Nosta

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The history of Nosta, an island in the Atlantic Ocean, can be traced to over a thousand years ago. However, it was only during the Age of Discovery that there were records of its existence. This island was used by pirates as a transfer port, leaving behind many legends of hidden treasures. After the Age of Exploration, Country A seized this island and built a prison on it to house criminals. As time passed, Nosta gradually faded away from existence. It wasn't until the Great Gold Heist from ten years ago that people remembered this ancient island. Recently, Pax has bought the development rights to Nosta.
	DAVIS: I believe Pax will be able to revitalize Nosta.

Nosta is a five-day journey from Stellis by cruise ship.

Regions

Forest

Nosta's forest region is largely wild and untouched. Known points of interest include:

• Tidelands - Muddy and prone to flooding during rainstorms
• Historical sites - huge stone statues are scattered about one historical site near a karst beach along a river in the forest region. A Rosetta-stone-like slab exists here as well, translating much of the Nosta language into Latin.
• Abandoned Cabin - deep in the forest, this cabin once belonged to Orson Barlow, a fisherman who was killed during the Great Gold Heist.
• Abandoned Archaeological Camp - left by a team of archaeologists from Nation A. Some materials and documents are still in place due to the very sudden withdrawal of the team.

Mountains

A suspension bridge over a river in Nosta's mountains

A cave ruin surrounded by blue fireflies

The mountain region is home to numerous caves and ruins. Known points of interest include:

• Ruins - many of Nosta's ruins are located in the mountain region.
  • Temple of Death - one of the largest ruins is a temple at a mountain peak dedicated to Nosta's God of Death. The temple is relatively well sealed, and the only entrance is a narrow floor-to-ceiling door only wide enough for one person. There is a life-sized statue of the God of Death on the north side of the central interior area of the temple.
• Caves - some are well-documented on the maps, while others are hidden; many have special features, such as underground rivers or unique species of firefly.
• Marsh - situated at the foot of the island's western mountains. This marsh only formed within the last 80 years, as it was not present on the previous map of the island drawn by an archaeological team in the 1950s.
• Maritime Prison - one of the island's abandoned prisons sits atop a mountain near the marsh.
• Dusk River - runs below the mountain prison

Abandoned Prisons

Nosta has few buildings aside from its prisons, which were built by Nation A during its occupation of the island. One such prison is on a mountain on the island. The prisons are still scattered with detritus, including boxes of stone relics and the skeletons of prisoners and guards who died there. The mountain prison in particular was built into the side of the mountain and has an escape tunnel for the guards leading into the mountain itself, running above the Dusk River.

Northern Island

There is one notable cultural site on Nosta's northern island: a karst cave with a scepter-like sculpture, where a mirage can be seen at sunrise.

Nosta Resort

Developed by Pax after their acquisition of the island's development rights, Nosta Resort, Nosta Resort Hotel, and Nosta Theme Park have become popular attractions. During the resort's soft opening, Pax operated dedicated flights to Nosta Resort, with the cabins decorated in the park's colors and mascot and travel costs partially paid.

Nosta Theme Park advertises and delivers the "thrill of danger" with its unique survival-style attractions. The park has been wildly popular since its soft opening, with tickets in high demand and resold for several times their value. Its most popular attraction is the "Dangerous Thrill: A Complete Immersion in Nature" canyon rafting experience. They also host attractions such as bungee jumping from an 80m cliff over the ocean, a stone forest labyrinth that requires deciphering, ancient prison castle, sea of flowers, and karst caves, with more on the way after the soft open.

Ecology

A butterfly on Nosta

Plants and animals known to reside on Nosta include:

• Nosta gull, a cautious sea bird
• Butterflies
• Large flying insects the size of a hand
• Fireflies with a unique blue glow, found only in a few caves on Nosta
• Noctiluca scintillans, a bioluminescent algae with a blue glow
• An herb with a refreshing scent which has juices especially suited to repel insects
• Starflowers, pale pink flowers hidden in a forest clearing
• Lavender, particularly an expansive field of the flower in the fprest
• An unnamed indigenous fruit with a hallucinogenic effect

Culture

Little is known about Nosta's ancient culture. The island's culture shows influences from both Greece and Egypt; one large ruin has a layout nearly identical to the Greek Temple of Athena. Nosta's language is heiroglyph-based, and a slab allowing for its translation into Latin exists at a historical site along the forest rivers. Further complicating the matter of external influence on Nosta's culture, translators who have studied the island have substituted Greek gods for Nosta's in translations, such as one poem to Nosta's God of Death being translated as dedicated to Hades instead.

