station72 | [mission: hyrypia] then the holy paths we'll travel strew'd with rubies thick as gravel

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[mission: hyrypia] then the holy paths we'll travel strew'd with rubies thick as gravel

CHARACTERS: EVERYONE
WHERE: Hyrypia - The Graze
WHEN: DAY :014 - 016
SUMMARY: Two days of horseback hunting training, followed by the second round of competition.
WARNINGS: Will update as necessary. Need a warning added? PM this account please!

THE GRAZE
DAY :014 - :015
THE DAY FOLLOWING the festivities finds the majority of competitors and spectators still buzzing with the competition’s failures and successes, but there is little time to gloat or moan about the results. By the time the sun has risen over the graze there's a new announcement: there will be two days of additional training followed by another day of competition. Today and tomorrow will be dedicated to learning skills vital to the hunt.

0. TRAINING
THE TRAINING FIELD has become familiar, but the decor has changed- as have the the teachers. Unlike the previous riding and herding lessons which featured ropes and hooks, today's syllabus includes a series of more dangerous tools. The short spears that line the racks may be dulled but they still look painful, and the speed at which they're hurled from the intricately carved Sarvat - the traditional spear throwers - is intimidating.

At first glance, the slings of woven and stained Gryer leather are less impressive-- but the different ammo that can be loaded in them proves interesting: a bio-luminescent tagging liquid that stains the targets that it hits and leaves distinct trails, hard metal weights, and carefully handled poison globes.

Over the next day the envoys are are trained to use the weapons from Elinback in addition to being schooled in a number of simple traps and snares that leave little confusion as to the nature of the next challenge events...

THE GRAZE &
THE MINIATURE FINGER MAZE
DAY :016

I. THE CHASE
THE HERD of technomanced automaton Gryer sits idle in the knee-high silvery grass of the Graze. They're nothing like the Elin (who exhibit all the traits of live animals); these automatons seem to know only two basic concepts: don't run, and run. Right now they're practicing the former as the competing riders are divided into large, mixed hunting parties. Once the parties have been formed, they take turns taking their runs at the herd. Among the herd of thirty, four Gryer have been painted a brilliant sapphire. To strike one down requires either two metal weights to the head, a spear to the neck piece, or two spears to its midsection.

When the hunting parties take off so do the automaton Gryer. And they're fast, moving as of one mind - a school of mechanical fish through a sea of silver grass. It'll take cleverness, skill and a bit of daring riding to either cut the targets free of the herd or go crashing through among the running Gryer to strike a target down among its brainless brothers and sisters. Once struck enough times or in the right place, the sapphire Gryer will lose power and drive spectacularly into the earth.

The attentive audience (many of them armed with an array of binoculars from their personal belongings) might cheer when appropriate, but due to the distance at which much of the action takes place most of the observation is spent eating, drinking, and enjoying the shockingly pleasant weather.

II. THE ~~75th HUNGER GAMES~~ PURSUIT
THE BREEZE GROANS through the shadowy pocket of the canyon system, whistling tiredly through the coral structures - along narrow bridges and between tight passages. Familiar to anyone who competed in the individual race on Day :013, this shadowy miniature canyon is crawling with automated creatures to 'kill.' The only problem? Beating everyone else to one of them. With the blare of that now-familiar horn, the hunters mounted on their Elin take off into the canyon and rapidly splinter into disparate groups or simply go off on their own into the tangle. It doesn't take long at all to lose sight of other riders, to begin to feel completely alone in the low light of early evening. Mist rises from the canyon floor and the breeze moans ominously through the pockmarked coral structures.

It'll take more cleverness and accuracy than high speed riding skill to claim a prize here. But best work quickly and quietly to avoid having your target poached out from under your nose…

III. THE AFTERMATH
THE SECOND CHALLENGE ENDS with a long, mournful cry of the now-familiar horn. All of the possible targets have been captured and to the victors go the spoils in the form of the accumulated scores, carefully kept by the judges. The losers are left empty handed-- at least until the spectators and competitors alike have made it back to the tent encampment. Then their hands are filled with the same liquor and a new spread of simple, filling, and delicious dishes expertly prepared by the servants of the manor.

