❪ 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

[illuminating]

[ she's standing, much of her side faced toward him, and she cants her face inquisitively. ]

But people still have misunderstandings much of the time, do they not? Even with voices that can be heard well.

[ nothing about being able to transmit the voice she would have if she could verbalize to him stops her from her wolfish tendencies, and her ears are turning backwards or to the sides to listen around them. ]

I've had many people ask for my name, even though, before, I had no way to give it. I was thinking it was nice that I could answer you clearly, and you didn't get confused, since sometimes, before too I mean, I'm earnestly and earnestly trying to answer. You're right, however. It impacts me more because my mouth and throat won't form the shapes of words that I can think plainly. And, I thought: I'm unused to this; I wonder if other people feel surprised when what they've said isn't taken incorrectly.

[ she takes a step or two backward, as if making to move out of the path. ] You've stopped for me. Am I keeping you?

[stuns]

Not really. Try to make myself as clear as possible when it comes to where I stand on something. Doesn't help to be vague or dance around things like some people do.

But everyone's different.

[ he watches her step back just a bit, and shakes his head a little, leaning back with an open stance. ]

Not really, I just got here so I was going to have a look around, get a feel for the place. I trust this Magda guy about as much as I trust Natha. Wanna come with?

[illuminating]

You're open to me walking with you?

[ it's the first she's gotten to ask to be certain, usually she'd just follow if it suited her. she swishes her tail all the same, the whole of her swaying lightly with it, already delighted by such a simple prospect. ]

[stuns]

[ juno blinks a little and nods because why the hell not? it's kind of cute... the slight sway of her tail. ]

Yeah sure. And not like anyone's gonna mess with a lady and a wolf strolling around.

[ truth is, he could probably use the company, but he won't admit that. he offers a hand out to her, brushing her fur faintly with his fingertips if she allows. ]

[illuminating]

[ the contact to his fingers receives brief, deliberate bump of her head, a more firm placement against palm. she plainly lacks hang ups about physical touch, or breaching personal space, and the only reason she parts from him is to dip into a front-legs-stretching groan, as if in preparation for a proper walk. with company, at that!

tail all a-wag, she takes some steps back to allow him to lead the way, and she'll soon follow in stride with him, ears up and eyes bright. ]

Certainly. They say a lady ought to walk with someone to protect her as it is, it's something I've overheard humans say. "Don't go alone. You're a lady."

[stuns]

[ it's briefly satisfying, stroking her between the ears once before she stretches just a bit more and finally straightens to walk with him. he's not sure where he's headed, but he'll figure it out soon enough. not much to do in a place you've never been but wander and see if anything catches your eye in particular. he doesn't seem too bothered by that. ]

Guess they don't know that most ladies know their way around a fight when you give 'em the chance.

[illuminating]

[ physically, her tail picks up speed at this, and she huffs pants, ribs going in silent laughter her vocal chords can't produce. it's in the voice that comes from her thoughts, however. an undercurrent of subtle giggling, nothing extreme. shimmery delight. ]

How right you are! Some of the most courageous people I've ever met were ladies, who rarely thought about the risks they were taking to keep others safe. I'm in such admiration of people like that, ladies or those who aren't ladies. Anyone can brave. It makes me happy.

[ she seeps into thoughtlessness. not unkindly, but she hasn't had issun with her, and 'talking' in this way puts her in such good spirits she accidentally keeps trotting ahead, like she can't keep the enthusiasm out of her legs. she catches onto her slip ups, though, and either steps backwards to fall back into step with him, or waits for him to catch up, all the while moving her head to glance in interest about the city scenery. ]

[stuns]

[ juno smiles just a little bit at that. he tries not to, really hard even, but it happens, like the muscles in his face can't quite help themselves. the tonality of her voice, and the way her voice in his skull babbles with delight is... refreshing. not at all like the martian pill, he reminds himself. nothing even close to the sounds of the theia calculating aim and precision.

after a while, she seems to lead their way, trotting up ahead in her excitement, waiting for him if he's too far behind, his fingers brushing her coat now and then. it's mostly accidental, sometimes uncertain if she's even real, pulling back at those moments to shove fingers in his pocket again. ]

Ever seen a city like this before, Ammy?

