⇨ WISMUTH

[ringleaders]

Who: Everyone!
When: S2:D6-D11
Where: Wismuth and the Carnival Grounds
What: The carnival enjoys a few days in Wismuth, a coastal city on this planet's version of the American east. However, there are a few things very unique about this version of the planet...
Warnings: The usual, wholesome fun.

PILLAR OF CREATION↴ Upon arriving, things in Wismuth will seem pretty peaceful. It's a massive city, with no shortage of things going on, but things like violent crime and homelessness are at an all time low. You can wander the streets without much scrutiny, presumed to just be tourists, and most people here come across as helpful and friendly. ► VIBRANCY: The main thing that sets this planet apart is its vibrancy - AKA, the raw creative energy its filled with, flowing from its status as a Pillar of Creation. There is no literal pillar, but Wismuth and its planet is a place where Creation's energy comes through strongest. As a result, everything here feels somehow more real, more intense in a way that's hard to put a finger on. Life is abundant, and its bleeds through in every sensation. ► ATTRACTIONS: There are plenty of things to see while going around the city. First and foremost, there is a lovely beach area bordering the ocean, and a number of tourist aimed attractions built around it. There are giant malls, movie theaters, live stage performances, museums and all kinds of other points of cultural interest. Anything you can do in a big city you can do here, but better. ► ALLOWANCES: The Ringmaster will be giving everyone a reasonable amount of local currency for a few days on the town. You can't make any massive acquisitions with it, but it's more than enough to eat out, see some shows, go to the beach, and whatever you like. You can feel free to pick up some casual supplies, like mundane clothing and souvenirs. There will be more given out later, after the performance week. ► PERFORMANCE: Performance week is starting early this time, after only a couple days of exploration. When the carnival has already been on vacation for a month, the Ringmaster figures they may as well get right to it, and then do more touring afterwards. Members of the local populace will find themselves in the carnival once performances begin, dazzled by the other worldly sights. Magic doesn't seem to exist here, despite the fact that it will flow easier for people bringing it from other worlds.

Comments

[chronosynthesis]

Shemlen.... is that meant to be insulting to them, he wonders. It's rare he hears any language but common and, now, faeish.

Still, though, he smiles wryly, clasping his hands behind his back. "Very well, thank you. I'm glad that, so far, I've nothing of note to report to Lambert."

It's reassuring for the security of this place, at least. Much like Greysol, although with less islands full of spirits the carnival members could hurt themselves with.

Cars, though. He's a little worried about the cars. "Were you looking for something to eat?"

[dirthena]

If it was meant to be insulting, she would have gone with the shorter shems. For her, it's just the word for them. Quick children, in the face of the once-immortal elves. "Same, although the requirement to check in once a day--" She's not used to being the one doing the reporting but the one being reported to. It rankles in a way she didn't think it would.

Cars were something vague and unknown, and Lavellan had been doing her best to steer clear of them with varying amounts of success.

"I was, yes. Something that reminded me more of home than this, if I'm to be honest."

[chronosynthesis]

"I don't suppose Thedas is much like this, is it?" He'd take a wild guess 'no'.

He turns his attention to the menu, reviewing all of the possible options. He's almost surprised how much of it is familiar to him. Soda remains a mystery, however.

"It is understandable after dealing with the Prince. Of course reports were required before that, but people had a habit of going missing in the night while we were his guests... none of the nightrunners, of course."

They were in fact surprisingly competent, all around.

[dirthena]

"Not in the slightest," she says, with a small grin. "We still use animals as the main means of transportation. Not cars." She's been absorbing as much as possible about this new world as she could. It isn't the same as Thedas, and sometimes it makes her miss the forests deeply, but the way that magic flows over her and through her is intoxicating. She likes that part.

That news makes her raise her brows, although she nods. "Of course. I would expect nothing else if Lambert remains in charge of them." And not ousted in favor of anyone else. He seems to have had the position for a while, but how long she doesn't know.

But at least they were competent. That much she was glad for.

[chronosynthesis]

Syrlya raises a brow. "That confident in him already? Ah--not that he does not deserve confidence," Syrlya gestures quickly. He has absolute faith in Lambert, but acceptance and faith in your superior are a little different.

His attention glances back up to the menu for a moment. "Much of this world is fairly unfamiliar to me as well... but most of this food I recognize. I would expect it to be equally edible here."

