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

[hylights]

[She lets out a sigh of relief as Loki's healing magic begins to do its work. There's been little time or use in complaining about the state of her wrist during all of this. It hurt, but others had it worse. There was also something to be said for staying as unobtrusive as possible... or at least there had been until she attacked a guard with a shoe.

Zelda nods her understanding. It had been chaotic down here, and no doubt there were many who'd weaved in and out of the place without her ever seeing them. Still, Loki seemed tired, a hallmark of effort expended.]

Oh, yes... that came first. I didn't see much of it. You weren't hurt?

[dothelokimotion]

I was stabbed.

[ Loki says this in the most blase way possible as he draws back. ]

Nothing that won't heal with time.

[hylights]

Stabbed?

[Sorry Loki, she is not aware of your godly fortitude. She's shocked enough that she pulls her hand back, abject concern in her eyes.]

Then you - you ought not still be out here! You need to get that looked at, now.

[dothelokimotion]

[ Loki blinks, confused because what is Concern. ]

As I said, it will heal soon enough.

[hylights]

Soon doesn't mean right now, Loki. I'm-- I can manage this. I don't want you to push yourself further on my account.

[She may not be at her best, but her wrist is better thanks to Loki's arts, and her other woes will fade in time. A stab wound isn't the kind of thing to be flippant about, not in her world.]

[dothelokimotion]

[ He gives her a look. ]

Is there anyone else here who would?

[hylights]

W... what do you mean?

[His meaning is lost on her right now. She had been rescued with the others, hadn't she? No one had been left behind.]

[dothelokimotion]

Where is your knight?

[hylights]

[Realisation breaks over her and she sucks in a breath, looking down. She's tried not to think about Link too much, especially after being kidnapped. It would do no good to vainly hope for a rescue she knows isn't coming (even if he came the last time, after it took so long).]

He went home. [Zelda's voice doesn't waver. She looks up again.] His absence here isn't intentional.

[dothelokimotion]

[ Loki doesn't think so and would happily vocalize that, but he restrains himself at Zelda's posture. ]

That is debatable.

[ He clutches his side briefly with a hiss. ]

But it can wait.

[hylights]

[For a moment she's stricken by the suggestion that Link left her here intentionally. Because it's not true. It would never be true.

(Would it?)

No. She's tired and emotional and Loki doesn't know what he's talking about. She presses her lips together thinly and her expression wavers when he hisses.]

Yes. I have no wish to discuss it now. [Ever. She reaches out her healed hand, holding it in the space between them.] I would much rather see your injury taken care of.

[dothelokimotion]

[ Loki hesitates. He doesn't want help, he doesn't need help.

( he doesn't want to sully any more people with his kind of help ) ]

It won't take long.

[hylights]

All the better, then.

[It will get them both further away from this dark, miserable ruin. Helping others is the best way to keep Zelda's thoughts at bay, even now.]

[dothelokimotion]

[ Loki's expression is pinched but he takes her hand silently. ]

[hylights]

[Her shoulders slump slightly in relief before she grips back at his hand. Casting around for where the other healers are, she thinks she sees a cluster of them a few hundred yards away. That's where they'll go.

She passes a few moments in silence, carefully stepping along the path since she's missing one shoe.]

Thank you. For fixing my wrist.

[dothelokimotion]

[ Loki shakes his head. ]

It was not much.

[hylights]

It's been broken for days, so I have to disagree with that.

[dothelokimotion]

[ His lips curls. ]

Animals.

[hylights]

[Zelda bites her lip and stays silent. That sentiment is one she won't argue with, though she's ill-inclined to use it herself. Not so soon after witnessing the messy deaths of several cultists.]

It's because I tried to hit them with magic when they-- attacked us.

[She wasn't on her own when it happened, which only made it worse.]

[dothelokimotion]

[ Loki frowns, pursing his lips. ]

And then?

[hylights]

[Her gaze falls away, discomfited.]

One of them broke my wrist. He put a collar on me and after that - after that, I could do nothing more.

[Zelda pulls her hand away from Loki's in order to rub at her own wrist. A shudder runs through her at the memory of the sensation. A sudden severing of her power, like being cast into darkness.]

[dothelokimotion]

[ Loki watches, muted. ]

You're not used to that, are you.

[hylights]

[She turns her head to look at Loki once more.]

Used to what?

[dothelokimotion]

Having your powers cut off.

[hylights]

[Ah. Her head lowers as she bites her lip.]

No. I've never felt something like that before. My powers have faded on their own, but it's not the same thing.