riverviewlogs | Mission: Looting Temples for Fun and for Profit [CLOSED]

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Mission: Looting Temples for Fun and for Profit [CLOSED]

who: Prometheus Salvaging Team (Kylo Ren, Roy Harper, Valkyrie) and hired contractors (Tony Stark 1610 and Tieria Erde)
what: Looting a temple for a precious artifact nbd
when: Early May
where: Beyond the wall, on the outskirts of the Abandoned City.
warnings: Likely nothing worse than run-of-the-mill sci-fi violence!

Welcome to the temple looting mission! Here's the rundown:

Pre-mission mingle: Drinking at some bar, on Prometheus's dime, a couple nights before the mission proper. Hey, it's a team building exercise! This can play out like a regular mingle. (OPTIONAL)
Temple adventures: Everything that happens from reaching the temple to finding the chamber that holds the artifact. You've got a lot of freedom to play this out however you'd like.
Obtaining the treasure: Wherein our mercenaries face the final obstacle to get their hands on the treasure. The treasure in question is a glowing orb called the "Heart of Merra." It's hanging from some tendrils in some creepy chamber. In reality, it is absolutely attached to some kind of giant monster that's a cross between an angler fish and a sarlacc. Fun fact, the temple was built on top of/around this slumbering giant. Guess what's going to wake it up. (This is the thread that will officially satisfy the terms of the mission.)
Shit hits the fan: Everything that happens after obtaining the artifact. Snatching the "Heart of Merra" will trigger two events: 1) everybody in the immediate area becomes infected with the emotions/mood/feelings/etc of whoever's holding the artifact, and 2) the subterranean beast will awaken and start to cause a ruckus. When the creature awakens, the ground will shake, tentacles will start lashing out from the ground and the walls, and there's the threat of everything coming down on the group. They'll have to run away or kill the beast-- either way, gotta get out in one piece, with the artifact in-hand. This top-level can include: awakening the beast, becoming infected with each other's emotions, outrunning (or killing) the beast, escaping the temple, etc.

Mission Gameplay: We're going to play this fast and loose and flexible! Start your own threads under the top-levels, for group or one-on-one interactions. You can assume characters are off to the side, or temporarily split up, or facing their own personal obstacles during the temple exploration. The only thread where every character likely needs to be present at once is when they obtain the treasure.

No posting order necessary for any of the threads. Just go at your pace!

Temple Tricks & Traps: So, what are we dealing with once we're inside the temple? Whatever you want-- within reason. There's your standard "fight the critters" and "evade booby traps" options, as well as mental effects and trickery. Since feeeeelings and empathy and unity are the main themes of the temple and the artifact, a lot of the temple's defenses should be based on that. Facing your inner demons and each others', echoes/manifestations of the past, shared hallucinations, etc.

Note: Because of this, psychic type characters will be able to feel low waves of psychic energy in and around the temple, growing stronger the further into the temple they venture.

References: Once they reach the site (source), it looks like a ruined temple that's been thoroughly picked over by looters over the years. However, Prometheus intel found the hidden entrance to the true temple, which will lead them underground.

Going in
Venturing deeper
The deeper you go, the creepier it gets
#aesthetics
more #aesthetics
Critter example. Large, aggressive bugs, reptiles, and amphibians (like the smaller cousins of the ones encountered in the floods) may also make an appearance.
Basic idea for the boss monster. Just. Assume there's an anglerfish dangle on it, too.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Drinking on Prometheus's dime. ENJOY, VAL. ]

[ He tries not to drink to excess. It being two days before they're to set off beyond the wall, Ren would really rather not find himself with a hangover to contend with. But he actually enjoys some of the company, at least, and there's something familiar in this that puts him in a rare state of ease.

The Knights of Ren may have been too ascetic to take indulgences like this, but they had their own bonding rituals. In principle, this is the same! And so, Ren's in his element, honestly for the first time since he came to this moon.

A relaxed Kylo Ren. WHAT A RARE SIGHTING. And maybe, if he gets drunk enough, he'll try to teach the others how to play sabacc, like his uncle taught him.

Or how to cheat at sabacc, like his father taught him. ]

[There's not a chance in Hel that Valkyrie would skip out on any event involving drinking, let alone drinking on someone else's dime. She enters the bar with her usual brand of confident swagger; she's left the armor off, for now, dressed in black jeans, boots, and a muscle tank with a faded band logo emblazoned across the front. She spies Ren immediately; he's tall and cuts a distinctive figure, and she makes a beeline for him. She doesn't greet him immediately, however; instead, she flags down the bartender and orders two double shots of whiskey. When they're served, she pushes two of them toward Kylo.]

