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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[And though Dylas would like to stand there and be stoic forever, thinking too much about Ventuswill is enough to get his face to calm down. He doesn't smile, but he somehow looks less angry and more relaxed than before.]
I knew a lizard back home. She keeps getting bigger and never stops talking, but she's pretty incredible.
[Even if he's not smiling, the way his ears perk is akin to a smile to those who've known him long enough...even if his description of Ventuswill would get him killed if she overheard.]
She puts any other reptile to shame.
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... A talking lizard. A monster that talks?
[ That's the only term she knows to call it by.
Honestly she's just picturing a tiny little lizard squeaking out words while it grows. It's ... kind of cute. ]
tries something here, don't look at me
[If he had to pick who's more of a monster between him and Ventuswill, it'd be himself—the Orbiters restored his ability to transform into a giant death unicorn, not that present company knows. But the word 'monster' being brought him always brings up that reminder.]
She's a Native Dragon. Er, a dragon. Or at least she was.
[And her pod isn't on Thesa, so...Dylas thinks he's said his goodbyes to his closest friend for good. He rubs the back of his neck; he hadn't quite intended to say that much, but it's not really that much information to begin with.]
it was a good thing to try, success!!
It's ... actually kind of shocking to just randomly meet someone who knows one of them. And she, for once, shows more expression than usual, her face reflecting a small amount of shock. ]
... You know a Native Dragon?
[ She hasn't even met one. It would be amazing to do so ... If only Candy and her grandpa were here too. ]
it feels a bit forced but w/e
Until she recognizes the word 'Native' in front of Dragon.
It has to be a coincidence. If there are dragons in every world, there are surely Native Dragons in other worlds. But the look on her face is enough to make it feel like, if only for a second, a hand had gripped his heart and squeezed it. He misses a breath, feels that hollowness that comes with anticipation and hope, a hollowness that will be despair or joy or whatever other emotions he's capable of making.]
Ventuswill.
[He just says the one word, but there's a gentle warmth to the way he says her name. There always is. It's different from when he'd teased about her being a reptile. His ears droop cautiously before he continues, and his tail tucks just slightly against his leg.]
The Native Dragon of Selphia. We're...old friends, me and her. But you don't know what I'm talking about, do you?
naaah it's fine
I do. They're deeply connected to runes. [ And, well, the world. She's studied runes enough, of course she'd know about them. And that should be a term that seals the deal here.
Keeping it short and sweet here. She definitely knows what he's talking about. ]
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[And now his heart is racing, his ears are flicking more wildly. She does know. She knows Ventuswill, and she knows about Runes, and probably all sorts of things, and...
...before he can stop himself, he attempts to place his hands on her shoulder, just so he can hold her still and get a really good look at her.]
You survived. I'm not...I'm not the only one. You're not making this up, right?
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She "survived"? He must mean the Storm. Does this mean he's met no one else from their world? At least ... it probably does. She definitely doesn't know him so it can't be much else other than them sharing a world. But is that something to be so excited about? ]
No. [ Why and how could she make this up, anyway. And since she's assuming he's from Selphia, seeing as he mentioned it earlier: ] I'm from the Kingdom of Norad, too.
[ She's ... way more deadpan than he is, right now. Sorry, she's not much one for displaying emotions too much. ]
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[He was born there over seven hundred years ago, and there are some road bumps along the way...but the kingdom was still called Norad when he was alive. He remembers that much. He still remembers the King, too, and...
...and he removes his hands, a blush creeping onto his face as he realized he just sort of grabbed her without thinking? A fool. He's a fool. And even now, tears are stinging at the corner of his eyes. He's so glad he's not the only one.]
Can we go...sit somewhere? S-somewhere public. I'm not a creep or anything, I just really want to talk to you.
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But she's not one to flat out refuse someone who so clearly wants to keep talking to her. She's ... not much of a talker, but she would feel strange saying no to someone who's acting this way. And besides, she herself is interested in him now knowing the company he apparently keeps.
So she nods her head. ] ... Okay.
[ No comment on whether he's a creep or not? Okay, Cinnamon. He'll just be schrodinger's creep. ]
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Dylas takes a seat opposite Cinnamon. For a good few moments, he can't think of anything to say. He looks at her. He looks away, worried he's staring too much. He opens his mouth once, but nothing comes out. The entire time his tail can be heard thudding against the wooden chair behind his own. He's anxious.
