❪ 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

[thetaintedsorrow]

You’re not gonna believe me unless you try it.

[yelliot]

_{[Just. This look.]}

Are you propositioning me?

[judicia]

( He's had a lot of practice being snarky in tough situations. It's the only way he knows how to cope without losing his temper, and losing his temper isn't going to do anyone any good, especially right now. Anders watches as Ysverai screams and thrashes around, his belly spilling its black, tar-like blood all over the cobblestones. There are other refugees around, trying to fight off the beast as best they can, but they're running out of steam just as quickly as Anders and Venom are.

The dragon sustains more magical barrages, burns himself from the inside out with his own fiery breath. Once he's nothing more than a few chunks of meat hanging from a skeleton, Ysverai takes to the skies. Anders' heart sink as he watches him, his bony wings carrying him higher and higher. The dragon roars and shadowy tendrils break out across the sky, blackening the horizon and darkening the land below. )

I'm sorry, Justice.

( Anders can feel the tears flowing freely down his face. He doesn't need Ysverai's roar to fill him with despair. Knowing that they had lost is enough. )

[quintessent]

I think it's a skill that anyone could pick up, given enough time.

[Coming from a space-faring race, it was expected for most to learn even the basics of piloting. Like riding a bike, or driving a car, for humans. Being landlocked was simply not a thing in Altean society. She smiles,]

The only way to find out is to try it for yourself.

[godslay]

Try not to catch fire next time.

[ She pulls the hair apart ever so gently, but gives him a look through narrowed eyes. ]

Should I just cut these out?

[poolhall_killer]

Mostly tea.

[He leans in on command, trying to keep his mind on drinks.]

And water. On special occasions, I'll have some wine or brandy. But I usually opt for tea whenever possible. How about you?

[personalwar]

[ It's not as if 76 is relaxed as they make the trip back. He's well aware of the threat that the dragon still presents, and that it could decide to go berserk again at any moment and buck him off, claw at him, or even breathe fire. He realizes a dragon isn't the same as a horse, but his methods worked the last time he tried this, so he tightens his legs against the dragon's flanks and grips its shoulders, directing it just slightly by applying pressure as needed.

The trip back to the stables isn't long, thankfully, and they make it there without incident. Once they're inside, 76 hops off of the dragon and simply motions for where it should go. At this point instinct seems to kick in for the creature, and as soon as it's in the stall, 76 closes the door to shut it in.

Of course, there are tons of other dragons out there that probably need the same treatment, but they can only do so much. 76 turns back to Gamora. ]

Thanks. [ His head tilts down to look at her arm. ] Now, will you let me take a look at that? [ Judging by his tone, he isn't ready to take no for an answer. ]

[smithandwesson]

[Well damn.

That certainly took a moment to process.

Blinking a few times, Sanzo slowly came back into focus from what was most likely his now 10,000th near-death experience. Only to look up and, although only muffled to him, take in the noise of Yusei's yell over the screams of the radicals who were hurriedly attempting to reload the harpoon.

One of the men, noticing the kid getting close, quickly hopped down from the machine, leaving only one of them to the job. He was a tall brutish man, and upon landing from his place atop the harpoon, seemed to keep himself planted in preparation for Yusei's charge.

It was as if he was taking a completely defensive stance. Prepared to protect the goal at all cost. The radical that Yusei punched down previously, slowly coming back to his senses and pushing himself back up onto his feet.]

[baldesion]

[Ah. Is this so she need not look him in the eye, or he her, or both?

She takes a long drink of water. How best to lay out the broad points of the Echo to someone wholly unfamiliar with the concept?]

What I saw, just then. [Seems she's going with blunt and to the point.] The details aren't important, but there are moments when I am able to see very briefly into the past. I can't control it or summon it up.

[One of the things she's bitter about. Another is that the details aren't important anymore, which she just managed to avoid saying. One more steadying breath.]

Most, if not all, such visions are brought about through proximity to...to a substantial event or series of events. To the aetheric resonance they create, or leave behind, within a space or a person.

[emblazes]

Sounds like Allura. Both in that desire to be a better combatant (though she could probably go toe to toe with him and break his nose) and bearing advanced weaponry. Like, if the term bayard hadn't been a dead giveaway. Though there is a vast array of aliens and such from past and present all laid out here...

