etrayalogs | Mission 013 Log

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Mission 013 Log

Mission Summary

Genre: Survival / Exploration / Spooky

Premise: Mesa is a wild, lawless land of megafauna, from feathered dinosaurs to redwoods soaring stories high. Etrayans must document what remains of a world on its way out and then get out alive, surviving in the wilderness for two weeks while fighting off a hostile environment. Most importantly of all: beware the dark.

Tone: Dark and philosophical. Is this a world worth saving?

Objectives: Take samples and record for posterity what happened on Mesa. Demonstrate appreciation of what is lost and the capacity to preserve it.

❬ all that men presume ❭

While Mesa is full of life even now, with large creatures roaming the continents and making themselves comfortable, there are traces indicating that at one point this wilderness was constructed. The Citadel, a galaxy-spanning empire, had wanted to collect creatures from the numerous inhabited planets they could reach, and selected Mesa as the location for their conservatory given its lack of sentient residents. Once a carefully maintained vacation destination for Citadel elite, landscapes were meticulously groomed and animal husbandry was rigorously planned to create fascinating creatures across generations.

A good idea, in theory. Perhaps even in practice, given that whilst the rest of this galaxy has collapsed and died, this particular planet is still standing, along with all the creatures that had been transplanted onto it to call it their home.

Now abandoned by the Citadel, Mesa returns slowly to its original state: a deserted planet much like Etraya was before Aurora and Borealis's cities had been developed on it. Which is why Aurora has sent the Etrayans abroad: gather data on those who still live amongst Mesa's population, so that these creatures will not be forgotten as their predecessors have been.

Aurora's portal brings characters to a bare base camp, previously visited by a spare few of her bots in order to outfit it with just enough to allow them to survive. Simply called the Lux, their base camp takes the form of a massive spire with a built-in high-powered lamp at the peak, which bathes the entire outside of the building in light at all times. Some rooms hidden within the facility provide darkened spots to allow Etrayans to rest safely.

Aurora had told them that they must make sure to not be out in the dark -- hopefully the spire's eternal light as well as how carefully the entire outside of the structure is lit up offers them enough of a reminder to listen.

Possible Hooks
• Taking stock of your assigned team that you've just met, sharing supplies, and getting ready to leave on your assignment.
• Building up the base to serve as a safe respite for the time on Mesa.
• Returning to camp between assignments for a breather or because you've spent a little too long out in the dark.

❬ a conservatory left behind ❭

Mesa's ecosystems are dominated by megafauna: creatures of immense size and stature, often with lengthy lifespans and narrow biome niches. Most are locked to their environments, adapted precisely to the area they reside in, with little chance of surviving outside of their specific ecosystem. A swamp titan would not survive the cold tundra that the ice leopards call home, and the ice leopards cannot survive in the ashy, hot environment that let horned beetles thrive. Smaller animals may exist amongst them, but they are significantly less common. Many rely on the larger creatures for survival: feeding off of the parasites that attach themselves to their massive bodies, or nesting within their fur.

Much of the wildlife exhibits ancient evolutionary traits, behaviors and patters long-since established with no signs of further development. They no longer evolve with time and generations but instead have settled into their place on their planet.

The megafauna are not the only living beings on Mesa. Scattered across the planet are traces of civilization: abandoned ranger stations, research laboratories, and observation outposts. While these locations appear as if the technology within them was at one time advanced, it has now become nonfunctional, left to rot without maintenance over the generations.

Yet some of these structures still contain life, the descendants of the humanoid beings that established Mesa long ago. One may consider trying to extend a hand out toward them to offer what assistance they can give - but none of them will be friendly.

Long abandoned by those who had once brought them here, these people have become opportunistic predators, fiercely defending what facilities they were able to keep partially functional. The darkness that plagues the Etrayans also appears to plague them, and without light, the same ill fate would be their demise.

They do not travel far, choosing to maintain their own livestock and supplies to ensure they are never far from the light. After all, they know the greatest threat on Mesa is not the wildlife, but the dark.

Possible Hooks
• Encounter various wildlife while out on assignment, and perhaps run into another team.
• Build an observation blind shelter with your teammates and hole up there for a few days, hoping to document your species of interest.
• Discover and explore an abandoned structure.
• Come under threat from the residents... or try to reach out to them.