There’s some ceremony to it - the meat they are eating is the same that they would have served if their hunt had been for something more than machines. However, mostly this seems to be a chance to relax sore muscles. That's aided by the addition of several leather-enclosed tents raised earlier in the day. Once the sun sets, these tents are filled with hot, relaxing steam and lined with benches: saunas! ...which might provide some comfort for anyone not stuck wearing a heavy robe. :(

((OOC Notes: This log covers the two days of mounted combat/hunting skills training and the competition which follows. You can find a full breakdown of the events/a place for mini-event specific questions HERE. Sign-ups will remain open until the next event log for the finale goes live, however going forward please make sure to either join the individual event or have a full team selected for the team events. Please be aware that signing up late won't give you extra time to finish your thread to qualify for the finale event.

Have more generalized questions? Drop them on the MISSION: HYRYPIA OOC POST or get in touch with us on the Mod Contact page.))

NAVIGATION • GAME CALENDAR • MISSION: HYRYPIA • FAQ • MOD CONTACT • GLOSSARY

( CODE BY WHAMBAM )

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Gildor sits beside her in the stands, more interested in literally anything other than the races or riding. Currently he's tuning the little instrument borrowed from the Collector, but it's proving difficult with gloves on. The reason for his aversion to riding is a fairly simple one. He'll allow Pidge to take a stab at it first, with a hint- ]

(Riding was the main form of transport in my world. Mostly horseback, though the wood-elves were known to ride elk. The northern dwarves rode great dire goats-)

[ He could spin this into a story, but stops himself. ]

(I avoided all forms of it for nearly one-hundred years there and I will continue to do so here, thanks very much. Now why do you think that is?)

( You can't see. )

[ Which is a bit blunt, but Pidge tends to be blunt. So there you are. She glances down at the instrument that he's trying to tune. She hasn't had much to do besides watch the races unfold, so hanging out with Gildor seems like a golden opportunity. ]

( I could help you out, though. Maybe give you a chance to try something new. And it'd help us test out the limits of the Nest connection. )

[ He can't blame her for being blunt when she hits the correct answer on the nose. He was about to elaborate more on the matter - how being so high off the ground is unnerving, how he much prefers solid ground beneath his feet and not putting his well-being in the trust of an animal. While those are all still true, he listens and- ]

Hmm.

[ The thoughtful hum out loud might be taken as his thoughts on the progress of his fine tuning, but he's actually considering what Pidge is suggesting. Normally he wouldn't be open to practicing something like riding, not without the direct aid of a sighted rider mounted with him, but testing it with the symbiote is something he hadn't considered. After what she was able to show him the last time they tried, he's surprised at how open he is to it. ]

(Must it be tested with riding though?)

[ He's still going to give getting out of it a shot. Can't she do something safer like show him what clouds look like? ]

[ Pidge lets him think. She can be pushy sometimes but this is not one of them. She'd rather just let him sort through his thoughts on it on his own. After all, she's not the one who's going to be dealing with bruises or injuries if something goes horribly wrong. ]

( I mena, it doesn't have to be. I just think it'd be kind of fun. Or at least fit the theme. )

[ She leans in toward him slightly, as if listening to his tuning efforts. ]

( It could be anything, though! You seemed to like getting a chance to see an Elin. )

Edited 2017-09-02 02:36 (UTC)

(I did like that, yes.)

[ The memory of the Elin is still there in his newly developed mind's eye, preserved as perfectly as he can manage. It's clear he cherishes it, as he holds it in his mind like someone might handle something rare and made of glass - lovingly and delicate. ]

(With all the emphasis on riding of late, I'm worried we will be continuing this pilgrimage on horseback... or Elin-back, as it were. Rani Lakshmi has graciously tasked herself with assisting me should that occur, but... I suppose some practice between that is warranted.)

[ He can't vouch for practice in everything and then not follow through, especially not in front of someone so young. He's been practicing with the little alien ukulele each day and improving. Riding isn't his forté, but with Pidge's help perhaps it won't be so bad.

He finishes tightening the last string, satisfied with the sound it makes. It's difficult to pluck with gloves on, so he's using small clawed rings that sit over the nails and act as picks. He sets it along his left forearm and plays a brief song to test his handiwork. ]

Hmm. [ He sounds more satisfied this time, as the last note fades. ] That'll do it for tonight I think. Shall we be off?

