"Uh, what he means to say is that since your grand city is clearly so different from our own, it may as well be from another world. He is simply too awestruck to properly convey it though."
Samson says, full of shit.
Mega let out a long whistle. This was a hell of a city -- how did they manage that without being modern? Then she glanced at the bloody pyramid, and her eyes widened... oh. That'd be why they were killing Solangre, huh?
"Oh-- no, uh, he simply means in a cultural sense -- our home culture is much different for most of us Cazadores."
She talks at the same time as Samson, equally full of shit.
"Uh, no; I must have misspoke. I learned the language pretty recently, so I'm probably gonna make more mistakes like that."
Topilizin responds to Sampson and Mega, "As it should be! The Kolinquo Empire is the finest in all the lands. What sort of place is Drangelic anyways?" He asks, assuming that all of the Cazadores are from there. He then turns to Wario, "Do not worry my friend. The Kolinquo Language is as complex as it is beautiful, but with practice you will be as fluent as I. Perhaps after many years, but you will get there one day."
Try and find some clothes, if successful, start engaging the clearly less-affluent members of this society in small talk, with the intent to acquire intel regarding how the society, and the cult of Solangre, works.
Nix, still capable of using thought speak since he was in a morph, did his best to reach out to the others.
<This is Nix. I transformed into the rider, the naked one. Yes, that's me. I'm doing my best to infiltrate these people, and if I get in trouble, I may need assistance.> Hopefully the others were near enough for all of them to get the message.
Vi. Having decided earlier to Not stay with the group on the basis that the level of suicidalness is high, distorts the perceptions of the soldiers to simply.. Not focus on her and promptly slips away into the city proper. She then proceeds to look for large gatherings of people. May as well do some information gathering.
Bastion would let out a sigh of frustration. Too many people on the poor bird. It could only handle two riders at a time most likely, and the weight of four people was too much. He would jump off from the bird and go to look at the temple, seeing if he could spot the anomaly.
H.E.F.A. finally marches up to the rest of the group, standing stoutly, soldier-like. She scans the area for any presence of Fire or Light magics.
Nix, clearly violating local mores, scrounges for clothes in the immediate area. [Scavenging: 7] Nix dips into a nearby alleyway, and takes a piece of discarded cloth from the ground that isn't too filthy, and wraps it around his waist area, it would be enough for now. He then goes to look for the poor and downtrodden, trying to figure out how this society functioned, specifically in regards to the religion surrounding Solangre. [Socializing with the Lower Class: 10] Nix brushes his way past the crowd and finds a group of men loitering on a street corner. When the shapeshifter asks if he can join their circle, they happily wave him over. The men are eating and drinking from stone bowls and jugs. Two of them sit opposite what looks like a board game, laid out on a grid with small polished stones, one side red and one side black. Their speech is filled with wordplay and slang that fly over Nix, even with the translator's assistance. (A sample of such a part of conversation: "What is the difference between my wife and japefruit?" "I don't know, what?" "A japefruit isn't green in the middle." This is followed by laughter.") Nix poses himself as a young man, unaware of the nuances of Kolinquo society. The men with proud beards and wrinkled skin, are happy to fill him in on the basics.
Kolinquo society operates on a class system, with the prestige to each class going: Slaves, Beggars, Farmers/Conscripted Soldiers, Skilled Workers such as Blacksmiths and Doctors, Military Officials, Clergy, and finally Solangre of course. The two final classes of humans are typically filled by the nobility. Solangre manipulates the power of the Sun, which effects the weather and therefore the crops and the lifestyle and success of all Kolinquo. He doesn't come out of his temple often, but when he does there is always some sort of signal, and all Kolinquo stop what they are doing to come before him. He then makes some sort of speech, such as praising the Kolinquo for their loyalty and promising a season of sunshine, or chastising them for their idleness and causing everyday thereafter to be either rainy and cloudy, or cold and bitter until the tribe convinces them to forgive him. He calls for regular blood sacrifices, and much prefers exotic and precious animals, including humans. He wears no clothes, for he is protected by a thick layer of blue fur, except strapped around his chest is the Golden Monkey, an artifact unknown before his arrival. It is the size of a grapefruit, and is made of pure gold, except for two rubies in its eye sockets. What exactly the Golden Monkey does is a mystery to the tribe.
