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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Hear a lot of things.

[Chaos, mostly. He settles into a familiar position, back to back with Jack, his shotguns at the ready. There's a comment to be made about old times, if only to get under Jack's skin, but for once Gabriel seems to realize that there are more important things to deal with.]

They keep coming back.

[Maybe not the same things, but for every monster they cut down, it seems like two more take its place.]

Tell me about it.

[ Jack feels Gabriel's back settle against his, a solid weight that offers a lot more peace of mind than he'd like. He knows there's still about a hundred different things they haven't talked about the way they should, but if there's one thing that he knows, it's that he can rely on Reyes in a fight.

At least, he hopes that's the case. There's still that irrational fear that another betrayal is coming somewhere down the line. This situation is bound to test their trust in each other, and what they'll fall back on in a life-or-death situation. ]

I think we might have to start keeping score.

[ He spots a flash of movement through the foliage, and once he determines that it's not another refugee, he opens fire. It's preferable to keep these things at a distance. ]

[Gabriel isn't so naive that he thinks he and Jack have put their differences behind them. All of this is out of necessity, and perhaps Jack is only cooperating because there's a mutual adversary. Still, it's nice to be able to trust in someone, if only a little. He'll enjoy it while it lasts.]

What, you want a contest?

[It hardly seems like the time, but Gabriel flashes a grin. Even in the most dire of circumstances, he's got a bit of a competitive streak.]

[ Even though they're back-to-back, Jack can hear the smile in Gabriel's voice. There's a hint of something dangerous in it too, but that's always how his grins have been. It wouldn't be Reyes if there wasn't some teeth to it. ]

There's nothing wrong with some added motivation.

[ If it gives them something to focus on other than the end being upon them, then why not? A small morale boost like this is something that might keep them going when they would otherwise run out of steam. Hell, Gabriel had relied on similar tactics back during the Crisis. How many Bastion units could you take down in a ten-minute period? ]

At this rate I'm gonna mow 'em all down before you can even get close enough to do any damage, Reyes.

[ Better keep up. ]

Less work for me.

[Gabriel will turn this in his favor no matter what! He flashes Jack a grin that indicates he's perfectly willing to have Jack do most of the heavy lifting. ]

Better not miss.

[Because that means Gabriel will be stuck cleaning up Jack's mess--that's the implication, anyway.]

[ Except that's always how it's worked between them, isn't it? Jack took down the ones that he could from afar, with Gabriel running in to pick off what was left. Whether it's omnics or monsters, the strategy is the same.

Jack doesn't plan on missing, but his aim isn't as perfect as it had been while Ana was still awake. It's something that he's tried his best not to think too hard about, and definitely hasn't mentioned to anyone else, but it's hard to deny.

Which isn't to say that he's a bad shot. He definitely gets some hits in on the creatures he hears lurking through the foliage, though some of them aren't immediately downed.

Whatever Gabriel says, he would be disappointed if there wasn't something left for him. ]

[Jack had never been as good a shot as Ana, but he’s certainly better than Gabe—there’s a reason they have their weapons of choice, after all. While Jack picks off any sound and movement, Gabriel puts his own guns up and falls back a little, deciding that his time is better spent trying to flush out some of the creatures. Get the jump on them before they can do the same.]

Over here.

[There’s something moving just a few more steps into the jungle—something big, and Reyes wants a piece of it.]

[ It's better than they keep an eye on every angle, given that there's no telling when something might be able to sneak up on them in the dark jungle. Not that most of these creatures are trying to be stealthy. They don't need to with their sheer numbers; they're more of a teeming mass.

Gabriel finds one in particular that he wants to take down, and Jack takes a few more parting shots at some of the small fry before he turns around to follow after Reyes.

The hulking creature isn't hard to miss. Jack catches Gabriel's eye, even with the visor on, and nods. ]

Go. I'll back you up.

[Gabriel gives Jack a nod, then takes off into the brush. It's a strange feeling, knowing that even with everything between them, Jack seems to unequivocally have his back, but there will be more time to ponder this development when they're not fighting for their lives.

He has enough of a head start that he's assured himself first strike on the creature deeper in the forest, but Jack will catch up in just a few moments.

