etrayalogs | DECEMBER MINGLE

Entry tags:

DECEMBER MINGLE

WHO: Everyone!
WHEN: December 21st - Early January
WHERE: Etraya
WHAT: Newcomers, a surprise gift from Tatianna, and a visitor!
NOTES\WARNINGS:

⏵ arrival ⏴
Welcome to Etraya!

Arrival goes as expected - characters awaken on hospital beds and are offered an explanation of their situation: that they have arrived in the city of Etraya, and they are their world's only hope. They are welcome to wander the hospital if they would like to - the upper floors are mostly empty, full of pristine hallways and numerous rooms filled with supplies, cots, and things one would expect from a relatively average 21st-century hospital.

The lobby is filled to the brim with tables of freshly baked goods. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" banners are taped to the walls, and several other typical birthday decorations can be found in this area. A few of the baked goods tables are lined with massive cakes covered in unlit candles, just waiting for someone to grab a lighter and sing off-key. Is it anyone's birthday? Who knows! The companion bots seem to believe it's every new arrival's birthday and will greet them as such - with friendly waves and cheers as they make their way to the lobby.

A coat rack is situated by the doors leading out of the hospital, covered in warm clothing that fits the new arrivals just right - whether it's to their preferred style or not is something else entirely. Some of them appear normal enough. Others? Well. They can't all be perfect, now can they?

Outside the windows, the grass is covered in a couple of inches of loosely packed snow.

We hope you enjoy your stay.

⏵ an unexpected gift ⏴

Out by the hospital stands a tall, decorated tree covered in candles and golden pinecones with a handsome, red velveteen tree skirt. In front of it are a few oversized wrapped gifts for show- and atop one of those sits a familiar woman. Or unfamiliar, if this is your first time.

It's Tatianna in a slutty Santa outfit with a big ol’ burlap sack.

“Hey, I got something for you,” she says, digging into the bag and rummaging for a moment.

She produces a painted egg and holds it aloft.

“It’s your Winter Solstice Egg! This is the egg holiday, right? Wait, shit. I’m mixing them up, aren’t I? ...Well. It’s a little late to change it. Here you go!”

How one treats their egg is fully up to themselves. They can choose to ignore it entirely, or destroy it and leave the yolk and innards to rot on the ground. They can hand it over to someone else or care for it as if it were something precious. No one will prevent them from doing whatever they please with it!

⏵ naughty or nice ⏴However, how they treat the egg will define how the egg treats them in return.

Those who keep the egg and tend to it will get the benefit of being able to watch it hatch seven days after they are handed the egg. Eggs that are treated with attention and love may yield a loyal companion, or a weapon of choice that always returns to its owner, while neglected eggs may yield a curious, cursed trinket or an animal who treats its new owner very much the same way its owner had treated it before it was born.

Please submit an egg request below for what items you would like your character's eggs to hatch into! Please note that these cannot be things that would be applicable in the game.

Those whose eggs are destroyed or forgotten will simply get the gift of... nothing!

⏵ free your spirit ⏴

With the winter chill gripping the air, a mysterious figure makes their presence known in Etraya - a towering, horned creature dragging a massive sack behind them.

𝓐 𝖍𝖔𝖚𝖘𝖊 𝖇𝖚𝖎𝖑𝖙 𝖔𝖓 𝖑𝖎𝖊𝖘 𝖍𝖆𝖘 𝖆 𝖜𝖊𝖆𝓴 𝖋𝖔𝖚𝖓𝖉𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓.

Regardless of a character's strengths or weaknesses, they will find that when Krampus raises his massive sack over their head, they are powerless to stop him from catching them. Those capable of great magical feats or other supernatural abilities will sense something... otherworldly about Krampus, but will not be able to place the source of that sensation.

Once within Krampus' sack, they are welcome to fight, but escape is impossible. It will feel as if Krampus is dragging them over every rock possible, dragging the sack in through the rivers to the point it soaks through and drenches them - potentially almost drowning them.

When the sack opens, they will find themselves in an impossibly dark space. Around them are others who have also been captured and dragged here by Krampus, trapped in small cages hanging from a massive, wiry tree.

Krampus will return often, banging clawed hands and birch rods on the walls of the cages and knocking them into one another.
𝕮𝖔𝖓𝖋𝖊𝖘𝖘𝖘𝖘𝖘𝖘𝖘.
The whisper resonates through the darkened area, regardless of Krampus' presence. Confess your secrets, and be freed. Otherwise? You'd better hope someone figures out where Krampus has set up base; those who refuse to confess may find themselves stuck here forever.

⏵ NOTES ⏴

Krampus' base is under Etraya! Deep within the catacombs, he has set up multiple cages to capture those who inhabit Etraya to punish them for their naughty habits. Fighting him is possible! Defeating him by means of combat is not, however, possible. Think of it like fighting a god: Krampus creates the rules in the space around him, including who can use what ability.

