Introduction Log || It's Happening Again (Again!)

[eternitymods]

Who: All characters (New Arrivals, Previous Arrivals, and Native OCs) When: June 5th Where: The Dream Width (Airship), the Curti Center, and the Housing District What: It is happening again. More outworlders have arrived in the Dream Width and must be rescued and brought back to their new homes on Vaikuntha Warnings/Notes: Only new players can put up a toplevel. Previous arrivals and native characters can respond to new characters' toplevel posts. MEMORY [ You've been here before...? No, wait, why would you think that? You're here in the moment, everything is as it should be...(?) The memory you are trapped in has completely enthralled you. You stop questioning and accept, you relive and repeat. Luckily, you are not alone. Others have arrived to help you. The travelers in the airships will enter the nebula formed by your memories and attempt to wake you up and bring you back to the present. The dreamer's mind will shape how these newcomers are perceived and how the NPCs in the memory respond to them. For more details on the mechanics, please refer to this post] ARRIVAL [ You wake from your dreams, from your memories, on a narrow cot. There are fleeting impressions- recycled air, humming machinery, movement, strangers waking around you. The room you wake in is lined with cots, with barely enough space between them to walk to the door, though not all of them show signs of having been occupied. The makeshift infirmary seems like it was prepared to hold many more than are here. Stepping out, there is a lobby space that bears the signs of having once held some furniture, now cleared away to make space. Your footsteps echo in the emptiness. As the automatic door slides shut on the infirmary, a light flashes on the far side of the room. A flickering holographic projection of a man’s face and gloved hand appears projected in the space above the arrivals’ heads. He backs up so his upper body is in frame for the recording. An arm, covered in the same orange flightsuit sleeve, hands him a tablet. The man begins to read. A written version of the message scrolls along the bottom of the projection as he speaks. ] ’Welcome travelers’… That’s way too formal. Hey everyone. Hi! [ The second man leans into the frame to add his greeting. ] Don’t panic. You were floating out there, but we pulled you in and rescued you. Yeah, we’re heroic AND handsome. And also the only ones crazy enough to come out here to get you. [ A woman’s voice calls from out of frame. ] Can you two be serious for ONE moment and stick to your scripts? [ The two men give each other a conspiratorial eyeroll. This does not appear to be their first take. ] Anyways, no need to panic. Seriously, don’t do anything reckless. We got our fill of that with Skywalker. [A huff is heard offscreen, and the men finally spare the tablet another glance.] ‘Your pilots will be navigating treacherous environs as this message plays…’ Claire, seriously? Nobody talks like this! [ The tablet is tossed to the side and lands with a thunk offscreen. ] We’re gonna wing it. Look, everyone, we’re workin’ hard to get you planetside safely, and it’s gonna take some tricky flying to do it. So the door to the cockpit is locked so we can focus on not getting us all killed. Don’t try to open it, unless you want to be stardust. We promise you’ll get answers about what’s going on once we land. But for now, please trust us. Right now, we’re your only hope. [ The second man leans forward, close to the recording device, and presses a button. The projection freezes for a moment, and then the message starts on the next recorded message. ] CURTI CENTER [ Finally after hours of flight, you arrive at the Curti Center. The other NPCs await you having been notified of your retrieval in the Dream Width. Cid gives a short and to the point welcome speech, explaining what the situation is: you were lost in a space called the Dream Width. You are now on a planet called Vaikuntha: for ages, the people of this world have used Airships to rescue people lost in the Dream Width, with one person being found roughly every ten years. No one knows why this happens, but this has been a mutually beneficial exchange, with the people from Vaikutha rescuing people lost in the Dream Width and the rescued ones sharing their wisdom with the people of Vaikuntha. Ten years ago, something unusual happened: two people were found at once, Biggs and Wedge. But that was nothing compared to what happened two months ago. And now, here you are. No one knows why such a large number of people has arriving lately, but the Curti Center is a place dedicated to piercing the Dream Width's secrets. Cid also introduces the other ones: his assistant Jessie, a young woman fascinated by the new arrivals, Claire, the woman sighing and writing in her schedule book upon being pointed out as the bookkeeper, Kupoto and Mogaruru, their Mognet representatives and finally the Native OCs: those brave and kind souls who have accepted to help you all on a daily basis. After Cid finishes (and Claire grumbles at her work never being done), the employees, including the Native OCs, provide a tour of the facility and help the newcomers navigate their future lives. Now is the time to ask questions and look over