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⏴

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Welcome

[Despite being the camp counselor in charge of the lions, Chu Wenshan shows up to their cabin somewhat fashionably(?) late—not on purpose, mind you, but because he was having trouble finding it. Eventually though, he does show up, in all his tie-dye and basketball shorted glory! He looks over all his charges, nods, and says:]

Welcome to camp. My name is Chu Wenshan. I'm supposed to be the martial arts counselor, so if you need counseling in that, I'm here to help. Remember to follow the rules, exercise daily, have fun... [what else was there again....oh!] And be in bed by...whenever everyone's supposed to sleep. I think that's after sundown...?

Camp Counseling

[Chu Wenshan is up at the crack of dawn every day, and can be found doing (leading?) a version of morning exercises that's rather more difficult than what an average person might be used to. Participation is optional on this front, at least! He'll also show up to all the listed activities, though he won't be participating unless otherwise asked. (If asked to play softball that ball will be flying out of the campground, never to be seen again.) He will, however, offer advice! Arms up! Hips straight! Focus your center! Etc etc. If you're one of his cabinmates he'll be particularly invested in your success.]

Arts and Crafts

[Art...absolutely not a strength-related activity.....

Counselor Chu can be found struggling with origami, having amassed a small pile of ripped and crumpled shapes around his painted lion rock.]

How are these supposed to work?

[Replacing the origami with friendship bracelets or beads or necklaces will lead to exactly the same amount of confusion, so I leave that to your discretion.]

Barbecue

[What's that delicious smell? The smell of cooked meat, of course! And Chu Wenshan is happy to share—although, once you get close enough to see what he's cooking...

...That is in fact an entire chocobo. Not one of the riding chocobos, but definitely! A chocobo!]

Want some?

Wildcard

[I'm open to pretty much anything! Or if you want proper plotting, his plotting post is here!]

You fold paper in a specific sequence, in order to complete a shape. Many of them are animals, though some are...some kind of interactive toy or art? [ He seems puzzled by this.

He's currently meticulously folding a frog out of the provided origami paper. In defiance to the natural colour of most frogs, it's a bright and entirely unsoothing pink. He makes perfect, sharp folds, measuring entirely unnecessarily down to micrometres just because he can. ]

You are not from a human group familiar with this sort of paper folding? [ He has such a limited knowledge of humans... ]

Interactive? [Like dolls or...? Chu Wenshan is also puzzled by this.

He glances at the mysterious masked man but questions nothing about his appearance.]

I am from a human group familiar with fighting, mostly.

Yes. [ This explains nothing.

He finishes folding the frog, delicately places it onto the table, and then presses firmly on the back. It springs up and forward, the clumsy and crude motion of it strangely endearing to him. ]

Some move when force is applied to a specific part. It is a crude application, but it is effective at its purpose, to entertain.

So you dedicate yourself to the pursuit of honing yourself for combat. Is it for a purpose, or simply to give your life meaning? [ He is honestly curious. He is not unfamiliar with violence - there was an entire caste of Drzyr that devoted themselves to the practice - but having an actual non-Drzyr opponent to fight was....

Rare. Mostly. ]

[Chu Wenshan watches him finish the frog, place the frog, press the frog...oh! Interactive! He gets it now!(?) Looking down at his own crumpled paper lump, he attempts also putting it down and pressing it, only for it to make an accordion-like motion and promptly fall over.]

I grew up in a martial arts school. It's something I'm good at. Eventually I set out on my own, and people would either try to kill me, or pay me to fight for them. [He thinks for a moment before continuing,] I don't think fighting is my purpose, or gives my life meaning—I'm happy using my strength to plow fields, instead.

Fascinating. So your path was already shaped to some degree by your upbringing, but you were able to divert it to another. One that is quite the opposite of what your strength was used for.

What an unprecedented amount of freedom. [ Strange thing to say, bud. ]

If you do not fold it correctly, it does not have the capability to jump. It is quite a complex motion for something so small and archaic.

Would you...like me to guide you through the instructions? [ good thing the custodian doesnt have a face or conventional means of expressing himself through body language cause boy he'd be vibrating right now if so. He's Being So Useful Let Him Be Useful ]

Edited 2025-05-29 01:38 (UTC)

[Was he able to divert it? I mean, he did settle down at the end, for lack of a better word...and he's pretty lacking in words, so y'know what, he'll accept it.]

You can try it too, if you want. I don't actually know how to farm, but it feels like there's plenty of space to start around here.

[As for the origami...he looks at the masked man's frog, then down at his own...shape. Again.

And then back up at the guy.] If you're willing, I'd be grateful.

[ Thoughtfully: ] I could do some research. It would be beneficial to the population to have an agricultural sector... [ He is not at all familiar with the type of farming where you physically pick up a tool and do it yourself, unfortunately. ]

It would be my pleasure to assist. [ It is a simple, basic task that he can accomplish! Camp is the most ready source of them. It is delightful.

He procures two fresh sheets of origami paper, placing one in front of the other man. ]

How did your last one end up in such a state? [ His voice is curious. ]

[Talking about research and agricultural sectors and things definitely puts this guy high on the literacy scale...maybe he was a government official before? Not that it matters, really.

Chu Wenshan accepts the new paper with a nod, pushing the old one over to join the pile of other failed attempts.]

I might have used too much strength? Detail work isn't my strong suit.

