melodiesoflife | Intro Log || The Return of the Heroes

Entry tags:

Intro Log || The Return of the Heroes

Characters: All the "Heroes of Light" (only new characters can start threads).
Where: Aqures Ixen.
When: The 5th of September. 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. It marks the first time since January that Heroes of Light have appeared in Aqures Ixen.
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 city was recently attacked by the Heran Empire and nearly destroyed by Ultima Weapon. What's the Heran Empire? What's Ultima Weapon? Better to ask to the heroes who saw it all.

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 fiercely battled each other past month. 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 recent attack, Aqures Ixen is under reconstruction. The city was saved for the most part, but there are ruined buildings, the Sixth District is nothing but wasteland now and the Thirteenth District has become a graveyard. Even so, there are a lot of things left to do in the city for newcomers. A few groups of Triple Triad players are playing before Mognet Office in the ninth district, mostly Moogles as many of them are not working after what happened. And of course, they are more than happy to teach the rule to anyone passing by. Characters are free to enter and play games of Triple Triad, and if they do so they will be given very basic cards and explained the rules. This may be the start of a promising career!

Characters are also free to visit the city-- Mognet Office just behind the Triple Triad games is filled with Moogles, most of them panicked, tired, busy or slacking now that their director has disappeared. They can also visit Airship Port in the twelfth district from where characters can board for free Airships from Shoopuf Airline-- Though they have to make a request 48 hours in before to do so.

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.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind
— 19:00 —
Characters venturing by the city's outskirts at this specific time will be able to see a most peculiar sight: a flying saucer seemingly abducting a cow before flying away and disappearing into the sky without leaving any traces of its presence. If your character do see it, hopefully there will be someone with them. Otherwise, nobody will believe their story.

Was it an UFO or just a hallucination? Only the future will tell...

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"It's got an interesting history," admitted the Adventurer as he tilted his head in thought.

"The industrialization sounds like the Garlean Empire. They've done a lot to rediscover and build new technologies, some of which aren't very good but others, well, they were brought to Eorzea by Cid, our benefactor back home and leader of the Garlond Works. They specialize in mechanics, machinery and magitek devices too, fueled by ceruleum which is a kind of fuel created by processing crystals found everywhere."

Cloud couldn't help but frown. Empires. Magitek. Cid. "Your Garlean Empire sounds a lot like the Heran Empire here." It wasn't the first time the strange coincidences between certain worlds struck Cloud. He didn't really know what they meant, but he made a note of them when they came up. He didn't have any proof that it was important, but maybe their worlds were 'closer' to this one somehow.

"And Ceruleum sounds a bit like Mako. What was the Garlean Empire doing in your world before you wound up here?"

"Well I won't lie, they're the source of about 90% of our problems back home. They were rapidly industrializing, making advances in weapons and machinery, and then one of their Legatuses called Dalamud the Red Moon atop everyone calling it Project Meteor."

He grimaced. Even his name was a reminder of this.

Cloud just nodded as he listened. It definitely seemed reminiscent of the Heran Empire and he'd be lying if he didn't hear shades of ShinRa too. He took pride in the work he did for them but he wasn't blind to how things were in Midgar. Or how all the country towns depended on them for their livelihood.

Corporation. Empire. What's the difference?

But then the Warrior had to mention the M word.

"M-Meteor?"

"Project Meteor. Dropping the moon on our heads and unleashing the sealed primal Bahamut. My namesake. I am named after this project, even though it is but a coincidence."

He ducked a flying hammer. Oh hi there curse.

"Bahamut destroyed the world, and I myself was lost for five years in a time void until the world healed."

Cloud had to dodge the hammer as well. He gawped at it before turning back to the Adventurer. "Wow...I see. There's legends about Bahamut in my world but mostly he's just known as a really strong red materia we can use. Another thing our worlds have in common..."

Which meant there was probably a Bahamut here too.

"In my world, the Allagan Empire of the Third Astral Era, slew Bahamut, the original one. In pain, his lover Tiamat, summoned a shade of him which went out of control. Then, the Allagans captured him, and used him as a source of power."

He shook his head. "It's a dark era even if the Third Astral Era did so much we are just rediscovering now."

Cloud just nodded. This was starting to go over his head. "I don't know about my world, but there's some mysterious Ancients in this world too and the Calamity is connected to them. The Heroes who have been working on being Scholars know more than I do about that."

"So Scholars are historians in this world I take it?" asked Meteor curiously. "They are tacticians in my world, usually paired with a warrior or a paladin."

"Something like that. It's one of the jobs we can use here." He just shrugged a bit. He respected those who took that path but he was a soldier back home. Fighting was what he was good at. Or at least it's what he felt comfortable doing.

"How curious. They are very good at healing mind you, and cleansing of toxins from the body in the heat of battle back home." He had never actually heard of a Scholar not being in a party. Healers were short to come by.

"Huh, so more like the white mages here? We don't really have magic medicine back home. I mean there's different kinds of Materia that can be used for that. But anyone can use them. When it comes down to a big injury though you still need a doctor."

"That's right, although scholars are a branch from the Arcanist class of study. Which is mathematics and tactics rather than healing." He shrugged a little.

"Doctors are well in supply in Eorzea, although many of them are Conjurers of nature. Conjury is the skill of asking nature to come help clean and cleanse wounds and revive fallen friends from defeat. It cannot outright resurrect, but we can revive from a state close to it."

"I see. I guess magic is a lot more involved in your world. Or maybe there are just more people studying it."

"It seems to be." Admitted Meteor with a shrug. "We have our things you cannot do without hard work but at the same time, there are also a lot of reliance on the Conjury of Gridania."

"And are they like ShinRa? Do they exploit everyone's need for them?"

"I cannot say for certain, but there is a limit to what the Conjurers can do. If nature does not will the use of its natural healing, then healing someone forbidden by the elements can result in angering them. I cannot say I profess to know exactly how this plays, but..." He shook his head. "There is a chance that someone may be denied healing by magical needs. It has happened before."

"Huh...I see..." That did sound pretty complicated. He was glad things weren't like that here. Still, access to restorative materia back home could be limited through a few means, so it wasn't that out there.

"Which is why I'm surprised that White Magic is so common here too," he added. "There are a lot of things that I am surprised are commonplace here."

"I think that's true for a lot of the Heroes here. But the thing some worlds have in common are interesting too."

"Indeed." Looking over at the house, he grinned a little. "It has been a while since I had a place to live. Normally I am on the go all the time too."

"Yeah...sorry, I guess I held you up for a while. Go check out your new place. Hopefully mine will be fixed soon." It was nearly there but there was a lot to be rebuilt and Cloud volunteered to let his be delayed in favor of other places. He could stay at the observatory in the meantime.

"That's fine. I can help out with repairs after all. I have done some work on carpentry before," said Meteor, offering his help after all.

"Check around town. I'm sure there's a few projects that could use another hand. My house will get done when it's done."

"Sounds good to me. I think I'll do that."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Intro Log || The Return of the Heroes

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