nysalogs | ❪ event ❫ what is the storm

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❪ event ❫ what is the storm—?

What is the storm —?

The sky is falling. The moon draws closer, visibly now. Whether you've found out from Nurray, or somewhere else, everyone now knows that in about a week, Thesa will collide with El Nysa. However, not all is lost - Nurray has a plan. Old technology is being powered by the storm somehow, giving the developers in Nadril the means they need to create a device capable of jumping back into the past. The device can only transport to one singular point in time per activation, but passing through is a better chance for safety than remaining. As long as you're in Nadril you'll make it, which is why she'll urge everyone to try to get all their business done and travel back north.

At first, it was a mere atmospheric pressure drop. Headaches, a sense of dread in the gut, and a chill that would not be quelled drifted over all of El Nysa's inhabitants. And then the days grew shorter. By hours at a time, until there was nothing left but night. Still lit with stars, people turned to Thesa, to their scholars, to their shamans for answers. None came, only exploding lights in the sky. One by one, stars began to burst, like the grimmest of fireworks. For one dreadful night, the sky was alight once more with the death of the surrounding galaxy as thousands of stars extinguished in a blaze.

And then came the lightning, low hanging clouds and whipping wind that howls at all hours. It brings with it calamity, beasts and fog and a reality shattering effect that progresses ever closer. Against these unstoppable odds, the people of Nysa are finally united - desperate, and determined to preserve their homeland.

IN WYVER

The life that imbues the jungle town has gone still. Animals do not seek shelter - they simply lay forlorn, lethargic and unresponsive to even their dearest handlers. The wild creatures are no different, with predator and prey supping from the same stream, seemingly resigned. Once vibrant plant life droops, blotted into obscurity by the darkness that surrounds. Only the people of this great kingdom remain lively, though their actions are fueled by desperation, than valor.

A rally cry rings out over Wyver, even to Olympia, begging anyone who is able to fight. Beasts no one has ever seen before have begun to attack, roaming the city and the lands surrounding as if it is their hunting ground. These creatures are cobbled together from the many worlds the storm has consumed - perhaps your own included. They could bear familiar technology, animal features, or even a loved one's visage. No matter their composition, they are always amalgamous, and always crazed.

The valiant warriors fighting these creatures have more to worry about than just the monsters. Their own bodies may become entangled and fused - an effect that only wears off when one retreats from the storm's epicenter. Specters also drift through the onslaught, oddly peaceful compared to the frenzy surrounding. They are wholly composed people, memories from planets devoured. Someone you know, perhaps, stuck in a loop - the same five minutes - for hours before fading away. They cannot be killed, doing so will simply reset the loop; they will vanish on their own, as mysteriously as they came.

I. THE FRONTLINES

Wyver might not be able to fully understand exactly what is happening, but they've already assigned a task force to combat these apparitions that have begun plaguing the jungle Kingdom. But the Storm is sentient; it has always gathered what it's known of the habitants of the universes the Storm has swallowed. And as it begins to unravel El Nysa, it will begin to learn of your time here — yes, it knows that you are trying to stop the Storm from happening, somehow. It knows you're looking to fight you way back north, and it simply cannot let that happen. After all, El Nysa is an anomaly created by Darma. All of its inhabitants, organisms, and even existence were not supposed to be.

The apparitions start off monstrous at first, taking forms of ghostly bestiaries. Your weapons won't do much to get rid of them — they will disappear, but only temporarily, until they come back. Each time, more evolved than the last — until it's able to take on the form of someone who has left you, someone who has returned to the stasis chambers in Thesa, awaiting to be devoured by the Storm.

Your partner will likely be doing the same, haunted by images of their loved ones of the past — and there is a possibility that as you fight along with your partner, that these apparitions will combine into ghastly, wretched creatures, serving no other purpose than to spook you into submission. They will fight you, embrace you, and seduce you into staying. "Let the Storm take care of this," they'd stay — "You've got it all wrong. You and that Witch had it all so, so wrong."

Will you make it out of Wyver, or will you let the Storm take you?

IN OLYMPIA

All of Olympia is awash in fog. It creeps in around each and every corner, so thick it is almost difficult to breathe, and even more difficult to see. You can hear the panicked citizens all around you, although through the fog, their shapes are indistinct and almost menacing. A family fleeing from something might look like a quick-moving, multi-headed monster, or perhaps a lone man hauling his belongings to safety on his back might appear to be an imposing creature with wicked claws. And then, of course, there are the figures that look achingly familiar to you, like someone you've lost or care for deeply… but then, when you catch up to them, they vanish, only to call out for you from somewhere further in the city.