Solangre's rule has never been unanimously accepted. In the first days of his coming, a portion of the nobility were unhappy with him superseding their power, as they had been in charge for countless generations. These dissenters formed a group known as the Black Serpent, named after one of the Old Gods, specifically the Black Serpent who's venom made the oceans and dug the mountains from the ground with its fangs. They rounded up about ten percent of the Kolinquo to attempt a coup on Solangre, and it did not end well for then. Not only did Solangre have superior numbers, he showed off his amazing powers. He stands at least thrice as large as the biggest Kolinquo, and could rip apart a man with his bare hands. He could run like a cheetah and pounce like a leopard. He could burn off your flesh just by pointing at you. Most miraculous of all, whenever an arrow or spear would strike him, his body would glow with a golden hue and the missile would bounce off like it was ricocheting off a wall. The remnants of the Black Serpents fled to the sea on boats and set off, and haven't been seen since. Their final fate is unknown.
Vi. Having decided earlier to Not stay with the group on the basis that the level of suicidalness is high, distorts the perceptions of the soldiers to simply.. Not focus on her and promptly slips away into the city proper. She then proceeds to look for large gatherings of people. May as well do some information gathering.
Vi slips away from the group, casting an Illusion over the soldiers behind her. [Auto-Success] Between all of the Cazadores, not much attention was paid to Vi in particular, so her magic is worked over easily, she probably could have gotten away without even casting it. Vi heads to the market, as it looks like the most crowded area of the capitol, with throngs of people everywhere, and all the tasty emotions that came with them. Vi could taste everything from elation and wonder to anxiety and loneliness. [Eavesdropping: 2] As Vi begins to listen closely to gain information, she is suddenly ambushed by a gang of Kolinquo children. They surround her, they garments dirty and their young eyes sullen with pain. "Could we have some gold miss?" One of the older boys, who looks about eight or nine, begs Vi as he holds out his dirt-caked palms.
Bastion would let out a sigh of frustration. Too many people on the poor bird. It could only handle two riders at a time most likely, and the weight of four people was too much. He would jump off from the bird and go to look at the temple, seeing if he could spot the anomaly.
H.E.F.A. finally marches up to the rest of the group, standing stoutly, soldier-like. She scans the area for any presence of Fire or Light magics.
Realizing the brunt of weight put on the Tootalin, Bastion hops off. The creature ruffles it's feathers and caws, appreciative of his actions. He looks towards the temple to spot any instance of the Anomaly, but nothing has changed besides it's bloody altar and closed doors.
H.E.F.A. scans around for any instances of Fire or Light magic, [Auto-Success] and nearby there is nothing. However, despite it's distance, she can feel that a large amount of it is emanating from somewhere deep within that temple. It's almost overwhelming, the traces of that magic to anyone who can sense it, like the perfume in the atmosphere of an Abercrombie & Fitch outlet.
Twilight looks at Topilizin with thinly veiled incredulity, an annoyed frown emerging from her equine features. "A riding burrow? Alright, in case you haven't noticed, I have a horn and wings. I am no mere riding pe-", suddenly stopping before her facial features curve into anger. "Nice breeding stock?! No, just no. I am not a Riding Burrow, and I certainly will not be used just for breeding. I'm not against intimacy, but I am against being forced to do nothing but bear foals!"
If Topilizin takes that as challenge, then begin battle by using telekinesis to grab any spear or sword in the area. Otherwise, keep my distance.
The rest of the group that does not break off follows Topilizin down the streets, going away from the bustling marketplace to the area with the larger pyramids at the end of town. The people in this area dress with much more elegance, their clothing woven with jewles and intricate patterns, and a handful of soldiers walk behind each of them at all times. The Cazadores are led to the purple pyramid, which looks to be about a hundred feet tall, where at the top they spot men in simple purple robes standing on various levels of the stone steps, all in animated conversation, a few carrying scrolls. It's like the Kolinquo equivalent of
The School of Athens. Topilizin yells, "High Priest! I have returned!" One of the robed men pauses in his three-way conversation to turn and face the crowd at the bottom of the pyramid, distinguishable from the rest by a red cap on his head containing a single, large red feather. Topilizin cries out, "I have visitors hear from the land of Drangelic! They have heard the wonders of the Kolinquo Empire and Solangre, praise be unto Him, and wish to see both in person!" The High Priest's rotates his head, scanning the foreigners below him.
At this point, Twilight lashes out at Topilizin who responds not with words, but with screams of terror and surprise. He sprints up the pyramid and falls down about halfway up, while his troop try and stifle their laughter.
The High Priest speaks with a voice booming and low directed at the Cazadores, as one might expect of someone who preaches to thousands before him, "Why do your people seek to venture to our grand empire? Our neighbors, those that are left, do not have a high opinion of our ways nor our God."
Author
Topic: Los Cazadores - La Espada Thread [Mission 2-B] (Read 87386 times)