❪ event ❫ a moment in eternity

[natha]

TO THERE AND BACK     It has been a month of chills uncharacteristic of what you might remember as summer — cold days and even colder nights. The days are short and the nights feel eternal. With the recent disruption of the network and no sign of a resolution for the world outside of Nadril, one has to wonder what the future holds for El Nysa. What of Olympia, Wyver, and their residents? The animals you cared for - are they destined to remain as frozen as wretched Ysverai forever? What will become of the sleeping ones in Thesa when there is nowhere else to go but this icy city? Yet not all hope is lost just yet. The woman that appeared at the start of the network errors finally shows up again in another network post. Greetings to you all. I apologize for my abrupt appearance and departure before… My name is Nurray, and I am the closest thing to a monarch that you will find here in Nadril. Magda is... indisposed, so I am here to speak to you in his place. First and foremost, you will notice that your network devices are fully functional once more. Should you experience any further issues, please report them to me immediately so that it can be taken care of. Secondly… Investigating the strange frequency interference we've been experiencing has brought some troubling data to light. The passage of time outside of this colony has been halted, of course, but the hold seems... unstable. Whatever it is that Darma has done to contain the calamity, I doubt that it will last for long. Time is an unpredictable force, and attempting to control it can only have adverse effects on the world. You could stay here if you so chose, outside the reach of that magic... but to do that would be to abandon the rest of this planet to an unenviable fate. ...ah, but there is no need to take my word for it. You can see the effects for yourselves, if you wish — merely look outside. "Seeing is believing"... isn’t that the phrase? Nurray has a point: refugees have not been given a chance to see the outside. The frequent snowstorm barrier of Nadril has made it impossible to see what it's like beyond the colony. Soon after the network post, as though the snow has been "turned off," clouds will clear. With the barrier created by the snow gone, the red sun shines brightly upon the dreary city with its warmth. You can see a purple haze on the south horizon, a indication that Yservai wasn’t all just a dream. He's still there, so far away, yet so close anyway. Near the entrance, a mound of snow melts, revealing steps leading towards the underground. It seems to be a part of the subway station you might have found earlier during your exploration of the colony — this time, the station has been powered on. Two trains lie in wait — their destinations read: Olympia and Wyver. — El Nysa is waiting. FREEZE FRAME     The technology found in the subway station of Nadril is truly out of this world. The combined efforts of Natha technology and alien minds have truly created state-of-the-art transportation never before seen by the typical Nysan. It takes no longer than one hour for the intercoms to announce their arrival to the outskirts of the Dranbu Kingdom — though, even with the platform available, the train never stops; it instead continues for another half hour for it to reach the North Gate of the Olympian Empire, where it sits until it's time to return to the tundra. All in all, it takes a mere hour and a half for this high-speed subway travel from Nadril to Olympia. The second train does make a quick stop at the Olympian Station, but it will be another painless hour and a half until it reaches the jungle of the Wyver Kingdom. Because Wyver is its own island, connected only by a bridge, you might notice that a small part of the travel was underwater. The trip takes only a total of three hours, but there's plenty of time for sightseeing. After all, isn't that the whole point of this trip? BE STILL MY HEART. Leaving the train, you are immediately hit with the still, warm air of the underground. It's hot, much different from the winter of the north, but perhaps a welcome change. The station is old, but it still has a fairly new smell to it, and not just because it's been unused for so long. It feels out of place compared to the rest of this world, and this is especially true when you reach the surface. The entrance was hidden under the earth right near the North Gate. Upon leaving the station, you're immediately hit with the familiar wretched smell and atmosphere of the undead. Even if you're new, you won’tt be able to miss Ysverai, the risen Great Dragon. You see this massive creature on the horizon, mouth wide and ready to blast El Nysa into nothing. Yet he remains still — as