exploration mingle: CAPTIVITY

[riverviewmod]

who: everyone in Riverview!
what: exploration mingle: rescue mission!
when: June 15 - August 15
where: The River Structure
warnings: violence and/or torture; please put any necessary warnings in the subject lines

captivity

One of the major and most highly-valued cultural concepts in Riverview is that of exploration, expansion. Especially now that, with the recent influx of new arrivals, as the portal kicks into high gear for reasons not entirely known, the Inhabited City, already comfortably full, is rapidly becoming overpopulated. With all the refugees from other worlds pouring in from day to day, the city's safe space and resources are being taxed to their breaking point.

Right now, exploration and expansion is key, and each month, the government has decided to focus on a particular objective, in order to unite citizens in expanding, securing, and supplying the city for everyone's benefit.

the story so far

Exploration & Expansion Progress Report ● The Guardians of the Deep ● What Lies Beneath ● Plotting & Questions

After some serious flooding at the banks of the river, the cause was discovered to be the Guardians of the Deep, creatures protecting a circular labyrinthine structure underneath the river. Residents of the city explored and mapped the structure, and dealt with a good portion of the traps and other dangers, until they found a little piece of history in the Central Chamber of the structure, revealing that it was inhabited by the first people to live on the moon.

While this news has been exciting scholars and historians in the city, something a little more pressing has been bothering the average citizen - an ever-increasing number of missing persons. People have simply been disappearing all over the city, and only now are residents starting to realize why...

how it works

● Phases: Each prompt is a different phase of the operation. Characters may partake in whichever part of the operation they choose, whether it is a large and prominent part, or a more of a backseat or support role. Characters may participate in as many phases as they wish.

● Completion: When next month's exploration mingle goes up, the mission featured on this exploration mingle will be considered complete, and game canon, providing the entry has 200+ comments on it.

● Entry Reward: The reward for completion of this month's exploration objective will be...well, the safe return of everyone who was kidnapped. And some sweet hurt/comfort.

● IMPORTANT NOTE: Having observed how the pacing of exploration mingles has been going and how they are tagged, I have noticed that posting one exploration mingle each month has been a little hectic, both plotwise and for me as a mod (writing three mingles a month has been tough!). I have decided to space them out a bit further, and post an exploration mingle once every two months, starting with this one - the next exploration mingle will be posted in August!

phase i: the abducted

People don't simply go missing, they don't disappear into thin air, they have to be somewhere. And while those who are missing people keep frantically searching, those who have been kidnapped are the only ones besides the kidnappers who do know where they are.

Abducted by a group who have taken up residence in the structure under the city after last month's exploration died down, the missing are trapped in the Central Chamber, in fear of the kidnappers. Their abductors are a group of people that is starting to slowly take on cultist tendencies, believing that the remaining spirits of the First People still live in the structure, that it is a temple, and that those First People need offerings of host bodies to inhabit so they can return and bring their wisdom and magic back to the moon. Things are getting a little hairy - there's no agreement among the kidnappers as to how 'intact' the host bodies have to be and whether or not the sacrifice is in the form of alive or dead captives. Even worse, some of the kidnappers are only with the group to enjoy having power over others and using it to hurt them.

Captives are held in the Central Chamber of the structure, with next to no amenities. Blankets, food, water, and other necessities are in short supply, and they are kept huddled together, constantly guarded and either restrained, wearing or in the presence of a power suppressor to keep them subdued. But the captives haven't lost hope - they are working on getting a message out, finding a way to contact the outside world so their loved ones can rescue them...

This prompt is to play out interactions among the captives before they are rescued, and may include violence or other character suffering. It is also to enact plotted plans for the abductees to find connections with the outside world to summon help.

phase ii: distraction and infiltration

Once would-be rescuers become aware of where the captives are being held, they start making plans to rescue them - whether someone they love has been taken, they're just a good person, or they just want to feel like a big damn hero, there are lots of people willing to take the plunge and jump into the rescue. But the cult group has been in control of the structure for a while now, they definitely have the home team advantage. They know the lay of the land and where the traps are, and have used some of them to their own advantage.

It's not going to be as easy as storming the castle.

There are two parts to this phase of the rescue: a distraction and an infiltration. Distractions are planned to draw as many of the kidnappers away from the hostages being held in the Central Chamber as possible, while those who are stealthily infiltrating will try to find another entrance into the chamber so they can surprise and surround the remaining kidnappers.

