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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we got cows.
'This is manageable,' answers a voice to Vin's left, before a shape emerges and resolves into a person. The voice is gruff, but soft, low enough to carry. 'Come on, you shouldn't be out here.'
NGL this is kind of some dream CR right here
He'd snuck up on her? True, the heavy rain and the crinkling racket of her tarp had made listening harder but she'd been burning tin all the same. How had... who-?
She settles, if still a little on edge and makes a note of this man. For now, better to come across unassuming. Not hard to do. She's just a tiny girl who got separated from the group and wandered off in the rain.
"Oh... right." She tugs her improvised cloak a little tighter around herself though her eyes never waver beneath it. "I suppose I did get a little turned around. Do you... know the way back to the group?"
She does, of course, but what he says should reveal his intentions well enough.
she'd fit right into gotham lbr here
Bruce knows better. But that's also the paranoia talking.
'Yes, it's that way. Should I come with you?'
She'd be a little offput by all the colorful matching outfits and getaway cars tho
Because Vin isn't making any assumptions either. Getting the drop on a Mistborn isn't something someone just does. Curiously, she burns bronze, not quite sure what he expects to find and, of course, there's nothing to detect.
"If you don't mind leading the way." She replies at least putting on the facade of a sheepish smile. It's the right way but she's not about to turn her back on somebody like this, not until she's a little more sure.
they come with the theme vin get with it
Bruce isn't visibly armed, but martial training has never been something he tries to disguise about himself. He's not a small man, joking about crossfit is no explanation for the way his body inhabits space. He shrugs amiably and leads the way, and though it looks perfectly ordinary he is ready to turn at any time should she pull a weapon on him.
'This way, miss,' he says, and it does ring sincere. She just might be more than that, though.
But they could just drive a normal car and escape
He's not the biggest man Vin's ever seen, Ham would probably give him a run for his money. Maybe Camon but she has little doubt that confrontation would end very badly for the ex-crew leader. He's definitely a good deal larger than her though, which at least gives the advantage of size and reach if it comes to it and while she's confident in her abilities, she's not keen to test them without a better idea of who this is.
So, she follows along but keeps a decent distance back so that if he were to turn she'd be out of immediate reach. Not that it matters with the way this damned tarp crinkles around her. She's not willing to let it go though, both because she doesn't want to deal with the rain and she's feeling a little too stubborn to let him know she's on edge.
"Valette." She offers, selecting her assumed name. "Valette Renoux."
where's the fun in that
'Miss Renoux,' he offers, his voice carrying through the rain. 'Alan Foster. Did you just wake?'
Lying McLiarson, meet Other Lying McLiarson.
What's "fun?" Can you eat it?
Who knows how it would end up being the key to living here.
"I did. I just arrived tonight with the others." Her voice is quieter but still enough to hear over the rain and wind. "Have you been... 'awake' long?"
we gon have it
Superhero world is weird
She didn't want to give the Natha the idea they could manipulate her through them.
"I thought we weren't supposed to talk about that." That was the warning she'd been given. For all she knows he's here to see who blows their cover too easily.
no subject
He couches it in an old man's curiosity. Plenty of shit is, when he's as curious as they come.
no subject
Several seconds tick by in silence before she finally answers. There's a limit to paranoia. It's not as if there's anything he can even do with this information.
"Luthadel. The capital city of the Final Empire." Indeed, there isn't much in the way of fondness in her voice.
no subject
He wants to know, of course. Places form people, and the way she'll describe it will flesh out a few things about her. People's past always informs their present, and what kind of future they look to, as they look to it.
no subject
But on the same note, that means she doesn't have much reason to keep it secret.
"It depends on what part of it you lived in. I was lucky enough to be born to a minor noble house." Lies. But if it's a good enough cover to infiltrate that tier of society, it's good enough here. "But most of the people were skaa, basically people treated like cattle."
The same way he's looking to learn about her, she's doing the same. She's certain she's giving off a degree of disdain for the system, which is fine. How he reacts will tell her something about him as well.
"Everything was under the control of the Lord Ruler and his government, and the nobility were no exception. People were kept in line with poverty and threats of mass executions if they stepped out of line."
no subject
'I know the type,' he says, coolly. He doesn't expect to scare her, perhaps just express some empathy. If they come from hard places, it's easier to understand each other, easier to work together. Perhaps not necessarily with him, he's a fussy one.
no subject
Still, Bruce is a little off in his assessment. There was hope there, there'd been one hope, a single point of light. And the Final Empire had done what it always did to hope: destroyed it, crushed it and tried to wipe it out forever.
Except this time killing that hope had brought something entirely different down on them.
"It's gone now anyway. Before the Storm came there was a rebellion. The skaa rose up to overthrow the Lord Ruler." Her face stays hidden by her improvised hood but her voice turns as hard and cold as ice. "Somebody killed him."
no subject
But more than not needing to, Bruce is always softer with children. Softer when they've been hurt, when they do things like stay out in the rain, separated from the rest of their peers and whatever passes for safety on this planet. Softer, a little, because her footsteps are quiet and she's seen a world that no one should ever have to lay eyes upon.
So he does not lie.
'Sounds like it couldn't have happened to a nicer person,' he tells Vin quietly.
no subject
Whatever his own world was like, she thinks he must have seen the darker parts of it himself. The same way that she has. To be able to have a look like that... that only comes from a certain kind of rage.
"It did. To one too many." Her voice is just as quiet, almost seething, until she looks up, eyes intense beneath her hood. Studying. Watchful. "Your turn. Where did you come from?"
no subject
He bears it perfectly well, knowing he's being assessed. If she's deciding to trust him, inch by inch.
'Gotham City,' he tells her. 'It's as pleasant as where you come from.' She might have had the impression already, but Bruce outlines it simply, a distinct image, a certain place where people like them survive. 'It's also home.'
no subject
As pleasant as Luthadel... that's something to consider. The anger she'd seen a second ago may have come from a more personal place after all.
"'Home', huh?" She frowns a little bit in thought, mulling over the implication of that. "Do you miss it at all?"
no subject
'Do you miss where you're from?' he asks. Bruce's sentiment is rarely one for straightforwardness. He misses his family more than the city. Dick and Alfred frozen in those pods is sometimes the cause of a feverish anger, one that has no cure.
[ ooc: I'm fine w/ captcha, or you can move reply to this in an overflow if you'd prefer. ]
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Does she miss it? It's a good question and she takes a moment to think it over. Does she miss Luthadel? It hadn't been a nice place to live but it had been her home and a place of familiarity, if most of that was terrible.
There are people though and much like him the thought of those people asleep in those pods, where she can see them so clearly but never reach, is something she's working very hard at keeping pushed down. But the world itself...?
Still....
"I asked you first." She's given a lot away already and she's never been content to let a conversation get too one-sided.
no subject
With their non-answers, they've sort of already answered each other's questions.
no subject
Briefly, she considers using brass and zinc to try to pry more answers but dismisses it. Emotional Allomancy can be a subtle manipulation if she targets the right emotions, but go after the wrong ones and she might as well grab his collar and shake him. She doesn't have a good enough read to risk it.
... She really needs to practice with those metals more.
"This world's quieter." She settles on a non-committal answer of her own. Delivered about as flat as she can manage it.