❪ 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

[fiendennor]

As far as I know, yes. He is. [She says with a slow, deliberate nod. She wouldn't put it past a man like that to have ulterior plans in case something like that happened... but what happened to him was also fairly unambiguous, she hears.]

I can feel a great many things. Which "it" are you referring to?

[thedarkbond]

[Well, that's an interesting thing to say, but Ren leaves it aside for the moment to instead immediately abandon his grounded manner in favour of a very pouty sigh.] The dragon's pain, obviously...what else is there in the air that's powerful enough to override something like that...?

[After that slightly exaggerated bit of whining, Ren turns his head more fully towards what remains of the dragon's figure.] To condemn something to suffer forever for following the most basic instinct anyone has...it's a cruel fate, isn't it?

[Better to have let it rest again, but who knows if that's possible now?]

[fiendennor]

Something doesn't have to be "in the air" for you to feel it. [But that's all she'll say on the matter. The dragon's presence does make her feel a soft but ever-present discomfort, an unease, a prickling on her skin. She tries to ignore it.]

It's true that it wasn't exactly the dragon's fault for its situation, but... it was too much of a threat to everyone else to leave unchecked. [She glances in its direction.] I wish there were a way to put it out of its misery, though.

[thedarkbond]

Hmm...that seems like a funny thing to say... [Ren sounds somewhat doubtful, largely since he'd consider even something like emotions someone could feel "out in the air" as long as they're not being withheld. But that's a conversation for another time, and his tone becomes slightly more serious as he offers a rueful smile.]

If it could be put to sleep again, I suppose that would be the best way. But I'm wondering how someone on this planet could manage raising it like that when it seems not even the most powerful people here could make it sleep again.

[fiendennor]

If that were an option, perhaps. But I think it would best to just destroy it utterly, were that possible. [She gives a short shrug.] Putting it to sleep merely means it can be resurrected once more. And I think its existence is... too far gone. [She says with a little sigh.]

[thedarkbond]

Well, if nobody could put it to sleep again, then destroying it completely doesn't seem very likely... [She's not entirely wrong, though. If it could be put down forever without pain, nobody else could try to take advantage of it the way that's happened here.]

If it's been dead for that long, though, I'd be very surprised if its existence wasn't too far gone. As much as I'd like to see it saved...sometimes there's no hand that reaches far enough for that.

[This definitely seems like one case where nothing is going to make the dragon not an enemy, especially considering the one human it would've properly interacted with was the careless idiot who summoned it.]

[fiendennor]

[A brief shake of her head as she continues looking at that titanic figure in the distance.] No. Destroying something is usually much easier than a peaceful resolution. That's why we have to work to find the latter.

But it may not always be possible.

[Which she seems genuinely unhappy about?]

[thedarkbond]

[Ren gives a lengthy, thoughtful hum at her reaction.] It sounds like you don't run into a lot of situations where it's not possible.

[Which is fair, since many people don't. He's had the (relative) advantage of fighting things like eldritch world-consuming powers that definitely weren't going to be argued into being nice.]

Still, I suppose it's best not to worry about it right now, when there's more problems right in front of our faces...

[fiendennor]

Whether I have or haven't, it wouldn't change my answer that it's always the best possible outcome, if it can be achieved. --but, as you said, there are probably more pressing things to consider at the moment. Do you need help?

[thedarkbond]

[Ren gives a lengthy hum at the question, as if it's very difficult for some reason, before shaking his head.]

No, I was on my way out of the city anyway. I don't think I'll help anyone by hanging around here too long. [He gives a slight shrug, as if it can't be helped. Yseverai's influence is strong, and he's sensitive to that sort of thing.] Unless you needed help with something too, then maybe I can stay a little while longer.

[fiendennor]

...no, that's all right. There's nothing here that I can't do on my own. [Probably not true, but she's that kind of person.]

I won't keep you any longer, then. I don't blame you for wanting to leave.

[thedarkbond]

Hmm, if you say so... [Ren doesn't sound entirely convinced, but then, he tends to act like that when anyone says anything they're trying to be sure about. It's funnier that way.

He does start to turn away, but then he pauses, looking as if he just remembered something important.]

Oh, before I go, what's your name? [He's been making a point of getting names out of everyone he meets to make sure he knows if someone else starts talking about them. Also, it's kind of rude not to at least ask.]

[fiendennor]

[If that was Ren's goal, Diana is unfortunately not going to show any change in her expression. She's fairly confident in her own abilities.

Or, at least, very good at not betraying any doubt.] I do, yes.

My name is Diana Cavendish. And yourself?

[thedarkbond]

[A mote of surprise enters Ren's expression at the name, and it lapses into seemingly deep thought as he looks Diana up and down once more.]

Oh...you look more like an apple than a banana, huh... [In case that particular flavour of silly musing doesn't ring a bell, he blinks his way out of the lapse a moment or two later, seemingly remembering he was asked a question.]

I'm Suzugamori Ren. We talked once before~

[fiendennor]

[Her eyes narrow, just a little.] I would like to think I don't look like either one, really.

And yes. I remember that. A pleasure to make your acquaintance. [She says, a little chilly.]

[thedarkbond]

Oh, would you? [Ren smiles in an intentionally rather vapid manner, but it's decidedly still amused.] It's nice to meet you properly too.

[He doesn't seem perturbed at all by the chilly reception, though he does wave a hand and turn away properly this time a moment later.]

But I guess I should get going, right? Since you're so busy~