EVENT | LANDFALL | ZESHORA

[ironwood]

Characters: ALL!
Date: June 17th to July 8th
Location: Zeshora
Situation: Tu Vishan has washed up near the cities of Atoce and Uessaire.
Warnings/Rating: Add warnings as needed.



The cities of Zeshora were renowned across all of Konryu as works of art, and even with the upheaval which sank and destroyed many of them centuries prior, that distinction remains evident. The Erol'a will recount, if asked, a terrible series of earthquakes and resultant tsunamis that rolled over Zeshora, and how great chunks of the continent simply dropped away. Zeshora was one of the oldest continents, and its landmasses upon the backs of long-dead Great Turtles had been so constant, that no one had even thought it possible such a thing could have happened.

Testament to the Erol'a's resilience however, they adapted and reclaimed the cities that had fallen to, or just below, sea level. Arches, pillars and soaring ceilings dominate the architecture in both cities, and every surface is painstakingly decorated with tiny inlaid shells and coral, turning every hall and room into a mosaic of colour. It's not uncommon for Erol'a dwellings to have multiple stories, and likewise it's not unlikely to have at least a few of those levels under sea level. So it's entirely possible to have one's upstairs be above water, and one's downstairs be below the water! Imagine having to take a swim to get a midnight snack. Of course, the Erol'a don't find that strange at all. Likewise, it's perfectly normal to them to walk down the hallways of their homes in ankle, knee or waist-deep water, something that the Foreigners and even some kedan might take some getting used to. The water temperature during the day is a delightful 80℉/26℃, and about ten degrees cooler throughout the night, so it's pleasant for nearly everyone.

---

LINKS
Atoce - City of Pearls | Uessaire - City of Lilies | Ollesse - The Coral Ruins | Secessi - The Floating Reefs | Hatchling Messages
Astegune | Landfall Surprise | Landfall Update - Jun 23 | OOC Post

OOC
Please direct questions to the OOC post! You can either use the areas described under header, or create your own -- don't feel you have to be limited to threading only in the locations mentioned in the starters! Just don't forget to label your top-levels with specific locations (eg the Height or the Deep).

ACTIVITY CHECK NOTE: Due to the late-month timing of this landfall, threads from this log can be counted toward either June or July AC. Just don't use the same comment thread for both and you'll be fine!

Comments

Ollesse - The Coral Ruins

[ironwood]

While there are ruins strewn all throughout the waterways of Zeshora, much of them are in terrible condition. The Erol'a take them for granted or view them as nuisances in the way, with the result that many of them have been broken down for safer navigation of the waterways, appropriated for buildings or artworks, or just ignored until time and weather have taken their toll. Regardless, most Erol'a are quite willing to take outsiders on tours of the prettiest.

Ollesse is a city once in the centre of the continent, north and a little east of Uessaire and surrounded by a circle of islands. It's the deepest of the ruins, but begins on the beaches and stretches sharply out into the continent's protected inner sea, where coral and some of the more vibrant sea-life on Konryu have made it their home. The dominant coral of the area is actually a parasite which eats stone, and the marble of the city has long since vanished, leaving only the brightly coloured coral in the shape of the buildings that were once present.

Ollesse, the Coral City, has the look of arches and sweeping lines, and its structures are so complex that the sea currents move through it somewhat like a waterslide. It's a favoured camping area for the younger Erol'a, and ten to one there will be, at any given time, a beach pavilion or two attended by close relatives of the Crests who employ them. Anyone over 18 should not be surprised to be expected to give way or perform a small task for a precocious youth -- less so if they can prove they're there on 'business'.

On land and in the shallows Ollesse's structures can still be seen as they once were. Made of a type of marble, they show minimum damage from the sea air -- in fact, if anything they collect salt deposits which some of the poorer Erol'a harvest and sell. The ruins still show remains of having been a colourful city, whether by paint or the natural colour of the stone; either way, much like the coral reflects the colours of the city below, the salt-deposits take on the hue of the marble on land. Careful -- some of them are poisonous.

