❪ test drive #4 ❫

[natha]

YOUR STORY BEGINS     The Storm came. You only remember darkness, but you don't remember much after that. All you know, perhaps, is that it was cold. You don't know for how long you slept, but the dreams were short, at least. You remember the expanse of stars and the universe that came in view. Every world and solar system ever known was displayed in your dreams in careful, pristine detail. You have also witnessed The Storm, which has devoured a fair portion of these galaxies. It was a dark, thick smog — ominous in appearance and ever foreboding. Your Earth and similar planets were immersed in The Storm. Somehow, you knew it would be the last you'd see of it. That was when she told you what happened, and how you could help. You knew that you'd be living somewhere new, even though you never asked for it. The details here weren't clear, but you knew you'd made a deal with Darma. Not long after, you'll wake at Thesa Station — your body is still cold. It all felt like a dream, but somehow, you knew it wasn't — now, will you keep that promise you made to Darma? PROMPT: THE STORM     CW: death You were awake on Thesa Station. But at some point you, like many other new arrivals before you, wandered into the Observation Deck. Ordinarily, this is where images of The Storm are replayed to remind Refugees of the fate they have escaped. The Natha Orbiters' technology has evolved. They are aware of your gaps in memory. You may have doubts of The Storm even existing, or of your world's destruction. Though they do not wish reliving those last moments on anyone, they have created an experience that will do just that. Before entering the Observation Deck, you are warned that what follows will not be for the weak of heart. As soon as you step in, you will find that the walls around you begin to transform and expand. Welcome to the Planet Cespi, in the Circinus Galaxy. Unfortunately, we were not able to save this world from The Storm's Consumption. These are its last memories. You are surrounded by blue, grassy hills as far as the eye can see and a pleasant breeze. The atmosphere is thick with a sickly sweet smell. Before you lays the scene of a quiet village, with its residents going about their everyday lives. You aren't alone, either, with an equally confused stranger (or perhaps you know each other?) surveying the scene. Then the world grows completely silent for a full minute. You and your partner are unable to make a sound, verbal or otherwise. Without warning, a deafening roar fills your ears and forces you to double over in pain. The villagers run out of their homes in a panic, finding themselves in just as much pain and confusion as you do. Where there was no sound before, now there is too much for a normal human body to process. Look up. An expanding mass of energy is swallowing everything you can see. It consumes the earth, the atmosphere, the depths of space — and it is getting closer. Your only hope is to outrun it, if you can. The people in the village certainly try to, racing past you. Their fear is very real. Their bodies are very real. You may be able to run from it for a time, only able to catch glimpses of this dark and sinister force swallowing everything and everyone. The earth rumbles and separates beneath you. Electricity surges through the sky, and then through your very body. You fought hard, but it is impossible to outrun the Storm forever. You too will be consumed. Your death is quick, but not painless. What were you thinking, before you took your last breath? You awaken back in the Observation Deck, next to your new friend. PROMPT: TRAINING MODULES     While it’s all nice and well to familiarize oneself with Thesa Station, it is most advised that new arrivals venture out a bit. Not physically. No one is quite prepared for that yet. However, there will be several virtual reality training programs set for those who dare to be adventurous. For those who aren’t and don’t dare, well — good luck, all the same. Once seated and appropriately strapped in, the system will automatically whir to life. 1. When you enter the Natha's newest program, at first nothing loads. You might think this is an error as you look around in apparent total darkness, only able to see your own virtual body if you look down, but soon enough a voice comes to life as if speakers have turned on somewhere. Long ago, the lands of El Nysa were dominated by the ancestors of the dragons who now live among the people, tamed. It was pretty dangerous! How about a little history lesson? And then the simulation comes to life— a. The lush lands that blossom to life around you all at once are real enough to make you forget you're in a simulation — at least for a moment. Those refugees who have been to the planet in reality before will find themselves in territory as unfamiliar as those who are brand new, as this simulation takes place far back in history. Instead of sprawling cities and civilizations, the most you'll find is scattered villages, many of them no more than nomadic campsites at best. You've been outfitted to blend in with the natives and these simulated people won't react to you as a newcomer, but as a member of their village. Are you a doctor, or perhaps a warrior? Maybe you're even in charge! But they want your help, and they want it quickly: a dragon is coming. The dragon is larger than the mount-sized breeds that exist on El Nysa today — much larger. It's a good six stories in height, bestial, and angry. Maybe it's then that you notice the lands that surround you are littered with scars of scorched earth, some of them several yards across, and there's a reason these people don't live in one place for very long. But don't linger too long on the makeshift grave markers sticking out of the burnt countryside — the dragon is coming. b. If you're looking for something a