etrayalogs | MISSION 009

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MISSION 009

⏵ CAMP ETRAYA ⏴
On May 16th, Aurora and the companion bots direct those not heading off to Solmara to make their way to Camp Etraya.

Nestled away from everything else in a large clearing full of wildflowers and redwoods, Camp Etraya is a nostalgic summer camp experience put together just for it's residents! Cabins are assigned, scary stories are told around campfires, gossiping happens among friends on the trails surrounding the cabins - and don't be surprised when something goes awry. After all, this is still Etraya.

While the rest of Etraya is still accessible and will not be blocked off, characters are discouraged from venturing far from camp for too long: Aurora will specify that they are on a mission, and that missions do require participation, but she has intentionally left them the freedom to wander. Not sleeping in their assigned cabins, not participating in events, and staying away from Camp Etraya will end with her having to take more extensive security measures, so please be on your best behavior! The last thing she wants to do is start enforcing boundaries, but she will if she has to.

Camp is set up much like your generic summer camp! Each cabin is named, housing is assigned to characters as they arrive, there are camp counselors, and rotating daily tasks and chores. There are also multiple activities that characters are expected to participate in, and each activity is worth points that goes toward their camp graduation score. This score will be visible on their earpiece, and follows the A-F grading system. We are not be monitoring this, and are leaving character scores up to players. We do, however, ask that you please report your characters' camp grade HERE for rewards and demerits to be handed out after the mission itself.

Cabin assignments can be found here, which also has their roles, and chores assigned to that cabin. Those who are participating in Solmara have received an assigned cabin, too, but their absence toward the beginning will not harm the cabin's ability to compete given how spread out their assignments are.

⏵ WELCOME TO CAMP ⏴

Camp life is meant to instill a sense of belonging, connection with nature, encouragement towards the creative, all on top of a firm foundation of responsibility. Upon arriving, campers will be escorted towards a table of white t-shirts and countless buckets of dye!

Each Etrayan will be invited to make three Tie-Dyed shirts- as well as required to wear one as part of their summer uniform. Camp counselors must wear 80s basketball shorts or cut-off jeans. Campers may wear cargo shorts or a skort. For those with physical limitations to what they can wear, accommodations will be provided.

Here, bonding is the camp runners' priority. They will be pushed into various ice-breaker activities, such as trust falls, two truths and a lie, and Never have I Ever. As the sun goes down, there will be weenies roasting over the bonfire, followed by s’mores and a sing-a-long! With the stars well-visible, it’s off to bed with campers.

Each day after will start much the same: with the ringing of the bell and raising of the flag (Aurora, while unfamiliar with flag designs but an understanding of the concept, has chosen a rainbow flag for the camp. Rainbows make people happy, right?), followed by a meal at the Great Hall, morning assembly, activities with counselors, chores, free time, and then an evening winding down by the great fire. An hour after sun down, campers will be escorted back to their cabins for curfew. Camp Counselors are expected to keep track of their campers, and ensure they're all within their cabins for bedtime. This is part of their grade, too! Curfew lifts an hour before the first bell.

⏵ CAMP ACTIVITIES ⏴

As with most summer camps, Camp Etraya offers a wide variety of activities to participate in. While some of these activities may be mandatory, others are optional. We'll be leaving this up to individual player discretion: perhaps Viktor is mandated to report to arts and crafts, whilst it's optional for Silco to show. Silco, on the other hand, may be mandated to report to the archery contest. Characters are encouraged to participate in a minimum of one camp activity per day.

Below is a non-exhaustive list of camp activities.

