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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Diamond | Houseki no Kuni
[Well Diamond has no idea what's going on, but they're happy to be here! Everything is much more...lush than back home, and everything is a marvel. However, it's dark and they're instantly getting tired, wandering around rubbing at their eyes and wearing a sleepily content/vague smile.
It doesn't help that they see to literally glow. Their hair, eyelashes, and eyebrows seem to reflect the light in a dazzling rainbow array, moving as their head moves and potentially lightly blinding anyone who looks directly at them. Oops.
They turn to the nearest person as the sermon finishes, hugging the staterkit to their chest, and smiles]
I didn't understand anything they were saying. [They say rather cheerfully...And then promptly hold out their kit, moving the conversation along] Do you need any of these? I can't really use any of it...
[We Got Cows]
[Maybe that wind is threatening to blow you right off your feet--or maybe you actually do get swept right up! Never fear though, despite looking like a noodle, Diamond is here to save the day!
They'll grab anyone who looks like they're about to fall over or snatch anyone form the air to ground them. Anyone who's swept up into them will find themselves meeting an incredibly solid force that only staggers back a little before holding their ground and holding onto whoever hit them]
Are you alright? Careful, you're pretty fragile! [It doesn't matter how big you actually are, to Diamond you're fragile. Diamond, however, doesn't seem uncomfortable or effected at all.] Come on, let's keep going!
[They then proceed to try and lift your character into a princess carry. And unless your character is over 600lbs, they'll probably be able to without much struggle.]
[Memories]
[Well at least Diamond's memory is a pretty epic fight scene? It might be a little traumatizing for people that aren't aware by this point that Diamond's a rock person, considering their body gets chipped and broken up and pieces break off. But they're clearly fine and the 'real' Diamond just looks a little embarrassed.
If it's not that memory, it might be one of them getting yelled at by a long-haired...girl...?? Either way, Diamond laughs uncomfortably and begins to move away, trying to find the way 'out'.]
This is a dilemma... We might have to completely break out of here... [They trail off, staring down at the ground where there are some fractures running through and just. Hauls off and punches the ground, causing it to fracture further.] I don't want to stay here very much longer. It might show something really embarrassing, right? [All smiles!]
[Fork in the Road]
[They're drawn to Olympia side first because of the pegasi, gasping with open delight as they gaze upon them. So cute! They want to pet them! But the other Olympian-pushing natives pounce at the chance to push more on the gem, until Diamond is backing away from a couple woman proudly shoving bracelets and necklaces in Diamond's face.
Diamond laughs, high and nervous, hastily waving their hands as they continue backing away]
Um, please no! That-- Doesn't that seem too cruel? [?? What in the world is cruel about jewelry?? Dia looks distinctly uncomfortable and almost ill.
What about this diamond bracelet? One of the women asks, and Dia looks like they're about to faint, offering only a meek whimper as they look around for help.
Save them. They know this isn't like it is back home--those jewels aren't sentient--but it's still not too far off from seeing a bunch of people wearing the bones and skin of your friends and family like decorations, you know?]
[Wildcard!]
[Maybe after a long night you'll find diamond just passed out sleeping on the ground somewhere (sleeping like A ROCK hahah stop me), or poking and prodding around at everything, trying to chase animals and pick them up to cuddle them... Whatever! This is the prompt for other shenanigans and you can hit me up by PM or at
COWS COWS COWS
[Excuse you, Mephisto was having a grand ol' time floating around in the sky with his long-awaited familiar, which just looks like a pink umbrella with batwings, when he's suddenly being nabbed out of the sky and held aloft in the air, princess-style.]
[Sure, there's a little tornado whirling around that would probably seem dangerous to a sane person-- but he just wanted to reenact that scene from the Wizard of Oz okay. #everyoneneedsahobby]
I'll have you know I'm not fragile at all! Put me down!
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But, weren't you being tossed around by the wind...? [Did they misjudge the situation?? Still, they do at least put Mephisto down on the ground feet first, frowning at him in apparent confusion and concern]
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[And right off the bat he's giving Diamond a weird impression of "humans" gomen--]
This world could really use a theme park -- why, there's nothing more exciting than being hurled through the air at impossible speeds! Ah, when you're in control of the situation, of course.
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Though, they can kin of see where being tossed around is fun when you're in control. Flipping around the battlefield and all is fun.. .An being lifted up by Sensei is fun... Hm.]
What's a 'theme park'?
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[--n-not enough to avoid being caught by Diamond though, but just ignore that.]
Ah-- but a theme park is a place where one can enjoy such thrills through specially crafted machines! Though in a much safer environment. It's unfortunate, but the level of technology here isn't quite on par with what I'm familiar with from home.
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Forkside Story
[ Hovering a good eight feet high in the air on her side with her cheek propped in her palm, Ryoko levels a sharp gaze at the pair of women. It's hard to miss a mineral body in a crowd full of fleshy ones and her curiosity had seen her continue to observe the rock... girl? Boy?? She's not entirely sure just looking at them. Ryo-Ohki may be part mineral, but her gender is a definite thing. That's neither here, nor there, though. What's here is a scene turned increasing less amusing, to the point she's pushing herself up into a sitting position now. ]
Or maybe you're hard of hearing? I heard her say no from all the way over here and she was even polite about it. Why don't you try someone else now?
