You have spent the last few days on Thesa Station, taking in the knowledge that your world is no more. Perhaps you've made some friends (or maybe an enemy or two). Either way, you aren't expected to spend all of your time on the Station. El Nysa needs you, after all, and you promised you'd help the planet thrive. Are you ready?
Submit an AC-eligible thread with a new character as a participant for 2 OLYMPIA REP POINTS OR 2 WYVER REP POINTS, respectively, HERE or HERE. THESA STATION
All refugees on the station are called to the hangar where a large-scale teleporter has been set up; everyone will be sent to the planet together. Simply step onto the space between the arrays and wait. Before they depart, all new refugees will be given a starter kit!
 You may have heard about earlier technical difficulties, but don't worry. I promise everything is in perfect working order this time. I'd say I tested it myself, but since that's not exactly possible, you'll just have to trust me! (Please.)
The older refugees will also be there to guide you to ensure no one is left confused... or behind. Make sure you wait for them — I've been detecting something odd so I'll be having them meet you at the landing site. Good luck, refugees! Not that you'll be needing it or anything...
The arrays begin to hum and glow, quickly building into a brilliant wash of light. It creates a column that travels all the way from Thesa Station to the surface of El Nysa. With the night sky as a canvas, the beam can be seen all the way from Olympia and Wyver — a view that has the natives whispering of blessings.
As a sudden but beautiful aurora splays across the sky, the refugees down on the planet receive a message asking them to travel to the landing site — and warning them to prepare for what may come of the strange readings Zasere's gotten from the teleport itself.
Traveling through the light leaves the impression of blinding starlight, a strange sense of weightlessness, and a disorienting moment of total sensory deprivation. The radiance of your teleport hangs bright in the sky above you, a shimmering aurora that reflects off the calm waters below, visible for miles all around.
You've landed on a peninsula to the east of the South Outpost. There's little here — scattered trees on spring-barren plains, with a few overgrown, dilapidated structures poking out of the brush. All is quiet save for the keening of animals and the gentle lapping of waves against the shore. This lonely desolation is hardly the bustling cities and vibrant cultures you were promised back on the station...
BY CAMPFIRE'S GLOW. But waiting for you is a group of your predecessors, and with them, a veritable tent city, with portable stoves, coolers of food and drink, comfortable bedrolls, and cheerful rings of bonfires — all that you need to make merry of the night, courtesy of Overseer Voss, who has, thanks to his interest in blessed meteorological phenomena and refugees, decided to make a holy expedition of the affair.
Settle in, meet new comrades, and enjoy yourself, for you've safely completed your journey. But don't wander too far from the fires — the dark is closing in, and there's a strange, electric feeling in the air, the scent of ozone drifting on the breeze. And what were those odd readings Zasere mentioned?
A SHEPHERD OVER THE FLOCK. The spring sun dawns on a grey morning, already burning away the fog rolling in off the sea. It quickly becomes apparent that Voss and his entourage of acolytes have been up for hours, hard at work. They've set up a brightly-draped stage and a travel pulpit, magically enchanted to amplify his voice, and as the sun breaks over the horizon, Voss is all set to do what he does best: proselytize.
 As our Goddess has sent Her blessing once before to herald the coming of those touched by Her light, so She has done once again! Here you see them, those surrounded by the light of our Goddess, each of them bearing the mark upon their skin of Her holiest of hands! Do you not see? Do none among you bear witness to the righteousness of Her message? Perhaps this is why our people have shamed themselves in front of our Goddess—
[ He continues for another 15 minutes... ]
Nevertheless. See you them before us now! See them as they are, coming to our gates with Her reminder, that these people must be treated with the utmost respect and care. Thesa's divinity is not to be treated with such flagrant disregard! Those who She chooses are not ours to use as mindless fodder, to hurt, to torture — shame upon those who allowed such deeds to shame us under Her watchful gaze!
To those of you who have just arrived here on our doorstep, be not afraid! The Temples of Thesa welcome you to our home with hearts and minds open! Should you ever find yourself in need of solace, seek out the Temples, as there are no greater allies to you than those of us within the Temple walls. You are welcome all to Olympia!
As he steps away from the enchanted podium, he can be heard saying aside to an acolyte, "How was that? Heavy on the shame, but I think it went well!" While he will not leave the area immediately, his acolytes will politely turn away attempts to speak with him and remind anyone interested that they can leave a message at the Temples.
