hadriel_logs | Intro Log: Eat Your Veggies

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Intro Log: Eat Your Veggies

Who: New arrivals and everyone else!
What: The intro log for January
Where: The colosseum and all around the city.
When: January 10th-16th
Warnings: Luscious greenery and confused newbies

As has become tradition within the good (well, okay) city of Hadriel, new arrivals will awake on the floor of the half-destroyed colosseum. Confused and disoriented, you may be wondering where you are and what you're doing there. Don't worry! Someone will probably tell you sooner or later, as long as you get out of the colosseum alive.

Oh, right. About that. Along with the poor, innocent, vulnerable new arrivals are a number of other new friends! Well, maybe less 'friends' than 'horrifying monsters', but are you really going to be picky? Wandering the arena are Shambling Mounds. These creatures are large, unattractive piles of vaguely humanoid-shaped vegetation. They hit hard, they can take a lot of damage, and if you're really unlucky they might manage to engulf you with their weird plant bodies. If that happens, you'd better try to get free fast - otherwise they'll just walk off with you stuck inside and kill you later at their leisure.

The Door appears to have cast a wide net for 'plant monsters', and while Shambling Mounds are the only ones that can actually hurt you, it's managed to pull in a number of smaller, less dangerous carnivorous plants. Some of them are even kind of cute! So if you were looking for a pet venus flytrap or a new pitcher plant, you're in luck. Scattered around the colosseum are carnivorous potted plants, just waiting to find a new home.

Make a new plant friend, or get eaten by one, or run screaming! Whatever you choose to do, once you find your way out of the colosseum there's plenty of other distractions. Feel free to go 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-16th.
► 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

"What function does the Guard serve? To protect the people here against the monsters?"

She's read about them in the guide, and she encountered the plan monsters upon her initial arrival. She could see a guard being necessary for that purpose, but food and shelter is provided at no cost. There would be no reason for anyone to steal, from what Ikaruga can determine.

"Is there no form of currency here? I suppose it would be unnecessary given that food, shelter, and medical care are provided."

"The Guard aims to defend and assist our fellow captives where we can, be it against monsters or other threats. We are a steadfast shield."

Mostly from monsters and curses, but on rare occasion, their own. But they are not law enforcement. There are no laws here, nor do they have that kind of institutional power. They merely believe that through working together as a permanent organised force they can protect people much more efficiently than as individuals or splintered groups who only form as a reaction to a crisis.

He touches the sash he wears over his breastplate with armoured fingers. The tap of metal against metal punctuates his gesture.

"This identifies one as a guardsman on duty."

Which makes it clear that he is a guardsman himself, if his earlier comment was not indication enough.

"And no, there is none."

She'd gathered just by him mentioning the Guard and by the way that he spoke about it that he was a guardsman, but it's good to know what designates that they are on duty or not. Granted, those who band together to defend and aid others without receiving any tangible rewards for it are never truly off duty. Their sense of duty won't allow them to ignore a person in need.

"Is there any group dedicated to trying to escape and explore the surrounding region?" Protecting others without pay has little appeal for her, but gaining knowledge and facing interesting challenges...that's more along her alley.

"No. Understand that for the time being we are trapped within the confines of this cavern. There are no paths out within our reach, nor any glimpse of the wider world."

There is a sharp edge of displeasure in Henry's voice.

"'Tis the will of the so-called gods. Every last inch of this place has been explored. While the tunnels into which Hope banishes the monsters appear to change, that is merely because they are the work of Confusion."

"If you and others have been trapped here for a year, I assume someone tried to destroy a portion of the cavern wall at some point?"

She's going to give people the benefit of the doubt. Henry, at least, doesn't strike her as a stupid person. Surely people could have created a battering ram or something.

"For longer than a year," he corrects, because there remain a handful of people who were dragged here at an earlier date than him. "But yes, as you say."

Henry sets a hand on his hip and shifts his weight from one foot to the other.