Tread carefully — with your impaired vision, it would be all too easy to inadvertently wind up injured. Of course, this isn't solely due to the hazards obscured by the mist, although that is certainly part of it. The fog has a quality to it that serves to amplify the desires and lower the inhibitions of everyone exposed to it.

II. SILENT HILL

Similarly, Olympia isn't properly equipped to deal with a crisis like this. Wars, they are certainly accustomed to — but when their very own land is indiscriminately being torn apart by alien forces, it is uncertain to know for sure what they can do. Word from Nadril is that the inhabitants up north has opened its gates for everyone to enter — this is news to Olympia, but they do not hesitate to migrate to the chilly gates regardless.

The first obstacle, of course, is to find a way out of Olympia. The fog is debilitating, but you may not immediately notice it. It starts small. A spark of annoyance at getting cut off by someone you barely saw coming might twist itseful up in you until it becomes unbridled rage. Simple fear becomes indescribable terror, and of course, people are at their worst when they are acting on fear. If what you want is an escape, you may find yourself willing and able to do things you simply could not fathom in order to get out of there. If what you want is riches… well, there is plenty of wealth ripe for the taking, should you simply ambush someone fleeing or break into their homes. The longer you spend in the fog, the more difficult it will become to fight back these urges.

If the fear doesn't completely paralyze you, you may find that there is a rather unconventional yet risky way of alleviating this ailment -- which might require someone you trust. The thing is, upon holding someone, all of your fears will be transferred unto that person. It will then be your duty, then, to escort them out of the fog before your fears start to completely deteriorate your ally's psyche. Move quickly, or you may both be crumbled by the weight of this Storm and its fog.

IN NADRIL

The journey north is treacherous, but not without its own rewards. Nadril is marked by a storm that is raging at the territory's edge, as if the forces of nature are attempting to do away with the border itself. Strangely, the storm seems to be stopped by the borders — electricity crackles in midair as snow and ice whip about, disintegrating when they touch what seems to be an invisible dome sheltering the area.

Inside, the weather is even stranger. The iced-over lakes have begun to thaw, and it is warmer and brighter than anyone here can recall it ever being — almost as if it is summer near the Olympia-Wyver border, not the dead of winter near the northernmost part of the isles. There is an almost palpable level of unease as those who live here full-time attempt to adapt to their new climate.

Everyone is working, however. At the center of Nadril is what they all hope will be a solution to their problems: they claim it is a time machine, and that they have tested it through simulations and believe that it can, and will, work. They are already using it to help combat the storm at the borders — at times it does manage to penetrate the dome, but when it does, engineers turn back the clock an hour at a time to so that they can divert power to the parts of the shield that they know will need reinforcement. Be careful when this happens — it would be very easy to run into your own double in such a circumstance, and that could be… awkward, until enough time passes to bring you back to the "present" and you merge once more, taking on the memories of everything that you and your double (or triple, or quadruple) have experienced.

Operating such a machine will take manpower, which the people of Nadril are prepared to provide. However, the undertakings they will require in the past — waking the gods, who they believe can provide protection from the Storm if you can convince them — will require all of you. Relying on a single person to change history is untenable. Only by working together will you be able to make the jump to the past and secure your future.

III. INCEPTION

Most importantly, there will need to be volunteers to undergo stasis. Pods that were similar to those in Thesa can be found all over the city center, beckoning people to sleep now, and hopefully wake to better tomorrow. But just as the Storm benefits some technology, it negatively affects others — but this is to do with the mind more than technology itself. For one, those undergoing stasis will find themselves dreaming of a better time in their lives — be it their homeworld or some other happy memory of theirs. The Storm magnifies this dream — everyone within a certain radius will find themselves entering the dream, despite being wide awake.

Inside this dream, you will know instantly that something is awry. The events of reality, of the awoken, are beginning to seep into the sleeping person's dream. The lines between dream and reality become blurred, and you've been tasked to ensure that they remain asleep. That means that you must guide them into believing that nothing is awry with their happier memories, that they are not dreaming, and guide them through it. Ensure that the nightmares of reality be kept at bay, and that they may sleep through it all.

The Ark of the Woken

The Ark of the Woken awaits, its chambers an imposing majesty of their own. Compared to the sleek design of Thesa, the Ark is a cobbled together patchwork of technology. But even with its exposed wires and manual input systems, Nurray promises it will get the job done. That is, once the pods have been brought to it from Thesa. The targets are Thesans who have previously awoken, however, no one has time to actually inventory the sleeping ones brought to this hamlet. If you choose to bring someone else, you'll probably get away with it.

