etrayamods: (Default)
∎ ETRAYA MODS ∎ ([personal profile] etrayamods) wrote in [community profile] etrayamemes2025-03-28 09:16 am
Entry tags:

TDM 007

content warnings for this TDM include: violence, potential death, body horror, physical transformation, loss of senses, loss of autonomy

⏵ arrival⏴



Arrival does not happen as Aurora usually plans for it. New characters are introduced to the AI, then informed of a mission that they are required to participate in before they can return to their home base of Etraya. A world called Aphaia is falling apart, and while there is nothing they can do to resolve this broken world, they can participate in the Gamerunner's Stratagem.

Their mission is simple: step through the glowing purple portal that Aurora creates once they've had time to listen to her, and survive until a similar portal reopens in front of them, allowing them to return to Etraya. The Gamerunner's Stratagem is something they have been working on building for quite some time. She informs all newcomers that they will not be present on this world that long: their exit will appear to them exactly when it's meant to, allowing them to meet the others who have been recruited to save their worlds. She provides each and every arrival with an earpiece, allowing them to communicate with the other Etrayans. Aurora suggests taking a bag full of supplies along with them, which she will fill with a few generic items as well as any specific items they may need: synthetic blood for vampires, protein bars for those who may burn through calories faster, medication for anyone who requires it.


⏵ aphaia ⏴


Aphaia is a neon-lit, chaotic planet. Cameras are everywhere, every action and inaction is judged by the 'audience'. Towering holograms advertise upcoming events while flashing leader boards track the most "popular" players. Contestants are thrown into challenges, many of which are games of skill, survival, and deception all to keep the viewers entertained. Not participating is an option! However, avoiding playing along and not putting on a show will quickly cause participants' score to go down, and scores that reach zero? Well.

Unfortunately, there are only so many resources left on Aphaia. Their wildlife has died off, their planet is falling apart, and most others in this galaxy were either destroyed from the inside out, or warring planets trying to gain control of remaining resources destroyed them to avoid others getting involved. Their natural resources are depleted, and only those who manage to keep their scores up are given the luxury of having any supplies. As soon as one steps foot on Aphaia, as soon as they breathe, they intake nanotechnology which tracks their oxygen consumption, their food, everything they do or need. As soon as their scores reach zero?

They disappear. There one moment, and completely gone the next. Their communicators go offline, and while everything they were carrying will be left behind, no one will be able to find them. They are simply--gone, erased from existence.

This is a death and counts as a death as outlined in the game FAQ! Please keep this in mind.

"Points" that go towards their total score will be assigned to contestants from the moment they drop down on planet. This will be visible using the HUD on their earpiece, and will be randomized at the beginning. For the sake of the TDM, we ask that no one be assigned Paragon initially, but you're free to use other ranks!

The possible rankings are:

100: PARAGON
99-80: LUMINARY
79-70: CHAMPION
69-50: CONTENDER
49-30: UNDERLING
30-0: SHADE

Ranks may change daily, or even hourly depending on the kind of situation one has found themselves in. Are they having a very public break up in which it comes out that they wronged their ex? They may go from a Champion to a Shade before they can even blink. Did they save a defenseless reporter from the big bad villain of the week? They may find themselves quickly elevated up to Luminary and given all the benefits that comes with being upper class. The world is their oyster, they only need to figure out how they'd like to utilize it!

Aphaia is broken up into four districts.

The Colosseum is a dynamic battle arena where combatants fight for entertainment, with shifting environments controlled by the audience. Victories earn points, while losses depend on performance.

The Symposium is a lavish social hub for top contestants, where alliances and betrayals are made under the audience’s watchful eye.

The Agora is the public center of Aphaia, where contestants engage with the audience through polls, interviews, and challenges to maintain popularity. It also houses the contestants in high-rise apartments.

And Backalleys provide hidden spaces with intentional blind spots for secret dealings, though the Gamerunner is always aware of what happens there.


⏵ st★rlight soirée ⏴


Something special is happening in the Colosseum. Lights flicker as the arena shifts, rearranging itself into a grand, glittering ballroom - if a ballroom had stadium seating, paparazzi drones, and an ever-changing floor plan designed to disorient those within it. Silver chandeliers pulse with artificial starlight, their glow refracted through the crystalline floors. Music swells, but it sounds - unnatural. It thrums through your veins, setting your blood alight with the urge to dance.

