❪ 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

[lednikovyy]

[ Bucky had been lost in his own world, mind racing through memories of his time with HYDRA. Every rough touch or cruel word. He'd been treated like a thing, handled like any pain short of damaging him hadn't counted and even now it does a number on how he processes the world around him.

He doesn't want to dwell and drown in the thoughts, but he can't entirely get rid of them, either, until he's startled out of it. ]

Ava.

[ He shakes his head to clear it. ]

I'm fine. Are you?

[inaurare]

Ours were a good deal slower than instant...!

[he should like to see how these instant photographs work - though perhaps he already has, in a way. He isn't sure how anything can photograph a memory, but oddly that doesn't trouble him so much... perhaps that is just resignation to the 'magic' in this place, the technology, which in many cases are one and the same to Linneus. Besides, he has glimpsed a few of the photographs, blessedly none of them seem exactly compromising. Aside from the method itself.

He's not very keen on being mobbed again.

A little smile at that offer, securing his photographs with one hand and sliding his other through Dazai's arm with a questioning tilt of his head. Shall they walk...? Shall they go somewhere...?]

But there are the devices? Isn't there a way to take them off the device and make them real...?

[flask]

Yeah! And maybe you can, like, go to bard school, while you're at it.

[You know, since she already has the natural talent.]

And, with five people rather than seven, we'll be able to split up our earnings in larger portions!

[jesus_is_gundam]

[He's never actually had to describe his life in Japan before, so it does take a few seconds for him to find the right words.]

I lived in the city. It was loud, chaotic, and full of people. It was peaceful, mostly.

[There was peace as long as you ignore the rest of the world, which was something he couldn't do.]

The food was good.

[lednikovyy]

[ Bucky turns quickly and a few of his own pictures fall out of his jacket pocket. ]

Emm--shit.

[ He ducks down quickly to catch them, but the wind doesn't help as pictures of Brooklyn and pictures of all the equipment that HYDRA used on him slip away from his fingers.

One is caught and then he moves, awkwardly crouched, towards the next. ]

Sorry! I gotta get these.

[ The apology is thrown over his shoulder as he closes his fingers around the second one. ]

[jesus_is_gundam]

[Setsuna isn't smiling at all. He advances cautiously towards Link; sure, the other guy hadn't swung his sword at him yet, but still had attacked(?) him earlier.

But whatever Link was playing at, Setsuna wasn't nearly as interested. If he could drive off this strange kid, that would be enough for now. So once he go in close enough, he began a series of aggressive strikes, looking to drive Link backwards.]

[flask]

[Nott hurriedly fishes the platinum flask from within her cloak, handing it over to him. Score one for alcohol. She knew bribing people to not kill her was a solid plan. After all, Yasha hasn't killed her yet, and they've been together for like a month!

Well, until the whole pod people thing.

What the raccoon says does leave a solidly blank look on Nott's face, though.]

But I didn't... say that out loud... Also, for the record, did not know you were a person who, you know, talks and thinks and all that, so you can't blame me, really.

[Nott, quit while you're ahead.]

[flask]

That sounds like something a guy looking to get me in trouble would say!! What's it to you, anyway?

[It shouldn't matter to him or anybody but Molly and Caleb if she gets in trouble. Not that she's going to just let trouble happen, of course.

It's just that, every time she sees something shiny, she has that familiar itch...]

[flask]

...I guess it did.

[She shoots him another skeptical glance.

Then she rushes at him and tackles his legs, when he least expects it.]

[flask]

[Sometimes, a scam is just as much the things you don't say. Welcome to my TED Talk.

Nott peers at the food currently exchanging hands, sniffing the air appreciatively. Meat is her favorite type of food, and there are some meats she's familiar with here, beef and pork, some she's not, and decidedly none of her favorites, like rat or animal tongue. But she's used to that at this point, and unfortunately used to the fact that most societies outside of her clan seem to actually cook their meat before serving it. She looks over the menu.]

A "bacon wrapped hot dog" sounds good. I like bacon and I like dog.

[Shh, no one tell her.]

[romancekiller]

I'm not too familiar it but it definitely seems like an upgrade in comparison but I guess now we know were to get this at least if it was the type of stuff you needed to help against the dragon. [she figures it is good to know at least for anything similar happening in the future but hopefully there wouldn't a repeat]

[flask]

[She's a kleptomaniac, but she's not dumb enough to steal something right under the nose of a glorified Crownsguard!!! Which he all but confirms he is, by sharing his profession. She's surprised he didn't just skip straight to skewering her or kicking her out of the city, but then she supposes he must be one of the "better" Crownsguard types. Namely, the ones who don't strike first and ask questions later.

Of course, no Crownsguard or knight of any kind is good to get involved with. She's a goblin, for starters. Just by her appearance alone, she stirs trouble with the lawful types. Which means she's definitely trying to subtly curtain her dark, greasy hair between his eyes and her face, now.]

I'm an adventurer for hire. I travel with a group, and we take care of things knights can't be bothered to take care of.

[Of course, she can't help her smart mouth while she's at it.