❬ hatchlings ❭

The chelonians, one of the species in one of Mesa's warmer climates, has struggled to maintain their numbers over their centuries on the planet due to their inability to change their ways.

Hatchlings are born several kilometers away from the beach shores, burrowed deep into soil to protect them from predators that may seek out their eggs during high tide. These creatures are massive, large shells encasing a significant portion of their bodies with only their heads and limbs visible from under it.

These creatures are rare and difficult to spot on Mesa: they breed slowly, live for centuries, and their offspring very rarely make it passed their first few hours of life. They often hatch in the dark of the night, making them extremely susceptible to predators that lurk in the dark, waiting for prey too small and too fragile to protect themselves. Large winged beasts swoop down from the skies, picking up the newborn chelonians to enjoy a fresh meal.

Without them, their ecosystem begins to collapse: kelp beds and forests fail, and entire food chains unravel.

Etrayans with interest could assign themselves a simple, unofficial mission to find the burrows and protect the younglings as they manage to break through their shells, then help them into the ocean so that their kind may survive to see the sun again. They must set up light sources and wait beside the burrows to make sure these massive creatures not only escape their eggs but do not become lost on their journey to the water. Following them to the water is critical, as their eyesight, even with a light source, is quite poor -- and they have a tendency to lose their way.

No one's asked them to do this -- the whole planet is slated for destruction, so maybe this entire venture is pointless -- but maybe this is something worth doing anyway.

Possible Hooks
• Idealistic types see the chelonian hatchlings struggling to make it to a beach and step in to help. Considering how large they are, this might be a struggle for them, too.
• Cynical types question what the point is.

❬ night falls ❭

Mesa's darkness is not merely the conventional absence of direct light.

The planet itself has no moon, and when darkness comes, it is absolute.

Remaining in the darkness has several consequences, and the effects accumulate over time, progressing along a spectrum rather than in tidy stages. This only seems to effect those from Etraya and the humanoids living within their bases, not the animals brought to reside on planet. Remaining within light sources suppresses the effects, but the moment the planet's rotation angles them away from this galaxy's star, any Etrayans caught outside of the light will find themselves succumbing to the effects.

Characters were warned not to stay out in the dark, but they were not told why they should not.

If any of them prefer not to find out and remain at base during one unfortunate night, they'll find out why anyway: the power cuts. The surrounding terrain, once held at bay by artificial light at the Lux, is swallowed whole. The air feels heavier and the atmosphere itself feels weighted.

Blithe apathy sinks in. The ability to listen to reason slowly leaves those left in the darkness. If they do not find a light source quickly, they will be able to feel the physical effects of the darkness set into their skin, potentially ending with permanent changes.

Those remaining on base may work together in order to bring the power back on, utilizing any personal abilities in addition to fixing the damaged circuits in order to bring everything back online. But they had better react quickly -- the longer the darkness remains, the worse the effects become, and maybe someone who was once trying to help is now trying to hurt...

Possible Hooks
• Help restore power after it cuts at the Lux.
• Underestimate the darkness effects, assume your light source is enough, and slowly fall prey to the pleasant apathy. You'll need rescue.
• Stumble onto another party's camp and need their help to be coaxed back to sanity.

❬ MISSION NOTES ❭

📌 — Please make sure to use the major events comment thread specifically to announce character actions that have a significant impact on the mission outcome or other characters.

📌 — For all questions relating to this mission, please refer to the mission queries comment on the plotting post. Other questions can be directed to the FAQ.

🔵FULL NAVIGATION🔵

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Edited (new year new subject line) 2026-01-24 00:04 (UTC)

[ Dylan doesn't really take too much time with team introductions, especially since he already knows two of them. With that in mind, he's a bit less guarded than he might have been with complete strangers. ]

We've got some supplies to get us started, but it'll be a good idea to figure out what might be edible as we go along. Keep an eye out and see what other animals are eating, that'll be a good first step.

I think most of us know each other, so that's good. [ He looks to address the Unfamiliar Jason. ] I'm Dylan, and these two are Jason and Chrissy. What should I call you?

Edited 2026-01-24 01:07 (UTC)

[ Oh, how Apollo misses the fey glamour. It was so much easier to project confidence when he had a mask; Now he's just... himself. His mortal self. Comfortable, but not much to look at.

