❪ event ❫ THE DESCENT: PART ONE -- the overflow.

[natha]

THE PROLOGUE     Your sleep on the night of the 15th is not a restful one, unfortunately. It’s unclear whether you are in a state of half-wakefulness, or dreaming. The voices you hear certainly sound very real. What is it, Sael? —Is everyone asleep?! Every one, yes. Sael, it appears you do not have good news to deliver...? N-No! I don’t know how it slipped past us, but there’s something powerful coming this way. Something hostile. I can barely keep the core systems online! ... I don't know what to do... I see... and we cannot protect Thesa and Alria in addition to transferring the Refugees to Olympia. This force, they waited for this moment. They knew I have been Intervening, and that I have become weak from such Interventions— ... We've been had. It cannot be helped. To save the Refugees on the Stations, we must eject the awoken unto El Nysa. My remaining energy shall go into shielding Thesa— left defenseless, every being we have saved on this station will perish... Sael, where is the ideal location for the landing? Hmm. There aren’t any people within a ten mile radius of The Outlook, and there shouldn’t be any for a few more days. I think that’s the best location right now. Very well. Instruct Zasere and Roman to begin preparations for an emergency eject. This is the only way we can save everyone. I am counting on you to ward off the enemy on the space front. The rest... is up to our Refugees. The alarms are blaring. It shouts against your eardrums, calling you to wake again. This time, you are in new pod, strapped down completely and cushioned tightly against the walls. In truth, you had no idea when you’d gone to sleep, but it is reminiscent of when you had been saved from the force of the Storm. A voice greets you when you come to, while the conversation between Darma and Sael is still fresh on your mind. Despite their voices playing like an old tune in your memory, you still know it is something that happened. Something has gone terribly wrong. You hear Darma speak, her voice loud in your head. Fellow Refugee, I wake you with regrettable news. A force equal to our own is attempting to engage Thesa, no doubt to steal the souls contained here. My energy is near depleted with this last Intervention, so I cannot send you to the grounds safely as originally intended. However, there is hope yet.This power shall instead shield Thesa and Alria — and believe in me when I swear no one shall be hurt. Your loved ones are safe with us. —Unfortunately, that is at your expense. Your descent will not be an easy one. This pod that contains you shall pierce through El Nysa's atmosphere and land you on an island west of Olympia, simply called The Outlook. Travel east. Find the West Outpost, then continue east until you find the Olympian North Gate. There is a method to this madness. You shall be sent in waves. The inhumanly strong shall be first. The parachute will soften the landing, but I am aware of all your capabilities. The first wave will survive the drop, and will work tirelessly to secure the others. Find your bearings, and ensure the safety of the second wave. They are the healers and medics. Catch their pods, ease their landings, make certain that they shall not be harmed, because you will need them for your wounds. The third wave are your strongmen. They shall help clear the debris and take people to safety, making way for the fourth wave, those can conjure magic to help. Bring everyone to a safe distance. A supply drop will follow soon after; it shall contain tents and tools that will be useful for the long night. The fifth and sixth waves are largely vulnerable humans. With your combined efforts, you shall survive this great misfortune. Forgive us, Refugee. Leave the Moons to us, my promise to you is still in tact— focus on what you can do for others like you. Helping at least two (2) Refugees will earn you one (1) Natha REP. Threads must be AC length to qualify, and can be submitted HERE by JULY 31st. THE DESCENT     FIRST WAVE. The instructions are clear. Those who are a part of the First Wave should be equipped with physical strength and fortitude to survive the drop or the power to regenerate and heal their own wounds. While the pods are already designed to cushion some of the impact, as this is the first group, it will likely to be the most jarring. In all of the waves, some of the pods will malfunction and offer no cushion at all. They will be expected to quickly find their bearings. Their mission isn’t simply just landing, after all. The first wave will be expected to help the next wave, and the wave after that. Whether through their abilities or brute strength, they will be expected to help soften the landing for those who are falling. They will also be expected to pry open hatches, carry people to safety, and to just... survive. It’s not always easy being first. SECOND WAVE. Within the next hour, it’s time for the Second Wave to make their descent. You were selected based upon your aptitude for healing and/or being able to administer first aid. Perhaps you can help the tired and weary. Maybe those who have landed have have strength, but no stamina. Either way, it may be unwise to exhaust all their abilities at once. The night is long, and you may want to conserve their energy for the next waves to come. At least you’ll have help in getting settled. THIRD WAVE. Akin to the First Wave, the Third Wave will possess some durability, and some manner of strength, making