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

notwagging: (57)

[personal profile] notwagging 2018-08-04 12:44 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah, I did. Glad you recognized it.

[ because he's not the best kisser? but he's trying his best to learn how, though for the most part his have been in chaste situations. ]

Wow, you're really red! Almost like your hair!

[ and that really makes Keaton genuinely happy. he'll treasure that look on Chuuya's face. ]
notwagging: <user name="bittenbittern"> (12a)

[personal profile] notwagging 2018-08-04 12:44 am (UTC)(link)
No, it's... uh, I guess I don't dislike it. Maybe I just haven't ran into someone who's really good at it yet.

[ because no one really brushed his fur in the past, and even getting offers really turned Keaton off of it. but now? Ren's hair looks like he takes good care of it, and though his isn't as long, maybe he knows how to deal with the knots that come with long days of rolling in farm soil. ]

You could try sometime, if I'm in the mood.

[ his tail, which had been thoughtfully thumping, is back whipping against the bed again. ]
1701: ( commission / dnt ) (Default)

[personal profile] 1701 2018-08-04 01:24 am (UTC)(link)
1701: ( commission / dnt ) (Default)

[personal profile] 1701 2018-08-04 02:37 am (UTC)(link)
thetaintedsorrow: (Look down)

[personal profile] thetaintedsorrow 2018-08-04 02:44 am (UTC)(link)
[That’s adorably sad...]

I’m sure they’re all fine. Animals have an instinct to get out of danger.

[Apollo, at least, could fly to safety. He can only hope Daifuku and Lula ran away as well.]

Funny how they become family, huh? Especially when I’ve never had a family in my life.
thetaintedsorrow: (Look down)

[personal profile] thetaintedsorrow 2018-08-04 02:49 am (UTC)(link)
Nothing was, apparently. Even the Natha could only freeze time to stop him.

[Stupid, overpowered dragon. If this were a video game there would be some secret strategy to beating it, but as it is it seems unstoppable. But that’s why they’re all here, right? Might as well make the most of it instead of having regrets.]

Kinda makes the fighting between Olympia and Wyver look stupid.

[And irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.]

A little off topic, but if you could go back to your own world, would you?
chickenhearted: (pic#5947320)

[personal profile] chickenhearted 2018-08-04 02:52 am (UTC)(link)
I wouldn't know where to start...

[ Waver's seen some shit lately, so he's more prepared to drink. Even if he's still totally scrawny and probably the biggest lightweight in town. Rider better appreciate that he's so willing to drink with him! Though he kind of stares at the giant drink, wondering if he can even lift that thing to toast at all. ]

Did you have to get it this big?

[ Of course he did. He's huge. Everything's gotta be proportionate. With a sigh, he lifts his drink with both hands and clinks it against Rider's glass before taking a big sip of it. He makes a face at the taste, but swallows it down before looking at Rider again.

Where we are living??? He hadn't thought of that (and yet totally doesn't find it weird). Oh no. He lives in such a dump, he's basically a hobo. That won't do. ]


We could always find a better place...
yelliot: (//Tsuning)

[personal profile] yelliot 2018-08-04 02:58 am (UTC)(link)
[Welcome to the 1800s...or something similar.

At the mention of alcohol Elliot can't help but scrunch up his nose.]


I don't know if I can even look at a bottle of wine again without feeling sick...
baguablade: (59)

[personal profile] baguablade 2018-08-04 02:59 am (UTC)(link)
Ah... Do I have to do a song and dance while I'm being rescued?

[ Also something that'll be good intel: what does the current Supreme Primarch consider entertainment by the way of mortals? A jig and a tune, or the sound of agonized screams? Considering the look on Sandalphon's face, entirely too interested in Cain's possible demise, the latter doesn't seem entirely out of the realm of possibility... ]
poolhall_killer: (worried)

[personal profile] poolhall_killer 2018-08-04 03:13 am (UTC)(link)
[Venom thinks he can tolerate another sip. But then he tries, only to wince at the sweetness. He pushes the drink away and takes a sip of the ale, summoning a fresh one for Thor.]

I'm so sorry about that, sir. At least let me pay for this round.
sparsity: (pic#11310701)

[personal profile] sparsity 2018-08-04 03:15 am (UTC)(link)
[ He figures he doesn't have to qualify that with anything, it's frustrating as is, and he's already come to the conclusion that people messed up big time on this one. Mikazuki returns the glass to the counter, tilting his head a little to spy the mixing station thoughtfully. ]

I've always thought it was stupid.

