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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[She takes the offered gun without any protest, instantly disliking the way it feels in her hand. The way how her fingers curl around the handle, seeking for the firm place on the trigger. It's all both alien yet so familiar.

Tossing the gun lightly in her hand she snorts and cocks her head to side.]

Isn't it man's job to take care of such things?

Hell no. Thinking like that is a good way to get yourself killed.

[He takes the lead, falling into step on what passes for a trail in the jungle.

At first, it's quiet. Too quiet.]

Excuse me. Sorry about having some sense of style.

[Taking offense to that, J scoffs out as she follows him, staying close behind. Everything in her body language and the way how she moves in the jungle makes it clear that she has zero experience out in the wild. Despite then tension between her shoulders her steps are careless and little clumsy and as she moves she keeps missing and ignoring all the subtle signs around them.]

[Nate inwardly rolls his eyes—shut up, that's a thing—but doesn't argue with her. Indignant is better than panicked, for sure.

Eventually, though, he stops short, holding up an arm so she won't keep moving.]

Hold on. Something's wro—

[And that's when the giant spider jumps into the small clearing.]

Huh? Wha--- [J barely manages to stop in time to avoid bumping into him. Frowning she quickly turns her head to look around them but before she gets to focus back on the him a giant black, hairy spider drops down in front of them out of the blue.

J's reaction? Well, it's the most natural one as she starts screaming from top of her lungs from surprise, fear and disgust. She nearly drops the gun on the ground but luckily catches her grip on it in time, while also closing the small gab between her and Nate, clinging on his back.]

[Immediately, he's aiming his gun, ready to shoot off a few of this thing's legs—or, you know, shoot it in the face, which is probably more sensible but doesn't sound as cool—but his first shot goes wide when J's weight suddenly sends his center of gravity off-balance.]

Fuck!

[The spider rears back for a moment, and then there's a creepy hissing and clicking noise from its mandibles.]

Oh crap oh crap—

[Nate twists, manages to get an arm partially around J and yanks the two of them sideways as he fires until the clip is gone. There's a horrible screeching, who knew spiders could even make that sound. And the goddamn thing isn't quite dead yet.

[Stumbling she follows Nate when he pulls them off the road, clinging on his shirt and pressing her own gun to his side. Her heart is racing like an animal on berserk and breath stuck in her lungs. The sound of gun firing is loud and it makes her ears ring for a moment. Eyes wide and shocked she watches as the monster's enormous hairy legs take steps backwards from surprise. It screeches and hisses, spitting out blood and slime angrily before focusing back on its preys.

It's a terrifying sight but J's attention is caught by rustling sound that comes from above them. While Nate's busy with the monster in front of them J looks up, face hardening when she spots another spider looming above them. It's smaller than the first one and probably came only after hearing the screams of its mate. Hands shaking she lets go of Nate, aims up, removes the safety just like Shepard taught her and-- ]

Above! [She screams before shooting. Her aim might not be best but she does manages to hit the creature on its leg, making the thing fall off the tree on its back in front of them.]

[Shit shit shit—he didn't even see the spider-buddy coming down until J screeched in his ear, and there's no time to slam a new clip into his gun. Nate thanks his lucky stars that she's a good panic shot; it's the only thing keeping them from becoming spider chow.]

Okay, time to go!

[He turns to scoop J up in his arms. Maybe it's a little demeaning, and maybe in general they'd be better off as two people on four feet, but they need to get the hell out of here five minutes ago. He'll figure out the next step once there's distance between them and the spiders.]

[Fingers curling around the gun's handle even tighter J watches in horror and disgust as the injured beast stands up from the ground, shakes its round and hairy body in anger. The other one seems to be recovering from Nate's bullet.

Heart jumps up to her throat and cold sweat runs along her back. Both her hands and legs are warm and itchy as the adrenaline pumps in her veins all her instincts screaming to run. Inhaling deep, she pulls Nate's shirt, preparing to pull him with her --- but then all of the sudden her feet disappear underneath her as he sweeps her off her feet up to his arms. Gasping out of surprise she immediately wraps her arms around him so that she won't strangle him even in accident.

She holds her breath as Nate runs watching over his shoulder as the spiders try to follow them.]

[She might be freaked out as all hell, but J actually makes a good "carried away in a panic" partner, better than some he's, well, carried away in a panic. She's got a good grip and doesn't inhibit his ability to breathe or see.

So he doesn't have to be too careful. Nate goes all out, or at least as much as is possible while making sure they don't trip on a giant tree root or something. It is a jungle, after all.

The foliage starts to thin out as the ground gets more uneven, but they're away, and that's the important thing. Nate hesitates when he sees the kinda-sorta trail they're on leading toward what looks like a cliff, but then nods his head and sets J down.]

We're headed in the right direction, toward the transit point. Let's just be careful here.

[It'll be fine. He traditionally has such good luck with cliffs.]

[While Nihlus' awkward one arm hold will always keep the first spot in the "worst being carried experience" category this sure comes as a good second. It's uncomfortable how she lightly bounces on his arms as he runs and jumps in unpredictable manner. All she can really do is hold on tight and hope for the best.

Well, luckily for them they manage to lose the predators as they move to more thick area of the jungle and J can sigh out from relief when she's set down on the ground. That sure was a close one.]

