Event: Healing Waters

[voidtreckermods]

"Good morning passengers, it is day twenty three of the month of Grasshopper. All passengers of the Voidtrecker Express require rest. Next stop Jema’grethy Island. All passengers prepare to disembark."

It is a very strange morning message that rings through the train on the morning of day twenty three but as the passengers of the Voidtrecker Express wake their screens glow with the colour of the void and a holographic screen pops up for them to read.

World #2554098133741: A world once inhabited by an ancient civilisation and now preserved as a historical site, nature reserve and well-being retreat. It is famous for its relaxing hot springs, calming atmosphere and beautiful beaches.

It is a popular void-traveller destination, particularly among void missionaries as a place to rest and recuperate after difficult missions.

The Voidtrecker Express will spend three days here, arriving today and leaving on day twenty six of the month of Grasshopper. The dressing carriage is open for your convenience.

It is time for a holiday it seems!

Preparation

For those who go to explore the dressing carriage they will find a variety of beachwear and wetsuits. One cupboard has a pile of tents and groundsheets in all four team colours.

One cabinet is exclusively filled with beach towels, in a kaleidoscope of colours, designs and patterns. Another is filled with different shapes and sizes of plain towel dressing gowns. There is even a cabinet with buckets, spades and small rock-pooling nets.

It seems they are in for quite an adventure.

Arrival

"Shortly arriving on World #2554098133741. Exit from void in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one."

The train lurches and rattles as it leaves the void they will get a glimpse of silver-purple sky and a beautiful ocean below.

However some passengers might be a little more than distracted, one staring at that table for a second too long, another seeming lost in thought for a couple of seconds, a longer than normal pause in a sentence. They see a vision, a glimpse of a life that is not their own. Not all at once, but here and there as the train descends to the island.

But then it is gone and things are back to normal. Just in time, as they come to land.

Jema’grethy Island

The train has landed on a grassy ridge, overlooking a beautiful beach of white sand and the ocean beyond. It is warm, but not too hot, a cool ocean breeze cutting through the heat making it pleasant. Behind them is a grassy plain, changing to forest in the distance. There is the sound of birdsong in the purple sky. To the west the land is more craggy, the silhouette of a fortress in the distance. In a word, it is idylic. A sense of peace permeates the island.

A little more worrying is the volcano-like structure in the north. But even a quick glance will show it is not a typical volcano. There is no smoke and the liquid slowly running down it in rivulets is pink and blue.

Exploring the passengers will find beautiful beaches, ragged cliffs to walk and caves to explore. Where it is more craggy the beaches are made of pebbles- perfect for rock pooling.

The place has no people, but it is clearly maintained. The eastern beaches have racks of shallow boats, both canoes and one- or two-person sailing dinghies. There is also a small building in which scuba gear is stored, along with several waterproofed manuals and instructional literature.

Ruins of ancient houses are scattered across the island, but the main settlement is built into a rocky section in the north-west that has been secured with ropes and stairways cut into the cliffs, perfect for scrambles and hikes.

There are no living quarters, but there are sheltered sections with basic toilet facilities marked as camping grounds in five different sections of the island - by the hot springs, within the ruined fortress, beside the harbour, on the eastern beaches, and on the northern face of the mountain.

Hot Springs

To the west are the hot springs. They have both outdoor and indoor areas; the indoor areas being wooden loghouse saunas, changing rooms and storage sheds, whilst the outdoor areas are a tiered series of pools spilling down the side of the mountain and shaded by brightly flowering trees. The waters are hot, mineral-rich and soothing.

Perfect for overly stressed, world weary Void heroes...

(OOC: More setting information is here, please feel free to go wild with the setting and have a fun and relaxing time. You can use this post as a catch all for your holiday or make your own posts on middleofsomewhere. More information about how the memory event is structured is here!)

Comments

[adregem]

Interesting. Then what's one thing that might just throw the great Della Duck out of her comfort zone? A secret fear, maybe? [ He chuckles. ] Spiders? The dark?

[sos_pilot]

[ She hesitates, then sighs. ]

Fiii... fiiiii.... shhhhhh...

... The gross things that live in the water.

[adregem]

[ Roland flashes her an amused look, holding back a chuckle. ]

Are you trying to say "fish"? You're...scared of seafood?

