❪ 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

[summertimeblues]

[A bit of absurdity can salvage nearly any situation. She doesn't smile back and he never expects her too. Firing back is playing along well enough. He'll take it.]

Well, normal for me.

[He does flash her a smile of genuine mirth now. It dies shortly after. Still a lot of poison sitting in that gut of his, between Gamora's surgeries, the possible murder of her peers, and the shock of having his own skeletons tap dancing out of his closet.

Richie puts a hand over his eyes one last time. It stays put. His eyes are shut underneath.

When he and Ann Takamaki went strolling down memory lane, he passed off the clown in the picture as nothing more than a nightmare, and she'd bought it. But she was young, and that made all the difference. More likely to fight back effectively, yet more likely to die.

Gamora was not as young. Less likely to be a target, particularly considering her career. She's different. Too hard. It could still kill her if it decided she'd seen too much. He doubts she could kill It. Her lethal capabilities were too squarely in the land of the physical. If It came for her, she'd die relying on them.

He's still covering his face as he speaks.]

Gamora? Would you like to hear a funny story?

[nostalgiabomb]

Makin' sure.

[ But she has a fair point.

Plus, the last time he tried to touch her in a way she didn't like, she nearly slit his throat open, so. So there's certainly a precedent, here.

When she settles, he tentatively lowers his arm around her, readjusting the blanket to cover them both. He tries to keep as still as possible, holding himself a little more rigidly than he had before to maintain some semblance of propriety (rich, really, coming from Peter "Pelvic Sorcerer" Quill), but keeping still is a tall order with the way his entire body shakes.

And it's weird how the slow change in temperature, in atmosphere, makes him acutely aware of how fucked he feels. His limbs are stiff and heavy, joints aching with cold. Even his face stings a little, and that has to be the unfairest thing of all. Fatigue weighs him down, makes his eyes sting with exhaustion. Sleeping sounds really goddamn good right now, but is that bad? Or is it okay with a spotter?

Peter really should have focused more during survival training. Really, really. ]

You okay?

[willrevile]

[ Jim is a smiley, flirty, relaxed drunk, so perhaps it's not the worst fate. And a bar's an appropriate venue for it. ]

Who drinks alcohol for taste? [ Jim wrinkles his nose, but doesn't quite pull off the teasing 'ew' face because he's still smiling. Safe to say, his life-long penchant for cheap beer and whiskey shots have served him well for winning bets in here. ]

It does look pretty, though. What are you naming it?

[conqueredhearts]

Not at all actually! But it worked out didn't it?

[He laughs and then relaxes.]

Now, take your time. I will listen, I promise.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Peter glances over to see the offered hand, and he has to set a bottle aside to offer his own. ]

Peter Quill. Folks call me Star-Lord.

[ No, they really don't. Not unless they don't know any better, anyway.

He takes his hand back and glances at what he assumes is the purple fizzy stuff, housed in a clear jug. Peter eyes it dubiously for a second, then, ]

You know, a warning like that almost makes me wanna try it.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ That—

Actually startles a laugh out of Peter – just a quick little bark. Last thing he expected was for the dude to, like, roll with that shitty joke. And considering Peter's the one who threw that out there, he reluctantly lifts an arm. ]

C'mon, then, big guy. Bring it in.

[inaurare]

[ah, he even forgot for just a moment that there was a story to be told - and there is a moment’s uncertainty in his eyes before he attempts-]

I... was raised in service, as I told you. Just-- the house I grew up in was a brothel.

[haltingly]

It wasn’t-- expected. That I work there. Nor either was it what I wanted. But I was to be sent away from there and from... from people I loved.

[a person that he loved]

and if it's not a jag it's a tiger

[gekkajuu]

I don't think happening to exist is much of an achievement.

[It's a gentle correction, though. He appreciates how she's trying to see him in the best possible light, but that just leads to disappointment in the end, doesn't it?

He does genuinely feel a little warmed for being called a good person, though. It's not like it's true - he will never be good enough - but it's still what he strives and works really hard for, so it's nice to hear.]

Yes... We should definitely learn more. Magda doesn't seem to trust us very much, however.

[conqueredhearts]

[Nodding slowly, he does as he said and he listens. There's no judgement in his eyes and no expectations when he hears what job Linneus had before being here. He just nods, keeping a hand resting on his hip.]

It is never easy to be sent away from those you love.

[He offers him a comforting smile.]

It was in this service that you learned to not speak your mind then?

[gekkajuu]

[It's not just the landing itself that was rough this time, admittedly; it's more the place they found themselves. But then, someone who hasn't been to Olympia or even Wyver can't make that comparison, of course.]

