nysalogs | ❪ event ❫ THE DESCENT: PART TWO.

JULY 16th: THE MORNING AFTER

In the early morning, your characters' phones will buzz with a text from an Unknown ID. It contains an audio file as well as its transcription:

DARMA'S MESSAGE
It worked. By the miracles of all universes, you survived. It was not ideal by any means, but it was all we can muster with limited time. We hope you can forgive us for your injuries and headaches, and we thank you for working together and helping one another.

But now, your journey is just beginning. You must head east to find the Outpost. That shall serve as a fine rest stop. However, there will be danger ahead yet. The beasts you encountered in the simulations are now very real. They will attack, as you are seen as meat.

Please exercise caution, Refugee. This shall be my last message for some time. The Moons are protected, but I must rest... I leave the rest to you.

INTO THE WOODS

Head east, Darma said— and so you do. That seems to be all you can do.

Traversing through woods is not a simple task. Hopefully you have taken advantage of the camouflage outfits offered prior to the start of this great migration. Naturally, for those of you who have done the training modules, some things will be a bit familiar. Some wildlife will mimic what you've seen there. Nevertheless, it'll be crucial for one to keep on guard. While Sael selected the Outlook as the ideal place for landing due to its direct removal from Olympian or Wyver soil, it doesn't come without its own dangers as you venture east.

Perhaps it's time to face your fears.

PROMPT A. There are many creatures roaming around these parts. Some will blend straight in with the woods, others will be bold and loud. While traveling as a party of about 180, it's quite easy to become targets. Fortunately, that also means strength in numbers. Maybe you've got someone's back on this, perhaps they have yours. Either way, what's quicker way to bond than to face a couple of questionable beasts?

Maybe you've ran into a Arache (CW link: arachnophobia), a creature known for mimicking voices, even ones they haven't heard. They weasel their way into your subconscious and pick out voices from your memories, luring their victims deeper into the strange woods with the voices of their loved ones. Sometimes, it's a cry for help; other times, it's a replay of a striking memory. Once its victim steps into its large, barely-visible web, the Arache will store them or start its feast.

Or, perhaps, you may encounter a Ditz Moth, as large as a rabbit who are relatively easy to kill, but they leave an awful scent on you the moment they flee or die. Be sure to mask this scent immediately, whether by covering yourself in fresh flowers or soaking in river water for an hour, because it's been known to cause extreme confusion. You'll end up dizzy, you'll confuse your friends for enemies, or enemies as loved ones.

Or, you run into something else entirely! The forest is the home for many creatures from many worlds; who knows what you may encounter?

PROMPT B. You've been traveling for a fair distance. While this is by no means a desert, the sun begins to settle, leaving an unprecedented heat. Perhaps it's the contrast against the night, but you find it almost unbearable. Lucky for you, the goddess of fortune is smiling upon you. At a distance is a clean lake. One full of lush scenery, and large trees canopying the immediate area. There is lots of shade, and maybe this is just the break you need.

Or alternatively, the rations were sparse last night. It barely covered a meal each. Fortunately, this area seems full of wildlife one can hunt. Perhaps, that three-headed rabbit in the distance? Maybe that frog that smells a bit like lavender and vanilla? Additionally, for those who find themselves more inclined to leaving it up to fate—

ENTER: OLYMPIA'S WEST OUTPOST

After a full day of travelling, you finally make it to the West Outpost as Darma instructed. You can tell by the way the trail gets neater, flatter. There are some small shops all along the sides of the road, offering trinkets, precious stones, and food. Unfortunately, you don't seem to have the money to purchase anything. The only thing you can do is watch wearily as you approach the West Outpost Gate.

Near the gate, you're expected to form a line. The guardsmen seem to be inspecting every person entering.

When it's finally your turn, the guardsman seem to know exactly what group you are. He immediately calls you Refugees, then proceeds to open a folder specifically labeled Refugee Group D. You might assume the "D" stands for Darma. He seems to be happy to see your arrival —

Anyway, we've been expecting you. You're in luck! You refugees arrived the day after Thesa's blessing, y'know? That meteor shower was a sight to behold!

What's your name? Oh, there you are— here, take take this. It's your passport. Gonna need that to get to Olympia. Your sponsors paid for your inns for tonight, so get yourself a room. You're at the last leg before the Capital. Keep your head up, all right?

It seems now you are an official Olympian citizen with this passport.

As you walk around, there will be an old man about. He sees you holding your bags and passports and approaches you. He has seen the fiasco in the skies from the day before. Naturally, he believes it to be a divine sign, and you the product of that.

Which translates to free food. It must be relieving to eat (relatively) normal food after so long.

There's also a very special visitor at the Outpost today: a woman by the name of Lysa, who happens to be a renowned healer in Olympia. Following the strange meteor shower, she’s come out of the city and into the outskirts to see it all for herself, this divine phenomenon brought upon by Thesa. While she has no explanation for the sudden occurrence, she stays, because she can sense that her services are needed.

Healthy characters will taken by the hand and brought to a wounded fellow refugee. Lysa will then urge them to stay by that refugee’s side, to care for them.

Please, do not go. I need a little of your compassion and patience.

PROMPT A. If the wounded party has lethal injuries, Lysa will give the healthy character a vial of Screaming Draught to feed to them. It's a strong healing potion known for its ability to regenerate cells. It can close up almost any sort of wound, no matter how large, and can even regenerate limbs. However, its ability comes at a costly price. Seconds after taken, the wounded character will experience an excruciating, constant pain as the healing takes place. Some who have taken the potion may even start to become delirious, seeing hallucinations. If asked about this effect, Lysa looks solemn, remarking that her clinic is too far away and she does not have anything gentler on the body on hand. She urges your character to help the suffering one through this, giving them their comfort and any kind of support.

