#palmland

[thehushedcasket]

Wet rag of a little ai man

[poisonheadcrabsalesman]

Request from @bloodgulchblog: first time palmer or lasky figures out roland is flirting with them dealer's choice. Thank you for the prompt!

Roland enters service December 5, 2557 and then sometime circa February 18th, 2558 during a live mission with Fireteam Crimson present and engaging with Promethean forces, Roland says to Miller after Miller attempts to shoo him away: "I can do a million things at once, like can talk to Captain Lasky, I can flirt with Captain-" from Spartan Miller E5.01 of SpOps. He is 2.5 months old and saying this. In front of at least 5 Spartans.

Halo doesn't give us any vetting process or inside look into how AI are chosen or when they come off the shelf vs go into active service.

-

Leading a campaign is stressful. Lasky had done it before, in all but name, as the XO behind Del Rio. He's the reason the UNSC Infinity was still afloat, not that he wants to take credit for helping the Master Chief stop the Didact. There's more important things he's dealing with, and getting more attention from the upper Brass doesn't seem like a good career move or life choice at the moment.

Returning to the Forerunner planet Requiem means balancing a million details all key to their victory. Olds hands returning do help, but there's a lot of new blood in the crew as well. Including the ship AI.

As captain, Lasky had been included in the vetting process. Roland was chosen because he was the best fit. Part of the newest generation of Smart AI, with a personality fit for managing not only the enormous and diverse needs of the crew, but also the retrofitted colony ship with Forerunner engines and more armament than the navy had ships welded to her.

Suffice it to say that Lasky had a lot on his plate, and maybe didn't pay the closest attention to Roland's tone. Or the little winks and knowing nods thrown at Lasky before he blipped away. Or how he motherhenned Lasky more than Aine ever did. It was just differences in personality between AI. Captain's duties took precedent over lilting tones and pointed questions and an avatar lingering in his presence at the end of the day.

Aine never said "sir" with so much weight. She wasn't so free with compliments towards him and didn't linger for him specifically. Aine enjoyed her time on the Infinity, the care in its construction, and her crew. Roland's focus was different, and something Tom might not want to label without a second opinion. Not that he was going to talk to Sarah about it… He could already see her face, eyebrow raised, as he'd try to connect two points in front of her.

The second Requiem campaign ends, badly, but with them alive and not in the heart of a star. Lasky exhales. Sarah's mad about his contingency with Majestic and Halsey getting away, but she's coming with him to face the admirals together. Not that they have much choice, but they've already gotten their story straight. Their friendship would heal. Tom fixes his uniform in the mirror and swallows. Going planet-side for an official debriefing felt more like marching to meet his executioner. At least Hood liked him.

"Captain, your chariot awaits in hangar 11." Roland announces with a flourish.

Tom nods and thanks him with a smile that doesn't reach his eyes. He's not really in the mood for levity right now.

"If I may be so bold, sir." But when has that ever stopped Roland?

"When have you not?" Tom says, smoothing down his cuffs again.

"You're worrying too much. The reports are in, the commander is going with you, your pelican is fueled and waiting. It's all going to go smoothly. You'll be fine, you're very likable, sir. I like you!"

"I noticed." Tom says with a smile aimed at Roland's camera. "You were laying it on kind of thick there."

The look on his avatar's face is enough of a prize, but then Roland starts backpedaling. That's something Tom's never seen him do before.

"Well, of course, sir. I mean, you are my captain. The captain. Of the ship- that I run, mostly."

"Of course." Lasky says, turning for the door. "We can discuss it when I return. I leave the ship in your capable hands." He smiles, wry and teasing.

Roland snaps a salute with smothered smile. If Lasky's mouth does anything funny, no one sees as he's schooled his expression by the time he hits the hangar.

