❪ event ❫ what is the storm—?

[natha]

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 QUICK NAV premise ● faq ● lore ● map ● npcs ● bestiary taken ● atp/emp ● application ● rep/acp ● quest bulletin calendar ● hiatus/drops ● modbox [ FULL NAVIGATION ] elnysa nysalogs nysaisles nysaooc elnyan

Comments

smacks a wildcard down

[mollymocked]

Exandria has two moons, which is probably why this is so considerably gutwrenching because it's not just watching something that's surreal and unbelievable and feels like it couldn't be happening- if he just stares upwards, it almost looks like the same sky until things start falling apart and the station becomes a little more visible as what it truly is.

He keeps his head down. He can hear sounds like a muted, horrifying version of the fireworks in Hupperdook and it doesn't really keep the images at bay. It's everywhere, and he can't shake it. So he looks to Yoshiko by his side instead.

"So. Time travel... That's new." Yeah, look, he's extremely glib, but even this is fucking with his good humor. Soft Nihilism doesn't cover apocalypses.

[hellzone]

This is fucking with Yoshiko's demonic bullshit as well. She can posturize and be dramatic all she wants, but this doesn't change the fact that time travel is completely out of her league. What can she do about this? Oooh, Yohane's demonic powers will keep everyone safe?

Yeah right.

"It's new," Yoshiko admits, with a little nod. "Spaceships are one thing, but time travel? That's something I don't think any of us were expecting that."

[mollymocked]

The 'space ship' thing is far weirder to him, but he isn't going to say that because what Molly doesn't know shit about could fill one of Caleb's spellbooks. He didn't even know there were stores that sell only candy until Jester said something.

"Nott and Caleb had this long, involved conversation about it once while I was in the other room and they didn't realize it. It didn't matter then, but now it's just... Did they know about this? Is it a passing fancy of theirs?" He waves his hands. "Caleb sure fucked off fast when this started, so clearly it's something."

[hellzone]

Nott and Caleb know about time travel? That's interesting. And unexpected. She hadn't heard either of them talk about it before—and Nott wouldn't hesitate to talk up all the fun and interesting things Caleb could do. Why hadn't they mentioned it?

"If they know about time travel, do you think we can get either of them to spill the beans on what might happen?"

Granted, Nott or Caleb's knowledge of time travel might not line up with this time travel that's happening. But it would certainly be a lot better than Mollymauk 'secondhand information' Tealeaf or Yoshiko 'I saw this in a video game once' Tsushima.

[mollymocked]

"They're a shady pair, but I am all they have. Also I'm very convincing when the fate of the fucking world is on the line." Or when someone is risking his displeasure, which, to be fair, they are also doing. People can do what they like in their own time, but if this is relevant, then they better spill.

He sighs, more in frustration than despair. "I mean... I just got here. Losing two worlds over a few months is a bit irresponsible."

[hellzone]

Yoshiko frowns a little. Because Molly's right. Losing two worlds over a few months is...certainly something. It's a little depressing, that's what it is. She mirrors Molly's frustration as she sighs herself.

"It sucks," Yoshiko kind of bluntly responds. "I mean sure, this going back in time thing might work, but what then? The world's still gonna end, won't it?"

[mollymocked]

He puffs out his cheeks and exhales. "I don't know. When we were in Wyver the... ghost things that looked like our people kept saying 'the witch got it wrong.' Maybe if we go back and figure out what she got wrong, then this never happens."

That's entirely too calculated for Molly to really examine all that closely, but stripped down to simple terms, it's an idea. "Normally I'd leave this to someone smarter, but I don't think I have that luxury if we're gonna survive this. I've gotta have some ideas."

[hellzone]

Yoshiko would also leave this to someone smarter. This isn't her wheelhouse. Even in Aqours, she wasn't the one who planned things, who came up with the costumes or music. She was just along for the ride. But Molly's right, they don't have the luxury of letting someone else come up with answers. So, she frowns a little and starts to think.

"Did they say who the witch is?"

Because that's problem #1 right there.

