Entry tags:

audio; locked from [name]

( Well, looks like all hell's breaking loose, doesn't it? Time to hope all their preparations have been good for something. Kate doesn't particularly like this method of disclosing the safe zone given the fact that the Null have managed to get into the network before, but it remains the most convenient way of sending out a bulletin. )

If you can't fight, there's a safe zone near the Colosseum. It's protected by The Door. Sucks to get through. Wouldn't recommend short stays.

( But, hey, what's that saying about begging and choosing? )

If you can, keep an eye out for disoriented Null around there. Easy pickings.

( And, without another word, Kate's out. )

( OOC: this OOC comment explains the safe zone a little better, and the location has been noted on the wonderful map Nate's player made! )

Entry tags:

video;

[Once Ignis finds his way out of the coliseum he gingerly, with one hand out in front of him, walks until he finds the side of a building and stands quietly with his palm flat against it for several seconds. Then, with the other hand, he checks through his pockets. One phone is familiar, and the other is not.

He pulls it free and examines the shape, and memories ten years forgotten come back in a rush through the initial fog of confusion, tearing his breath away from his lungs in a sharp gasp.]

Hadriel. [He murmurs across the edge of an indrawn breath, and he fumbles through dusty recollections as he slides his thumb over the screen of the phone until he hears a confirming beep.]

This is-- This is Ignis Scientia. [His voice is low and assured after the first brief stumble, for as much as his fingers are shaking. He could have been gone for days, or months... or even years. Would there be anyone left to remember who he is?] I would appreciate someone telling me how long I've been gone, and... where in the city I am relative to the coliseum.

[Briefly, the transmission flicks to video and the camera pans around. He's quite close to spire four, though not beside it.]

I'm afraid I lack the ability to accurately confirm it for myself.

[Then, the camera pans up to his face. Older - by about ten years - and heavily scarred. Behind the dark glass of his shades, his eyes are pale and glassy. He gives a wry smile.]

As you can see.

Entry tags:

video;

Shigeru Miyata is absolutely one of the best here, I have to say.

[ Oh, what's that? Some hope in the middle of your...er, hope event? The Inquisitor seems to be feeling some positive emotion, at least, as she appears over the video feed and flashes the screen a cheeky grin. ]

And all the others who helped me handily, ha...to return to a better time in my life. Taako, Alphys, DiMA, and I'm sure there've been others. Hang on, now -

[ Ta-da! Cecily puts the device between her knees so she can show off two hands again, neither bearing the damning mark of the anchor, and both wiggling their fingers gleefully. ]

I don't want to think too much about how I've just gone through regrowing an arm, but I do want to say that I'm happy to announce we've no longer got an upcoming war problem as I am back to my original and terrible strength. So, I've got this parting gift for our friends the Null...

[ And she uses her two hands to flip off the camera with another big grin before she (admittedly, after fumbling somewhat) shuts off the recording. ]

Entry tags:

fourteen ✤ voice

I have a request.

This may already be common knowledge, but the creatures that attacked you on this world are in fact what remains of our original host species. I thought they were all dead - we all did. Thanks to the efforts of some of you, we now know there are some still alive, and that they were cruelly experimented on and damaged by the Null.

I cannot allow them to continue as they are, in pain and lashing out around them. I ask that you capture them, as humanely and gently as possible, and bring them to my temple. I have created a place for them to live below it, and I will be able to heal them there. Once they're in my proximity, they should no longer be violent.

We will be leaving this world soon. I must save as many of them as I can. Though they attacked you, they're blameless in all of this, and they have always been a non-violent species. They attacked out of fear and pain.

I know that you will not wish to help me for no reason, so for each of the hosts you are able to bring me, I will grant you either a blessing or a gift of another kind, if it's within my power.

Thank you.

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6 ☄ audio

Hey, guys.

[Tranquility sounds tired, worn out, a little defeated.]

Thanks for coming for me. That's not how I would've wanted it to go down, but... well, I'm here now. And at least Delight started fighting for us again there at the end. Everything she did, as bad as some of it was, was to try to keep us safe in her own misguided way.

