❪ 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

[poolhall_killer]

[Venom frowns when he sees his spell didn't do much. The glow fades as he allows Linneus to continue using his frame for support.]

I'm sorry. I was hoping it would do something.

Would you like me to stay here and sit with you?

[inaurare]

I do feel a little better.

[that's not to spare Venom's feelings or anything - it did help. He still feels a little like a rag doll, sort of weak and floppy, but some of the haze feels gone in his head]

That would be nice, yes. I just worry about standing - walking. We're barely only halfway there, no...?

[carefully, reluctant to ask or to trouble him-]

...might I lean on you, perhaps?

[poolhall_killer]

[At least his spell wasn't a total failure. He holds Linneus for a while longer, just offering his warmth.]

You're more than welcome to lean on me for as long as you wish. We'll continue the rest of the journey together.

[inaurare]

Thank you.

[...leaning on him now is also nice. He supposes he shall take advantage of the opportunity, while he still can]

Have you heard much, about the village? What would you like to see there...?

[poolhall_killer]

[He's glad to be there for a friend, especially one like Linneus.]

I haven't heard much, save for the protective fungi and that the locals are smaller stature. I'm curious about what else we'll find.

Perhaps once we get into the city, we can find some new teas.

[inaurare]

They will have them, won't they?

[a host of new plants does mean a host of new teas to try... ]

I shall have to motivate myself through on that thought.

Do you think they will be kind? I heard that they have wings...

[poolhall_killer]

I don't see why not. They must have their own variety, or at least ones similar to Wyver's teas.

[He pauses a moment to think]

They were kind enough to open their city to us, so that does count for something. And it shouldn't be an issue if they do have wings.

[inaurare]

I shall be interested to find out. perhaps another day of my stay...

[a slight tip of his head-]

Why would it be an issue...?

[-followed by a light shake. No, wait, those were two odd sentences to string together. What would their having wings have to do with their kindness...?]

[poolhall_killer]

Ah, sorry. I don't mean to confuse. I meant more that they had wings in the first place. I know a few people in my world that bear wings or can fly on their own.

[Venom's one of the few in his Guild who couldn't fly at all. Lord Slayer and Zato could, as could Millia with her hair. It made him rather jealous at times.]

[inaurare]

I think - perhaps I was the one who confused.

[apologetic. And it might be a little presumptuous but one hand carefully lifts a curtain of hair, peeking up at him curiously]

I heard there were potions here that let one fly...?

[poolhall_killer]

[The gesture has Venom blinking, his face revealed to his friend once more. His cheeks grow a bit hot.]

I-Is that so? If they do, I might have to try it just to say I have.

[inaurare]

Wouldn't that be wonderful?

[that fall of hair still shields Venom from the rest of the group, but Linneus' arm feels a little too rubbery to keep it up, so he allows it to drop again]

I thought flight was only gifted to the birds, before - I'm learning here that isn't necessarily the case.

[poolhall_killer]

[Phew. Venom's feeling a bit more confident now that his hair's back in its proper place.]

You've never been on an airship?

[Granted, the ex-assassin only traveled via airship twice in his whole life as his associates were gifted with spatial and teleportation magic. They had little need for those types of vehicles.]

[inaurare]

[a light shake of his head]

Mmm. I didn't know ships could go in the air... they mostly just go on water where I'm from. But I've never been in one...

[poolhall_killer]

It's like going in the water, only in the air. Both are none too great. You're better off on foot or with a mount, honestly.

[He lightly huffs at the thought of those cumbersome ships.]

[inaurare]

Like going in the water but in the air.

[yes this makes perfect sense.]

I've done both a little, but I'm not sure it counts if it's-- [no - they're in public. Just in case-] Upstairs. Or boating in Flona Cove...

[poolhall_killer]

[Venom thinks about one of his few times on a boat, when he found an odd wizard who was more interested in the cove's fish than he was with people.]

Unfortunately, I don't believe upstairs would count. I did ride a pegasus once, but only on the ground. I wasn't confident enough to try flying with him.

[inaurare]

A pegasus?

[a winged horse. Linneus' own experience is only really in riding regular horses - and those stay quite safely and firmly on the ground.]

I can understand - even regular horses are a little high, for me. But the possibility...! Isn't it sad, don't you think, when creatures are gifted with wings they are cannot fly with?

[poolhall_killer]

What do you mean? Like penguins?

[Imagine if they could fly too. They would be fighting other sea birds in the air as opposed to the sea.]

Perhaps I'll try again with the pegasus. Or I could just stick to riding the lions.

[inaurare]

I had birds once, lovebirds, but their I think their wings had been clipped. They could flutter a little but they never were able to fly at all...

[even though they were meant to. He had loved the little creatures dearly, but watching them hop about hobbled so was a little sad.

Hesitant over the new word-]

I have heard of lions, but what are... peng-wings?

[they must be birds - the wings are right in the name.]


(([dies] "They are cannot fly with"))

[poolhall_killer]

They are flightless birds that live in very cold regions back home. Their wings were more like fins and spent their time hunting in the water. Despite the devastation that almost consumed my world, they remained relatively unscathed.

[He'd never seen live penguins, nor lovebirds. Both only really existed in books for him. Now he sort of regrets not ever going to places such as the zoo or animal sanctuaries.]

[inaurare]

Ah - perhaps that is why I do not know them, then. I'm not from a cold country...

[nor is he exactly well-travelled or well-versed in the animals of his world. After all, servants have no real need to know such things. Prostitutes perhaps even less so.]

I shall have to learn more about these peng-wings...

[poolhall_killer]

[It's kind of endearing how Linneus says "penguin". He won't make fun at all since he too has never encountered one.]

If there is a cold region in this world, they might have birds similar to penguins. Then we can go see them together.

[inaurare]

[he'll realise his mistake once he sees it written - and probably be very embarrassed.]

But then there are creatures similar to nothing at all, aren't there?

[he tries to land on an example, he knows he has seen plenty, but all he can come up with is liln, which... they're harmless, yes, he knows, but after his personal experience he doesn't want to think of them very much.]

Nothing from most of our homes, I mean...

[poolhall_killer]

True. We might see animals that are something else entirely.

[Then he imagined human-sized penguin creatures. He could have sworn he read a book about such monsters as a child.]

Though I noticed Khalo has similar fauna to Wyver, only I hear the fungi is as dangerous as the plants.

[He's still bitter about those gross Wyver plants.]