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

[Despite Shadowheart's best inadvertent efforts to sink herself in a panic, her life vest keeps her afloat long enough that, eventually, her hand slaps against the side of the boat. Once it finally sinks in that she's not drowning – though she has swallowed, and possibly inhaled, a mouthful or two of river water – she stops flailing and clings for dear life to the side of the boat.]

There's nothing under my feet! I can't feel the bottom.

[For all she knows, there could be an empty, yawning abyss beneath her full of sea monsters.

Scratch, having failed to catch his fish, doggy paddles easily back to shore, shakes himself off, and turns to watch.]

[ Seeing Scratch paddle off is a relief, but John really needs to make sure he has a second dog life vest when he invites them on the boat. This does mean he can turn his attention back to Shadowheart.

What's the easiest thing to do here? Should he try to get her back into the canoe or just swim them both back to shore? He's tempted to jump in just to reassure her, but then he'd have to swim the canoe back to shore and the drag would make that hard.

John stows his paddle and goes to the side where she is, extending a hand down. ]

It's okay, we're close to shore, nothing but some kelp and fish down there. Keep a grip on the side with one hand and grab my hand with the other, I'll pull you in. Try to roll onto your side and tuck your legs in as you come in the boat.

[Shadowheart grabs the offered hand, but instead of using it to haul herself back into the boat, she just shakes her head.]

I'm not getting back in that death trap.

[Without bothering to ask permission, she casts dimension door, wheezing out the words of the spell through what she's convinced herself must be entire lungfuls of river water. Pale blue light swirls around them as the landscape shifts. Unless John pulls his hand away before she's done with the casting, they'll both be back on shore, the boat floating out in the river on its own. If John does pull away, Shadowheart will teleport back to shore alone.

Either way, Scratch runs up to her and starts nuzzling her in concern.]

[ It's reflexive for his body to jerk in surprise as the magic swirls around them, but he doesn't let go. Instead he's... on the shore. And the canoe is not.

Well.

He could swim back out, flail back into it, and paddle it back. Or he could let it lazily float along and go get it later. He opts to give her a mock put upon look. ]

You've made more work for me later.

[Shadowheart watches the boat drift slowly past them from beneath the sodden fringe clinging to her forehead and obstructing her view. She coughs a single wet cough and runs her fingers through Scratch's soggy fur.]

Turns out I wasn't ready to get in a boat just yet, [she says with exaggerated grimness.

With a sigh, she casts destroy water, and she and Scratch are suddenly bone dry. She isn't really aiming for the river, but several gallons of water disappear near the riverbank where they're standing, causing a sudden whoosh as more water floods in to fill the gap.

Scratch gives himself another shake.]

I can get it back, if it matters that much to you.

[ The sight of magic will never cease to impress and (if he's being honest) excite John. This thing of out stories, out of fairy tales. Magic. Shadowheart might think that the modern conveniences John is familiar with are wonderful, but he feels the same way about magic. He's too old to be asking for more demonstrations, clapping his hands like an excitable child, but if she's offering... ]

If I say it does?

[ There's amusement, even the barest hint of that wonder in his voice. But he really does want to see what she'll do to get it back, beyond the practicality of the matter. It would be helpful to have the boat back, and he won't even ask her to get back on it. As long as it's not floating away he can paddle it back later. ]

[Subtle as it is, she catches the hint of wonder in his voice, and glances at him with something bordering on surprise.

In her world, magic is mundane. Everyday. It doesn't take much to learn a simple cantrip or two, and many have an inborn spark of magic. As someone with elven ancestry, whose lineage could be traced back to the fey, she's fairly certain she could conjure fire since she was in swaddling. A nightmare for her parents, no doubt.

But John's excitement about it somehow makes her feel excited, too. As though she were happy simply because he's happy. Odd.

Normally, she'd be loathe to use such powerful magic for such a simple task as retrieving a boat, but he seems to want her to. And if it would make him happy... would that make her even happier? Is that how friendship works?

So she draws her hands through the air, bright purple-pink light beginning to glow along her fingertips and in her eyes. The boat lifts up out of the water and moves towards them before thunking down on the riverbank, completely out of the water.]

There you are. Simple enough.

MISSION 009

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