❪ event ❫ hour of ruin

[natha]

HOUR OF RUIN     Sometime after midnight, after preparations have been put aside in favor of drinks and rest, a thunderous beating of wings shatters the air — the High Dragon Ysverai, once again risen. The sound echoes high off Namarak Mountain, but travels easily to both Wyver and Olympia: scream after scream rends the still night, as though a creature were dying rather than being born again. Having only had days to plan their defense against the creature, Olympia and Wyver snatch up their arms. The Royal Guard and the Knightryders can be seen on their steeds hurrying through the cities, because Ysverai doesn't remain isolated at the mountain's peak for long. There are pictures of Ysverai in abundance throughout both cities, but the creature that circles in the sky looks nothing like the majestic creature spoken of in history books. Even from far below, wounds and lacerations can be seen marring what should be smooth scales, and blood falls with every beat of the dragon's wings. The damage becomes more clear when moonlight illuminates Ysverai, revealing the rotting dragon for all to see. The sight of flesh peeling away and thick blood where it oozes from his cracked, greyish hide is as frightening as the power he possesses. REASON'S TRANSCENDENCE     Mad from the anguish of his forced revival, Ysverai will show none of his renowned wisdom or compassion, mindless and seeking to inflict his pain onto whatever emerges in his path. His very presence creates chaos: animals (Olympia | Wyver) domesticated and wild, flee from the merest hint of his approach, panicked and stampeding in wild droves. The reason is obvious: organic matter exposed too long to his presence begins to rot and decay. A field he lands in rots and lies fallow. Buildings crack and crumble, their supports pitted and corroded as though they've been left in disrepair for years. Even the ground that Ysverai walks upon is tainted; a corrosive sludge bubbles up in his massive, clawed footsteps, the ground beneath him putrefied and toxic, oozing corruption. This sludge can be tar-like, poisonous and sucking people in like quicksand; panic, and you'll only sink faster. Prolonged exposure to Ysverai takes a mental toll on anyone in his proximity as well. Effects similar to those from being near his heart — selfish desires and lowered inhibitions — will begin to fester in those around him. Every time Ysverai roars, pain will run through all those that hear him — a pain not just physical, but of true, anguished heartbreak. Those who hear Ysverai will feel (to a degree of your choosing) a sharing of his pain, the agony of flesh rotting from their bodies, blood oozing from under their skin, and a terrible, incandescent fury — and beneath that, a gut-wrenching sadness. This effect is further enhanced by any exposure to Ysverai's blood, and being drenched in greater quantities will cause one to become more in sync with the dragon. Finally, Ysverai is aggressive, attacking anyone and anything that approaches. He starts by breathing out a smog, acidic and putrefying — characters caught directly by this attack will find that medicine and healing magic of any kind hurts them for hours after exposure. The dragon will ignite the smog to breathe fire, if sparingly. IN WYVER     Ysverai's shadow falls over the near reaches of Wyver first. Upon hearing Ysverai's cry, the dragons in Wyver become completely frenzied, turning against their partners among the Knightryders without the slightest resistance. Those familiar with dragons might deduce that they're in pain, though they don't show any sign of injury. The dragons knock their riders off their backs in midair and dive at citizens, jaws wide. Any attempts to soothe them will be long fought, achieved with great difficulty, and will see them retreat into a cowering state. It's not just the airborne Knightryders taking to the defense of the city however, and people on the ground are mobilizing as well. On rooftops across the city are cannons set to fire harpoons. And if the spearheads alone aren't enough to injure the beast, they're coated with a paralyzing poison as well. Unfortunately, the soldiers stationed on the rooftops are prime targets to the frenzied dragons populating Wyver's skies, leaving the cannons open for ordinary citizens to use should they choose. Left alone too long, and cannons may fall under the control of the few remaining radicals that had opted not to flee the cities to join up with their leader Raysc, choosing instead to wait for an opportune moment to unleash their anger on the people of Wyver. These radicals will need to be dealt with