❪ introlog #3 ❫ GUERRILLA FORCES.

[natha]

You have spent the last few days on Thesa Station, taking in the knowledge that your world is no more. Perhaps you've made some friends (or maybe an enemy or two). Either way, you aren't expected to spend all of your time on the Station. El Nysa needs you, after all, and you promised you'd help the planet thrive. Are you ready? Submit any AC eligible thread of participating in this log's prompts for Two (2) Wyver REP points HERE. JUMP INTO THE DEEP END     As soon as the Natha begin to observe that the new arrivals are beginning to wake, a message goes out to all refugees currently on El Nysa with an unfamiliar ping on their phone. Hi everyone. It's Sael. The people that were recovered from stasis recently are going to need your help getting to El Nysa. It's not the Teleporter this time, though. I highly recommend that you come back, or you'll miss out on some pretty important stuff. When everyone is gathered aboard Thesa Station, characters may notice that working access to the Teleporter has been blocked. Stepping inside and attempting to teleport back to El Nysa will yield absolutely nothing. Luckily, it isn't long before you're given instructions on how to proceed. Hello everyone. We're doing things a little differently this time around. Darma senses the presence of foreign forces; she says they're distant right now, but we know it won't be long before we'll need your help to protect El Nysa on the spacefront. Some of you have piloted spaceships or flightsuits before, haven't you? Please lend the others your help and expertise. You'll be flying down to El Nysa to get some practice maneuvering in zero gravity. I encourage you to come back and practice with other people; learning how to work with different personalities is important. We've prepared spaceships for you in the Hangar. For this type of spacecraft, it's important that you truly work together to achieve harmony with your co-pilot. It's the only way to ensure a smooth trip. True to his word, there are plenty of ships waiting to be boarded in the Hangar. Although more than two people can fit in a ship, there are only two main pilot seats. Anyone who's piloted any sort of ship, mecha, or even a car will be able to figure out the controls. But that's not the only thing to figure out. GET IT TOGETHER. When the ship glides out from the hangar opening, it soon becomes apparent that the stability of the ship is highly dependent on emotion sharing between the two pilots. It is imperative that both parties reach an emotional equilibrium: you must be calm, focused, almost zen in your demeanor. Any sign of distress, anger, or negative emotions will be felt by the ship. Not being able to help each other reach a calm and happy emotional state will result in wild movements, difficulty steering, or malfunctions in the electrical circuitry. JUST KIDDING. Were you and your partner able to find shared emotional compatibility and maneuver the ship? Good. Just when you've got a good smooth drift going, Sael's voice cheerfully resonates in your mind. Great! Good job! This is kinda boring now, though. Hey guys, think fast! You don't have more than two seconds after his voice fades out of your mind to notice that a wave of massive meteorites are flying directly towards your ship at breakneck speed. How well can you avoid getting hit while maintaining your cool? Thankfully, if you're not great at it, the ship comes equipped with protective barriers that prevent any structural damage from physical impacts. Think of them as training wheels; getting struck by a meteorite will still give you nasty whiplash and nausea, your ship will likely spin wildly until you can regain control, and it will probably be pretty painful. But you and the ship will be unharmed. When you've had enough of being beaten around by meteorites or having to deal with the insufferable personalities of others, the ship will naturally gravitate to land on a particular island in El Nysa. The island that you land on is outfitted with docks and one or two small shacks where a hunter or fisherman could spend their nights on a long hunting expedition, but they don't look like they've been used in a while. It's quickly obvious that this isn't the main city of Wyver, and you have two paths ahead to choose from: cross an old stone bridge to the mainland and continue on foot, or get into one of the available simple rowboats and row your way. The path on land is longer, but safer, while going by water is faster, but more treacherous. Better get going. LAND ON BARBAROUS COASTS     Though the water has been relatively calm on your journey, the rowing has proved to be tiresome for all