❪ 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

I.

[devilcalling]

[ Hovering mid-air with her hands on her hips, Ryoko regards the scene for a good, long moment. She looks at the boy then back to the man-eating mushroom then back to the boy, her expression slowly twisting from a somewhat hard, if bewildered stare to something... else. It doesn't help that she's forcefully retaining a certain drug in her system and that his defense feels... somewhere in the same vein as Mihoshi saying the monsters Washu keeps in her lab have meat on their bones and are thus edible in response to Ayeka telling her to go hunting at the table that one time. Boy. ]

And that makes it better? [ The answer is no. ]

[sparsity]

[ You know, a woman hovering there observing his impromptu snack ought to draw more of a reaction out of him, but as it is, his gaze just tracks upwards languidly as if this isn't out of the norm for him. ]

I don't know about better... but when it's eat or be eaten, it's obvious.

[ Survival, and all. ]

[devilcalling]

Well, I... can't argue with that.

[ She couldn't really argue with Mihoshi at that time either. It is a little curious not to be met with complete and utter surprise that she's floating, too, but then, she's been met with a variety of reactions from fellow refugees and natives alike, so perhaps not so much. Maybe.

Wait. ]

Aren't you worried it might be poisonous or something?

[ That's a normal concern for a lot of humanoids and he's... definitely humanoid. And hungry. Probably... good at handling himself since he's eating the mushroom monster, too. Hmm. ]

[sparsity]

[ That gets him to stop chewing and instead hum in thought, as if that... hadn't occurred to him at any point... ]

Well, my stomach's pretty strong. I think I should be okay.

[ Ignoring that that's not how poisons work at all.

Then again, maybe his stomach acid is the real MVP here. ]

Are you going to Khalo too?

[devilcalling]

[ That... really isn't how poison works, not that she has to be concerned about that sort of thing herself, but if he's not concerned, why should she waste the time and effort? Again, he's evidently good at handling himself, so -- !

That question sees her snap out of her thoughtful consideration and pleasantly. ]

That's the plan! If that herb works like it's supposed to, anyway.

[ This is absolutely not her sixth attempt to make it into Khalo today. Nope. ]

What about you? Are you headed that way, too?

[sparsity]

We're not sleeping yet. [ Which is like, half the battle. ] It used to be that you couldn't get close to this place.

[ Though apparently they're not literally out the woods yet. Usually laser-guided, Mikazuki hadn't realized how easy it was to get sidetracked in here. Popping the last bit of mushroom into his mouth, he hops off his perch and looks around. ]

But yeah. I want to see it. I've lived here for a while...

[ And he hasn't been, for obvious reasons. ]

[devilcalling]

I'll admit I'm pretty curious myself.

[ Enough to smoke the required herb to get in and she doesn't like, well, drugs. Sake is one thing, but such substances don't sit well with her. Literally. Her body immediately resolves them unless she forcefully retains them and she's never been fond of the smell, the rot. 'Pretty curious' may very well be an understatement here, but that curiosity is branching out into other areas, too. ]

A mysterious village hidden for so many years has a certain appeal. I take it your another refugee? How long is a while, anyway?

[sparsity]

I live pretty close to here. Everytime you'd get close though, you'd just want to sleep.

[ And would sleep, at that, no matter how strong your constitution. (And his is nothing to sneeze at, see exhibit a: the giant carnivorous mushroom with a bite taken out of it.) Magic? Probably magic. Mikazuki is pretty used to its existence by now, but it still has moments when it surprises him.

Gauging where they are now that his snack break is over, he rolls a noise in his mouth. ]

I'm another refugee. I was with the first to come down here, so... about a year, maybe.

[devilcalling]

[ And that? That is a low whistle as she considers -- ]

A year, huh? That's a long time.

[ Too long, she thinks, for certain things and in certain regards, but no somber edge sticks to her. She does, however, take a minute to stretch and -- well, she yawns at the mention of sleep. A nap is starting to sound good in this heat, really. ]

By "close to here," you mean over in Wyver? [ Just look how politically sensitive her expression says she is. ]

[sparsity]

I guess so.

[ Time is pretty relative when you're just trying to go about your day. It's not like he'd have another place to return to, even if he wanted to go back. Here or nothing about sums it up. ]

And yeah, just outside the city. Between here and the mountain.

[ Of course, they can't see Namarak from this fungi prison. Catching the yawn, he gives a motion. ]

We should head out.

[ Before napping starts to sound a little too good. ]

[devilcalling]

Yeah? I think you're right.

[ Before the fyra wears off, too. If Ryoko has to smoke it again and make a seventh attempt at making it into Khalo, she might just save said attempt for another day. And while she might not say it, she's kind of maybe sort of okay with that "we," too. She's... less okay with the fact that she may be a little turned around. ]

So! [ Clap. ] Any idea which way we should be headed?

[sparsity]

[ Known for cat-napping in inopportune places, being drowsy out here sounds a bit too wild even for him. If he's gonna get eaten by something, he at least likes a fair fight. ]

I came from... [ hmm ] That way.

[ A barely visible "path" through the glowing stalks, just a shade darker than the surrounding forest bottom. ]

So it's probably this way.

[ He steps from the carnivorous mushroom and back onto track, only pausing to look over with lifted brows. ]

You didn't know?

[ how long have you been in here ]

[devilcalling]

[ Too long. She wants a drink and a hot bath. Or, you know, several drinks and a hot bath. ]

Hey, this is my first time making it this far in and some of these things move. You know!

[ Seriously, he was just eating part of one of them. She'll be floating along beside him and a step back. ]

Even with a bird's eye view, it's frustrating. It would be easier if I could check our exact coordinates.

[sparsity]

[ He's not even a big drinker but honestly. Not a bad plan. ]

I guess that's true. [ Kind of hard to tell which direction is which when you got these mutant shrooms being cheeky. ] You can't see anything from high up?

[ It's the first time he's really brought up the fact that she can fly on her own. ]

[devilcalling]

I can, but it gets complicated.

[ She gestures to the mutant shrooms as she says as much. Putting oneself in open space is an invitation, after all, not that she's the sort to think too heavily about doing such a thing. It's not like she hasn't tried to coast over everything to Khalo at least once. ]

If it were that easy, I'd have flown straight over everything, you know?