EVENT | LANDFALL | VALISHAERA

[ironwood]

Characters: ALL!
Date: JULY 13-26
Location: Valishaera
Situation: Tu Vishan has made landfall on Siaxhi, to explore the Dreaming Watch City of Valishaera.
Warnings/Rating: Please indicate content warnings in subject headers as applicable.

As Tu Vishan draws near, the heavy jungle visible even from miles out quickly identifies the landmass as Siaxhi, one of the westernmost continents in Konryu and one that has been largely untouched insofar as the kedan themselves have gone. There is a natural inlet along the southeast shore on the continent and Tu Vishan makes for that, though he fills nearly all of it.



OOC INFORMATION
Landfall Questions | Approved Item Requests | Pocket Dreaming Signups

CITY OF VALISHAERA
Exploring the Coast | The Arybar | A Ruined City

WITHIN THE TEMPLE
The Monks' Domain | The Labs & Library | Gathering Rooms & Garden | The Pocket Dreaming Realms

LANDFALL MISSIONS
Dreamscape | Night's Wood | Inan | OOC Organization

Comments

[runrightround]

I don't think so? This place feels weird though.

[He's still checking out his hands. There's a weird sort of nagging feeling, but he can't quite figure out what it is.]

[Maybe if he ignores it, it will go away. He looks up at her, and hey! He knows this girl.]

It's you! Hey.

[unetrustworthy]

[She was inclined to agree, although her hands were still fine. (She might have checked before approaching him)]

Actually, it's Midii.

And you were...what was your name again?

[apologiesmyking]

[This was a strange city and the "true" city was even more so. It was like stepping into one of the children's books that are so common on the surface. Kaldur followed the paths through the mushrooms and trees, investigating what he can. And then he sees Wally not far in the distance]

Kid Flash!

[solo_patria]

[Out of the spotlight was one thing so far as Enjolras was concerned. That was not so much of a problem for him. He'd rather preferred keeping things that way himself when he could. It hardly meant simply dismissing someone though, particularly those who seemed intelligent and caring and, well, he was actually reminded something of Feuilly who would have perhaps adopted a similar approach to hers. The connection was somewhat surprising when he made it, but it did feel right.

And well, besides all of that Midii was a countrywoman along with everything else, and one of the few who still remained from France as far as he knew. That was a bond in and of itself, though not quite a close one, maybe.]

I miss her a great deal. I think, well. Eponine taught me a lot while she was here. I am glad then, that you are all right. And I have been, well, fine enough as well.

[And then, as changing the subject seems like a good idea right then, Enjolras attempted that.]

This place is immense. I think that anyone might well be lost in here forever, you know?

[solo_patria]

Oh, well then.

[Enjoras, less quick to smile these days, finds himself doing so anyway.]

Well, first of all, does your world have a written language?

[No more assumptions before saying things, for this conversation at least. So, better to find out before he continues any further with this.]

[raavashing]

It does. I think the welcome center said it's called 'Chinese' here. That's such an odd name for it.

[sophos]

"On a technicality, I suppose." Another thing that vaguely reminds her of herself. Pointing out the technicalities.

Then she just shrugs. "Because I can speak it and read it. I prefer writing in it to English."

It's not the entire explanation, but she's not lying either. Annabeth isn't the type to bring up her dyslexia at random, especially to someone she's only just met.

[solo_patria]

Ah, well...

[Enjolras looks intensely interested at this, considering that what he knows of China, for the most part, is that it exists and that teas, expensive and uncommon as they were at home, are imported from there. Add to the fact that, given the catdeer, it's a very different equivalent, or close to equivalent of China and he's somewhat hooked.]

That is actually intensely fascinating. I do not know much of China,the country that sounds closest to your home based on the language, and less still of one with creatures like your catdeer. I shall have to ask you to tell me more of your world again when I've done the same. So, the printing press. Essentially, the idea behind it is to spread the number of people that a message, either in a book, or an announcement or what have you. I would imagine you have scribes at home?

