etrayalogs | MISSION 008

MISSION 008

WHO: Everyone!
WHEN: March 14th - April 11th
WHERE: Aphaia
WHAT: Mission 008
NOTES\WARNINGS: Survival horror elements, violence, (mild) body horror, potential death.

⏵ APHAIA ⏴

At the request of those inhabiting Etraya, Aurora has adjusted the mission schedule a little in order to send everyone into a world that is actively dying. Which means that, on the morning of March 14th, everyone will be directed to a glowing, purple portal situated just outside the hospital. Aurora will recommend that those with pets leave them behind; given the mission parameters of survive, she anticipates that it will not be a place for companion animals to accompany their owners to. She will not, however, force this: people are welcome to bring their companions if they'd like!

Once they have stepped through the portal, it will become clear that survival will not come easily. The sky overhead is fractured into a kaleidoscope of neon colors, artificial stars blinking in and out of existence among shards. Towering structures resembling stadiums and coliseums stretch endlessly into the horizon, their surfaces plastered with massive holographic advertisements displaying the face of past "champions" - many of whom appear to be long-since deceased.

From the moment they step through the portal, cameras whir to life around them, zooming in on their expressions while loudly announcing their names, their specialties, and what they are capable of. Applause echoes through unseen speakers when talents worth the excitement are announced: those with fighting capabilities, unique extraordinary powers, or odd talents seem to get the loudest reaction.

And once introductions are complete, a loud, booming voice cuts through the noise:

WELCOME, CONTESTANTS! ARE YOU PREPARED TO SEE WHO AMONG YOU IS THE SMARTEST, THE HOTTEST, THE STRONGEST, AND THE SHINIEST? ONLY THOSE AMONG YOU WHO ARE WORTHY WILL SURVIVE. KALI TYCHI!!

There is no introduction to the voice. No explanation.

Welcome to Aphaia.

⏵ SURVIVAL SPOTLIGHT ⏴

Aphaia is a dying world. Once vibrant, now it is little more than a stage - an arena where survival meets spectacle and death is a form of entertainment. Cameras are everywhere, their mechanical eyes dissecting every action, hesitation, every moment of weakness. To the residents of Aphaia, it's all a game. After all, they know they are living on borrowed time - why not make it fun?

Towering holograms flicker with advertisements for upcoming challenges, massive leaderboards shift constantly, tracking the contestants' popularity in real time. Every move is judged, and every breath is measured.

Participation is not mandatory, but refusal comes with some hefty consequences. Those who refuse to play fade into the background, their scores slowly dropping closer and closer to zero.

And when it does bottom out? They disappear. No body, no remains, just - erased entirely from existence.

Now, survival is not just about brute force (although there is some of that too!), but about entertainment. Contestants are not simply fighters, but performers earning the favor of other contestants.

Each contestant has a score, visible using the HUD of their earpiece. Scores range from 1-100, with 80+ reserved for crowd favorites. The moment scores hit zero, they disappear, presumed (and are) dead.

New contestants start with a randomized score, assigned the moment they step onto Aphaia's surface. From there, their survival depends on strategy, skill, and showmanship.

Nanotechnology laces the very air they breathe, embedding itself into their bodies. It monitors oxygen, tracks food intake, measures every potential need for everyone, including alien species whose needs differ. Supplies are scarce - meaning only those who keep their scores up receive rations, shelter, and medical aid. The lower one's score? The less they get.

And there are no second chances.

⏵ DISTRICTS ⏴

Aphaia is separated into four districts.

The Colosseum is where blood is currency. A high-tech battle arena where combatants are pitted against each other for entertainment, the Colosseum is always prepared for any battle one may wish to take part of. The floors shift, and the environment changes at the whim of the audience. It's built to support any challenge that requires physicality: the floors will break into massive labyrinths meant to confuse individuals, or the walls will raise to create rooms that are difficult to escape to test one's intellect. Within the Colosseum, contestants are invited to battle one another and others for glory. Are you a warrior? Built for combat? Do you have capabilities that shine through with physical action, rather than mental stimulation? This is the place for you.

A place of luxury, the Symposium is where alliances are forged - and broken. Here, the highest-rated contestants (those who rank Luminary or higher) are invited to partake in fine dining and lavish parties. Violence is not permitted within the walls of the Symposium; while this may provide the false illusion of safety, it is anything but. Whispered betrayals are passed between contestants within the walls of the Symposium, with deals struck to ensure that those who rank high enough to enjoy all the benefits it offers continue to be able to visit.

In the heart of Aphaia is the Agora. Pulsing with flashing billboards featuring the faces of many past and current contestants and live polls of the current scores of those who are still alive, the Agora is where contestants are invited to engage with the public to shape their own narrative.