Despite going off without hitch, the new refugees' arrival isn't entirely without incident. It seems that the "blessed" beam of light that brought the refugees down to El Nysa brought something else along with it — a sliver of the Storm. At least the beam was short enough that only a small fraction managed to squeeze through.
But it's enough to wreak a little havoc around the landing site and along the road back toward Olympia and Wyver — and even, for a few days, in the cities themselves.
THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE. The Storm is an undeniably destructive force, and that's proven with this small sliver's effect as it ripples across the continent. While there's no visible sign of its presence, strange phenomena soon begin to appear, corresponding with Zasere's odd readings.
They're innocuous little things at first. A sudden silence, animals going quiet, insects stilling. All technology, no matter how advanced, ceases working. You discover when you check with a friend, the clock on your phone is twelve minutes slow even though you'd swear only a minute had passed — time missing. Walking through the woods takes longer than it should when brushing past one bush leads to brushing past that same bush again — and again, and again, the area looping on itself. It keeps you trapped, going in circles for minutes, even hours, before finally releasing you in a random direction.
Or perhaps you'll feel a sense of deja vu, like you've walked down this road, taken this turn, seen that bird fly from this branch before. This is the second time that cat has crossed your path. The person you're meeting, you already know their name; you're certain you've already met.
WE GOT COWS. The Storm sliver also ushers in sudden, localized weather anomalies — heavy storms, blizzards, strong winds, and more. Affected areas range from just a few feet wide to nearly half a mile. One minute, the sky may be sunny and clear, but the next dark storm clouds roll in, unleashing torrential rain. Small tornadoes surge along the road, kicking up winds strong enough to knock people over and carry objects away. Hail hurtles down from the sky, but only in a ten foot radius. Temperatures fluctuate wildly between one extreme and the next, from heat waves to cold snaps. Soupy fog blankets the area, thick enough that you can barely see your hand in front of your face. Good luck finding your way!
FORGETTING IS SO LONG. The visions come on suddenly and with very little warning. One second, you're carrying on as normal — but the next, you blink and find yourself (and anyone near you) somewhere else completely. You may recognize this place as a moment from the past, one that you lived through. It's a memory, your memory, and it now replays around you in exceptional detail, unnervingly lifelike. Or you may not recognize it at all. It might belong to the person next to you, or to someone else entirely — a memory that the Storm has swallowed up.
Either way, the scene plays out just as it once did, and there's nothing you can do to stop it — or escape it. The memory surrounds you to no end: every door you open leads nowhere, every hallway you turn down continues on forever, every horizon you flee toward hangs just out of reach. And linger too long or turn the wrong corner, and you may find yourself abruptly stuck in a completely different memory. It's almost tempting, then, to give up, to let the past sweep you away...
But this isn't the full might of the Storm. Look closely, and you can see that in the walls of this trap, there are minute, hairline cracks, a facade of fractured glass. Imperfections in the memory where the real world is breaking through. It seems the only way to escape these memories is to find those cracks and break through them — by force, by will, or by some other method entirely.
The time is coming to make a choice — perhaps not a permanent choice, but unless you want to spend the rest of your nights out under the stars, you'll need to pick which city you will initially spend your time in. On the horizon, you will see that people have arrived to help you make that decision...
A FORK IN THE ROAD. Refugees and the hyper-religious wishing to hear Voss speak are not the only ones out and about under the light of the aurora. Citizens of both Olympia and Wyver have flocked to a point on the road midway between the cities and where the refugees have appeared, and they all have the same goal in mind: convincing the newcomers who have just descended in the blessed light of Thesa to come to their city and not the other.
They've come with bribes — that is, examples of what their cities have to offer. If you spent much time at the exhibition up on Thesa Station, you might recognize some of what's being shown off, though the offerings here are markedly more tangible, and shown off by hawkers wearing substantially fewer clothes.
A herd of pegasi accompanies the Olympians, while a line of flying serpents is stabled at a tent bearing Wyver colors. Refugees are given the chance to experience solo flights and are told that if they prove their loyalty, they may have the privilege of owning such fine beasts one day themselves. The Olympians have also brought couture clothing, jewelry, and makeup to offer a taste of Olympian splendor, while the Wyver delegation has brought along fine weapons, sense-enhancing jungle plants, and small vials of diluted dragon’s blood (drinking confers a temporary boost in strength) to demonstrate their might. The Olympians speak proudly of the glory of the Temples of Thesa; the Wyverns speak of the Volkkran Pact and inform newcomers that they can make a pilgrimage to the summit of Namarak Mountain at the next full moon.
