❪ 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

[baguablade]

It makes sense. He'd be in the perfect position to set things up in both cities, with control of Wyver's spy network as the leader of Mythi's fangs, and access to Shanrian's own resources as Shanrian's son, even if he was estranged. He still had power in Wyver, that much is evident, but he was notably absent from the council meetings earlier this month when all the other military heads and other important figures of state made an appearance. And that note he left, about burning the Fangs' headquarters because it was no longer needed... [ Cain taps his finger on the table to emphasize. ] Well, he's certainly no fan of the direction things are going, he's made that clear. I can't say for certain, but it's my best guess that he's our R.

[ He doesn't have proof, not yet. But the logic makes sense, and it's a lead. Somewhere to start looking for proof from. A place to start looking, Cain thinks, as he lays out his reasoning, even if he can't offer any more than hypotheticals. Raysc, if it is indeed him, is good at covering his tracks. No surprise, when he's been the leader of Wyver's spy organization for this long. ]

As for how I tracked them down... [ Cain grimaces faintly. ] I had some help from an inside source. I wouldn't say the source is trustworthy, but the information I found I verified myself, and it's good.

[baguablade]

Most other places. I've checked the stasis pods and the Observation room.

[ He gestures, indicating the room they're in, and the hallway toward the pods, his two priorities. And manages to hide his sigh of relief as she seems to give up on prodding randomly at the buttons. ]

They seemed like the places that might give the most immediate information. How about you? Somewhere else you want to go check out?

[colorature]

<sub>[He isn't wrong - eating is pretty important, especially to someone like Diva. While Atsushi seems to relax and drift, Diva decides to play with his hair, tugging on the uneven strands, scraping her nails lightly against his scalp. It's nice to see him so at ease, even though she herself isn't sleepy.

If anything, she's a bit restless.]</sub>

Sometimes I get scolded for eating too much...but I can't help it that I get hungry.

[baguablade]

[ Good. That makes it easier, if he doesn't have to worry about where she's going to be. Assured of her position, Cain starts forward. The room is mostly still, the moonlight wavering as clouds pass by. There's only that strange gurgling, and the constant beating of the heart, a loud, dull thudding that echoes louder and louder in his ears, almost seeming to take over his senses as he slowly advances.

As he nears a corner, something rustles. What was over there on display...? A butter knife, he remembers, said to be the cause of over twenty deaths in the Olympian court. ]

Miss? Are you still okay? [ He turns his head to check — to make sure nothing's crept up behind him and gotten her while his attention's been diverted. ]

[beatupgrass]

[Oh god.

The staring continues. And then slowly, slowly he drags his hands down his face.]

I don't know what I expected you to say. What do you even steal from people if you're this sappy, kid?

[beatupgrass]

They're makin' our lives out to be some kind of tall tale. Kinda pathetic, actually. The only frickin' history of our universes we got left is a bunch of crappy retellings written by magic pencils.

[And maybe if he cared about such things more he'd be upset, but he doesn't, so it's just kind of crappy.]

[beatupgrass]

[Rocket sits up straighter, looking a bit shocked at the segue, like he expects to be mocked for what he thinks is a great name.

Also, it's a.. sensitive subject, considering what his actual name is, which isn't even a name at all.]

...I did. Why?

[baguablade]

Make our own mistakes and learn from them, huh...

[ A contemplative moment of silence as he tilts his head, mulling that over. That sounds more like the Supreme Primarch than like the Astrals, though in terms of power... ]

We had beings like that back on my world, long before I was born. Beings of great power who created our world, all the systems that regulate the skies, the primal beasts who oversee the land, the water, the air, even evolution itself, everything. [ He pauses, his face taking on a grim cast. ] We fought a war with them because they wished to rule over us. A great calamity of a war, that rent the very sky, or so the stories go. Maybe it's better to have ones with a hands off approach.

[beatupgrass]

Ain't it great. [The elation has taken over everything now and Rocket's eyes have that bright cast to them that comes whenever he sees a new weapon or one of his inventions works perfectly the first time. It's almost childish, really.]

