Location [Alvadas Location] The Gaping Maw

[Faradae]

Faradae Winter 29, 515 AV Faradae had only slept for a few hours when she woke to shouting. As she rose, the planks underneath swayed with the typical rhythm of the Suvan sea that she'd grown accustomed to those past few days. Some other travelers had not fared that well, nausea had claimed them as soon as they boarded the vessel and still had them leaning far over the railing to relieve themselves every other bell. Faradae counted herself among the lucky who had the sea in her blood. Her father be proud when she'd write him. She approached the crowd that had gathered at the prow, mostly travellers that had boarded the ship in Syliras just as she had. Upon peaking through the gap between two taller men, she saw land. The sailors seemed rather unconcerned, if not a little more busy than usual, preparing to land their ship safely in the Patchwork Port. From what Faradae could tell, the pier did not look too extravagant. When they docked, Faradae just followed the masses that were strolling up the main road, mainly merchants who did not make this journey for the first time. She trusted they knew where they were heading. "...tell me, stranger, why are you here?", the words drifted over as she neared the wall encompassing the actual city. The group she had been following statet their business and the wall...opened up in front of them, like a giant maw. Which, in fact, it turned out to be. Faradae wasn't too fazed. She'd heard less believable tales about Alvadas. She did not need to think for long when her turn came. In fact, she doubted that the gate denied anyone entrance if their motives weren't openly hostile. "I'm looking to experience the greatest miracles our world has to offer, and visit every known city," she simply told the maw, guessing that the gate had heard this specific explanation a few hundred times before. Still, she felt a hint of relief when the maw opened for her, but it was tiny compared to her excitement: She had come to the city of illusion!

[Rayt]

After being unceremoniously tossed out of the caravan he was
travelling with Rayt gazes upon a path to the city his partners
had directed him to. Rayt groaned and followed the path for a
long while, the last of winter's breath on his thin and tattered
clothes causing him to shiver slightly. A great giant stone face
stood before him at the end of the path.

He gazed at the great sculpture and walked toward it slowly.
He had never seen anything like this and the face only became
more and more real as he approached. He wondered where the
city the traders had told him about was, or had they lied and left
him in the wilds to die. He cursed their names and went to turn
away before he noticed the eyes transfixed on him. He went to
move and the eyes seemed to follow him. "Great...a magic statue.
Some city. I am out here with no weapon, no food, no water and
little shelter." He went to turn from the enchanted sculpture and
heard a voice call out, “You have come in search of the City of Illusion.
Tell me, stranger, why are you here?”

He jumped in startled confusion and turned back to see the statue
staring at him, realizing with some time that the statue had been
the one to talk to him. he distrusted this witchcraft but was fearful
enough of it to answer, lest the punishment be severe. "I am Rayt,
I come from far away from a city known as Wind Reach. I seek a
place to rest my head and experience the pleasures of new adventures.
Tell me...magic talking stone face, is there a city near here?" He asked
the stone giant. The stone giant did not answer but opened it's great
mouth. Rayt thought to himself, uh-huh...I'm talking to magic stone...and
now I'm going to climb in it's mouth. This is certainly weird. Rayt
entered the stone golem's mouth and found himself staring at the city of
illusion, though he did not know it was called that, or indeed what it was
called in the first place. He hailed someone on the street "I am sorry,
but where I am?" He asked a passerby, the elderly woman he hailed smiled
and told him he was in Alvadas. he thanked her and nodded walking
down a street before turning to ask where he could sleep for the night,
but the woman was gone in an instant. "Definitely a strange city I have
happened upon..." he mused to himself

[Aenisa]

3rd Spring 517

She could have been mistaken for any old resident of the city, the way that she approached the entrance to the city with no real fear or apprehension at all. As Aenisa had emerged from beyond the horizon she had been moving towards the statue, seemingly eager to put the travelling behind her and finally get back to civilisation and this seemed to be echoed in her steps as she was getting ever closer to the entrance. Her red wavy hair had been made into two braids that connected along the back of her head to collect and contain the rest of her hair to keep her hair from falling down the front of her face, it was a very casual look that she was sporting when she was seen approaching from the roads from far beyond. Though she seemed at home and not at all faced by the looks of the entrance to the city she did seem to admire the looks of it as she was approaching it, the closer she got the more she seemed to admire it as well, her flawless stones following every outlining and detail of the statue that sat at the end of the pathway.

"Would you look at that, Alvadas, finally after all these days."

