SETTING: THE CASTLE (FORMER)

[kyriakosmods]

OVERVIEW

Kyriakos, rather than a place, is better referred to as a plane. Surrounding the entire plane of existence is an endless, blank white void. The exception to this is the castle that the characters find themselves living in, as well as the surrounding areas. It's a large realm, belonging to the Echoes known as Queen and Princess. However, once characters begin to hit the edges of the area, things begin to fade out into the large, blank void that makes up the world around the castle and the surrounding areas.

CASTLE FARM FORESTCOVE The castle is a large, sweeping, European-style castle. Standing at several stories tall to go with the hugeness of the building, there is plenty of room for the castle to have all sorts of wings, towers, and various rooms lurking throughout the entire building. Each corner has its own tower, and each cardinal direction has a wing. Kitchens, public baths, a library, dungeons, a great hall, a throne room, and dungeons can be found should characters go exploring. There may even be some secret passages here and there. The courtyard contains a portal to the Echo Chamber, where games are held unless the Princess or Queen is heading a game. LOCATIONS ◉ COURTYARD A cobblestone path leads from the castle gates to the doors here, but the rest is claimed by grass and trees. It's a large garden, with all kinds of bushes ranging from thorny to pleasant and pretty and full of a sweet red berry, trees, and flowers of varying colors. There is a slightly beaten path that looks like it's been walked a few times, and it leads to a garden of basic food crops. On the other side of that beaten path is a grove full of fruit trees. Not all of them seem as if they match the climate, but they grow well all the same. Characters might not want to leave all of this to grow on its own, though, as the weeds are a bit out of control. If not taken care of, they could end up choking any of the flowers or fruit trees to death. Here and there are various sizes of blocks (most of them are made out of stone or wood) that can be moved around, stacked, or used to create various structures as needed. They're easy enough to move, so nothing is permanently stuck once they're placed somewhere. There is also a large castle gate that leads to the forest outside. Many of the fixtures in the courtyard are now surrounded in roses, though they're only just beginning to bloom. ◉ CLINIC On the ground floor of the castle, there's a modest character-run clinic set up in a large single room. Along one wall are two small cots (with room for additional ones) seperated by hanging curtains. Lining the opposite wall are storage bins containing medical and cleaning supplies. There's various medical devices, as well as a few sinks and assorted furniture. Notably, there's also plenty of open space. Plus, a candy bowl! (To reward good patients.) Using the medical supplies in the clinc, one should be able to do all of the following: disinfect, bandage and suture wounds, treat burns, set and splint broken bones, remove foreign particles from a one's eyes, get bed rest, wrap sprains or strains, and take people's temperatures. A whiteboard hangs to the right of the doorway. Written on it is the following: WANT TO LEARN FIRST AID? ASK FOR: Aoko Nakamori (Cats) Belt (Amalthea) Vash (Cats) CURRENT INVENTORY | AMOUNT NEGLIGIBLE (ENOUGH FOR A FEW TEAMS) ● Suture kits. ● Basic medical devices such as thermometers. ● Painkillers, bandages, splints, general first aid supplies. ● A few medical textbooks on diseases and how to treat them. ● Medicine, disinfectant, assorted herbs gathered from around Kyriakos. ● Tea that induces a deep, dreamless, restful sleep. (quest item from Waldemar the Dragon) ◉ DUNGEON The walls of this place change, and what could have been a dead-end before is now a path leading off somewhere. It's an everchanging labyrinth; there's no way to predict where or how things are happening, and it could be incredibly easy to get lost. Every once in awhile, characters may run into a griffon. It's eerily quiet and sometimes a character may stumble onto rooms that look as if things could have happened, but.....there's nothing actually there, even if the signs are present. ◉ ECHO CHAMBER The portal to this place is located in the courtyard, Entering it will pull a character into the realm of an Echo. However, stepping through it without an Echo allowing passage only leads to the outside of the castle. A character can get the attention of most Echos by talking to the portal, yelling at it, and whatnot. For team patrons, a character may have to go to their team's dorm instead. But as for the Echo Chamber, it's entirely up to the