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

[scholiast]

(She's relieved when Breq relents, relaxing noticeably as she turns to lead the way. Ignoring the pain in her collarbone, she can walk at a very reasonable, brisk pace.)

It isn't too far back. We'll stop before we enter the main chamber and I can take point behind to shield you. Good?

[breqintopieces]

[Breq has her own personal shielding, but from the sound of it Lucretia has something that will work for both of them. Breq nods agreement and keeps pace with Lucretia as they move, still on alert.]

That works. If one of those field generators of theirs gets us-- you go down. Don't make yourself a target.

[scholiast]

(She's too used to people rushing in without thinking about the consequences, so it's only natural for her to have shield options ready to go!)

Okay. (Lucretia can, at least, agree with this. It seems like a fair compromise.)

Watch out, they... have magic that is able to interfere with other people's power. (She glances at Breq quickly, curiously. Does she have any such power?)

[breqintopieces]

I have a personal shield. Their magic may be able to interfere with it, but it's not my only defense.

[No matter what the cultists do, she's fairly certain they won't be able to destroy her reflexes as well.]

Your power is magical?

[scholiast]

Good to know.

(That means Lucretia can first and foremost use her magic to attack, and to protect those who don't have anything to fall back on. She clenches her hands into fists, determined.)

Yes. It's magic, but– they have... power dampeners, of some kind. I've been destroying any I can find, but if there are any more and I get caught in the field, I won't be able to do anything.

[breqintopieces]

Same as the collars? I've seen them. I'm not eager to test whether they shut down guns.

[Breq pauses, looks Lucretia over.]

Can you use a gun?

[scholiast]

I...

(Lucretia has a sudden flashback to Lup and her tommy guns, and a weird, half-fond half-exasperated look crosses her face.)

I haven't much experience, no.

[breqintopieces]

[It's a rather unusual expression to come up when talking about guns, but the important part is Lucretia's answer. Anything else can be asked about when they're out of this and Lucretia has been seen to.]

Then if any of them get close while we're in a field, go for their eyes.

[She's not going to give a novice the handgun that can shoot 1.11 meters through literally anything. Instead she nods, and gestures for them to pause, as they reach another turn in the cavern's twisting paths.]

[scholiast]

(Oh, for sure. Lucretia will more than happily regale Breq with the rather fraught tale of Lup being allowed to have guns in her possession for a cycle when they are safely out of this mess. For now, she nods.)

How powerful is your shield? I have some targeted magic, but if I get cornered I might have to resort to something with a wider reach.

(This is just a light warning. She absolutely won't let Breq come to harm either way.)

[breqintopieces]

It converts kinetic force into heat. It's not infallible but it will hold against a lot.

[She knows the limits of the shielding units probably better than she should, considering the few times she's had it fail on an ancillary unit. She shrugs.]

Better to shout me a warning. I will get out of the way.

[scholiast]

Interesting.

(Breq's shield is getting added to the mental list of thing Lucretia wants to talk about later for sure.)

And will do. If things become stacked against us, I can get us both out.

[breqintopieces]

[Breq wants to tell her to prioritize other captives instead, but she thinks she'll get an equally stubborn response to the one she got before. So instead she gestures assent, and then nods toward the length of corridor ahead of them.]

Here. This was the next section I was going to search.

[scholiast]

(Maybe so.

The next section is unfamiliar to her, but this isn't really surprising. This is the first time Lucretia's seeing the rest of the chambers; she woke up already in her cell, of course.)

How... far does it go?

[breqintopieces]

This building, or the compound?

[It's a grim answer, probably not the one that Lucretia wants to hear, but Breq is not often in the habit of sugar-coating the truth when it comes to atrocities.]

This building was approximately five thousand meters square.

[A football field, in other words.]

[scholiast]

Istus, (Lucretia hisses, and stops for a moment, trying to wrap her head around this.)

And all of this has been underground the entire time? These tunnels don't look new, Breq. How didn't we know about this?

(To Lucretia, it really seems like there's no way nobody knew this was happening. That somebody has been covering it up for a long time.)

[breqintopieces]

The tunnels were there before, uncovered from the river. I helped clear them of monsters myself.