Groot's never gonna get this big. [He keeps a firm grip with his feet and stands up, holding onto the side of the guardian's head so he can see even further. Khalo has a certain charm from this angle, and even Rocket, who is less than charmed by anything, has to appreciate it a bit.]

[impavid]

[ That does sound... pretty big, as wars go. ]

Yeah, maybe it is.

[ The sky seems better in one piece to him.

Anyway, look out the window -- much more interesting than Ancient beings he is secretly related to which is why everything he touches lights up. ]

So, Plan C?

[ You had a few ideas, Cain, out with them. ]

[nostalgiabomb]

Yeah. That one’s probably on me.

It’s Peter Quill, by the way. Folks call me Star-Lord.

[ no, they don’t. Or at least, they don’t unless they’re humoring him or making fun of him. ]

You?

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Peter’s by no means afraid of heights – he kind of can’t be, considering he spends (spent?) a great deal of his time airborne.

He is, however, fully conscious off how long of a fall that is, and while it’s not nearly the farthest he’s ever dropped, he’d still like to avoid a possible concussion.

And— Rocket is a lot more excited about this than Peter expected, so he’d rather not harsh the dude’s buzz. Pat Peter on the back, folks. He’s being thoughtful. ]

Probably for the best he doesn’t. We’d never be able to get that guy through any doorways.

[personalwar]

No, it was definitely defense. They weren't the mobile suits -- they were small spacecraft. All we did was fly them down to the planet, but the implication was that we should get familiar in case we had to fight whoever's out there.

[ It's the one and only time that 76 has actually flown a spaceship, small as it had been. He doesn't think he's the best pick for a pilot, but if things get hairy, he might not have a choice. Maybe he just needs to find a calmer partner to fly with, to balance him out.

Kirk is dismissive in how he talks of the Natha, and 76 finds that refreshing. He never really liked to think of them as gods, even if their abilities make them seem that way. ]

They seem to be omniscient. I get that doesn't necessarily make you a god, but why couldn't they have given us a more detailed warning?

[ He knows he's just preaching to the choir here, but he's been dealing with this for almost a year now. It's getting old. All the same, he walks at Kirk's side, keeping an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. ]

[gekkajuu]

That's right... You'd never seen a llama before, had you?

[He means it very neutrally, a reminder to himself more than anything, but the more Linneus says, the worse Atsushi feels about how his words might have been misinterpreted.]

That's not a bad thing, though! I'd never seen an actual llama myself, either. I only knew them from books - and that only because the orphanage had a library...

[... He's rambling. Catching himself, he cuts it short.]

I think we all have different interests and different opportunities, when it comes to things like books and traveling. But for everything you "lack", there's something else to take its place - so in the end, I think everyone is the same.

[gekkajuu]

[Atsushi may not be loud, but it doesn't take much to make him vocal. Chuuya's mouth is a gift from the heavens wherever it lands, and the fact that his own grinding is tolerated? That's just the icing on the cake. His breath hitches as Chuuya sucks at his skin again, and he's not even embarrassed about the both of them being hard. If anything, it feels like it makes complete sense, for the both of them to have the same physical reaction at the same time.

He still blushes absurdly at Chuuya's dick poking at his ass, though, because he can't deny being curious - and he owes Chuuya, anyway - but he's also kind of nervous for something of that magnitude, even with the fyrra.]

M-hm... very good, thank you. [Talking too much - but that's probably the nerves, too.] Should we...?

[He looks around, less to check who may be watching; more to check for places to go. Not that he minds staying here at all, but if they want to do more than this...]

[gekkajuu]

If you're hungry, you're hungry.

[He lets his eyes close, but he doesn't allow himself to fall asleep. It's just easier to wallow in how he's feeling like this - and easier to feel her playing with his hair, too. If he could purr, he totally would right now.]

If your stomach is still telling you it wants food, you can't have had too much, can you?

[colorature]

_{[If only he could purr...she'd dig it.]}

That's what I think but Amshel and Solomon say otherwise. They say I'm greedy.