The procedure is harrowing - severing the pods from Thesa runs the risk of interrupting the life support system inside. To compensate, there is a small device that can be hardwired into a port on the back of the pod. It's fragile, and the function it provides only lasts twenty minutes. You have that time to move the pod to a small ship, and pilot it planetside yourself. Nurray suggests traveling in pairs - the Natha duo pilot ships are faster, and more reliable. However, they rely on a neurolink between pilots. If one is not focused, the ship may begin to malfunction. While navigating through rough turbulence, each pilot will be able to feel the others emotions, and hear whispers of their thoughts.

All while the storm clouds around them play glimpses into their memories. Snippets, only seconds long, from the perspective of the pilot, provide easy distraction. Stay on task, and make your landing safely - your lives and others are depending on it.

A Simpler Time

Your seven days is up. You have (mostly) achieved all your tasks, and you are now waiting. Those harrowing last hour may stay with you forever — while your peers tirelessly secure the time machine's effectiveness, you watch as Thesa draws closer. It's closer to you than you've ever seen it, more menacing than you realize as it threatens the lives of everyone you ever cared for. Alria, the lesser known moon, is first pulled toward Thesa, crushing a side of it. You may witness debris spilling into space and dissipate into the atmosphere.

You might think, perhaps, that those were bodies of some you were told not to bring to the Ark.

But you're assured many times that that won't matter, that this can be fixed if you simply wait and watch. The time machine will work.

It's into the final minute, and time seems to stop — yet, you feel your breath catch as Thesa penetrates the atmosphere. You can no longer breathe, and gravity loses all its bearings on the laws of physics. As you float into the air, you're wondering if the light that engulfs you is an explosion — you might wonder if it could be death. At the very least, you are among people you've known on this planet. It isn't as though you were never meant to survive the first Storm.

Simply close your eyes, and the Storm run its course.

In the distance, you hear a muted voice.

What is the Storm,
But an attempt to cleanse the world —
Of its anomalies?
Open your eyes, Traveler,
Where are you now?

FINAL OOC NOTES

Welcome to El Nysa, Year XXX. Due to the time warping of the Storm, this event will not strictly follow the 1:1 ratio. Additional information about this world will be revealed early next month! For now, play at your pace. RNG for NPC threads will announced later tonight!

RECOMMENDED LISTENING: Live Forever

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[ Thomas touches his wrist and Bucky finally feels a little grounded again, like he isn't one wrong thought away from losing himself in his own head, and maybe he's standing a little closer than necessary right now, but it's hard to see in the fog, even with the magic light. ]

Yeah.

[ It's a lie, of course, but one Bucky's used to telling. He's rarely really okay and he sure as hell isn't okay right now, but they don't have time to stop and worry about that. They have to get out of here.

He swallows down the sudden worry that he could still lose himself even with Thomas here. Maybe he's already too far gone. He could hurt Thomas. That thought sends his heart racing all over again. ]

Are you?

[ thomas nods, the gesture slow and considered. considering, too. after a moment, he adds: ] Better now.

[ it's the truth, painfully honest and far more open than he usually is, dragged from him by relief and the crushing weight of his fears, the way the fog seems to seep into his pores.

what if everyone dies again and thomas doesn't? what if he has to survive again? he doesn't think he could stand it. ]

[ Bucky squeezes his shoulder. It's a familiar gesture for him--something he's done to Steve--and just as much for his own comfort as it is for Thomas's. ]

We should get out of here.

[ Really, Thomas should. Bucky can't help but think that he's dangerous like this. The longer he's out in this, the more likely he is to lose everything that keeps him together. He doesn't think he could forgive himself if he hurt Thomas, but there's a truly selfish part of him that doesn't want to be alone in this. ]

We should.

[ it's fortunate that thomas doesn't know that bucky thinks that thomas would be better off without him, that he's dangerous like this —being alone is the last thing thomas wants or needs right now. he has trouble even unwrapping his fingers from bucky's wrist. ]

That way, I think.

You lead the way.

[ He feels the instant loss when Thomas lets go, but he knows they can't stay like this forever. It's unrealistic to let himself dwell on that, anyway. He feels a little better now, more grounded when he's not alone in this.

There's still conflict between wanting to protect Thomas from himself and wanting to cling to him and Bucky settles for staying close. He's always been comfortable letting someone he trusts lead him and he certainly does trust Thomas, so he drops his own hand, ready to follow. ]

[ bucky stays close and thomas is infinitely grateful for it, although he doesn't know how to put that into words, doesn't know that he would even want to try. so he simply nods and starts moving, werelight bright ahead of the both of them, floating a little ahead and above to light the path. ]

I made it out before. [ he offers after a moment when the silence begins to feel oppressive, fear gnawing at him again. ]

That makes one of us.