you a reliable ally. Especially in a time of crisis... Or so we hope. While the landing is tough, and some of you may need first aid. As soon as you’re all healed up, you’ll have no time to dawdle. Your help is required. “Please help those still trapped in pods. Carry those unconscious to safety. Lift debris, and rescue all you can.” May be a vague message still stuck in the back of your head. Something whispered to you while you were just waking. Well, might as well roll with it. It’s the best shot you have, after all. FOURTH WAVE. Those in the Fourth Wave, as Darma projects, were selected due to the versatility of their abilities. No one expects one man to do the same as the next. Rather, that’s precisely the point: to be different. To be able to accomplish something unique. While one individual may be blessed with powers that assist in putting out fires, another may have the ability to shield those from oncoming debris. Maybe one even has the ability to channel all of these. Regardless, it’s up to you and your quick wits to see what tasks are open. It’ll take some coordination, especially as there are more people mixing into the fray, but, you can do it, can’t you? FIFTH WAVE. If you are in the Fifth Wave it is likely that you have a specific power or ability. One that isn’t easily channeled or called upon. Or, perhaps, you were merely placed here for insurance. Whatever the case if, your expertise will presently be put to the test. Maybe you’re quite proficient in survival skills, and you’re already eyeing the supplies that were dropped between the Fourth Wave and now. Goods all ready to be salvaged. Okay, maybe some can’t, but as they say, “it’s the thought that counts.” Besides, the injured from earlier certainly need a space to rest, and camp isn’t going to make itself. Regardless, maybe you feel more comfortable joining in the efforts to assist those who still require it. Whatever it is, you are sure to find your place and use. Darma obviously held the same faith. FINAL WAVE. The Final Wave is fortunate in a variety of ways. With Thesa Station a bit more stabilized, Darma utilizes the last bit of her powers in insuring that these last remaining pods are met with the softest landing, right beside the fifth, that is. The fragility of life is nothing she is unfamiliar with, after all. Still, that isn’t to say nothing is expected of you. Most of the individuals that have dropped earlier will likely be exhausted. An hour stretched between each one, makes several hours for the first couple of waves. They'll need a place to relax. You will act as the final group of helpers. Settle into whatever role feels best for you. Are you an excellent cook? Great at rationing supplies? Perhaps, you have a secret skill in ______ that might come in handy here? Or, maybe, despite the gentler landing you still managed to get hurt. The sky's the limit, and you got this! Meanwhile, in the distant kingdom of Olympia, the Empress and her loyal subject discuss matters late into the night... I’ll have the results of that dragon toxin study ready for you soon, Your Highness. I just need a few helpers to— oh wow, is that a meteor shower? Oh yes, it appears so. How beautiful.. hehe. Let us thank Thesa for this blessing. GATHER YOUR BEARINGS     All in all, the descent lasts for nearly seven hours. After the deployment of the last wave of refugees, it’s only natural that you may be feeling pretty worn out. A. Within the remains of the pods, Refugees will find basic camping supplies such as small tents, sleeping bags, and compasses. Not all of the supplies remain intact, thanks to the impact of the crash. But, sharing resources will ensure there is enough for everyone to rest for the night. Can you really in good conscience leave that stranger next to you without shelter? B. Although you may be tired after such a life-threatening ordeal, there is still work to be done to ensure your survival. Fortunately, it works out because now there are plenty of empty hands. There are stray debris and metal parts that should be collected and disposed of. There's firewood that needs to be collected, and campfires to upkeep. The nights in the Outlook are particularly chilly, and so it will be imperative to keep warm! C. Your clothes are tattered or too bloodied to sleep on with comfortably. Fortunately, Darma thought ahead. There will be various types of clothing provided, mostly robes that resemble her own in earthy tones, all to help them camouflage you for your next big adventure. FINAL OOC NOTE     This INTRO event will be broken up into three parts! Please keep this in mind when plotting your threads/tag load. PART 3 Will be up on JULY 22ND, at 6 PM EST. We will not provide an additional CAPTCHA for this overflow. Players are advised to move threads to an overflow post on their character journals in the event this overflow gets close to CAPTCHA. These threads remain eligible for AC, AC Rewards, and REP. The NETWORK is currently down, as Sael must concentrate all of his efforts on warding off the invading force. Characters may still message each other's personal IC inboxes. Submit two (2) AC-eligible threads from this log for one (1) Natha Orbiter REP point here by JULY 31ST. Recommended Listening: Alex & TOKYO Rose PART ONE | PART ONE (overflow) | PART TWO | PART THREE QUICK NAV premise ● faq ● world ● map ● reputation ● npcs taken ● reserves ● application calendar ● hiatus/drops ● modbox [ FULL NAVIGATION ] elnysa nysalogs nysaisles nysaooc elnyan

