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

On the path out of Keeliai | Closed to Erskine | June 19th-20th

[skeletonenigma]

After the first two days of Anton refusing to let Skulduggery leave the Hotel and explore the strange new half-sunken continent, Skulduggery had honestly believed he wasn't going to be allowed out of Keeliai at all. He wanted to object on principle, but he had a frustratingly small amount of ground to stand on. So he bore the punishment in silence, if not quite good grace, and was genuinely surprised when Anton let them leave without some kind of escort.

If he wasn't very careful, he might actually learn to rely on his friends.

Skulduggery and Ravel passed the first half of the walk in their customary silence, broken only by the clinking of the chain as they moved. Just as they were about to reach the border of Atoce, however, an Erol'a came running up to them and stopped, stunned.

"You really are a skeleton," she said, eyes wide. She turned to Ravel. "Can it really talk? It doesn't look like it can talk."

[edgeoftheknife]

Despite his early reluctance to leave the Hotel, Erskine had been steadily forced to accept the fact that he was going stir-crazy. Whatever comforts he'd enjoyed in the Hotel before--namely, a decent bed and privacy if he needed it--were gone. They hadn't spoken about it as such, but Erskine felt much the same way about the new continent as did Skulduggery. It sounded interesting. It sounded like a chance to get away and forget about certain things for a while.

So when Anton had actually allowed them to go, Ravel found himself in a much more agreeable mood than he'd been in for days. Weeks, maybe. That didn't stop the silence between the two of them, but perhaps it was a touch less antagonistic than it had been. Maybe.

At the question from the Erol'a he found himself biting back a grin.

"It does, yes," he said, as deadpan as he could manage, "but there was a bit of a glitch in the spell that animates it. You see, it's a compulsive liar. Don't believe a word that comes out of it."

[skeletonenigma]

The girl's eyes widened even further. "Really?"

"No," said Skulduggery. It came out surprisingly good-natured. "Apart from the fact that I don't have skin, I'm not all that different from what you're used to. My friend here is the compulsive liar."

The Erol'a looked back and forth between them, understandably confused. "But then... who do I believe?"

"It's a conundrum, isn't it?" said Skulduggery brightly. "On our world, we have a riddle. You're a prisoner, and in your cell, there are two doors and two guards. One door leads to freedom, while the other leads to certain death. You don't know which is which. One guard always tells the truth, and the other always lies. But again, you don't know which is which. You can only ask one of them one question. What do you ask?"

"That's silly," said the girl.

"Of course it is," answered Skulduggery. "It's a riddle. But if you knew what question to ask, you'd know how to find out which of us is the compulsive liar."

MINOR SPOILERS AHOY

[edgeoftheknife]

Surprisingly good-natured indeed. Ravel found himself having to hide a look of astonishment when what came out of the skeleton's mouth wasn't snappish or completely flat. He'd certainly been expecting something of the sort.

And yet it was almost like falling back into their old familiar patterns, from back before everything had gone so wrong. Teaming up to confound someone with almost supernatural ease. It was almost as if they'd been doing this for centuries. Had been friends for centuries.

Almost.

"Or," he said with a musing look, "and this is just a possibility, mind--there's the distinct chance that we're both insane and you can't really trust either one of us."

They were, after all, the only two remaining Dead Men who'd been tortured. Repeatedly.

[skeletonenigma]

"That's true," Skulduggery agreed with a nod. "I mean, look at me. I'm a living skeleton. A lot of people would tell you I'm insane by definition."

The girl looked back and forth between them for a moment, bemused and slightly unsure, before shaking her head. "Nope. Quintus wouldn't. He said you were sweet and a lot of fun to talk to. He didn't say anything about the riddles, though."

"Quintus?" Skulduggery's cheerful manner vanished instantly. "You've seen him?"

"Yep. Him and the other turtles. They were here a while ago, and Quintus wanted me to find you if you came here. You and Akito, but I don't know what Akito looks like. Just what he smells like." She looked over at Ravel. "Are you Akito?"

[edgeoftheknife]

Ravel found himself eyeing Skulduggery as the girl spoke, eyebrows arched, forehead crinkling in surprise. "'Sweet'?" he mouthed. Skulduggery wasn't paying any attention to him at that point, more interested in whoever or whatever this 'Quintus' was, but Ravel still felt the need to register his disbelief.

Sweet. Right. Skulduggery was positively fluffy.

At the question from the girl he turned his attention back to her and shook his head. "No, not me."

The other turtles? There were more of them?

[skeletonenigma]

"Akito's quite a bit younger," said Skulduggery. In more ways than one. "How long ago did you see the turtles?"

The Erol'a girl shrugged. "A while ago."

"Can you be more specific?"

"A long while ago."

Skulduggery shook his head. "That's the problem with a society run by children," he said to Ravel. "Nobody knows how to be helpful. It's infuriating. Why did Quintus ask you to find us?"

The girl brightened. "He said to tell you that he's really excited to see you both again, and to meet all your new friends, but that he can't yet because there's something he and the others have to take care of first."

"Which is...?"

A shrug. "I dunno. He didn't say. None of them would. But Quintus wanted me to tell you that he expects you and Akito to be best friends by the time he gets back."

Skulduggery sighed. "Of course he does. He might just have to deal with being disappointed on that one."

[edgeoftheknife]

He snorted a laugh. "As if any of the adults we've ever known have been particularly helpful either. Without having to threaten them first, anyway."

Still, this was Skulduggery's conversation, not his. Ravel fell quiet, finding something convenient nearby to focus on while he listened in. He couldn't not listen in. They were chained together for God's sake. Anton had effectively smashed any idea of privacy they might've had. Erskine could have probably warped the air around him, made it more difficult for sound to reach him, but he wasn't getting the impression that this was quite that kind of conversation. So instead he continued in a sort of half-attentive state until Skulduggery sighed.

He turned his head slightly, so Skulduggery was visible in his peripheral vision.

"Not a fan, I take it?"

[skeletonenigma]

"Of Akito?" Skulduggery shook his head. "He's nice enough. Well-meaning. Too many regrets for his age, and too much maturity in handling them. But when Quintus says 'best friends', he means sharing our every secret, and neither of us do that with the friends we already have." Skulduggery hesitated. "Well, I don't. I assume Akito doesn't. Not with anyone in Keeliai, at least."

"How do you eat?" asked the Erol'a girl.

"Very carefully," Skulduggery murmured. He turned to face her. "Thank you. Have the other turtles left messages as well?"

"I don't know. I just talked to Quintus."

Skulduggery took a moment, then nodded. "OK. Consider the message delivered."