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

2.

[highflights]

I don't know, but I don't think we'd really want to try it.

​​[​​ The suit keeps them alive, and it restricts her powers; Kara's been discreetly testing hers away from the others. She might not fly as often as she wants, but she can leap tall buildings in a single bound. ]

[justice_of_toren]

Maybe someone should. [Breq's considering it. She'd begun to get used to being intro control of her own fate as much as anyone can reasonably be. Feeling drastically constrained again is fairly well infuriating. Testing how vital the suits are would be doing something.]

[highflights]

A controlled experiment might be a good idea. Maybe not all the way to zero, but low enough.

[justice_of_toren]

Maybe. [It is, she acknowledges to herself, an impulse born from frustration and perhaps needlessly risky. ]

More exploring first, I think.

[highflights]

[ Kara nods, once, firm. ]

Should I come with you? I know this area.

[justice_of_toren]

[She gives an encouraging smile. Knowing where people have already explored, that's also useful.] Yes, please. Give me the tour?

[highflights]

Sure. My name is Kara.

[ She extends her hand. ]

Do you shake hands, where you're from?

[justice_of_toren]

I'm Breq. We bow, where I'm from. [Most Radchaii would find shaking hands, if they didn't have gloves on, to be utterly repellant. Shaking with gloved hands to be considered some level of improper. Breq is most comfortable with Radchaii customs but does not actually believe in religious uncleanliness. With some hesitation, hoping she understands what Kara means, she reaches to briefly shake Kara's hand.]

But I don't mind adapting to other customs.

[highflights]

It's nice to meet you, Breq. I don't mind either.

[ She keeps the shake brief, and bows at forty five degrees. ]

Like this?

[justice_of_toren]

[Breq's smile gets a little bigger, and she bows back at the same 45 degree angle.]Yes, like that.

[It's the correct bow between equals. There's no reason to bring up the nuance of what is proper for each party based on the assumed social hierarchy. They aren't in that social hierarchy, and she's happy to be rid of it. She hesitates again.]

While we're speaking frankly about custom - do your people...do gender assignments?

idk #aliens

[highflights]

Oh! Uhm, yes we do. I'm a female, we look like this, and over there, [ she gestures to Kal, his head just visible, bobbing in the distance ] is my cousin, he's male. There's only two.

IKR?

[justice_of_toren]

[She glances to where Kara points, and quietly despairs of working out why Kara is female and her cousin is male. That they're all in the same suits isn't helping. Cues from clothing are the most reliable, usually. She determinedly keeps a smile on her face.]

I'll remember that, thank you. What's your cousin's name?

[highflights]

[ Her hesitation is indecision on which name, both are him, one is more real to her. After a moment, ]

His name is Clark.