Comments

→ gladio

[punshots]

(( from here ))

[ They'd have time to hash out the ramifications of timelines and worlds ending later - maybe more later if left up to Prompto, who had spent too much time thinking (read: aching) about it on his own back up on the station. Now everything he might've wanted to talk out has a perfectly good target, but far be it from him to ruin a good mood.

Besides - those types of conversations are always met much better on a full stomach. So, first things first.

Gladio will get a choice finger pointed at him for the catcall while Prompto wrestles with one of the more gruesome splinters with his other arm (and Gladio's concern is valid, since he's basically only holding onto this tree with his knees now). It takes some negotiating that might even impress the First Secretary (not really) before the shaft comes loose, and Prompto drops it down without much warning because he has to let it go to regain his balance. ]

Incoming! This one's all yours, big guy!

[pappio]

[ Bellyaching about it is only gonna cause indigestion. Best to think just about the immediate present, harangued with the thoughts of catching fish. (Let neither of them ever breathe a word to Noct, wherever he is now. If Ardyn's here, their sleepy prince might just be wandering around, too. Probably tripping over a protruding tree root in his perennial exhaustion, or something.)

Rolling the kinks out of his shoulders, Gladio's reaction is honed to near-instantaneous reflex, catching that gnarly branch with little fanfare involved, though there's the prospect of Prompto tumbling from such a lofty height that he's snapped his gaze up to watch him perilously swing back and forth from the tree he's shimmied up. No way Gladio could clamber up there without sending the whole tree asunder, forcing that much tension on the branches. Looks like he'll have to do what he can from down here and prime himself for the second branch Prompto will presumably be lobbing down. ]

Got it! You alright up there?

[punshots]

N-Never better! [ He loops his arm solidly around the trunk to stable himself again, blowing out a puff of breath to flutter his hair out of his eyes. Falling out of a tree and Gladio catching him are not on his list of things to do today. Or any day, really. He has some dignity to maintain (or so he'll tell himself).

The smaller, vampirish splinter is easier to wrest from the trunk, and less balance is lost when Prompto tosses down this one. ] Two for two! I'd call that a tree-mendous success!

[ And with that unfortunate exclamation, Prompto swings his legs over the branch and drops back down on the ground next to Gladio. ]

[pappio]

[ Travesty of the human language aside, they did pretty good. Considering Gladio did the equivalent of a pin-up model and just stood there prettily while Prompto did all the hard, manual labor of topography sprucing, or whatever the hell they can call these two truly botched-up looking boughs, at least. He's enthused, really, but can't manage more than a mangled fistbump with a tree limb in each hand. ]

Glad you didn’t go bark-ing up the wrong tree, eh?

[ This is worse than the beans quest. Gesturing to the direction of the coursing river with an angled shoulder, he offers up a pretty sensible suggestion. ]

Alright, let’s split it. [ Handing Prompto his own (gnarly, weighty, totally not euphemistic) piece of wood, he treks over to the part of the forest floor that isn't absolutely littered with shrubs to try his hand at hacking at the fraying edges of Prompto's branch, tapering it down to a point. Shaping it into anything fit for stabbing isn't the most meticulous job with the blunt edge of a samurai sword, but better that than attempting the same maneuver with his array of greatswords. After scraping off the end to something resembling a spear's edge, he exchanges branches, handing Prompto his newly-honed vampire stake to puncture fish at will. ] Wanna scout out your fishing spot? Just gimme a sec with this one.

