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

[stumbledfromtheashes]

The dark purple ink marking Iona’s forehead might be familiar to Hawke, as she turns to face the other woman, offering her a tired smirk. “Best plan I’ve heard all day, I think,” she says, “but I think I’m all right, healing-wise. Save it for someone who’s worse off than I am.” She’s pretty sure that Dorian would be beyond frustrated with her (and Cullen as well, probably), but she is who she is. And she can’t help but put others first. “Although if you have a trick up your sleeve that can do a bit of numbing, I wouldn’t mind that at all.”

Something to take the edge off until she can get back to the Quarantine and take a bath in a tub of ice. Followed by a heavy application of the same salve she’s been making for Cullen.

[indigobird]

It's certainly not the first vallaslin she's seen in her life, no. Merrill once explained what all the different markings meant (something about one set for each Creator) but she's long since forgotten what they were. But yes, it does mean she's from Thedas, and therefore familiar in some way.

"Okay, admittedly, I'm not an expert but... I don't think you're all right. In fact, I'm pretty sure if I poked your forehead, you'd go down like a stack of branches." Magic flashes in her hand. "And I'm shitty enough to try it to prove my point, so let's not go there. You sit," she repeats. "I heal. Thing comes off. Everyone wins." Right now, she's starting to sympathize with Anders. "The magic will numb the pain, too."

[stumbledfromtheashes]

Stubbornness flairs in Iona, and she smirks a little, lifting her chin in challenge. “Is that supposed to make me inclined to agree?” She can practically hear Dorian and Cullen both, but she ignores what she knows they would be telling her. She is exhausted, and hurting, and frustrated.

And she’s putting her bloody foot down until she is allowed to make the choice for herself. Without threat.

“I’ve fought a lot of mages trying their best to kill me, and I don't want to fight a mage who is only trying to help, but I have been caged, and starved, and beaten, and quite frankly I will decide for myself what is and isn’t done to me, and when, now that they’ve been dealt with.”

[indigobird]

Is stubbornness an elven thing? Hawke swears it is. Not that she's one to talk, but it seems to run rampant in elvenkind.

Hawke quietly sighs. It's a difficult urge to suppress being sarcastic and biting right back at her, but somehow she refrains. At least for now. "It's supposed to point out that you look like a shambling corpse and are clearly in need of some healing." If she ever sees Anders again, she's giving him the biggest apology. Well, after punching him. It's a wonder he never set any of them on fire when they stubbornly refused help. "Yes, it's your choice, I can't - well, I could make you but I won't. You're not in that dire of need. The question is, is the sleep-deprived, bull-headed hill you want to die on? I've got mana to spare and there's no shortage of healers and those... doctor people around." What a weird word, but that's not at all relevant. "And in the time we've spent arguing about this, I could have done it and you'd be on your way. So do you truly not want it for whatever reason, or are you just being stubborn for the sake of being stubborn?"

[stumbledfromtheashes]

“Oh, believe me, I’m well aware of how I look.” It’s spoken wryly, with the faintest hint of a smirk. She would apologise for the stubbornness, Hawke, except that for the moment, she’s not sorry at all. She will be later. Maybe. Possibly. “Whatever my reasons are, they’re mine, and I would appreciate it if you let it go for the moment.” She takes a small breath, and adds a very quiet “Please.”

[indigobird]

For all the ridiculous- Hawke bites back a sigh as she steps back and lets her hand fall to her side. "Fine, have it your way." Really, she shouldn't care. The woman can make her own choices. But really, when hadn't she gotten frustrated when she saw someone consciously make a stupid decision, especially when a better alternative was offered? Her years in Kirkwall saw a string of such occurrences happen. Often it fell to her to clean up the mess after shit hit the ceiling as a result of said decisions. Granted, it likely wouldn't be the case here. And she knows she's being a bit unfair. But she still can't quite hold back the annoyance as she says, "Since I'm relatively you're going to refuse any other help from me, I'll just leave you go. Good luck not falling over on your face."

[stumbledfromtheashes]

Iona laughs outright at that, at the stranger’s parting words. Despite the laughter, despite the wry humour, mostly she just looks... tired. And older than her years, in a way that has nothing to do with the immediate situation, and what has happened. The weight of an Inquisition on her shoulders. The weight of a world. “I haven’t, yet. And I’ve been in far worse shape.”

She’s not quite sure if passing out due to the Anchor counts as falling over on her face. But for the moment she’s counting that as a no. Outside influence, and all.