[ By which she means go do that thing I just suggested because it wasn't a suggestion and it is a message that much more clearly heard as Ryoko settles into hovering by the rock person. She doesn't even wait until the women shy out of earshot, watching their backs as they go. ]
Well, I guess that answers that. Some people just don't know when to quit. [ Pot, kettle. Shhh... ]
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Thank you so much...! I'm sure they meant well, but... [But hoo boy was that uncomfortable. Dia hopes they never see a piece of diamond jewelry again.
It's then Dia takes in the fact that she appears to be floating and makes a surprised noise, eyes going wide] Are you--flying?! [How cool! How exciting!!] This place is full of neat things...!
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Don't mention it! I just happened be passing by, that's all. [ It's not technically a lie, okay? ]
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Neat, huh? [ Is that a compliment? It is being taken as a compliment. ] I take it people can't fly where you're from?
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No, not at all! We can jump and leap very high, but it's not really the same. Haha, I'm getting to see all sorts of things I never thought I would. This place has a lot of things we didn't where I'm fro. All these trees and animals... And magic!
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Just what sort of back water planet do you come from where there are no trees or animals?
[ She may be moving to float in a circle around her present company in looking them over. Come to think of it -- ]
Come to think of it, what exactly are you, anyway?
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campfire's glow
she does try to look out for people she recognizes, but all of that comes to a complete halt when her eye catches the sparkling hair of diamond's. which makes her approach them before long, seating herself next to them. she remains quiet, if only to listen to the preach from the man on the podium - but unfortunately, the speech is too boring for her to maintain attention. her gaze wander on them - whom she assumes to be a young girl - instead. ]
It's boring, you don't have to worry about it. [ the speech, she means. ] You shouldn't go offering shit to people though.
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But Zero looks like she probably knows what she's talking about, so Diamond puts the sermon out of their mind for now to focus on her. They want to bring up the flower in her face, but--]
I shouldn't? [Dia pauses and looks down at the backpack] ...But why not? If I can't use it, it'll just go to waste, won't it?
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You get nice, and people take advantage of you. That's just how the world works.
[ for the most part... ]
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I think... If someone thought they had to take advantage of me or others just to get what they needed... Doesn't that say worse things about their state? That they can't even help themselves even a little... I think I'd just feel bad for that kind of person and want to help them more.
[But they laugh a little, already imagining Bortz's voice in their head yelling at them for thinking like that.]
It's strange, I've never had to think about such things before... Is it common where you're from?
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Uh... what kind of question is that. [ it's a rhetorical question, to be certain. ] All I'm saying is you should be careful about who you get friendly with. People aren't nice.
[ like you, she wants to say, but she's not about to throw compliments around. ]
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cows.
he's attempting to avoid making contact with any and all the things that have also been tossed into this aerial fray, but it's in the midst of this that he feels a firm contact against his back. it's quick or agile enough to catch him off-guard, and he instantly twists around to see that as physically solid as it is, they're not very large.
with his face oddly close to this person, he speaks clearly: ] Excuse me—?
[ fragile??? ]
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[They seem so very pleased with themselves. They're helping! They're doing a Good Job.]
Is there a shelter or someplace I could take you...? [They seem to be more just asking out loud than asking him outright, looking around and just. Holding onto him. It's fine.]
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he supposes there's no helping it now. he's already captured in fairly strong arms, despite the more petite appearance this person carries. truly troubling. it's a disgrace for a hero, but one he temporarily bears. ] ... I will not be needing a shelter. I am fully capable of fighting against the weather.
It's clear you had good intentions. [ which, he will praise, if just on principle. ] I appreciate your concern, ....?
[ was now the time for names and titles? maybe not, but there is a curious pause.
they're whipping pretty fast and arjuna has to wonder about this person's abilities. ]
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[Dia braces their feet against the ground to anchor themselves against the wind, frowning a little in concern.] Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't think to introduce myself. I-- [Quick like a shot, they cut themselves off to gracefully spin and dodge an incoming tree branch before it can bean either of them in the head]
Phew... This is getting tedious... Oh, um! Sorry, where was I? I'm Diamond!
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Fork in the road
Cue him seeing someone else getting bothered then once the path clears up for him. She? Or he? He can't tell, seems extra distressed, and not just from all the assertive attention either. Raising an eyebrow, he comes up a bit closer. ]
Cruel? What's cruel about a bracelet? Just tell them no.
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Dia shakes their head and starts again.] It's not the bracelet part, exactly, but... The, um... Gems? [Dia winces a little as if just talking about it was painful.] I don't like the thought of the gems being... Cut down like that... [A pause and they add] And I did say 'no,' but they keep insisting, an it'd be a little rude to use violence here.
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Oh. You're worried about the gems? I'm pretty sure they aren't sentient enough to feel anything. [ Was that meant to make the other feel better? Probably, but he sucks at it. And he shakes his head about using violence. Strange that such a pretty little thing thinks of violence straight off the bat, but this place is full of weird people. ] No, violence won't work, but you can be a little firmer and wave them off. Eventually they get the picture.
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[They looks suddenly a little sheepish] Sorry. You're being really kind and I'm just being difficult-- This is probably kind of strange to you, isn't it? I just can't help but feel bad for them, but I guess it's nice to know there's diamond pieces readily available like this.
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