[ Pidge gives his little song a bit of applause. She's not very musically inclined (then again, it's mathematics), but she definitely appreciates people who have the skill. In fact, there's even a laugh as she sits up and starts to stand. ]

Sure.

[ She offers her hand as a sort of guide. She knows that he can find his own way (he apparently has managed just fine before coming here, after all), but it seems appropriate. ]

( If you want, we can just try with some visual stuff at first. before we put you on anything high up and mobile. )

[ There's a returned smile under his veils at the applause and laugh, and at the smaller hand taking his. He can surely find his own way, but he doesn't mind Pidge as a guide either. The Carabauchian instrument is strung over his shoulder on it's strap, and he picks up his staff before standing and following wherever it is she wishes to take him. ]

(So basics first?)

[ Of course. If seeing through the symbiote is going to be like learning something completely new, he'll need the basics. Everyone around him just makes it seem so easy. ]

[ She's headed off of the viewing stand, trying to find an area that's a bit more private. If they're going to practice this, they're going to need some space and not have people stumble on them and wonder what the Hell is going on. ]

( Basically. )

[ Pun intended, apparently. ]

( Uh, is there anything you'd want to start with? )

[ He catches the pun and laughs a bit under the security of his veils, but her question is still considered with the upmost seriousness. ]

(Well... one of the things I've always wondered about is color.)

[ The most basic of basics for many people, but perhaps one of the hardest things to describe about sight. ]

(Others have told me what I see is black, which is darkness, but I actually can see some light. I don't know what red, blue, yellow, or green are though - aside from what others have said. I know red is passion, blue is tranquility, yellow is happiness, and green is nature - life itself.

But I've never understood what any of that means.)

[ Gildor remembers plenty of things people have told him about color, and every description has fallen short of a real comprehension. ]

( Color? )

[ Pidge echoes the word, already thinking about how she's possibly going to explain color to someone who's never really seen anything in his life. That's going to be tough. Especially out here - it's beautiful, but a bit barren at times. Their wandering feet take them away from the crowd, to a slightly more isolated section of earth away from prying eyes. ]

( Scientifically, color is just the way the human eye interprets electromagnetic radiation in the spectrum of light. And other species probably see different colors or a wider or narrower range of them. But... explaining it? It's... Huh. )

[ She seems a bit stumped on explaining a concept. ]

[ Half of those words go into one ear and out the other, but not without a solid effort first. ]

(Electro...? Electricity? Some of the cities I've been to have that.)

[ That's a good indication of how far apart their worlds are in technology, if anything. The part about other species though - that seems to click. ]

(Oh. Well I'm not entirely human, which is why my eyes are they way they are. One of my parents was a drow. They are sightless beings that dwell in the underground. Do you think it impossible for me to comprehend color then?)

[ He doesn't ask accusingly, only curiously and without much hope lost. ]

[ That's interesting to think about, but she's not really a biology expert. She's more into machines and general science and physics, so she's not entirely sure that she can tell him that with any degree of certainty. She frowns (even if he can't see it). ]

( I... don't think so. But I don't know enough about biology to say. Uh, here, let's try something- )

[ She tries for the color green. Imagines it, remembers it, and lets it flow into Gildor. Grass on a summer day, fir trees, her armor (her lion). Just... the color. She can't define it in words, so she tries to define it in thought. ]

[ Gildor is already open to trying whatever it is Pidge would like to try, but this - it isn't like 'seeing' the mechanical Elin in their shared mind's eye, with touch and sound and smell and drow-sense to back up his understanding of it's shape and form. This flows into him like a creeping fog, leaving no other sense but his own thoughts to comprehend it. It clears away the black and shades of grey his mind is so used to and blankets it in something entirely new. His breath hitches and grows soft- ]

This is-

[ Though he still holds onto Pidge's hand, his legs have stopped moving. The dark shadow of his mental presence is turning green and Gildor is struggling to process it. It is nature, it is the smell of trees after rain, the feeling of grass underfoot, and it is - as he was told - life itself. His reaction quickly turns emotional, and music swells in their shared thoughts. Soft, stirring, flourishing - like the life this new sensation, this color represents. Music is the easiest way for him to make sense of it, yet there is still little sense to it, so he remains overcome with beauty and joy - so much that after a just a moment he's struggling to remain standing, knees weak and head hunched. He's leaning heavily on his staff to remain upright. ]

(This is... green? Oh it's... it's beautiful! What in the world... and you live with this around you every day?!)

