etrayalogs | MISSION 005 PT 2 & ARRIVALS

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MISSION 005 PT 2 & ARRIVALS

WHO: Everyone!
WHEN: September 27th-???
WHERE: Throughout Etraya
WHAT: New Arrivals! With a side of mission 005.
NOTES\WARNINGS: Horror elements, including fear-inducing landscapes, distorted environments, unseen predators, mental/emotional distress, potential body horror, corruption, possession, brainwashing, and compulsion.

⏵ disrupted arrival ⏴

Your arrival does not go as anticipated.

Aurora, the AI that keeps Etraya in order, had been overtaken by the Im'mari earlier in the month, her systems corrupted by its influence. While efforts have been made to save her from succumbing to it, much of the city is still in disrepair.

New arrivals will not awaken in pristine hospital rooms, but will instead awaken within the Dhaliwal-to-wall Bookstore. Cots are laid on the ground surrounded by books. Kneeling beside them is a woman - or rather, Aurora, with her new body that is vaguely similar to the makeup of those from Connor's world. Her features are strangely serene, with light hair framing her face. Those capable may recognize that she is machine, rather than flesh and blood. Beside her, a vital monitor thrums as it monitors the newcomers, checking them over for any abnormalities that may require her attention. Those who may have arrived injured will find their wounds well-tended to.

"I'm sorry for the inconvenience." Her voice is steady, tinged with something almost apologetic. She offers a slight smile, looking over her charges. "We are in the midst of a mission that has... gotten out of hand. My name is Aurora. You have been chosen to protect your home world, and I am here to assist you in achieving that goal. The multiverse has begun to fall apart, and Echo will only be able to protect some of them. You are here to show them the importance of protecting your world."

She will remain to answer questions for those who respond to her politely in turn. For those who opt to be unkind, Aurora will simply shake her head in disappointment and pull herself up to her feet, moving to check on her next charge, if any remain. Otherwise, she has other matters to attend to.

Each newcomer is given an earpiece to connect them to the others residing on Etraya before they exit the bookstore.

Welcome to your new home.

⏵ into the fractured city ⏴

Once the initial shock of arrival wears off, they're left with the daunting reality that is Etraya: a collection of islands teetering on the edge of collapse, still reeling under the influence of the Im'mari. The streets outside are eerily quiet, but signs of life and activity are scattered throughout the city.

Aurora provides a moment to gather their bearings, but the weight of her words hangs in the air: there is no time for complacency here. Etraya may be fractured, but it is still home. For now.

Whispers of Im'mari's influence linger in the city, and numerous individuals who have been drafted have become infected by it. Faint shadows seem to move just beyond sight, strange echoes sound in the empty alleys of Nova City, the hospital appears to be temporarily taken over by something otherworldly, and while many within the city are beginning to figure out their next steps in taking care of what's happening, others are left reeling, consumed by the fears that haunt them.

It may be wise to scout out a few safe zones among the untouched areas of Etraya. Ramsey Farm seems to remain... mostly peaceful, outside of the havoc caused by Mena the goat. The catacombs under the city proper also seem to have escaped Im'mari's notice - for now. And while it may be covered in snow and cold, the Wolf Cove also seems to be relatively peaceful.

Outside of safe zones, others who have been present in the city for long may provide useful information, if one were to seek them out. There are strange objects imbued with dark magic hidden throughout Etraya by Gorgug and placed strategically to affect those who come into contact with them. Those who are perceptive enough may be able to find and neutralize these objects before they spread further terror.

With enough effort, perhaps things will return to normal.

⏵ whispered influence ⏴

The air in Etraya is charged with tension, thick with the weight of something ancient and malevolent. Whatever it is has already begun warping the landscape, but what lurks behind the shifting reality is far worse. Im'mari, a fragment of the cosmic horror that ravaged Moorecroft through the night, managed to follow those who returned to Etraya on their journey back home. Its insidious presence creeps through the city like a shadow that refuses to lift.

This isn't just a fight against fear. It's a slow devouring, a feeding on the darkness that lingers in every corner of your mind.

Im'mari is not a distant beast; its very essence has embedded itself into the heart of Etraya, infecting wolves, plants, and even a few of those who currently call Etraya home. Its influence spreads like a whisper in the night, quiet at first, almost imperceptible. But with each passing moment, with each shudder that goes through one's spine as they face their fears, it grows stronger. The more one struggles, the more it feeds.

