❪ 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

[meinwaifu]

Fufu... truly a mystery, that. [They're the absolute grossest.]

[And just going to get worst, because he can think of no better way to warm her up quickly than to see how much he can fluster her.]

But my goodness! So eager to get me alone in a bedroom already? I suppose things were a bit cramped up there on the station, weren't they?

[--and also he spent most of the time sulking and Sidon was there and Link was there and basically it was a whole lot of not having really any time alone together.]

[motivation]

[ she'll have him know that she looks good in fur. actually, she'll prove that -- not just by making a cocoon, which she absolutely will later on, but by pulling some furs off the second bed and wrapping them around herself, toga-like.

if he laughs, she'll punch him. ]

For us to do what she asked, probably. [ bitter? not at all. her friends are bargaining chips, dutch knows that all too well. ]

[diplomatie]

[ Maybe Alphinaud can tell Connor all about his own species, Elezen, when they aren't caught in an awful snowstorm. Though his large pointy ears might give away that he's not quite human himself.

But wow okay ... how blunt of him. Alphinaud is not much one for having his faults so easily pointed out, but he can't ... argue it ... All he can do is look a bit stunned when he hears about how many times he's seen him fall.

He's taken aback by both that, and how Connor described his own body. Inorganic ...? He was created, then? That's ... different. If he weren't stuck in the middle of a death storm, he'd be quick to ask about that. But ... he has to tell himself that there are more important things at stake here, and he shouldn't be so prideful. ]

I-I — [ A small sigh. ] I cannot deny that you have a point.

[ A particularly strong gust of wind and snow comes at this point, forcing him to shield his face from it and grunt a bit from the discomfort. His smallness certainly doesn't help here.

If he wants to live through this, it's best to swallow his pride and let the man help. So ... ]

I-I shall gladly accept your assistance.

[motivation]

Good answer.

[ so smooth.

dutch slides into a chair at the bar, ordering two whiskeys or whatever the equivalent of that is in this cantina, with a nod to bucky. ] He's paying.

[summertimeblues]

[What else should he have expected?

Richie's ears are burning red now, and it isn't just Jack Frost nibbling at the edges. He's properly ashamed and irrationally angered himself now. He wasn't trying to pry. It was all on the ground like some sadist's scrapbook spilled loose.]

I don't know, the Witch of the West? [No one else green enough to pass it off as. Richie's glanced back down again before he can help it, catching another glimpse of the purple man in a runaway piece. Hadn't Peter mentioned something there? A big purple kidnapping dick? Add mutilator to that list.] Look, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, but — Jesus, what is — that's your damn arm!

[nostalgiabomb]

Only sometimes.

[ Aaaand the instant he has his coat off, he regrets it. The blanket helps a little, and he immediately takes hold of the ends of it, gathering it around himself.

And, look, he's still not 100% right now, so every time she mentions "body heat," he assumes she means, like, his own. Like, waiting for his body to warm itself back up, which feels like it ought to be obvious? It's why he answers her comment with a slightly sour, ]

S-still workin' on it. Not all of us can d-double as a furnace.

[godslay]

[ She almost growls under her breath, but instead of trying to smash the picture into the ground with her heel, she moves her boot, bending over to gather up the dirty pieces. ]

Yes. That's my arm.

[ But she clearly still has both her arms – even if the intricate, fine lines of silver scars are more easily hidden beneath long sleeves and dark clothing.

And even through her embarrassment and defensiveness, through her impulse to simply shove past Richie and walk away, pretend this never happened... ]

He replaced it.

[ Replacing. Thanos didn't just take her bones for the sake of experimentation or curiosity; he did it to change her.

(To take away the pieces of herself that still belonged to Gamora.) ]

[godslay]

[ That's when she realizes he clearly doesn't understand what she's talking about. She sighs, just a little huff of exasperation. ]

Not your body heat. Mine, Peter.

[ Because he's either going to take too long to generate enough heat to stay comfortable, or he's just not going to be able to do it – period. ]

[dancerefresher]

[She was very quiet, but her expression was haunted. She was part of an army, even if she wasn't a regular unit. She had seen a lot of people suffer, fought and tried to help with the clean up.

Olivia is thankful that Setsuna didn't press. She didn't ask about his war experiences, since it was hell.]

Ferox.

[Her words come in a mutter, slurring a little. She had been falling asleep in the peace following the conversation.]

Milord...Khan Basilio. He led Ferox. In the winter, it was always covered in snow.

[summertimeblues]

[Okay, he's stepping back some now. Give the lady her distance, even if his shock forbids him from turning heel and leaving her in peace.]

For fun or for profit? [He swallows thickly as the bit with the open flesh is unveiled once more. Oof, that's his gut giving another turn there, let's let that settle before pressing on.] Gamora...

[And just like that, an answer comes to him. Deadly assassin. Kidnapped as a wee thing. Richie's lips pull thin and the adrenaline quells.]

He was...making you what he wanted. Wasn't he? [His jaw locks shut for a brief moment. He gives a bitter shake of his head.] A better killer?

[godslay]

[ There it is.

Gamora closes her fingers around the pieces of the photo, squeezing them tight in her fist – crushing them, to ensure they weren't going to give anyone else an unwelcome peek into her past. ]

He wanted a weapon.

[ Her tone is cold and— hollow. ]

And children are fragile.

[summertimeblues]

[Richie's thinned lips morph into a grim grin.]

That's not true.

[Grown ups were apt to believe it. He fell for it at times. But he knew better, didn't he just?]

That's man's a monster.

[godslay]

Yes, he is.