pamphlets regarding locations, Jobs, life in Vaikuntha... ] [ If you want to contact an NPC, you can do so on the NPC Contact Page. ] A BALL OF FLUFF NAMED MOOGLE [ It has been a long day, perhaps now you would like to find your way to a place to sleep? Or perhaps you'd like to get some answers, but you can't be bothered to go seek people out? And lo, just as despair begins settles in, a Moogle slams into you! Or stops by your side if their aim is decent... It's the Moogle Cid mentioned in his speech earlier! And they'll be informing you that now, they will stick to you like your shadow and help you in anyway they can! They're also giving you your iMog Slate- Now you can get onto Mognet! Isn't it great? ] A QUICK CHECK-UP [ Whether it's your Moogle, Native OCs or NPCs, all will urge you to stop by the hospital wing for a basic check-up. You may disagree, but listen. You've just been thrown into a space between worlds, rescued, and brought to another world. For your own sake, that's a good idea. Should you give in and go (or should you be dragged by your Moogle or a Native OC), you will find yourself in the cold and white space very reminiscent of an hospital. For characters with specific medical conditions necessitating help, this is where they will receive it if asked. The doctors and nurses are all White Mages or Chemists, with various levels into their Job as well as medical knowledge. Don't mind the confused looks if you look like nothing they've ever seen before... It's hard for a doctor to be unable to give a proper diagnosis to a patient! For everyone else though, they'll be let go with smiles and be given a candy as they leave. No one likes medical check-ups, but it's a very quick and basic one: testing reflexes, taking your temperature and the likes. On the bright side, while you're grumpily sitting on a bed with a thermometer on your forehead or in your mouth, it might be a good time to socialize with your fellow new arrival who's having lights flashed into their eyes by a doctor. Misery loves company, after all. ] PRETTY SIGHTS [ There's plenty of rooms to wander about in, with several points of interest apart from the offices. The Airship Hangar is where the airships are kept and the first room you entered. Workers keep guard to prevent the outworlders from getting too close to the vehicles. Airships are expensive and they don't want you messing with them, after all. Venturing into the Research Section, you can walk through public exhibitions on astronomy, airship design, and asterisk studies. A good place to get used to the basic science of this world. The laboratories lie behind a thick locked door with a sign reading "EMPLOYEES ONLY". No going there, for now anyway. Not too far from there are the Employee Quarters - work stations, apartments, and lounge areas. The latter are available to the public, whereas the rest is locked to Native OCs. But if you get them to be friends with you, perhaps they'll let you visit? Also open to all is a Cafeteria - a standard food court with stalls serving all types of Vaikunthan cuisine. The Chef is a very jovial and absent-minded Hypello. Beware of long lines and crowded tables. Should you prefer open spaces, then the gardens are for you! There are different sections in the gardens around the center. One boasts a wide array of blooming flowers, another more practical with herbs commonly used in Vaikunthan cooking. One had been cultivated for butterflies and hummingbirds to visit. Paths have been laid through so that visitors can safely navigate, and moogles will swoop down and shout at anyone who strays into the flower beds. Or perhaps, you want to wait till the sunset. Dusk on a new world, but a beginning of a new life... The sea shines bright in the orange light. A good moment for quiet contemplation. ] HOUSING [The housing accommodations are the best the Curti staff could provide, given that they are still also sheltering most of the previous arrivals from the Dream Width. The keys have been entrusted to the moogles who will be guiding the new arrivals. The new arrivals can stop by the Curti Center storage room to collect some essential supplies that have been donated by charity organizations from around the world (there are boxes of toothbrushes and whitening toothpaste sent from the Zora, hair brushes from the Elezen, quick-drying towels from the Hypello, among the various donations of clothes, toiletries, and blankets), before heading to their temporary homes. The people of Vaikuntha have done their best to provide for their new neighbors and help them get on their feet. Still, things will be a little cramped until the off-worlders can find employment and move into better housing. The staff hopes they can get along with one another until alternate arrangements can be made. You can survive living with roommates for a few months, right?] THE JOB FOR YOU [An important part of life on Vaikuntha is the Job (or Jobs) you choose to take. No, not the way you earn your living. Your Job Class. Most Natives only choose one or two, but you'll have an opportunity to take on more Job Asterisks after you master your first Jobs. The Curti Center's resident Job Master, Ganeshan, is more than happy to arrange transportation to the various Guilds so that you can claim your first Asterisks. ]