your party member's arms. There is reprieve if you leave the open water, in a cavern where you can tie your boat to a rock and stretch your legs. If you want to go for a dip, there are naturally curved waterslides in the rock face and platforms of rock jutting out up high perfect for diving/jumping off of. The water is warm and there's dry land; this is the ideal place to rest for the night. But the giant skull that sits in the middle of the site may put a damper on the mood. WORKS OF ART. Upon closer inspection of the skull, you'll notice that the exterior is actually made up of artfully carved white rock. Those that investigate it will find two entrances: the mouth, which can be climbed into; and around the side, where the ear would be. Inside is a more spacious cave, riddled with tools that are dirty and rusty with disuse. In the center of the cave is what looks like a shallow pool, although it has long since run dry. Within the pool's dry crater sit... bones. Bones from all kinds of creatures litter the floor, and the walls are lined with intricate paintings portraying death, feast, and celebration, faded and cracked with time. The bones are real, and while there is no indication where they came from before winding up here and many of them are in pieces, several are whole enough to be identified as distinctly animal or human. If your party isn't put off enough by the decor to leave their only refuge for the evening, they may set up camp here (unless they want to sleep in their boats). There is dry wood to gather for a campfire, and it's certainly the perfect atmosphere for ghost stories. But as the night falls, the sound of water flowing outside slowly begins to become more distant. All at once, your companions are no longer themselves; their voices dull to a whisper, their language one you have never heard before. Your campfire sputters down to embers and the cavern is lit instead by a faint glow coming from the paintings on the walls. As you watch, several tall, robed figures carrying another limp, shrouded figure enter the cavern. They have tools in hand, and as two lay their motionless companion into the shallow pool of water, the others raise their blades. With a vibrant flash of blue from the paintings lit across the walls, you come back to yourself; the fire is full and crackling, the pool is dry. Nothing else will occur as the night goes on, but the experience leaves you with a sense of foreboding... and yearning. After a long night's rest, good or not, the journey ahead is not far at all. You can see the coastline, and Wyver's walls aren't far behind. However, it begs the question of why your rowboat was so heavily equipped. The back ends of your oars are carved to a sharp point, the net under your seats is too heavy duty for any normal fishing excursion, and you'd do well not to pull the strings wrapped around those canvas balls without throwing them first, unless you want a faceful of gunpowder and a noise like shotgun fire that will make your ears ring. FROM THE DEPTHS. At first, there were simply a few ripples in the water before the bow of your boat. Minutes pass where you continue to row freely, but dark, long shadows begin to appear out of the corner of your eye. Ripples turn into bumps under your feet, and if you weren't paying attention before, you certainly have to now. The head of a sea serpent breaches the water's surface, mouth wide and teeth sharp. You cannot possibly see all of the beast in the short span of time you have, but what you can see that it's possibly the length of three of your rowboats. You best not have wasted your supplies, because it wastes no time in snapping towards your head. ABOUT THE SERPENTS: The sea serpents attack by striking in high, arching swoops over the boat and back into the water. Their scales are softer and thinner than a dragon's, so they are susceptible to any weapon or magic that can pierce. Characters may use what has been made available in the boats and their own powers to take them down at medium difficulty, but if they delay for any reason, they will proceed to snap the boat in half and leave them to swim the rest of the way. The number of serpents that can be encounter are limited to 1 per boat outing! If a character brings back parts of the thing, it can be sold on the market. The prices are: 500 silver for a fully intact head 50 silver for one of the following: several teeth, scales, or blood 200 silver for all three at once (teeth, scales, blood) A QUIET PLACE     The jungles outside Wyver's city limits are sprawling and mysterious. Deep in the wilderness there is an innate eeriness, a quiet mysticism that permeates the lush foliage all around you. If