lostcarnival | ⇨ GREYSOL

Entry tags:

⇨ GREYSOL

Who: Everyone!
When: Day 155 - Day 169
Where: Greysol
What: The carnival resumes its tour, this time heading to Greysol, a city tied deeply into the fabric of the multiverse. Here, everyone has an animal companion from birth that is the second half of their soul - and thanks to the Ringmaster, so do you. (Remember,

joysweeper is our guest event runner for this location, and location specific questions should go to them.)
Warnings: Individually marked!

THE CITY OF GREYSOL↴

The carnival arrives in a manicured park in the center of a big city that sprawls out along where the river reaches the ocean. It’s spring, early enough that nights are chilly, warm enough in the days that people and their souls savor the weather, and sometimes shelter together from the rain. Greysol was designed from the bottom up to accommodate the human-dæmon bond. Go out and see!

► THE SHAPE OF YOUR SOUL: The dæmon-forming spell kicks in at about four in the morning. Most characters will wake up with their souls in some small form, curled against them. Even if they were awake, they became dazed and unfocused while their souls were being drawn out of their bodies and have little memory of how it happened.

Until that evening every character's dæmon is able to change shapes, and children and some teens will continue to do so. Most will settle on their permanent forms by evening. Characters without dæmons will just look on, and the few who are thousand-pound bears have to handle being really big.

► IT’S GOOD TO SETTLE: Elaine Tavis Aracari, sixteen-year-old daughter of two actors and a moving pictures sensation herself, just ‘settled’ - her dæmon Tavis stopped changing shape - as a stunning blue peacock. Settling is a major coming of age milestone and celebrated as such in different ways all over the world. She and her family are throwing a massive party in the central park and inviting the public to join in! Enjoy easy access to free catering, live music and showings of moving pictures, and displays of mostly trivial magic. There are also form readers from across the country setting up booths, happy to accept a small fee to inspect your dæmon’s settled or most favored forms and tell you what they mean. Is there anything to these analyses? Eh, maybe, but they’re flattering and fun.

► WITCHING HOURS: Characters who are clearly witches for this event will often be assumed to be in town for a lover, and people, witches and not, may want to know who that is. Humans usually regard them with wary respect and interest. Real witches living with their human families or on business quickly suspect that something’s up, but without clear and present danger take a relaxed wait-and-see attitude. Wait for long enough and any possible decision will come around again, they believe.

There isn’t time to learn much witch magic, but witches, real and carnival-made, have an inherent power: the ability to fly using branches of “cloudpine”, an attractive soft-needled tree common in the park. Witches usually ride large branches as if they’re steeds but can use even short sprays, and you’ll probably see the few witches in the city coming to the park to do so. Why not try?

► BEAR PUN: Human-panserbjørn relations have historically been troubled, but have warmed in the past century. It’s the 65th anniversary of the breaking of the Siege of Bertin, a much-mythologized time when Spectres flooded Greysol and a company of panserbjørn arrived and directed efforts to get the survivors out of the city. A statue is being erected and many florid accounts of the story are being told. If you’re in a panserbjørn shape for the duration of the visit you will probably get thanked and celebrated by people trying to hide their nervousness of you. Expect someone to ask if your dæmon would be a human - it’s a common supposition.

► KERNER ISLAND: From the harbor you can see a wooded island. Although there are no rocks to speak of it sports a tall lighthouse, and nearly all boat traffic avoids it carefully. On a clear day someone with binoculars or a particularly sharp-eyed soul can see loads of trash, birds and various other animals that don’t seem local, and… children? Adults and settled teenagers will see tall vague shapes moving about too.

When asked about it the most important thing adults will tell other adults is don’t go there. They’ll hold their dæmons close and tell you that on that island are things that eat souls. They may also admit with mixed pride and shame that it’s been a source of wealth and innovation for the city. There’s a facility there that can open windows into other worlds, and the children who can reach it can cross through and bring things back. Many of the children are recruited by research and development teams on the lookout for items they can use, but there are also kids out to have adventures or who’ve run away. More on this later.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It isn't 9S that grabs Syrlya's attention as he walks by, but Pod 153. The tone is different, but that robotic alarm is so familiar after hearing the background noise of however many golems (and having to take out a few haywire ones). He turns, raising a brow, but it's quickly apparent this is not an Asura and their golem. He... looks human, at any rate.

He offers a slight smile despite the blindbold, in polite habit. "Hello. Can I help you with anything?"

It might not look it, but 9S can see perfectly fine from behind the 'blindfold'. And he can see perfectly fine that he's never seen any living being look quite like this person either. He's both excited and wary, and discreetly scans this stranger to try and get an idea of what exactly is his biological make up. Will he come up as a plant? Something else? 9S isn't expecting human, despite the humanoid shape.