Why is the ballroom designed as if intentionally put together to throw off one's balance? Well, it's time for the Panopticon Prom, of course!

The Panopticon Prom isn't just an adventure in dancing and impressing your most recent crush. It's a test of endurance, cunning, grace, and charm. The floor beneath your feet moves as if it has a mind of it's own, shifting to the beat like a living creature all of it's own. It tilts, undulates, even vanishing in sections to keep dancers on edge. After all, it's difficult to keep up one's pace if they're falling through a hole in the floor to the foam pit below.

Drones zip through the air, catching every stumble, every misstep, and every attempt to throw off others on the dance floor. This is a competition, after all; and what fun is a dance battle without having the freedom to thwart someone else on their road to victory?

The rules are simple:
  • You must dance with a partner. This can be an ally, an enemy, or someone you intend on using as a stepping stone to victory. It matters not, as long as you have one hand (or limb) on them at all times.
  • The longer you last, the better your chances. Endurance is the name of the game, meaning one must pace themselves on the dance floor. While epic twirls and impressive moves will garner more attention, it may also hurt your chances in the long run.
  • You may sabotage others by throwing them off balance, but keep in mind: everything is televised, and it won't stay secret for long.
  • The arena adapts to the chaos. Expect sudden obstacles, environmental shifts, and sudden changes in the music's tempo. Gravity may shift, walls may close in, but participants can't let that stop them - they must continue to dance, if they wish to win.
The audience is watching. Who will make the final cut and become Prom King and Queen? Everyone is vying for the titles: it doesn't matter what rank you started at when you joined the Panopticon Prom. Whoever wins becomes a Paragon until their points drop. There aren't many opportunities to sail through the rankings, but this is a sure way to do it. As long as they can keep up.


⏵ casino royale ⏴


Out in the Agora, another popular quarterly event is being set up! The Casino Royale has been destroyed countless times, but it seems as if the Gamerunner just can't let it go - every time it gets knocked down, it gets rebuilt.

There is one rule. One must take a turn at the revolving wheel just inside the door as their entry fee, and whatever the wheel lands on, they must maintain until they exit the building for the night. Sometimes, this is easier: an effect they have no control over and cannot undo even if they wanted to. Sometimes, this is more difficult: an assigned task they must complete. Failure to abide by the wheel once means receiving a penalty. Twice? Certain death if caught by any employee.

The wheel's effects are as follows:

1 You must speak entirely in rhyme. 2 Your body has become unnaturally delicate. The smallest injury hurts like a fatal wound.
3 You must avoid stepping into any sources of light. Doing so causes massive burns to appear on any area of your skin where light has touched. 4 You have been transformed into an animal! You can still think as you had before, but you cannot speak or communicate easily.
5 You have been cursed with supernatural strength, but cannot control it. 6 Time doesn't flow normally for you anymore. Each mistake you make makes you visibly younger, slowly erasing your experiences, skills, or even memories.
7 You can no longer form your own words, but only repeat what others have said to you. 8 You cannot meet another person's gaze.
9 You can no longer turn around, physically or metaphorically. If you try to return where you came from, you'll find that the pathway no longer exists. 10 You are given a specific letter that you must avoid using out loud entirely. "A"? Better hope you know enough words without one.
11 Every time you speak, your words come true - but never in the way you intended. Trying to control this is futile; the monkey's paw curls with every new sentence. 12 Within the casino, you lose the ability to feel anything. No pain, no pleasure, no warmth, and no cold. At first it may feel like a blessing - until you realize you cannot feel hunger, or tell if you're injured.
13 Regardless of if you've drunken anything, you still act inebriated. The effect only gets worse the longer you stay. 14 No one can see you. You are invisible, even if you are still able to reach out and touch or converse with those around you.
15 Any special ability you have is gone. You are reduced down to what an average human being is capable of - regardless of if you are human. 16 Violent impulses become impossible to ignore. You are rage incarnate, and you will be heard.
17 Every time you make a decision - to walk into an area, to start a conversation, anything, a small thread pulls loose from your clothing or your skin. Keep making choices, and you may become entirely undone. 18 You may speak freely, but for every syllable you say, your ability to hear slowly fades. You may want to watch your word count - too many, and you may not be able to hear at all.
19 Perhaps you arrived with a friend, or beside a stranger. It matters not: whoever came in either just before or just after you, you feel a powerful urge to protect them to the point of aggression. 20 Love is in the air - at least it is for you. Every time you meet someone's gaze, you feel the need to try and make them fall in love with you, through whatever means necessary.


