Fun and Games with Creator Tech - RPLOG
Participants
Date
21/7/479
Log
The great Creator ship is still perched in the tournament grounds, apparently the chosen landing site for otherworldy visitations in Firmament. Beside the massive vessel, there is a great, dome shaped tent set up with a single entrance. At said entrance, a little rhino being (A mere five feet tall at most) in an outlandish, Creator jumpsuit is taking entrance fees from those able to afford the expense for such luxurious entertainment. A pair of Hippos, undoubtably Goods, disappear through the tent flap.
Outside, a plethora of other beings, unable to afford the extravagant entrance fee, are gathered, just to see what happens.
A gryphon soars up through the air, circling around the grounds once or twice, before making an approach down to the ground at a lazy rate, landing softly nearby the rhino. She eyes the size of the entrance, tucking her wings in closely to her body, and eyeing the rhino. She twists her head back to a harness, taking a small leather bag of coins off it with her beak, and offering it to the guard.
Shira runs a dainty hand through her hair as she approaches the tent. The smile on her face quickly vanishes as she realizes how expensive this thing is going to be. Giving one of the pouches on her belt a little weighting in her hand she starts to frown. The avian decides to take a stroll around the tent for now, to see if there isn't a way to get in without anyone seeing.
Zuri waits patiently in line for his turn, listening in to the conversations happening around him as he helps himself to a comparatively oversized sandwich. A small meal for the road, is all! He peers up as he realizes he's near the front of the queue, and quickly packs up his half-eaten lunch before stepping forward to greet the little rhino. "Hey Dax!" He smiles brightly at the odd little guy, his tail bouncing excitedly side to side. "Should have figured you were here!" He fishes coins out of his tailcoat's breast pocket until he counts up the required 50 crown entry fee, and passes it across. "This better be worth it.. I'm gonna have to work my scales off to pay back the Society for this!."
The little rhino tugs at his collar and fans himself with his hand. Poor guy must have been standing out here in the sun for hours. Obvious sweat stains mar his jumpsuit under the arms and across the chest.
"Welcome to the event of a lifetime," the short pachyderm says wearily, obviously not for the first time today, "Beyond this portal lies an experience like you have never- Oh!" Dax perks up significantly at the sight of Zuri, "Hello, Mister Zuri," he says, "Nice to see a familiar face!" He accepts Zuri and Kilani's money and pours the coins into some kind of chute into a box set into the stand he is on. There is a pleasant bell tone and a hitherto unseen light over the doorway flashes green. "Go on in!" he says with a smile, that quickly fades to a sigh as he returns to the prospect of waiting out here in the heat. "Wish I was going in," he mutters, "Way better than cooking out here."
Shira is not the only being to have the bright idea to look for other entrances. Small groups and intrepid individuals roam idly around the large perimeter of the tent, but it seems that the only way in is through the front. There are no guards, however. . . and it is just a tent, after all. . .
Kilani nods a word of thanks to the Rhino, and, eyeing the light cautiously, she ducks her head down and tucks her wings in tight, pushing her way through the curtains of the tent to get inside, looking around cautiously once she's actually in the tent... long standing mistrust of creator technology after a botched thieving incident.
Shira looks over her shoulder, then to both sides. Spotting no guards, the short bird whistles innocently for a moment, before poking her head through the bottom of the tent wall and, provided nobody sees her head, and she did not poke it backstage or into the ring, squeezes through.
Zuri pouts at Dax. "Well, once the show starts maybe you can grab something refreshing to drink, or rest in the shade a bit." He pats the little rhino in the shoulder before slipping into the tent, bounding happily as he scouts out a place where he can sit and watch the show from.
Rokarion arrives at the entrance of the tent, interested in seeing what other things these creators are going to offer. "Greetings, Dax. Can I have a ticket please? And since you are here, can you tell me what exactly do Creators call this kind of entertainment? Is it popular or just something they are putting up for beings?"
The hummingbird is rebuffed handily by the fact that the tent does not lift! It seems to be as firmly rooted to the ground. Or perhaps just to whatever floor it has within. There are a few, scattered sniggers from other would be sneaks. She is probably not the first to try that method.
Dax waves his farewell to Kilani and Zuri with a tired smile, then turns to Rokarion. "Hello, Mister Rokarion," he says in that strange, buzzing voice of his, "It's called a Holovid Immersion Deck." The little rhino frowns, opening and closing his mouth as he tries to find a way to explain what he just said. "It's like illusions," he says, "Only you get to do stuff with them? I'm sure you will pick it up quickly. It is usually kind of a distraction for children. But I have seen it used in serious training for craftsmen and soldiers and things too." He takes the flower's money and raises a hand in farewell before turning to accept cash from a rather fat lion with a long, luxurious mane.
