❪ 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

[smithandwesson]

Uh-huh. Like it hasn't fucking crossed your mind you brat.

[Okay, he was actually outright grinning at this point. A genuine miracle in the making.

But now was not the time to take it all in as, at that moment a small clicking noise could be heard. The sound of the harpoon securing itself within the canon.]

Right, that's it! Now turn this thing around and let's save a fucking city!

[poolhall_killer]

I'm sorry. I've never been any good at casual conversation...

[It's hard keeping awake when he just wants to sleep for hundreds of years.]

Do you like to read?

[sullenstallion]

[Dylas has done that. He doesn't recommend it.]

I do, yeah. Mostly old stories. I feel a connection to older books, I guess.

[thetaintedsorrow]

You can’t miss him. Tall as fuck, dresses in wacky outfits, throws in random German words when he speaks.

[Chuuya scratches his cheek, unsure what else he should disclose.]

Still surprised you care enough to ask.

[baldesion]

[Being in the wrong place at the wrong time killed him.

Krile shudders silently. She very nearly got skewered on one of those harpoon bolts herself. A "firsthand" experience with its compound deadliness is truly sobering.]

There is nothing anyone could have done.

[Which is hard for her to admit. Even practical-minded Krile has a streak of "if I had been there", and she has pulled off some exceptional bringing back from brinks lately. But the combination of the severity of that injury and the poison trailing it...]

What Alisaie did for you was terribly kind. [No wonder she has been but a shell of herself.] The only option there was, I think. I would only have managed...easing your pain.

[Not driving back the inevitable; perhaps prolonging it needlessly. There just wasn't time.]

[poolhall_killer]

There is nothing wrong with enjoying older stories. You can learn many things from them. Word usage, legends, how they compare to newer tales...

[Venom seems more awake as he sits up. He can go on about books and reading.]

I tend to read nonfiction, mostly... history and magic. But I won't turn down a good mystery or fantasy now any then.

[Such as a particular children's series about dragons he found here.]

[punshots]

[ It is good, in a way, to hear Krile say that, to not have to wonder that if Alisaie had just been able to get Krile to him in time, he might've lived. But his injury had not been a simple of small one. It had been complex and devastating, and that he hadn't died instantly is nothing short of a miracle. Even if he has returned, he's...glad, that he was able to have those last few moments with his wife, to tell her how much he loves her, to hear her voice in his fading thoughts.

He leans forward onto the table, putting his elbows up with his head within them .]

...I-I don't know what to do, Krile. She...needs space, physically, but I...I feel like I'm going crazy keeping my distance.

[ Prompto has always been a tactile person, and Alisaie has ever indulged his need for physical contact. But now, she can barely hold his hand without looking haunted. It's like she hasn't yet accepted he is real and tangible, not just a phantom of her dreams.

This isn't Krile's problem, and he feels guilty for even bringing it up. But it's out there now. She knows what he went through better than anyone. And so...he'll continue to talk. ]

[motivation]

Slaying a dragon might do it.

[ her tone is faux-serious, but there's warmth in her eyes, answering the smile in his. ]

[semblant]

Vaguely.

[But maybe that's all it was -- violence. Forcing him to ordeal an experience like that won't end very well. Delicate flower. He'll move onto his side, offering up more room and properly facing him now; win-win.]

Something like that. If you had perished, I would have had to set up the proper arrangements. [A beat.] It occurred to me that I don't know many of your friends.

[Or any of them actually. What a hilariously bad time and cumbersome way to bring this up....]

[icingonthecake]

"Oh, didja?" He laughs softly, though not derisively. "I always kinda wanted to learn how to use a sword. I've always been more of a duel-weapons kind'a guy, myself, but swords are cool. Had my ass handed to me by a few." Keyblades are still swords okay. Classic shape not required.

He shrugs a little.

"I mean, maybe at one point way back in history," he says, poking at his eggs again. "Not too many knights in shining armor around anymore, except in like... games and stuff." Axel is totally a rogue with high charisma and off the charts wisdom, but boy does he suck at saving throws. "But the concept of a paladin exists where I come from, sure."

[icingonthecake]

He thinks maybe he understands what's bothering Riku now, and he gives him a slightly crooked smile.

"I get it," he says. "I never actively wished to leave my world, but I did wonder what else was out there. I thought that there was no way Radiant Garden was the only world in the universe, it just couldn't be. The universe is infinite, right? How arrogant would you have to be, to believe you were the only thing in it?"