This is as good a time as any to compare your plans with others around you and exchange contact information before going your separate ways with people who are going to the city you are not. When you’re ready to go, don’t worry about safe passage — the natives of each city will gladly escort you there in luxury.
OF WHITE AND GOLD. The people of Olympia are ecstatic that you’ve come to join them... So much so that they’ve prepared a grand tour of the city for the new arrivals. You will be introduced to the major businesses in the city, including businesses that they are proud to point out were founded by refugees.
Refugees who have been here for some time already are encouraged to pair up with newcomers to introduce them to the parts of the city they like best. To facilitate this, they’ve made arrangements with many of the business owners: new refugees who visit their shops (and older refugees who escort them) are given discounts!
Just a few examples of many: the Wyvernest offers free desserts to first time visitors with the purchase of a drink, refugees who visit the Silk Wyrms can have one custom (though not exceedingly expensive) outfit made for them for free, and visitors to Shades Darker are offered a half-hour session with one of the prostitutes at half price… or access to a private room, if they seem to have taken a shine to one of their companions on the tour.
Lastly, tour guides will point out that over the course of the next week, the train to Flona Cove will allow new refugees to board for free so that they can experience the seaside for themselves. With the weather finally starting to warm, this is as good a time as any for a visit to the beach, isn’t it?
OF RED AND BLACK. Life in Wyver is typically a sink-or-swim sort of experience — but in light of the valor recently displayed by their predecessors, the natives are now more willing to assist in getting newcomers settled. The entire journey here they have been talking up the virtues of their city… and now is the time to show everything that's on offer.
The well-known businesses in the city are prepared for the influx of newcomers. Some are giving out discounted samples of their products while others are offering a more hands-on experience: in exchange for working a few hours, they will give training in whatever task is being performed.
At the Forged, newcomers can learn the basics of crafting simple weapons (and take one of their successes home), while visitors to spas near the lagoons are trained in the art of massage. Those who wander to Falmi’s Ring can learn the art of pugilism or how to keep (and fix) books if they're more inclined to the gambling that goes on. Newcomers interested in Wyver's dragons can get hands-on experience at the Fields of the Exalted's nursery. While they walk from place to place, a guide may point out a job posting from Highwind Hires, noting that refugees can make a name for themselves outside official channels.
The last stop on the tour is the Undergrowth. The guides speak of the jungle in reverent tones and caution new refugees not to wander too far in. They warn never to explore alone, but also urge refugees to take time to familiarize themselves with it; after all, the jungle is an important part of life in Wyver, and those who are going to be living here should understand it as well as they do.
You've chosen your path, refugee, but that doesn't necessarily make it a permanent one. Watch out for the strange effects of the Storm, which linger still in the two cities and everywhere in between for the next few days before dissipating just as mysteriously as they came, but otherwise enjoy the welcome and make yourself at home — after all, this is home now.
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cinnamon | rune factory frontier
[ Cinnamon has been slowly trekking through a bit of the forest — at a lazy pace, really. She saw a good few others go in, and she'd rather have someone to follow. Unfortunately, she lost them rather quickly, and has ended up on her own, within some looping scenery. She walks past the same tree for what feels like a dozen times, noting its unique pattern and holes in its trunk, proving it's itself time and time again.
But she oddly ... doesn't care much. There's a small part of her that's confused, deep down, but mostly, she remains the same — emotionless and walking through. One of these times she's bound to get out, right?
Okay, not right. And now she's gotten strangely bored and tired of this, so ... it's time to sit down against that tree and fall asleep. Maybe it'll solve itself when she wakes up.
So whoever you are, whenever you enter this little scenery loop with her, maybe watch out not to trip over her. ]
ii;
[ Suddenly, it's cold. So cold, in fact, that a blizzard starts up seconds later. And a bad one, at that — the snow filling the air mercilessly, making it difficult to see and difficult to ... feel warm, at all. Which isn't really a welcome feeling considering Cinnamon isn't entirely fond of the cold. But her only chance here is to try to keep moving so she can get out of the snow, no matter how difficult that is. ]
... I hate the cold.