[zenlesszonezero]

You feelin' fired up now? Make way for the undefeated Champion! Welcome to New Eridu!— PS5™/iOS/Android/PC | Version 1.3 "Virtual Revenge" of Zenless Zone Zero, HoYoverse's urban fantasy ARPG, is out now

[bloodcursecycle-if]

World Lore Main Page

(will be updated as more posts are made)

This is the navigation page for all of the lore and mechanics for this world. This only consists of posts I make myself, not asks or anything.

Please refer back to the Tag Navigation page for all of the posts made about the world.

The Nations:

The Culture of the Grasslands Kingdom

~

World Mechanics:

Nothing yet...

~

Runnet:

Nothing yet...

[eventideluminary-games]

Introducing: The Topazes of the Palmlands

The fourth post about the families of the main characters in the story!

Today is about Dionys' family: The Topazes!

The next post will be about the Disthenes (Somnia's family)!

As always, AI disclaimer for generated images.

Here is each member of the Topaze family! Left to right, we have: Atlas Topaze, Carya Topaze, Dionys Topaze, Galatea Topaze, and Erato Soberyl.

Atlas Topaze (he/him)

Atlas Topaze is the father of Dionys Topaze and Galatea Topaze and the husband of Carya Topaze. He is the former Lead Scholar of the Hall of Scholars before Dionys took on the position. He and his wife, Carya, are not around that much, both having decided to explore and do field research across Runnet once Dionys graduated from the Academy. They have been traveling and doing field research for 4 years now. Dionys doesn't really have a relationship with either of his parents, both of them being extremely busy when he was a child and now with their research of Runnet. He is 46 years old at the start of the story.

An example of an outfit Atlas normally wears (usually with pants LMAO)

Carya Topaze (she/her)

Carya Topaze (née Soberyl) is the mother of Dionys Topaze and Galatea Topaze. She is the wife of former-Lead Scholar of the Hall of Scholars, Atlas Topaze, and is the younger sister of former-Academy professor, Erato Soberyl. She is also a former professor of Historic Texts at the Academy, as well as holding the prestigious title of Scholar in the Hall of Scholars. Carya, much like her husband, Atlas, are not around that much, both having decided to explore and do field research across Runnet once Dionys graduated from the Academy. They have been traveling and doing field research for 4 years now. Dionys doesn't really have a relationship with either of his parents, both of them being extremely busy when he was a child and now with their research of Runnet. Carya has entrusted the total care of her and Atlas' children to her older sister, Erato. She is 48 years old at the start of the story.

An example of an outfit Carya normally wears.

Dionys Topaze (he/him)

Dionys Topaze is the eldest son and child of Atlas Topaze and his wife, Carya Topaze. He is also 1 of the 5 Romance Options for the Accused Royal/Main Character in the story. Dionys is the Head/Lead Scholar of the Hall of Scholars in the Palmlands. While he doesn't really have a notable relationship with his parents, his maternal aunt, Erato Soberyl, raised him. Dionys is a studious person. He is naturally very intelligent, like his parents, but he also quiet, polite, and kind. He prefers to be quiet while others are talking, but can talk for hours about his current area of study. He was given the position of Head/Lead Scholar about 2 years ago and took on the Scholar-in-Training, Rhodope Avans, as his protégé 3 years ago. Dionys is close friends with Orithyia Steate, another fellow Scholar of the Hall of Scholars and, incidentally, the Vice Head/Lead Scholar. He finds her soothing personality calming to be around, despite their areas of study being vastly different. Like all of the Romance Options in the story, Dionys is technically bisexual or pansexual. He is 26 years old at the start of the story.

Examples of the outfits Dionys normally wears. While in the Palmlands and near the Hall of Scholars and the Academy, he can be seen wearing his Lead Scholar's robes. Otherwise, he is normally seen in extravagantly gold and turquoise beaded pieces.