before they can turn the cannons upon Wyver's defenders. IN OLYMPIA     In Olympia, the gryphon partners of the Royal Guard react with immediate hostility to anyone showing signs of Ysverai's influence. Their keen senses allow them to pick up the smell of Ysverai's blood and they attack anyone with so much as a drop of tainted blood on them. Those who bear lingering effects of Ysverai's mental attack and who remain in sync with the dragon after hearing Ysverai's cry are also targeted and must face the gryphons' wrath without mercy or restraint. The gryphons must be disabled, for Olympia will not look upon any injury to their prized steeds lightly. However, the gryphons also show some resistance to Ysverai's cry, which is a great boon in battle against the dragon — gryphons that have lost their riders will be available for use, able to carry two passengers at a time. The people of Olympia aren't planning to restrict their offense to pure brute force, and the mages of the city can be seen across Olympia wielding enchanted chains, using telekinesis in the hopes of restraining Ysverai and assisting in the airborne troops. But like the decaying buildings and wildlife, Ysverai is warping the magic around him, the chains faltering as they approach him, whipping back toward the city instead to cage whoever happens to be closest. It's not just the enchanted chains either, but other magic might behave erratically in his presence, as if the very essence of the spells have been corrupted. VIRTUOUS VERSE     Both cities realize they need to seek survival rather than victory against Ysverai, switching gears to carry out diversion efforts and evacuation plans. It falls to refugees to continue the offensive while the Royal Guard and the Knightryders devote their attention to ensuring the safety of the citizens as they flee. With official forces stretched thin, civilians and refugees alike will also need to step up to help herd citizens toward safety among a maze of collapsing buildings. Others will need to see to gathering resources for the evacuation, and while gathering non perishables is easy enough, it's considerably harder to wrangle livestock into cooperating amidst such chaos. Those fighting may be asked to act as bait for Ysverai. Chatter through official troops speaks of a switch in strategy: the objective now is capture the dragon's attention and draw him away from the populous cities and towards the South Outpost. Whether or not it's possible to defeat the dragon remains uncertain, but there's no question that it will be easier to battle him without worrying about civilians. THE RAGE     Luckily, the dragon is indiscriminate in his rage, and easily lured so long as a suitably infuriating target is before him. It doesn't take long to draw him to the South Outpost, but the trail of destruction he leaves in his wake is vast. Once there, the combined forces are greeted not just by Ysverai, but also by the appearance of Ysverai's master. How bravely you've all come to meet your doom! Great heroes, one and all, ha! I welcome you, bring your best. Show me the power that's protected Olympia and Wyver, all that you have to offer me, whatever pitiful excuse for valor you seek to cling to when the fear has you cowering in your beds. All will be for naught in the face of Ysverai's might! Let history witness the day the glory of war is reignited — the day that Wyver remembers its fangs once more! Come, Ysverai, last and greatest of the High Dragons! Come, and restore Wyver to its rightful place! Come, fulfill the promise as our protector that you could not in life! Raysc lifts a gleaming device as he issues his command. Red lights blink and blood, the same oozing liquid that drips from Ysverai's many wounds, runs in clear tubes through the device. Ysverai rears back as Raysc makes adjustments to a control panel — and then lunges forward, mouth agape. With a single swallow, Raysc meets his end. Raysc's attempt to control the dragon has only enraged him further, spurring Ysverai on to new heights of fury. It's become more vital than ever to face the dragon and take him down here and now. A few effective strategies are learned from research efforts and observed while defending Olympia and Wyver: goading the dragon into breathing fire will hurt him, burning him from the inside out, and attacks to his joints, eyes, wings, and exposed bone are effective. Ice is a natural repellent to dragons and can be used defensively or to weaken the dragon's hide. Healing spells will also react unnaturally to Ysverai's flesh, hastening his decay. However, while concentrated efforts will lock him down, Ysverai cannot be