Entry tags:

june mod plot log

Who: Everyone
When: June 1 to June 30th
Where: Thisavrou + New Worlds
Warnings: Body horror in the fog description. Description and pictures of monstrous wildlife for Aioros. Label your headers where appropriate!

thisavrou monthly info ( the tmi )

⋆ All information is current as of day 52 (June 1). There are 100 days in a cycle, and the current cycle started on April 11.

⋆ At the beginning of June, temperatures on Kauto are at a catastrophic low of 40° F / 4° C during the day and 19° F / -7° C at night. Region Two’s agricultural production is devastated as most crops on the supposedly static planet prove unable to survive below freezing. Throughout the month, increased Ingress activity will cause a gradual increase of approximately +18° F/+10° C, but food shortages can still be expected.

Chioni, in contrast, has thawed, if only by a little. EN-Line adjacent regions are up to -20° F / -29° C during the day, and -50° F / -46° C at night. While the further burgs are still restricted, access to Burg One has been re-opened to those capable of surviving the freeze.

⋆ Savrii Notices:

While a few individuals might have a greater understanding of events, the first catastrophe of the half-cycle will catch most beings by surprise. On Day 52, a mist appears in Region Four, spreading rapidly through the underwater city and the surface areas alike. Within hours, it deepens to a thick fog, deep enough to block vision of anything past arm's length. Within a day? It appears in Region Five as well.

A biohazard warning is issued immediately, as well as a mandatory evacuation of all parties in the regions of effect. No one but the Savrii’s licensed decontamination teams are permitted past the quarantine, a rule they will enforce both strictly and with force. However, the border is massive, and those who evade notice to enter or remain will, within a day, hear voices. They sound like your friends. Your neighbors. Maybe, you'll even hear your own. They sound like anyone and everyone who came back from Asteroid 276, and to others you have never met. Follow, and you can find them.
In part.

They aren't in the streets. They aren't in the buildings. But those who look below, to the cellars and sewers and passages beneath most habitable zones? Will come across faces. Mouths. Distended and wide, copied and patched into the surface of the walls like wax impressions-- but crafted out of flesh and bone. A larynx might dangle beneath, or bubble out of the wall, blood trickling impossibly in from the side. Just enough to cry out. Beg. To call, to you.
“Liars,” they say. “Don’t trust them.” “Help us.” “Come back.” And more than any other plea? “Run.”
Those who follow that advice will be rescued by the Savrii and led off to decontamination. Those who keep searching may encounter something very different at the center of the fog. Whether by your choices or the Savrii's alone, the fog will recede on Day 59 (June 8), leaving no flesh, no noise-- no sign that anything went on at all.
The initial warning about the contaminant sent waves of paranoia through Thisavrou’s population. The subsequent call to slaughter another world-- and the news that newcomers had hijacked the ingress to accomplish it-- gave the Savrii someone to blame. Paranoia towards new arrivals is at an all-time high, with some establishments refusing commerce to non-natives. Others discuss loudly how few of the current problems predated the group taken at the midway hub... and how culpable they might have been in the crimes there. While the rumors of “protection gangs” are probably overblown, it might not be a bad idea to take a friend when you wander about out of doors. Or, of course, keep your nearest Mediation Center on speed dial.
Whether from the climatological strain or the social one, the Department of Ingress Contingency Coordination is activating the Ingress to allow travel to new worlds. As previously, the Ingress will operate on specific travel intervals, and the heightened security can very much be seen in effect.

The initial test brought through a wave of new arrivals, who will receive wary greetings and be processed as usual. Subsequent tests will open up two new worlds. As the agricultural failures have increased dependence on offworld trade, those making contact with new worlds are encouraged to act carefully-- both in their own behavior and in any resources they choose to bring back.

ingress travel info

⋆ Signatures are the base reason for traveling through the Ingress (aside from general exploration and monetary gain) and are used to discover the correct world visitors on Thisavrou wish to return to. Every visit through a different Ingress brings the technicians a little closer to finding it.

⋆ Missions are jobs or specific tasks listed on the TAB once new worlds are open for exploration. Be sure to check if Clearance Levels are required to accept some of these missions.

