❪ event ❫ khalo? can you hear me?

[natha]

In normal circumstances, this would have been near the time in which you're called upon to greet the newly awakened. Unfortunately, I speak to you to inform that we must postpone that — there is trouble on your horizon. What, I cannot see for sure. We shall continue to monitor the situation, however — we - ... we — [feed cuts off.] OLYMPIAN PRESERVATION     The city of Olympia is preparing the send-off of its most prized artifact: the heart of the ancient dragon, Ysverai. In doing this, they've transformed the palace court into an exhibition detailing the centuries-old war between Wyver and Olympia. Sculptures of Nithor the Exalted and his men and women in clean, white marble, while their armors are polished in perfect gold. Among Nithor are the sculptures of stallions in all shapes and sizes that also aided in the great war. Further in the exhibition, one may also find other artifacts of much older weaponry, rusted by its time in the earth, and items found from a time when humans feared the dragons. The Royal Guard has increased its numbers in wake of such a public event, particularly because the heart will be in display also. The heart is not what one might expect it to be: about the size of an average human, the heart's core is surrounded in stone, a red glow emitting from its still beating core. If that were not unsettling enough, one might also find that lingering around this particular exhibit will have undue affects on one's inhibitions. You'll notice your heart has fallen into sync with the organ, and your more selfish desires will come forth. Things that have long been buried will rise up and place you in a state of unease, encouraging paranoia about your companions intentions. Allow it to fester, and one will carry this feeling with them long after you've left the scene. It's probably a good thing this is leaving Olympia — perhaps it's a source of so much conflict you've endured. It's easy to become mesmerized by all the historical artifacts that are present in Olympia's exhibition. Some even seem mystical or, like Ysverai’s heart, to hold unspeakable powers. Others are just a little eerie. Either way, Olympia prides itself in its generosity and their grand displays, and so refugees are urged to learn more about their artifacts by spending the night in Palace Court. Though, someone should probably mention that there are rumors of strange, almost occult things happening around these relics at night. People speak of armored soldiers casting shadows that have the ability to walk on their own, or gemstones that catch the moonlight in a certain way and show you visions. But those are just silly ghost stories, right? TALL TALES OF KHALO VILLAGE     Because of Khalo's proximity to Wyver, it's no surprise that they would catch wind of the peace talks between Wyver and Olympia. In response, for the first time in centuries, Khalo Village has willingly granted passage to outsiders — but visitors will immediately find out that one cannot just simply walk into the village. Visitors will need to inhale the smoke of a fyrra herb in order to enter the premises without falling into slumber. Khalo is notably different than what refugees are used to. Visitors, specifically refugees, will find that they are exceedingly accommodating. The Khali are very intrigued by the outsiders, thus they're treated with much respect and given instant access to some of the best lounges and fyrra the village has to offer. In exchange, the village is interested in hearing about your journey thus far. Whether it be through a conversation with another individual or the Khali themselves, they'll very likely to have been eavesdropping and recording the tales of their exploits. Why, exactly? Perhaps it will not be immediately clear, but if you happened upon a venasou, a tamed Khali creature, it may have guided you to their Enchanted Library. Upon entering the library, visitors will notice that it is quite the happening place — but not because it's occupied by the Khali, but because there seems to be an assembly of magical quills seemingly writing on their own. The quills are mostly undisturbed by the intrusion and will not stop writing even if parchment is taken from it; it will simply produce another piece of paper and continue its tales. If you happen to read the parchment, you may notice that there is a daunting similarity between your story and the ones being written here. Tales of Thesa birthing new races and sending them from the sky, for example, are very popular in Khalo Village. They mark July 15th as the day in which the Moon Goddess, Thesa, created more people in her image and brought them to El Nysa as saviors. The coincidences don't end there: