❪ 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

[shikomizue]

[It's not the highest grade product, but the smell is aromatic to a human's senses. Takasugi's may have been dulled by over a decade of smoking, but to him there's hardly a bite to the taste.

Opium is far stronger, though smoking that, everything is fleeting.

He doesn't begrudge the beast his distaste, simply worrying the end of his pipe with his teeth.] Burning it, and breathing the smoke.

Just for the taste. [This time.

There's little room on the bed, with how man spread Takasugi is, and he doesn't make himself smaller for the wolf's presence. Keaton will have to curl up, or just cuddle - whatever.]

[shikomizue]

[Pressure abated, Takasugi considers his options. A charge would only be met with immediate suppression once again, and standing starkly opposed in the snow, there's little other option.

Not that their fight is over.

It's simply changing courts.]

What about you?

How much can you take before you feel the pressure?

[hellzone]

[ A sleepover with You-chan? Yoshiko is 100% HERE for this. Her eyes brighten up as she gives You a big ol'smile ]

Yes! I'd love to spend the night! We can stay up and talk about things and gossip about the other members...

[ or Yoshiko can pass out in a drunken haze. details, details ]

[shikomizue]

[Theorizing on the machinations of time is better left to an academic, Takasugi would agree. He doesn't care for the details - he'll do what he's set out to do, and if time needs to be broken to accomplish that, then so be it.

Impossible has never stopped him before.

For the moment, there's nothing so dramatic to do.

Just chatting, ruminating on a subject he's more attuned to.] That's not you, but another you. [Sounds like a bunch of bullshit.]

The you I'm looking at - does he miss his home? Would he take the opportunity to go back to his old life?

[shikomizue]

[This is what he'd demanded in the first place, yet Henry has found a way to do it on his own terms. Aggravating, but at the same time intriguing. The idiot thing may or may not be an act - regardless, there's some cleverness to this man that isn't immediately apparent.

That, mingled with his aptitude to smile in the face of blood, makes Takasugi want to see him again.

Even if it only ends up with him punching him in the face again.

He waits through the enchantment, the blood in his eye retreating almost immediately. What remains dries quickly on his skin in the air's chill. A glop of clotted blood falls from his sinuses into his nose, suspended grotesquely at the cusp of his nostril.

The sign that the bleeding is done.] It's over.

For me, at least. [Henry's still wounded, though the injury should abate soon, if it hasn't already. Takasugi doesn't offer any sort of recompense, instead smearing the last of the blood from his nose onto his fingers and flicking it to the ground.

Nasty.]

[kikoku]

Only if you'll remain that way until I'm done here.
[It's mostly a joke, if only because he assumes the larger man will interpret it as one. Either way, he's going to move back to the cabinets to finish up loading smaller supplies into his bag.]

... You mentioned something about being a "King of Conquerors," earlier. Should I assume you have to be somehow special to get turned into a "heroic spirit" by this... "Holy Grail"?

[ayes]

Yeah, we can do all of that! That sounds like a lot of fun, Yoshiko-chan! [Though, from what she remembers from her own time drinking, she's pretty sure it's going to be the passing out. At least then she can keep an eye on Yoshiko.]

D'you wanna head out now?

[motivation]

Have you been to Wyver yet?

[ sorry, sass is all you'll get. ]

[adelphoi]

Oh.. only a pack of kobolds summoning Titan with a powerful, large amount of crystals.

[ you know, scion business as usual. intervening with primal summoning is more or less the job. her musical tone dampens soon, though, as she casts her eyes down at the photographs. ]

Most kobolds live underground in a vast tunnel system called O'Ghomoro, which is located beneath the floating city. We found that they were.. sacrificing their own, and there was a young child, Ga Bu -

[ alisaie sighs, the corners of her mouth turning down in a hard frown. ]

I attempted to help him find his parents, but we were too late. They were dead when we found them. In his grief, the primal was summoned, but when the dust settled I took him to the floating city to watch the stars.

[ her brow creases. ]

I wonder what has become of him..

[ if he made it off hydaelyn at all - or if he had died along with the mothercrystal and all they had known. did you think this would be a nice story?? think again, she knows only tragedy!! ]

[hellzone]

[ there's a loooooong pause before she admits, ]

I can't really do that right now. My cards aren't here and I've yet to find them. [ there's a pause, while she frowns, ] I can read your palm, though.