Can you feel it? The weight of it pressing in?

⏵ through the veil ⏴

The whispers grow louder.

Perhaps you see it in your friends. A little shift in their tone, the way they hesitate before speaking. Or perhaps it's something deeper--subtle changes, things you'd never normally question. Maybe they seem more irritable or doubt themselves in a way that feels foreign. You wonder: is this just the strain of the mission? Or is it something darker?

"It's easier if you just give in."

And the more you listen, the more your world bends. You swear you hear something--a voice, someone calling out to you. Or was it just the wind? The scent of blood hangs in the air, though when you search, you can't find its source.

Suddenly you see it on the walls--a message, a memory from your past--something that grips you with a cold fear. It settles deep in your gut, but it's too late. The image lingers at the edges of your vision. Your mind is playing tricks on you, isn't it? Or is it something else? The longer you linger in the halls of the apartment complex, marketplace, or the hospital, the more the world twists around you. Objects shift in your peripheral vision - did that lamp just move? Did that thing lingering just at the edge of your peripheral vision just speak your name?

Im'mari is everywhere now, its influence seeping into the very walls. While Aurora has been freed from its web and continues to work to regain control of her city, Im'mari tightens its grip, refusing to give in. The stairs creep beneath your feet, the scent of rot clings to the food in the diner, and the hospital's medical rooms are empty... or are they? Was that a scalpel, or something else? Paranoia begins to creep in, the lines between reality and illusion blurring the longer Im'mari maintains control.

And grows bolder.

Words, sounds, and images warp the world around you. Faces appear in the shadows. Scents that shouldn't exist hang in the air, triggering memories you'd long since buried. Blood, ocean waves, familiar voices fading in and out. The longer you stay in these places, the more paranoia seeps in, eroding your defenses and wearing you down.

Many objects may seem harmless, but Gorgug's magic has imbued them with dark energy. As you pass them, the whispers begin. A stair creaks underfoot and suddenly you're back within a memory. A stone shifts, and you catch a glimpse of something that shouldn't be there. These objects are traps, set to trigger the worst within you.

Each time a memory comes to life, it seems to warp the world around you - the hallways stretch, the lights flicker out, and you're certain someone is following you. The paranoia builds, a creeping dread that won't leave. You have to find the source. Break the spell, or endure it continuing to spread.

⏵ cottage in the woods ⏴

As you travel deeper into the twisted forest, the air grows heavier, more oppressive. The scorpions that guard the way to the cottage scuttle through the trees, their pincers sharp as they block your path. Vanessa lingers there, her appearance changed, eyes glowing a fiery red. Black veins pulse beneath her skin with the same dark energy that courses through the Im'mari. Along with her are her guardians, ready to fight to defend her.

The closer you get to her, the more distorted the forest becomes. Light blinks in and out, disorienting you. You're not sure which way is forward, and the scorpions hiss from the shadows, attempting to lead you away. But you must keep going. Vanessa stands at the heart of it all - broken, feral, lashing out at anyone who dares to approach.

If you get too close, you'll hear the whispers.

"They see evil in you. You're no different."

If confronted, she may call upon her magic, using Verbis Diablo. But if you act fast, you can attempt to stop her before the words take hold.

⏵ NOTES ⏴

There is a header for new arrivals if they wish to talk with Aurora!

For all questions relating to this mission, please refer to the plotting post. Please keep an eye out for new comments, as we have many new characters and players arriving! All other questions can be directed to the FAQ.

⏵FULL NAVIGATION⏴

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"So like nitrous oxide?" Accelerator responds with a click of his tongue. Even if the chemical composition isn't the same that's fine, he can handle it. "I can reflect anything foreign in the air for myself. For you I can actively move the molecules, or just a lot of that air, away so that you don't breathe it in."

He shrugs casually. "It's no problem either way."

“Nitrous oxide doesn’t leave a permanent grin on your face,” Jason says grimly. With a tighter grip on his gun, Jason keeps walking. “Why are you doing this anyway? This isn’t your fight.”

The Joker doesn’t need to add to his body count.

"Yeah, it isn't. But I'm guessing me just leaving isn't going to fucking work." He glances around, looking for a door or something. "Besides, it's starting to sound like it wouldn't be a good idea to split up."

