From One City to Another [Open post event info and start]

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Who: Everyone (guests and non-guests alike)
Where: Geartopia
Summary: Event in City start!
Warnings: Cowboys and Gears
EVENT INFO: Read about it here if you're a new comer!

The Mayoress keeps her word, and the Visitors are whisked away and changed into more suitable clothing for this world, free of charge. As they step down from the portal -- a stark contrast to the last time it was used, a giant man standing easily over eight feet tall and resembling a mammoth takes out a piece of string and measures everyone for their complimentary hat, vest, goggles and boots, as a small team works nearby to adjust the sizes of the materials they already have. It's rather interesting to see them at work, cutting with iron scissors - a spiderlady using her own silken string along with a robot aide to patch things up. Before long, you are given an outfit that's been tailor-fit for you.

Hopefully you aren't too arachnophobic, she's a nice old lady.

Once that's all done, the Mayoress speaks up.

"Come with us, please!"

Robotic horses and chariots draw them into the middle of the town, as a small map is given to everyone, but it's overly simple at best.

As they arrive in the town square, a look around reveals that the people here seem to be a mixture of humans, humanoid animals that have evolved, and robots. The feeling is very Old West, but with it all kept at a simple level despite the advance technology present. Compared to Hinoto-Ri and its lights, bright city and atmosphere, Geartopia feels like it falls on the opposite end of the spectrum. There's barely anything that would make you think of a modern city.

Which is why those that don't look like they belong stand out even more than you do.

Confused people from various worlds, not meant to have landed here... but currently with no way to go home, are stuck in Geartopia, violently torn from whatever they had been doing.

"We ain't sure what happened," she tells the Visitors, shaking her head. "But the past three days have been nothin' more than a giant mess! And they keep pilin' up. We need you to help us figure out what's happenin’!"

As they continue towards the town's center, she gives a bit more explanation: Once, long ago, Geartopia was built by aliens visiting the planet that granted intelligence to some native species. That includes her kind! The giant black obsidian monoliths humming precariously outside of town are an example of that. Normally the rocks only work when they need to contact other worlds. Three days ago, they started to glow, and that's when others began to appear here. People that had not been planned for. And they were still coming in, too...

The technology the elder aliens left them allows them to contact other planets during times of distress, but otherwise, there is nothing futuristic going on - the aliens wanted it this way and for the most part, the population respects this. Most of the area is dry and arid, with very tiny grass and shrubs growing over the hill, and, strangely enough, an area from town that is densely populated by forest.

They'll need your strange and powerful manpower in the upcoming days… just like twenty years ago, when the previous mayoress had called upon great heroes for aid.

[OOC Info about Geartopia:

- Saloon and bars of all sizes. Most are comically named with an object and a color. You can find all sorts of them across town. The shadier ones can be found at the far end of the west.

- There are hotels with gear-driven pianos playing wistful tunes as you drink hard liquor made from cactus juice, honey and barley. The honey wine is especially prized and costly.

- There is also a small carnival with a steampunk and old west fair, sugar and cactus fruit pies, whole animals roasted over open pits, musicians, and a single wooden coaster. It's not much, but the food is excellent.

- Be careful, however. The cactus fruit does cause stomach aches for most people not native to this world.

- There are farms around here, if you feel like having real food and doing honest work.

- The general store has steampunk items for sale, but most of them are much too expensive for the visitors at this point. You can try to barter.

- Oh, and news travels fast. Cause problems, and the rumors will travel to the mayoress fast enough.

- Start posts with Open or Closed depending on what you want to do!

RP VISITORS NOT FROM STRINGS: Here’s your own situation: Your character showed up here anytime from the 4th to the 16th and they have no idea why. They just popped out from their own place and popped in here. HAVE FUN!]

Comments

[bondsofsuffering]

So far, it's only been when I was first brought to Hinoto-Ri, and once again right before he sent a bunch of us to another world. He contacted everyone to let them know that about half of us would be getting thrown into a dangerous situation along with some more vague instructions, but that's about it.

[melodyoflogic]

Guess it makes sense in an odd fashion for a 'spirit guide' to not speak straight.

[Like in old stories.]

[bondsofsuffering]

Especially since most of us didn't even realize until we got there that he wanted us to go after a being most people affectionately call "the crawling chaos".

[Said in probably the least affectionate tone possible.]

[melodyoflogic]

....'The Crawling Chaos'.

[....That has to be the lamest title he's ever heard.]