[ She mumbles that to herself, just moments before she bumps right into someone else who's unfortunate enough to be stuck in this sudden blizzard. Good, because she was starting to get really tired of trying to move through this thing on her own. ]
iii;
[ Well, this is ... unfortunate. Cinnamon, and one other lucky soul, is now trapped within one of her memories. It's one of her past, as a child — when she was only around maybe seven years old. And she's ... happy, a bit more energetic. A stark contrast to how she is now. The Cinnamon of the past has many scholars surrounding her, within what appears to be a research lab, praising her endlessly as she shows off the way she can use magic to move a wooden cube around a table. She's a prodigy — she's created her own original magic, and it's completely blown everyone away.
But the Cinnamon of today merely stands there, quiet as ever and watching the scene, before she turns away to try and open a door to get out. But the door only has a wall behind it. Welp. ]
... I don't understand.
[ Like, at all. She's practically ignored her partner here, though. ]
iv;
[ The people of Olympia and Wyver are now trying to get people to choose a side, showing off their super cool monsters and coming up to people to suggest they try riding one.
Cinnamon doesn't seem particularly interested in either, as she stares at both stalls. The truth is, she's definitely a little interested in them ... but she doesn't show it. Mostly she's just interested in watching the scene, not having the energy to really get involved. Which is why when one of Wyver's representatives comes over to offer her a ride on one of their kickass flying serpents, her response is just: ]
... No.
[ ... That's seen as a strange response, as the man trying to sell her on it just stops in his tracks, having not expected such a blunt rejection. Maybe you think so, too? Or maybe you're on her side? ]
wildcard;
[ Feel free to come at me with something else, perhaps another memory of your own or something, or contact me at
iv
Well? [His voice is low, but it shows some amusement, at least.] You heard what she said.
[The man turns his bemused stare onto the newcomer, who only stares stoically back. Joy.]
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She'll put her attention back on the strange man again though. ]
... Thank you.
[ At least she's polite!! ]
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[He stares at the back of the native as they walk away, winged serpent completely unaffected by the awkwardness of the situation. Nothing against the man, really, but she did say no!]
People here...they speak in tongues, sometimes. It makes giving a direct answer more difficult than it needs to be.
[He's the type of person who appreciates a curt answer, apparently.]
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You're right. He didn't look like he'd take it.
[ Her answer, that is. Which is why she's a bit glad Yusei stepped in to essentially scare him off. ]
... I think you scared him.
[ All of this being said with such a deadpan tone. ]
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[As he's found out himself. Yusei shrugs.]
He'll get over it.
[The man handles dragons. Yusei's sure he's got thicker skin that that.]
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iii.
[Her arms are folded and she's stewing way too hard on this whole thing. She wants out, thanks. Also, maybe not being ignored would be nice, too.
Small, similar toned hair. God, it could almost be Anemone... before... well.
She grits her teeth.]
Could you maybe try to?
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Cinnamon quietly tries another door, which ... has another wall behind it. Suggesting that this room is not what she remembers it being like, and they're not ... physically in it, in a way. It's some sort of fake vision. (Of course it is, considering there's a younger version of herself there.)
She finally gives her attention to Anemone, then, turning to her to ... state the obvious. ]
... We're trapped.
[ Duh. But at least she understands something about the situation! ]
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She storms over to the young girl, crouches down, and yells.]
Hey weirdo! Why don't you use some of that magic to bust us out of here, huh?
[Unsurprisingly, the memory girl doesn't even acknowledge her. Anemone huffs and stares back at the real Cinnamon.]
Okay. There's gotta be a way out, right? What do you know about this... [Anemone stares around, but she keeps focusing back on the little prodigy.] ...place.
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Instead, she responds to the more important question. ]
It's the Imperial Magic Academy. [ A small pause. ] The doors normally work.
[ So, like ... her main idea for getting out has been shot down by the walls behind the doors. ]
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She paces around the room, leaving behind the small girl, poking and prodding anything small and
breakabletipsy, trying to have any influence at all.]Maybe if we wish really really hard...
[She stares pointedly at Cinnamon, then closes her eyes and purses her lips and mentally tries to... wish really really hard.
Unsurprisingly, it doesn't work.] This is stupid!!
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ii
He doesn't say anything but he does offer a hand so they can not get lost and wander around the snow.]