[ Pidge sways slightly on her feet as his emotion comes pouring back. She's opened herself to him and she can't really turn it away. Not now. But she does reach out to steady him, even as her mind fills with music and the complete sense of awe and wonder that comes with it. She tries to breath and then she laughs, because what else is there to do? Maybe she should introduce him to other colors. Her grip on his arm steadies. ]

There's... more to it. Colors aren't just always one thing. There's not just one green. And sometimes it bleeds into other colors or becomes them. Like - there's blue.

[ And he gets a sense of blue. Or a sense of how it relates to green anyway. A stormy sea of blue-green, chopped with white. The way that green could fade to teal to something deeper and richer than that. A flash of armor like her own (another lion) and then the color of the sky on a summer day, bright and clean and stretching out to the horizon. ]

There's more?!

[ His exclamation can't be helped, even when he knows there are more colors to come and knows other envoys could be around and watching. From an outsider's perspective, it must look like gravity is increasing on him as he leans more and more on his staff and poor Pidge to remain upright.

Internally, he's suffering in the best way he ever could've imagined. If he were coherent enough to remember it, this is better than combining drugs and music. The stunning green shifts to blue, and it's easy blend confronts him with a whole new set of emotions. He's calm, he's wild, he's at peace, he wants to leap with happiness and dive deep into this all encompassing color. The mixture of blue and green calls the sea and all her contradictions to mind, and again music swells within him like high tide. ]

(Blue!! It's incredible! It's so like the other, yet so different! It's... how do you find words that adequately describe these?!)

Edited 2017-09-12 21:05 (UTC)

( Oh, yeah, there's loads more- )

[ Again, there's the swell of overwhelming emotion and it's hard for her to hold herself up. Still, she supports him, swaying slightly on her feet as the music and sheer amazement wash over her in waves. She isn't seeing it for the first time, but he definitely is and she's happy about that. It's good to feel someone so engaged. It's good to feel that sense of awe. She actually laughs, grinning widely under her veil. ]

( Honestly? We kind of don't. We just have to use words like 'blue' or 'green'. And sometimes people write poems or songs or something, but it's... hard to really convey it without experiencing it. )

(I think I understand why now. It's... I'm stunned. Thank you, thank you dear Pidge-)

[ Gildor laughs as well, and finally gives up standing. Just eases himself down to the dry earth and sits, not caring how dusty his robes will get, knees bent and staff laid over his lap. ]

(I... I'll make it over to the tents, I promise, I just need a moment-)

[ Because he's quite breathless, and needs to press his veil to his eyes to collect the water gathering there. He wasn't expecting to be so emotionally overwhelmed on their walk, and now that he can feel a few others starting to slow past them, he's trying to reign himself back in. The best way to do that is through a few deep breaths and, much to his regret, mindfully shuffling the two beautiful colors Pidge has just shared with him into his memory, his mind shrouded back in it's familiar blackness. ]

Sorry, I seem to have been momentarily overwhelmed by our Creator's divine grace. Shall we... back to the tent for a bit?

[ He plants the end his staff back on the ground with one hand, and holds his other out to Pidge for support. ]

(Will you show me red when we get there? I've always been curious about red.)

[ Pidge can't really understand his reaction on an emotional level. Logically, of course. Being without sight for your entire life, only hearing about color as an abstract, and then suddenly being able to comprehend it in all of its diversity? That's a lot to take in. She feels a touch bad for sort of rushing it along, but on the other hand, she's glad that he seems so touched by it. She readily offers him an arm to lean on and nods in response to his vocalized "suggestion". ]

Uh, yeah. Let's. You look like you need to sit down for a bit...

[ So here she goes, giving him her arm so they cna hobble along. ]

( Don't worry about it. And, uh, sure. I can show you red. It's... different, I guess. A bit louder than blue and green... )

[ She's already trying to think of how she's going to express red. ]

[ He stands and heads off with her again without dusting himself clean, his dark robes blotted in pale dirt. It'll make Lakshmi fuss later, but right now he couldn't care less. If there are any feelings of guilt coming from Pidge, they aren't enough to rub off on him. Gildor's happiness and wonderment is still palpable as they walk, a spring in his step that wasn't there before. ]

(Louder hmm? I can imagine now, I think. I've heard songs of it. Oh, and I know it is the color of blood.)

