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ɴᴀᴛʜᴀ orbiters ❰ mod collective ❱ ([personal profile] natha) wrote in [community profile] nysalogs2018-06-17 01:35 am

❪ 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.
willrevile: (1440)

[personal profile] willrevile 2018-06-18 08:25 am (UTC)(link)
[ He's still pretty. Jim likes it. Or he will, later, when he can think of anything outside this mission, and replays everything in his head. Notices things like purple lipstick and well-concealed competence permitted to slink out from behind the curtain for a moment.

Now, though: Jim's recently burst eardrums protest against the roar, and he makes a face, though he doesn't let the sensation do anything else to him. That's all you've got? he thinks, though the haze of emotion. He's been through too much of this shit to let it cripple him again.

He got back up when it was real. Fuck this. ]


Not by a long shot.

We're gonna have to drop the damn station on the planet at this rate.
rosebyanyother: (when death and all his angels find you)

[personal profile] rosebyanyother 2018-06-21 04:59 pm (UTC)(link)
[There's a flicker of some emotion across Peter's face as Jim makes that suggestion. Normally it wouldn't bother him, but the situation is not being particularly kind to his emotions. Not nearly enough to cripple him, but enough to pry open the doors of normally secure compartments.]

Let's hope it doesn't come to that.

[Though how in the world they're supposed to beat a dragon otherwise...Peter's mind races through options, trying to determine how he can best help to bring Ysverai down. He doesn't have a gun, he doesn't have magic. He doesn't even have a sword. He could have picked one up, likely, but honestly. Would he even know how to use one properly? Probably not.

He has his knives. And if he can get in close...

Jim has a firearm. As Ysevrai lurches towards the fray, Peter tips his head down to indicate it.]


If you can cover me, I think I might be able to annoy him a bit.

[The normal overconfident tone with which he would normally pronounce a statement like that is a little less...confident. But he makes an attempt, along with a faint smile.]
willrevile: ( commission / dnt ) (0210)

[personal profile] willrevile 2018-06-22 04:48 am (UTC)(link)
[ It's facetious, of course; Jim would never do anything that might risk those in stasis. (But, technically, there are plenty of parts of that thing they could weaponize - if only the station wasn't locked into the Natha's emergency stealth mode. He's just not a miracle-worker engineer. Where's Scotty when you need him?)

Still, though, they need to be doing so much more damage than they actually are, and he knows the two of them standing around aren't going to be putting anything even close to a dent in. ]


That's the most either of us are going to do, [ Jim tells him. In his hand, his phaser feels over-warm. Hopefully not about to fall apart, or rust from the inside out. ] We better back up and see if we can run interference for heavier artillery--

[ Speaking of, something explodes overhead, slamming into Ysverai, coming from god-knows-what. ]
rosebyanyother: ('til you feel nothing at all)

[personal profile] rosebyanyother 2018-06-26 08:03 am (UTC)(link)
Mmm, that might be for the best.

[Probably tactically the best plan? Keep the heat off someone who can do real damage so that they can keep doing damage.

Though it still doesn't solve a particular problem of his. Range isn't his friend. That smile becomes a little bit tight-lipped.]


Even so, I don't do particularly well at a distance. I think I may have to end up on the frontline eventually.

[Which isn't to say he's asking Jim to join him, despite his earlier suggestion. Just stating facts. He really should look into being able to attack things at a distance. Peter had just never really...needed it too much before. Stealth is usually his objective.]
willrevile: scotty no (scotty yes) (0098)

[personal profile] willrevile 2018-06-27 01:05 am (UTC)(link)
Do you have any weapons or abilities that make going in close-range worth it versus the absolute damage it will do to you? [ Jim asks immediately, and in what is apparently his Captain Kirk voice.

It's not that he doesn't think Peter is capable - he wouldn't be out here and alive still if he wasn't - but there are priority scales, here. If he's secretly an alien with immense powers, great, go for it. But if he's human like Jim: don't be a moron. ]
rosebyanyother: (when death and all his angels find you)

[personal profile] rosebyanyother 2018-06-29 03:53 pm (UTC)(link)
[Oh, that voice is interesting. There's definitely a part of Peter's consciousness that filters it away and stores it. The only other time Jim has been commanding in Peter's direction had been a very different situation. Different voice.