are all the terrified residents of Olympia. You've only seen this on the monitors of Thesa Station, and now you're able to experience first-hand how utterly quiet and still the world is now. The native Olympians are all over — you see most of them running away from the Great Dragon. Others equipped their armors and rode their steeds straight toward the danger in hopes of protecting their Empire. And the civilians, having lost all hope, are huddled together — at least they would have been able to spend their final moments with loved ones. Up on Thesa Station, you felt dread when you'd observed Ysverai for too long — this remains true here. That dread reaches your heart and clutches it. You feel his pain and suffering, and for those too in tune with emotions, it may be too much for you to be near him. Best to steer clear from him, or perhaps return to the underground. There is much more to be seen, after all. PRAYING WITH FIRE. Another hour and a half south on the subway, and you'll reach the Wyver Station. It's far warmer here in the station this further south, but Ysverai's dread doesn't reach here. On the surface, you are instead immediately hit with the overwhelming humidity of the jungle. With summer in full swing, the layers you've brought with you from Nadril become a burden. In Wyver, the mood is far different. The Great Dragon Yservai was once a being that was respected and worshipped by the Wyver people — not to mention that the one responsible is none other than Prince Raysc — thus his revival is met with somber resilience. Most of Wyver natives, instead of running away, had gathered around fires in prayer. Trained dragons that were unaffected by Ysverai's influence bow by their master's sides in acceptance of what they feel in their heart is to come with the Great Dragon's final blow. You may even spot your own dragon, eyes beamed up toward Thesa, like it knows you were up there at the moment time stood still. It's hard to imagine where one can go from here. You might start thinking about clean-up efforts, how to achieve proper burials for the fallen ones... but with time frozen, you will find that you cannot actually move anything or anyone. It will be dusk, as Thesa's shines across the skies, when storm cloud gather before Thesa's light. And from the clouds is a familiar figure — Once again, she has descended. TIME & TIME AGAIN     Darma is glowing as bright as the naked eye can perceive. Her massive, true form floats before the world she's built from dust. Is this world salvageable in your eyes, Refugee? We held time in hopes that we fould find a way to dissolve this Ysverai back to the ashes from which he was reanimated. Unfortunately, we continue to be unseeing, thus uncertain of the future... after all, our powers are near depleted. Nurray was correct, Refugee, in that I cannot hold time for much longer. There is... another way, however. It is not ideal by any means, but we shall do what we must to keep Ysverai frozen. As for us... we have expended far too much of our energy — Refugee, I am too aware of the misfortunes you've experienced in your time here. I have failed in my promise to provide better living... perhaps, with more time, I may yet see a better future. Until then, I leave Thesa, our hearts, in your hands. Farewell, Refugee. Her brightness dims as she says her final words — at the same time, raises her arms, palms wide, then closes her hands into a fist. In that instant, time is resumed. It's slow at first, as though time is trying to catch up with reality. It takes a several moments until the slow-motion picture before them reaches normalcy. Darma turns her attention to Yservai, whose motion is also returning, but not for long. In her true form, they are comparable in size; Darma's glow continues to dim as she draws closer to the Great Dragon, and then she coils herself around him, holding him still before assimilating into the wretched creature. By the end of it, time has completely returned to normal, and all residents were able to witness the Natha holding time still for Ysverai — The process turns the Great Dragon, as well as Darma, into stone. HIT PLAY TO REPLAY     Darma has resumed time, and Ysverai is no longer a threat. However, it comes with a hefty price for the Natha. The massive, stone statue of Darma embracing Ysverai looms in the valley between the cities of Olympia and Wyver. It's no doubt an intimidating addition to the world, but there is some peace in knowing it's all over. When civilians finally come to, they can't help but look upon the statue in awe — and their respective cities. It's much to take in all at once. Much destruction has been wrought— buildings lay in ruin, and of the citizens still alive, many look to be in poor physical condition. 