I'm gonna miss her.

Anyway, we're kind of in a crappy position now. The Null are almost certainly gonna track her essence, the parts that ended up here. So we've gotta move, but we're running out of options and time. They've killed one of us already, and they were going to kill me. We've gotta decide how we want to play this. Your lives are on the line here, too, just as much as ours. Maybe more.

Wherever we go, the Null are gonna find us sooner or later. It kinda comes down to whether we want to try to strike against them first, or whether we want to find a more defensive location and shore up, wait for them to come to us. We have a few different options in terms of locations, some of which we've been to before and some we haven't. Thanks to a bunch of you guys, I have a lot of information about where the Null forces are, which places will be less safe or more safe, so take that into consideration.

There's a file attached to this with the info I've collected from you, and from what we already knew. Take a look at it - or don't, I'm not the boss of you - and let us know where you want to go.

Poll #21535

This poll is closed.
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 50

View Respondents

Where should we move to?

View Answers

the Null planet
10 (20.0%)

the jungle planet
31 (62.0%)

the ice planet
3 (6.0%)

the desert planet
1 (2.0%)

the island planet
5 (10.0%)

[Each character's phone will download the world information file as soon as they read Tranquility's post.]

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❅ Seventeen (Text)

Have you ever been in love?

(This is asked late one night and it might seem frivolous with the current concerns hovering over the populace of Hadriel. Yet Sansa believes love is important no matter how long someone lives - or where they are imprisoned. Besides, she had a taste of love recently and it's a frightening - and exhilarating - change of scenery for her.)

Can it last?

Entry tags:

☢ text

Hey everybody. Me and some people from the lab caught a host. This actually happened a couple weeks ago but we've uh been busy.

We were going to collect some data and do some testing and crap on it but it freaked out on us as soon as we got it into the cage. Between that and the info Nate and his team found I thought it was best to just uh send it straight over to Hope.

We did soooort of manage to communicate with it first? Not me. That was all Shigeru and Alphys. Seems like they can only communicate through like... Telepathic emotions? It's bizarre. Never seen anything like it. The gist of what we got is that they're scared of us. Go figure.

It was super thrilled when we took it to Hope though. They make these little squeaking noises when they're happy? It's great. It had a sort of godlike effect in that everyone could feel it being happy once we got it into the temple.

Anyway we let it go and I guess it's gonna try to spread the good news about Hadriel not being full of total assholes. If you see any more of these guys, don't attack them. They're only lashing out because they don't know what to make of us. Hell maybe the attacks will stop now that we've communicated with one.

Oh we do have a way to track down the host again should that become relevant. I'm not broadcasting more than that because no offense I don't trust everyone in town not to hunt down the hosts and mess with them. They've been through enough. But if you have good intentions stop by the lab and we might be able to help you out. We also still have all the equipment we used to catch them and if more come into town and start attacking people we could try to catch the hostile ones and point them in Hope's direction.

That's about it I guess? Wait no one more thing we took a selfie lol.

[He attaches a picture of the whole group huddled around a happy, flailing host. Hope and Sorrow are presumably standing off to the side and judging our weird human traditions but maybe that's just the way their faces look idk if they're actually there.]

So yeah hit me with questions if you have them. Everyone who helped out with this: feel free to weigh in too. Thanks guys.

[ooc: Big thank you to the players of the characters involved! That'd be George, Michael, Scott, Alphys, Cecily, Cashmere, Steak, Red Wine, Shigeru, Rosen, Sora, and Riku! Like Newt says above, all of you feel free to chime in with responses to this post!

Also, ICly Newt and the others don't yet know that Hope is gonna ask everyone to round up the hosts later in the month, but this is gonna be an open call to anyone who would like to get in on Host Capture Round Two once Hope does announce that. I won't do another network post for that, so feel free to use this post as incentive to hit up Newt/the rest of the team to join the party.

AND FINALLY here's the OOC info!]

