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Valley of the Scorpions of Glass. (Open)

Started by Wrathwyrm, December 19, 2016, 09:12:21 AM

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Wrathwyrm

The Seraj Isa...known far and wide as the Glass Desert.  It's a strange phenomenon, a desert introduced to some power - some great force - that would thus superheat it to this extreme.  However, a desert of glass cannot remain flawless forever.  Eventually, something will happen to it, break it down, and when it does...the trouble begins.

Putting aside the troubles of navigating such a place safely, there was another concern, one that people may not have considered: Something powerful created this place.  What if another were to act upon it, without real warning?  A shooting star, for instance, hitting the ground with tremendous force, forming a crater, a small valley.

Herein lies the origin of the Valley of the Scorpions of Glass.

It was not a place filled with real scorpions, but rather...an area which has been shattered - pulverized - by a strong impact.  It becomes a valley of shifting, refractive matter.  The light introduced to the eyes from afar may sting, hence the name.  Get much closer and you have an ultimately more unusual effect to worry about.

The valley refracts light unusually into the eyes, and introduces bizarre hallucinations, things that the mind is not generally prepared to cope with.  They could be anything, literally anything, but they are not real.  The problem with it is that the person experiencing this lightborn fantasy could be rendered insane, and many have been drawn further in, if they did not run away screaming or tear out their own eyes.

Now, the valley has claimed a number of lives, but there was - at this time - a funny little Essyrnian man carefully plotting the safer areas around it - which he would sell - and was planning to engage in an activity to try and gain all that was lost in the valley.  This was Akbar The Third, a mind-bogglingly successful shopkeeper.  Not rich, per se, but fairly well-known for having multiple shops across the land, somehow.

He had sent word of his plotting of the Valley of the Scorpions of Glass, and that he essentially...wanted to pull everything for value from it.  Many will scoff and say that it's too dangerous.  A fair statement, admittedly.  Some will be crazy enough, or strong enough.  Let's just find out who.

Eckhart_Von_Musel

Spoiler
OOC: Carolina "speaks" in blue text, whereas Ignatius speaks in black text.
[close]

Ignatius trudged the the Seraj Isa, looking for the caravan he was supposed to meet up with. His friend Carolina sat on his shoulder, preening her feathers. His sense of wonder upon seeing the glass desert had all but faded by now, and he missed the streets of Zantaric he had grown so accustomed to. The desert was way too hot for him, and Ignatius's leather jacket was not helping.

"I can't believe your boss is sending you to this dump. I mean, look around! There aren't even any trees!

"Calm down Carolina, we should feel grateful that Lady Hildegarde sent us to do something as important as this."

"I will not calm down! You are so much better than this! Who cares about some broken glass anyway?"

"Hold that thought, I think that might be our guy."

In the distance Ignatius could see a plain looking Essyrnian man in a hat that seemed out of place in the hot desert weather. Hurrying to where the man was standing, Ignatius pulled out his butterfly knife and began twirling it in his hands, something he often did when he wanted to impress people. "Are you Ackbar? My boss sent me to help you empty this trash heap."

Wrathwyrm

Well, if Iggy was planning on impressing someone with his twirling, it was going to take a bit of effort.  One of the reasons Akbar stood out of place - apart from being the only other soul here for the moment - was that he appeared to be nailing a few planks of wood together while he waited for someone to get here.  Was he...?  Yes, that may - in fact - be it.  He was erecting a small stand, presumably to sell information.  Upon being called upon, his reaction was immediate.  He stood straight up all of a sudden and spoke.

"Welcome to Akbar's Empor-  I mean...  Ah, yes.  Many apologies.  Is great force of habit, working in shop all the time.  Never get out enough."

The man sighed and shook his head.  Then, he noticed the twirling knife, and despite its rapid motions...he could picture it with precise detail and know its overall value.

"Aha...  Non-magical butterfly knife.  Very good for flinging and swinging, also stabbing.  Akbar may have something on hand which is better, but thinking that is for later."

He clapped his hands together now, obviously in good spirits...even though there was only one person, thus far.

"Now then, to business.  Akbar is thinking nothing lives in that valley, but always good to be prepared, yes?  Here is thing: Valley is not trashheap.  Valley is deathtrap.  Kills people because of  harmful effects.  People who barely escape say hallucinations, blinding lights, massive headaches.  Even happening at night, when sun is away.  Even when moon is away.  Point being, people go in, they don't come out.  If ever a way is found to go in and out without becoming dead, much riches are to be had from unfortunate victims.  You are following Akbar's thinking, yes?"

Eckhart_Von_Musel

"Wow! Corpse looting! Aren't ya glad we came here kid?"

"Shut up Carolina."

"Hey, hey, I'm only just saying."

Staring creepily at the man in front of him, Ignatius nodded in agreement. "Yes. The weak ones who have fallen will become prey for the strong."

"Good line kid, menacing while also a bit mysterious. You're gettin' good at this!"

