Mission 013 Log

[etrayamods]

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🔵

Comments

[neonrain]

[That does make E-Soul smile gently beneath his mask, remembering the bond between Xia Qing and her little brother, Pomelo. Because of that he pictures a younger version of Clive — Clive is giving off older sibling vibes, like Xia Qing. It's concerning to think that Echo can strip them of their memories, but Aliarra was right about the inscrutibility of entities with Echo's level of power. Assuming too much about why just isn't helpful.]

I'm not sure I could resist, in your position. You must really trust each other.

[E-Soul nods thoughtfully as he listens to what follows. His gaze immediately focuses in on the frost, noting it, even as Clive's words make his chest ache with the unbearable, suffocating weight of his grief and guilt.]

I agree. [He forcibly swallows down the despair that makes his throat tight.] Those who say otherwise are lying. To others, to themselves.

[He doesn't care if those words are overheard. When he finally had connection, he shied from it and fed his dark thoughts, and Shang Chao paid the price. He'd give anything to undo that mistake. There is good reason he is E-Soul every waking moment, and not Yang Cheng; he'll never forgive himself.

Nor will he ever willingly be without Trust again.

He knows nothing about Barnabas. Nonetheless he is certain that Barnabas is lucky to have Clive willing to fight against his isolation.]

[herofhopeless]

[If only he could see E-Soul's face. That would make understanding the other person's feelings on the topics they were discussing easier. He supposes a mask is a very effective way to hide. That itself can be telling.]

I know he feels similarly. I trust Joshua with my life, just as I know he trusts me with his. I swore to protect him a long time ago.

[Clive thinks of Joshua as a babe, holding his finger from his bassinette, and smiles. Yes, he would do anything for Joshua.]

Then perhaps it is a good thing we found each other on this mission.

[Clive looks back at E-Soul and clasps a hand on his shoulder.]

It's important to build and hold on to those connections, especially in a place like this.

[neonrain]

[It's not that E-Soul hasn't made physical contact with anyone in the past five years. He's fought plenty of people, he's taken the outstretched hands of those in need, shook others when PR and media obligations required it. But a friendly hand on his shoulder?

It's all Yang Cheng can do to repress a flinch, eyes widening. Not because he objects to Clive's gesture, but because it's unexpected. A shiver runs down his spine. Shang Chao was the last, because he'd been as generous with his touch as he was with everything else. Yang Cheng feels the way his breath stutters. He tries to clear his mind and forcibly refocus.]

...Yes. [He all but whispers. He swallows.

Under Uncle Rock's oversight, it was easy for E-Soul to distance himself and eliminate all distractions. Etraya's demands are... different.]

[herofhopeless]

[Clive can't quite feel the tension of the other man beneath his suit, but something in the air shifts. The sudden stillness, the unsteady way E-Soul speaks when he finally does, the shortness of it. Clive can't help but think of a time when a warm hand with a gentle touch was foreign, strange and potentially even untrustworthy.

He gives E-Soul's shoulder a light squeeze before letting go. He drops his voice quieter in a further attempt to speak where only E-Soul will hear.]

It takes time, but you get used to it again. It stops hurting quite as much.

[neonrain]

[Yang Cheng gasps, struck to his core.

He desperately wants to grab Clive and demand to know how he understands. But it's already implied. Shared experience.

With Shang Chao's death and the first E-Soul's involvement, some inner part of him had collapsed: the part of him that felt happiness and wholly trusted a select few, despite his long years of constant struggle. It's not that he hasn't been trying to make connections here. He understands that they might be the difference between saving his world and failing to, it's just...

Clive's words reach that ruin inside him, and leave behind a spark of hope.

Don't hesitate.

In barely more than a whisper, Yang Cheng forces himself past his fear of vulnerability. It's only right to meet raw honesty with the same.]

I actually believe you. How do I accept that?

[Dropping his gaze, he checks to make sure that Torgal's fur isn't going static under his hand.]

[herofhopeless]

[There is so much of himself that Clive sees in his new companion that it almost hurts. They have only just met, but he can't help both the kinship he feels and the desire to show this man that living doesn't have to hurt forever.

The smile he gives Yang Cheng is soft and just a little sad.]

That takes time, too. Time and practice.

[Clive rests his hands loosely in his lap.]

Something that helped me, aside from being exposed to it from others, was to give in return. Now that, that took me awhile. I wanted to, badly, but-

[Clive looks down at his hands. Vulnerability for vulnerability. Build the trust.]

I couldn't bring myself to reach out. I didn't think I deserved it.

[There is a little bit of static there, but Torgal doesn't even seem to register it, more than used to being exposed to that sort of sensation after years of being by Cid's side.]

[neonrain]

[Yang Cheng watches Clive from behind his visor, taking in Clive's smile, listening closely to his words.

How is it that every time Clive speaks, it resonates so painfully? Yang Cheng squeezes his eyes shut, twisting his fingers deeper into Torgal's fur to hide their tremble. Panic skitters at edge of his mind. This sense of connection is too intense.

Even so, he finds himself confessing:]

...I'll never forgive myself.

[Maybe Clive felt that too, once. Abruptly, Yang Cheng can't take continuing this line of conversation. He briefly looks away, running the back of his artificial fingers along the golden gilding along his mask's jaw, before pressing his knuckles over where his mouth sits beneath. He takes a few deep, shuddering breaths.]

[herofhopeless]

[Torgal shifts to rest his head in Yang Cheng's lap and whines softly, resting more of his significant weight against the man's body. Clive wonders if he has pushed too hard. It wasn't intentional, but he also knows very well how something like this could hit in unexpected ways.

Clive doesn't say anything at first, just watches with eyes filled with pain and conflict. He knows that feeling all too well. Still knows that feeling. His voice, when he speaks, isn't as strong as he would like it to be.]

I know that feeling well.

[He can't say that it'll get better. That would be a lie and he will not lie to this man, not about this.]

I still haven't, not really. Some days are less suffocating than others.

[Clive takes a deep breath, lets it out slowly.]

You can always come to me when it all feels too heavy. I can't make the pain stop, but the isolation. Well.

[That's what kills people, in the end.

Clive pats Yang Cheng's knee before standing and grabbing some foraged food. He hands some to his companion.]

Eat. You'll need the fuel to keep watch.

[neonrain]

[It's impossible to feel alone between Torgal's comforting press closer and Clive's honesty and generous invitation. Yang Cheng never wanted to be alone, but life has always taken from him and pressed down on him, letting him dream only to crush what brief happiness he finds. He can't think this will end well.

And yet.

There's a courage in him impossible to break. Yang Cheng never goes unscathed, but he always finds the strength to keep trying eventually. Managing to find his voice, he says:]

I... will.

[He's sincere, despite how insufficient and weak his words are. It means more than Yang Cheng could possibly say that Clive so freely offers his own pain to reach out to him. It hurts to be so viscerally understood. Before Shang Chao's death, he would have run a mile. It scares him still, but he made a promise to his friend's ghost. He doesn't turn away.

That brief pat to his knee feels like a blow, because its kindness bruises something raw inside him.]

Thanks.

[Yang Cheng takes the offered food. In the end, it's easier to remove his mask than it was to say what he's already said to Clive. The act, as ever, feels like peeling off his face to expose the gristle beneath, but he ignores the mental discomfort and sets his mask down beside him with a careful reverence. His skin is pale from a lack of exposure to the sun; his shaggy black hair falls into his face, having long outgrown its cut; his deep blue eyes are ringed by shadows that imply uneasy sleep. He curls in over Torgal, his shoulders hunching, obviously shy of being seen like this. He nonetheless eats.]