❪ introlog: #6 ❫ city of secrets

[natha]

You've spent the last few days on Thesa Station, taking in the knowledge that your world is no more. Now, the time to put all your survival training into practice has arrived: El Nysa needs you, and you're here to help the planet thrive. Are you ready? THE DESCENT     All refugees on the station are called to the hangar, where a large-scale teleporter awaits. Simply step onto the space between the arrays and wait; everyone will be sent down to the planet together. Before they depart, all refugees will be given a cold weather survival kit with warm clothing, rations, and bedding. The arrays build into a brilliant wash of light, creating a column that travels all the way from Thesa Station to the surface of El Nysa, teleporting the refugees to the planet on an aurora. Once on the planet's surface, refugees receive one last message from Darma. It has been a long, perilous year for you, refugees. And yet we must ask you to brave further peril. Within Nadril are the secrets to how poor Ysverai's revival was hidden from our sight and how this disaster has come to our star. Find the first refugee from beyond this planet, a man named Magda. He will not speak to us, for much has come between us, but to you… If you prove yourselves, he may be willing to answer your questions. We beseech you, for there is a veil over Nadril that hides all within from us. There may yet be more untold dangers waiting to befall this planet. For the good of all who make this world home, we ask you to lend us your aid. There is yet one more favor we would ask of you. In warding off the Storm's encroachment, the physical aspect of ourselves that you call Thesa Station was damaged. We must remain to continue repairs to El Nysa and to deal with Ysverai, but there should be suitable technology within Nadril that could be used for spare parts. If you have the chance to find it and can return it to us, it would hasten— Darma's message crackles with static, another image overlaying hers — her broadcast is cut off and replaced with another. A more sullen and alien voice takes Darma’s place, overlapping on itself in an ominous reveal. It has been a long, perilous year for you, refugees. And yet you’ve only just arrived here. To say I’m not disappointed in your… generation would be to lie, and I am nothing if not an honest creature. But I suppose these have been unusual circumstances. You must ask yourself this — are you only here as Darma's lapdogs? I can assure you, it's not worth being on the Natha's leash. With time, that will be something you'll have to learn for yourself. If you're so determined to come find Nadril, then follow the path north, and you'll find the border. What awaits you is revelation, if you're up to the challenge. A FROZEN LAND     The refugees land on a literally frozen world, both in temperature and time. Curls of icy wind hold swirls of snow aloft and an uncanny silence is broken only by the crunch of hoarfrost underfoot. Only Darma's protection allows the refugees to move through this frozen world — and movement is very necessary. Bitter cold sneaks through even the thickest clothing and without warning, a snowstorm rises: unnaturally quickly, a wall of white howls directly in the refugee's path. Bizarrely, the way back is perfectly calm; it's obvious that this storm is no product of nature. Magda's challenge becomes clear: the only way to Nadril lies through this storm. Visibility within the storm is near zero, the whiteout hiding any landmarks from view and making navigation near impossible. The only guidance refugees have is a sporadic path of faint, greenish lights, easily lost in the raging storm. Refugees need all the survival skills they practiced on Thesa Station to survive, for getting lost alone is a death sentence. Luckily, those separated from the group can happen upon guiding lights Magda has planted throughout the tundra. These blue-white sparks cause frostbite if handled recklessly, but they also serve as directional anchors, turning into ghostly flames that lead lost souls back to the path to Nadril. The trek through the storm will be no mean feat and will last for the better part of three days. By the time the refugees reach Nadril's gate, most will find themselves exhausted and running on fumes. As the snowstorm dies away and a gap in the glittering forcefield around the city opens to usher the refugees inside, it's clear that Nadril is a different beast. A WARM(?) WELCOME     I. Despite the unforgiving journey, entering Nadril is painless. Once inside, characters will be greeted by their predecessors: the original refugees who made this advanced city. They'll immediately be offered medical attention, as well as warm cider and blankets. But it's obvious that the Nadril citizens prefer higher tech to fend off the weather: they also offer wristlets and ear cuffs that that double as mittens and earmuffs by creating warm bubbles of air. The earrings also feature a few quality of life programs, such as timed alarms and thought-to-speech messaging. However, both programs are in beta stages so it's not unusual for a stray thought to accidentally slip through or an alarm to accidentally ring at an inopportune time. II. Refugees are offered free lodging in a large, crystalline building crafted from ice. Despite the coarse building material, the ice is unmelting and surprisingly well-insulated, and the beds are as warm and cozy. The rooms are, however, small. The sleeping