❪ 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

[notwagging]

Very hard. The air still smells like him. [ which makes a normally iron-lined wolfskin's stomach a little uneasy, as he takes one long breath through his mouth as opposed his nose. ] Seeing him the first time, I couldn't help but try to get away as quickly as possible.

[ instinct? fear? maybe he's become a proper tactician. ]

I think... I kind of understand. They probably knew better than some others did.

[ the ones that tried to fight and defend and paid for it. ]

Have you ever fought anything that big? Because I haven't.

[thedarkbond]

[It seems like that would have been an instinctive reaction, so Ren can figure why Keaton would understand it a little better than him. It seems as if it had been instinct all around, honestly, and Ren glances back towards where the massive figure of the dragon is visible in the distance.]

I've kind of fought some pretty big stuff...but nothing that big. And I don't think fighting it would have done much anyway, really. [He smiles somewhat ruefully and shrugs, turning his head forward once more, hands in his pockets.] The silly little man that resurrected it brought it back in so much pain I would've been surprised if it didn't lash out. That's instinct too, right? So more pain...what good would that do anyone?

[Ren doesn't usually disregard the idea of inflicting more pain, but in this situation, it just seems like it was a bad idea.] I can't see how anyone would be satisfied with that kind of battle, anyway. But I guess just finding a way to make it sleep again didn't work either.

[The Natha haven't managed it yet, which makes him wonder how on earth any Nysan had the magic to raise it in the first place.]

[notwagging]

... I wish we could've done something more.

[ there's a little bit of regret that tugs at Keaton's baser instincts, as he crouches down and idly stares at some of the smaller dragons looking up at the sky. clearly, they knew about where their masters were and wished they could be up there... or that whoever owned them were down also facing their fates together. ]

But that silly man got exactly what he deserved. Too bad I couldn't get my hands on him, because I would've tossed every limb into that dragon's mouth.

[ he clenches his fists, gently tapping his knees with them. ]

Pain doesn't fix things, but it certainly can keep the bad things from happening again.

[thedarkbond]

Doesn't everyone? [It's purposefully vague, but Ren can't imagine there are many people here who don't think they could have done more to protect their homes even before this. How many people wouldn't regret the loss of their world, or wouldn't want to have done something about the Storm before it came to that?

While Ren usually tries to avoid thoughts of maiming people too hard, he can't deny Keaton probably has the right idea on how to deal with that guy if he'd survived, and a slight, not quite benign smile tilts up the corner of his mouth before he moves on.]

I think it does sometimes, but not all the time. Confronting pain with more pain usually just makes sure more bad things are going to happen, as far as I've seen.

[Speaking as someone who had someone attempt to snap him out of hate and pain fueled evil with pain twice, and what ultimately succeeded was acceptance. Perhaps not the ideal option here, but retaliation rather than defense doesn't seem like it ended well for anyone.]

[notwagging]

Yeah, but the bad things are happening to the people who deserve it most.

[ it's pretty straightforward to Keaton, especially because he's never wrong! how can anyone say 'no' to a wolfskin whose blep has almost replaced his neutral expression. but his tail does start to swish, albeit in a controlled manner and at a slow pace. ]

Even though this isn't my home, it's getting close to become one. Especially because the land my friend owns here is very important to me, and I don't want his hard work to go to waste.

[ something positive in all of this: he'll be able to go back there soon and roll around like a doofus. ]

So, I just want to do the right thing for him. And myself. And I think that'll make it the right thing for everyone, too.

[thedarkbond]

I don't think that dragon really deserved it. Or anyone he might have lashed out at harder because of being hurt more. [Ren gives a not-very-apologetic smile, because he figures there's not many people here he's going to be sharing that former opinion with. Keaton does seem to have a very straightforward way of thinking about things, though, and while it's nice that he wants to help his friend, the idea that what's the right thing for them must be the right thing for everyone isn't one Ren tends to buy into anymore.

Here, though, it's not necessarily a bad enough thing for him to call it out, so he just gives a little bit of a shrug.] That's sweet of you, but I also don't really think you should have to worry about whether it's the right thing for everyone when it's something like that. Not everything has to be some big, important decision, right?