Eventually, he sorts his thoughts out. Sort of.]
I'm Dylas. I should've led with that. Who're you?
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When he finally talks, it's a good thing, because she's about ready to just go to sleep in the process of waiting. It took him that long to think to say his name ...? ]
My name's Cinnamon.
[ Easy enough! ]
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He blinks at the blunt answer, vaguely remembers how barely conversational she's been so far, and tries to guess at why.]
Is this all some kind of bother for you? I guess I sprung it on you pretty quickly...
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No. [ Not yet, at least. Only a little. Juuust a little. They haven't been talking long after all. ] Did I do something?
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[It's his turn to be emotional again. As soon as she asks "did I do something," he replies quickly and loudly. Cinnamon hasn't done anything wrong at all, and he hates himself for giving her that impression. How does he damage control? His ears flick about, almost as if they're flailing, but he manages to keep his hands on the table. Small miracle.]
I mean, no. Of course not. You're just...quiet. Sorta like someone I used to know.
[a/n: he's referring to himself ;)]
And I don't even know where to start. I'm...really glad to meet you is all.
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[ Just ... 'oh'. She's aware she's quiet, so she leaves it at that. No use in responding to something he's already aware of! She'd let him know that talking is a pain, but ... that last bit he says makes that not something she'd want to say right now. She's not rude enough to do that.
But she's definitely still a little confused by his happiness over meeting her. ]
... Why? Just because we're from the same place?
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[He folds his hands on the table, lacing his fingers together. He always fidgets when he's nervous or when he's the center of attention. His time with the Earthmate hasn't made him an expert at conversation yet, even if he's better than he was before, but he still feels like the worst person to talk to when it really counts.
And this feels important.]
It means something to me, anyways. I really loved Selphia, even if it took me a long time to realize it. And...
[His voice trails off and he makes a face. He's not sure if he should say it or not, but he exhales his anxiety and continues anyways.]
...I don't like being the only survivor, I guess.
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Oh ... [ This just reminds her that the world she was just in really ... isn't here anymore, is it? It's a difficult thing to really comprehend, especially for someone like her, who tends to avoid thinking too deeply about things. Who knows when she'll actually get used to it, or even let it sink in. Though he's done that a little for her.
Plus, having all that to digest while also being completely alone ... She's always been with her family, whether it was her parents, her grandpa, or her sister.
So she gives her best attempt at this. ]
... I wouldn't, either. [ Now that she realizes a little more the feeling of being alone. ] I'm glad you're here too ... I think.
[ Because what is understanding her own feelings anymore? ]
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I'm sort of a jackass, so if I say something that upsets you, you can throw something at me. I don't mind.
[He should at least get that out there. It's a countdown in his head: how long until he says something vastly inappropriate? And hearing that she's 'glad' he's here makes him feel funny, too, even if he sad that himself.]
Can you...tell me about yourself?
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[ Though that answer counts for both things.
But she's not really sure where to start with anything about her, sooo ... ]
... What do you want to know?
[ Where she's from? What she likes? Her friends? ]
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How he's survived this long is anyone's guess.]
Oh...uh, you can tell me anything you want. I'll do the same, so...don't worry about this being a trick or something.
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But ... huh. Okay. Then simple intros. ]
... I'm from Trampoli. But I lived in the capital before that. [ A pause. ] I lived with my sister and grandpa.
[ That's a decent picture she's painted, right!! And maybe it'll become clear at some point how much she relied on them (mostly her sister Candy) with the chores. ]
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[He says that too loudly, too quickly. But the last time he'd been to the capital, it had been to meet the King, and... ...]
It was, uh. A really long time ago, though. I can barely remember it. I don't think I've heard of Trampoli, though. Can you tell me about it?
[Living in Selphia, he's still getting used to the new names of cities and countries around. Most of them didn't exist when he was born. He wonders if he should tell her, but...that seems sort of like a second
datemeeting topic to him.]no subject
But that last question is an easy task. ]
It's ... very small. There aren't many people. [ Especially compared to the capital. ] But I like it. It's quiet.
[ Very nice for fishing, and reading, and there isn't any light pollution so it's easy to see the stars. ]
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Yeah? Quiet is...pretty nice. Selphia's pretty lively, but it's not bad. Except for that idiot runt of a dwarf.
[Nothing to see here, move along.]
Do you...have a job?
[He has to pause to think of what question to ask next.]
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