quarters house two people, and are some cross between an igloo and a capsule hotel. Though built for efficiency over comfort, all rooms are also outfitted with the latest Nadril AI, RoboAlfred, or Ralf for short. This helpful program is installed in practically all the furnishings: the closet tells guests to bundle up, the bathroom sink reminds them to brush their teeth, and the mirror offers helpful fashion tips. Ralf's personality matrix still needs polish, though: it may very well insult your clothes and passively-aggressively question your lifestyle choices for the entire stay. III. Though not as advanced as Thesa Station, the colony has technology far beyond the rest of the continent, such as rudimentary AIs and mechanical transportation. Nadril's skyline is a point of pride — refugees can take a (literal) lightrail that gives an aerial view of the colony, which is hewn almost entirely from ice and rock. Despite its tech, Nadril is much more sparsely populated than Olympia and Wyver, and its residents stay near a central hub: a Natha refugee drop ship, Central, which has crashed and long embedded itself into the earth. Central is similar to an older, smaller, grounded model of Thesa Station, in functional order with round-the-clock solar power. Within Central are lounges similar to ones on the Station, though many of the damaged areas have been converted. They include repair stations, different wings dedicated to science, botany, astrology, and mechanics, and a research and history facility, which has a smattering of technology from planets beyond El Nysa — including your own. The staff here don't mind if anything is sampled and studied, but objects cannot be taken from the labs. IV. On the outskirts of the central hub, many will find several curious looking bots with insect-like wings perched about high traffic walkways. Simply passing the bots will cause a dizzying flash before a series of photos print out. Upon closer inspection, people will find that these images reflect stills taken from their home worlds as they remember it. Unfortunately, these photos only last a couple of hours at best. At that time, they will revert back to regular pictures of the refugees. People will be encouraged to share these images of their worlds. The residents of Nadril comprehend the value of remembering one's origins, and will be pleased to see that people still hold memories of old homes close to them. RECREATION IN NADRIL     I. Small, mechanical creatures scampering through the city are a common sight. Ask anyone, and they’ll tell you that they come from a shop called Paws About Town. They’re very useful, as companions, gophers, and couriers (though the more mischievous will note that they’re just small enough to keep tabs on people without being noticed). Premade robotic pets are available on display inside the shop. They come in all shapes, but small sizes; one may be able to find robots that even look like miniature creatures from their homeworld. These are a part of a new, highly customizable line with programmable personalities. Customers have the chance to take pets for a one-day trial run. Those who don’t know how to program may want to enlist more knowledgeable aid, but the pets come with instructional pamphlets for basic personality traits such as obedience, helpfulness, playfulness, and bloodthirst. For returns, the switch to wipe the robot's personality to a blank slate is on the back of its neck, right between a switch to invert all traits, and a switch to have them learn by observing. Try not to press the wrong switch — you might wind up with a pet with a mind of its own! II. A. The Frosty Tap Cantina is a thriving hub of activity, but one of the major draws is the self-service bar: molecular mixology is wildly popular here. Playing with drink compositions can be a game in and of itself, and newcomers to the cantina will find that the bartender — a cheerful woman with lilac skin and three eyes — is always happy to give them a few tips on how to use the wide array of tools within reach of the barstools. All manner of drinks are possible — from glowing, layered cocktails, to clear drinks with colored, spherical bubbles and vividly-colored shots that give off their own smoke. There's a nightly contest in the cantina for the most creative drink created by a team — this may be as good a time as any to partner up with someone and see what can you come up with. Winner gets all their drinks for the night free! And, hey, even if you don't win, you get to drink whatever you make. The well-lubricated patrons of the bar are eager to challenge anyone nearby to a different sort of drinking game… Just how well can you hold your liquor? B. Holo-screens in the cantina are nearly always broadcasting some match or another of a game that looks very much like hockey, albeit played with sticks that light up and a puck that changes shape from time to time. Colonists here merely refer to the game as "the sport," and one of their favored pastimes is betting. However, they don't use currency — they wager dares. Nadril colonists are a tough, weathered lot, and they prefer to speak with actions over silver. Colonists will urge the refugees to take part as well. Common dares range from the ridiculous (lead a sing-a-long, attempt to make someone with a poker face smile) to the suggestive (kiss the person in the cantina you find most attractive, strip off a piece of clothing), to the outright reckless (venture out into the snow for