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etrayalogs2024-08-09 10:32 am
etrayamods) wrote in etrayalogs2024-08-09 10:32 am
MISSION 004 WRAP-UP
WHO: Everyone!
WHEN: August 9th and going forward
WHERE: Returning to Etraya
WHAT: End of Mission 004 Log
NOTES\WARNINGS: N/A
WHEN: August 9th and going forward
WHERE: Returning to Etraya
WHAT: End of Mission 004 Log
NOTES\WARNINGS: N/A
 ⏵ there's no place like home ⏴ On the morning of August 9th, every Etrayan’s earpiece receives a message from Eos: FAIL or PASS in big, bold letters with no further context. Players are free to choose which response their character gets; if they were able to go through Moorecroft without letting on that they were from Etraya, or another city bubble in general, they will receive a PASS. Those whose identities as Etrayans were spoiled, will get a FAIL. This response has no bearing on whether or not they participated in the midnight breakouts, nor what condition they’ve managed to get themselves into. It wouldn’t be the first time some kids from Moorecroft tore up the town looking for answers, even if it is the first time in a while they’ve managed to get as far as they had and cause as much damage as they have. Regardless, any responses sent to Eos will bounce right back to the original sender, with a RECEIVER UNAVAILABLE error: it seems that, shortly after sending through their results, all of those from Etraya have been disconnected from Eos’ network, and reconnected to Aurora’s by the friendly companion bots stepping through another portal in the middle of Moorecroft’s park. They’ll offer waves of their hands, and usher everyone back to Etraya proper. They’ll offer explanations similar to what Aurora would give to newcomers arriving to those who were dropped in with Eos, as well as offer to assist them in getting settled in Etraya. The companion bots will allow Etrayans to step through the portal with items they can carry, minus the smaller android babies. If they insist, it will be explained to them that, much like the companion bots native to Etraya, these babies are meant to assist newcomers in settling, and they cannot take them from Eos. Welcome home. At the very least, everything looks normal on this side.  ⏵ whispered secrets of the night ⏴ Or it seems normal enough. While previous excursions outside of Etraya have featured environmental changes, the city bubble now appears exactly as it had before everyone left. Buildings stand as pristine as ever, animals have been fed and cared for, and everyone is invited to return to their homes for a quick rest. But as you meander through the familiar streets and over bridges, an unsettling stillness clings to the air. The usual sounds of Etraya–the rustling of leaves, the chirping of birds, and the chatter from the companion bots– feel slightly off. Shadows stretch a little too long, lingering in the corners of your vision, and the light, although warm, seems to cast an unnatural tint over everything. It’s as if the city itself had been holding its breath in everyone’s absence. As days pass, the eerie stillness begins to ebb. The animals gradually resume their usual activities, and companion bots return to their routines, chatting with Etrayans as they wander the city and help set up new facilities. Yet despite the return of normalcy, a sense of unease lingers. The city feels different as if it’s been touched by something while you were away. There are no curfews on Etraya, unlike Moorecroft, but those who wander in the dark may be unable to help but notice that it almost feels as if something is watching you, waiting for you to let your guard down. Etraya appears to be the same, but something has changed, shifted. And it’s only a matter of time before that change reveals itself. Those who wander outside at night during their first several days back will feel like they are being watched, but will be unable to find what is watching them, regardless of the method they use to try and discern what it is.  ⏵ sea la vie ⏴ The companion bots, seemingly oblivious to any lingering unease, appear to be in full vacation mode. They spend a significant amount of time on the two small, sandy islands that are just south of the hospital, setting up for what looks like the perfect beach day. Chairs are arranged in neat rows, colorful towels are spread out across the sand, and a small shack has been built just off the side of the bridge that offers swimsuits and any other beach-related item that they could need - or most of them! The narrow river means surfboards are out of the question; instead, the bots provide massive tube floaties, perfect for lazily drifting down the currents.  ⏵ polaroid pandemonium ⏴ At each table, two envelopes sit in front of two chairs, each containing a collection of photos. These images capture significant moments from your history - events you may have forgotten or ones that have shaped who you are. On the back of each envelope, instructions for the task await: discuss the moment featured in the photo with your partner, and share what it means to you. Whether it’s a memory of a terrible ordeal, or one of your happiest times with your loved ones. The choice to participate is yours; however, Aurora and the companion bots make it clear that your place at the table is pre-reserved whether you show up or not - meaning, your photos may still be viewed by others, even if you decide not to show up. This log marks the end of their visit to Moorecroft! Characters return to Etraya on August 9th regardless of what shenanigans they were getting up to within the other city bubble. We'll be following up with the mission: breakout threads, as well as continuing to follow through with NPC threads and provide further information for those still participating in plotting. For any questions relating to the contents of this log, please use the mod queries thread. All other questions can be directed to the FAQ. |
no subject
Yet he lets that question linger in the air for a beat, before he speaks in that soft, accented voice of his.]
No. Would I require aught, you would not be up to the task.
[Awful presumptuous, but the steady measure of his words despite the lilt of his Scandinavian accent boasts of his assurance of that conclusion.]
no subject
Are you sure? I might surprise you. Personally, I'm in a near constant state of amazement at the capacities of our fellow travellers.
[ His smile is more sharp than affable, but there's no real hostility there. It's more like someone stepping up to bat, a kind of ready enthusiasm braced with youthful self-assurance. ]
What is it you think you might require that's so definitively out of my league?
no subject
You are young, it is of no surprise that you should find wonder in the unfamiliar.
[There are some here that do intrigue him, though he cares little to admit such to Krouse.]
As for the matter of what I may require, you are but a boy, arrogant and foolish by the looks of it. But even you should know you alone are not possessed of the ability to achieve what we have been promised, should we prove ourselves worthy to our warden.
