natha: (Default)
ɴᴀᴛʜᴀ orbiters ❰ mod collective ❱ ([personal profile] natha) wrote in [community profile] nysalogs2018-07-16 04:47 pm
Entry tags:

❪ introlog: #6 ❫ city of secrets

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!

fiendennor: (24)

[personal profile] fiendennor 2018-07-31 03:43 am (UTC)(link)
I still fail to see the remote appeal of that. I'd rather keep a clear mind than make an ass out of myself.
fiendennor: (43)

[personal profile] fiendennor 2018-07-31 03:51 am (UTC)(link)
[Diana nods, slowly.] Oh, don't mistake me. I fully live up to the lessons I was taught by my mother and the legacy of those who came before me. I just think that said legacy will end with me.

[She says, again matter-of-factly, but with a slightly sad tinge to her voice.] Your parents were farmers, then?

[As she says that, she digs into her thick coat for a small slender metal tube. With a flick of her wrist, it extends into a foot-long metal wand, a double forked prong at the end.] Here. It'll help with the cold. Incendia.

[A little green flame flickers into light at the tip of the wand. Though small, it gives off a nice heat.]
thetaintedsorrow: (Glance back)

[personal profile] thetaintedsorrow 2018-07-31 03:53 am (UTC)(link)
Heh. Maybe.

[Chuuya tilts his head curiously. At least Keaton has succeeded in distracting him from the photograph for now.]

Huh? Uh, sure.
unos: (Default)

[personal profile] unos 2018-07-31 03:56 am (UTC)(link)
[ Preferring living creatures makes perfect sense to Katsura; he's the same after all. Preferring smaller ones, though? ]

Not necessarily. My pet back home is almost as tall as me, and an acquaintance of mine has a dog large enough to ride on.

[ Honesty, small pets are more of an anomaly for him at this point. ]
thetaintedsorrow: (Pfff whatever)

[personal profile] thetaintedsorrow 2018-07-31 03:57 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah. They take some getting used to.

[Which would be fine if they weren’t in the middle of a snowstorm...]

Sure you don’t want me to float you the rest of the way?
Edited 2018-07-31 03:57 (UTC)

[personal profile] ayes 2018-07-31 04:02 am (UTC)(link)
[It's starting to.] Haha, no, you-- you don't need to do anything like that, really!

It's not like it was your fault, right? You didn't mean to do it, you just kinda... fell asleep! So it's not your fault at all. I'll just find a laundry machine and put it in, no problem!
thetaintedsorrow: (Sexy face)

[personal profile] thetaintedsorrow 2018-07-31 04:10 am (UTC)(link)
The dragon was definitely a surprise. So was this place, but at least there’s a chance to fix all this.

[Maybe. Probably.]

Oh yeah? Then I take it you don’t have any powers that make traveling easier.

[Guess who does. This guy.]
Edited 2018-07-31 04:10 (UTC)
ayes: (pic#11471765)

[personal profile] ayes 2018-07-31 04:10 am (UTC)(link)
[Well... if Amaterasu insists. You was trying to be mature and offer that she could go help others, but... it is nice to have the large wolf here.

The teen is only too happy to keep on petting the goddess' muzzle and head, scratching behind the ears with gloved fingers.]


You missed a lot, you know? Uh... some people got kidnapped, and that was pretty intense.
pussywhips: (102)

[personal profile] pussywhips 2018-07-31 04:11 am (UTC)(link)
[ Ann is trying to be calm about this—surely this isn't the weirdest thing to happen to them... you know, ever? Though it is a little concerning, probably... what are they without Personas? Just normal kids? Yikes.

Still, she can't keep some of the worry from her face, her lips pressing together in a frown. ]


Okay, that's weird.

[ Suddenly, a loud creak reverberates through the ship, as if the whole thing is groaning, and Ann stiffens, then reaches out her hands for Futaba. ]

Um, maybe we should keep going.
morbide: ᴀʀᴛɪsᴛ: pixiv member id=61606 (さっきのカラスたちが教えてくれたんだ~!)