a certain amount of time, and no one will judge if you find some company to keep warm). The colonists are unfazed by even the most insane or tawdry of dares — but you'll certainly be called a killjoy for refusing too often! Why not grab a friend and give it a whirl, or challenge a rival to a dare yourself? THE MISSION     I. On the outskirts of Nadril is the communications tower of the old refugees. This is where Magda resides, monitoring Nadril's technological protections, the extent of the Natha’s influence, and running his own personal projects for El Nysa’s technological advancement. It is isolated, filled with research labs and relics of the past refugees who have come to El Nysa — a living mausoleum of worlds swallowed up by the Storm whose peoples have refused to forget where they came from. Crew photos line the walls of the tower: pictures of alien families and friends, the refugees who came to Nadril before you. Each group of photos gradually becomes smaller in number, and the most recent of the pictures are from half a century ago. Magda's picture can be found among the first group of refugees, an unusually small cluster of photos dating back centuries in El Nysa's past. I have been on this planet for nearly two centuries. Life has come, evolved, and collided in an ever expanding culture. But Darma fears interference, and made this place a prison, with she our warden, stifling the growth of the creatures native to this world rather than encouraging them to flourish. She sent you here for answers in her stead because she knows I'll spurn her, and after seeing what that fool Raysc has wrought, I'll give you them — not for Darma's sake, but because I trust after all the Natha have done to you, you'll understand my decision. Mistakes were made, and I won't hide them. You've made it here so there's some mettle to you, and unlike the Orbiters, I'm not interested in hiding the secrets of the dangers we face. I gave Raysc what he needed to keep his actions hidden from Darma's eyes — what he needed to advance the primitive magics the Natha had doomed him to. It was old Natha tech, Darma's very own used against her. Hilarious, isn't it? Raysc learned of Nadril, and like you, braved the snow to find his way here. He proved his worth and his determination, and he spoke of a brighter future, El Nysa coming into its own, its people realizing their true potential, unhindered by the shackles that had been put upon them. I believed him. He had vision — or so I thought. In truth, he was a fool. A madman. He wasted the opportunity I gave him on his petty vengeance. But not everyone on this planet is such an idiot. Surely you lot aren't. The Natha are hiding things from us — about the Storm, about everything. And here in Nadril, we're going to find all those secrets. What's it going to be? Will you help us, or are you going to stay obedient dogs on Darma's leash? Magda isn't too talkative yet; after all, the new flock of refugees may just be here as eyes and ears for the Orbiters. But what he has said leaves you with plenty to talk about, and if you can earn his trust by helping out around Nadril, he doubtless has a great deal more to reveal. II. Central isn't the only Natha ship that made its way to El Nysa — another, crashed just outside Nadril's borders, is little more than a junk heap. It's here that you'll find the spare parts Darma asked you to retrieve for Thesa Station. What remains of the ship's hull serves as a windbreak, and snow has built up against it, turning the piles of old Natha tech inside into something of a snowy morass. Holes in the deck offer would-be scavengers passage to the ship's innards, barely illuminated with flickering lights — the tech is old, but hardy enough to withstand a crash landing, the severe weather, and the passage of centuries. Deep in the wreck are the remains of living quarters, research labs, VR arenas, mecha bays, cafeterias, and a host of other rooms, many of which may seem familiar from Thesa Station, albeit with a decidedly older feel to what remains of the smooth curves and sleek surfaces of the Natha architecture. Most of the ship's systems are damaged and the technology is nonfunctional, but that just means there's plenty of spare parts to be found. The wreck isn't in the best shape, its structural integrity damaged, and the drifting snow threatens to block off exit routes. Be careful while exploring and be sure to bring a partner. As it turns out, Darma isn't the only one interested in the wreck — Magda is also eager to get his hands on Natha technology. In his own way of taking some responsibility for Raysc, he's asking scavengers to bring him parts, muttering about seeing what he can do about Ysverai's curse. Bring him anything that looks useful, and he may have a chance to succeed, though whether he'll be more effective than the Natha Orbiters is up for debate... FINAL OOC NOTES     An AC-eligible thread with a new character as a participant for 2 NADRIL REP POINTS may be submitted from this log. SUBMIT THE THREAD HERE BY AUGUST 5TH, 11:59 PM EST. As always, feel free to create your own prompts and explore the Nadril location page! There are a variety of activities made available, including fishing and cave exploration! Please direct questions to the questions thread below! Thank you! QUICK NAV premise ● faq ● lore ● map ● npcs taken ● atp/emp ● application ● rep/acp calendar ● hiatus/drops ● modbox [ FULL NAVIGATION ] elnysa nysalogs nysaisles nysaooc elnyan

