❪ event ❫ THE DESCENT: PART ONE.

[natha]

THE PROLOGUE     Your sleep on the night of the 15th is not a restful one, unfortunately. It’s unclear whether you are in a state of half-wakefulness, or dreaming. The voices you hear certainly sound very real. What is it, Sael? —Is everyone asleep?! Every one, yes. Sael, it appears you do not have good news to deliver...? N-No! I don’t know how it slipped past us, but there’s something powerful coming this way. Something hostile. I can barely keep the core systems online! ... I don't know what to do... I see... and we cannot protect Thesa and Alria in addition to transferring the Refugees to Olympia. This force, they waited for this moment. They knew I have been Intervening, and that I have become weak from such Interventions— ... We've been had. It cannot be helped. To save the Refugees on the Stations, we must eject the awoken unto El Nysa. My remaining energy shall go into shielding Thesa— left defenseless, every being we have saved on this station will perish... Sael, where is the ideal location for the landing? Hmm. There aren’t any people within a ten mile radius of The Outlook, and there shouldn’t be any for a few more days. I think that’s the best location right now. Very well. Instruct Zasere and Roman to begin preparations for an emergency eject. This is the only way we can save everyone. I am counting on you to ward off the enemy on the space front. The rest... is up to our Refugees. The alarms are blaring. It shouts against your eardrums, calling you to wake again. This time, you are in new pod, strapped down completely and cushioned tightly against the walls. In truth, you had no idea when you’d gone to sleep, but it is reminiscent of when you had been saved from the force of the Storm. A voice greets you when you come to, while the conversation between Darma and Sael is still fresh on your mind. Despite their voices playing like an old tune in your memory, you still know it is something that happened. Something has gone terribly wrong. You hear Darma speak, her voice loud in your head. Fellow Refugee, I wake you with regrettable news. A force equal to our own is attempting to engage Thesa, no doubt to steal the souls contained here. My energy is near depleted with this last Intervention, so I cannot send you to the grounds safely as originally intended. However, there is hope yet.This power shall instead shield Thesa and Alria — and believe in me when I swear no one shall be hurt. Your loved ones are safe with us. —Unfortunately, that is at your expense. Your descent will not be an easy one. This pod that contains you shall pierce through El Nysa's atmosphere and land you on an island west of Olympia, simply called The Outlook. Travel east. Find the West Outpost, then continue east until you find the Olympian North Gate. There is a method to this madness. You shall be sent in waves. The inhumanly strong shall be first. The parachute will soften the landing, but I am aware of all your capabilities. The first wave will survive the drop, and will work tirelessly to secure the others. Find your bearings, and ensure the safety of the second wave. They are the healers and medics. Catch their pods, ease their landings, make certain that they shall not be harmed, because you will need them for your wounds. The third wave are your strongmen. They shall help clear the debris and take people to safety, making way for the fourth wave, those can conjure magic to help. Bring everyone to a safe distance. A supply drop will follow soon after; it shall contain tents and tools that will be useful for the long night. The fifth and sixth waves are largely vulnerable humans. With your combined efforts, you shall survive this great misfortune. Forgive us, Refugee. Leave the Moons to us, my promise to you is still in tact— focus on what you can do for others like you. Helping at least two (2) Refugees will earn you one (1) Natha REP. Threads must be AC length to qualify, and can be submitted HERE by JULY 31st. THE DESCENT     FIRST WAVE. The instructions are clear. Those who are a part of the First Wave should be equipped with physical strength and fortitude to survive the drop or the power to regenerate and heal their own wounds. While the pods are already designed to cushion some of the impact, as this is the first group, it will likely to be the most jarring. In all of the waves, some of the pods will malfunction and offer no cushion at all. They will be expected to quickly find their bearings. Their mission isn’t simply just landing, after all. The first wave will be expected to help the next wave, and the wave after that. Whether through their abilities or brute strength, they will be expected to help soften the landing for those who are falling. They will also be expected to pry open hatches, carry people to safety, and to just... survive. It’s not always easy being first. SECOND WAVE. Within the next hour, it’s time for the Second Wave to make their descent. You were selected based upon your aptitude for healing and/or being able to administer first aid. Perhaps you can help the tired and weary. Maybe those who have landed have have strength, but no stamina. Either way, it may be unwise to exhaust all their abilities at once. The night is long, and you may want to conserve their energy for the next waves to come. At least you’ll have help in getting settled. THIRD WAVE. Akin to the First Wave, the Third Wave will possess some durability, and some manner of strength, making you a reliable ally. Especially in a time of crisis... Or so we hope. While the