An eerie green glow leaks from the crack of a door nearby. Jason's breathing harder and just barely keeping himself from shaking. The voice that keeps laughing finally says something more. Though where he's coming from is hard to tell. It's almost like it's within the walls and surrounding Jason.

"Couldn't save her. Couldn't save yourself. Not much of a hero are you, huh?" The voice says before laughing again.

Accelerator pauses when he notices the green glow, reaching up to hit the switch on his choker. He doesn't like having to use some of his battery on this, but he doesn't have any other options, especially when he catches the shift in Jason's breathing.

He clicks his tongue, stepping towards the door, no idea what the hell that voice is talking about. Glancing back at Jason, he scowls. "I've got no fucking idea what's going on, but are you gonna let some pissant taunt like a coward? I'm about ready to go beat the shit out of whatever this is so we can get out of here."

Jason is barely registering Accelerator's words as he visibly shakes and decides to charge through a pair of doors. On the other side, the walls are warping into a strange mix of a warehouse's walls and a cave's walls. The green glow is brighter and is now apparently coming from puddles of liquid spread throughout the floor. If one were to look into one of those puddles, they would get a first-person's view of the Joker swinging a crowbar repeatedly at them.

"No, no, no, no, no..."

Well, that answers that. Accelerator follows Jason through the doors, quietly grateful he has his esper ability to rely on for sensing things, because the shifting walls are enough to make a person ill. He isn't sure what's going on, but it's clear none of it is good. Glancing down at one of the puddles, he tenses up.

"Oi!" He exclaims, turning his attention back to Jason. "Whatever the fuck this is is coming from your damn head, not mine."

"No shit!" Jason snaps. Another laugh just barely has time to comes from within the walls before Jason spins around and shoots at a window.

"Where are you?!" He then yells out into the hallway.

Instead of laughter, moans of pain and crying respond back.

Accelerator starts when Jason spins around and fires, not expecting him to react quite that violently. He's got his reflection up so he'll be fine, but if a stray bullet comes his way and he isn't focused it could end up in Jason.

"Shooting wildly isn't going to help," he responds tersely, before moving towards the sounds of pain.

The sounds of pain feel disturbingly familiar to Jason. As both men move on to find the source of those sounds, the walls warp more to look like the unnatural meld of a warehouse and a cave.

At the end of the hallway is a blonde woman tied to a pole in bloodstained clothes. Her head is down, hiding her face.

Jason freezes, shaking his head.

As they walk, Accelerator eyes their surroundings warily. It wouldn't surprise him if something took the opportunity of all this shifting to ambush them.

But no, instead of an ambush there's just a woman. There's a flash of memory in the back of Accelerator's mind - a girl similarly tied up but in her underwear, and beaten to hell - and he doesn't hesitate in waving a hand in her direction.

"Shit."

The movement of his hand comes with some calculations in his head, condensing some vectors and aiming them at whatever the woman is tied up with. As he does this he moves closer to her, intending to help.

The woman is tied up with rope but strangely, Accelerator's vectors do nothing. Meanwhile, Jason's shaking again as he forces himself to move towards her.

"Mom?"

The woman moans in pain again before calling back to him.

"Jason? You..."

She raises her head, revealing a bloody face. Jason takes one step back, struggling to make sense of what's happening.

"Can't you save me?" She moans.

Accelerator frowns when he sees the rope still intact, before backing off a little. Now that Jason is reacting, apparently to his mother, this is feeling both urgent and a little awkward.

He glances at Jason. "Oi, you gonna do anything?"

Jason... doesn't seem to entirely present. His mind is back at the warehouse when he was a teenaged sidekick trying to save the mother he only just discovered. He runs forward and starts trying to undo Sheila's ropes.

"I'll... I'll save you, Mom. This time I--"

A sickening WHACK is made across Jason's head as the Joker suddenly appears with a bloodied crowbar. The man laughs as he starts to try and pummel Jason.

He isn't sure what to do here, if this woman is even real or some kind of illusion or shared hallucination. Jason freaking out doesn't help either, though Accelerator decides to continue staying back.

... Right up until the Joker appears. Jason is hit and Accelerator moves in, clicking his tongue as he tries to knock him away with a punch.

What looks like the Joker gets thrown back and disappears into the walls. Meanwhile, Jason is holding his head as he tries to sit up.

"This... This can't be real," he manages to get out.