Entry tags:

Video 1

[the video opens with a sixteen year old girl who is doing her best to appear self-assured and confident. she's in armor and she's sitting ramrod straight in a plain, wooden chair. she takes a deep breath and speaks]

Hello. My name is Lady Mariane Cousland and I'm looking for sparring partners. I use a sword and dagger, but I'm willing to fight with any kind of swordsman. Or swordswoman.

I'm also willing to teach others to fight, so please let me know if you'd be interested in that.

[she looks away from the camera briefly, as though debating with herself whether or not to say anything more]

Any responses would be very much appreciated. Thank you.

Entry tags:

— text; maybe i'm the only one who survived

( Life gets in the way a lot at Hadriel, between events and polls and everything else, but eventually, Kate and Lup manage to follow up on their talks and discuss the story of the invasion. And all the people who don’t know, or don’t know enough.

For so much information, text is probably better, she thinks. )

Know a lot of you probably haven’t heard everything about the invasion and how it happened. You should, especially now.

( Which means it’s time for a Hadriel history lesson. Strap in, kids. )

We were brought here when Hadriel was still underground. Hope revived the other gods. We didn’t know what the Null were, or that they existed. Didn’t even know that Fear was teleporting the city each time. Or that the city was being pursued. Hope revived Love and something went wrong during the teleport. City got split in half, one half stuck dealing with the Null trying to get in.

Think that’s when Delight made a deal with the Null. Said it was to let us go in exchange for Hope’s life and the energy of the other gods. She gave them access to the network and information on the underground sites and movements.

( And here’s where Kate’s story has to involve some amount of hearsay, because she was immediately branded a danger to the Null’s plot. She’s still proud of that, but it might be easier to let Lup explain, since she actually got to interact with the Null there, however briefly. )

yo what up its ur girl lup here for hadriel storytime
long story short
the null contacted us outta the blue w their own lil personal hitlist
a group of hadriel folks they wanted to see put into the ground
promised to give us a god killing weapon or some shit
natch folks werent too happy w that
especially when there were kids on the hitlist
actual children that a bunch of dumb robutts thought were some kind of threat
so folks fucking rebelled the null got even more agro
and i guess thats when they decided to take shit into their own hands and come after us themselves

People were defending Hope’s temple. That’s when we found out Delight was the traitor. She killed most of the people there. Tried to kill Hope.

The Null invaded. Destroyed the original clinic and guard buildings. The library. The power generator. Hope was nearly killed. Sorrow was killed. Took using the monsters in the tunnels outside the city and from the fog zone to help us fight off the number of Null that were coming at us.

it was shit
absolute shit from all sides

( Kate pauses before adding to this, because she can’t ignore the personal side to all of this. She’d been on that list from the start. The Null were very specifically looking for her, and Delight had tried to have her hide in her temple, tried to keep her safe. )

Her decision killed a lot of people. Would have been permanent if Hope wasn’t protected by people here. Gods captured Delight during the attack. They asked us to vote on what to do with her. Locking her up won.

the whole point of this is the null cant be fucking trusted
the end
they dont get more chances after trying to murder us all before
trying to meet their demands or playing nice is gonna end in bloodshed all over again
u can fucking quote me on that one
they want the turbo liches dead and theyll cut thru all of us to get to them
delight fucked us all over sure but doing anything but attacking rn is a stupid move

( And, while that is the jist of it, Kate knows there’s other things to be said. That other people will remember other details, or have explanations about what happened to them personally during all of this, so she tacks on: )

If you’ve got something to add, do so.

Entry tags:

015✖; (text)

speakeasy/game room's a bit understaffed lately with the few losses we've had.

could use some extra hands if anyone wants to help out with either or both floors.

jobs including but not limited to:

- managing bar/game room
- bartending special drinks for philistines who have no idea what good taste is
- bouncers in case some motherfucker tries to wreck the place (going to need people capable of throwing someone out on their ass)
- music maybe?
- helping me distill the shit people drink here so you all dont dry out my supply

thats all thanks bye

[On that note, she'll just be attaching a handy signup form and... hope for the best.]

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voice;

I know we've all got lots to think about, what with another change of scenery coming very soon, so I'll keep this brief. If there is anyone here who...is mechanically-minded, then I would very much like to speak with you. Someone who might be able to build-...