Echo's discretion whether to give a response or not. ◉ GREAT HALL This room is located on the first floor of the castle, near the entrance. It's large and contains twelve large tables with enough chairs to sit an entire team and then some. ◉ KITCHENS A large kitchen that's mostly bare when it comes to food or cooking utensils. It contains a lot of old-fashioned stoves and storage areas. ◉ LIBRARY In the south wing there is a large library. Most of the books present are not actually books anyone has seen before, from worlds completely unrelated to the worlds that are represented in Kyriakos. Unfortunately, not all of them are readable. Only about half of the books are readable, the rest are in unknown languages, completely damaged beyond repair, or just ... unreadable due to age. ◉ OUTSIDE Aside from the small farm and forest that will be mentioned further down, the outside also houses a few things! Currently, this area contains only a few things, but the potential for more to be added is there. ◍ GEAR A large, floating, slowly-turning gear that has a single sword planted in the ground in front of it. It doesn't matter how hard one might pull; it's impossible to remove and refuses to budge. ◍ VANSHIP An airship has taken up residence on the ground outside of the castle. It looks as if it could be fully functional once properly fueled. ◍ STAGE A large circus stage, though simply out on its own with no tent surrounding it. It is directly in front of the castle's walls. A trapeze set hangs from nothing in the air above it. ◉ PUBLIC BATHS Large enough for numerous people. There used to be a lack of water, but thanks to flooding, the various bath areas are now full of water. ◉ SOUL POD ROOM A basement directly below the Great Hall that's accessible from an inconspicuous doorway in the side. Here, people whose souls have become too weak or weary from being fragmented are placed in stasis to recover. Each occupied pod is marked with a miniature version of their personal mirror. ◉ TEAM DORMS Each wing of the castle, each tower, and each dungeon houses a team dorm. Each dorm contains six mirror frames, one for each member, and each member knows which is theirs. There are six bedrooms, but due to team personalities and the ability to design a dorm, no two dorms are alike. ( Please refer to this page for dorm descriptions.) Ratatoskr is in the north wing, Ometotchtli is in the west wing, Amalthea has the east wing, and Barghest has the south wing. Epona, Takshaka, Dawon and Tiamat are located in the towers: Epona is in the northwestern tower, Takshaka has the southeastern tower, Tiamat has the southwestern tower, and Dawon has the northeastern tower. Alectryon, Gulgallana, Henwen and Vanara reside in the dungeons: Alectryon in the east dungeon, Gulgallana in the west dungeon, Henwen in the north dungeon and Vanara in the south dungeon. ◉ THRONE ROOM Located at the center of the second floor, it's currently impossible to get in there unless characters are specifically invited by the Queen and Princess for a game. FAUNA ◉ FRIENDLY GRIFFON There is a griffon that was befriended by a character that now wanders the castle. It's rather tame, and actually does somewhat enjoy the attention from other characters. ◉ GRIFFONS These creatures wander the maze of the dungeons. They're very territorial and likely to chase characters around if encountered. ◉ JACKALOPES Horned rabbits that are extremely shy and try to avoid people, but will attack if cornered. They can be found in the courtyard. ◉ RENNYAS There's a tiny flock of eagle-sized birds with Pokemon-level intelligence flitting around the castle. They have the ability to cast illusions and they quite like precious metals and gems. Despite being hard to get close to and their love of pranks, rennyas have a deep streak of altruism and will not seek to harm humans unless humans first seek to harm them. ◉ TOWN CRIER Does a character or an Echo have something to announce to the rest of the castle? Simply tell this NPC (he’s dressed up in fancy, puffy clothes) and he will announce it loudly to the rest of the castle. Don’t tell him anything that's better left private, though! He is not a full NPC; he only shouts your business everywhere and repeats what he’s told. ◉ ZUBATS A flock of rather annoying bats that lurk in the poorly-lit areas of the castle. Many of them have taken up residence in the castle's dungeons, but a few can be found here and there in the rafters of the castle. FLORA ◉ FRUIT Apples, oranges, bananas, mangos, and papaya. ◉ VEGETABLES Corn, broccoli, bell peppers, lettuce, cabbage, carrots, and beans. ◉ SEASONAL FOOD Squash, pumpkins (orange, white, as big or as small as you'd like), garlic, and onions.

