transport log » ❝ welcome to Exsilium ❞

[initiates]

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.

Comments

[mentore]

[Ezio turns his head towards the man who is obviously addressing him now. Beneath his hood, he gives him a once-over. The way he speaks is pointedly even, calm, making him wonder just who exactly is this man.]

I am not so sure as to say I am lost, but I am going somewhere.

[neveraskedforthis]

[ Could wonder the same about you, buddy. And he sort of has his ways to find out. UNSUBTLE NUDGE ]

The apartments?

[ Well you don't sound very American. Adam's also still trying to place this particular fashion style--sort of vaguely renaissance-y, isn't it? ... European in any case. ]

[mentore]

[Ezio, on the other hand, is trying to place this man. He's used to a variety of accents and he's starting to get used to the different looks, but this man looks distinctly of his time with the way his beard and hair are styled.]

Si, since it seems we are to stay a while here.

[neveraskedforthis]

[ ... Close enough, Ezio. Of his time in spirit, at least.

Given the response and accent, he assumes Spanish. Or Italian. Could be interesting. ]

Need directions? Judging by your getup, you're not familiar with cities like this, I take it?

[mentore]

[He huffs in bemusement.] These are not like the cities I know, so I would appreciate the help.

[neveraskedforthis]

Yeah, I'm guessing--

Late middle ages. Italy?

[ Just taking a shot here. Anyway, Adam will gladly show Ezio to the apartments, personally. It's not even a five minutes walk, but he can see how the architecture would be notably different. ]

[mentore]

Italia, si. 1504.

[Quite so. The architecture he knew was purposefully beautiful, all arches and domes and columns, not... whatever this is.]

And you are not from that year, I take it.

[neveraskedforthis]

[ Well hey, at least you can still climb on top of shit and jump across rooftops. ]

Not exactly.

[ And that's putting it mildly. Now that he's gotten used to the surreality of it all, it's actually sort of cool. ]

2027. From Detroit, US...

[ wait. He wouldn't know where that is. ]

...a faraway place. This is England, by the way. Or what's left of it.

[mentore]

England? [The England he knew had a king in power and were knee-deep in affairs against the French and their own controversies.] I did not imagine to see England looking like... this.

[neveraskedforthis]

You expect a country not to change in almost two thousand years?

[ That's sort of amusing. Guy must be more familiar with the British Empire. ]

I think the saying, 'the higher you climb, the deeper you fall' is very fitting here.

[mentore]

Change, yes. This much? [He shrugs.] My time is very different from this one. Very different.

[Ezio chuckles at that.]

Is that not fit for anywhere?

[neveraskedforthis]

Yeah, I know. Da Vinci, Shakespeare, et cetera. Quite enlightening, all of that. The future's a little more grim.

[ QUITE. Maybe he should feel a little sorry for Ezio. Apartment time ... ]

What's your room number?

[mentore]

Somehow, I am not surprised.

[Considering all the things Minerva went on about he's hardly surprised by the outcome.]

601, so I have been told.

[neveraskedforthis]

Sixth floor, then. You'll probably have two roommates.

[ and uh ]

There could still be explosives somewhere. Might wanna be careful.

[mentore]

Explosives?

[What.]

[neveraskedforthis]

[ Yeah get used to it. ]

There was a guy... didn't get his name. Running around the building setting up explosives for 'security reasons'. I told him to get lost and take his crap with him, but I can't be sure he really took my advice to heart.

[ Just means Adam has to do another swipe again later SIGH. ]

[mentore]

He sounds like a brilliant man.

[Said in the most absolute deadpan possible.]