[punshots]

Aww yeah, splitting it like ice cream and bananas! [ Now here's Prompto's turn to stand around as a (chatty) pin-up model, appropriately staring off into the middle-distance with half his weight positioned against Gladio's twisted branch. As per usual, however, his "holding still" quota is up in about fifteen seconds and he paces around the branch instead, a singular game of merry-go-round that only minorly occupies him while waiting for Gladio to get his sharpening on.

He swaps branches with Gladio right on cue, lifting his sharpened bough over his shoulder and charging to the embankment - and digging in his heels to stop himself on the edge.

Right, so, this is gonna be a "get your feet wet" kind of thing. ]

Hey, how about you get in, and then I'll get on your shoulders? Youuuu never know how high those crafty carp might jump!

[ This sounds like a great idea, doesn't it?? ]

[pappio]

[ While Prompto does his .... circling the branch schtick, a very engrossing feat toting both dexterity and skill, Gladio finishes up buffering the edges of his stick into something vaguely respectable. Not the best out there, sure to make any dragoon cry (Aranea shedding real tears, what a concept), but much better for the fishy mercilessness they're about to engage in.

At least, that's the plan, right up until Prompto pipes up with his usual complaints. Trust Gladio to give him a good, hearty pat where they're both standing, Prompto in particular dangerously close to ... say, toppling right into the coursing water. ]

Hey, how 'bout I shove you in the river and see how long it takes you to start flailin' around like fish bait?

[ You didn't really think he was going to be that nice the whole way through, did you.

But since dematerializing his blade's been a no-go, the spare outfits they've got floating around in hammerspace in case of an emergency are probably a no-go, too. Planting his sword in the dirt like one gigantic marker, Gladio drops the stick to crouch down and engage in the very self-involved task of removing his boots, one by one. Wowza. ]

Get your shoes off and roll your pants up as far as you can. Still got a long way to walk after this, so— better that you don't give yourself athlete's foot.

[punshots]

[ Prompto squawks unflatteringly as he windmills his arms to keep from going in the drink after Gladio claps him on the back. Thanks for that, buddy! So that's a "no" to human totem pole fishing. Well, it was worth a shot.

Staggering back from the bank with a little extra wobble for dramatic effect, he throws himself against a tree so he can start unlacing his boots. What a pair of sad sacks, taking off their shoes so they can stab fish in a river in an alien forest. Some of these things are definitely more exciting than others. ]

What if there aren't any fish in there? It could just be full of alien monsters waiting to drag us to a watery grave. [ He throws up a hand as he drops his boots to the ground with a thud. ] I'm just saying!

[pappio]

[ Ixnay on inordinately dumb plans like getting them both to topple and swim with the fishes (permanently), Prompto. He's not even going to bother indulging that line of thinking any further. ]

Less whining, more doing. Never know if you don't try. It'd be weirder not to see any. [ While Prompto gripes in a steady stream of complaints that Gladio mostly tunes out for his own sanity, he does throw him a bone. ] 'Sides, not like you couldn't take 'em.

[ Can't go wrong with a compliment; he'll lay it on especially thick, just for him, as he yanks off the other boot, setting it aside. Fishing while their main homie's away is pretty weird, especially since Gladio's more used to playing critic for Noct Gar, King of the Fishermen, but he's not about to be one-upped by someone who isn't even here. Without further precursor, he wades into the river, stick in hand, wading in about shin-deep before he's gesturing at Prompto to join him. C'mon, Blondie. They don't got all day here. Time's a wastin'. ]

[punshots]

[ Ugh, his one weakness! A compliment, earned or not, jengas any poorly constructed excuses he has against getting in the water. It was always (mostly) just talk, anyway - there's no way he'd stand on the sidelines and let Gladio do all the hard work by himself. Can't let the big lug have all the fishing glory, can he? They can both do Noct proud, or drown trying, at the very least. ]

You think so? [ Pants rolled up to his knees, he climbs back to his feet, voice taking on a day-dreamy quality. ] I've always wanted to shoot an alien squid in real life...

