hadriel_logs | Intro Log: Rock This City

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Intro Log: Rock This City

Who: New arrivals and everyone else!
What: The intro log for January
Where: The colosseum and all around the city.
When: January 10th-14th
Warnings: New folks, rockin' dudes made of rock, and collectible friends!

This time, it's different.

There's no cave, no stone walls looming up around you and overhead, no stifling air or artificial light- not that you'd appreciate it, seeing as to how you've probably never been here before. And still, when you land facefirst on the dirt ground of the colosseum, you may not quite appreciate all the improvements and steps we've had to take to get here- after all, you're still surrounded by strangers in a crumbling city on an alien planet in the middle of nowhere.

Oh, and you're being attacked by Earth Elementals. These creatures are tall, between seven to ten feet, and made of solid rock, capable of punching through all the squishy bits of you- and for whatever reason, they definitely want to start punching. They're incredibly strong and, seeing as to how they're enchanted alive and have no internal organs, they're very difficult to kill.

But don't let that scare you off. For all the collectors in you, you can also find a very special array of beanie babies all scattered at the ground at your feet. Do you know that some of these things will be worth a lot of money someday? Better find the rarest one and stockpile it while you can! You might run into the rainbow crab, the platypus, or the sought-after bald eagle, or many more! Be sure to never take the tag off and never ever let anyone play with them so they don't lose value.

Once you've got your kids' college fund squared away, it's time to start exploring! You can explore the rest of the city! Find a house, a new monster, a project to help with, or simply scavenge for supplies. Good luck, and enjoy your stay in Hadriel!

► This log covers January 10th-14th.
► Feel free to make your own logs as well!
► All characters arrive with phones that have network communication and the newbie guide installed.
► Please put your character's name and open/closed in the subject line of your starters!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Just go easy on me, 'kay? It's still healing.

[She pauses to gawk at the kaleidoscope show before continuing her dance.]

You had this kinda stuff at home? Dang, most of the taverns I saw were either the kind you could have a good bar fight in and no one would be able to tell the difference from the stains. The rest were snooty noble places, but nowhere as fun as this.

Don't worry, I'll be gentle.

[she smiles at Aren, enjoying the sight of her enjoying herself]

Well. . . the Bang Bang Bar was a little sleazy, but they always had live music. That was cool. I've never been in a bar fight, though. You?

[She giggles at that name. Wow.]

The Bang Bang Bar? Yeah, a name like that doesn't scream class.

Yep, I have! Half the scars I own are probably from bar fights. I can't help it if that's where the action is, you know?

[Laura also laughs.

between laughter] It had--this sign that looked like a gun, right? And it flashed on and off. Only bar in Twin Peaks, though, so everybody wound up there.

And I'll bet you saw plenty of action. Sounds like fun.

[Aren can't help but snicker at the description of the sign.]

It's so horrible, I almost love it.

And yeah, I did. Some of it was just work, but other times it was fun. Everyone needs a release, right?

[Laura grins when she makes Aren laugh]

It was terrible. Bright red, too, just for that extra touch of class.

Not my usual release, but I'll take your word for it.

Eh, I don't recommend it anyway. It gets old after a while, you know? But this...this is fun. I could dance all night! In between drinks, anyway.

I wouldn't know, actually. Never been in a bar fight. Been the cause of a few bar fights, though. [Laura does a twirl] Dancing's a lot more fun. You usually don't have to worry about bruises when you're dancing.

Ooh, people fought over you? Exciting!

[Shaking them hips, because if you've got it, flaunt it.]

[Laura gives Aren a naughty grin] Of course they did. I was the Homecoming Queen, the most popular girl in Twin Peaks. That, and I used to get paid for sex. Some guys didn't want to wait their turns.

What's a Homecoming Queen? Did you have to actually rule the town or something?

[She smirks back, then glances over to make sure that Barkspawn isn't being a pest. He's just gnawing on that beanie baby, though.]

[she laughs, partially in disbelief that Aren's not making a big deal about Laura having sex for money] Nah, nothing that fancy. Every fall, there would be this big football game called the Homecoming game. Students would vote for the Homecoming Queen. It was basically a big popularity contest.

[Hey, her sister Rica was a noble hunter. Aren's pretty much immune to shock, when it comes to such things.]

Ahhh, gotcha. You know, you could totally get away with telling people here you are really a queen! No one here can call you out on it, right? Let me know if you get someone to call you 'Your Majesty'.