Bottoms up.

[ Likewise, Ren's all casualed up for the night-- though his version of casual still involves covering as much skin as possible. Black henley, black jeans, black boots... But hey, at least he's not wearing gloves for once!

He spots Val when she enters, annnnd his eyes track her to the bar and back.

And now there are shots. He picks one glass up, then looks at Val, brow arched. ]

Both of them?

[Holy shit, Kyle, you do have hands.

She returns the look steadily, and her reply has a note of challenge in it.]

Only if you can handle it. Otherwise I'll gladly take the other off your hands.

[ He does! They have human skin on them and everything--

Okay that might've been a gross way of putting it. Anyway, there's a hint of a smirk on his face, because as a Skywalker and a Solo, he has to rise to any challenge. It's in his genes.

Down goes one shot. And then the other. One-two, in quick succession. ]

Easy.

[ Oh, Kylo. You may be big, but you're only human. Don't tempt fate by drinking too much, too quickly. ]

[She looks grimly satisfied when he takes her bait; she orders another round with a gesture to the bartender and turns back to him.]

You're going to be fucking shitfaced by the end of the night. Am I going to have to carry you home over my shoulder?

[So, Roy's sitting this one out. Not physically, obviously, since he's here at the bar drinking a diet Coke and keeping an eye on his new teammates. He's just sitting out the whole 'drinking' part, and hoping that his offer of being the designated...well, everything...will at least earn him some points with them.

Kicking back at the bar, he sips at his drink, green eyes scanning the room, watching his teammates to make sure no one gets in too much trouble. And hey, he might be sober, but he's still having fun and looking to have a fun conversation or dance or whatever else.]

[Eventually, Valkyrie decides she's gotten their fearless leader quite drunk enough, and meanders over to where Roy's sat; she plants herself backward on a chair, arms crossed over the backrest, and stares him down. Not in an unfriendly way; she's just very drunk and trying to get a read on him, really.]

You. What's your deal, then.

[She reaches for his drink, sniffs, wrinkles her nose.]

Teetotaler?

[Roy knows a drunk person when he sees one, and Valkyrie is definitely drunk. Not that it particularly bothers him (though he can't deny being maybe more than a little jealous) or anything. He gets it. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt.

Spinning his chair around, Roy mimicks her position, giving her a smile and raising his brows as she takes his drink. Lets her. It's not like it's anything special.]

Nah. Not really. Alcoholic, actually.

[Taking his drink back, he downs the last of it and puts the glass on the bar.]

In recovery. I'm just here for the team bonding. What's your deal?

[Val quirks an eyebrow, nods, seems to consider that for a moment. When he turns the question back around on her, she shrugs one brown shoulder.]

Some'd probably say I'm an alcoholic, too. I say it's only a problem if it ruins my life. Which—

[She takes a swig out of her own bottle; she's switched to beer, at the very least.]

It doesn't.

[Roy laughs at that, shaking his head and gesturing at the bartender to give him another drink - he sniffs it before sipping it, too, making sure it's clean before he takes a sip and watches Valkyrie swig from her bottle of beer. Tries to ignore the smell of it on her breath and from the bottle itself, the temptation that brings on.]

It always starts that way. I'm not here to lecture you, though. I'm here to watch my team's back while they get wasted.

[Winking at her, he grins a bit, leaning on the bar.]

And to figure you guys out. So, tell me a bit about yourself? All I know about you is they call you Valkyrie.

Fair enough. Won't complain about an extra set of eyes.

[She rolls her shoulders in a shrug when asked to talk about herself, and the namedrop earns him a bit of a grimace around the mouth of her bottle.]

—Just Val is fine. I'm Asgardian, I'm older than most people here, I like to fight and fly and drink...I'm much more fun than Ren, I promise you that much.

[It's not unexpected - no one who's out for a night on the town ever really minds someone watching their back and, more importantly, being the designated driver. It's a thankless job that's best for someone securely on the wagon to be filling.

Not that he's feeling all that securely on the wagon lately. In fact, he's trying to ignore the fact that he can smell whatever she's drinking on her breath, and it's almost intoxicating. God, he misses being intoxicated.

Brushing that thought away, he raises his brows a bit at that.]

Val. Nice to meet you. Properly, anyway, like, with words instead of mooning over you across a room or whatever. I'm Roy, by the way. Roy Harper. Some people call me Arsenal.

[He's sure as heck not going to push if she doesn't want to talk about the Valkyrie thing, no matter how badass it sounds.]

