[The Washington]
Two women sat at a table at the Washington; a noblewoman and her bodyguard. They'd never met before the Frontier, and never could have, coming literally from separate worlds. But the Frontier made for strange allies.
The noblewoman, Suela, was a beautiful woman in her mid-twenties, surrounded by a perfume of tropical flowers. She was tall, lean, and very dark, with sharp, imperial features, a smooth-shaven scalp, painted eyebrows, blue eyes, and a confident, practiced stride. Her main garment was a light floor-length skirt in varying shades of green forming an intricate geometric pattern with incredible precision. Aside from the skirt, she wore a belt around her hips with a number of pouches and satchels, numerous golden armrings, bracelets, and other bangles, and — having learned from her previous misadventure — a white silk tunic. It was of a sort usually worn as an undershirt in the mountains, but here was meant to avoid breaking the local nudity taboos without being as hot as an actual mountain coat.
Presently, she sat at a table with two books and a mug filled with her third round of the dreaded High Yoth tea she'd brought — a dark violet tisane that tasted like taking a deep breath in a flower garden, but possessed a cocktail of stimulants that would make the most macho of energy drinks skulk away in terrified awe. The first book was blank, the second an old but very carefully and expertly preserved copy of Omar Khayyám's Treatise on Demonstration of Problems of Algebra. She was patiently copying the Treatise into the blank book with a quill pen made from some bright tropical bird feather, occasionally pausing to use a drafting compass and straightedge to ensure Khayyám's diagrams were transferred flawlessly. The tea was having an effect on her steadiness, but she knew to compensate by forcing herself to be slower. Those able to temporarily suspend the translation magics, or simply able to read 11th century Persian unaided, would note it was an act of translation — Suela was writing in High Yoth, and one able to peer past the translation magics would see letters that looked more runic than anything.
Beside her was a simple staff, for both fashion and self-defense. The staff was just over four feet in length, of dark wood crowned by a steel disk etched with a calligraphic rune far too intricate in both meaning and design for easy translation — if one squinted, one would get an impression akin to "Order in All Things". The staff was a symbol of her status, but a skilled blow with it would easily break bone. Of course, the bone-breaking was presently Brin's job, for which Suela was grateful.
Brin was a stocky, heavyset woman with medium skin, black hair in a short, practical cut, and distinct blue-green eyes. Her face was probably never better than plain, and it had clearly been rearranged a few times in hand-to-hand combat to boot. A particularly nasty scar on her left temple marked a close encounter with an Equalist's electrical glove. She was wearing a Republic City policewoman's uniform: dark greens and greys, professional but slightly threadbare from a few days in the Frontier teaching the rowdier locals some manners. Lessons that tended to involve flying stones.
Brin had politely refused so much as a drop of that stuff Suela insisted on calling tea despite its utter lack of tea leaves, and as such was perfectly calm and ready. Suela hadn't annoyed anybody, surprisingly enough for a noblewoman in a place like this, but Brin still kept an eye out for troublemakers and threats. Her policewoman's instinct wouldn't let her really let down her guard, though she made a point of hauling anyone she thrashed down to the sheriff and doing her best to follow something like proper procedure. Such a thing didn't really exist here, but she kept the spirit of it alive; let people surrender, don't rough them up when they're down, be polite even when you're knocking them over with small boulders.
She waited for Suela to finish her chapter, then said, "I got good news and bad news. Good news: I found out where this 'dead god' of yours might be." Suela's eyes lit up, but Brin continued, "it's 'might', and that's not even the bad news. The bad news is that it's a ways out. Too likely to meet bandits gangs who'd see a pair of women out alone and... we'd be lucky if they just robbed and killed us. We need a little extra muscle, even if it's just for show."
"Better than we were before," Suela said. "A place like this attracts adventurers and mercenaries. Not all trustworthy, true, but I think we can put together something."
"I hope so," Brin said. "And I hope this dead god's really my ticket home."
edited 15th Aug '15 7:50:36 AM by KillerClowns
Main Street
Saya walked up the town's central street after stumbling upon it from the desert earlier that morning. She was walking at a fairly leisurely pace, looking around and occasionally pausing to take a better look at something of interest.
She looked to be around her mid teens in age and of an ethnicity that was not immediately definable. She had long, straight auburn hair, brown eyes, and olive (or perhaps simply tanned) skin. Her rather well-worn outfit consisted of a short, light blue denim skirt, a shirt with medium length sleeves of the same color, a green vest, and knee-high black boots.
However, what most people would notice before they even saw the girl herself was the fact that she seemed to have her own theme song following her around. The strange music's sound resembled no known instrument; the closest approximation was a mix between choir and wind chimes. Its melody was a haunting one, yet also consonant and maybe a little soothing. The strangest thing about it, however, was that it didn't sound like it had an external source. Instead it played inside the heads of those who heard it, much like any other song that might have gotten stuck there. The only indication that it had an external source at all was how its volume varied depending on how far away Saya was from the listener.
Saya appeared to be oblivious to her own music, as indeed she couldn't hear it at the moment. She took this to mean simply "nothing to report." She supposed this was a good thing; while she was familiar with desert towns, this desert town bore little resemblance to the shantytown she normally called home, and the desert surrounding it bore little resemblance to the Great Waste.
