Intro Log || The Deep Breath Before The Plunge

[melodiesmods]

Characters: All the "Heroes of Light" (only new characters can start threads).
Where: Aqures Ixen.
When: The 5th of July. The new Heroes of Light will awaken early in the morning.
Summary: The new Heroes of Light awaken in Aqures Ixen and are informed by their assigned Moogles of what the situation and what their destinies are. This a log for them to react to the situation, meet each other and be welcomed by the former batches of Heroes of Light.
Warning: N/A.

Where you were or what you were doing— It does not really matter. Not any more. Within an instant, the world around you collapses. Reality twists and shatters... Or maybe you are the one who is collapsing and shattering away from reality as you knew it. No matter what the answer is, it will only take a few seconds for you to find yourself sinking into a void, your world vanishing into the distance. There is nothing but darkness as far as the eye can see. Even you feel different: all the powers you might once have had, are now gone. It is silent, cold and it feels as though life itself is slipping out of you.

At this moment, when it looks as though nothing but a never-ending void awaits you, a red Crystal forms before you. In this void, its warmth compels you to grab it. Upon doing so, you can hear a soft, soothing voice speaking:


"Wake up."

Soon, the void itself vanishes and is replaced by distant noises of engines. Had it all been nothing more than a dream? The soothing voice repeats its call one more time, but is soon replaced with a much less graceful "Wake up Kupo." Hand clutched on your Crystal, the call of the Moogle may finally wake you up. But you are no longer in your world, nor in the void. You are before the Crystal of Fire, in the third district of a city called Aqures Ixen. At this point, you may realize the engine noise actually originates from an Airship flying low over the city and headed to dock beneath the castle. As if it wasn't strange enough, your clothes have changed as well. They are now a reflection of the Jobs you are wielding. Last but not least, you are surrounded by Moogles, small and fluffy creatures who are more than happy to tell you about everything you want to know, about your 'destiny' as a Hero of Light, about what awaits you.

Or at least, they will tell you everything they do know, which isn't much in the end.

The only people around you are like you-- There are quite a few of them, all clothed in their Job garbs and most likely wondering what is happening. If somehow you do not realize it, the Moogle who woke you up will be more than happy to inform you there are others like you around. In fact, there are other Heroes who have arrived in the course of the past year and they will come soon! Like you, they have Jobs and a Crystal.

If asked, the Moogles will mention that the Heroes of Light - that is to say you - are fighting against time to save Crystallis from the Calamity that is about to awaken to devour the entire world. Well, that is if you don't die or crystallize first.


The Other Heroes
— Shortly Thereafter —
Thanks to the efficiency of Mognet, it does not take long for the other Heroes to come around: those who arrived in this world within the past year. You may have imagined heroic and charismatic figures when your Moogle told you that there were other Heroes of Light in this city. You may have imagined persons with fearsome powers when they told you about how they managed to push back the Empire and defeat gigantic beasts in the past. And more importantly, you may have imagined them as people who would have all the answers to your, doubtlessly, numerous questions.

If so, you may be up for a tragic disappointment. Still, for the most part they know more than you on the situation and may be more than happy to fill you in, especially if your Moogle didn't tell you much.


The City of Aqures Ixen
— Anytime —
With the Festival of Light nearing, there are a lot of folks working hard to set up the upcoming event! And besides this, there are a lot of things to do in the city for newcomers. Moogles are working hard in Mognet Office of the ninth district! Characters are also free to visit the city-- They can visit Airship Port in the twelfth district from where characters can board for free Airships from Shoopuf Airline. There is however the impression that everyone is on edge, and a lot more officers from the law enforcement in the streets. Why could it be...?

Or maybe you could visit your new house in the 11th District, and get to know your new neighbors and housemate. Hopefully your neighbors are people you will get along with.


The Laboratory
— Anytime —
A location where a lot of Heroes of Light seem to be gathering is Palitutu's Laboratory. It is a place where employed characters can research into various topics. It seems all the computer shut down recently, but the people working in the lab are restarting everything. The screens seem to indicate the "summoning process" is over and that the Crystal of Fire's energy level are dangerously. However, most importantly, characters can see a file with their name...

Should your character decide to go there and peek at their file, there are two possibilities. Either the file is corrupted and they cannot access it: too bad for them, but at least their life will remain a mystery. Or should you decide the file isn't corrupted, they will find a summary of their lives up to their canon point, as if written by a third-person omniscient narrator. On the column left to the text, to the top there is a portrait of them, and beneath it there is a 3D model of them. Said portrait and model can be switched to any year of their life. At the bottom there is a percentage, indicating 0%. On the right column, there are various links, most of which are grayed out. The clickable links lead to their Homeworld History and their future post-canon point history (corrupted file for unfinished canons).