1. I. The Sanctuary has sustained much damage, and with the high demand of medical care, cannot serve as the central healing place for those in need. Instead, it is up to individual citizens to find resources and establish places of care. Those with a medical inclination or healing powers may set up medical tents, or work out of their homes. Not everything has been destroyed, and it is still possible to obtain supplies from the market or request them from The Sanctuary. There is also, unfortunately, the tragic task of transporting corpses to graveyards and giving fallen citizens a proper burial. The Temples thank you for your service. II. In order to have a functioning city again, buildings and facilities must be repaired and rebuilt. It's possible your own home was demolished in the battle. With so many important buildings needing to be repaired, city officials are too overwhelmed with the coordination of such tasks to double-check that buildings are restored to their original form. What's more, they seem to encourage design innovation, believing that a new, fresh look to the city will revitalize people's morale. Now is the time to put your own unique flair on the interior or exterior of Olympia's infrastructure. Even parts of the Palace need repair. Time has resumed, yes, but the magic that Darma employs isn't flawless. As powerful of an entity as she may be, to tamper with time is difficult. Some would say it defies the laws of nature. Nature seems to agree, and in the next few weeks, El Nysa will be facing a few hiccups as it finds its equilibrium once more and citizens try to return to normalcy. Strangely enough, El Nysa natives are not disturbed by the occurrence of these events. III. Characters may find that they occasionally (or frequently) suffer from lapses in memory. These difficulties with memory may range from light to severe, although they are thankfully not permanent. Within the span of a few minutes to a few hours, difficulties in remembering people and events are resolved. That isn't to say a similar problem won’t happen again tomorrow… IV. Is it just you, or is your housemate looking a bit old lately? No, it isn't just stress making some citizens appear older. For a short amount of time, some characters may find themselves advancing or regressing in age, both physically and mentally. This particular kind of time hiccup is rare and may be particularly disturbing to the affected person’s friends. Thankfully, there have been no cases of this effect lasting more than an hour. V. At times, it seems as though objects and people in El Nysa will feel a bit out of place. These are beings and things that belong to what some may call "alternate universes." Their presence is transient, and some will only appear for a few instances before returning to their rightful existence. The ones that linger a bit longer, however, may make your day more interesting. Before you stands a pet just like yours, except it talks...? Perhaps you'll meet another version of yourself, a more bloodthirsty version of yourself. Or maybe you'll run into a version of your friend that really enjoys your company. The possibilities are truly endless, and potentially mortifying. VI. Towards the end of the month, the frequency of the aforementioned disturbances will decrease. Following this will be an increase in a different sort of disturbance: one that will either make literal seconds seem like an eternity, or force you to move and talk at a speed you never thought possible. It's as though some higher entity is pressing the fast forward or slow down button on life, and considering your mind works at the same pace as normal, the phenomenon is as frustrating as it sounds. Hope you weren't planning to be on time for anything, because it might be awhile before the universe allows you to take that next step. But these phenomena does draw to a close — and with it, you may wonder what will happen now to those sleeping ones in Thesa now that Darma has turned to stone. After all, it will be near the time of which more refugees should wake... Repairs to Thesa Station should remain ongoing so long as parts can be salvaged from Nadril, at least. And with speed travel via subway possible, it should make travel far easier than ever before. Even with Darma gone, you will have to move forward. There is still much to be done. FINAL OOC NOTES     You may acquire REP for Nadril, and either Olympia or Wyver in this log. An AC-eligible thread for ONE (1) NADRIL REP POINT may be submitted HERE BY AUGUST 26TH, 11:59 PM EST. A second AC-eligible thread for 1 REP for either Olympia OR Wyver may be submitted HERE OR HERE BY AUGUST 26TH, 11:59 PM EST. 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

