⏵ 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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"That doesn't sound too different from time with my siblings," he says. "No food stealing though, especially not while under Alfred's watch. He'd rather we have some sense of decorum, at least at the table."
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"Ah well, we did well enough but food scarcity was always something we had to consider," he remarked simply. Besides, kids would be kids and want to antagonize each other. "I'm lucky if I could get them to use utensils for most meals. Though, we never had a food fight." The four would never waste food; it was something Vander imprinted on them while living under his roof.
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"I assume you mean physical prowess or feats of success?"
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"Naturally," he says proudly. "Stuff like rooftop races or paintball fights across the city. They keep everyone on their toes."
And more importantly, they were just fun.
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"Nothing can beat life experience and play through competition."
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Or when one needs to break in for a good cause. Jason recognizes that the crimes Vander mention sound more like survival crimes instead of malicious intent. He hasn't forgotten his own time as an orphan kid thief trying to get by.
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"It seems that some underappreciate those kinds of skills. You never know when you need to get into and out of a place though." He shrugged his shoulders. It was clear that Jason knew all about that.
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Jason is proud of the skills he's picked up over the years as a vigilante.
"It's because of those skills that I got adopted."
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He glanced over at Jason.
"That's a shame that you were adopted on skills and not need."
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"Not what it sounds like," he explains. "We first met when he caught me stealing the wheels off of his car. I was 12 and he was surprised I did it by myself. I almost finished the job too. He also saw that I had no one and was living on the streets. He took me in after that."
Well, more or less. They had to stop an evil headmistress who was running her orphanage as a crime school first but still. Bruce didn't adopt Jason because he saw him as a useful thief.
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"Well good. Sounds similar to a shop owner that took notice of me," he remarked simply. "Not many options for kids on the street." He made a point of not offering much of his own childhood; it was a long time ago and it almost always included Silco.
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Jason can easily imagine all the different darker alternate paths his life could've turned into.
"What do you normally do these days?"
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He acknowledged that Jason was one of the lucky ones. Vander had been as well, though he still fought for everything he had.
"Socialize," he said simply. "I don't have a job yet, so I fill the time between missions. You?"
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It's a strange change compared to the nearly daily patrols or missions Jason does back home. There was much more idle time in Etraya.
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He had to return to form after all. It might be one of his greatest strengths, but also, he needed it to exhaust himself.
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Judging by Vander's earlier comments, it sounds like he's got experience and they had similarities in their upbringings.
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He had once been extremely good at climbing the fissures, his strength and leanness back then making it easy. He had even learned to climb the smooth buildings of Piltover with all their expensive adornments. It was a fun youth as much as it was dangerous.
"That stalled out when we were sold into mining, but that was useful too. I learned a lot."
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"You and your siblings you mean?" he lightly asks. It's easy for him to see some of the similarities between their families.
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"Just... one sibling," he correctly softly. "Fel came when I was older."
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“Ah, right,” he says. “So anyway, if you want a workout buddy, I’m probably available.”
It seemed best to change topics for now to lessen the awkwardness. Now wasn’t a time to pry.
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"Is that so? Do you happen to have weights? Rocks don't have the best traction."
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At least this conversation is turning out to be more pleasant than when he talked to Silco.
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He was trying to be alone as little as possible to avoid thinking. This was working out quite well, though he did consider that he might have to be wary in case had gotten to Jason first.