specifics about your home world might be found in the writings if you search deeply enough — but it's not without its exaggerations. These stories are given all sorts of poetic and literary forms, from short stories to limericks, biographies to something similar to haiku. If asked, the Khali will inform visitors that the enchanted library has access to vague parts of your memories, and thus it is duty-bound to record. The Khali have not seen stories as strange as the ones being made by refugees, which is largely why they are interested in them. NOTE: This is entirely optional! You may make up your own "stories" (fanfiction) and it could be as accurate or inaccurate, or as serious or silly as you'd like. While tales of the Thesa's descendants are still being written, visitors of the Enchanted Library might find intrigue in the more complete works — KING AND KIN. If one is willing to delve deep, they may also find parts of Wyver's past that have been removed from their own archives. These pages will recount the tales of Shanrian and Rasyc. Though a lot of the narrative seems to divide at certain points in the story, it becomes obvious with some quick reading that Rasyc is not only the son of Shanrian, but that he glorifies the Wyver of old, more bloodthirsty and brutal than it is today. Unlike his father, he does not take kindly to Olympia and the threat they will always pose for their people. He has not forgotten Olympia's past sins and he believes that, in his foolish quest for peace, the king has gone soft and no longer possesses the real will to fight. His present voice in affairs of state is not a loud one, as he chooses to speak in whispers and move in the dead of silence. In these quiet murmurings, he boasts of his unwavering belief in the power and dignity of his people. Of how they should all return to what they once were — the kingdom, its citizens, and naturally the father who he had once admired greatly. Though perhaps it can be argued that any estranged son would wish the same. It's difficult to pinpoint what becomes political and what is and always will be more personal for him. But, it hardly matters. It's clear that Rasyc will stop at nothing to achieve his objectives, even if it means never returning to place he calls home. Even if it means turning his back on his own father, Shanrian, King of Wyver... DRAGONFIRE. While tales of the Thesa's descendants are still being written, visitors to the Enchanted Library might find intrigue in the more complete works. In particular, tales of Ysverai, the last of Wyver's great high dragons. Ysverai is most commonly known for being slain by Olympia’s past king and legendary hero, Nithor, but here in Khalo he is depicted in another light. Ysverai is known to the Khali people as a wise being, old as the first inhabitants that walked El Nysa. The creature spoke in the common tongue to the early settlers, guiding them to refuge when his kin began to dominate the land at the cost of its own isolation. It ultimately becomes a tale of sacrifice, for its stand with Nithor became a testament against the Olympian Empire's long reaching influence. At the bottom, there is a quotation: Your hearts will fill with greed and malice the moment my own stops beating. Take care in the Eye of the Storm. Find strength in one another, before it is too late. It seems to end there. Refugees are naturally allowed to question the natives. However, keep in mind that many of their replies will seem more like speculation than fact. But maybe that can be fun too? If you have no interest in the library and the tales they've woven, feel free to explore any of the other areas of interest. Khalo Village is thrilled to be open for you all. THOSE THAT SEEK PEACE, AND THOSE THAT SEEK --     The morning of the 20th is marked by fairly dismal weather. The sky is overcast and a downpour seems imminent. Regardless of the poor forecast, those who signed up to assist in this mission will be required to come early in order to receive their briefing. Members of Group A: ▸ Jon Snow (song_of_ice) ▸ Daenerys Targaryen (dorzalta) ▸ Loras Tyrell (triplerose) ▸ Terra (earthy) ▸ Alisaie Leveilleur (adelphoi) ▸ Solider: 76 (personalwar) ▸ Ardyn Izunia (daemonized) ▸ Mai(maipokerface) ▸ Olivier Armstrong (wallsofbriggs) ▸ Atsushi Nakajima (gekkajuu) Members of Group B: ▸ Kale (kaleorbekaled) ▸ Diana Prince (wondie) ▸ Pheonix Wright (objectionattourney) ▸ Revolver Ocelot (shashka) ▸ Frederick (pebblestone) ▸ John Sheppard (impavid ▸ Ianto Jones (torchwoodteaboy) ▸ Lena Oxton (quevarly) ▸ Allura (quintessent) Due to the rain, members of Group A will have to immediately stop by the checkpoint at the East Watchtower. Additionally, the Royal Guard and Knightryders are