For all questions relating to this log, please refer to the mod queries comment. All other questions can be directed to the FAQ.

⏵FULL NAVIGATION⏴

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

That's the way they have always been with us.

[ He sneered, reaching for his glass. ]

Then we look unreasonable when we don't take it, and they continue to appear to be the reasonable ones. Always looking correct, while we're the unruly upstarts.

[ A bite in his tone. Silco had always hated them. It's a lucky thing they didn't extend this offer to him, he would have spat in their faces.

It's good that Sevika keeps it from him. He would have raged. ]

Typical.

Not that any of this matters now. I still don't know if we can trust what they're saying, but if it is true, Zaun won't even exist anymore if we fuck this up.

[ And given their track record recently? Sevika isn't feeling great about this. The cards are stacked against them, again, like always. ]

I don't know either.

[ A snide look on his face, before he covered it with another puff of the smoke. ]

I'm inclined not to trust it, but what would be the point of having us here otherwise? To see how we react? To see how angry we can be?

They will get what they want from us, then, considering who they have brought from our world.

[ Between he and Vander... well. There was always going to be a guaranteed fight, if anyone asked him. ]

[ That's the problem. He's right. There's no other reason to have them here, not that they know of. It makes her more inclined to believe the tripe about deciding what worlds get to keep existing and which get binned, but even then, it's insane.

She can't wrap her head around something that vast. How many worlds could there even be? How could they be running out of space? Is that how it is? Is that how it works? Maybe she'll swallow her pride and ask Piltover's golden boy. He's the well-read one here. Maybe he has a few ideas, but this is another thought she won't share with Silco.

Though that isn't the person from their world that she's concerned with, not in regard to Silco. She puts her glass down and points at him. ]

We aren't going to get angry because you are going to stay away from him. [ "We" because if Silco is angry, then Sevika has problems, which in turn makes her angry. It works. ] If he bothers you, tell me. I'll deal with it.

[ ~~meanwhile in vander and silco's egg thread~~ ]

I can take care of myself, Sevika.

[ He says, but it is token. They both knew how well Silco could take care of himself when it came to him, didn't they? Silco wore the scar of what Vander could do on his face, splitting him wide-open like a melon, the eye that gave him his monicker and his imagery only a gift someone like Vander could have given him. ]

No, no. Don't worry. I don't want anything to do with him. [ says a liar ] In fact, if you feel like killing him, please. Don't wait on me to encourage you.

[ Sevika's face when she's being lied to by a lying liar who lies is... well, frankly, it's precisely the same as it always is, but she doesn't bother calling Silco out. It won't make any difference. At some point, she has to trust he won't get himself killed (again). ]

...sure. I'll keep that in mind.

[ She won't. Instead, she moves on to business. All the personal problems and anger have left a bad taste in her mouth, and it's best to leave it behind. ]

Anyway. I got a quick rundown of what's happened in this place before we showed up. We'll have to chase people down if we want further details, but it's a good place to start. Although I'll warn you now, it still sounds like a whole lot of nonsense to me.

[ Unfortunately for Sevika, she's a Zaunite, which means that by proxy she has been collateral for a decades-long divorce proceeding that has turned the entire undercity into two different versions of their city, and neither of which were the ideal. Also unfortunately for Sevika, she is Silco's right-hand woman, and he actually trusts her.

As much as a man like him can trust, anyway. ]

What I learned from the machine sounded ludicrous to start. Anything new that you've gotten beyond that?

Who are we chasing down, and what to we know about them already, if anything?

Or are we going to be starting from the ground up?

[ As always.

At least when redirected like this, Silco's focus narrows to what his purpose was. Running a tight ship (except for Jinx) that can change the very fate of a city. Maybe even a world this time? Unlikely, but they would start moving, regardless. ]

[ Being trusted doesn't necessarily mean he'll only ever tell her the truth, although that problem commonly only sprang up when Jinx was involved. Would that change if Silco understood she'd finally accepted that brat was important? That she cared?

It wasn't going to be what they discussed today, however. Sevika preferred business, and that's what she would happily (well, not happily, but...) dive into. ]

Not sure who'll be the best bet to question yet. There's this Rin kid who might be a good option; it sounded like she's been here since the start. I got a list of happenings from a man called Ivan, though the list itself is from some other kid.

[ Lots of kids here— or more like "people who are younger than they are", anyway. ]

Aurora is only the face of the setup. Something called Echo is what actually runs the show. We aren't the only city, either. They've encountered another one previously, called Moorecroft. Something crossed over from there that spread an infection across the city, so I'm going to go with us not trusting any other cities we come across in the future. If anything, we should consider them enemies.

