transport log » ❝ welcome to Exsilium ❞

[initiates]

Date & Time: Oct. 24th
Location: The Initiative Hold
Characters: Everyone.
Summary: New Transports have all arrived and have been led to a banquet room within the Hold.
Warnings: None.

NOTE: This takes place during this plot, though the plot log will not be posted until tomorrow. The Transports already in game have returned from their mission to find the island overrun with monsters. The log is set within the safety of the Initiative Hold, however, so while characters will be aware of what is going on outside, they can otherwise go about their business as usual if they choose.

--

You've just been hustled and bustled through mazes of information and literal, wide corridors of the Initiative Hold and you've been equipped with your weapon—be it a gun, a sword, or even your existing powers. They've handed you this light netbook and a small pouch of coins (or a debit card, if you're more inclined), and there are several Transports before and after you going through the very same motions. You can hear the Greeter's voice as she walks alongside large groups, telling them all about the history of this place and sharing with you your purpose here in a hurried and urgent tone. She looks worse for wear, pale and gaunt, though is putting a great deal of effort into maintaining her energy and professionalism for the new Transports. "I am truly sorry that you came at such a bad time. That wasn't intentional, I assure you."

She leads the way through the Initiative Hold. The walls bear the occasional claw mark as a sign of the misfortune that has plagued the island, but it hardly seems deserted anymore due to the other Transports recently returning from their mission. After turning several corners, you arrive in a large room that has been transformed into a makeshift banquet hall. The food presented is perhaps not as luxurious or bountiful as one would hope, but it is certainly enough to go around, and isn't inedible by any means.

"We wanted to try and make this up to you," she explains. "It's meagre, but we did not have much time to prepare." There are a number of Transports already present, some looking over the long banquet table, others seated throughout the room at large, round tables meant to each seat eight people. The mood is grim, despite the Initiative's efforts to raise morale.

Before the Greeter turns to leave, she is reminding you that it will be perfectly safe to explore the Hold, the courtyard, the housing building, and even a several block radius around it. "Hopefully things will be back to normal soon."

Welcome to the banquet. Welcome to the Initiative Hold—and most importantly, welcome to Exsilium.

Comments

[bloodspeaker]

[Adrasteius scowls after the Greeter as though she's just told him that he's been brought here to slaughter infants and set their heads on spikes, which he honestly feels he has. He slams the staff in his hand on the ground, shouting after her.]

I will not be fuel for your war machine, do you hear me? I refuse. I REFUSE!

[when it becomes clear that the Greeter is way beyond done listening to him, he turns to the banquet, surveying the offerings with contemptuous fury.]

This lot is probably fucking drugged. No, thank you.

[Spheres of thrumming, translucent arcane energy take shape in his hands as he channels a spell; a few seconds later, a portal appears beside him. The tear in space reveals the red and gold spires of a majestic city; the image of its shining streets and vaulted archways wavers as Adrasteius tries, then subsequently fails, to step into it. Cursing, he tries another spell; this, too, has little effect. The air around his body crackles with heat.]

This is kidnapping! THIS IS TYRANNY! [he grabs a piece of bread from the table and bites into it, his enraged face somehow becoming more so as he swallows.] This is terrible food.

[He casts a final spell, and this one works--a moment's conjuring later, and he's holding a fresh and delicious strudel, its thin, crispy dough perfectly layered and baked, its filling a rich, sweet-scented purple jam of some kind. Adrasteius eats with a meticulous agitation, taking small, decisive bites as he stares at anyone unfortunate enough to walk by him.]

[ardor]

[Kallen walks by and gives him a wholly unimpressed look.

Welp.]

[bloodspeaker]

[HE GIVES HER THE SAME RIGHT BACK.]

Please do tell me what entirely useless thought you're having right now.

[ardor]

[UNPHASED!]

You really do whine a lot.

[bloodspeaker]

Just as original and articulate as I expected, if not more so! Congratulations.

[he finishes the last of the strudel with a final snap of his teeth. Water coats his palms and then dissipates into steam, carrying the crumbs and jelly away with it.]

Got any other sparkling insights, girl? I'm fucking dying to hear them.

[sithiche]

[ Artemis raises an eyebrow at the sound of the shouting, and after a moment, an amused expression threatens to overcome his features and he is trying not to laugh. He composes himself a bit by the time he makes it over to the table. He spends a long moment considering the food that is laid out before returning his attention to the other man. ]

That's not gonna work. You think none of us have already tried?

[ He reaches for one of the pieces of bead himself and takes a bite. He had only stopped into the Hold to take a look at the armory. His bow was slung and he had traded out the Mongolian sword he had collected for a claymore which was sheathed at his waist. ]

[bloodspeaker]

[Adrasteius turns his unkindly appraising stare on this newcomer, taking in his physical features--hmm, interesting ears, but the eyes aren't quite right--and the weapons strapped to his body. His expression darkens as he observes these; this stranger may not be a blood elf, but so far he doesn't seem like he'd be out of place on Azeroth--and to Adra, that's definitely not a good thing.]

I realize that it didn't work. Your keen observation of the fucking obvious is greatly appreciated.

[he doesn't answer the latter half of the statement, because to his douchebag mind it's not even relevant--the others here were not mages, to his knowledge, with the ability to teleport between worlds easily.]