She wasn't worried in the slightest, however. There was nothing wrong with a little adventure every once in a while, and there were worse places she could've found herself. Maybe she'd make a few new acquaintances while she was here, and maybe this town would have some things she wouldn't be able to get back home.
edited 15th Aug '15 8:28:50 AM by Yomegami
Icon by Civvi the Civilian!
[TRAIN - PASSENGER CAR #1]
He looked away from the chessboard, and out the rear window to look at the flatcar behind him. It's cargo - a vehicle resembling a military troop transport - was still there, which satisfied him.
He looked 32, and had white skin, an average height, brown hair and orange eyes. He wore a zipper-front turtleneck with the torso havinng a bright red color, combined with the medium-gray of the sleeves and neck. His lower body was clothed with pants of the same gray color. Closer inspection would reveal a loop of zippers halfway down both legs, allowing for the wearer to zip it off to a pair of shorts. Finally, his feet were protected with brown, slip-on shoes.
"Still there?" Asked his opponent, an elderly lady, as the man's gaze returned to the game. The woman, who looked like her early seventies, was also normal-skinned with white hair, blue eyes, and a slightly shorter height. Her apparel was more practical - a blue, button-down T-shirt with white shorts, black boots, and a black bandana on her head.
"Yup." He answered, "I know it's tied down pretty good, but with what's inside, you have to make sure. Circuits don't grow on trees, you know... Anyway..."
He took his last rook in his hand and prepared for victory.
"Checkm-"
Except it was interrupted. The train whistled as it arrived at its destination and broke hard, causing the man to lurch forward, knocking over all the other pieces except the queen.
The woman laughed hard at the incident. Although, the man also took it in good stride, as he simply laughed at himself and started picking up the game.
"Well anyway, we're here." He mentioned, taking another glance out the window.
edited 15th Aug '15 10:26:36 AM by TroPartner
Just flowing with it.
[Outside the Town]
A slow, steady rhythm formed from two horses' gait broke the silence of the Frontier's calm morning. Affixed with harnesses to a wooden, relatively small draped carriage, the two black horses looked spent from what presumably was a long journey.
On the driver's seat, holding the harness with thick gloves was unmistakably a seasoned warrior. A tall, upright stature coupled with his bulky, finely-tuned body immediately gave away his praiseworthy dedication to physical training. His ethnicity, in earth terms, was a blend of Arabian and European; a slightly brown complexion and dark, short and neatly-trimmed hair. His amber eyes made a contrast with his overall monotone appearance, mainly covered by a robe long enough to conceal his brown, armored tunic and long leather pants. Said robe also concealed a sword affixed to his belt, and protected him from the harsh elements of the night desert.
His middle-aged face bore a small smile as the town entered his sight, the sort of smile some of his past adversaries wouldn't believe he was capable of. His right hand let go of the harness and knocked on the front window of the carriage, slid shut by a piece of wood. "Are you both awake? Our arrival is nigh." he said.
A brief moment elapsed before the wood gave sideways, letting a gentle and very much equestrian-smelling wind blow into the carriage. A reply came in form of an old, slightly creaky voice, "I had been awake for quite some time now, Krul. Our princess here warrants some praise for being able to sleep throughout the rocky journey. The smell will soon wake her up, I believe." he let out a small laugh at the end.
The old man sitting inside the carriage just below the window was Alba, a grey-haired man who looked sixty, but was actually ninety. Such a number, however, was merely the beginning of 'old' for a quarter-Musionian. He was thin, bordering on bony, and almost comically short even without taking into account his slouched back. However, his complexion was very healthy, and his eye sharp as a hawk's. His grip on things had seen better days, but it held his wooden walking stick firmly as it tapped the floor along with the horses' rhythm.
Alba was wearing a relatively formal and respectable set of clothing, which came in form of a jet black renaissance-style suit-and-pants combo. The suit had a long-ish coattail capable of conveniently hiding a dagger.
"I'm awake already, Professor Alba! Close the window, it stinks!" a young girl's voice rose in complaint. No older than twenty, the voice belonged to Lia, a girl with long, flowing golden hair (which is currently all frazzled up from sleep) and strongly-hued amber eyes. The lithe body of hers was of average height, and her overall appearance gave off an elegant flair characteristic of a member of nobility, which she was. Lia wore an intricately-patterned and practical dress of brilliant green, which flows to just below her knees. Her overall attire was complimented with black flat shoes.
Alba appreciated the grand mess that was her hair with a neutral smile, "Between the three of us, you should be the one closest to nature, my dear. This earthy smell should be a non-issue. But I warn you, it might stick to your hair, which, if I may say, resembles a magnificent sort of Lipsir flower." he said.
"Professor Alba!" Lia's protested once more as her hands gave her hair a run-over.
As a harmless back-and-forth began between the girl and the old man, the atmosphere turned from calm to lively at the carriage. Hearing the energetic voice of the feisty miss, Krul's smile grew slightly wider without his knowing. He tugged slightly harder on the harness, matching the carriage's pace with the town's rising energy as its buildings grew closer.