⋆ Clearance Levels are given to visitors for the length of time they have been on Thisavrou (or traveling on the Moira). Each CL can offer access to certain things or incentives that others will not have. As of this month, security will be in place outside the Ingress to ID travelers and ensure no clearance violations occur.

Aioros

⋆ Ingress technicians have discovered an energy link to a new world. It has been marked as Exploration Class (EC’s) and all who go through will be given a drone to use for documentation. This drone also serves a secondary purpose as a location beacon because it’s important to note that Aioros, while looking like a lush tropical rain forest when you arrive on planet, is also incredibly deadly to almost every non-native lifeform that visits it. The very air itself is poisonous to breathe thanks to the pollen and spores permeating the air and every traveler is given a breather mask to protect their face. Exposure to mucus membranes or even open cuts will introduce the native poisons to a body’s system. Really you should be wearing full body protection, or at least gloves. At least some of the plants transmit their poison through contact with skin!

Please, wear the suits the nice scientists give you. They don’t want you to die.

Of course, it isn’t just the air that wants to kill you. While Aioros doesn’t have any sentient life-forms residing upon it that doesn’t mean it’s devoid of life. In fact it’s just chock full of things that will kill you! Giant spiders, venomous snakes and lizards as well as a bevy of incredibly aggressive mammals. Explorers are encouraged to venture out in groups of two or more because if equipment fails the only way of finding you is a drone that may or may not break down before it reaches the base camp set at the Ingress gate. There’s safety in numbers, folks!

⋆ Prompt 1 (Mission): What could possibly go wrong in this lush jungle paradise???

The scientists at the Ingress Complex are just fascinated with the diverse life present on Aioros! Not enough to go there themselves, though! All that toxic flora and fauna is scary, you know? Which is where you come in, explorer! You’ve been assigned to collect samples of the plants in a certain area. Aioros might be full of things ready to kill you for absolutely no reason but that’s no reason to not have fun! The scientists are willing to pay a lot of money for plant samples and photographs since the plant life has a great capacity for providing insight into the development of new medicines and chemical compounds that they haven’t even dreamed of. While the fee for a photograph will vary based on quality and detail, every sample turned in is worth 40 sencs, with another 60 to come in the future if it results in a promising medical or chemical lead. So put on your masks and get out there! Just, be careful, okay?

⋆ Prompt 2: Euphorium

The worst has happened, your breathing mask has broken down whether because you broke it on your mission or simply because of poor equipment maintenance. Either way, you’re in trouble. The first breath of unfiltered air makes eyes water but then… then you feel amazing. Vaguely you remember that the first stage of pollen toxicity is euphoria but that doesn’t matter so much. Maybe you’re immune and that’s why you feel wonderful! If you have a companion with you, this would probably be the best time for them to get you back to camp -- or, even better: get a backup mask on you before you go breathing in any more poison. If exposure continues the euphoria fades away and is replaced with intense hallucinations of your fears. An average sized human can last five hours before fatal toxicity sets in and there is little hope for recovery. Thankfully the Savrii are willing to provide extraction for stranded explorers provided they’re able to activate their drone beacon in time.

* Prompt 3 (Mission): MMM… SMASHING

If you’re feeling adventurous (or you really need the payday) the scientists have a special request of you. There isn’t much documentation of the wildlife on Aioros. Mostly because people who go out there looking for it tend to come back needing a really big dose of antivenom. The Savrii are willing to pay 200 sencs per week spent documenting the wildlife. A few private buyers will also pay for dead samples: 50-100 sencs per body, depending on the sample and on your negotiating skills.

