❪ 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

3B.

[devilcalling]

[ As starved as she has regularly been for good and proper entertainment aboard this foreign hunk of rock, it's only natural that Ryoko would take to the Enchanted Library like a starved sponge to water. And, to her credit, she's been mostly well-behaved since she set up her fort -- yes, fort -- and began picking through the ever growing selection, soaking up most every text she gets her hands on. Mostly. Sort of. Kind of.

Until someone starts yelling, anyway, and she closes the rather lackluster book she was set to read and steps into the air to investigate. She pauses a good head or two above the average body in the air, peering down at... well, that is certainly a man yelling at a busy quill while making quite the face and she is curious now, curious enough to clap her hands and rub them together as she sets hungry eyes on that text. ]

Well, well! What do we have here? It's got to be something pretty juicy for you to be making all that noise with a face like that! Let's take a look-see...

[meinwaifu]

--where did you come from!?

[FLOATING WOMAN?? He shouldn't so surprised when he literally does this to someone at least once a week, but here we are. And Mephisto is about to get kinkshamed something fierce--]

[Or at least, you'd think so, given his reaction.]

[But the text being written is an incredibly sappy love poem, written from the perspective of a demon learning to love, and the fluffy doki doki feelings flooding his kokoro when he realizes he's felt that magical spark for the first time.]

[Even the title is embarrassing -- To my beloved Mipha -- and damn it just keeps going.]

[devilcalling]

Does it matter?

[ She cants her head at him in turning her own in not-answer only to pause and shift her eyes back to the text. She's here now, after all, and -- ah, hang on. Hang on. Her tone may be increasing an octave. ]

"To my beloved Mipha," is it?

[ She's reading and -- wow, that is some vivid description and the words keep coming and coming and coming and, uh... well, it's actually kind of sweet, kind of... familiar in a way and she is going to tear her eyes from the text to look at his face and remember herself, thanks. She leans slightly to the side and down, hand poised. ]

So, which part is inaccurate and which part is out of character for you? This seems pretty cohesive so far!

[meinwaifu]

The whole thing is out of character! Why-- just look at this part here!

[You'd think Mephisto would be trying to hide the text or something, but oh no. He's going to go through line-by-line and make sure everyone knows that clearly this quill is writing him OOC and needs some crit on its HMD.]

[Because that's actually the only thing he's upset about here. Because clearly an in-character love poem written for God and everyone to see would be absolutely fine??]

It goes on for nearly three stanzas talking about how much I supposed suffered over my indecisiveness to tell her of my feelings-- and that's just nonsense! I never even planned on telling her in the first place! How could I have possibly agonized over a decision I'd already made!?

1/2

[devilcalling]

[ That... is not the response Ryoko was expecting, but hey, she'll go with it. She does, peering at the three stanzas in question and slowly furrowing her brows as she wholly realizes what he's actually upset about. This person, he's -- well, for one, he's right. It doesn't make any sense that he'd suffer over his indecisiveness to confess his feelings if he never planned on telling her to begin with and had made that conscious decision. That that would be the part that he's upset over, though, has her slowly turning her head from the book to look at him. Just... look at him for a minute.

Seriously, what kind of character...? ]

2/2

[devilcalling]

Okay. I'll give you that.

[ She holds up her hands slowly. ]

That hardly makes it all out of character, though. You obviously have some very strong feelings for this Mipha person for the quill to be scrawling about your love.

[ Bait, what bait. ]

[meinwaifu]

Hmm? Of course I do! I said it was inaccurate, not wrong.

[Which he'll admit way too easily -- he wasn't the least bit ashamed of his love for Mipha!!]

[...or at least, not about the feelings themselves, which he's come to accept. But basically everything else about what their relationship is and has been? That'll probably earn her a fun reaction.]

[devilcalling]

So, let me make sure I have this straight.

[ She's crossing her legs now and dropping her cheek into a palm. ]

You're not the least bit embarrassed by your feelings for Mipha, but that your character is being besmirched by this little scamp here. To top it all off, you weren't even going to tell her your feelings in the first place?

[ And these are some feelings. She is totally gesturing at the poem with her free hand with some kind of look on her face because that's some kind of tragedy in this genre. You don't roll the credits on a romance before spring comes and it properly blooms! ]

[meinwaifu]

I'd say that just about covers it.

[SAGE NOD yes good, glad they've figured this out and are now on the same page.]

But is that really so shocking? Goodness, I didn't think I was the type to be mistaken for some flustered teenage protagonist of a harem rom-com shoujo manga!