[personal profile] morbide 2018-07-31 04:14 am (UTC)(link)
[He realizes how he comes off and takes stock of how he view the situation. If the vessel were to crash, he and everybody else would be history... Should that worry him? Henry shakes his head.]

Nope. I don't trip up over those kind of details! I'm always happy, you see. [Henry bends at the knees to get a better look at Mikazuki's work; he doesn't know a thing about these ships, but he looks like he's on a mission for something.] I'm not worried, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't do something if we managed to end up like this wreck. I have some important people aboard Thesa Station, so I'd make sure to live just to make sure whoever's responsible is treated to the right amount of pain and misery in exchange for their actions.
punshots: (✘ sync.)

[personal profile] punshots 2018-07-31 04:15 am (UTC)(link)
[ He catches her hint, but that doesn't mean he's happy about it. She hasn't replaced the pet that she pocketed, and he's not huge on five (or four)-fingered discounts. Maybe he can slip some silver under the door later or convince her to return it. Either way, they're both agreed that causing a big scene right here isn't something they want to do.

Once she's on her feet, he lifts his hand to his mouth, clearing his throat. ]


A-hem, yeah! Time for us to leave. [ Yeah, he's coming with. ] Good day! Tally ho, 'n' all that!

[ He waves to the clerk with way too much gusto as he starts for the shop's door. ]
punshots: (✘ viewfinder.)

[personal profile] punshots 2018-07-31 04:17 am (UTC)(link)
R-right. E-eyes closed, face first, can't lose!

[ Or something like that. Maybe his intrepid spirit isn't strong enough for this after all, but he's undeniably curious, at least until- ]

Ugh, I stepped in something! This is a code red, I stepped in something squishy!

[ He bends over, plucking his flashlight off his coat to closer examine whatever it is that's all over the floor. ]

...Actually, you might be on to somethin' with the jell-o worms...
punshots: (✘ maven.)

[personal profile] punshots 2018-07-31 04:20 am (UTC)(link)
[ Aw, no log air-surfing? That's too bad. Prompto mirrors Link's expression as he peers at the tablet's screen. ]

Shoot, sorry to hear that. You might get it back eventually, though! The Natha are kinda wacky like that. It took me awhile before I got my powers back.

[ Or Noct's powers, but same difference. ]
soulmakingsound: (i don't necessarily)

[personal profile] soulmakingsound 2018-07-31 04:22 am (UTC)(link)
Very unfair for those of use who can't grow beards. [With a disgruntled sound, she goes digging in the closet for a thicker sweater. Hers is thin and mostly for aesthetic. They hadn't been to many ice planets, there was never a need to bundle up.

A boot comes flying out of the closet, then a second.]
Logic dictates that if they are going to make us dress warmly, there should be warm clothes in here.
thetaintedsorrow: (He mad)

[personal profile] thetaintedsorrow 2018-07-31 04:23 am (UTC)(link)
[What was once a very intense snowball fight has now turned into something even more violent, and Chuuya grunts in pain as Takasugi’s forehead collides with his own. A burst of pain rattles his skull, but he hardly has time to react before his hair is being used as a handle to shove him face first into the snow. Ouch.

Okay, that’s it. Chuuya activates his ability, and if Takasugi doesn’t back off quickly he’s going to be thrown off of Chuuya with all the force he can muster. Gravity is nothing to fuck with, but he’s still not aiming to seriously injure Takasugi, only throw him off.
]
Edited 2018-07-31 04:24 (UTC)

[personal profile] judicia 2018-07-31 04:24 am (UTC)(link)
( A small smile spreads across Anders' lips. )

I guess we'll have to see then, won't we?

( To be fair, Anders could handle his liquor pretty well even without supernatural help. He couldn't out drink Oghren, not by a long shot, but he was confident enough in his skills to at least make a good crack at it.

He leads the way into the cantina, shaking off the chill and unzipping the front of his coat once they're both standing inside. )


The first round's on me.
punshots: (✘ technicolor.)

[personal profile] punshots 2018-07-31 04:25 am (UTC)(link)
[ He keeps his arms around her and his eyes on the photograph, even as he gently rests his temple to hers, letting her warmth envelope him. It's true, the cold is much easier to stand when you're cuddling... ]

Yeah? What took you there in the first place?