[Barnabas blinks his gaze to the waters and the waves as they gently crest against the beach.]
Short of that, I require naught at all.
no subject
The guy's not wrong, strictly speaking. It's just that usually Krouse has to do a little more to demonstrate that before people start saying it to his face. ]
Portentous. [ He says, laughter infused in his tone without quite cresting into the noise itself. ] And you have that all figured out with one look? What gave me away? I'm always up for a little constructive criticism.
no subject
[He keeps his eyes on the water, seemingly uninterested in even looking at Krouse. He's just kind of a dismissive dick like that.]
If you like not the assessment, then prove otherwise.
no subject
We're a little short on immediate challenges, don't you think?
[ Even if he's not being looked at, he'll gesture: sweeping his hand in a small arc to encompass the tranquil vacation scene around them. ]
But I'll bite. What's the bar I'm working with, here? Your qualification criteria?
no subject
[Barnabas shakes his head, but barely, the gesture proving itself rather uninspired.]
In time challenges will arrive, as they have before. I will take your measure then.
[Which does not answer the question on his criteria for that, but Barnabas ever proves himself difficult even at the best of times.]
no subject
[ Now is the second best time to roll his eyes and walk away. He's just another self-styled authority dismissing him out of hand, like so many have before. There's nothing he can say or do that would change his mind, as has been made so eloquently clear.
Which means there's no reason to play nice. He sharpens his smile, cocking his head. ]
That's an...interesting approach.
no subject
What care you for my approval? Do you oft seek the recognition of older men?
no subject
Oh, I don't. [ He says, airily, as answer to both questions. ] I'm just curious. Getting your measure, as you put it.
I like having an idea of who's paying attention. Call it a personal quirk.
no subject
[He offers back coolly, as if he was stating a simple fact and not something that could be seen as a compliment.]
Temper that, and you may yet prove worthwhile.
no subject
I'll keep that in mind.
[ His evident cheer doesn't fade. ]
Mind if I get your name, or is that something else you expect people to work for?
no subject
You may kneel before Barnabas Tharmr, Warden of Ash and king of Waloed.
[While he radiates a presence of authority, there is something almost detached in how he introduces himself. As if this is merely rehearsed and repetitive for him, than anything truly heartfelt. Even the suggestion to kneel has nothing firm behind it, no true command of action. No expectation of follow through. It is as if he's bored of it.]
And what might you be called?
no subject
[ The refusal has no bite to it, delivered with a casual perfunctoriness not entirely unlike Barnabas' own boredom. A lesser cousin, in a sense, from someone who hasn't managed to get that jaded yet, whatever his personal opinions on his world weariness are.
And he's not unmoved by the air of command, even if he takes steps not to show it. That in and of itself is a tell: he's practised not falling into line. ]
I'm Krouse. No titles.
[ None that Barnabas would find impressive, anyway. ]
Do you have a style of address? Your Majesty? Your Grace? Your Implacableness?
no subject
Those familiar with formalities refer to me as the former, as the second is customary for dukes not kings, and as for the latter...
[Once again he turns his gaze back to the water.]
It is certainly new.
no subject
More relevant to the current situation, in his opinion, is that Barnabas has either a fantastic straight face or doesn't really go in for jokes. Or both. Probably both. ]
You can hang onto it, if you want. I come from a democracy, so I'm not going to be getting much use out of it. [ A short beat. ] Have you heard of democracy? It's sort of the hot new thing in my time.
no subject
I am aware of it. The nations of my world varied in their forms of government. Democracy among their number.
[He pauses for a beat, thinking on how foolishly idealistic democracy is. As if it were any less susceptible to corruption than anything else.]
Are all your nations democracies?
no subject
[ On top of a rash of superpowered warlord fiefdoms, but that's a geopolitical clusterfuck Krouse doesn't want to touch with a ten foot pole. ]
Not many monarchies left, though. A few places hung on to their royal families, but that's because they make a great tourist attraction, or so I'm told.
no subject
[He offers flatly. He is not familiar with the concept of tourism, and so the relevance of what he's talking about is slightly lost on him, in truth. Valisthea was never in a situation to truly allow such opulence.]
Are the monarchies utterly bereft of their power?
[He doesn't sound entirely bothered by this concept. While he is the only monarch in Valisthea, his power is earned unlike the other nations. A crown won through strength and skill, not lineage and presumed birthright, unlike Sanbreque or Rosaria. If these monarchs that Krouse is familiar with are more the latter than the former, well, perhaps they deserve their steady decline.]
no subject
[ The intricacies of the remaining power of the crowns in constitutional monarchies are another subject where his knowledge falls short, but he's confident about the influence of inherited fortune. ]
But they're not raising armies to conquer Europe or overthrowing the Catholic church again any time soon, if that's more of what you're talking about. It's mostly turning up to ceremonies and waving at people from bulletproof cars.
no subject
[Not how he would do it, considering he sees no real purpose behind keeping them even in a soulless husk of what they once were, but he also does not know the full extent of the circumstances. Though, the mention of bulletproof cars does pique his interest.
He learned what a car is due to their previous mission, and he can play the word association game to figure out what bullets are meant to be, but what interests him is:]
Yet, if they hold no true political sway, why would anyone endeavor to assassinate them?
no subject
The prestige.
[ He hooks a thumb into a jean pocket and rocks back on a heel, cocking his head to the other side as he raises his eyebrows. ]
Think about it. You kill a banker, a doctor, a reporter - that's unfortunate, but there are more where they came from. You kill a prince, though? A queen? They just aren't making those like they used to. That gets you on the news. Prime time slot.
Not what I'd want to be known for, but that's the logic.