MISSION 005 (part 1)

[etrayamods]

WHO: Everyone!
WHEN: September 13th-September 27th
WHERE: Throughout Etraya
WHAT: Mission Log!
NOTES\WARNINGS: Horror elements, including fear-inducing landscapes, distorted environments, unseen predators, mental/emotional distress, potential body horror, corruption, possession, brainwashing, and compulsion.

⏵ reality bends ⏴ A strange anomaly has overtaken Etraya. The skies, once familiar, now shift unpredictably, cycling through hues of unnatural colors as an eerie hum fills the air. Tension crackles beneath the surface, leaving an unsettling heaviness across the land. Aurora’s mission announcement offers little clarity—more cryptic than comforting—and she remains unavailable for further explanation. Reality begins to warp, twisting Etraya into a surreal, haunting reflection of its former self. The hospital deteriorates into a decaying structure, its halls haunted by phantom patients, endless corridors leading to nowhere. Rooms morph into massive white padded cells where characters may find themselves imprisoned, alone with spectral figures who whisper of treatments yet to come. Some of these apparitions seek the attention of those roaming the hospital, warning them of a dire fate: failure in this mission means not just the death of their worlds, but their souls becoming trapped in this fractured reality, far from home, forever. The forest transforms into a dark and twisted labyrinth. The trees close in, their branches twisting unnaturally as unseen predators howl from the shadows. Narrow pathways wind through the maze, and while some may navigate unscathed, others will be violently pulled into the depths by horrors lurking just out of sight. Within this twisted forest, a small cottage appears, its walls echoing eerie whispers: "little scorpion," "selfish bitch," and "by the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes." The rivers, usually calm, have become a dangerous, volatile force. Their waters churn violently, and inky black tendrils rise from the depths, lashing out at anyone who strays too close. These dark appendages drag their victims beneath the surface, where those who resist must battle their way to freedom. But those who surrender will be drawn into an otherworldly dome beneath the water, surrounded by strange fish, far from where they should be. Inside, they will find an eerie stillness, but their earpieces still allow contact with the world above. A large mirror dominates the dome, offering an uncertain way back. ⏵ shadowy haunts ⏴ Those inside the zones come face to face with an echo of fear - a personalized manifestation of what scares them most. It could be an oppressive figure from their past, or something more abstract, such as the feeling of failure, or isolation. These echoes are relentless, feeding off their weaknesses and digging into what makes them most vulnerable. The Im'mari hungers, and preying on characters' weaknesses appears to be its chosen way of feeding itself. While characters may become stuck in their nightmares by themselves, some of these nightmares are shared between companions. Characters may become trapped within their friends' fears, or strangers'. However, the emotional distress felt by the individual the nightmare belongs to will affect everyone within the nightmare. An emotional prison built to torment those whom it belongs to, these echoes of fears may test the bond between companions, forcing them to face truths they may have rather avoided touching on. Earpieces will still be functional and may prove to be crucial in assisting characters when it comes to escaping their nightmares. ⏵ contamination ⏴ Im'mari may be weaker than before, but it is slowly regaining power, and the creature’s influence is spreading. It infects the wolves, the plants, and even the very essence of Vanessa Ives (and in addition, Aelwyn Abernant), feeding off the deep-seated fears of those around it. Im'mari thrives in the shadows of fear and darkness, growing stronger with every moment of doubt, pain, and despair. Its presence lingers beyond the edges of awareness, whispering to its victims, urging them to succumb. Through Vanessa and those she has infected, Im'mari extends its reach, turning once-familiar faces into agents of fear, pushing their companions to the brink. For those who fall under its sway, the transformation is slow, at first nearly undetectable. Perhaps a friend acts off, says something out of character, or expresses sudden, unprovoked anger. But as Im'mari’s power grows, so does the darkness in its agents, until they are no longer themselves—twisted into something monstrous, compelled to spread fear and destruction. Welcome to your nightmares. We hope you have a pleasant stay. ⏵ NOTES ⏴ For all questions relating to this mission, please refer to the plotting post. We will be utilizing this post throughout the mission - including when we process the next round of applications, so please keep an eye out for new comments! All other questions can be directed to the FAQ. ⏵FULL NAVIGATION⏴

Comments

[tinflower]

Death and destruction. Gorgug should think about that more, and he does, but the way that Loki speaks and the way he smiles, what he thinks about is his barbarian teacher. Isn't that what being an adventurer is? He's supposed to give himself permission to be angry. Don't hold back.

It makes him feel like a kid to think about: being bolder in a way that people might deem bad. But it's still an exciting thought, and Gorgug shrugs at Loki's question.

"You do what you want," he says, echoing Loki's words, and decides to--with this newfound permission!--to go around the counter, pulling the small flap off from its hinge with a small 'heh' to himself.

"I'm gonna look for more muffins. You want a muffin?"