CASTLE FARM FORESTCOVE The farm is quite small, but definitely not too small to be used. It has quite a bit to it, considering that there's a barn, small stables, a henhouse, and a small field. LOCATIONS ◉ BARN The barn is small, yet far from empty. There's equipment for maintaining the small field outside (everything is old-fashioned with nothing of modern design to be found) as well as a large amount of hay. Above are several platforms and rafters for characters to traverse should they feel the urge. A small henhouse is situated to the side of the barn, and on the other side is a goat pen. Dogs can be found around this pen. ◉ FIELD Outside of the barn is the field. It is mostly empty; the soil is fertile, if not in the best of shape. Characters will have to ask their patrons (or other Echoes) for seeds if they wish to make use of the field. Plant growth speed is accelerated; what might normally take weeks in other places to grow will only need about a week here. ◉ STABLES The stables are simple, but in good condition. This is where the horses are kept. Each pen has a good amount of hay, yet that amount will not be a constant thing. FAUNA ◉ CHICKENS Inside the henhouse are several chickens ready to lay eggs. There's also a very mean rooster that would love to chase characters around. Like with the cows, characters have to tend to them. ◉ COWS There are two cows situated off to the side of the barn with some grass and hay. Characters can milk them...or kill them for beef, at the cost of giving up a steady supply of milk. Their food and water supplies do not replenish, so the task falls to characters to keep them fed and watered. ◉ DOGS There is a pair of dogs that tend to sleep in the piles of hay stored inside the barn. They tend to stick close to the goats. ◉ GOATS Two goats reside in the pen on the side of the barn opposite from the cows. They can be milked should characters desire goat milk. The goats don't have the best temperament, yet like the other animals, still require some measure of care. ◉ HORSES The stable houses six horses. In return for being fed and watered, they will take the characters wherever they want to go as long as it's not to the fuzzy white edges of the realm or to the patches of nothingness. FLORA ◉ CROPS Whatever characters decide to grow.

CASTLE FARM FORESTCOVE The forest is large and completely surrounds the castle. Occasionally, characters may stumble on a spot of disorienting nothingness. They don't litter the area so much that it's hard to move, but neither are these places rare. As for the forest, there are all sorts of animals and plants that lurk in the trees and in the small clearings that characters may find. Because it is currently fall, the ground is littered with leaves! The trees are all beautiful shades of orange, brown, and yellow. A river runs by the farm and into the forest, leading to the cove. Should characters look in the forest to the west of the castle, they will find a large rock formation. LOCATIONS ◉ ROCK FORMATION The huge rock formation to the west is an excellent spot for some recreational climbing. ◉ VILLAGE Located to the south of the castle is the village. It was a small, bustling place once upon a time, a fact still apparent despite now being entirely in ruins. All kinds of things litter the ground: glass, rock, baskets, buckets, and much else, all looking rather decrepit and decayed. The buildings are completely falling apart and the stone walls are all crumbling. A firepit in the center of the entire village has old ashes sitting amid a bunch of sticks. Characters looking into the different buildings can find all sorts of things, mostly broken but sometimes intact. Trinkets, household supplies....and bones of all kinds. Much of the area around this village is dead, although that doesn't stop some of the smaller animals of the forest from trying to make their homes here. FAUNA ◉ CHIPMUNKS Not quite as common as squirrels, these critters tend to pop up when you least expect them and taste good if prepared properly. ◉ BEARS Large black bears can be found throughout the forest. They are easily startled, and can and will attack if that happens. Be careful! ◉ FIREFLIES Once the sun has gone down, several fireflies can be found flitting through the air. It's not uncommon for them to cluster together to create amazing lightshows in the dead of night. ◉ FOXES There are a small number of hard-to-find fox dens scattered here and there throughout the forest. Mostly found at night, although it's not unheard of to see them during the day, these creatures are difficult to approach and are quite rare. ◉ FROGS Many can be found close to the river, eating the various little insects that get close to them. ◉ GNOMES Tiny, humanoid-shaped figures that lurk nearby the farm, trying to steal all kinds of things from the place. They're pests at best and it's nearly impossible to get rid of them for good. ◉ HAWKS These birds of prey spend their days hunting the the rodent populations of the forest and castle. They can be tamed if with enough effort and patience. ◉ LEMURS Somewhat common, they can be found leaping through the treetops. They rarely come down because they enjoy their time in the trees, but they can occasionally be found looking for food on the forest floor. ◉ OWLS These birds can only be found at night, their hooting able to be heard throughout the forest. They're semi-rare in terms of numbers. ◉ RABBITS Somewhat common, but also difficult to find. They're mostly out at night, and when one is found during the day they're skittish and might try to flee. They taste delicous should characters manage to hunt and cook them. ◉ SALAMANDERS These are common around the river. Incredibly warm to the touch, they can't be held for very long, and can leave minor burns on bare skin. ◉ SNAKES Snakes can be found slithering through the grass and leaves that cover the ground of the forest, as well as in the branches of trees or lurking by the river. ◉ SONGBIRDS Rarely seen, but their songs can be heard throughout the forest during the day. It's a very pretty, simple melody. The only time they stop singing is when something dangerous is approaching. ◉ SQUIRRELS Squirrels are very common! They're incredibly easy to find and will likely come to characters bearing food. They make a tasty meal. FLORA ◉ BERRY BUSHES Most of the berry bushes grow red berries that are juicy and sweet. There's also green ones; eating these will make characters very sick for at least a day. ◉ FLOWERS In small patches throughout the forest where some of the light manages to poke through the treetops, flowers that look like simple dandelions can be found. If picked by a character, they will poof pollen into their face and cause one of the following effects. ◍ Red flowers reveal memories of the past, both from a character's home and Kyriakos. They appear as a bit of a hologram, and if another person is present, they'll get to see it. ◍ Yellow flowers are poisonous and tend to make their homes closer to trees than in the light. They don't appear poisonous, but touching them or rolling in them will give someone a bad case of something like poison ivy. ◍ Blue flowers will cause hallucinations. They can be found closer to the river. ◉ LUMINOUS LICHEN Some of the trees have a moss on them that, if someone passes by at night, it will glow a soft color (red, blue, yellow, or green) that will eventually fade as the person walks away. It's edible, possessing an incredibly earthy taste. ◉ MEDICINAL HERBS Medicinal herbs can be found, although none are common. Aloe, alfafa, sage, chamomile, and valerian can all be gathered with enough effort. They each serve a different use: aloe is good for skin, alfafa is good for nausea, sage is good for numerous things, chamomile is also good for skin and can be used as a relaxant, and valerian is good for sleeping medication and sedation. ◉ MUSHROOMS There are numerous mushrooms throughout the forest. They're edible and taste good, but characters run the risk of occasionally picking up one that will release spores into their face that will give them a status effect such as sparkling, insomnia, and drowsiness. ◉ TREES There is a multitude of trees to be found in the forest, with a wide variety of ages, heights and sizes. Weeping willows, oaks, hickories, maples, sycamores, ash, pine, and mulberry trees are all over the place. A few stray palm trees can be found close to the cove.