Well, think what an inconvenience it would be for the same scribe to copy a hundred versions of the same information time and time again. The scribe may make mistakes in some of their copies, and even a hundred of whatever you wanted to share, let us say a bit of important news, would not reach very many people.

With the printing press, one can create many copies of the same thing, and, in in the same type of writing, by laying out the standard letters...characters, actually...

[Enjolras is quick to correct things here, seeing as he remembers hearing enough of Chinese to know that it is written in characters which are a little different.]

Basically, the press eliminates the need for the same scribe to write out the same message time and time again as it allows for copies. as many as are needed, to be made, instead of written out. It actually began in the China that I mentioned. Cloth decoration of all things, was made possible with wood carvings. If a design was carved into a wooden block and paint applied to the design, it could be stamped out onto the cloth just like that. The same happened with writing, later on. One set of blocks, with paint, or ink applied to the design, or words, and stamped onto a surface, cloth or paper, can make a large number of copies over time. The first book was actually created that way, long ago.

[Enjolras is pausing here, a moment, trying to make sure that this makes sense. ]

But now, imagine that a scribe's style of writing, for whatever reason, cannot be easily read by everyone. One letter or character looks much like another, or something along those lines. It can cause so many problems. So, instead of relying on what everyone could create on their own, a standardized version was created. A standardized version of characters and letters that could easily be moved about and transformed to make up new lines of whatever news story or book, or whatever have you.

Eventually, when the techology reached Europe, er, the continent my country is in, many print makers worked to add and improve on it, and eventually, what we had were the forms of letters that could be arranged and moved about at will, on metal plates.

Now, a printer only need arrange the letters needed to spell out a word, or characters to create a sentence, ink his plates, and place a paper inside of them. By pressing down, and keeping the application of ink steady, he can make a copy of anything, many copies, actually, just like that, and everyone who can read the language that it is in can read and understand things all at once because they've been made standard.

The press also makes it cheaper to print and produce so many written things so even people who could not afford to read before can do so now. It really is amazing that so many people now have access to reading when they have not had it before. It means more people could be educated someday, at least in theory.

[Here, Enjolras is stopping, wondering if he's lost his listner along the way, though he certainly hopes not, now.]

I...my father in law [Close enough at least.] was a printer, so I learned a bit of it from him one day. I've also been a reporter and journalist, er, that is I write about the news so that others might know it too.

I've actually been looking for some sort of press to do the work a newspaper might need here, as well. I think that it might benefit us foreigners to have something that we can write or at least contribute to, so that everyone knows what is going on at once. Should I manage to find or create one, I would be very glad to show you a demonstration, actually. If you would care to see of course.

[Pretty big ifs, but Enjolras is still willing to extend an offer for that should he ever locate a press here, unlikely as it seems right now. And then he is smiling, grinning, at Wan in fact.]

And now, that's one of them. I'd love to hear more about your catdeer or the other creatures living in your world if you wouldn't mind speaking of those, at least.

[unetrustworthy]

A personal preference. She could understand that much. Japanese had been the universal language spoken in her time, but she'd always been quick to revert back to her native French whenever opportunity presented itself.

"May I ask what it says? Or is it a secret?"

Garrett Hawke | Open

[iwannabeadragon]

[A ruined city you say? One that appears to be untouched by time despite the odds? Hawke is all over that. The moment Hawke catches wind of such a place he heads there in search of whatever he can find. As always Notch accompanies him on his expedition.

It's been too long since he's explored such a place. The last time he did he ran into the biggest dragon he's ever seen in his life. Who knows what kinds of secrets this place might hold. Whatever they might be, Hawke intends on finding something of interest here.]

[unetrustworthy]

I could think of worse places to get lost in.

[Speaking of remaining out of the spotlight...it was quiet here. Peaceful. A plethora of hard and soft covers filled to the spines with so much information. She was itching to read everything in sight, no matter how impossible the task ahead seemed.]

Garrett Hawke | Open

[iwannabeadragon]

[It's a movement out of the corner of his eye that draws him towards the portal. Someone beckons to him. A person that he feels like he should know but just can't quite place. Then the person disappears into the portal. Hawke stops for a moment, and looks to Notch. The dog look back at him seemingly confused. With a shrug, Hawke enters the portal but keeps his hands near his weapons. After moments go by and nothing attacks him, Hawke begins to explore.