[ If Aurora was being truthful, the fewer other cities and worlds they're up against, the better. ]

Other than that, the "missions" the AI here hands out seem... frankly? Insane. Random.

[ Silco deeply appreciated that Sevika was already doing the legwork. She'd always been proactive, and that made this easier. Not that it didn't help that Silco had been nursing a side wound and trying to nurse his also equally dire... emotional injuries. (No)

He tapped his fingers on the table as she listed it off, nodding as he did so. He'd need to start amassing supplies, paper, boards, work. If they were going to be "saving the world", as they so readily proclaimed, he's going to need to start putting together a plan. Possibly more than a plan.

They'd need to learn more about what it means, too. If it's true. ]

Other cities. It's possible we are in competition with them. They may be trying to eradicate us. Did they say if they were able to take the battle to this Moorecroft? Is it still an active threat?

[ Silco, of course, would be interested in the most direct option every time. ]

Is the Echo something we can reach? I don't believe the story they told us, but the fact of the matter is, we have nothing else to go on. It's possible they're lying, it's also possible they're telling the truth. We've got Jinx to build weapons, but we're going to need more than that, especially if we're going on... these "missions".

How random did people say they were?

They did go over to Moorecraft, but from what I can tell, it was only to take a look around. We may want to operate on the belief that no one else here considers the other cities that way, but if we're being realistic? Yeah, I would say we're competing with them.

[ Why else have different cities at all? Why separate people laboring under the same belief that their worlds are in jeopardy? To pit them against each other, of course. It's the only thing that made sense to her. ]

So, yes. Still an active threat. Wouldn't be able to tell you how to reach Echo, though. We may have to dig for that ourselves or find others already working towards that goal. I can't believe there won't be anyone else thinking the same way we are.

[ Moving on... ]

And when I say random, I mean random. Apparently, the latest thing they had to do was a race, just between themselves. Before that, they had to do something with a... spaceship? [ She isn't sure what that is? Hm. ] There's been a labyrinth that messed with their heads. Killer clowns. Like I said, random.

Random.

[ He scoffs, and then says, under his breath: ] Jinx will figure that one out.

[ A familiar promise, maybe, but at least with the random nature of this world, he's probably right. For once. After all, Silco isn't the type to run a race, or deal with killer...clowns? What the hell. ]

We'll need to put together a plan. I don't intend to be left in the dark for long. [ Silco's fingers dance on the bar now, tapping as he considered. ] Funding does not seem an issue here, so we will need something different. Information, power, and if there are drugs, we should find them.

[ Thus far, this seems rather... well. Not squeaky clean, but. Clean. He doesn't like it. ] Something to manipulate those who won't be done in by information.

We'll need a base of operations that isn't publically found, too. I don't want to be near those apartments for longer than we have to. Jinx will need a workspace.

[ Mostly, he's talking out loud, but his eyes flick to Sevika for input. ]

[ The only time Sevika will ever not disagree with Silco on that one. Jinx is random, and so is this place; let random deal with random. ]

Let's see if we can find something that's been abandoned. I've been told new places can appear here overnight, so there's no telling what we'll have to work with here.

[ She would prefer the Lanes. She isn't too sure they'll get that, however. Not to mention, even if that does appear? There's no way it won't draw Vander in, too. ]

Big enough for Jinx to work safely... Is there any particular use for the space you're looking at beyond that?

[ She'll shift where she sits, leaning her elbow against the bartop. ]

Because I may have found someone who might be able to make shimmer for us, provided we get him a sample of it first.

[ They were of the same mind. Silco would prefer the lanes, but they both knew that Vander was inordinately attached to it — the same as Silco was, gee, who would have thought? — and he wanted nothing more than to avoid the man like the plague unless he had a way to kill him finally. That wasn't happening at the moment — he would have to plan it out again, especially given that he was nearly a decade older and didn't have the advantage of power, money, and a factory full of shimmer to get the job done.

Shame.

But it sounds like Sevika can rectify that.

Really, what would he do without her? ]

Did you?

[ he asked, leaning forward with interest now. ]

We'll have to figure that out. Given the... "color" [ variety ] of the buildings here, I am assuming that the worlds the residents here are... [ He waves his hand, searching for the word he's trying to think of. ] converging.

It may be possible, we'll have to do some more digging.

Guy goes by the name Enki. Dark Priest on the network. [ Weird to be giving people's names and user names, but this is their life now, she guesses. ] Bit of shit, but he'd probably fit into the undercity better than any other of the other strangers here.

[ Which is to say, game recognizes game. That creepy vibe, being a scrawny, chronically irritated little man— hm, who else does that fit here? ]

He says he's able to transmute stuff into other stuff. You know, like all those old-school alchemy stories, turning lead to gold and shit? I don't know how much he can actually do with it, but he changed that crappy sherry I had into real wine with barely an effort. That's enough to make me think it's worth seeing what he can do with shimmer.