you've wandered around Wyver's territories before, you might have some idea of what to expect, but if you're brand new to this world—well, best of luck. Here, inland from the water, the trees are dense enough to cast the jungle floor in darkness in some places, while others let the sunlight filter in to expose creatures great and small—among other things. In the thick of the jungle, history before that of the current Wyver can be found, if one knows where to look. NATURE VS. NATURE? Wyver's jungles are teeming with more species of plants and wildlife than even the natives can name. After that rough landing stirred up the island and nearby land, the jungle is uneasy. Even if the group fresh from the Station scatters, there's no easier way to become an obvious target for nature's curiosity than how you got here. Maybe you encounter a Cutpurse Willow, a tree known for wrapping its hanging vine-like branches around anything that brushes past underneath it. Loose items in your pockets? Glasses? A weapon over your shoulder? Much like a venus fly trap closes around its food, the viney branches of this tree coil around anything that comes in contact with its leaves. Once grabbed, the vines begin to rise back up into the canopy, and these trees are quite tall—better grab your things before you have to do some climbing! Who knows what other lost items you might find up there, though... Or maybe you'll find yourself somehow not encountering... anything. Instead, you'll start to wonder: did I pass by that tree already? Or have I seen that stream before? Somehow you've gotten turned around, and no matter what methods you take to mark your path, you always seem to wind up right back where you started. But there aren't any predators here; listen closely, and all you'll hear is the innocent trilling song of the Duldrums, creatures that have yet to be studied in detail due to their ability to lose trackers easily among the foliage. Oddly, these creatures respond to conversation and don't appear hostile... but where exactly were you going, again? Or, you run into something else entirely! The forest is the home for many creatures from many worlds; who knows what you may encounter? A HISTORY LESSON. Something these jungles are rich in is history. Throughout the area there are all kinds of relics of the past to find, from crumbled ruins to the bones of fallen dragons. It seems that both these things fell where they stood and have remained untouched since, preserved only as much as nature will allow. After a long day's trek through the jungle, this is as good a place as any to rest. What's out here? You might find yourself stopping to lean against the ribcage of a dragon, left standing as a memorial to the great beast that left it. The people of Wyver revere their dragons both living and dead, and while some of these bones seem to be moderately taken care of (plants cleared away, no animal nests resting on them, etc.), they are very purposefully not moved. It probably wouldn't be a good idea to change that. You may also come across building ruins from the people who would, generations later, settle in what is now Wyver. Rudimentary and mostly stone and old wood, these buildings were once homes and meeting places for the people. One notable ruin is mostly the floor of what was once an oblong room; look closely and you'll see runes and other symbols carved into the stones, weathered with time. If you draw them or otherwise bring this information to the natives of Wyver, they seem to not know what you're talking about—or they don't want to answer you at all. Wherever you stop to rest, there are very few predators in this area, so you should be safe to camp for a little while! WELCOME TO WYVER     After your trek, whichever way you went, you'll wind up in Wyver! Unlike when the first refugees arrived to Olympia's outpost, there isn't any fanfare this time; you're given a lukewarm welcome and left to your own devices. There are places to see and businesses to be aware of here in Wyver, but other than that, the city is yours to explore. FINAL OOC NOTE     An AC-eligible thread for 2 WYVER REP POINTS may be submitted from this log. SUBMIT THE THREAD HERE by DECEMBER 19th 11:59 PM EST. We will no longer be providing overflow posts. In an event where the post hits CAPTCHA, players are advised to move threads to an overflow post on their character journals or create their own catch-all post. These threads remain eligible for AC, AC Rewards, and REP. 1 SILVER = 1 US DOLLAR. QUICK NAV premise ● faq ● lore ● map ● npcs taken ● atp/emp ● application ● rep/acp calendar ● hiatus/drops ● modbox [ FULL NAVIGATION ] elnysa nysalogs nysaisles nysaooc elnyan