Three-Legged Race - You and a partner are tied together at your ankles, and you must race others to the finish line. Those with abilities that would give them an advantage will find that the rope that ties them together hinders those abilities from functioning.
Archery - This can be more traditional, magical, or include moving targets! If you're particularly unlucky, your target may even shoot back.
Softball - What instills a sense of camaraderie better than a bit of team sports? Games will be held on Wednesdays, the field is otherwise available for practice.
Dodge Ball - Standing diametrically opposed to Softball is dodge ball, the bully’s sport. This is a great opportunity to claim dominance or be sent to the Nurse’s Office.
Obstacle Course - You are directed into a large maze with multiple obstacles for them to overcome, such as rock climbing walls, ramps, tires, and nets.
Capture the Flag - Small teams are put together in order to take the flag from a particular bot, whose entire goal is to avoid being caught.
Canoe Race - Canoes are placed into the rivers just off of the camp, and characters must race to the finish line.
Chocobo Riding - Learn how to care for and ride these magnificent birds! Newbies will be taken around the corral, whereas more experienced riders can take the trail around the lake.
Arts and Crafts - Make friendship bracelets, bead lizards, paint rocks, learn origami! Or perhaps you're tasked with putting together an enchanted necklace. Don't know how to do enchantments? Now is as good of a time as any to learn.
Campfire stories - Share scary stories amongst yourselves around the campfire late into the night. If you're particularly unlucky, you may just hear the thing you were just warning others about..

⏵ NIGHT TIME ⏴

Once campers have been put to bed, the counselors can still stay up. Unwind with hidden beers and the strumming of a guitar. Don’t get too comfortable, though, since without supervision, no one is keeping the campers in bed.

After dark, should campers evade their counselors, they can go exploring in the dark. Eerie lights glimmer from the lake. There’s rumors of a headless spectre walking from the archery field to the edge of the forest. Should you behave, you still might hear a scratching at your bunk house window.

And on the very last night of camp, there will be a talent show. Show off your hidden talent and bask in the excitement of wowing your fellow campers!

⏵ NOTES ⏴

Welcome to Camp Etraya! Please enjoy the s'mores and campfire songs. :)

Camp will last approximately two weeks, going from May 16th to May 30th.

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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[ Bruce takes a moment to answer, while he decides how much to give up. What a civilian would reasonably know. ]

Forgive me, my memory's a little fuzzy. Let's see, he was into genetics. DNA splicing, I think.

[There’s a pause as Kirk considers the implications of that. He imagines how the work could be considered fraught and dubious]

Splicing DNA in what way?

There used to be a flying bat creature in Gotham. I always assumed it was Dr. Langstrom, since I remember his work favored bats. But I never knew for sure. He never spoke about his work in detail with me.

[ He glances at Kirk to gauge his reaction. ]

Edited 2025-05-25 01:18 (UTC)

Yeah.

[ His head dips down in a small nod. ]

I still don't know why.

[Ah… Manipulating the human body by mixing in bat traits. Kirk is quiet as he takes in the information. He’s not sure what he was expecting when he asked about the other Dr. Langstrom but it wasn’t that.

Kirk suppose it was fitting that another version of him would still be deeply linked to bats. Even more so that it would be like a curse too. It seems this Dr. Langstrom’s transformation was more overtly monstrous than the vampiric one.

Kirk masks his discomfort and disappointment with a neutral expression and monotone]

I see. My deep dive into chiropterology directed me in a different way.

Was he able to change back into human?

[ Despite Kirk's neutrality, Bruce imagines he must be having some kind of emotional reaction to this. It must be disquieting to hear a near total stranger describe the fate of another version of yourself. He certainly felt something like it listening to Kirk describe the Bruce Wayne he knew as an airhead. ]

I'm afraid I lost touch with Dr. Langstrom. I don't know.

[ He lies. Like a liar. ]

I'm not sure I understand. Were these things you witnessed outside your window?

[You know your situation is fucked when the cult leader is worried about you.]

[There’s something about the elderly man that makes Kirk suspect he knows more than he lets on. So many Gothamites in Etraya seem connected to each other in some way or another, particularly through vigilantism. This Bruce Wayne wouldn’t be much different as far as Kirk knows.

But Kirk treads carefully for now. He’d rather remain civil as they share information]

I see. He must’ve made quite the impression on Gotham.

[And maybe like him, seen as just a monster]

Hob looks over at the remark and immediately smiles and chuckles a little.

