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

Oh. That makes sense. They gotta know these things so they can help keep the intruders away, huh.

[ Taking the bow in her hands, she gives it an inspection by turning it over a couple of times. It's small enough and comfortable to handle. It looks to be in good shape too. When Blaze mentions "watching others", she casts a glance over at the other campers that are already practicing, trying to copy their squared stance and keep a steady posture.

She reaches to grab her first arrow. ]

...Do you think we're helping our worlds by having fun like this?

[ blaze is about to respond to her first observation—being a clever and considerate girl as she is, it seems natural that she'd understand the importance of their responsibility. though they do more than that, she's on the right track, but blaze's thoughts are stopped in their own as fio voices something more.

... ]

... Yes, I believe we are.

[ as she observes fio to make sure that she isn't doing anything that might injure her. her glove curls into a fist, squeezing tightly.

but fio is but a child, this doesn't seem to be the place for her to voice her complaints—her worries and insecurities. instead, give her a moment, and she'll sigh, shaking her head. ]

If this is the mission that Aurora has given us, then... We should do our best to fulfil it.

[ perhaps it's in the eye of the beholder whether that mission is someone one considers 'fun'. ]

I'm doing my best. [ A slight frown. Her excitement from earlier fading as her thoughts shift. ] I wish there was some way to know that what we're doing is helpful. I hope my friends back home are okay...

[ Fio is a child. She's enjoying herself, as any child should. Being here, she's able to learn and have new experiences that she's never dreamed of. She's also a child with a massive responsibility on her shoulders.

As much as she's having fun, she doesn't forget that the fate of their worlds is on the line. Without much else to go on though, all she can do is continue fulfilling the missions until they can find more answers. She hates that it feels like the only thing they can do...

Pointing the bow toward the ground, she attaches a single arrow to the string. She lifts it, staring at the target straight ahead. Her aim is slightly off. ]

...Does this look okay?

Perhaps that would be a good question to ask Aurora.

[ though blaze doubts that they'll receive something so concrete as proof of their actions giving way to results, but she may be able to provide a better reassurance for fio than blaze can, carrying her own doubts heavy on her shoulders.

but her attention is pulled back into the moment as fio nocks her arrow, attempting to aim in the... general direction of the target. she seems to understand the idea well, but blaze notices the slight turn of her bow, just enough that she would miss her target, and circles around behind fio so that she can tap lightly on her shoulders. ]

Can you pull your shoulders back a little? You want to stand as straight as possible.

I wonder if someone's asked about that already. Someone must have...

[ Seeing how there are others that have remained in Etraya much longer than she has, surely that question crossed their minds early on. She also wonders if there's really no other way to help their worlds by continuing to do these missions. It's a little strange how peaceful it is, even if she should be enjoying how lax it is...

She tries to shift her worries away towards her current activity, trying to focus on handling the bow properly. As Blaze instructs her, she straightens up her posture and pulls her shoulders back. There's a quiet pause, just to make sure there's no one standing in danger of her incoming arrow and to give Blaze time to step back.

Driving her hand back, she releases the string. The arrow flies, but lands on the white outer edge of the target, far from a bullseye. An embarrassed smile. It's her first try any way... ]

Ah... I didn't get it. I'll try again.

That's the spirit.

[ giving her the space to feel comfortable with her shot and watching her calmly, blaze tries to encourage that—trying and failing is sometimes the only way one can learn skills like this, so it's good to see that fio isn't discouraged by her miss, especially on her first shot. ]

I imagine somebody may have, but unless we know who it is, it would be easier to hear it from Aurora. I'm sure that she won't mind answering your questions.

[ she seems very... should blaze say kind? for her position. patient, at least, and blaze can only hope that she's more skilled with children than blaze herself is. she always feels as though she's fumbling through slightly—treating them hardly different from smaller adults. ]

[ She picks up another arrow, sliding the nock onto the bowstring, and repeats the same steps. Each time is slow and careful. ]

I'll... try to ask sometime. I'm a little nervous thinking about it.

[ She admits. Especially since her only interaction was during her arrival. It almost felt similar to being called upon to protect her world in the Cage. But unlike Aurora, the little ghost in white held a more motherly tone when speaking to her.

Fio launches the second arrow. It hits once again far from the center. She'll try again a few more times. Each arrow lands, none quite landing onto the bullseye. With each try however, she grows more accustomed with loading the arrow onto the string. It's not quite perfect. Obviously very far from an expert. At least, she's beginning to simply enjoy the sensation of just letting the arrow fly through the air whether it hits the target or not. ]

I'm not good at this... [ An embarrassed smile. ] But it's kind of fun.

MISSION 009

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