This prompt is to play out any plans for distraction and infiltration. If you have plotted something out on the plotting post, feel free to post up a header for specific groups for threading rather than an individual character top-level.

phase iii: the brawl and after

Distractions only last so long, unfortunately, and so eventually the whole thing is going to break down into a big fight. Rescuers versus kidnappers, on the kidnappers' home turf, and surrounded by traps left over from the First People, while pieces of stationary tech throw out auras and waves of power suppression. It's going to be a doozy of a fight, so prepare for an epic throwdown!

And once the dust settles, there's going to be a lot of injuries to tend to, a lot of people traumatized and hurt and frightened. A lot of hungry, suffering people will need to be transported out, given medical care, and brought supplies.

This prompt is to play out the final fight between the kidnapping cult and the rescuers, as well as anything in the aftermath of the fight.

phase iv: wildcard

Have an idea for a mission-adjacent plot, or want to make up an unexpected plot twist or problem and solve it with your character? Just write up a starter, and don't forget to give yourself props by submitting it for the Progress Report.

navigation
[Asterion - Environment Art: Ariadne's Forest by Nicolas Mendoza]

Comments

[backwaterbelle]

[While Rogue looks entirely like hell in a once well dressed hand-basket, she's fighting with a newly inherited vigor, eyes glowing full of lighting as she threw a bolt to act as an electric fence between several cult members and a few children, who are being herded out by several adults she doesn't recognize.

Still, she's exhausted and bound to miss a few zealots here and there. While she'd seen Tony on the battlefield from afar, his appearance in her corner of the fray is welcome.]

Borrowed a few cards from a mutual friend.

[Though not literally this time, as she didn't want to risk taking too much from Remy in the middle of a fight. Thor, she knew, could handle it. There's a grunt as she arcs another bolt of lightning across the field, herding a few cultists towards a familiar face she knew could handle them.]

There's a robot named Dorian that's in bad shape, like he's in pieces. [She sounds pretty upset about this, and she throws it into a very angry kick that sends another cultist flying.] Gonna need your help when the dust settles.

[She doesn't have the ability to smile at this point, but she looks into the light of his mask's eyes, appreciative through her exhaustion.]

[buildsomething]

Dorian?

[That's a genuine surprise, even as he starts shooting down all the cultists Rogue is very helpfully sending his direction. He's mostly trying to stay out of her way, since she seems to be busy getting some frustration out. Tony can't blame her.]

He's a friend. I'll see what I can do.

[He's a little worried exactly what in pieces means. Tony has a bad feeling she's not being metaphorical.]

[backwaterbelle]

Yes.

[It's a smart move on his part as Rogue has quite the pile of aggression to gift upon the cultists that deserve quite the dose of karmic retribution, and she's not the most patient person.]

Appreciate it Tony. He's a friend-- [But her words were cut short as one particularly confident zealot starts weaving something with his hands, presumably magic, and she makes a choking noise. One hand grabs instinctively for her own throat, her eyes wide and full of anger, the other working to muster the lightning to take him out.

Damn magic.]

[buildsomething]

[He might be trying to give Rogue room to work out whatever she needs to, but Tony's not an idiot either. He can connect the guy doing something mystical-looking with the sudden cut-off, and it doesn't take much movement to get a clear shot at him. It's not everyday that he's the less-visible option, but the cultist fellow seems to be extremely intent on the flying woman.

Doesn't do him much good when a quick repulsor blast knocks him halfway across the room.]

Rogue? You okay?

[backwaterbelle]

[This is why she prefers to work in teams. She knows that it's impossible, no matter how strong or invulnerable, to take on everyone, especially those with ranged magic (or most magic to be honest). Tony receives an appreciative look, though it's overpowered by the shear level of anger reflected in her eyes as she turns back to the fallen cultist.]

Ah. Hate. Magic.

[At least fighting it, or absorbing it because she's useless with it.]

Ah'm alright. Got it worse these last... [She falters, genuinely confused.] How long were we...? [Taken. Tortured. Suffering. ]

[buildsomething]

Yeah, you and me both.

[It's almost automatic, though it is a little bit of a relief that she's just pissed, rather than hurt. Not a great thing, but definitely the better option in this particular instance.]

Few days. Not sure exactly when the first ones went missing, but you all got the word out pretty fast.

[backwaterbelle]

Ah'll drink to that... Later.

[Mark her words.]

Days...? [Rogue seems genuinely confused by this because to her, it has felt like far longer. Maybe he's talking about since the last captives were taken? She can't be sure and now's certainly not the time to delve deeply on the matter.]

Thanks for comin' for us an' bringin' the troops.