well-prepared with extra cloaks for those who may require it. They also will provide basic refreshments such as water and bread. People are encouraged to take what they need prior to their departure on this mission. The checkpoints are a bit far between, after all. Members of the envoy will also be encouraged to utilize this time to become familiar with one another. Maybe some introductions are in order? You never know who will end up having your back... For both groups, the paths will be relatively straightforward with evenly spaced checkpoints along the way. The only issue seems to be the downpour, really. The rain is unforgiving and the roads easily become unstable and increasingly difficult for the carriage to be drawn through. Hence, there may be more than one occasion where you will be expected to lend a hand in prying out its wheels from a particularly pesky (and muddy) pothole. Or perhaps you will be called upon by a fellow guard to assist in getting a particularly stubborn creature out of the path ahead of you. Seems like it may be a longer journey than you expected. Dirtier, too. While weathering the conditions may have been a bit tiring, this journey isn't too bad, right? Well, maybe not. GROUP A. Once the carriage gets through the worst of the terrain and finally manages to depart from the watchtower, it won't be long until the group is met with a physical roadblock. A large tree trunk will be set down the center of the road, acting as a blockade. But, before the group can react or begin crafting a plan around this obstruction, the carriage will be attacked without warning. At first, it's unclear where the attack comes from or from whom, but you don't have the leisure to deliberate this. You hear one of your fellow guards mention something about bandits frequenting these parts, but maybe there's more to it? Either way, your task is clear: protect the artifact, Nithor's skull, and fight the bandits off. You'll be encouraged to try and capture them so that they may later be turned and questioned by the authorities. GROUP B. With clear motives to restock and collect a few more materials for the carriage, it's evident that the envoy will appear restless to arrive at the second checkpoint. However, despite their unspoken delight at seeing the South Outpost from a distance, it's clear something has gone awry. There will be several hooded figures awaiting them right where the mud path meets the cobblestone of the Outpost's road. Soon, several more of these figures will come to flank them from both sides. While they seem like bandits, at least from their physical appearance, there is something far more polished in their movements. They will be attacking the envoy in concise, practiced formations. For those who are more perceptive, it becomes obvious that they are moving around and acting as decoy to one central figure. This member is likely the "leader" of their group, but no matter how one may try to close the distance between themselves and this mysterious leader, someone will constantly get in the way of that. The fighting also seems to act as a distraction since by the time everything is cleared up... only two things are missing. The leader of this group of bandits and more importantly — Ysverai's heart. NOTE: Those RNG'd to thread out the capture and questioning of the bandits will have starters below. For everyone else that signed up, you will still have the opportunity to capture the assailants even though they were not selected to thread the interrogation; you are free to make up your NPCs with the same basic guideline: they will not reveal their motive or their organization. You may turn them in to authorities (Wyver or Olympia or otherwise) or find creative ways to get rid of them. FINAL OOC NOTE     To reiterate: you may use this log as a general mingle for everything from the May Outline, including all Khalo Village activities. In other words, your top-levels don't necessarily have to be related to the prompts written here. An AC-eligible thread in which your character participates in anything mentioned in the May Outline and/or Khalo Village location page may be submitted for 2 REP POINT FOR EITHER OLYMPIA OR WYVER. SUBMIT THE THREAD FOR OLYMPIA OR WYVER HERE OR HERE RESPECTIVELY BY June 10th 11:59 PM EST. For those who participated in this month's plot-related portion, to receive IC recognition for it, a summary of the thread must be submitted HERE by June 8th 11:59 PM EST. Please direct all queries to the question thread below. Thank you, and have fun! QUICK NAV premise ● faq ● lore ● map ● npcs ● bestiary taken ● atp/emp ● application ● rep/acp ● quest bulletin calendar ● hiatus/drops ● modbox [ FULL NAVIGATION ] elnysa nysalogs nysaisles nysaooc elnyan

