[closed]

[wroughtiron]

Characters: An NPC (wroughtiron), Annabeth Chase (sophos), Hellboy (histruename), the Doctor (iwaspromisedtea) and Zatanna Zatara (backwordscompatible)
Date: November 25/28th.
Location: The Mainland.
Situation: These characters are tracked down by an NPC and given some information, as well as asked a few things in return. Individual scenarios are in the main body of the post itself.
Warnings/Rating: Shouldn't stray much above pg-13, but if it does I'll let you know.

Comments

[wroughtiron]

Oh, a little of this, a little of that.

[She's gesturing haphazardly as she talks, and when she ends on the hard t of 'that' she suddenly has a coin between her index and middle finger. Street magic, little more than illusionary skill, but her smile suggests there's a little more to it than that.]

[backwordscompatible]

[Zatanna catches the trick for what it is instantly, but gives a polite round of applause.]

Not bad.

Do you perform, or is this just a side hobby?

[wroughtiron]

Not really anyone to perform for out here, unless I felt like doing tricks for the llothi and their little friends.

[She shrugs.]

[backwordscompatible]

True.

Have you been here long?

[wroughtiron]

[Oh, that earns a laugh as Eva starts gathering up her fortune telling tiles.]

Does 'all my life' count as long? I was born here. In one of those cities you've no doubt seen.

[backwordscompatible]

[That was a surprise.]

I didn't think anything could live in those places.

...no offense.

[wroughtiron]

They weren't always ruins, girl.

[She's not offended, per se, but she does sound a little indignant.]

[backwordscompatible]

Well, yeah, I knew that. [She pulls back apologetically, realizing she might have said something wrong.] I mean--well, what happened?

[wroughtiron]

Princess Turtlepot blew the damned thing up, that's what.

[She's not Eshai's biggest fan.]

[backwordscompatible]

Princess...Turtlepot? You don't mean the Emperor, do you?

[She's still new. Not accustomed to such terms of endearment for the locals.]

[wroughtiron]

That's exactly who I mean, yes.

[She makes a little 'bingo' gesture with one hand like the firing of a gun.]

[backwordscompatible]

[Zatanna doesn't hide the frown that appears. She's not too surprised by the revelation, though that doesn't make it any less unsettling.]

Why would she bring us to a place that she destroyed? It doesn't make sense.

[wroughtiron]

[Eva stares a moment, and then just shakes her head with a chuckle.]

She may be all mighty and powerful but she doesn't control Tu Vishan. The Great Turtles that make up our continents are billions of years old.

[backwordscompatible]

Hmm. In that case, she must not be happy with our latest detour.

[wroughtiron]

Oh, I expect not. And I hope it's put a right proper bee in her bonnet.

[she drops the plaques into a drawstring bag with some finality and tucks the whole mess away at her belt.]

I can't say it breaks my heart.

[backwordscompatible]

Not a fan?

[She says this completely rhetorically, of course, considering what she'd just learned.]

Do you know much about the Emperor? Aside from the fact that she apparently destroyed your home for some reason.

[wroughtiron]

I've only met her a couple of times, and came off the worse in both. She's a piece of work, that one.

But if you mean in a more... general sense. She's several hundred years old. She's been the acting Emperor of that silly little thing she calls a city now for several hundred years, though you'd never hear her say it outloud, and I bet you wouldn't hear it out of any of the kedan either.

[Brainwashing. It's a thing.]

[backwordscompatible]

[So either the kedan are really, really loyal, or the Emperor was influencing them in some way. Zatanna stored away this information for later.]

Why'd she attack your cities?

[wroughtiron]

Why does anyone in power do anything?

[She lifts a hand, two fingers held up.]

For more power.

[she drops her middle finger.]

Or to keep what they already have.

[She makes a fist.]

[backwordscompatible]

I...don't quite follow.

[Those were fairly generic explanations. What 'more power'? She was the Emperor. What threat could they possibly have been for her to resort to this?]

[wroughtiron]

[... sigh.]

Does your world have... you know, space travel? Airships?

[backwordscompatible]

It's not a common means of travel...but yeah, we do.

[wroughtiron]

We've got half a dozen orbital defense stations orbiting this world. I have no idea if they're active or not anymore, it's been... a long time.

[She glances upwards, regardless. The ARSHEPELIOS were supposed to last 'in perpetuity', but...]

Some people didn't like that they were developed, what they might be used for. I'm sure I don't have to explain the whole story and frankly I only know the footnotes. The end result was a war that killed off all these poor critters.

[She taps a hand down against the rock she's perched on - although she means the turtle making up the bedrock.]

Eshai saw her chance. Did some sort of crazy voodoo to separate her little floating city from the rest before the sickness spread. And by the way - she's not a real Emperor. Not born to the title, or even elected. She got there by being meaner than everyone else. Before the turtles died she was... well, I don't rightly know. I'm pretty sure she wasn't anything more important than you or me. But having the last living turtle made her powerful, and so she started bringing people here. First the kedan, then others-- since she couldn't trust any of the rest of us. And when she had enough of an army, she attacked us.

The war had crippled our trade with the other continents. Made everything a right mess. We had almost no contact with the others. Maybe they're still around. Maybe Vailequios was just... you know, a warning shot. But I wouldn't bank on it.

[backwordscompatible]

[Zatanna listens to the full story with a solemn expression.]

Is that what we are? Her army?

Because, I can tell you right now, nobody told me any of this when I was brought here. In fact, nobody really told any of us much of anything.

[wroughtiron]

It's what the last group was.

[And then she just rolls her eyes.]

Do you really figure she'd spell it all out for you guys? If she knew I was telling you this she'd have my head on a plate. And yours, if you let it slip to her that you know.

[STERN LOOK.]