He shakes his head with a sigh.

"But... sometimes I think, if I could go back in time, and just... not even wonder, if that would be enough to stop everything that happened, I'd do it." He lowers his eyes. "I know that my thinking about what might exist beyond the horizons of my little world didn't cause what happened to it and the rest of them, but..." A pause, and he meets Riku's eye. "It makes you wonder, sometimes," he says, "just how much power of suggestion might stand for. How much of what happens is coincidence, or fate, and how much is driven by our own actions?"

His smile is a little more sincere then.

"Xion liked the sound of waves, too," he says, making a gesture toward his ear. "She and Roxas would hold shells up to their ears to hear the surf. I never had the heart to tell them the ocean wasn't in the shells at all and it's mostly just the ambient noise around them echoing off the inside." He gives a nervous sort of laugh. "I guess I didn't have the heart for anything really, but... you know what I mean."

[almaredemptoris]

[And laboriously he follows Takasugi's lead.] I owe my life and my soul to God. [This answer is perhaps mystifying, but it is all he can say on the matter, and moreover it is the deepest truth. He does not forget that he was granted a second chance long after he thought himself beyond the point of redemption.]

[sullenstallion]

Er, yeah. Stuff like that. That's what I enjoy.

[Back home, reading old tomes meant he was reading things that were written shortly after he 'died'...but he won't say that.]

That's pretty fitting for a serious guy like you. But fantasy, huh? What's fantasy in your world?

[poolhall_killer]

Before magic was discovered, many authors wrote about wizards, magic animals, inhuman feats of power. It's rather... quaint, honestly. They were on the right path, but not quite the right theories.

[Like one of his favorite series about the boy wizard. He still couldn't find the fourth one in good condition.]

[chickenhearted]

[ Eventually Waver might get self conscious but for now he's good. For now he likes the comfort being there. He doesn't care if it looks stupid. Yet. ]

A fishing hook? Well... I might need one.

[ He's basically a hobo so having something to catch food might actually be a good thing. Welp. ]

I'm...not sure either. But we could go and find out. It'd be good to familiarize ourselves with everything if it's going to be this way for a while.

[yelliot]

Yeah you do you're kind of like a ca-aht!

_{[The last few syllables of the word end up garbled into a noise of surprise as Elliot finds himself being bit. He wasn't expecting that by any measure. Kisses were nice but a nip? Well...it kind of adds a whole other dimension to it all now, doesn't it?]}

that sounds like a good fanfic title

[semblant]

[Blood's palpable in the air -- not his own. There isn't much of it, but it's palpable all the same. The source of it smears his face and he turns into it, enticed with zero effort, following with his nose -- it's a paltry pursuit. Tongue bypasses knifelike teeth to indulge in the remnants; it's hardly worth the effort. Takasugi may've just tried to tear his human body to ribbons for the sake of doing so, and he may have been behaving like a rampaging elephant to start with, but here and now is most comparable to the Hulk, Widow and her calming lullaby. His body's still heaving in a way indicative of him just winning a marathon -- or like someone idling in a fighter game.

Right up until Takasugi decides to shove his fingers inside of a no entrar, propiedad privada. There's another guttural noise and he's whipping his head from side to side, like a horse trying to get flies off its ass except the fly feels more like a heated cattle prod being stuck where it shouldn't stick. It isn't quite as bad as being stabbed, but it's a sensitive spot. Doubly, considering its state of mutilation.

That compliment's likely lost in his protest; he's gonna bite ya fuckin arm if u don't move it in three seconds.]

[semblant]

[Well, he's not wrong. Her intentions -- reasoning strikes a cord somewhere inside of him, but he's too disillusioned to react as someone on Lifetime: The Channel For Women would. A sigh marks the start of her explanation, a paltry protest.

Morning sex, though? Gross.]

At least you enjoyed it.

[Similarly, while sitting up. He doesn't seem happy, but he doesn't exactly seem mad either.]

More than that, the logistics of this planet mean very little to me. As far as I'm concerned, this whole arrangement is temporary.

[Including whatever they may have done to her bits. Worse yet is: bringing JJ into this, who's advice nobody should take for any reason.]

Is that who you've been having relations with -- JJ?