The predominant form of wildlife is the pygmy squid. Generally benign if left alone, when hassled the pygmy squids release an ink on the lowest side of toxic -- it causes severe itching made worse by the presence of water. In open air the itching will subside, but better not bathe for at least two days afterward! The itch will return with a vengeance on contact with water. Oddly enough, the symptoms are soothed by the application of salt, which has a limiting effect -- fresh water carries the risk of making the symptoms more severe (but non-lethally so).

Other forms of wildlife include various forms of fish (usually brightly coloured to match the coral) and a few small shark-like creatures. The main predator is a kind of jellyfish which wraps its prey in its tentacles and eats it slowly over days; semi-transparent, they can be relatively easily seen due to their size (the smallest are a metre broad) and the fact that they cause a rainbow fracturing effect when hit with sunlight. Having no conventional skin, these jellyfish are the only known predators to the pygmy squid.

Anyone up for impromptu scuba diving? | 21st to 26th | OPEN TO ALL

[skeletonenigma]

For the majority of the week, Skulduggery Pleasant and Erskine Ravel can be found on the beaches around the Coral City, offering a unique service to anyone, Foreigner, kedan, and Erol'a alike. It didn't start out that way - it started out with a bet, a dare, that two men capable of manipulating both water and air wouldn't be able to work together long enough to create a safe air-filled elevator down into the ruins.

The Dead Men are nothing if not expectation-crashers. They managed it in under an hour.

It's definitely an odd sight if you happen to come across it - an animated skeleton in a nice suit and a man too beautiful to be fair, the living man's wrist and the skeleton's neck chained together. But word of their water elevator service has spread through Zeshora, and they periodically take small groups of people down beneath the waves in a giant bubble of air, staying underwater for hour-long ruins explorations at a time.

[OOC: If you want either Skulduggery or Erskine in particular, please put it in the subject line!]

BIRD WANTS TO TRY - any day but the 21st.

[akito]

Akito doesn't really have any particular goal in mind apart from exploring, but Bird seems to have other plans for them. Spotting the nice man with the chain on his wrist attached to the fancy-but-haunted perch, Bird quickly flies over to sit on his newest friend and coos a greeting.

"Hello! Konnichiwa!"

The avian's keeper takes his time following, not in any rush once he sees who Bird has gone after. Skulduggery, in all his suited glory, and Erskine, the pretty man from the network. Nobody to worry about - at least in regards to Bird's safety.

"Ah, has Bird-kun already made friends with Mr. Ridiculously Pretty?" Akito offers in greeting to Erskine, then tilts his head at Skulduggery to offer a friendly greeting to him as well. "Hi, Skulduggery."

[edgeoftheknife]

They were taking a breather--or at least the half of them who needed to breathe were. They'd just got done ferrying a larger group of Erol'a down to the ruins below and while the magic wasn't anything beyond the capabilities of either sorcerer, magic tended to wear on a person the same as physical activity would. Creating a massive bubble of air beneath the water for a solid hour was taxing.

Propped up against a larger rock along the shore, Erskine was gulping water from a thermos-type container--and then condensing water out of the air to refill the container, and then gulping again. Five more minutes and he'd be right as rain.

At the sight of the little bird perching on his shoulder, Erskine lowered the thermos and smiled. "Hello again." He looked past the bird and nodded to its keeper. "Akito. How are you today?"

[skeletonenigma]

Not even the presence of Akito's little bird elicited the usual flare of annoyance, which surprised Skulduggery almost as much as he was sure it would surprise Akito. Maybe he needed to spend more of his time on beaches. Maybe he was actually getting used to a constant companion.

Then again, maybe not.

"Akito." Skulduggery returned the greeting with a nod. "Would you please remind your pet that I'm not a toy? I think he's forgotten."

[akito]

"I'm okay. How are you doing? Is Anton going to give you your privacy back soon?"

Akito tries not to react too visibly to Skul's comment, but the way he bristles is clear to see. It isn't Skul's fault, but the word 'pet' rubs him the wrong way.

"He's not a 'pet' - he's a companion. If he bothers you just tell him to go away, or 'move', or if he's nibbling too hard just say 'ow' or 'itai' and he'll stop." Said companion of his is enjoying nibbling on Erskine's hand in greeting; nubby tongue poking at the skin delicately. Akito isn't about to call Bird back. The creature can make his own decision on who he wants to perch on.

