❪ 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

[willrevile]

[ The reference is mostly lost on Jim, too, for all that it matters. Just one of those weird bits that inexplicably survived humanity's near extinction at the hands of a nuclear holocaust. But still: about doggos. ]

Oh-- hey, uh. [ Is the wolfdog sniffing his junk!! Excuse you. Jim straightens up and shifts around, attempting to gracefully disengage. He has no marshmallows on him, just some of the Natha's rations, in their sealed packages.

Politely, ] Can I help you with someTHINGaugh.

[ Trips and falls into a collection of snow, built up against a bulkhead. ]

[baldesion]

[Well, saving face has gone out the window anyroad. Krile doesn't realize just how stricken she still appears, nor the intensity of the longing on her face. She cannot take her eyes off the gently rotating stones.

Perhaps it is because she is so entranced that she lets free words she would not have otherwise.]

My last memory of...we were working to re-initiate the aethernet on...o-on an island.

[Recalling exactly what that island was, the purpose for her expedition, seems to crush her just a bit further and shake her out of her reverie at once. She takes a fast, stiff breath.]

But it doesn't make much sense either way. We don't have- artifacts of any sort. Unless Alphinaud woke up with a functioning crystal array in his pocket.

1

[idealisme]

[It's hard to miss her. Even among the odd collection of people awoken here, the centaur woman's height alone is enough to make her stand out.

It is enough to make her disdainful expressions hard to miss. Enjolras himself is a fit, healthy young man; more used to Paris and the student life than winter hikes but keeping up better than some. Others do not have his youth or his energy, he knows. Moreover, he knows that this is not something to be achieved if all parties look after themselves only.

So one night he draws away from his friends and approaches her. Whether she notices his approach or doesn't he'll wait a short distance away. He holds himself upright, his expression reserved.] Pardon me, madame.

[claudel]

[ Well. He has to laugh at that, doesn't he? ]

Even if she had, she would not have needed to. I would look out for you because it is the right thing to do, and something that family should do for family. Is it not?

[nineteenfortyfive]

I think you know what I mean.

[She nods to his hand, and the... photos? She's not sure. But she's not about to get close enough to snoop. While she doesn't go out of her way to do so, she keeps her space around Max.]

[fiendennor]

I'll take anything warm, to be honest, but good tea is better than other options. [She takes the proffered cup, holding it gladly in two gloved hands and keeping her face close, enjoying the warm steam.] It's piping hot... have you been carrying that thermos since the station?

[triplerose]

[ He'll have to repay Reinhardt some way. He makes a note to remember, and hopes that his fatigue doesn't cause him to forget. For now, it's just easy to do as he's told, and lean in as much as he can while still trudging through.

Luckily, Reinhardt left a good path that hasn't been filled in yet. It's easier for Loras to walk through than making his own way through the snowdrifts. ]

[yelliot]

<sub>[He suddenly stops mid yell, falling silent when he hears another voice. A voice that's familiar and annoying.

It's the wolf boy. Dog person. Wolfskin? He hasn't a clue anymore, but at least he remembers his name. Out he goes, sticking his head into the other room, looking pretty confused.]</sub>

Keaton? Why are you here?

_{[And more importantly-]}

Hey get off my bed!!

[ininhuman]

Soon you'll get something close enough.

[ If he's right. And Hell hath no fury if he's wrong.

As he starts to pry at the panel, using the knife to twist the fastenings and cause some leverage to pop it loose, he realizes now that Theon hasn't been here this whole time. ]

What did you do today?

[yelliot]

<sub>[That is exactly why Elliot has taken off his glove. He wants to Appreciate this cat fully and how can he do so if he can't feel its fur directly?!

The cat is soft, and immediately Elliot's whole demeanor shifts too. His shoulders begin to relax, the scowl he'd been wearing earlier having melted away. Even if it's just for a brief moment...he'll enjoy what he can with this cat.

...Did it just sigh? No, he's hearing things. Fuck this he's not dealing with a talking cat again he's already done that once before.]</sub>

a.

[sparsity]

Japan?

[ Mikazuki has heard it from a few people so far, he's sure, but he tends to forget the details of things unless they're immediate. Whether Mikazuki has to crane up to look at the photos or Iskandar has to lean down, he's scrutinizing them for a moment, a few photos held loosely in his grasp at his side. ]

That's... Earth, right?

[ Not his Earth, but one of the many he's learned exist. Sort of.

Eventually, his gaze bypasses the photos and just sort of sticks on the very tall man. Familiar... ]

[claudel]

Your kindness is not unappreciated, Milady.

[ He'll let her lead the way, and follow her, occasionally reaching out to touch the walls made of ice. Such a strange place. ]

Your home down here, is it different than this?

[luxoraculi]

[ Her mechanical pup is happy to curl up between them and turn itself into sleep mode for the time being, and Luna can't help it as she leans down to give it one last fond pet as it heads off into the land of robo-dreams. ]

I see. [ That's both concerning and good to know. She looks down into her lap again. She'd been so confused and... she hadn't really thought about the Natha maybe having... bad intentions. ]

That seems a bit suspicious... why would they want to keep something like this in the dark? [ The Natha have their reasons, but it's just... convenient. Too convenient. ] Is it normal for them to keep things like this from everyone...?

[almaredemptoris]

Very well. We shall work together.