Just an introductionary post. No interacting with them for now because I have to go to sleep.
edited 15th Aug '15 5:29:25 PM by FlowingCotton
In a temple not too far from town - Ankh Temple
Underground inside a old temple made of stone, was a young woman with shoulder length messy black hair and dark olive skin. Her clothes consisted of a pair of short denim shorts with tan chaps, a brown crop top with tassels on the bottom, a tan poncho with a red and yellow brim design, tan high knee cowboy boots and a tan cowboy hat with a metal plating on the front. She was standing in a dimly lit room, the only light source a torch she carefully placed on the side, in front of her a large broadsword lodged into a boulder.
Her dark green eyes looked at it hungrily and she grinned. "This is like finding the legendary Excalibur. Wonder if it will make me Queen." she said and grabbed a hold of the hilt and pulled. It took her a few tries but finally she got it free, only to feel a rumble in the temple. "You've got to be kidding me." she grumbled and sure enough a large boulder was headed her way. She screamed and ran for it, sword in arms, when suddenly it glowed with mysterious runes. She blinked then decided to turn around and swing it, magic shooting from it and breaking the boulder in half. "Oooh, this is even better than I thought." she said and ran out of the temple with it cheerfully.
Town - Tipsy Toad
The girl came back to town, sword on back now as she came to the saloon with a big grin on her face. She sat down at the bar and said, "Sarsaparilla please. I feel like celebrating." Her eyes darted around the saloon, making sure no one was eying her recent prize. The bartender handed her the drink and said, "You hear about that missing boy? Been missing for years but recently someone said they think they saw him wandering the vast desert." The girl's eyes shot up from her drink and she suddenly grabbed the man by his shirt. "Which direction? What desert were they talkin' about?" she cried out which startled the other patrons. "I..I don't know! It was just a rumor."
She sighed and let him go. "Of course it is. It always is." she mumbled and took a drink of her sarsaparilla.
edited 15th Aug '15 11:17:54 AM by Sphinxyness
"Can you imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie?"
They/Them
[The Tipsy Toad]
A strange individual sat at the bar of The Tipsy Toad, nursing a bottle of ale almost unnoticed amongst the rowdy crowd.
The individual, Ammolite, was tall, green skinned, though with python like patterns of orange and yellow, and of a deceptively young appearance, appearing to be in their early twenties. Masculine in form, but still quite lean, with a square jaw, straight nose, dark green curled hair and amber yellow eyes, Ammolite's most distinct feature was the patch of scaled skin with green, orange and yellow on the back of their right hand. Their only clothing consisted of a deep gray jumpsuit like outfit, with a sleeveless top, form-fitting pants, was shoeless and had an orange and yellow star pattern on the abdomen.
Ammolite downed the rest of the bottle and looked around, no one truly of interest, save the girl with the sword drinking sarsaparilla. Ammolite looked her over before ordering another ale to nurse again.
Ammolite uses singular they pronouns
Note to self: Pick less edgy username next time.
Crazy Kiwi
Train Station
Six figures disembarked from the train onto the platform. Each was dressed in simple animal-skin moccasins, quick-drying synthetic trousers and T-shirt, a vest or jacket and some species of hat. Various pouches, haversacks, water bottles and knives hung from their belts or from straps over their shoulders and each had a rifle slung over their shoulder, but none was heavily encumbered.First to disembark was Teri. She looked to be in her mid to late twenties and fairly attractive, with dark skin, brown eyes and shoulder-length dark hair. Her hat was a simple black round-crowned felt hat with a band of red fur and a broad brim and her haversack had been "decorated" with the names of her favourite bands from the 1970s and '80s, revealing an eclectic taste in music.
When she spoke, her accent was that of London's East End, complete with glottal stops and dropped aitches. "Looks orright, dunnit. Ol' Constable Richardson would feel right at home, here."
Wolfe stepped onto the platform and nodded agreement. He appeared to be in his late forties to early fifties with greying dark hair tied back in a ponytail and moustache and goatee shaped into a style variously known as Van Dyke or "door-knocker". His features were Caucasian but exposure to the sun and elements had given his skin a reddish tan. His flat-crowned, broad-brimmed "Jacaru" hat was made of black leather, faded with age.
He wandered over to where Teri was standing and fished his cigarette case out of his vest pocket. He offered one to Teri and lit it for her then lit one for himself.
Next was James, with an old 7.62mm Mosin-Nagant rifle slung over his shoulder and a sword on his left side. He appeared to be in his mid thirties and, as a legacy of his years in the military, his long dark hair was tied back in a ponytail and he was clean-shaven. His lean and pleasant features were tanned and weathered from years of outdoor activity. Out of habit, he still wore his tricorne hat, the black felt faded to dirty grey in places.
Behind him came Karl. He appeared to be quite young, no older than mid twenties. His long blond hair was tied back in a pony-tail and his full beard was a couple of shades darker. Like the Mauser 98K he carried, the bread bag, canteen-and-mug and cartridge pouch on his belt had been issued by the German Heer in 1939 but the sheath knife and utility pouch were of more recent manufacture.
Then came Peggy, who managed to look glamorous in her simple utilitarian clothing and cream-coloured felt hat. She, too, looked to be no older than her mid twenties, with clear blue eyes and short brown hair. Anyone familiar with movies of 1950s and '60s Earth would note an uncanny resemblance to a young Audrey Hepburn. She carried an old WWII-era .303-calibre SMLE with a lot of the excess wood cut away from the forestock to turn it into a lighter hunting rifle.
