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

[critpei]

Fair enough.

[ Junpei smiles. It's nice. Hearing her laugh. Especially after how she looked before when she was making the streamers -- focused and almost haunted. Hearing Sandry's laugh almost helps him to forget his own experience outside these walls. ]

Oh man, I don't even know where to begin on Japan.

[ He kind of kicks himself for not paying more attention in history class because he's sure he could have come up with some cool story to impress her. ]

I live in a place called Tatsumi Port Island, which I think might not actually exist in every Japan? I talked to at least one person who never heard of it. And it's....alright, I guess? Just your typical city. Not too far off from what it's like in Alcyone's Wake here. Only with a lot more people and a train system that goes way faster. But the city itself? I dunno. It's not a bad place to live. It's just kinda boring, yanno?

[ He takes a sip of his soda. ]

Guess that's why this place had to pull me in here. I'm way too exciting of a guy to be stuck in a boring city like that!

[ His eyes lift. Meet hers. And then, he says -- almost shy. ]

And I got to meet you, so it's win-win.

[ Ahem. Quickly moving on. ]

But I bet your place is way cooler. Tell me about your world?

[threadmage]

[ Is he flirting? Saying he got to meet her? Sandry takes a moment to contemplate that, pretending she's thinking about her home. It's harmless for now, so she lets it slide.

But, Tatsumi Port Island. So he's from an island. How big? Hatar was a large island; the memory hurts less with time, she can think about Hatar again. Sandry wonders how similar Pollux was to his city, with its towers and technology.

So what is Emelan like? ]

I'm from Summersea, the capital of the duchy Emelan. It's a port town, we have one of the safest harbors. My world has magic, which I've heard isn't common. There's all kinds of mages, but they're mostly split into academic and ambient mages. I'm an ambient mage and so are my siblings. We don't have electricity, so I've had to learn what that is. I look a lot of things up on Wikipedia.

[ Trading stories back and forth is fun, so she has more questions. ]

How big is your island? What kind of government do you have? What kind of schools do you have?

[critpei]

[ Summersea. It sounds like a romantic island getaway. The type of place couples go to on their honeymoon or whatever. But when she mentions it being a port town, Junpei can relate and imagines a slightly more fantasy version of Tatsumi Port Island. And Sandry there, amidst it all. It's so fascinating the way she talks about mages and how all of this is just usual for her -- this incredibly unique gift she has with the thread. Junpei wishes he came from a place like that. ]

The powers you guys got in your world must be something to see. Like the things you can do are so amazing. The scarf you made for me saved not only my ass out there on the field, but others. So I would guess people from your world would be high-value help in Etraya. I'd love to visit Summersea sometime.

[ He's not likely to get that chance unless the next place Echo takes them is Sandry's world (and he would hope it's not a situation like this for it.) But still, he wants to. Junpei branches off into a little laugh after Sandry's questions. ]

It's kinda funny. The things you're most interested in are probably the things I hate the most about my home. I mean, Tatsumi Port Island isn't small, but it's not real big either. Just somewhere in the middle which leaves it pretty middle of the road when it comes to finding things to do. And school? There's a ton of 'em I guess. I go to one called Gekkoukan High School. A high school is where kids around our age go, littler kids go to a different school. But I was never good at school, so I definitely don't miss it. And uh....beats me on the government? It's a democracy. We got a prime minister. But everything else, Wikipedia could probably explain way better than me.

[ Junpei gives her an apologetic smile. It's like he's really showing his ass here. Here he is, a cute girl asking him all these questions with interest, and Junpei's striking out on each one. Ugh. ]

We do have magic, though. Kinda! It's not out in the open like your world and only special people can do it. Yours truly happens to be one of those people! We can summon something called a Persona which helps us cast spells or do special attacks. Mine is good at fire magic.