CASTLE FARM FORESTCOVE The river that was in the forest will eventually lead characters here if they follow it for long enough. (It's about four minutes away if one is on a horse.) It will open into a cove...or rather, that's what someone will see if they look down. The river becomes into a waterfall that pours down a cliff face. There is a way to get down if characters look: there is a wide enough place to walk and climb, although caution should be exercised given the slippery rocks and a lack of guardrails. Characters will be standing on a grainy sort of sand should they have a successful descent. More of the same surrounds the area wherever there's not a cliff closing everything in. Most of the cliffs are rather difficult to climb, and white nothingness lurks around the top of those just beyond the trees that line the barrier cliffs. Moss and trees grow out of the cracks in the rock. The pool of water ranges from very shallow and filled with rocks, to very deep in other places. Should a character look by one of the deep areas, they can find a way to climb up and get on top of a rock that juts over a deeper patch of water. It's possible to jump off of this outcropping and into the water. Towards the cliffs on the western side, nearer to a deeper patch of water, a short dock rests above the water. Close by is a fishing hut that's completely ruined, with a door that creaks eerily whenever it's moved. LOCATIONS ◉ FISHING HUT An old and ruined building. The door isn't closed and it blows back and forth in the wind with an eerie creak. ◉ CLIFFS The cliffs are home to the waterfall. There are a few entrances here and there (some require swimming in order to be reached) that characters can access, which lead.....somewhere. FAUNA ◉ FISH All kinds of fish can be found in the waters. The size of them range from about that of sardines to the size of a catfish or a tuna. Some fish are loners while others group together in schools. ◉ FOREST ANIMALS All of the animals mentioned in the forest section can be found in the cove, though the ones able to be seen the most frequently are those that live around the river. ◉ RATS Typical examples of the species, they can be found close to the cave entrances scattered throughout the cliff barrier. FLORA ◉ FERNS Ferns grow in abundance here. The root of the fern tastes sort of like licorice. ◉ MOSS The moss here thrives on damp environments, and thus is quite different from the moss that can be found in the forest. However, it's just as edible and possesses the same earthy taste. ◉ TREES The trees here are the same ones that can be found in the forest.

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