Bringing up the rear was Kris. She appeared to be around Teri's age, taller and of a lighter build but too toned and athletic to be "skinny". Her brown hair was cut to just above shoulder length and her skin was tanned, except for her left arm, which was incongruously pale compared with her right. Like Teri, she had an Albanian variant of an AK-47 slung over her shoulder.
The group made their way through the station and out onto the road. They walked with the fluid grace of seasoned predators; their footfalls making no sound.
Across the street, the broad main street of the town stretched out in front of them and they could see the ornate facades of the buildings lining either side of the street.
Peggy looked around in wonder. "It looks like something out of a Western." Her accent was mixed from years of living with George and Alice but still held strong traces of her native Liverpudlian accent.
Wolfe nodded. "But bear in mind that this isn't likely to be anything like Earth or Terra Nova. Things may not be as they seem and you may well encounter anything in these places."
Kris paused in the middle of lighting her cigarette. "At one place, they had a friggin' yeti as a bartender." Like Wolfe, her accent was that of a "born, bred and buttered" New Zealander.
Karl lit two cigarettes and passed one to Peggy. "That I would have liked to see." His English was good but with a strong German accent.
James took out a cigarette case and lit up. He still preferred his pipe, but found cigarettes to be more convenient when on the move. "This doesn't look as advanced as Capital City, but that doesn't mean we won't encounter humans and other species with technologies more advanced than our own."
After looking to make sure that the road was clear, they crossed the wide road that ran parallel to the railway line and started off down the main street.
edited 15th Aug '15 3:58:24 PM by Wolf1066
[TRAIN STATION]
The man and elderly woman disembarked as well, the man having finished putting away the chess game and since had put the box under his arm.
The man looked to and fro throughout the station, unsure of what to think of the place. He couldn't remember if the place was designed to resemble the wild west, or if it truly was the wild west.
"Call me presumptuous," He began, putting a voice to his thoughts, "but I don't know if the locals know what a touch screen even is."
"Don't be too sure." The woman interjected, "This is, remember, a multi-dimensional location. They've probably seen quite a bit."
"Yeah... Still can't wrap my head around how we boarded the train." The man concluded absent-mindedly, walking over to the flatcar he had been glancing at throughout the ride.
Main Street - General Store
Saya's wanderings eventually brought her to the entrance of what looked to be a store of some kind. She stopped and peeked through a window to confirm that it indeed was a store of some kind. If she wanted to find some things to take back home, this certainly looked like the place to grab them.
She was about to head inside, but then it occurred to her that she also hadn't brought any money or indeed anything worth trading that she was willing to part with. Well, that kind of put an end to that plan. What was the point of stopping at a store if she couldn't buy anything?
Though on the other hand, there couldn't be any harm in seeing if there was anything of interest in there. She could always come back later if she managed to earn some money, find anything worth trading, or just found a friendly person willing to lend her either. It might even speed things up the second time around if she knew what she wanted.
So in the end, she shrugged and went inside anyway, inadvertently filling up the place with strange music as the song spread out in search of things that interested it.
Icon by Civvi the Civilian!
[TRAIN STATION > GENERAL STORE]
"Sun's kinda bright." The man commented, "shoulda known to keep my sunglasses with me."
"And I have my bag in there." The woman added.
"Our bags." He corrected, looking over the large vehicle on the flatcar for.
"Well, might as well start asking for a crane or a ramp or-"
He was cut off by a sound. A sound he had never heard before. After a moment, he realized it was a song. Sung by unrecognizable instruments.
"Flash mob or something?" Apparently, the woman heard it too.
When the sound began to subside a little, he decided to look for the source of the sound. The woman decided to stay behind, already knowing he'd want an eye on the car. Eventually, the song lead the man to a store, as that seemed to make it louder.
For a moment, he lingered, looking around, possibly searching for a strange-looking instrument.
Crazy Kiwi
The Tipsy Toad
Kris, Teri, Peggy, James, Karl and Wolfe stepped out of the heat of the main street into the shady interior of The Tipsy Toad.
Teri looked around at the round wooden tables and the long polished-wood bar with foot rail. "Well, it's certainly got an 'Old West' atmosphere."
Wolfe nodded. "Yeah, they could do with a sign at the door saying 'Please scrape your boots'."
Kris snorted, Peggy tittered and James grinned but Teri just gave a twisted smile.
Peggy looked around and instantly saw what Wolfe had meant earlier. Amongst locals dressed in clothes that wouldn't look out of place in "a Western", two stuck out: a mostly-green-skinned entity wearing a grey jumpsuit and a girl whose denim shorts and sword seemed incongruous with the "cowboy" theme of the rest of her clothes. Peggy knew a number of women on Terra Nova who had grown up in the late 1800s on Earth and were still scandalised by girls wearing slacks, let alone shorts.
"Well," said Wolfe, "let's mosey on over to the bar."
They made their way to the bar where Wolfe dropped a local banknote on the table and ordered six beers. From the change he got back he could see that the cost was no more than what he would expect to pay in the village pub.