"Birds use faces to recognize people as living beings. You... Ah, don't have a face, most of the time. So you'll have to remind him vocally." He squishes sand between his bare feet, enjoying the natural exfoliation. "If he's bugging you at the hotel though, just tell him to see Anton, ne? He likes Mr. Anton."

[edgeoftheknife]

"Everyone likes Shudder," Ravel replies with a soft laugh, smiling at the little nibbles from the bird. Affection without reservation. Maybe he ought to think about finding a pet--excuse, companion--himself. It'd certainly be a nice change of pace.

...not that it'll ever come to pass. Ravel's never had a stable enough life to even consider having a pet. Never lived in one place long enough. Never even had a flat of his own, not once in four hundred years. So maybe he'll just continue to live vicariously through Akito and his bird.

"Which is a bit baffling, I have to confess," he continues. "Most everyone in our world finds him bloody terrifying. I suppose that's what a reputation will do for you. And no, he still hasn't said anything about the chain." He shrugs. "I'd like to say that he can't hold out on us forever, but this is Anton we're talking about."

[skeletonenigma]

"I said 'ow'," Skulduggery objected. Granted, that had startled the bird away in the end, but it was the principle of the matter. The bird should have recognised him from the beginning. He didn't exactly have a forgettable face.

Not, according to Akito, that it mattered.

"This is approaching cruel and unusual punishment," he murmured. "Which is forbidden by the United Nations, and so naturally means absolutely nothing within Anton's Hotel." Skulduggery jerked the chain once, like maybe catching it off guard would help it to break of its own accord a little faster. "But Anton doesn't shoot himself in the foot. The next time there's a crisis or someone targets the Foreigners, he'll let us go. He won't have a choice."

21st probably, either or both!

[ruinsprofessor]

Raine did not look much like she was enjoying herself.

She was curious, yes; she'd heard of ruins in the area, and that alone was enough to attract her attention, had her swallowing her instinctive reaction to most of Zeshora in order to explore. At least a little. And what there was above the water was frankly marvelous, from what she'd seen. It was only a shame it wasn't feasible to investigate more closely. So Raine wandered amidst what she could access, ever mindful of the water around her.

On the way down to the beaches, she'd run into multiple Crests, and while it was easier to just comply with their requests, the casual dismissal did rankle a little, contributing to her general discontent. But the beach held, in addition to a fascinating view, people she knew, and that had her smiling finally, crossing to where the two of them stood. "I see you're trusted unsupervised now."

[edgeoftheknife]

They've been down under the water a few times now. The first several trips were test runs--deciding which of them would be better suited to shaping the water around them (Erskine) and which of them would handle detoxifying the air within the bubble to keep the passengers alive (Skulduggery, ironically enough). But they worked the kinks out in under an hour and they've already taken a few curious passengers down to the ruins in an honest-to-goodness maiden voyage, so to speak. No one died. No one even really got wet. An unqualified success.

Ravel and Skulduggery were discussing magic as Raine approached; it was generally a safe topic for them, Elementalism. Very little of their current rivalry actually stemmed from magic (short of Skulduggery's ability to fly). Erskine turned at the familiar voice, hesitating only for a moment before giving her a smile--albeit a forced one--in return. Their last talk had gone so well.

"It had to happen sooner or later. Like baby birds leaving the nest. I do hope Shudder isn't crying himself to sleep back in the Hotel."

[skeletonenigma]

Skulduggery nodded his agreement. "I wouldn't be surprised if this was just a cover for Anton's staggering loneliness. It probably took the last of his strength to agree to send us off. Someone should check on him."

He sounded much more cheerful than Raine would probably be expecting, given that he was still chained. But the message from Quintus had done a lot to elevate Skulduggery's mood, and it was impossible to stay grumpy for long on a beach besides. Skulduggery nodded a belated greeting at Raine, then gestured at the water. "Would you like to join us for the next one?" he asked. "I'm almost sure we've worked out all the kinks."

[ruinsprofessor]

"I'm sure Anton will be fine," Raine said, gravely. It was somewhat belied by the smile that remained.