In the streets, many contestants can be found putting on quirky performances, participating in challenges, or conducting interviews with other contestants. Charisma can be just as valuable as brute strength, and this is the place for those who rely on their ability to sweet-talk others to make sure their points remain high. This is where the facilities for the non-physical challenges resides, such as Echoes of the Past and Tychaios.

The Agora contains the housing district in which contestants reside. There are a few massive apartment towers stacked to the sky. The high-ranking live in luxury, enjoying rooms up to two bedrooms with plenty of space - the lower ranking individuals reside in smaller apartments, with significantly less amenities.

On the edges of Aphaia are the Backalleys, where rules are meant to be broken. A maze of shadowed corridors and hidden tunnels, there are multiple "convenient" corners where camera blind spots can be found. Here is where people come to converse between one another outside the eyes of the audience or to find temporary sanctuary from their lives being consistently narrated. However, it is also well-known that while they may be able to find areas where the cameras cannot reach, the Gamerunner is also aware of these blind spots.

⏵ RATED & REVIEWED ⏴

While the highest rated contestants get to go to The Symposium, those middling or in danger of falling off get invited to only the finest of trashy talk shows.

Anyone can see how this daily, midday TV show plays out. Stand in front of a television long enough and you’ll see reruns of bruised competitors hashing it out in front of an audience over failed plans, ruined alliances, and broken friendships. If you want to see the worst in others Kathiki Pidón is the show to watch.

Though one might wonder why anyone would ever go on this thing, it is a nearly universal guilty pleasure. There is a chance to raise one’s own rating without risking one’s life. But say the wrong things, and you may become more unpopular than ever. It is a desperate place to go- but they do always give a hot meal to anyone who agrees to come on. It might be your only chance to recuperate.

This is also a great opportunity to try to lower someone else’s ranking by airing out private grievances very publicly. Was the only reason you lost because you were tricked or betrayed? Is there a secret alliance you want people to know about? Or perhaps you need a platform to earn a little sympathy.

Kathiki will be more than happy to host you, donning his usual black and gold suit and holding his slim microphone for you to speak into.

For those who are a little shier, Kathiki has a private booth in the back of the studio where you can pour your heart out in front of a camera. This can have the same benefits, but it may be edited in very unfortunate ways before the public sees it.

⏵ NOTES ⏴
Please use our NPC Threads toplevel on this post for any NPC interactions you'd like! This includes Kathiki.

For all questions relating to this mission, please refer to the plotting post. All other questions can be directed to the FAQ.

⏵FULL NAVIGATION⏴

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

He assumed most places didn't have a society built on taking in orphans, which meant it seemed more plausible that Jason was talking about actual blood relatives. "That's quite the brood and plenty of responsibility for older siblings. No wonder you have Damian constantly breaking and entering."

He shrugged his shoulders. "Not by blood. Where I'm from family is what you make it. I had a brother and later in life a sister. You know, orphans need to band together and all that."

Jason nods, understanding more than Vander thinks.

"Yeah," he agrees. "Most of my siblings and I got adopted by the same guy. That's how we're all together."

He looked at Jason and a smile tugged at his lips. He reached out to pat the other man on the shoulder. Adoptees unite, he supposed.

"Nice guy to take you all in," he remarked. There were some in the undercity. "So aside from Damian, what are the names of your other siblings?"

"Ha. How do you know him? He broke into your place too?" Jason asks, keeping his voice light and casual.

Multiverse hub or not, every BatFamily member still has some level of paranoia and reluctance in revealing too much about each other unless it was someone they greatly trusted.

"I called him a nickname and he threatened to kill me," he replied with good humor. "Or maybe it was beat me up. It's so hard to tell with kids these days."

He noted the reluctance and saw no reason to push. If the roles were reversed, he might not reveal either. "He seems like an interesting little guy. Clearly he's a handful for everyone."

"Eh. Both are entirely possible with him," Jason grins. "It's great when I noogie him."

Especially during a spar. Sometimes levity needed to be dumped onto Damian as a reminder not to take everything so seriously.

"Well, he's not my sibling, so I don't think I've earned noogie rights," he replied in amusement. "However, maybe you should give him one on my behalf, since I did have to witness him reading Jane Austin."

An author who Vander knew absolutely nothing about. The scene made it seem like she was disparaged about her woman content, but in the end, Damian hadn't hated it.

"Deal," Jason laughs. It's as good of an excuse as any to give his little brother more noogies.

"And Jane Austen was a perfectly good author. Doesn't matter if her stuff was considered 'too girly' or whatever."

Evidently, Jason was still perfectly proud to talk about his reading preferences.

Well that was easy. It showed him the camaraderie between the brothers at least on Jason's end. Perhaps the guy was a good influence on Damian? He hadn't seen them interact enough to know for certain.