little less violent, perhaps another area of the historic simulation will be up your alley. This one finds you on a cliffside, waiting among other villagers for an event the people are talking about in hushed whispers, some of which you can identify as prayer. When the white dragon raises its head up from the depths of the ravine, towering impossibly high over you and the others on the cliffside, it's no wonder most of the natives fall to their knees in awe and wonder. This dragon doesn't attack, only looks at the people on land with an ancient and strange wisdom. Then it speaks. Not in words, but the low rumbling sound that starts in its throat and becomes a full trumpeting bellow to the sky seems to have meaning, and somehow, you can understand its cry as it entreats the people to praise and worship. The natives around you are already starting to give offerings with their prayers, food and carvings and — blood? Is that someone's arm being offered up? That's different. 2. Let us now travel forward in time, shall we? a. The Olympian settlement around you is quiet — until the screaming starts. Guerilla fighters from Wyver flood the streets, knocking civilians aside and breaking down doors and windows when they find their way barred. They move methodically, advancing toward the nicer parts of town where the politicians reside and leaving terror in their wake. They're here for the politicians, people say. They're here to punish the people who made the decision to advance into Wyver in the first place. Blood for blood, as the saying goes. Where they'll be taking them once they have them is anyone's guess. A soldier emerges from a building, dragging someone in elegant clothing out by the hair. Looks like they've found one. Will you rescue them? Make a run for it yourself, lest you be mistaken for one of their targets? Or maybe they've already caught you and some other unfortunate Refugee who's been dropped into this simulation, and the two of you need to figure out a way to escape. b. CW: branding You find yourself in the midst of a bustling crowd gathered at the Temple of Thesa. Robed acolytes stoke fires on either side of the altar at the front of the temple, where miserable-looking people who seem to be from a village in Wyver await, bound in ropes. The priest, at the front of the crowd, picks up a metal brand from the altar and gestures for another acolyte to bring a prisoner forward. The crowd watches with interest as the prisoner is forced to kneel in front of the altar, their arm laid out flat on the marble surface. Another cry — "For the glory of Olympia!" — and the crest of the city is burned into the prisoner's arm. The crowd cheers, deafening the cries of pain. The priest ushers forward another prisoner, and then another. Is that a familiar face you see in the lineup, thrust into this bit of history by the simulation's whims? You have to do something. Or are you unlucky enough to find yourself bound? ...Well, hopefully someone else in the crowd has more scruples than this priest. 3. And now, the present. After all those enlightening scenes, the simulation finally brings you to a more quiet area of Olympia. You are deposited out somewhere in The Outlook, a place the very first group of refugees had to trudge through before they found their homes. You've arrived in the early evening — but sunlight is waning, and soon you'll be under a sky full of stars. Luckily, their old campsites aren't too overgrown. The intention here is to get you familiar with some of the local flora and fauna. What sorts of plants will you encounter? Do you find yourself under a Verillum Tree, suddenly compelled to be painfully honest and truthful in conversation with a complete stranger? Find yourself behaving erratically in the presence of Whistleweed? Or perhaps you'll have to break the spell of being trapped in a Vena Amoris' vines... with a kiss. PROMPT: STASIS UNIT     You have found the massive section of Thesa known as the Stasis Unit. There’s no special access required to enter this part of Thesa Station, but refugees are warned that it may not be for the faint of heart. Here, in large pods that nearly cover every square inch of the space, are all of the people the Orbiters have managed to rescue. Your loved ones, your greatest enemy, your next door neighbor — you might find them here. These people are in a state of deep cryosleep. Due to the damaging effects of The Storm, their bodies are not yet ready to be awoken. PROMPT: OMAGE     Upon receiving your mobile phone, you will be asked to set a username. Voila, you can now access the network! You can choose to send a message to the entire network, specific usernames, or you can try out the Orbiters’ service, Omage, which connects you to a random user. They thought this might be a good way for their new guests to make friends with each other... Connecting to server... Looking for someone you can chat with... You’re now chatting with [username]... Say hi! PROMPT: WILDCARD     You are welcome to write any scenarios in Thesa Station! Characters have been granted temporary access to the Observation Room, and are encouraged to study it carefully. FINAL OOC NOTE     These threads may be carried over as game canon if players choose! Players are encouraged to submit TDM threads as application samples, but they are not required. Please direct any OOC questions to the questions thread below! An AC-length thread may be submitted for 2 NATHA ORBITER REPUTATION POINTS after acceptance here. Please submit by February 18th. 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 REP. There will be an application cap of 60, and no reserves. Please read here for more information. QUICK NAV premise ● faq ● lore ● map ● npcs taken ● atp/emp ● application ● rep/acp calendar ● hiatus/drops ● modbox [ FULL NAVIGATION ] elnysa nysalogs nysaisles nysaooc elnyan

