epidemiology | OPEN ★ ARRIVAL LOG

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OPEN ★ ARRIVAL LOG

ARRIVALS ( OCT 2 )
The dragons are taken from you, sent off to a safe haven. You're back in Oska for less than a day when you hear the announcement and head to the rendezvous point. You blink, step through the portal, there's a loud crack, and...

You're thrown into darkness. You taste copper and, for a moment, your ears won't stop ringing. All common side-effects of portal travel. The entire crew arrives just beyond the city gates, so you might also be feeling a little bit claustrophobic.

It takes a second for the eyes to adjust, but one can make out buildings and the cobblestone beneath their feet. To the right is the Trade District, where all the vendors are gathered to sell their wares. Up ahead is the City Square, where the rest of the citizens out and about seem to be gathered. To the left of the square is the Commoners' District, and to the right of it is the Nobles' District, the two main residential areas. Further travel west will come to the outskirts, a makeshift residential area, this one densely populated with goblins. Many of the people are holding candles or lanterns. You might want to try getting your hands on one of those.

If you have not already done so, your enchanted jewelry will manifest words in front of your very eyes — or sounds in your ear, if you're illiterate — asking you to identify yourself. A quick look around shows that you seem to be the only one able to see it. All you have to do is think or say how you wish to be identified. After that, you're immediately given a message.

Those who participated in the dragon mission at Anwick will first receive this:

We appreciate your help at Anwick. The wyrmlings will live to grow up and bring about the world's natural end. Thank you.

-- ALASTAIR

Afterwards, the crew will be given an abridged version of this, then told to familiarize themselves with the city and natives, report all information gathered back to ALASTAIR, and wait for further instruction.

At the end of the night, wherever they may be, everyone will receive a letter with the royal seal thanking them for their efforts to end the goblins' defiance and inviting them to the Festival of Illumination on the 4th.

FESTIVAL OF ILLUMINATION ( OCT 4 )
Candles are sitting on windowsills throughout the entire city, but the main event is in the city square. In the fountain float lit lotuses, and people all around are holding lanterns, waiting to light them.

There's a minstrel playing songs, and several of the vendors have pulled their carts up to the square in the hopes of making a sale. Many sweets are for sale, including baked apples, gingerbread, cherry tarts, pudding, and more. There's also some drinks for sale.

Some children are playing games in the corner, and others are dancing to the music or writing wishes on slips of paper to be sent into the sky with their lanterns. Everyone seems merry for once, but you'd better be careful. This is an ideal place for a pickpocket.

About an hour and a half into the festival, the lanterns are sent into the sky. They're sent flying, the sky becoming filled with bright lights, until...

A strong gust of wind sends all the lights out. At least, you think it was a gust of wind. What else could have done that? On closer inspection, however, you'll see that even the candles sitting on windowsills inside have gone out. For a minute or so, there's only darkness and chaos.

Suddenly, the flames begin to burn again, revealing a message in the cobblestone in the center of the square. It almost looks as if it's been burned into the ground: IT IS COMING, followed by a symbol of a creature with a lion's head, goat's body, and serpent's tail.

[MOD NOTE: This is a catch-all log for the first few days. For the sake of organization, all arrival threads should be posted under the subheader ARRIVALS and all festival threads should be posted under FESTIVAL. Threads that don't fall under either of those categories can be top-levels. Also, please remember to add your character's tag to the post! Thank you, and have fun!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Pearl had wandered into the nobles' district, and was taking in the sights before she catches something glitterin in the corner of her eye. She turns her head to see his suit of gold and can't help but stare. Was he some sort of night? Like the one's she's read about? The ones she based her duty to Rose Quartz? Whoever he was, he carried himself proudly. He was strong and grand, making a statement as he merely walked.

She shifts in place awkwardly, suddenly mindful of herself. Weaker than most gems, a small stick-like stature. Not exactly a picture perfect knight. None the less, she speaks up.]

Are you looking for something, sir knight?

[Maybe it was wrong to assume he was such a thing, but that armor.]

Edited 2015-10-02 14:55 (UTC)

[Sir knight...?

Gilgamesh glances over to Pearl, eyebrows raising, both at her choice of address and her unusual appearance. In all his travels, he's never seen anything quite like her, small and spindly as she may have been. He does not look upon her with judgment, for once, but with open curiosity.

And then he steps straight into her space without warning, bending down to assess her eye-to-eye. His own are bloody red and striking, but carry no hint of venom, at least for now. He really is genuinely fascinated by her in turn. This is a good thing... probably.]