Aenisa said to seemingly nobody but as she had finished the sentence she came to an abrupt stop as she slowly pulled off her backpack and plonked it down onto the road in front of her. Having stopped with her backpack sitting like a bunch of rocks in front of her on the road she squatted down and started to undo the laces that kept it semi-shut. Slowly she opened the backpack up and with one hand she kept something from leaving the backpack as she was opening it and then she dug into the backpack only to emerge with something feathery in the palm of her hand, keeping her hands around the feathery creature she allowed it to see its surroundings and get some more fresh air than what it no doubt was used to in the backpack.

"See? See that over there? That will be our next stop, hopefully we can find somewhere to stay in there for the time being for you and me both, Inagio."

She gently petted the bird that sat in her hand as she was squatting down on the road and was watching the entrance to the city of Alvadas, the bird seemed to be more interested in everything else beside the city as it was looking for something else. Slowly Aenisa let the bird go back into the backpack where she had had to keep it for the journey since bringing an entire cage wasn't practical. Soon the backpack was seated firmly on her back again and she started her journey back up, speaking into the cool air once more.

"This will be good for us, we will train more, we will search the city, together we will do this Inagio. I am sure that we will make something good out of this, this journey is for us."

After another ten or so minutes Aenisa stood at the bottom of the statue that was the entrance to the city and admired it from up close, the culmination of a long journey was about to be done, now it seemed like the city was closed but she had heard some stories about the city and she hoped that it was but an illusion. One step at a time, she had been feeling watched during her approach, perhaps it was the statue that seemed to loom over her or perhaps there was someone, something more out there that was watching her. Aenisa threw a glance over her shoulder as she stood near the statue to make sure that nobody else was around, weird that nobody else was around the entrance to this city, it was like she had arrived alone but she had expected to walk into a buzzling city.

"You have come in search of the City of Illusion. Tell me stranger, why are you here?"

The voice caught Aenisa off-guard as she almost by reflex drew her bow from her side, watching the statue intently, surely the statue wasn't the one that had spoken to her just then? Her hand still resting on her weapon, her fingertips caressing the soft wood as she allowed herself to slowly pan around and make sure that there was nobody around again, it all seemed to put her a bit on edge, like it was something that Aenisa had never experienced before. Nobody around her but the solid stone statue that sat in front of the entrance to the city, for a moment she thought it might have been inside of her head but she decided to utter a response, nobody was around to hear her anyways so, why wouldn't she?

"I come to seek spiritual guidance and knowledge, to understand what role illusion plays in our world."

Her words came straight out, her eyes fixed at the gaze of the statue that seemed to digest her words for a moment as nothing happened, it was that annoying moment that was not too short but just long enough to make you doubt yourself. Aenisa was about to open her mouth and speak again just as the mouth of the statue started to open and allow her through into the city. Success. Not wanting to waste any more time in the outside any longer Aenisa hurried through the gates and into the city.


SPACER

[Silisea Nerine]

19th of Spring, 517 A.V. Silisea blinked twice making a sort of fake loud sniffle. She was quite flabbergasted to have witnessed this, but, her experience with Sei Sei slowly escaped the deepest parts or her brain that read "STRANGE EXPERIENCES" and resurfaced to her intimidate thoughts. Her mouth forced out a chuckle subconsciously while looking into the great stone statue's stone eyes. Although it was meant to be a chuckle, it sort of turned into a sort of hackle and then shifted into a cough as she realized she wasn't focusing. Her eyes darted around avoiding eye contact with the statue so that she could regain her state of mind. It was...just...weird... really weird... but what could she say, it was the best greeting she received so far! Sei Sei was a weird horse but this...this topped it. She took a deep breath of fresh spring air followed by a quiet release of it in the form of her breath. Her posture became straight as she pinched the sides of her hood with her long black sharp finger nails and lowered it to reveal a clear view of her face. The sunlight shined upon her face making her squint a little. Despite being away from her home for a long while, she still was having trouble adjusting. Her clock covered most of her upper body but only went so far down her body. Her bag was hanging from her shoulders by its straps and gave her back a slight strain, but since it was not that heavy, she withstood it very well. Her face expressed an emotionless reaction, pushing away all the confused thoughts aside that were barking at her. Even though she covered up her emotion well her eyes gave way to the determination in her to get in. "I am here to seek sanctuary oh great..." she thought for a moment. "Statue...I am traveler in need of knowledge and a plan." Her face changed as her lips formed a smile. "That's why I'm here." She stared down the statue as if in a staring contest, waiting for the statue to give her some kind of access to the city. Just as she was about to lose this contest, it made a loud great rumble shaking the ground under her. Silisea finally blinked relieved but stepped back a little cautious making sure to keep her balance if anything happened. The mouth of the statue slowly opened to a city which streets seemed glorious and it's beauty bright. Her eyes opened wide as she looked into it's stone mouth in awe. A spark in her lit up making her feel as if she is going to burst in excitement. "Wow...such a grand city! Just look Sei Sei!" She exclaimed looking back for her four legged companion. "Uh...Sei Sei?" She started to look around slowly becoming a little nervous. "Sei Sei?!" As soon as she turned back around, the brown horse neighed at her. Startled, she stepped back slightly. Her eyes slowly looked away from the horse and slowly lowered down to the ground. A dead rat lay in between the two as maggots began to consume the rotted corpse. Silisea looked back to the horse not surprised and patted the Sei Sei's head. "Of course...wait...why am I even worried for you?! I want you to leave!" She walked pass the innocent horse and trudged through the statue's agape mouth thanking it half heartedly entering into the wondrous city that would now be her home for the mean time. Sei Sei used her front right hoof to kick dust on the rat before she followed her master into the city of Alvadas.