[mollymocked]

"That Darma person, maybe? The, uh... The statue." The statue not currently involved in any of these bloody affairs, and thus can't weigh in. Nurray hasn't really offered any concrete discussion, but this is all supernatural jargon and she's more technical. So naturally, it should fall on the two supernatural beings to figure that out- never mind that Yoshiko is human with delusions, and Molly's only connection to the supernatural is being an undead-seeking bloodhound with blood powers.

It's better than nothing. "She is sort of the catalyst for this, isn't she? She brought us here."

[hellzone]

"You're right," Yoshiko admits, with a little frown. She's crossed her arms over her chest as she thinks. Darma brought them here. Darma wanted to save them from the Storm. The Storm was taking over other worlds and now threatened to take over this one.

"Call me crazy, but what if...what if the Storm's not a storm, but a person? Everybody talks about it like it can think. And if those ghost things in Wyver were made by the Storm and talking about how Darma got it wrong by bringing us here, then the other option would be leaving us to get devoured by the Storm which is what it would want." Yoshiko's not entirely sure about this, but she continues to talk. "If it can think, then maybe we can reason with it."

[mollymocked]

"And look it dead in its eye and say, 'Do not kill us and destroy our worlds?'" It's really just fear and uncertainty that keeps that from sounding sardonic, because at this point anything could work. And he hasn't seen anyone else try the Jester Lavorre Approach to dealing with things.

"We'll put a pin in that. I don't know if we can get a dialogue going right this second, but if this works and we do meet the Storm again... I'm willing to try it."

[hellzone]

"It's worth a shot," Yoshiko grumbles, knowing full well that her idea is kind of dumb. But this is totally out of her wheelhouse! She doesn't know what's going on here!

"And...well, if the time travel doesn't work or something manages to break, it would be the best chance we have."

[mollymocked]

Well, I came into this world, mute and catatonic. I might as well leave it trying to make a counteroffer and talking shit when that doesn't work.

He reaches out to grab her hand. The sky is more moon than stars and it turns his stomach to think that a moon can just crash down like that. If the time travel thing doesn't work or things go south, he's not sure if the Storm is what kills them.

"We might want to start preparing our counterarguments, just in case, then."

[hellzone]

Yoshiko looks up, a little surprised as Molly grabs her hand. She gives him a weak little smile and then squeezes it reassuringly. He's probably just as scared as she is. Sure, Molly's a pretty cool dude who always seems super capable...but it's an apocalypse. Anyone would be scared.

"I think we might need something a little better than 'it's always better to be alive than dead,'" she jokes, giving Molly a weak smile. "I guess what we need to figure out first is why the Storm's doing this anyway."

[mollymocked]

"It's pissed about something that's for sure." The explosions are getting louder and large bits of metal are starting to make contact with the ground far enough away to not be harmful, but still terrifying in how they streak across the sky to land and explode. "Very, very pissed."

The hairs on the back of his neck prickle as gravity starts to suspend a bit. He can feel his feet lifting slightly off the ground, and it only makes him squeeze tighter. Fuck. This is it, isn't it? "Yohane, if this doesn't work, I want you to know that... You were the best demon I've ever met."

He doesn't really know what else to say that's both honest and not a yelling, soppy mess of words. He's a little shaky, but he's not going to waste his last moments being anything shy of his brand of ridiculous.

[hellzone]

As the gravity starts to suspend, Yoshiko's face tightens for a little bit. She tenses, squeezing Molly's hand super tightly the moment the gravity lessens. It only lasts a moment, however, before Molly squeezes Yoshiko's hand. She gives him a weak little smile before she nods.

"Thanks. And-and you're one of my favorite little demons as well. The rest of Aqours is little demons one through eight, but maaaaybe you can be little demon nine."

It's said in a slightly teasing tone of voice, mostly to hide the fact that Molly means so much to her. If she woke up here and spent all her time in this place without someone like him, who knows how different she would be? She'll take her last moments to be just as ridiculous as she feels comfortable with.

[mollymocked]

"That feels deeply appropriate, actually. I'll take that."

It feels right to possibly die having a ridiculous conversation. Molly's fine with that. He can rest comfortably with that, and as the white light blossoms over everything, Molly's instinct is to pull Yoshiko in to shield her from the blast, even knowing it's pointless. As it engulfs everything, Molly makes peace with the idea that it could be the end of everything.

And then there's a voice, muted, but clear, and maybe, just maybe, it did work.