[ Is that redeeming? Will she think that's cool?? Junpei looks up, hope-filled. ]

[threadmage]

[ What seems mundane to Junpei is fascinating to Sandry. The education where she's from seems lacking in comparison and it makes her a little sad. Kids get basics but the education from Earth sounds so much more from what she's read on Wikipedia after talking with Julie. If— when she goes back home she'll have to talk to her uncle about that.

Hearing him call his town "middle of the road" reminds her of traveling. What seems mundane to one can be exciting to an outsider. There's been plenty of times she's found joy in what others think is just normal. Just in the way he seems interested in Summersea, she's interested in where he's from. She doesn't think Summersea or Emelan are middle of the road though, she's very proud of where she's from; her uncle has put so much effort into making it be a good place to live.

But he seems very interested in talking about his magic, so she swaps to that. Besides, she is interested in it. She likes learning about different types of magic. ]

What kind of fire magic can you do? My sister Daja can do some fire magic since she's a smith mage, but mostly she just uses it for the forge.

[ And there was the time they stopped a forest fire together, but Sandry doesn't like to bring up the big magic like that; it sounds a little like boasting. ]

[critpei]

There's...uh, different types?

[ Junpei looks at her in surprise. And then kicks himself because of course there are different types of fire magic in a world that's built around different types of mages! He lets out a laugh. ]

I mean, ours is pretty straightforward. Give the command and shoot out a blast of fire at the monsters. I haven't gotten the chance to use it for anything other than fighting. But it would be hella useful for building campfires or lighting up fireplaces.

[ Maybe a little bit of overkill on those tasks, but it's not like it takes much out of him to use it once off like that. When he actually has access to it anyway. ]

I definitely don't have the fine-tuned skills that come with all you can do. Making clothes infused with light. That's amazing. And I bet you can do so many other cool things as an ambient mage.

[ Yes. Junpei's gassing her up. Yes, one part of it is flirting in his own way. But also, he is entirely genuine in thinking her ability is incredible. He thought it when they were only texting before he realized she's a cute girl, and he thinks it all the more now having seen how hard she works. ]

Could you make clothes as strong as armor? Something lightweight like a shirt that even a sword can't penetrate? At least not very easily...

[threadmage]

[ Sandry knows what "hella" means this time because Bossie taught it to her. But could she make clothes as strong as armor? She's called light to thread, could she call the toughness of iron? However, light is a tangible thing and toughness is not. Sandry shakes her head. ]

I can make things glow or be warm or cold because those are things I can touch, and I can't touch the toughness of metal. Sorry.

[ She gives a bit of an apologetic smile. There's a limit to what she can do, even if she can do some extraordinary things. ]

But I bet if you practiced you could find something to do with your magic that isn't fighting. My sister makes squares of fire to heat her forge evenly. Maybe you could learn to do something like that? Not that we have forges.

[critpei]

Yeah, I definitely haven't seen any forges around. 'Cause I've been on the hunt for a sword and haven't had much luck at all.

[ He shakes his head with a weary sigh before looking over at her again. Her comment about practicing with the fire earns a faint smile. Maybe. But Junpei closes a fist to give her a light little tap to her arm -- like a playful punch, but definitely not with the force of a punch. Not even the strength he'd throw behind it when he does this to his guy friends. ]

Right back at'cha, Sandry, with the practicing thing, though! I bet you could do things you don't even realize are possible. There are plenty of things that are tough. Not just metal. Take hmm....

[ He pauses. Thinks. And then comes up with something. ]

Oh! Take water for example. Water might not seem like much, but it can be one of the toughest things around. You ever been knocked back by a wave before? That hits you with force. And if you fall from high enough, water will break your bones. From what they taught us in school -- water's all around us. Not just the water we can see. It's in the air. Like....uh, molecules I think? Atoms? I dunno the exact word. But maybe if you tried to reach out, you could touch water and bring that into your thread. Or wind. Or...something else! The sky's the limit!

