hadriel_logs | Intro Log: Don't Wake Tonberry

Who: New arrivals and everyone else!
What: The intro log for September
Where: The colosseum and all around the city.
When: September 10th-13th
Warnings: Cute monsters, a way to pass the time, and plenty of newbies!

Waking up in Hadriel certainly has its down sides, but if this weird murdercave city is good at one thing, it's keeping people entertained. As you awaken on the hard ground of the colosseum, you might see a rectangular cardboard box lying near you. Ignore it for now, as you get your bearings, but if you get bored? Well, you'll find these exciting and unique board games will keep you entertained!

But how could you possibly get bored, when there are plenty of cute monsters around to keep you company? Sharing the colosseum with all the new arrivals are Tonberries. In addition to their natural cuteness defense, they also carry very large knives. They're slow-moving and look innocent and even friendly, but be careful - one strike from that knife and you'll be a bloody mess. They won't attack unless you get too close, but who doesn't want to hug a Tonberry? And of course, if you attack, they'll counter with extreme prejudice.

Managed to resist the urge to hug a Tonberry? Safely escaped from the clutches of the colosseum, new board game in tow? Awesome! Feel free to go explore the rest of the city! Find a house, find a new monster, or simply scavenge for supplies. Good luck, and enjoy your stay in Hadriel!

► This log covers September 10th-13th.
► Feel free to make your own logs as well!
► All characters arrive with phones that have network communication.
► Please put your character's name and open/closed in the subject line of your starters!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Ushahin has seen a lot over his long, lonely years. He's seen those with talents before, though rarely has he helped them develop them. He always thought there would be more time. Only lately, with the death of all he loved, has he considered passing on his knowledge before all he knows is lost.]

What you need is a mentor, someone who can teach you to develop those skills properly. I am old and have a great deal of knowledge.

[It can't quite be called wisdom. He's got too much madness in him for that. But he hasn't lived over a thousand years not to develop powerful skills.]

[Richie is both intrigued and ~~needlessly~~ offended. He tilts his head to the side in thought, watching the man's face. He does his best to take in every detail, from the thin lines of definition to the spacial distance between each feature.]

Are you saying I'm stupid? That I can't figure things out on my own?

[Ushahin sighs and closes his eyes. Oh, how he forgets what children he is surrounded by in this place. It is good he has the patience to deal with them.]

I am saying I have had over a thousand years and more to develop my skills. [He pauses to let that sink into Richie's mind.] I am merely stating that I might have something worthwhile to teach someone who's only been on this earth for around twenty.

[The pause does Richie good. He uses those moments exactly as Ushahin intended, giving himself time to reflect. Richie is always thinking, always filling a void when his mind begins to slow its race. He takes in a breath. At one point he may have looked to someone claiming they were so old with skepticism. But now he knows that this kind of existence is real. Whether or not this man is telling the truth, Richie is inclined to believe him.

The remark of being around twenty surprises him. When he meets up with Seth he'll have to let his brother know once he finds him in this place.]

So what if I say okay? What does that mean?

It means I will expand your mind in ways you never thought possible.

[Ushahin has always had a flair for the dramatic, and right now, it shows. He's very old and has had a long time to hone his skills into the powerful form that he now possesses. He sends a few images into Richie's head, pushing past the snake defense with ease so quickly it's startling. There's an army torn asunder and scattered as he invades their minds while Ushahin watches safe behind his own lines, a crooked smile borne of insanity on his face. A sorceress who had pushed him too far, subject to her darkest fear of growing old and dying. Finally, there is the dark vastness that makes up a dragon's mind, like staring at the blue-black of the night sky without any stars in it.]

I will teach you everything I know if you are willing and your mind strong enough.

[The display captured Richie's attention. A renewed energy fills him as he watches the display and his tongue feels dry as he craves a taste of that power. The sorceress feels at once familiar and far away, as if he's seen he before in another lifetime he can't touch. By the time the darkness overtakes him, his mind is already made.]

I'm willing. I can handle it.

You must have a touch of madness about you or such gifts would not come to you.

[That was the only way that Ushahin had been able to harness his own strange gifts. A sane man would have died under the strain of using such powers long ago. He looks quite pleased with Richie's answer.]

Good. We shall start immediately.

[The raven, nearly forgotten on Ushahin's shoulder and having watched this whole exchange with rapt attention, blinks his dark brown eyes and lets out a low, humming noise. The half-man looks at his little companion and nods. Ushahin's soft voice takes on a slow, almost hypnotizing tone.]

A raven's mind is smaller than that of a man's. They have bright, quick thoughts. Close your eyes and focus on expanding your mind outwards. Think of nothing but darkness. Look for the spots of light in the black. Try to catch what he's thinking.

[Richie does his best to focus. It's difficult, with so much sight and sound that he doesn't understand filtering in at all times. He shuts his eyes tight, trying to force a physical push of the distractions. That doesn't help. Instead he lets go, allows himself to fall and drift, succumb to the craving of releasing himself from gravity. That's when his surroundings begin to darken. It's not perfect, he can still see gray outlines amid the black, but it's better than Richie had expected.

He sees a light. Ushahin is right, it's quick, only staying in one place for a moment before flitting away. Richie strains to catch it, but it's he's too slow. Again a light blinks into existence and again it vanishes before he can comprehend the thought.]

I can do this. It's just fast.

[Ushahin's mind goes out, watching Richie's mind try to catch Fetch's. He's an outside observer and won't interfere. Richie won't learn anything if he does this for him. The efforts made are admirable, though of course, the half-man would have been astounded if he had gotten it on the first couple of tries. Expanding the mind beyond its usual confines is not an easy task. His soft voice gives some advice.]

That is the way of the raven. A flock of them can give information very quickly, each forming a piece of the whole. Keep that in mind. You're not looking for a continuous train of thoughts. Just a piece, something there and gone again.

[Fetch's thoughts continue to jump from place to place, each one there and then gone again. If Richie can catch hold of one, he'll see that the raven is actually watching him, his bright brown eyes and slightly curved vision taking the man in, wondering what to make of him. He watches his shut eyes behind the shiny glasses, which makes him think of battles and dead bodies, full of eyes to rip out and swallow down whole. Fresh eyeballs are a great treat for ravens, especially the ravens of Darkholm, which had been raised for war.]

Intro Log: Don't Wake Tonberry

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