Comments

oh my god that icon is so cute

[seagoing]

[Oh, but he's absolutely darling. Just look at that blush, it's almost like teasing Sebastian or Merril with her dirty jokes or insinuations of lewd acts. She lights up as he speaks, interest at 1000% as she watches him fluster for words.]

Oooh, I knew you were holding out on me! I didn't even know the moon had a name, let alone that you could exist on it. Danger, heroics are my favorite kind of stories. Tell me there was some sordid love affair involved too, those are always the most exciting. But you know, I like a good looking hero who isn't afraid of danger, no need to be so humble. Did it pay well? Given you your fair share of lovers waiting to hear you recall the tale? I can't help to ask though, were they the fun kind of tentacles, or the sticky slimy kind of tentacles. I always hate running into the sticky kind.

[You see a lot of bizarre things when you ask for the house special at the Blooming Rose, okay? Friends don't let friends buy the house special.]

There were some around, but unless you were an absolute madman or you had a death wish you didn't go anywhere near them. [Well she didn't anyway unless she was dragged along to, she's a pirate not a bounty hunter.] Well then, I can help keep that midnight oil burning for you while helping figure out what any strange texts or weird symbols mean that might lead to a nice stash of coin. And... [She pauses, briefly brushing his wrist with her fingers as she smiles. It's just so easy.] I'm good at keeping a fire going if that's necessary for your scholarly breakthrough too.

that's because Tim is cute

[blap_blap]

[A lot of questions are coming at him in very rapid succession, and he's never had anyone really be so interested in him before. The flush on Tim's face gets a little deeper, and he takes a swig of beer despite there being no evidence that this will help him in any way, shape or form.]

It... could've paid a lot better. [That is to say, Jack never paid him, because Jack is an asshole.] And, I, um, I don't have... I, I mean I'm not seeing anyone or anything. So... none of that, either. And the tentacles were all the murdering kind. Elpis really sucked, honestly.

[Look, Tim's been on the ECHOnet, okay. He knows the kinds of terrible things that are there. This man has seen things.]

[Then she touches him, and pretty much all of the blood in Tim's body seems to migrate directly to his face all at the same time. And he's pretty sure that he knows exactly what keeping a fire going means, and it has nothing to do with helping him do research.]

I-I-I-I-I, uh, um-- [He attempts to rescue himself by draining down half his beer. Oh god. Oh god.] I, I would, um... I would like that. You. Helping me.

[God-fucking-dammit, Tim.]

its true

[seagoing]

[Isabela actually looks surprised at that, because it's such an honest sounding answer that goes beyond humble. She feels for the poor guy a little. She hasn't seen someone quite a bundle of nerves like him in quite a while. She takes a swig from her own glass, humming in thought.]

You mean to say a good looking guy like you were out there saving innocent people, being the hero no glory and fanfare to show for it? Well, they do say the best jobs are thankless ones, but it's still such a shame. How about I celebrate for you then...maybe the next drink is on me?

[Especially with how she watches him nervously down his glass, brow raised in consideration as she clinks her glass against his. She wonders if he'll get drunk too soon at the rate he's going, but when was she ever one to judge someone's drinking habits?]

Don't die on me now, we've only just met. I'm Isabela by the way. [She just laughs because if that isn't one of the prettiest blushes she'd seen in a while, and all for her? Isn't she the lucky one tonight. His stuttering is endearing instead of embarrassing, and it just makes her smile grow into a grin. Absolutely adorable.] I doubt there's much...studying that can be done in a loud and rowdy place like this, where do you figure you'll be while you're uncovering long lost history of this place? I'm not one for the books myself, but I imagine they'll be dreadfully boring alone. I can make it fun, and maybe get a better idea of where we are while I'm at it.

[blap_blap]

Oh! Right, jeez, sorry, that's really rude of me. I'm Timothy Lawrence, just Tim is fine.

[Tim really has to thank whatever bare scraps of luck he has that she thinks the hot mess that he currently is isn't annoying. And, like, not just 'not annoying', but not annoying enough to want to hit on??? You're blowing his dweeby little mind here, Isabela.]