[ As for where they could set up shop, he's right. They'll have to do more digging. One idea does cross her mind that gets a smirk out of her... ]

You know, it'd be pretty funny if a piece of Piltover showed up, and we took it over before they could.

If someone isn't that way, I'd suspect that they would take issue with what we are trying to do.

[ A twitch of a smirk. As if being a little shit isn't just a requirement to work with them. ]

A real alchemist? Hm. Better than the Doctor, even. He was supposedly one of those, but he never made gold.

[ A beat. ]

Well, I suppose he did out of shimmer. I don't think it is the same.

[ Though her suggestion. He laughed. ]

Wouldn't that be ironic? I would hate to use something of theirs, truly. Those high ceilings and marble floors... [ Ugh. ]

But the principle of just ruining something of theirs? Emblazoning it with our own... decor? [ Oh. He likes that. Thinking of the council building being ruined by a neon-eye. It would surely upset any that came in after — and the ones already here. ]

[ Letting Jinx use the council's meeting chamber at the very top as her workshop... Okay, okay, that might go too far, considering how things pan out. Someone would get mad. It'd be fucking hilarious, though. ]

Possession's all that matters. If we take one of their places, it's no longer theirs. Although, it really depends on what shows up first, or if anything even shows up at all.

[ In the meanwhile, she'll simply look at what's already here. However, back to that little shit alchemist— ]

But I'd prefer sorting away the alchemist first. We won't exactly need storage if shimmer ends up being too complicated for him. Can we even get our hands on it here? From Aurora or Echo or whoever?

[ Silco would take the opportunity in a heartbeat, let's be honest. He'd love it. ]

I don't know. I heard whisper of rumor that you could use some sort of currency to obtain things.

If that is the case, we'll be able to get something. I'll do some digging on that, and see if we can find something.

You sort the alchemist since you've already spoken with them. We'll scout for places to work from as well. I can task Jinx on that. Keep her out of trouble.

[ Keep her from talking to Vander. ]

Ha, figures. So much for everything being free.

[ Although knowing there was at least something like that was comforting in a way. The whole "take whatever you want" vibe was weird. Too weird. ]

Right. I'll get in contact with him. If he can work out how to create more, we'll have to figure out some way to cut a deal with him. When I said he'd fit in down in Zaun, I meant it. I figure we can get proof that he's able to make more out of him for free, but after that? Definitely not.

We'll need to figure out what he wants, then, won't we?

[ A twitch of his lips. At least some people could be trusted to be normal. ]

You and I both know that "free" is shorthand for strings-attached. We'll just have to learn what lurks in the heart of this man. Unfortunately, we'll need to have something to bring to the table. I don't think that in a place where everything is provided, coin is going to speak.

[ It's. Annoying. Silco is used to being the man with it all, but here? Here he has nothing, and no way to dominate the space. Plus, there's the elephant in the room that is a natural opponent who will take issue with their success.

So, they'll just have to get creative. ]

Definitely not coin, but offering help, favors, obtaining items he can't get himself or doesn't want to be attached to. There's always something.

[ No man is without material want. If any claim such, they're a damn liar, as far as Sevika is concerned. ]

If he can manage his little magic trick with shimmer, we can figure it out from there.

Correct. People like him likely always want something more. Money only goes so far as it is. The worthwhile generally have something else they want in addition.

[ The Doctor, he knew, had little interest in the money itself. Shimmer was a part of his research, though he really didn't know what. He could provide it, ostensibly, for whatever purpose.

he probably should have questioned it. To be fair, when they met when he was younger, they hadn't exactly had time to chat — then Silco had been a curiosity.

Then a supplier of whatever he needed. Whatever his goals, he kept it to himself. ]

We'll need to get a read on him, but you're correct. We'll start with the shimmer. [ He polished off the glass. At the very least, he was getting liquor in him. ] That and a base of operations will get us started. I'll work on that if you keep with the people.

[ Sevika knew Silco hated doing that. Oh, he could rant, he could talk up a speech, but the personal part? Absolutely not. ]

[ As if she liked the personal part any better? Please... But it wasn't any different from how they operated before. A place to work out of felt more critical than the shimmer, although part of her had to wonder how well his eye was doing. They didn't have what he needed for that. She doubted the hospital here could help — or that he would even try asking anyone there directly.

Stubborn ass... ]

Sure. I'll get in contact with him and set up a place to meet. Somewhere private.

[ Somewhere that wasn't a pub wide open to anyone wanting to wander in. ]

[ He's going to DEAL with it which means suffer until he can get his gun. He'll prioritize a lair for that.

Really, he sacrifices so much. :') ]

Excellent work, Sevika.

[ He rapped a hand on the bar, and reached for the bottle of liquor again.

Right now, they needed it.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

DECEMBER MINGLE

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