Within the tent, if that is what you are insisting on calling it, is one huge, domed room. Then things get strange. There are beings of all sizes and shapes FLOATING around the room! They are wearing strange harnesses over their clothes and seem to be moving effortlessly through the air, just like those Creators from the other day. Some seem to be engaged in a game of some kind, hitting a ball of light back and forth across some kind of court, the ball changing from green to blue as it is volleyed at breakneck speed between two teams. Others seem to be playing at some kind of target shooting, holding strange weapons and firing at targets that soar about of their own volition! There are also a few other diversions, all supervised by a pair of Creators (one male and one female) each.
Kilani looks rather confused by critters floating about, watching the balls bounce back and forth with an entertained expression on her face. After spending an unreasonable amount of time doing this, she looks around at the walls of the tent, and at the supervisors, attempting to find a way she could actually, y'know, acquire one of these harnesses. To wear. If there was one that'd fit her.
Shira huffs as the tent refuses to move and let her in. Guess that would have been too easy. She sighs and cups the pouch with her money once more. She will just have to find her first job with the mercenaries earlier than she thought. She wanders back to the entrance and begrudgingly hands over nearly the complete content of the pouch to the Rhino.
Zuri gasps as he realizes what this is. "Oh.. oh wow.. " He's been in one of these before. Well, something similar. He recalls being given challenges and games to play, climbing structures that popped out of thin air and such. "This place is awesome!" He cries out to noone in particular as he darts off, going to each gathering of beings to see what each activity is. He finally stops near the beings playing the game with the ball. "Oh wow, it's like a game of lowball, but in the air. It's high ball!" He races to the next gathering, watching as the beings there prepare to be strapped on some kind of.. very fancy chair-saddle thing. Like a horse, but not alive, and quite low to the ground. "Oh wow, what are these? Can I join?" He bounds up and down excitedly, his tailtip whipping like an excited youngling's.
Rokarion nods at Dax, "Hmmm, yes I was in one of those. They call them Holo...vid decks?" he says the word more to himself than anyone, "Very well, see you around, Dax." he adds before moving into the tent as well. Looking around, Roka takes out his trusty sketchbook and pen as he looks around the various stations in the tent. Scribbling down notes and doodles but not participating in any of them, yet.
"Welcome to an experience like none you-" Dax starts to say in his odd, buzzy voice, "Oh forget it. Have fun." He takes Shira's money and puts it with the rest, the light over the entrance turning green to allow the hummingbird to step inside.
A pair of creators hurry over to the group just entering the huge tent. "Welcome!" says the male, or to be exact, he says something LIKE welcome, and the little machine spirit hovering just beside his ear says "Welcome." "We are happy to have you with us," he continues, "we ask you to be patient while we outfit you with the GEAR you will require to participate in these games." He lifts up several intricate harnesses while his female companion goes haring off after the speedy little Zuri, trying to herd him back to the group. "These harnesses are designed to comfortably support your body and allow you to fly and hover within the confines of this space. We will be happy to explain any of the activities you see and prepare you to play."
"Those are called," the Creator says something that her translator does not seem to like, because all the machine spirit says is, "NO TRANSLATION, they are a sort of flying machine, but they stay very close to the ground. Would you like to try it?"
Kilani stares at the approaching creators suspiciously, looking up at the little machine and the harnesses with a wary gaze. She then nods, and then promptly sits down on her rear, staring expectantly at the male creator.
Shira manages to catch up to the others that entered and hear most of the exposition, raising her eyebrows at the missing translation of the little machine spirit. "Uhm, what was that you said? The thing that the thing is?" She also eyes the creator closely, she had never seen one that close. She makes a mental note to touch them at some point to make sure they are real.
Zuri grins widely. "Oh wow! They sound fun! I wonder how close it is to actual flying.. " He eyes the machine curiously, then nods quickly. "Yea, I'd love to ride a No Translation! That sounds super fun!" He bounds again over to the nearest unoccupied bike before turning back to the Creator. "But you guys really should come up with a better name for them."
Rokarion raises a brow at the error in those machine translators, before his gaze focuses on the bundle of energy running around. The plant being sighs and looks back at the Creator, waiting for his turn to wear one of those vests, while making a mental note to keep an eye on Zuri and make sure he doesn't hurt someone, or rather himself.
