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

Rey || Star Wars || OTA

[talentedscavenger]

Phase II

[Coming back from one mission to find a good portion of the city vacant was scary to say the least. At least Rey thought she was wrong. People don't go missing over night, but when she couldn't get a hold of a few friends, then she started to worry. It was the Guard's job to find the missing people and find out what happened. Rey doesn't shy from it, offering up what help she can.

When they find out where the captives are being held a plan is formed to infiltrate the area and get as many captives out before things really get out of hand.

Rey offers up her skills to infiltrate, heading into the area by herself or with another. She waits for there to be a few cultists, two at most before approaching them.]

You will not harm us. You will let us pass. [Her voice is stern, using the Force to influence them. The cultists stand still, under her control and doing as Rey says, parting to let her and others pass.] Now, you will start a fight with your comrades further that way. [She pointed in a direction away from them, and like little obedient children, they do just that. It'll buy them time to find the captives and get them out a live.

Rey finds one, kneeling down to them and checking over them. Her voice is lower than a whisper.] Hey, are you okay? We're here to help.

Phase III

[Distractions can only last for so long. What the others have done, and the little brawl Rey caused could only distract the cultists for so long. More fights are breaking out and the cultists are fighting back. The Jedi were known to be non-violent, but not today. Not when Rey has people she cares about locked away in cages.

The moment she's shot at, she doesn't hesitate to draw out her lightsaber. The hum of power and blue glow of it makes her enemies pause for a brief second, wondering what the hell she has. She uses it to her advantage--letting out a battle cry of her own before rushing forward.

Her movements are fluid, swooping down with the lightsaber before going up, knocking people back or stabbing them right through. She is fighting to free people, fighting to save her friends and keep others safe. There is nothing that will stand in her way.]

Wildcard

[ooc: Up for anything.]

Phase III

[threatenwithcuteness]

*One of the Cultists is holding an apparently unconscious Lola Pacini. You can tell there's something wrong because she's hanging limp in the arms of some jerk trying to put her, and everyone else back to safekeeping in a cell.*

*Lola, however, learned from an early age being cute and harmless meant nobody really paid her proper due. So playing possum was easy enough, and she was sore and hurt enough that she couldn't manage the surprise seeing Rey in an unfamiliar setting, like with a laserbeam sword. But she was just happy to see a friend, friends are easier to reach out to.*

*Rey might feel a little sense of connection in her mind, a very specific sense you're not alone. A calming pleasant presence that is Lola bolstering Rey's body and mind, just a bit. Quicker wits, sharper motions. Which given Rey is already some badass lasersword lady is probably overkill for these poor cultists.*

[talentedscavenger]

[When Rey sees Lola unconscious and in the arms of one of the cultists, anger washes over her. How dare these people rip the others form the city and hold them hostage. Seeing her friend in a state doesn't help matters either. However, it's not the anger that fuels her to move forward.

No, she wants to protect Lola. She wants to get her to safety and be freed from this nightmare.

She rushes towards the cultist, not caring too much of who or what is in her way. There's a moment where she pauses, feeling something connect to her mind. At first she thought it was the Force bond acting up, but to her relief it's....something else. Something that gives her a calming presence and helps her focus more.]

PUT HER DOWN!

[She yells from across the way, shoving, kicking, and ultimately stabbing one of the cultists in the shoulder with her lightsaber. A painful blow, but they weren't dead--not yet. Not unless they wanted to continue interfering with her trying to get her friend.]

[threatenwithcuteness]

*Protecting Lola is a natural response to her, she's cute and nice and completely incapable of saving herself. She is doing her best to play possum. Sadly the guy who has her figures out that if he wants to not get stabbed with a laser sword he should probably use his hostage as a human shield.*

Come and take her!

*Which might work better if Lola wasn't tiny, a very bad trait in a human shield. At least the cultist has very stabbed friends?*