At least, they can lock this file away if they don't want anyone to see it.

The Hospital
— Anytime —
Characters who have already been in Crystallis before do not wake up by the Crystal of Fire like everyone else. Instead, they will wake up in the Hospital of Aqures Ixen, in a room where there are over a hundred of other Heroes of Light like them-- Maybe even some familiar faces... Except they're all in Crystal Stasis.

A couple Moogles and a few nurses will be waiting by the room, and they will welcome all characters waking up. Upon exiting the room, they will also meet a lot of guards, and they all have for order to shoot anyone that comes out of this room without a Moogle. Hopefully you won't try running out without waiting for your Moogle. As for why the guards are so on edge, it might be a good idea to ask the other Heroes of Light about what happened last year.


Very Close Encounters of the Thirteenth Kind
— 14:00 —
Characters venturing by the Ninth District at this time will be able to see a most peculiar and unexpected sight. They will see a strange blue creature running after a Moogle, with the later looking particularly distressed. Before anyone could have a chance to react, the two of them entered a building... And a few minutes later, the blue creature could be seen emerging from the building, running away with a Kupo Nut in hand. In a surprising reversal, this time the Moogle is the one pursuing the blue creature. Needless to say, the Moogle looks furious at this turn of event.

Trying to pursue the blue creature will result in failure and it will disappear. What could it mean...?

Comments

[lostwisdom]

5th, The Other Heroes/The City of Aqures Ixen
When she'd heard what she could only assume was the crystal itself speaking, she jolted awake, nearly hitting the poor moogle that had been hovering over her in concern as it appeared she was sweating a bullet or a dozen. Red crystals talking to you typically was not good news, after all. Fortunately, she seemed to have calmed herself relatively quickly after a few shouts in a tongue that was deliberately foreign and likely held quite the plethora of elven curses.

Though, that didn't exactly put her confusion to ease. There was much to learn about this world and its plight, and until she learned exactly who she had to blame for this, she would hold back the anger that followed. She'd just solved a similar situation back home, damn it. Now this? She'd so been looking forward to the pastries Josephine had ordered from Val Royeaux, too...

For now, she needed to familiarize herself with the town. With her moogle companion having gone off to see if there were any more letters to deliver, she began wandering aimlessly, watching the crowds carefully. Both alert, and clearly disappointed in the lack of pastries (or even a small part of the celebratory food and wine, for that matter). The sheer number of those in uniform was rather cause for concern, though she could see why if the tale Falon shared of the recent murders was true.

Though if she found someone who didn't seem so busy, she approached them. "Pardon me, but could you point me in the direction of the 11th District?"

5th, The City (B-08)
Sharing a house wasn't too much of a change for Ellana, as she had grown accustomed to lodging with others in something other than a tent over the past few months. However, she wasn't exactly certain what the tastes of her new housemates would be--or even how old they were. So, after purchasing a bottle of wine, she was certain to purchase a small variety of baked goods. If none of them were old enough to drink, at least she'd have something for later.

"Hello?" She called, knocking on the front door before letting herself in. "Is anyone here?"

If not, she would at least leave the box of pastries on the table with a note:

Help yourself to the pastries! -Ellana Lavellan

6th, The Laboratory
"Fehendis." Came a quiet slur as the elven woman placed her partly-glowing, marked left hand to her temple as she gazed upon the screen of a machine that was all too foreign to her. Pen and ink she could handle, but computers were beyond her. Something that was likely made all the more obvious as she was typing with a single finger, trying to figure out exactly how it worked. Barkeep had told her to come here and see about reading the files, but she didn't want to impose on anyone.

"How does this function...?" It may as well be an ancient Dwarven dialect to her at this point.

Have a moogle for now. (Aquares Ixen, Other Heroes)

[bloodypast]

Ophelia was busy zipping around on her own errands, but well knew the look of newly-arrived Heroes of Light. Especially when they made it easier by asking for help too. Waiting for the newly arrived hero to be done with her current conversation, before approaching. Wings fluttering, red scarf trailing behind her.

"Excuse me kupo." Waiting to be acknowledged. "You're one of the newly arrived Heroes of Light,yes kupo?"

[lostwisdom]

Unfortunately, while she did get some directions from the local, they were otherwise rather unhelpful and, if she had to say it, reminded her of a certain nay-sayer. Feeling rather put off from the ordeal, she was about to walk off when she heard the moogle's verbal tick. Turning, she blinked once.

What a cute little red scarf...

"I am, yes." She admitted readily with a nod. There was no sense in pretending not to be, and she wasn't about to waste anyone's time doing so. "Ellana Lavellan, leader of the Inquisition... though I doubt that has much credence in a place like this."