[Draas]

19th of Spring, 517AV.

Draas managed to stave off most of his fears during his journey. It was not very hard, given that he was preoccupied with things like navigation and survival. While it was just him and his horse and a pack full of supplies between them, it was easy to tell himself that he was doing something very important, that his travels were worthwhile, and that steadfast devotion would see him through to the end.

Now that he was there, though, and faced with a giant, talking stone carving, he did not feel so confident. In fact, sitting under the piercing gaze of the Gaping Maw, his horse pawing apprehensively at the ground... He felt, for the first time in a long time, very small.

It sat like a rock in his stomach as he stared back up at the face. Part of it was the sheer absurdity of the moment. He knew of magic, and had been warned of the nature of the City of Illusions--but imagining it was much different than being there, watching some strange dream become stark, poignant reality.

And that reality wanted to know why he was here. It should have been an easy answer, one he had told himself over and over. So why was he still standing before the gates in silence?

He missed his mother. The thought turned his nervous pangs into a deep ache in his chest. Taking one deep breath in, he gathered his courage, remembering the protection of his painted face. Remembering the words of the Viratassa. Remembering that once he achieved his goal, he would be able to see his mother again.

He'd never had to answer for himself before, not really. But for his first try, it wasn't all that bad. He spoke clearly, even if his voice was rough and unpleasant to listen to.

"I am looking for a way to save my mother from death."

And with that, the maw of the stone structure opened wide, welcoming Draas into the city. Relieved that it actually worked, he picked up the reigns and guided his horse through the opening. His apprehension melted back into logical thought, planning, survival--though, after a moment, a funny thought occurred to him.

How nice it must be, having your prey walk willingly into your mouth.

[Sorla]

They had been travelling all day when at last a massive rock wall came into view up ahead. Sorla looked questioningly at the trader walking next to her, a gruff man she had grown fond of over the last months. She had been lucky to catch their group, the last to leave Wind Reach that summer before the coming of the autumn cold made the journey even more insane that it already was. She had been even luckier that the old trader had taken a fatherly liking to her. They were a seasoned bunch, used to surviving in the wilderness, and she had learnt a lot from her time with them.

The trader nodded. 'That's Alvadas.' The other men were smiling happily at the sight. 'I don't know about you, but I cannot wait for a bath,' one of them said. 'All this trudging up and down mountains, I don't think I've stopped sweating for weeks. These trinkets better be worth it,' he said, gesturing at the small, precious packages of glass containers and ornaments each of them carried on their backs. 'You can keep your bath,' said another. 'I'm heading straight for the nearest whorehouse, sweat and all!' They all laughed uproariously.

All except for Sorla. She had left home more than half a year ago, in late summer. The journey had been even longer and harder than she had imagined, and she had imagined it being brutal. And at last they had arrived. For her this was no time for laughter, although she understood why the traders were so fond of coarse jokes. It was the only way to keep morale up during the harsh journey across Kalea from Wind Reach. It was a journey undertaken only by the bravest, craziest or greediest. Or in her case, the most desperate.

She was staring intently at the rock wall as it grew larger. It looked uncannily like there was a face carved into the rock. The impression only got stronger as they got nearer.

