November newbie intro log

[emet_sulk]

Who: Emet-Selch and anyone
Status: Open
Where: Generally around Eltrut since he's new and wouldn't be doing too much exploring just yet
What: Emet-Selch has an exhausting first few days trying to acclimatise to this new land
Warnings: None at the moment

(Will match format)


1. MANTA board - Claws and Companions

Ever since he disembarked from the Royal Fortune, he cannot fail to notice a small, white tag-along.

The bold little creature - one white-furred feline - has been eyeing him for a while. Emet-Selch doesn't know if it's hungry, belligerent, or simply curious, but he had noticed that it was particularly good at catching rats. Assuming it to be someone else's pet, however, he had mostly ignored it. But he can't ignore it now.

It finally boldly marches up to him and twines around his ankles as he pauses by a market stall. He tuts and stoops to pick the cat up. Almost immediately, it wriggles out of his grip and crawls on to his shoulders where it seems quite content to sit indefinitely.

"...I don't have the means to feed an extra stomach, you know."

But he doesn't try to shoo the cat away. Instead, he sighs, and continues on his way. He still has a few other places to visit for supplies - and he also needs to find that buried chest with all his original clothes.

2. Inkwave Tattoo Parlour

First on the agenda has to, of course, be to regain his magical abilities. Emet-Selch's mouth turns down at the corners when he sees the means by which it will happen. Tattoos (and other body markings) are not really something he likes. Mostly because of the pain or bother which accompanies their upkeep. But he heads inside regardless because the thought of living here without his magic is even less desirable.

There are a few options here:
a) You see him waiting his turn for a tattoo, deep in thought over the design he wants for his own.

b) You hear him arguing with the tattoo artist over the location of the mark. ("--And I'm telling you that I don't want it above my crotch!")

c) You see him outside afterwards, unhappily and self-consciously rubbing his backside. Seems like the artist did accept a compromise of a sort...

d) Some other equally amusing scenario???

3. MANTA board - Spellbound Circuitry

"No, no, this is incredibly inefficient. What incompetent fool has been teaching you this?"

Emet-Selch sits at a table, shaking his head firmly at a strange (or perhaps not so strange) design. His raised voice is difficult to miss should one wander by.

"You have the right idea for foci, yes, but you can't expect the user to power their own contraptions all the time. What do you expect those lacking in magic to do, hmm?"

He waves away protest and starts pulling bits and pieces towards him, starting to assemble something that looks almost like a staff - only it's one made of metal with a gem focus.

4. Wildcard

Any other ideas? Feel free to DM me or plot with me.

Comments

spellbound circuitry

[fullgauntlet]

[Izuku is new here and he's used to a world where electricity and plumbing is pretty ordinary and every day- So suddenly being in a new one where they are only figuring things out like washing machines and lanterns is a little difficult for him to grasp, too.

He's not a magic user so the voice speaking up about how are these machines supposed to run for people who don't have the magic to constantly jump-start them catches Izuku's interest.]

I don't think they have an idea of how they can store the energy properly yet... And even then, to count on magic all the time seems a little counterproductive. Do you... know a lot about these kinds of things?

[While Izuku wouldn't have been so mean about it- he kind of agrees with the criticism here. But that's what research and development is all about. Right?]

[emet_sulk]

[ He spares barely a glance upward as he works on fixing the gem into its setting. Without the proper tools and such to do it, he strongly debates cheating and using magic to put it together. Izuku will now see the staff is too short to be a proper mage's staff (maybe it could be wielded in one hand though?). It has coiled wire down its length as well. ]

I led an empire of people with not the slightest bit of magical affinity. I should think I do!

[ He gives up on wrestling the gem into place and wraps a copious amount of fabric to bind it instead. Good enough. ]

Now... I asked one of you to fetch me two magnets. Where are they?

[ He tosses the staff into the air and it hovers horizontally at his eye level as someone passes over two magnetic rocks. ]

Hmm. Crude, but they'll do I suppose. Now, do stand back a little.

[ He sets the magnets floating beside the rod. Then has them rotate in a circular motion around it. Faster, faster, until they're a blur.

