riverviewlogs | exploration mingle: CAPTIVITY

Entry tags:

exploration mingle: CAPTIVITY

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]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[With a twist of guilt, Zelda wonders if she should have paid more attention earlier. Through the pain in her wrist and her fear, she failed to notice a lot of things. It's hard enough keeping the spectre of the past at bay. Zelda rests her hand gingerly in her lap, better to keep the blood flow up.]

I've... heard more crying, from beyond this cell. [She bites her lip, upset just thinking about it.] There are others beyond what we can see.

(Lucretia nods, watching Zelda try to re-position her wrist in her lap. The sight makes a little wave of dismal anger wash over her. She should have been able to do more to keep this from happening, but... that time has passed. There's no point dwelling on it now.

She gives Zelda's hand a little squeeze.)

We'll find a way to get out. To get everybody out. They didn't take everybody; people will realise we're missing.

[A frisson of fear runs through Zelda despite herself. Would they? Her thoughts turn to Link, as they often have these last couple of hours, and-- oh, curse it, she doesn't want to cry. Tears well up in her eyes regardless]

Y-yes. I'm sure that they will. They must.

(Oh, no. Her heart sinks a little as she notices the tears; she lets go of Zelda's hand so she can put her arm carefully about her. Usually she wouldn't be so touchy-feely, but it's something that Lup would do for her if she were upset and it always helps. So maybe it will help Zelda.)

Here, let's– we should talk about something else.

(This is obviously upsetting her, so a distraction would be good...

Easier said than done, though. Hmm.) Have I ever told you about my favourite planets I visited during my travels?

[She takes a shuddering breath and tries to master herself. Lucretia's arm around her shoulder is a comfort; one she hasn't felt in a very long time. The last person to have been so familiar with Zelda was Urbosa. As always, loss touches her heart when she thinks of her friend, lost so long ago.

Refocusing on the here and now, Zelda glances up at Urbosa, still shaky but less tearful.]

I... don't think so. You only told me of the crystalline castle.

Right, right.

(The crystalline castle had been very good, but...) I told you, about gathering the Lights of Creation, didn't I? During my travels? Sometimes if we were very lucky, we caught the Light within a few days of arriving on a planet and had the rest of the cycle left to ourselves.

The first time everything lined up so neatly like that was on a tropical planet. It was mostly ocean, and white-sand beaches... our Captain decided to let us all take the year off for 'mental health reasons'. (She smiles at the memory.) It was my favourite planet we visited. Everybody was so relaxed... and I got to do a lot of exploring. Lots of painting, too.

Yes... I remember.

[It had been a fascinating idea, and it helps to think back to something else.]

A whole tropical planet? [Zelda's only been to the south-east coasts of Hyrule infrequently, her memories mainly centred on the seaside village of Lurelin and fruitless searches for artefacts.] What did you paint?

Yes. We thought it might have been only a subsection but we had time to explore; we mapped the entire place. It was more or less hot all year round too, though the humid, rainy months were a little tricky.

(This is helping Lucretia too. It's a nice distraction, thinking of the happier cycles.)

A lot of landscapes. I uh... took the time to catalogue all of the flora and fauna I could find with sketches and paintings. And I did a portrait, too. Of the rest of the members of the IPRE. Of... my family.

[Zelda breathes out softly, her own knowledge of the tropics weaving in with Lucretia's descriptions. She knows it likely looks completely different. For just a moment, though, it's nice to imagine it all with the beaches she knows.]

With a whole year, it must have been a good map. And being able to catalogue so much too, instead of only passing it by...

[It's something she used to dream about on the road. Having the time for something, anything else other than the singular duty she was tasked with. Zelda shifts, looking up at Lucretia's face.]

Your family?

It was very detailed. I wish I had it here... I would love to show you.

(They'd all worked on that map, not just Lucretia. Their captain had completed a full star chart to accompany it and they'd taken it in turns to fill everything out with various notes and observations. She's caught up in the memory for a moment, thinking fondly of it; eventually she glances down at Zelda as she looks up.)

Yes. My– I suppose that 'found family' is a better term for it, we aren't biologically related. Three of them are here in the Quarantine with me now– Lup, Taako and Magnus. The other three are back home.

(And oh, how she misses them. It's like living with only half of her heart.)

[She would have liked that too. Distantly, she thinks to herself that she must show Lucretia the map of Hyrule contained on the Slate... whenever they're free of this place. Zelda represses a shiver.]

Oh, I've met Taako before. [And Lup, though Zelda doesn't know her name and only spoke to her over the network.] I'm glad you have them here with you, even if you're missing others.

I'm sure they'll come to find you soon.

It seems harder to find somebody who hasn't met Taako.

(Her expression is fond.) But thank you. It's– I'm not sure I would have taken to this place so easily if they hadn't been here. I was... different when I first arrived.

(That's really a story for another time, though.)

Do you have family waiting for you at home?

[Zelda falls silent, her gaze falling away. Eventually she shakes her head.]

My family died a long time ago. And my friends-- only Link is left. He'll be waiting, but...

