nysalogs | ❪ event ❫ hour of ruin

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❪ event ❫ hour of ruin

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.

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Phase 1]

[It happened, after all... Talk about a worst case scenario! It's not that Atsushi wasn't expecting it, considering all the information that's been out there, but it's still a blow, somehow. Every time he thinks he's got his life in order, some other disaster happens. He should be happy about that: he's always felt the need to help people, to save them and so justify his own existence. Could it be that he's gotten over his hangups more than he thought, to want peace more than justification? Or is the problem that there's been no change to the unpredictability of when and how disaster will inevitably strike again, just as it did when he was abused at the orphanage?

There's something unsettling about how his life still hasn't settled down, regardless - but this is not the time to think about that. Atsushi will help keep people in the city safe, and try to maintain order as his position in the Royal Guard demands. To anyone around, he'll explain what's happening, and that the Royal Guard is working hard to keep everyone safe.

It still leaves him uneasy, letting other people do the actual fighting.]

[Phase 2]

[With the switch in strategy, Atsushi practically begs to leave evacuation efforts to others, so he can be used as bait himself. He's tough, after all, and not being more proactive (read: self-sacrificing) about helping people has been grating his nerves to the point of becoming unbearable. With understandably few people eager to volunteer instead of him, he's let go - and finally, he feels like he stands a chance of being useful again.

His black "uniform" is made for easy transformation, sleeves and pant legs left short enough that they don't normally flatter his scrawny body - but it comes in useful now, when Atsushi transforms into something not fully human, ready to face the dragon with whoever else is giving it a shot. Now's as good a time as any to find out whether that legend about tigers and dragons being perpetual enemies is true...!

Luring the dragon away is fairly easy, Atsushi's speed and agility (and near-suicidal desperation) getting him through safely. It's staying in one place and fighting the dragon that's a lot harder - not that Atsushi won't keep trying. The longer he's there, the wilder it gets. Lowered inhibitions mean little when Atsushi is self-sacrificing to start with, and it's a dangerous combination with a selfishness that he'll all but immune to on a normal day. He will be the one to slay this dragon, no matter what it takes; he will keep going, in spite of injuries, empathic pain, and the frustrating fact that, while he can jump very high, that still limits him to attacks from straight below the dragon at best - and that is suicidal to the point that even a not-fully-sane Atsushi thinks is unwise.

Fortunately he's not the only one around, and if he sees someone on a gryphon, or someone with special powers that he thinks may be of use, he's quick to yell at them.]

I can take care of it! Just get me up there!

[Wildcard Me!]

Bring it! Atsushi also has the Natha's limited revival spell, if that's a thing you want to play with. That said, he's... not in the best mindset to remember applying it, maybe.

[Of course the rumors were true. It’s like those horror movies where nobody believes the crazy old person’s ramblings and warnings about some imminent danger until it’s too late. Chuuya himself had considered the possibility, but helping prepare the city for an attack seems like a laughable waste of time now. It’s like facing off against the embodiment of death and destruction itself, and as determined as Chuuya is, even he knows when shit is doomed.

But that doesn’t stop him from jumping into action. Might as well go out in a blaze of glory, right? So here he goes to act as bait for the dragon-]

Atsushi?

[Of course Atsushi is here. His self-sacrificing ass was born for this kinda thing. Chuuya races up to him, only taking a second to take in the changes (he’s seen the limbs, but all of it together is something else) before he considers that plan.

It’s stupid, it’s suicidal, and Chuuya would rather not launch a person he cares about into a fucking dragon, but something tells him that Atsushi is far too determined to be persuaded, and Chuuya is the perfect person to help.]

Bullshit. You’re not doing this by yourself. I’ll launch you then help out by pinpointing it’s weak spots, got it?

[It’s non-negotiable.]

Edited 2018-06-17 21:28 (UTC)

Got it!

[It's not what Atsushi had in mind, but even whatever influence the dragon's presence wields over him just now doesn't outweigh his need to get up there and do something. Maybe it is suicidal, but when hundreds, maybe thousands of others will certainly die if he doesn't at least try to stop the dragon, what choice does he have?]

Please throw me!

[Chuuya doesn’t need to be told twice. He activates his ability and kneels down to offer both of his hands as a springboard for Atsushi to hop off of.]