[ He stays so close he could knock into Thomas if the man stops moving and he'll apologize if that happens, but he needs this. It's a thread tethering him down and he needs it so desperately, because the fog is overwhelming and it seems to go on forever. He can't even be sure how much time passes in it if he doesn't check the time and that's a frightening though.

A clang sounds off in the distance, echoing between the buildings around them and it's not really like a gunshot at all, but Bucky's mind goes there anyway, his heart pumping and his breath hitching. If there was a shooter in this fog, could Bucky even hit them?

He's starting to unstrap his gun from his back before he can remind himself that it hadn't been a gunshot at all. When he realizes what he's doing, he pauses, feet planted on the ground. ]

Shit.

[ it's not the sound that brings thomas back to the war, but the ease with which bucky unstraps his gun. the familiarity that is betrayed by the motion is unique to soldiers, in thomas' experience, and something inside his chest catches, his shoulders tight with tension.

the war cost so many lives —and in the case of british wizards, it cost them all, one way or another. those that did not die in germany retired because of their injuries, physical or mental, succumbed or killed themselves.]

No. [ the word escapes before he can stop it. it cannot happen again. he cannot lose people again. he stops, too, reaching for bucky's shoulder. checking, again, that bucky is real. here. alive. ]

[ The touch brings Bucky back instantly, eyes seeking out Thomas's through the hazy fog. He's got his hands on a fucking machine gun and Thomas is touching him like he's not a fucking murderer. Like he couldn't kill anyone he comes across easily, magic or no. Bucky is a tool created for one purpose.

He gets his breathing steady before he speaks again. ]

You should really get away from me.

[ Because he has to protect Thomas while he's still got enough of himself left to want to. ]

[ instead of letting go, thomas' fingers tighten over bucky's shoulder, his eyes dark as he looks back at bucky. he doesn't think he can bring himself to let go.

he should be stronger than this, but he finds that he isn't. that he cannot bear the thought of being alone again, of being the last one standing.

he swallows, throat working for a moment before he admits: ] I don't think I can.

[ There's a sense of relief with that. Bucky really doesn't want to be alone. About the only thing that scares him more than being left alone in this, though, is the idea that he could lose track of himself and hurt someone and Thomas is one of the last people he wants to hurt. ]

I am... really fucking dangerous, Thomas.

[ His voice almost breaks. ]

I see. [ it's not news to thomas precisely —he'd had an inkling, certainly after sparring with bucky, of just how good he is, of just how capable. the way bucky's voice almost breaks tells a far more complex story than mere competence in a fight.

bucky might need him to leave. thomas needs to stay. ] I don't— [ he swallows. steps closer, into bucky's space instead of away from him. ]

I don't believe I care.

[ it isn't that he's entirely indifferent, but he'd been ready to die, expecting it more than once already. he'd meant to die of old age, when he hadn't died in the war. instead, he'd gone on. grown younger instead, and here he still is. ]

[ Bucky closes his eyes, because he has to collect himself. For a moment he doesn't really know what to do with the fact that at least between the two of them, Thomas knows the perfect thing to say to tip Bucky entirely off of his axis. He doesn't move away, though, and he can feel the warmth at his shoulder where Thomas is touching him. ]

Okay.

[ He lets out a shuddering breath and opens his eyes again. ]

Okay. Fog's making me a little crazy.

[ It's obvious, he's sure, but admitting it out loud still takes a lot. Bucky's a man who's walked away from torture and pretended to be okay. The thing is, though, that he's grown to trust Thomas and certainly more than he trusts himself right. ]

[ bucky closes his eyes and it isn't until he opens them again that thomas takes another step, closing the last of the distance between their bodies to drop his forehead to bucky's shoulder, uncaring of the fact that bucky is still holding a machine gun. uncaring, or perhaps not entirely aware of it because the fear of being the last one standing again is all-encompassing, eclipsing what would be a very reasonable security concern ordinarily. ]

It does that. [ he says, slowly, and means me too. ]

Yeah.

[ He shifts his grip on the gun and it's his right arm--warm and vital--that slips around Thomas's back to hold him there. God, he doesn't want to be alone again. He's so thankful that Thomas isn't leaving him and he knows that thought is selfish, but Bucky's a selfish man sometimes.