Asgardian? And, haha, wow, yeah I can tell you're more fun than Ren already.

[She arches an eyebrow at him, and there's a smile playing around the corners of her mouth as she considers him.]

You were mooning over me, Roy? That's very candid of you.

[She leans back in her seat, setting her now-empty bottle on the nearby table.]

To be fair, it's not exactly a high bar.

[Roy laughs, an abrupt little snort at his own expense, shaking his head.]

Can't help it, I see a gorgeous girl, I'm gonna moon. It's in my genes.

[Smirking a bit, he raises both brows, grinning at her. He's always been honest, and has very little shame, so this is pretty standard. Whoops.]

Point.

[He accentuates this with finger guns and a wink. Sorry not sorry.]

[Val's not one to find excessive flattery especially endearing, but Roy is being candid enough that she doesn't mind it, for once. She drags her eyes away from him only to motion to the bartender for another beer, and another coke for him.]

It's in your genes? So your dad was a flirt, too?

[The funny thing? It's not really excessive flattery. It's totally honest, and it's 100% how Roy flirts on the regular. He just doesn't believe in not saying what's on his mind. Always ready to broach the tough topics, this guy.]

Wha-?

[Blinking, he snorts again, shaking his head and taking the coke, lifting it in a little cheers motion before taking a sip.]

Not what I meant, really. More that I've just always been this way, you know? Gets me in trouble.

Trouble. That's something I can relate to. Unfortunately...or fortunately, depending on who you are.

[She lifts her bottle toward him, returning his salute, and downs more of her drink.]

I guess the question remains, then. You looking for some trouble before this mission starts?

Hah. I definitely feel you there, Val.

[A rough little laugh, and sips at his coke again, eyes on her as she asks if he's looking for trouble before this mission starts.]

Depends on what kind of trouble you mean, because...there's a lot of types of trouble. Some good. Some bad. You know?

[And a wink. Sorry not sorry.]

[Her lips curl into a confident smile, and she nods knowingly at Roy as she leans back in her seat, arms wrapped around the chairback.]

I know. Don't worry. I meant the good kind of trouble.

[Oh...well, that's super promising. Roy can't help the slightly crooked perk of his lips, his head tilting to the side as he grins at her, ginger strands of hair falling against his cheek.]

I like the good kind of trouble. My favourite.

[Licking his lips, he leans in, green eyes on her face.]

You wanna get in trouble with me?

[Val's eyes flicker down to Roy's mouth for a moment, and then back up to his eyes, which she can't help but notice are very green. She downs the last of her drink and leans in to place a soft kiss on those lips, brief but full of plenty of promise. When she pulls back, her own eyes are alight with mischief.]

Let's go.

[Oh. Hello.

And here he'd thought they were just flirting. Okay. He's totally okay with this. More than okay, actually. When she leans in to kiss him, he kisses back, follows her a little when she pulls back, and grins when she looks at him with mischief in his eyes.

It's always warrior women. Every time.]

As you wish.

[Exhaling, he reaches out, brushes fingers against her arm, an experimental touch to see whether she likes it or if she's going to kick his ass. And honestly, he's fine with either option.]

[ Kylo's been much more relaxed tonight than... well, likely than Roy's ever seen him. Finally, they can spend some time together without a recent physical or emotional or existential crisis looming over them (well, more accurately, looming over Ren).

By now, he's...

Well. He's drunk. Val's a bad (great) influence.

So, sleeves rolled up, shirt unbuttoned (which, okay, not a huge accomplishment, since his henley only had like four buttons to begin with), he plops down on the seat next to Roy. ]

Do you want to play pool? [ He smiles, relaxed, a tiny bit teasing. ] I promise not to use the Force.

[ Or, you know, he'll try not to use it. ]

[This is definitely work, so when Ben walks up to him, obviously a little loopy, a little out of it, Roy decides to stick to calling him Kylo for now.]

Hey Kylo.

[Ben's not just loopy either, he's also a bit sloppy, and frankly it's a good look on him. He's got his sleeves rolled up and his shirt's a bit open, exposing a very pleasant swatch of his chest. Roy grins a bit.]

I'd love to play pool.

[Sliding off the stool, he reaches out and presses his hand against Kylo's shoulder, more supportive than anything. That smile and little tease is beyond cute, and Roy's grin softens a touch.]

If you promise not to use the Force, I promise not to try to distract you with my charm and good looks.