[ He's not mocking her in any way, but the way Roland phrases the question, he's ultimately very curious. Wasn't she a duck, though...? ]

[sos_pilot]

Hey hey hey! I'm not scared of... those things. I find them disgusting. Major difference.

[adregem]

[ He puts his hands up in jest. ]

Okay, I hear you loud and clear. Not scared, grossed out. Heh. And is there any particular reason seafood ruffles your feathers?

[sos_pilot]

It's more like I can't understand why it doesn't ruffle anyone else's feathers.

... If you had feathers.

[adregem]

If he had feathers...!

[ The ruins are in full view now, as Roland responds jovially. ]

Wow, do I even want to ask what in the world those scaly little things did to you to make you detest them, so?

[sos_pilot]

[ At the sight of the ruins, Della picks up the pace! ]

They just exist, that's their crime. I don't get how people look at them and not instantly want to gag.

[adregem]

[ Whoa, he's jogging next to her now. She's fast! ]

Della, you would hate one place from home. It's called Hydropolis, and it's seafood central. Think fish all the time, every day, all day. But...it is one of the most gorgeous places I've ever seen in my life. Sounds like a fair trade off, right?

[sos_pilot]

No, it sounds evil and awful and now I'm gunna have nightmares about it!

[ why, roland, why??? ]

[adregem]

[ He races her to the ruins, picking up speed. Catch up, Della! ]

I promise if you give it a shot, you'll like it. It's completely surrounded by sea! The fish market is a gem to behold! [ This was kind of fun. ]

[sos_pilot]

IT SOUNDS LIKE A CURSED GEM, FILLED WITH DARKNESS AND ... BADNESS!

[ She will die on this hill, Roland!!! ]

[adregem]

[ Why was this so fun? He leaps and there he is, right smack into desolate ruins that were sticking out like a sore thumb amidst a vast green plain. ]

Hey, you'll hurt the feelings of the guy who runs the city! Happens to be a good pal of mine.

[ If only Leander were here to hear this... He'd be so offended for Queen Nerea. ]

[sos_pilot]

LIKE I CARE WHAT SOME GLORIFIED SLIMY SCALE -

[ Thankfully the rant is cut off when she catches up with him and sees the lush greenery. Instantly distracted. ]

Oh, wow! What a beautiful sight!

[adregem]

[ Roland's not even going to comment on that. But he is trying to hold back a chuckle. ]

Well, madam adventurer. What's step one to fully enjoy an experience like this? You're the tenured one here, heh.

[sos_pilot]

[ After flashing a playful grin at Roland, she turns back to the scenery. ]

We head in, but pay attention to anything that seems even the tiniest bit off. You never know what kind of traps the people who used to live in the ruins might give off.

... After laying in the grass for a good couple of minutes to enjoy the smell.

[adregem]

[ Well, that was unexpected. And it shows on his face, especially after he's gotten so invested in the ruins exploration part! ]

You want us to do that first? [ He blinks. 'Literally??' ]

[sos_pilot]

Five minutes, tops.

[ She's already going to the grass to do some good laying. ]

We used up a good amount of energy running to the ruins. Gotta catch our breath, un-tense our minds, and prepare ourselves.

[adregem]

...

[ He gives her a strange look, but otherwise doesn't question it. He gestures to the patch of grass nearby and shrugs. ]

Ah, on your lead? Then?

[sos_pilot]

Alley-oop!

[ she flops back-first onto the grass and sighs. ]

Breathe in... breathe out...

[adregem]

[ Roland doesn't quite flop down on the grass, but he does follow Della's lead as promised. He kneels first, then sits down, propping himself with one elbow against his knee while the other leg extends against the grass. He closes his eyes and breathes in and out.

He supposes this can be nice. ]

Is this is adventuring protocol? [ Roland smiles, eyes still closed. ]

[sos_pilot]

It's Della Duck protocol. I've been needing to force myself to stop and breathe, or else I burn out too fast.

[ it's been... an issue. ]

[adregem]

[ Roland hums quietly, a small nod at nothing or no one in particular. The sun didn't shine too harshly where they were seated here; and it felt pleasant even if sitting on the grass was slightly unusual for him. ]

Burn out, huh? [ Guess Della was talking to the right person. Or the wrong one, depending on things. ] Wanna share the burden there?