Comments

[gekkajuu]

[It just figures that Atsushi's frantic attempts got him nowhere, yet Linneus' calm approach succeeds in stopping the quills (for now, anyway) with next to no effort at all. Sighing, Atsushi finally resigns himself to giving up.]

... I think that would be for the best.

[He really doesn't know if that will stop the quills, but at least he'll stop seeing them at work and being confronted with them writing God-knows-what.]

[impavid]

It's broken.

[ #Genius ]

Listen it's not like I'm some kind of programming expert. It's just a thing that happens when I touch things. Which is also why... people tell me not to touch things -- but the point is normally this stuff listens to me and gives me the closest approximation it can of what I wanted. So. Probably the noise means something. The problem is figuring out what, and why it's coming out that way. If it's the system crashing horribly because the power keeps --

[ It flickers, goes out for a second to emergency lighting, then slowly begins to come back on again. ]

... Doing that, or if whatever is causing this is actually also causing the power to go up down down. You know, what's a cause what's a symptom or something.

[apricitous]

I'll head in that direction and see what I can do.

[ When he sees the reaction, he gives Jim a warm smile. ]

I can't do much about starship engines, but I can keep a person well-fed just fine. I'll find you then.

ADDITIONAL PROMPT: POST NPC THREAD, GROUP B

[impavid]

After having vanished away into the forest, following a bandit who made a break for the treeline, John eventually comes back with a body seemingly slung around his shoulders. The fighting has mostly finished up, he's glad to note, because there's a degree of inconvenience to having to fight while holding an unconscious person.

He moves in close to the carriage and dumps her down, dusting himself off and letting out a sigh as he rolls his shoulders and waits to see if he has most people's attention.

"This is Betty," he begins brightly. Her name is absolutely not Betty. "Betty and I are now good friends. We had a long chat about the meaning of life and the meaning of losing it, and it turns out Betty was interested in keeping hers. It also seems like she's fallen in with a questionable crowd. They're all friends with the shamans, seems like they've got some pretty big ideas."

[impavid]

Anything's worth a shot at this point.

[ Since he's not getting much from just yelling, however much it makes him feel better for a minute.

John sighs and takes a step back, hands shoved into his pockets as he glances around. He's gone from agitated to just feeling tired now. ]

Don't suppose you found something in the records and you're just waiting for a dramatic moment to bring it up?

[impavid]

He gives a vague shrug at that, because it's true that deep space doesn't involve weather and it's equally true that this weather is somewhat familiar to some parts of Earth.

"Depends where you are. Some places are mostly dry and hot, some hot and humid with a lot of rain, some have colder temperatures all year round. It's a pretty diverse set of climates."

[colorature]

<sub>[There are a few reasons Diva can come up with regarding why Atsushi should mind, but if he isn't going to put up a fuss she'll leave it at that. It's easy enough to accept his compliment, a pleased hum leaving her as she looks into his two toned eyes. Sure, she knows she's pretty, but that doesn't make hearing it any less nice.

It's not his neck though that she goes for first as she leans in. Rather it's her lips that find his, hands settling on his shoulders as she makes herself comfortable.]</sub>

[torchwoodteaboy]

Ianto really isn't a melee battle sort of fighter. Or a fighter at all, when it comes down to it. There's too much going on around him and he can't keep track of it all. A bit too reminiscent of the only other 'battle' he's ever been in, at least in the way it's making him feel, and his hands shake slightly as he watches John work through the fray almost effortlessly.

The sound of his name catches him off-guard and it startles him enough to look around, just in time to duck out of the way of -- a stick? a club? -- something heavy swinging in his direction. And by duck, it's really more of a trip, but it gets the job done because he's at least not where the man had been aiming for his head anymore, now that he's on the ground. It doesn't solve the problem that they're still upright and he's not though. "Shit, shit," Ianto murmurs to himself and does the only thing he can think of to protect himself from the log the other man has coming for him by rolling underneath the carriage.