permanently killed in this state — his flesh constantly rots and spawns anew. Attacking him here is to protect civilians, keeping him busy to avoid mass destruction elsewhere. Therefore, the battle is one of attrition, a matter of a race against time. You must destroy his flesh faster than it is able to regenerate to have any hope of victory. Finally, when Ysverai is weakening, little more than bones with a few last vestiges of rotten meat hanging from a skeleton, the pathetic remnants of the last High Dragon takes to the skies. His wings are barely intact enough to carry him, yet desperation lifts him, higher and higher, until he lets out one great, earth-shaking roar. A roar that carries across the battlefield, sending all who hear it to their knees. A roar that shatters the swords in soldiers' hands, that rends apart the very air itself — Ysverai's last act, a great curse upon El Nysa, to bring down the sky. AND THE WORLD STOOD STILL     The terror of Ysverai's destruction hangs overhead — a tear in the sky, darkness pouring through, tendrils reaching down towards El Nysa to swallow up the planet in the dragon's final act of revenge. And yet nothing moves. A halo of brilliant light surrounds the rift in the sky, holding the grasping, hungry tendrils in check. And on the planet, not a creature moves. Not a blade of grass stirs. You're not able to even draw a breath. No matter where you are, not even the heart in your chest is beating. Everything has stopped — time has come to a standstill. In a wash of light, an aurora of transport, you find yourself delivered to Thesa Station. Darma stands before you, her expression solemn, perhaps even grim, though that may just be a trick of the station's harsh lighting. She explains what has happened in short order: planetside, time has been completely frozen. We have seen the birth and end of worlds. The rise and fall of civilizations infinite times over. We have seen all threads of possibilities that could have lead to this very moment... Or should have. Perhaps you might doubt our sincerity when we say this comes as a surprise to us, as well... Special technology has been used to blind us. To this day, we only know of one region capable of creating and utilizing such technology... you will find this technology in a city known as Nadril. We understand that you have created a life down in Wyver and Olympia, but now we must ask that you put that life on pause. We ask you to travel to Nadril and find the original Refugee, and with him, answers. As you will discover, he does not wish to speak to us. It is no matter. By now it is too late to keep the Nysan public unaware of our existence. We commend the efforts of those who wish to protect their comrades on the battlefield below, but a creature like poor Ysverai, twisted and warped, given unnatural life with terrible magic and technology, does not simply go down with manpower. Please, leave Ysverai to us. Time on the planet will remain stopped while we determine how to deal with the dragon. For now, rest and recover your strength. We have returned, and soon, there will be new refugees awakening. Perhaps you might like to prepare yourselves to greet them? I'm sorry that I can't answer more questions, but for now, all our attention must turn to finding a way to stop what Ysverai has wrought. A bank of monitors behind Darma displays the battlefield below: Ysverai's frozen, looming figure and the breach in the sky, and the Natha's halo, holding the destruction back. Though time passes normally on Thesa Station, El Nysa remains frozen, and all Refugees are unable to return to the planet until Ysverai's menace is dealt with. Luckily, with the Natha's return, full functionality has also returned to the station. The lights and environmentals are back to full power, access to all areas has been restored, the cafeteria is serving its normal offerings, and there's no evidence of any glitching or malfunctions. Doubtless, the period of rest is much needed after the hard-fought battle. For now, with time on El Nysa at a standstill, there's little else to be done but enjoy the reprieve aboard Thesa Station. FINAL OOC NOTE     Characters that reach an AC length action thread in this event will receive 2 rep for all factions, including Natha. Note that while these are split up for ease of processing, players may submit for all three. OLYMPIA | WYVER | NATHA Players can expect this event to run three days ICly before everyone is teleported to Thesa Station! From thereon, all characters will be grounded at the Station until the Test Drive Meme later this month. 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

