epidemiology | EVENT ★ EXPLORATION

With the storm gone, the water surrounding Komo has calmed considerably. Much of the affected area is in ruins, but thanks to ALASTAIR, a large contingent of Komo survived the disaster. However, with parts of Komo uninhabitable, they need to be able to reach Nalawi’s other islands. With their technology so limited due to dependence on their Gifts, it’s all they can do to build a few tiny, shoddy canoes, powered solely by elbow grease. They only fit two regular-sized people (but four Nalawi), and the wait time is long, but they do the trick. If you aren't willing to wait, you can always try to get creative.

Strangely, though, anyone trying to use their magic to cross the waters will find that their powers are beginning to dampen. Similarly, anyone with superhuman abilities at all will find them waning, albeit at different rates. Those without any special powers at all will be completely unaffected.

But that's nothing to worry about, right? It’s time to see the rest of Nalawi.

PU’ULAI

PU’ULAI is the centermost island of the archipelago and by far the largest. Most of the travel between islands is to and from Pu’ulai, as it’s the cultural hub of Nalawi and the location of Nalanni’s largest temple. It’s very populated during the day, but isn’t a residential area and clears out once the sun goes down.

The first thing you'll notice is that the deer hate cats. The citizens of Komo are far more likely to let it go, but if you have anything slightly cat-looking with you here, at best, you'll be yelled at. Some Nalawi try to start fights, and no one but Komoans will allow cats anywhere near their homes or inns. Recruits might notice children running away from cats, screaming, "Dakal!"

THE TEMPLE, referred to as Nalanni’s Garden, is closest to the Nalalona volcano on a neighboring island. The regular ash from it was viewed as a good omen from Nalanni, who’s rumored to live within the volcano, but it’s been months since anyone has seen any activity from it. The temple is dark as obsidian, which is coincidentally what it’s made of. There’s a copious amount of brightly colored flowers around the temple, hence the name. The gardens are free for anyone to walk through, as is the temple. One image is constant throughout the temple: an inhumanly large, vaguely feminine being made in stone and fire, a walking volcano. It would be easy for such a woman to look frightening, but she looks welcoming and caring, arms outstretched to embrace her children.

Inside the temple are more murals of Nalanni, but also some curiously unrelated to her. They depict the Nalawi fighting against large, predatory cat-creatures, finally culminating in their enemies attacking Nalalona. This is when Nalanni reappears, striking them down. The temple is tended to by several Nalawi of varying ages, all very welcoming to strangers, especially those they’ve heard heroic tales of. News traveled fast once the Komo villagers crossed the waters and spread the news of their timely rescuers. There are plenty of Nalawi in the temple, making offerings and asking Nalanni to return to them -- some are hopeful, but others appear desolate.

CITY HALL is where the ten members of the Council convene. No one is allowed in, as they’ve been discussing the changing state of Nalawi nonstop for days. There’s a group gathered around the hall each day, hoping their leaders will emerge and announce their plans, but nothing has happened yet. It’s a good chance to sit around and listen, though -- you’ll quickly find out that Nalawi is a meritocracy; the Council have the strongest Gifts of anyone in Nalawi, determined by a nationwide competition to prove their worth every time a seat opens. Some of the more disgruntled deer whisper that some must have lost their powers by now and no longer deserve to sit on the Council.

A few arguments are beginning to break out around the city hall, and even a few scuffles. Luckily, their weakened powers have also dampened the damage they’re able to deal, and no one has been injured too badly. Just try to be respectful -- otherwise, you might upset the wrong person. Those hooves can hurt.

ELSEWHERE, there's a marketplace where traditional Nalawi clothing can be bought, among other things, inactive spas shut down due to dormant volcanoes, and maybe -- if you’re very lucky -- you’ll stumble upon a ferry that still works. It’s unlikely, though, and haggling with its owner will be difficult. You could always steal it, but you wouldn’t do that, would you?

You can always explore the SURROUNDING ISLANDS, which are mostly residential areas, similar in theme to the parts of Komo that haven't been destroyed.

Oh, and if you're disrespectful to the islanders or were at any point rude to the people in Komo, you might wake up to find a bunch of tiny, adorable Nalawi around your bed, swinging around bars of soap in socks. Don't worry, they won't actually do anything but threaten you for a minute before storming out. ...Yet. The moral of the story is 'don't mess with the Nalawi.'

OOC INFO

The entire map of Nalawi is now available to characters. Updated location information can be found here.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[This has been a terrible day. And like all terrible days, it feels as if time is going much slower than usual, and Keats is almost half surprised it isn't the afternoon yet. One of the major reasons why it's a terrible day is that he's been battling the strangest onset of sickness - it came on him so suddenly, and he's been struggling to try to go about and investigate things as usual. He feels weak, wobbly, his head foggy, and the sudden sight of a man just blatantly talking to thin air is not helping matters much.]