[ Cecily sounds deeply uncomfortable, so rather than explain further, she makes a dismissive noise and exhales. ]

Please do let me know. ...And thank you.

Entry tags:

❅ Thirteen (Video)

So a new land awaits us. (She is trying to take the next move in stride, but this one will be harder for her.) I didn't know I would love the sea as much as I do. I think I've walked the beaches every day - except when a storm was upon us. I've become quite good at swimming too.

What use will any of that be in a jungle or on ice?

(However this is Hadriel's nature and it might be worse than all the monsters and other random beasts.)

If I leave behind remembrances for those who have journeyed home, will they remain in our absence? Or will this land crumble to nothing in our wake?

Entry tags:

013✖; (audio)

[A heavy sigh is the first thing that can be heard before Rey speaks: She doesn't normally like talking this much, but having seen a number of those who lack experience in toughing it in harsh conditions won't bode well for the inevitable move.]

"Think there're a few things that we should discuss among ourselves before our relocation. Regardless of where we end up, it won't be a vacation. You can kiss any ideas of a Caribbean getaway in a jungle, but the fact of the matter is that we're going to end up in both the ice planet and jungle eventually. People should know how to survive in both."

[Some might recognize it when she's channeling that firm tone, like a commanding officer. It isn't something Rey lets surface often.]

"Jungles provide a fuckload of threats we've never dealt with before, and that's native animals and insects that we have no clue how to handle. Shit that can spread disease if you don't know what to be on the lookout for. Water could be contaminated with parasites and predators. Plants could be poisonous or result in allergic reactions. There're hundreds of factors that could potentially snuff you or give you a world of hurt, and that's not including heatstroke.

"Below freezing conditions are also a bitch, but can be easier to combat than you'd think. Can provide some old Russian remedies at the Speakeasy to help cope with the climate -- we'll also need to tailor proper suits and clothing, too. Extreme cold is no fucking joke, obviously. We'll probably be fine in the city, but if anyone wants to go and check out those embassies then you want to be ready for that shit."

[Pause.]

"Lastly, it'd be better that we keep everyone up to date on how to fight the Null and what their weaknesses are, as well as being properly equipped to handle them. Rage's bows and arrows and swords are useless as a nun's tits against synthetics, so it'll be up to us to be prepared. Destroying bastards like those comes as second nature to something like me--" [Oops, sorry Rey's friends and fam, but old habits die hard when she gets into this mode.] "--so if anyone is looking for training and information on how to kick their asses, you can find me at the Speakeasy."

Entry tags:

❅ Twelve (Video)

(For her efforts in the Colosseum, Sansa is sporting a nice purple bruise on her cheek and a split lip. But you should see the other guy...er...Ogre.)

I am, as ever, impressed by the creative manner in which Hadriel welcomes new residents. (Her mannerisms and voice are a bit stiff, suggesting she probably feels otherwise.) Has anyone been keeping a log of the monsters we've encountered? I don't know what purpose it would serve beyond helping us be more prepared should we encounter them a second time.

(She winces and reaches down to hold one of her sides.)

My memory has never failed me, but I'm not an artist. If pictures could be drawn depicting the beasts then we need not know their names specifically.

(While her pet names for some of the foes are colorful and sometimes amusing, a picture is worth - Well, you get it.)

Of course if this is a project that has already been undertaken, ignore what I said and instead, direct me to the information gathered, please?

Entry tags:

[audio]

[In the past, Nick has usually left this kind of information either to be shared by someone else, or found out gradually out of respect for those who've gone missing; however, given who it is who vanished this time, his position within the Guard, and his time within and dedication to the city, he figures he'd best say something. Henry deserves that.]

For those who knew him, Henry Percy is gone.

[A small pause. For all they knew, he could be back in a week, in a month, in a year... or not at all.]

Guardsmen, you're reporting to me for now.

[And a quiet sigh. He's not sure how he feels about that weight on his shoulders. Hell, he wasn't sure when he was appointed to the co-head of the organization. Guess he'd better figure it out now.]

That's all.

[Click.]