[abit_ofboth]

Everyone should have permission to be angry. Honestly, Loki doesn’t understand why it isn’t the predominant state of everyone here considering they’ve all been kidnapped. Hel, he doesn’t understand why most beings aren’t angry all the time. And yet, people like his brother were alive and thriving. He himself had felt happy for a time, but of course, all that had been taken away from him. And for what? To save the multiverse? To allow more people to be more miserable in new and not so interesting ways?

Loki takes a seat and smiles again, more genuinely this time as Gorgug gets up and goes around the counter. He didn’t expect him to start taking after him in the whole ‘do what you want’ kind of attitude, but he’s enjoying it none-the-less.

“Why yes, I believe I would like a muffin. Blueberry if they have them, but any will do.”

[tinflower]

Gorgug doesn't know how many options they'll have available at this time, but the fact the bot had given him something in the first place provides the possibility of at least another muffin. That much does turn out to be in their favour, where a selection of chocolate muffins sit, still fresh, much like the one now crumbled on the ground outside in the shop front is--or was.

The freshness of a stepped on muffin doesn't really count at that point.

He comes back out with the muffins still in the baking tray used to put them in the oven, a towel to keep his fingers from getting too warm (the heat sticks well). "Just chocolate," he announces to Loki, but he said any would do, so he sits them on the table where Loki sits, takes another for himself.

"We should definitely keep the robots around for food," he says, working to peel some of the paper away so he can take a bite. "Even if you wanna fuck shit up. Unless you like baking."

[abit_ofboth]

As Gorgug fiddles around behind the counter, Loki sits idly at the table, drumming his fingers on the top. It’s quiet for a moment, except for the sounds of Gorgug shifting things around and it gives Loki an opportunity to think.

Something he’s not all that sure he wants right now. Every time he’s alone, or it’s quiet at all, his thoughts turn to how different he’s been feeling. Or rather, how he’s feeling a lot more like his old self. When he has moments of clarity like this, it disturbs him. He doesn’t like the uncertainty, like he’s not sure who he is anymore or who he’s supposed to be.

When Gorgug sets the tray of muffins down in front of him, Loki clearly startles. Though really it’s a relief. Now he can go back to not thinking and just reacting, though that thought alone should scare him just as much.

“I suppose that will have to do.” He reaches for a muffin and is pleasantly surprised to find out just how fresh they are. He breaks off a piece of the top and delicately pops it into his mouth. It’s a little sweeter than he’d prefer, but all in all is quite good. “I do think they are getting better at this. I had a cookie at the hospital recently and they were not as good as these.”

He nods and takes another bite. “Yes, it seems the bots do server a purpose at least. Though it would be better if we could control them ourselves.”

[tinflower]

"We probably could," Gorgug remarks, deciding to take a seat himself. What else is he going to do? Stand there and twiddle his thumbs? Even if he's trying to ignore the companion bot on the ground, and the way some part of him still tries to make him feel guilty about it. "If Aurora's really offline, we might be able to find where her computer is and remove her connection over them? She's probably got one," he reasons.

Even if he can't remember for sure if he has proof to back it or not, but there's definitely some system in place, surely.

"Then you just need to set up a new machine where you can send out the commands. As long as Aurora doesn't boot back up."

She would probably be able to find a way to hijack them again.

[abit_ofboth]

As Gorgug talks, Loki eats his muffin and listens, one eyebrow slowly raising. “I take it that sort of thing is something you are good at then?” It isn’t something he admits to readily, but despite all the fuss he put up with Sylvie, Loki is not overly qualified to handle technology.

“So, if we were able to find her source and I could get you to it, you could actually take over the bots?” Loki eyes the destroyed bits of technology on the ground with contemplation. “Do you think you could use the parts from this one to figure out where the system might be?”

[tinflower]

He looks down at the companion bot with Loki's question, and he's considering it. It's a lot more complicated than he made it out to be, probably, but...

"...Maybe," he answers, if with a furrowed brow, his head tilting as he has to think about it. "I could take it apart, and--I could probably find a way to trace it back to any computers that have access to it, and check it out, yeah. I'd need time," he admits, however. "The technology I'm used to's different from the stuff here, and I'm not as...good at code and computers."

But the more he's thinking about, the idea of peeking behind the veil and learning--he looks at Loki. There's a glint in his eye.

"But I wanna see how they run."

He wants to see a lot, actually.

[abit_ofboth]

Maybe is good enough for Loki. He wants to look whoever stole him in the eye and make them pay for what they’ve done. All this bullshit about having them prove their timelines are worthy, or whatever their current nonsense was. He Who Remains hadn’t been able to handle him and neither could this place.

“Time is fine. It seems we have plenty of it here, even when they actively try to mess with us. Do you have a place to work on this? I can get this bot to your work area easily enough.” Loki frowns a bit as Gorgug continues. “Do you know anyone who is good at code? Someone we can trust?” Loki trusts a couple of people here, but none that the thinks could do such work. Perhaps Natasha would’ve known someone, but she is gone.

A rather sinister grin slowly spreads across Loki’s face. “Yes, my friend. So do I.”