At the Ruins of Atla'Kahn [Quincy Open Topic]

Adam was a major history buff as anyone who would sit and enjoy wine with him would know. He often reccounted political intrigues from across the land, spinning tales of betrayals and combat. He almost relished in it but kept it tasteful as a man who has experienced the horrors of war would want to do. His specialty was Quincy history and despite the fragmented state that the Quincy people existed in now, there was a time when they were united.

One of the oldest cities that existed within their empire was called Atla'Kahn or City of Shinning Lights in a language that has long since been dead. Now though the city was nothing more then a solitary building within the jungles of S. America, far off the beaten path where even locals dare not tread for fear of ghosts.

Amusingly, this was one of the few places where spirits tended to avoid as if the very reishi itself was toxified by the events that transpired here. It was once a bursting quasi metropolis but now the only thing that stood was a large pyramid like structure and a single corner stone in a nearby village where the indigenous people used to build their structures after the city fell.

The remaining palace was seen almost as a pilgrimage site for the aristocracy, a kind of sombering warning to those who seek to oppress their people. Adam gazed from his spot at the base of the structure then turned to whoever was behind him.

(OOC: Okay I want to post here but I have a ton of topics. I am hoping Bebo or Shanks might? If not Selena gets to go with him. <_<)

ooc: the more the merrier >_>d

(Yeah I was thinking this could be more than 2 people sort of topic. I'll post first I guess.)

"Find something to make this trip worth it yet Boss? These jungles aren't exactly the most habitable of places." The merry one known as Jack asked as he saw Adam look back. "Not to mention the Reishi here is...well pretty shitty." A laugh followed, as the Sternritter pulled out a cigarette and took a small puff as he waited for an answer.

ooc: I'm going to wait until one other person posts.

Kostya slipped his pack off and dropped it on the ground. "This jungle is awful. So hot. So many bugs." He propped the sturdy pack up and took a seat on it. "I agree with Jack. What are we doing out here anyway? I'm all for history, but I don't recall any saunters to south american jungles before." He said, reaching in his pocket and sighing, finding an empty pack. He glanced up at Jack and held up the empty cigarette box, asking for one nonverbally.

"Yes, even I have a hard time controling my energy in this area and that's kind of my specialty." Adam said with a laugh as he raises his hand to demonstrate. His bow appeared but the irregularity of it all made it waiver almost as if it was blipping in and out of existance. "Doubt I could get more then 2 shots in before I have to summon the bow again"

He dissipates and sits on the steps of the pyramid and looks up at the jungle canopy and taking in the sounds of it all. Despite the disrupted reishi, the forest was still brimming with a life and energy of its own as if the existing living things were helping to heal the old wounds left by humanity. He then looks at Kostya and shrugs.

"Oh come on, have I ever steered you wrong? On second thought... don't answer that." Adam takes off his backpack finally and searches for his canteen of water and takes a sip.

"This is the first time that you've been here hasn't it Kostya? What about you Jack?"

"Can't say I've used my vacation time to come to a place like this yet." Jack joked in his usual manner, reaching into his own jacket and pulling out a cigarette for his smoking buddy. Well, it wasn't like Kostya was a mooch, he always paid him back in different ways. He took another hit before turning his attention back to Adam.

"So, Indiana Jones, what's so important about this place? Ancient Quincy live here once or something?"

Kostya was about as accustomed to the jungle heat as he was ill disposed to the tundra cold. That is to say he wanted this entire continent to die now. "Yes. I doubt even you would have flown us all the way out here for a history lesson. So, I surmise something here either will make us lots of money, or make lots of dead pricks." He wiped the sweat from his brow and crossed his arms.

"So which is it?"

Adam couldn't help but grin at Kostya's statement. It was perhaps a little premature of him to guess that the intent of this trip was of a practical nature. "It's neither, although it provides a kind of richness that you simply can't buy with money. At least... not easily."

Adam then turned his attention back to Jack and nodded. "Exactly. This is the ruins of Atla'Kahn. It was once a city of major importance to our people. It was unique in that it was one of the first attempts for our people to branch out and colonize different parts of the world. It didn't belong to the main empire. As you can guess we are quite a distance from the original Quincy homeland. It was more like a city-state that blossomed for a time before, like all, faded into history."

Adam then climbed up the steps till he was about half way up and with a flair for the dramatics reached out his hand and waved it and with vigor states. "But like any place in history it has its own tale and lessons to teach us. Tales of heroism and tragedy. Tales of love and suffering. It is a study in the human condition and one of our roots"

Adam reached into his bag and held aloft a white orb that seemed to glow and reiatsu seemed to pour from it in small amounts. "An orb of The Oracle. A Sternritter who was killed early on in our civil war once had the unique gift to be able to crystalize the memories of the past. The stronger the ties to reiatsu the stronger the orb became. She archived thousands of these before her death but could not catalogue everything she wanted and we lost many of these orbs during the course of the war as well. We are all the lesser because of it."

"So, lets take a look into the past shall we?" Adam said before motioning them to follow him into the temple proper.

Hmm...Jack was actually intrigued by what Adam had told him. He had heard of the Oracle before, but just the name. If she had managed to log so many memories, perhaps he could find one of his parent's...even if there was a snowball's chance in hell of actually finding it...

His stern and reserved look broke though as Adam motioned for the two to follow him. Turning to Kostya, a nonchalant look in his face as he held his smoke between his lips, he shrugged his shoulders and started off after their King.

Well, at least this trip wasn't just an exercise in how many dangerous bugs could one kill that you didn't even know existed. Who knows, perhaps he'd even get to bring something back as a souvenir.

Kostya sank visibly. Okay... they were here on a history lesson. He sighed and followed Jack. Really, he liked history. He was a fan of it. But he wasn't a fan of the heat... or bugs... or this goddawful jungle. They could have probably had a history lesson back home. Or had Selena come out here...

He picture Selena alone in the jungle with these two, in the humid environment and -nope. Nope, it needed to be him. No sweaty jackals to prowl around his charge. "Forgive me for being a bit ignorant to our heritage." He spoke up. "But just how far back do us quincies GO?" He wondered aloud. He hadn't been taught the rich heritage of the quincy people growing up. Just how to use the tools he'd been given.

"It is unknown how far back our people go. The written word had not quite been invented but I can tell you that even when the cradel of civilization in ancient Mesopotamia had started to take roots, our civilization had already been around for awhile." Adam said trying to be helpful. They reach a large open space with many rows of bench like structure.

"An old theater. A fitting place for a story, no?" Adam took center stage. Snapped his fingers and light began filling the dark room from torches.

"A bit of old magic still left. What hadn't been destroyed or distorted pooled here. That is why we traveled here and not done this from the comfort of our board room. The images will be more vivid and i hope to leave a greater impression" Adam held up the orb and a small replica of the building appeared in its decrepit state before it started to glimmer and more buildings began to appear around it as if time was reversing itself in miniature form until the city hit its apex. A sprawling metropolis with thousands of people living out their lives in relative tranquility.

"Atla Kahn, once belonged to a powerful Quincy Tribe, the strongest for its day in age but the collapse of the city brought on the collapse of their empire. The remaining people moved to Europe and comingled with a smaller splinter faction that came out of the Old Roman Republic. Nowadays they go by the name of Kaiserlich. Their princess is a suitor of mine and their king is dying and in the middle of a potential war zone." Adam expounded, probably getting too much off subject like something weighed heavily on his mind.

Ooc: no need to respond if you don't want to. I'll post here again either way tomorrow