❪ 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

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[meinwaifu]

[As he presses his blood to the paper, the blood spread out to fill the rest of the circle, leaving a perfectly level surface once he pulls his hand back. The paper then rolls itself up, before floating back to Mephisto's waiting hand -- at which point it disappears with another poof of smoke.]

Fufu, a pleasure doing business with you. Now then-- to settle the first part of our little deal, allow me to teach you a little lesson about demons.

[In the meantime-- he snaps his fingers and a little tea kettle appears, already steaming with hot tea (does time pass in hammerspace?? we just don't know) as it starts to pour out into a set of tea cups that appear just in time to catch the stream.]

[...he really is too Extra™.]

Many demons can be summoned using chants. Although often long-winded and in ancient and complicated languages, when used in combination with a magic circle, one can instantly call a demon to their side.

And for every demon who can be summoned using a chant, there is an accompanying fatal verse for that demon as well. And when a fatal verse is spoken aloud in that demon's presence, it's forcibly returned from whence it came. They're often the first line of defense used by exorcists when facing a known demon.

But in your case, given the chant you use is both short and requires some other pre-requisite beyond simply being spoken aloud-- to me, it's obvious that the chant itself was artificially created and imposed on Arahabaki, either through its own will or the will of another. A spell carefully designed so only you can use it, and only in the circumstances in which you want it to work.

If we assume such a thing exists-- then so, too, does the opposite exist. A spell designed for the sole purpose of returning Arahabaki to its dormant form.

[thetaintedsorrow]

[Sure, Chuuya will take some conjured demon tea, why not? He takes a careful sip of the hot liquid as he listens to Mephisto’s explanation, and honestly? He’d half-expected evil laughter and a villain song as soon as he’d signed the contract, but he’ll take tea instead.]

A fatal verse? Then that’s your weakness? Does anyone know yours?

[He’s gonna go with no.]

How would you ever figure out what it is, though? My world doesn’t exist anymore. You’d just have to guess.

[It sounds hopeless, but if anyone can figure it out...]

You were supposed to tell me other weaknesses too, remember? For telling you the name. Don’t think I forgot.

[Unless that just so happens to be a demon’s only weakness, but if exorcists used to exist, then he doubts it. Surely they had weapons effective against demons as well.]

[meinwaifu]

Oh no, I'm not a demon who can be summoned using a simple chant! Thus, I don't have a fatal verse-- but rest assured, I haven't forgotten about telling you my real weaknesses.

But the point I'm trying to make is that if one can artificially create a summoning verse, then same can be true for a fatal verse. As a matter of fact, one of the exorcists who worked with the Vatican in my world was capable of creating custom fatal verses for all the demons he summoned! It was rather impressive... for a human.

[He takes a moment to sip from his own tea, frowns at it, and then summons about five cubes of sugar that drop down into it. Jesus.]

For someone like me... give me two weeks, and I can have a similar failsafe prepared for you.

[thetaintedsorrow]

[Goddamn that’s a lot of sugar. At least demons probably don’t have to worry about tooth decay.]

An artificial one, huh?

[It could work. Probably. It’s worth a shot, right? Especially since the deal is done and sealed. Chuuya has no idea if Mephisto would suffer any kind of consequences for failing to keep his end of the bargain, but it’s not like he has much of a choice but to trust him.]

Fine. Two weeks. Then we’ll try it.

[Given that Chuuya’s normal ability still works just fine, he assumes that Corruption is still intact as well. Without having tried to use it, he has no idea whether it’s been weakened or sealed in some way.

If so, then things are bound to get interesting.]

What if this doesn’t work and you can’t do it? What happens then?

[meinwaifu]

Now now, this is merely the failsafe! It's hardly a matter of whether or not I can. [His ego is too big to even consider that he can't do it tbh.] However, to come up with some means for allowing you to retain your wits when actively using corruption, I'll need to be able to research it firsthand. And naturally, to do that, I require a failsafe! I can't have my cute little familiar dying on me, after all.