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Percy Jackson | Heroes of Olympus

[hydrokinetics]

THE STORM

[It's one thing to watch the destruction of a world, but it's another to not be able to do anything about it. When Percy awakens on the observation deck again he's in a crouched, defensive position almost as if he's ready to bolt back into the fray to save anyone he can. He's aware it was a simulation, and yet.]

Was that supposed to be an explanation or a warning? [Still, he's relaxing ever-so-slightly as he stands to his full height and glances at whomever he's with.] Are you okay?

TRAINING

1a.

[Training he can do. Training is something he's used to and while he enters the program he frowns a little at the fact it doesn't seem to be functioning at all. He's about to mention it when he hears the word "dragons" and realizes that maybe this is a little too real for him.

Just as well.

It's sparse and sprawling and he's not at all taking notice of the outfit meant for a warrior, mostly patting down for his weapon out of instinct and finding that this thing has way too many layers.]

Man, come on, where are you…[The dragon's drawing nearer though while this is happening, though Percy doesn't seem too overly concerned as he continues searching for something. Step in and help, perhaps?]

OMAGE

Connecting to server…
Looking for someone you can chat with…
You're not chatting with user broseidon…say hi!

sweet. haven't seen a chatroom in a while.
hey, what's up? any idea what comes next?

WILDCARD

[Open to wildcard scenarios if desired instead!]

the storm

[failinglight]

[No stranger to war and death, the scene that plays out is hardly foreign to her, but it's no less jarring. Jolting upright, rising to her feet, Barriss Offee casts a wary look around the observation deck. She wobbled slightly, remembering the intense sensation of fear that'd cut through every bit of training she'd received at the Jedi Temple. A few quick breaths steadied her, and short as she was she had to crane her neck to look up at the speaker.

Slowly, she nodded, her stance relaxing slightly...looking less like a startled rabbit and more a wary but composed cat as she realized he was asking her. Calm. Serenity. But ready.]

I think it was supposed to stand for both. A warning to cooperate, and an explanation as to why they need us.

[hydrokinetics]

[He's giving her a quick once-over to make sure she's not hurt or anything, only briefly taking in her details before he mirrors her stance. He can do calm. Sort of.]