[Sometimes you just want to help someone important to you. He can understand that much, at least.]

[notwagging]

[ his ears twitch, droop, then straighten out as he nods. ] I was told a while ago that every action, no matter how small, can leave a really big impact. So, I just figure if you just make the big impact first, then you don't have to wait.

[ impulsive? too animal-like? it's instinct. ]

But I want the farm to get better soon. I heard it's mostly fine, but until I get my paws and fur on it, I won't really know.

[ because who knows dirt better than Keaton? no one, that's who! standing back up straight, he hovers back over to Ren and once again invades his personal space, tail picking up some speed. ]

You should come by, when everything is back to normal. If it goes back to normal.

[thedarkbond]

[That's certainly one way to take advice like that, and a slight smile crawls its way onto Ren's face at it. It is very straightforward, but that's something he's used to.

Before he can respond properly to that, though, Keaton is getting very close again, and Ren's smile widens as he laces his fingers behind his back for the moment. It's getting too tempting to touch Keaton's ears again...]

Well, I'll have to figure out what I'm doing and where I'm staying first. Since I woke up just before the trip to Nadril, I don't really know what I'm doing here yet. But I'll probably stay in Wyver if I can, so if the farm is nearby enough, maybe I can visit. I've never been to a farm before~

[He's seen plenty of rice paddies, obviously, but actual farms are a rather different beast to that.]

[notwagging]

Wyver is pretty great. I've been staying here since I've woken up, too.

[ he even lowers his head a little, mostly to tempt Ren into the trap that is fluffy and wiggling ears. slowly but surely, Keaton has realized how powerful they are to some, and being able to capitalize on a weakness most people have is...



... honestly way beyond him, he just doesn't mind getting the pets. ]

But it should be easier now, to get to both places. [ which makes him super happy! having to run all the way to Olympia has been annoying. ] So it doesn't really matter where you want to live. I think.

[ despite the disdain that both Wyver and Olympia had for each other, perhaps an event such as this would even out the tensions. maybe. ]

I can't wait for things to start growing, if they ever do. It'll make all the hard work look good and I bet it'll feel good, too.

[ when he rolls over things, of course. ]

[thedarkbond]

[Well, Ren never claimed to have a great deal of self-control, which is why he'd had to stick his hands behind his back in the first place. It seems pretty obvious Keaton doesn't mind having his ears touched again, so with a slight smile touching one side of his mouth, he unlaces his fingers from behind him and reaches around to rather delicately rub at the tips of Keaton's ears.]

That's true that it'll be easier, but I think I still prefer Wyver based on what I've heard about it...though I think it'll be good to be able to go to Olympia without too much trouble as well. And Nadril, since they still have a lot of more modern stuff...it's nice that something good came out of all this bad, at least.

[The three main cities are all connected, and even if he doubts the political issues are going to be wiped out immediately, it should make things far easier for the refugees. He came at a good time, considering.]

Hard work always feels better when you can see what you gain out of it, doesn't it~? Otherwise it makes you feel like it was a lot of effort for not much at all.

[notwagging]

[ ear rubs! finally, getting what he needs to survive in this horrible, time-frozen wasteland AKA Wyver. it's makes it easier for him to listen to Ren as well, instead of feeling more and more anxious about the entire situation and feeling his everything tense up. ]

You'll like it here! Just be careful about the bones. Some of them are really important and the locals don't like it if you say things like "I'd like to take them and stick them in my cave".

[ that has earned him eyebrow raises, frowns, and a lot of confusion. probably because of his ears and his tail wiggling all at the same time when he thinks about the potential of beautifully maintained remains in his clutches. ]

I don't know much about hard work, but fun work is about the same.

[thedarkbond]

[It seems like the kind of situation someone who'd lived here would be very tense in, and Ren's run into enough people in that situation himself already. So eventually, his ear rubs become a bit less delicate and small and a bit more inclusive to all his ears. And potentially distracting.

He can't help but laugh at that warning, though.] Oh, I don't think I'll have too much of a problem with that, I don't usually collect bones myself...