[bloodypast]

Ophelia had read enough of all sorts of stories to get an idea of what an inquisition was, and it had her wings fluttering a bit faster in surprise and faint alarm. Then it sunk in this was a leader of an inquisition...

"Kupo!" It's kind of squeaked out, hands up to muffle it and failing as the words have sunk in. There's a hint of fear, before the moogle manages to calm herself. It's okay, there's people around, Ophelia is a native to this world and a moogle, she'll be fine.

"You--you're not here to start an inquisition are you kupo? We have enough trouble in this world."

[lostwisdom]

Well, that surprise certainly wasn't something she expected.

"Only if there is a need, though I highly doubt what my inquisition is isn't exactly what you're thinking of." She was good at reading others. One had to be when in power of a strong and far-reaching force, especially when being forced to play the Great Game. A good read on your fellow players and the situation was the only way to survive. Though moogles were still so different to her than a shem or Qunari. So hopefully her skill at the Game wouldn't fail her now.

[bloodypast]

It helped a bit, Ophelia taking another breath to calm herself more. "I'm not a hero kupo, but I don't think an inquisition would help. We have enough trouble with everyone disagreeing and being willing to point fingers as it is kupo."

Seems she's regained some of her courage at least.

[lostwisdom]

"Ma nuvenin. I will take your word on that." Though the flicker of amusement in her eyes couldn't be helped. "You needn't worry so, however. I have no true power to call for an inquisition here. Any sanction I had to do so was left in my world."

The more hilarious part was that was exactly why the inquisition had been called for. Well, that and a hole in the sky caused by a raving lunatic, but details. "However what you described sounds exactly what my Tuesday lineup is. ...Was, I suppose."

Lab

[has_been_faking]

"Need some help?"

A scruffy looking man who entered the lab can tell what the problem is - it wasn't too long ago that Ed was in the same spot she was only a few months back. Using the computers had take some getting used to, but thankfully he had Scholar to help him along with it.

Re: Lab

[lostwisdom]

"Yes," she admitted without much protest. "I fear these contraptions are beyond me."

Re: Lab

[has_been_faking]

"I'll be honest, I'm still new to computers myself, but I'm picking it up fast. Scholar is a great Job for that sorta thing."

He set his notebooks down at a different terminal, and walked up next to her.

"What is it you're trying to do?"

Re: Lab

[lostwisdom]

"Perhaps once I get my bearings, I'll look into that." Call her inquisitive (ha ha) at heart, but she always enjoyed learning new things. This device in particular, however, was growing rather frustrating. How does one simply recall where the particular letters on the "key board" are located and such nonsense?

She scoots over slightly to give the other more space to see the screen.

"I was hoping to locate the file on myself, as well as copies of these 'secret reports' I've heard so much about."

[has_been_faking]

"Okay, those I can show you. I only started working on the secret files myself. Stuff this Palitutu person left behind and we've been trying to decode and sort out."

With a few careful keystrokes, though, he gets to the main menu of the files on the Heroes. The vast majority of them have been locked, including the one of himself.

"But, your name should be on this list somewhere. You might want to take a look at it before locking it. It's... kinda disturbing how much dirt they have on us."

[lostwisdom]

"I see," she replied in response to both statements, carefully scrolling through the names. Though the latter also earns a small teasing smile. "Clearly you've never worked with a spymaster. My friend had dirt on holy women that would make a tavern wench blush."

Other Heroes

[nomorecowbell]

Nanami was out shopping, Hari (the moogle assigned for her) thoughtfully carrying parcels. She looked at the asker, trying to remember if she was familiar -- Hero or or one of the elezen from Mysidia. "The 11th District, why?"

Re: Other Heroes

[lostwisdom]

Ellana raised a single eyebrow, before shifting her weight with a sigh. She didn't really admitting she was new, but considering her moogle companion flew off in a hurry after convincing her the Crystal of Fire wasn't red lyrium, she didn't have much a choice. "I recently awakened here, and was told by my rather flustered companion to head there at some point."

Re: Other Heroes

[nomorecowbell]

"Did he tell you where? There's housing for heroes, but we've got assignments. People do trade, but a lot of the houses are full."

B-08

[sullenstallion]

"Hello!"

From behind Ellana there's a Moogle who wasn't there previously. Koporo had hidden himself away behind a chair when someone came in, and he only now reveals himself because it seems there's a New Hero here. With Dylas deciding not to leave the police department, he's been coming back to the house to use the room that's supposed to be his. It's nice to sneak in a nap before bringing him food and a change of clothes.

"There isn't anyone here right now, kupo. I'm not sneaking around, I'm just grabbing something for Dylas, kupo!"