"Let that not discourage you, however. Perhaps you shall discover what we have not managed to."

His words are sincere: the odds are that this woman is likely to fail, but that does not mean that she shouldn't try. He, for one, is still unwilling to resign himself to this fate.

"Perhaps. Every new arrival will come with different perspectives and experiences. And in some cases, unique abilities."

Such as her magic. She has yet to encounter something she couldn't cut through with her magic. Perhaps she can use it to carve a small doorway. It seems like the guard would have to stand ready to defend people from monsters that might come in, but the benefits might outweigh the risks.

Not that her magic looks terribly intimidating, with those pink petals of energy floating around her.

"I did wonder about your petals," Henry remarks, casting her manifestation a glance.

A pity that experience suggests none of them will be able to match even a fraction of the gods' power. Though that does not make anyone's skills useless, whether magic, martial or otherwise. Those willing to put them to use are mostly worth knowing.

"It was my attempt to get the attention of my guildmates, in case they have been brought here," Ikaruga explains. "I thought it might be a more expedient way to search for them, if they were to sense my magic. And if they were to arrive later than I, it's still visually distinctive."

There were plenty of mages who had enough power to have a visible magical aura, but for most, it was a simple glow. No one familiar seems to be approaching, so she lets the magical aura fade.

"I see. The most efficient method would be to look through the contacts on your phone. Everyone dragged in through the Door is listed there by Hope."

After a year of use, Henry is somewhat familiar with certain pieces of technology, however many centuries ahead they are from his perspective.

Curious, he then asks her:

"What was your guild?"

"My guild was called Death's Head Caucus. I was part of a special squad within it called Trinity Raven. Those teammates are especially dear to me and weren't far from where I was before I got pulled in here...so I had hoped to find them."

It would be nice if they were here. She's not holding her breath, though. Unfortunately, it seems unlikely that they are here. They've got very distinctive appearances.

"Prior proximity is no guarantee, I fear," he tells her, distracted by the first portion of her answer.

Henry's eyes narrow in faint suspicion. He has very fixed ideas on honour -- and dishonour.

"One might call those rather sinister names. What was your purpose?"

"To complete the jobs brought to us by clients with as little collateral damage as possible." That much of the answer is honest enough. Collateral damage attracts unwanted attention. It was her guild's ability to avoid such things and their willingness to take jobs from the Magic Council discreetly that allowed them to operate without interference.

"All mage guilds have somewhat of a mercenary aspect to them. One might be hired to provide added security when something very expensive was being transported, to act as a bodyguard, to go and fight dangerous monsters...any number of things like that. I entered the guild when I was ten, and one of my first jobs was to be a secret bodyguard to a rich businessman's child the same age as me."

Henry's expression clears up at her explanation.

"Ah, mercenaries? They played a vital role in the war I fought. I have hired some myself in the past."

That is far better than his initial thought, which was assassins. Mercenaries, in his experience, were straightforward. They may not be concerned with honour, but their word can be trusted to a certain degree.

Her guild is unparalleled for its successful rate of assassinations, but that's not the only work they do. That, and it's not a good idea to advertise her previous occupation within a small community anyway. It's somewhat of a moot point when the dead can be revived. Anyone familiar with mercenaries knows that they don't shy away from killing, so it's not as if she's really hiding much.

She nods at his mention of mercenaries in war. "Trinity Raven was hired to fight the Western army in the Cabria war. We were successful."

Technically the job was kill every ranking officer in the Western army, but it's war. It can be assumed that people died.

There is a clear distinction between assassins and mercenaries where Henry is from, which is perhaps for the best given how hostile he is towards assassins. Her answer suggests that she comes from a different world.

"Dependable? Hm."

But he lets the subject slide.

"If that is all?"

She seems to be doing fine without assistance, so their time, he thinks, may be better spent elsewhere. Henry is not one for much small talk.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Intro Log: Eat Your Veggies

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Aaaah! My apologies. I did not get the email notification for this!

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