Galatea Topaze (she/her)

Galatea Topaze is the youngest daughter and child of Atlas Topaze and his wife, Carya Topaze. She is also the younger sister of the Lead Scholar of the Hall of Scholars, Dionys Topaze. Galatea is a bright and talkative child. She spends most of her days running around and playing with her friend. Her guardian and maternal aunt, Erato Soberyl, teaches her from home, having been a former-Academy professor. Unlike her parents and older brother, Galatea doesn't show any particular fondness for learning or schoolwork, much preferring to run around and play outside or draw or paint. Despite this, she often asks Erato to take her to the Hall of Scholars and the Academy to see Dionys. She doesn't really have any memory or relationship with her parents, both having spent minimal time around her since her accidental birth. Galatea, instead, considers Dionys, her brother, and Erato, her maternal aunt, to be her parental figures. She is 6 years old at the start of the story.

Examples of the outfits Galatea normally wears. She normally wears a shirt and skirt set on a daily basis, but when visiting Dionys at the Hall of Scholars, she is required to dress nicely.

Erato Soberyl (she/her)

Erato Soberyl is the older sister to Carya Topaze as well as a former-professor of the Academy. She is the one who mainly raised Carya's children, Dionys and Galatea. Erato used to be the Head of the Runnet Flora Department as well as the Professor of Riverlands' Foliage. She had, subsequently, lost her position when the governing body of the Riverlands was deposed 20 years prior to the story causing the deal between the Academy and the Riverlands to fizzle out. Erato is a calm and kind woman. About a year or so after losing her position, she discovered her innate talent for weaving and loom work, having developed a name for herself within the artisan groups of the Palmlands. She is naturally very intelligent and uses her knowledge of plants to make handmade dyes for her textiles, increasing their value exponentially. It does also help that she is gifted in magic which makes her art pieces even more valuable. She is 50 years old at the start of the story.

An example of an outfit Erato normally wears.

[myclothesbucket]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Vintage CLASSICS by Palmland Navy Blue Short Sleeve Banded Bottom Mens 2XL.

[southlakethreads]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Classics By Palmland Mens Sz Medium Polo Shirt Blue Buttons Collared Pockets.

[zenlesszonezero]

You feelin' fired up now? Make way for the undefeated Champion! Welcome to New Eridu!— PS5™/iOS/Android/PC | Version 1.3 "Virtual Revenge" of Zenless Zone Zero, HoYoverse's urban fantasy ARPG, is out now

[sellndakine]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Vintage Palmland Classics Long Sleeve Pullover.

[morinleves]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: PALMLAND POLO FOR MEN.

[squirls1025]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Vintage Classic by Palmland Men's Sz 3XL Spring Coogi Style Textured Pullover.

[mosquitocountyshirtco]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: PALMLAND TROPICS vintage 1990s Men Hawaiian ALOHA shirt p2p 23" sz M camp luau.

[zenlesszonezero]

You feelin' fired up now? Make way for the undefeated Champion! Welcome to New Eridu!— PS5™/iOS/Android/PC | Version 1.3 "Virtual Revenge" of Zenless Zone Zero, HoYoverse's urban fantasy ARPG, is out now

[jcinfl]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: MENS Classics by Palmland polo L.

[bevkuckes]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Men’s Vintage beautiful textured V-neck sweater is 100% acrylic, size large.

[poisonheadcrabsalesman]

The commander is a puzzle. He can see her file and get an overview of her service record; of her whole life, all summed up in a few pages. Deployments, medical history, next of kin. 

It paints the picture the rest of the ship sees.The Spartan Commander. Unshakeable, indefatigable, a symbol, and a standard to strive for – but that's not the human behind the armor. Former helljumper, tough as nails and a known hard-ass, but that's not the whole story.

She was raised on Luna, and from there, everywhere. Roland knows that humans live a bit longer these days but she's only 30 when he's deployed for the first time aboard the Infinity. He sees how the 18 year olds act, how his 20-something Spartans behave, he sees everything on this ship. Even his nearly 50 year old captain acts impulsively. 

