MISSION 005 PT 2 & ARRIVALS

[etrayamods]

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⏴

Comments

[stresstokens]

[ That's it. That's the most humiliating part of it all. It's the fact that he didn't lie as part of a mission, or to get a bunch of strangers off his back, or as a white lie to get out of a desperate situation. It wasn't that at all. It was just being teased by his friends, his best friends, people who didn't actually think poorly of him, but it was just...

He'd felt bad. He wanted to fit in. It makes Riz feel like he has the maturity of a twelve year old to have done it in the first place, despite the fact that he does his very best to carry himself as an adult, a professional, an adventurer that people ought to take seriously. His cheeks burn. ]

W-well...

[ He wants to lie. But lying is what got him into this mess in the first place. ]

Everyone else was talking about, uh, getting their kisses in? Which is fine! It's normal! But then everyone started asking me about it, and it just felt uh -- easier?

To be normal, [ Baron croons. ] You don't want to be left behind. And with me, you never will be.

Okay, that's, that's crazy talk, you are a spooky little skeleton boy and have absolutely no place in talking about normalcy.

[levelshift]

[That's it? That's seriously it?

As far as Accelerator is concerned, Riz has been nothing but mature and professional in the short time he's known him. They're similar in that way, that despite being teenagers they're both very adult-y. It's a shock to hear all of this started because of some friends needling him.

This is, of course, because Accelerator is far from an expert when it comes to casual social situations. He gives Riz a look, like what the fuck?, before turning and snapping exasperatedly at Baron.]

No one wants to date someone who crawls out of televisions, there's an entire horror franchise about how fucking creepy that is. It's not endearing.

[No one wants to date Sadako, sorry Baron. He then turns back to Riz, looking at him critically.]

And you. Why didn't you just tell them to fuck off? If they give a shit about romance that's their problem, not yours.

[Clearly that's the best way to handle a situation that involves romance, telling people off for wanting to discuss it. It's not a topic Accelerator has ever been remotely interested in, so in his mind simply being upfront about thinking it's dumb seems like the easiest thing to do. Especially when the other option is committing to some awkward lie and seeing that compound over time until it comes to life and tries to kill you. For emphasis, he's rolling his eyes.

Also, this might be a good example Accelerator's (lack of) experience with both friendship and normal teen dating things.]

[stresstokens]

[ Shame worms it way into Riz's stomach. In a way, shame is something that never leaves him, this perpetual floating mass of anxiety and guilt constantly tugging at him; in most situations, Riz considers this to be a positive thing. They're good emotions. They make him work harder, faster, better, they make him a better detective, a better adventurer, and those are things that he prizes above all else.

It's more uncomfortable with this, though. With Baron. That he didn't awaken this beast because he'd lied in service of some greater cause, but because he was nervous and insecure, because he'd acted like a child and somehow managed to saddle himself and everyone around him with some sort of horrible demon because of it. Somehow, he manages to look even smaller, shrinking away from Baron and Accelerator's judgment alike. ]

I know it was stupid, okay? You don't think I regret it now? It was a moment of weakness. They didn't mean anything by it.

[ They hadn't. They were teasing him as much as they tease anyone else, he thinks, and normally he'd like to think that he can take it as well as he can dish it out. But this one had just felt different, the way they focused all attention on him -- a deficit that everyone somehow knows is there instinctively, even if none of them spare a thought about his romantic life or lack thereof when it's not a convenient target for a little light-hearted teasing. ]

Yes they did. They know you're broken, Riz Gukgak. They are not good friends, [ Baron says, suddenly snarling as a bony hand wraps its way around Riz's throat and pulls. Riz scrambles and fights, some odd high-pitched chittering bursting out of him more animal than human, the horrible noise of claws against bone filling the air until he's been dragged into the television itself.

The next hand is reaching for Accelerator, this time -- slowly enough that Accelerator could credibly flee if he truly wanted to, but quick enough that he'll have to make his mind up now. ]

[levelshift]

[......... Well, Riz seems to have his head screwed on pretty well by his estimation, so Accelerator can't agree with calling him broken. He does, however, think his friends are kind of shitty for apparently teasing him bad enough that he was desperate enough to come up with a creepy Sadako-alike monster for a partner. While nowhere near an expert on the concept of friendship - if asked Accelerator will forever deny he has or ever had friends - he's fairly confident in his conclusion that Riz's friends are jerk who needed to lay off.

Not that he's going to outwardly agree with Baron or anything. There is no way he's giving that thing the satisfaction of being right.

Anyways, his attention is pulled away from those thoughts and on the sudden grabbing of one goblin. He's snatched and yanked into the tv, and Accelerator curses under his breath.]