Especially as he inspects his companions. Two of them, he notices, have animal ears. He smiles awkwardly, tucking some curls behind his very human ears and tugging on the cartilage slightly, giving a soft, awkward laugh. ]

Well. Now I feel underdressed.

Edited 2026-01-24 01:29 (UTC)

Aw, what, these?

[ Doreen reaches up and takes her headband off. Her animal ears are made of felt, but the gigantic fluffy squirrel tail twitching around behind her is very, very real! ]

I can make you a set, if you like! I've got a bunch of spare headbands. What kind of ears were you thinking of?

Edited 2026-01-24 03:24 (UTC)

Oh!

[ Apollo lights up, delighted at the revelation. Sometimes, nothing beats a small, simple joy. Like animal ears. ]

You would do that for me? What kind of ears could you do?

[Mayuko walks up leading a pair of green chocobos saddled and carrying packs. Doreen, she recognizes. The other names on the team readout, not so much.]

What's this about ears?

various starters

The Lux - getting situated

[ Upon arrival in Mesa, Vax decided to explore the spire that would serve as the headquarters for their operation on this planet. He sees others getting their bearings and meeting with their teams. His own team has already been assembled, so he doesn't need to find anyone to venture out with.

He finds a suitable spot with room for him to start going through the supplies he brought with him, which includes four packs filled with provisions that were wheeled through the portal in a shopping cart (whatever works). Vax bears that responsibility as survivalist, and he doesn't want to fuck it up, so he sits on the floor and begins to examine the contents of one of the packs that's meant for a teammate as he waits for the rest of his group. ]

A Conservatory - wildcard for casual, specimen hunting, or fighting off some beast

[ Nighttime might be harrowing, but the daytime can be quite nice. Vax sits on a log at the edge of a large lake that's practically an ocean. His team is somewhere nearby, most likely, getting the lay of the land or figuring out where they'll take their hunt for specimens next.

For now, Vax takes a moment to simply rest and soak in the atmosphere of the foreign planet. He doesn't really think much of the missions they are sent on, and he continues to remain skeptical of everything they're told.

Reaching to the ground, he picks up a small pebble and flings it over the water, watching it plunk on the surface and disappear. ]

Night Falls - warnings for horror/combat/violence (threadjacking okay)

[ After two days in the field, the team came across an abandoned home in the woods. It's small, with an open room for the living room that has the kitchen in one corner and two tiny bedrooms, but it's a roof, and there's furniture, which includes a twin sized bed in each of the bedrooms and a couch. The place is dusty but usable. There are also a few other pieces, such as a dresser and table with some chairs. It seems like a suitable place to stay for now while they continue to look for wildlife in the forest to take samples from.

While the team goes out to explore, Vax offers to stay behind to get their temporary base in better condition. By early evening, when the others have returned, Vax has cleaned up some and searched the home for supplies, which includes some blankets and non-perishable food items. It's strange these things would be left behind, but this home has clearly been empty for some time.

When night falls, Dion and Joshua's powers can help light lamps in the rooms to stave off the darkness, which feels unnatural. Even a starless night never felt so inky black and oppressive.

In the living room, Vax sits on the couch and uses a stone to sharpen his dagger while he takes the night's watch. ]

The Lux – Open to all]

Between missions, Dwayne takes a few hours to rest at the Lux and mingle with people on other teams. As always, he's happy to chat with and relax with his fellow Etrayans, but at the same time he finds himself unable to fully enjoy himself. While normally he'd be able to just relax and have fun in a new place, being fully aware of this world's impeding destruction has put concerns into his mind that he's not quite able to shake.

"There's people out there," he says to whoever approaches while looking out a window.

He doesn't mean their people, because he's not worried about them. He's sure Aurora will make sure all the Etrayans get back okay. The natives on the other hand...

[On the Hunt – Open to All]

As the team's survivalist, part of Dwayne's job is to make sure everyone has enough food. That means brains for Sleeper, meat for Dwayne and pretty much anything that a normal person would consider food for everyone else. Not knowing which plants are edible and not feeling safe identifying fruit unless he encounters something incredibly obvious like a pumpkin, that pretty much means meat for everyone else, too.

