❪ 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

[breadmuffs]

Thank you, that's kind.

[Caleb gives him a little smile. For a moment, he glances back at the camp he left and then focuses back on X'hrun.]

I was wondering, considering your arcane talent, if you awoke to any of your spells being...unavailable to you.

[The smile here evens out...not that he's displeased with X'hrun. But the circumstances of his one particular spell being curtailed is very annoying.]

[shashka]

[ a laugh, as he gestures his hand. ]

Of course. Back where I come from, our winters were famous for being able to defeat potential invaders. At least two would-be conquerors saw their hopes brought down by General Winter.

[ unfortunately, for nearly the past twenty years, he's been stationed in mostly tropical areas. so his cold resistance is a little less than it really should be.

but like hell is he going to admit that. ]

[1701]

[ Peter should experience the wasteland of the American midwest; even in the idyllic Federation future, it's all dive bars and corn fields and nothing to do but get into trouble and drink. ]

Looks like some kind of film noir palette, [ he muses. ] Let's see what it tastes like, yeah?

[ Jim takes his glass, holds it up in a kind of salute towards the other man. Leggo, fam. He takes a drink. ]

[shashka]

[ Ocelot looks on in amusement, keeping a completely unreadable face. ]

You're going to try it, aren't you?

[ as if to show that it's perfectly fine, he has a small sip of the drink.

it's hideous. the mixing is all off, but hey, he's a Russian with drug resistance training. so far, this is nothing. ]

Not bad.

[ definitely not good either, though. ]

[1701]

[ It's the most milktoast hustle he's ever done, begging off on a dare-turned-bet and then skating circles around the guy. But they laugh about it, and Jim ends up idly enjoying the strange nostalgia of it. For a while he ends up abducted by someone's child, holding a tiny hand and used as a balancing post for a few laps of the ring.

He's alone again by the time this guy wipes out, a human squeegee moving unceremoniously up to Jim's still form. ]

Not a chance, [ he says gamely. ] C'mon up, you need to learn to balance, Speedy.

[shashka]

And with both kisses, he is reminded by just how endearing the other man is. Even John wasn't quite so easy to trust, and was definitely much gruffer. Still, he laughs a little, enjoying the physical contact.

"That the best that you've got?" and he moves in for another kiss, this one just a little bit deeper.

Not like there's much else to do around here, at least until they manage to access a little more information.

[dancerefresher]

It's...you'll see once you met him. It's distinctive.

[Nothing wrong with laughter but Henry is...Henry.]

[1701]

[ That's what you think, Anger Management, but as noted, Jim's not going to lay out his struggles to be picked apart and pulled into a who's-suffered-more battle. Jim's been there, he's been in the depths of darkness and misery and only felt anger and hostility about it. He thought he was right, and that anyone who thought differently was just a sheltered prick who'd never had to fight for anything.

But that was the mindset of someone weak. ]

I think it's something. But given all the different times people can awaken from, and the way the Natha interact with time in general, makes me wonder about the exact parameters. I don't think it went and destroyed my universe in the middle of anything, I think time's already played out until the natural end of it.

[ Jim shrugs. ]

Absolutely Splendidly

[smithandwesson]

[Oh.

Wow.

A death tattoo.

So edgy.

Wow.

Regardless, Sanzo only uses Law getting so close as an opportunity to brush the other man off. Swatting his hand away as if it were a fly buzzing around his face.

And yet the vein along the side of his forehead seemed to be bulging a little bit as he held his own growing temper back.]

And yet you use that an excuse to keep talking instead of shutting the hell up. Now, you going to get back to your 'small thing' and leave me the fuck alone or is you being quiet going to be that much of a problem for the both of us?

[soulmakingsound]

"This is not my beautiful house," she murmurs, mostly to herself. "This is not my beautiful life. Anymore."

After a few moments she blinks slowly and looks up at the man who's joined her. "Osiris. In the Central Planets. It used to be home, a long time ago. To a lot of people. Nearly four billion. One wonders how an entire planet can disappear."

[shashka]

[ Ocelot greets the other man with a slight quirk of his lips. now here's a face that he hasn't seen in a while. ]

Oh, this and that.

[ he takes the wine, putting the glass to his mouth, but not drinking just yet. ]

Mostly, I'm enjoying the fact that instead of having the Natha definitely watch us, we have the Nadril likely watching us.

[ if nothing else, it was a little bit of a change of pace. of course, he's never trusted the Natha, and he's not about to trust Magda, either.

but he will take any chance to learn more about them. ]

[soulmakingsound]

I'm not cold. [Despite her arms wrapped around herself and the way she shifts from foot to foot, trying to generate at least a little heat.

What she is is stubborn, and annoyed at meddlesome robot mirrors. The annoyance is mostly to hide the fact that she's terrified to be here.]

Your face is fine, but your beard is worrisome. It might take over your face soon.

[verflair]

Not personally, no.

[ He is beginning to wonder if he may be in the minority, insofar as that is concerned, but right now, that is neither here nor there. ]

But I have friends who have experienced such things. For them, it is as if their abilities have been muted; they are still there, just not as strong. I’ve not heard of a particular spell or ability being unavailable, however.

[hedonistic]

Obviously.

[Ocelot says "not bad" and that buoys Kagari's confidence in his ability to fake it till he makes it, as it were, and so he tries to knock back the shot mixture all at once, like an idiot.

An idiot that has deep regrets more or less immediately, as he half-chokes, half-gags on the concoction, coughing as it burns at his throat on the way down. He's going to need a minute, here. RIP his dignity tbh.]

