EVENT ★ WELCOME TO TERRA FELIS

[futurologists]

WELCOME TO TERRA FELIS Characters leave Woodhurst suddenly and without notice, but once they come out the other side of the rift, they aren't in Oska. Instead, they'll find themselves in the middle of a springtime meadow. Flowers are in bloom, the bright blue sky is above, and birds chirp overhead. And then there are the cats. From all sides of the meadow come housecats of all shapes and sizes, indistinguishable from mundane felines in every way until one of them speaks: "You're the third team today," it says in the calm, clear voice of a man. "Come along." CENTRUM COLONIAM Centrum Coloniam is the primary city of Terra Felis and is where the government, a constitutional monarchy, is located. Situated high above the ground, the city is accessible via teleportation pads located at guarded entrances all around its base; the teleportation pads to return to the ground are not guarded at all, and anyone may travel freely whenever they wish. Terra Felis operates on magitek, a complex combination of magic and technology that recruits should be familiar with: it's the same technology that runs Oska and the jewelcomms. Centrum Coloniam is lit by glowing, floating orbs that turn on automatically in the darkness, and its machinery seems to run itself, with only a few technicians scurrying about every now and then. The buildings all have tall, vaulted ceilings, as the cats prefer to walk along raised platforms rather than the floor, though furniture and utensils might give larger species (that's you) some difficulty. However, the cats receive enough visitors where most buildings (except private residences) have been situated with human-sized doorways, though if you're very tall, you may have to stoop a bit. All in all, characters ought to be relatively comfortable here if they have a good sense of humor -- though dogs or other canine companions will be met with suspicion if not outright hostility. Even enlightened sapient felines are not without their prejudices. The city of Centrum Coloniam is shaped like a circle, with the government in the center and four districts located to the north, east, south, and west. Radiating out from the city are four long spokes of parkland, separating each district. AREAS OF NOTE: ROYAL SQUARE. Where the Queen's opulent palace is located. She is much too busy to see visitors right now, but the Prime Minister, a plump persian, will greet anyone in her stead and answer any questions. Surrounding the palace in a circle are the parliamentary buildings and other governmental structures. ACADEMY SQUARE. To the north of the Royal Square is Academy Square, Terra Felis's university district and home to the Royal University. The cats focus mainly on scientific, mathematical, and magical pursuits, though there are smaller colleges for history and law. This is also where the library is located, though it is all nonfiction (and written in Latin), as the cats don't seem to have much use for entertainment. Also located within the Academy Square is the Royal Magitekkery, where the magitek specialists are hard at work developing new spells and technology. This is where the interdimensional rift machines are located, and where scientists and wizards are monitoring for news from Oska. If characters would like to ask more about magitek or inquire about Oska, they may speak to the Royal Scientist, a rather snobby sphynx. GROOMING DISTRICT. Home to many spas, salons, and other businesses focusing on individual pampering, the Grooming District is located to the east of the Royal Square and is where the majority of the locals are employed if they are not involved in politics or magitek. Though their primary clientele are, naturally, feline, they are largely excited to work on aliens and will do their best to provide whatever services they can. Of particular note are the Terra Felis spas, where soothing mud baths and shi-miatsu massage are very popular with their regular alien visitors. They also have natural hot springs available, though you'll have to wait for a Turkish Van to assist you, as all other spa attendants refuse to risk getting wet. RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT. Unless you are going to be roughing it down on the ground, your lodgings will be here at a hotel especially outfitted for human-sized visitors. The proprietress, a friendly tabby, will give you directions if you need them. Hotel rooms are outfitted with private bathrooms, a table and chairs, a vanity, and a television -- though the programming is primarily educational and news, except for the channel that plays nothing but endless videos of birds and fish, and the "alien station" which plays what appears to be soap operas starring bloblike creatures. The beds are probably the most unusual thing here for visitors -- although they're big enough for humanoids, they're just gigantic, fluffy cat beds. The houses here are not built for alien visitors larger than a cat, so if you make a friend, you'll have to visit them elsewhere. This district is also home to a number of shops and restaurants, though you might have trouble finding something to eat at the latter unless you live on a purely carnivorous diet. If you would like a little more variation in your meal, you will be offered a tray of wheatgrass; the kitchen at the hotel is staffed with cooks more accustomed to a human diet, so you might have better luck there. As cats are allergic to alcohol, there is no liquor in Terra Felis, but locals will offer you catnip on the sly if you mention you want something to help you loosen up. MUSEUM CAMPUS. The pride of Centrum Coloniam, the Museum Campus is located to the west of the Royal Square and home to museums covering everything from history to astronomy. (There is no art museum. If you were interested in seeing what cats consider art, the answer is nothing.) There is also a rather large and rather popular aquarium, as well as a zoo which features both native animals and animals from all across the galaxy. The zoo is home to an extremely complex breeding program, and the Royal Zookeeper, a scatterbrained black longhaired cat, is happy to explain their methods. Outside the city, the ground is home to meadows and forests, plus smaller villages for more rural cats. Characters are welcome to spend their time exploring the wilds if the city life isn't for them, where they may run into animals that one may expect to find in medieval Europe (deer, bears, wolves, etc). Apart from the cats, there is no other sapient species on the planet. OOC NOTES Welcome to Terra Felis! Contact with ALASTAIR NPCs remains mysteriously closed, and the native cat population has no idea what's going on with Oska either. Please use this post to plot amongst yourselves! The two other ALASTAIR teams in Terra Felis are Team Unicorn, an elite team of six (five humanoids and one talking kangaroo), and Team Ambrosia, a 20-recruit magic-focused team that consists of elves, humans, and satyrs. Unicorn had just begun their mission when they were suddenly rifted to Terra Felis, and Ambrosia was in the middle of what was apparently a very epic battle. Questions about Terra Felis can be directed here. You may also use this comment to ask (brief!) handwaved questions with cat NPCs. Questions about the game in general should be directed to the FAQ. You may also submit mission ideas or player plots at any time.

