The world has shifted. Or maybe you’ve shifted? Either way, things have changed, and it’s going to be quite a while before you see them change back again.
BASICSYou were going about your business as usual until the world went white around you, and went the fog cleared: Oska. You’ve arrived in a snag of reality between worlds, the full extent of which can be read about here. But in essence, you’ve arrived in a grand, magical, almost empty castle. Outside the castle is an empty, long-abandoned village, partially in ruin. Past that, the world simply fades out into white mist. Your best bet is probably to stick to the castle and its grounds.
Suits of armor patrol the quiet hallways, but good luck getting them to speak or answer any questions. There’s absolutely nothing inside them, they move under their own power. They don’t talk, but they also go out of their way not to hurt you. You can even attack one, it will just patiently wait for you to give up and leave. If, however, you ask one for directions, it will dutifully turn and lead the way to wherever you’ve requested.
Librarians lurk in the halls of the enormous, well-stocked library, in which you can find nearly any book from nearly any world. The librarians are tall, wide, and very muscular, but they’re also not out to hurt you. Provided you play nice, of course. The usual rules apply: be respectful of the books, keep your voice lowered, and never bring any source of flame into the library. That last one might make the librarians reconsider their nonviolent natures.
Outside, there's a greenhouse with every type of flora you can imagine (and more, since they're from all over the universe) — be careful, though, because not all of them are friendly. If you'd like to take a dip, you can check out the lake; just be friendly to the fish. You can catch sight of almost any animal you'd like in the stables, real-world or fantasy. Most of them have been tamed, and won't do any real harm. However, some of them can be a bit testy. Stay away from the unicorns unless you have perfect manners — they hate impoliteness.
Current characters in game can assume that the Timeline glitched and sent them temporarily back to Oska. You are welcome to take any threads that happen here as game canon, should both parties arrive in game. Threads done here by prospective players may be used as application samples, and threads done by current players may be used as Bonus AC.
PROMPTSONE ✗ THE KITCHEN
The kitchen is always stocked with food, freshly cooked and ready to be eaten — although there was no one to do the cooking, and it might just be you to do the eating. That doesn’t seem to discourage the kitchen in the slightest, which is constantly churning out new, fresh courses. Some of them are more innocent than others today.
That tart you just ate? It was harpfruit, native to Cendiares, and has a pesky side effect of making the eater blurt out everything that pops into their head. The completely average-looking salad actually has flakes of Raphian wildflowers, which cause a bit of dancing fever — it isn't contagious, but it does make the sufferer want to dance with everyone they can. The choices and effects are endless and up to you, and don't worry; ALASTAIR is working on getting the kitchen under control as we speak.
TWO ✗ THE TRAINING CENTER
Maybe you find your way into the Training Center. A lot of work went into setting this room up, and it can construct nearly any scenario that you can imagine. All it takes to activate this room, still and featureless until it comes to life, is the brush of a finger against one of the glowing pads on the wall. The magitek will take it from there.
Just envision the setting and any enemies you’d like to train against, and they’ll instantly materialize. Would you rather go sightseeing, without worrying about a fight? No problem! The room is eager to provide you with a sparring partner, but it can be convinced to hold off -- just don’t think of getting into any fights. The Training Center also offers any games you can think of: soccer, basketball, literal freeze tag, etc. Every supply you need will be simulated for you.
Additionally, the following scenarios are also preloaded into the system for user convenience, each coming with a small summary of mission objectives:
ANWICK: A ruined little village with a massive, dead dragon skewered in the center of it. The goal is to protect her young in a nearby cave. The terrain is treacherous, the wyrmlings are squirmy and unhelpful, and the townsfolk are furious. But for good reason -- it seems dragons have been plaguing them for decades. Even the simulation’s enemies are programmed to say as much, and will do their best to convince you to their side.
CHANTES: Chantes, the previous mission world, is a typical medieval town cloaked in darkness and surrounded by a winding forest. It comes in two default flavors and difficulty settings. Fairies are the easier enemy; the objective is to collect three jars of unpleasant, glowing sap from their nests without getting your eyes poked out. The fairy goop can also cause disturbances with magical powers, unwanted levitation, and unfortunate cosmetic effects.
Demons are the more difficult setting. The task is to clear ominous runes off of various town structures, but when approached, each one releases a red, misty spirit. It will fight tooth and nail to protect its ‘home,’ but is largely invulnerable short of destroying its rune. To prevent this, it may resort to spells, violence, and possessing someone else in the simulation -- consider this a lesson in PvP. (NOTE: You’re also welcome to use anything from the previous events from Chantes as well.)
OSKA TRAINING: The goal in this simulation is simple: outlast the timer. It’s exactly the same castle, but after it’s been pelted by a firestorm, architecture ruined to rubble and ash. Navigating the half-destroyed castle is hard enough, and the earthquakes and fireballs raining from the sky will continue until characters survive for a certain amount of time (from an hour to a day) or find a full bushel’s worth of food. And just to rub salt in the wound, all the dirt, grime, and mud in this simulation will last outside of it, so you might need a shower after.
