Intro Log: A Stinging Letdown

[hadrielmods]

Who: New arrivals and everyone else!
What: The intro log for May
Where: The colosseum and all around the city.
When: May 10th-16th
Warnings: Monsters. Newbies. Disappointment.

You awaken rather unceremoniously, finding yourself on the hard ground of a large arena, a stone ceiling stretching high above you. Welcome to Hadriel, newcomer, we hope you enjoy your stay in our lovely cave city. This may be a little more difficult to do than expected, considering the monsters.

Yes, it looks as though a few manticores arrived along with you - and they woke up before you, because that's just how your luck is going today. These creatures are large, about the size and shape of a lion, and not very attractive. In fact, they're a bit like a collection of spare parts - the body of a lion, the wings of a bat, the face of a human, and the tail of a scorpion. And that tail's not just for show. If their lion claws don't get you, that tail might shoot a poisonous spine that will paralyze you, leaving you defenseless and all ready to be eaten. Good times!

But wait! There's more! Starting to feel like you might need a stiff drink? Throughout the arena, you can also find a number of very interesting-looking bottles of liquor. Give one a try, if you dare - or if you just really need to drink your misery away. And that'll be your very first lesson in the disappointment of Hadriel - because though they taste the way they're supposed to, each and every one of these bottles of liquor has become non-alcoholic. Yikes.

Hopefully you can recover from that heart-crushing disappointment. 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 May 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!

Comments

[mismanagement]

The speak-easy isn't far. Maketh guides him inside and into a chair. He probably felt her rifle brush against him as they walked, might even have noted the knife at her belt. Apparently she's easy to see as a threat. "I'm not sure. A lot of things will try to eat you here."

She takes a step as well.

"Are you all right?"

[whistlewhilstyouwork]

The hard-nosed nudge of the rifle however brief makes Whistler feel ill at ease. In fact for the moment it troubles him more than the revelation that more than one type of creature out there is eager to eat him. Because the way the weapon makes its presence known in small ghosts of touches, along with a small object that he's beginning to suspect could be a blade of some sort but he's less sure about that, is both foreign and unnervingly familiar.

It brings back memories of handcuffs and interrogation rooms. Although he continues to follow her lead, she might notice his steps becoming more hesitant.

"Am I being arrested?" He finally asks, eyes forward and chin jutting outward a bit.

[mismanagement]

Maketh leans back in her chair, watching him. That's a curious thing to ask.

"No. Not unless you bring harm to the people here. Is there something I should know, Whistler?"

[whistlewhilstyouwork]

He takes a moment to orient himself, hands palming the surface of the table before he settles. There's a distinct scent of alcohol that is a reassuring sign that he is not in a jail.

"Harm them physically?"

Whistler shakes his head, eyes lulling upwards a bit. "I wouldn't do something like that."

[mismanagement]

"Harm them at all."

It's important to be clear about that. Anyone can be a threat if they put their mind to it, blind or not. Maketh's mother had certainly not been harmless.

"Let me be clear. I don't care what you did before you came here. It And I don't much care what you do after this conversation, so long as it doesn't bring harm to the people under my protection or interfere with my duties. I'm one of the Guard captains. We maintain the perimeter. Break up fights. Keep the monsters from eating people."

[whistlewhilstyouwork]

"I don't harm people."

He leans in, hands sliding off the table and settling on his knees. "I've never harmed people. Physical or otherwise." Whistler rocks a bit as he speaks, but its slow and easy. A nervous habit that he's probably not even aware he's doing.

"So you and the, um, the guard," his eyes narrow as he says the word 'guard', it feels strange to him, "you guys aren't going to have to worry about that."

[mismanagement]

Maketh lets the silence linger for a moment before responding. "That's good. I prefer not to worry about people. There are other concerns."

Like the monsters.

She tips her head to the side.

"You may as me questions, if you like. I'll answer as best I can."

[whistlewhilstyouwork]

It is effective. Like turning out the lights, leaving Whistler in silence leaves him only with his own pulse and breath, two things that remind him immediately of his own vulnerability. When she offers to answer his questions, he considers his words careful, lips pursed in thought.

