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

[Any other time, Tony might say something smartassed about orders and following them. But he's feeling too keyed up even for that brief bit of levity, already turning towards the distant sounds of a fight already in progress. Seems like the right place.]

You keeping distance or going in close?

[He doesn't sound too concerned either way. It's not like Tony's going to deny anyone the chance to wade into the middle of things and break heads.]

[ It's not an order, really! He even said 'please' and everything. But it's true that he has run across a number of people more used to a military chain of command, who tend to take his requests as orders more often than not. ]

Up close and personal. Always been a favorite of mine.

[ In the middle of the mess, it's not like keeping the distance will help them stay any safer. Also yeah, Jim wants to break some heads. ]

[He's not even sure why he asked, really, aside from it seems polite. So Tony just nods once and starts trying to plan the best ways to watch his back. One of them is wearing a lot more armor than the other.]

Just try to leave a few for me while you're at it.

Won't make any promises.

[ He's pissed, okay. But also there are a lot of cultists, so realistically speaking? Tony will have plenty for him too.

Jim rushes towards the noises of yelling and shooting, and turning a corner he comes face to face with a cultist wielding what looks like a big rifle. Without thought he grabs the weapon, pulling towards himself and slamming a closed fist into the cultist's face. Once his grip on the rifle eases, Jim yanks it out of his hands, then hits him in the nose with the butt of the gun. ]

[Well, Jim is clearly enjoying himself. Tony lingers back as he rushes forward, picking off anyone who tries to get in behind Kirk as he wades into the middle of things. He sees another gun raising out of the corners of his HUD and just grabs the barrel, then throws the man holding it into the nearest wall.

Tony's not much in the mood for finesse at the moment.]

Hey. Need another weapon? [Can't hurt. Even if he is more in the mood to just punch people.]

[ He's not sure if he'd call it enjoyment, but it sure is cathartic. Having found those people in the state they were in, he can hardly be blamed for taking some satisfaction out of punching a few noses in. ]

I'm good— [ He's got his phaser, which he uses now to knock out a few more of the oncoming cultists. A couple of them catch his eye when he sees them trying to escape through another tunnel, dragging one of the prisoners with them to serve as some sort of shield. ]

Tony! There! [ Whether or not Tony can do anything from the distance, Jim rushes towards them, shooting and punching his way through the cultists as he approaches the other tunnel. ]

[ And that is something Tony can handle, though that kind of a response is usually a bit more lethal than Tony is aiming for at the moment. Still, it doesn't take more than a few seconds to target properly, even if it is slightly more finicky to take the shot with his repulsors rather than any of the suit's other weapons.

But the beam shoots clear through the crowd and right past the hostage to catch the cultist behind, knocking him back far enough that the prisoner slips out of his grasp. ]

Jim, cover them.

[ It's a bit sharper than usual as Tony advances to deal with the rest of them, plowing down any of the cultists in his path. ]

[ The suit gives Tony a good advantage. Even while on the ground, he stands taller than most people, and the cultists aren't as quick to crowd close to him as they are to Jim. While Jim's fighting a clear path through the cultists, Tony manages to free the prisoner being dragged away. ]

Got it!

[ He takes hold of their hand once he's within reach, pulling them closer and placing himself in the line of fire to serve as a shield, while still stunning more of the cultists. While Tony deals with the rest, Jim will make sure no one will touch the prisoner. ]

exploration mingle: CAPTIVITY

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