It seems the map that you were given has led you into… a really dark part of the jungle. What was that rustling sound? Why is the ground sticky? Are those… webs? It looks like you’ve stumbled into the territory of a colony of some very large, very aggressive spiders. You might want to run.
What's that peering down at you from the tree branches? Aww...that bear is so fuzzy. And it must be friendly, because it's…smiling? These creatures are safe if you keep enough of a distance, but when threatened, they'll put those fangs to use. And watch out—if they decide to come down from the trees, they'll take the fastest way down, and heads make great landing spots.
All visitors are warned about wearing anything too flashy in a certain quadrant of the forest that’s home to Aioros’s least dangerous beastie, the Aiorosian Purple Ringed Tree Octopus. These clever creatures are hardly poisonous at all! Unfortunately they make up for that by being too damn smart for their own good with a love of shiny objects. Any explorers who attract their attention might find themselves getting sprayed in the face with a mildly paralytic ink before they’re robbed for everything they have. Similarly, if you spot a nest of sparkling objects in the trees you’d be well served to go in the opposite direction, it means a family of octopodes is nearby.

(All sencs are awarded ICly when you come back through. OOCly, you keep track of what you earn.)

Earth 91c

...coming soon, to a set of comms near you. Keep an eye out for June's upcoming player plot!

For questions, comments, or additional information, check out the OOC post here. Don't forget to respond to the Activity Check!

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Yeah, it's something alright.

[Chloe glances around her, spinning in place to get a good view around her. It's beautiful, but it's pretty eerie knowing that the very air itself could kill them.

But, ever the adventurer, she can't help but wonder...]

D'you reckon intelligent life could have evolved and settled in here? Seems weird being in such a rich ecosystem and not have it supporting any other than critters. Or maybe the critters got rid of them. Did you work out that drone, maybe we can get a bird's eye view.

Oh...

[ How could she have forgotten about that little bugger? Apparently, according to the scientists, the drones would be necessary and also helpful in more ways than one for this kind of adventure.

It takes Elena a moment to work it out, to try and set it up so it can send back a video to her TAB from high above. The gloves are getting in the way, it takes her more than a moment, some grumbling accompanying. ]

Probably would've been a smart idea to set this up before, huh?

[ Some whizzing of the drone, as it hovers next to them, beeping quietly. It drowns out the sound of twigs snapping in the bush to their far left. ]

Maybe this little guy can take recordings for us to bring back to Nate. Show him what he's missing.

[Chloe grins and throws her arm over Elena's shoulder, jerking a thumb in the direction of the diligently hovering drone as she grins.]

Wanna take a dronefie first before we send it on its way? We should show the world how to model these space suits.

God I hope we find something good out here, can you imagine how cool it'd be to unearth a hidden civilisation or something while we're out here? I bet the reward would be pretty sweet too.

[The jungle sounds are reassuringly familiar constant; the buzzing of alien insect wings, the chirping of something that could be some manner of frog, rustling leaves...

Chloe's arm drops as she looks over her shoulder with a frown.]

[ With permission practically being given to take selfies and do silly picturesque things, because who doesn't love that, Elena had been so ready the second she felt Chloe slide on in next to her. She'd grinned, looking over at her in mid-play with her TAB, when Chloe had looked away.

Elena follows, glancing back over a shoulder. The drone continues to hover, giving no warning signal for them suggesting that they move; it's not fully enabled. ]

It's probably nothing... I bet it's just a space mouse.

[ Turning back to her TAB, she fiddles with the settings some more, weight shifting to her left foot. The drone beeps, swivels in midair, and flies upward to emit a pulsing thin blue light to get a reading on the land.

Elena tips her head back to watch, and that's when the beast larger than a caribou (including the height of its antlers) half emerges from the bush, teeth bared on a low growl and head lowered. ]

[Chloe's been too used to reacting on a split second for too long not to spring into action at the appearance of their unexpected new friend. In seconds her gun is out and trained on the beast. When she speaks, her voice is low and soft and tinged with dark humour.]

...I think you forgot a vowel in there somewhere. Looks more like a space moose.

[She doesn't make eye contact with it, she looks resolutely at its shoulder and angles her head slightly to keep Elena in her line of sight.]

Okay. Don't. Move.

[ Chloe's voice comes in like a low warning, sounding softly in her helmet. Elena isn't sure which it is that makes the hair on the back of her neck feel like it's standing on edge— Chloe's tone, or the beast staring them down, unwavering.

She lets out a quiet exhale and wets her lips. It's already warm enough as it is in her suit, a bead of sweat trickles down the side of her face from her temple. ]

There really isn't anywhere else for me to go here...

