thebastion | Spell 2: Runtime! [Day 249]

Entry tags:

ibuki mioda,
zulf

Spell 2: Runtime! [Day 249]

Who: Megaera D'Ashland, anyone who would be out and about in the evening.
Open?: Open
When: Day 249, morning
Where: The communication network, or out on the Skyway.
What: Redhead's first shard run! ... It will probably not be the best first try.
Format: Anything, can match
Warnings: Mild violence.

[Network, Morning]
[Megaera's voice is fairly light and calm for... Well, someone in her entire situation.]

Okay, so. I have a place to sleep, I have space for keeping what little stuff I've got, and I've got a goal: Get right back to mastering magic. That's going to take... A lot of things. Many of which I'm only going to know about as I get close to needing them.

And the best way to get things around here, correct me if I'm wrong, is with these 'shards' you get from heading out and beating up monsters. Not much other loot, it seems, unless I find interesting things out in that weird space, but that's all right.

Anyone have any particular advice for a newbie to heading out there? In particular, does anyone who knows teleportation magic know if it's possible to use it to get back here safely? I'm cautious about messing with anything involving dimensional manipulation out here without being sure it won't end horrifically. I'm sure you understand.

... Might be good to try and get a weapon, too. I know my way around quite a few, at least. Any advice there? Especially for getting magic weapons? Psionic weapons would also be okay.

[Action, Skyway]
Megaera's first trip out, ultimately, was unarmed. Though she does seem to know her way around fistfighting... At least a little. Pointedly, whenever she finds any monsters, she seems to stick to open hand strikes, using her nails as a basis for doing damage. They're decently effective... Somehow.

She'll probably either need or want some help if she finds anyone while on her travels, though. She's being awfully quick to flee, for one, which is keeping her from getting many shards.

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"Most people don't have the kind of tricks I have up my metaphorical sleeve," Megaera observed. "But you're probably right, in the future. For now, though, let's get back to safety."

"Of course."

Soon enough they're stepping back onto Bastion soil, Zulf gesturing to the distillery nearby. He's... not exactly happy to answer some of the questions, considering the dark history behind some of the answers, but he is willing. He's just found it easier if the person he's talking to has access to a seat and alcohol, if that's their preferred poison.

"Want to get something as I answer whatever questions I can?"

"... Nah, I'd rather be at full awareness," Megaera said after a few seconds.

"So the Calamity started somewhere in this world?"

Well, if that was what she wanted, Zulf wouldn't push her. He gave a nod.

"That's right. It takes a bit of explaining... I mentioned there were three particular areas that make up the Skyway, didn't I? Caelondia, a relatively new city, known for its tall powerful walls that protected it from both the Wild Unknown and the Tazal Terminals. The Wild Unknown was exactly that- everything outside of Caelondia, filled with beasts of all sorts and even fauna that might turn against you, as you saw out there. Then, the Tazal Terminals, all the way on the far east... But underground instead of above it.

"Do you follow so far?"

"Three big regions. Makes sense so far," Megaera considered with a nod.

Good. Zulf continued.

"The Ura, my people, were native to this land before the Caels came on boats. There was some coexistence for a while but... the Caels are a naturally very- expansive people." He frowned, for a moment, as he said that word. "They wanted to have their city grow. Eventually, it started to intrude on Ura lands and their construction caused cave-ins down below... onto Ura settlements. That started the Point Lemaign war between Caelondia and the Terminals."

She could probably see where this was heading.

"... The last war of the world as it was, I presume?", Megaera asked.

Demons were a bad enough source of destruction, but what humanity could manage for itself...

"Not quite... It ended many years ago, with Caelondia becoming the victor, but only barely. Because of such a close outcome... They became paranoid that the Terminals would come up against them." This part is obviously something that gets under his skin, for all that he's trying to keep himself under control.

"It was because of that fear that they constructed a weapon that would... permanently wipe out everyone living in the Tazal Terminals. However, they forced an Ura man to work on it and, to say the least... he disagreed quite a bit on what they were making him do, and sabotaged it. The result... Well, you can see for yourself."

"... Destroying who even knows how many worlds in the process. Great."

Megaera sighed. "Caledonia succeeded where a literally infinite horde of ravening beast-beings failed."

"They always did consider themselves better than most," Zulf says dryly, not even trying to hide his disdain. Not that he necessarily hates Caelondia or all Caels. No, most of his ire is towards the Mancers, the ones behind the weapons in the first place.

He just doesn't feel like going into a culture lesson about the various Caelondian military groups right now.

"At the very least... One good thing was made. The Bastion is of Cael-make as well, built in case of emergencies such as earthquakes or storms, et cetera. 'The end of the world' counts among that, apparently."

"Hrm. Very interesting that something like this is actually a product of technology," Megaera observed.

"I suppose?" Zulf gave a helpless shrug. "Both lands have only ever been familiar with technology, just in different manners."

"And as a result, you've created quite the marvels with it. Even if one, well..."

"Caused the greatest disaster ever known, yes." Not exactly something to be proud of. Although, to be fair, that was mostly the Mancers' fault. "The Ura, my people, have quite different thoughts on technology... It's a shame it'll probably be some time before we get to live together with them."

"Wait, some of them still live?", Megaera questioned.

"That's right." Another nod, and he gestured to some areas of the Bastion. "Some of us survived by luck in Caelondia- after the war, any Ura who ended up behind their walls were permitted to stay there, but they could never leave. The smith, Stewart, is one of them, and my friend Zia is first generation born in Caelondia. Others, like Zahi and Zanya, were out in the tunnels beneath the Wild Unknown and discovered the Bastion after the Calamity hit.

"We've also seen an entire group of Ura survivors out on the Skyway, but they've been fending for themselves so far. Because of all that... I'm certain that there are still plenty areas of the Tazal Terminals and its people that managed to survive, with the earth taking the brunt of the Calamity's damage and thus keeping them safe. But... Because of the distance between Caelondia and the Terminals, there's been no chance to check. It's a long journey."

"... Which probably means there's plenty of areas well beyond from other worlds that have survived," Megaera observed. "That.... I should be trying to find them, if there's living areas of my world."

"Well, it's... certain possible." The tone in his voice wasn't too certain, however. "But it's something you shouldn't set out to do on your own. There's no telling if any other pieces of your world are close to here. It would take a lot of time and effort."

"... The only good news is I'm not bound to it in the sense of compelled to go out immediately. But at some point, I have to try and find out if there's anything left to protect..."

"Just make sure that someone goes out with you, that's all I ask. We've lost so many people already... We don't need to lose anyone else."

"You have a point, but..."

"..Just please be careful."

"... It's hard to be. The whole 'guardian' thing and all that..."

"'Guardian'?"

"My job before the whole 'world-went-boom' thing. Foresworn for my lifespan and beyond to keep demons from invading and destroying the world above no matter the cost. I'm fudging a lot of details to keep it on the basics."

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