As Skulduggery spoke, though, that expression -- hitched, almost, freezing in place for a second or two before it started to look natural again. Raine darted a glance in the direction Skulduggery indicated, then focused firmly on her friend again. "Next one?" she asked. He couldn't possibly mean what she thought he meant. That would be ridiculous. Entirely possible, with two Elementals, but also not something she was particularly eager to entertain.

But there were ruins, both below the water and above. Raine found herself suddenly very conflicted. "...Ah, that's right, there are underwater ruins in this area," she said, stalling more than she was genuinely asking for confirmation.

[edgeoftheknife]

"There are indeed," Ravel replied, picking up for Skulduggery. "Quite nice ones, from what I gather--though most of the time I'm not actually paying them much attention." He could go on to mention that for the vast majority of the time they're underwater, he's focused on trying to keep everyone alive... but judging by the look on Raine's face, teasing about that sort of thing probably wouldn't do anyone any favors.

"Nothing to worry about," he continued. "Unless of course Skulduggery gets the mix of air wrong and I start sneezing. If I sneeze we're pretty well doomed."

...okay it's hard not to tease.

[skeletonenigma]

"I'm not going to get the mix of air wrong," Skulduggery argued. His tone might have taken on the same hard edge it often did when he was arguing with Ravel, except that this time it was a little too busy being uncharacteristically gentle. Skulduggery hadn't missed the look on Raine's face either. "We've been doing this for a while now. It's perfectly safe. It's even, if I'm allowed to continue being unforgivably pleased with myself, quite a marvelous adventure. Truly a sight to see."

It looked like most of the original city had been underwater, after all.

Skulduggery looked over at the surface, at the little white eddies and short waves of foam spreading on the beach. "I'd offer you a demonstration first, but..."

Re: Anyone up for impromptu scuba diving? | 21st to 26th | OPEN TO ALL

[gathersnomoss]

Zelgadis had been avoiding landfall, because the younger Erol'a had taken one look at him and decided that here was the perfect target for pranks and mischief. But he'd been drawn out to the ruins. "Have you found anything interesting?"

[edgeoftheknife]

There wasn't another tour group ready for the underwater elevator quite yet. A small group of kedan stood huddled on the beach a short distance away, two of them trying to talk the third into going along with the expedition. From the sound of it, the third was more or less terrified that they were all going to drown if they stepped into the bubble.

Erskine was largely ignoring them--either they'd come along or not, and hearing reassurances from one of the sorcerers themselves hadn't seemed to help in the slightest. Instead he sipped water from a thermos-like container and seemed to be enjoying a somewhat peaceful silence with the skeleton.

At the question he turned, recognizing Zelgadis from the network, and shrugged. "Murals. Statues. Squid. Other than that, it's a bit of a blur. I spend most of my time trying not to drown us all." He chuckled. "Although that last time a squid tried to swim right into the bubble. That was pretty funny."

[gathersnomoss]

"So we can't exactly get out and look around? That's a shame"

Of course, Zelgadis's own magic would let him duplicate a personal version of the spell, for a time. But it was nice to consider options. And who knew if something interesting could survive being doused in salt water for ages.

[skeletonenigma]

"Well, you could," said Skulduggery from his position a few feet away, closer to the waves. "But you would need another way of breathing. That, or impressive lung capacity. Would you like a personal tour?" He pointed over his shoulder at the small group of kedan further down the beach. "It doesn't sound like they'll be ready to go for a while yet."

[edgeoftheknife]

"That's not to say you can't look around while we're in the bubble," Ravel clarified, chuckling at Skulduggery but addressing Zelgadis. "I'm sure the view is lovely for passengers. We've had no complaints yet. But there's a certain amount of concentration required on our end to keep the whole thing together."

He glanced over at the aforementioned kedan and nodded. "Right, I think we've got time for another trip."

Whenever, whoever! :D

[phoenixstrut]

At least it's a pretty city, she mentally grumbles to herself, flying out with only a half glance back. The beaches were much more calming, though she had rarely had the chance to stretch her wings over the dip and pull of the ocean.

Seemed like getting yanked from New York to another world provided amble opportunity for missed experiences... and very, very strange sights.

