Stars of the Nashira Mods (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
nashiramods) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
thenashira2025-04-27 04:55 pm
nashiramods) wrote in thenashira2025-04-27 04:55 pm
Episode 0: Nova Knights, Awaken!
You lead a more or less ordinary life in the bustling Chalra City. Maybe you’ve got it made, maybe you’ve had to struggle for everything, but for better or worse, this is the world you live in, and it’s the only world you know.
But sometime in the last two weeks of April 2377, that changes. One day you feel something stir in you — perhaps it comes to you in a dream, or you have a waking vision that comes with a thundering sense of deja vu — and in the back of your mind, you hear a voice that sounds very much like your own, uttering a wish with its dying breath. A moment later, there's a brilliant flash of light, and you now hold in your hand a phone charm you've never seen before...but something about it feels familiar.
Within the next twenty-four hours, you receive a mysterious text message from the sender NAUTIS. If you don't have a cell phone, it will be sent to any personal electronics you have on you — mp3 player, virtual pet, game console, whatever. If you've got nothing on you, it will instead be sent to the nearest electronic device. And it will follow you.
> Congratulations! You have awoken to your destiny as a Nova Knight, a warrior destined to fight evil ^_^
> I'm Nautis, your super-smart computer companion, and now that you're awake, I'm here to help!
> That phone charm will allow you to channel your magical power ♪
> Just try shouting "Supernova, shine on!"
If you show some sign of hesitation or ignore her entirely, Nautis will keep on messaging you until you do. Blocking the sender seems to do nothing, and the longer you ignore her, the more unpleasant she will be. No one leaves Nautis on read!
> Don't believe me? Try it out for yourself! ^_^
> Go on. I know you really want to. I bet you do.
> Can't you feel it calling to you? Don't you feel a yearning in your heart?
> Just in case you forgot, you're a Nova Knight destined to save the world ^_^ You can use that transformation charm any time!
> Hey, you're not ignoring my messages, are you?
> I literally just told you about your special destiny and you're ignoring me >:(
> Don't you want to know how it feels? Don't you want to feel powerful?
> Ready to go supernova? The city won't save itself.
> I guess you don't care if the world ends u_u That's OK! Live your life. What's left of it, anyway.
Maybe you tried transforming. Maybe you just kept ignoring Nautis's messages. Maybe you even met another Nova Knight or encountered a monster for the first time. But at the end of April, you receive a different message from Nautis, this one much more urgent in tone:
> SOS! SOS! My sensors are detecting some strange readings...it must be the work of the enemy!
> You have to get to Lucky Stars Arcade ASAP! Innocent people's lives are in danger!
> Only the Nova Knights can save them!
For one reason or another, you feel compelled to answer the call, and when you arrive, you aren't alone — seven other Nova Knights stand with you. Maybe you've already met some of them, but this is the first time you've all assembled in one place.
Once you're on the scene, you discover that something truly out of this world is happening: somehow, characters from the arcade's games have come to life and are terrorizing the patrons. All manner of pixel-rendered menaces are trying to capture the people at the arcade, from retro ghosts to kung fu masters, and only you have the power to help. Your powers easily disperse them, but before long, the real threat shows its face...a monster that has assumed the form of Ramsey, the boss of the famously poorly-localized game Bleat Fighter 3. Unlike the other threats, your individual powers barely make a dent in his visible health bar, and then the fight takes a turn for the worse.
I can't let this end here!
You hear a voice cry out in your heart, and somehow, without thinking, you and your fellow Nova Knights pool all of your power together in a blazing ring of light that shoots out to envelop Ramsey, and he dissipates into the night like the rest of the enemies. None of you has any idea how it happened, but maybe you can figure out how to do it again.
Before you have a chance to think much further than that, you find yourself suddenly transported to what looks like the inside of a spaceship, facing a massive computer console built into one wall. The broad screen at the center displays a very large ^_^ in pink text and the computer console introduces herself as Nautis, the originator of the expository text messages. She's warped you here, the remnants of a spaceship that crashed on Earth centuries ago, to tell you everything you need to know about being a Nova Knight.
> Hello, Nova Knights! Excellent work defeating that monster (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧ I'm glad to see you all made it safely!
> I'm sure there's a lot on your minds ^_^ I'll try to explain everything in order, so please be patient and save any questions for the end of the presentation.
