashing them to pieces to use for weapons.

[ Yes. ]

What if I go careful-like? Gotta say, some gaatlok wouldn't go amiss right now.

You're welcome. [ He may be crotchety, but there's still manners in him at the right times. Of course McCoy isn't down with this long-horned dummy. He's there again to check his pulse and watch the dilation of his eyes—Eye. ]

That happen here?

[ It's certainly old scar tissue, but McCoy can't be certain of time in this place. ]

A. WAKEY WAKEY; Open to whoever finds him first.

[Pressure squeezing against lungs, a cramped space, and absolutely no sense of where he is, are the only three things Spock’s mind can register as he’s forcefully pulled into wakefulness. Panic – no, a natural compulsion to breathe grips him all the harder the more he struggles for breath, struggles against the confines of the pod, struggles to understand. Suddenly, a rush of hot air fills his lungs, conjuring disjointed images of his lost childhood home that immediately disperse when a dark figure hovering over him starts to come into focus.

He can still hear himself panting as he squints against the scorching sun and tries to determine any distinctive (or recognizable) traits of the stranger before him.]

...Identify yourself. [He manages to speak as he starts to push himself up out of the pod, words clipped. The last thing he remembers is making a maneuver with the ship he was sharing with Dr. McCoy to save the Jim's life, and now neither one of them is anywhere to be seen. Spock needs answers.]

B IS FOR BONES; Closed.

[Having collected his rations from the pod, Spock effortlessly navigates his way through the oppressive desert heat, dark eyes scanning the immediate area for any sign of Dr. McCoy. They were together before Spock mysteriously found himself here, and it stands to reason that the two of them may have arrived on this planet together. Consequently, locating McCoy (or, at the very least, determining whether he's here at all) takes priority in Spock's mind.

To that end, Spock is prepared to sift through every sand dune he finds with nothing but his bare hands and keen Vulcan senses if necessary -- a poor substitute for tricorders and other standard equipment, of course, but still an advantage compared to the average Human. Although the arid landscape might have been discouraging to some, the terrain is, in my ways, reminiscent of the deserts of Spock's youth and also of New Vulcan.

Fortunately, he doesn't have to look far, but Spock's eyebrows furrow at the doctor's unresponsive face, trapped behind ice-cold glass.] Dr. McCoy!

[...No answer. And with no way to check for vital signs, the Vulcan drops to his knees and tightly grips onto the pod door in order to pry it open. In his haste to free McCoy, however, Spock fails to consider that forcefully pulling the pod apart may not be necessary at all, and he sharply draws back when the door begins to hiss open...]

C. DON’T GET LOST;

[Not even the most stoic of scientists can resist the sheer potential of newly-unearthed ruins, previously unknown to the others who’ve found themselves here. Even so, Spock manages to delay his foray into the Forgotten City when he lays his eyes on the Hull. As far as scavenging for supplies goes, he suspects he may have more success here – that is, unless the ones who awoke before him haven’t already stripped it down, in which case he’ll need to assess the usefulness of whatever items have already been found and, perhaps, attempt to barter once he has something worth trading.

Spock turns to the nearest humanoid and, straight to the point as always, evenly asks:]

Have you personally explored this area?

[He gestures to the dilapidated ship, deliberately avoiding any words related to space travel for now. Now that he realizes that their group hails from a number of different places, it seems more prudent -- and simple – to focus on what he absolutely needs to know in order to plan ahead.]

D. WILDCARD; ((OOC: Have a drugged character who wants to tell Spock how awesome he is? Want some city shenanigans? I’m up for whatever! Feel free to either comment here or hit me up at

jackets!))

[ padmé smiles politely, and offers nothing. when she moves closer to the safe, her braid swings softly against her back, the dark curls delicately maintained despite their situation. she sets the toolkit down with a quiet sigh. no matter how careful she is she still tires more easily than she once did. part of it is simple lack of exercise; a secretly pregnant senator had little reason to. part is due to the space left by her children themselves. the push of her belly against the skintight fabric is less than it was, but hard to confuse for anything else. her body is still trying to relearn itself as it was before luke and leia; she is still trying to learn a new reality without either of them.

but much as it is for anakin, always tinkering, there is something peaceful in manual labor, padmé finds. it takes her mind off her impatience. she pulls a handgun toward her first. despite her dislike for them as a general principle, she handles it expertly. in a minute, she has pulled it apart to examine it. ]

Not everyone knows how to use a blaster. It would be irresponsible to leave them in inexperienced hands.

[ the last thing they need is someone accidentally shooting themselves or someone near them. padmé does not wish to test the extent of their suits' protection. ]

"You woke up."

He's helping, Bull.

Cayde shrugs a shoulder, glancing out over the new pods with a squint at the sun. Then, back to Bull. He's never seen a Qunari before, but he's none too fussed about it, (though part of him suddenly wishes he had horns like that instead of the one,) and gestures to the others around.

"We're kinda still figuring all that out. Welcome to Confusion Club."

[Max wakes to the sound of rending metal, bright light, and her lungs burning for oxygen. A voice registers, someone telling her to breathe and so she does, having woken up enough in strange situations to know it's best not to panic.

The voice isn't familiar though, and Max narrows her eyes at Clark, suddenly suspicious.]

What do you want?

"Yeah," Cloud agrees, not relaxing at all now that Zack's on the same page as he is. In fact, while it's a little reassuring they're both seeing the same thing despite how impossible that is, it makes something twitch and squeeze around his heart. Rubbing his hands on his thighs, which feels weird thanks to whatever these suits are made off, Cloud nods.

"Didn't get... any explanation. Only that message," he says and gestures to the... thing on Zack's wrist. It's sort of like a wrist mounted PHS, he supposes. "And the pods..."

Cloud shrugs. Doesn't want to finish, gaze bouncing between Zack's pod, Zack himself, and up at the sky and then back. The pod look old. All of them do, and while he's both been hoping and not about others, he's been doing his best not to think about what the apparent age might mean, if it means anything at all.

[He'd heard, but honestly, Cloud had assumed it was Zack, since he's close by and... well, why wouldn't it be Zack, even with others around here? So he twitches, turning around sharply at the question. Frowning, he shakes his head, uncertain what there is so be looking so amused by.]

... Whatever made those? [He points up at the claw marks. Not that meeting whatever made them at all would probably be a good idea, but knowing where it is and thus being able to knowingly avoid it is usually a pretty good strategy for survival.] Shelter... and more food and water.

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Intro Log: The Forgotten City

GOOD MORNING NEW ARRIVALS

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bruce plz

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Clark Kent | OTA

gun pls

[ foraging ]

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[ deeply pleased pesterbird ]

[ <3 ]

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Spock | Star Trek AOS

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HELLO NEW BFF

CAN'T WAKE UP

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c: HELLO