Intro Log: Welcome to the Snave (snake cave)

[hadrielmods]

Who: New arrivals and everyone else!
What: The intro log for March
Where: The colosseum and all around the city.
When: March 10th-15th
Warnings: Snakes! Snakes! It's a snake!

Good morning, new arrivals! Or, well, it's probably morning. The sun is up, anyway. Okay - not the sun, but that ball of light at the top of the cave that functions as the sun, anyway. Whatever. The point is you've woken to find yourself on the floor of Hadriel's colosseum. You may be wondering where you are and what you're doing here, but what you should be wondering is how fast you need to run to get away from a three-headed snake.

You're not the only one who just woke up. Also to be found in the arena, angry and confused, are Runespoors - large three-headed snakes. Only one of the heads is venomous, but all of them are perfectly willing to take a bite out of you if you get too close - or if you annoy it. If you're lucky, an attacking Runespoor may distract itself via infighting between the three heads, giving you time to run. If not, well, let's just hope you can fight off all three heads at once!

But that's not the only thing you might find. Also scattered around the colosseum floor are what look like tasty snacks. Popsicles, cheese, even toast! Unfortunately, if you get hungry and take a bite, you will quickly discover that each and every one of these is actually soap. So that's great. Maybe the Door thinks everyone needs to shower more? You can also find a few that actually look like soap, and if you're really lucky, you might stumble across the rare and coveted 'pile of baby hands' soap.

With luck, you didn't get eaten by a snake or accidentally eat a piece of soap. 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 March 10th-15th.
► 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!

Comments

two-b

[mismanagement]

[Maketh pauses in the midst of wrapping her guardsman's sash around her arm as a makeshift bandage. One of the snake things got her, though thankfully not too deep and without poisoning her noticeably.

There's blood, but not too much. She can ignore it.]

There are no police. There are the guardsmen. What is wrong?

[trainspotter]

[No police—great. Guardsmen—well, he'll have to know more than that before he decides just how many people in this cave city he needs to avoid like the plague. His gaze flicks down to her arm first and he frowns, but hey, if she's got the time to stop and ask him what's wrong...]

That depends on whether or not these guardsmen like to follow people around while they're going about their business. Does that sound professional?

[mismanagement]

[Maketh eyes him up and down carefully. A newcomer. He's not wearing armor, but that means less than it ought to in this place. And he doesn't recognize either the sash or Maketh herself. No one has had a chance to fill him in yet.]

Only if these people are causing interfering with their duty. Which is keeping everyone alive.

[She smiles at him brightly.]

Maketh Tua, at your service. Captain of the Guard.

[Or one of them, at any rate. But those are details.]

[trainspotter]

[when you march proudly into the hot seat

Or: Ned perks up a little, like walking right out in front of the Captain of the Guard is a special advantage. He shuffles some of the things he's carrying around enough to stride further forward and hold out a hand to shake.]

Well I am definitely alive, Captain. Name's Ned. You really oughta have that arm looked at.

[It's as if his earlier problem has suddenly vanished into thin air...]

[mismanagement]

[Maketh ties off the bandage with a grimace. It stings and her coat will have to be scrubbed thoroughly. Such a shame..] Your concern is noted.

[She rests her good hand on her hip.]

Any particular reason the guardsmen should be following you, Ned?

[trainspotter]

[No handshake?? That's fine, he's good, drawing his hand back with a shrug and a little shake of his head.]

Police. There's nothing to guard right here except me, so unless a personal escort service is on their list of duties...

[mismanagement]

[And now he's avoiding the question. Hmm.]

Has this place been explained to you, Ned?

[trainspotter]

[He pauses a moment to glance off to the side, like, were any of those stupid things he did actually explanatory in nature... Nnnno.]

Well, I usually think of being alive as a good start.

[mismanagement]

Mhmm-hmm.

[Hopefully this one won't be a troublemaker. They haven't had many.]