Entry tags:

voice;

Can those out exploring the oceans receive messages from the islands? If so, have a safe and lovely trip, and try to stay out of the water: I'm not sure I want to imagine what lives down there, but I doubt it's anything friendly. [ There's a small, stained pause. ] And... if Aren Brosca is still out there, somehow, please let your housemates know when you'll be returning home. Pup seems to miss his other, furry friend.

[ It's been so long since she's heard from the Warden, though, that Cecily can only imagine Aren has long since gone home. Another from Thedas, come and gone. ]

... For those still on land, it's gotten a bit too quiet for me. If anyone is on the Westernmost island, or can make their way there, I'd love a game of Wicked Grace. I've gone through the rules before, but that was some time ago, now: I'd be happy to relay them again.

[ Best to distract with cards and some drinks, right? ... Right. ]

Look for the enormous, slobbering beast, and I should be somewhere nearby.

Entry tags:

text; locked to all guardsmen

[Since it's far more efficient than contacting everyone individually, on the 13th all guardsmen are treated to a small reminder over the network:]

Guardsmen, if you are going to sea do not forget to inform either myself or Nick.

[In HQ a list of guardsmen who are at sea will be posted on the wall. Presently, it reads: Curufin, Fingon, Glacius, Jon, Maglor, Sonya.]

Entry tags:

video;

Evening. Inqui-... dammit. Cecily Trevelyan here with a request, which, I know, must be such a surprise. I also know there's quite a lot going on at the moment, what with the [ there's a vague hand gesture here ] everything, but I also think this is fairly important.

[ Ahem. ]

Some of you might remember the memorial garden, once maintained by Sharon Da Silva and Glacius. I've taken over for Sharon since her disappearance, but now that Hadriel has been thoroughly splintered, I'm a ways off from the place. Far enough that I can't exactly care for it, what with the... limited number of boats.

[ Get on that, gods. ]

Right, so, if anyone on the - Northeastern most, I think, island can find the garden right off from the forest, I would really appreciate you tending to it. I imagine I'm not the only one who has memories of others living there.

Speaking of: Glacius, if you're out there, do let me know if you find someone closer to the place than I am.

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2.6/ text/ maybe my heart's not made of stone

filtered from Carlisle;

Someone want to tell me how to make a phylactery?

Entry tags:

second spell [video]

[The camera opens up on two near identical elves, sitting shoulder to shoulder. If the denizens of Hadriel remember their last address on the network, this one seems rather tame in comparison (possibly because one of them isn’t a skeleton this time), but they’re still grinning wide. Then again, the last one didn’t start with absolute chaos either. The both of them slide their eyes towards each other, and then in tandem flip some bangs from their faces, grinning directly at the screen.]

Helloooo, Hadriel!

[That can’t be the start of anything good.]

You’re on with the twins, and today, we’re here to grace you with our expertise.

So as the most attractive people in the city, we get asked, uh, pretty much all the time to help out with people’s looks.

Most of y’all are basically hopeless, but we’re givers.

And because we’re, uh, basically the most generous people ever, today we’ve got a special event for the masses.

[Their eyes flick to each other once again before they both ring out in a singsong tone,]

SMASH OR PASS!

[Did that shatter someone’s device speakers? Probably.]

Rules are real simple. You comment. We rate. One to ten.

Couldn’t be easier. You clowns are real lucky to have us. You can come get your assigned hotness level and never have to wonder where you stand in the world ever again.

Also, scores are final. Unless you do some real good sucking up.

Ew, Taako. This is a family friendly broadcast. Keep it PG.

Not that kind, jeez. Sounds like you’re the one who’s thinkin’ about it.

Nope, nope, nope. Double yuck. Not even going there. Anyway, like, comment, and subscribe--

-- If you wanna see more primo twins content from the best duo in Hadriel.

[They both throw up peace signs, Taako sticking his tongue out to really cheese it, and the feed cuts.]

[ooc: Taako is blue, Lup is red, both of them are purple! Specify if you want one or the other because the default is both with a three-way thread! Also, please never think it's too late or too full to tag this. Please get in on the bullshit.]