[GONNA REACH OUT AND PINCH HIS CHEEK]

But if whatever method I come up with doesn't work-- well, we'll simply have to try another one!

[And heeere's the evil grin.]

After all, it's not as though you gave me a timeline to work with, yes? As long as I accomplish it sometime within your lifetime, I'm still abiding by the rules of our contract, aren't I?

[thetaintedsorrow]

Right.

[GONNA SMACK HIS HAND AWAY. HUFF.]

I knew there was some kind of catch.

[There’s no telling how long this could take...

But if Mephisto wants a cool familiar then he’d better hurry it along while Chuuya is still young.]

I would think you’d want to figure it out as fast as possible, but whatever.

[A suspicious look.]

You’re not going to tell anyone about this deal, are you? That would expose you too, you know.

[meinwaifu]

Fufu, but of course! To me, you're rather like a puzzle, itching to be solved. Rest assured, regardless of my success rate, I'll be working day and night to find a workable solution for you for as long as it takes.

[He says this all plainly, like it's not a big deal at all. Which might make it sound like he's lying but--]

[Well, assuming Chuuya trusts that he's upholding his side of the deal, he'll know that Mephisto can't lie to him anymore.]

But I can't say I'd have a reason to tell anyone, no. There may come a time in the future in which I'd like to be able refer to you as one of my familiars to those I consider my closest allies-- but if this is something you wish to keep secret, I will honor that to the best of my ability.

[thetaintedsorrow]

[Chuuya squints at Mephisto, like that’s going to help him determine if the guy is lying or not.]

...fine. I’ll wait.

[Waiting isn’t his favorite thing to do, but it’s not like he can do all this on his own, so.]

Depends. Who are your closest allies?

[Look at Chuuya.already testing whether Mephisto will spill the beans when asked.]

[meinwaifu]

Oh, a complicated question right off the bat, I see! Why don't we start from the bottom.

[He didn't ask who he'd tell, but who his allies are-- so that's what he's going to answer.]

Those I consider generally trustworthy, but who hold little trust for me, includes Miss Diva, Lady Urbosa, and Miss Yona-- though the latter is someone I would suggest never mentioning my name around.

Those I consider both trustworthy and place a good amount of my own personal trust in include Reign Fear and Slaine Troyard... ah, and yourself, for that matter. Though unlikely, I might mention you to these two, if the subject ever came up.

And among those I trust implicitly and would almost certainly mention you given the chance, there's my younger brother, Amaimon, and Lady Mipha.

[thetaintedsorrow]

I know Diva and Reign. The others I’ve only talked to a couple of times or never met.

[Of course it’s the vampires that Chuuya knows best.]

I had no idea you and Mipha were close.

[Chuuya had met her once, in her own memories. She’s seemed kind and caring. Not at all who Chuuya would’ve expected Mephisto to be close to.]

I’ll keep all this in mind.

[For future reference.]

How do you know Reign and Diva?

1/2

[meinwaifu]

Of course you would know the vampires best, what with that fetish of yours.

[He'll ignore the comment about Mipha for now-- he didn't ask a question after all.]

[meinwaifu]

I met Miss Diva by chance one day, and found her to be rather charming. She's assisted me in disposing of a few bodies in the past... or I suppose your could say, I've taken her out to dinner a few times.

[Meph don't make it sound gross??]

And Reign is someone I met in much the same way I met you. We were also co-workers for a time, though our present relationship is of a more personal nature. He's among the few people here I would openly consider a friend.

[thetaintedsorrow]

It’s not a fetish.

[He just likes pointy teeth, okay??]

You fed the bodies to her, huh? Can’t say it was a bad move.

[Good thing Chuuya isn’t easily grossed out.

Chuuya snorts at “personal nature”.]

So you’re banging him, huh?

[meinwaifu]

You can deny it all you like, but I know first-hand just how much you enjoy having that neck of yours bitten.