"You think so? Why?" He's not calling Fabian out or anything. Hob is genuinely curious about Fabian's assessment of the knight and his actions. Like a teacher, patiently waiting for an explanation while looking forward to hearing it.

Jason shrugs, looking back at the archery range.

"Wouldn't be a bad idea since we're not in imminent danger this time," he says. "And I guess this is supposed to be a nicer way to bond as opposed to immediate survival mode."

Check if you're comfortable drawing as a righty or a lefty more. It'll make getting positioning easier for you.

[Jason picks up a heavier bow and demonstrates the mentioned positions]

[Jason nods back at Cloud. At least it's not an entire cabin full of strangers. It was fun competing with the blond the previous times]

Those big birds are from your world?

[Judging by his tone, Jason seems amenable to Cloud's offer]

[Despite the title being given, Barnabas does not quite act as one might suspect a king should. As he has proven willing to do menial chores as is expected of him without complaint. He likewse does not lord his title nor royalty over the others. The steely and somewhat judgmental looks he offers are arguably kingly, but while some might use their crown as a weapon, Barnabas is oddly humble about its existence.

He isn't even bothered by none of them using his title to refer to him, suggesting the title serves some other purpose than some cheap attempt at establishing social superiority. Whatever the case may be, Barnabas doesn't seem to care to clarify the inclusion of the title for his introduction, nor mention it further.

However, being called "Barnie" is an odd one. Not that he hasn't been referred to that in such a way before, but typically it is from a man he's known for twenty years. A man who isn't the least bit intimidated by the sharp stare it earns. The kind of stare that is being spared towards Fio, yet the edge of it is softer than that he might otherwise give to the other offender.

He then looks to the flowers reapplied to the door, one still in his hand awaiting its return with the others.]

You...made these, correct?

[His voice is soft and quiet, yet perfectly audible despite it's almost whisper-like quality. Barnabas' gaze turns back to her, waiting for her answer. He's completely ignored her thanks, not out of any rude dismissal of it, but perhaps viewing gratefulness unnecessary for his actions.

It's hard to know with how he holds himself, how neutral his expressions tend to be, and how withdrawn his presence is in general.]

[camp was...well. camp. Maria was trying to have a fun time but she kept thinking about the other mission happening. about the people there and if they would be doing okay. Gorgug and Vander were on that mission and it was hard to fully enjoy herself knowing that. at least being a counselor kept her distracted. small blessings.

Maria is keeping an eye on the curfews when she sees Henry at the fire. it's been a while, hasn't it? since they talked. so she saunters up to him, lightly touching his shoulder before she sits down next to him.]

Thinking about anything fun?

[Maria doesn't even know if he thinks about anything. if there's ever anything there when he does zone out. it was similar to James, she thought. much like everything else about Henry.]

[ Whatever Bruce may or may not know he keeps to himself now. He thinks he's got a pretty good understanding of Kirk. Much like the man he knew, his fascination with bats led to a series of unfortunate events. Kirk's transformation just seems less drastic. At least in appearance. And the why of it all still eludes him.

He won't push it for now. ]

He did, yes. But I guess you could say that about a lot of people in Gotham.

No.

[ Henry, are you going to elaborate. He seems to realize he should. ]

A hole appeared in my bathroom and I crawled into other worlds... and people kept dying.

Gotham seems to attract colorful characters.

[For better or for worse]

I've met a few others from some version of Gotham as well.

[ His chin lifts as he turns his head almost robotically as Maria sits down at his side. ]

Hi, Maria.

[ Henry does what he can to force some emotion into his voice; his usual tone is neutral, at best, but he tries to sound happy when he sees friends. He isn't sure if there's much of a difference, however. ]

And no. [ His eyes flicker from her face to the fire. ] I wasn't thinking of anything. [ Again, he tips his head up. ] Are you okay?

This is bonding! Popp likes talking about certain subjects too much to steer the game back to Barnabas' turn, anyway.

"Not that typical. I can't do it the easy way here in Etraya. The hard way is... hard, but my teacher could do it, so I want to live up to him."

