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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wildcard/spoilerish
And then suddenly, they're transported to a massive and overly extravagant office. It's easy to guess whose office it may be, considering that Mephisto's at his desk. Shura remembers this, the way she's poking at the holes in her sword. This isn't a bad memory, but considering her present company, Shura doesn't think it wise to linger. It might make things complicated, and seriously, she doesn't want to deal with that.
Shura speaks over Mephisto as he offers to find a new demon for her to contract with, moving towards the doorway.]
Ugh, seriously? C'mon, let's find a way out. No way this is real.
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It doesn't take a genius to figure out that this is some kind of illusion, and Mipha's smart enough to know this isn't something just made up and throwing people they might know together. So she doesn't follow after the real-Shura, instead opting to move closer to Mephisto and his desk.]
...You know Mephisto? [She'll use that name then, since it appears they were working together and it's the name she was told that, if people know it, they likely know his true identity as a demon. So she'll try and see if Shura knows him by that name first as well]
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Though she just called him Mephisto? Then was his little game up?]
Yeah, you could say that.
["And handle my demotion," she hears herself say, and she rolls her eyes.]
Tch. Guy didn't even bother handlin' that like he said he would.
[She rattles the doorknob, but it doesn't budge. Well, crap. Was she going to have to try and kick the door down? No way she could do that on her own.]
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You work for him? ...Worked? [Past tense? Maybe??]
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Yeah, he was my boss, somethin' like that.
[Not her direct supervisor, but close enough. It'd be too annoying to have to explain the hierarchy of the Order and where she had fallen in it.]
A pain the hind end, that's what he was. Still is.
[The toys on his desk are the only indication of his true otaku nature; the rest of the office is tasteful in spite of its ostentatious decor. But the mood of the memory sinks as Hachiro is mentioned.]
You that interested in this? It ain't that fasincatin'.
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Her eyes, intense, focused, don't leave him as she speaks.] I'm interested in Mephisto.
[That much is true, at least, on multiple levels that Shura doesn't need to know all the details to, especially when Mipha isn't too sure on them herself. She blinks and forces her gaze away to focus on the real!Shura.] I'm sorry, I know this must be uncomfortable for you, reliving memories.
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Ya got weird tastes if that's what ya like. [But obviously, Shura won't be the help she so desperately needs. She isn't going to mess with Mephisto's toys, even if his little game was up.]
You know that and you're just gonna watch? Eh, whatever. I ain't stickin' around.
[She knows how this ends, after all. She can already hear the way her voice drops right before she raises it, demanding answers from a demon who answered to no mortal. Maybe she should warn Mipha to step away from the desk? She probably wasn't going to be in any danger from her past self, but still...
Well, she'd give her a moment. Shura still had to find the way out, after all, even if it means pulling the curtains down and breaking the window.]
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I apologize; perhaps I'm just a little too nosy. But this is the only chance I've had to see him like this-- from long before we met. [And before he'd started to change a little. Shura mentions a plan, there's talk of double agents and just how many pies does Mephisto have his fingers in here?
And then the sword is being thrown. Luckily Mipha is to the side enough that it's not like it comes that close to her, but she still jumps back with a gasp of shock. There's a split second where an instinct to protect rears its head, and it's only her own sense of self-control and remembering that it's a memory of what's already happened that keeps her from automatically retaliating for Mephisto.
Mephisto is fine anyhow, minus the cut on his cheek, and Mipha looks from him, to the memory!Shura, to the real one in shock]
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[Well then, that little fluster just makes things even stranger. Shura absolutely does not understand.
But it's a good question--how many pies and plots and plans did Mephisto have his sticky demon fingers in, and just how many of those pies would Mipha still eat knowing more about Mephisto's past life?
Shura doesn't jump at the sound of Fang hitting the back of Mephisto's chair. Again, she knows how this ends, her storming out of his office. And maybe that seemed a little drastic to Mipha, but at her shocked stare, Shura just shrugs without saying a word. Clearly, she has no guilt or shame about threatening her boss.]