You're correct in that, sir. And there are a great many things in this place that would see us dead. Usually in some unfortunately painful way.

[She doesn't smile.]

Which is why my guardsmen don't bother with minor annoyances. I don't care what you do so long as you don't get in the way. That ought to be understood in the beginning, I think. So there aren't any misunderstandings.

[trainspotter]

[By some definitions that sounds like a whole crew of dirty cops, but he won't say that. Tact is everything.]

And we certainly wouldn't want to misunderstand each other! You'll find I am exceptional at staying out of the way. [Usually, when it suits him. He promises nothing as a general rule, but often he is not in the business of getting in the way.]

But out of curiosity, what happens after a misunderstanding?

[mismanagement]

I see. [Quick with his answers, isn't it? Thus far, Ned doesn't seem like a threat. Appearances can be deceiving, however, and Maketh has made the mistake of trusting a stranger one too many times in Hadriel. She'll have to be cautious moving forward.] Well, that would depend on the nature of it. Minor annoyances tend to resolve themselves. Others require---more decisive measures.

[Maketh meets his eyes briefly.]

We don't go around shooting people in the street, if that's what you were thinking. But we don't have the resources to maintain a jail, either. If I'm required to hurt someone in order to prevent them from going after the civilians, then I shall do so.

[trainspotter]

[Minor annoyances... He'll have to curtail Jacob carrying on so he doesn't have to bail him out of whatever "resolving itself" would actually entail. But alright; he isn't interested in going after civilians, anyway.]

But not by shooting them in the street. That's fine by me, you keep doing what you need to do and don't trouble yourself over what I'm thinking.

[mismanagement]

[Maketh almost smiles at that. Whatever else he might be, Ned is quick on the uptake. It's a good skill to have in Hadriel.]

That seems fair. Have you found a place to live, Ned?

[trainspotter]

[Truly, he lives to not be a minor annoyance.]

My own little hole in the wall? I found one, but the jury's out on how long I'll keep it.

[mismanagement]

[Maketh shrugs. She'll have to keep tabs on him, then. She likes to know where everyone sleeps. It's a practical measure to take.]

Then I hope you will find something suitable. The accommodations are--pleasing. Even if the situation is not.

[trainspotter]

[Well, that makes his eyebrows go up in vague surprise. Pleasing, really... Where has good sense gone in the world??]

A buddy of mine practically flooded one just touching something in there. Pleasing might be giving it a little too much credit.

[mismanagement]

[Maketh mirrors the expression.]

Does your world not have indoor plumbing?

[trainspotter]

[Okay, no, not really at all in 1868, but—]

What's the spinning soap box supposed to be?

[mismanagement]

Spinning...soap box. What?

[Maketh narrows her eyes.]

Describe it.

[trainspotter]

Well, it's a big box that spins on the inside, and when your idiot friends dump a load of soap in there, the whole room fills with bubbles.

[He's gesturing to make a big box shape, here. Helpfully.]

[mismanagement]

It's a machine to wash your clothes in. [At least, that's her guess from his gestures.] Add too much soap and it gets everywhere.

[trainspotter]

[The bubbling menace actually does something important?? Could have fooled him.]

You don't say. Already learned that the hard way, unfortunately.

[mismanagement]

[Maketh just shakes her head.]

Regardless. The doors lock and you have electricity. It is a comfortable prison. Better than Basic Training, even. I suppose that is--something.

[trainspotter]

[Electricity is also strange and probably dangerous (to Jacob), but he'll get used to it. He shrugs.]

Better than Whitechapel, though I've got a sneaking suspicion you've been to London about as many times as I've had basic training, which is none. But if your training's anything like wallowing in filth day and night, then we understand each other.

[mismanagement]

[Maketh shrugs.]

I do not know your London. But I was in the military and the instructors endeavor not to make it a gentle experience.

[She regards him thoughtfully.]

Perhaps we do understand each other. Or we will, soon enough.