Kris got James to hold her ASh-78 and haversack while she took off her lightweight jacket, revealing a purple shooting vest bearing four embroidered patchesnote and her shooting belt, on which was a dual magazine pouch and a competition holster containing her pistol. "It's fucking hot, here. I'm not used to it after so long on Terra Nova." She crammed her jacket into her haversack before slinging it and her rifle back over her shoulders.
Karl leaned on the bar and picked up the beer Wolfe had bought. He sipped it slowly, mindful that Sir Archibald had sent them there for a reason and was counting on them to get it done. It wouldn't do to get drunk.
James looked around at the other patrons of the saloon, wondering if any here would be heading out into the surrounding wilderness and in which direction.
edited 15th Aug '15 7:26:35 PM by Wolf1066
They/Them
[The Tipsy Toad]
Ammolite had been observant enough to notice the six who had entered the saloon.
They thought about their current situation. During an attempt to get their spacecraft working again, they had found themself barely hovering over sandy desert. Sure, they survived the crash, but a damaged Gemtech ship was an easy target for just about anyone who wanted the technology. They shook their head and went back to nursing the ale.
Taking another look at the group of six, Ammolite pondered if they too were not from this place.
They chuckled a tiny bit, "You all look enough like the locals to blend in," they said to the group of six, turning in their chair to face the group, but not addressing any of them in particular, "But I can tell that something's off. Care to elaborate?"
Note to self: Pick less edgy username next time.
Drummer Boy
[The Washington]
A young man and an unusually large wolf stood in front of the building. He had brown hair tied in a small ponytail at the base of his neck. A pair of large, round tinted goggles covered most of the upper half of his extremely pale face. The rest of his upper body was hidden by a brown wool overcoat, which seemed to be quite an odd choice, given the weather. His beat-up leather boots reached mid-calf. There was a very large leather satchel at his feet.
I mean, they don't have a sign or anything saying you can't bring a giant wolf inside. So at least we're not... entirely at fault... if they try to throw us out... I think?
Do you really think they would have anticipated someone trying to bring a giant wolf inside the establishment? I don't mind waiting out here.
Let's just give it a try, okay, Kito? I feel a lot better when you're with me. He picked up the satchel and walked inside, the wolf following close behind. So far, so good. Just act natural.
They picked a corner table and Kito curled up underneath it. When he sat down, he finally took off the coat, revealing a delicate frame with narrow, sloping shoulders. He was wearing a cross tie, as well as a shirt and waistcoat that seemed too big for him.
Cyrus, are you going to eat anything? Kito asked. I think it's been too long since you ate anything. Oh, and get some raw steak for me. Thanks.
Cyrus gave his order to a nervous waitress who didn't quite seem to believe him as he insisted that Kito was actually a perfectly harmless dog. When she left, he opened the satchel on the ground next to him.
You're going to pull those out here? Really? I don't think "no weapons allowed" needs to be something that has to be spelled out in any respectable business.
No, no, I'm just going to update the log. He took out a notebook and pen and flipped through several pages filled with scribbled observations and drawings of various frighteningly complicated weapons until he found where he'd left off and started scribbling again. He could feel the waitress judging his unbelievably atrocious handwriting as she set down his cup of black tea. He stammered a fairly cheerful "Thank you" as she left. Without pausing in his writing, he used magic to add cream and sugar and stir the tea.
edited 15th Aug '15 8:06:55 PM by SnowyFoxes
The last battle's curtains will open on stage!
Crazy Kiwi
The Tipsy Toad
"You all look enough like the locals to blend in."
The group from Terra Nova turned to see who was addressing whom. The alien with patterned mostly green skin and golden eyes was looking directly at them.
"But I can tell that something's off. Care to elaborate?"
"Something's off"? Wolfe thought. That's an understatement. He couldn't imagine a true local thinking that the group blended in - what with the synthetic fabrics, semi- and fully-automatic weapons, anachronistic equipment and all - but it was clear that this was not a local.
James nodded at the entity in acknowledgement. "We're off-worlders - from a place called Terra Nova. I'm James, this is Kris, Teri, Peggy, Karl and Wolfe," he pointed to the others. "May I enquire as to your name?"
Peggy was astounded that the alien seemed to be speaking fluent English and quietly commented as much to Kris.
"That might not be the case," said Kris softly, "in the other places there's been some form of automatic translation happening and everyone hears their own language regardless of what language is spoken."
They/Them
[The Tipsy Toad]
Ammolite nodded at James, "My name is Ammolite," They said, placing their elbow on the bar to display the green, yellow and orange scale pattern on the back of their right hand, "I've never heard of such a place as Terra Nova," They moved their right hand to rest their chin on, "Though I do recall some humans referring to Earth as Terra."
Ammolite shrugged and nursed to ale a bit more, talking in-between small sips, "I don't suppose you know as much about this place as I do? I got lost here somehow while trying to see if my craft was flyable again. Now it's out in the middle of the desert. How'd you manage to get to this little stretch of civilization?"
Note to self: Pick less edgy username next time.
Crazy Kiwi
The Tipsy Toad
Teri gave a quirky smile. "'Terra Nova' literally translates as 'New Earth'. It's an unimaginative - and, as it turned out, inaccurate - name conferred on the place by some of the earliest arrivals. Well, the ones who could write called it that."
James extended his hand. "Pleased to meet you, Ammolite. We came to this town on the train, but we got to the train via the dimension gate in Capital City."
