fandomhigh | Fandom High Welcome Picnic, Front Lawn of the School, All Day

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!event: welcome picnic

Fandom High Welcome Picnic, Front Lawn of the School, All Day

Whoever worked the weather magic around here had done an excellent job to make sure things were nice outside for all the new (and old) residents of Fandom. It was warm and sunny, but not so humid that people would melt. There was plenty of ~~moddable~~ food and drinks, places to sit in the shade, and more than enough nametags to go around. It was time to celebrate the start of the summer!

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Oh, it really was odd! Lana was used to a number of different species these days. Even the Empire was more diverse than Earth.

"I suppose that depends on what you're used to," Lana said. "Your clothes don't look modern Earth-standard, so I'm guessing you're from either another time or another world?"

"I'm a native of Waterdeep along the Sword Coast?" That made no sense to anyone else here, Gale. Gods. "But I've gathered that I am somewhere called Merry-Land?"

Lana nodded. "Maryland, on the east coast of the United States, on the planet Earth." She thought for a moment. "I don't recall ever hearing of Waterdeep or the Sword Coast, but I'm not from here natively, either. I'm originally from a planet called Dromund Kaas, in another galaxy, and these days I live on Odessen."

"A planet?" Gale confirmed. "Not a plane?"

Because the difference existed!

"Correct," Lana said. "We do have a woman here who knows about different planes, but apart from the portals that go to different versions of Earth, I've never been to another plane. Unless Earth itself is a different plane than my galaxy, which is a purely semantic argument, since there's no way I know of to travel from my galaxy to this one without going through a portal; we've no idea where they might be in relationship to each other."

"How do they travel there then? A ship of sorts?" Gale asked. "I've read of the spelljammers, but never had the good fortune to see one with my own two eyes. The ability to travel between the planes by such a conveyance is fascinating."

Gale Dekarios, folks. Just a full on D&D lore dump.

"I'm not sure what a spelljammer is," Lana said, "but yes, a ship." She took out her holocomm and called up an image of the Ebon Hawk, since it was the most recent ship she'd taken a picture of. "This is a somewhat older model than most of ours, but you get the idea, I'm sure."

"So more like a submersible," Gale said, considering it's design. Then just got completely distracted by the whole holocomm thing. "And this is an illusionary projector?"

"Oh, yes!" Lana pointed out the buttons. "I can get communications from home on it and speak with them, or look up information on it. This is a friend's ship I had an image of. This is from my galaxy. On Earth, they have similar devices, but with flat pictures."

She pulled out her phone with the other hand and unlocked it. "This is a phone. You can get one of these locally; there's information in the packet I gave you. Feel free to take a closer look at either."

"I'll be certain to obtain one of these flat illusionary devices," Gale assured her, just totally getting the point in the only a way he could manage. "How is it powered?"

Because he could for sure spare a shocking grasp or two to get it boosted. Definitely not void the warranty at all.

Lana put her holocomm away and focused on the phone. "It has batteries. They don't come out, so I can't show you one, but they use chemistry to generate electricity for power."

She held it so he could better see. "Each of these icons has a different function." Sort of like spell glyphs! "This one is for taking pictures, and this one is for viewing the ones you've taken. Here you can send text messages back and forth. Here you can actually call and speak with someone."

He would be possibly the only person in the world who would read the instructions and the little booklet that would come with his phone. Because he had to.

"Oh, like a sending spell!"

But maybe less limited by the word count.

"I'm not sure," Lana said. "What's a sending spell?"

"Ah! It is a spell that allows one to send a specific number of words to a person of your choosing," Gale explained. "Though I find the limited amount frustrating when I have need to explain something in such a manner."

Yeah, 25 words and Gale? Not happening.

"Oh, an actual spell - you work with magic, then?" Lana asked. "Couldn't you adjust it to use more words?"

"I suppose one might be able to, but it does get transported directly into their mind and as such can be a bit more delicate than other such spells."

Psionics? Not magic, weirdly enough. Not even a lil' bit. Mystra over here just going 'Nah, fuck that noise.'

"Ah." Lana nodded. "Wouldn't be much use to send an entire page's worth if it fried the brain of the person you were speaking with, I suppose. A sentient's mind can only process so much at once."

Though now she was wondering... "I wonder if a droid could process it faster. Or if their mind would register as something you could send to at all. Oh," she stopped to explain, "droids are mechanical beings, built from metal and circuits. There's a lot of debate in my home galaxy as to whether they count as machines or as sentient beings."

"Like an automaton," Gale offered. Some wizards ~~and artificers, Larian you cowards~~ were fond of them, but Gale was more an unseen servant sort. "I've heard they were making great strides in such things in Baldur's Gate, but I've hardly had the time to see for myself."

"And I don't have one you can meet," Lana said. "Although, one of the young men around here does. I think he's working at the junkyard. But yes, exactly like an automaton, though a bit more advanced. I take it Baldur's Gate is a place in your world? Your...planet or plane?"

"A city," Gale replied. "Though one that does not hold a candle to Waterdeep, more commonly known as the City of Splendors."

It was just fantasy Venice. With a fucking crazy series of dungeons underneath.

"Well, from the name alone it sounds lovely," Lana said. "What sorts of splendors?"

Oh god, Lana. You weren't going to move from this spot for a while as he espoused the virtues of this home town.

"From the bustling markets to the illustrious halls of the masked lords, never will you find a better place to visit or reside. There is even a tavern within the city that leads to a millennia old dungeon for any adventurers brave or foolhardy enough to venture forth into. The amount of history and culture available for those who wish to find it... ah. I already miss her beautiful mornings with the sun coming in across the water."

Lana smiled. "It does sound lovely. We do have the sun over the water in mornings, but unfortunately only sewers below the city. Who are the masked lords?" The idea sounded familiar.

"The masked lords!" Gale said in the tone of an oncoming info dump. "You see, the idea was that the ruling body would consist of the Open Lord who would be known by all and the Masked Lords who could be anyone and therefore would be free of corruption or bribery. The reality, however..."

"If nobody knows who you are, you're free to take bribes and be as corrupt as you like, whether you are a lord or you simply tell people you are?" Lana guessed.

Re: Meet Your Buddies!

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Re: Meet Your Buddies!

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