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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archer ↣ fate/
II. FORGETTING;
III. RED AND BLACK;
IV. LOCKED to
hi
[ isn't he still an enemy of olympia or something? is that what they mean by seeking salvation? zero had no such luck, though; perhaps she's beyond saving at this point, and that is a sentiment she understands and agrees. but well, they've stayed the night, they've braved the boring speech. it's time to get going again. ]
Well, let's head out. The sooner the we leave, the less likely we'll have to run into these preaching pricks again.
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[ or they simply no longer care? who knows. he's aware it's been a few months now, but... normally the notoriety that comes from terrorism lingers a bit longer than that. then again, from what he's been able to gather, there's been no shortage of that sort of thing since he's been gone. ]
Oh? Hm, well there's no point in loitering here. Unlike the rest, we already know where we're headed.
[ and even if it hadn't been... listening to voss talk would have definitely steered him to wyver. ]
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the backpack had been handed to them earlier, and instead of carrying one herself, she transfers all the supplies from her bag over to archer's. she's also missing mikhail a bit; if she could, she'd have archer carry her too... but she'll give the guy a break for today. there's a long journey ahead...
zero only manages three steps ahead of him before she stops. ] Uh...
[ she looks in either directions; there's a large body of water to the west of them, and she she realizes they don't even have a fucking map. ]
Which way are we supposed to go?
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justice in his case just means murder most of the time. so nevermind, maybe zero actually is one too. it doesn't particularly surprise him when zero tasks him with carrying her supplies too - and it's not even much of an inconvenience, as the contents of the bag aren't that heavy.
but he still shoots her a sour look as she does it anyway, though he doesn't complain. and she would have a map, if she hadn't stuffed it in archer's bag without even looking. ]
Wyver's to the south. [ that much he at least knows without much effort. he glances to the east, then back to the west. ] We'll need to go back west and cross the border through the outpost.
[ thinking back, she was asleep the last time they made this particular trip. ]
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hi again, i was afk
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forgetting
[ JJ can't remember if dreams are meant to smell. There are some rules surrounding the difference between dreams and reality (or maybe not, it was just something he'd read on the internet once so the credibility of the information is bleak), none of which come to mind at the moment. All he knows is that one moment he'd been at the outpost, and the next he was surrounded by bodies.
Covering his nose with his hand, he gives Archer a startled look, not all that comforted at seeing a stranger among a scene of blood and carnage. It's impossible to tell which moment will be his last on El Nysa, when the situations are more varied and bizarre than anyone can imagine, but he can't imagine being surrounded by corpses bodes well. ]
This'll pass? What is it, an illusion?
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why he'd get dragged into this vision, of all people, archer has no idea. ]
Something like that. [ he sniffs at the air, frowning slightly. he's not wrong... the fact that archer hadn't even noticed is a bit troubling. the reason why is simple enough: he's far too used to this. ]
Just think of it at your mind playing tricks on you. [ all the same, he seems way too comfortable with this scenario to be completely oblivious as to what's going on. ]
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He's the only sight around that isn't contributing to JJ's fraying nerves. ]
Things don't usually work out that easily around here.
[ He steps closer, eyes on the ground to keep from wandering anywhere particularly unfortunate. ]
Are you from here?
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[ okay, that's not really true, in any sense. but this is... the mindscape that gave rise to archer in his current form, he supposes. not that jj would really be able to decipher that from his nonsensical cryptic answer. ]
I wouldn't be too worried - this place symbolizes nothing but emptiness and loss. There's nothing that can really harm you here.
[ besides tripping and impaling himself on a discarded weapon, maybe. ]
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campfire.
he breathes out a slight sigh at the sight of this other servant who seems so keen on... cooking? ]
Were you a master of domesticity? It seems it isn't completely uncommon amongst Servants... [ or so he's heard.
still, he can't fault someone for being resourceful. ]
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and if intuition alone wasn't enough, his comment confirms it. ]
Not all Servants are born with a silver spoon in their mouth.
