riverviewlogs | 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

[Ah, that answers it enough for him, honestly. As much as he's fond of her bravery, she's not in a position to handle that kind of weight. It's a lot for someone to deal with; he hasn't even been doing it that long himself, but it's a hell of a lot different when you're built like him. He puts a steady hand on her shoulder, voice soft and sure.]

Hey, I get what you wanna do, and it's crazy brave, but... I wanna make sure you're safe more than anything right now, okay? I'll get you out of here, and then I'll come back and get the others free. I promise.

*Lola wants to argue, but at the same time she's really too tired to do that. Which suggests that she's not really meant to go back in. Doesn't it? She nods, a few streaks of gray appearing in her her hair.*

Right. If you run into a guy named Keith. He has mullety hairstyle, a space suit, and is probably being very violent in there. Tell him I got out?

You got it, miss.

[He nods, filing away that bit of information to pass along. He's more than happy to do so, but first thing's first: getting her out of his hall and out of the underground. Which is just fine, because he has a special way to do it.]

Are you scared of heights?

No?

*She's not really sure where this is going, but after a few moments of thought she puts two and two together. She frowns, and her hair colors a little closer to gray than white again.*

...This is going to involve your creepy spider powers isn't it?

Aww, c'mon! They're not that creepy. Just misunderstood.

[Haaaa. He holds out his arms, though, gentle as he bows down on a knee.]

Here, I'll carry you, no sweat.

*Lola is a bit tired, being carried totally sounds like a good plan. However. She's thinking about this, and how he moved on the ceiling, and how human arms work.*

Don't you, like, need your arms to stick to the ceiling and stuff?

Hey, no sweat — I've got my gameplan already up here.

[He taps a finger to his temple.]

I know it's a lot to trust some guy with 'creepy spider powers', but I promise you only gotta for a few minutes, max.

Edited 2018-07-07 07:17 (UTC)

*Not that she doesn't implicitly trusth a guy in a spider-mask (because unfortunately Lola does, she probably shouldn't). She just isn't so sure his plan isn't crazy. She knows a lof of people with crazy ideas of what's a good idea. She lives with Ivar.*

Are we talking high-speed train fast or... elevator that failed its safety inspection fast?

Just fast enough to maybe give you an upset tummy.

If you like roller coasters, you'll probably have an okay time.

[It's sure better than being kidnapped and stuck underground, though.]

It's a good thing they weren't good at feeding us then.

*No it was awful she needs food to be upbeat and peppy. Someone needs a spa day that lasts a week and a half after all this to stop being so cranky.*

I guess I don't have much choice to trust your plan isn't super dumb.

Yeah? Well, don't you worry — I'll get you right out and into the nice hands of a foodtruck, huh?

[It's only a half-joke; maybe not a foodtruck, but hell, food's gotta be up there with the rest of the rescue teams. He carefully picks her up and starts moving — just running for now, with a loose bridal carry — but not before the spider-shaped sign on his chest detaches and zips ahead.]

Droney there'll make sure the coast is clear for us! I don't wanna get you involved in any shoot-outs between wizards or rambos. Hang on tight, I'll zip us up through the extraction point!

*It was kinda nice just... to not have to run. To let some non-robot spider-person carry her. Maybe a little demeaning if she thought about it, but her everything hurt and she was tired. So she'll worry about her dignity later.*

Droney? You're sure you're not a robot?

I'm not! He is! But he's cool, don't worry.

[If she needs prove of his humanness, as he stops to peer around the corner, the press of his lightly heaving chest will at least reveal a need to breathe.] Alright, I'll need one arm to zipline up, so just hold on tight, okay? And don't worry; my arms are really strong, so this one won't let you fall. Promise.

[The escape route is visible where they're at — it's just. High from the floor they're on, up and out into the sunlight.]

*Lola's dubious something named 'droney' can be cool. But she's not going to fight with the weird spider-boy saving her. Although her eyes go a bit wide at the distance.*

That's way higher than I could hit with my boots.

*She's not afraid of heights, she isn't. She's perfectly reasonably worried about splatting into the ground so she'll just... hold on tightly to this guy's neck and not look at where they're going. If she can't see it they'll be fine.*

Alright, then off we go!

[He fires a web, it connects to the ceiling, and suddenly they're zipping quite fast many stories up...! He coughs a little as they go from the solid neck-hold she's got going on, just before they burst out from the hole in the floor and land up-top, where reinforcements are already collecting surviving kidnapees.

He laughs a little, strangled, and gives her arm a gentle pap-pap.]

Y-you're good, promise...!

exploration mingle: CAPTIVITY

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