Comments

[nanaimo_bar]

"In both my world and this one, we divine the direction of the stars, looking for signs and portents. Fortune and favor but skywatchers also keep a lookout for those who might endanger a settlement." said Nanamo. "The Astrologians of this world seek fortune and cards, and summon the astral forces."

[hatejakku]

Whoa, what? He had heard about the Astrologian job but didn't think that much of it. Nothing like what she claims. Not that he doubts her, though.

His eyes widen a margin, and he looks back at the exhibit, trying to discern something entirely different from them. "You can tell the future from looking at stars? You can even get power from them?"

Isn't that how Starkiller functioned? Power from a nearby star? Is it like that?

[nanaimo_bar]

"Yes, although divining the power of the stars is a different job here than it is in my homeland." said Nanamo with a little smile. "Here, Astrologians call upon the Major Arcana to increase your allies potency, and asking the stars to place a boon upon those who you bless with magical healing."

"In my world it is similar, in that you can shield and heal, regenerate and call upon the stars for healing and guidance."

[hatejakku]

"Like the Force," he says and then realizes most people here don't know what that is. "Er, magic, I mean. The stars are a source of magic.

"That's... pretty incredible. I can't imagine how that could be possible."

[nanaimo_bar]

"It is very similar yes," said Nanamo with a little smile.

"This world seems to have its own rules to define and govern what goes on in the world. I suppose your Force is similar to magical ability."

[hatejakku]

"From what I've seen of magic, it's the closest description. You can't make fire with it, though. You just-..." He pauses and laughs a little. "You move rocks.

"My name's Finn. It's a pleasure to meet you."

[nanaimo_bar]

"Geokinesis? That's a trait I have yet to see," said Nanamo with a little laugh as well.

"Nanamo Ul Namo, you can call me Nanamo. If you see Papashan around, my moogle, he will often call me your Grace, a title I do not require right now."

[hatejakku]

"O-Oh." Valli, his Moogle buddy, is also good with name-calling. Though, hers are a bit more negative... "He sounds polite, at least. Is that supposed to be... a future title?"

[nanaimo_bar]

"It's actually a current title. On my world, I rule the City-State of Ul'dah, a desert nation surrounded by mineral wealth and commerce. Though here, I am a simple adventurer who volunteers in between tour guide work." said Nanamo with a smile.

[hatejakku]

... Huh. Finn smiled back and decided he liked her a lot. "That's really interesting. I've spent time in a desert once. I'd love to hear how it could be developed into a wealthy nation someday." Because that sounds like serious work, minerals and commerce or not. A desert's a desert.

"I've only just arrived. Have you been here awhile?"

[nanaimo_bar]

"It takes a lot of dedication and work to build a nation," said Nanamo with a nod. "I can tell you more about my land if you wish."

