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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[ Dion easily matches his stride.

No judgement, do your best An Zhe. ]

Yes. That was when I was considered of age.

Oh.

[Jog, jog, jog...]

Where I was before...they joined at age six.

I see. This was not required of me, but I trained from a young age...as did another like me.

[ He and Joshua had been Dominants since infancy, and so, they were always weapons. There are differences between them, but even so. ]

You trained for the military, even though it wasn't required? Was it a job you hoped to have when you were old enough?

[Like studying to work at the supply station!]

[ Dion shakes his head. It isn't quite that, but... ]

I am a unique case in that I was always to serve my country, but years of training preceded my actual enlistment.

[Hmmm.]

Aren't all humans supposed to serve their country, though?

In a manner, yes.

[ In an ideal world, they would, at least. ]

But in my case, my life belongs to my people. My strength is for their protection and the betterment of their lives.

[ It's an odd thing, explaining what it is to be Dominant of Bahamut to someone those words would mean nothing to. ]

Others may contribute in different ways. There was a time I studied statecraft, for that matter.

Oh. [But isn't that how it works for all of humanity?] Where I was before...the rule was, the interests of humankind come before all else. Is that what you were doing? Devoting everything to your people as a whole.

[An Zhe's jogging starts to slow again, though at the very least he's still moving forward.]

...What is statecraft?

[ Dion slows to match An Zhe's stride. He can still see the others some ways ahead, and there is no benefit to pushing anyone beyond their limits. Exhaustion and injury don't make anyone stronger. ]

It was and remains my utmost purpose.

[ He can't begin to imagine what an entire society in service would look like. ]

Statecraft is the governance of a nation.

[That devotion reminds An Zhe of Lu Feng somewhat...he doesn't know what a nation is, exactly, but it's probably similar to the bases, right? Maybe bigger?

What he says instead, though, is:] ...Maybe I could move faster, if I became one of those birds...

[This is mostly mumbled to himself, but it's certainly still discernible if you're listening.]

[ He definitely caught that. ]

...Can you become a bird?

[ Seems entirely possible, he knows a guy who can turn into a bird. A giant bird, mind, but a bird just the same. ]

......I haven't tried. It might be possible, though...?

[Just has to find a bird to absorb first.]

I see. How does that work for you, if it isn't too intrusive to ask?

[ A notion but not a surety... Different from the fellow he'd thought of. ]

[An Zhe looks down at his feet as he ponders how to describe his own abilities, watching the ground slowly roll away beneath him.]

Well, I...if I ingest part of something alive—like blood, or part of a vine—I gain some of its memories, and the ability to change into it. I've never tried fully changing into anything besides a human, though...in fact, I've only ever tried plants outside of that.

I see.

[ What of another who could change shape? Dion thinks better of asking, not having told anyone what he can do. It would be safer that An Zhe never sample a Dominant, lest their curse become his as well.

They would have no way of anticipating how someone with that ability might be affected, after all. ]

Is it disorienting, taking in another's memories?

It's...like dreaming, I think. The longer memories are more disorienting, just for how long it takes to wake up again.

[Otherwise he might have been able to escape back when the bees first flew off...not that it matters at this point. He glances over at Dion as he walks.]

It doesn't bother you?

[ Dion tilts his head curiously, wondering what he would be expected to be bothered by. Is it his power or how it works?

In either case— ]

Why would it bother me?

[ None of them choose what they're born to. ]

[...Gosh, people from other worlds are really accepting, huh? An Zhe hesitates for a moment over whether or not to explain, following which he continues hesitating over how exactly he's supposed to word the explanation.]

Because it involves...taking...your genetic information? [Pause.] It seemed like that was an unforgivable thing for humanity, where I was.

[How far away are the other runners at this point...]

[ Committing to the bit...the route is circular, so the runners are approaching them this time around. Dion turns and eyes them briefly, but their forms aren't yet close enough to risk being overheard. ]

Does it do any harm to those you obtain that...information from?

[ Dion is but a medieval man. He doesn't entirely understand it, but it sounds as though it doesn't do harm. Someone has taken some of his aether before, which is the closest comparison he can draw. ]

Well...it would probably hurt at least a little, I think. An Ze was bleeding to death when I first met him, and I absorbed his blood when trying to help staunch it...he was most likely in a lot of pain. [He's not gonna bring up biting Lu Feng that one time, that's personal.

Then again, An Ze and An Zhe might sound near identical to someone who doesn't speak Chinese, so that could be confusing?]

[ His brow creases, puzzled by the use of what sounds like the same name for two people, but he smooths that aside. ]

Were you not trying to aid him?

[ It would seem An Zhe was not the reason this other person with his name was suffering. He tried to ease that suffering. Had he taken on his name when he could not, in his honor, as Clive had done with Cid? ]

Based on your account, you were not the cause of his pain.

Yes, but... [Ugh, words are hard—] What I mean is, if I took your blood—for example—wouldn't that be causing you pain, too?

[Just as an example! As he quietly glosses over what happened to the rest of An Ze. Not important!]

[ He is but a medieval man, An Zhe. But he will give this some due consideration. ]

I suppose that would depend on whether I was already bleeding to begin with, or how much blood.

[ That being said, however... ]

If it were to help someone, I do not mind hurting. I am a soldier, after all.

Oh. [That's a very soldiery thing to say, he thinks. Though his soldier knowledge might be a little biased...]

I don't need very much. Though I'm not sure how much help it would be, to be able to become more than one human.

[Maybe for disguise? But he knows he's not exactly a great actor...]

[ ~~Scare off predators with a more muscular form...?~~

Dion hums as he thinks that over. ]

Would it affect your physical strength?

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