Wolfe grinned. "And we got to Capital City through a dimensional rift on Terra Nova. But don't ask us how we got to Terra Nova - we don't bloody know. So, let me get this straight: you're both lost and stranded?"
"We all came from Earth, or 'Terra', originally," said Kris.
They/Them
[The Tipsy Toad]
Ammolite shook James's hand, "A pleasure as well."
Ammolite put down the ale, considering the they had no need or actually desire to drink and they also felt that they no longer needed to blend in, given the current company.
Ammolite turned toward Wolfe, "Yes indeed. My craft is thankfully a short walk from the town, but I figure by this point that no human here knows how to work the technology on the ship without possibly getting hurt."
They then looked to Kris, "I too am originally from Earth, but that's much too far back for me to remember anything properly. As far as I know time wise, less then five thousand years back. But that's a rough estimate."
Ammolite tapped their chin in thought, "I don't know much about 'dimensional rifts' but if there anything like warp pads, they must be able to bring someone back to their original destination."
Note to self: Pick less edgy username next time.Tipsy Toad
After one sarsaparilla, the young girl switched to tequila sunrises and clearly had way too many of them from the way she swayed a little on the stool. "H-hey! -hic- You want to know where I got this fancy sword? Found it in a -hic- temple near here. It was pretty well hidden but I'm part of the -hic- Thaleia family! We can find any -hic- treasure if we look for it." she said to the bartender, leaning in on the bar itself and not noticing the new patrons that had come in.
"Hey, shut up would yah woman?" some older man's voice called out from one of the tables. The girl twitched a little and her gaze lowered as she got up from the table. "You want to say that again?" she growled, grabbing the hilt of her sword. The man got up and pulled out a pistol. "Guns -hic- versus a sword hm? Should -hic- be fun." she said. In case her sword didn't work out, she had a back up pistol in a holster on a belt that was attached to her shorts.
She suddenly drew the sword and charged forward, spooking the man as he shot a round at the ceiling. The runes on the sword glowed and icicles shot forth and pinned him to a beam. "This sword just keeps getting better and better." she exclaimed with a grin as she looked down at the blade, the runes fading away.
"Can you imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie?"
Crazy Kiwi
The Tipsy Toad
Peggy was astounded to hear that anyone like Ammolite had ever lived on Earth - even five thousand years earlier.
Teri, Kris, James, Karl and Wolfe were less astonished, having previously met people from alternative versions of Earth with immense differences from the one they had formerly called home.
Wolfe, however, was impressed by the time span mentioned. It sounded like Ammolite was over five thousand years old, unless time travel had been involved. The use of the word "ship" to describe the previously-mentioned flying craft suggested "space ship" rather than "plane" and "warp pads" sounded like a technology far in advance of anything in even Kris' time. "I doubt any of us could work the technology on your ship any better than the locals, so it's safe from us."
"The dimensional rifts can send people and return them to the point of departure," said Kris. "We can only use the rifts to get between Terra Nova and where we need to go and back again. We haven't tried to use them to get back to Earth because there are so many possible Earths, we may wind up arriving on the wrong one - with disastrous consequences."
Teri nodded. "Or we might get the right one and royally fuck things up - we "disappeared", we can't just reappear, especially if "history" already says we never returned. Besides, for all its faults, Terra Nova's our home, now."
Karl opened his mouth to say something but his attention was distracted by an altercation involving the young woman with the sword.
Teri turned to look. "What the fucking blue blazes?"
Kris, Peggy, James and Wolfe also looked at the inebriated girl holding the sword.
edited 15th Aug '15 10:44:07 PM by Wolf1066
They/Them
[The Tipsy Toad]
Ammolite shrugged, "I suspected as much. Not many beyond members of my species can operate such technology, and I have serious doubts I'll meet another here. I would also generally like to avoid most anyway, save for four specific individuals, but that's a different story."
Ammolite was about to address the matter of dimensional rifts, but the young girl with the sword started fighting another of the bar patrons.
"Woah," Ammolite exclaimed, a bit taken aback, but not entirely surprised, "Hopefully nothing serious will come of this," they whispered.
"I suggest staying whatever weapons we have, no need for this to escalate," they said, addressing the Terra Nova group.
Note to self: Pick less edgy username next time.
Just flowing with it.
[Livery Stable]
The group of three has finally arrived in the city, and proceeded to have the horses tended for in the stable. Krul quickly negotiated the fees, and found himself pleasantly surprised when the people in charge gladly accepted the Fraga gold coins he offered. Krul thought those coins wouldn't pass as currency in the peculiar town. "I still find it hard to believe that this is actually a different world," he said, neatly folding his cloak which he had taken off upon arrival. "they even share a common tongue with us."
"If you keep getting surprised by the things you'll see, I doubt you will last the day, Krul." Alba said, eyeing the newly-arrived train in the distance. "This is not our world. It's not another person's world, either. Time to time again, gateways to places like this appear." he said, seemingly to no one in particular. Then his stature perked up slightly, "Ah, that reminds me..." he tapped his staff on the ground once, and shifted his eye to the carriage. He waited for a second, before letting out a displeased huff, "Lia, your hair is looking mighty fine already, so come on out." his voice took on a tinge of annoyance.