I am no knight, little one, but a king. And indeed I was, but it seems no one's about.

[Pearl inhales sharply as he bends down to her eye level. She swallows tgickly, however, not moving to back down from the sudden invasion of space. Her interest is caught though. This man wasn't a knight but, a king? Her eyes search his beinh once more. Upon closer inspection, the armor was quite detailed. But the 'little one" comment... she lets it slide for now.

She clears her throat.]

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to call you by an incorrect title. You just had the attire of one. I shouldn't have assumed... A king. Wow.

[She brushes some hair away from the gem on her forehead as she looks around at their surroundings.]

Perhaps I could be of some assistance? Depending on what you're looking for, of course.

[Is she frightened already? Gilgamesh has to laugh, and endeared, he softens into a rare smile. Reaching over, he taps the tip of his finger to that gem. It is not threatening; once more he's displaying an almost childlike wonder in her.

This could be a good thing, or a very, very bad thing, depending.]

I will excuse it. And if you wish to offer aid, I will not turn it away.

[Gilgamesh gestures back to the dim homes with his arm.]

I seek the people who dwell within. But I'm uncertain of how to draw them out.

[Short of just showering weapons everywhere. May not leave the best impression.]

[At the tapping, she bristles a little, blinking each time her gem was tapped. It was sensitive. She takes a step back to put a little space in between them before she looks down the rows of homes. Rubbing her neck, she glances back up at him.]

With so much tension in the air, I don't blame them for staying indoors.

Are you hoping to get information from them?

I was hoping to alleviate my boredom.

[Yes, it really was as simple as that. He's tempted to tease her a second time, but refrains. He'll let her have a bit of distance.]

These missions are a bit trying of my patience, you see. I've only so much to spare after that dragon nonsense.

[Her shoulders slump at the mention of their last mission. If anything, it sounded like a huge failure to Pearl. Her lips purse into a thin line.]

I had thought we were doing some good, protecting the offspring. But it only blew up in our faces.

[Pearl shakes her head. There was nothing they could do about it. It was all said and done, and there were no warp pads here to jump back. She perks up and soon bows her head a little. He was a king right? Best to be respectful.]

My name is Pearl. It's a pleasure to meet you, your majesty.

[Gilgamesh tilts his head at this, confused.]

Oh? Worry not. All worlds have natural cycles, so we simply contributed to its natural end. Neither the dragons nor the people were at fault for obeying this law and order, so there's no need for regrets.

[Was that a statement of support? Maybe. Possibly. But he's brushing past it, and her show of proper manners curries yet more good favor with him. He's happy to run into someone who respects his station, and in return he can extend a bit of kindness.]

You may call me Gilgamesh, Pearl. Did you know? You were named after something beautiful and magnificent. It is alright to hold your head high.

[Because I am also beautiful. His eyes dance with that sort of mischief.]

Still, we could have done something better if we had more context. The humans and the dragons could have surivived...

[..named after something beautiful and magnificent.

Pearl laughs lightly, a bitter edge to it, and stands up straight.]

Where I'm from, Pearls aren't held in such high regard. But that's a story for another day. I wasn't named Pearl, that's what I am.

[And for emphasis, the gem on her forehead glows softly.]

Nonsense. Pearls are surely as lovely as any other treasure.

[This Gilgamesh declares with absolute, inarguable authority. It's a ringing sort of statement that's hard to ignore, and he nods decisively, as if to confirming the truth of it. His truth, the only one that ever mattered.]

So you are luxury incarnate? What a strange sort of existence. I've never heard of a living, breathing gem before.

[Which isn't to say he isn't enchanted. As the owner of the biggest treasure vault imaginable, he could ever admire her for it. And he does appear envious.]

I'm not any sort of luxury. I was made. I was used. I had objectives and a purpose...

[The gem glows brighter for a moment before it dims down, snuffed out by Pearl steeling her emotions. She rests a hand on her own chest.]

What I am is different from your mineral gems in which you're familiar with. I'm sentient. What you see is a solid mass projection.

[...my, she's particular, isn't she? Prim and polite yet with a trim sort of tongue. He's taken a liking to her already. In gracious acknowledgment, he dips his head.]

Then you'll forgive my misunderstanding. Truly, you are something special, beyond description.

[She glances back up at him, wary but feels her cheeks tint with a small blue hue. He sounded so sincere...

Shaking it off, Pearl clears her throat.]

