exsiliumlogs | transport log » ❝ welcome to Exsilium ❞

Date & Time: Sept 23rd, 2012.
Location: The Initiative Hold & Courtyard.
Characters: Everyone.
Summary: New Transports have all arrived and have been shuffled into the Courtyard after their initial briefings.
Warnings: None.

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. "This isn't standard," she's saying, walking perhaps faster than most of the people she's dragging around. "We don't normally have so many Transports at once. 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. 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. 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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Ours- if anyone has managed to communicate with them, perhaps it's the Dalish. Some seem more discriminating than others in their patterns of attack.

[Perhaps the rumors are true that they are demons who have gotten confused and possessed a plant rather than an animal or sentient lifeform, or perhaps they are something else. That is lore he hasn't studied extensively.]

They sound somewhat different from those I've encountered in Thedas. It's not an area of expertise for me by any means.

[Her assurance is enough to pique his curiosity. It's an odd comment as an aside unless there's some sort of vested interest. He decides diplomacy is the best response.]

It would be short-sighted to judge another based on parentage alone, I would think.

[Said, with more than a tinge of bitterness.]

Many are short-sighted.

[Recovery.]

I am called Meliantha.

[He nods silent agreement to this. He has seen enough of it in his lifetime about so many things that it would be more surprising to hear it did not happen.]

Duncan. Our circumstances would paint me a liar if I said this is a pleasure; however, the fault of that does not lie with you.

Understandable, and accepted. It seems to be an attitude shared by many who have just been brought here.

[The hood is adjusted a little, showing that yes, the skin is a charcoal-grey, he didn't imagine that.]

I think whatever they're doing, it worked a little too well this time. They seemed unprepared for the numbers.

[He glances around thoughtfully.]

You think so? What gives you the impression?

[He has his own ideas, except without knowing whether this is the status quo, he has nothing to compare it to. He's interested in taking in another perspective. If she's a scout, she's trained to notice these sorts of things.]

The escorts seem hurried, and they go back inside at a very quick walk. That would seem to me that there's not enough people to deal with all the new arrivals at once. The information they give is hurriedly put together.

[She rummages in a pouch, pulling out a piece of paper similar to one that Duncan has, giving room assignments.]

They have a printing-press to make these. I saw some that were already printed, but this one has my information written on. If they had to make a number of them suddenly, it would make sense to pull out the dies and print them blank, to write quickly.

And the handwriting looks rough, hurried, as if there was a rush to get it done.

Whatever sorcery or gondwork brought us here, it worked better than they hoped, and they received more than expected. The question I now wonder about is... did a greater power than them cause this, and if so, what is coming that we will be needed for?

As far as rushing us, I could see doing so to keep us disoriented, presenting information to appear to be helpful but doing it in such a way that in actuality is not. [That's not an uncommon tactic with prisoners. He has been one enough to know that much.]

The rest of it is harder to explain away. You could very well be onto something. I intended to keep my eyes and ears open regardless. We have little enough reason to trust one another beyond common circumstance. I'm willing to share information in good faith if you are. There would be nothing to be gained in withholding if it is something that may affect all of us.

True, but there's something about their attitude... it gives me a feeling like when something has gone wrong. An undercurrent of worry, and perhaps fear. Or I may be giving them too much credit.

[She nods, once.]

I don't intend to blindly trust either, but I agree - sharing information could be very helpful. What I find I will get to you. I still have some paper, and some charcoal for writing.

[She's not entirely sure what's up with the 'netbook', so it doesn't even occur to her to use it... and if she DID know, she'd still suggest writing it down like that, because the devices may not be entirely trustworthy.]

[Added to the other signs, he can see how it seems that way. He's not prepared to argue with limited information when it wouldn't accomplish anything. She's wary, not taking what they say at face value. Warnings are unneeded.]

I have none yet. I hope writing instruments are not difficult to obtain. If they are, we may still arrange to meet on a fairly regular basis. When we better know this place, we can alternate the times and locations.

No one expressly forbade communication among the newcomers. I doubt they would appreciate anything that seemed uncooperative.

I can share mine if you need it and....

[She glances around.]

There seem to be many things for sale here.

There are. I'll hold off any paper purchases until the rain lets up.

[He glances up at the sky, his voice dropping to a lower, almost glum mutter.] If it lets up.

I'll keep an eye out for you in the next few days. We'll have more of the lay of the land then and a better idea about where we can meet for exchanges. Hopefully by that time, I'll have something useful to share.

[She nods.]

I don't think I will be that difficult to find. If nothing else, I will find a place to do my exercises in the morning.

Then perhaps I shall see you in one of the training rooms.

[He dips at the waist slightly and takes a step back.]

I feel that we were well met. I'll be in touch.

transport log » ❝ welcome to Exsilium ❞

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