From the carriage emerged a girl with a slight pout, "After I told you so many times to close the window..." she said. Now her hair was neatly tied into a single ponytail that went just past her nape. "What is it, Professor?" she asked.
"The luggage should have came out floating before you." Alba took off the thin white glove from his right hand, and spotted a familiar tattoo-like mark of a bird on the back of his hand. His attempt at simple levitation magic failed. "I was hoping you merely severed the Link out of spite, but this is more troubling than I thought." he said as he donned back the glove.
Lia nodded, "It has been that way since I woke up. This soil, this world feels really foreign. I can't get a read of it... or draw any sort of power from the world, in fact." she said. True, she had felt a strange disconnect between the World and herself; nothing to felt the pulse of, nothing to feed her Sign with. "A different world; one that doesn't know me." she said, sounding slightly dejected.
Barely audible thumps were heard as Krul manually unloaded several bags of luggage from the carriage. "That just means we'll have to do things the old way. I would've said a wisdom about being able to fend for ourselves without the aid of magic. But in a land this foreign and unexpected, this is a major disadvantage."
After Krul finished unloading, Alba spoke up, "Very well. I think it's best if Lia can establish her connection to this world as soon as possible. I shall arrange for our accomodation at that building over there." he pointed to the tallest building around, the Hotel, "Meanwhile, Krul, you accompany our princess around." he added.
"That is my duty." Krul said, his tone firm. Alba gave an assured nod and left to speak with the livery owners, probably asking for help in transporting the luggage to the hotel. Krul then turned his attention to Lia, "Now, shall we? We're probably better off staying within the eastern side of the town. A tip from the livery owner. I think we should set out before the end of da— Astell?" he tried to catch Lia's attention, which seemed to have drifted off somewhere far away.
[Main Street] -> [The Washington]
"It's hooot... and it's not even afternoon yet." Lia said as she walked down the main street, flapping a pamphlet she randomly got as a makeshift fan, "And I told you already to call me Lia. You always do when you came to visit the mansion, so why so stiff now?" she said.
Krul pondered over the Lia's inelegant display of behavior, and promptly sighed. His eyes ran across his surroundings, and he pointed to The Washington, "That tavern over there, how about it?" he asked.
"A place with shade is better than one without." Lia said, slightly lethargic from the (for her standards) blazing heat. The two entered the saloon's doors and picked a table near an open window. Lia was quickly revitalized when a breeze of wind hit her being. On the other hand, Krul was busy taking note of the other drinking members of the saloon.
What caught his attention first was, obviously, the large wolf which, at first glance, seemed like a pet of the slightly suspicious-looking man. The man himself was busy writing down something. Krul sensed no hostility from the wolf, fortunately. His eyes then darted to the other interesting pair, a beautiful woman, radiating an aura of properness. Her prim form reminded him of Lia's elder sister. She seemed to be... copying a book, or deciphering it. The other one with her was someone not entirely unlike him, a warrior that had seen quite a lot of battles fought, and one that had been in many.
"This place sure attracts the diligent types, doesn't it?" Lia said, remarking upon the two pairs, both currently involved with books.
"Astell, mind your manners." Krul sternly voiced his warning.
"Lia." the girl retorted.
Krul sighed again. A waitress came to the desk. Krul placed an order for two sets of bacon and eggs, a cold drink for Lia, and a cup of coffee for himself. No battles can be fought on an empty stomach, after all.
edited 15th Aug '15 11:35:15 PM by FlowingCotton
Crazy Kiwi
The Tipsy Toad
The warning about not escalating the situation was helpful in that it reasurred the rest that Ammonite wasn't a hot-head who was likely to act rashly and bring unwanted hostility in their direction. None had any intention of going for their weapons until such time as they were directly threatened.James gave a brief nod to Ammonite then returned his gaze to the unfolding drama. "Wise words."
Wolfe looked at Peggy, the youngest and least experienced of the group, to see how she was bearing up. She seemed OK - a little nervous, but not freaking out. Mind you, she had lived on Terra Nova for longer than any of them and that had to count for something.
Karl had instinctively moved closer to Peggy, ready to protect her if necessary.
PAINKILLER
[Desert Badlands -> General Store]
Samuel Kahler was not the man to get lost. Wandering in a desert, though, can cause that. He was long done calling for Armand and Nina, who probably found their way to a town. He chuckled to himself at that. An old dog like me, stranded here alone...
He unbuttoned his sandy jacket and loosened up his helmet. He wanted to dash a bit of water on his neck, but his canteen was for drinking water, and it was going to run out quick. The morning sun had no match for his aviator sunglasses.
Samuel was 40 years old, but had a well-built body that could mistake him for younger. He was average height for his age, though he was bald underneath his helmet, very much not average for his age.
Other than his attire, he had a belt with a small package at his right side, and a holster on his left.
After about an hour's worth of walking through mirages and a flat desert, he sighted a town on the horizon. He picked up his pace.
The town was of older architecture, like the ones seen in old photographs. It was a time when the people moved away from the coasts in Serenica, and went to the east in search of oil, and thus created boom towns. He walked down Main Street, and eyed the buildings. He was a bit hungry and thirsty, but he knew beforehand, he had to stop for help, or at least get supplies.
