❪ 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

A

[thetaintedsorrow]

[Chuuya himself had been intrigued enough by the promise of unusual happenings surrounding the exhibit that he’d come to investigate himself, the heart and other displays simply side attractions for him. So far nothing spooky has happened, so he meanders his way over to Ysevrai’s heart to see what the big fuss is.

Oh gross. It’s still beating. Though it’s admittedly pretty cool too.

Oh, looks like someone else has come to look at it too. Chuuya shrugs at the stranger’s statement, not really feeling particularly endangered. He does notice how his heart seems to be beating in sync with it, however...]

I dunno much about it, but it’s obviously magic or something to still be beating all this time.

[baguablade]

Definitely magic.

[ Cain slants a glance sideways as his new companion — his diminutive companion! finally, someone shorter than him on this planet! — and gives him a wry glance. There's very little else that could be keeping a centuries old heart encased in stone and still beating, and calling their own heartbeats to converge in time with the pulse in front of them.

It's that convergence that has Cain so unsettled. ]

It's uncanny, the way I can feel my own heart beating in time. Usually, effects like that indicate some manner of control being exerted.

[ And even if there's so far no sign that any creature is about to be summoned from the quiescent heart in front of them, that there's anything able to exert that control upon them with the heart supposedly inactive is a warning sign in Cain's eyes to begin with. ]

[thetaintedsorrow]

Yeah. Maybe it’s more powerful than you’d expect.

[Just staring at the heart makes Chuuya feel a sense of paranoia, but he pushes it to the back of his mind for now. He really doesn’t want to believe that he’s already under the influence of whatever ancient, powerful magic surrounds this thing, because surely his will is stronger than that.

He glances over at the stranger curiously.]

Don’t think we’ve met. Name’s Chuuya. What’s yours?

[baguablade]

[ More powerful than you'd expect... Now those are ominous words. More powerful than the Olympians want to think, perhaps, which doesn't bode well at all.

But Cain is willing to set that thought aside for the moment, at least long enough to make introductions.

He offers Chuuya a grin, friendly, maybe even a bit overly so. ]

A pleasure. I'm Cain, general of the kingdom of Idelva in Nalhegrande Skydom. I suppose none of that means anything to you?

[thetaintedsorrow]

Nope. But I know what a General is, at least.

[Chuuya crosses his arms and tries to appear just a tiiiiiny bit taller.]

I was an executive in the Mafia. Which was a pretty big deal back home, even if it doesn’t exist here.

[Sure there’s all kinds of criminal organizations around Nysa, but maybe, just maybe he’s trying not to follow that same path here.]

It’s funny how we’re all pretty much equal here. Even royalty has to work their way up.

[baguablade]

That's right! [ If anything, Cain's amused by the way Chuuya tries to stretch an extra inch of height. Rather than drawing himself up in a similarly confrontational pose, Cain relaxes his shoulders and rocks back on his heels. ] It reminds me of home, actually. That was one of the main tenets of Idelva, that your worth was judged not by lineage or wealth, but by your ability. Any who could prove themseves could be granted status if they were willing to work for the good of the kingdom.

[ His smile turns a little nostalgic. He can't help it, when he's thinking so fondly of the place he's from, of the people he misses. With a quick glance around to make sure there aren't any El Nysa natives to overhear, he leans a little closer to Chuuya and lowers his voice, confiding: ]

Maybe it's a little foolish, introducing myself with my old rank. But I like to think that Idelva's not gone forever, that we'll find a way to save our worlds from the Storm. That I'll go home again.

[thetaintedsorrow]

I like the sound of this place.

[Chuuya himself had clawed his way up the ranks of the Mafia to stand triumphant as one of the highest ranking members, and though he’s back to square one on Nysa, he can’t say that he doesn’t enjoy his new life here. He’s got a nice home, plenty of food, and more than one person that he can call a friend.

There’s not a day that goes by that he doesn’t miss home, though, and he’s surprised to hear someone else say that they don’t think that their worlds are gone forever. He’s heard the theory once before, but to think that it might be true...]

...maybe. Guess there’s nothing wrong with hoping.

[Chuuya is usually a realist, but he’s not gonna rain all over this guy’s parade.]

Is anyone you know awake? I’ve found a couple of people from my world.

[baguablade]

So have I. I've been quite lucky, in that regard.

[ His smiles turns undeniably fond, a soft, warm expression that makes him look quite young — an expression he wouldn't be entirely pleased to be wearing if he realized it, but he can't help it. The genuine happiness is something he doesn't want to hide, not when it comes to this subject. ]

Not the captain of the crew of skyfarers I belong to, but quite a few of the other members. And even one of the other soldiers from my kingdom, one of my subordinates.

[thetaintedsorrow]

Yeah? My subordinate is still sleeping, but I met someone from the organization that used to oppose mine. I thought we’d be enemies, but it turns out that we get along pretty well.

[More than pretty well, but shh.]