That's how he comes to arrive at the library. He almost passes through it without a second thought. Then he spies something that stops him. A book sits on a shelf. One that Hawke recognizes instantly and pulls into his hands. Its name reads Hard in Hightown: Siege Harder. Hawke stares at the book for seconds then explodes in the merry laughter as he begins to read.

Next to him a bored Notch looks confused before trotting exploring the room in search of something more interesting.]

[raavashing]

[Enjolras did actually lose Wan along the way. It was a lot of information at once and while he got the gist of the idea from 'woodblock prints' (because those they did have on the Lion Turtle), the rest of it was just... a little too much to process at one time. Especially the stuff about a country called China. He wanted to know more about that.

But he'd been asked a question and the other man had answered one of his, so it was only fair he return the favor.]

Catdeer are pretty common to the forest around the Lion Turtle city I grew up in. Lion Turtles are like the Great Turtle we've been brought to, but they're only about the size of the actual city. The Great Turtle is much, much larger than any Lion Turtle I've seen.

Anyway, like I said are pretty common to the forest around the city I grew up in. Peacock pigeons, skunk squirrels... animals like that actually lived in and around the city. There are a lot of animals in the rest of the world that are more amazing and whose names I'm not even sure of.

But the world is also inhabited by spirits. The land outside of the Lion Turtle Cities is called the Spirit Wilds. There are animal spirits, creature spirits, even spirits that are more about the concept of something. Like a river or Light and Peace. They're incredibly varied and describing each of them would take a lifetime.

I lived with spirits and animals in the Spirit Wilds for the last two years, learning their ways. But humans... the settlements on the Lion Turtles are very few and far between. Most humans don't know other settlements exist outside of their own. So there isn't contact between them the way things are in your world.

[runrightround]

That's actually pretty awesome, if that's really what the books do. He might have to test it himself. He grins at the books being shown to him.

"Cool. Do you think it would work for comic-" Yeah, he stops himself once he realizes what he's looking at. "You read Vogue?"

[runrightround]

[Oh that's right. They didn't actually introduce themselves when they talked before did they?]

Wally. Nice to meet you. Are you out here by yourself?

[He only asks because she's kind of little. Honestly, he doubts there's anything really dangerous out here, but still.]

[unetrustworthy]

[Hey, she wasn't that little! Okay maybe she was. She was going to be thirteen in November, after all.]

Yes.

I wanted to see. And there are other people around I know, so I'm not completely alone.

[iguanasolution]

He actually stops flying and gets into the water, clothes and all. He doesn't have a swimsuit anyway, so he might as well.

"Guess you've got the 'just floating' thing covered?"

[fearlessherosheart]

Why, that way!

[a direction chosen totally on a whim.]

[backwordscompatible]

[Well, that was completely helpful.]

[But since Zatanna had no real reason to argue, she complied with the suggestion and started on her way. Walking through the realm was...surreal, almost. At times, it felt like she was trying to walk through water. Only she could breathe. Other moments, it carried the sensation of walking on one of those forward-moving walkways at the airports. A sensation of being propelled forward, despite moving at the same speed.]

[She couldn't tell if the place wanted her to leave, or go faster.]

I can see why they call it the Dream realm.

[fearlessherosheart]

It is very like a dream. Though, it feels...

[Tazendra frowns]

it feels both familiar and alien.

[backwordscompatible]

You ever been here before?

[peacefullywreathed]

That was a very good point Solomon hadn't yet considered, and it made him stop and glance thoughtfully upwards. "Yes, I think that would be wise. How would you plan to do so?"

Soldier or not, the youth could only be a teen, regardless of his size. What sort of magic would he have that would enable him to do that? Or knowledge of the Dreaming? Either would be of benefit to Solomon.

[fearlessherosheart]

"Not at all!"

[gathersnomoss]

Maybe. It's pretty tiring.

[gathersnomoss]

"I hope so by now."