ASTHENOA

[capemods]

WHO: The imPorts trapped in a video game.
WHERE: The virtual world of Asthenoa.
WHEN: 10AM August 26th to 11PM August 31st.
WARNINGS: Violence and fighting. Alert me of anything else for updates.
SUMMARY: A comedy of errors: imPorts are trapped in a Vulcanus-made video game.
FORMAT: As you like it.



Asthenoa is a land set on lush rolling hills under a bright blue sky eternally streaked with clouds. The only celestial variance comes during the nightly setting, where an eternally yellow full moon partially hides behind those clouds. The people of Asthenoa may be human, or elven, or dwarven, or they may have animalistic features, but none of that is of great social concern. Asthenoa has always been this way. The heart of the land is a medieval town set upon one of the highest hills, and the middle of that town sits a majestic stone castle. The busiest part of the town is the center, which hosts the marketplace. There you can buy necessities, or meet the blacksmith and other artisans at their working studios. Beyond the artisanal studios are the taverns and the inns.

Beyond the cheerier inns is a place called The Shriveled Shrike. If you head to the second floor and knock on the third room door thrice and rub your knee against the handle once, it will magically open and expose to you a staircase. People of the Rogue class know this inherently.

The staircase is five flights long. It leads to a black market in a mile long, mile wide underground bunker, where gambling and other darker magicks are indulged. You might meet a necromancer or three. You might run into trouble.

If you were to step out beyond the town, you would have to cross a moat via the drawbridge. It’s always closed up at nighttime, you can only pass during the day.

Beyond the moat (where serpents might swim) is a hilly pasture. Beyond the pasture is an enchanted forest. Strange things happen in these gnarled woods – this is where mystical creatures lurk. Acres of dark wood house sparkling lights and floating orbs and very unusual flora. The fauna includes many mythical beings, including centaurs and fairies and griffins. There could be even more hidden within secret caves or pools of darkening water.

You feel the need to venture past this alluring wood. You feel it deeply.

Comments

open

[invoking]

[ When the shock of being ported into another world and being stuck in a ridiculous suit of armor had finally subsided, Gil ventures out to see if he can get find out more about this place and if he'll be able to find any familiar faces. Although the armor is clearly heavy, he seems to have no trouble walking in it. However, he does feel increasingly awkward in such a ... get-up. He feels as if he's walked out of the pages of Holy Knight, which might have been more exciting if he hadn't known something was wrong.

Questions he asks are mostly ignored or met with confusion before merchants tried to urge him to buy their products. He's growing exasperated and he feels absolutely ridiculous with a crossbow in his arms, but if this is anything like New Vesuvius, he'll need a weapon.

He continues to wander about the town and ask questions, a part of him not ready to give up on his quest here just yet, but another part of him tugging him in the direction of the forest. ]

[dragony]

Any luck?

[ The man isn't someone Ruka recognizes, by face or by voice, but when she overhears the conversation he holds with strangers, it isn't difficult to make the connection. They are, after all, very similar to the questions she herself has asked for the past while.

Should Gil look over—and up—he'll find the source of the new question to be a young paladin in red, seated comfortably on the back of a white horse that looks way too tall for a girl her size. Seriously, you could probably fit three elves and a goat on that horse's back. Her cloak seems to be stuck on the "dramatic billow" setting, and overall the image is some cross between thematic and absurd. ]

Figuring things out, I mean.

[invoking]

[ He's caught by surprise at the "sudden" appearance of this horse and its rider, wondering for a brief moment how he hadn't noticed something as big as this horse trotting through the town and marketplace.

He has to peer around the horse to get a good look at the young girl, noting her age, height, and that eye patch especially. His gaze lingers on it before he shakes his head, indicating he's not getting anything from these people. ]

As far as I can tell, they've lived here their whole lives and can't help us.

[dragony]

Well, one shouldn't prevent the other, I think.

[ She notices where his attention lingers, and while it's not unexpected, Ruka's own gaze has to drift away from him when he does. An injury like that is so rarely expected on anyone, especially someone of her look, so she doesn't mind it—in theory. In practice, though...

At least being so far out of reach, she doesn't have to worry about a curious hand trying to determine if the eye patch is for function or merely for fashion. ]

If anything's changed in recent times, that's the first place to start.

[ She pauses. ]

You are an... well, something of an imPortant person, aren't you?

[invoking]

[ The injury comes as a surprise because of how young she is; Break had been a grown man when the Will of the Abyss plucked out his eye from its socket and Fury was likely injured dozens of years ago. He doesn't mean to draw attention to it, but concern is quick to filter into his expression. ]

Are you alright, though? [ But her question garners a bizarre look in response. ] Important? I wouldn't say so, no. Not at all.

