❪ 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

iii.

[pappio]

[ Cooking was always Ignis's line of expertise, by the cruelty of shrewd necessity; can't really let the king-to-be starve or glut himself on pre-packaged rations and expect him to be in tip-top shape. They'd carried on badly for weeks and weeks after the cornerstone of their group lost his sight, neither him nor Prompto boasting an ounce of survivability in the most basic sense, besides subsisting off canned beans and charring their fresh kills to a degree of charred, unrecognizable, and downright indigestible. Funnily enough, he's reminded of it again, at the barbaric sight of two bunnies with floppy ears, limp and most assuredly dead. (Not so evil, considering the many, many occasions he's murdered animals in cold blood for the ultimate flavor experience, so. He's not judging much.)

A good deal more subdued from their last talk (which petered from vitriolic to some kind of pathetic on his part, especially toward the end), Gladio is a lot more equable this time around. Less snappy, but that just might be the moment he's been waiting for, too: a sense of grounding to right this chaos swarming in him, focusing on what he can and ignoring the rest. There's no resolving pent-up temper issues while foxholed into a glorified cage, left to mope and mourn over his mistakes in due order as encased behind stasis pods. Here, he can almost pretend he's not just sitting on his ass and waiting for the revelation of a grander purpose to come and knock him upside the head. ]

Nah. Worth a shot if you're offerin', though. [ Not a hint of sheepishness to this asshole. Gladio still harbors that tendency for glossing over his own mistakes. ] You hiding a kitchen somewhere?

[ And a spice rack to overseason the meal, apparently. Color Gladio impressed. ]

[ladya]

[ First, her eyes glaze over Gladio’s hulking figure once he so generously gives her the chance to take the matter of cooking into her own hands. But upon elongated her offer for any volunteers comes up with deadening silence, anyone else in the immediate area avoiding catching her sight, Aranea huffs in defeat. Kneeling over in front of the campfire, she procures a small knife from the supplies provided to the refugees, along with a couple of nondescript, metallic envelopes labeled by stark labels describing the foreign food.

The dragoon doesn’t instantly reply to him, too concerned with cleaning the meat to focus on this ball of… issues. Aranea’s not even going to mention that she has also come across others from their world, figuring that this guy’s the type to want to see things with his own eyes before getting too excited. ]

I’ve got this. [ Her chin jabs downward in the direction of the envelopes, providing further illumination on the great culinary experience their little group may be forced to indulge in. She’ll eat it, at any rate— Aranea’s not exactly picky. ] One of ‘em looks like green powder. Thinking if I put it in some water, it’ll turn into that goo we had abroad the station.

[pappio]

[ Right on the money. Proof's better than mere hearsay, whether it comes rolling off of Aranea's lips or the chocobros' mouths. Helps, too, that his coping mechanism (ignore a pressing issue like miscommunication until it all but explodes in his face) hasn't left him too badly-off. Nothing that he can't fix, and nothing that he can't attest to, much like the inveterate quality with which Aranea takes to gutting open her meal in silence. Used to her kills.

He'd settle down to read a book, but— reading material's in short supply, and enthusiasm for a conversation even shorter-lived. Still, there's something to say about reluctance and its ravages on the soul. Gladio's not near apologetic for his outburst on Thesa Station, but it's stray happenstance— like watching her skin rabbits — that makes him think twice about incurring her wrath. ]

That wasn't that bad, actually.

[ It'll do in a pinch when he isn't afforded with Cup Noodles. Ectoplasmic goo and dead alien rabbits with the ex-Commodore. What a time to be alive. ]

Rough landing?

[ You know, when they all crash-landed from the pods like meteors. ]

[ladya]

[ His spite’s sharper than broken glass, and while Aranea’s no stranger to awkward social scenarios or pain as a whole, even she’s aware that it’s better for her to be off that dangling hook.

Getting into the rhyme and rhythm of concocting whatever their most likely barely edible meal, Aranea stills momentarily at Gladio’s mention of landings. Sure, it hadn’t been the physically easiest experience, but she’s definitely experienced worse, especially after all the monsters of their world had been set free.

But new beginnings, with many of the same people. Aranea doesn’t envision the worst, but matters could go into a hellbasket if she isn’t at the very least proactive. And mindful about her own decisions. ]

Could’ve gone better. [ Could’ve not woken up to the sight of the ex-Chancellor… small details. ]

On the bright side, I met a handful of interesting people. This place might not be so bad after all.

[pappio]

[ Good call. She probably knows her way better around a pole and the stupid inconsistency that tinges emotionally-constipated conversations of questionable caliber. It's made even more suspect by the fact he doesn't help her chop up and mutilate those rabbits into something that'll stay in the stomach for at least a good few hours, but Gladio really doesn't know his way around the kitchen like he does the blunt implements of violence. Stir-fry vegetables, recooked ribs, fried rice, noodles — that's the extent of his culinary skill, unless burning food to a scalding crisp certifies itself as a meal. There's no way he wouldn't botch those poor bunnies up.

But on the note of rough starts (and crossing paths and managing to court the unholy disdain of the same chancellor, however unspoken): ]

Sort of assumed it'd be a bumpy landing, what with falling from the air. [ Even for the likes of a dragoon used to spinning in the air like a top caught on stray, mad impulse. ] ... Interesting people. Right.

[ Sure, if oddballs count. Though he won't make a desperate monument or call-to-action out of his succeeding comment, Aranea does deserve to be peripherally aware of the ex-chancellor in their midst. Y'know, should she stumble across the trash hobo in her jaunts. Ordinary caution, and all that. Double standards go hand-in-hand with a healthy dose of self-preservation. ]

Ardyn's up and kicking. Figure you should know, 'case you run across him.

[ladya]

[ continued here! ]