He peered into the buildings, and found a couple of taverns of sorts. He at last found the General Store, and entered.
He walked inside, and immediately heard a strange tune in the air. He thought, Music isn't played usually in stores. He took off his sunglasses, showing his thin gray eyes. He folded them and put them in his jacket pocket.
Samuel passed the shelves and others. He first went up to the checkout counter.
"Excuse me, sir," he asked the boy who worked it, "Can I put in a call for Albany Base? I need to find someone." He rested his arms on the counter, and leaned on them.
The boy seemed utterly confused. He shrugged.
"All right, I mean, no phones out here, that's fine, but can you say what town we're in?"
The checkout boy said it was unnamed, but it was known as the Frontier. He briefly explained that the place found people and other beings from other places frequently. That the place was a borderworld of sorts.
Samuel chuckled, as he was skeptical at first. "Oh, another world you say?" He started laughing, but the worker stayed firm. The man then said his apologies and walked away, still smiling. Through his thought process, he began to frown. He muttered Serenican curse words. Perhaps he was delusional after all. He needed water.
He found a shelf for food items, and picked up a couple plastic bottles. He caught sight of the person that the music was coming from. It was a young girl, probably in her mid-teens. He decided not to ask her why. I'm finally going crazy, huh?
The other two people mentioned may or may not come in.
edited 16th Aug '15 6:53:50 AM by electronic-tragedy
Life is hard, that's why no one survives.
[The Washington]
While Suela continued to work on her transcriptions, Brin made a note of the new entrants, seeing if any seemed like they'd be interested in an adventure that involved the words "loot the corpse of a Dead God".
The vaguely Fire Nation looking man scribbling in his book seemed more like Suela's sort, but the wolf... probably not immune to the small chunks of chemically-propelled flying metal that seemed to be the usual weapon here, but intimidation factor alone would help. And if he was a scholar, maybe the chance to see this "Dead God" would excite him as much as it seemed to excite Suela. Further, as she noticed him bastardizing his tea with milk and sugar, Brin realized the man himself had some sort of talent. Bending or magic or whatever he would call it. How much remained to be seen, but it was certainly something.
Then there was the pair that just walked in. The young girl, and the time-worn warrior. Brin was mostly interested in recruiting the latter. He clearly knew his way around some sort of weapon, and had the demeanor of a true warrior. A man who could be trusted to respond to mayhem with focus and discipline. Even if he wasn't the most powerful, keeping a clear head was absolutely vital. It didn't hurt that he looked dangerous enough to scare off even those stupid enough to underestimate Brin.
This same discipline meant he was probably part of an all-or-nothing package. The girl seemed like another noblewoman, and the man presumably a retainer, too professional to leave her behind. It was possible that she'd be dead weight in their quest for the Dead God. Brin caught herself, though; Brin's first impression of Suela had been that she was just another sheltered snob, and that had proven false.
Brin stood, stretched, then banged a few times on the table, getting an annoyed glance from Suela, who'd been translating another page. "Anyone here interested in seeing the remains of a Dead God?" The locals, who knew the general area she was planning to go, had absolutely no intention of following her. "I've found out where one is," she announced, "and my friend Suela here both knows how to get in, and is willing and able to pay for all necessary supplies. Me and her just need two things," here Suela handed Brin a sketch of a sphere and a cube, both apparently made of stained glass, which Brin duly showed off, "and a few questions answered. Anyone who joins us is free to divide the rest between yourselves."
edited 16th Aug '15 8:03:40 AM by KillerClowns
Hello and welcome reader, to the 26th installment of the Character Development Threads! These shared story exercises help budding writers develop their characters alongside the characters of other budding writers. No signup is needed; just jump right in with your characters. It is recommended that you read the tropes page, the OP, and the last couple pages before starting.
If you need help, have any questions, or want a quick recap (if the page count is daunting), head over to the discussion page, and someone is sure to help you out!
Discussion Thread
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◊ / Full Map
To help guide character interaction, having your character come in with a goal or motivation is recommended. It is not required, however.
Special thanks to those who helped in getting the thread launched. In no particular order, they are: Yomegami, nrjxll, Gault, Wolf1066, Flowing Cotton, CrystalGlacia, DarkbloodCarnagefang, Corvidae, Killer Clowns, Blackfire667, and yours truly.
There lies in between dimensions, a wilderness in which life exists. This borderland is unnamed, but known as the Frontier. Settlers from the multiverse have set up a small town to aid those who end up there or arrive (which invokes a Wild West boomtown). New arrivals can arrive by the train which stops at the town, or by other means. No one has outright claimed the Frontier, nor has this wilderness been fully explored.
The wilderness itself is Western in nature, with desert badlands and a forest-mountainous area located outside of town. Nearby, there is a military base, but its status, including staffing and meaning to existence is unknown. In fact, since it is unknown what lies out there, the arrivals can discover certain landmarks or special areas. With the mystery of the Frontier and its location in between worlds, there is no telling of who or what may be out there...
Currently in Day 2.
Current Time: 4:00 PM
Current Weather: Clouds once again dominated the area, along with divides in the sky. Thanks to both, the temperature cooled down to a comfortable warmth.
edited 17th Aug '16 6:16:27 PM by electronic-tragedy
Life is hard, that's why no one survives.