❪ 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

[thetaintedsorrow]

Can’t relate. I never knew my parents.

[Oh well, at least it’s nice and peaceful outside.]

Did he look anything like you? Your dad, I mean.

1/2

[steponme]

[And Shell suddenly stops.]

[Grabs Chuuya by both shoulders.]

[Makes a very serious expression.]

Chuuya. I feel nothing but sympathy for the fact that you never got to know your parents. That must have been hard for you.

[steponme]

...but I'm not going to talk about this after reading about my father doing things with the only two men I've slept with. It's too weird.

[--and then he says something not really serious at all DON'T MAKE HIM HAVE TO SAY THEY COULD BE TWINS GDIT HE WILL WALK AWAY]

[thetaintedsorrow]

[Chuuya appreciates the sympathy, but he’s not about to be depressing by telling Shell every little detail about how shitty his life was as a child. What he can remember of it, anyway.

He shouldn’t be laughing at Shell’s expense, but it is kind of funny.]

C’mon. I won’t ask anything else about him. I’m just curious is all.

[steponme]

[HEAVY SIGH]

...we could practically be twins. My mother always said he only chose me to be his heir because I looked the most like him. And since vampires don't age as fast--

You get the idea.

[IT'S GROSS OK]

[thetaintedsorrow]

[Okay, now he can see why that would be even more awkward than usual. Though now he’s curious; an older version of Shell sounds pretty hot, but he’s not about to just say that.]

Did you have siblings, then? Since you were chosen as the heir.

[steponme]

[He might actually make Shell mad if he goes that route -- a wise choice, really.]

I have a few brothers, and an older sister I've never met. My parents were only married to produce an heir with strong pheromones, so mother went back to her country with my brothers a little after I was born.

[And on today's episode of Shell's world is a shithole... but he doesn't sound very affected by it, stating it all rather plainly. It was basically the norm back home. And while it did bother him, the mood isn't really right for him to show it.]

[thetaintedsorrow]

So it’s one of those situations, huh?

[Chuuya is aware of how important, influential families sometimes used arranged marriages to seal business deals and produce heirs back on his world, so it’s really not that shocking. It is, however, sad to think that all of Shell’s siblings have likely perished, unless they’re up in the pods...]

I didn’t have any siblings.

[He’s pretty sure he didn’t, anyway.]

Speaking of pheromones, yours smelled like roses back in the arena. Is that unique to you or something?

[steponme]

[Or maybe the saddest thing of all is that Shell might not even recognize them if he saw them -- nor is he particularly invested in seeing them. His mother and father, perhaps, but even they were the source of a lot of mixed feelings.]

[The fear that he may not be able to live as freely as he has so far should anyone else from home awaken has certainly crossed his mind, selfish as it may be.]

Hm? Ah, that... actually, I don't really know what that is. They just don't work how they're supposed to anymore for some reason... normally you'd just get scared instead of smelling anything.

But I knew about the scent. I think I mentioned before that One isn't affected by pheromones at all, and he told me once that I just had a flowery scent to him. So that's just... how I smell, I guess.

[Something Chuuya would have experienced more than once by now, given the scent does just linger on his skin and in his blood. Anytime they cuddled, Chuuya probably would have left the encounter smelling a bit like roses himself.]

[thetaintedsorrow]

It’s nice.

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

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

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

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

[steponme]

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

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

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

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

[thetaintedsorrow]

Yeah? Makes sense, I guess.

[Maybe, sort of. Chuuya will just assume it happens when Shell is content or aroused.]

From what I’ve heard, a lot of people’s powers don’t work the way they should since they woke up. Mine seem fine, though.

[Well. Mostly. He has no idea about Corruption since he hasn’t tried activating it since arriving on Nysa.

He’s almost afraid to.]

Without my ability I’d be just another human. It’s something I never want to live without.

[steponme]

Really? [He hasn't heard too much about it -- but then, he hasn't really been going out seeking information on it either. As much as he's grateful to have been born with strong pheromones, he's also not too keen on getting them fixed.]

Mm... I can see that. Your ability is pretty amazing, after all! If I could walk on walls and float around all the time, I wouldn't want to lose that either.

[thetaintedsorrow]

[Yes Shell, praise him. Stroke his ego. He loves it.]

That’s not all I can do. I even lifted a building once.

[While Corruption was active, but shh.]

And I dunno if I mentioned it before, but I had a motorcycle. I could ride it up walls and everything.

[steponme]

[Chuuya plz your motorcycle-fanboying can wait--]

You lifted a building!?

[...]

Did you just... put it back after?

[This is an important question for the mental image he's trying to come up with.]

[thetaintedsorrow]

No. I threw it at somebody. They deserved it.

[He realizes how ridiculous that sounds, but hey, the truth is stranger than fiction sometimes.]

It was empty.

[He thinks so, anyway...]

Anyway. Hope you had fun in the village so far.

[steponme]

[Shell is starting to wonder if maybe Chuuya is just a little too Extra™ for him sometimes.]

[He nearly asks "did they die" but that's such a ridiculous question in the face of Chuuya throwing a building at someone that he's almost more afraid that the answer would be no.]

Er... yeah, I have. But I still haven't seen too much of the higher levels. It seems like it'd take a lot of effort to get up there, even with the vines making it easier to get around.

[SO MUCH CLIMBING]

[thetaintedsorrow]

[The answer is totally no.]

I could fix that.

[But Shell doesn’t seem to be a fan of floating, so.]

Or if there’s ever anywhere else you wanna see, but you don’t wanna go alone, I could go with you. No use sitting at home when I could be out doing shit.

[steponme]

...I do sorta want to see the higher levels. I can't really say I've explored much of the city when there's still so much of it above us.

[Which means...]

Maybe if I'm expecting it, flying wouldn't be so bad... just don't throw me around like a building, okay?

[thetaintedsorrow]

I wouldn’t toss you around unless you gave me a reason to.

[Have a little faith in him, Shell!!

That being said, it’s easy enough to reach an area of the city where Chuuya remembers seeing some higher level areas, and he makes sure Shell can see him activating his ability. No surprise floating this time.]

Hold onto me.

[Nice and tight! Because Chuuya is going to float them all the way up to the higher levels, which are, surprisingly, very high up. Not that he’d let Shell fall, of course.]

[steponme]

[But what would give him a reason to?? That's just ominous!!]

[But okay, this time is a little different. And he does as Chuuya instructs, wrapping his arms around him with a little flush of his cheeks--]

[Which is going to tighten considerably when they actually shoot off into the air. H-He's not afraid of heights, really, he just has a perfectly normal fear of falling!!]

[thetaintedsorrow]

[Nothing Shell has done so far warrants being tossed around, so there’s that.

Once Chuuya finds a landing spot he sets Shell down on the upper levels, grinning and rather pleased with himself.]

How’s that for transportation?

[He saved you money on a flight potion, at least.]

There’s supposed to be shops up here. I dunno if you’re the shopping type, but we can look around if you want.