[ Only the next question has his haze flicking back to Chuuya and pinning there. ]

No. There's no reason to. Would you?
heirworthy: (pic#12429519)

[personal profile] heirworthy 2018-08-04 03:43 am (UTC)(link)
[ there you go, finally sort-of eye-level with the cat.

it's probably proper to offer it coffee. but then, Sandy isn't exactly sure if that's healthy for a cat or not. the last thing he needs is a dead creature on the table with him as its murderer.
]

The kind that any noble knight should not possess. [ bad temper, withdrawn behavior. all those stuff. ] My role also keeps me from intervening with mortal problems, whatever they are.

[ and aren't knights supposed to save people etcetc. ]
baguablade: (08)

[personal profile] baguablade 2018-08-04 04:17 am (UTC)(link)
Ah, no... I didn't exactly have time for a pet.

[ He runs a hand through his hair, an absent, self-conscious gesture. It's not that he's really tried to keep personal details from A2, but more that it's a habit to keep things close to his chest. A necessity, something he's learned to do and hasn't quite stopped doing even here on El Nysa. ]

Being one of the generals of a kingdom on the verge of war would do that.
morbide: ᴀʀᴛɪsᴛ: Kozaki Yusuke, <user name="kymg" site="twitter.com"> (Default)

[personal profile] morbide 2018-08-04 04:31 am (UTC)(link)
{ captcha is my enemy, overflow for convenience! }
baguablade: (94)

[personal profile] baguablade 2018-08-04 04:36 am (UTC)(link)
[ Cain eases his grip, lets John pull away, lowering his hands down to his side without any protest. He cants his, studying John, taking in the hostility radiating off of him, the defensive tension. Is that guilt or just wounded pride? ]

Yes. [ Cain's voice is soft, without any recrimination. ] There's only so much any of us can do against a creature like that. I was lucky, you know. After we got separated, I met up with someone from my old unit back home. Someone who watched my back. If he hadn't been out there, I probably would have ended up like you.

[ It's not easy, but in the face of John's anger, Cain can admit that much. ]
baguablade: (74)

[personal profile] baguablade 2018-08-04 04:45 am (UTC)(link)
Have they been lying?

[ Cain tilts his head, taking another couple steps closer. It doesn't seem like the man's going to bite — or shoot — and he's curious. There's a certainty in the man's voice that has him wondering. ]

I don't think they've said we were the first... Though I suppose they did neglect to mention their quarrel with Magda before this.
morbide: ᴀʀᴛɪsᴛ: Kozaki Yusuke, <user name="kymg" site="twitter.com"> (Default)

[personal profile] morbide 2018-08-04 06:01 am (UTC)(link)
reek: (pic#11720662)

[personal profile] reek 2018-08-04 06:02 am (UTC)(link)
[ Again, a long moment of silence. Just their footsteps in the snow. It’s such a strange thing to contemplate, and only one thing comes to mind. Something a boy on Pyke knew a long time ago, before the words ever made sense to him: ]

What is dead may never die, but rises again, harder and stronger.

[ Jon hasn’t drowned or been baptized, but doesn’t it fit the situation eerily well all the same? His uncle Aeron isn’t here to berate him for it. ]

You haven’t been drowned. You don’t serve the Drowned God, but I think you have as much right to hear those words as any ironborn.
reek: (pic#10846635)

[personal profile] reek 2018-08-04 06:09 am (UTC)(link)
[ It really is better that she wasn’t. He’s just one big ball of anxiety just waiting to explode. ]

He—can be kind.

[ That is a lie, and that is Theon Greyjoy trying really hard to reach. ]

I angered him. It—

[ He’s clearly having a difficult time. ]

It was never so bad.
morbide: ᴀʀᴛɪsᴛ: sime (then i believe i should kill you)

[personal profile] morbide 2018-08-04 06:36 am (UTC)(link)
[Ah... a spray pattern right in his eyes. That's all right. After quickly wiping a sleeve over his face, Henry reaches for the hand Frederick's holding the seltzer water in.]

Relaaaaax. You'll feel it in a bit, don't worry!

[As unhelpful as that is, meanwhile, he mutters another incantation over the seltzer. It looked very fizzy and he imagined the unpleasantness against a spicy-hot sensation; this spell seems to have flattened out the drink, but that's less important than the curse mingling with his alcoholic drink, so he doesn't mention it. There must be a spell for everything.]

If anything, I'd be thanking me. If we were all suddenly kicked out of this joint, you'd be the most equipped to survive. I'd bet my neck on it! You're going to feel like a zillion gold pieces in exchange for testing out my inferno-like elixir!
heirworthy: (pic#12374779)

[personal profile] heirworthy 2018-08-04 06:45 am (UTC)(link)
If you're able to.

[ look, he's totally good with normal music. agonized screaming is more of Lucilius' thing while Belial prefers, well ... anyway c'mon, Cain. prove your spirit and courage to Sandalphon. make him believe more in the powers of skydwellers. ]

It's too bad that the Singularity is currently in slumber. We could've asked them to play an accompaniment while you do that.