[mollymocked]

I love it already, because it doesn't have... all of that.

[He waves a hand dismissively.] Olympia's not going to have much tourism for awhile until they get rid of it.

[He says it like it's merely an eyesore and not something that is actually dangerous and stomach churning.]

[thedarkbond]

[Ren frowns slightly, tapping his chin.] Really? I think it looks pretty cool, even if it hurts to be around...

[Considering "dangerous" is a very attractive kind of thing to Ren, he's definitely continuing that line of thought as if the dragon isn't dangerous or a fuss to him at all.

Eventually, though, he huffs in a somewhat petulant manner, glancing back over his shoulder.] It's just a shame someone dragged the poor thing back without having any idea what they were doing...

[Ren has ten thousand times more sympathy for Yseverai than he does for Raysc...or possibly negative ten thousand times, considering a negative needs another negative to make a positive.]

[mollymocked]

It wouldn't be the first time some arsehole dragged something out of a grave because they couldn't leave well enough alone, and I doubt it'll be the last.

[Not that he really knows much about it- well he doesn't on a conscious level, but on a subconscious level leaking into the conscious on occasion, there's something else. And it doesn't feel good.

Hell, he still doesn't know what dark necromancy bullshit was responsible for his existence or if it was that. It's not a field he's comfortable looking at closely.] That being said... When playing with dead things, most people don't go straight for dragons. It gets you exactly what it got the person who raised him.

[thedarkbond]

Hmm, so there were necromancers where you came from, huh... [Ren's actually met a necromancer here already, but Henry strikes him as probably not dumb enough to summon anything that would eat him immediately. Even if it did something else nasty instead.

Ren does frown a little bit as he thinks about that more, though, in a somewhat less absent manner than he typically does for these sorts of subjects.] I've heard there are dragons that work with people in Wyver, though. I guess maybe going for a legendary dragon was a bad idea...or just the fact that anything in enough pain will lash out, when he did such a terrible job of summoning it back.

[If something is existing in that much pain, things have gone seriously wrong, necromancy or not. There's a subtle chill in Ren's tone in those last few words, for one reason or another.]

[mollymocked]

[Molly's skin crawls at the thought- also for one reason or another. It just bothers him in a way he can't articulate. And he's more than happy not to.

So before the mood can be dragged down any further, he claps Ren hard on the shoulder.] But I didn't come this far to brood about dragons. This ought to be exciting. New places! And look at that. [He gestures excitedly to the train.] I have never, in my life, seen something like that.

[thedarkbond]

[Ren blinks and straightens up almost exaggeratedly, as if brought back to attention by the clap on the shoulder, though it's mostly because he doesn't have all that much interest in dampening the mood any more than necessary either. It's hard not to look at least a little bit amused at Molly's excitement about what, to him, is something relatively mundane, and he curls a hand against his mouth in a somewhat half-hearted attempt to hide it.]

A train? Those were pretty common where I came from, we used them to get between cities like this...or even different parts of the same city, since my country had a lot of really huge cities. I didn't realise how far apart everything was here, so it's lucky we showed up when this made it so much easier to get around, right?

[mollymocked]

Gods, that would make so many things easier. I enjoy the thrill of the open road as much as the next wayward traveler, but you'd avoid so many things trying to rob or murder you if you could just travel town to town on something like that.

[Of course part of him is a little wary of that simplicity. It's a trust thing- don't get too reliant on strange technology. It's bad business... But still.] I'm impressed. And it means I won't have to spend any of my coin on a new cart and horses, which is excellent.

[thedarkbond]

Well, I think there are stories about old-timey bandits attacking old-timey trains, but it's kind of hard to do that with the modern ones. [Ren taps his chin as if he's thinking very seriously about that. Granted, a train like this definitely isn't something someone could feasibly catch up to and rob.

The cart and horses mention has him smiling a bit tiredly, though.] I'm more used to cars, but I guess I'll have to get used to walking more too...even if this is here for going from city to city.

[mollymocked]

Those must be very ambitious bandits. I'm impressed.

[Of course he is.] I don't know what a car is, but there is something to be said about walking. You might see something you'd have otherwise missed.... That being said, I'd rather it was optional.

[He bounds towards the train.] Well, are you staying here with the dragon or shall we see what else is here?

[thedarkbond]

Back when trains were slower they'd get on horses and chase them down, so they were pretty ambitious... [He's mulling on that for a moment before Molly's remark indicating them onwards distracts him, and he takes a few quick strides with his long legs to catch up to Molly a bit in his enthusiasm to get on the train.]

Oh, definitely, I want to see Wyver~ [Since that appears to be the next place in line here. After another distracted moment, though, Ren taps his chin.] Also, a car is kind of like...a wagon that's smaller and made of metal, but also powered by an engine so you don't have to attach horses to it. Engines can move the wheels way faster than even lots of horses.

[There's a joke about the horsepower measurement in here somewhere.]