[ Her response is a low hiss. She needs to drop her TAB and reach for her gun, she'd feel safer with it in hand. ]

Oh hell no—

[ Breathed out then as the beast feigns a sudden charge, something that's enough to spook them. Or at least Elena, causing her to immediately let go of her TAB and scramble for her gun at her hip, almost stumbling back a step.

Whipping the pistol up, she grips it tight but doesn't fire. ]

[Chloe's breath catches in her throat and for a second she's rooted to the ground in shock, waiting for something to happen.

For a moment, it seems like nothing will happen.

And then the moment passes and the beast feigns its charge. Chloe moves and she moves fast.]

Elena run!

[She grabs her arm and drags her with her.]

[ The sharp, abrupt order crackles in her helmet. The unexpected and swift grab of her arm causes her finger to apply pressure to the trigger, the gun then suddenly going off. The shot rings throughout the jungle and she doesn't have any time to see where it hits, as roughly pulled away as she is.

Shit—

Elena can only assume it skims the animal, half hearing the startled scream of pain and surprise it gives out.

And then the ground trembles beneath their feet in their panic to get away. ]

Oh god, oh shit— shit shit—

[ Like a whispered mantra. The drone is forgotten but it hurries after them, the sounds chasing a mix of the drone's beeping and the beast's enraged howling and snarls. ]

[Shit shit shit is right, she knows the gun going off is an accident because she knows Elena. And she knows animals well enough to realise that that shriek is not a good sign. That's a sign that that thing is pissed and it's going to go for them as soon as it catches up.

Up. Up! Of course!]

There's no time for that we've got to get to higher ground, I bet that lummox can't climb for shit. Come on sunshine, let's move!

[She turns to fire off a shot. If it's pissed off and hurt then this could either hurt it more and convince it to stop giving chase, or it could make it angrier. She really, really hopes it's the latter.]

[ Genius. There's no way something that looks like a bloody moose that's front heavy with solid antlers can climb. Up is better than forever running until exhausted and backed into a dead end.

They're pushing on through bush that seems to be getting thicker and thicker. The air in her helmet feels like it's getting thinner the harder she breathes as she forced herself to keep up.

Unfortunately that also means the beast is keeping up, almost upon them. Fuck.

Elena feels a snag on her arm and automatically thinks she's been caught, only there's no spilling blood, no snapping bone, and she knows what that's like personally. ]

I'm trying!

[ A yank of her arm and she's pulled free, and not a minute too soon, a second much larger body crashing through the undergrowth to join the chase and competition for a good meal. ]

You have got to be kidding me— move faster! We got company!

Where the fuck is a jeep when you need one?!

[God they are so, so in trouble, how the hell are they supposed to get away from two? Something that big and that ungainly should not be able to move that fast, let alone hunt in a pack.

Or is it a herd?

Is it even hunting them?

Why is she thinking about crap like that NOW?

Chloe trips on the undergrowth, loses her stride and stumbles forward a few paces, losing time she can't afford with a yell of frustration. This jungle's going on forever and there's nothing but trees. They could climb those but that bark is smooth and they'd lose too much of their already tenuous lead.

Think Chloe, think!

If they can outrun and outlive freaking Himalayan undead super zombies then they can beat space moose.]

And why are there never any goddamn hidden cities around when we need them but your husband can trip over them in his sleep?!

That's just his dumb luck! Sorry I haven't been married to him long enough for it to have rubbed off.

[ It frightens her more to see her friend nearly lose traction. Those few precious seconds are valuable, they can't afford to fall behind.

She plays off the harsher panting as her oxygen supply beginning to reach the lower tier of the tank, vision briefly swimming before she shakes it off. ]

Besides— I'd like to avoid the hidden city theme, there's always even more trouble in them. And we don't need that right now. What we need is a goddamn cliff.

[Chloe's definitely panting now and it's oddly claustrophobic as her breath mists and fades on the visor of her helmet. Instinct screams at her to tear the thing off so she can take in a good gulp of fresh air but self preservation isn't about to let her do that.]

Well yeah, but don't they normally come with heavily armed militia chasing af- shit go left, nothing but brush ahead and we're going to lose time trying to struggle through that.