[sithiche]

[ Having that tone turned on him is enough to cause a shift in Artemis' expression, the faint amusement dissipating to be replaced with a colder look in his eyes. ]

You're a testy one, aren't you?

[bloodspeaker]

I have every goddamn right to be, don't I? I mean, kidnapping and forceful conscription does tend to make a man a little bit irritable.

[nevermind that he's basically irritable all the time. DETAILS!]

[arcanepower]

[Belthazar catches a glimpse of the angry elven mage on his way back to the banquet table for seconds.

It's free food.

Whatcha gonna do about it.

Anyway he's got like five buns shoved into his mouth and at least three plate's worth of meat piled onto his single plate.]

[bloodspeaker]

[Another blood elf? And a child, at that? Adra's eyes widen, partly in concern, partly in agitation.]

Stop shoveling that slop into your gullet.

[he holds up another very tasty-looking strudel.]

Try this, instead.

[arcanepower]

[He knows how to conjure food. But conjured food can't feed him forever. It's all sugar and air, honestly-- and why the hell would he take conjured food from another mage? Belthazar looks offended, to say the least. Like, you think he can't feed himself? HE IS CLEARLY EATING.

He ignores the other elf and continues to chew. Whatchu gonna do about it.]

[bloodspeaker]

Are you feral, kid? Come on. I dislike braggadocio in anybody, but this is a pretty goddamned good conjuration. One of my specialties, in fact.

[combats]

[ Well, if all that yelling wasn't enough to attract attention, it's certainly all that flashy magic and it's exactly what makes Jacquese stop in his tracks. It's not quite like anything he's ever seen before, and he currently has five spirit spheres circling around him himself so that might be saying something.

He can identify the portal for what it is, but it's very different from the warp portals the priests he knows use. He's never seen a wizard or a sage conjure up food either.

He can't help but stop and stare in slight awe despite himself. ]

[bloodspeaker]

[Jacquese is something that Adra hasn't seen before--what's with the horns, he thinks--but he does know holy magic when he feels it. It puts him in a slightly more favorable mood towards this stranger.]

Yes? Do you need something, or is it your habit to stand there and gawk at people?

[only slightly, though.]

[combats]

[ Jacquese doesn't take offense, the mood the odd-looking stranger was in was understandable considering their situation, plus he was staring. He smiles sheepishly and holds his hand up in an apologetic gesture before he sets his mace down and gets out a miniature blackboard and some chalk. He writes something before flipping the board. ]

My apologies, your magic is very impressive. Was that your home?

[onblackwings]

[ Khisanth is standing a ways off, watching this guy and a little offended by those ears he's got going on. Another elf, probably. God, but there are a lot of those around.

...That portal grabs her attention, though. It's what convinces her to push off of the wall and start over. When she's near enough: ] I could have told you that wouldn't work.

[bloodspeaker]

[he turns his sharp glare on her, giving her the same appraising, piercing look he gives everyone he meets--along with the attendant sense of immediate and extreme disapproval. What's up with the eyes, girl. THAT'S SOME STRANGE MAGIC YOU GOT IN YOU.]

Well! How unfortunate that you weren't here five fucking minutes ago, eh?

[onblackwings]

I was here. [ She stops not far off, still watching closely, and offers a shrug. ] But it didn't matter much to me if you were wasting spells.

[anaralah]

[ Holy Sunwell on a goddamn cracker, it's been a long time since she heard the extravagant bitchings of a Highbourne, but you really can't go without that too long. At least its something recognizable amongst all these human faces and whatever else is crawling around.

She regards him with something that borders heavily on disinterest, very apparently sizing up his value and power. ]

At what point do you expect your high pitched mewling to have any actual effect, mage?

[bloodspeaker]

[oh, lawd, it's the motherfuckin' Banshee Queen. Adrasteius takes an appropriately wary expression and pose. A surface glance would suggest that he's a whole lot of nothing, to be honest, given that he's short and incredibly thin. Even so, there's a strange intensity to his eyes that suggests some power beyond the physical.]

I've been told I actually have a rather pleasant baritone, your majesty.

[anaralah]

[ Sup, boo, how you livin. The suggestion of power doesn't escape her and consider him put on her 'might be valuable list', but that still doesn't mean much to how polite she intends to be. ]

Pleasant is debatable. [ She pauses for a moment, inspecting him ] We agree, at least, on our disposition against the 'war machine'. How do you intend to escape it, though?

[crymoore]

[ Don't mind the infamous Jaina Proudmoore watching this scene with widened eyes over here. In fact she feels a bit of guilt for not speaking up sooner (his embarrassment and frustration may have been halved had she), but not enough to disturb a blood elf from his irritation.

If he looks at her, she'll offer a wave as a sign of friendliness in this place. ]

[bloodspeaker]

[Light have mercy, is that Jaina Proudmoore? He actually straightens up when he catches sight of her, and when she she lifts her hand to wave, he bows. Just slightly, and without the typical blood elf flourish--but it's a clear sigh of respect, all the same.]

It's an honor, Lady Proudmoore, though I despise the circumstances.

[crymoore]

Clearly. [ It's not meant to be an offensive remark as it is one to state the obvious. ] I do wish they would make it easier for those of us who are new.

[ Having not been here very long, there's little she can say regarding the situation. The food was awful (hence why she relies on her own) and they were here against their will. Jaina just finds alternative ways of voicing her complaints. ]

Have you met with any of the others from Azeroth thus far?