[mollymocked]

[Molly pokes his head out of the train, having bounded in while Ren was explaining everything. He's smart in a lot of ways, but most definitely not that kind of smart.] I understood literally nothing of that, but I appreciate the attempt.

[And in he goes to find a seat, giving the empty one beside him a pat so Ren can know he's invited and that Molly isn't just sauntering off mid-conversation. He's not easily distracted like Jester is- he tends to be very focused.]

Maybe the dragons in Wyver will be a little less unpleasant. I don't particularly have a need to see any, but if I don't have to fight them... [he shrugs] ...Could be interesting.

[thedarkbond]

Well, at least I tried. [Ren shrugs rather broadly at the fact that he apparently didn't manage to simplify the explanation enough, and follows Molly onto the train. It's certainly much less crowded than the trains he's used to, so he takes the seat beside Molly without hesitation, crossing one leg over the other and resting his hands in his lap for the moment. It's a very neat manner, but he's probably going to end up fidgeting before too long has passed.]

Aw, don't fight them, that'd be pretty mean in the middle of all this... [Ren pouts for a moment or two before his curious excitement gets the best of him.] But I haven't gotten to see dragons in person before now, so I really want to be able to look at as many of them as I can.

[mollymocked]

Oh, no, I definitely don't want to. I don't fight anything unless it comes after me first, but even Bahamut has dragons he doesn't particularly care for, so you can never be too careful.

[He tugs on the little platinum dragon symbol around his neck to show it off. Costume jewelry, but it looks enough like a holy symbol that people often mistake him for a truly devout follower of a god he really couldn't care less about.]

But maybe a follower of the Platinum Dragon could be a big deal in a place like that. [He grins wide and cheeky, flashing fangs.] I know stories.

[He knows made-up stories. Fairy tales.]

[thedarkbond]

Bahamut...? [Ren sounds curious even as Molly pulls the dragon symbol into view, and he leans in a bit to look at it. It does look a bit like some kind of religious thing, as little experience as he has with that, and he tilts his head more as if he's trying to figure it out before Molly mentions stories. That makes him straighten up again, expression more attentively inquisitive.]

Oh, what kinds of stories? [Even fairy tales from other places can be pretty interesting.] You can always practice telling them on me~

[mollymocked]

We had a few in the circus we had to scrap because they didn't fit into the narrative... Also because some people who worship him can be extremely humorless. Let's see...

[He taps his chin thoughtfully with a pointed fingernail.] We had a whole bit once about Bahamut wandering Exandria as an old man with these golden wyrms that he polymorphed into canaries to follow him, and they'd attack anyone who threatened him.

[He can see it now, very clearly- Desmond's face painted in silver, illusory canaries hovering around him while the Breaker played an evil-doer who was assaulted by the canaries much to the delight of the crowd. It never really made it past rehearsal, though.]

[thedarkbond]

If they were going to attack people anyway, why didn't he just keep them as wyrms... [Wyrms are another kind of dragon, right, that sounds way more threatening. Even if he has nothing against canaries, who wouldn't be interested in someone who had dragons following him around?

He prods himself off that line of thought before too long, anyway, because there was something else he wanted to ask.] Were you part of a circus? It sounds like it must've been a pretty impressive one with stories like that.

[He has a certain fondness for the circus born of one of his best friends using a circus-themed deck and training herself in circus skills, though he's definitely not letting that personal attachment show through easily.]

[mollymocked]

I think he was just incognito, and people are far less intimidated by old men with birds than they are old men with small dragons. [Though people should really be wary of old men with birds. Shakaste was a motherfucking badass.

Molly reclines a bit in his seat, stretching his legs so they're resting on the empty seat across from him.] Up until recently, yeah. We told all kinds of stories- different ones every season so no place we go sees the same one twice. We mostly pulled them out of fairy tales. Gustav just loves the old pre-Divergence myths, but the Empire's a bit shite about fictionalized accounts of gods like that.

[thedarkbond]

Hmm, kind of boring of him. [But Ren just shrugs. While on an abstract level, he understands that being incognito can be a useful strategy, in reality it just sounds like a lot of boring hard work to him that could be replaced with something more fun.

