nysalogs | ❪ event ❫ khalo? can you hear me?

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❪ event ❫ khalo? can you hear me?

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!

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Jim looks over when he hears someone moving around - and it's another minute before Claire's actually visible from between rows of pods. He doesn't bother trying to fake a smile, just nods a silent hello. ]

No Natha anywhere, as far as I can tell. If they're here, they're dead, and sealed in some area we can't get into.

[ Wow thanks for that uplifting thought, Jimbo. ]

But no one's been able to detect any power fluctuations in here, so there's that.

Christ. Do you really think they might be dead?

[Not that there's any other obvious conclusion. Dead, killed...? Everything is making her skin crawl, the flickering lights and that message on loop, and she can't help but shudder.]

From what I can tell, the sleeping all look as they should.

I hope not. They didn't leave a manual. [ It sounds like it could be a joke, but Jim means it, however deadpan he is. If they're here, and they're not dead, just composed of something they can't find on the rudimentary scans they've cobbled together to search the station, something is still deeply wrong. ] They're mysterious, but I'm still sure they wouldn't leave things in such a state unless they had no choice.

[ He lets out a breath, and looks over at one of the nearest pods. Red uniform, familiar insignia pinned on the chest. One of his ensigns. ]

Yeah, they're alright.

I wonder if the trouble on our horizon ended up being their trouble, first of all.

[She ponders aloud as the words echo. Claire is always around when people wake up. She says it's to help the newcomers, but it's obviously to see if anyone she knows is awake, first and foremost.]

Probably.

[ The timing is too precise. But-- ] The timing of everything that goes on here is aggravatingly convenient.

[ Almost like it's choreographed. He paces some, restless. ] Things happen in each city, cities that are supposed to be deaf to each other from ancient hatred, and yet mysterious enemies manage to act in perfect tandem in both places. It drives me nuts. I can't tell if it's just the universe trying to balance itself or there's some bigger picture we can't see.

You're telling me.

[She's busy enough these days that the memories of the riots, the kidnapping, and the things that happened to her in the time that followed are easily bottled up. Not so much now, reflecting on the timing of it all. He's right. It's all a little too convenient.]

The coalition was tame. If we're about balance, then...

[Shit might hit the fan.]

Yeah, that's occurred to me. [ And the fact that whatever translation tech or magic is in use here makes the name 'Darma' sound like something that can translate into cosmic law and order on Earth. ]

Someone mentioned to me that when the first refugees were woken up, something attacked the station, and there's still no known information about it.

[Claire takes an uncomfortable breath. Guess who was in that group?]

That's right. It was much worse than the recent group that had a rough landing. We plummeted to the earth, and it was a wonder no one died. People had to be rescued out of pods, and we didn't have much when it came to supplies.

But... we never found out why that happened, or if the Natha figured it out, they never told us.

[ Jim stills to better listen to her, his expression serious.

Ugh. ]

This could be an escalation of that. And being up here could be a bad idea.

[ But he doesn't make a move for the door - and he's up here in the first place, anyway. If his crew dies because something happens to Thesa, well. Fuck it. He's died for them before. He's not sure if he'd be able to go on. ]

Yet here we are.

[Might as well state the obvious. She wishes there was some way to keep these pods powered and yet off the station, but it's all beyond her. She's a doctor, not a scientist or bloody stasis pod technician--whatever the term might be.]

What else can we do?

Wait.

[ Which fuuuuuckiiinng suuuuuucks. Jim pushes a hand through his hair, scratches the back of his head, gives up with the fidgeting. ]

This station does have defenses. At the very least in the form of what's being stored in the hangar. There's always a possibility of sending a scout past sensor range, but that's assuming we can get access to anything without triggering a security reaction. And who knows what might happen then - on my ship, certain violation attempts send it into full lockdown and emergency power. So we're handcuffed, here.

I was worried you'd say that.

[Her chest heaves with a sigh. Crossing her arms over her middle, she steps to the side, peering in at some unknown face in the pod.]

Are you planning on staying up here long?

Depends on how things go, up here and dirtside.

[ As much as he doesn't want to leave his crew, if he can't actually help them, Jim knows he'll just drive himself nuts waiting around. He's got a responsibility to press on. But if he's needed here, then he'll stay here. ]

Until the station is stabilized, we'll have to stay in constant communication with whomever's up here to monitor the situation. [ A beat. ] Has anyone ever gone through the steps to evacuate into space suits with everyone who's not used to that?

No. Any instruction has always been brief, or we've had to figure it out ourselves.

[Her view is skewed with the people she's surrounded herself with, but she has a feeling most refugees are unfamiliar with that sort of technology, much like herself.]

No matter what's happened, the pods have always been safe, at least.

I've been pretty suspicious of the Natha, but seeing that even in their own crisis they've made sure this area's stable, maybe I should let up a bit.

[ Just a bit, though. And then he gives Claire a look. ]

You wanna learn? About what to do if, say, the air gets cut off up here.