[It seems like the kind of thing a wolf would do, though, so Ren is somewhat less fussed about the idea than probably a lot of humans would be. It's not like the remains are recognisable when they make it down to bone anyway.]

Hmm, I don't usually think hard work is that fun, but maybe I'm doing the wrong kind...I usually just step in at the part I think is going to be the most entertaining for me...

[A brief guide to Ren's handling of any world-threatening villain situation he ends up in: turn up at the eleventh hour to see if the villain is worth the time it takes to squash them after everyone else has done all the legwork.]

[notwagging]

[ another human that doesn't keep bones around? he's not that surprised, but maybe one day he'll find one who will enjoy the taste of a gnawed bone just like he does! that'd probably be a pretty unusual case, but that'd be quite the red letter day for a doggo like him. ]

At the most entertaining? [ blinking, Keaton cants his head. ] What's entertaining for you?

[ after all, he's been pretty transparent about what he likes. knowing what Ren does would certainly make any of his future adventures more rewarding if he could find something that'd make the other guy smile. ]

[thedarkbond]

[...Ren has to take a moment there to turn his head in an attempt to conceal the amusement playing around his mouth, as he decides how honest he should be in answering that question. He can't be too dishonest considering how the question came up, but he probably shouldn't be completely straightforward with it either.]

If it's in that kind of situation...then what I mean by "entertaining" is some kind of powerful challenge. I like to improve myself by facing people who are strong. [He keeps his tone light and airy, in contrast to how it usually gets when he's talking about these sorts of matters. It's a little bit more than a matter of just enjoyment.]

But that doesn't quite sound like what you were asking about, does it...? If you wanted to know about things I like.

[notwagging]

Well, both are good to know. [ he rumbles contentedly when one particular spot is passed over on his ears. ] But I'm powerful, too. I don't know whether you'd get stronger after fighting me, but...

[ after all, he'd take it easy on Ren. he likes him. the last thing he'd want to do is accidentally hurt the guy. with a huff, the wolfskin narrows his eyes and allows the blep to reveal itself after a few words: ]

... so, what do you consider treasure?

[thedarkbond]

[Ren gives a soft little laugh at that, sounding a bit interested already.] I need to get a bit more used to fighting on my own first, but maybe I'll take you up on that one day.

[He's not overly fond of being held back on, though, so how that would end up going depends entirely on his mood. Nonetheless, he continues rubbing Keaton's ears as he considers the actual question at hand.]

Hmm...I do like things that are pretty or interesting...things that have formed into strange things naturally. Like gems or fossils or things like that. And I really like flowers as well. But I guess I haven't thought about it much. I'll have to get used to not being able to get things that I want easily.

[Though certainly not getting used to not getting them at all, because Ren doesn't ever plan to drop that low.]

[notwagging]

[ he doesn't blink at the thought of something that's pretty or interesting, face remaining blank until he hears fossils. both ears twitch in Ren's hands, as he refocuses his eyes. ]

Oh? I can definitely help with one of those things. [ coyly, he won't say which. it'll be a surprise for Ren in the future. flowers can be interesting, though--- especially ones that don't smell floral! those are pretty cool. ]

If there's anything else I can help with... I'll try my best. Okay?

[ and now his tail is at full speed, no longer worrying about what had occurred and his fears regarding the farm he mostly lived on. ]

[thedarkbond]

[Ren has a pretty good guess at which one it might be that Keaton can help with, considering what word it is his ears twitch on, but he plays along with a slight smile at the coy choice of words.

The conversation seems to have cheered Keaton up, in any case, and Ren scritches his ears a bit more thoughtfully.]

You're really earnest, you know. It's cute~ [Granted, Ren tends to think it's cute because he can be so disingenuous himself, but still.] I'll let you know. For right now I think it'll mostly be figuring out where to stay when things are rebuilt down here...I don't really want to stay up on Thesa all the time.

[Obviously he'll be visiting regularly to see his loved ones in the pods and maybe to avail himself of the simulator if he does decide he's going to seriously train, but other than that, he'd kind of prefer to be down here.]