⏵ 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⏴
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etrayamods) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
etrayalogs2025-03-14 11:19 am
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Don't, Carver tells himself. Just don't.
He looks away abruptly, focusing his gaze on the fallen. On the enemy bleeding and moaning on the ground. Alive, though. Each and every one of them. ]
It's a shit job.
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[ It's an immediate reply, he doesn't even think about it. Of course it's not a shit job. This is what he wants to do. This is what he's spent his whole life trying to do. Protect people. Save them. Instead he spent so many years putting them in the ground. Now Harold has given him this chance. ]
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[ He can't look at the boy. He can't. And that's an awful goddamn tell in a place like this, the worst kind of operational sin, and he still can't make himself stop from tensing up. From clenching his hands as if to grasp a weapon. ]
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It feels anticlimactic sometimes. It's just one or two people and there's so many out there. There was this one girl we saved, her boyfriend was ex military, and they discovered someone was giving impossible loans to veterans and then taking everything back from them. Made thirty million taking advantage of veterans. We got the money back, Finch put it in charities. Or a guy who was part of a thief gang trying to make money to give to the wife of a fellow soldier that died in his place, trying to make sure his friend's daughter had a good future.
[ There are so many numbers, but he thinks those two in particular with resonate with Carver. He'll understand them better, see the good in them more than he would the spoiled daughter of the diplomat who learned what to do with her life. ]
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Hold still, the commander orders softly. And stand up straight. You know better than that. You know fucking better.
His fingers twitch. He stands up straight. ]
Good for them, then.
[ It comes out flatter than he means. At least somebody gets a happy ending, somewhere out there. ]
We done here or what?
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That's it. Now you know what working for Finch is like.
[ John doesn't let his emotions into his voice, just keeps calm, smooth. Doesn't judge, doesn't antagonize. Maybe one day, if he plays his cards right, Carver will see. He's not going to give up at every little setback. ]
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He hates this awkwardness, the feeling that he's done something unreasonable that everyone else is nonetheless giving him a pass on. An allowance for -
What, exactly?
Getting lost in the woods, Carver realizes suddenly. Because that's what this is, isn't it? All these moments where he can't wear a civilized shape anymore, where he can't see things the way everyone else does and so he fails the test. Time and time again, he gets it wrong and yet they're all so calm in their disappointment. So goddamn understanding it makes him want to scream. ]
Yes, sir, [ he agrees, in his nothing voice. It's what you say when you fail. ]
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I'm no "sir".
[ He's been called "sir" before, but it was a long time ago, another life practically. No matter how bad things got in the Army it turned out that was nothing compared to the CIA. Kara was right when she said no one would understand what he's done. Except Carver. Carver would. Maybe that's part of why John wants him to understand. ]
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[ That's a simple fact. Harold doesn't like it and he's said as much, but that doesn't make it any less true. Carver focuses his gaze on the horizon, blurred and unreal as it is here. He wonders if he can just pull the goddamn headset off and end this, or if that'd fuck up the game.
He can't fail twice. Pope would be so goddamn disappointed in him. ]
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[ He doesn't really think Shaw is in it just for the action or the pay. She wouldn't have stuck around for all those years longer if that was the case. She would have found something else to do in the first place. And for Harold... John is certain the numbers mean as much to Harold as they do to him. People mean more to Harold than they do to John. He's been so insistent from day one that John could do good, has asked him to do good, to be better. ]
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[ Whatever their reasons, a hierarchy exists. It shapes the world and this thing Harold and John built, that Shaw built with them. Pretending otherwise is foolish but Carver's done that before. He's lied through his teeth for officers because that was what they wanted, that was what it meant to be a good soldier.
He holds very still, gaze on the horizon. This is done, isn't it? This moment? Arguing won't change it. ]
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I'll see you around. Take care of yourself out there.
[ If Carver wants to think there's a rank, he can say that much. Maybe Carver will listen to him. ]
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