Comments

[botw]

[ time stands still for a moment, as he sees the sword come toward him. mindful of what kind of treasure he holds, Link bounces back off the balls of his feet, training his eyes on Setsuna with a focus reserved for enemies. no matter what the skill level is, he's not going to underestimate what kind of experience he's facing.

but he won't attack back. not yet. there is always an opening, always some kind of pattern that he can follow.

it's... refreshing, to say the least. his breath is becoming more and more visible in the frozen air. something familiar against all the unfamiliar that he can cling onto with a warming smile. ]

[botw]

A full day.

[ which under normal circumstances wouldn't bother him so much, but the fact that it would take that long does make him fret. ]

On foot, I assume? Is the entire trek on flat land, or are there any hills...

[ the shield on his back is light and sturdy. a reminder of home. ]

[planetary_bonds]

I've been awake for...

[He has to mentally count the days. The weeks. The months. How long has it been? How long has he lived this new life, even now still feeling like he really hasn't settled in?]

...a little over a year now.

[He blinks owlishly as he says it. Has it...really been a year...? The way he pulls apart the panel seems distracted and robotic, dismantling the wires without really looking at them. In the time he takes to really process it all, he's got some sort of...CPU or data chip in his hands.]

Huh.

i'll wait for you forever!!

[pebblestone]

[ Any ordinary person would have seen nothing but a canine lolling off the bed, mouth open reflexively to yawn rather than with the intent to feast upon his flesh.

But Frederick, consumed suddenly by irrational fear - because that's what all childhood phobias are at their core, irrational and unjustified - sees only a predator, and wonders if this is where he dies, alone in his room in a foreign land.

Well, no. If he's going to die, he may as well die putting up a fight.

Still a mess on the ground, he lifts one hand, gritting his teeth. ]

Away, foul beast, away!

[ That's the irrational fear talking, probably. ]

[torchwoodteaboy]

"And now one Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard," Ianto counters, recognizing most of the names in that list but feeling as though he probably shouldn't admit to the fact for fear of a lecture on the topic that might bring them further off topic.

Then again, as John leans back on his hands in front of him and Ianto becomes acutely aware of his hands where they rest on the other man's knees, he's not really certain what topic that is anymore. He hasn't gotten his answer back, not directly at least. But John doesn't want him to go. Despite all this. John hasn't pushed him away yet. And that has to count for something as well.

"I stand corrected, then," he replies. "That I should have been so lucky to be serenaded with such a historical tribute." He tilts his head at the other man and offers him another tentative smile. "To flaming cows..."

[adelphoi]

[ though her smile is painful, it is warm as well - hydaelyn was certainly nothing if not breathtaking, she can only imagine how she would have to drag him away from every new vista, every beautiful scene, though she would gladly shoulder that inconvenience to have her home back.

to share is with him.. ]

No doubt I would. There are so many more beautiful places you would have loved. The floating city of Nym, Limsa Lominsa, Silvertear Lake..

[ even a thousand of these photos could never encompass hydaelyn in all of her vast beauty. ]

[nineteenfortyfive]

[The moon. Away from humans. Their king.

Well, that explains a lot about why they don't mesh very well at all. Claire's eyebrows are lifted so high they might escape into her hairline if he says one more thing. Thankfully, he does not.]

I see.

[No, she doesn't, but it's a bit to take in.]

