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

"Makes sense to me." Living underground as the people of Abyss do, they're familiar enough with bats, though the ones they deal with often sup on fruit or insects. Even so, it's enough to know that all of those bats served ad purpose and were relevant to Kirk's research. They were supposed to be there, and this is why he's the Bat-man, as he was called. He took on traits of that particular kind of bat, much the way those who survived Crest transfusion gained abilities at a cost.

He thinks, anyway, that it's not wildly dissimilar. The technical points will assuredly differ, but Kirk clearly gained some superior abilities with drawbacks he would sooner not live with. Thus his pursuit of a cure. None of that matters so much now as the nature of that cure. Kirk strikes him as a practical man, and so something that has no practical purpose stands out like a sore thumb.

"So the irrelevant part of the equation is that non-venomous bird. I assume, based on your technology, you've no need of messenger owls." The birds were a common sight around Garreg Mach, but what use was such a creature caged amongst bats in a laboratory?

Edited 2025-03-30 03:55 (UTC)

Kirk furrows his brow. The owl felt right when they were watching but now Yuri breaks down the logic enough for him to be unsure.

"It's a biology lab..." Kirk says slowly but he doesn't feel as confident now. He had never heard of messenger owls. His world's technology is advance enough to have things like the internet and telephones instead.

"An owl nestled amongst the bats being used for your research. Owls will prey on bats, if memory serves." Introducing a predator might serve a functional purpose with some forms of experiments, but what he understands of Kirk's pursuits doesn't suggest any sort of need. If anything, something that the bats would feed on would make much more sense than something that might consume a resource he is using.

Yuri can't know who else may be working there, or what they may be working on, but wouldn't it interfere with his work, having an owl placed there? It's the one detail he can't put out of mind. "So what would it be used for?"

Edited 2025-03-30 04:14 (UTC)

Kirk's furrows his brow more. No... it doesn't make sense at all with the research he was trying to do.

There's a short pause. Kirk isn't sure what to say. It might also mean the Gamerunner's trying to think of something too. Maybe he's disappointed?

"Thaaaat would be correct!" the Gamerunner finally booms. "Congratulations Yuri Leclerc and Kirk Langstrom! Another day to keep those memories intact!"

Some tension leaves Kirk and he's quick head for the nearest exit. He's had his fill of challenges for the day and getting publicly outed as a vampire like a spectacle was uncomfortable to say the least.

When Kirk leaves, Yuri follows suit. He trails a good arm's-length behind the man, a distance he maintains with most one way or another. It's no more or less than before he learned what Kirk's special diet apparently is. Knowing what he contends with only makes more sense of his desire to cure himself, after all.

It's not until they've put some distance between themselves and that particular challenge that he speaks. "...I might have something that'd help your research along, though I can't guarantee anything."

No questions. No comments. Just this.

Kirk pauses and looks back at Yuri. Evidently, the man isn't repelled by him yet despite what he just witnessed. Kirk doesn't understand why though. The mention of his research also has him listening.

"What is it?" he asks.

"Let's get away from the cameras first," Yuri suggests, eyeing the cursed things. While he doubts the people of this world have any interest in his blood's unique qualities, that doesn't mean he wants just anyone knowing about it.

In Kirk's case, though? Maybe it'll lead him to something. Seeing one ill changed for another, it'd be worth trying at least. Something that should have killed Yuri was cured by it, after all.

Kirk nods and starts leading Yuri towards the backalleys. He has his doubts that they're truly private but it was still worth a shot. It seems Yuri might still be interested in helping? Kirk will have to hear him out first though. Their previous deal could fall apart.

Once they arrive, Yuri spares the area a glance around. Then, he does something a little odd. Normally, he'd infuse a weapon with magic if anything. In this case, though? He channels his magic directly into the nearest wall, current bounding through the surface and whatever may be hidden beneath it. As a bonus, the electric crackle lingers for a time as the charge normally remains for a brief period.

It's about the best he can manage without his world's Dimitri around. "So I told you about that plague in my country, right? I survived only because this wanderer saw fit to give me some red liquid, and that cured me. Never been healthier since that time. I think you can guess what that must have been."

Kirk can see where the conversation is heading. He’s intrigued but not quick to be hopeful for now. A lot could still go wrong.

“What kind of blood was it?” He simply asks.

"He didn't explain himself, but he was human. A human who would've lived a damned long time, considering the Crest he passed on to me. Those're normally hereditary, so that's a big damn hint. There was no bearer of that Crest except one of the Four Apostles." Yuri doubts the term does much to clarify, so he waves a gloved hand. "Goddess-blessed sort of thing. Only those four would know how to do what he must've done... So, I may live just as long, who knows. Point is, it's unique, and it saved me. Maybe studying it would yield something."

Blood red eyes study Yuri as the men stand in the dark alleyway. Kirk was not a spiritual or religious man. “Goddess-blessed” could mean there were some incredibly rare and potent properties in the blood and that it’s something only compatible with people with certain genetics. The blood could potentially lead him to a cure. It feels almost too good to be true.

“Why do you still want to help?” Kirk quietly asks.

He’s been betrayed twice by humans who said they would help him but actually had darker ambitions. They saw him as just a monster. The people he trusts the most now are both non-human and have their own histories of being isolated. It also helps knowing his fangs could never get past their super-durability. He was not a danger to them.

Yuri… had taken what he just witnessed with surprising stride.