[ He's a bit eager to see what he and every living thing known to him looks like on the inside. Naively eager.

Gildor parts the flaps of the first tent they reach with the front end of his staff and allows Pidge to enter ahead of him. Once past the layers of secure fabrics, he hardly hesitates to pull his veiled hat off, breathing deeply and shaking his long hair and pointed ears free. ]

That real Carbouchians wear all these layers day in and day out for their faith is commendable, but cannot wait to be free of these constraining gloves and masks-

[ This might be the first time they've truly been face to face. Though Gildor cares little for appearances, it's nice to hear and talk freely without the muffling of fabric in their faces. ]

( A certain shade of red is the color of blood, but... yeah. Most people associate red with being kinda loud or danger. Not always, though. There's way too many different interpretations for me to cover them all. I mean... you'd need to talk to an artist for that. )

[ Pidge ducks into the tent and follows his lead by pulling off her veil. It's nice to cool down a little out of sight of prying eyes. She gives him a long curious look and then settles onto a pile of cushions with a faint 'oof'. ]

Tell me about it. Sometimes I think I'm just going to turn into a puddle of sweat.

[ She pauses for a moment. ]

So, uh, let me know when you're ready.

[ Gildor sets his staff aside and sits as well, pulling his gloves off. Gloves are the worst part of it - to feel nothing outside the tents directly is such a pain, and it dulls his sense of touch and vibration in the earth. He can only be free to feel as he wishes in the cover of the tents, and now that includes free from behavioral scrutiny. He can't help it if green and blue are so beautiful they leave him lying awkwardly in the dust...

He settles on a pillow and crosses his legs, sitting up as straight as if he were about to give a performance, almost childlike in his eagerness to continue with this color lesson. ]

Alright. I'm ready.

Alright. Give me one second.

[ She folds her own legs and sits up straight, imitating him a bit unconsciously. This is important. She needs to get it right. She breathes deep and then closes her eyes, reaching out to connect with him again. And this time she tries to let memories of "red" bleed through. Stop signs. More armor. A robotic lion. Dark red blood on her hand. The color of flashing, alarming icons. And then a more orange-red - the desert at sunset, stone and sand stretching away to the horizon. Red leaves during the fall. There's a lot to cover and she can only give so much. ]

[ He'd been smiling a his usual gentle smile when he said ready, but as his mind reconnects with Pidge's and the images of red cross over - it steadily fades. This doesn't fill his senses with calm and tranquility and peace, and there's no gentle swelling music that green or blue had. Red is a great many more things. The things he's shown seem harmless enough, (save for one) but the red on them does not seem so kind to him. ]

I... I don't know if I like this one, actually.

[ The words she had used - loud, danger - and even the words he remembered being associated with the color all ring true. Passionate, alarming, anger, fire. The memory of blood on her hand triggers the smell of it, and an uneasiness begins to rise in him. And as ever, there is music - but it isn't a very relaxing song. ]

Ah-

[ She feels a bit bad. Red isn't all bed. There's some great reds out there, after all, and even if humans tend to use it for loud purposes or for warnings, there's still beauty in it. She frowns to herself and tries to focus on something a bit more... positive. She frowns and tries to remember a few things that aren't terrible. Like... poppies. She's seen a field of poppies before. ]

Oh- that's a nicer red, yes. And there's green, and blue again-

[ He's starting to piece the others he's just learned together. Green for the grass and leaves and trees, blue for the sky, and red for the poppies. The red itself is still a bit much, but in this setting it's less threatening. The stressful music fades on his command, though something else is quick to take it's place.

Gildor takes the image a step further, inserting them into the setting Pidge has thought up by adding a few more details to the other memory senses. The feeling of sitting in dewy grass, the smell of earth, and a breeze that makes the red petals bob and rustle. He delights in their visualized movement, smiling again from where he sits in the tent - but really, he's reaching for an imagined flower and remembering the silkiness of it's petals between his fingers. ]

Let us stay here a moment. Are there yellow flowers too?

[mission: hyrypia] then the holy paths we'll travel strew'd with rubies thick as gravel

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