> First things first! All of you are reincarnations of the passengers of the ship you're standing in, the Nashira. Eons ago, the original Nova Knights were all once the last survivors of the planet Hassaleh. It was once a beautiful place full of life and magic, but it was consumed by a cosmic evil known as the Abyss, which left it only a hollow, twisted version of itself, now dead and barren.
> So, yeah. That means you used to be an alien. It's not weird so don't think too hard about it!
Nautis goes on to explain that even after fleeing Hassaleh, the Abyss pursued the Nashira, not content until its conquest was complete. For seven years the Nova Knights ran until it was clear that they could not outrun the Abyss, and they instead chose to face it head-on in their last stand. By combining their power and channeling it into the Star Map, one of the few holy artifacts that had been rescued from the Ocean Temple, they were able to seal away the Abyss in its entirety, though at great cost — when it was all over, the last survivors of Hassaleh were no more, and the Star Map was in tatters.
In their final moments, Nautis captured the essences of every Nova Knight and all the fragments of the Star Map, and though the ship was mostly destroyed in the battle, part of the deck that contained the core computer system remained intact and drifted through space for countless centuries. It eventually crash landed on Earth hundreds of years before the founding Chalra City, where Nautis's systems remained dormant...until her sensors detected the presence of the Abyss for the first time in a very long time.
> And that's when I woke up! I sent out a magic pulse to awaken any reincarnated Nova Knights in the area, and here you all are now ^_^
> Let me tell you, though, Earth is pretty different from Hassaleh! I can't believe I crash landed on a non-magical planet :/ How do people here even live?
> Those charms will allow you to temporarily channel the powers of your past lives. You may be weak at first, but as you fight, you'll grow in power ( • ̀ω•́ )੭ ✧´-
> Unfortunately, though, it seems like the impact from the crash landing caused my emergency encryption contingency to activate. That's to keep any important information from falling into enemy hands if my core system is out of commission, but it means it'll take some decrypting before I can access all of it u_u
> It also seems like when I sent out the awakening call, the pieces of the Star Map I was storing got loose (๑><๑)۶ ☆ My bad, hehe!
> If we have any chance of defeating the Abyss again, we'll need to collect all 7 pieces. I'm still recovering the data that will allow me to locate them, but we MUST prevent them falling into enemy hands at all costs!
> I'm not sure how the Abyss was released, but it's already begun its invasion of Earth. Just like last time, it needs mortal agents to enact its will, and they're already here.
> We don't know much about them, let alone what they look like, so you must always be on your guard! However, these Harbingers of the Abyss are the source of the monster sightings and strange events that have been popping up all over the city.
> It is of the utmost importance that you keep your identities secret! If the Harbingers find out who you really are, they could go after your friends and family TToTT
> Your magic provides some help in obscuring your identity, but you must never let a civilian see you transform!
After this extraordinary exposition dump, Nautis teaches everyone how to access the hideout again (input a secret code into the Bleat Fighter 3 cabinet and touch your charm to the joystick) before warping you all back to your homes or another non-hideout location of your choice. Have fun being alone with your thoughts after this!
But sometime in the last two weeks of April 2377, that changes. One day you feel something stir in you — perhaps it comes to you in a dream, or you have a waking vision that comes with a thundering sense of deja vu — and in the back of your mind, you hear a voice that sounds very much like your own, uttering a wish with its dying breath. A moment later, there's a brilliant flash of light, and you now hold in your hand a phone charm you've never seen before...but something about it feels familiar.
Within the next twenty-four hours, you receive a mysterious text message from the sender NAUTIS. If you don't have a cell phone, it will be sent to any personal electronics you have on you — mp3 player, virtual pet, game console, whatever. If you've got nothing on you, it will instead be sent to the nearest electronic device. And it will follow you.
> Congratulations! You have awoken to your destiny as a Nova Knight, a warrior destined to fight evil ^_^
> I'm Nautis, your super-smart computer companion, and now that you're awake, I'm here to help!
> That phone charm will allow you to channel your magical power ♪
> Just try shouting "Supernova, shine on!"
If you show some sign of hesitation or ignore her entirely, Nautis will keep on messaging you until you do. Blocking the sender seems to do nothing, and the longer you ignore her, the more unpleasant she will be. No one leaves Nautis on read!