[For a moment, Breq goes stiff, and quiet, gesturing for Lucretia to do the same. She gives it a few moments, listening intently, before continuing the quiet.]

Whatever sparked these kidnappings, I doubt the cult sprung from the air. Someone was there before, and already organized. They just needed a target.

[scholiast]

(She opens her mouth to think out loud about that but Breq silences her with a sharp gesture and she bites her lip, glancing behind them. Nothing seems to be following them, however. A false alarm. She exhales slowly, relieved, and lowers her voice a little more when she next speaks.)

I think you're right. I've had a run-in with a cult here before. I don't know if these people are a part of the one previous, though... I thought that we– uh, eradicated them last time they popped up.

(Honestly, Lucretia really hopes they are the same. One violent sect per planet is quite enough.)

[breqintopieces]

Easier to find during the mop-up.

[And with that grim pronouncement, it's time to start moving once again, off toward more cells.]

[scholiast]

(Hey, it's nothing Lucretia doesn't silently agree with. She lowers their voice as they approach the cells.)

You aren't opposed to resorting to violence in situations such as these?

[breqintopieces]

No. They've made their choice.

[There's steel to Breq's voice, even if her attention seems to be on preparing them for this rescue, more than the conversation.]

I won't kill if I don't have to, but I won't put others at risk to avoid their deaths.

[scholiast]

(Lucretia nods gingerly in full agreement.)

I– must admit, there's a slight element of revenge to this on my part.

(Revenge. It's an ugly word; deliberately harming children? Hurting her friends? Chaining people, sapping their morale, their powers? Ugly actions. They're befitting of each other. Lucretia grimaces as the line of cells comes dimly into view.

There are quite a few that haven't been broken open yet: some of these appear to be empty, others still have people inside.) I'll cover you, (she whispers to Breq. She doesn't have a lot of forceful spells that can help with breaking things open, but she can certainly keep anybody from noticing them, though.)

[breqintopieces]

Just don't do anything stupid for it.

[That response-- maybe surprisingly pragmatic, maybe not-- is all Breq says before she's nodding and moving forward. Her steps are rogue-light at first as she makes her way toward the cells-- the shot she fires, parallel to the line of the cages, to strike the bars and the locks, is decidedly less so. So is the second one, fired at a lower level than the first.

The shots don't quite behave like normal bullets, either. They move through the bars like they're butter, but only for the length of about a yard, at which point they seem to lose all momentum. Breq pays this no mind, and instead sets to knocking away the mostly-destroyed bars.]

[scholiast]

(It is pragmatic; Lucretia nods silently, and winces, and from then on the two of them fall into full on caution mode. Lucretia is particularly aware of how exposed they are standing right out in front of the cages like this but they don't seem to be drawing any attention– and then Breq shoots at the locks. Which is loud.

Perhaps she should have expected that. In any case, Lucretia casts silence about them with a mutter and wave of her hand to muffle any further noise they make completely. They can talk in here now, too.)

Better late than never.

(Lucretia is trying to keep an eye on the entrances, but it's hard not to notice Breq's atypical weapon. She had assumed it was a gun, but the bullets do not ricochet off of the metal they are fired against. Which is a good thing, obviously.)

What are you doing?

[breqintopieces]

Breaking the bars. The bullets are designed to travel a certain distance after they hit anything.

[Realistically, she should have given warning, but at this point, any cultists near enough to distinguish the sound of the gunshots were likely enough to find their group and the prisoners they'll shortly be escorting out. There's a battle going on outside-- a cultist might wrongly assume that the shot cam from there.

What comes of it will come of it. Breq simply focuses on knocking down the last of the few upright bars, then beckoning to the prisoners held within.]

Help each other and get moving. We're escorting you to safety.

[scholiast]

(Breq is a touch clinical, especially with her rescue speech: Lucretia is quick to notice that several of the people inside are children, still wearing power suppressors. It's quite hard to keep her temper when faced with a sight like that.)

Here, (she offers, and holds her hands out to show that she means no harm as she approaches; she helps take the collar off one of the older children, and then the rest of the fall into a sort of line to have theirs removed, too.)

Can you help, Breq? (There are so many of them. Lucretia has to be mindful of her spellwork to keep her spells nice and narrow, only targeting the metal. So it takes her a little while to get each collar off.)