Prowling through the wilderness in his shifted form, Dwayne drops to all fours to sniff and identify if any potentially appetizing prey might be nearby. Normally he'd be doing this at night, but with the warning to avoid the dark, he figures this is the safer option. The matches he brought were great for getting a fire started at camp, and he could make an improvised torch fairly easily, but that's less than ideal when he's on the prowl.

[All That Men Presume – Team Gourmand]

They'd just been assigned, and Dwayne knows absolutely no one in his assigned team. Which is great, because Dwayne loves making new friends! Since they don't know each other yet, however, Dwayne figures he could give a rundown over what he can provide as a survivalist.

"All right, I brought matches and some axes. I figure if we have to avoid darkness, we'll need to be able to chop wood and make a decent fire once night falls. Also the axes will be great if we need to defend ourselves. I also brought a pouch of beef jerky, some bread, and I can hunt for any other food we need. Also, I'm pretty good at making stuff out of animal bones. So that's also something I can do if it helps."

[A Conservatory Left Behind - Team Gourmand – CW: Hunted animal to be used for food]

Dwayne didn't give details when he said he could hunt. He'd only said he could do so. When the time came to follow through, he still didn't clarify any of the details. He just left camp, taking his axes with him and telling the rest of the party that he'd be back with meat.

He probably should have mentioned something before dragging a dead sinornithomimus back to camp while still in his shifted form.

Edited 2026-01-24 03:08 (UTC)

[ Dylan's survived on his own in different kinds of environments; He's been homeless on the streets of New York City, crammed into a bottom-caste free-for-all in the bowels of a train dystopia, totally exposed under the hot sun in a mushroom wasteland, and many other things. He's picked up skills here and there, and gotten a pretty good sense of what's absolutely necessary for survival.

As wild and feral as this world is, it's appears to be one of the more resource-rich survival situations he's been in. He doesn't want to get too comfortable, but as long as they can survive any hostile encounters, it might be... not easy, but certainly less inconvenient to stay alive. ]

01. LUX

A. Does this taste like poison to you?

[ In addition to the supplies they'd brought along, Dylan's determined to figure out what wild plants out there are edible. Late at night, as the hostile darkness laps at the fringes of the spire's floodlights, Dylan sits inside at a table with a notebook and a (somewhat) organized pile of plants, carefully testing them out in various ways.

There's definitely irritation on his arm where some of his tests had caused reactions. Right now, he's got a glossy leaf in his hands, touching it gently to the inside of his lip to test for adverse reactions. What could possibly go wrong? ]

B. Lights Out

[ At some point during the mission, the power goes out. Dylan's picked up all kinds of tech and mechanical knowledge, so he grabs his flashlight and starts out to find others wandering around. ]

Hello? Can anyone hear me?

[ Despite how powerful his flashlight is, Dylan can barely see his own hand in front of his face. So he navigates by feel, shuffling his feet and running a hand against the wall.

It's Dylan, and the wall, and the darkness. Shuffle, step, sidle... how long was this hallway, again? Surely he should be turning a corner by now. Or reaching a door. There was a door here, right?

There's wall, the floor, and the void. No way but forward. And it's a forward that seems to last far too long.

The more he wanders into the blackness, the more it feels like he's trudging through thick mud. It seems to press against him, pushing back against his approach, weighing down the arm that's holding the light.

The light that appears to be pretty... pointless, honestly. It's not doing anything useful; It's just taking up space and wasting resources. He couldn't remember why he even grabbed it. Wearily, he lets that arm rest at his side. The flashlight slips from his grasp and clatters to the floor, already forgotten as it rolls away into the darkness. ]

H-Hel...

[ The air is thick and disgusting, and leaves a filmy aftertaste in his mouth and throat as he breathes. Why did he even bother trying to speak? It's not worth the effort. With the rancid, grimy feeling that coats his throat and lungs, he almost wishes he could stop breathing, too.

Dylan's legs feel like they're filled with sand, and he leans heavily against the wall, slowly sinking to the floor. Walking was a bad idea. Trying to do anything was a bad idea. What had he even been trying to accomplish? ]

2. IN THE WILD

A. Finding kinship in the strangest places.

[ A forest path has been cleared in the wake of some giant creature, looking almost constructed in how the treetops arch and weave together high above.

Warm sunlight filters through a thin forest canopy. As the trees sway in the wind, dappled light dances across the foliage all around.