Did the Storm ruin it, or was it something else?

brings you to my bosom

[mollymocked]

[Molly presses his tongue against the back of his teeth and grins with sharp pointy canines that goes all the way to his pupil-less eyes. oh, that's clever~.]

Oh, don't say it like it's all a ruse. People love to hear what the cards tell them. And today only, it's free. [He leans forward, still grinning.] That's right, for the steal price of your indulgence, you could know what to expect from the path you're on right now.

[hedonistic]

does the frosty tap cantina also serve food?

if not, are there other restaurant/cafe type places in nadril, or do people generally just cook for themselves?

[mollymocked]

[Molly leans back, twirling the King of Pentacles between two fingers, as he thumbs his way through the deck with the other hand, looking for a sneaky place to shuffle it back in.]

I don't need the cards to tell me you've seen some shit. [Satisfied with a place in the middle of a deck, he slides the card in and shuffles just to keep his hands busy.] There's a saying in the circus that there are no bad fortunes- just fools who take the fortunes they're granted without considering that they're the ones who forge the path. I only give people directions- I don't peddle destinies.

[Which is as close to honest as he'll get about his readings.]

[mollymocked]

[There's that look- the reason Molly does this at all. Sure, it's a quick way to earn a handful of copper if he needs the money, but money is inconsequential. He earned it for the circus because they needed to eat and he'd earn it for the Mighty Nein for the same reason if it came to that.

But the joy on a person's face when they like what the cards (whether a "real" fortune or one generated by slight of hand and trickery) say and have a clear idea what the pretty words are saying to them... That's worth so much more.

He slides a hand across the table and sweeps the cards away back into his palm, grinning pointed ear to pointed ear.] That's what I like to hear- a happy patron with a new path in mind. And I will never deny an offer of a shield, though my wizard friend might need it more than me.

[mollymocked]

And it does feel a bit like a hostage situation. "Oh you're fine, but we've got your friends here, so be cooperative and maybe we'll wake 'em up later." Does anyone ever actually end up with their full set?

[He waves a hand dismissively. Rhetorical question and he doesn't want to hear the answer so he has to entertain the notion of just being down to Caleb and Nott. He adores them both, but they're flighty and he can't pry them apart alone.]

Never mind. I didn't come down here to dwell on misery when I've got this... Very, very cold place to explore. It hadn't even gotten this cold in the Empire yet. [He adjusts the wrist cuff a bit more.] Luckily, these people bring out the good enchantments for guests.

[dontgiveabuckland]

[He looks a little nauseous when he finishes, already feeling the booze going straight into his system. Ah... that may have not been the best idea.]

Uh... [Sets the glass on a nearby table to buy him time while he tries to think of a plausible lie. He laughs, though it's forced, oh lord that was a lot of booze at once,] You just...

[He sighs. Ok! You cracked him! He kneels down low (which suddenly takes a lot more effort than previously), whispering] Full disclosure, I'm not. I just am walking around and people are giving me their drinks. Wanna join me?

[dancerefresher]

[She's trying to clean her up, but all she has is her hands. And, well, there's snow but that's no good.]

Paper towel? Paper....ah! I'm sorry, I don't know what that is!

[dontgiveabuckland]

Sounds like me. [Did the cards tell you that one? Cam leans back in his chair, crossing his arms.] It'd be pretty boring, to know the future. Oracles are miserable for a reason, right?

[As Mollymauk sets up the cards, Cam idly picks at his nails, trying to make a show of being uninterested, but he's definitely watching and way more interested than he's trying to let on. The Bucklands had their fair share of fortune tellers and hucksters alike, (mostly hucksters) and it makes him a little nostalgic, is all.]

So what's you story; Mystical road-side cart? Traveling circus?

[Other... places where you might find someone reading fortunes?]

[pebblestone]

I don't see why such entertainment would not suffice.

[ The Nadril might be a highly advanced society, with technology and devices he's never before laid eyes upon in his life, but surely they're all still human and heart and still more than passing fond of tales and other entertainment.

But in the event they aren't....Briefly, Frederick glances back towards his room. ]

But if it would make you feel better to have material goods to offer, I have yarn and knitting needles. Perhaps we could make scarves and mittens to sell?