[ Stepping to the edge of the bank again with his vamp spear in hand, toes curling over the edge, he huffs. ] Goodbye, any feeling in my feet for the next several hours...

[pappio]

Looks like that chance might be comin' sooner than you think.

[ Gonna jenga block their way right to success, or get bludgeoned by sea creatures and die drowning and regretting every choice that led them up to this junction in time. One or the other. Alien squid probably doesn't taste that mind-numbingly horrific, and Gladio's got an adventurous streak in him that can't be beat. ]

And tone down the melodrama. Gotta keep an eye out for those sharp rocks, remember? Can't do it if you're too busy yapping.

[ Since Prompto might be getting cold feet over the less-than enthralling prospects, Gladio goes ahead and does him the solid (dis)service of broadly applying his hand to that limber backbone of his, and flat-out smacking him into the river. Best bud ever. There he goes, hopefully not concussing himself on a nearby boulder with that oh-so-helpful push. Give or take a second and Gladio's plunking in for a dip himself, a barrage of splashes rippling around his tromping steps as he wades further in. Rolling his pants did absolutely shit-all, but he's already past regrets, doing a cursory sweep around the area to figure out where those tasty, tasty river fish might be congregating. ]

See any drop-offs?

[punshots]

[ ...Yeah, he should have seen this coming. He set himself up a little too well, and if he were in Gladio's place, he would have definitely pushed him in, too. But whether he earned it or not, Prompto only cognitively catches what's about to happen a split second before it does happen, and that's too little time for him to land gracefully in the water. He manages something between a stumble and a run to keep from falling in face-first, but he has to catch himself on a rock with his free hand and yeah, so much for staying dry above the knee.

Still reeling from this obvious brush with death, Prompto raises a hand over his head and salutes mockingly without turning around. ]

Th-thanks for that, buddy!

[ Geez, that's cold. But he is in the water now, vamp spear held tight under white knuckles in his other hand. As Gladio splashes his way in, Prompto takes his moment to survey the coursing river. ]

There! Three o'clock, on the dot. [ He'll point out the spot he's sighted. ]

[pappio]

[ S'fine. Hindsight's only twenty-twenty, and intuition is worse-off when Prompto doesn't even have the solid footing to keep himself steady when Gladio's hand comes hurtling down. Not like he wouldn't have gone barreling in if he couldn't catch his balance in time, slipping like marbles on glass, but Prompto rights himself with enough pep to spare, and Gladio's grin is implicit. Subdued, unlike that scourge of laughter in him, rumbling up from his chest and echoing out. ]

Y'know I always got your back. [ Or ready to send him tumbling 'cause of it, as it stands. Gladio's got his own spear upright, like a knife to bludgeon with, sloshing in the general direction of the place where the river's floor gives way to the torrent. ]

Careful. Footing's slippery. [ Only a moment's reprieve exists between coming down from the shoals to the drop-off, and Gladio raises a hand once they've entrenched themselves close enough to the edge. ]

Here's good. [ Right where the stream bleeds into an ecosystem of alien fish and other aquatic sea life, scales flickering mirror-bright. Nice eye, Prompto. ] Got an idea of how to do this, or do I gotta give you the rundown?

[punshots]

[ Heeding Gladio's warning, Prompto does indeed tread carefully - and even then, he's just waiting for a sudden current of rushing water to come slamming against the back of his knees and knock him into the drop off. Fortunately (for everyone), he keeps his footing, though his feet definitely aren't going to thank him for walking on sharp rocks in freezing cold water later. ]

Yeah? [ He may not wear glasses unnecessarily like Iggy, but hey, it's reassuring to know his eyesight is keen enough.

The spear, though, he tosses back and forth between his hands like a hot potato until he almost drops it, so how's that for reassuring? ]

Uh...a quick rundown might be in order.

[ Because somehow he thinks there might be more to it than stab-a-thing-with-the-pointy-end. ]