So that would be more a threat in that case. Makes you wonder why us, doesn't it? [Then again, it's a vague question. Percy's never really had a choice when it comes to these things and most bizarre things in his life can be summarized as "gods."]

[failinglight]

[It is a vague question, one that has her shifting uncomfortably, but there's no anger or fear in her eyes. Resignation, more than anything, and a twinge of guilt. She never likes being unable to help people.]

It does. I'm...nothing special. [She's only recently graduated from Padawan status, though she's not a Jedi of any particular note, and she recognizes that. If a Jedi was needed, there were certainly others who'd be better suited. Literally the Chosen One, for instance, or one of the Council...]

There's very little I can do to stop a world devouring storm, though I suppose I could work with survivors. If there are any. Do you think there are?

[hydrokinetics]

There's gotta be. Maybe not from that storm but if there are other storms there are bound to be other survivors. I know it sounds crazy, but sometimes people survive crazy circumstances. And we technically survived, didn't we? [Maybe it was a dream, that explanation of storms and what the Orbiters wanted, but he's learned by now that dreams are pretty prophetic when they feel like it.]

So we work with survivors from the other worlds that just got devoured and we go from there. I don't know how I feel about the idea of the whole world being gone, but I guess it wouldn't be the first time something like this tried to happen.

[failinglight]

The notion of my entire...world...being gone is a little strange, to tell the truth. I understand the idea, a world being destroyed by a massive storm, but I don't have a homeworld. At least, not in any real sense of the word.

[Awkwardly, she considers Mirial, and a Galaxy without it. Drongar and Coruscant had been her home as much as that...]

Unless they mean reality? In which case that is whole other level of bizarre, and touches on astronomical impossibilities I couldn't even begin to consider.

[hydrokinetics]

Well destroying reality sounds a little harder, and you're right, it's weird, but what do you mean you don't have a homeworld? Where are you from? [He's Very Firmly from Earth and it makes sense to him, so the idea of other worlds is baffling.]

[failinglight]

Originally Mirial, but I've not stayed on one planet for more than a week since I was very young.

[The life of a Jedi is not one of rest...]

And you are from a world that has yet to discover interstellar travel, yes?

1a

[cutefaced]

[The simulation has decided to drop Yona into the role of some kind of a doctor, which is arguably a good thing. She has a bag full of salves, most of which are labeled, some of which are not; but, like... if someone gets burnt, maybe she can do something about it?

Uuuunfortunately, she's also right here when the dragon is approaching, and she glances worriedly at Percy as he pats himself down for a weapon. She's got a small knife that looks like it's made of bone at her waist, which probably isn't the most helpful thing in the world, but maybe he can do more with it than she can?

So she darts out and holds it out to him.]

Either fight or run, but maybe this will help!

[hydrokinetics]

[Whoa. Okay, suddenly there's a girl and she has a weapon and while it's not Riptide and it's not something he wants to use, it's better than nothing when there's a dragon coming at them. So it doesn't faze him to have a knife presented to him and he takes it by the handle, wielding it and getting into a fighting stance.]

Thanks! What do you know about this thing, anyway? [Wait. Yona's loaded down with salves and maybe this isn't the best time to ask.] I'll cover you if you cover me.

[cutefaced]

...I know it's hungry and it probably wants to eat us?

[This big, angry dragon is a far cry from the ones she's familiar with - tossing raw meat at it will likely do more to whet its appetite than it will to pacify it. Outrunning it may not be a possibility either.

But they have to try.

Above them, the dragon breathes out a stream of fire onto the ground in its path.]

I'll - I'll try to help, but we have to figure out a way to make it land if we want to do anything to it...!

[hydrokinetics]

[Things that are good: ideas.
Things that are bad: ideas by Percy Jackson.]

I can distract it and get it down here no problem. Just be careful until we can bring it down to our level. [And with the knife off he goes running straight toward the fire.] Hey!