"Where am I?"

Probably best to start at the beginning.

[mismanagement]

"It's called Hadriel. We're underground. More than that is difficult to say." Maketh rubs her face with a sigh. "The situation is--complicated."

[whistlewhilstyouwork]

"How did I get here?"

Its the next logical question.

"The last thing I remember is a car crash. That couldn't have taken me under the earth."

Into a building, yes.

[mismanagement]

"You were brought here, like I was." Maketh sighs again. "Sometimes it happens after a violent incident. Other times a person simply wakes up here. The things in charge like to call themselves gods. Whether it's true or not, who knows. But they have power. They bring people in from time to time."

[whistlewhilstyouwork]

Whistler bites his lip for a long moment.

"I am going to guess that a lot of people tell you that all of that is impossible."

Certainly he is thinking as much. But given the circumstances it may not be in his best interests to devote too much time in denial.

Something had definitely tried to eat him earlier, after all.

[mismanagement]

"They do."

An understandable reaction, and one that Maketh once shared.

"I know it's difficult. And I understand if you don't believe me now. The truth of it will become apparent to you soon."

[whistlewhilstyouwork]

"And those, um, those other concerns you mentioned?"

He feels along the edge of the table, memorizing the grain and feeling out seams in the wood.

"Can you tell me more about those? They sound like they are going to be important."

[mismanagement]

"The things in charge feed off human emotion. They'll do a number of things to provoke it." Maketh watches him a moment. He's an interesting man. Nothing like her mother. Whether that's good or not remains to be seen. He doesn't seem like a fighter, at any rate. But a curious person. She'll have to learn more about him. "Like forcing you into a situation where it would be--easy, for an animal to eat you. Or a monster. They bring those in, too."

[whistlewhilstyouwork]

"So we're batteries?" His fingers curl into loose fists.

[mismanagement]

"Yes. We are."

He's quick on the uptake, quicker than most. Maketh watches him for a moment.

"I am sorry."

[whistlewhilstyouwork]

Its jarring how nice she's being while telling him that he's now in a world full of man-eating creatures that uses people as double-AA's. Kidnapping, imprisonment, and manipulation has never been pitched so politely before. At least not to Whistler.

For a long moment he's just quiet, chin jutted forward and top teeth chewing at his lower lip in thought before at last his head cants to an awkward angle. "I'm sorry too, cause you're also stuck here. Aren't you?"

[mismanagement]

"I am," Maketh confirms. "For a little over a year now. There are others as well. Some from the same place. Most from different worlds. We do what we can."

[whistlewhilstyouwork]

Different worlds

Now there's a new blip on his radar. She didn't say city or country or even continent. She said 'worlds'. With an 's'. His fingers begin their lively dance against the edge of the table once again. "So...we're not all from the same place? Then where are you from?"

[mismanagement]

Maketh huffs a little, a faint smile on her face. It sounds so ridiculous. Even after all this time. And yet, here they are. "A planet called Lothal. My co-commander comes from a place called England. There are many others."

[whistlewhilstyouwork]

Whistler holds up a finger, half his mouth bowed in the makings of a smile, "England is one I know."

His expression then turns a bit mischievous. "So, do you look like me then? I mean, well, like a human?" Undoubtedly he's been trying to form a picture of her in his mind but being from another planet just threw him a curve ball. He knows she has arms and walks on approximately two feet, but so far as he knows that could be where the similarities end.

[mismanagement]

Ah, he has a sense of humor. Maketh laughs just a little. "His version of it has not yet invented gunpowder. That happens sometimes, too. The time difference. But I am human. I am smaller than you and I wear my hair up. My world is mixed, however. There are many different species. I'm told this is unusual."

[whistlewhilstyouwork]

"Pretty unusual, yeah," He nods. "But in my opinion sometimes the whole 'just humans' thing can get pretty boring."

[mismanagement]

"Really? Does your world have other sentient species, then?"

Interesting. Maketh leans forward a little. "Will you tell me about it?"