Comments

wilderness

[hundredths]

[The city had been preoccupying enough for the first few days, certainly, but another day rolls around and Mob's curiosity gets the better of him. At first he'd just wanted to test out how the teleportation pads dotting the city borders worked, and then--upon being ported to the countryside below--he'd just wanted to poke around a bit and see if there was anything particularly alien about the landscape. So far this place actually...doesn't seem to be very different from Earth, sentient cats and their advanced technology aside? He's hardly an expert on how these things might work, but Mob does have a friend back home who's very into aliens, so he feels like he ought to investigate at least a little for her sake...

Straying too far into the woodland had been a bit of a mistake, though, with Mob realizing he must have turned himself around only after already walking a fair ways in. He's still trying to figure out which way is the direction back to the city when the sound of running water catches his attention, alongside.....another energy. Ah?

Mob steps through bushes, into a clearing with a waterfall--and that's about all he can register, actually, before there's suddenly a stream of water flying directly at his face.]

Ah-- [He moves before he thinks, automatic; a hand jerks up slightly, and the stream of water bends sharply, veering inches away from his nose in favor of shooting straight up towards the sky instead. Suspended high over his head, the water coils into a sphere and simply hangs there, glistening in the sun.

Mob looks down from the water to the source--a person sitting on the stones near the waterfall, red energy flickering lightly about her. Oh.]

...Sorry. Did you want this back? [Gesturing to...the orb of water up there now....]

[scarletcast]

Look out!

[ She's halfway to trying to force the water away from him but she. Doesn't need to. Wanda stares at how effortlessly he does what he does, that feels like a power similar to her own. ]

No, you can return it to the river.

[hundredths]

[She stares at him, and Mob stares back--but the response does manage to break the impending stare-off, at any rate.]

Okay... [Mob lowers his hand; seemingly without any further prompting aside from the line of his glance back upwards, the water sphere bobs and floats its way back over the water, before it falls apart, splashing back into the river it came from.

That done, Mob hesitates a little between his bushes, before taking a step or two further into the clearing. Not that he wants to impose, really, but...then again, this is the first person he's actually run into in the last quarter of an hour. Well, that and he's curious too, admittedly...] Was that an accident?

[scarletcast]

Yes.

[ She doesn't take her eyes off that sphere as it dissipates into the river. There is no surrounding energy aura to his telekinesis, yet in principle it looks and feels no different. ]

I did not think anyone would come here.

[ Let alone someone who'd be able to deflect an accidental shot. Her gaze turns curious. ]

Who are you?

[hundredths]

[Well, it's nice to know he wasn't purposely being attacked, at least...he's been trying to get at least a little better at noticing those sorts of things. The lady does bring up a valid point, though...]

I guess nobody would try to come usually...I hadn't meant to come. I got lost.

[So he informs her plainly, though be doesn't sound particularly distressed about this. The question earns a blink.]

My name is Shigeo Kageyama. [Introductions, right...he offers her a small bow where he's standing, accordingly.] What's your name...?