[The dragon is probably not going to be happy, but here we are.]

[disharmonizer]

What comes next? What do you mean?

What could possibly come next?

[hydrokinetics]

that's exactly what I'm asking.
I already got the rundown about what happened with the worlds, but I think I want to know what direction other people are going and what we can really do here. that's all.

[disharmonizer]

So you're awaiting orders.

A little initiative would take you further, you know.

[hydrokinetics]

not orders, strategies. gameplans. it doesn't make sense for everybody to be doing the same thing or for me to do something that's already taken care of.
i want to start in a direction that needs the extra boost. what's wrong with that?

training!

[punshots]

- Ha! It worked! It totally worked!

[ Nearby, Prompto is looking down at the gun in his hands, absolutely thrilled. Turns out summoning works inside the simulation, too, which is...honestly a hell of a relief, because this was gonna be a loooong battle other wise.

I mean, it still will anyway, and this gun won't be particularly helpful against a dragon of that size, but others in his arsenal will be.

He shoots a glance at the guy next to him, bouncing on his heels as he wobbles somewhere between thrilled and absolutely terrified. There's a word for that, right? He's territhrilled. Anyway. ]

You lookin' for a pen, buddy?

[ He's joking, but little does he know... ]

[hydrokinetics]

[The dragon is temporarily forgotten (which is probably not a great thing) but he's busy watching a gun appear out of nowhere and that's actually pretty damn cool. It's not like things like magic aren't real to him, but he's not used to other people using it.

Still, that's definitely a gun and Prompto seems amicable enough so Percy settles on a grin.]

Unless you've got a better idea, yeah. Usually it returns to my pocket but...[There's a gesture to the garb he's wearing. He eyes the sky as the dragon moves though.] So hey. How long do you think we have before that guy lands?

[punshots]

[ ...Oh, shit, he really was looking for a pen? Prompto's eyebrows fly up into his hair - but, hey, look, he's seen people around here fight with weirder things than pens - probably - so, if he's really serious, he'll just...roll with it.

Not like he has a lot of time to ask about it, anyway. Because, you know, the dragon. ]

Uhhh, let's see - [ He does some quick mental calculations, which generally speaking, is a terrible idea, coming from him. ] Maaaaybe like...thirty seconds? ...Twenty. -- No! JK - fifteen, dude, he's coming in hot!

[ So, hope Percy finds that pen pretty quick here. ]

[hydrokinetics]

[Thanks Prompto. Percy looks up as soon as the warning comes and he steps back, suddenly feeling something materialize in one of the spaces of his training clothing before he jams his hand into the pocket and pulls out a ballpoint pen.]

Got it! Think shooting it in the eyes will help? [And while that's happening he's uncapping the pen and it transforms into a bronze-esque three-foot sword. Sup.]

[punshots]

[ Okay, so, that pen just turned into a freakin' sword, and that's definitely the coolest thing he's seen this week. Where can he get one of those?? Never mind that his odds of keeping track of a pen-sword are slim to none - never mind. More important things, here!

He swivels back towards the dragon, his weapon raised. ]

It's either gonna help, or make things waaaay worse! Toss-up, kinda. [ He shrugs??? Look, he's just flying by the seat of his pants, here. ] But I like our odds better if we take out its eyes.

omage

[ayes]

You're now chatting with Yousoro★... say hi!

well
uh
we chat
thats sorta what you do with these things
or are you kinda talking generally

[hydrokinetics]

well yeah, I know how chatrooms work.
I kinda meant in general though.
I got the rundown of what happened and why we're here and "blah blah blah, Percy Jackson we need your help" but...I don't know. an update from people who have been around longer can't be the worst thing.

[ayes]

oh well
I mean weve kinda just been down on the planet doing stuff
and stuffs happened and like there might be a war??? (I hope not)
but in terms of fighting the Storm we havent really done much