[The fact that she still feels like deferring to him is all he needs to be satisfied...for now. She's been exploring, obviously, and he hasn't kept her on a short enough leash. Good thing her birthday's coming up so he can have a looksee at everyone he has to kill eventually.]

He's a Christian, you know. Any advice he provides concerning children is objectively worthless.

[happylocksmith]

Me?

[Sora looks momentarily taken aback, forgetting that he'd been troubled in the first place and that's why he's been sat here alone, talking to Kairi and leaving her mementos and flowers.

Is he okay?

He's tired, he's bruised, his faith in his own strength is shaken and has been for some time now because he's just not good enough. He's got to be better, got to be stronger, got to take everything seriously because he failed before and the fact that he's even here as himself and not existing as a vessel for Xehanort is pretty darn miraculous actually. He can't stop and think too long about what could have happened because losing part of himself to become something dark and twisted that he doesn't even understand is something he can't even fathom. And it scares him. It scares him that that's what Xehanort wanted for Riku, but Riku's strong enough to have overcome it.

But would he have been?

And then he hadn't had time for any of that because he's been here, he's been in a world that's so different to the ones he's been to before, he's seen people do terrible things and it's not been because of Xehanort or the Darkness that he knows, it's been something he knows he should be able to rise up and face but he's wobbly, he's not sure, and Riku's shaken too, and that shakes Sora because he knows that if Riku's okay then so is he and if he's not...

He can't even defeat a dragon.

But is he okay?

He looks at Kairi for a second. She would kick his butt if she knew he was sitting here feeling like this.

'C'mon Sora, don't sit here moping. Since when has that ever done any good? You believe in us, so now you need to believe in you.'

That's what she'd say if she knew he was feeling like this, and she's absolutely right.

He misses her.

But he's kept Terra waiting, so he just nods and smiles sadly.]

Yeah. I'm okay.

[emblazes]

Boasting about swords -- not to say he's boasting, but talking about it without proof or reason beyond just explaining it feels vaguely Lance-ish. Maybe that bit of laughter added to it there, but he quiets; he hasn't much to prove. If they're ever in a combat scenario together, that's when it'll become relevant. This sentiment endures, even as Axel speaks to his own preferences.

"Good to know." Because it is. He quiets from there, correlating knights in shining armor to their Defending The Universe endeavor; a bit much, but...applicable, in a weird way? They do wear armor, for example.

Anyway...

"What were you dual-wielding for?"

[colorature]

<sub>[Excuse you, it wasn't gross...and she did enjoy it, tyvm.

She shifts as he moves to sit up, sliding off him to give him enough room to bend and reorient himself. It's true that he doesn't look pleased, but he's not pissed and that's what matters at this point.]</sub>

JJ? No. I've never had such a relationship with him...and besides, he surely hates me by now.

_{[Since, y'know, she murdered a bunch of people before his eyes...]}

It didn't seem like worthless advice to me...

[semblant]

What makes you say that?

[That's a relief, now they can proceed to question 2a: what did u do to JJ. What did u do in front of JJ? Depending when she received that advice, it's possible he doesn't hate you girl.

On the other hand, it's better for JJ to hate her than Solomon right...]


It sounds worthless to me. Haven't you formed your own ideas on the matter?

[All opinions minus his very own are Bad, but it's worth exploring considering all the networking she's done.]

[colorature]

He saw me get carried away and slaughter a bunch of people. I didn't mean to make such a mess or scare him...

_{[It's true what she says. She hadn't meant to lash out like she did back then under the dragon's influence. JJ's advice had come before said disaster.]}

I have, and I think I agree with those I've talked to. If I were able to have a baby I don't think I would have one. I would be a bad mother...and if you really wanted one, then you should have been the one to make one with me...

[sullenstallion]

What you're describing sounds like every day life for me. That's how it is back home.

[Animals that can use magic? Those are just monsters, right? And he's definitely seen some inhuman feats of power.]

I wonder what a fantasy novel from my world would look like to you. I never really read much of that stuff.

[sullenstallion]

Why didn't you tell me you were interested in fishing before?

[Oh, how his ears perk and his tail sway at this new revelation. From the skip in his step, it should be more than clear that Waver's standing with him has increased yet again.]

I wanted to get you some food, but...

[His voice trails off. He's just about to ask Waver what he'd rather do when he finally notices.]

...when did you grab my hand?