[ Story time!!! ]
nineteenfortyfive: (CLAN)

[personal profile] nineteenfortyfive 2018-07-31 04:33 am (UTC)(link)
[It does have a sort of... cuteness, really, to it. It's round and bright, and isn't it the roundness of babies, both human and other creatures, that makes them adorable?]

This thing can help you pilot? How?

[personal profile] judicia 2018-07-31 04:52 am (UTC)(link)
I can keep my balance just fine, most of the time.

( He peels his sore body up off the ice, grunting audibly and wobbling a little bit as he does. He wants to make sure he pulls himself up on his own, just so he can show this guy he's not as incompetent as that spill made him look. )

I was just getting bored of doing circles all by myself. ( He explains, dusting himself off with his gloved hands and giving the other man a better look. )
1701: ( commission / dnt ) (0020)

[personal profile] 1701 2018-07-31 04:57 am (UTC)(link)
It's just a ... sea of stars.

[ How romantic-sounding - and they even use navy ranks. Jim makes a thoughtful noise, considering. Not about the fairness of it, he agrees with that, sure. Might as well play along with the weird shit they experience here, put something akin to a purpose behind it. But what story to shake out of the space jar? (Also perhaps food arrives sometime in here, and it's shareable plates and very cute and something actual rp doesn't need to be tediously descriptive of... maybe there are tiny, spicy apples. WHO KNOWS.) ]

About four or five years ago, we came upon a planet that had an incredible atmosphere and beautiful ecosystem. One of those things you stumble upon and your first thought is 'Why doesn't anybody live here?' besides it, you know, coincidentally being in uncharted space. We're not the only ones out there exploring, after all, so it's a valid mystery.
1701: ( commission / dnt ) (0740)

[personal profile] 1701 2018-07-31 05:12 am (UTC)(link)
Is it a laboratory?

[ That could be even worse than an ancient septic tank. Jim moves to the blasted-out entrance, following suit and turning on the light affixed to his shoulder. ]

Maybe there was an experiment going on in here and it's just been sealed away and preserved ... like a giant, weird mummy.
inaurare: (Shy)

[personal profile] inaurare 2018-07-31 05:28 am (UTC)(link)
Oh-- I'm sure I can manage myself, but thank you.

[he need only manage a little further...!]

It somewhat begs the question, though - why are you lagging behind with us Walkers? You could as well be there already...
cassus: (pic#11635875)

[personal profile] cassus 2018-07-31 05:31 am (UTC)(link)
That's not something you hear every day.

[ Dazai whistles in astonishment, trying to calculate just what sort of housepet would rival a full grown man's height. He's hardly a slouch when it comes to mental gymnastics, but even Dazai can't fathom any normal animal that belongs in someone's abode that tops out at even five feet and change. ]

Picking up after them has to be quite the chore.

[ That said, the idea of enormous canines sends a shiver up his spine. But he'll just smile and pretend the notion of his mortal enemy, the every day dog, being large as a horse doesn't strike fear into his heart. ]

You don't say... [ The horror. ] Thankfully dogs tend to be normal sized where I come from.
inaurare: (Gentle)

[personal profile] inaurare 2018-07-31 05:37 am (UTC)(link)
[shyly withdrawing his hand]

I do wonder if I seem... backward, in a sense. The things that confuse me, the things that strike me with wonder, they tend to be things most wouldn't blink at.

[Diana knows, of course, there was none of her magic in his world. But even some technologies seem like magic to him.]

Will I get used to it, do you think? Of course I understand that newness wears off, but I can't say I look forward to a day that I am unmoved by anything...!
1701: ( commission / dnt ) (0480)

[personal profile] 1701 2018-07-31 05:56 am (UTC)(link)
Uh-huh. [ A teasing tone, but it's more gently amused than actively needling. ] Are you new to this particular brand of awkward suffering? It's a classic past-time, in some places.

[ Jim sounds like he knows what he's talking about. Looks like it, too, free of any tell-tale patches of ice shavings on his knees. He hasn't eaten it just yet, having remained annoyingly upright this whole time. ]