[jesus_is_gundam]

No.

Together, with my Gundam.

[thetaintedsorrow]

[It’s almost hilarious that Atsushi fell asleep like that, but Chuuya should probably get him out of here.

Okay. Looks like Atsushi is out cold. Which means that Chuuya will have to float him out of here. Chuuya bends down, glowing red with his activated ability, and-

Scoops Atsushi up into his arms. Sure he could just float the guy through the air all the way there, but there’s the risk of slamming him into a tree on accident since, you know, they’re everywhere. He will, however, make them both lighter to make the trip quicker, and once he arrives in the village he finds a nice, plush couch in one of the lounges to lay Atsushi down on.

Maybe some secondhand smoke will wake him up? They’re alone in this particular lounge, so Chuuya grabs a nice bit of fyrra to light up before smoking it within breathing distance of Atsushi.]

[nysan]

[ It is a miracle in itself that Zain is still listening to him, he thinks. The combination of Ardyn's audacity and the pain are near unbearable. For the moment, all he can focus on are stilling the impaled hand and muffling his whimpers. ]

Three weeks... give or take. [ He croaks after a minute's passed, lowering his hand from his mouth in a shaking fist so he remains audible enough. ] They will... They will take it to Khalo.

[impavid]

John sees Ianto duck just in time and feels a wash of relief followed by a fresh wave of nerves as he rolls himself under the carriage.

He narrows his eyes, glances around quickly then drops the bandit as he finally goes limp.

"Ianto! You have a weapon, use it!"

Come on, come on you can do it. Something moves close and John turns, gritting his teeth as a blade sinks into his arm. That's fine, though, another free weapon if he can get it. He tries to shake the bandit off, attention split now between what's he's doing and Ianto hiding under the carriage.

[thetaintedsorrow]

It’s nice.

[The smell, he means. Roses might just be his favorite flowers, but that makes him sound like a sappy idiot, so he’ll just keep that little fact to himself.]

Maybe it’s fucked up to say, but I’m glad they don’t always work right, if that’s the case. You don’t like scaring people, people don’t like being scared. It works out.

[Plus Chuuya wasn’t too fond of the whole forcefully submitting thing.]

Not saying you shouldn’t use your pheromones if you need to, though. No one wants to be defenseless.

[notwagging]

[ IF ONLY HE HAD DIRT TO GIFT WAVER WITH but alas, he is a somewhat clean wolf right now. ]

Nothing. [ and he positions himself so that he could take his shoes off, no socks, and let his feet dangle in the water. once again, Waver should be so lucky that he doesn't instantly ruin the bath water with his presence.

then again, he's also not completely in it. ]

You looked lonely, so I just wanted to... say hi.

[ or maybe Keaton's lonely. hello? please accept his feelings. ]

library!

[adelphoi]

[ for all that alisaie might come off as a Cool And Capable Sword Girl (which she totally is!!), she's also a giant nerd, bred from a long line of giant nerds, living on a giant nerd island. this means, naturally, that she is magnetically drawn to the libraries around her, most especially new ones, full of information she has yet to process and curate. after being so long confined to olympia and wyver, she's exhausted what research she was able to, for the most part, and so being given access to an entirely new area with entirely new things to learn is quite appealing.

the fairy weed helps, too.

anyway, here she is, arriving all bright-eyed and bushy tailed, ready to peruse the shelves when she spies a familiar head of hair, bent over a book. she's not spoken with him since.. well, the infirmary, neither of the times they've interacted has she been particularly, uh, healthy. so with a smile, alisaie leans to inspect his book. ]

Have you come across anything interesting?

potholes!!

