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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Not as of yet. My duties lie elsewhere.

[ He answers truthfully, but then, Dion has never been one for anything else. There's little point otherwise, having no talent for deceit. ]

Is that where you mean to go?

[Yea, wasting time telling him to go back to his cabin. Lame. And to Dion's question, he says nothing as he continues on into the forest. Good enough assumption that the answer would have been yes.]

[ Duties are duties, no matter how inglorious they may be.

And while Dion was not invited, he follows Shadow just the same. The fellow can outspeed him, Dion is well aware, but his destination is known. ]

[He could have sped off, but he's choosing to walk. He's allowing Dion to follow. What is happening down at the lake might be of interest for Dion to know anyway, being a "counselor". And he can keep an eye on him this way, so there's no issue with this arrangement, right?

As they near the lake, one could probably see something light reflecting on the water. Merely showing the moon's reflection. Besides that, the water was calm, nothing that appears out of the ordinary in the area. But Shadow continues down to the water's edge anyway, looking ahead.]

[ Dion's encounters with Shadow — both Shadows — have been brief. But they tell him enough that he feels confident in surmising that this foray is not without purpose. It must have something to do with the question that he had asked prior, which begs questions of its own in turn.

He remains quiet, following Shadow at a respectable distance, near enough to assist should some threat present itself (though having seen Shadow in action, there may be no need) yet not so close as to crowd. The lake seems as still and placid as ever, but now he wonders... ]

[Nothing happens for a time. One could think it was a prank, but this is Shadow. He knows what he saw and he isn't going to budge until something happens. Then something finally does. A new light source, faintly dancing over the water in the distance. Then another.

They were like little balls of flickering blue light, hovering over various points on the lake. Something almost alluring about them as one continues to watch them.]

[ Dion looks on without comment, eyes narrowed as he watches the lights. They don't appear to be any form of creature he is familiar with, so he has no way to anticipate their behavior or give name to what they are.

It is enough that they have Shadow's attention. Either they're a source of curiosity or concern. Which it is remains to be seen. ]

[These orbs of light haven't display any hostility since he discovered them. They've just idly float over the water, unassuming. But why does this happen? It could be nothing in the end, but he still wants to solve the mystery behind them.

It looked like it may be another night where nothing happens with these orbs, but a few start will to drift in their direction. His brows raise. Were they aware of their presence? The features of these orbs get more clearer as they get closer. They're blue flames, but no source of heat comes off them.]

[ Dion's posture stiffens as the odd lights grow closer. He has seen something not unlike them, but they were flames in true, where he quite doubts these are the same. There is something ethereal about them. Perhaps they are but an illusion. ]

Did they do this previously?

[ His voice is calm and quiet when he speaks. The way his eyes never leave the odd flames as they draw closer suggests enough regarding his concern. ]

...No. [His brows furrow as the mysterious orbs reach their shores, stopping a few feet away from them. He stands his ground, seeing an opportunity to get a better look at these flames. But there's really nothing more to them. They look just like flames that burn blue, without any heat coming off them.

His ears twitch. No, there's something else. There are now voices, but they are hushed whispers that it was hard to make out what was being said. Looking around, he sees only Dion with him. He eyes the flames suspiciously. At one point, he thought one of the voices sounded familiar to him, but maybe he was imagining it.]

[ The flames may have brought something else to mind, but the low chorus of voices does not. Dion narrows his eyes as he watches them, waiting for some sign of hostility or danger.

But they merely float there, at least for the time being. ]

How odd.

[ He keeps his words short, not trusting that these flames won't herald something more or worse. ]

[A voices start to get a little more cohesive, a single female voice getting louder among the whispering. "Shadow." A young girl's voice reaches Shadow's ears, giving him pause as his eyes widen. There's no mistaking that voice. It haunts his dreams, memories from long ago that felt like only weeks had passed for him.

For Dion, he might hear someone else, someone from their home calling out to them. A loved one, someone they cared for, or cared for them.

The voice calls out to Shadow onces more, there's laughter, leaving him frozen in place. Is it really her...? Did she make it here? Is she trapped in the flames? What does he do?

...No. This can't be right. If she was in trouble, she wouldn't act this way. She would show herself and not hide behind these flames. He grits his teeth, sparks coming off his left hand as he glares at these unassuming flames.] What are you?

[ The moment a familiar voice reaches his ears, Dion tells himself it is a lie. None are brought here in this form, even those he knows to be dead. Those he dearly wishes to not be deceased should be no exception to what he sees of the workings of this place.

Still, it pains him to hear a voice he never expected he would again. It pains him more to know he is the reason that he won't. ]

This is a cruel falsehood.

[ He decides this, voice flat as he endeavors to marshal his composure. Whatever is behind this, he'll not give it the satisfaction of wringing an emotional reaction out of him. ]

[If Dion doesn't stop him, then the area around Shadow is going to start lighting. In his left hand, a spear sparking with energy forms. He'll swing it at the flames without missing a beat. There's no obstruction as they dissapate into thin air by his attack. They let out a sound as they disappeared, a disembodied whispered scream that both will hear. The flames that remain suddenly fade into nothing, reappearing closer to the center of the lake, unassuming once more.

The screams still ring, echoes in the mind and bring chills, even after the flames have since gone. He grits his teeth, hand crushing the spear in his hand into nothingness. He takes a few steps away from the lake, his back to it.] Something should be done with those.

[ He narrows his eyes at the lake. Whatever those flames were, he doesn't sense aether from them. It must be something else. Whatever it is, he doesn't like it. ]

I am inclined to agree, though I know not what will remove them entirely.

[ Dion doesn't want to consider the pain such a phenomenon might visit upon others, nor what would happen if they did not question the nature of those flames. It might be some form of insidious lure, or an attempt to wound their morale. It could be all manner of things and none of them strike him as good. ]

Then tell the others about them. [These orb of flames have remained on this lake the few times he's been here. They never leave it, so there's likely no threat of them reaching the campsite. Still, some may not be as stong willed to fend off whatever it is these flames are trying to do.

He turns slightly to stare at the water. It's depths are hidden by the darkness...he turns back towards the forest and starts to walk away.]

That I can do.

[ Dion agrees easily, for it could pose some unknown danger to others. Whether that spans beyond emotional distress or not, it's still a problem best avoided by others.

With that, he turns to follow Shadow. It may not be an enemy that he can eliminate, but it is one others can be steered away from. ]

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MISSION 009

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