The Creator male with the main group demonstrates how the harnesses work, but then, he seems to be at a bit of a loss when it comes to Kilani. "I am sorry, uh, Miss?" he ventures, "But I am afraid that our harnesses are meant for CREATOR shaped beings. I did not realize that some of you were quadrupeds." He distributes the harnesses to the others, indicating that they should wear them in the same way he is and to tighten the straps.
The female Creator laughs pleasantly. "No," she says, "That just means that my translator could not think of a good word substitute. Let's call them hover cycles." She helps the little salamander into a harness and into the seat of one of the strange contraptions. "Twist the handle forward to go forward," she explains, "And back to slow down." She indicates a pedal under his right foot. "Press down on this pedal to go faster," she says, "The hard you push, the faster it will go. And they get very fast! Don't worry, though. You can't fall off the track. Our safety measures are thorough."
Shira wiggles herself into the harness, making sure to find the sweetspot that does not hurt her wings, then strikes a pose. "That right like this? The harness?" She then tilts her head at the creator woman's explanation. "Its perfectly safe then, yes?" She eyes the various activities going on in the dome. Some of them look like you could break your neck doing them.
Zuri nods quickly, following the instructions as he gets himself strapped in. "Oh, that makes more sense." He giggles happily, then nods as he listens to the instrucitons. "Okay, foot makes it go faster, and hand makes it go forward or backward. Sounds simple!" But not at -all- like flying. Creators say the strangest things.. "Okay miss, I'm ready!" He waits until the Creator steps clear of the device before he tests out the controls, twisting the handle forward while putting pressure on the pedal.
"Perfectly safe," the male creator says, producing a small square device of some kind. He waves his over the face of the thing and everyone's harnesses tighten themselves, while remaining comfortable. "These harnesses are fitted with special technology that read your thoughts," he explains, obviously coached in the best way to explain something much more complex than it sounds, "In order to go up, all you need to do is desire to go up!" And with that, he rises quickly and smoothly off the ground. "Direction and speed work the same way. It may take a little getting used to, but you will figure it out without much difficulty, I am sure. And should you lose control, do not worry, there are many safeguards in place. Now, are there any entertainments here that interest the rest of you?" he asks.
The female Creator has only just stepped out of the way when Zuri zips away! It may not be exactly like flying, but it is nothing to turn ones nose up at! This little device moves faster and smoother than any horse ride! And it moves with only a pleasant sort of humming noise! The craft seems to be restricted to a track that runs around the perimeter of the tent. Any attempt to go elsewhere results in a gentle, but inexhorable correction from the machine itself. And a marked deceleration, of course.
Shira sways back and forth a little, whipping on her feet as she looks around the tent and the activities. She spots a section with various beings, equipped with creator pistols shooting at each other and doing no harm to each other. She points in the direction and addresses the Creator. "Uhm, whats that? It looks fun."
Zuri giggles as he tests the device, quickly realizing it's hardcoded limitations. He lets out a soft 'aww' of disappointment, even if it's probably for his own protection... The little spotted salamander speeds up a bit, biting his tongue as he focuses on keeping on the center of the track while trying to go incrementally faster. This goes well for a while, until he's overtaken by another being on one of the strange steeds. He blinks, then pouts. "Hey!" With that he hammers down the pedal, accelerating to try to catch up to the being that overtook him!
Rokarion wills himself to start floating, and thus the plant being floats. "Hmmm, fascinating.", he remarks as he hovers around the tent, still mostly focused on his own note making than actually trying any of the offered entertainments. Noticing the salamander zipping by on his machine, the plant being hovers to the nearest Creator and points at the machines, "Excuse me, are those methods of transport used by Creators or are they designed just for entertainment?"
"The simulated battleground!" the Creator male says with a smile, "Yes, that is quite popular. We will get you into the next round." He leads the hummingbird along to the obstacle covered section of the huge tent. "You're FLIGHT HARNESS will not work at will in this area," he explains, "You will not be able to fly, but you will be able to jump impressively high." He hands her a weapon that looks like a common pistol, only much, much lighter than any actual weapon. "It is simple to use. Just point and pull the trigger. You have six shots before you need to reload. To reload, you only need to point the muzzle to the ceiling. If you are hit by an opponent, you will feel a slight shock and they will score a point against you. For every opponent you strike, you gain a point. Very simple." There is a high siren sound and the man steps aside to let Shira enter the arena. "Have fun!" he says.
Zuri's magical steed leaps forward with sudden acceleration, its pleasant hum rising to a ringing howl! This is MUCH more like flying now!