_{[Which they're not wrong about when she'll slaughter and feed on multiple people if she's able to.]}

[personalwar]

[ They're writing about things from their worlds? How is that even possible? It sounds farfetched, but if there's any chance of that being true, then 76 wants to confirm it for himself.

If there's any sensitive information about him or about Overwatch hidden away in here, he wants to know about it (and do something about it). ]

Yeah, I do. Any idea how they got this kind of information?

[ Probably not, but he asks anyway. And then moves toward one of the shelves to begin scanning for any titles that seem suspicious. ]

[personalwar]

[ Not practical? Rocket is probably right. The universe is too large for everything but this one planet to be gone. And if there were the case, why would this place have been spared, out of all places? Not to mention that the Natha have implied that there are "foreign forces" gunning for them.

76 watches the entire display of Rocket reading the quill's writings, then getting into a fight with it. This really isn't something you see every day.

He raises an eyebrow. ] What's it doing?

[thetaintedsorrow]

[The heady warmth between them is making Chuuya almost dizzy with arousal, his body still feeling a bit light and airy from the fyrra. Luckily he stays grounded as his mouth finds countless little spots on Atsushi’s skin to mark with nips and hickies that are sure to linger for at least a day or two.

He huffs a laugh. Atsushi thanking him for something like this will never cease to fill Chuuya with a swell of pride that he’s doing such a spectacular job of making him feel good.

It’s only when Atsushi asks that question that Chuuya gives him a moment to breathe.]

Yeah.

[It’s better to do this in a somewhat private setting if they want to go any further, so Chuuya will just stand up out of the water and urge Atsushi to wrap his legs around his waist before carrying him back to the lounge, no big deal. Atsushi is rather light, after all, even if he’s taller than Chuuya, and it takes hardly any effort to toss him onto the plush couch and capture his lips in another heated kiss.

Once it breaks, Chuuya pulls back to look him in the eye.]

Tell me what you want.

[thetaintedsorrow]

Yeah, I dunno either.

[Poor Lula, she must be missing Linneus, even if she has plenty of babysitters...]

Did you see the pools in town? They’re pretty nice. You’re only allowed in completely nude, though, or else you just look like a pervert there to leer.

[poolhall_killer]

The other one had me wed to a king. It was rather embarrassing.

[Because it was all romantic and cute. Like it was drawing out a subconscious crush that he never knew he had.]

I assure you, I'm not married at all.

[adelphoi]

It most certainly does.

[ alisaie says, through a sigh. there has certainly never been a dull moment, since venturing to eorzea.. yet still, she finds that it's a life that suits her. it feels like making a difference, and she's never been very good at sitting on her hands.

her mouth quirks into a smile. ]

But I suppose they might, so long as we do not take them from the village. For all their secretiveness, they seem an easygoing sort.

[adelphoi]

[ it's definitely suspicious, and alisaie feels a bit foolish for not having noticed that before. huh. ]

Well, to be fair, the people of Wyver do not seem the sort to much care to write much down..

[ they're a bunch of meatheads, is what she means, but even still, warlike or not, one might think they'd keep some sort of record. ]

I suppose it's something to keep in mind, at least.

[willrevile]

[ Jim pulls something of a face - not cartoonish, but an 'eesh' all the same. Because shuttle is not a word that instills faith when it comes to defense. There's a broad difference between a shuttle and a fighter craft. And the transports that brought his group of refugees to the planet ... yikes. Yikes all around.

If they have to rely solely on the Gundams Duo and Mika have, they might be fucked, but sending out paper planes is a good way to get everyone in them killed. Especially with a garbage tandem piloting setup. ]

Something to ask when they get back. [ Another computer room, and Jim gets the door open in between power flickers, holding his hand over the manual override and freezing it so they don't get locked in. ] If they get back. Let's assume they will, though, and that we'll be able to have a discourse about how there needs to be an emergency protocol with the refugees. Enough of us are qualified to operate the station, and plenty more are capable of being taught to.