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.

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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

[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..."

[ruinsprofessor]

Indecision caught Raine for a moment, had her still and wondering. She was very conscious of three things: first, that she very much wanted to see the ruins, what remained of the city there had been; second, that it was going to be underwater and she didn't know if she could tuck away the terrifying thought of the deep water closing in on her; and third, that she had already hesitated quite a bit, and a hesitation was as good as an admission where Skulduggery was concerned.

"Yes," she said, nodding, and stepped toward them. A corner of her mind already regretted the decision, but she was pushing onward anyway, because to do otherwise would be to concede fear. "Let's go. Do you need me to do anything?" She spoke maybe a little faster than usual.

[edgeoftheknife]

Ravel shook his head. "Not a thing. Leave it to us."

Once it looked like Skulduggery was ready, Ravel crossed the stretch of sand toward the water and held his right hand out, fingers splayed. Nothing fancy happened, at least not right away. No sudden gushes of water, no parting of the sea. After only a moment, however, the little ripples of waves became noticeably calmer along one small section of the beach in front of them. Then the waves ceased altogether in that one little strip. The water calmed and took on a glassy quality quite distinct from the rushing, flowing sea surrounding it, almost forming what looked like a little pathway. In the water.

That was, in fact, exactly what it was. There had to be a way to get them out to the deeper water where they could form the bubble, after all.

After a few more seconds Ravel was satisfied he'd adjusted the surface tension correctly. "Got it," he said quietly, more for Skulduggery's benefit than Raine's. They could fight together without verbal cues--had been doing it for centuries--but magic was more precise. More demanding. Communication couldn't be avoided.

Erskine once again waited for Skulduggery to indicate that he was ready, and then stepped out onto the surface of the water.

[skeletonenigma]

There were a number of people back in their world who believed walking on water was impossible, even with Elemental magic. When the Dead Men proved them wrong, it became a widely accepted idea that Elementals might be able to manipulate water to such a degree, but they'd never be able to take anyone with them.

If there was one thing Skulduggery and Ravel could agree on, it was that other people's expectations weren't a limit.

He motioned for Raine to go first, then followed closely behind, ready to catch her if she stumbled or if, God forbid, something went wrong. Nothing did, of course. They'd done this too many times. When the trio were far enough out, he raised a hand and brought the air in close to form an imperceptible bubble around them, then nodded to Ravel. "Let's go."

[ruinsprofessor]

"All right."

Raine stalled, visibly, at the edge of the water, before forcing herself onward. She kept the thought of marvelous ruins at the forefront of her mind, looked fixedly straight ahead, at Erskine's back, rather than look down. Granted, the waters here were a far cry from the choppy blackness of a winter sea, but go deep enough and they would crush in on her just the same.

She did not look like a woman enthusiastic for the prospect of archaeology. Rather, her expression suggested she expected some great doom to fall upon her at any moment.