The female Creator makes her way back to where Rokarion idly floats. "These models are strictly for entertainment," she says with a smile, "But yes, we do have vehicles like this that are used for regular transportation. I fear that by the nature of Mister Parson's and Mister Harkonson's agreements with each other and your king, these are the only sort of vehicles we can bring to Promise."
Shira was gonna ask if she is -allowed- to fly herself, but the arena opens and she makes her way in, settling for a no as the probable answer. Fairness and all that. The young avian quickly heads for cover, poking her head out for a mere second at a time to try and spot a target.
Zuri grins widely as he feels the wind rush past him. "Woooohooo!" He tilts the bike as he tries to mimic the movements of the other being who's clearly figured out this machine already, and slowly catches up. He's done about half a lap now, and is starting to come around on the predesigned track.
Rokarion nods as he continues writing, "Sweetwater's King you mean. Some of us beings come from nations where we do not believe in monarchy. A rather ineffective system if you ask me." the plant being quickly corrects, no need to mention the Cliffside cloak-and-dagger stereotype. "So...are you and your colleagues then some form of circus troupe or just employees for Mister Harkonson?"
The course that Shira finds herself in is a maze of walls and levels, all a uniform white. The hummingbird sees a flash of green as an iguana being suddenly soars over the wall to her right, gives her a short, sharp shock, then disappears behind the wall to her left! There are certainly things to get used to with this kind of combat! Straight ahead, a flash of color indicates another being dashing through the maze!
Zuri's new friend is the fat lion who came in just after him, his thick mane blowing in the wind of his speed. He turns a huge grin on Zuri. "Let's see what these things can really do!" he shouts over the wind, then pushes his foot all the way down on the pedal, lowering his head to reduce the resistance and speeding forward, leaning into the turn!
The woman shakes her head at the floating Jasmine. "Not employees, no," she says, "We are more like a traveling carnival. We perform and provide entertainments. This is the first time we have had such exotic clientelle, though. Mister Harkonson has paid for us to come here and outlined a strict schedule for us. I could not really tell you why." It is obvious that the girl is not used to talking much with beings. She keeps having difficulty looking Rokarion in the eye and keeps checking herself on words.
Shira frowns as she is hit and shocked. But if speed is key, then she is in her element. She leaps to where the two others passed by and after them, bouncing off walls and quickly gaining on them, before taking shots at both of them.
Zuri grins and speeds up as well, trying to keep up with the lion in the last stretch of the racing strip. "Yea!" He does indeed feel like he's soaring, it's almost like when he goes pegasus.. if only he could spread his wings here. He nearly catches up to the lion by the time they reach the finish line, but then their bikes go into 'pit stop' mode and slow down, guided towards the pit automatically.
Rokarion nods his head at the clearly uneasy Creator, "Ah, so I see. I bet it must be strange for you, since I heard that on Creator words us beings are used as servants or pets." he remarks with a smirk, "Do you know that on Promise, we have the Creator Saints Church that worships your kind? I am guessing that Mister Parson had you and your colleagues trained on the proper etiquette to interact with Promise beings." Roka adds, trying to see a reaction from what he gathers must be the Creator version of a bored youth manning a carnival stand.
Yelps of surprise come from within the maze of corridors, accompanied by laughter as the shooting game continues. Shira gets another shock as a lucky shot hits her. She recovers just in time to see a skunk disappear from a raised platform over the maze of walls.
Zuri's speedy new friend guffaws loudly and heaves himself out of the cycle. "Brilliant, isn't it?" he asks, smoothing down his windblown mane, "Almost makes a being sorry to be born on Promise instead of out there in the stars!"
The girl frowns at Rokarion's summation of the situation. "Listen," she says, "I don't mean to offend you. It's just that I'm used to. . . beings, being like Dax outside. Not customers." She bites her lip. "That came out sounding bad," she says, with a shrug.
Shira turns around, chasing after the skunk, seeing how she had already taken sweet revenge on the other being that shot her and shoots at skunk as soon as it comes into view, then at a couple other beings as she gets the hang out of all this three dimensional moving.
Rokarion shakes his head, "Oh, my apologies. I did not mean it that way. I was simply wondering what was your opinion on the matter. It is not always we get to interact with Creators who are not scholars, merchants, or tourists." the jasmine hastily adds before smiling and giving the female Creator a curt head bow, "However, if you would excuse me now it is time to leave. Pleasure speaking with you." the youth adds before hovering around to find his salamander and leave the tent.
The fun and games continue until everyone feels that they have received their money's worth. Amazing what these creators are able to do! Shame that the beings of Promise don't have access to this sort of thing all the time.
