MISSION 009

[etrayamods]

⏵ 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⏴

Comments

[odinpusrex]

Sure, he didn't study them, but typically people had an idea why something was forbidden! People tend to know why things are criminalized. Though, this does not surprise Barnabas, Popp is clearly knowledgeable in some ways, while lacking in others. Youth is a viable explanation, though this could also just be Popp.

Who's to say?

That their strongest would be so limited though does make Barnabas wonder about these spells, and their purported potency. If this Grand Sorcerer was so limited in his casting, then it makes the forbidden magic all the more curious. That one such spell had death in the name does grant possibilities for its outlawing, however.

He cannot help but wonder if his magic would be considered forbidden in its entirely by Popp's world, not that it would matter to him. The laws of men mean nothing to Barnabas.

"I see..." Barnabas says softly, his eyes flicking to the dancing flames before them. He supposes he will not get further answers of worth from Popp with his limited knowledge, and so it calls for them to return to this little activity of theirs.

"Well, in lieu of further insight into the matter of these forbidden spells, I shall fulfill my end of this activity. My twinned truths and singular falsehood: in my youth I united a warring continent under me thus forging my kingdom, I am human, and I have not known defeat in singular combat since I was but a boy."

The human thing is an arguable lie, but it's certainly what Barnabas is counting as one. As far as he's concerned, a Dominant is not a human, but others might argue against his view. Fortunately, those people are not present for this conversation, and Barnabas would not listen to them anyway!

[snapp_crackle]

Popp has some opinions about Dark Magic; even if his association with Gaia has softened those considerably. It's easy to get past one or two personal experiences with Dark Aura Puppetry, but hard to erase a lifetime's worth of assumptions, even a relatively short lifetime. Case in point, he's craned his neck around to double check that Barnabas doesn't have pointed ears, or maybe a patch of scales or something. He looks human.

"You look just like a human, and you also look a lot like a guy who could be a legendary warrior king... I'd say it's the last one, nobody's invincible, but who'd set himself up to brag about a fight he lost? I lose fights all the time and I wouldn't do that!"

Not that he gets into many one-on-one fights. Certainly very few that he has not had to be subsequently rescued from! The people who do are more like... ah, okay, he's got it. He's a genius.

"...I think it's the third one. You lost a fight but it gave you some kind of amazing life-changing epiphany and that's why you don't mind talking about it!"

[odinpusrex]

Indeed Barnabas does look human, and that is by design. Of course all Dominants appear human, but Barnabas has something else that would mark him different from even his minority group, shielded by an illusion that is utterly imperceptible. Well, someone might be able to see through it, but he has yet to find any who can.

"Incorrect." He offers plainly, his eyes still cast towards the fire, an almost mournful note to his response. As if he wished such could be the case, but then again, that might just be his general moodiness permeating his voice.

"You may try again."

Is he a king or is he a human? Typically these things aren't mutually exclusive, but...