The casino is alive with the hum of conversation, the clink of glasses, and the steady whirl of the roulette wheels. Golden chandeliers cast a warm glow over velvet-lined tables, where fortunes are made and lost with the flick of a wrist. But something feels. . . off.

The dealers never blink. The cards never seem random. And the house always wins - always. Maybe it's just paranoia, or maybe this casino is something more than just a den of chance. Tonight, you're not here just to play; you're here on a mission.

You've arrived dressed to kill, blending into the sea of bodies filling the casino's floors. But you're not here to win points or boost your social standing - you're here to win intel. Somewhere in this casino is a single flash drive containing information on just how Aphaia maintains their system. The only problem? The House knows someone is coming for it. After all, they're well-aware of the game: whoever retrieves the flash drive will obtain information on how to flip the script, to change the rules of the game to fit their wants and needs, rather than following the current Gamerunner. After all, this is the Gamerunner's Stratagem that Aurora has sent them out on! Many apply for 'employment' within the Casino Royale in hopes of getting insider information on where the flash drive is hidden and what it looks like. However, it seems that even the employees have no clue where it has been hidden.

⏵ NOTES ⏴


This is an extension of our Aphaia Mission! We have included enough information in this post that catching up to current in game logs isn't necessary to play with it, but you are welcome to use any part of the Aphaia setting in your prompts as you'd like. Current players are also welcome to bring the events from this TDM into their in-game threads.

This mission can happen outside of time as needed! Incoming characters will find themselves introduced to Aphaia as they arrive. Current characters may find Aurora calling on them to visit Aphaia after the current mission for the Gamerunner's Stratagem.

Characters already in game are welcome to post to the TDM, too! Please mark them as current characters in your header. Threads can be kept as game canon as long as both characters get into the game!

Please direct all questions relating to this log to our mod queries comment! All other questions can be directed to our FAQ.

FULL NAVIGATION

shadowsincryo: (They know you're lonely)

[personal profile] shadowsincryo 2025-04-06 03:45 pm (UTC)(link)
[He glances at the board. Two points off of Pending. He looks at him and jerks his thumb towards the board.] You can make that move. I’ll be continuing to look into what information I can get about what is happening to our worlds.
querulus: (x-men - hehehe)

[personal profile] querulus 2025-04-06 04:01 pm (UTC)(link)
[It's very weird to be on the opposite side of this, feeling someone remote piloting his frontal lobe and resisting the urge to shake off Sophie's control. That lasts until she pulls his arm around her waist, and on sheer reflex (and mild panic) he breaks her hold on his mind briefly. But to his credit, he quickly rectifies his mistake, voluntarily holding her a bit closer—ignoring the gigantic lump in his throat—and more purposefully relinquishing his mind, specifically parts of his motor cortex, to her. There. The door is wedged open for the time being. Let's see what she does with it.]

As you wish.

[When in doubt, deploy reference humor. Maybe he'll get lucky and Sophie has never seen The Princess Bride so he can seem very suave.

Anyway... Environment. First things first, the undulating floor. Easy. He can see in her mind where she's putting all four of their shared feet, and he simply moves floor tiles to match their steps and shift with them. Next, well... This is a show, right? Quentin may not be charismatic, but presentation? He can do that. He'll start with some softly glimmering pink lights floating around them through the air.]
futuremessiah: (hope8)

[personal profile] futuremessiah 2025-04-06 04:38 pm (UTC)(link)
[Hope lets the man direct her over to a seat, not because she needs one, but she does feel a little strange. The feeling just gets worse when she finally looks up at him.

She'd recognize him anywhere. That grumpy face is one she woke up to nearly every day of her life. That and the signs of the Techno-Organic Virus. But... Nathan is dead. She saw it happen.
]

You aren't here. Nate said he'd know and and promishted to tell me.