Ren rearranges his position slightly, switching which leg is crossed over the other but still remaining with some level of decorum for the moment.] That sounds like a really interesting kind of circus...a lot of the ones in my world were more just about the spectacle, but I think the more famous ones usually had a bigger story behind them. But I didn't really get to see them much myself, I just had a friend who really loved them and showed me a lot about them.

[He only barely manages to catch a string of wistful upset in that remark, so it ends up sounding somewhat restrained.]

[mollymocked]

Don't get me wrong, we were very spectacle-oriented, but Gustav wanted to engage people. He wanted it all to mean something. Two contortionists working their way up the main tentpole is one thing, but two serpents trying to crawl out of the abyss together? Now that's imagery.

[He spares a glance Ren's way, but then turns back to the window as the train begins moving- almost too fast for him to catch anything but brief glimpses. He makes assumptions, but he tries not to have too many ideas, so rather than speculate or jump to some assumption, he only muses.]

Your friend had good taste.

[thedarkbond]

Well, it wouldn't really be a circus if there wasn't at least a little bit of spectacle... [Ren does a better job of concealing his emotions on his face than he does in his tone, so the wistfulness of thinking about friends isn't so much visible from a glance. He does make himself smile a little more at the musing remark that follows, though. It probably won't feel better talking about good things, but it hurts less than other options.]

She does, and she's always very eager about showing it to me. [He mimes the motion of throwing a dagger.] She's a really good knife thrower and acrobat, so maybe she can show off to you when she wakes up.

[It's a deliberate choice of words. Ren outright refuses to consider the notion that any of his friends aren't going to wake at some point.]

[mollymocked]

[Molly's face lights up, which is never going to be strange on a face like this- his grin has pointy teeth and his eyes are just scarlet voids, so he looks like something that might be delighted at the sight of easy prey rather than delight at the possibility of getting to see a taste of something like his old family. He misses them so much. The Nein are great but the circus was everything for two years.]

I expect an introduction. We never had a knife thrower. Too many people think we're dangerous enough with all the sword juggling and fire and what have you. Once you start throwing knives, things get a bit dicey.

[thedarkbond]

[Thankfully, Ren has experience with enough oddities in his life to not be thrown by Molly's expression, considering he's probably seen weirder coming from the people of Cray. Even so, he can't help but laugh a little at the mention of it getting dicey throwing knives. Asaka did it to him once, though thankfully she wasn't actually trying to hit him despite being brainwashed.]

Oh, of course, I think she'd be delighted to meet you. And she'll definitely be more motivated to show off when I'm around, so that part is easy~

[Asaka is a wonderful friend, but she's also, unfortunately for her, the easiest of Ren's friends for him to manipulate.] But I'd be interested to see what you can do sometime as well. I always like to watch what people are capable of.

[mollymocked]

I'll have to get better swords. [He pats Summer's Dance on his hip, the golden scimitar gleaming as it reflects some of the light coming in through the window.] This one is lovely, but terrible for juggling. And then, of course, there's the fortune telling. You've seen a bit of that already.

[he shrugs a shoulder.] I never had much of an act. I just did those things to warm up the crowd and get a few extra copper on the side.

[thedarkbond]

It is a really nice sword... [Ren lets out a bit of a puffy sigh.] I should probably find a sword as well while I'm here, if I want to try training with one properly. But it might not be until things get rebuilt more.

[There'd have to be blacksmiths and that sort of thing on a world like this, right? That's his assumption until he gets proven otherwise.]

Was there stuff you really liked to watch, then? Maybe you could try it now that you're here.

[mollymocked]

You never know. Lots of dead bodies around- someone might have something on their person you can liberate.

[He has no shame in admitting that either. His sword was taken from a merrow hoard, Yasha's from a research facility, Fjord's off a fucking drow they cornered in a sewer.That Dungeons and Dragons life, man.]

Anyway, I loved to watch all of it. It was more than just acts to me- it was watching people I cared about doing what they love. I'm not gonna kill their memories by breaking my spine trying to contort like Mona and Yuli do... Though I am very flexible.