Eventually, the gem at the end flickers and lights up. Weakly, but it does react. ]

[fullgauntlet]

[Izuku blinks. This man has led a whole empire?! He's an emporer of some sort?! Izuku suddenly doesn't know if he should bow his head or not. This is awkward.

He shuffles and watches the magnetic force work to lightly power the crystal.]

It worked...! Magnetic force- It's a simple concept but in this case, it works...! Would magnets work much better than trying to find stone conductors?

[Or bone conductors...]

[emet_sulk]

[ He shrugs. The magnets slow and drop into his palm. The rod gently settles itself back on the table. ]

If there were ceruleum here, 'twould be easy enough to create a motor. Or combust it to release the aether and harness magic that way. The method I just demonstrated can only produce levin.

[ Seeing blanker looks than usual in the crowd of onlookers, he sighs and clarifies: ] Lightning? Electricity? Whatever you call it here.

[fullgauntlet]

[Izuku looks sheepish but he nods.]

I think it would be called electricity here.

[But things sure are basic here. This world seems like it's just barely making scientific advancements.]

I'm not sure what ceruleum is, though. If you did find it... Would you be able to use it? Is it a metal compound or a fuel of some sort?

[This world is full of oceans to explore. What if they did find it?]

[emet_sulk]

A fuel through means of combustion. 'Tis volatile enough to burn openly if one isn't careful with it.

[ The easiest form of energy to produce, even if the thing called 'ceruleum' doesn't exist here. Not that he would ever recommend such a thing for long term use given that it is a finite resource. ]

It produces more energy than burning wood but I doubt you will find it here. 'Tis very particular to my star.

[ Etheirys brimming with aether and all that. ]

[fullgauntlet]

Oh! ... Oh.

[Izuku goes from being excited that there is a stronger form of energy here to being disappointed that it would be doubtful to find in this world...]

I guess I shouldn't be too excited about these things. I just... I didn't think I'd miss modern technology and electricity so much. I miss things like... my computer. And long-term indoor heating.

[He sighs a little.]

[emet_sulk]

[ Having taken the measure of this world's level of technology before choosing to sit here and teach them something new, Emet-Selch is fairly certain anything resembling a computing device is impossible. Maybe in half a century...

However, indoor heating? That is quite possible. ]

Not everything need be resolved with technology, you know. If there is such an abundance of magic here, put some fire crystals beneath the floor and let them warm it in the colder months.

[fullgauntlet]

[Izuku nods and lets out a small sheepish sigh.]

You're right, I don't need to be complaining.

[But heating would be a pretty good and nice thing to aim for.]

I've never seen anything like magic and fire crystals in more world... Would that really work?

2-C

[afflatusexarch]

[ "Of a sort." Though G'raha can't possibly know what the issue is. He figures it is merely pain from having to sit down and still for so long. Yet he knows that expression and that face all the same.

To think that the first person here other than himself - ]

At least it did not take much convincing to get a mark placed upon you.

[ He might have thought that Emet-Selch would fight it a little. ]

[emet_sulk]

[ He recognises that voice.

Emet-Selch turns with a sour look already on his face. Of all the people to meet here... ]

I was told that if I wished to use magic, a mark was required. Although I'm sure you would prefer me without, hmm?

[afflatusexarch]

I might have been more concerned were there a firearm at your side rather than your use of magic.

[ Because that's the part that had done him in... ]

Though, truly, I see no reason to be that weary with you having your abilities.

[emet_sulk]

[ As if he couldn't fire a magic bullet at your back instead. ]

Hmph. I would win if it were a pure contest of skill, Exarch.

[ Anyway... He has one last task to do before he can really settle in. He pulls up the small map he was handed early on which claims to show the location of his material possessions. He isn't sure what by way of possessions he does have since he's dead, actually. Maybe it's a practical joke and the chest will be empty. ]

[afflatusexarch]

I would never imply otherwise.

[ He's just going to sit there. Tail swishing behind him. Noting the fact that the man is actually attempting to read the map. ]

To think you came here rather than find your belongings first. Interesting.