Let's see... There was the time we were sent down in pods and crash landed in no man's land? Once, we had to suddenly pilot a space ship that required coordinating two co-pilots - and then there was the time we took an air ship but it was shot down.

[gekkajuu]

"That's the important question, isn't it?" Atsushi wished he knew why some people remembered and others didn't. It was weird, running into people you knew, and having them not remember some or all of your shared past. So far, he'd dealt with it all right, but now... Now, there were people it would be very painful to have forgot him.

He gave her a firm nod, pleased that she seemed to care at all. If she wanted him to look her up again later, then he certainly would. "All right!"

[gekkajuu]

They really are. [He looks at his paws, a little self-consciously.] The tiger is enormous. Sometimes I wonder how he fits inside of me at all.

[That's abilities for you, of course: there's no logic to them, even if they do have limits. Atsushi knows that, but sometimes, he can't help but wonder.]

... Well, hopefully they'll be good for making enormous snow balls with, too~!

[Ha...haha... He makes a "rawr" pose with his paws to underline the joke(???), wiggling his claws.]

[adelphoi]

[ oh no.. now it's a tiny carbuncle in a hat!! it's too cute!! she can't even stand it!! she doesn't say as much because she's far too cool to do so, but her broad smile gets her point across well enough. ]

All right, all right.

[ she cracks open adelphoi before her, and it's a little.. refreshing, how easily it comes back, how comfortable this tome feels in her hands, but then, though swordwork had taken her some time to master, she has ever had magical aptitude. it has been some time, but the geometry comes back to her easily enough while she draws her quill across the pages of the grimoire.

soon enough, in a flurry of light her carbuncle coalesces, topaz, of course, her preferred gemstone. ]

[adelphoi]

[ oh wow, she.. really knows what she's talking about, doesn't she? i mean of course it all makes perfect sense, but nevertheless she says it with a confidence that bespeaks practice.

alisaie chuckles behind her knuckles. ]

Girl should work, I think; thing seems rather.. degrading.

[ not that the little machine seems to mind, but still! ]

You speak as though you have done this before.

[adelphoi]

[ if only she had the answer.

it takes alisaie a moment even to respond, caught as she is in the tangle of memories these images evoke, but after a moment she at last lifts her head and settles her unfocused gaze on krile. ]

I've no words..

[ she could never have expected how powerfully these pictures would affect her, how they would squeeze and tug at her heart. she shifts, leaning closer to look upon the photograph that krile is holding - sharlayan. home. it feels as if a lifetime has passed since last she looked upon it. ]

[adelphoi]

Sadly, I must..

[ maybe she could try to purchase one? but they've already got so many animals as it is running around the place.. still, it's so tempting. alisaie shakes her head. ]

I've no idea. Clockwork parts, I imagine, but I've never much dabbled in mechanical engineering.

[inaurare]

It started there. I was still a child, after all, and my memories of my upbringing are fond enough. But one had to know how to behave when there were... guests in the house.

And then having-- guests of my own, I suppose, it became set in me.

[adelphoi]

[ for all her time spent on the station this past year, alisaie is hardly in a better position to decide what may or may not be useful.. mayhaps she should have taken some real time to acquaint herself with technology.

so mostly she scavenges what appears to be unbroken. lengths of wire and pipe, bits of steel for reforging, though she's not gotten particularly far when there's a crash, and subsequent yelp.

with her heart in her throat, alisaie whirls around, her hand to the hilt of her rapier - she's 1000% more hair-triggered than she normally might be, after all that had befallen the planet. but.. no, there's no zombie dragon snapping at her brother's heels. after a moment's staring, she snorts aloud, grinning broadly. ]

Be careful, dear brother, not to spook yourself to the grave.

[ did you really think she wouldn't say anything?? ]

[conqueredhearts]

[Wrapping his arms around him, he gives him an embrace.]

Well, I want you to know that you are welcome to say anything to me. Even if you think I might not like it. I like hearing your thoughts and desires.

[inaurare]

Thank you.

[a sigh into the hug, leaning in]

I shall try to be more... outspoken, going forward. But it's not a habit in me.

[conqueredhearts]

That is alright. I will know to ask you for your thoughts more to encourage you.

[He rests a hand on his head, letting the pretty man rest against him.]

Does that work for you?

[inaurare]

That... works for me, yes.

[smiling at the wording - it feels a little awkward on him, but he echoes it back]

[conqueredhearts]

[He laughs and gives his hair a ruffle.]

Are you hungry?

[inaurare]

Hungry...?

[another of those little bobs under the ruffle to his hair, perhaps flowing just a little at the attention]

I could eat, yes.

[conqueredhearts]

Then let us go eat. I think that they call that a date!

[He thinks. He's still remembering modern day phrasing.]