Right now, its effect has Peter tipping his chin up just a hair defiantly. He does get it, to be fair. He really is only human, and he can't do what a lot of other people can. But on the other hand: he's Peter Nureyev. He's special. In his own (maybe overconfident) way. He doesn't have too many options in this fight so the ones he has have to work.]


I am very quick on my feet. And there's this.

[One of his knives is definitely fancier than the other. The plainer one just looks like your everyday stiletto. The other is clearly a dagger, and Peter brings it up to an exposed patch of skin on his arm. Pressing juuuust hard enough to draw a thin line of blood and wincing a bit as ice crystals form on the blade and down over the wound.

It's not a large sword, of course, which means that the damage he can do will have to be aggregate. But it's something.]
willrevile: (1080)

[personal profile] willrevile 2018-06-29 09:55 pm (UTC)(link)
And you want to go kill yourself to poke Ysverai with it?

[ Jim understands the need to do something, but not every skill can be wedged into every situation. Ultimately, he won't fight the other man about it - doing so would be even more of a waste of energy and time, and Jim's in no way in charge of him.

But he's his friend. ]


Can you make that effect long range, or get one of the magic users to amplify it somehow? You're more useful alive, Alexander.
rosebyanyother: (trouble making everything all right)

[personal profile] rosebyanyother 2018-07-01 12:34 am (UTC)(link)
[You know, the funny thing is that he's probably never heard someone say that to him. Technically, though...he still hasn't. Because Jim is saying those words to Alexander Noble. Not Peter Nureyev. Alexander may have put himself in a dangerous enough situation once or twice to prompt someone to suggest that he back off.

Peter has only had two people in his life who seemed to care about him. Which is, admittedly, completely his own fault. There have only been two people in his life who have known him.

In any event...]


The plan is to distract him a bit and be quick about getting in and out.

[But at least he looks like he's giving Jim's suggestions consideration. He's not sure how much he thinks they'll work. But they might be less risky.]

But perhaps as a last resort. [He glances over his shoulder to the rest of the fight taking place, trying to see if he can identify anyone who he might be able to lean on. But also, for Jim's concern, he'll get a brief, faint smile.] Don't worry about me too much, Jim. I'm hardy.

[Against a dragon? Probably not as much as he hopes. But even as Alexander Noble, Peter is full of bravado. It's part of him and part of the character.]
willrevile: ( commission / dnt ) (1220)

[personal profile] willrevile 2018-07-01 06:28 pm (UTC)(link)
[ That sort of thing is too horrifically lonely for Jim to contemplate. He's already isolated at home through rank and through the walls he puts up; to live as some other person entirely would be crippling. (And he'd wondered if it is for people like Alexander and Alan, too. Why bother. You're just hurting yourselves.) ]

Yeah, so am I, I do this sort of dumb shit for a living, [ is practically quippy despite how run-over-by-a-steamroller he seems. ] But we're not at the 'or die trying' stage just yet.

Alright?

[ C'mon, buddy, you're smart, let's work something less suicidal and more effective out. ]
rosebyanyother: ('til you feel nothing at all)

[personal profile] rosebyanyother 2018-07-12 09:54 pm (UTC)(link)
Yes, alright.

[It may not keep him away from the frontline forever, but he's willing to concede to 'not yet'. See if there's any other way to apply himself meaningfully. But if there isn't...

For now, anyway, Ysverai isn't the only threat on the table anyway. Some of Raysec's followers are still on the ground, still standing their ground. Not many, but enough to gum up the works.

So. Finally, Peter does begin to fall back.

(It isn't lonely for Peter, though. The pretending to be someone else. He's spent more of his life pretending to be other people than he's spent being Peter, at this point. And those other people, they've had...well. Allies. Dalliances. Never anything long term, but that's because he's never spent more than a few weeks anywhere. He'd decided that being himself just didn't matter anymore.

...And then he gave his name to someone and it started to matter a little but...well. That's another story.)]
willrevile: (0018 ( ... ))

[personal profile] willrevile 2018-07-13 11:35 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Jim'll take 'not yet'. It's buying a few more minutes of people not doing something needlessly insane - this is no frantic handwringing, mind, Jim is an expert in doing things that are needlessly insane. And even he can see the futility in getting up close and personal with that thing unless someone's packing firepower serious enough to level a building.

They fall back, and sooner rather than later they part; Jim's not his keeper, in the end, but hopefully Alexander will be in one piece the next time they see each other. ]