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

[His expression remains the same. Patient and casual. He waves it off.] If that’s what you want. As I said, Viper cabin.

[glowering:] Why did you say it like that.

[He has a suspicion. Pending might have never had a name before.] You seemed surprised when I said it back on the other world. But if I’m assuming wrong, I’m sorry for misunderstanding.

[He gestures to the camp around them.] But if I am right, I think changing it would be quite simple.

I didn't give anyone there my name before then. [the hard glare remains.] Why...would I not be surprised?

[the squirrely part of Knife feels the need to react, to do something dramatic. flee.

but that wouldn't make sense. be cool.]

[He holds up his hands, same expression as ever.] Misunderstanding then. Sorry, for the mistake.

Then not giving a name in general is you being private about it?

[would Knife get any points for shoving this guy into a door. would backhanding him cause some stupid incident.

Get those fingers any closer to me and I'm biting them off, asshole!]

Don't be stupid. If someone asks, I say so. Nobody asked and the sky had it. The--[irritable snort, the equivalent of an eyeroll.] The technology had it.

[He drops his hands from the small surrender position.] It's a legitimate question. It's a touchy subject for some.

[Mild tone. Knife has been nothing but touchy about damn near everything. An almost purple Chocobo comes trudging out of the dark. Kaeya smiles and raises his hands. The bird stuffs her face between them and coos. His tone is soothing as he pets her beak.] All done with your patrol, my dear?

['touchy' is pretty damn apt; every interaction is a potential threat or betrayal as far as Knife's concerned.

speaking of betrayal: more fucking bird charming. Pending takes a wide step away from the bird, growling under their breath. no fucking respite from the animals in this place!]

It should be. Names are important.

They are. But not always by the bearer’s choice. [He would know. His family name is a chain around his neck. He pets the bird’s beak as she coos and preens his hair. He reaches into a pouch on his belt and gives her the fresh greens within. She happily munches as he takes a set of special brushes out of another belt pouch. He gently brushes her feathers while she has her dinner.]

Frida isn’t going to harm you. You’re with me. [The bird leans into his attentions.]

What, it can only do or feel what you tell it to? Those things don't like me. [there's a judgy tone in there, overflow from the residual irritation about his false name being insinuated as precisely that. for all Knife knows, he's trying to get this bird familiar with their scent so they can send it after them to kill them later!]

She. [He corrects as he tends to her feathers. The soothing process of helping a friendly beast eases a lot of tension. This is what he was trained to do.] No, she isn't going to attack right now because she sees you as being part of my flock.

I'm 'safe' and thus anyone with me is seen as safe for now. If you decide to be an asshole to her, she'll change that thought. [What Pending does will either keep that feeling or make it go away. He leans closer to his bird friend.] Lean your head down, please. There's a good girl.

[His tone is different, gentle and softer. Frida responds to it, leaning her head down as he resumes tending to her.] They're different from horses, but everyone has to earn their respect and love all the same.

['safe,' huh. what's that feel like. Knife might have cause to be jealous of a fucking bird!

their mouth tugs down at a corner behind a tusk, squinting suspiciously and grunting at the warning about assholery. what, him? an asshole? Knife's not even trying.]

Some little...rat-guy threw one at me. Some days ago. [like the whole bird.]

Through a window.

[Frida lays her head on Kaeya’s shoulder and leans her weight against him. He wraps his arms around her and pets her back.] What? Why in the Abyss would he-

Ah. [Hang on. He looks at Knife.] You ask what happened? He got spooked by the bird, didn’t he?

Spook-nothin', nobody's calm when getting beasts hurled at them. [>:T

they turn their head and short with indignation, glaring around the camp layout.] Is bird-managing even the point here? [gods they hope not.]

No. Now to circle back around. Are you saying something hurled the bird at him? Then seemingly at you? Or is it possible he got spooked and threw the bird.

And you unfortunately were in the path. [He gestures loosely and finishes brushing and tending to Frida’s back feathers. He lets go of her with a short whistle. She steps back and spreads her wings. He sets to tending to her feathers while she preens his hair.] Anyway, tending to your riding partner is just something I was trained to do.

[okay. so. Knife didn't actually watch Shadow lob the chicken through the hospital window? but that velocity, that guy's fucking attitude about insisting Knife deal with the bids...

look, Knife's painting by numbers here, but you gotta kinda let the colors bleed between lines!]

Then this is training for me to be out of the path. I'm not messing with animals. [too unpredictable, too noisy, too...difficult to learn. people are hard enough!]

And if a mission requires working with animals sometime? [He finishes wing care. Another whistle and Frida coos, settling next to him. She leans against him and he pats the side of her face.]

I know. You can go sleep if you want to.

[Frida settles on the ground, fluffing her feathers and leaning against his legs.] I have my shift to finish.

[Knife opts to not answer that query. what if, indeed. well...they'll figure it out! obviously!

...probably!

Ugh. I'm so fucked. Endlessly. Relentlessly.

incredulous:] "Shift"? What? You have work in the ghost town?

This is a mission like any other and my group’s tasks are security related. It’s my shift on watch.

[He waggles a hand and puts the bird grooming kit away. He returns the how he had been standing when Knife came up, watching out away from the camp.]

We might see trouble and we might not. So far everything has been clear and quite boring.

[bluntly:] You take bribes?

I don’t. Why are you considering one? [He looks at them, one eyebrow raised. He is an honest kind of man even if he is damn shady at times.]

[laaaaame.]

So I can just leave.

You could. The bots do bring people back. This is a mission. [He crosses his arms over his chest.]

[they scratch at their cheek, frowning.]

Mission on what? Can I...finish it all early and go?

[...]

We killin' someone?

The details have been unclear. It might be some kind of claiming more ground for the city. At best it seems almost like purposeful down time.

[He closes his eye. He tilts his head and waggles his hand.] Or maybe we’re bait for the fact of Solmara that took over their city. We didn’t get those details as we should have.

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