They do—

[ Elena does as she's told, veering left. The sudden shift leaves her momentarily off balance that she leans her weight against a nearby tree trunk that's thicker than the eight foot horned man she's seen around. She feels like she's gasping for air now, a vise slowly gripping tighter and tighter around her chest like a band.

She coughs, thinks nothing of the blood she tastes at the back of her throat, and pushes forward. ]

Th-there! The cliff! You see it?

Yes!

[Oh thank god for small miracles.

Chloe hangs back slightly to push Elena forward as they keep running towards the cliff.]

You go up first, I'll cover you from down here and try to keep them back long enough to get you up, and when you get up there you cover me.

[ What's stopping the damn things from standing on their hind legs and snatching one of them off the cliff as they scramble up like monkeys for safety? She thinks it's foolish to stay on the ground when they're charging harder with murder and hunger in their black eyes.

Elena can't argue, she's pushed to climb so climb is what she does, even as their stamping hooves and shitty suit gloves make for a poor grip. The tremors rocking the earth threaten to throw off her hold while her breath hitches and wheezes, the visor fogging over with the rising temperature inside the suit. The warning shots are muffled and yet crackle loudly in her helmet.

Once, twice, nearly three times does Elena almost lose hold of the rocky edge. She throws herself over the top on a ragged grunt of victory and prepares to offer what cover she can, gun out again. ]

Chloe! Climb!

[Chloe doesn't need to be told twice.

She fires off another round and out of sheer luck she manages to land a shot in the eye socket of one of them. There's an almighty shriek as it stumbles and Chloe takes that window to launch herself at the rock face. She's no slouch when it comes to climbing but dear god does she wish she had the upper body strength that Nate does right now, he always manages to make it look effortless as he shimmies up things like a goddamn lemur.

Climbing in a space suit definitely sucks. She's going to have strong words to say to the guy who designed this thing.

With Elena covering her, Chloe makes her way up and drags herself up over the cliff face, stopping to pant on her hands and knees while she catches her breath.]

I... really... hate... space mooses.

[ The pained howl of the space moose is almost like music to Elena's ears— almost. Their chances now are greater that the injured one will take off to deal with its injury and hopefully die off somewhere else, unless space moose come with special space healing abilities they and the scientists know nothing of. Elena keeps an eye on Chloe as she sees her climb. ]

C'mon... c'mon c'mon... [ Muttered to herself and also thinking along the same lines as her where her husband is concerned, aka his formidable climbing skills. It still surprises her that he has yet to actually break his fingers or a hip in landing.

Her shots startle the second beast back after it'd charged at the wall, infuriated that they'd gotten to higher ground, its thick antlers dragging against the rocky side in a show of aggravation at losing. It paced down below, heavy, frustrated exhales pushed out with its growls. And then it was gone.

Elena's arms dropped to her sides, heavy, relief like another weight to her shoulders. Her hands shook and her gun fell. She followed it down as she dropped hard to her knees and braced herself on hands next to the other woman. ]

Next— next time... [ She couldn't be that out of breath that she couldn't catch it to form proper sentences. ] Next time we get those Drake— brothers to come with us on our— expeditions.

[ If only she could take her helmet off to wipe away the sweat at her brow; she felt drenched, could feel it trickling down the sides of her face. ]

You— you alright?

Ha, yeah. Yeah I'm fine.

[Chloe rolls over onto her back and laughs, relief bubbling up into mirth as she realises they've got away safe. Bloody hell, they could have done with a bit of forewarning about the bloody space moose before they touched down on the planet.]

If I ever see one of those things again, I'm turning it into boots and a handbag. Hell, I might go and lay my hands on a sniper rifle and make it a point to go looking for that ugly bugger I blinded.

[She glances across at Elena and frowns, pushing herself up on her elbows to look at her friend more carefully. She looks pale.]

Hey, you doing okay there sunshine?

Ye-yeah, great. Just— great.

[ Elena leans back, hands on her thighs. She takes a deep breath, just to try and get her breathing back on track, and what a mistake that is. Her lungs are on fire, the flames feeling like they're snaking up her throat. She doesn't notice the blood that catches on the lower half of her helmet, a tiny splatter of it showing on the visor. It's out of sight. ]

How far to- to the camp now?