[ though, giving this guy a closer look, maybe silver wouldn't even be good enough. ]
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still, the remark gets an almost curious hum. ]
Oh? Certainly you're not speaking about me. [ he wonders if this implies he has some inkling of his identity. regardless, it's a statement that lingers, before he stands over the pot. he gestures to it, as if to ask "may i?"
he is curious to see what this servant made, after all. ] I was just thinking you must have quite the unique personality to be sitting here and cooking. Especially, with this amount. [ permission granted or not, arjuna is looking in... ]
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[ if arjuna had any skill at noticing sarcasm... he would definitely notice it dripping from basically all of archer's words there. though does it even make sense to call him archer here, since arjuna is also an archer?? idk... whatever, he's the og, so he gets to use the class title. ]
Well, I can't deny that's probably true. But people need to eat. [ he gestures around, as there are at least a few around them that have already stopped by to get a bite, stealing eating from their bowls. ]
I'm not the type to sit around doing nothing.
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i realized this didn't post bc i didn't do catchpa
sad
forgetting.
— Until someone suggests to her otherwise ( familiar, yet from months and months ago; is he a byproduct of whatever illusion she's stuck in, or is he actually here? ). Her eyebrows furrow as a kneejerk reaction. A frown twists her lips, not entirely impressed with the idea of just sitting around.
Which means she's going to tell him exactly that. She takes her phone out, her thumbs typing up a message. The phone's turned for him to read sooner than later, and on the screen: ]
Isn't it faster to look for a way out? [ :/ ?? ]
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and this second encounter isn't much better. he simply gestures around them both as they view the landscape, shaking his head. ]
You're welcome to look, but there is no way out.
[ this landscape... if it was something he could escape, he'd have done so long ago. ]
No, rather than looking for an exit, you'd be better off looking for whatever caused this.
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You sure sound like you know a lot about here. [ Wherever here might be. It'd be nice if he could share. ]
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campfire
Dropping the majority of it off to the side, he plucks out a couple of the sturdier pieces and goes to wedge them into the flame, making embers plume and drift. ]
Live in the city this time, then.
[ He's pretty sure he doesn't have to specify which. ]
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[ there's really only one that's an option... so no, he really doesn't. he watches mika stoke the fires, just quietly tending to the stew he's been cooking. nothing too fancy, but impressive enough given their limited materials. ]
I take it you've settled down there as well then?
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I have a house.
[ So. Settled enough. ]
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III.
[Ears flick in Archer's direction, and all of a sudden there's a kitsune leaning on the counter next to him. Kaden's eyes are cast upward, all of his attention on Archer. He's never seen the guy, of course, but Kaden is happy to be back in Wyver and exploring...and, hey, he really doesn't know how to make a sword.]
I don't know much about human weapons. How would you make one?
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You start with the base material... usually some kind of metal. Then you heat it until it becomes malleable, and shape it as you see fit.
[ he pauses, glancing back at the kitsune. ] Though perhaps that's more technical than what you were looking for. Here, it apparently means collecting a bunch of random items, then somehow getting a magical weapon in return.
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[♥ Just Kitsune Things ♥
He nods through the entire response from the handsome human, ever the active listener. There's a little bounce to his ears here or there as he takes it all in.]
I wouldn't mind having a magical weapon myself, but if I were being honest it'd just be because I want one. [Teeth, remember?] Are you going to trade for one?
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forgetting.
Feeling's mutual, it seems. He doesn't answer the question when Archer cuts it off—couldn't if he tried, lets be real. But he stops to hold his free hand up, as if in a gesture of peace, or acknowledgment. (Hi.) The other hand, it seems, is busy propping a long blue-green blade of his own up against a shoulder, while he slowly approaches Archer, now that he's realized he isn't alone out here.
Uneasy, he takes his time taking in the scenery as he does. To be honest—]
I don't like this. [The air of violence and the battlefield feel of it just for starters. His feet are already itching, but this guy says to stay put, so—] How're you so sure?
[That it'll pass so soon.]
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I've seen this scenery before. It isn't real.
[ though, he pauses, thinking for a moment. ]
Though it is rare that I encounter company here.
[ this isn't the same as usual. not quite. ]
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Think I know the feeling.
[But then, without elaborating—]
Sorry to intrude. Pretty sure it wasn't intentional.
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