❪ 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

[baguablade]

Noble.

[ Dry voice, to match the dryness of his throat. That drink really is killer.

But he gives Rocket a deadpan stare and lifts an eyebrow, stifling his amusement. ]

Messed them up, huh... What do you think I should've done instead?

[enfeeble]

Oh.

[ Then what is this?? A prostitute??? ]

I see.

[ If he sounds even more uncertain about the circumstances surrounding this picture, it's because he absolutely is. Granted, Akira might be a youth but he's no pupil of All Might's, so it's not up to him to pass judgment on his activities or... past times, no matter how unsavory they might be. All Might remembers being young and hotblooded, blushing hotly over long legs and tight shirts. Though he'd never had the gumption to ever proposition someone.

Akira obviously has more confidence than an average teenager. ]

Well. [ He clears his throat, quick to change topics. ] It looks like you have plenty of good memories.

[ Thinking now of his beach episode, and not his raunchy night with the maid hooker. ]

it's gone so well already

[kikoku]

[Now, Law certainly doesn't have a high estimation of himself, he can take a lot of insults. He doesn't even mind that much if people think he's crazy. But a nuisance who talks to much? That's where he draws the line.]

Oi, it's not my fault if you don't know how to tune people out.
[Wait. No, he jabs a finger at this guy. Don't be distracted by his finger tattoo that spell out "DEATH".]

For that matter, if anyone here's being a nuisance it's you deciding a couple of words is "talking too much."
[He's clearly struggling dealing with someone who's actually managed to be more irritable than he is.]

[shashka]

[ thankfully, Ocelot seems to me more than familiar with the alcohol, or at least its equivalencies. this one looks a little like vodka, this one looks a little like gin, mix them together with a little bit of what looks like cinnamon, and you might have something to warm the spirit, so to speak ]

Want to give it a try?

[ of course, appearances might be deceiving. hopefully, whatever he's made is at least palatable, and even if it's not, maybe it'll give you enough of a kick that it won't even matter. ]

[enfeeble]

[ For a walking skeleton, All Might looks considerably more upbeat as he walks alongside Kagari. Perhaps it's the novelty of it all—even in his deflated form, his looks generally kept him from engaging in anything that resembled normal; sunken cheeks and thin frame earning concern and morbid curiosity. And to be fair to the world, All Might himself did his best to keep a distance.

It was hard to maintain a conversation when he never knew if he might need to disappear and assist in stopping a crime. And it was hard to form relationships when it felt as though his real identity was more of a secret than ever before.

But Kagari knows nothing about heroes or the Symbol of Peace, and moreover he's trapped in this small body until the end of their trek. All Might might actually have a conversation with someone. ]

My boy, I'm quite flashy. [ He says with a laugh, maybe saying too much. ] Getting your adrenaline going is part of the fun of a movie, isn't it? We can probably both agree that we'd rather see explosions in movies than in real life!

[shashka]

[ ...you know, he can't help but feel like he's being called out by a wolf, even as he keeps scratching her ears. ]

Well, some of us know from experience that any weaknesses are easily exploited by others. Can't have everyone knowing everything about me, now can I?

[ besides, given some of the things he's done, he's sure having all his secrets come to light would not particularly endear him to any of his friends. ]

[enfeeble]

Oh, you're from America? Hello! [ He says that in English, even though everything is translated anyway... He's an ameriboo. ] I studied in America when I was a student, some of the best moments of my youth.

[ Then he laughs, because he's an old man. ]

I'm from Japan. Tsunami is a word we hear fairly often, but they don't actually occur that often.

[ Thinking about LA has him feeling nostalgic however, and he feels himself somewhat rejuvenated despite the cold and the wind. ]

[enfeeble]

If you can respect it, then please adopt it for yourself. [ All Might points out with a chuckle, though he doesn't pressure Rohan any.

At least, not until he gives him an expectant look. ]

Well then! Lead me to the shop.

[shashka]

I'm sure that if you asked them, the Natha would say they're above petty things like biases. Of course, that'll depend on if you have enough faith in them to believe them or not.

[ and a pause, as he looks like he's contemplating something. ]

By the way, the name's "Ocelot".

[ since it's just rude to talk about their suspicions for their mysterious benefactors without at least exchanging names. ]

[verflair]

[ It really is an adorable sight, and he has to laugh as the clockwork creation noses around the real thing, curious in a way that is startlingly lifelike. ]

Is there aught else you can show me? I realize in the middle of town our options are somewhat limited, but I would still like to see what you can do.

[verflair]

[ What ho? An actual question? Mayhap he will not have to carry this conversation half as much as he thought. ]

I come from a quaint little star by the name of Hydaelyn. I don’t know if you were able to learn aught of Olympia and Wyver ere we were sent down here, but my home is very similar to those nations in terms of magic and technology both.

What of you?

[enfeeble]

[ . . .

Pulled away from his thoughts about their late introductions, All Might realizes that Ren has a very valid point. ]

Where is that hotel, I wonder? [ He murmurs to himself, brows furrowed as he glances around them. If he was in his bigger form, then it would only take a couple of leaps for him to find his way, but he's stuck taking his journey one step at a time.

He cranes his neck to look back at Ren. ]

We'll have to ask for directions.