Alright! Let’s do this!

[He should be able to leap an impressive distance once Chuuya makes him almost completely weightless, and once Atsushi is in the air Chuuya will follow, aiming a well-paced punch at the dragon’s wing joint. Which hurts it enough to piss it off and distract it from Atsushi long enough for him to land his own blow.]

Edited 2018-06-18 01:07 (UTC)

[Jumping off without hesitation - and it's funny how determined he can be once he just gets going - Atsushi flies towards the dragon at impressive speed, arms extended and claws out in front of him. The dragon has left a trail of rot everywhere it went, so it's clear that touching it directly is a bad idea - but cutting it up? That should be possible, right?! As long as it's just his claws coming into contact with it, it should be fine.

Flying over the dragon, aided by Chuuya's distraction, Atsushi digs his claws into that rotting flesh, cutting through it and pulling off tiny chunks in places. When he's almost crossed over, he uses his grip and the way it's slowed his flight down to crouch in mid-air, digging his hind claws in as he pushes off again.

The only problem is that he still can't fly, so now he's basically launched himself back off the dragon.]

[It should be fine, and since Chuuya’s kick only makes contact for a few seconds his leg doesn’t rot off or anything, which is good because that would be very, very bad. For now he stays in one piece, and once Atsushi begins tearing into the dragon’s hide Chuuya leaps back into action and kicks it right in the eye. The beast lets out an anguished roar, throwing its head back and snapping at Chuuya like he’s nothing more than a pesky insect.

Luckily Chuuya dodges, but he doesn’t have time for another blow. Atsushi is flying in the wrong direction now, and it’s up to Chuuya to (as gently as he can, which isn’t very, sorry soosh) knock him back in the direction of the dragon like a ping-pong ball.]

Go for it’s other eye! Blinding it will give us a chance to do more damage!

Edited 2018-06-18 18:51 (UTC)

[Atsushi, for one, doesn't mind at all that Chuuya isn't gentle with him. This is nothing - and besides, stopping the dragon (or at least slowing it down) is the only important thing. Atsushi would rather not die if he doesn't have to, but he'll take any amount of ping-ponging in stride.]

Got it!

[The eye, it is. Keeping physical contact with the dragon to a minimum, Atsushi is soon high up enough that he's right at its head - but unfortunately, the dragon realizes this, too. It turns its head, opening its mouth, and Atsushi just barely has time to dig his claws into its snout and throw his body up and out of the way, using his momentum to basically land on the dragon's head.

The tiger's hide is all but impenetrable, but the twisted magic of this zombie dragon still works on it, if more slowly than it probably would on anyone else. The contact feels like a chemical burn, and Atsushi hisses as he leaps back in the direction of the dragon's eyes, in part to avoid the smog that it's about to exhale, and in part to belatedly claw at its eyes.]

[Shit, Chuuya hadn’t counted on Ysverai catching onto his plan, and for a split second he thinks Atsushi is going to get blasted with smog, but he’s quick enough to dodge, and lives to fight on. For now.]

Oi, watch out! His skin is corrosive!

[Chuuya knows the second Atsushi lands on the dragon’s head that he’s going to get hurt, but hopefully his regeneration is enough to heal the damage. When claws dig into the dragon’s eye it throws its head back in a pained screech, effectively blinded for however long it takes to heal. Chuuya is quick to jump up and catch Atsushi before he falls, even if he knows the weretiger can take a hard landing if he has to.

When Chuuya’s feet hit the ground he knows that they’ll have very limited time to act, and he’s about to toss Atsushi up at a different angle to try and inflict more damage when the dragon’s massive, rotted wings spread open and beat, propelling it into the air. A full retreat is too much to hope for, but it looks like Ysverai is at least withdrawing to lick his wounds, giving them a much needed reprieve.

But the moment his wings beat a spattering of thick, tainted blood falls across the landscape, and Chuuya throws Atsushi aside just in time to avoid both of them getting drenched in gore.

Unfortunately he still gets hit, and immediately he cries out in agony as Ysverai’s pain and anguish take hold of his mind and body.]

