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]

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(Hmm! Lucretia raises an eyebrow, amused. She might have felt embarrassed for assuming, but the Tetherer's reaction gives her reason to believe she isn't entirely wrong!

She's caught up in this little story now, the pain completely forgotten.)

Oh, I see. And do you love her, too? Completely?

(Maybe this is mean of her but hey, Lucretia's made a job out of prying into other people's lives, so. This is par for the course. The Tetherer's flustered expression is so sweet.)

No! I-I... I've never...

[From behind their palms, they mumble.]

I've never been in a relationship.

Oh.

(She finally relents, giving the Tetherer's shoulder a gentle pat.)

Would you like to change the subject?

Yes.

[They whine the syllable out behind their hands. This is the real torture. Not at the hands of a group of cultists, but by the cruel but gentle hand of an experienced lesbian.]

('Experienced' is a very generous adjective; Lucretia chuckles, and drops her hand, closing her eyes again. While it's fun to tease, she doesn't know the Tetherer well enough to push them any further on the subject!)

Okay. Have you made many other friends here yet, Tetherer?

[The safe subject, the people they've met here, is a welcome change. They're almost surprised Lucretia went ahead and switched gears as promised.

They pull their hands away from their face, hugging their knees to their chest.]

Yes. I've met a lot of nice people. Elizabeth gave me a lot of help starting out, and you did too of course, and... everyone's been really sweet to me.

[Even the people they made a bad impression on, starting out. Like Peter and Dorian.]

(Yes, that seems to be better! Lucretia's definitely put a pin in this to come back to later, but it might do to tease the Tetherer when they're all in less dire circumstances. She doesn't want to upset them at any rate.)

That's good. People were kind to me when I first arrived, too. It really helps while you're settling in.

Have you met any of the people I came from home with? Taako, Lup, Magnus?

Oh, I've met Taako. He was very kind. You know him from home?

[Nice, now they get the first chance at sweet deets on Taako.]

What is he normally like?

(Lucretia nods, linking her hands together in her lap.)

I've known him for a very long time.

(And then she makes a face.) No, he's always like that, unfortunately.

[They don't get the face pulling. In a display of complete lack of understanding a good dunk when it's presented itself, Teth just asks obliviously,]

He's always kind?

(This is so disarmingly sweet of them that Lucretia's expression softens almost immediately.)

No– sorry, I was being facetious. Yes, he is very kind. But don't tell him about this conversation, it will inflate his ego drastically.

[The Tetherer blinks owlishly at her, then feels immediately very stupid.]

Oh, you were-- Because you're friends-- I'm sorry, I'm not very good at... this.

["This" meaning "everything". They're the most sheltered god in existence. Possibly in all of Nexian history. They don't know if any other god had the misfortune to be born right where they needed to be.]

(Lucretia chuckles and immediately winces, hunching her shoulder.)

Ouch– that's okay. I've known Taako for over a century, and our friendship is... slightly unusual.

(All current events notwithstanding, of course. What exactly did they mean by not good at 'this'?) Do... you not have very many friends back home?

[Teth shoots her a sympathetic wince, hand almost reaching out to comfort her, but she ignores the pain quickly so they decide it's best not to dwell on it.

...At the question, though, they frown.]

Well... really, it was just the one. And my relationship with the Separator was... not typical of a normal friendship.

[Seeing as, you know, she worshipped the ground they walked on just as much if not more so than anyone else in the Nexus.]

Before that, I had Amadi. And... that was it. I had a lot of colleagues. ...Followers. Teachers, early on. But they kept a certain distance. I think it would be considered odd if I became too close with any of them, being in my position.

(It seems like the pain is merely an irritation at this point: the major shock of it has faded, and Lucretia's simply trying not to jostle her shoulder as best she can. Until she forgets of course and moves it. Life is so hard.

She frowns too, but in response to Teth's answer– only one friend? That doesn't sound right.)

I suppose... (She forgets their position. Honestly, it's easy to when the two of them are sitting side by side in a cell together.) Still, I– that sounds sad, to me.

(Lonely, even.) We're friends, right?

[Maybe it was sad. The Tetherer can't say whether they felt lonely or not. It was just normal, to them. It was just them and the Separator.

And before that, it was no one. Amadi died a long time ago.

Maybe that's why they wanted June to become a part of them so much.]

...Yes. Of course. You're the first friend I made here.

[Lucretia is important to them. Maybe in too quick a time, but it's not like they have a lot of experience with having friends.]

Really?

(Lucretia can't help smiling, pleasantly surprised.)

Well– um, good. I like being friends with you. (She's not amazing at the whole friend thing either, but living here has provided her with a lot of opportunity to practice! So Lucretia would like to think that she's getting better at it.)

[They smile back at her, happy to see that she's pleased about it, but their gaze shifts downward.]

I do too. I wish you weren't... I wish you weren't here with me, but I'm glad that you are.

If I have to be stuck here with somebody it's nice that the somebody is you.

(She gives Teth's hand a little pat,) but hopefully we'll be out soon enough.

[Teth's smile turns a little bashful at Lucretia's reciprocation of their words.]

Yes, hopefully. Thank you, Lucretia.

[For being here, for being their friend, and for helping them get through this.]

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exploration mingle: CAPTIVITY

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