landing is tough, and some of you may need first aid. As soon as you’re all healed up, you’ll have no time to dawdle. Your help is required. “Please help those still trapped in pods. Carry those unconscious to safety. Lift debris, and rescue all you can.” May be a vague message still stuck in the back of your head. Something whispered to you while you were just waking. Well, might as well roll with it. It’s the best shot you have, after all. FOURTH WAVE. Those in the Fourth Wave, as Darma projects, were selected due to the versatility of their abilities. No one expects one man to do the same as the next. Rather, that’s precisely the point: to be different. To be able to accomplish something unique. While one individual may be blessed with powers that assist in putting out fires, another may have the ability to shield those from oncoming debris. Maybe one even has the ability to channel all of these. Regardless, it’s up to you and your quick wits to see what tasks are open. It’ll take some coordination, especially as there are more people mixing into the fray, but, you can do it, can’t you? FIFTH WAVE. If you are in the Fifth Wave it is likely that you have a specific power or ability. One that isn’t easily channeled or called upon. Or, perhaps, you were merely placed here for insurance. Whatever the case if, your expertise will presently be put to the test. Maybe you’re quite proficient in survival skills, and you’re already eyeing the supplies that were dropped between the Fourth Wave and now. Goods all ready to be salvaged. Okay, maybe some can’t, but as they say, “it’s the thought that counts.” Besides, the injured from earlier certainly need a space to rest, and camp isn’t going to make itself. Regardless, maybe you feel more comfortable joining in the efforts to assist those who still require it. Whatever it is, you are sure to find your place and use. Darma obviously held the same faith. FINAL WAVE. The Final Wave is fortunate in a variety of ways. With Thesa Station a bit more stabilized, Darma utilizes the last bit of her powers in insuring that these last remaining pods are met with the softest landing, right beside the fifth, that is. The fragility of life is nothing she is unfamiliar with, after all. Still, that isn’t to say nothing is expected of you. Most of the individuals that have dropped earlier will likely be exhausted. An hour stretched between each one, makes several hours for the first couple of waves. They'll need a place to relax. You will act as the final group of helpers. Settle into whatever role feels best for you. Are you an excellent cook? Great at rationing supplies? Perhaps, you have a secret skill in ______ that might come in handy here? Or, maybe, despite the gentler landing you still managed to get hurt. The sky's the limit, and you got this! Meanwhile, in the distant kingdom of Olympia, the Empress and her loyal subject discuss matters late into the night... I’ll have the results of that dragon toxin study ready for you soon, Your Highness. I just need a few helpers to— oh wow, is that a meteor shower? Oh yes, it appears so. How beautiful.. hehe. Let us thank Thesa for this blessing. GATHER YOUR BEARINGS     All in all, the descent lasts for nearly seven hours. After the deployment of the last wave of refugees, it’s only natural that you may be feeling pretty worn out. A. Within the remains of the pods, Refugees will find basic camping supplies such as small tents, sleeping bags, and compasses. Not all of the supplies remain intact, thanks to the impact of the crash. But, sharing resources will ensure there is enough for everyone to rest for the night. Can you really in good conscience leave that stranger next to you without shelter? B. Although you may be tired after such a life-threatening ordeal, there is still work to be done to ensure your survival. Fortunately, it works out because now there are plenty of empty hands. There are stray debris and metal parts that should be collected and disposed of. There's firewood that needs to be collected, and campfires to upkeep. The nights in the Outlook are particularly chilly, and so it will be imperative to keep warm! C. Your clothes are tattered or too bloodied to sleep on with comfortably. Fortunately, Darma thought ahead. There will be various types of clothing provided, mostly robes that resemble her own in earthy tones, all to help them camouflage you for your next big adventure. FINAL OOC NOTE     This INTRO event will be broken up into three parts! Please keep this in mind when plotting your threads/tag load. PART 2 will be posted on JULY 18TH and PART 3 on JULY 22ND, at 6 PM EST. In the event of CAPTCHA, we will be providing an overflow. In the event of a second CAPTCHA, players are advised to move threads to an overflow post on their character journals. These threads remain eligible for AC, AC Rewards, and REP. The NETWORK is currently down, as Sael must concentrate all of his efforts on warding off the invading force. Characters may still message each other's personal IC inboxes. Submit two (2) AC-eligible threads from this log for one (1) Natha Orbiter REP point here by JULY 31ST. Recommended Listening: Alex & TOKYO Rose QUICK NAV premise ● faq ● world ● map ● reputation ● npcs taken ● reserves ● application calendar ● hiatus/drops ● modbox [ FULL NAVIGATION ] elnysa nysalogs nysaisles nysaooc elnyan

Comments

[sweetwater]

[ sure, his guess is logical, but that doesn't mean she has to accept it! ] Or it could be a scary space monster just waiting for his chance to make a snack out of a beautiful redhead.