"I want to know, what are you?" 9S" has a curious lilt to it. "I've never seen anyone like you before."

Granted that's because everyone else was usually either a human or an android.

Edited (Wtf auto correct) 2017-09-05 15:34 (UTC)

Syrlya is definitely scanning as plant for 9S's sensors. Whether or not he can detect that it's magical plant is another matter entirely.

Syrlya's brow only lifts further before he realizes that blindfold is probably sheer material--which makes him wonder just what it's purpose is. "I am a Sylvari. And my name is Syrlya."

9S didn't ask that, but he's going to offer it anyway as an immediate introduction. Most people have simply waived Syrlya's strangeness off given their own changes, so he's a little thrown off at the brazen curiosity. "We are people native to Tyria, it... would not be surprising that you are surprised, if Tyria is not your home."

9S has never heard of Tyria, but given that this is a dimension travelling carnival, he's not particularly surprised. Especially after introducing himself as a Sylvari, which he's also never heard of.

How does a plant gain sapience? He's seen plants grow into enormous sizes, choking buildings with their trunks, but they had all been silent and still. It's all very strange. At least with androids, they had human creators to give them thought and emotion. Plants just... are, as far as he knows.

"It isn't my home," he confirms. And because Syrlya had introduced himself, 9S does the same. "I'm 9S, from Earth." But more importantly, "You're some sort of plant, right? Why the human shape?"

"9S..." What a peculiar name. It almost sounss more like a designation, or... model? "It is a pleasure to meet you." Despite 9S's questions, Syrlya won't immediately pry, not just yet. He's assuming he's the bigger oddity here.

"Oh, that? Well, it was a human and a centaur who had great influence on my people's development. I suppose the Pale Tree found it a suitable enough shape for us," he explains, waving his hand in vague emphasis. "Centaurs have very strained relationships with... everyone now, so I do not imagine looking like them would have gone over so well."

A pause. "Are you familiar with centaurs?"

"Not at all. What are they?"

It's weird though. Yeah, he can totally understand taking after the shape of humans; he's built in their image, after all. But he would've thought they'd also celebrate the 'centaur', regardless of what their current reputation is.

"Who or what is the Pale Tree? Your um." A small pause, as he's not entirely certain of the following concept himself. "Parent...s?" Is that how it works for plant people?

If Syrlya wants to ask questions of 9S he'll need to squeeze them in between 9S bombardment; 9S' insatiable curiosity causes him to actively pick at mysteries unless his attention is steered elsewhere.

"Centaurs are people with heavy lower bodies and four legs, like many animals. But their upper torso is... closer to human." Not exactly human, but... probably close enough for 9S's understanding.

"And the Pale Tree is our mother," he explains south a nods of his head. "We bloom from her. She's very large--her boughs are our only city, and the largest home of our people."

Just build your house straight inside your mom, that's normal.

Ummm.................

Because Syrlya is very clearly not human in any way other than the general shape, he has very little reason for him to hold back on his thoughts.

"Wow. That's... weird." No offence, dude. Especially since he's imagining a large human shaped plant city. "She blooms all of you? How many Sylvari are there?"

If plant blooming is anything like what human birth sounds like, that sounds exhausting.

Syrlya was born late enough that most of the side-glances were trained out of the other races, and they came to accept the Sylvari in all of their weirdness. But he's still aware that they do find them weird, so 9S's blatant declaration only gets a momentary purse of his lips and a shake of his head.

"Yes, like any tree bears all her fruit. There are..." He rolls his eyes up as he considers that. "Truthfully, we have not bothered to record our numbers. So many of us have flown to the winds, I fear doing so now would be impossible. But there must at least be a few thousand of us. And growing! It is quite a bit of progress for thirty years, isn't it?"

That's as much a question for 9S because like Syrlya knows what's a standard growth curve for a civilization.

9S considers that statement. "That's a good question. What would you define as progress? The procreation and spread of your species?"

The machine lifeforms are everywhere while androids had to hide in pockets spread over earth and in space. But biological life is slowly reclaiming the earth, too.

Still...

Thousands in thirty years seems like a pretty big achievement.

Syrlya goes quiet for a moment as he considers that seriously.

"I think I could consider more valuable progress to be the imprint we have made on the world... and if it is because we have done good or... only brought ruin." He purses his lips as moment.

"But I suppose for this, the spread of our people is enough." Procreation is a little difficult when there is only one single known source for your race.

9S is similarly quiet for a moment, considering Syrlya's words. Much of the war against the machines had occurred before his manufacture and subsequent rolling out, but it had been going on for thousands of years and they don't seem to be much closer to winning.

Have the androids done good? Or are they simply creating an endless battle? The remaining plant and animal life have flourished without their hand in any of it.