[very true. but since sex for money clashes so strongly with Laura's usual sweetheart facade, she expects condemnation or at least shock]

...I never thought of doing that. [wicked grin] I'm gonna have to try it out on the new kids, see if I can get anyone to fall for it.

[Aren snickers.] Who knows, it might at least be good for some free drinks.

...you don't mind that I know all that? I'm not judging, but so many humans I've met have weird hang-ups about sex and getting paid for it. Like it all happens anyway, they just pretend it doesn't? I don't get it.

I could always go for free drinks.

[she considers a long moment] No, I don't mind if it's you. I know that I can trust you. And most humans have weird hang-ups about it because sex for them is supposed to all about love. [she snorts] Add in a ton of religious hang-ups and you have some prudish humans.

[She pauses in her dancing and smiles, genuinely touched.] Thanks. I...well, same.

[Clearing her throat before she runs the risk of saying something mushy, she nods at the rest.]

It's just so opposite to what I know. Love is never the point, not in Orzammar. It's nice if it happens, but dwarves are a declining race, at least the ones underground. So, the elite will do the deed with whoever births them more soldiers and leaders. They don't hide it because no one gives a shit. As long as there's a baby out of the deal, no one gives a shit about noble hunters except the harpies jealous that they can't give their house a child.

[Laura smiles back] Good.

[she frowns thoughtfully] Dwarves are a dying race? Why?

See, where I'm from, good girls don't have sex. Not unless they're in a serious relationship with a guy and even then, they lie about it. Girls who have sex and don't bother to hide it or have sex with a lot of guys get a bad reputation. Means that guys will fuck you, but not marry you.

As if being married is the end-all, be-all of someone's life? Please. [Aren snorts at that, still not certain it'd ever be what she wants for herself.] Sex is fun and what consenting adults do is their own damn business. Or it should be.

They're in decline because they're having less and less kids, for one. Something about being near darkspawn is bad for fertility, go figure. The darkspawn numbers always seem to go up, whereas Orzammar dwarves' numbers thin out because of soldiers dying against darkspawn in battle, or because politics in the city can be very, very lethal. Orzammar elite are all about the appearance of honor, but really, they're as backstabbing as anyone else. Maybe more.

And it's all bullshit because there's plenty of dwarves on the surface doing just fine, so there's no fucking reason to just wait for the darkspawn to claim everything below.

[Laura smiles ruefully] It is where I'm from. Most girls only go to college to get their Mrs. degree.

From what you've said, being near Darkspawn is bad for a lot of things. Do the Darkspawn actually invade Orzammar and then you have to fight them?

People are stubborn. Dwarves must be, too.

Too stubborn. They cling to shit that's bad for them even when they shouldn't, because 'tradition'. I swear if it was tradition for people to kick each other in the crotch, they'd still do it because some asshole decided it ages ago.

[She snorts, not bothering to hide her contempt for that way of thinking.]

They haven't gotten into the city, but damn close. Dwarves used to have an empire underground, a vast network of thaigs. Now it's just Orzammar, since the darkspawn have taken everything else.

Sounds like someone has to drag 'em kicking and screaming into the future.

...it sounds like the Darkspawn are winning. Like you guys are hanging on, but eventually they're just gonna [makes a helpless gesture] overrun everything.

Bhelen's trying that right now. We'll see if it works.

[For Rica's sake, it had better.]

Oh, they won the moment Orzammar had to go it alone. Even if they don't overrun the city anytime soon, it's just the last of what's left. That's why I hope some wise up and just head for the surface, which isn't full of traditionalist bullshit.

...wow, that got depressing. Sorry, this is what happens whenever I bring up that place.

That's your sister's man? The king?

[puts her hand on Aren's shoulder, squeezing in support]

D'you think they will? Go to the surface? Because from what you've said, I can see some of the lower castes going for it, but the warriors and the nobles? [she shakes her head] Not so much.

It's okay. It'd get really depressing if I brought up Twin Peaks.

Yep, that's him.

Some of them will. Most won't. [Aren manages a small smile, shrugging.] You'd think casteless would have nothing to lose, but fear of the unknown keeps a lot of people in Dust Town anyway. And if you have nothing to begin with, there's not much chance of making a better life, as it is. I got lucky, there.

If we're going to be depressing, we should at least get some drinks and claim a booth.

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