[dirthena]

"The only people I am confident in here are myself and Cole, I'm afraid." No offense to him, but she has yet to see him in a fight. Solas is noticeably absent from her list. "More like I should hope that he would not be in such a position if he wasn't." But that Syrlya holds him in high regard is a mark towards him that she had been unwilling to give herself, too used to leading rather than following. Before the Inquisition as well, but the Inquisition leaves its mark on her.

Ah, so he's familiar with it at least. Lavellan gestures then, a sweeping motion at the menu. "Then by all means, feel free to recommend something." She doubts very much that he intends to poison her, after all.

[chronosynthesis]

Syrlya lets out a snort of amusement. That sounds a little more realistic.

He squints at the menu, briefly, reading it from afar before he points at the pictures. "The hamburger is... it is really just a round sandwich with beef in it. And the fries are fried potatoes. That's probably where the name comes from?"

He's momentarily unsure, but hey, he's no culinary expert. "That seems to be their specialty, anyway."

[dirthena]

Both of those sound fairly decent, now that Lavellan has context. Nothing would match the food she'd have back in her clan, and while the solution would be to make it herself, she never paid attention to the cooks there. A missed opportunity, of many. Lavellan spends another moment debating, before seeming to make up her mind.

"The hamburger and fries it is, then. If it's their speciality." Another pause, and then: "Do we just.. go up and order?"

[chronosynthesis]

"I believe so? That seems to be where people are gathering." He points to the short line of people ahead, around the counter. Some family holding on their kid's hands at they tug, and some office worker behind them, grabbing their order from the perky young cashier who takes a little too long to find the right buttons on the register. Behind her, someone else is bagging up a meal and smacking a bell on the counter to call out the order for someone else.

Syrlya gestures ahead. "You first."

[dirthena]

Giving him a short nod, Lavellan manages to finagle her way into ordering a meal just find, handing over the required amount of cash and getting told to wait off to the side until her number is called. Waiting until Syrlya places his order and joins her, Lavellan frowns, leaning in and squinting speculatively at the individuals waiting.

"I thought this was supposed to be... what did it say? Fast?"

[chronosynthesis]

Syrlya gets much the same thing, although he reflexively agrees to a 'combo' when asked and ends up with an additional empty paper cup. He's not sure how to operate the drink machine, so he stands next to Lavellan to watch other people first.

At her question, he laughs. "Fast compared to what?"

[dirthena]

She laughs at that, supposing he had a point and highlighting just how used to everything she'd gotten. "I..." Hm, how to phrase it. "When I was Inquisitor, the kitchens eventually came to know my schedule." She never had to wait -- breakfast would be there, hot and waiting on her desk, when she woke up. Dinner would come when she normally had it, every day unless there was something else that needed her attention.

And she forgets, sometimes, that that's not who she is anymore.

[chronosynthesis]

"How reliable!" Intimate, almost, to have someone so attentive to your behavior. He wonders, for a moment, if it became that way for Trahearne at Fort Trinity. During war, there's too much movement to remember so many faces, and out of war... well, Syrlya had not been personally present.

"I never stayed in place long enough for that, so I ate the same rations as every other soldier. I think for a while I forgot what real food tasted like," he says it with a smile. "Did you know your people well?"

[dirthena]

There were camps, yes, but even then they generally all ate at the same time, and together. She supposes it's faster than that would be, considering they used to bicker over what to eat. The memory makes her smile, and at his prompting, it doesn't fade.

"I tried to know the elven servants by name," because that was important to her, and they generally seemed more forward and friendly with her when she made the attempt. The human ones sometimes just couldn't believe that she'd been made Inquisitor at all. "And those I worked with closely I became good friends with." Well, most. Sometimes you just can't make a former circle mage anything less than frosty.

[chronosynthesis]

Syrlya isn't sure if that's because there was impressively low elven servants, servants in general, or Lavellan is really good with names.

Still. "I think that sort of closeness must be good for something." Lavellan's order is called up, and it's an opportunity for Syrlya to pause, and consider something.

"Are the only... sapient people in Thedas elves or humans?" Elves who look strikingly like humans to Syrlya, but the same could be said about the humans and norn in Tyria, too.

[dirthena]

She grabs the tray after a small nod at Syrlya -- an acknowledgement of what he said even if she can't answer at the moment. The condiments are a bit much for her at the moment, so she simply returns back to his side as she ponders the question. "No, there's the qunari and the dwarves." A pause, as she considers this further. "Neither of which look much like you, if that's what you're asking."