[ And that, she would never argue. She'll be the first to say it, too, after all those years under his control. ]

I wasn't the only one he modified.

[ Her lip curls with disgust as she adds, ]

I was just his favorite.

[summertimeblues]

You're fucking kidding me.

[The canine snarl twisting his own face is etched too deep to shake. The rollicking wave of disgust he gets at the very idea is nearly too much to bear. Richie huffs and looks off the other way. Fists clench, feet shift, but he doesn't make to leave. It's an impotent show of outrage, caging in the need to give recompense. To what? To whom?

And fuck, he can't go patting a gal like Gamora on the back over this. He'd get his whole arm bitten straight off, anyone can see that plain. So instead he's left to stew, to avoid glancing at what other secrets might be in the two pictures left unscathed in hand.]

You're not kidding. Oh hell, Gamora, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to...He's not here, is he? Or any of the other kids — did you all kill him after?

[If one could hope for happy endings, maybe.]

[dancerefresher]

I do like food...

[She wants all the fresh food, so badly. Though...ah, she wants it so much she has to swallow. She doesn't hear the growl of Cordelia's stomach, but she stumbles as she tries to keep up with her friend. Food...bed...bath...shelter...

Home...home....she wants to be home, instead of in this storm. She's so tired too, she can't even panic.]

B-but...okay. Um...maybe...dance. Dance classes. I could tell you about my dance classes when I was younger...maybe?

[godslay]

[ What she wouldn't give to be able to tell Richie with all certainty and conviction that she and her siblings had given Thanos exactly what he deserved. She would love to close that disturbing chapter of her life with the knowledge that he would never hurt another soul again. ]

He's on the station right now – in one of their pods.

[ Alive and well – sleeping and waiting.

She has no idea what they're going to do when he wakes, but—

She wants him dead. She wants to kill him with her own bare hands, and maybe she could do it. Without his armies, without his children and advantages and every piece of tyrannical power that he wields—

Would it be enough? Would the weapon take down her creator? Could she even? ]

I only had my freedom for months before coming here. What other children survived as long as I have—

[ She shakes her head once. ]

We couldn't stand against him.

[ettersberg]

[ they are, and it is pleasant enough. the air in the cantina is warm, the beer cold, the sport engaging. as far as his present situation is concerned, thomas is relatively content. ]

Frustrated and curious. That can be a dangerous combination.

[ but dangerous for jim or dangerous for the powers that be? thomas is inclined to think the latter. ]

[dancerefresher]

[It's very uncomfortable, she'll admit to that. There's a mess of wires, some which look stripped down and...what was this.]

I might have found something?

[She wasn't sure. She didn't exactly come from a technology advanced world. But she does, after a few minutes, pop her head out and holds out something in her hands.

It looks like a solid state drive.]

It looks like it's in good shape? Is it junk?

[summertimeblues]

[He goes very, very quiet. Listens with rapt attention and mounting bile, breath eerily even.

At last, he weighs in with a low chuckle.]

They made no effort to weed out the waste, did they now?

[Disgusting. Absolutely...god. He'd done his fair share of wandering the pods, doing sight-seeing and searching for those that recently fell back asleep. And though there were some ugly fucks, you couldn't know what you were looking at unless someone was there to tell you or the bastard woke up and started resuming business before your dumbfounded eyes. How many more monsters lay in wait? What were the Orbiters looking for? They seemed to only pick and choose the people that had something important to do, but why was that not exclusive to the ones who might do good with it?]

Are any of the other kids awake with you?

[hedonistic]

[It's funny; Kagari's said almost those exact words himself, in the none-too-distant past. He's very familiar with the sentiment, honestly. The idea that people were, by and large, garbage, and it was better to only ever rely on oneself. That's the way he's lived most of his life, and even now he struggles with those who offer him kindness.

But he's also stubborn; Theon doesn't want his help, but he also doesn't want to back down. Which is complicated when you're trying to convince someone to accept your help but don't really have your strengths in empathy and compassion. His desire to help is borne somewhat of selfishness, too--an urge to mitigate his own guilt from witnessing Theon's struggle and not helping.

He watches the other man slip and fall again, and after a moment of debate, decides simply to lean into that selfishness. He doesn't know how to be kind the way Akane is kind, the way Linneus or Valjean are, but if this man expects selfishness, prefers it even, then it's--easier, in a way.]

I am. It'd really piss me off to see some dumbass die in a stupid way when they don't have to.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ ... uh. ]

... Uh.

... What?

[ That's it. That's all he can offer. ]

[atwo]

[ Rolling her eyes right now. ] You gain nothing from lying.

[ Rohan might be telling the truth, but she firmly believes he is bullshitting her because what is interesting about a place like this? It's white all over the place and just dull, like herself.]

Because I'm not. I have been designed to deal with high and low temperatures so my clothing doesn't help nor hinder.

[atwo]

Oh? [ She raises an eyebrow and tilts her head. It's always easy for her to be curious about when people claim for her to be wrong or they disagree with her. ]

There are some bad humans out there that enjoy despair though. Not everyone can fight for hope. [ Pressing her lips together, she pushes her brows together for a moment. She's a perfect example of that, however, she isn't human so does it matter? ]

Isn't that always how it goes?

Learning anything here is a real pain in the ass.

[atwo]

Its ears are very long, and it's ... the tail is short.

[ it's soooo weird. she makes a face at it, poking at its ears which feel fluffy yet not soft at all. ]

I wonder how different it is from the real thing.

[atwo]

Clearly for hard enough.

There wouldn't be any point of us being here if they've taken out all the good material.

[ Right??? That is how it works in her mind. ]