"What about her writing is considered too girly?"

"Her works focused a lot on women navigating with family expectations and potential romances," Kirk says. "She was almost a couple of centuries before my time so she would be considered old-fashioned now but I still like her stuff."

And as shown in the memory, not ashamed at all that he likes it.

"That doesn't sound that girly. Everyone has and needs romances now and again," he remarked, though he wasn't aware of the time period. Love or at least lust came fast and free where he was from, so the idea of navigating roles and expectations was not bothersome to him at all.

"Maybe these parts need a little old fashioned."

"Exactly," Jason says. He appreciates that Vander isn't talking down at the themes. "Besides, her ideas are more universal than people think. You just have to get past some of the old-fashioned norms she was writing too."

"Where I'm from, it's sometimes important to take the old fashioned by both hands and hold on tight," he remarked as they walked. Romance was common enough, but it was strained with the day-to-day struggles. There were still unspoken rules most abided by, fostering of culture of oneness.

"If her writing touches on so many universal themes, maybe more people should read it. Here, where you're from, maybe even should have left a copy of her works on that train."

"Heh. That would've been nice," Jason says. "There are at least copies back in Etraya. Seems like a lot of books from my world are in that library."

It's how it's become one of his favorite places.

"What's your world like?"

"Are there? Maybe I'll look it up. I have time on my hands for reading," he said conversationally. He had been reading more, so perhaps it would be worthwhile. He was going to need to fill the time with more than exercise after all.

He shrugged his shoulders and made a point of tucking his hands into his jacket pockets as they walked. He was considering how much detail to offer about his world.

"Not sure. I've never been exploring beyond my city and its sister city. We see our fair share of travelers and traders though, and they bring stories of the world beyond the city of iron and glass." He glanced over at Jason. "Most of the population lives underground as we were founded for mining and factory work. Textiles, refineries, free trade. What you can't find in Piltover, you can probably find in the undercity somewhere."

There's a very brief pause as he absorbs what Vander's saying. There's something very familiar about the way he describes it, particularly at the mention of people living underground.

"Sounds like you come from a tough and hearty place," he says.

"Yeah, I do," he confirmed. "Our people have been struggling to survive and make life better for generations, but... we'll get there. It will come beyond my lifetime." That's because he was dead, or unfortunately, in a worst state than death when it comes around.

"Some parts of the city I saw you're from remind me of it. Architecture, buildings reaching to the sky, people in the shadows of alleys."

Jason nods.

"That's Gotham for you," he says. "We're not underground but it can seem gloomy sometimes. A real diamond in the rough depending on how you look at it. Some live with diamonds. Others see a lot more of the rough."

"That's the way it is with all cities," he replied. "Sometimes if you cut the rough, you still find a diamond underneath. The ruddier rocks just need a chance to shine."

Look, he was a miner and lived in a city that based most of their aesthetics on stones. So he had a lot of stone references.

Jason used to want to be a theater kid and is part of a family of dramatic costumed vigilantes. He's not one to judge on wordplay.

"That's for sure," he agrees. He was an orphaned street rat who got adopted by Gotham's richest man. Of course, there was much more to that particular luxury living.

"It surprises some people who comes from those parts. Goes to show it's not always about what you're born into."

"Ah well, I like surprises," he remarked as they walked. "I hate leaving diamonds in the rough, but we can't save them all." He wish it was another way, but he understood reality and mortality was high where he was from. Most were lucky if anyone remembered their names.

"Being born lucky helps. Otherwise, it's about how tenacious one is about demanding attention."

Jason nods.

"That's for sure. When you don't got much, you're forced to take matters into your own hands. Had to learn a lot of stuff fast when I was a kid. Growing up in a place like Crime Alley will do that to you," he says.

Vander gave Jason a side-glance. It was clear the other man understood what it was like, and those lessons were never forgotten no matter how much time had passed or riches were gathered.

"You have to learn or be taken advantage of. The streets are where real life is lived, and you either get with that program fast to survive or you die." He had been fortunate in that he grew bigger than other kids his age, had been taught how to defend himself early. "Crime Alley is a little on the nose..."

Jason snorts.

"Yeah, sometimes Gotham isn't subtle," he says. "Officially the neighborhood's called the Bowery but you can probably figure out why there's been some nicknames."

He knows his upbringing was not the nicest but he won't hide it. It's part of how he is today.

That stood to reason. There were plenty of places that had an 'official' name, but the nickname was far more used. Most of the time it was them flicking their thumb at the authority that kept them down in those spaces to begin with, cycling through the hardship of poverty.

"It sounds like a place I wouldn't mind," he reflected thoughtfully. "We have a place called the Lanes, but crime is basically everywhere even there. It's basically interbred into all of us at this point."

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