Movement along a tree trunk catches his eye, and Dylan turns, catching sight of a patch of gooey texture. He steps closer, realizing that part of the bark isn't bark. Something is living on it, shifting and pulsing under his gaze. Colors shimmer across it for a moment, like a squid attempting camouflage, before it matches the color and texture of the tree bark.

Dylan steps closer, still watching that spot, and it shifts again under his gaze, now taking on the appearance of something akin to moss or lichen. ]

Huh.

[ For most of this mission, he'd been serious. It was his job to keep his team alive, and he took that responsibility very seriously. But looking at the little creature, the darkness melts from his gaze, replaced by a childlike curiousity. He takes a small stick, gently tracing it along the edge of the camouflaged slime. It shies away from the touch, changing appearance again to resemble rot on the bark. Dylan laughs, looking almost fond. ]

Ha. Me too, buddy.

WILDCARD

[ hmu on discord,

thepreciousthing, or pm me if you want to plan something else! ]

Edited 2026-01-24 04:21 (UTC)

The Lux

[ Upon arrival in Mesa, Vax decided to explore the spire that would serve as the headquarters for their operation on this planet. He sees others getting their bearings and meeting with their teams. His own team has already been assembled, so he doesn't need to find anyone to venture out with.

To start, he decides to see what others might be doing and get his own plans in order. He finds a suitable spot with room for him to start going through the supplies he brought with him, which includes four packs filled with provisions that were wheeled through the portal in a shopping cart (whatever works). Vax bears that responsibility as survivalist, and he doesn't want to fuck it up, so he sits on the floor and begins to go through the contents of one of the packs that's meant for a teammate as he waits for the rest of his group.

As he sorts through some things, he's surprised to find something he didn't actually mean to pack. Looking over at the nearest person, he asks. ]

Hey, do you need some batteries?

Wilderness

[ Nighttime might be harrowing, but the daytime can be quite nice. Vax sits on a log at the edge of a large lake that's practically an ocean. His team is somewhere nearby, most likely, getting the lay of the land or figuring out where they'll take their hunt for specimens next.

For now, Vax takes a moment to simply rest and soak in the atmosphere of the foreign planet. He doesn't really think much of the missions they are sent on, and he continues to remain skeptical of everything they're told.

Reaching to the ground, he picks up a small pebble and flings it over the water, watching it plunk on the surface and disappear. When he hears a crunch in the leaves, he turns to look to see if someone is there. ]

Wildcard

[ooc: open to any starters wherever! ]

[ Dylan's in a similar position, taking stock of his supplies. When Vax makes his offer, Dylan turns to meet his gaze, looking interested. ]

They'd definitely be useful to me, but are you sure you don't need them? Apparently, there's some dangerous stuff in the dark.

closed TLs for team viktourists

Sentinel: Cloud Strife
Survivalist: Vincent Valentine
Navigator: Clara Oswald
Naturalist: Aerith Gainsborough

Evening in the Wild - casual or combat if they're attacked at night

[ It's Vincent's duty to ensure their security at night, as well as make sure the team has what it needs. He packed sufficient provisions for them to spend a few days away from Lux, which should allow them to take plenty of samples in the field to satisfy the mission requirements. Once the day of tracking and gathering is concluded, Vincent chooses a small clearing for them to camp in for the night. The open space allows him to notice anything that might approach while he's keeping watch.

Around their small circle are solar lights he brought from Etraya, creating a small, lit area around them to stave off the dark. And it is very dark. Unnaturally dark.

A campfire crackles and bedrolls are laid out. They cook a little over the fire and eat some of their supplies from Etraya, and then it's time for everyone to rest. For those who may not find it easy to sleep, they'll see Vincent is up during the night, always vigilant, and sitting a short distance from the fire looking out at the wooded area beyond. When he notices someone is up, he looks over his shoulder to see who it is. ]

Can't sleep?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Mission 013 Log

Closed to Team Broody

Getting Acquainted

Closed to Team Animal Ears

circle time (getting acquainted)

no subject

posting order? i never even met 'er!

no subject

Closed to Team Wingmen

no subject

no subject

Dylan Brock | Marvel Comics | OTA

01. LUX

2. IN THE WILD

WILDCARD

Vax'ildan | Vox Machina (OTA)

the Lux

closed to team viktourists

Closed to Team Clever Name

no subject