07.05: Early Arrivals

The goings on of courts
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Joshua
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07.05: Early Arrivals

Post by Joshua »

For those of you taking the air-breather's path to Rebma, it is a trek down to the the docks in the city. Once there, a small entrance stands over a set of stairs the descends into solid rock. The stair is damp and cold, although once you get down about ten feet it actually warms up slightly. The stairs are perhaps six feet wide and descend slowly into the rock lit by pale glowing orbs. Thankfully, the solid rock keeps the water of the bay out, and minor (or major) enchantments keep the water pressure from backfilling this. After perhaps five or ten stories down, the stairs lurch forward, going under the bay and expanding slightly. After a quarter mile or so, carved arches start to appear and a more formal corridor appears.

It descends more, the sides of the corridor gaining portholes into the underwater cave. They are not held open by glass, but instead pure surface tension. (Around this area, your eardrums typically pop.) It ends in an ornate set of double-doors, sculpted out of the largest coral you're likely to have seen.

They open into a huge chamber made of coral and pearl with a marble floor. Several huge entrances on the side open into the water. Light is provided by brighter globes, and heat by a series of stones glowing lightly red. As this is a ball, there are no major tables though a series of chairs is lined up in case people with to recline. A refreshment's table is alongside one wall.

Attending at this early hour, a little after lunch and several hours before the ball, preparations are still underway. Aquatic peoples are rushing here and there, as final fixings are being made. Morgana is among them, double-checking the enchantments, and making sure they are double and triple layered.
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Re: 07.05: Early Arrivals

Post by Veyska »

Asai has been seen coming and going a few times since the set-up hit its final stages, making small incremental tweaks to her contributions to the ball. At the moment they seem to just consist of tiny little glowing specks hovering in mid-air, occasionally bobbing around on seemingly random circuits* when prodded by the lanky cat. On one of the later trips, only a few hours before the ball begins, she checks in with whoever is in charge of such things and hands them a moderately sized box full** of tiny little charms shaped like stylized birds. She double-checks to make sure everything for the box's contents is taken care of, gives one stray spark an evil eye, and then bounds back out towards the surface.

(*She's double- and triple-checking the AI of her illusion spells, no need for full graphics at this point.)
(**However many aquatic folks show up, there will be enough, and even a bit left over for non-swimmers who find the illusion of being underwater oppressing. Charms can either be pinned to a bit of clothing, or worn on a string/chain over the neck or an arm or what have you. Asai's not assuming everyone will be wearing clothing, and planned accordingly.)
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Re: 07.05: Early Arrivals

Post by Rasanam »

((Continued from somewhere around here.))

Rasanam (in water dragon form) arrives via the water-breather's path into Rebma, lazily gliding along with just the trailing edge of his wings rippling for propulsion. At the entrance to the ballroom, he flips upright and floats there for a moment before stepping out onto the marble floor. The magic holding the water back keeps most of it behind; his blue-and-silver scales are slightly damp from the trip here, but no more than that.

He waves to Morgana and Asai, and looks around for someone who can act as a tour guide or arrange for a quick meeting with Ashara.

((I know a number of people are likely to be tagging along, some of whom might use the air-breather's path. They can post their own entrances.))
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Re: 07.05: Early Arrivals

Post by Krajk »

A few moments after Rasanam passes through, a massive blue-grey shark arcs through the portal with precisely enough momentum to land on his feet as Krajk shifts back into his human form. Stepping clear of the entrance, he gives it a speculative look. "Useful magic, that."
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Re: 07.05: Early Arrivals

Post by The Raven »

Shortly after the shark enters, he is followed by a black-furred sea otter, which quickly shifts into the Raven's human form. "Hm. The scenery down here is a lot less austere than Amber's."
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Joshua
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Re: 07.05: Early Arrivals

Post by Joshua »

A slightly dumpy fish-like man approaches. On first visual impression he resembles Dworkin, but that quickly fades when any details show up. He has very fine green scales instead of skin, and his hair is actually tiny white tendrils like an anemone. He is wearing a clear coral and glass water breather that goes over his mouth and the gills at the side of his neck. (This is a small apparatus, looking like a cross between a scarf and a gel-wrist-rest.) His voice seems to come from the whole device when he speaks. His clothing is of a quick drying silk, colored earthy browns and grays and does resemble Dworkin's (or any generic sage's) quite a bit.

"Greetings noble Amberites..." He will pause at the tone of that statement and shake his head lightly. "I am Nemo, advisor of..." He will pause and check a tag on the chest of his robe, "Renaissance Matters, this week. Although that one might stick." He bows lightly, giving the impression that any farther and the breather might fall off. "I apologize that our normal greeter isn't here, but if there's anything you need, I can get the right people on it."

(OOC: Cause dangit, it's an awesome character that didn't get to show up last time.)
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Re: 07.05: Early Arrivals

Post by ShadowOfPreservation »

Another aquatic dragon, a female counterpart to Rasanam in scales of purple and silver, mimics his maneuver in transitioning from water to air and then comes to stand next to him. Lyra surveys the room; the cave, though aquatic in nature, reminding her a bit of the Underdark and the Drow city back home. She finds all of the aquatic people fascinating though practiced composure masks her excitement for the most part.

After Nemo's greeting, she will say "Greetings Advisor Nemo. No apologies necessary. I am Lydre-Altherin Lyra of Ht'Gon An-rit. This is Lydre Rasanam, my Husband, of Tir-Na Nog'th. You may have already heard of The Raven," she continues, gesturing to the otter turned man. "Currently of Amber. And this is Krajk, bodyguard to another guest that will be along later this evening. We've been giving him a bit of a tour of Amber and would continue, though none of us are qualified to act as a guide here. Perhaps you can help us with that as a start."
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Re: 07.05: Early Arrivals

Post by Rasanam »

"Also," Rasanam adds, "I'll want to talk to Ashara at some point before the ball." ((That talk would be the lead-in to the Meeting Before the Ball OOC thread, and as such, would serve no purpose to run IC. Rasanam can tag along with the tour for however long that goes, and have the meeting with Ashara happen off-camera.))
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Joshua
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Re: 07.05: Early Arrivals

Post by Joshua »

"Of course."

(OOC: Since the ball is getting started, anyone mind if I just turn this into a tour thread?)

Nemo knows most of the interesting places in Rebma. The air-breather ways connect to almost all of them, from secluded grottos, to music halls, to underwater music halls. There are schools and education, with a strong focus on fishing. Rebma's fishing (which includes a good chunk of the docks) provides about 80% of the food for the city.

Overall, you get a lot of cold stares. It's clear that the aquatic people are upset at something, most likely how little appreciation they get from the city.

"I'm not sure what I'm authorized to show you of the other aspects of the city... but did you have any preferences?" Nemo will ask.
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Re: 07.05: Early Arrivals

Post by Rasanam »

Rasanam glances at Krajk for a moment, and when the wereshark doesn't speak up, he says "I'd be interested in seeing - or at least talking to a member of - the maintenance crews; there's a remarkable amount of magic in keeping the air-breather sections habitable..."

"Or, if that's something you're not sure you're authorized to show, I'm also curious where you got your breather; the design is interesting."

(( Switching this to a tour thread seems fine to me. And yes, I did check with Krajk's player before declaring that he wasn't speaking up first. ))
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