[ fun fact: Yoshiko has no fucking clue how to do palm reading. ]

[shikomizue]

[He'll remember the implicit offer of "later",

and settle for a palm reading for now.

Takasugi isn't wearing gloves, despite the snowstorm, so all he needs to do is offer a hand forward.

Scarred and calloused, it's hardly untouched by life.] Go ahead.

[hellzone]

Yessssss, [ Yoshiko trails off, unaware that she is an absolute drunken mess right now. The sooner they leave, the sooner the sleepover starts!

So she gets up off of her seat, starts walking...and then promptly trips over a chair leg and straight up eats floor.

Give her a minute, You-chan. ]

[1701]

[ Jim's met another him. The James Kirk from the Terran Empire, and Jane Kirk, his female counterpart. (She's super hot.) And then there's ...

The better one, from Ambassador Spock's world. The concept of another you doesn't faze him. It's been his reality for a long time now. ]

Of course I miss home, [ he says with a shrug. ] But my life for a lot of years now has been about exploring space, defending the Federation, and rendering aid when asked. If I had an opportunity to return, it'd depend on the opportunity itself. I'm not going to leave my people behind, or duck out on a situation here if I could help it in some fashion. Same as I'd do in my own universe.

[conqueredhearts]

[He's about to tease him more but he's suddenly...very confused. Ordered him not to?]

Boy, do you speak of your commands? You've never used those.

[conqueredhearts]

Ha! You are a funny man.

[Yep. Totally taking that as a joke.]

Of course I am special. I am the King of Conquerors!

[You know. Like that's obvious. Weren't you listening?]

[conqueredhearts]

I have a great many stories. To exchange them over drinks with you would be wonderful! I would be curious to know how much history got right!

[sparke]

[ it's not the new life that intimidates him. it's past losses that weigh on him, that he wishes he could undo. the end of the world, the storm, that was just the last in a series.

but he smiles. ]

I am not intimidated.

[sparke]

A fine plan.

[ and with the plan made (even though they have no idea how likely or unlikely it'll be that the conditions for their plan are met), thor slaps ren on the shoulder — gently, by thor's standards — and stands. ]

For now, we must rest.

[sparke]

Well, I know what a TV is.

[ so there. thor gestures for kagari to continue. ]

[sparke]

[ thor opens his mouth to warn iskander not to touch it —but then he's already stuck his hand into the lightning and it does nothing, so thor closes his mouth again. and musters this tall man a little more closely. ]

Who is your father?

[thedarkbond]

[Ren somewhat exaggerates his reaction to the clap on the shoulder, leaning slightly that way as if unbalanced, but he does give a not very apologetic smile and rub the back of his hair a little.]

I guess...I need all the advantage I can get out there...

[Being built like a noodle continues to not do him a lot of favours when it comes to physical problems.]

[hellzone]

[ She takes his hand, looks down at it, then immediately starts to bullshit. ]

You've had a hard life and it shall only become harder. But your life line is strong, so you'll be able to survive whatever comes your way.

[ what an intensely useless prophecy. She continues to look at his hand, squinting slightly as if that will help her better see things. ]

Is there anything specific you wish to know about?

[conqueredhearts]

He is Zeus! The King of the Greek Gods!

[Does he look proud of that? Probably. Because he really, really is.]

[shikomizue]

[She's not wrong.

Takasugi doesn't believe in the mysticism of fortune telling, but the tricks employed to sell those lies can be enticing.

He hums, accepting the appraisal.] How's my luck?

[shikomizue]

[It isn't quite complacency, but Takasugi doesn't know how else to regard such a blasé approach to multiple versions of oneself. Multiple possibilities and outcomes - he'd want the sweetest for himself.

Forsake all of his other selves. All of them would feel the same.

They'd end up fighting over everything.] You'd better make sure you're useful, then, if you're sticking around to help. [Derisive, as always, but there's less venom in it than usual.

A placeholder comment.] So far as you're concerned, is everyone here worth helping? [A solution that brings peace to Nysa. That cooperates with the Natha, that acknowledges the complicated relationship between Nadril and Thesa.

Sounds like a pain.]