[verflair]

Oh, my friend. You are in for quite the shock. Magic is quite prevalent on mine own star, but on others, it may exist only in a limited capacity, or it may not exist at all. I’ve met refugees for whom each of these is true.

[ He finds the whole thing fascinating now, but he went through quite the adjustment period in getting there. Every new batch of refugees is a stark reminder of how it felt to be thrust into such a melting pot. ]

[shashka]

Nothing to be ashamed of. Raccoons are pretty resourceful. Of course, they have nothing on ocelots, but few animals do.

[ ...look. he really can't resist. ]

It might be that he isn't able to leave, at least not with the Natha watching. Hell of a choice, isn't it? On one hand, you can go off exploring, but your every move is watched. On the other, you stick around in a small corner of the world, but no one can tell you what to do.

The way I see it, no matter what, you're trapped.

[ now isn't that a comforting thought. ]

[enfeeble]

[ Strain himself... All Might would never. ]

Toshinori Yagi. And I can manage that much, Mr. Law.

[ Don't look at him, Law. He's the #1 Hero, and he's trying to roll onto his back like a flipped over turtle. The movement does pull at his locked muscles, his teeth gritting together as he struggles to roll his body, stopping every now and then to gather his breath.

Eventually, he flops over onto his stomach, feeling more pathetic than before. ]

This is a compromising position, isn't it.

[verflair]

[ Passing through that dreadful blizzard was apparently a test of mettle, so hopefully they need not more than that. But of course, who is to say there are not menial fetchquests in their future? ]

You’ll not hear me argue on that front. You are wise to expect an uphill battle – and I admit I am hesitant to take anything we are told as truth as yet. ‘Tis a difficult situation we find ourselves in, surrounded by those who say they mean to help us but are too secretive for their own good.

[hedonistic]

[Kagari's eyebrows raise faintly at that assertion, and then he laughs too. Quite flashy, huh. This guy was sure a character.]

Are you kidding? Explosions in real life are even more awesome.

[A. beat.]

...Weeeell, not so much when you almost get caught in 'em, I guess, but still. I've always wanted to see a real fireworks display.

[Unfortunately, latent criminals don't exactly get to go to festivals. Maybe if he'd lived, and it hadn't been for the Storm, he could've asked Akane to take him to one for New Year's. But that thought is neither here nor there, so he pushes it aside.]

So what's the flashiest thing you ever did?

[verflair]

[ “Who are you” usually warrants an introduction where X’rhun is from, but mayhap that’s just him. ]

So I have been told.

[ There’s good humor in his voice, reflected in the wave of his tail. ]

I apologize for putting you on guard. I am no force for the law, in this place or any other.

[almaredemptoris]

[He nods in silent understanding, if not for the specifics that he cannot know then for the shape of the sentiment behind such acts. His countenance is sympathetic, his voice solid but gentle.]

To love is to be willing to make sacrifices.

[God had given up His only begotten son, for He so loved mankind; so too, Fantine had traded all that she possessed, down to her pride and virtue, for the sake of Cosette.]

[verflair]

[ Despite the level of technology in the city itself, they seem to have found a place that is just rustic enough to remind X’rhun of home, of the many taverns he himself has visited on his travels. It’s a comfort. Once they’ve settled, he sets his hat aside. No one cares to give his ears a second glance, which is also a comfort on its own.

Sometimes it is a little tiresome, being the only miqo’te around.

X’rhun opts to imbibe as well, as he often does, placing his order after Jim. That done, he turns to regard his companion. ]

Ah, I cannot recall if I’ve told you of the Crimson Duelists. They were the order of mages to which I belonged.

[shashka]

[ wait just a minute...

no. way.

still, no shock registers on his face. ]

I thought you were supposed to only be about five feet tall. Guess the history books got that one wrong.

[ he doesn't have any reason to doubt the man for the time being. after all, stranger things have happened. ]

But I've heard of you. Did some reading on your campaign through the Afghanistan area. Before the Storm hit, my country was in the middle of a war in that region.

[shashka]

DD was a bit of a special case.

[ ...it might be that he's part wolf. it might be that Ocelot's an excellent trainer with latent psychic powers. it might be a number of different things.

we just don't know. but there's a reason he practically considers him like a "son". ]

[shashka]

[ a laugh. ]

Oh, they're all that bad. Still, it is nice to see some more up-to-date tech planetside.

[ when you spend your time in war torn Afghanistan, even the small things start to look like luxuries. ]

Of course, I'm only from the Twentieth Century on Earth. From what I've heard from others, things get a lot more advanced in the next century.

[ and he sees where it's going, what with the hyper-advanced AI that had been developed in secret. ]

[impavid]

Well, obviously things went south after that and I got set on fire.

[ Really this isn't a delightful topic of conversation Cain have you considered: Let's Not. ]

Luckily the Natha decided to show back up so, as you can see, all in working order now.

[ It's Fine. ]

[almaredemptoris]

[If the sight of those gruesome teeth startle him, then it does not show in his countenance. Nor does he seem appalled by her abject lack of manners as she gobbles her food. Rather, he merely looks pleased that she is enjoying herself.]

Would you like to sit?

[Gesturing to the row of stools lines up at the front of the stand. Although it seems that in a moment more the hot dog will be devoured...

As for himself, having not received any utensils to aid in eating his food, he carefully takes up a fry in his gloves hand to sample.]