⏵ 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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etrayalogs2025-03-14 11:19 am
no subject
Slowly he rose to his feet again when it seemed that she had divulged her tale of the apartment and that they had pulled themselves together. He had many questions to what she had seen and why Vi had died there when she was very much alive - and confirmed even now to still be - and yet it clearly wasn't true for her?
"Until then, you plan on exploring town and discovering as much as you can?" She did seem to be a wild spirit who would do what she wanted. Her parents must have had their hands full with her. He offered her a hand to take. "How about we explore together for a bit? I don't have a competition for an hour or so."
no subject
She takes his hand – so very large that her own hand seems to almost disappear – and looks up at him, still terribly serious.
"Yes, that sounds nice."
And she starts walking deeper into the alley, because the place she's least supposed to go is, of course, the first place she wants to explore. Maybe, if Vander's with her, he won't even object.
no subject
His fingers close around her hand in a little shake but also to offer support. He'd seen the way that Piltover kids lived, and it was vastly different from Zaunite ones. However, even he had to admit that it was a snapshot view of their lives, and he thought he could expand his ideas by staying close. Besides, Caitlyn was adorably strong willed.
"Well, let's go then."
He turned and followed her into the alley, not opposing in the least. This was such a common place for children of Zaun that he didn't consider it a problem.
"What's your favourite thing to do in Piltover, hmm?"
no subject
She considers his question for a moment, thinking through her normal routine – mostly filled with her studies or watching Jayce at his – before answering.
"My favourite thing to do is outside of the city. My family has an estate upriver, and whenever we go there I can practice my shooting out in the forest." The excitement builds in her voice as she speaks of her preferred pastime. "We've got a range set up that I can use, and sometimes I even take the dogs out and hunt game. It's the only place I've ever been apart from topside." But one day she wants to see all of it: the undercity, and the whole world outside of Piltover.
no subject
He had seen Caitlyn's firearm before, and he tended to have an aversion towards them from years of exposure to the violence that they inflicted on his people. He had handled firearms only long enough to use them as battery weapons rather than firing implements. Of course, he had also provided for and encouraged Powder's curiosity of them as her skills developed. It wasn't entirely rare, but the environment and expense made more firearms not a weapon of choice.
Yet, he could hear how Caitlyn's voice changed as she talked about the range and the estate beyond the main city. "It's probably one of the places where you can just be yourself and enjoy without the expectations of your house, yeah?"
no subject
"Everything is simpler, I suppose, when you view it down the barrel of a rifle," she says, with a faint smile and a small shrug. Being a Kiramman is complicated. It comes with expectations and rituals and obligations that she doesn't entirely understand or want to take part in, even knowing that one day she'll be the head of the House whether she wants to be or not. Being a sharpshooter is easy. Guns are straightforward, orderly. Guns make sense.
As they walk, her eyes are taking in their surroundings. She's deduced that the mechanical things all over the place are cameras, albeit quite different to the one's she's familiar with, capable of capturing sounds and moving images rather than mere still images and projecting them onto screens all over the place. And one thing she can't help but notice is that there are fewer of them here than elsewhere. As they round a corner, she turns her head back, looking at the last camera she saw before peering around for more. There's another up ahead, but it's a ways off.
Her expression turns contemplative. "They can't see us here, can they?"
no subject
Yet, he had to push down the instinctual reaction of revulsion at the mention of the ease of looking down the barrel of a rifle. He knew that Caitlyn had no idea what those words meant to him, to the horrors he had seen and experienced from the opposite end of a rifle. How he may not be intimate about handling and firing one, but he wagered he had experienced every part of a firearm against his body at least once in his lifetime. So he said nothing; that wasn't the weight she needed. Older Caitlyn had perhaps a small idea.
"It's easy to find peace when you're building skills and enjoying something that you invest a considerable amount of time in. No one can take that from you, especially when you're alone," he remarked conversationally as they walked. "People's eyes aren't on you and you aren't being judged. Like a breath of fresh air."
He glanced back the way that they had traveled to view the camera well behind them. He returned to walking with his arms folded behind his back. "No, we are out of sight of the crowds from those. Sometimes it's nice to escape from the constant noise and displays."
no subject
This place isn't terribly different from Piltover, aside from the technology. Everything one does is scrutinized and judged; in Piltover by the wealthy and elite, whose hawk-like stares threatened ruination of reputation and standing, and here by the people with the power to lower one's score and steal food and water and even air away from anyone whose scores sinks low enough. Despite finding herself on their good side here, thanks to her rifle skills, Caitlyn is glad to be unobserved for a moment.
"What was she like?" she asks, looking up at Vander contemplatively. "Vi, I mean."
no subject
He made a point to lean against the nearby wall at Caitlyn's question, and a small knowing smile crossed his lips briefly. He wondered how many girls Caitlyn's age she had encountered, or if they were all high-class prim and proper youngsters who limited the ability to be interesting and carry the appearance of freedom.
Yet, he also found a small sadness. He missed Vi so deeply each and every day.
"Tough," he replied simply. "She's hard-headed, bright, charming and a leader. She has a lot of street-smarts but also still growing into her own. I like when she quips and also when she pretends she didn't do anything I might disapprove of."
no subject
And she'll never get the chance. The only firsthand knowledge she'll ever have of Vi is how her body looked, bloody and dirty, lying still amidst the rubble on Jayce's floor. It's still shocking, even now she's had a little time to process, how quickly a life can be snuffed out.
"What do you think will happen to your other children?" If they were robbing Jayce's workshop, they may well face some form of legal consequences for that. But Caitlyn doesn't want anything bad to happen to them, especially after what they've been through.
no subject
For Vander, Vi lived on and he did not. He thought that perhaps someday that this place may provide him an opportunity to meet her again, perhaps even grown. If Jinx was nineteen then Vi would be in her twenties. He wondered what conversations they would have, what she might say to him in passing, if she would laugh at some of his dumb jokes like when she was little. Maybe she'd hug the air out of him for once in her life.
He was drawn from his thoughts at the question, looking to Caitlyn and his expression went pinched momentarily. The boys died and Powder became Jinx. He forced a little smile on the corner of his lips and dipped his head so he could look at the ground.
"They'll come home," he said softly. "And we'll deal with the fall-out of their own actions in the undercity. I'll protect them." And fail.