PROMPT B. If the wounded party has smaller injuries, Lysa will give your character a vial of some basic Proliferation Elixir, a weaker healing potion with less devastating side effects. It can heal cuts, bruises and minor fractures. Characters who take it will experience side effects such as dizziness, nausea and a persistent chill. They are still in need of attention, and Lysa will urge the healthy characters to tend to them. Warm them up. Feed them something nice. Keep them from wandering around when they should be resting. Show any kind of care and you'll make Lysa a happy woman.

Characters who answer Lysa's pleas will be given a small vial of Proliferation Elixir as a token of gratitude. It's good for one-time use.

NIGHTFALL AT THE WEST OUTPOST

As dusk approaches, bustling Outpost quiets down as the flea shops pack up their things to go home.

But it seems this outpost is not one that simply sleeps at night. Thesa is high on the skies when the Outpost square lights up. There's music, dancing, and laughter. They seem to encourage you to join them as well. "This celebration is for you! Come, join us!" Perhaps their enthusiasm is infectious enough for you to succumb to it; perhaps you don't understand at all why they're this happy after the hell you went through to get here. It's not like you can tell them what the "meteor shower" actually had been.

At least they offer free alcoholic drinks and a great feast similar to those you remember from home. You may find that the drinks are far stronger than any alcohol you've ever had, but it taste like a typical cocktail, or whiskey/scotch/vodka/your flavor drink. Nothing particularly special until you make your way back to the inn.

Let's hope you won't walk into the wrong room.

FINAL OOC NOTE

This is PART TWO of our three-part intro event. PART THREE will be up on JULY 22ND, at 6 PM EST. In the event of CAPTCHA, we will be providing an overflow. In the event of a second CAPTCHA, players are advised to move threads to an overflow post on their character journals. These threads remain eligible for AC, AC Rewards, and REP.

The NETWORK is still down. Characters may still message each other's personal IC inboxes.

REMEMBER TO USE COMMUNITY TAGS.

RECOMMENDED LISTENING: Nocturn

OOC PLOTTING may be continued here.

PART ONE | PART TWO | PART THREE (coming soon)

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[When Theon turns, Itachi raises both hands in a placating manner.]

You can make the attempt, but I promise that's not at all what I want.

[Flaying is a completely unnecessary and time consuming act. Even many of the more unsavory sorts of ninja he's worked with would agree as much.

He's found these woods to be unsettling since they began walking through it, and he can only assume now that this man has misheard, or is hearing something only he can. Itachi would be lying if he said he hadn't heard whispers of his own along the way.]

[ If he were in any position to converse on the subject, Theon would agree. Flaying is a completely unnecessary and time consuming act, and the only people who seems to keep up the practice are those from House Bolton.

When he turns, only to come face to face with Itachi, his eyes are blazing. The voice continues to call, mocking him more and more with each repetition. ]

I do not mean you.

[ He hisses the words between clenched teeth. Whatever he’s hearing, it’s clearly effecting him in the worst sort of way. ]

Can’t you hear him?

No.

[Which isn't to say that he can't hear anything, but he's sure that he's not hearing the same voice Theon is. Perhaps if he makes that clear then the man will start to understand that it's all in his head.

That's of course only if Itachi isn't somehow in the wrong or if having him understand this doesn't make things worse.

The ninja himself has hardened himself against things like this and even forced it upon others too much to believe that any whispered voice from his past is real. Even taking the role of the villain didn't make it so there was never any threat of mind altering techniques being used against him. After all, there had been at least one other member of his clan at large aside from his brother. Seeing someone else affected only hardens his own resolve.]

Who do you think you hear?

[ Theon huffs out a heavy breath, looking frustrated. Despite its distance, that voice sounds frighteningly clear. He shouldn’t be hearing it, and he certainly shouldn’t be the only one hearing it. ]

A voice.

[ His brow furrows and he shakes his head roughly, attempting once more to brush it off as a trick of the mind, but it doesn’t disappear. It only grows louder, repeating those same words.

Burn it, burn it all. ]

Someone who shouldn’t be here.

[ As if looking for a semblance of comfort, his eyes flicker toward Itachi. A kind word, confirmation that he hasn’t gone mad, anything. ]

You hear nothing?

I didn't say I heard nothing.

[There are many other sounds to be heard in the woods, and many other voices to be thoroughly ignored.]

I said I didn't hear the voice you were hearing.

[It's not the voices telling him to do things that had a chance of bothering him anyway. It's the tearful voices asking him to stop.]

If I were you, I'd keep walking. If whatever's causing you to hear it is around here then it may eventually fade as we get further away.

[ Theon lets out a growl of frustration, straining his ears to find the source of the voice. It doesn’t stop, it doesn’t fade, it just continues to mock him from the shadows. ]

Why ignore it when he’s out there? I could finish him now and be done with it.

[ He’s too stubborn to allow himself to let this go without a fight, and that is why his day will end up going badly. ]

[Itachi turns to give him a look, mouth set in a thin line.]

Could you finish him? [If there really is someone out there he's familiar with that the ninja isn't hearing, which is incredibly doubtful.] How would he get here if he wasn't brought along with the rest of us? If he's actually here, then he'd be considered a refugee and attacking him would cause problems.

[Whoever "he" is.]

If he's just going to mock you then be the bigger man.

❪ event ❫ THE DESCENT: PART TWO.

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