[The pack, even if full, would give him little trouble, but he swells with no overweening pride such that compels him to prove himself. And so, he humbly submits. That she is willing to collaborate he thinks a step in the right direction for her. From the glimpse he had caught of her when first they met, she had seemed defiant of all but her fellow centaurs in the stasis pods, stubborn in her belief that all were her enemy.

Once he has transferred the sack to her, he continues along the corridor down which he had been walking. His sharp eyes search for weaknesses in the structure that he might exploit — and shortly he finds such a one. There is a recessed panel in the wall, where once a screen might have been. All that has been removed, dismantled by previous scavengers, but behind it remains a fissure in the metal.]

Here is a good place to start.

[fiendennor]

Yes, it's a feather-foot spell. Very useful for weather like this. [She says, without any hesitation. She's clearly not hiding it.] I should be fine on my own, but, ah... if you're offering, I'd be foolish to say no.

[insist]

Sounds like the plot of a manga, but ... I'll believe you. [ Mostly because he finds this concept fascinating and wants to believe he isn't talking to someone who's just making up a story. This kind of storyline offers a lot of flexibility. Who doesn't love a story that's rooted in history? ]

If you're only a soul, why do you have a body? [ Iskander is definitely tangible - he could feel him before - but just to be certain, Rohan raises his head to pat the guy in his stomach. He also wants to know which hero, but he'll take this one question at a time. ] Did the Natha grant you a physical form?

[fiendennor]

You're not too cold, are you? If you're having trouble finding appropriate clothing, I'd be happy to help. [She glances at him in concern, looking up and down to make sure he's not being silly about how much (or little) he's wearing.]

And no, I think that were that a concern, this city wouldn't have lasted a summer. Clearly, this ice is hardier than what most of us think of.

[fiendennor]

My earlier question stands, thank you very much. I don't drink alcohol.

[lancings]

The important thing to know is that you can teach better with positive reinforcement than with punishment. If the creature does what you ask, you simply have to give it a treat.

[ Though she's not sure how that works with fake animals. They don't exactly have stomachs to break down any food and probably can't even register being fed. ]

Perhaps, in this instance, we can reward them with head pats and verbal praise.

[ She looks at the Taguel-dog before firmly commanding it to sit. The Taguel-dog instantly obeys and earns many head scritches. ]

Who's a good girl? Er... who's a good thing?

[ This is so confusing. It would be so much simpler with real animals. ]

3 i'm sorry

[sparsity]

[ He's pretty sturdy against the tugging, gaze cutting aside first to the hand attached to the sleeve, then following it up to the owner's face. ]

He died, so it doesn't really matter now.

[ Of course, the older refugees hadn't been able to escape Raysc being an insufferable, mouthy douchebag for months now, so Mikazuki ventures a guess. ]

You haven't been down to the planet before now?

i

[baldesion]

[Granted, Krile isn't paying the best attention. Her own encounter with what secrets rest in the research facility weighs impossibly heavy on her thoughts. At least she recognized Alisaie from across the room; at the sudden round of clicks, she looks over again to glimpse a very startled Elezen just outside the door before it closes.

Well, all right.

Krile joins her outside presently - checking that her ear cuff is very secure - and nearly steps on one of the photographs. (Fortunately more are not taken on her exit.) Bending down, she tilts it out of the glare of snow and sun, prepared to ask what it is, and

it's Sharlayan.

Her mouth says "What?" with no sound at all. The paper quivers.]

[fiendennor]

That just sounds cruel to me. You have to give it back? [She crouches, holding a gloved hand out to the little Carbuncle.] It's so lifelike... how is it animated?

[conqueredhearts]

Well I couldn't very well fight if I didn't have body! [He laughs, clearly not at all bothered by the fact that he's essentially being felt up to find out if he's solid. Which he very much is.] The Grail is the one that gave me my body again.

[And he flexes.] Impressive isn't it?

[hellzone]

[ WHOO HANDWAVY CARD GAMES. I got a 11.

Yoshiko looks at the card with a frown. She was so close, to the point where she makes a little noise of aggravation. Still, of course she'd lose. She's intensely unlucky: it only made sense that she'd lose and lose so hard. So, it's her turn to answer. ]

Anything in the world... [ She hesitates for a moment. Molly seems like a cool dude. And Molly also seems like the sort of person who wouldn't make fun of her for this answer. ] If we're doing things realistically, then maybe a professional Youtuber. I do some streams already, but they're nowhere near the level of the pros.

[ she says, like she still has equipment to do her livestreams and that Molly would know what the hell a livestream is in the first place. ] But if we're talking not realistically...probably an actual fallen angel.

[ Molly's got to know she's faking this, right? Hopefully? If not...well, she'll just have to explain. He's too nice a person, he deserves the full explanation. ]

[insist]

[ This is totally cheating, especially since his power doesn't work on snowballs. ]

Do you think this is funn -- Ack! [ Aaaand he just got pelted in the back, the cold snow sliding down his collar. While he could easily order Chuuya to leave him alone with the use of his Stand, Rohan finds himself wanting to take his revenge the old fashioned way - but retaliating in turn.

He can't make 7 snowballs float at once, but he sure as hell is going to try hurling a snowball directly at Chuuya's face with a disproportionate intensity. ]

You bastard ... [ His aim is pretty good, at least. ]