But Commander Palmer is something else. 

There's maturity in her snide comments. A weight on her shoulders as her sharp tongue lashes. ODSTs do not behave like this, there is no holding back when every jump could be your last, when you are fodder of a different kind. But she’s not a helljumper anymore. Restraint, restraint, restraint. It dogs her footsteps, her every motion. She is the target of their ire by her own plans. Even her quips and jokes with the captain are rote and routine. He might be the closest to her and yet....

She keeps them all so far away. Ever professional with only a few slips even if she wields her anger and bristling personality as an extension of her armor. It's less to keep her safe and more to protect others. She is untouchable and unknowable, yet completely predictable. A bitch of an officer is underestimated and written off. A hard-ass who can never be pleased and never be hurt.

She doesn't let anyone see how the losses hurt. Anger is her sword and shield and she wields it like an avenging angel. For every hit, she says get them back twofold. She leads by example. Be better, hit harder, put in the work. Do what it takes to save humanity. Follow orders and keep your head down. Remember what we’ve lost and make them pay.

Roland's the only witness to when her hands shake.

He sees her files and her day to day life, her bravado and the quiet moments when the fearless Captain and Commander become Tom and Sarah, two tired people sharing a drink when it feels like the world’s ending. He can see where her visible scars are, when her last tune up was, and how many friends she’s buried. Roland knows how often she calls home and what goes unsaid to Palmer Sr. He watches as she loads up session after session of Wargames, how the simulated landscapes change into familiar failures; Draco III, Ealen IV, and Draetheus V.

That’s why when she enters the simulation room and calls for him to create something else, a location with “a lot of green, with blue skies” he finds himself stumbling over his own code.

“Did you have something specific in mind?” He recovers quickly, curiosity burning. “Surprise me.” She responds simply.

“I thought you hated surprises, Commander.” This time he appears on the holotank closest to her, arms crossed with a knowing smirk.

“Maybe I trust your taste.” She shoots back and steps into the forming simulation.

She misses the look of shock on his face. He makes up for it with a solid recreation of a national park she’s mentioned wanting to see someday. 

[bloodcursecycle-if]

(may be updated as the story progresses)

The Vice-Leader of the Hall of Scholars

Name: Orithyia Steate Gender: Female (she/her) Age: 29 Status: Alive Appearance: Fair skin, Long Loosely Curly Blonde hair, Grey eyes Cursebearer Status: No Bio: Orithyia is the Vice-Leader of the Hall of Scholars and is Dionys' best friend. Despite now living in the Palmlands, she is actually from the Shorelands and moved to the Palmlands to attend the Academy She's friendly and welcoming with a soothing and calm air about her. She's also very intelligent, having received some of the highest scores in the history of the Hall of Scholars and Academy on her undergraduate paper on the nesting habits of the Shorelands cliffside nesting endangered bird species. She has also taken a protégée under her wing, an undergraduate named Thrassa Varo.

~

Dionys' Protégée

Name: Rhodope Avans Gender: Female (she/her) Age: 20 Status: Alive Appearance: Fair skin, Long Straight Platinum Blonde hair, Violet eyes Cursebearer Status: No Bio: Rhodope is Dionys' protégée. She's an undergraduate of the Hall of Scholars Academy and is studying Blood Curses. She's is confident, outspoken, and has a tendency to be arrogant. She's very smart and knows it, but can come off as immature at times. She doesn't really know how to talk to people outside of her interests, so she sounds extremely condescending to most people. Rhodope also has a crush on Dionys, going out of her way to do things for him, compliment him, or give him gifts. Dionys doesn't realize she likes him more than a mentor and just thinks she's a good apprentice. She is also best friends with Thrassa.