After coasting along the coast (hurr) for about half an hour or so, Dove would notice the small cluster of people at the water's edge, and feeling an odd tug at the back of her mind, couldn't possibly resist descending.

Politely choosing to land a safe distance away-- her large white wings did tend to kick up a lot of sand if she wasn't careful-- she then straightens and dusts herself off, offering a smile to those of the group nearby as she approaches.

When her eyes catch sight of the man as equally stunning as she, she can't help but beam... until she nearly stops in her tracks at the sight of the animated skeleton tied to him. Instant confusion washes over her-- It's living; she can feel him.

"Well... I guess celebrities do exist offscreen," she grins at Ravel, still absolutely stunned at his companion.

[skeletonenigma]

Oh, excellent. A faerie - or maybe an angel. At this point, Skulduggery isn't even surprised.

"He's not a celebrity," Skulduggery answers very nearly immediately. But he recognises both the nature of that grin and the uncertainty whenever she looks at him, so Skulduggery deliberately takes a step away from them both and waves a dismissive hand. "Don't mind me. I'll be over here."

Looking at seashells, or... whatever it is people do with free time on a beach. There are still some kedan around; maybe he can go clarify the scuba-diving trips for them.

[edgeoftheknife]

It's impossible to miss the giant white wings approaching them. Ravel's eyes widen; Skulduggery may not be surprised, but Erskine certainly is. He's even more surprised, although this time pleasantly so, when the person approaching turns out to be the lovely lady he's spoken to over the console before.

He casts an amused glance over at Skulduggery and the skeleton's dismissal of them before returning Dove's grin. He looks tired--as tired as the last time he and Dove spoke, if not more so--but he can always muster up a smile for a pretty lady.

"Don't mind him," he replies, "he's just used to being the biggest celebrity around. Unless of course you meant him, in which case I don't know how you managed to recognize him. They say the console adds a stone or two, don't they? Or is that television?"

[phoenixstrut]

She turns her smile to Skul when he speaks, about to reply until he waves and steps away. With a parting nod--and resolve to approach him later and figure out what she can-- she turns her full attention to Erskine again.

"I'm... Afraid we're not actually aquainted," she shrugged, almost apologetic. She hadn't meant to have Skul leave, but he didn't seem bothered--at least, not that she could feel.

The man in front if her, though, was another matter altogether, and she suddenly wondered if she had ever come across a soul so...muddled. He looked tired, though amiable, but he felt exhausted--worse than exhausted. Before she's able to stop herself, there's a look of concern on her face, and it's clear that she wears her emotions just as clearly as she can read them. As her wings slowly shine and fade from her back, she extends a hand; maybe touch will make it clearer. "Mr. Ravel, wasn't it?"

[edgeoftheknife]

"Well, I'm sure we can fix that here in a moment. Whenever Skulduggery deigns to find us more fascinating than seashells." He's still teasing. For all that Skulduggery has tried to distance himself from the conversation, there's only so much privacy a five foot length of chain will allow them.

Ravel notices the shift in her expression, the look of concern, but he doesn't know what to attribute it to. The sling on his left arm? The chain on the right? The dark circles under his eyes, which have only gotten worse now that he's been shackled to Skulduggery for weeks?

He smiles for her anyway, although there's a touch of wariness to it now. "That it was. Erskine Ravel." He takes the proffered hand with his right, the shackled hand, and lifts it to his lips. Beautiful ladies with wings certainly deserve a kiss on the hand, not just an inelegant shake, and he'll defy Skulduggery to claim otherwise if the skeleton bothers to kick up a fuss about it.

"Dove, if I remember correctly?"

Re: Ollesse - The Coral Ruins

[gathersnomoss]

Judicious use of flight spells meant Zelgadis could explore in piece. He was taking a deliberate effort to avoid the Crests... which meant a band of them had decided to see if the stone man would react to pygmy squid toxin. Say, by leaving some rather annoyed squid on his campsite.

(Really, if he'd played by the rules, they'd have left him alone after that. Mostly. Also, it's for science.)

So, now picture a rather annoyed and ink-splattered Zel fuming since it's not like local law would take his side, short of (maybe) a major injury.