etrayalogs | Mission 013 Log

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

[ For a blockade, Dion settles on an armoir that looms over the both of them in terms of height. It's a hefty wooden barrier once he manages to win the battle of shoving it into place. This comes with much protest from the floor it scrapes against.

Fortunately, Dion finishes his self-appointed task in time to hear Vax's observation. ]

Do you think so...?

[ He casts a glance around. It's certainly a well-furnished room, though his standards of what is palatial lean into even further opulence. ]

It certainly surpasses the apartments. [ The thought gives him pause, recalling a related topic. ] Speaking of furnishings, I've fashioned a proper target for your knife-throwing.

[ He'd done so not long after their conversation about Vax's apartment, in fact, but then Clive had vanished and Joshua had taken ill, and it hadn't seemed the right time. ]

[ Vax watches as Dion wrestles the furniture into place. He wants to jump off the bed and help him, but if he landed on the floor, he'd just cause more concern, so he waits. ]

Well, for an inn. My father's estate might have impressed even you. This is nothing compared to that.

[ Syngorn itself was an elegant city to behold.

News of the target gets a surprised look. Vax had forgotten all about the talk of redoing his apartment. It's not something he seriously considered, as it was unimportant to him. ]

A target? For my living room?

You did say you come from nobility.

[ Even if Vax hadn't enjoyed the comforts of such a life for quite some time, that information does paint a certain picture. Idly, Dion wonders what differences might be noticeable between his homeland's interior design and that of Syngorn, but he sets the thought aside in favor of shooting Vax a puzzled look in turn.

Had he forgotten what they'd discussed before? ]

That is where the wall you've punctured happens to be, if memory serves.

I did, but I wasn't treated like one.

[ Had they been, Vex would never have been unhappy, and they might have never left, leading to very different lives.

Seeing as Dion hasn't done anything for his own comfort yet, Vax pats the mattress beside him. Dion can sit, if he wants to, but there's also chairs in the room. ]

Yeah, I just... didn't give it much thought after that day.

[ The wall's got a few more holes now, too. ]

It remains your father's shortcoming.

[ That he did not cherish his children, or see them for their virtues, rather than what society imposed on them. It's been said before, so Dion doesn't retread old ground. His own father treated him as a noble, it would have been unseemly not to, but he'd never let him forget his origins.

He takes a seat at the foot of the bed, simply because it's nearest, and is greeted with a plume of dust he waves away. ]

Well, I did. I think I picked a fine enough tree stump to work with, and I recalled a technique known as laser etching from Earth. My light's suited well enough to such purpose, though it took some practice.

And yours. You are so much more than a weapon, Dion.

[ Surely, his friend must know that, even if his father did not. ]

Sounds like you put some work into it. I look forward to testing it out. Though you didn't have to go through the trouble.

[ The holes in the wall don't bother Vax. He appreciates how Dion is always looking after him, though. He knows Vex would appreciate it, too. ]

[ A small smile curves his lips at the reminder. Dion does know he isn't only a weapon, but he appreciates hearing it from Vax just the same. Even knowing his greatest failing, Vax still accepted him.

That smile only grows at the further reminder that he didn't have to fashion a proper target. ]

True, it was not required of me. But I wished to do something for you, so I did.

[ Why not exercise his ample freedom in that way? ]

[ It's not a matter of picking up something from the store. Dion crafted the target, himself. It's more than expected, and Vax can't help but feel touched by the gesture. Enough that he must glance down and busy himself with rubbing his legs again to try and conceal the faint blush on his cheeks. ]

I'm going to find it hard to throw daggers at it. I don't want to ruin something you made. Maybe I'll miss it on purpose.

[ He jokes a little, but there's a definite possibility that when he lifts his weapon, he won't be able to let it go into the target. ]

[ Dion notices the color warming Vax's cheeks, but as Vax so kindly spared him from comments before, he quietly does the same. ]

How could using something for its intended purpose ruin it? I'd much rather it see use.

[ Then he'd know that it was useful to Vax, which is the most he could hope of a target intended for throwing blades at. ]

Should it become too weathered to be a proper target, I can make another.

[ If that's what Dion wants, Vax will try to honor his wish. He'll make use of the target, but a piece of him will still feel bad about it. ]

I didn't know you were so.. crafty.

[ But in the sense of making things. ]

I can't say I'm very good at that sort of thing.

I've little experience, which was why I needed praftice before I managed anything worthy of showing.

[ Dion admits this easily, because it's no great secret. He isn't a craftsman, nor is he a chef, but he works at things. ]

I think my satellites quite enjoyed making use of my blunders.

[ As he speaks, he plucks a broken table leg up from the floor. It's a stout chunk of wood, and he holds it up where his familiars can see. They close in immediately, like cats presented with a new toy, and he tosses it between them. What follows is a flurry of little bolts of light being fired from them all, keeping the wood bouncing between them as something is carved away from the original blocky form.

Then suddenly they're done, and the result clatters to the floor. Dion gets up to collect it, patting his familiars with his free hand when they crowd in close. ]

Fine work, as always.