[That still hits close to home, so soon after his departure. Even if he was from an earlier point in time. She lets out a breath, shutting her eyes.]

At least he should remember me better when I get back to him.

Oh.

(Shoot. She's supposed to be cheering Zelda up, not reminding her of equally sad things. Lucretia chews the inside of her cheek for a moment while she thinks of what to say.)

I'm sorry. About your family, I mean, I– shouldn't have brought it up so suddenly.

(Family can be... tricky. Lucretia knows that.)

Would you tell me more about Link? Only... if it isn't upsetting.

It's all right.

[Lucretia hadn't known, after all. For all that they've spent time together Zelda has said precious little about her life. Much of her history is bittersweet. She falls silent for a moment, staring at the dirty cobblestones of the cell. She does start to speak though, with more composure than before.]

Link was my appointed knight. I suppose he still is, though it doesn't seem that important anymore. It's more important to me that he's a friend.

(She's noticed that, and while she's not exactly angling to pry, she does wish to know a little more about her new friend. It's a strange place to have coaxed her into relinquishing a bit of backstory, but at least it's a good distraction from the current events?)

Your– appointed knight? (Wait a second.

Lucretia can't help staring at her. Nobody has an appointed knight if they aren't important. And didn't she mention that she lives in a castle?)

[It takes Zelda a moment to parse why Lucretia's staring at her. When it registers, she has grace enough to look - a bit awkward. As awkward as one can get while teary and in pain, anyway.]

That's right. My father considered it to be important, as I am the princess and was travelling a lot at the time. [A slight pause, before:] I'm... sorry I haven't told you before. It didn't feel like it mattered in this place.

[And maybe Zelda liked it. The anonymity. Being able to explore what it was like to just be an average person with no duties attached to her position. She'll never run from her responsibility as princess, but in a place like this there's no call for it.]

No, that's... that's okay. I understand.

(It really doesn't matter: it's not like it changes anything. Zelda probably refrained from telling her as much in order to revel in the anonymity. Besides, she's always stuck Lucretia as being very humble, and careful with her words. She probably doesn't throw her status around any more around the people who do know she's a princess.

Still: wow.) So Link was your knight– you became friends, regardless of your positions. That sounds nice. Did you get to travel together a lot?

Edited 2018-07-21 13:18 (UTC)

[Some days, you just fail to mention an important part of your life for so long that it becomes increasingly hard to bring it up as time goes by. It happens.]

Yes, though I wasn't exactly keen on it to start with. I didn't feel I needed someone tailing me everywhere. [She sighs, trailing a finger on the dirty floor.] But I was just frustrated and taking it out on him. Once we really spoke things became much better.

[She nods then, a bit more at ease.]

All over Hyrule. I was seeking out ancient artefacts at the time and preparing the Divine Beasts, so I had to move around a lot.

(Hey, Zelda does not have to tell Lucretia of all people that.)

I can only imagine. (She sounds a little dry: she can relate, a wee bit. At the start of her mission when she was still shy and content to hang back instead of venture out on grand missions, sometimes their Captain felt the need to keep tabs on her. It wasn't exactly pleasant.) But I'm glad that you pushed past it. You seem close.

(It's the way Zelda talks about Link that clues her in.) What are the Divine Beasts?

I... yes. We are.

[It comes of being survivors of a great tragedy, she thinks. But it would be uncharitable to attribute it all to that when Zelda had come to trust Link before the Calamity.

Zelda runs her fingers gently over her bruised wrist, trying to think of the best way to describe what the Beasts are.]

The Divine Beasts are ancient weapons in the fight against Calamity Ganon. They're great machines, large enough to fit scores of people inside. They could be controlled by pilots - the Champions. [Her voice grows softer, more fond.] I was responsible for seeking the aid of the four Champions and instructing them on how to pilot their Beasts.

(Zelda and Lucretia have a lot more than common than either of them realises, it seems.

Lucretia tries not to look down at her wrist as she touches it, because the sight both creeps her out and makes her feel guilty for having allowed it to happen. She knows it wasn't her fault, but all the same. She's a protector, always has been, and it doesn't feel good knowing that Zelda came to harm.)

Oh. (There's obviously a lot of sub-questions popping up in Lucretia's mind, but she's trying to stay focused on the topic at hand.) Were you chosen for such a role?

Yes. It was part of my duty as princess.

[The only part she had carried out effectively, until things went wrong.]

Link and I had different parts to play against the Calamity, but the Beasts were important in that as well.

That must have been hard.

(To have been chosen to do such a thing. To have no say in what happens to your life... Lucretia feels a little pang of guilt, and momentarily looks away, down at her hands.)

You were in the middle of this task when you left for the Quarantine?

[It takes her a moment to reply, lost in memory and in pain. Eventually, Zelda shakes her head.]

No. It is over. In fact, it all ended not long before I came here. Of course-- [She curls the fingers of her good hand into a fist.] --of course, when Link was here he didn't remember that far. So I couldn't say much to him about it.

exploration mingle: CAPTIVITY

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did i write that last tag drunk? good grief

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