[He's trying to hold it together, though. It's just harder when she, like, touches him and smiles at him and is nice to him??]

There, um, there's a library in town. I've been there already, but there's a lot of material to cover and I've probably got a long way to go. It'd be nice to have some, uh, some company, and maybe I can find something that you'd be interested in, too?

[Tim would gladly follow her into dangerous ruins on a treasure hunt or something.]

[seagoing]

Don't worry about it. I know full well my own experiences with minding my manners makes you look like an absolute saint. Timothy...I like it. It's a pleasure.

[She's shallow enough to flirt with him based on looks and a potential cut of money alone, but there's just something different about him...an ego or seemingly lack thereof that clashes with his good looks that keeps shooting down her expectations of him. She'd thought he'd be a pompous ass, but here he is being genuinely nice to her. It's almost unheard of in a place like this.

She always did have a soft spot for the cute and easily flustered ones though.]

Aww, you are just a darling aren't you? Consider yourself having a +1 then. I'm certainly interested to see if they have any nautical maps or any maps at all really. See, I like knowing my surroundings. Makes it easier to make getaway plans. [She's joking, sort of.] It'll be good to have a better idea of exactly where we are too though. I'm also curious to see what you find that might...tickle my fancy.

[blap_blap]

[Did... did he just get a date? Or, well, it's not like a date date, they're just going to go to the library to look for information and maps and stuff. He's not taking her to dinner or anything, though he would absolutely take her to dinner if that's what she wanted to do. But this is just a library trip!]

[Plus... that thing she said about lighting fires. Oooh god.]

Great! That's great, I'm sure I can find something that you'll want to look at. It's a library, right, they've got to have maps and stuff like that. Especially nautical maps, they must do some kind of overseas trading around here, how else would they move anything around? Shipping over land would be difficult and probably slow. Or, well, slower, everything's kind of slow around here.

[You're babbling, Timmers. Stop doing that.]

Are you, uh, planning to get a ship or something?

[seagoing]

[Knowledge is power Tim, and Isabela knows all kinds of things. She watches him stutter over his words with a fond look in her eyes, still wondering where the catch lies in such a good looking man to be so oblivious to his own charms. Is it all just an act? No, couldn't be, not with how easily he blushes and reacts to her obvious flirtations.]

Look at you all ruffled up and eager. It's a cute look on you. [She just chuckles, draining whats left in her glass. Blunt and to the point as always, that Isabela.] I would hope there's something about what's out there in a place of knowledge, it'll help getting used to our new surroundings too. I agree it would be a smarter move to do trade by sea than on land though. It can be slower if the weather isn't on your side of course, but its more a sure shot of getting to where it's headed without much trouble. Unless...there are pirates and the like around to steal their cargo, but I couldn't possibly imagine any of those in a place like this.

[She just grins, because pirates are surely only in storybooks and tall tales, and definitely not sitting right in front of him.]

I just might be in the market, but I have to know my surroundings first. [She just sighs wistfully, resting her head on her hands while looking off to the side.] Not that I don't like the wild unknown mind you, but it's better to have my bearings out at sea. Plus, end of the world aside my last ship had a bit of an unfortunate accident so I would need a new one if I wanted to go anywhere. [She huffs a laugh, sly smile on her lips.] Why, would you set sail with me? Should I make a note to save you a spot in my quarters?

[blap_blap]

[Tim hasn't met all that many literal pirates, but he's dealt with his fair share of bandits. Basically the same thing, except pirates involve more water and possibly better hats. Maybe less yelling about meat and poop trains?]

I'd be really surprised if you couldn't find some around somewhere.

[Fact of life: there are always bandits.]

[When she asks if he'd go with her, well-- okay, he does flush a little at the implications of a spot in her quarters, but it's undercut by the rueful twist of his mouth. There's a part of him that would be happy to get all of his things and leave with Isabela the moment she gets a ship, just sail off to explore whatever's out in the ocean, his seasickness be damned. But so long as Jack's here, he can't just run away. He remembers Angel in the library, smothering tears from the strain of trying to handle her father, and he feels a pang of guilt for even considering it. How could he even think about leaving her with that burden?]