He's boyish despite being an adult, like he'd rather play and work at the same time, unable to do just work. He's not alarmed by a new presence, and he seems happy to meet her beneath his ninja costume's veil.

Re: B-08

[lostwisdom]

"Dylas, is that one of the other residents of this house?" She asked out of curiosity. Honestly she doesn't really have anywhere to judge even if he is sneaking around. Oh, has she missed her Ring of Doubt and its invisibility incantation in the last few hours.

"I'm Ellana. What's your name, if I may ask?"

[sullenstallion]

"I am Koporo. As you can see, I am well-versed in the art and life of the Ninja job."

He gives a polite bow. Ninjas are the coolest, he must look so cool right now. If only he could get Dylas to try out the ninja job!

"He is assigned to this house, but he's in a holding cell right now and refuses to leave."

Wait. Maybe he shouldn't have said that. He fidgets, bringing his hands to his face and shaking a little.

"Um...um...he didn't really do anything wrong, though! He's just having a hard time right now!"

[lostwisdom]

"A ninja, huh." The word for the Job wasn't familiar to her, but judging by his garb, she made a guess that it was similar to a rogue skilled with dual dagger combat. A discipline she'd come to respect with Cole's constant disappearing act.

What he next says causes her to raise an eyebrow. Shifting her weight more to one side, she tilts her head. "He 'refuses to'?"

She won't judge just yet, but for a moment, she could almost feel the burning hum in her left hand that had disappeared since awakening here.

[sullenstallion]

"That's right! He's being melodr..."

Ah, he shouldn't say his assigned Hero is being too dramatic, that wouldn't be very nice of him. He fidgets, trying to think of a better way to describe it.

"It's like he's taking a vacation, kupo! Except in the wrong place, kupo."

Nailed it. That totally makes sense.

B-08

[sesenta]

The house was empty and silent in response to Ellana's call. That was because the sole occupant (who hadn't run off to the inn or died and got himself encased in crystal) was sitting alone in her room with the door closed, folded over her desk and sighing in a melancholy fashion. She missed Hisui. The murderer was still on the loose, too, after killing all those people. Akane had been so sure he'd been hiding as one of the corpses, but all she'd managed to do was make herself look unbalanced and crazy.

She really wasn't cut out to be a hero of any kind. But she'd known that long ago, hadn't she...?

Then she heard someone calling out, and she lifted her head out of her arms. Was that from outside? Inside? She turned her head to look at the calendar. July 5th.

...Oh! Newcomers! There were newcomers arriving on the 5th of every other month!

Akane bolted out of her chair and threw open the door, running to the top of the stairs. Sure enough, there was a woman setting out a box of pastries and writing a note. She smiled. Well, now her brother wouldn't have to worry about Akane living alone with a boy. And if the lady brought treats, she was probably nice too.

"Good morning!" she called out brightly, her spirits perked up as she trotted down the stairs. "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention, I didn't know anyone was going to be moving in today. I'm Akane," she introduced herself, reaching the bottom of the steps safely without falling on top of anybody. "One of our housemates won't be back for a few more days, and the other decided he'd rather stay at the inn. So you get your own room," she offered helpfully. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

Re: B-08

[lostwisdom]

Ellana sighed as she began writing the note, and was about half-way done when she heard footsteps from above to the side. Was someone here after all, or was it simply another moogle? No, that made no sense--the ones she'd seen tended to fly over walk on their paws.

She looked up from quill pen and paper, smiling at the younger human. "Good morning. I can assure you I wasn't aware of it until around an hour ago, either." She'd just gotten used to having an actual bed of her own, let alone a spacious apartment on the top of the highest tower of her a castle. This quaint house was... much less intimidating.

"I'm Ellana. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Akane."
Placing the quill back down, she shook her head. "I do not have anything besides these and my staff, but if you'd like to help yourself to the pastries, feel free."

[sesenta]

"That's always the hardest part, starting out with nothing but the clothes on your back and new skills and spells you definitely didn't have before!" Akane beamed. Ellana seemed like a very nice lady, polite and elegant. Akane made a note to herself to be extra polite and respectful whenever she could.

She nodded her thanks, picking out a whorl of flaky dough with a spoonful of berry jam in the middle. "Thank you very much. They look delicious! And they're portable too!"

An unusual quality to praise, but she did have something in mind.

"Would you like me to show you around the marketplace, so we can pick up some toiletries and other basics you might like to have? Or would you like me to show you around the house first?"

Laboratory

[scriptrix]

[Levy spends a lot of time in the labs, and while she wasn't all that familiar with computers when she got here, she's dealt with enough Ancient technology by now that she can operate one without much hassle. So when she sees a person she doesn't recognize struggling with one, she comes right over with a friendly smile.]

Do you need some help with that?