[emet_sulk]

What belongings could I possibly have other than my robes? And how do I know this chest isn't guarded by some sort of monster? Piratical adventures are usually filled with that sort of nonsense, aren't they?

[ He squints at the crudely drawn landmarks. At least it seems to be somewhere nearby rather than on another island? He has no idea where anything is though. ]

[afflatusexarch]

I figure that it would be a matter of pride to not run around in such... [ He gestures. ] Barely there attire. Why, your skin is exposed in places I've not seen before.

[ Teasing, teasing. Mostly. ]

As for your belongings being guarded, they are not.

[emet_sulk]

[ He gives the redhead a flat look over the top of his map. ]

Wonderful. Then any vagrant could make off with the one thing I can call my own right now. Excuse me whilst I endeavour to show less skin than I already do.

[ He turns and starts walking in...what he hopes is the right direction. ]

2-A

[cursedwords]

[ Toge is in to get his tattoo refreshed and he's happy to look over the stranger's shoulder at what selections he's seeing.

He offers an unsolicited opinion, pointing to one of them. ]

Tuna, tuna. [ How about a skull? Very piratey. He has no idea if this man is a Corsair or a Paladin, but what does that matter? ]

[emet_sulk]

[ Emet-Selch usually minds having people up in his personal space, but it's busy enough that he has to resign himself to having other patrons browsing over his shoulder as Toge does. ]

...That isn't tuna, that is a skull.

[ And of course, he misunderstands Toge completely. He flips to the page with fish designs on it and points to one. ]

This is tuna.

[cursedwords]

[ He's just being nosy really. Toge smiles a little bit behind his mask. He pulls out his shellphone and types into it and Emet-Selch is treated to the AI voice of the text-to-speech function. ]

You should get a skull.

[emet_sulk]

[ He stares at the phone (and at the young man) in what could best be described as mild surprise. Perhaps there are a few obvious questions that many would ask at this point. Emet-Selch, having heard, learnt, and spoken more languages than the average mortal, pauses in thought.

The boy clearly understood him (granted, everyone seems to understand one another here) - enough to reply in a way the older man DID understand to correct the misunderstanding. However, Emet-Selch knows he very clearly heard them say 'tuna'. If they aren't non-verbal and aren't speaking a foreign language...

He gives himself a mental shake. What does he care? (But he is intrigued nonetheless.) ]

A skull would be boorish. Besides, I'm not a pirate. Corsair. Whatever you call it here.

[ Maybe he will draw his own design. Something meaningful to him. ]

...When you say 'tuna', is that how you're forced to speak or does it relate to what you intended to say?

[ Aaand he ended up asking anyway. Godsdamnit, he just really wants to know. ]

[cursedwords]

[ Functionally, Toge probably could be described as non-verbal, but really it's more like he's invented his own language and everyone else unfortunately has to figure out what he's doing for him to communicate. The shellphone seems like the perfect solution - but Toge finds it cumbersome to deal with and awkward when he's having a face to face conversation. He doesn't text his friends when he's sitting with them.

It's awkward, but considering he's meeting all kinds of new people and they don't understand him, it's the best he can do.

He smiles a little bit behind his collar and answers, both verbally and then with the shellphone. ] Tuna mayo.

[ For the millionth time, he's considered he just needs to save this message somewhere, alas. ]

I can't speak normally due to the power of cursed speech, but I understand and hear you fine.

[ It's not uncommon for people to assume he can't hear him, so he's just putting that out there. ]

[emet_sulk]

I see.

[ Cursed speech, hmm? He's never heard of that before. It doesn't affect their ability to speak but forces them to speak in obscure ways instead? ]

Then would it be simpler for you if I asked 'yes' or 'no' questions?

[ Emet-Selch is a blunt man but he's not entirely insensitive. ]

[cursedwords]

[ Toge smiles and shrugs at that, tilting his head. ]

Perhaps simpler for you to understand me, but I mean if there's something you want to know that isn't yes or no, it's fine, I don't mind.

[ He just likes to talk to people in general. ]

[emet_sulk]

Well, if you insist...

[ Back to the subject of WHAT TATTOO TO GET, then -- ]

I don't think I like any of the options presented in this booklet. I may just have them use my sigil.