That is certainly an issue. [ He ponders this, and then proceeds to search the table until he can procure a sort of flat stick. He holds it out to Chu Wenshan. ] Perhaps using this tool to fold may assist, so you do not need to use your hands.

[ He folds his own piece of paper and holds it up for the other man's inspection. ] Please try folding it like this.

Thank you. [A stick! He knows sticks! And if he can use chopsticks without breaking them...then again he's not sure how to use the stick in this particular process.

He watches the example, looks at his own paper, and—well the first fold is the easiest one so honestly the result is fine, if very slightly crooked. He used his hands for this one!

Following which he looks expectantly over at his new teacher. What's step 2!]

[ The Custodian peers over and resists the urge to correct even that miniscule amount of diverting from the pattern. The real challenge, he believes, begins now. ]

Please follow these carefully. [ And he makes more precise folds, stopping at every step to show his new student (???) what is expected of him.

At the end of this rather long process, hopefully Chu Wenshan will have produced a (slightly inaccurate, to the Custodian's measure, due to the minute error in the original folding) origami frog by following along with him, and not a ball of paper. ]

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nobraincell - 2025-06-16 03:44 (UTC) - Expand

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lastonetodie - 2025-06-28 10:22 (UTC) - Expand

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nobraincell - 2025-06-30 14:09 (UTC) - Expand

[ Fabian does look baffled for a moment when he witnessed that small mountain of failed origami experiments.. Maybe a little less baffled when he sees its owner, considering Chu Wenshan had been.. kind of strange before, but-- still, who messes up origami that much?

He glances down to the rock he had been painting - or rather, been doing calligraphy on - and then over to the other. ]

Don't you just want to try something else?

[ Dude, come on! Surely you know when to give up, right? ]

[Oh hello there, strange person he does not know. (Chu Wenshan, among his many other talents, has a severe case of face blindness). He pauses in his paper-crumpling activities to give the man a small wave hello.]

Should I? The other options seemed to be about as difficult, I think.

Surely they can't be this difficult!

[ Granted, Fabian also thinks that surely this task here couldn't possibly be this difficult either, and yet.. Chu Wenshan's pile of paper sure is telling a different story that he's currently witnessing with his own eyes.. ]

It's just crafts, you know.

[ He's been out in a desert environment eating snake!!! If Gorug smells barbecue, is he going to let his nose lead him to where it's coming from? Everyone is meant to share here, right??

And the shape of what's cooking does not bother him. And it's even better when he sees who is the culinary chef. Chu Wenshan wouldn't let him down!! ]

Yes. [ yes please. Should he ask what it tastes like, what's on it-- ] Is it ready?

[ No, he doesn't care for that. He's so hungry...! ]

[Gorgug...you have such faith....and luckily, Chu Wenshan's campfire cooking skills aren't too bad. He looks over, sees Gorgug, and gives him a thumbs up!]

Do you want wings? Drumsticks? Chicken feet are pretty good.

[It's not a chicken, but hey, same kinda feet, right?]

[ Gorgug...has a big stomach!! ]

Drumstick? It's so long... [ Look at it..! ] Is it actually a big chicken?

[ He's heard about them and seen about them, but has he questioned their avian connections or much of anything? No. But he wants to know if they taste like chicken?? ]

[Chu Wenshan looks back at the bird for a moment, then back at Gorgug again.]

It looked like a kind of big chicken. Haven't tasted it yet, but the meat looks fine.

[He rips off a wing for a taste, nods, then gets the drumstick. Here you go!]

[ He doesn't know... but that doesn't matter, does it?! Gorgug takes the leg when it's offered, sniffing at it, blowing on it a few times, and looking back at Chu Wenshan. He won't judge him, right?

...

And Gorgug takes a large bite, completely invalidating his tiny puffs to dismiss the heat as he nom nom noms--just for a few chews, before swallowing it down. ]

Yeah, it's good. [ Good enough, good enough!! But now Gorgug's looking around as-- ] We should get sauce. Did you bring sauce?

[ For your barbecue? ]

[Why would he judge! There's nothing to judge here! Just two guys, enjoying roast chicken together, like bros.

Chu Wenshan is also going for large bites after that first preliminary taste—he could wolf down the whole chocobo cartoonishly fast, but he's holding back a bit for the sake of company.

Also: Looking up.] Sauce? [He shakes his head...] Where would I find sauce?

[ Two guys not cartoonishly eating their food... less so on Gorgug's side, but he's still being polite!! ]

...where they keep the food? [ Where do they keep the food... ] ...in the hall cabin? Where we... eat...

[ He doesn't know the name of that building, okay!! ]

[...Oh. He nods in understanding at this logical answer.]

That makes sense. Let's— [Wait. He looks at the rest of the chocobo, still spitted over the fire, then proceeds to lift the entire spit—bird and all— with one hand.]

We should put out the fire first.

[ Gorgug looks at the spit removed, and then at the fire pit itself. ]

Do we-- kick it out? Did you bring sand?

[ D-does he have to kick it out? He's wiggling a foot like he's considering it, but stomping out a fire is scary...! ]

[Hm. Good question.

Chu Wenshan looks at the fire pit, then at the spitted chocobo, then at a random boulder which is nearby for some reason...then at Gorgug.

Following which he holds the spit out to Gorgug.] Hold this for me.

[He's gonna martial arts it!!]

Chu Wenshan | lion cabin

arts and crafts

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barbecue

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