"Yeah." It's an easy answer; he'd had some time to predict what Axel might've been getting at there. "I used to be. Some...things happened."

Something about Shiro disappearing, shoes being too big to fill, a gaping hole in his past serving as an itch. His skillset having far more use elsewhere...

"She's a paladin too, but she wasn't always."

The latter's added only to make her not seem like a liar, in case she hadn't gone through her full history with him back then. Not to mention it serves as a (paltry) distraction from his own shortcomings.

[planetary_bonds]

[You know what's great about tall people, friend? Small people like him can duck under and hit them where it hurts.

Or in this case, slip underneath their arms and kick them in the ankles. Ankle kicking has never failed him so far, and getting a big guy like him to at least stumble gives Yusei more leeway than he should ever have.

Still, Yusei only expects to be a distraction - if he can keep this big guy occupied enough for Sanzo to fire at the last remaining person on the machine, it's their victory. So Yusei too, plays defensively, not letting the man keep his balance.

He's too occupied with playing games with this big guy, though, to really pay attention to the other radical he'd punched out of commission. He's there, in the back of Yusei's mind, but he can't act on it, not yet anyway.]

[almaredemptoris]

[The earth trembles beneath his weak legs, and he is glad for Takasugi’s support, without which he should have buckled like the very building that collapsed atop him.]

For my conscience compels me to do so.

[In every man made small by hatred, wretched by despair, warped by rage, he sees himself — for there he would have remained if not for God’s intervention through the hands of the bishop. That great debt he tries to repay in his every act.

That Takasugi is capable of reaching out his hand to help rather than hurt, Jean Valjean takes for proof that within the young man is something toward which to reach. He does not anticipate that this quality shall resurface so soon, but he knows that it exists, lurking beneath the murk.]

[semblant]

[He'll heave a sigh at that. Somehow, her vying for his honesty makes him all the more suspicious, though her second point is a fair one. Her third, well...

Wait, WHAT?? INDEED....]

Ah...? You tried to produce something with him?

[That's the most logical...thing...he can gather from this horrific stretch...]

[semblant]

Unless I'm carrying alcohol, you're saying I'd be out of sorts?

[He is feeling starkly aware of his condition all at once, however. The remedy's practically in his lap, but he'll forego it. It's just the two of them for now.]

As long as you understand, that's the important part. [Excuse the fuck outta him while he scoots over to create some room, should JJ decide to nap here.] I won't make a habit out of it, now that I know it repulses you.

[colorature]

With Mephisto? No, I didn't mate with him.

_{[That would have been a most unholy union. Beyond cursed. Thank God.]}

I did it with a friend... _{[Atsushi, to be specific.]} Not Reign.

_{[Best to clarify just in case Solomon assumes the worst.]}

[underwhelms]

[ Oh yeah, sorry. Solomon must be exhausted but it's not like JJ cares as he straight up commandeers his bed.

And then he laughs at him, though he softens(?) it by extending a hand to gently pat Solomon's cheek. ]

That's not what I said. But wow, you're going to be that considerate for me? That's so sensitive of you!

[ But anyway - ]

What I meant was, you usually look like a posh gentleman, so it's weird seeing you all homeless looking.

[sparsity]

[ Tongue poking out from the corner of his mouth in concentration, Mikazuki's entire body coils in anticipation of the moment he hadn't really known he was consciously waiting for. Setsuna is in his awareness, though his fight is on the peripherals of what Mikazuki is actually focusing on: the dragon. When the suit finally crumbles beneath Ysverai's weight, Mikazuki almost feels the command more than he hears it, searing bright in his mind and sharpening throughout the rest of his body. ]

Got you.

[ All four pistons engage on the mace, steam bursting from the ports as they launch its pile bunker from its tip with terrifying force. Barbatos itself is knocked back by the recoil, showered in smoke and sparks. The projectile lances through the air, hitting Ysverai in the neck with enough power to puncture though flesh and bone, metal embedding itself in the creature and blowing rotten tissue and blood back though the wound.

It's a terrible noise that follows, the animosity and pain reverberating through the air, shrill and inescapable. Luckily, his ears were already bleeding.

With a wild throe, the dragon backs off of Setsuna's mobile suit while trying to dislodge the projectile from its neck, rolling through trees and leaving nothing but death in its wake. That'll hold it off for now as its wings beat and attempt to carry it and the weight of the pile bunker into the sky. ]

[poolhall_killer]

No...