[Keats pauses to give Rhys a bleary look, raising an eyebrow, before turning away and muttering to himself:]

Oh, great. I'm surrounded by crazy people. Of course I am.

[He says, as if this isn't even the strangest thing that he's seen, but it's sure adding to the giant pile of weirdness that's been building ever since he joined ALASTAIR.]

[ He heard that, asshole. Or it seems his imaginary friend heard it and said something about it — there's a delay as he turns around. He laughs uncomfortably, which likely only adds to the 'crazy' look. ]

I'm not crazy.

[ Sounds like something a crazy person would say. ]

Just, you know... thinking out loud.

[ Those weren't exactly the things someone would say if they were thinking out loud, but it still sounds better than, "I have a person in my head only I can see, don't worry about it." ]

Oh, yes, because thinking out loud means you having a conversation with someone no one can see. Clearly, I've been mistaken all along about that.

[He does roll his eyes with an unimpressed look because...yeah, sorry, Rhys, that does sound exactly like what a crazy person would say. It's fine, though. He's too exhausted to really harp on about that.]

Whatever. [He says, with a tired look.] What are you even supposedly thinking out loud about, anyways?

[ Rhys looks to his left, entirely unsubtle. In his defense, it's hard not to look when Jack is rambling colorfully. He realizes after a second what he's doing and immediately turns his attention back to Keats, trying to appear nonchalant very chalantly.

He pauses for an uncomfortably long time. "Say something," he hears. "Liiiiterally anything. Feel free to jump in any time now. Oh my god, this is the longest anyone has ever been quiet." ]

Oh, you know, the... hypocrisy of man.

[ "You know what, never mind, never mind, the quiet was better." ]

Hah. It's a reference. That would be, like, so funny if you were there. But. You were not. Sooo I don't know why I just said that.

The hypocrisy of man?

[Keats ~~stares into the camera like on the office~~ gives Rhys a very disbelieving look. Honestly, he's seen children lie better than that. There's a pause on his end, before he says, dryly:]

You don't take me as a philosopher.

[ Rhys pauses, looking Keats over, searching his face for clues on what reply he wants. ]

I... do. [ He falters, wrinkling his brow and squinting as he tries to read Keats. ] I don't?

[ He gives up just then, shrugging his shoulders like, "What can you do?" Rhys lets out a little sigh of defeat, shaking his head. ]

I don't know which one you want, could go either way.

[There's a pause.]

[And then Keats lets out a laugh, his frown opening into a wide grin. Even in this state, he can still find something to be amused about.]

Oh goodness, the look on your face... [He chuckles, reaching up to push his glasses up his nose.] I'm just pulling your leg a little. No need to be so serious.

And by the way, you don't look like a philosopher. More like a man who has too much money and time on his hands.

Didn't anyone ever teach you not to judge a book by its cover?

[ Keats' judgment is nearly spot-on, but he's still allowed to be offended by it. It's not a bad thing, in his opinion, but everyone else seems to think it is. It's like they have an automatic disgusted reaction to anyone wearing a tie. (It's called fashion, but whatever.) ]

I mean. You're kind of right. But still.

[ He shoots Keats a pointed look. It's the principle of the thing. ]

Except the money part. Well, I, I did. Have that. Just not right now. Sort of going through a rough patch.

They have, but it's more likely than not that the interior matches the exterior from my experience.

[Keats, you have no room to talk, you look like a bookworm and yet you wrangle monstrous souls of the dead with your bare hands. Shut up.]

Oh? [That gets his curiosity going. There's a story here, he knows it, ~~his reporter's senses are tingling~~. He tilts his head, narrowing his eyes.] Do tell, what happened to you?

Would you believe my money got blown up?

[ He uses the term "my" very loosely. It wasn't legally his, and legally it was embezzling, but the point still stands. Ten million dollars, down the drain. ]

Because... that's exactly what happened. Just... [ He makes a little explosion with his hands, bumping his fists together then flexing his fingers as he pulls his hands apart again. ] Pshew.

[ Technically, the sound for an explosion is kaboom, but explosions don't actually sound like that. He's going for accuracy here. ]

Blown up?

[He's heard of money getting burned before, like in crime novels where some rival gang sends up their rival's cash in flames, but never blown up. That's interesting, to say the least.]

[He looks a little perked up from his dreary sick state, so he's more than happy to pursue this line of questioning.]

And how did that happen? It wasn't by accident, was it?

EVENT ★ EXPLORATION

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