[Yikes. That look.]

I don't know how long I'm planning on being up here, but... I suppose I should.

[ What! It's a fine look! He's just concerned about refugees with no exposure to spacecraft being up here when the dang power keeps going out. Claire seems more than intelligent enough to learn how to put a space suit on. ]

It doesn't have to be right this second. [ Since you're yikesing. ] But it couldn't hurt in the long run.

No, no, you're right. It's just... I am very much a fish out of water when it comes to most things up here.

[She's a quick learner, especially so when it comes to medicine, but space suits and electronics and how these pods are even still kept functioning are beyond her.]

I only really ever come up here to check on them.

[The people in stasis.]

[ Jim knocks his knuckles against the nearest pod, just lightly. Don't want to jinx anything. His smile is lopsided and not wholly cheerful, given everything going on, but it's there. ] Me, too. And-- sometimes I do find myself missing artificial gravity, which is weird.

[ He motions for her to come with him, and he clicks the light on his shoulder on as they walk. A little easier than the flashlight, since the rest of the ship is still experiencing all this bullshit. ]

Science and machinery advancing is like .. everything keeps happening, just on an increasingly precise scale, but it's still that same trajectory. You're a doctor, you know that injuries need to be held still to heal. It's the same concept with people in stasis. They're being held so still that not even their atoms are moving. So all this stuff - [ he gestures, meaning Thesa around them ] - is a car, is a wristwatch, is a pulley system. Learning to interact with it isn't any different.

[ Except for the cold, merciless vacuum of space on the other side of the bulkhead walls, but whatever. ]

Obviously there's, you know, a pretty steep gap in between a passenger on a ship who understands evacuation protocol and a warp core engineer. But that's how it is for anything.

[ Darma's message continues to echo, though Jim's taken the liberty of switching several hallway speakers off just to save the headache - as they walk, the lights flicker then go entirely black, and Jim huffs, moving forward to a door that's now closed with no power left to open it. ] C'mon.. [ muttered, at the edge of it. Poking around for the override. ]

[She hasn't needed to the confirmation, but it's nice to know he's not just a pretty face. Claire follows, nodding along. What he speaks rings true, and if she can figure out how to use the bloody phones and become comfortable with that, why not anything else?]

So all of this is similar to your technology, in your world. Makes you one of the lucky ones, I think.

Enough that it's mutually intelligible, yeah, [ he confirms. ] Fortunately I had some intimate experience with this sort of design not long before I ended up here, by way of finding a ship that'd been abandoned a hundred years prior.

[ So this is still a little old, for him, but that's not exactly a bad thing. ] Alright, come here, and put your hand where mind is against the seam of the door.

[ Jim steps back to allow her to do that. ] Some doors do have manual overrides if you poke around enough - they operate without any power source on basic machinery like the aforementioned pulley system level of technology, to prevent people from being trapped in an emergency situation. Usually doors like this will, because they aren't in key positions that might need to be sealed off if there's a hull breach.

Right here? [She does as he says, looking at him for instruction. She tends to walk on eggshells here on the station, not understanding the technology and how it works on a good day, let alone when it's all on the fritz.]

How do we know this thing isn't about to plummet to the earth?

[ He nods. ] Push until it moves. The senor'll trigger.

[ Because sci fi reasons. Look, I dunno, man. Anyway, ]

Because of gravity - and the lack of it. Something this size can't just plummet to the planet. The planet's gravity and the lack of gravity up here in space keeps the station in orbit - traveling around the planet - which is why it seems to be a moon, to the natives. It rises and sets. [ This explanation includes hand gestures, moving one hand around the other to illustrate the push and pull of the forces that keep Thesa where it is. ] If the station is out of power to keep it in that exact position and it ends up caught in the planet's gravity, what'll happen is a slow spiral. A decaying orbit. It'll take days, even weeks. And eventually it will fall, after it breaks atmosphere. I've been eyeballing measurements every so often, so I should be able to tell in a couple hours if that's happening, but I don't think there's any reason to think so, right now.

[Again, Claire does as he says--and it reacts, just as he promised. Easy enough, and no one lost any limbs. Go team.]

That puts me at ease. Whatever would we do without you, captain? [There's a healthy amount of teasing in her tone, but she is truly grateful he's among those that seem to know what's what up here. And he has the patience to explain it.]

Probably think less about gravity? [ Jim's not a comedian. Anywhoo, good job learning how to open a door, Claire. (Shut up, narrativeJim.) They proceed through crew quarters until he finds the emergency cache that must be in all space stations; maybe it's near an airlock, maybe not, who knows. Work with me. ]

So. [ Jim puts a hand on the helmet, like a friendly hello for a dog. Patpat. ] I'm going to assume you understand the basics of why you'd want one of these on if something happens to the station: exposed to the vacuum outside, which has no oxygen or atmosphere, you'd die. Yeah?

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