[Dammit, they were close, too. The dragon was literally skin and bones, yet he somehow garnered the strength to fly off, leaving darkness in his deathly wake.]

Anders, we-

[He sees the tears, and he immediately goes to his friend. Without even thinking, he pulls Anders into a hug, only wanting to comfort the older man. There's no awkward pauses this time. Only genuine friendship.]

[punshots]

[ He knows. It's not easily to talk about for any of them, which is why he had such a hard time admitting it. Now Alphinaud has to live with that burden, too. He can only hope he made the right choice, in the end, to tell him. ]

...Yeah. She's...she's resting right now. [ Unsurprisingly, she hadn't done much of it while he'd been...gone, and even now, her rest if quite fitful. ]

She, uh...she was there. When it...happened.

[ When he died, he means. ]

[sparsity]

I won't let them.

[ Takasugi's unspoken thought becomes his spoken promise. To himself, if no one else, but free for the taking all the same. With one target and his concept of ally, of friend, family, or partner, being on unstable ground he doesn't trust, Mikazuki's attention lies with destroying the destroyer, and nothing else.

With one sound lash of its tail, Barbatos sends Ysverai into a uncoordinated freefall in this distance, ruinous debris pelting the ground below. Like a plague. ]

[icingonthecake]

"It was a beautiful place," Axel admits, almost surprising himself in doing so.

He realizes his hand is over the spot where his heart would be--or... well, he couldn't be alive without a heart, right? So maybe the loss of one's heart is more metaphorical, in the Darkness' sense, but that may be splitting hairs. Either way, it's a candid gesture he had made without thinking, and now he's a little embarrassed to have shown visible pain that way, however subtle it may have been. At least Riku seemingly has the tact and discretion to not bring it up.

He looks at him and frowns a little, then lowers his eyes again.

"It's strange," he says. "I can't feel, and I know that, but... the muscle memory of emotion can be pretty overpowering." He shakes his head. "I kept telling myself that I couldn't actually be afraid or anything, when that dragon screamed overhead, but... damn if something in me wasn't dead set on trying to be." He scratches the back of his head awkwardly. "The last time I really genuinely felt fear was..." He hesitates, then shrugs one shoulder. "Well, I'm sure you can guess." Losing one's heart is a terrifying experience that begins with pain and horror and ends with... numbness and nothing. And it's a very jarring transition. "Every time he shook the sky, it's like every memory just shot back to the surface."

He looks at Riku again, something resigned in his expression. He gets it--there's a shared sort of trauma between them in this. The loss of his heart and the fall of his world are intrinsically linked, and he can't recall the pain of one without acknowledging the other is connected. Being orphaned by your own home world isn't as unique an experience as it probably should be, he's come to understand, but he's in pretty good company, at least.

"I've been to your islands, a couple of times," he says then, a watery ghost of a smile trying to play on his lips. "There was an ocean in Radiant Garden, but never such an unbroken horizon," he says. "There were mountainous islands all around the town, so the first time I saw a wide open ocean like yours, it was... terrifying, really." He gives a soft laugh. "I had never seen so much open water before, in all directions like that."

[beatupgrass]

[He'd say he didn't know the stupid dragon was basically breathing combustible gas and then fire, but that's a lie. He could smell it. He was just willing to take the risk.

With the heaviest of sighs, he rolls his eyes towards the ceiling.] Whatever. I'm gonna have a busted rat tail for a month either way. Might as well choose the option that hurts less.

[inaurare]

Thank you.

[maybe he never believed, himself. But It's certainly not as if the words have no meaning, with Linneus' hands still clasped around the other man's.]

I have my reasons here, still, too. Not from my own world, but those I have met since waking.

[to say he would protect them feels presumptuous when... well, look at him. He is no protector, though he would try.]

[thetaintedsorrow]

No, but if that’s where your mind is going.

[Chuuya reaches out to poke the beauty mark under Elliot’s eye.]

Why not?

[chickenhearted]

I am not a runt!

[ Except he really is. But that doesn't mean Dylas has to call him out on it.

Because Dylas is holding his hand as he walks, Waver begins to walk too. He considers giving his hand a tug, but decides to just leave it. It's. nice to know someone is right there beside you. And not just going to fade away or something. But who's asking? ]

... Yeah, I'd like to see that. I'm not much help in saving the world, but I do my best.