[bondsofsuffering]

Yep. Complete with tentacles and an intimate knowledge of your deepest and darkest fears. Sometimes, he apparently goes by the name Nyarlathotep - some kind of Lovecraftian thing.

Not that the place where he chose to hide was much better than that. I'm pretty sure it had a floor for every single horror story you can think of.

[Noooot a fun trip, that one.]

[melodyoflogic]

Sounds pleasant.

[Sarcastically. It sounded like some sort of living nightmare.]

Was that one of the 'stronger demons' you mentioned, or something else entirely?

[bondsofsuffering]

Something else entirely. We can at least beat the stronger demons, even if it takes multiple people.

[melodyoflogic]

.....You didn't manage to beat it?

[.... So that thing was stronger than anything they'd face before, whatever it was.]

What happened?

[bondsofsuffering]

We figured he was somewhere in the middle of a maze, so we split up to find him. Turns out we didn't need to find him for him to be able to mess with us from a distance.

Anyway, my group didn't end up finding him. We were still lost in there when we suddenly got dragged back to Hinoto-Ri.

[Lost and at Nyarly's mercy, really.]

[melodyoflogic]

[...That would make it difficult. A maze in a building apparently made out of different fears, where a creature who knew each person's worst fears resided.]

Let me guess.... he showed every one of you what you feared most and managed to delay all of you.

[bondsofsuffering]

Seems that way! I think a few people managed to fight him, but I never asked for details.

[He was so ready to be done with that place pretty much from the get-go.]

[melodyoflogic]

Even if they did, it sounds like it worked anyway. He did get away.

[bondsofsuffering]

Basically.

That guy... he was in Hinoto-Ri first, but then he went to that tower, and that's why we were sent after him. But if he decided to go to another world, is it still our responsibility to do something about it?

[Hizumi, you might just be biased against the location...]

[melodyoflogic]

If he could go there in the first place, he might come back just as easily. [He glances at Hizumi.] And he would just terrorize the people in that place in the meantime.

[bondsofsuffering]

It's not like we're the only ones who could fight. That place was similar to this one and Hinoto-Ri; it had people from all different worlds, too. Although those people were definitely trapped.

[melodyoflogic]

That make sense. If it's as bad a place as you say I can't see anyone sticking around willingly.

[So they were trapped, obviously.]

Byt who knows what this Philemon guy is thinking.

[bondsofsuffering]

That's what I want to know. But even when he does show his face - figuratively speaking, anyway - there's not much room for conversation.

[Perhaps it was part of being in the Collective Unconsciousness, but it's hard to retain your senses enough to do much besides listen, and even those recollections could end up hazy after the fact.]

[melodyoflogic]

Well if he invites you through a dream, you can't expect much coherency either.

[bondsofsuffering]

Exactly.

They say the meeting is a test to see if you're worthy of a Persona. People who can remember their own names when he asks for it are the ones who are granted the power.

Supposedly, it shows you have a strong sense of self.

[melodyoflogic]

A name and a strong sense of self....?

[The words are pensive.]

Doesn't seem like much.

[But at the same time, quite a lot.]

[bondsofsuffering]

It's why there's only a small part of the population in Hinoto-Ri who actually have a Persona. Especially when it sounds like most of the kids there know the process to get one...

[melodyoflogic]

[He could understand that. Having a strong sense of self.... an identity you could securely call your own....]

Makes sense.

[He gives Hizumi a curious glance at that last bit.] There's a specific process, beyond the dream?

[bondsofsuffering]

For people who aren't brought by Philemon himself. Kids keep playing this "Persona game", and whenever some of them end up with a Persona of their own, the government puts them into special schooling to learn how to use the power.

It's acknowledged by scientists as a viable method, too. As could be expected, they've really embraced the supernatural elements of their world.

[melodyoflogic]

Kids play a game to get them? [....If it was that wide spread, anyone with the potential probably got a 'Persona' eventually, even if it sounded like that potential was rare.]

So he might be bringing in people from other worlds to bolster the small population of people who can use a Persona.

[bondsofsuffering]

It's definitely a possibility. The original residents don't seem to mind us doing the dirty work for them, at least.

[Well... Based on a previous encounter, that might not be entirely correct.]

Rather-- They don't want us to see them as too weak without our help, but they still need it, so instead they just quietly grumble. Still, it's their taxes that help pay for a lot of our stuff whenever a new Visitor arrives, so I suppose we can't be entirely ungrateful.