NALAWI: An island nation populated by diminutive deer people. The first setting is a mini version of the Gilligan's Island event -- it's less action-packed and more focused on survival. Marooned on the drowned island of Dakal, it's up to you to figure out where to find food and shelter. You might also want to avoid the hungry sea creatures that have made their way up on the island, too.
The second setting involves lava monsters erupting out of Nalalona, the largest volcano on the Nalawi islands. Lava imps will do their best to hypnotize recruits into following them back into the volcano, and can be defeated the normal way or non-violently lured into the water. Next comes the fire golems, hulking but fast. Their weak spot is their glowing core, but it will require some cleverness to reach. (NOTE: You're welcome to use any scenarios based on other Nalawi events as well!)
THREE ✗ HOT SPRINGS EPISODEOne of ALASTAIR's teams extracted an enormous, very hot core from a sentient and murderous AI. What better way to put it to use than to heat up the springs? It's a nice place to get some much needed R&R or just hang out. Some enterprising recruits have built wooden decks and stairs around and through the whole affair. It's a little bit of a hike to get there from the castle, but anyone who has visited can agree: it's worth it.
FOUR ✗ THE NETWORKThere is some good news, along with all these bizarre and fantastical new sights: you’ve arrived with a new piece of jewelry which, if examined, gives you access to anyone else that might be currently inhabiting Oska. You can speak into the jewelry and be heard, you can get it to project moving images of yourself and others, you can even think a message into it and have it arrive as written word to whoever you’re communicating with. It’s a useful little trinket, provided you can get it to work.
FIVE ✗ CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTUREYou are free to use any of these settings, or anything from the
Settings Page. You may use any virtually created setting you can think of in the Training Center, even scenes from your character’s world (although they’ll be devoid of people, unless they’re brought in as opponents).
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thirstology2016-06-26 09:15 pm
no subject
Besting a wolf once didn't mean you should go back for seconds.
She swallowed hard, wondering if she'd made a mistake—if she had, it was too late now, and she tried not to think that she had simply because he knew how to use his greater mass to his intimidating advantage. ]
Touch me again and I'll take your hand. [ Hate thickened in her voice, sharpening it into a weapon against him as she went on to answer, ] I don't want anything from you.
no subject
[She has the benefit of seeing his eyes this time, rather than the black visage of the helmet that he wore so often. He had taken to wearing it less, simply to avoid the same question he got from every new recruit he encountered. It wasn't necessary anymore. It had barely been necessary in the first place.
He wants his lightsaber, needs the weight of it in his hand to settle a twitch he feels coming on. Instead, the hand not holding her clenches to a fist and uncurls itself in a repetative motion.]
You are alone here. Your power remains untapped.
[Like him. He doesn't say it, doesn't dare consider how long he's been without the Supreme Leader whispering in his ear.]
It does not have to be that way.
no subject
The offer didn't extend as far as it had on Starkiller, but she had no trouble reading between the lines, seeing the natural progression of what he was building. Her silence gave the impression of consideration, but really, she tried to feel out the threads of the Force around her, examine and imitate how he could have thrown her aside so easily for the second time. Like reaching for the lightsaber, but reversed. It should be so simple, so intuitive …
But her concentration remained too unsteady, to rattled with fear and uncertainty, thoughts of Finn far away and enemies all too close. A heavy exhale signaled the end of a considerable effort, turned to a scoff as she snapped back. ] I've been alone all my life. I'm not the one scared by it. [ She looked down at where his arm still held her, as though accusing it of proving her point—that he was grasping so desperately for her, trying to steer her into some kind of connection because he was alone. ]
no subject
One day soon, you will find yourself in the jaws of death with no one beside you. With nothing but cold wind howling around you, and you will be sorry you allowed your arrogance to prevail.
[He shoves her away from him, out of the door. How could she be so correct about him, when they had only known one another for just a few too-close minutes among the Force? How had she managed to peel out of him something he barely knew about himself?
He hates her so keenly then. He hates how easily her intuition comes to her, how she doesn't need to claw for the understanding she craves, how the answers simply come to her and how she is so certain in spite of the fact that she is so untrained.
And then, he turns his back to keep himself from giving in to the base urge to follow. That's all he had ever been good at -- following, like a lost animal.]
Go.
puts a bow on this thread
Flung back out of the kitchen like a doll, she hovered for a moment in through the doorway, staring back at him, watching as his anger turned to a tangible thing, pulsating in the very air around him—or maybe she was only taking the Force for granted, and how it allowed her to register it so keenly. The heat of his anger billowed out like steam from inside the kitchen, but where Rey stood, she felt as frozen as she had in the wilderness of Starkiller Base.
Alone indeed. Distantly, she realized that her arm had bruised.
His back turned, and before he could think better of it Rey took three staggered steps back, turned, and ran down the hall, outside, until her legs wouldn't carry her anymore. Only when she was out of breath did she look behind her, panting, and affirm that she hadn't been followed, hunted down—again—like an animal. She couldn't fight him, not like she was now. But soon. Better to think of that than to consider that the struggle would not simply be to survive Kylo Ren. ]