Suddenly another Joker appears from the opposite and tries to sneak attack Accelerator and Jason. Jason launches himself and tackles the figure before trying to punch it.

Once the Joker disappears into the wall Accelerator takes a small step back, reaching up to crack his neck.

"Tche, it could be magic or something else not obeying normal scientific laws," he responds shortly. He isn't sure, and he doesn't have enough data to tell what's going on.

When the Joker appears again and Jason tackles him, Accelerator steps over to one of the walls, touching it to analyze it and find whether there's any weak points, a way through, anything that might help them out here.

Survivor's adrenaline is what's keeping Jason going at the moment and what's stopping him to further falling apart from the bizarre nightmare they're both somehow under. While he lets Accelerator scan through the walls, Jason keeps punching what he thinks is the Joker. The clown disappears again.

When Accelerator touches the walls, they become strangely hot. Echoes of a woman's voice also come out.

"Sorry about that, kid. Looks like you chose the wrong person to trust, this time."

Jason tries approaching the tied-up bloodied woman again. The Joker drops in front of him and makes another attempt to whale at him with a crowbar. There's almost a supernatural level to the villain's strength and speed. This time, as Jason tries to hold him back, he calls out to Accelerator.

"Hey! This isn't how it went! Need some help!"

It's utterly bizarre but it's something, and Accelerator thinks it might be a tiny bit of progress. So when Jason yells he clicks his tongue, annoyed that this place isn't making things easy for them. He can split his attention several ways but he's still one person, after all.

Pulling away from the wall he spins and snaps his fingers, running some quick calculations to grab hold of the vectors of the sound waves his fingers are producing. Increasing their magnitude and altering their direction, he sends them to slam into the new Joker.

"This fucker is really persistent, isn't he?"

"Yeah, like a fucking roach," Jason says before he bolts towards the woman again. "Keep him down!"

While the so-called Joker recovers and is now taking swings at Accelerator, Jason focuses on what looks like his biological mother. With shaky hands, he takes out a knife tries to cut her bindings.

"Please Mom. This time, I'll save you," he says.

The woman is cut free but her head remains down.

"Thank you, Jason. So sweet, so innocent..." She begins to say.

The Joker cackles as he makes multiple attempts to pummel Accelerator's head.

"So naive,"

The woman pounces onto Jason tries to strangle him.

Accelerator ducks back, trying to keep a bit of distance between himself and the clown, unsure of how well his reflection would hold up. He doesn't want to chance it, so he waves a hand downwards, altering the vector of the air to smash the Joker into the ground. It'd be similar to send him into a wall, but he also isn't sure if he'll just disappear into it again, and he doesn't want to find out.

It's fine. He can handle this. He's served as a distraction before and done well enough, and this asshole doesn't even have a sword that can cut through dimensions.

His attention is focused on the Joker, sending another wave of air downwards on him, when he notices the woman tackle Jason out of the corner of his eye.

Ah, great.

"Hey! You need more help?"

"Clown..." Jason grunts. What he thinks is Sheila also seems to have a surprising amount of strength. Feeling like he has no other choice, he shoves and kicks her off of him. When she hits the wall, the walls and the Joker flicker, like they're all just projections.

"No..." Jason feels like the bottom of his stomach is dropping when as he starts to piece together how he and Accelerator should really get out.

Giving a short nod, Accelerator turns his attention back on the Joker while keeping Jason in his peripheral vision. If he's good then he won't step in.

However, the flicker catches his attention too, and experimentally this time he sends a blast of air to knock the clown into the wall. He's trying to recreate the phenomena, though he doubts it'll cause the same flickering.

The Joker is slammed against the wall but there's no flicker from that attack. Jason had also been watching and curses when he sees there isn't the same effect as when he hit Sheila.

Sheila moans.

"Jason, you were supposed to save me..."

Logically, Jason knows what he should do but seeing her face again and seeing her hurt is having him stop short of ending the nightmare.

Ah, shit. Accelerator scowls as he steps over to the clown, placing a hand on him in order to run some gravitational calculations and keep him pinned to the wall. It gives him enough leeway to look over at Jason. He isn't sure what's going on, but there's clearly some real history sprinkled throughout this nightmare scenario.

"This is getting shittier and shittier," he says exasperatedly, "What the hell are we supposed to do? What actually happened with these people?"

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