Popp smiles fondly into the flames. This isn't about avoiding Barnabas' intense eyeball contact, he's feeling all misty and nostalgic. He's quite proud of his current magical abilities in some respects, but he does really want to be better. There are so many people back home stronger than he is that he has to either back up or fight against, and then there are all the people in this world...

He lost a fight to an oversized red chicken recently. It was humbling.

"Well, Master Avan could do just about anything, anyway, even spells you'd think only Mages or Sages could pull off. I'm good at the attack spells he taught me, but not so much defensive stuff and healing, that kind of thing."

[Maria never thinks Henry ever sounds happy but she thinks she notices little changes about him. like there's just a bit more life in him when she talks to him. maybe it's in her head but hey, she's allowed a little delusion she thinks.

she offers him a smile.] Shouldn't I be asking you that question? You're the one out here by yourself. Not tired yet? [Henry may have seen her cry before but she didn't want it to be a repeat. she couldn't lose it in front of him every time.]

Oh. I might be. [ He pauses to turn his hands over, staring at his palms. ] When this happens, I lose a sense of time... and then, everything comes back.

[ Staring longer at his hands: ] No. I'm not tired.

[ Henry drops his hands down, resting them on his knees. Maria really is a kind person; it's nice that she worries so much about him. He thinks everyone that he's met has been the same. Perhaps, that's why Echo chose them? Because they're people who wish well for others? He hopes to continue to do right by them. ]

It's nice to see you.

[ He stares at the bed, then back at them, then the bed, then them. ]

Are you going to clean up your mess?

[ He asks. Pointedly?

Silco, you aren't even going to get into the bed. AND YET... ]

Edited 2025-05-25 04:13 (UTC)

Barnabas studies him, though the subtle differences in him flat staring at the boy and studying him are...well, nigh indistinguishable, really. Still, Pop holds his attention, especially so when he speaks of mages and sages, of those gifted in the art of magic.

So he and this Master Avan are their world's bearers...

The suggestion of different types of spells one could learn is interesting, but it does not fully stray from what Barnabas knows. While most are bound to a singular element, there is still flexibility within it, for those practiced and imaginative.

Light, for example, is most often used to heal and protect, yet so too can it sear one with white hot holy fire. It did not burn quite like normal fire, often it would leave nothing in its wake, no ash, no char. A certain finality to its righteous retribution.

Where Pop might be caught up in his nostalgia, Barnabas is instead intrigued by this magic he speaks of. Curious of its structures, of what defines it. Who possesses it.

"Those like you and your Master—who bear the gift of magic—are they rare in your world?"

...Yeah, this is bonding, isn't it?

I wish I could do that. Stop thinking sometimes. Maybe not quite as much as you. [she nudges him playfully. perhaps it might come off as mean but it was her just teasing him. showing him she didn't mind this about him. it was okay and something they could laugh about. was it a problem he might have? yes. but for right now, she would accept it and not make him feel bad over it.] But sometimes.

Anyway. It's always a pleasure, Henry. I have something for you. [she pulls out a friendship bracelet she made, with white and blue threads, and ties it around his wrist.] A friendship bracelet. You can't complain about it being too girly or something. I made it for you. [as if she didn't just put it right on him without asking his permission.]

It is true, this Camper does not.

So Henry follows though arguably his pursuit is not the best- he is, after all, not a rogue and so stealth is not his strongest suit though he is a damn sight quieter than others that he knows (cough, Alex) and thus he trails after, he knows that there are a few campers who have performed fledgling parties that had been broken up by the counselors so the first thing is to make sure that is not happening.

After that, he really understands the need for privacy.

So yes, monitoring for party activity takes up his full senses-- when he sees the shadows glow a visage of pale, he tries to duck behind a tree as cover. However, as he is neither good nor bad at stealth but a lamentable middling, he ducks behind the tree but certainly with enough that Vax can absolutely see that someone is ducking behind a tree.

It's not as hidden as Henry might very well thing.

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MISSION 009

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camp night liiiiiife

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10 stealth