~

Orithyia's Protégée

Name: Thrassa Varo Gender: Female (she/her) Age: 20 Status: Alive Appearance: Medium-Toned Brown skin, Long Curly Black hair, Gold eyes Cursebearer Status: No Bio: Thrassa is Orithyia's protégée. She's an undergraduate of the Hall of Scholars Academy and is studying endangered animal biology. She's more soft-spoken and reserved than her best friend and roommate, Rhodope. She isn't very confident in herself and often checks in with Orithyia to see if she's doing something right. She spends most of her time in the Academy library, extremely anxious and nervous that she will fail out of the Academy.

~

A Former Professor of the Hall of Scholars' Academy

Name: Erato Soberyl Gender: Female (she/her) Age: 50 Status: Alive Appearance: Cool-Toned Dark Brown skin, Thick Black hair in braids tied into a bun, Blue eyes Cursebearer Status: No Bio: Erato is the maternal aunt of Dionys and his sister. She's also the person who raised him as his parents weren't around. She used to be the Head of the Riverlands Foliage Studies department, but ended up losing her job after the Riverlands became the Fieldlands. She is calm and kind, having picked up weaving to make extra income while raising Dionys' younger sister. She is typically found either tending to her garden, where she grows plants for dying the fibers she weaves with, or at her loom, weaving expensive one-of-a-kind tapestries.

~

Dionys' Younger Sister

Name: Galatea Topaze Gender: Female (she/her) Age: 6 Status: Alive Appearance: Warm-Toned Dark Brown skin, Thick Black hair in braids, Gold eyes Cursebearer Status: Unknown Bio: Galatea is the younger sister of Dionys. She lives with their maternal aunt, Erato, since their parents aren't around to raise her. She's a bright and talkative child, enjoying playing, running around, and drawing or painting, but doesn't like learning or reading. She barely has memories of her parents, so she considers Dionys and Erato her "parental" figures.

[eventideluminary-games]

Map of Runnet

Here's the map of Runnet with all labeled lands and my terrible handwriting!

I also provided some examples of the general landscapes of the regions!

The Grasslands Kingdom

Governing Body: The Royal Family of the Diamants and the Chamber of Merchants

Major Ecosystem: Tall Grass Prairie

Examples: Montana Valley and Foothill Grasslands, Central Forest-Grasslands Transition, Texas Blackland Prairies

The Woodlands Kingdom

Governing Body: The Royal Family of the Emeraudes

Major Ecosystem: Temperate Rainforest and Coniferous Forest

Examples: Northern California Coastal Forests, The Cascades, Atlantic Coastal Pine Barrens

The Palmlands

Governing Body: The Hall of Scholars

Major Ecosystem: Sandy, Hot and Dry Desert

Examples: Mojave Desert, Chihuahuan Desert, Yuma Desert

The Grand Shorelands Temple

Governing Body: The Grand Temple of Astrea

Major Ecosystem: Costal

Examples: Florida Scrub, California Coastal Sage and Chaparral, Hawai'ian Tropical Low Shrublands

The Republic of the Dustlands

Governing Body: The Seven Heads of Council of the Dustlands

Major Ecosystem: Rocky, Semi-Arid Desert

Examples: Colorado Plateau Shrublands, The Painted Desert, Tule Desert

The Fieldlands

Governing Body: Small and Localized to Individual Villages

Major Ecosystem: River Valley and Temperate Broadleaf Forests

Examples: Alleghany Highlands forests, New England-Acadian forests, Western Great Lakes Forests

The Holy Kingdom of the Ridgelands

Governing Body: Church Appointed Monarchy

Major Ecosystem: Mountainous

Examples: Klamath Mountains, Sierra Nevada, Rocky Mountains

The Floelands

Governing Body: Figurehead Monarchy

Major Ecosystem: Tundra

Examples: Alaska–St. Elias Range Tundra, Pacific Coastal Mountain Icefields and Tundra, Arctic Foothills Tundra

[myclothesbucket]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Vintage CLASSICS by Palmland Maroon Striped Short Sleeve Banded Bottom Mens 2XL.