[illuminating]

Nothing like this. I believe, for the time, things were up to date, modern. [ she had anticipations that mankind would advance, but nothing explicitly clear. ] None of us would have imagined buildings like this. ...Well, that's perhaps presumptuous of me. I don't know of dreams, and an architect could have laid his head down and thought of things similar, couldn't he have? The buildings I saw were mostly constructed of wood, sometimes with stone, and doors with paper. To hear from your friend or family, you had to walk and walk, and then walk some more. Maybe you would be lucky enough to go on horse back. Or, you would write what you wanted to say, and give it to another person, who would deliver the message, and it wouldn't arrive for days or even weeks. Everything's different.

[ from her mind to his, she sends her voice. and the outside of her doesn't miss a beat or step. if she isn't practically skipping beside him, jostling his sleeve in tender play between her teeth, she's wagging her tail up to strangers they're passing. since they're communicating with thoughts, it won't seem unusual, no one else is hearing their conversation.

not everyone, but most, can't help smiling themselves, they seem inclined to crouch to her, to scruff her cheeks and ruffle her fur, or rub her ears. give polite hellos, or say nothing, but pass him a smile as if in some quiet assumption these two have been companions for a long time. people who talk to her use the voice reserved for dogs, baby-talk, cooing her, fawning over her sunny disposition and friendliness. they've no way to tell she has a cognizance far beyond the average dog or wolf. they can't help themselves, and she can't help soaking it up. her self-awareness aside, she's as susceptible as any other canine to this kind of attention.

her visits are brief. she's drawn to people, to meet them, to get to know them, but her purpose now is to walk with juno, and she always returns to his side, either to lead again, or to bump her nose into his palm in encouragement for them to keep going. ]

Have you seen such a place as this? What was it like where you came from?

[stuns]

[ so she's from way back. like way, way back. thousands and thousands of years from where juno's perspective is sitting, and as she describes it, juno can only imagine it through faintly paging along history texts in some of his early investigations. it's his job, after all, to know a whole lot about a whole lot, and history tends to lend itself to his work pretty well. she describes it in a way that emits a great fondness for it, but she seems to speak about everything kind of fondly, the way a mother might speak about her children if the entire world could be just that.

huh.

as she tugs on his sleeve gently with her teeth, an excitement to her as they walk, he pauses on a fairly unpopulated side of the path they've been walking. he half wants to get a good look at this part of the city and half just really wants to sink his fingers into her fur.

there's a lot on his mind, and it's quietly heavy as he crouches down and gives her a rub with both hands carefully. practiced. martian rabbits like a good rub down as much as any animal, clever and hungry as they are. ]

Hyperion's kind of like this, but a little more neon I guess. Uh. [ he pauses ] Real bright lights, in any color you can possibly imagine. Sometimes you can't even tell the sun's gone down or if the moons have gone up because there're so many of em. Blue, green, purple, pink. The city's pretty dense, like this - all types of people, everyone just trying to make a living out of nothing.

[ he lingers a little more in his rubbing. ] Huge buildings that go up into the sky lining the streets. You wonder how there's any space left, which I guess is why people went and made travel so easy between places. Ships to go from planet to planet... that kinda thing. [ a note in his voice holds back a little ] No place in the galaxy like it.

[illuminating]

[ vocally, watching him descend to her level, she lets a groaning-whine. eager, acknowledgement, and she scoots nearer once his hands get lost to her fur, her ears falling back and head tilting up to appreciate the good rub down he's decided to give her. ]

It sounds like it must be quite a sight, pretty, [ uninterested in resisting the temptation to relish, she scoots even closer and kind of lowers further toward him to partially flop on his legs, drape over them, her head hanging upside down with light-hearted grumbles. ]

I wonder if the people there adapted to seeing the moon and sun less, since feeling and seeing them are naturally essential things. [ this consideration has her pausing herself in order to adjust upright, still wanting to stay close, but lifting her head now to peek at him. ]

You must miss it deeply. If it's your home, of course you would. [ there she goes to nudge her head under his arm, physical meaning for she's here and he's here and she won't let him stay in this feeling alone, or whatever it is he's feeling, since she could be mistaken. ] I miss mine, too, although it was destroyed long before I was brought to this place. I still don't know if there's anything left of it. I think it's good to miss where you originated from: it helps you to stay aware of who you are, or why you're striving ahead. Painful things are difficult, but not always bad. They teach us things, and fuel our fires. Don't you think so?

[stuns]

( continued here )