[chickenhearted]

[ Waver huffs, but feels better now that he's scolded Rider for it. He even forgives this round of pats on his head for now and makes no show of dismissing it aside from a little puff of his cheeks. ]

That's right. A lot of things have happened since you've been gone.

[ A lot of shit. Because he's Waver and life can never be simple. But he likes to think he's done some things that would make Rider proud too. ]

But for now, I guess we can drink to your return.

[1701]

[ It's nice to get that reaction, but a heartbeat later Jim feels himself cringe internally. Conquered. Yeah, humanity's evolved, definitely for the better.

But, uh - ]

How'd you get to Japan? Bit of a hike from Persia.

[jesus_is_gundam]

[He can't be any worse than Hallelujah.]

I'll take your word for it.

[alibabas]

I— [ Great question. Futaba looks to the left, then to the right; but all that greets her are the cold walls of a broken station. Straight ahead is the concerned face of Ann. It really is a horror game, where all the tech that was supposed to help them seem to be failing until there's a big monster they're going to have to run from.

But for now, it's silence. ] I'm not ... sure. [ She's not afraid. Not yet ( people are scarier than monsters ). Just annoyed. Her lips twist into a frown, and she tries to reach for her goggles again ( in midair, so she can put them on. Surely that's how it works ). ] C'mon, Necronomicon —

[ ... No gust of wind, no light, nothing. Futaba's eyes are wide when she looks up at Ann. ] I can't get 'im. [ What the hell do that do now?!?!?!?! ]

[alibabas]

[ Maybe it's this place. Maybe this place just makes it really easy for dudes nearly double her height to almost crash into her when she's here to have a good time. The point is, she's not a fan of this in the slightest. It could be worse, she could be stuck between a super tall skeleton and a wall, but also this isn't really any better. ]

I— [ She stares, dumbfounded. Until she realizes that she is, in fact, staring — then her eyes go straight for the ground again, lest she meet eyes with yet another adult. Deep breaths, Futaba. It's just an old tablet, this place probably has at least twenty of those. If she really wants, she could run right now.

... Except fleeing from battle means she doesn't get the sweet, sweet EXP. So, with all the courage she can muster: ] ... No?

[ Absolutely. ] ... Are you... [ Okay. Alright. Not about to die. She wonders if she could summon Necronomicon to heal him if he was hurt, but she's not sure if she can deal with the questions of what the hell is that ]

[alibabas]

[ The moment Daisy takes a step forward, Futaba moves further away from the mirror. Another step, and even further away. Maybe not at a one-to-one pace, but enough that they've more or less traded places by the time Daisy's gotten to the mirror. Whoops. This doesn't help when she's asked a question about the mirror.

She could... go back. Or she could stay right where she is ( right up against the dresser, her body hidden at least up to her chest ), and point on the left edge. ]

... Over there. [ Daisy probably notices that Futaba's definitely Not Looking At Her. ]

[alibabas]

[ Did he just point out how awkward this situation is

She's honestly sure if that's a good thing or not — mostly because he doesn't seem particularly angry. Or angry at all, really. Or ... really all that uncomfortable. No prying questions, nothing about how this is probably her doing. It's nice, but it's also extremely ... alarming.

Futaba's not entirely sure if she's a fan of this at all.

But it looks like the conversation's moved on in the time she's thought about this. ] What—

[ She nearly stumbles back when he reaches down, but he's too quick and she's too caught off guard and the mouse ends up getting tapped. Her eyes are wide, hands curled up to fists, and there's a stretch of silence where she briefly meets eyes and then looks away just as quickly. ]

... Uh huh. [ As if to help the situation, the mouse squeaks. Then whirs. Then squeaks again. ]

[soulmakingsound]

Even if she didn't have her capabilities, it's still hard to hide an armload of photos in your jacket. "The edges are sticking out." Though whether she means the memories or the pictures, even she's not sure.

"Is it the photos?" Memories hurt, she knows that. And Bucky's memories especially. "Pointed, jagged things. Itching at the back of your brain."

[kikoku]

[About halfway through this spectacle of this scarecrow of a man trying to flip over, Law vaguely considers that he could help the guy but... he did say he can manage. It's not Law's fault if he doesn't ask for help. Instead, Law spends the rest of the time thinking about how he's met an actual skeleton before and, Brook was in better shape than this guy. Then he tunes back in to respond to the rhetorical question.]

Aah. You'd better hope I'm not some crooked doctor looking to harvest your organs.
[At least the joke would be on him given the state and quality of All Might's organs at this point. Still, this really isn't the best lead-in for what he says next as he pulls out a scalpel. You know, like you do for spinal readjustments.]

Oh, and don't try to look at what I'm doing if you get nauseous easily, Toshinori-ya.
[It's like Law's entered some sort of contest to prove he's the creepiest, most ominous doctor.]

[hedonistic]

Hahaha, yeah. Think too hard about what's right or not, and you'll just end up ruining your own psycho-pass and becoming a latent criminal too. Better just trust Sybil and be safe in the perfect society.

[Despite the thread of obvious sarcasm to it, it also has this cadence to it like it's something he's heard many times before. The propaganda of a country that uses its own discarded citizens to sustain itself. Ironically, it claims to be exactly what Juno says he'd be skeptical of.]

Damn, torture porn TV is a new one. And here I thought the cyborg guy who kept an underground hunting arena to kill people in was fucked up.

[poolhall_killer]

"At least the other one had some flavor. This tastes like pure concentrated coffee with a splash of sugar." He pushes it away to signal that he's done with drinking for the night. And chances are he'll be up all night thanks to that one sip.

"I'll give them credit for being more creative than I ever was behind the bar."