That really does sound like it'd be nice. I mean, I don't know anything about sailing, but I pick things up pretty quickly. I really wish I could take you up on the offer, you know? [He can't run away. He has to... fix this, or something. Clean up the mess that he helped create.] But I have some things that I have to take care of here, and it'll probably take a while.

[seagoing]

[Much fancier hats and better looking too, thank you very much. Also: rude, pirates are much better than simple bandits. ]

If there are I've yet to see them, but I hope they're good looking. Maybe we could share tips?

[She laughs again at her own joke, still with that knowing smile on her face. Oh, if only you knew Tim. She could just tell him, her past being nothing she's ashamed of, but there's something exciting about not immediately being ID'd for what she is and instead who she is. There's something in his body language that gives her pause, even though she'd been mostly joking she knows a look like that. There were people ready to hop onto the next available boat and leave and others who weren't. Regardless of if he was or not, she can't help but feel like she always finds the most interesting people.]

A fast learner are you? That's something I'll have to keep in mind, always good to know someone who's quick on their feet. [She sighs then, feeling nostalgic and a look in her eye longing for a life she hasn't had for years now.] The sea is something that always calls to you if you yearn for it, but not everyone can easily drop everything to answer her call. It certainly isn't a life for everyone though, especially if you've got something you need to do.

[And just like that any longing look, wistful or otherwise is gone as if it never happened, and she's back to that pleased smile on her face. Right, she was focusing on making him blush and not getting nostalgic over circumstances she can't control yet.]

Besides, don't you and I have books and maps to go through? Unless you'd prefer another round, either is fine with me if you're ready to head out. I'd love to carry this on in a much quieter place too, don't you? And anyway, If I do end up with my own ship I'll be around, and maybe I'll save you a spot anyway. [A smirk.] Maybe even the captain's bed?

[blap_blap]

[It isn't really that Tim wants adventure on the high seas or whatever, it's just that he wants to run the hell away and never look back. In the absence of a literal other planet to go to ground in and escape Jack, the ocean is the next best thing. The problem is, Tim met Angel before he could make those kinds of plans, and now he can't run off and leave when he promised her that he'd help her. So he's just a coward, really, not adventurous.]

[But he doesn't need to tell her that. He'd kind of prefer for Isabela to think the best of him. So he'll jump on that offer to head to the library, since it's a diversion.]

Oh, yeah, um, we can go now, that's fine.

[Really, he doesn't need another round, he's probably had enough. He's not drunk by any means, he's just been drinking beer, but he'll want to be able to focus if he's going to be looking at maps and books.]

[The back of his neck flushes again. God, he's never going to stop being red around her.]

Um. Well. [Absolutely. She could step on him and he would thank her for it.] How could I say no to that kind of invitation?

[seagoing]

[There's that flush again. So easy, so cute. She can't help but laugh a little and grin at his eagerness.] You'd be a fool if you did. But that's far from anytime soon, so save it for later.

[She at least appreciates that he can be honest about standing his ground and doing what needs to be done. She'd been halfway from running from her own problems when she turned around to be a decent person so, points in his favor there. Everything else, the flushed skin, eagerness to help who's basically an attractive stranger out, and that demeanor of his that's far too endearing for someone so good looking are just bonus marks. Really, really good looking bonus marks.

She waves down the bartender and stands not long after, leaving what should be enough in silver for her own drinks (and a little extra, because she did say she'd get him a drink and he did offer to help her at the library...she can be nice sometimes-) and adjusts her gear before smiling at him again and walking forward a few steps. She stops to wait for him to pay for the rest of his own with a hand on her hip.]

Come on, I'm dying to find out what this place has to offer.