[colorature]

_{[If there's one good thing about Diva it's that she's honest.]}

Yeah, it was. It made me go nuts.

_{[More nuts than usual.]}

[poolhall_killer]

I appreciate it, Miles...

[Why is he still so kind even after Venom's lack of control that night? He jeopardized their friendship, yet he here is offering encouragement.]

I've always been gifted, so to speak. I can use just about anything as a weapon, and I learned magic at an accelerated pace. I had hoped to do the same here.

[It took him a while to perfect his billiards magic, but that was different, at least in his mind.]

[diamondize]

It isn't? [Diamond just looks confused] I thought it would be... Sorry, I'm still getting used to humans--I guess I still have a lot to learn!

[They giggle a little though] Well, I think you're very sweet.

[punshots]

[ His guns doesn't have cool lasers, that's the difference. But Prompto doesn't bother to explain this, because yeah, they should probably...focus. To Rocket's question, Prompto quickly nods, a sort of wicked grin spreading on his face. ]

Can I? [ ... ] I mean, yeah, I totally can! You hold him, I'll punch!

[ In a...manner of speaking. ]

[willrevile]

[ Oh boy does Jim ever have opinions on the Natha's medical 'resurrection' or whatever it is, and how it relates to stasis and them being here at all, but now's not the time. So he just shrugs in response to that eyebrow.

Maybe later, if they get through this. ]

Yep. [ Bad news bears all around. ] Wanna head back down to the street?

[punshots]

[ He doesn't understand what's happening - at least, not at first. Prompto has seen her use her ability to some extent before, but that was in battle, and this is a very different sort of use. But when she touches him he becomes more aware of it, too. The emotional link that she's established between them feeds back into his mind, much as she might try to restrain it, and he is unprepared for the sudden, sharp screaming of the dragon in his mind.

He gasps and flinches, and draws back - but he doesn't let go of her hand. Is that...what it's like for her inside her mind? Gods, it's no wonder she'd been barely able to walk with something like that in her head.

He tries to focus his thoughts again, honing in on anything he can think of to make himself calm right now. They both need it. ]

c:

[punshots]

[ He slants a lopsided smile at her as he pops another fry into his mouth. Nicknames are kind of his thing, but whether he was serious or not, he's glad to hear her laughing, too. ]

Claire-Bear! It suits you, don't you think?

[punshots]

So...you not only found your place, but kinda...realized you were already there the whole time.

[ He can relate to that, too. He'd gone on his own journey to find his place in the world, and while his was no more voluntarily than it sounds like hers is, he gets it. Sometimes it takes a change of surroundings to realize where you really belong. Which had made...being in this world all the more difficult, but this is their home now, too, for better or for worse. There's no helping that. ]

What did you do then?

[thetaintedsorrow]

Does anything not piss you off?

[DRINK MORE YELLY.]

You need to learn to have fun.

[nineteenfortyfive]

Absolutely not! I'm nothing like a bear.

[She knows that's not the implication, of course, so she laughs a little easier. And then, she leans in to whisper so that only he can hear:]

But I will allow it.

[If only because she's glad to see him enjoying himself.]

[willrevile]

I don't mean you and I when I say 'we', [ Jim says. He's been regarding the Natha with extreme skepticism since day one. ] I mean everyone.

[ Cloak and dagger stuff isn't gonna cut it, just like the Natha hiding hasn't. He's not sure how to go about rallying people just yet, though - obviously a network address is just going to get a bunch of sassy sarcasm in return. But maybe not, if it's a coalition effort. Mm.

(If she'd said that-- what does anyone think Peggy's been doing all this time? u gotta choose pegleg tell people or nah) ]

And we have access to so much more in terms of resources and overall knowledge. It puts us, collectively, in a position of responsibility. I just hope people will be able to see that and work together.

[yelliot]

_{[Maybe you should fill up his glass, since it's starting to get a bit low...]}

Cats don't piss me off. Piano doesn't piss me off. Neither do books.

_{[That's not very many things though, is it?]}

I know how to have fun. I'm just not in a very fun mood.

_{[And he really hasn't been since he fell out of one of the stasis pods tbh.]}

[thetaintedsorrow]

What do you like about cats?

[Chuuya likes cats too, he’s just curious. Also here’s another full glass, Elliot.]

[punshots]

[ Right. He knows. That Alisaie didn't tell him much is a good and a bad thing; it means X'rhun doesn't know what he's in for, and that Prompto will need to fill in all those blanks himself. He knows he only has to tell X'rhun as much as he wants him to know, and there are things that transpired that Prompto will keep quiet about. Those last, private moments between him and Alisaie, and their reunion after—those are memories too personal to share, but as for what happened to him...

Well, if X'rhun ever sees his scars, it wouldn't be hard to figure.

