(no subject)

[initiates]

Date: February 1st
Location: The Initiative Hold & Courtyard.
Characters: Everyone.
Summary: New Transports have all arrived and have been shuffled into the Courtyard after their initial briefings, while older Transports are returning from the mission to Uruguay.
Warnings: None.

While those who have been guests of Exsilium since at least the last wave of Transports return from their desperate mission and are pressed out of the Transporter room and into the Courtyard, the Initiative prepares to receive a second wave at the same time. And if you're in that second wave, the fresh meat, then 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. "You're in luck that we have enough rooms for all of you; the housing building is getting awfully full. Please, let me show you into the courtyard."

You pass what looks like huge gymnasiums, all with dummies and targets strewn and splayed around the room. Training areas. There are even classrooms, and a few small offices. You're rushed past a large library while the Greeter informs you that you can find almost all your information there, if you've got the time to look—and trust her, you'll have time. You don't spend a lot of time in the bank, and it's a bit of a blur of exchanges with more and more of these strangely-accented and oddly polite-seeming members of the Initiative.

Soon enough, you're in a massive courtyard bustling with all the other Transports. It's not exactly what you'd expect, and it looks more like barracks than anything—huge walls of concrete and stone, separating you from all of the hallways you'd just passed through. It's raining heavily, and dark clouds loom in the air, though it hasn't turned to snow. It's a chill cold, and there are shelters—long cloth hangings that extend from the walls of concrete to house you from the rain, but not enough. Most notably, the courtyard is filled with a marketplace. Even in the cold and the rain, there are several citizens seated at their covered booths and tables, bundled up against the weather. They're selling all manner of their own handmade goods and foods, and citizens and Transports alike are traveling from one small covered shop to another in search of all manner of necessities.

The Greeter's voice has become so faint now, but you swear you can make it out in the back of the crowds as she tells you, "Good luck. Be safe!"

Her voice is drowned out by the busy marketplace, though even the transactions taking place are somewhat subdued. Nobody is overly happy, really, though most citizens can be found with smiles on their faces. It doesn't seem like they're that shocked to see you, either; even if you're not bound in tattered rags and wrapped in heavy shawls as they are. You're welcome to walk up to a shop, and find yourself something to eat—hey, maybe you'll even find something akin to a raincoat. Or, you can join the others under the coverings against the walls. Where am I? What war? She was talking so fast, and it didn't all make very much sense… did anyone else catch it all?

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

Comments

Hi great-great-grand-uncle

[governorkang]

[A flash of gold scales catches Kang's eye, and he freezes when he sees the wyrmling. Still a wyrmling, but still nearly bigger than he is, and he's not exactly a small draconian. Aurican could still easily kill him if he wanted.

However, this dragon has absolutely no knowledge of draconians, and if Crucible is right, will never have anything to do with the metallic dragons that hunted (and still hunt) down his kind. He's also offered to teach the wyrmling how to read and write. He can't do it over the devices they've been given. He steels himself, taking a deep breath, and walks over.]

[ofgoldenfoil]

[ Getting the ball, Aurican attempts to stuff it down the bag looped around his neck. But he has some difficulty and eventually the ball bounces off his grip. It bounces and rolls in the dripping rain and Aurican stalks after it - yes, stalks, as he really can't just run after it with the crowd. He might run over someone.

Which is why he is approaching Kang without realizing it. After finally catching the ball before it rolled to Kang's feet, Aurican finally notices the strange bronze-scaled figure. ]

Oh. Hello.

[governorkang]

Hello, Aurican.

[He has never been this close to a metallic dragon before, not even Crucible in the desert, and he pushes down his unease the best he can. He's at least able to keep his scales from clicking, but his wings are still fairly high and tense.]

[ofgoldenfoil]

[ Aurican rears up on his hind quarters slightly, tugging on his bag so he can safely secure the ball. ]

Have you been seeing the newest recruits the Transporter gotten? I haven't yet, I was hoping maybe Darlantan or the others might arrive.

[governorkang]

I haven't seen any new metallic dragons.

[Thankfully.]

It may take a while, if they do.

[ofgoldenfoil]

[ Aurican finally shoves the ball back into the bag and stands on all four feet. ]

Well, when they do arrive, I hope I get to them before they get lost. I never seen the sun or the moon before I came here and it was a bit frightening at first.

[governorkang]

If I see them, you'll be the first to know. If you would do the same for me.

[He is sincere about it, and smiles slightly.]

[ofgoldenfoil]

I will. Do they have bronze scales like you? Or are they different like my nestmates?

[governorkang]

Like your nestmates. Some are bronze like me, and others are copper, brass, silver, and gold.

[ofgoldenfoil]

It's strange how we have the same scales? Yet totally different at the same time. Worlds function so differently and we only know our own.

[ Aurican is certain Burll would be bemused at Kang, at the very least, and it saddens Aurican that he and his nestmates can never visit Kang's world, as well as the other way around. ]

[governorkang]

It's not so strange.

[He says it quietly, to himself. There's still no way of knowing if this is the Aurican from Krynn. He's not sure if he really wants to explain, but he doesn't want to lie if it comes up, either.]

Speaking of different worlds, you'll have to excuse the people of this one and others for being afraid of you. They aren't aware that metallic dragons such as yourself aren't a threat.

[ofgoldenfoil]

Yes, I see. Nearly on my first day I was given requests not to eat them. They don't seem to believe me when I told them I eat bats.

[ He looks around, noticing the cooked meats in one tent. ]

Not that there are much of bats around here.

[governorkang]

[Bats don't sound appetizing at all, even cooked ones. He knows that dragons prefer raw meat, though.

He only hesitates slightly, keeping his tone neutral.]

There's another metallic dragon here, named Crucible. You can talk to him about where to find food more to your liking.

[ofgoldenfoil]

[ Aurican rather enjoys cooked food himself, but he's not going to say no to eating raw meat. ]

I spoke to Crucible a few times. He looks so much like Burll but larger. So do you, with your bronze scales.

[governorkang]

Burll is one of your nestmates, then.

[...and possibly a descendant of his. The thought makes his scales click slightly in discomfort. As much as he hates the idea, he should check with Crucible to see if this wyrmling is the gold of legend.]

[ofgoldenfoil]

He is! He is very large and very strong, but he's very kind, even he is hungry almost all the time.

[ But going into more pressing matters . . . ]

So you said you can teach me how to read and write?

[governorkang]

[Yes, good. Subject change. Kang is grateful for it.]

Yes, I can. Although...

[He glances at Aurican's forepaws.]

You're too young to polymorph, aren't you? Dragon claws aren't very good for writing.

[ofgoldenfoil]

What is polymorphing?

[ So many words to learn, it's a bit dizzying sometimes. ]

[governorkang]

It's a spell that allows you to change your shape.

[...how does a dragon not know this.]