Only, the main person the Mighty Nein works for now is a crime lord, but this guy definitely does not need to know that. Let's highlight the slaying of evil beasts instead.]

[sparsity]

Mars. [ Mikazuki answers plainly, displaying the photos. Mostly of a group of rowdy boys in green jackets in a red, desert waste. Though there are a few dimmer photos, back alleyways, just two children. One of a rooftop, a rusty-colored sky. ] I came from there.

[ But he hesitates to call it his home — ]

Your home is everywhere?

[sparsity]

It snowed once in the other cities, but they're mostly warmer. Wyver especially.

[ Despite being wired for cold, he'd agree — he's become used to the jungle humidity, the luxury of being warm. ]

Thesa is pretty big. Not like a colony ship, but it fits more inside than an assault type. I don't know whether or not it can move... but it seems like it's been there for a long time. Everyone on the planet thinks it's the moon.

[ And how old could a moon be? ]

[godslay]

[ That's about as helpful as Gamora expected him to be. ]

I have the warmth that you don't, and we have no fire or other means to fight off the cold in the night.

[ A lift of a silver brow. ]

Do you want me to let you freeze instead?

[sparsity]

Oh, a newbie. [ Makes sense. ] I guess it'd be bad to tell you "welcome"...

[ Is this sass, is he playing it straight, it is a mystery. ]

But I guess if it's important, he's the king's son. From Wyver.

[flask]

Maybe! I don't know!!

[She turns a darker shade of green in her outrage, and just blurts out the truth before she can think better of it. Suddenly, she remembers halflings age slower than goblins, and she really shouldn't admit to "maybe" being 8.

Fuck, what are halfling ages like.]

I mean, I'm... twenty! I'm an adult! I pay taxes!

[Nott most certainly does not pay taxes.]

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He doesn't feel like answering, at the moment, because he's trying to keep his teeth from rattling out of his skull.

Plus, his answer goes without saying, and he expresses it with a dour look: Obviously not.

But she has that certain air about her. The don't even think about arguing air – though when he's feeling more like himself, he usually ignores that particular look and goes straight into arguing, because he's a contrary bastard at the best of times. Right now, he doesn't have much in the way of a counterpoint, unless him sitting huddled in a miserable little ball is an option.

Which it obviously isn't.

So at length, he lets out a scoffing sound, more frustrated with himself and the situation than Gamora, before loosening his hold on one end of the blanket to give her room to tuck in. ]

[sparsity]

[ Honestly, that should tip Mikazuki off, but he's already committed by the time Chuuya is toasting him. So he tips his glass, taking a good-sized drink for his size since he can usually count on his metabolism to do him a solid when it comes to booze —

Except it's not really the alcohol that hits him, it's the vivid burning sensation. And boy, does it hit. He grunts like he's just been kicked point-blank in the chest, brows pinching, but doesn't spit it out or try and cough up a lung.

His face does flush though, blue eyes bright and glassy. He's actually tearing up, good work. ]

What.

What was that.

[flask]

You--!

[Nott is about to be personally offended that she gave up her entire drink to a guy who was just scamming her out of it, and equally pissed at herself for not having better insight on the guy, but then he invites her to join.]

...Yeah, okay. That's a pretty good operation you've got going.

[sparsity]

[ You know what, you have a snort. ]

It's not like I was trying. You're getting them everywhere.

[sparsity]

[ Luckily he's pretty flippant too, just in an utterly blasé way. If they're all hurtling towards death, it'll come way or another. He finally pops the hatch on whatever it is he's got, rummaging around inside. ]

I guess... Darma? I don't know whether or not you can call her the pilot though. More like the captain, maybe.

[godslay]

[ She has that other look on her face now – that "That's what I thought" face. But just like Peter doesn't verbally gripe, she isn't verbally smug as she takes the proffered side of his blanket, shifting beside him to curl up underneath. She presses herself snugly against his side, one arm pulling the blanket around them both, the other winding around his waist to hold herself closer. The difference in body temperature is dramatic, and to Gamora, Peter might as well be as cold as the outside air. ]

Don't sulk.

[ She says it absently as she adjusts until she's comfortable against his arm, fitting... oddly well against him, even as he continues to shiver and shake. ]

[flask]

[The glass is cracked to the nine hells, but the insults keep coming. Nott takes a deep breath through her nose, Molly's comments all but ignored.

Caleb's more worried about it insulting her, but she's more worried about Caleb. Sure, she doesn't exactly need some kind of disembodied voice reminding her of all the things she hates about herself, but she knows full well what she looks like. She's the freakshow here. She's the only one it should be targeting. She's used to this sort of thing.

Normally I'd say a smile is the best accessory, but on you maybe you're better off without!

And it has plenty to say about Caleb, too.]

Well. I think you look very handsome, Caleb.

[She's not moving from the front of the mirror until he does.]

[motivation]

Dutch. [ she takes his hand and shakes it, grip firm and a little calloused.

a moment later, their drinks arrive and dutch lets go of his hand in favour of taking a long sip of her drink instead, watching bucky over the rim of her glass the whole time. ]

Please tell me someone's given you the talk about the stasis pod bullshit already.