When he at last speaks again, Prompto's tone is drawn, detached, almost...lifeless, compared with his usual energy. ]

It...was just like any other battle, at first. We were dead on our feet, y'know? But we had to keep fighting, because...that was the only thing to do. [ He leans forward, his elbows on his knees. ] We were up against some dragons and some of Rasyc's goons, but we held our own. Mostly...Alisaie held her own. She's amazing, y'know? —Of course you know. You trained her.

[ A hint of warmth rings in those last words. ]

[sheriffing]

Hook helped me use my magic to open a portal and get back home.

[ the magic she wasn't supposed to have anymore, that she had supposedly lost rescuing him from Zelena. she'll always default to being skeptical, but she's glad she has it here. it's gotten her out of a few tight spots.]

We found our way back to my family. Eventually things settled down, and I got a chance to ask him how he found me after I lost my memories. It turns out he traded his ship for a way back to me.

[punshots]

[ She has a point. He got used to going out into battle in his fatigues because he could count on Noctis' magic to keep him safe from the worst of attacks, but here, he isn't so lucky. He's always been better at offense than defense, and a shield sounds awfully bulky but if it might save his life, it'd be worth it.

Too little too late, Urbosa! ]

Know where I could pick one up around here?

[yelliot]

_{[Thanks fam.]}

They're independent and don't take anyone's shit! They're also soft and incredibly cute. Haven't you seen how darling their ears and tails can be? And how the pads on their paws look like little beans...they're playful and natural born hunters and when they purr it's like everything is right with the world!

[thetaintedsorrow]

[Chuuya just...blinks a few times.]

I mean you’re not wrong, but I never thought I’d hear you talk like that about anything.

[It’s kind of cute, honestly.]

Makes me miss Daifuku.

[revlon]

[ She waves a hand vaguely at the first bit as if to say, Yes, I know. Then she sighs, thinking along the same lines as him — rallying the troops won't go over well, not when everyone is of a different mind about what to make of their new lives here. ]

Maybe our best gauge of who actually cares enough to do so will be amongst the throng heading to Nadril. Of course, we don't know much until the Natha see fit to brief us on the whole cabal of old refugees, but I doubt it'll be an easy trip.

[yelliot]

Don't make fun of me because I'm passionate about cats! Anyone who has a brain between their ears should be!

_{[Elliot, please. At the mention of Daifuku there's a little groan of yearning.]}

Atsushi is so lucky...his pet tiger is so cute...I'm so jealous, even though Nessy is perfect and I love her.

_{[Ah. That's right. His cat. That's why he's so upset in the first place. His face drops as he stares at the now refilled glass, not moving to touch it.]}

I think she's going to be dead.

[nineteenfortyfive]

That might be worse. I'd rather be above than below.

[And she knows less about space than she does the ocean. Best leave it that way, though she's learning. Slowly.]

[thetaintedsorrow]

I’m not. I agree with you. And yeah, Atsushi is pretty lucky to have gotten such a cute pet.

[Chuuya loves his bird but it’s no cat...

Chuuya’s expression shifts into a sympathetic one.]

Maybe she made it out. I don’t think anyone can hurt them when the world is frozen.

[revlon]

[ She laughs. ]

Hitting things with one hand is a rather dull affair, don't you think? And I don't think firing a gun on a spaceship is a wise idea.

[yelliot]

She ran away before everything was frozen because she was scared. Who knows what's happened to her.

_{[He's not getting his hopes up. He can't.]}

[thunderblight]

Urbosa's been making a point to wander and explore some of the wilds around the towns - nothing to arduous (the wildlife certainly prevents any major undertakings) but enough to know that there's a young forest within walking distance. Thinner canopy to navigate by moonlight, non-aggressive flora and fauna, so on and so forth.

It's not perfect, but in dire circumstances digging a foxhole under one of the older trees is better than nothing.

Axel's banter gets a wry sidelong glance out of Urbosa. "Mind your footing while you swivel all over the place. With your wardrobe, I'd be liable to trip over you." Considering with his hood up, he'd blend right into the treeline... plus y'know. Toothpick physique. "We're escorting them only until the forest is in sight, then I'm going back. There's too many more people that need to be led out of Wyver to babysit."

Which in hindsight sounds kinda heartless, but it isn't like she wouldn't immediately intercept anything that tried to take potshots at their little convoy.