etrayalogs | 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

Don't say that-- I bet even Robin Hood had to take time to learn. We just have to try and shoot a little farther each time.

[Mayuko glances at the little windsock placed at the eastern edge of the field. There seems to be enough of a breeze for it to flutter towards the ladies once in a while. If the wind were at their backs, things would be easier.]

Competition is always there-- whoever gets closest to the bulls-eye gets the kudos. Or when you're by yourself, how many you can get.

[She readies another shot-- her main issue, not helped by the low arm strength, is a tendency to release the shot too soon. So she tries to be more deliberate, like her instructors have lectured.

Operative word: tries. Another arrow strikes the grass. A little further than the rest, she hopes?]

Practice makes perfect...[said in a way that shows she does not believe practice is going to get her anywhere. as she watches Mayuko give it her best shot, Maria offers some applause.] I do think that one was a little better than the others.

[Mayuko is right. she shouldn't give up and so Maria gives it her best shot...but the problem is she can't get the posture right and with her lack of arm strength, it doesn't even go anywhere near Mayuko's.]

Hm. I don't see me being the next Robin Hood.

Thanks--progress is progress....

[Mayuko watches as Maria takes her own shot. She seems to be swaying, a bit off-balance. That can't be helping.]

Don't worry, Maid Maria, we will get through this trial.

[The only good thing about the short shorts is that it might make explaining her thought simpler. Mayuko relaxes her core and quarter-turns away from Maria, feet spread shoulder-width apart.]

We want our lower body firm and spine as straight as possible. Watch what happens when I go like--

[She shifts her pelvis slightly, tucking her butt in. Her back goes from a gentle curve to a more-or-less straight line. In addition, while she does not have much of a belly, she draws in and tenses her abdomen.]

Firms our stance and helps set up the shoulders for a stronger shot... or so it seems.

[Maria's background as a dancer does help her here when Mayuko explains. maybe it was never a purely professional kind of dance, the exotic dancing Maria had learned had been mostly self-taught, but she could understand posture well.

so she watched Mayuko and nods.] Fair enough.

[and when she does copy Mayuko's stance, fires her arrow, it does end up being better. still not anywhere near a target but it came closer.]

Well, would you look at that. You might have something there. Though my arms are now beginning to kill me.

[It's Mayuko's turn to give some applause. Journeys start with a single step and all. Maybe if they have another bout of archery, she can persuade one of the assistants to move a target closer. Landing shots on the target would be a boost to the confidence, encourage further effort.

Something for next time.]

I hear you. I got a few more shots left in me, then I think it will be time to chill.

[Noodle arms, she does have. But she's also wielded a mace for hours in her old camp's dungeon. Hid in shadows and corners, waited and swung at passing monsters, took them out and moved deeper, rinse repeat. Never too deeply, not all that often, but it happened. All for the sake of old books and her duty as a librarian. Even before that, she was trained young as a dancer herself. The ache of exertion is a familiar presence.

In some ways, it makes this business easier. The nervous energy, the instinct to shoot fast and dodge gets burned off. That focus on the target that Jason alludes to-- it seems possible.]

Are you running your station this afternoon, or letting the campers manage it?

[as soon as Maria had realized she was not very good at this, and was not enjoying it, she knew she wasn't going to dedicate much more time to it. not anymore than was necessary.

she gives a shrug with her shoulder, as she tries aiming again.]

I'm trying to do it myself. Seems kind of like shrugging off my responsibilities if I try to make them do it. Or I guess that's learning to spread out responsibility? Who knows. I never went to camp.

That's fair. Allocating responsibility does depend on the group you're with; some individuals would jump at the chance to be in charge of something for a couple hours, some wouldn't.

[With that, she shuts up to let Maria concentrate.]

MISSION 009

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