EVENT | LANDFALL | KITHIKA | BOTTLE

[cherrywood]

Characters: ALL!
Date: February 12th - 28th
Location: Kithika, inside the bottle
Situation: The discovery of an artifact from the first war against Malicant reveals the land of Kithika within a dimension of the Death Plane... and just happens to be contained inside a bottle.
Warnings/Rating: Please indicate content warnings in subject headers as applicable.

OOC INFORMATION ♦ CITY OF KEELIAI ♦ INSIDE THE BOTTLE ♦ THE WORLD EATER
Arriving in Kithika is unpleasant for the most part. Transport through the glass vessel deposits you in the middle of a thick and murky swamp, with air so hot and humid it feels as though one is breathing through a wet towel. This is a place of perpetual night and there are no celestial bodies visible overhead through the twisted vines to break up the blackness, making the only light visible that which comes clumps of marsh fungus that emit a steady glow in a variety of muted colours: pale blue, whitish green, watery mauve. The only other light comes from those who can generate it themselves and that will reveal numerous broad-leaved trees, in some places standing too thick to move through. Below, knee-deep water laps in swirls at their legs, accompanied by the occasional slithery feel of something moving in the bracken against wet limbs, gone before it can be identified. A variety of strange noises from creatures of the swamp fill the air with buzzing and hoarse croaking, interrupted by the screech of mosquitoes the size of hummingbirds darting past and hungry for a meal.

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OOC NOTE: Characters will not be able to progress past the Temple and the Grounds for 48 IC hours after which point, the way to continue onward to find the dragon will be discovered. The second log will be posted on the 17th, to help spread out the tagging. Thank you!

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OOC INFORMATION
Landfall Questions | Approved Item Requests | Player Plot - Kryptonian Rampage OOC

CITY OF KEELIAI
Emperor's Orders: Miasma Explained | Marshaling the Forces | A City Under Siege | Halting the Scourge

INSIDE THE BOTTLE
Crossing the Swamp | Decayed Grounds | The Sullied Temple | Stone Idols | Item Discovery

THE WORLD EATER
Battling the Dragon | Soul's Poison | Kryptonian Rampage | The Guarded Pool | Weighing the Options | Aftermath

Comments

HEEEEE YES hi I'm excited

[iwannabeadragon]

Hawke doesn't jump, but his head whips around to the sudden voice. Where in the world did she come from? Hawke senses are keen. Sneaking up on him is a hard thing to do, but here she is and so young too.

"Alright, maybe it's scribble then," Hawke continues to joke.

[problematical]

"It's instructions," River replies in a voice that adds, you silly duck to the end. "For good luck. Borrow it like a loan, like a book from someone. You have to give it back though or the librarian will be angry."

[iwannabeadragon]

"Oh, of course, it's all so obvious now," Hawke responds with a smirk. So it is a language, just one that Hawke doesn't understand in the least. Why can't people just write all their ancient texts in the same language? Things would be so much easier that way.

"There's already a number of people angry at me. How about we try to keep from adding more to that list? What do I need to do?" She seems to know what's going on, even if she acts a little bit spacey, and if someone is going to do something stupid better that it be him and not her.

[problematical]

River goes over to the edge of the water-filled pool, leaning on its outer ring to stare beneath the rippling surface. "Look," she said, pointing down into the water. "They came and they left things, and took them away again."

She trails her hand along the surface before cupping a small amount of the water in her palm and holding it out to Hawke.

"You have to give something."

[iwannabeadragon]

He follows her to the water's edge and looks beneath its surface at the items beneath like she tells him. "At least they seem to have good taste, whoever they were." Some of the items in there appear to be of high quality. It makes him wonder what they took in exchange.

Hawke watches River a moment longer then focuses back to the pool. Finally he grins and shrugs his shoulders. "Why not? I could use some good luck coming my way."

Grabbing a throwing knife off his belt, he tosses it into the water before kneeling down and retrieving an amulet in return. After fitting it around his neck, Hawke offers River a knife hilt first. "Alright, your turn." She helped him so he's helping her.

[problematical]

River takes the knife and holds it, though with an odd familiarity that doesn't seem appropriate to a waifish teenage girl, hanging onto it with the ease one would wield a hairbrush or pencil or other daily object. Copying him, she tosses it into the water and then reaches down, closing her hand around a charm and metal ring on a flimsy chain. She lets it rest dripping in her hand, holding it out for Hawke to see in a way that almost seems as though she's seeking approval.

[iwannabeadragon]

Hawke watches her handle the knife. From the way she holds it Hawke assumes that she's used such items before, a good thing in his opinion. Any young girl like her should at least know how to defend herself. There's a lot of weirdos out there.

He answers her with an encouraging smile and pats her on the shoulder. "There you go. Now you've got your own trophy to remember this by."