[ Have your own personal Temple of Doom party here. ]

[Tony hasn't really suited up since he's arrived here, recognising that he isn't in a good mindset for it and having the opportunity to not need to for once. But there's a considerable risk to his health going into some booby-trapped temple that he will even if his job on this expedition isn't security. He's sure that they're all very good at what they do, but relying on others was always a risk.]

Who's ready to be Indiana Jones?

[ Ren furrows his brow, shooting Tony a look that clearly conveys his confusion. (And maybe a tiny bit of grudging admiration, since he can only imagine how useful that armor of Stark's would've been for somebody like Phasma...) ]

Who's Indiana Jones?

[ Somebody seriously needs to show him 1930s AU Han and watch the befuddled anger unfold. In the meantime, Ren doesn't get much chance to dwell on yet another pop culture reference to fly over his head, as he surveys their surroundings. Quiet, so far. No signs of the creatures that typically lurk beyond the wall, and no immediate signs of danger (though he doubts this place is as benign as it appears at first glance). Faintly, he can sense life around them, as if in the walls and ground.

Though he doesn't ignite his saber yet, he's ready to grab it at a moment's notice. ]

[Unfortunately Tony has no idea how relevant that bit of pop culture reference was or he'd be milking it for all it's worth.]

You are seriously missing out, Karen.

[He brings up his scans and unsurprisingly they come up as inconclusive. There's signs of life and the temple runs deep neither of which needed high tech equipment to figure out.]

Unfortunately we'll have to fix that later, you don't want to know how much I'm charging Prometheus for my time. I'm not picking up any traps around here so we're good to go in.

[ There's such a twitch in his expression at being called Karen, but Ren's at least in his element to some degree here, so it's easier to keep his temper at bay than, say, on the network (the site of so many of his tantrums).

Besides, Stark's right. Prometheus is paying him for his time, so Ren would rather not stand around wasting it. ]

Good. Then perhaps we can make this quick.

[ There's at least some note of wry humor in his voice, since he knows full well that these things are rarely as simple as they appear. At least for now, they can venture forward without any nasty surprises springing up at them. And as they start to move further into the temple, he casts a curious look at Tony. ]

You made that armor yourself, didn't you? [ There's an unspoken "Why?" in his remark. ]

[The lack of tantrum is less entertaining, but better for the job and for all his purposeful needling, Tony is happier knowing that Kylo Ren is capable of staying focused. It was better to find out early if someone was going to be a liability.]

I had other people do the heavy lifting, but yeah. Women love superheroes and I wanted to stand out amongst the other billionaires with their sports cars.

[Iron Man weighed as much as a small car so there's absolutely no stealth possible as the group moved along. Anything small should be scared off by the noise he's making, but they'd lose the element of surprise against anything big.]

Dunno what that means, but I'm going to assume it's 'kick ass and steal some shit.'

[She's ready, she's got Dragonfang drawn and at the ready, and she, too, is more armored up than she's really been since she got here, in her full Valkyrie armor.

No cape, though. That seems like an unnecessary hazard.]

You missed getting the girl, but close enough.

[It's only after seeing her armoured up that it really hits Tony that she's Valkyrie. She looks nothing like the woman he knew, but like this he can see that there's a determined quality to her that they share.]

It's been a while since I fought with a Valkyrie, let's see how you compare.

Oh, shit, I won't turn that down, either.

[She cocks an eyebrow at Tony, striding up a set of crumbling stone steps.]

You fought with another one? Another....

[Val pauses.]

Was she...me?

[Tony follows her and if there's anything out there that didn't realise they were coming, they would now as Iron Man isn't known for its stealth capabilities.]

Barbara wasn't an Asgardian so I doubt it. She was a normal human before she got her powers.

'Barbara.' Definitely not an Asgardian name, no.

[She shakes her head, mulling it over.]

Weird to think about a human taking on the mantle of an Asgardian. What powers were those?

You know the basics; super strength, durability... I never did figure out if she could fly or not. Most of that time's a bit of a blur to be honest, Thor was dead and I wasn't taking it very well.

Don't worry, he got better.

I'd be pissed if she could fly and I can't.

[She can jump pretty fucking high, sure, but she's always been bound to spaceships or winged horses if she wants to sustain that kind of altitude.

She arches a brow, using her sword to pull herself up onto a crumbling ledge.]

He got better from being dead?

[Tony doesn't even try to climb and just flies up the whole side. However he does decide to wait for her to catch up.]

I figured it was part of the whole god thing. I think the agreement was if he slept with Hela she'd let him go. I stopped asking after that part.