[adelphoi]

[ okay, now alisaie is certainly not one to judge anyone's strength or ability based on their size or age, but it is still nonetheless troubling to watch him attempt it all on his own. that carriage is heavy! he could very easily hurt himself or worse, slip in the mud and be crushed under the weight of it, should it topple.

so alisaie is quick to join him, planting her feet firmly in the mud and bracing both hands against the back of the carriage, leaning her weight into it. she's not.. particularly big, but strong, at least, for her size. ]

Allow me to help.

naked shenans

[adelphoi]

[ alisaie is not a terribly modest girl, though still she has at least some regard - while she had quite enjoyed the bath houses in kugane, more often than not when the clothes were off they were separated by sex. so okay, she's a bit of an old fashioned girl sometimes, and besides, a certain someone would probably get huffy with her were she to just bare her tiddies to the world.

so here she is in her skivvies, ready to settle into the water when something - or someone - bumps her shoulder.

ah. somehow she is not surprised. this is the guy who wore an entire suit of armor at high noon in the summer heat, after all. but it's been quite some time since last they'd spoken; alisaie smiles warmly, and though he may not be able to see it, he may hear it in her voice. carefully, she sets a hand to his elbow and grips strongly. ]

You are liable to break your neck, walking around like that.

[daemonized]

[He knows, of course, that there's a chance that Zain is lying, despite his mind having to sort through all the pain in order to even form words. After all, the man had mentioned 'true loyalty' just a moment before, and he wonders if such a concept holds up even under the sensation of a blade through the palm.

Still, there was no way to confirm it in this moment; better that he's garnered information to be taken with a grain of salt, rather than none at all.

Finally, Ardyn lurches the glaive out of Zain's hand with a little twist.]

Do hope for your sake that you're speaking the truth. One would hate to imagine the sort of pain that awaits, should you be weaving nothing but lies to me.

[Because once all is said and done, he obviously has zero intention of letting Zain go free. To be taken prisoner, and probably questioned all the more by others, is undoubtedly engraved in his future, he thinks.]

[colorature]

_{[The sensation of random patterns being drawn against her back has her arching slightly like a cat would. It's pleasurable, to say the least. Reign isn't wrong though, a perfume made to smell like a dog wouldn't exactly be a hit.]}

I guess it isn't for everyone.

<sub>[Not that she seems to mind how Keaton smells.

As for the heat growing between them she seems content to reach up with her fingers to fiddle with Reign's bangs.]</sub>

libarry

[adelphoi]

[ krile is by no means the only one attracted by the library. though she has done her fair share of research in wyver, it is a state far more focused on combat and war than learning; not since olympia has she been able to properly settle into so many tomes. her study at home is steadily growing its stacks, but there's no substitute for a proper library.

to find krile here is certainly no surprise; alisaie would recognize that jacket anywhere, of course. with a broad, warm smile she approaches. ]

Have you stumbled across anything particularly interesting?

[steponme]

[Ah. He shakes his head with a smile, that little compliment coloring his cheeks.]

No, it's fine. I'm actually glad they don't work right either. Since... it would be a lot harder to get close to people here otherwise.

Even what we did the other day would have been hard, since they're strongest when we're aroused.

[He'd said distracted when he explained it before, but just in case it wasn't obvious.]

[thetaintedsorrow]

Good luck with that.

Why do you want to eradicate war?

Was that your purpose back home?

[poolhall_killer]

[The rustling does catch his attention, so he tries to follow that as well as the voice. Thankfully Venom doesn't have to go far as he spots the very tiny person in a patch of grass.]

Ah-!

[He crouches down to take a closer look.]

Hello there. Are you lost?

[Naturally he thinks this little person might be from around here so he offers his hand.]

[poolhall_killer]

It might help clear the haze a bit. I'm still learning, so it's not very strong.

[It's the only thing he has that can possibly ease his friend's condition.]

Once we get to the city, we'll find you a place to rest properly.

[steponme]

[OH thank goodness! He hesitates for a second when he's offered a hand to walk on -- but then climbs aboard, having seen no shortage of nightmare-sized bugs while down here. This is much better, even if it feels a bit strange.]

That's one way of putting it. I don't know what happened, but I stepped on something and suddenly became really small. I thought something was going to eat me at this rate...