[problematical]

River would surprise anyone when it came to defending herself, though no one in Tu Vishan knows it yet. She flashes Hawke a tentative smile, though it doesn't stop her from tensing when he claps her shoulder; she still isn't used to being touched.

"A souvenir in case we never come by this way again," she says in a lilt that almost turns it into a lyric.

[iwannabeadragon]

Hawke notices her tense at his touch and lets his hand fall back to his side to give her space. Whatever the reason for it, he doesn't want to make her uncomfortable. Still, his smile brightens at he when he sees her smile.

"Exactly. Finally someone who gets it." Everything in Hawke's old home holds a story with it, collected from his numerous misadventures. Many think most of it junk just taking of space but all of it holds tremendous sentimental value.

[problematical]

River twines the chain around her fingers, memorizing it by both look and touch before slowly lifting it to drape over her head, letting it fall against the loose knit sweater she wore. "Not much luck here," she said, looking around the temple grounds. "It's all been eaten."

[iwannabeadragon]

Hawke looks about the grounds as she does, trying to find what she's seeing. All he sees is murk and decay however. Maybe that's what she means. It certainly doesn't feel like a pleasant place. "That's rude. Least they could do is share instead being a glutton."

"We'll just have to make our own for now."

[problematical]

Hawke's remark gets a second smile out of River and that might be the record thus far for her time spent on the turtle. It's nice to have someone who just rolls with her oddity rather than try to decipher it.

"How?"

[iwannabeadragon]

Oddity is something that Hawke deals with almost every day so he tends to just go with the flow more often than not. Hawke hasn't a clue why she's like this but she is. What really matters is that she's a kid and Hawke will do his best to look after while they're here.

"We could always pat our head and rub our stomach at the same time." Hawke begins doing just that, looking perfectly serious for a moment. Then he appears to think for a moment. "Or we can look out for each other until we find whatever took it in the first place and take it back."

[problematical]

One hand goes to her stomach as though she intends to actually try it -- or rather, prove that she can -- when he continues and she considers it before giving a slow, deliberate nod.

"I can look out for you," she replies seriously.

[iwannabeadragon]

That makes Hawke smile. Nothing placating or even the teasing smirk that is so often seen on him, but a truly genuine, pleased smile. If she's going to take this seriously, then he'll take her seriously. "I believe you, so I'll return the favor."

Yep, definitely a good kid. "What's your name?"

[problematical]

River looks down at the pool again, searching the objects beneath the surface like she's seeking something particular. "Simon says not to touch weapons because they're dangerous but what if the weapon is inside?"

She looks back up at Hawke thoughtfully. "River. I'm River."

[iwannabeadragon]

Alright, Hawke's not entirely sure what she means by that or if she's talking about an actual weapon right now. He still tries to answer that the best he can. "Weapons are only dangerous if you don't know how to use them." That kind of sounds like something wise.

"A pleasure River." He nods his head to her. "Garrett Hawke. Hawke to those around here."

[problematical]

"I know how," she replies, looking down at the water once more for a moment before lifting her gaze to search Hawke's expression. "I know how to use all of them."

But then her hand comes to the little charm on the necklace that she pulled from the wishing pond and she seems to relax a little. "Hawke," she echoes. "But you don't have feathers."

[iwannabeadragon]

Hawke only continues to smile at her. "We should probably look into getting you a hobby once we get out of here. You can't spend all your time playing with sharp, pointy objects."

He shurgs and his grin turns a little more playful. "And you're not made of water," he retorts. "I guess we all can't live up to our namesake."

[problematical]

She starts to laugh, but it's cut short as something screeches overhead, just beyond the dark canopy. She tenses and looks around, trying to pinpoint the creature who made the noise.

"They're angry. This was a good place once."

[iwannabeadragon]

Hawke frowns at the trees as the noise echoes around him. Instinctively, he reaches down to grip one of his axes in case whatever made that sound decides to pay them a visit.

"That's how it always starts. Then someone comes around and makes a mess of the place for people like us to fix." Hawke look more annoyed by this place than scared. "A shame bad guys like that don't have better taste in locations," he finishes with a wry smile.

[problematical]

"People like us?" she echoed, dark eyes widening. There hadn't been anyone compare themselves to River Tam in a long time. "How?"

[iwannabeadragon]

"People brave enough or dumb enough to step into a bottle that spews out putrid fog." Hawke looks at her for a moment, almost as if he's studying her. "You don't strike me as the stupid type though," he adds. Maybe not all there completely but again, that's exactly the kind of people Hawke associates with.

[problematical]

"Not always different," River grins, flicking a strand hair over her shoulder, returning his observant look with one of her own at Hawke. "Maybe the one who sent us."

[iwannabeadragon]

Hawke chuckles. "Sounds like you have more experience with this than I first thought," he says, offering her a playful smile. This girl is definitely some kind of mystery.

"If I had to bet then that's where I'd put my money." Hawke doesn't have good experience with those in leadership positions. That's probably why he barely listens to them.