Soon they were standing in front of it. 'We're here. Go on, you first,' one of the traders pointed at her, smirking at his fellows. She glared at him. 'Do you think I'm an idiot? Where exactly do you want me to go? I bet you think you're hilarious bringing me to some creepy stone face instead of the gate to the city. Well you've had your joke, let's keep moving.' There were stifled snickers. 'Seriously, go on. Just go towards the face,' her gruff friend was saying. She sighed and decided to humour them.

She walked out towards the rock face, and then nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard a voice coming out of nowhere. 'You have come in search of the City of Illusion. Tell me stranger, why are you here?' She looked back in alarm at the traders, who were now laughing openly. They must have been savouring the look on her face at this moment all the way across the Unforgiving. Rikar, her crow, was circling uneasily above her, but she called him back to her wrist. The traders had clearly been expecting the voice, so it must be fine.

'Umm... I suppose I'm here to lose myself for a while,' she said. 'Before I find myself, I mean. And also I have nowhere else to go, so...'

The voice didn't answer. Probably it was unimpressed with her fumbled response. But the mouth of the face swung open, revealing a gaping hole. She turned back to the traders. The kindly trader was nodding her on. She waved back to them, took a deep breath and walked into the dark mouth.

[Elin]

2nd Summer, 517
"Common" | "Kontinese" | "Tukant"

Elin sighed as she approached the stone face. It had been a few years since she'd last been to Alvadas and she'd almost forgotten about The Gaping Maw, and the speaking stone face that came with it.
She hadn't thought to tell Ilia about any of the illusions and odd going ons of Alvadas. A small part of her was excited to see the little girls reaction, whether it was good or bad. An even smaller part of her was interested to see a bad reaction.

Smiling, she stroked the head of the baby in the sling on her chest, then bent down to Ilia, smiling fondly at the little girl.
"Now sweetheart, you need to know that Alvadas is little different to Syliras." she started, before kissing the little girls forehead. "You've been here before as well, though you were far too small to remember any of it. It's going to be fun though, I can promise you that much." she smiled again as the little girl grinned and nodded, before she stood up and straightened herself out, placing a hand on the back of the girls head and directing her towards the Gaping Maw, that currently looked just like a regular stone carving.

"You have come in search of the City of Illusion. Tell me stranger, why are you here?"

The voice surprised Elin despite having experienced it before, and she felt Ilia jump, before the little girl moved to hide behind Elin. Elin couldn't help but smile slightly in amusement.

"We're seeking somewhere full of adventure and opportunity to take up residence." Elin exclaimed with a smile as she looked at the face, before deciding to add a small snarky remark. "The last place was too boring!"

Elin stood for a moment, slightly worried that she hadn't given a good reason, before the mouth opened to allow her and her two children into the city of Alvadas, and Elin grinned widely as she lead the children into the city towards their first stop. The Sanity Center.
It would be nice to get herself somewhere to live without worrying about rent.

Boxcode by Gossamer

[Vaerin]

1st, Summer,
517 AV

It was with a heavy heart and a great deal of regret that Dra-Vaerin left Syliras. However, he had to. That city of stone and purity that he envisioned and dreamt of had left him disillusioned, broken even. He thought himself a resilient individual. Yet he felt it was an unquestionable fact that he was not in the least bit a hardened heart and soul. At the first signs of pressure on his own, he had buckled and fallen into one of the darkest places he had ever been in. Not even the warmth that Sabine Montgomery had shown to him was enough to either save him from the void of his own mind or to anchor him to the stony prison walls that Syliras had been for him. Indeed, the tears he shed when he finally gained the nerve to tell his mistress of his decision to leave before the city claimed him were heartfelt. Maybe it was possible that the woman did not care all that much about his decision; considering him nothing more than a tool for her business. Yet, to him, that store had been a bastion. It may have been true that for others the city was peaceful and a haven. But for him, and maybe others of his ilk or outside of the human race; it felt icily hostile. Maybe part of that had been due to events outside his, or anyone's, control. It did not matter to him whether there was blame to be placed or who, or what deserved it. The effect shook him to the core. The youth had enough of a sense of self-preservation to know that escape was necessary to him. So he fled and had set sail to Alvadas on board a ship that was willing to take him.

He had been to the city once before. During his initial trek to Syliras. It was a chagrin-inducing humour that he should return here, knowing full well how much he truly needed others to support him. It was crossing through this very same threshold into the city that he set off for the first time completely unaided. Without a webbed failsafe to fall clumsily into should he need it. Truly now it seemed like an inescapable truth that he needed others to protect him from the pain of the world. Even now, knowing that the earth underneath his sandalled feet was Kalean brought a comfort associated with the hearth of home that made Dra-Vaerin feel safer. Perhaps leaving for Syliras was a mistake to begin with...