Nosta's God of Death is depicted in a temple as a metallic statue with wings. It is said that he returns once every decade in the mid-summer dawn right after the full moon, and when the first ray of sun shines into the temple, he will show his followers the secret to eternal life with an incantation that appears on the statue. A person who recites this incantation while wielding the God of Death Scepter is meant to be able to gain immortality.

The "God of Death Scepter," however, is not a lost relic, but rather a scepter-shaped sculpture in a karst cave in Nosta's northern island, where a mirage can be seen at sunrise.

Romantic oaths were made at a stone slab inscribed with a prayer at a cave altar, and blue fireflies were considered the incarnation of a god, which only appeared if a supplicant's wish was sincere enough.

History

Nosta is an island with a thousand-year history, although detailed records only start at the Era of Navigation, when it was rumored to be a hub for pirates. Into the modern day, rumors abound of pirate treasure hidden on the island, although there have been many expeditions and other occupants of the island since that time which makes this unlikely.

After the Era of Navigation, Nation A occupied the island and constructed a maritime prison specifically for exiled prisoners. These prisoners are the ones who gave the island its current name of "Nosta," which meant "never to return home" in their language. Nation A adopted this name which, transliterated into their own language, is a word meaning "despair."

In the 1950s, a team of Nation A's best and brightest archaeologists conducted an expedition on the island, collecting old relics, drawing new maps, and documenting the remnants of Nosta culture extensively. The expedition came to a sudden end after six months, with several members of the team missing amid rumors of man-eating beasts.

Great Gold Heist

In 2020, a gang known as the Golden Lions robbed a gold escort vehicle and tried to escape abroad by sea. They stopped at Nosta to resupply, but they never left the island due to mutiny and betrayal. Rumors say that the single surviving gang member only knew where about 1/4 of the loot was hidden.

Current Development

The development rights for the previously deserted island were recently purchased by the Pax Group, which is building a lavish tourist resort and expedition-themed park. Pax celebrated the acquisition and promoted the island with a "Treasure Island" treasure hunt event with a five million dollar grand prize and a 24-karat gold commemorative badge for all participants who clear a coin collection goal.

Location Gallery

Occurrences
Lost Gold Story 04-05	Beach

Occurrences
Lost Gold Artem Investigation 02-03	Abandoned Cabin

Occurrences
Artem "Dreamful Melodies"	Cabin in the Forest

Occurrences
Lost Gold Marius Investigation 02-03	Abandoned Archaeological Camp

Occurrences
Lost Gold Marius Investigation 02-03

Occurrences
Lost Gold Story 04-02	Sea Ferry Room
Lost Gold Story 04-04	Base Camp Room
Lost Gold Story 04-05	Base Camp Room

Occurrences
Artem "Dreamful Melodies"	Campsite
Lost Gold Artem Investigation 03-04	Temporary Camp
Lost Gold Artem Investigation 03-05	Temporary Camp

Occurrences
Luke "Iridescent Heartbeat"	Hotel Lobby

Occurrences
Artem "Dreamful Melodies"	Flower Field
Lost Gold Artem Investigation 03-03	Outside the Cave
Lost Gold Luke Investigation 03-02	Mountain Field

Occurrences
Lost Gold Vyn Investigation 03-01	Abandoned Prison
Lost Gold Vyn Investigation 03-02	Abandoned Prison
Lost Gold Vyn Investigation 03-03	Abandoned Prison

Occurrences
Lost Gold Vyn Investigation 03-01	Abandoned Prison

Occurrences
Luke "Iridescent Heartbeat"	Sea Cave

Occurrences
Lost Gold Marius Investigation 02-05	Ruin Karst Cave
Lost Gold Marius Investigation 02-06	Ruin Karst Cave

Occurrences
Lost Gold Marius Investigation 03-02
Lost Gold Marius Investigation 03-03	Ancient Ruins

Occurrences
Lost Gold Marius Investigation 02-06	Ancient Ruins
Lost Gold Marius Investigation 03-01	Ancient Ruins
Lost Gold Marius Investigation 03-02	Ancient Ruins

Occurrences
Luke "Iridescent Heartbeat"	Nosta Theme Park

Occurrences
Luke "Iridescent Heartbeat"	Bungee Jumping Platform

Occurrences
Artem "Dreamful Melodies"	Woods