Wrathwyrm

Yes, Ignatius had said something dark and mysterious...and had therefore completely lost Akbar, who sort of stared at him quizzically.  Try to take this from his perspective for a moment.  You're leading up to something about their purpose here and you're kind of hoping the guy you're talking to is seeing where this is all going, but instead he says something that may as well have been 'Fruit calls to my name.  I must go now.  My people need me.'.  So lost...

"No no, Akbar is saying we are here to find safer way into valley and not fall prey to its madness, all to collect on what which was left behind.  Am not knowing if a stout brain will help.  Maybe find foolhardy determined hero-type to walk in without imploding head."

Eckhart_Von_Musel

Ignatius's creepy smile grew smaller when he realized he had misheard Ackbar's plan. "Y-yes, I understand perfectly!"

"You really gotta pay more attention when people tell you things, kiddo. That was embarrassing."

"You were literally talking over him."

"What're you talkin' about? The gods gave you two ears, didn't they? You just gotta use 'em both, that's all."

"That isn't how ears work, Carolina."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say pal."

Feeling incredibly flustered, Ignatius asked "So... how do you plan on finding a safe way in?"

Wrathwyrm

"Ah!  Akbar is glad that you were asking."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a rolled up piece of paper, which is basically a sort-of-drawing of the crater with a band of read out of it.  He then put a little etched mark on it.

"This is being where we are, basically.  Further in, lights begin to make merry havoc with your eyes.  We must work out way to protect eyes.  Akbar consider blindfold, but is stupid idea.  Valley is full of broken glass and need to see good stuff."

(He then pulled out a number of glass chunks he'd been carving into lenses, essentially trying to make weird glasses, and also a bottle of rum.

"The problem is the senses.  They go mad, so they must be changed somehow.  Either that, or Akbar maybe needs mage.  Hard to say."

Eckhart_Von_Musel

Ignatius took two of the glass lenses from Ackbar and tried looking through them. They made Ignatius feels dizzy, and when he tried walking with them on he stumbled and fell over. "Is this what being drunk feels like? This is terrible!"

"Don't knock it till ya try it kiddo, nothing beats a good cup of absinthe after a long day. I used to go to the bar all the time just to get wasted, you know?"

Ignatius was taken aback by that last comment. "...You're a bird." Before he could question Carolina on what exactly she was talking about, he noticed the bottle of rum that Ackbar had taken out. An idea suddenly came to him. A foolish one perhaps, but it was better than nothing. "You said we needed to change our senses, right? Do you have any cups?"

Wrathwyrm

"Cups?  Cups?  Of course Akbar has cups!  ...Somewhere in here..."

Akbar reached into his coat.  Now, noted watchers of funny animations in future times would take note of this and feel that it is some sort of cartoon gag that that Akbar was engaged in.  This was not true.  This was magic, a supernatural capability of his.  He actually had the power to reach into his coat, his pockets, or some nearby container and pull out an unexpected item.

The only problem with this was...he never knew what it was going to be.

So, both man and bird would bear witness as he reached into his coat and pulled out...a small glass cat.  It was nice workmanship and would probably sell to the tourists, buuut it was completely useless for the containing and imbibing of drinks.  Placing that on the ground, he reached in and pulled out...oh dear...a banana, a conch shell, three small diaries, several interesting stones that were not gems, and a tiny net.

It was not until after all his that he produced two pint mugs that could have probably held all of the rum at once.  Akbar handed one to Iggy and picked up the bottle.  There, he attempted o pull the cork out with his teeth aaand failed at it.

"You give try.  Akbar will  find corkscrew."

Oh gods, here we go again...

Eckhart_Von_Musel

Ignatius took the bottle and, to his surprise, opened it fairly easily. Deciding to write is off as Akbar loosening it for him ("Yeah right!"), Ignatius poured himself a mug. Wanting to look cool, he waiting until Ackbar was looking in his general direction, and then chugged the entire glass. Almost immediately he threw up, staining the glass desert with the toast he had eaten for breakfast.

"Jeez, calm down you dope. This is your first time drinking right? You outta take small sips."

"... No. I'm never drinking again."

Wrathwyrm

Fortunately, it was not projectile vomit.  Unfortunately, it was still vomit, and even looking at it was disgusting.  Akbar had been watching Iggy with some interest when he was drinking, but then visibly recoiled when everything came back out again.

"Gah!  Nincompoop!  Stop spewing on site of Akbar's desert-side vendor-shop!"

He was talking about the boards that he'd been nailing together nearby.

"Not completed yet."

Okay, so Akbar now had to compose himself relieving Ignatius of the bottle and pouring himself a drink, so that he could lecture the uninitiated fellow annd his bird.

"Ruum is heady, so it is not consumed like opening mouth in monsoon, but gradually to build up speed, with the ceremonial 'Ahhh' once you come up for air.  Coming up for air is essential!  Body needs air for living.  But still, Akbar knows.  Rum is forceful.  It must  be coaxed to where it is going gently, or it is leaving in a hurry."

This has been a public service.

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