[threadmage]

[ Junpei's suggestions get her to think about the problem harder, but none of his suggestions inspire her. There's a certain amount of belief she needs to have in order to spin something, and while he's correct, she can't envision it. Sandry gives a shake of her head. ]

I'll think about it, but don't get your hopes up. But what's a molecule? I know about air being damp or dry, but I've never heard of a molecule before.

[ It's probably something that all these future machines understand, things that she has no grasp of. ]

[critpei]

[ He laughs a little after her question. ]

Ya know, I don't really know either. It's just all the things that make up everything, I think? The things we can't see. They're really, really small. You gotta use a special machine called a microscope to see them.

[ And that's about as far as he paid attention in his science class. Sorry to disappoint, Sandry. ]

But maybe we can both improve. I'll work on my fire and you work on seeing where your imagination can take you...and come next mission, you and I will be ten times stronger!

[threadmage]

[ Junpei is such a joy. Sandry is really glad they're friends. He introduced her to pizza and carbonation, he's sitting and chatting with her right now. With all that's happening around them, it feels like a little peaceful bubble; her heart feels lighter and she can smile. She gives a big stretch of her arms all the way up to the sky and brings them down slowly the way Lark taught them to stretch, and gives Junpei a smile. ]

You're right, I still have more to learn. I'll always have more to learn.

[ But she says this like she's happy about it. ]

[critpei]

[ He nods right along with her. Normally, Junpei's not all that jazzed for learning, but this stuff? This stuff is fun! The fun of seeing your limits and how you could expand them. And he's so in Sandry's corner with this -- he'll be her personal cheerleader if she needs one! ]

Oh, girl. You sooo got this. Let me teach you a little something right now. It's the art of the fistbump.

[ Junpei lifts his hand and curls it into a fist that he holds out in front of himself. ]

It is the ultimate show of friendship and morale support. Just tap your fist to mine, and bam! It's done. I am supporting you on your journey of learning 'til the end!

[ He is very much being theatrical with this -- but it's also intentional with the aim to make her continue to smile. ]

[threadmage]

[ The "fistbump"? This must be another thing she doesn't know about like "vibe" and "hella". But she makes a fist the way he did and extends it, gently tapping it against his. It's very silly but accomplishes his goal of making her smile more. ]

In that case, I'm supporting you on your journey of learning. It goes both ways.

[ She'll have to remember the fistbump. She thinks Toph would like it. ]

[critpei]

As it should! 'cause that's what it means to be friends.

[ Junpei draws back, proud of their successful fistbump! There's a brief pause. ]

Well. More than friends in a way. We're allies. Maybe even a team! You were with me out there every step of the way.

[ He reaches into his bag to pull out the scarf she made him -- still shining bright. ]

[threadmage]

[ She was, wasn't she? That wasn't the plan when she agreed to make him the scarf, but it's true. It's so nice to see that something she made was helpful, she feels all the more energized to make her streamers. Even though she's not going out on the mission she is still helping. ]

We are a team. When you come back you can tell me about what's out there and I'll have made sure there's light here at night.

[ But that grim determination from before is all gone, she's refreshed from spending time with Junpei. ]

[critpei]

Yeah.

[ Junpei is a little less enthused to get back out there. But he can't let his team down. It's so much nicer to spend the time with Sandry, though. When he's with Sandry, he can almost forget what happened in that forest clearing. Almost. ]

I'll bring you something. Something I think you'll like.

[ He repacks the scarf into his bag and gets up to his feet, slinging his bag over his shoulder. ]

It can be your reminder that no matter how hard things get, we'll find a way to get through it together.

[threadmage]

[ She catches the tone in that "yeah" and it makes her wonder if it's so bad out there in the wilderness. But she's not suited to that kind of work so she'll just have to make sure the base is safe next time he comes back; that's what she can do. ]

Don't push yourself too hard. Whatever you bring back I'm sure I'll enjoy, even if it's just a story.

[ It's so thoughtful of him to do that, to think of her and bring her something back. Junpei truly is a fantastic friend, and Sandry is very glad to know him. ]