Shit -- [Running isn't an option. It doesn't even occur to him. He does absently wish he had his own gun with him, because it's a good back-up weapon, but he doesn't and he doesn't really have any time to test out how his reflection is going to work against Baron. It isn't exactly ideal, though Baron is clearly the kind of thing that's better off dead, so....

So Accelerator just steps forward to the tv, intent on going straight into it to get Riz back, in the process lifting his own hand to smack at Baron's. Normally the subconscious calculations his brain processes for his reflection would warp reality and either cause the limb to snap or Baron's internal organs to explode, but this whole situation is so bizarre he's got no idea if it'll function as it normally does.

He's also not entirely convinced Baron has internal organs that can be exploded, so.]

[stresstokens]

[ As Accelerator's hand touches one arm, it explodes into bony splinters, sharp shards sailing Accelerator's way but with no payoff for his sacrifice; where one hand breaks, two, three, four more take its place. Depending on how many he he breaks, he may well find himself swarmed, entirely encompassed by a mass of arms, grasping, gripping, squeezing as it endeavors to suck him right back into the television.

Baron is a creature of fear. Like their mother before them, nightmares are the primary evil that they peddle. While Baron himself may be fixated on Riz, he's not so focused that he won't fight back against that which dares to cross him, won't squander their skills when hunting down the desire to ruin the person who struck out with the intention to harm, and certainly not when hunting down the likes of anyone who dares take Riz away from them. And what Baron knows with surety is that the mirror of fear is desire.

The desire to be normal, the desire to take after those you once idolized, the desire for family, for riches, for fame, for peace, for love and safety and security. It's that which they worm into to the best of their abilities, intent on showing Accelerator and Riz alike not what would scare them most, but chasing down a different sort of fear: the discomfort of seeing the kindest, warmest thing that could cause them the most pain.

Riz himself is in it, gun held aloft as he finds himself in the midst of the idyllic neighbourhood, as eerily quiet and peaceful as Moorecroft was. From somewhere above him, Baron's voice rings out: ] I am not as cruel as you, Riz Gukgak. I bring you not to the Hell you go so willingly to, but to a place we may be together. And look! I brought you a friend.

[levelshift]

[Accelerator would be perfectly fine covering this entire apartment in splinters of bone if it meant he actually accomplished something. It's violent, and he's grown up with violence, to the point where the thought of reducing Baron to a fine boney dust wouldn't be a big deal.

But he's getting nowhere breaking apart arms, so in he goes.

He lands and when he shakes off the whole 'jist got flung into a tv' thing and looks over to see Riz with the gum, he reaches up to his choker. Glancing around quickly to confirm there's nothing immediately deadly in their surroundings, he switches back to normal mode to save some battery, leaning more heavily on his crutch.

Which means he can now complain.]

Are we in the suburbs again?? Fuckin' hell, this bastard doesn't know when to quit.

[He wasn't a fan of Moorecroft.]

[stresstokens]

[ With an air of absolute bewilderment: ] Wh -- did you not run?

[ It's what he'd expected. Accelerator is a nice enough guy, sure, but it's not like they're friends-friends. Most people don't stick around to be haunted by a skeletal spectre of an idiot's worst fears unless they really care about the person or if they, like Riz, pride themselves on their profession as an Adventurer. It could be that Accelerator just couldn't get away in time, sure, but... he thinks Baron would leave him alone in here, if he could. That would be a true Baron move. ]

Fuck. [ He didn't want to be abandoned, sure, but he didn't want someone to bear witness to this mortification either. He pauses, cringing at the sight around them, the air filled with the buzz of happy, normal families, glimpses of silhouettes cheerfully enjoying dinner together in every warmly glowing window. He drops into a crouch, burying his face in his hands. ]

Okay, think, think, think... he's a figment of fear and lies. What he wants is for us to be afraid. There has to be something we have to complete, thematically speaking, for him to let us out again. That's how these things always work -- like the Fey.

[levelshift]

[Accelerator can only give a vague shrug at that question. He cultivated a specific image, one that doesn't lend itself to helping people, but he wasn't about to let Riz deal with this creep on his own. That would be downright cruel, and Riz isn't a bad guy. He doesn't deserve any of this dumb nonsense.

He clicks his tongue, looking around.]

None of this is scary to me, it's just annoying. I don't know much about the Fey, but playing by his rules really pisses me off. I'd love to just start breaking shit and make him angry.

[He isn't totally sure that's a good idea though, that's why he's talking this out instead of just barreling forward and smashing the nearest house.]

Is there any way to outsmart him?