Though, he knew it would not serve him well to be indolent and weep for his broken heart just now. Settling himself in this city would have to be his first priority while he figured out what to do next. Within a city so full of illusion, perhaps he could find a reality that he desperately wanted to manifest.

The wondrous face of the gaping maw appeared to look at him, and spoke. the slender youth had to crane his neck high up to meet the all too real gaze of the guardian of Ionu's city. Despite being etching on a stone canvas, the warmth that eminated from its eyes and smile felt wholesome. Like his own early members of his mother beckoning towards him as he took his first unsteady steps.

“You have come in search of the City of Illusion. Tell me, stranger, why are you here?”

He cast his eyes downwards to the dark nails that sprouted from his pallid feet for a moment, searching the depths of his soul for a reason to justify his stay. Both to the guardian, and more importantly to himself.

"This humbled one comes to seek enlightenment and safety," He responded after a significant pause, "Yes...that is all that one can ask."

The face observed him for a moment longer. The empty stillness of his surroundings felt all encompassing. It was almost like he had never really left this lonely abyss.

"Welcome to Alvadas." responded the gaping maw.

Just like those first wavering steps he had taken towards his mother, he crossed through into the dream-like city. Perhaps it would be different. No, it had to be different to Syliras.

[Dovey]

1 Summer, 517 AV
"Speech"
"Others"

Dovey padded soft-foot towards the ragged wall, eyes traveling curiously across the great stone face before her. It looked almost alive, the way the light hit its features making them seem soft, its lips curled in a cordial smile. A nice way to welcome travelers to the city, Dovey supposed, but she didn't see how she was supposed to get in -

"You have come in search of the City of Illusion. Tell me, stranger, why are you here?"

Dovey jumped back, arms flying protectively in front of her chest. "Shyke!" she blurted, before covering her mouth apologetically with one hand. "Sorry - ah - sir? I meant no disrespect," she assured the face. She saw now that its eyes moved, or seemed to move; it was confusing, how naturally they focused on her, when she would have thought they would grind in their sockets as they turned. "It's only," she went on, "it's only that, well, you're a bit of an unusual sight."

The face did not seem to care, one way or the other, about her social niceties.

Why are you here? it had asked, and it would probably like an answer, she reminded herself. "I came from Syliras," she began. "Just moved there in the winter, but there's so little food to go around now, they're even turning newcomers away. I heard it would be better here."

There was a moment of silence. She clasped her hands before her, nervously tapping her fingers.

Then the face's jaw swung wide, tongue leveling with the ground on which Dovey stood. Beyond the newly formed passageway she saw the first colorful buildings of Alvadas; the street was open and sunny, and people dressed in all varieties of clothing strolled in and out of doorways as she watched. Alvadas seemed a pleasant city - though what the City of Illusion seemed to be was not necessarily significant, she reflected. And there was still the stone mouth to walk into.

But she was here already - this was no time for second thoughts. Besides, she was a Kenashian; what could Alvadas threaten that she hadn't grown up alongside? Dangerous streets, dangerous politics, dangerous parties - she knew how to handle it all. Taking a steadying breath, Dovey picked up her skirts and strode through the city's strange gate.

Boxcode credit: Karin Ironyach

[Turock]

42nd day of summer 517 A.V.
Turock here's his stoumach growling. He is wandering through the forest and he hears rustling. He investigates to see what it is and finds it to be a symenestra with pale skin and silver hair. Turock watches the symenestra closely and finds it to have gone ,with food, into a head looking thing that Turock is not sure what it is. As the symenestra goes into the head Turock sits and thinks.
After a few moments Turock decides to go into the head thing in search of the person and "mostly in search of food" Turock is reminded by his stomach. He than starts running towards the head and sees that it's eyes seem to be following him. Turock stops to look at it and the eyes stare back at him. It's eyes seeming to see through Turock and ,to Turock amazement, asks the question " You have come in search of the City of Illusion. Tell me, stranger, why are you here?" Turock looks back in amazement and says " How do you talk, you are made of stone not of flesh," and he tries to enter without answering the statues question but finds that he can't and after a while of trying to enter he finally says " I come to survive. I come here for food, water, shelter and to figure out what this place is," Turock answers stubbornly and walks through ready to find food water and shelter ,like he had said, but also to find out who that person was.