[scarletcast]

[ He's telling the truth. Wanda nods politely at his greeting. ]

My name is Wanda. Are you with Audentes?

[hundredths]

Ah--yes.

[So she must be too...? That's good to hear, though here is a face he hasn't seen until now. It makes sense, though, seeing as how she's not a cat...

Since she doesn't seem terribly offended by his presence on the whole here, Mob opts to move forward some more, pacing up until he's standing next to the riverbank, sneakers squishing down in the mud a bit. All the better for him to peer at her curiously for another moment or so, noting the energy fanning faintly from Wanda's person like heat waves off a hot rooftop. It's sort of familiar, but...also sort of not....?]

Wanda-san, are you an Esper?

[scarletcast]

[ He's not threatening. Wanda doesn't object to him coming closer. ]

Where I am from I am called enhanced. It may be the same thing.

What can an Esper do?

[hundredths]

Well...I guess that depends on the person. You can learn a lot of things, if you want. But I haven't done a lot with it...

[Not like Hanazawa-kun, or those Claw members from before, who had myriad specializations and skills--wasn't that so? But none of those things help with the problems he usually has, so...

Mob shrugs, a very slight gesture.]

I've always been able to move things around, though. Like you were doing just then, I think. ["Enhanced"...he's never heard of it being called something like that. Hm.] They call Esper abilities psychic powers, back home. Is it the same for, enhanced people...?

[scarletcast]

There are a few types, not only psychic. There are also other kinds of powers.

[ She won't talk easily of Pietro. The other Avengers are fair game. ]

How often do you meet another Esper?

[hundredths]

[Mob nods slowly; this sounds reasonable enough to him, though he's never encountered anything not connected to psychic power back home just yet. Still, it's a big world...it'd probably be a bit odd if there weren't other kinds of powers out there, actually....]

Other Espers? Not very often...I was the only one I knew for awhile until sort of recently, back home. But there are a few of them in my hometown, looks like.

I haven't met any...here, with Audentes, though. I haven't been here very long...but I've been wondering if there's others. [He appraises Wanda for another moment, and then nods slightly.] If we can both move things around we're probably mostly the same. I think this probably counts. What do you think?

[scarletcast]

[ She can do more than move things around. Like hell she's telling a stranger, even one with similar abilities. ]

[ He seems forthcoming, at least, her hackles are still up. ]

That seems fair. I am the only one so far, [ her hex energy swirls around a rock, levitating it ] with this.

[hundredths]

[In all honesty, Mob can do a few other things besides move things around too...but it doesn't feel particularly relevant to mention, at the moment. It's not like he uses those other abilities often enough to count for much of anything, after all...

He shifts his glance to watch as the rock rises, wrapped in her energy just the same as psychic power. Idly, this time without raising an arm or moving at all in particular, Mob prods another rock into lifting up and bobbing around next to hers. Comparing the two next to each other, Mob supposes they're similar enough for something to count, at the very least.]

Maybe there's two of us now, then... [Thoughtful--but well, that settles that, at least for now. Mob turns his attention back to Wanda.] ...Can I ask what you were doing a little earlier? With the water.

[scarletcast]

[ The rock has served its purpose; Wanda sets it down. ]

I was practicing moving it.

[ Water, air, and fire are tricky. They're not objects she can simply think and throw, they take effort and creative thinking. She has to practice them the most. ]

You can join me if you want to.

[hundredths]

Ah...that's nice of you to offer, thank you. ...I don't think I need much practice for that sort of thing anymore, though.

[Wanda's rock sinks back down, and Mob's does too, accordingly. He refocuses on her, frown faintly apologetic.]

So I'm not sure I'd be very helpful to you like that, sorry.

[scarletcast]

[ She nods. Wryly, ]

You want to watch instead?

[hundredths]

[...Huh. When she suggests it like that--] ...I wouldn't mind that, actually. If you're fine with it?

[What can he say...he is a bit curious, despite himself, faced with this prospect of apparently meeting someone who's an Esper-but-not-quite. Mob finally shifts where he's standing on the bank, stepping back slowly from where his shoes have started sucking into the mud.]

I'll find a spot to sit down somewhere...out of the way. --Oh, and whenever you feel like stopping for awhile...do you know which way it is from here, back to the city?

[scarletcast]

I am not bothered.

[ She's used to being watched and tested. There's none of the latter here, so less to be conscious about. It's not like anyone can tell she reads minds just by watching her use telekinesis. ]

It's that way, there's no path. You should take care in case you get lost.