[ It is disgustingly cold here, after all. Surely such accessories would not go amiss. ]

[shashka]

[ only an eyeroll? while a slight wave of irritation washes over him, though his face betrays none of it. instead he shrugs, a slight smile still playing at the edges of his mouth as he looks over the logs. ]

...For a lot of pretty advanced tech, by the looks of it. Haven't seen too much like this back where I come from, and even less of it since arriving on this planet.

[ he's curious as to whether or not this guy will take the bait, and try to glean any information about him. notably, he hasn't started to pry all that much just yet. after all, where would the fun be in that? ]

[impavid]

"And ghostly riders."

It was mostly a tribute to the ghostly riders, actually, but to be fair Ianto never heard the whole song. He studies Ianto a long moment, then winces and reaches out to tug him up.

"Get up off the floor already," he prompts, because it's generating some crawling discomfort watching him kneeling like that. There's a weird mix of something worshipful and desperate to the action that John can't quite stomach right now. He can sit if he wants, just not... that.

[mollymocked]

You're exactly right. [He gestures grandly with one hand.] And what better place than in a bar, where people are always willing to tell their stories to complete strangers after they've had too many. The least I can do is give them a focus for all that confusion and angst once their buzz starts to die down.

And, who knows? Maybe when they've got a little silver, they'll come back and see me, the magnificent Mollymauk Tealeaf.

[And he twirls his wrist into a flamboyant seated bow.]

[pebblestone]

[ He thinks he's found the last of them, but with the way those irritating hunks of metal keep spitting out photographs it's hard to be sure. Still, a cursory glance on the ground shows no more blue-haired men fair of face and fine of body. If he exists anywhere in these photos, it's as Background NPC-chan.

Satisifed, he pushes himself back upright and heads back to where Cordelia stands with their collection. She brings up a good point: what do they do with all of these? ]

We could bury them, deep enough that no one stumbles across them. [ Ah but wait: ] Though the ground is sure to be frozen solid, not easily moved even with the sturdiest of shovels.

[ They could carry them around until they return to Thesa? But that's too much extra baggage. Store them in a locked chest somewhere? But what about thieves. Burn them? Perish the thought. ]

I'm not...certain, [ he finally admits.

Help him, Cordelia. ]

[gravemistake]

[Gabriel grunts in response--this is nothing he hasn't already been told by many, many people, and he's not about to start caring now. For a moment he debates whether or not to give an alias, but Dharma has already called him by name, so he's not sure if it's worth hiding it.]

Reyes.

[torchwoodteaboy]

[Ianto makes a motion with his head, side to side, as if to say he's generally on the fence about the whole thing.]

Well, for a start, he trusted the lunatic who raised the thing in the first place. Now he wants us to trust him to get rid of it?

[Ianto makes another face.] Not that I don't believe he might not have the intention of making things right, but the Natha at least were the ones that froze time itself to stop it from killing us all. They have at least got that much working in their favor, as far as finding a solution to the whole problem is. Not that I can say I'd trust them as far as I can throw them either, but I'm grateful not to be dead right now.

[torchwoodteaboy]

[Ianto lets out a breath that freezes in the air in front of him, but she's right of course. They've got to keep their spirits up if they want to make it through for that matter as well.]

It was nice of him to light our way there, at any rate.

[He gestures towards the nearest one in turn.] Here's hoping they actually lead where they should and we're not just walking in circles out here.

[mollymocked]

Exactly.

[He is right about everything. He has average intelligence and always knows what he's talking about.]

You most certainly can. [There's a beat as he looks them over.] Now when you say you're a diamond, does that just mean you're just a jewel among the riffraff or some other turn of phrase, because that's clever, and I like that.

[torchwoodteaboy]

Ianto glances up at the other man before he allows himself to be tugged up off of the floor with the pull on his hand. Standing awkwardly before moving to sit back beside him on the bed again. He'd been there before and it seems like an invitation, he supposes. He's not sure what to do with himself once he's there, of course, fidgeting slightly before he turns to glance beside himself again.

"John, I..." he starts, though he can't quite find the right words to continue for the moment either. Licking his lips hesitantly, he collects himself before he starts again. "It's. It's alright. I mean, I'm not. I'm not going to --..."