It's too easy to tip his head so that he can lean it against Thomas's gently. He's got to get them out of here. If he looks at it like a mission, it'll be so much easier to focus through the fear. He has to get them both to safety, but first, he thinks they both need a minute to collect themselves. ]

[ thomas should pull himself together, he's quite aware of that —but bucky's arm slides around his back, holding him there, bucky's head tips against thomas', and moving away becomes a thing of impossibility.

for a moment, he feels steadier. for a moment —and then new fears begin seeping in. that he will hurt someone. that he is dangerous. ]

[ They've got probably three lifetimes between the two of them and they still can't keep their shit together to get out of this fog. It should make Bucky angry, but instead it just makes him hold Thomas that much tighter.

The thought leaves him with a renewed sense of confidence, though. He's got to get them out of here and he can. He can do this. He just has to focus, because this isn't just about him anymore and having someone else relying on him makes all the difference. It seems to shift something in him, resolve and a stubborn sense of responsibility for others that's never quite left him. ]

It's okay. I'm going to get us out of here.

[ It's barely above a whisper, just for himself and Thomas to hear. ]

[ bucky's hold around him tightens and it ought to make thomas feel better. instead, he finds that the tension in his shoulders only creeps higher, chest tightening with unspoken fear. to the degree that bucky calms and grows more focused, thomas grows more fearful.

he swallows, fingers curling in the material of bucky's shirt, holding on.

he's scared —so so scared that bucky will leave him, that he will be alone again, that it will be his fault, that he will kill bucky. (that's not quite right, is it? that isn't his fear, but right now, it feels indistinguishable from the fear of being the last one standing yet again. he couldn't bear that. he couldn't bear to be the cause of it, either.)

he's scared and his control is crumbling, unable to withstand the onslaught of it. he makes a noise, something aborted and small, barely contained. ]

[ That sound pulls at Bucky's heart something fierce. He recognizes so much in it and he hates that he can't fix it. ]

Listen. I've survived so much worse than this.

[ He shifts until he can whisper in Thomas's ear, soft and intimate. ]

So have you. I know you have. I'm going to get you out of here.

[ And he will. The resolve is there and he can't see any other options. He's not one to give up for himself, but with someone else relying on him, he'll fight that much harder. This isn't where either of them will die. Bucky won't fucking let it happen. ]

Look at me?

[ bucky holds on to him, whispering words of comfort into thomas' ear and rationally, rationally he knows he has survived worse than this as well. that between the two of them, they can get out of this fog —but his rationality is overwhelmed by fear now and it takes effort to force his eyes open, to tip his head back so that he can look at bucky.

there's fear in his eyes, lips pressed together tightly. ]

[ His hand leaves Thomas's back, but it's only so that he can touch his jaw. Skin-to-skin, his powers start to kick in and the fear that hits him almost knocks him back it's so sudden and palpable, but he doesn't pull away, just redoubles his effort to control it and leans his forehead against Thomas's. ]

Trust me? I won't let anything happen to you.

[ He means it, too, even as the fear he feels from Thomas threatens to overwhelm him. ]

[ it takes a long time for thomas to respond, but eventually, he manages a nod. bucky is asking him to trust him and right now, bucky feels like the only solid thing, precious and necessary.

he drags in a shuddering breath.

we need to go, he thinks, but can't manage to make the words come out. still, bucky might feel some of the urgency of the thought. ]

[ Bucky nods back, shifting to put his gun away one-handed so that he can keep his hand on Thomas. He's not going to let go, at least not any time soon. ]

Let's go.

[ It's still his right arm that he slides back to Thomas's shoulder and then to his back to guide him forward. He'll keep it there, moving them forward and keeping them connected in the murky fog.

Even with the paralyzing fear gone, it's still an uneasy setting and he stays on edge, watching out for danger and stepping carefully where he can't see. ]

[ bucky's arm settles against his back, guiding thomas forward, and thomas starts moving, stretching out a hand before him to make a werelight hover above it. it flickers in and out of existence —newtonian magic requires focus and thomas' is shot to all hell right now with fear pressing in on him from all sides.

it's probably still better than nothing, even if it won't help the atmosphere any. ]

[ As they walk, Bucky's steps have him slowly drifting closer until his arm is around Thomas. Maybe it slows them a little, but it certainly feels more solid. It's not just for Thomas's benefit, anyway. Bucky, for all his renewed resolve, still feels shaken and in need of something to anchor himself to in the fog.

He doesn't comment on the flickering light or the fact that they haven't seen anyone else. He won't comment on just how much they've been touching, either, because Bucky hasn't shied away from casual touch with Thomas, but this doesn't feel casual and he's not sure how much he minds that because he's genuinely enjoyed getting closer to Thomas in the last few months. It feels selfish to let himself have even this, but God does he need it right now and he thinks Thomas might need it, too. ]

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