[ That pun went miles above his head. ]

[dragony]

[ Why did she even bother being subtle? It so rarely worked out for her. But even if he didn't understand her meaning, the likelihood that he was an imPort as well seemed high. None of the villagers she's met have expressed any concern for her well-being. ]

Alright? With what?

[ From the way he stared, she knew what he probably meant, but she wasn't going to volunteer an answer about something like that if she didn't have to. ]

[wisecracked]

[Kenzi doesn't recognize him at first because of the armor but then she catches the sound of his voice as he inquires one of the people around. She silently slips over and raps on his armor, unable to help herself.]

So you got dragged here too, huh?

[invoking]

[ Well, that's just rude. He turns around, face scrunched up with mild irritation that fades away quickly and transforms into a look of surprise to see Kenzi.

Oh god, that outfit, though. ]

So it is another one of Lachesis' port outs...

[ He seems partially relieved to see Kenzi, but he doesn't stare long at her given the amount of cleavage he can see from all the way up here. ]

[wisecracked]

[All the cleavage, Gil. All the cleavage. That includes the lovely scar that she wants so bad to cover up but can't.]

Apparently.

[She looks him over before looking around.] So...this is...not the weirdest place we've ended up but it's still really weird. I feel like I stepped into some fantasy novel.

[invoking]

It's a bit like Holy -- [ He's been desperately averting his eyes because he feels it's inappropriate to look, but when he spots the scar he goes still and quiet. ]

[wisecracked]

[Kenzi doesn't seem the notice any staring on Gil's part, she's busy looking around. She only looks back at him when he stops short of finishing what he was saying.

She looks back up at him with a raised brow.] Holy what?

[solidorkable]

[By now, Larsa has somewhat gotten used to the armor. It's considered out of fashion for someone like him, who usually wears expensive enchanted versions of their armor.

He runs into Gil not too far off from the center of the town. Maybe he would know what was going on? Larsa waves off a merchant politely before appearing behind Gil.]

I would beg your pardon, but you are from the City are you not?

[invoking]

[ Bright eyes fall on Larsa, examining him from head to toe, but without any recognition. ]

I am and you must be, too. [ Who else would ask such a direct question like that? He nods. ] What's your name?

[solidorkable]

Larsa Solidor, sir. [he offers, sticking out a hand to the other man. or maybe he should have bowed again? are things as they are in ivalice or the city? ]

It is a pleasure sir - ?

[invoking]

Ah, Gilbert.

[ He hopes he doesn't take to calling him "sir", even if it's polite. "Sir" is reserved for actual gentlemen... important people, he feels. Not someone like him. ]

Have you been able to find out anything here?

[solidorkable]

[if he took offense to it, he didn't show it. though, it's actually quite the opposite, he almost understands why he wouldn't.

larsa rests a hand on the hilt of his sword, even as he looks around.]

I am afraid not. [though he has a sneaking suspicion that there is a quest involved -there is always a quest.]

I fear that we are to discover what we are doing here sooner, rather than later.

[withamask]

[ Also questioning merchants only to receive no answers, Renee sighs in frustration. It doesn't take long for her to realize that he's an imPort as well. Say hello to another knight, Gil! ]

You too, huh?

[invoking]

[ Gil is surprised to see not just another imPort, but a female knight at that. Does such an opportunity exist in this strange world? ]

imPort?

[ It's the first question that comes to mind, even if the answer is obvious. He sighs, feeling ridiculous for asking and he shakes his head. ]

They've never heard of the City or America.

[withamask]

Or of anything that'll help much.

[ She exhales again. ] Should've known better. Getting answers that way would be too easy.

[invoking]

Unfortunately.

[ But he's not ready to relent just yet. ]

I'm sure we'll get some answers soon enough.

[withamask]

But we'll probably have to search for them.

[ Which normally isn't a problem, but that will take more time. Her patience is already running thin. ]

Have you seen anyone else from the City?

[latrodectus]

[ Maybe Gil doesn't recognize her at first, with her long black dress and face obscured by a hood. Before he can ask whatever he's about to ask, she says: ]

I'll understand if you don't come into work tomorrow.

[invoking]

[ He blinks profusely, as if doing so will cause the hood to clear from his vision and reveal Natasha's face. He cants his head curiously, the surprise evident in his tone: ]

Ms. Natasha, is that you?

[latrodectus]

Hello, Gil.

[ She does like surprising people. But after that's worn off, the situation is grim. ]

[invoking]

Hello... are you alright?

[ Small talk could wait, he wants to know if he needs to or can do anything for her. ]