Some messages you may receive if you ignore Nautis, in order of increasing pass agg
> Don't believe me? Try it out for yourself! ^_^
> Go on. I know you really want to. I bet you do.
> Can't you feel it calling to you? Don't you feel a yearning in your heart?
> Just in case you forgot, you're a Nova Knight destined to save the world ^_^ You can use that transformation charm any time!
> Hey, you're not ignoring my messages, are you?
> I literally just told you about your special destiny and you're ignoring me >:(
> Don't you want to know how it feels? Don't you want to feel powerful?
> Ready to go supernova? The city won't save itself.
> I guess you don't care if the world ends u_u That's OK! Live your life. What's left of it, anyway.
Maybe you tried transforming. Maybe you just kept ignoring Nautis's messages. Maybe you even met another Nova Knight or encountered a monster for the first time. But at the end of April, you receive a different message from Nautis, this one much more urgent in tone:
> SOS! SOS! My sensors are detecting some strange readings...it must be the work of the enemy!
> You have to get to Lucky Stars Arcade ASAP! Innocent people's lives are in danger!
> Only the Nova Knights can save them!
For one reason or another, you feel compelled to answer the call, and when you arrive, you aren't alone — seven other Nova Knights stand with you. Maybe you've already met some of them, but this is the first time you've all assembled in one place.
Once you're on the scene, you discover that something truly out of this world is happening: somehow, characters from the arcade's games have come to life and are terrorizing the patrons. All manner of pixel-rendered menaces are trying to capture the people at the arcade, from retro ghosts to kung fu masters, and only you have the power to help. Your powers easily disperse them, but before long, the real threat shows its face...a monster that has assumed the form of Ramsey, the boss of the famously poorly-localized game Bleat Fighter 3. Unlike the other threats, your individual powers barely make a dent in his visible health bar, and then the fight takes a turn for the worse.
I can't let this end here!
You hear a voice cry out in your heart, and somehow, without thinking, you and your fellow Nova Knights pool all of your power together in a blazing ring of light that shoots out to envelop Ramsey, and he dissipates into the night like the rest of the enemies. None of you has any idea how it happened, but maybe you can figure out how to do it again.
Before you have a chance to think much further than that, you find yourself suddenly transported to what looks like the inside of a spaceship, facing a massive computer console built into one wall. The broad screen at the center displays a very large ^_^ in pink text and the computer console introduces herself as Nautis, the originator of the expository text messages. She's warped you here, the remnants of a spaceship that crashed on Earth centuries ago, to tell you everything you need to know about being a Nova Knight.
> Hello, Nova Knights! Excellent work defeating that monster (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧ I'm glad to see you all made it safely!
> I'm sure there's a lot on your minds ^_^ I'll try to explain everything in order, so please be patient and save any questions for the end of the presentation.
> First things first! All of you are reincarnations of the passengers of the ship you're standing in, the Nashira. Eons ago, the original Nova Knights were all once the last survivors of the planet Hassaleh. It was once a beautiful place full of life and magic, but it was consumed by a cosmic evil known as the Abyss, which left it only a hollow, twisted version of itself, now dead and barren.
> So, yeah. That means you used to be an alien. It's not weird so don't think too hard about it!
Nautis goes on to explain that even after fleeing Hassaleh, the Abyss pursued the Nashira, not content until its conquest was complete. For seven years the Nova Knights ran until it was clear that they could not outrun the Abyss, and they instead chose to face it head-on in their last stand. By combining their power and channeling it into the Star Map, one of the few holy artifacts that had been rescued from the Ocean Temple, they were able to seal away the Abyss in its entirety, though at great cost — when it was all over, the last survivors of Hassaleh were no more, and the Star Map was in tatters.
In their final moments, Nautis captured the essences of every Nova Knight and all the fragments of the Star Map, and though the ship was mostly destroyed in the battle, part of the deck that contained the core computer system remained intact and drifted through space for countless centuries. It eventually crash landed on Earth hundreds of years before the founding Chalra City, where Nautis's systems remained dormant...until her sensors detected the presence of the Abyss for the first time in a very long time.
> And that's when I woke up! I sent out a magic pulse to awaken any reincarnated Nova Knights in the area, and here you all are now ^_^
> Let me tell you, though, Earth is pretty different from Hassaleh! I can't believe I crash landed on a non-magical planet :/ How do people here even live?