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She'll hold his hand then, but she's not exactly the most physically fit person, so when the wind blows against her, bringing all that snow with it, he will hear a bit of a grunt from her as she tugs backwards on his hand. Because ... she got blown back a little. Oops. ]
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His Aura can protect him from serious injury until depleted. But it can't protect him from the chill or the cold that wants to sink into his bones.]
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She can barely see at this point through her watery glasses, though, so she can't help but ask: ]
... Where are we?
[ Are they ... close to anything? The combination of snow around them and water on her glasses makes it extra hard to figure anything out. Maybe he can see some sign that an area will lack snow? She doesn't know. ]
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[Provided they're pine trees or something with branches to hide under, but yes. He doesn't let go of the girl's hand while trudging through the snow and eventually his perseverance is rewarded.
He almost trips as the blinding snow is abruptly gone and it's warm. So very, wonderfully warm.]
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i!
that was probably, maybe, definitely five or five miles ago though. after encountering the same damn stumps and winding river curving at the exact same point multiple times, he is ready to lose it. his legs tire, but he's too nervous to sit down and let himself think about being stuck in this stupid place.
you can consider him distracted when his feet hook into Cinnamon's and his body goes straight to the ground. when he goes down, he doesn't bother getting back up. there's a groan as he rolls off of his sore shoulder to look at what he tripped over, and take a wild guess at who's there. ]
Nngh... you're kidding me. Wish I could say this would be a dream, but...
[ ... he's hurting too much for it to be one. ]
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He wakes her up with that whole tripping debacle, and suddenly she's ... slowly and lazily opening her eyes. Like a human being didn't just trip and fall right there in front of her. In fact she was so slow with waking up that she isn't even aware of most of it, just that he's there on the ground. ]
... Oh. It's you. [ Said so deadpan that it's hard to tell whether she's happy or unhappy to see him. It's the (mean) King! ] What are you doing?
[ Tripping over you, Cinnamon. ]
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[ how RUDE. Noct doesn't expect to see anyone jump up and celebrate his appearance (especially not this girl), but she talks like he's the last person she wanted to see. or maybe that's just her monotone voice; either way, he takes it negatively, as one would expect. they should both be happy they found someone, even if she did literally nothing at all to run into him. ]
I was walking. Now I'm not. Y'know, trying to find my way out of this place. —Unlike you. Why are you just... sleeping out here?
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But he asks a good question. ]
Because I couldn't find the way out.
[ So they have good prospects here. Definitely going to escape this easily. Everything is fine. ]
iv;
Nope. I've seen better.
[When it comes to reptiles, Ventuswill can't be beat. And while Ventuswill would likely hate being the comparison point for all of Dylas' choices, it's too late for her. Also, he'd rather ride a fish than a serpent, so he stands there with his tail flicking, arms crossed and looking extremely unhappy.
Dejected, the Wyver rep leaves them both to their own devices. Dylas looks down at Cinnamon, but he doesn't say anything. This isn't enough for him to strike much of a conversation out of. Yet.]
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... Better?
[ She's ... actually a little curious about that. While she's somewhat impressed by the creatures (and especially them being tamed like this — it kind of reminds her of Raguna), she has no interest in the effort required to ride them. Still, if he knows a better one, that sounds ... kind of neat. ]
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[And though Dylas would like to stand there and be stoic forever, thinking too much about Ventuswill is enough to get his face to calm down. He doesn't smile, but he somehow looks less angry and more relaxed than before.]
I knew a lizard back home. She keeps getting bigger and never stops talking, but she's pretty incredible.
[Even if he's not smiling, the way his ears perk is akin to a smile to those who've known him long enough...even if his description of Ventuswill would get him killed if she overheard.]
She puts any other reptile to shame.
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... A talking lizard. A monster that talks?
[ That's the only term she knows to call it by.
Honestly she's just picturing a tiny little lizard squeaking out words while it grows. It's ... kind of cute. ]
tries something here, don't look at me
[If he had to pick who's more of a monster between him and Ventuswill, it'd be himself—the Orbiters restored his ability to transform into a giant death unicorn, not that present company knows. But the word 'monster' being brought him always brings up that reminder.]
She's a Native Dragon. Er, a dragon. Or at least she was.
[And her pod isn't on Thesa, so...Dylas thinks he's said his goodbyes to his closest friend for good. He rubs the back of his neck; he hadn't quite intended to say that much, but it's not really that much information to begin with.]
it was a good thing to try, success!!
it feels a bit forced but w/e
naaah it's fine
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