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[Mipha trails off, her tone and her expression one of disappointed disapproval. She's not about to scold Shura or anything for it--there was far too much below the surface going on here and an entire background of information she didn't have, and that keeps her from umping in to try and argue about something she has no knowledge on.
Still. She's obviously not terribly pleased about it. The memory seems to be frozen now though, like someone hit pause after the memory!Shura left. At least the door's open now?
Mipha glances back at Mephisto.] ...Then, you know he's a demon too. [moving the subject on she takes a breath and forces herself to calm down and relax a little.] He told me about all of that.
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Yeah, and he was probably turned on by that, so don't get too wound up cuz of it.
[That wasn't the first time she had threatened him, and had the Storm not happened, it probably wouldn't have been the last. But with both Rin and Yukio in stasis, Shura had little reason to try to threaten or provoke Mephisto.]
Guess he slipped up in his little game?
[Shura motions back to the door, waits to see if Mipha will follow.]
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No. I really didn't have any idea until he decided to come clean himself. [She considers, a moment, how much is okay to reveal. She doesn't know much Shura might know about... Well, the more in-depth things, so Mipha will refrain from going in too deeply.]
Likely, I... Would have remained ignorant about it all if he hadn't done so first.
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Eh, he did? He musta been up against a wall or somethin'. 'Course, he just does what he wants, so he may have just done it because he thought it would be more fun if you knew.
[fukkin demons. But at least they can get out of this memory and back to the area they were in before they were swept up in this little glitch of a display. What were they supposed to be doing? Gathering wood or something equally boring and menial.]
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You really dislike him. [It's an observation, not said accusingly or anything like that. He really wasn't wrong about people from his world not being very fond of him, huh...]
Will you tell me more? About him, or about demons? I'm afraid my knowledge is rather limited. [not a lie, exactly, but she's curious to hear Shura's interpretation of things.]
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[It's the truth. She doesn't like him, but it's not a matter of dislike. He's an obnoxious, all-powerful demon. Her feelings about him didn't matter, so she put them aside. She was used to that kind of thing.
But what's with these questions? Seriously, even though Mipha apparently knew about his true nature, Shura isn't sure that Mephisto still wouldn't come for her head if she told her too much.]
Mephisto would know a lot more about that kinda thing than I would, y'know.
[It's not untrue. Shura knew a lot, but she only had 27 years of experience behind her. Mephisto had thousands of years and lives to back him up.]
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[She tilts her head, considering ho to respond] It's still best to get many different perspectives, I believe, rather than trust just one.
[Even though she has no doubt Mephisto's told her the truth, it's still better to hear from everyone, right?]
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[And by told, she means threatened. Hopefully Mipha can read between the lines.]
But ask anyway, I guess. I ain't gonna promise any good answers.
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Her shoulders seem to slump tiredly and she sighs] Though I suppose we all have. [But right, questions. Now that she has permission to ask, though, she's not sure where to begin.]
You're on of the exorcists then, I presume? I'm afraid I'm not entirely sure how that all works in your world. [Not a question strictly about Mephisto, but whatever, she's curious.]
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Mm, yeah. I was one. Not much call for it here, so I ain't really much of one anymore.
[She could explain the Order and its hierarchy, but that's way too much trouble, and Shura doubts that those details are what Mipha's looking for.]
Just think of it as a paramilitary thing, that's the easiest way to describe it.
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And how exactly does one kill a demon? [Since where she's from you usually just kinda...stab 'em. A lot. That generally sees to work??]
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[So... stabbing them a lot is close enough for a lot of them.]
Some of 'em are too big or are immortal, so it's more of a seal them than kill 'em deal.
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Mipha falls quiet for a time, lost in her own thoughts.]
Do you think... It's possible for a demon to go against their nature?
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[Good thing Mephisto's entertained by humanity??
The next question has Shura curious and a little concerned. She cocks her head, hand on her hip. Just what was she trying to get at?]
Depends on what you mean by nature, I guess.