No, for he's something else all together. And while she's curious -- that much is obvious -- she doesn't know if he'd welcome a thousand questions all at once about what he is, or where he came from. But if it looks like he'll let her bombard him with questions, she will.

[chronosynthesis]

Syrlya chuckles, shaking his head. "No, my people were an anomaly even to Tyria, I didn't expect it. I was only curious, since humans seem to be the greatest constant in our worlds. And... dwarves, to a lesser extent."

Three worlds with dwarves is still more than one world with Sylvari, although it's still dwarfed (ha) by the sheer number of humans. Where do they all come from? He's not sure what makes more sense: all of them evolving so similarly, or all of them originating from one world and the rest are actually aliens.

[dirthena]

Her brows raise, because now she's interested. "There are other worlds with dwarves? I thought--" Her lips purse, and she shakes her head. "The dwarves of my world are the odd race out, comparatively. Out of all the races, I thought they would be unique."

On account of possibly being a race of beings designed to preserve and protect the Titans. Those, Lavellan is certain, must be unique to her world. "You said your people are an anomaly even on your own world? How so?" She's going to ask him questions, now. Although if she knew his thoughts, she'd absolutely argue that humanity could be aliens on Thedas.

[chronosynthesis]

"Apparently not, although there are few left in Tyria. But you should ask Lambert, as he's familiar with them as well."

Syrlya didn't actually confirm if dwarves existed in Lambert's world, he just assumed because he recognized the term.

He gestures to himself. "Sylvari are the only race of people who are foliage instead of flesh. So our origins and birth are very different from the other races of Tyria. And, well... no one expected a new group of people to sprout up seemingly overnight."

[dirthena]

"I will, when I have the chance." If he had dwarves, Lavellan wonders if he's got elves as well. It would be interesting to find out if he had, and what they were like. If they had anything that resembled the glory of their past empire, or if they were just as scattered as the Dalish.

Syrlya's explanation explains his appearance, at least. "I had wondered." But something about how he said it makes her pause. "'Seemingly overnight'? How... old of a race are you?"

[chronosynthesis]

He's not surprised she'd wondered--he's come to assume by default that any stare a moment too long is probably a 'what the hell are you'. He doesn't mind it, so long as people are treating him with the same respect. No inhumane experimentation is a positive sign.

"Our Firstborn awoke around thirty years ago." He doesn't know how old Lavellan is, but he'd wager that her people are probably biologically similar to other mammalian races: babies, grow up, grow old, die. Likely at least in a span of eighty years or so, if not more.

So he already expects that he'll have to explain how that works. "There are no Sylvari children. When we awaken we are fully mature, so the time we are protected and nurtured by our elders is... very short. We learned to find our footing very quickly, but we have had help."

[dirthena]

She would sympathize in her own way, even if their experiences are mostly different. Everyone in Thedas knows what she is, and the glamor protects her from the stares of the shemlen here. That everyone else is willing to take her at face value is a relief.

Only thirty years ago? So his entire race was only a few years younger than her -- astonishing. At least to her -- being one of the oldest races in Thedas did something to one's perception of time. "Is your lifespan just as short? But that must be... interesting, in a world filled with others who have children, and raise them."

[chronosynthesis]

To that, he just shrugs. "No Sylvari has appeared to age or died of a result of it so far. We have no idea how long we live."

If other dragon minions are an indication, though... possibly forever if nothing kills them.

He's about to continue, but his order is called and he glances at the receipt to confirm. He offers Lavellan an apologetic smile and holds of a finger to retrieve the tray, before walking to the soda machine like he witnessed others doing.

And then he just ends up staring between all of them, having no idea what any of these drinks are.

[dirthena]

"I wouldn't want to be around when you begin to find out," she says, but gives him a nod at his smile. She's content to wait, or at least she is until she realizes he's gotten hung up at the drinking machine. It hadn't been of interest to her -- Lavellan has gotten herself a bottle of water -- but he has an empty cup and, well.

She squints at it, and then at the cup, and then back at the machine. "Who is 'Doctor Pepper' and what do you think his drink tastes like?"

[chronosynthesis]

"I have no idea." He really doesn't. But since Lavellan pointed that one out, that's the one he's pushing his cup under.

He fills it roughly three-quarters before peering down at the brown and bubbly liquid. It smells extremely sweet, and he makes a non-committal hum in the back of his throat. "I suppose we'll find out."

He looks up and around, gesturing to a table near the front windows that's empty. It gives them a view of the street, just in case they need to keep an eye out.