[ she moves closer. maybe if she's near the fire she'll at least see what kills her before it happens. ] It could be anything. Aren't you even a little worried about what might be out there?

[ruffboi]

Hell yeah! Let's see what you've got! I can always use a wizard assist.

[Giving him a thumbs up!]

You stop 'em, I bust in and save 'em?

[kissintime]

Aha! I'm the exact opposite of a cop. Didn't your mom ever teach you that curiosity killed the cat?

A.

[moonlitknight]

[ Zero tried to soften the pod's landing but with chaos reigning around them things didn't go as planned. When he gets out, the Hunter is right behind to check on him. ]

Later.

[ He moves closer to check on him. ]

Right now, you need to get moving.

[songofdeneir]

-=a smile! smiles are good! especially in situations like this. he bites his lip in a moment's contemplation, then sings a soft melody under his breath to create a few, glowing spots of light in the air that take the form of tiny fairies that float innocently around her.

its something he used to do for his children when they were small, so he hopes it can cheer her up too=-

I am a priest. My magic is considered divine by most, though believe I have managed some feats outside of that realm.

[strictdiscipline]

[ Good to know, and good enough for her needs for now. Kneeling down, she slaps a sticker on the original and a second gun forms, though she doesn't take the replica just yet. ]

It was on me when I first arrived. I usually have more but...

[ Apparently they hadn't trusted her with the rest. The one useful thing they'd let her keep, though by her usual standards it's practically nothing.

She glances up at Ermes, assessing. ]

Do you know how to shoot?

( acceptance )

[wildest]

[Kotetsu is in the process of assessing a green and white bracelet on his wrist when he catches it, white fur dusted in hints of gray and-- red? He lifts his head immediately and watches the large animal approach, and he stills. He must've been seeing things, because it's only a white wolf, a little sullied in dirt, but clearly a wolf. What is it doing here among all these people? Wolves aren't a strange sight to him, as they're a common enough animal to find out in the rural terrain of his woodsy hometown, but he's never seen one so willing to approach humans before. But he remains tense, unsure of how tame it is.

The animal sniffs the air around him, smells him, and he's unsure if it's looking for food or not as it begins to circle around him. Kotetsu's baffled into silence before he finally speaks in a low murmur.]

Sorry, I've got nothin' here.

[kissintime]

It's not a cool trick, my compass is broke now! [She snaps, smashing a foot on one of the pieces that fell closer to her. What a damn pain. His get-up doesn't faze her if only because she's seen weirder folks running around here. Everyone here is a freak.] And what kind of damn Palace do you see around here?

[kimaris]

[ There he is, his shirt pulled up around his chest in the midst of pulling it free completely.

Ah... a visitor... he pauses, watching her shout at the sight. ]

Can I help you?

[refashioned]

Presumably. [Otherwise, they really would have botched their rescue mission. Bringing a bunch of humans and human-adjacent individuals to a mysterious place only to send them down during an emergency would just be a bad idea. There's no way around that fact.]

I admit I've been banking on the fact that there are a lot of us, and we're loud. I might have placed the wrong bet, though. Maybe they're like ... pigeons, only wolf-like and terrifying.

[chaoticlootral]

Nope, they took my Adventurer's Whatsit. Kit? The thing with all the rope and junk that I've never used once. They really rifle through your pockets when you get here, should really file a complaint about that. Don't worry about it, I'll catch you again.

[Taako could take revenge in a couple of different ways, and he deeply considers it, but maybe nows not the time. Anyway, he doesn't want to do work himself. He hums to himself a little as he thinks for a second, before grinning to himself as he has clearly come up with a great and not at all safe idea.]

You, uh, ready to hear my pitch?

[ He levels the Umbra Staff at Magnus. Apparently it's going to be an interactive presentation.]

[ruffboi]

[Shaking the leg out once it's healed. It does feel much better.]

Okay, not bad, not bad. I'll hand it to you. I can do about twenty more pod runs like this.

[coolerjunpei]

The cat's quantum until I know what the answer is. [not how it works,] Come on, you threatened to kick my head in! Give me something.

