Intro Log: The Forgotten City

[atlasmods]

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!

Comments

[ex_broach530]

[ The Bull pauses, turns slowly to see who it is just called to him. They look pretty nervous, which, normally people just admire the view. ]

You kidding? [ he bellows back. ] Can't just let all that metal sit there.

[dateme]

[ Inui has history with these pods Bull. They make him wary for his life. ]

The last guy who messed around with those things blew up, and then almost blew the rest of us up with him.

[ex_broach530]

[ 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.

[dateme]

[ 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.

[ex_broach530]

[ 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.

[dateme]

[ ...You know, at first he was kind of morbidly fascinated-slash-terrified when he saw this guy trashing up that pod. But now?

Slightly less. Smiling was the last thing he expected this guy to do. ]

Some...gahh-lock? [ What on Earth is that word. Inui thought these suits translated everything ]

[ex_broach530]

[ Sure, for words that have a translation. But gaatlok is almost more a brand name than something with a real definition. ]

Qunari explosive.

[ Much like that one. Koo-nah-ree. ]

I mean, might not be actual gaatlok. Doesn't usually fall into foreign hands. But I could make do with anything that's got a blast radius.

[ He's turned to eye the pod again, like maybe he's considering some more dismantling. Bull, no. ]

[dateme]

Umm... All I really got out of that is it sounds like you want to cause a bunch of explosions, and last time that happened I wound up with a piece of metal in my head. [ Inui's exaggerating; nothing of the sort happened. He got clipped by flying debris at best. ]

Sooo...I'm just gonna wait over there yeah? Waaaay over there.

[ex_broach530]

Hey, wait!

[ Somewhere between startled and exasperated. ]

I'm not gonna blow us all up. Relax a little, kid.

[dateme]

You know that's exactly what the last guy said before everything blew up and no one ever saw him again.

[ JUSTSAYING, BULL. There is a correlation there. ]

[ex_broach530]

[ Bull makes a back of the throat frustrated noise. But he's not actually an explosives expert. ]

Fine. I'll at least get a mage to take a look at it first.

[dateme]

A...what?? [ This guy did not just say what eh thinks he said ]

A mage?

[ex_broach530]

Oh. Shit. Hey, it's fine, I don't like magic any more than the next guy, but not all mages are bad.

[ Basically he's assuming Inui is just shocked because of the anti-mage prejudice that is thick and volatile throughout Thedas. ]

[dateme]

[ Oh...sweet, sweet Bull. You really have no idea of the wonders of the magic-less modern world. ]

...

Oh my god. You're serious, aren't you?

[ex_broach530]

[ Flatly, ] Yeah.

You got a problem with that?

[ Hey wow guess who is really tall and intimidating after all? ]

[dateme]

[ Th-this guy good lord.

Inui's not stopping though, a grin spreading across his face. ]

No way, everyone believes in something ridiculous.

[ex_broach530]

Not so ridiculous to treat mages like they're people and not monsters.

[dateme]

But the whole "magic" thing--you think it's real? I mean... [ Okay yeah he's see aliens and some pretty weird stuff so far, but spells? Magic missile?

No way...right?? ]

[ex_broach530]

Wait.

[ Wait wait wait wait wait. With dawning comprehension; ]

You don't?

[dateme]

Uhh, no...? I mean, I know some people who can do a few card tricks but that's about it. Actual magic only exists in books and movies.

[ Gosh Kragthar it's like you do or something ]

[ex_broach530]

[ You're killing me Smalls. ]

Huh.

Well, being as I'm not a mage myself, not like I can prove you wrong, kid. What's a movie?

[dateme]

Oh man...you're kidding right?? You're the second alien I've met who doesn't know what a movie is! [ Or well. technically with Ahsoka is was video games but that's not really the point. ]

[ex_broach530]

Alien...

[ What the hell, kid. ]

Told ya, I'm qunari.

[dateme]

Which is as good as saying you're a Little Green Man. What planet are you from? [ You are so obviously not from Earth bro, come on. Look at you. ]

[ex_broach530]

Uh. What what am I what?

[ What's a planet... ]