What. You actually know where we are? [Sounds like bullshit. But she does appreciate the positive thinking in this situation.]

More or less. [He points.] See the way the light comes through the trees from that direction? And the way the grounds slopes, it's...

...yeah, that probably means nothing to you. But we're going the right way. Trust me.

[He's no cartographer, but you don't spend as much time in the boonies looking for ruins as he does without getting a sense for directions and location.]

[Breathing out heavily like she's the one who had been running, she looks at the pointed way and then back to him. Yeah, he's right. None of that says anything to her.

Guess her only chances in survival is to trust him.]

Right. [She nods, awkwardly fiddling the gun in her hand] After you then.

Just stick close behind me. It'll be all right.

[And it is, at first. They get pretty far down the path, which has grown narrower but not prohibitively so, when something makes him stop abruptly. He's not even sure what it is at first—his instincts are faster than his brain, and he's learned to trust them.]

Stop. Stay very still.

[This time J stays more alert than previously and stops the moment when Nate's body language shifts. She freezes still, just like he advised her, nervous eyes automatically shooting up to see whether it's another spider. But when that doesn't appear to be the case this time, she slowly leans in to whisper him:]

What is it?

[For a moment, it seems like nothing, and he's about to apologize, tell her he got overcautious, and continue on.

But then the nearly imperceptible vibrations that he'd felt suddenly get real strong real fast, and what looks like an armored worm explodes out of the cliffside below them, roaring and doing a fucking great job of crumbling the path they're on.]

Oh shit!

[Lightning-fast reaction time is the only thing that keeps them from tumbling down into the thing's mouth. Nate yanks the rope and grappling hook he'd had strapped to his safety suit (who looks stupid now, everyone who'd told him that it...looked stupid?), grabs J around the waist, throws the hook and jumps.]

[Just where do these things keep coming from?! The worm monster earns a cry of disgust and shock from her and she can't stop herself from grimacing at the sight of it. The thing looks like it's a size of house. Guns aren't going to be enough to take it down, or even to give them any protection. Fuck.

But before she can think anything further Nate's already grabbing her, yanking up and then they're soaring through the air, away from the creature. Another rather non eloquent yelp from her and she throws her arms around him, this time with less care, managing to pull from his neck.

Even though she's become very familiar with the concept and sensation of flying, this surprise was more than just little unpleasant, paling in comparison only to the time when Tony had carried her while wearing his armor. Eyes wide, she keeps looking at down while they swing in the air. She can't see where they're headed but the fall to the ground isn't too far and that gives her an idea that could work.]

Drop us!

[Thank god for her self-preservation instincts, because if she didn't hold on or tried to wriggle away...well, he wouldn't drop her, that's not even in question. But they'd probably both get killed as he tried to keep her from falling. If she's choking him a tiny bit, ehhh, he can take it.

He knows how a rope swing goes, knows how to stick a landing—so nothing should surprise him. Except her sudden command does.]

What?

[But before she can answer, almost as the word comes out of his mouth, he's letting go, some primal instinct recognizing that she's got something in mind and trusting that it'll work.]

[And they fall.

She really should have thought this through more before shouting. The idea had been there and in a fleeting moment of panic it had sounded like a solid plan, without taking lack of preparation into consideration. Shit.

For a quick heartbeat it looks like she's just doomed their fates as they keep falling and ground getting nearer and nearer within seconds. But, strangely enough, their speed halts when they're only few feet away from the surface as if they hit an invisible balloon or something. They stop, just for blink of an eye, before they fall again -- hitting the hard and muddy soil. That's going to leave some bruises but at least it's better than dying.]

Fucking hell.

[For a second or two, Nate thinks he's made a mistake, that he shouldn't have trusted her and now they're both going to pay for it with their lives—and then they step, and then they land. Alive.

His ass hurts like hell.]

Ow, fuck.

[Letting go of her now that they're on land, Nate rolls to the side and rubs at his tailbone before looking at J curiously.]

How'd you do that?

[She joins to his complains with groaning as he rolls off her. Slowly and with care she bends her knees before she sits up. Goddamn her hip was going to be so bruised when they get home.

The question is expected one but still one she'd rather avoid. These... powers, or whatever she should call them are now better in her control and she's used to them but that doesn't mean she likes them.]

It's nothing. [There, short and sweet.] You lost your rope.

[It's not nothing, but if she doesn't want to talk about it, fine. He can pry another time, or not. He'll think about it when they're off the shittiest planet ever.]

No, I didn't. It's right here.

[He holds it up, already coiling it before attaching it to his protection suit again. It looks less cool this way than strapped to his belt, but hey. Poison planet.

(Doesn't everyone's grappling rope automatically come off whatever it was attached to when its wielder reaches the ground? So convenient.)]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

june mod plot log

thisavrou monthly info ( the tmi )

ingress travel info

Aioros

Earth 91c

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I laugh every time I look at that icon

J makes the best faces!

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I'm sorry I have to make this appropriately Uncharted ridiculous

a super rare and wild backtag appears (feel free to ignore!)

are you kidding, I would never abandon this glorious thread

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I'm sorry, I have to riff on video game mechanics