Enough about silly ol' me! You ah, said you were a king. What were you the king of, exactly?

[How cute. And Gilgamesh seems almost, almost docile this way, more than happy to speak at length about himself.]

Why, I was king of everything, once, as humanity's first hero. There were many stories written about me, many legends passed down that descended from my own. I was the beginning and the end, an existence not too far from your own—something that defies mortal understanding.

[Gilgamesh lifts his hand and a swirling portal of purest gold appears above it. From its depths drops a string of pearls, lined with all sorts of other gems. Rubies, sapphires, emeralds. But the pearls are the centerpiece. They stand out. They are most radiant, most important, emphasizing a very deliberate point.

Gilgamesh offers the jewelry to her.]

I was king of everything, and so all the world's treasures belonged to me.

[Pearl watches in genuine amazement as the portal opens up above his hand. Was it some kind of magic? It had to be. None the less, her attention held onto as he reaches inside it and pulls out that elaborate necklace.

She takes note of the rubies and sapphires, her heart sinking a little. What could her teammates at home be doing? Were they worried. Did they even know she was gone?]

The king of everything... That's a rather bold statement. [The Gem is taken aback by the jewelry offered to her. While she knew the difference between earth gems, and the Gems she's accustomed with, it still felt odd to see them handed to her so casually. She raises her hand to decline.]

Oh no, please, that's yours! You keep it.

[Gilgamesh suffers the refusal well. He plays the pearls about his fingers for a moment before allowing them to dissolve in thin air, strand by glittering strand. Magic, indeed, and of a very powerful sort. Beyond description and beyond understanding.]

There shall be a day when you recognize your value. Come and claim it then.

[On that end note, Gilgamesh turns his attention back to the shuttered homes.]

Well, what shall we do? I suppose there's always barging in, if nothing else...

[Pearl shakes her head furiously, her gaze flickering from him and to the homes.]

You can't just barge in! What if you barge in on a family who is just settling down for dinner? I don't think demanding answers like that will do anyone any good.

Have you tried the commoner's district? [Pearl would have, but she was distracted by what a mess it was.]

[...oh. None of that really mattered to Gilgamesh, but she's so insistent about it he just sort of nods and gives up on the idea, though his expression does scrunch up at the thought of mingling with commoners. Gross.

Good thing he had a convenient Gem ~~bodyguard~~ ~~shield~~ companion for that now. What a stroke of luck!]

Mm. Best we go at that together, then, so I don't have to touch any of them.

[Still being kind of Questionable over here, but at least he backed off of charging through doors in demand of answers. It's a start.]

[She blinks at that statement.]

You don't have to touch any of them while talking to them. I doubt they'd want you touching them anyways.

[Pearl frowns a little before rubbing the back of her neck.] But it is rather... messy over there.

Hah! As if I'm fearful of a little mess. Show me to those poor souls and I'll show you precisely how I clean up messes.

[He seems confident... maybe overly so, but it is quite infectious. Welcome to the wonderful world of charisma so great it bordered on being a curse.]

[THAT SOUNDS OMINOUS... But Pearl knows how to deal with bad situations, if they do get out of control. She isn't too worried for the most part. Though that portal he displayed earlier could be worrisome.

She smiles a little and waves her hand for him to follow.]

It isn't too far from here. Follow me.

[Gilgamesh follows. And he follows with a boatload of questions, with a childishness that defies his age and his status.]

Are there many like you in your world, Pearl? A world full of treasures come to life would truly be a thing of wonder.

[As she walks, she glances back at Gilgamesh and smiles a little at the questions. It was almost familiar to her, when Steven would ask so many questions.

Pearl shakes her head.]

The group I'm a part of, the Crystal Gems, reside on earth. There aren't many gems there, and even fewer stable ones. We come from space, you could say. Some of us were made on earth, but others were made elsewhere.

Edited 2015-10-02 21:08 (UTC)

From space...

[For all he's traveled, Gilgamesh has never made it as far as the stars. As he walks, that bulkier armor fades away to more casual clothing. They're better suited to each other now, the pretty Gem and the pretty young man with red, red eyes.]

In my time, I only made it as far as the desert sands. To a city of the future, where I fought in a great war.

[Could Gems also fight? He wants to ask but he feels he already has his answer. Too gentle, he thinks. She'd never.]

[She watches that and actually doesn't seem to mind it. It's like when a Gem regenerates themselves. Nothing out of the ordinary, plus Pearl has changed her clothing on the fly on occasion.]

You fought in a war too? What were you fighting for?

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