> Those charms will allow you to temporarily channel the powers of your past lives. You may be weak at first, but as you fight, you'll grow in power ( • ̀ω•́ )੭ ✧´-
> Unfortunately, though, it seems like the impact from the crash landing caused my emergency encryption contingency to activate. That's to keep any important information from falling into enemy hands if my core system is out of commission, but it means it'll take some decrypting before I can access all of it u_u
> It also seems like when I sent out the awakening call, the pieces of the Star Map I was storing got loose (๑><๑)۶ ☆ My bad, hehe!
> If we have any chance of defeating the Abyss again, we'll need to collect all 7 pieces. I'm still recovering the data that will allow me to locate them, but we MUST prevent them falling into enemy hands at all costs!
> I'm not sure how the Abyss was released, but it's already begun its invasion of Earth. Just like last time, it needs mortal agents to enact its will, and they're already here.
> We don't know much about them, let alone what they look like, so you must always be on your guard! However, these Harbingers of the Abyss are the source of the monster sightings and strange events that have been popping up all over the city.
> It is of the utmost importance that you keep your identities secret! If the Harbingers find out who you really are, they could go after your friends and family TToTT
> Your magic provides some help in obscuring your identity, but you must never let a civilian see you transform!
After this extraordinary exposition dump, Nautis teaches everyone how to access the hideout again (input a secret code into the Bleat Fighter 3 cabinet and touch your charm to the joystick) before warping you all back to your homes or another non-hideout location of your choice. Have fun being alone with your thoughts after this!
QUESTIONS
no subject
No. I have not felt yearning since Danno kicked my yearning organ in 2375.
Re: QUESTIONS
-- So awakening is a separate trigger from the first transformation. And we know that persons in Eclipse (though, of course, no PC begins in eclipse) have a hard time going supernova at all. Does such prevent awakening, as well?
the reason I ask is that I consistently think about how like... in magical girl shows so often the later girls have to have a personal revelation before accessing magical girlness or getting mid-season upgrades.
My immediate thought is that like. Natalia's spent 4-5 weeks in Chalra, she's getting on her feet, she's still extremely suspicious of everyone, this is textbook eclipse behavior
but... she's a hero. She really always has been. If she has to reach for the stars to stop someone else from getting hurt, she'll do it
also I'm in love with the image of her charm suddenly lighting up after spending so long dull and grey and her hand closing over it with like star imagery in a dramatic moment where someone appears to be genuinely in trouble and there's no other option but to try
(after this she gets down to business fighting stray monsters around the place, because she's Natalia Koutolika, she's heroic, she's just. super in oofsville rn)
but I'm not sure it's compatible with the facts here.
-- Speaking of, what archetype is Ramsey? asking for a friend
-- Are there any other students with an interest in athletics I should know about?
Re: QUESTIONS
- In the setting of this game, eclipse is a phenomenon specific to (awakened) Nova Knights, so it's not something that could prevent awakening. Think of it as a status effect specific to Nova Knights.
- Being in eclipse doesn't make it harder to go supernova, but it does cut off your access to Star Suite powers, i.e. powers that can be used jointly with other Nova Knights or that draws on the power of their bonds.
While I see where you're coming from with Natalia, being in eclipse is more than just being down on yourself or fatalistic in outlook -- it's a dramatic dip into a character being the worst version of themselves and acting on their worst impulses, an episodic phenomenon that happens to people with some kind of catalyst (the fallout of failing a mission, for instance, or having a relationship with another Nova Knight sour to the point of confrontation, etc. you know. The Drama).
Rest assured however that there WILL be plenty of opportunities for characters to magically and/or character-wise level up as a result of character development in game, including going into/coming out of eclipse! If you want this reflected mechanically somehow, that's an excellent time to buy a new power or a magical accessory with reward points. And if you would like to have Natalia's charm light up or change form in any way later on, you can also do that at your discretion!
(If I misunderstood the spirit of your question at any point here, just let me know.)
2) Ramsey is 100% a rushdown character.
3) As far as NPCs go, currently no one of note, but I am making a note of this as a potential hook for Natalia.
Re: QUESTIONS
But that really helps with characterization in re: what Eclipse actually is.