[ Wait. ]

How many tries did it take you?

[ It sounds as though it was more than a couple. Vax hopes he didn't lose too many hours over the project.

As Dion begins to demonstrate his method, Vax sits up a bit straighter and leans forward, watching as the lights bounce the material back and forth. When it hits the ground, Vax's head tilts to try and get a view of what they made. Though watching Dion praise his lights as if they were pets is quite cute. ]

[ Dion returns, setting the little carving on Vax's lap. It's a bird, a fine little thing that looks as though someone with experience and patience had whittled it by hand. ]

Quite a few... [ He admits, ducking his head and masking it by resuming his seat. He'd wanted something worthy to present to his friend. ] But as I said, they created things like this from my mistakes. They've gotten quite adept at it.

[ And for his part Dion is impressed with them, and it comes through in his tone. ]

I may never have known they were capable of it.

[ Vax looks down and lifts the tiny bird with a smile. When he looks up, he sees Dion trying to hide his expression some. Is he embarrassed? ]

Yeah...

[ Again, he looks down at the bird, then he realizes just how much effort Dion put into the target. If the lights created things like this carving from Dion's mistakes, he must not have used them to make the gift. He did it entirely on his own. That's even more special.

Taking the bird in one hand, he frees his other and reaches to set his hand atop Dion's on the bed. Leaning forward with the motion, Vax gives Dion a warm smile. ]

Well, I can't wait to see it.

[ It had taken many attempts indeed. ]

Then I'll hope it is to your liking.

[ He turns his head to smile in return, suspecting Vax would appreciate it even if it hadn't been much to look at. For whatever reason, Vax has rather forgiving eyes when it comes to him, and Dion couldn't fail to notice that.

Nor does he overlook that Vax had leaned over without difficulty. ]

How are your legs feeling?

I'm sure it will be.

[ It could look like shit, and it would still be to his liking, but he knows it'll be great because Dion clearly spent a lot of time on it. Dion's smile always warms his heart, too, as does his concern.

Vax's hand withdraws as Dion takes note of his legs rather than the touch. Right. They're on a mission. Time to get back to it. ]

Good. Ready to look for that mystery door.

[ And try to be more useful. ]

[ Dion noticed the gesture, but he didn't think to make anything more of it than what he assumed it was. Why would it be?

What concerns him more is whether Vax has recovered. To have been paralyzed that way was terrible. ]

Do you wish to try standing, first?

[ He'll not rush Vax along if he hasn't fully regained sensation in his limbs. That would be dangerous. ]

[ There's no reason to think the touch anything other than friendly. Were he less afraid, perhaps he'd have the courage to say what's on his mind or in his heart. He'll get nowhere waiting to be seen. But he wonders if, maybe, it's better that way.

For now, there's other things to worry about. More important things.

Vax moves his legs off the side of the bed, then eases up onto his feet. He may be a bit stiff in the joints, but walking around will help get the blood flowing. ]

I can handle it.

[ Dion doesn't make it pointed, but he does watch Vax closely as he gets up, just in case he needs support. But he observes that he does not, and he acknowledges his friend's words with a nod.

It's a relief to see he's able to stand once more. ]

I'm relieved that concoction worked.

[ It had smelled terrible, and Vax's expression told him it tasted worse still. ]

I'll move that furniture away from the door, then.

[ He rises to do just that. ]

So am I.

[ But he didn't doubt it. Vex was a wizard at these things. As Dion goes to the door, Vax follows. ]

I'll help.

[ He positions himself on the opposite side of the furniture as Dion to assist with removing it from the door. Hopefully, nothing is waiting for them on the other side. ]

[ The armoir is moved aside more easily thanks to their joint efforts. There is no knowing what might await them, so when Dion opens the door, he does so slowly and with caution.

When he's greeted with a spider raising its forelimbs at him, he frowns as though he's tasted something surpassingly bitter himself. ]

Cover your eyes, Vax.

[ It's the warning he gives before clapping his hands together, a bright light washing over his immediate surroundings for an instant.

Dazed, and likely blinded, the spider clumsily retreats. ]

[ Vax hefts the furniture to the side and allows Dion to get the door. As soon as he hears the warning, he turns, raising his arm to shield his eyes as the flash goes off. Once it fades, he lowers his arm just in time to see the spider retreating. ]

Fuckin' hell, how many are there?

[ He doesn't expect Dion to know the answer to that. He also wonders if that's the same spider from before or a different one. ]

Too many for my liking. [ One was too many, after what happened to Vax. ] At least they're easily deterred by light.

[ Being the Warden of Light is particularly beneficial in this case. ]

Perhaps I ought to imbue some of our belongings with light, as a deterrant.

[ Imbue them with light? Sounds like a good idea. ]

Like this?

[ Vax takes out one of his daggers. ]

Yes. They consistently retreat from sources of illumination.

[ Dion reaches for the blade of Vax's dagger as he speaks, drawing upon his aether and passing it through the blade to make it glow along its length. ]

Perhaps something you wear as well.

[ Lest those creatures try to snatch him again. ]

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