[Never gonna letitgo.mp3]

Should that really be surprising? Why, I'd say I'm with him more often than I'm with you.

[thetaintedsorrow]

[Lies and slander.]

Is that supposed to make me jealous?

[He would never.]

Besides, I already knew you slept around. That’s what demons do, isn’t it?

[meinwaifu]

Not at all! I'm merely stating a fact.

[But clearly the fact that his mind jumped to jealousy implies that's where his mind is at!!!]

Hmm... but I wouldn't say my behaviour is normal for a demon, no. We're not driven by sexual desire in the same way humans are. I just happen to enjoy it -- but if I had more interesting hobbies to occupy my time, I probably wouldn't indulge as much as I do.

--and in case you haven't noticed, every time you ask me a question, I'm going to feel obligated to answer. Do you plan on playing twenty questions with me all day?

[He doesn't really mind it yet, but there are things Chuuya could ask that he'd really rather he not.]

[thetaintedsorrow]

So it’s just you.

[The pervert demon.]

I dunno, you got somewhere to be? Someone to see?

[There is one thing he’s curious about...]

What’s your relationship with Mipha?

[A sly grin. He’s playing a dangerous game here, considering that there’s several people Mephisto could prod him about, but Chuuya isn’t obligated to tell the whole truth.]

1/3

[meinwaifu]

Oh, not at all. You caught me on a rare day of aimless free time!

[Sure, he had things he was going to do, but all of this was fun in its own way.]

[Until he asks that.]

[meinwaifu]

[meinwaifu]

...she's the woman I love.

[He's not embarrassed about his feelings for Mipha!! But it does feel a little different, to be asked about it like some kind of interrogation.]

[Perhaps more so when that person is someone like Chuuya. It feels strange in a way he can't quite place.]

[thetaintedsorrow]

[Well, that certainly wasn’t the answer he was expecting. Chuuya is quiet for a moment as he glances down at his hands, one covered and one exposed to the world. It’s probably symbolic or some shit, but to Chuuya it just feels odd not to wear both of them, and he tugs his missing one back on.]

Love, huh?

[EVEN DEMONS CAN FALL IN LOVE...?]

Can’t say I know what that feels like.

[He’s not even trying to be edgy. He legit has no idea. Rather than go into a long discussion about what love is, Chuuya decides to change the subject, because feelings.]

Anyway. Are you just gonna poof next to me when you need me or something?

[meinwaifu]

[Oh, now that's a fun reaction. He's seen more than enough lovesick humans to make a fair assessment -- but he also can't be sure. Love was a complex emotion for humans and demons alike, even if it happened to be a little different between the two.]

I see one of us is still capable of lying. [He says it with a low snicker-- but he won't press beyond that, allowing Chuuya to change the subject.]

But not to worry-- I'll give you as much notice as possible. Ordinarily, I'd be able to communicate with a familiar telepathically, but seeing as you're not a demon, I'll have to find a workaround for that. For now, I'll simply give you a call.

[...which he'll probably hold off on doing for a good while at first, if only to see if Chuuya gets lonely when he's not being actively depended on. Humans were cute that way.]

[thetaintedsorrow]

Lying my ass.

[HE IS NOT IN LOVE. HUFF. At least he’s allowed to change the subject.

Also he’s gonna ask another question because why not?]

Have you had a human familiar before? Or am I the first?

[IS HE S P E C I A L??]

[meinwaifu]

Oh, you're certainly the first! I said this would be a fun experiment, didn't I?

[HE'S VERY SPECIAL gonna reach out to pat him on the head.]

Hmm, but come to think of it, I wonder if it wouldn't be best to give you something to remind you who your master is...

[Ominous....]

[thetaintedsorrow]

Right.

[GRUMBLES. Don’t knock his hat off!]

Like I need a reminder. How the hell am I gonna forget??

[HE DOESN’T WANT YOUR GIFTS!! Even if he’s a little curious...]