[ Now that they've been forced to take a detour. Elena pushes herself to her feet; they need to move, who knows what comes out when the sun goes down. ]

Can't be that far, right?

[Chloe quickly scouts the area, trying to spot anything that might be useful for them to help get their bearings. Ah, bingo. There's a small incline ahead where the trees thin out at the top. Looks as good a viewpoint as any.

She pats Elena's arm and points ahead.]

Let's see what's over that way, if anything we'll be able to get a good look at the view and work out which way to go from it. Are you... are you sure you're okay? You're looking a bit pale there.

[ Right. It shouldn't be that far at all. And once they get there then they can work on getting Elena a proper oxygen intake and work out why she's having this much trouble.

But Elena waves the concern away, sounding like for a moment as she staggers forward to start the trek that she's hacking out a lung. ]

Y-yeah—

[ It's only five steps in then that she's wrong, so very wrong, and her knees buckle. Again she's braced forward on all fours, coughing and it won't stop. It won't stop at all. Now the sounds are wet, choking, like she can't get a full breath.

Elena can't even get out Chloe's name, blood covering a good portion of her visor now while she's leaning forward, clawing at the throat of her suit like that will help. ]

[Shitty awful planet, shitty space moose- why the hell did nobody think to mention that there were bloody angry giant space moose before sending people down here woefully underprepared and unarmed? Chloe was going to have serious, serious words with mission control]

Hey, d'you reckon we could get some compensation out of this? A little heads up about the moose thing would have been nice. Elena?

[When she gets no response, she turns back to her friend and when she sees her bent over in difficulties it makes her blood run cold.]

Elena?!

[Chloe runs to her, skidding to a halt beside her on the ground, arms going to her shoulders to help her up.]

What's wrong, what happened? Why-

[Jesus Christ, where the hell did all that blood come from? Chloe's eyes go wide with shock as the full extent of Elena's predicament becomes apparent.

This is bad. This is really bad.

Okay. Okay Chloe, breathe, stay calm. Panicking will not solve a damn thing. Getting Elena help is the priority.

But why is she bleeding? When did she get hurt? How?]

You're okay, come on sunshine. We need to get you out of here.

[ Her head is shaking. She barely hears the voice coming through in her helmet, all she can hear is the blood rushing in her ears, all she can feel is the squeezing invisible grip around her chest. Something is clawing its way up her throat, sinking razor blades in against already tender flesh.

Getting out a response is impossible; any words come out as sobs of pain, desperation and pleading. What is going on? This shouldn't be happening!

Elena grabs for Chloe's arm, fingers biting. All she can taste is blood, it's everywhere, coming out from the corners of her mouth, spilling down her chin, her nose. She drops onto her side, curls into a fetal position as spasms then overtake her—

Coughing, terrible wet, gurgling sounds. It sounds like she's trying to get her breath at the same time, sharp gasps; she's drowning, suffocating, the pressure bears down until it's too much and she's making one last attempt to fumble with her helmet latch to get it off as it feels like everything is closing in on her.

Somewhere in all of that, Chloe's name can be heard on a choking breath that never makes it to her lungs.

Get it off get it off— ]

No no no, don't you dare...

[Chloe drops to the ground beside her, scooping Elena up into her arms and turning her face to her. There's nothing she can do, she wants to tear the damn helmet off and help her breathe but that's not going to work here. Elena's choking and there's nothing she can do to help her. Panic doesn't make a showing on Chloe's face all that often but it is right there right now.]

Elena you need to stay calm okay, you need to breathe with me. Okay? In and out, come on, you've got to get it together. Come on. You're okay, you're going to be just fine, alright?

[Why isn't she better prepared for this? Why isn't there extra oxygen or a mask or anything that can help? Elena's wilting away in front of her and her options are exactly Jack and Shit.]

Elena please, you've got to try! Come on, you can get through this, I know you can sweetheart, come on.

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tearsinajar - 2017-07-03 22:37 (UTC) - Expand

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