I can’t say he’d be happy to wake up here, but I wouldn’t mind if my subordinate woke up sooner rather than later. He’s got issues, but he’s loyal and excellent at fighting, so he’d definitely fit in here.

[Ah, but Chuuya is rambling now.]

Anyway. The longer we’re near that heart the more I’m starting to think that it’s definitely bad news.

[baguablade]

Just starting to, huh...

[ Cain casts a glance back at the heart and its ominous beating. He can't help but agree, though he'd been getting bad feelings as soon as he'd taken one look. ]

Well, if you want to take a look at the other things on display, there's plenty more cursed objects to be found, according to the pamphlets. [ Helpfully, he brandishes one. What can he say, he's one of those people, a museum nerd. ] You can even keep bragging about your talented subordinate while we go, if you like.

[thetaintedsorrow]

I’m not bragging.

[HUFF. He’s simply stating how useful Akutagawa was, is all. Jeeze.

Chuuya glances at the brochure, but honestly? He’s more interested in potentially seeing a ghost than anything else. Not that he’s saying they exist, but it would be thrilling as fuck to see one.]

Do you think this place is haunted? With all these cursed objects around and everything.

[The shadows almost seem to be skittering as Chuuya says that. Weird.]

[baguablade]

Sure, sure. It's fine if you want to, I can tell you about my subordinate, too. You don't have to feel bad if yours can't measure up.

[ Which won't be inflammatory at all if Chuuya isn't bragging, of course, right?

He grins brightly at Chuuya, quite friendly, as he adds: ]

And it's probably only haunted if the curses are real.

[ Which they might be. Considering the beating heart, it seems like Simwe has a taste for the genuine article when it comes to cursed artifacts instead of just facsimiles... Even if for the moment, Cain seems to be okay with just taking a few steps out of reach of the shadows, putting himself a bit closer to a set of gilded, blood-stained candlesticks to examine. ]

[thetaintedsorrow]

You’re lucky he’s not here to hear you say that.

[Chuuya crosses his arms with a huff.]

From the shit I’ve seen since I got here I’d definitely say that curses are real.

[Oh...that definitely looks like blood on those candlesticks...

Chuuya steps closer to examine the artifact, just a bit curious now.]

What if one of us ends up getting possessed here? Seems possible.

[baguablade]

If so, then it's up to the other one to figure out how to save the day. I hope you're up to date on your exorcisms!

[ Cain sounds entirely too cheerful about the possibility of possession. He's not dismissing the possibility of curses, not at all — far from it, when he's dealt with all too real curses himself at home, but he's more interested in what the source of the curse would be, walking around the candlesticks, examining the plaque that tells the tragic story of the murder the blood came from: a young noble girl, killing her twin brother in cold blood when they were only fourteen. No explanation to be found, but the murder had happened when the family was visiting the royal palace for a week. ]

But why am I lucky? Wouldn't he be thrilled to hear you praising him?

[thetaintedsorrow]

Yeah, sure.

[The closest thing to an exorcist from Chuuya’s world is Dazai, who can cancel out all special abilities with a single touch. He doubts that that would do anything against a ghost or a demon, however...

The story is tragic, but no more so than half the origin stories of the members of the Port Mafia. Chuuya himself only has memories from after the age of seven, all because he’d been a literal human experiment...

Chuuya huffs, and if Cain looks very closely, he might just see a blush on his cheeks.]

Yeah, but he doesn’t exactly warm up to people. Especially not those who tell him he can’t measure up.

[Akutagawa has a penchant for murder in that regard.]

[baguablade]

Eh, wait a minute...

[ The possibly haunted artifact is forgotten in favor of this entirely new development. Cain turns away from it to give Chuuya a long, measuring stare. ]

Did you tell him that he can't measure up?

[ That blush sure does look kind of guilty in this context. ]

[thetaintedsorrow]

No. Do I look like that much of an asshole?

[Don't answer that.]

It was the guy that mentored him that gave him a complex, not me. I never thought he was weak, and I sure as hell didn’t throw it in his face when he got replaced with a different pupil.

[baguablade]

[ Hm. These seem like very complicated relationships... Well, Cain supposes his are complicated too, but that's not going to stop him from sticking his nose right in. And he won't answer that question, since it really doesn't need to be answered!

He grins and claps his hands together. ]

Ah, so you're the guy who's trying to build his self-esteem back up?

[thetaintedsorrow]

I guess so. Before the storm, anyway.

[Now he’s just hoping the guy wakes up soon.]

Anyway. Stumbling around in the dark isn’t doing us any favors. Are you staying the night here?

[baguablade]

[ Before the Storm. That's what it all gets down to, isn't it? Before and after, when their worlds existed. And now everything is completely different.

Ah, well. Cain allows the change of subject; it's obviously a sore topic. ]

That's right. It's a rage chance for a look at all these artifacts, and who could resist a peek at Ysverai's heart up close? I wanted as much time as I could get.