"I'm a man of my word for one thing — when I mean it, anyway." Yuri had often told corrupt nobles what they wanted to hear, after all. It was a means to an end, and sometimes he had to exploit their expectations and gullibility. If they were particularly cruel or unjust to their people, he'd do more and worse and feel no remorse for it. He's got a reputation for it, in fact. Kirk is none of this. He's a victim of circumstance, and were it not for the grace of the goddess, perhaps Yuri would have been turned into a demonic beast rather than saved.

"For another, I understand your situation better now. If you didn't mean what you'd told me before, if none of that added up, well. Fast as I am, you're faster. I could be dead by now. And then I'd come back and find a way to get even since this little setup works like that, but you get the picture." Yuri shrugs. He has no reason to think any differently in his assessment of Kirk as a person. If anything, he's reminded of his king, who constantly had to moderate his own monstrous strength in his day-to-day life. If Dimitri didn't focus on every little task, he'd break things left and right. That was not of his choosing. "None of us choose the hand we're dealt, only how we play it."

Kirk, much like Dimitri, clearly makes an effort to restrain himself and not harm others. His world has no concept of humanoid vampire bats, but all Yuri can think of is what a struggle that must be in the man's day-to-day. He wasn't even born to it, nor did he choose that.

Kirk wants to believe that Yuri is truly understanding and sympathetic to his plight. Friendly company was so rare to come by for him, especially from humans. But then again, Will and Jeremy seemed understanding sympathetic too and look how that ended. So the part of Kirk that's still hurt and grieving is still wary.

"My transformation was over 10 years ago," Kirk says. "I've killed many since then because of my hunger."

He might as well finally admit to the other ugly facts about himself. There was no point anymore in dancing around what his condition actually means.

"I was born into abject poverty and one of my first jobs was assassination, because no one suspects a little kid." Yuri doesn't miss a beat in saying this. The weight of lives taken is no small matter, and he couldn't ever bring himself to kill someone he deemed truly innocent, but he can never claim his hands aren't at least as bloody as Kirk's is. "People do ugly things to survive. Things they despise themselves for. It doesn't mean that's what they want to be, or all they're capable of."

He can say this for Kirk's benefit, even if he struggles to believe it for himself. Many of the Abyssians he leads have had to resort to things they'd never have considered if their circumstances weren't dire. They can't undo what they've done, but they can fight for a future where they can be more and better than that. It's a hope they have to hold onto.

Kirk is quiet as he processes Yuri's confession. It's not a light matter to say and too specific to be a lie. It's hitting Kirk more now how genuine Yuri appears to be.

"Do you still do it?" He asks calmly and without judgement.

"I'm a mercenary nowadays, though I wouldn't say it's so far departed." Killing is still killing, even if the other guy would do it if Yuri didn't beat him to it. His homeland has been bitterly embroiled in war, and fighting is an unavoidable consequence. "But if I thought someone really needed to be taken out of the picture, I'd do what I thought necessary. Lot of corruption in the world. Lot of people exploiting the poor and desperate."

It's something he can't abide. If his hands must be dirtied further still, well. At least it'd be in defense of those who needed it.

"It's how I try to direct my hunger," Kirk admits. It seems to him that Yuri would understand his mentality on at least some level.

"Better to have it pointed in a specific direction than to have it run loose."

"Then we're not so different, dietary limitations aside. I don't envy you that...but it's all the more reason to find a cure." Yuri knows Kirk has been seeking one for a long time, and maybe his world simply lacks the resources necessary. Some missing piece is out there, surely.

What many dismiss as an impossibility in life is, to Yuri, simply a goal that requires dedication and time to attain. "So my offer stands, once we're back to base." They'll need equipment for Kirk to take a sample to work with, much less examine it.

He stares back at Yuri with his red eyes. Is it really just that simple? The part of him that still doubts is smaller now at least.

"Thank you," he says quietly. "This might not turn into anything."

He says it like Yuri needs to be reminded but it's really more for himself. There had been so many false starts and dead ends over the years since his transformation.

"It might not, but even if it's the case, it's worth trying." If it yields nothing new, at least they would know it. Failures can be informative in their own way, frustrating as they'd surely be after a decade. Trying something new is still worthwhile, and Yuri has suffered enough injuries in life to know the blood spent on this venture won't be any real loss.

"Besides, how often does an odd case like mine come along?"

Kirk softly huffs. Yuri has a point there.

"You're the first for me," he replies. "Haven't heard of a case close to yours."

The scientist in him is genuinely curious and looking forward to studying Yuri's blood.

"What abilities did you gain from the Crest?"

"It's called the Crest of Aubin, after the man it first belonged to." Yuri may as well call a spade a spade. Kirk's a man of science, so the details may matter to him after all. "Aside from being pretty damn healthy, and the whole extended life business, occasionally an enemy's movement gets halted in combat. Not something I can do by will, but it gives me an opening often enough. Mine's a Major Crest, which makes enough sense. Can't thin out over generations if I got it directly from the previous owner. Usually it's hereditary, but not always, and in most cases they're Minor after so many generations."

Kirk pays close attention as Yuri explains. It does sound like genetics is at least one major part of the process.

"How rare is it for the previous owner to directly give their crest?" he asks. Yuri must have gotten that information from somewhere.

"Rare enough that I'm the only successful case I know of." Yuri has his suspicions about someone in the army, but he can't say the case is just like his, not considering which Crest he thinks it is. "Going from one human to another...it may be only me. That old man would've been hundreds of years old."

Nearly a millennium, in fact.

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