A few moments, however, is more than enough time for the hulking monster to lash out, catching Gabriel off-guard and slamming him into a nearby tree.]

[ In this situation, there's really no reason for them not to watch out for each other. Jack can't speak for when Gabriel becomes Reaper, but as things stand between them now, he can honestly he'd never meant Reyes ill. Which isn't to say that their deteriorating relationship hadn't been half his fault, but...

Better to just say "it's complicated" and leave it at that.

In the midst of a fight like this, though, he doesn't have to question anything. His body springs into action before he has the chance to get hung up on things.

As he darts through the trees, moving closer to the action, he gets a better look at the monster. It's bipedal and looks like some sort of cross between a bear and a reptile. One of its claws smacks right into Gabriel's chest, sending him flying, and Jack is quite to unload nearly a whole clip into the beast's chest and head in retaliation.

It's going to take a lot to take this thing down. ]

[To Reyes' credit, it takes more than this to take him down, too. That doesn't mean, however, that he isn't momentarily incapacitated by the blow. He hits the tree back-first and arches with the impact, an involuntary expulsion of air that's almost a shout.

He's out of the fight for a few good seconds as he tries to right himself and gain his bearings, but that's more than enough time for Jack to get some shooting in. The creature roars and turns its attention to the new assailant while Gabriel tries to get his feet back under him.]

Watch your six, Jack!

[Because he's certainly not going to be able to close the distance in time, even as fast as he is. The creature in response whips its tail around, trying to knock Jack off his feet.]

[ The whole point of doing this as a team is that they're able to cover for each other. Jack already knows that Gabriel isn't down for the count. A regular human might have been knocked out by that blow, but they're a little hardier than that. It's just a matter of buying time, and the creature roars and screeches as it's pummeled with bullets. Its reptilian skin is like an armor of sorts, though, which means that Jack isn't doing as much damage as he'd like.

Much as he'd rather save them, some helix rockets wouldn't go amiss here. It's as he's considering that option that he hears Reyes' voice call out behind him.

He turns just in time to see the long tail swinging around toward him, and he's able to tuck into a dodge roll to avoid it. He has to drop his rifle in the scuffle, but he pulls his sidearm out in the same movement, continuing to shoot at the creature from a belly-down position in the grass. He's now aiming for its eyes. When all else fails... ]

Think your buck shot can pierce through this thing?

[ In other words: Gabe, here's your cue. ]

[Gabriel's back on his feet, though the impact has most certainly rattled him. He winces a little, a testament to the fact that he's getting older--doesn't bounce back from things as easily, even with his enhancements going haywire.

At Jack's request, he grunts but cocks his shotguns anyway.]

I can give it a try--

[He doesn't sound especially confident, but they don't really have much of a choice. Jack is distracting it, allowing Reyes to get in close, unloading his guns into the creature's side. It wheels around on him immediately, barely giving him any time to react before it suddenly loses its shape, engulfing them both in black fog.]

[ Given how large and imposing the monster was, Jack doesn't think that either of them could have been prepared for it to lose form so suddenly, shifting from a solid into a gaseous form. More than that, it's turned into a thick dark cloud that's completely obscured Gabriel from view.

The smoke is concerning in its familiarity, and with Gabriel in such close proximity, Jack can't stop the panicked twist in his gut as he shoves back up to his feet. ]

Reyes!

[ He runs toward the fog, particularly for the spot where he last saw Gabriel, and reaches out to try and grab for him and pull him out of the smokescreen, away from that infesting blackness. ]

[For a moment, Gabriel thinks he's lost control of his own powers, swallowed up by a churning miasma of black fog. In the moment before he slams into another tree, he thinks that he might have some explaining to do--the impact, however, jars him. He's fully solid, that's for sure, which means this is something else.

In fact, he finds himself staring through the creature at Jack, who looks suitably horrified by this turn of events.

Gabriel fumbles for his guns as the monster becomes less and less translucent and undefined, shrinking and coalescing into a vaguely human-shaped figure.]

[ Jack's hand doesn't grip onto anything, the shadow creature instead tossing Gabriel into yet another tree. Maybe they just got unlucky stumbling onto this thing, but it seems a cut above all of the other monsters they've been dealing with.