Edited 2018-06-20 22:54 (UTC)

[Corrosive or not, Atsushi has no choice but to do it, surely? And if this is what gets the people of El Nysa even a little closer to defeating the dragon, it's a small price to pay! Even if it really, really hurts... It feels like blisters all along his paw soles, and he wonders if that's what's actually there; if it's visible at all; if any injuries to his tiger form will carry over to his fully human body. The tiger has never truly been injured before...

Atsushi might survive a rough landing, but that would break every bone in his body, so he appreciates Chuuya's help, even if he doesn't like needing to rely on it. At least they've accomplished their goal, and other people can take over the fight for a moment while they regroup.

That's what he thinks, at least, before Chuuya throws him aside, and he rolls over and over, shouting in surprise more than anything else, before skidding to a halt. The first thing he does is look at Chuuya, and the blood scares him, even if he realizes soon enough that it's not Chuuya's, more of it dripping from the sky like the world's darkest, thickest rain.

Even if it's not Chuuya's blood, something is definitely off. Maybe, if the dragon's skin is corrosive, so is its blood?]

Chuuya-san! [Digging his claws in in spite of the pain, Atsushi pushes off and runs back to Chuuya in a split second.] Are you all right?

[While Chuuya had escaped injury during the fight, the blood drenching him makes him feel every ounce of Ysverai’s pain as if it were his own. Fury, despair, and pure physical agony take hold of his mind and body, and Chuuya digs his gloved fingers into his upper arms as he lets out the most inhuman noises imaginable. A high-pitched cry is dragged from his throat as he feels the sensation of his guts corroding and his flesh rotting from his bones, because the hallucination feels so, so real that he might as well be dying where he stands.

And dying he very well may be, because while Arahabaki can no longer be freely called upon on Nysa, the beast feels the suffering of its host and desperately tries to claw its way to the surface, either to defend itself or to destroy Chuuya’s body and potentially be set free. Corruption won’t activate due to the Natha’s meddling, but the telltale red marks appear on his skin as if it were active, giving him an almost demonic appearance.

Perhaps the most unsettling thing is the way he throws back his head and cackles between screams and grunts of pain. Atsushi’s words go unanswered for now, either because Chuuya can’t hear him over his own wretched sounds, or because he’s simply ignoring him.]

Edited 2018-06-22 04:13 (UTC)

Chuuya-san!

[Repeating Chuuya's name in an attempt to either get a reply or simply snap him out of it, Atsushi tries not to panic as those markings appear. Is that due to the dragon's blood, too? Is it something else entirely? It can't have anything to do with what Chuuya told him about his ability, surely?!

Whatever the reason for Chuuya losing it, there's only one thing Atsushi can do: he grabs Chuuya by the wrist and tries to pull that hand away from his arm. Maybe Atsushi can't tell what's going on, exactly, but he can at least stop Chuuya from hurting himself.]

[Meanwhile, there’s a war raging inside Chuuya’s head between his usual self and the madness threatening to overtake him, and Atsushi’s voice calling out to him seems to be working in giving him a fighting chance against Ysverai’s influence...right up until Atsushi grabs his wrist. A sudden, uncontrollable urge to slaughter the person who dared touch him overtakes Chuuya then, and only the small remaining shred of himself stops him from doing more than using his ability to toss Atsushi a good distance away like a weightless rag doll.

The situation seems hopeless, with Chuuya writhing in agony while barely able to stay standing, but if Atsushi tries one more time to reach out to him, then Chuuya may be able to fight his way back to himself. It’s not full-blown Corruption, after all, even if Chuuya’s body is slowly but surely being torn apart from the inside out by his own power.]

Edited 2018-06-24 03:29 (UTC)

[Atsushi goes flying yet again, a lot less elegantly this time. Initially weightless or not, coming into contact with the ground hurts - but it's nothing he can't handle. He really doesn't know what's wrong exactly, but he knows that Chuuya is not himself somehow. Still, his own ability and skills are only useful up close... How is he supposed to achieve anything when Chuuya can throw him away whenever Atsushi so much as touches him?

He has to try, though. So he runs back yet again, and he does the only thing he can think of: he feints a direct attack before ducking low, turning, and trying to tackle Chuuya and push him down on the ground.

He was never a tactical genius.]

Edited 2018-06-24 19:58 (UTC)

Atsushi Nakajima | Bungou Stray Dogs

Phase 2 electric boogaloo

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CW: mentions of gore

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Phase 2!

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