[kissintime]

[Does she know how to shoot? ...Something tells her admitting to being a convicted felon, with two counts of armed robbery against her, will not endear her to this straight-laced woman. And Ermes could use allies. People who take her stickers for their use are a ticket to making connections.]

Yeah, I do. Aim, shoot, make sure the safety is off. Not too hard.

[song_of_ice]

[He gives a huff, a mix of a breath and chuckle at her retort. He hadn't thought about himself, but it was easier to focus on others. He was hungry enough, so his stomach reminded him. He had a bit left over that he could have something, better than going to bed hungry.]

I will.

[If only to set an example, not that he expected anyone to really be looking to him for what to do or how to respond. He was a stranger her, as much as they were to him.

He rubs his hands idly on his knees, wiping away a bit of the grease.]

I'm Jon Snow.

[song_of_ice]

[He had seen deserted homesteads and long stretches of land, but it was easy for something lurk and lie in wait. As Edward quickly added, it was better to be safe.]

I don't like the quiet.

[It felt like the calm before the storm.]

They said there was something powerful coming. The two that dropped us here.

[song_of_ice]

We need the rope to create the support for the spit itself.

[He quickly sketched the basic design on the ground for her to see and to give her an idea of what he was planning to make.]

Straps, anything to tie it together. The robes would be too flimsy. The support could fall apart and drop the spit. The meat might weigh a bit.

[song_of_ice]

[There was so much about her that reminded him of Arya. Her dark looks and eyes, her shorter stature and that spark that made no effort to hide her devilish nature. She wasn't afraid, she seemed to thrive in this environment, just as Arya might have, had she been here. It was enough to draw him closer, a measure of his guard let down.]

You think we should explore it?

[It would be better than standing around, his nerves and frustrations taking over instead.]

I don't expect to sleep much tonight. Someone needs to stay awake.

[song_of_ice]

[He can see there is little point arguing and quickly rolls up his sleeve to let her see his arm more clearly. It was wide, but the blood hid how deep it really went.]

You're a nurse?

[song_of_ice]

[He felt naked without Longclaw at his side. The blade had been his for so long, it was strange to walk and not have the scabbard strike his leg. There wasn't any need for Valyrian steel here, there were no dead to fear, but still it was a part of him.

My lord? That was a term he didn't hear from most of those scavenging. The familiarity of her accent became a great deal sharper with that.]

There are some creatures that look like rabbits.

[He's looking at her a bit more closely, curious to know what world she came from that had that sort of address...other than his own.]

[song_of_ice]

You make use of what you've got beyond the Wall. It was either learn or starve.

[He's not the best with compliments but he can see one when it's offered and smiles in return.]

It's a good bow.

[Made with short supplies and a short amount of time. He was impressed.]

Will you teach me to make one?

[song_of_ice]

[Sushi and tartare, she was speaking a foreign language to him and that showed on his face and in his blank expression.]

Poles or branches, we need them sturdy and we need something to bind them together. [They at least had a lot of wreckage to sort through.] It's easy enough to make, my lady. Have you seen one before?

[It's asked kindly and with a small smile.]

[song_of_ice]

Tinker Bell? [It's an odd name, but one that's unique enough that he's unlikely to forget it.] It's a habit, my apologies. [One that he would have to break now. That sort of politeness and formality didn't really have a place here, not while they were all searching and scavenging around the wreckage.

She got the sense of him quickly, catching him off guard and causing him to laugh.]

That is also a habit. I don't need very much.

[Which was less likely to be broken here, if he were honest with himself.]

I'm Jon Snow.

[song_of_ice]

Do you have a tent for yourself?

[So he had missed the robes. Clothes had become secondary to everything else, but she was at least clever to find them, making up for his error.

There was still a bit of food left on his plate, he offered it out to her.]

You have time to learn now.

[They had nothing but time.]

I feel bad for their neighbors

[song_of_ice]

You're the reason good men died.

[Ser Roderick, Maester Luwin, so many of the men and women that had served at Winterfell for all of their lives. He had let Ramsay Bolton into Winterfell, how many had been tortured because of him? How many had been flayed and tormented, how many men had died in the effort to reclaim Winterfell.

If it wasn't for Sansa, he would bury the spear in Theon's chest and think nothing of it. Instead, he let Theon pull away, clenching his hands tighter around the spear in an effort to suppress that instinct.

Did he think that made him lucky? The destruction of Westeros suffocated Jon, burying him beneath guilt and shame for surviving. Yet Theon somehow managed to crack that same smile, the one that made Jon want to knock him in the jaw.]

Whoever brought us here didn't think overlong about the men they brought then. You don't protect your friends, you betray them.