[devilcalling]

Oh, you're out if the role of the protagonist calls for a teenager!

[ Clap!

Someone may have just gained five levels in enthusiasm and, perhaps, joy. Someone else who knows of manga and its various genres? Be still her heart! ]

I can see you in a harem rom-com manga, but shoujo might not be the genre. Maybe seinen? Or maybe the mature storyline in one of those new otome games?

[meinwaifu]

[BE STILL, HIS DOKI DOKI KOKORO-- SOMEONE ELSE KNOWS ABOUT ANIME]

Oho, if we're going that route, I wouldn't place myself in a protagonist role at all! I'm far too unique for that -- if it's going to be a proper visual novel, you've gotta let the player live in the avatar's shoes, after all.

I'd say I'm more of the mysterious bad boy or school teacher archetype -- you know, the one with a hidden love route that somehow always gives the player a Bad End! And yet who remains the most enthralling route in fandom due to my sheer unobtainability.

[He's thought way too hard about this.]

[devilcalling]

[ The overwhelming majority of people would probably think so. Ryoko? She's going to think with him. ]

Those types, huh? Mysterious bad boys and school teachers are pretty popular. With a route like that, the sheer amount of fanfiction would be stifling, though. Everybody wants the unobtainable. You'd probably be solid for merchandise, too.

[ Like body pillows or perfumes and charms maybe? ]

Depending on which type you were, anyway. A regular anime or manga might be different, though.

[meinwaifu]

Ahh, that's true! Tropes tend to be far more exaggerated in anime. And depending on the genre, the popularity of certain character types among the fanbase may differ considerably!

[He pauses for a moment to consider this... and then instead shifts into a little bow.]

I must say, I didn't expect to run into a kindred spirit in a place like this! My name is Mephisto Pheles. And you are?

[devilcalling]

[ Ryoko nods in agreement with that assessment one, twice, three times only to pause at that exclamation and that name -- well, imagine that! ]

Ryoko.

[ And that smile of hers tugs just a little wider. ]

To run into a kindred spirit is one thing. That that kindred spirit would happen to be Amaimon's brother... unless I'm mistaken, of course.

[ But her tone doesn't hold so much as a hint of doubt. A demon who introduces himself with that name -- it's a bet she'd make, that she's making now. There is something of a resemblance there now that she's looking closely. Maybe. ]

[meinwaifu]

Well now! As a matter fact, I am! Goodness, Amaimon never told me he had such a pretty girlfriend.

[HE'S GOTTA]

[But hm. Ryoko? Why does she suddenly seem so familiar? Maybe it'll come to him...]

1/idk

[devilcalling]

Me and Amaimon?

[ That's -- ]

2/idk

[devilcalling]

[ Yeah, she's pausing. She was about to say silly except that she kind of sort of got ahead of herself in thinking, well, back. Back and about a certain someone who always, always seems to smile at her with his eyes alight for his excitement and a laugh that's so free when they play together. It's... a funny thing, really, how clear, how crisp that image is in her mind, how happy he looks and that curious swell in her chest -- ]

3/4

[devilcalling]

[ -- that has her hands jumping to slap and over her cheeks because what the hell is going on? Beyond that odd laugh bubbling up from her stomach through her chest and out her mouth right now? She's not entirely sure when that started either, but no sooner than she realizes does it taper. Her hands aren't coming off he cheeks, though, not while they feel like they're burning.

But that's fine. She's got this. ]

Really! He didn't mention that to me either!

[ Oh, wait. She doesn't! And nothing is fine. Give her like, five seconds to note her error maybe??? ]

4/4

[devilcalling]

[ Cue laughter. ]

I mean, we're just friends! Unless by girl friend you mean a girl who's a friend! In which case, yes! Girlfriend. Absolutely.

[ Smooth, Ryoko. ]

1/idk either prepare for a wild ride

[meinwaifu]

[...]

[The fuck is that??]

[meinwaifu]

[The fuck is this??? He was joking???]

[There's no way Amaimon has a cute girlfriend--]

note: this expression is internal only

[meinwaifu]

[A CUTE GIRLFRIEND WHO HAPPENS TO BE HIS 90S WAIFU FROM THE HIT CLASSIC TENCHI MUYO WHAT THE FUCK]

[#animeisreal]

note: still internal I'm sorry he's like this

[meinwaifu]

[Okay first of all: HOW DARE HE????]

[meinwaifu]

[And second-- er, hold on.]

/done

[meinwaifu]

...we're talking about the same Amaimon, right?

[Sorry bro, he has zero faith in your game.]