The writhing blackness takes a form, first just a huddled figure that begins to take on arms and legs and appear more and more human. Jack's gut clenches as the thing in front of him takes on a more familiar shape, the blackness replaced with clothing, skin tone, and hair. At first its head is bowed, obscuring its new face, but a few seconds later it looks up, and he sees Ana.

It's another mind trick, something like what Dutch had experienced. Jack tightens his jaw, but while he should be raising his gun, his arm feels like a heavy weight at his side, unable to be lifted. ]

I'm getting really sick of this.

[ Sick of what, Jack? it asks, in Ana's voice. He knows it's not her, but everything looks so genuine that it's hard to shake that what-if feeling. No, she's up on the Station. It can't be. ]

[Gabriel is much less accustomed to this planet throwing things like this at him--he's been lucky, really, avoiding most of the temporary changes the Orbiters or the planet itself foists on them every so often. Now, however, he has to stare down what seems to be a physical embodiment of the Storm take the shape of someone they know.

He's not sure how it should be possible. How much about them does this thing know?

He tears his gaze away from the Ana look-alike to clock Jack's reaction. It even sounds like her, and he can already see the hesitation. Gabriel starts to stand, still bracing himself against the tree.]

It's not her, Jack.

[ It's not her. That phrase is something that Jack's already been repeating in his head, but then Gabriel echoes it. It's easier for him, given that she can't see her face from where he's standing, but Gabriel's also better with this kind of thing. He finds it easier to shove aside any unneeded feelings to just get the job done.

Jack isn't going to fall for it, but even hesitation could get him into some serious trouble. The thing with Ana's face moves closer, and he forces his gun up.

When his hand tremors slightly, he just grips the handle tighter.

Come, Jack, the creature insists. Let the Storm take care of this. Her hand reaches out for him, fingers getting close to brushing his face (or the visor, at least). His jaw clenches tighter and he takes a step back, away from her touch. ]

Jack--

[This is not what he wants to be doing--they're both expert compartmentalizes, but Gabriel likes to think he's better at this than Jack. The shadow seems to know that, too, zeroing in on Jack, who he can already see is hesitating.

Part of it is because from where he's standing, he can't see Ana's face, but the sooner he takes care of this, the better.

He raises his gun and fires right into her back.]

[ The moment that Gabriel fires, the creature stumbles forward, letting out a screech that definitely doesn't sound like Ana. Jack steps backward so that it doesn't stumble into him, and both the sound of the gunshot and the noise that the thing made is all he needs to snap him out of it.

He should have been able to pull the trigger without that, but maybe Gabriel won't give him a hard time about it, just this once.

The monster's head is bowed, dark strands of hair obscuring its face. Before it can look up again, Jack raises his gun again and fires another shot, which causes it to collapse to the ground and then disperse into wisps of black smoke.

He heaves out a breath, regaining control, and then lifts his head to look at Gabriel. ]

Those shots are going to attract more of them. We should keep moving.

[Gabriel is just glad "she" had her back to him when this happened, and he's ready on the follow-up when Jack takes some initiative of his own. He'll chastise him for the hesitation later--for now, he's right. They should keep moving, before more of them show up.

Who knows what the Storm is going to try and throw at them next? Ana can't be the only thing up its figurative sleeve.]

Yeah.

[Gabriel presses past Jack and claps a hand on his shoulder as he goes, as if to steady himself.]

You okay?

[ Jack finds it hard to believe that Gabriel wouldn't have also hesitated if he'd been the one facing the doppelganger, but it doesn't matter now. They found a way to deal with it, and they need to get back to the city before something else shows up and tries to throw them off-guard enough to make a dumb mistake.

While Jack had been trying to walk at a quick pace so that Gabriel wouldn't catch up with him or try to push the issue, there's no real getting away from him. The touch at his shoulder is grounding, though, a kindness that Gabriel didn't need to offer.

They've been in situations like this before, trapped on a battlefield, shaken and having to keep each other's head in the game. ]

I'll be fine.

[ Meaning that he's not 100% fine now, but pushing through pain is something Jack knows how to do very well. ]

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