"I guess it is. There aren't that many of us back home, considering how long we've been around."

Especially in comparison to the machines, who seem to have infinite numbers.

"Oh, really?" He's overheard that concern from humans before. Trapped in so many wars and pushed so far back that they're only holding onto their last stronghold. But they are still a prominent race and he's having a hards time imagining their numbers dwindled.

"Did something happen?"

Mmm. Well the information isn't exactly classified and back home everyone knows about the war, just not the fact the aliens are...

"We're locked in a war against the machines." But that's not the only reason. "But even if we weren't, they wouldn't produce that many of us. We're expensive to make, so if there's no war they'll probably halt production."

Which makes him wonder... What purpose would android life serve once the war is over? The Resistance would surely be able to scavenge parts for maintenence but would the Council of Humanity want to pay the costs of maintaining YoRHa like himself if there's no war to fight?

"Produced?" Expensive? Syrlya's brow raises higher at that than the machine war. He thought 9S was some form of human but that terminology sounds... inorganic.

"Ah... you are--?"

Right. Being an android isn't the normal state for people here.

"I'm an android." It's said without much fanfare. "Specifically, a YoRHa number 9 type S model. We're made in the image of humans, but we aren't biological."

Well, that makes two of them in the image of humans. 'Android' is completely new terminology to Syrlya, however, and it shows on his face. The closest thing he can think of is a golem, but 9S seems... particularly sapient for that.

"I see. Are you magic or machine?"

9S immediately shoots Syrlya an annoyed look at the mention of the word machine.

"I'm mechanical, not a machine."

As far as he's concerned, they ate worlds apart.

Syrlya doesn't know the difference, but he does understand that corrective tone. All right, touching subject--he did say he was at war with machines, after all, so that must be a term that means a specific group of... mechanical creatures.

"My apologies." He waves a hand. "I am not well versed in anything mechanical at all. My specialty lies in magic."

Apology accepted, leafy man. "It's fine."

But 9S perks up a little at the mention of magic. Magic is something of a lost art, and there's very little remaining of the maso particles used for magic.

Which is good; maso particles are deadly to humans.

"Magic, huh? What sort of magic? Can you show me?"

Syrlya smiles wryly. Last time someone asked to see his magic they wanted a bigger demonstration.

"I am a Mesmer, which is a mage that specializes in illusions and reality bending." His tone sounds a little robotic only because he's getting used to repeating this. He's run into a lot of people in the carnival who are particularly interested in magic. "How grand of an example is it that you want?"

Reality bending!?

9S doesn't really have a way to gauge the scale of magic, being completely inexperienced in both using it and witnessing it.

"Um... It doesn't have to be big. Show me your reality bending magic."

9S turns his head to tell his hovering tactical support unit, "Pod, make sure you record the demonstration."

It responds in its usual emotionless and robotic voice.

< Affirmative. Recording will begin in 10 seconds >

"Ah, well..." Syrlya puts a hand to his chin and looks aside. It's not that he wasn't used to people watching them, but making a recording does fit him with a nervous feeling. He's not sure how deeply 9S can really interpret magical spells. So what's the most explicit glamour he has that doesn't require someone to be attacking him first?

His gaze drifts back to 9S, and when he's aware that it's already recording he takes a step back and hold his hand down, palm towards the ground. Under his own feet, a sparkling, bright light forms in the ground, a wide circle of magic.

He takes a few more steps back, putting a couple feet between himself and the circle before forming another one. Both circle suddenly spark with light and life, swirling with white and purple light. Syrlya steps aside and gestures to the first circle.

"Go on and step on it, and think of traveling through it."

A portal under his control needs only the slightest intent from 9S to be able to rend him between planes of reality to drop him off at the second portal, still standing as he was.

9S' eyes widen in fascination, gaze taking in the swirling portal before him. This doesn't seem to be using particles from the Old World; his Pod would've alerted him to that fact. So... magic that doesn't use particles deadly to humans.

At the instruction, 9S steps up to the portal, but doesn't step into it immediately, crouching down to inspect it more closely. But there isn't much more that can be learnt from just looking, so without any further hesitation, he says, "Alright. Here goes!" and steps into the portal and thinks...

...and jumps back in surprise when the world around him shifts into that a few feet away.

"Whoa! What just--" 9S looks rapidly between the two portals, the pieces of the puzzle rapidly falling into place. "Wow."

And just as quickly, he steps onto the portal he just came from in order to try and activate it to return to where he started.

9S will have no problems bouncing back and forth through the portal as much as he wants, feeling that tug as he's warped through space each time. Of course, the portal itself doesn't last for longer than a minute, and it fades out quite quickly when the spell comes to its end.

Syrlya gestures out with his hands. "It's a portal, able to transplant anything I allow to the other point instantaneously."

Arrival

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