"Two months," replied Nanamo. "I've been here two months actually."

[hatejakku]

"That sounds great. Your home already sounds interesting." Finn smiles at the offer, then nods. "I've run into a lot of people who arrived two months ago. Makes you wonder what's going to happen a couple of months from now..."

[nanaimo_bar]

"Then I will answer questions about Ul'dah and it's people." said Nanamo with a wide smile.

"Indeed," she added. "If it takes two weeks to organize a dive into the Dream Width, then perhaps then we can expect regular arrivals from now on."

[hatejakku]

"But how do people even arrive? They can't just appear there, right?" But he's mostly talking out loud rather than wanting actual answers. It's possible that no one here knows considering the special conditions of the Dream Width.

So Finn shakes his head. "Ul'dah. What are the people like? Is it a nice place?"

[nanaimo_bar]

"According to those who have arrived previous, we become Lost in the Dream Width. It seems to be a inter-world area outside, close to the edge of the planet's atmosphere."

That much she knew after all.

"Ul'dah is the jewel in the desert, one of the surviving cities since the ancient eras. From there, the Ul family has ruled over it, given rise to the weaving of fabrics, jewelcrafts and other tradeskills. Our motto is for Coin and Country, although some take Coin more seriously than Country. However, there are many good people there in Ul'dah, and we had taken in refugees from Ala Mhigo when it was conquered twenty years ago."

[hatejakku]

Inter-world area... That gives him a thought. But he ignores it for now in favor of listening.

"That doesn't sound half bad, to be honest. How long has it been there? You said since the ancient eras?" There's not much in the way of history where he's from.

[nanaimo_bar]

"Yes, at least three, four Eras. There used to be another nation called Bel'dah but it fell due to Black Magic running rampant and a meteor nearly striking the land," said Nanamo. "There's a lot of lost magical powers since that time."

[hatejakku]

"Your planet survived a meteor getting that close?" Wow.

He thinks on all that for a moment. "Where I'm from, written history doesn't go back very far. It's incredible that your people documented different eras, especially after losing a nation like that." Though, he's not very surprised about Black Magic wiping a place off the map. Sounds familiar.

[nanaimo_bar]

"According the ancient records, the mage Shatotto created the strongest spell and veered it off it's course. So far, records have been scarce but legible when we dig them out of the ruins of the city." said Nanamo with a nod.

"We know the general history of our world, but many eras are almost lost to history. The most prominent one is the Ancient Allags of the Third Astral Era. They were however brought to ruin, Allag vanishing overnight."

[hatejakku]

"Overnight? How could that happen?" Well, he can guess but not in the kind of world she's describing. "An attack?"

Also, Finn finds himself really into this. It's a place he doesn't know and will never see but fascinating nonetheless.

[nanaimo_bar]

"It's still unknown, but Ancient Allag ended abruptly, ushering a new Umbral Age. Since then, we've yet to gain insight into their end." said Nanamo. "Although there are some historians who are in the belief that it was internal."

[hatejakku]

Finn thinks about it and nods. "That sounds like a good theory, but it's almost impossible to know the truth, huh? I'm sorry. I know how that can be frustrating."

[nanaimo_bar]

"It is, considering a lot of old Allag problems keep happening in our timeframe," said Nanamo with a shake of her head.

"Pray where did you hail from?"

[hatejakku]

"Another galaxy," he answers. The galaxy has no name that he's ever heard of anyway.

"I was in a, uh... militant group, so we traveled a lot between planets. I've since left them and-... I guess I've just been around." He finds it really sucks to not be able to answer that question simply. He is definitely not going to say Starkiller, just in case.

"My friends and I are trying to find a new home right now. Or we were when I arrived here."

[nanaimo_bar]

"A new home. Yes, I can understand that," said Nanamo. "I'm glad you seem to be in a better place right now. It makes sense for you to relax a little here."