[If she was drinking, she'd spit it in his face. She gasps in laughter, pulling herself up over the ledge with ridiculous ease.]

You're fucking with me.

i. the violence option
[ Some of the creatures in the temple are dispatched easily, Ren's lightsaber cutting through them without much resistance at all. Others are made of sturdier stuff, or have speedier reflexes, and some creatures (like the malformed, dog-sized rats) take to striking in swarms. Powerful as he is, Ren may need help from time to time. Or maybe he's helping others keep their limbs intact. EITHER WAY, HERE'S YOUR OPTION FOR VIOLENCE. ]

ii. the hallucination option
[ When the hallucinations start, fathers are what come out to haunt Ren in full force. Whispers, sometimes heard by just him, sometimes audible to the others. Sometimes, Ren can swear he hears the ghosts of the past speaking through the others here. Snoke's poison, through another's mouth. His uncle's words with another man's (or woman's) voice. And his father... ]

"I failed you, Ben. I'm sorry."

"Look at you. The deed split your spirit to the bone."

"Take off that mask. You don't need it."

"You are no Vader. You are just a child in a mask."

"My son is alive."

"Strike me down in anger and I'll always be with you--"

"You have too much of your father's heart in you, young Solo."

"Come home. We miss you."

"--just like your father."

[ Sometimes he sees them. Apparitions-- he knows, on some level, though that doesn't stop him from reacting violently, viscerally, without a thought. The sight of his uncle stokes rage; his master, dread; and his father, grief. The more the temple's traps take the shape of Ren's unresolved daddy issues, the more it throws him off-balance, chipping away at any control he tries to keep over the situation. ]

iii. the booby trap option
[ Look, I'm really bad at coming up with booby trap ideas, but if you want some run of the mill "AVOID THE SPIKES" or "WATCH OUT, THE WALLS ARE ABOUT TO BREATHE FIRE" this is your prompt. ]

Edited 2018-05-16 15:22 (UTC)

[ After facing the dangers of the temple-- the needlessly complicated booby traps, the subterranean creatures, the mental mindfucks-- it's almost… anticlimactic when they reach the sacred chamber. There's a certain beauty to it, thanks to the glowing crystals embedded in the walls, floor, and ceiling, casting a pale light on the chamber, but otherwise it's unremarkable. Unlike some of the other rooms in the temple, there are no treasures or decorations here, just a large stone dais at the far end of the chamber, with an odd… tree growing from it. And hanging from the tree, shining brighter than any crystal, is its strange "fruit": the Heart of Merra.

Ren casts his eyes around the chamber, reaching out with the Force to get a sense of the room and its dangers. And, strangely, it's… silent, save for the quiet hum of psychic energy he's felt since they first took the plunge into the temple.

No, wait, there's something else. ]

I sense... peace.

[ There's a note of curiosity in his voice. Peace. After everything they've encountered, all he can feel is peace and contentment in the chamber, emanating from the Heart.

Can it really be so simple? ]

Edited 2018-05-10 14:02 (UTC)

[So far, Val is having...kind of a great time. It's been awhile since she's done anything with a purpose, anything with a concrete goal in mind, and Dragonfang has tasted blood from the myriad creatures they've encountered, which is a primo time for an Asgardian. Her guard is up when they enter the chamber, however; she glances around, too, watching for unexpected movements from the dark corners of the place. Eventually, though, her eye is drawn to that strange fruit. Their objective.]

I'm not fool enough to expect we'll be able to take it without consequence.

[As quiet and serene this place looks, Tony is finding that his sensors are telling them they're surrounded. There's no dark corner for anything to be hiding, but he's picking up something.]

Unless I've broken something on the way down and I haven't, we're not alone. Let's grab it before something tries to cut us off.

[No one else can see him, being a figment of Tony's imagination, but Anthony is staring at the crystal, absolutely riveted by it and it's making Tony uneasy.]

[It seemed almost underwhelming to Tieria, to be honest.]

So, that is what we came for.

[His tone was rather flat. It was a crystal... fruit... thing. Tieria wasn't much for mystical things. He preferred stuff he could measure and see and use science to explain.

At Tony's comment, he turned to examine the rest of the area, frowning. He held back, decided to stay near the exit to avoid it being cut off and having them trapped... just in case.]

[ Getting out alive and wrapping this mission up! ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Mission: Looting Temples for Fun and for Profit [CLOSED]

Pre-Mission Mingle

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send to me your drunks to be babysat ➽ ota

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Temple Adventures

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adventures with kylo ren's 100000 issues

Obtaining the Treasure

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Shit Hits the Fan