[He trained her. Protected her. Brought her to where, and when she needs to be, but she still misses him. Still wants him to be there when no one else is because everyone else thinks she's some great savior, and she's just...

There's no fight happening, so it's alright to cry. Her eyes start to water up.
]

Why'ren't you here, dad?
thelightshines: (I know you crossed a bridge)

[personal profile] thelightshines 2025-04-06 04:56 pm (UTC)(link)
[The hand that was resting on her back, moves slightly as the other joins them for a moment. He wanted to tell Maria not to put that much faith in him everytime she insisted he could be trusted. He hardly knows himself, what he can do. The fear of unintentionally hurting her with his powers, looming in the back of his mind. But he already knows she wouldn't hear any of it. And it would only get the other going again. So he keeps quiet, ears falling back as any indication he felt some discomfort at the idea.

The other moves to sit before them. They were more willing to communicate, start getting somewhere. So he chances to observe them while they figure out how to proced.]


To participate in the Gamerunner's Stratagem. That was all she said, and then an exit would eventually show itself. [When and how is not clarified. He tilts his head as the other starts to say something about shortening their time here. Unsure of what they're referring to, he just thinks on their words and how openly vague Aurora was about their mission.] There could be multiple ways to get an exit to appear. [Their options would broaden if true, if they had an idea of how to meet those requirements. Only two obvious ones he could think of are becoming a Paragon, or get that flash drive he's been hearing about.]
futuremessiah: (hope14)

[personal profile] futuremessiah 2025-04-06 05:01 pm (UTC)(link)
Just for the first seventeen or so years of my life.

[Until she was so tired of running, she decided it was time to make a stand.]

I don't know, it's kind of nice that you don't know who I am. Everyone at home does, so it gets a bit much. Anyway, I'm Hope.
restingstitchface: (Thoughtful)

[personal profile] restingstitchface 2025-04-06 05:04 pm (UTC)(link)
[Crane clasps his hands at his back. He looks uncomfortable with the suggestion.]

That would be nice. But I hardly intend to take full advantage of my time here. When it comes to taking on new patients, I prefer to err on the side of caution.

[When it comes to taking on new patients, there is a little thing called consent.]
restingstitchface: (Attentive)

[personal profile] restingstitchface 2025-04-06 05:16 pm (UTC)(link)
[His own expression loses a little bit of warmth. Not that anyone can notice it with how they are communicating.]

Coming up with solutions is what I do.

[For a moment he allows the message to settle, giving the impression compliments are hard to receive. He does struggle but for reasons other than phobias.

That might be why he returns the conversation back to business.]


No signs of activity so far. I think we might be waiting here a while.
leastdramatic: ([RH] Check on)

[personal profile] leastdramatic 2025-04-06 05:32 pm (UTC)(link)
[Jason snorts]

Yeah, that’s apparently the pattern. He’s a magnet for them I guess.
restingstitchface: (Default)

[personal profile] restingstitchface 2025-04-06 05:35 pm (UTC)(link)
[People like Jim Gordon and Rachel Dawes believe Gotham needs saving. The Batman believes himself a saviour. Those welcomed by society believe themselves better than those caught in the mire. Pretending their own conduct is no less deplorable.

He begins closing his eyes but keeps them open. People are quick to label Gotham a bad environment. But he sees it as productive. Ripe and ready for experimentation.]


There are no good people. There are only people.

[His calm voice is matched to a serious subject.]

Unless of course you believe criminals cannot perform good deeds?
phaseflex: <user name="professordipshit" site="tumblr"> (she can go straight from zero)

[personal profile] phaseflex 2025-04-06 06:31 pm (UTC)(link)
Fuck yeah, dude, you're agile as hell! [she says happily when they dodge her attack and catch themselves, as amara is genuinely doing this for fun and not because she wants to prove something. a little so she can show off, but she does everything so she can show off.

when they move behind her, she will try to jerk back and elbow them, a slightly less refined move, but might not be quick enough to catch them before they do what they're planning.]
levelshift: <user name=patch-robots site=livejournal.com> (shrug)

[personal profile] levelshift 2025-04-06 06:33 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah. [Among other things.] It's just a matter of moving air molecules around.
deviced: (pic#17761678)

sorry for the delay! rough week 6_6

[personal profile] deviced 2025-04-06 06:37 pm (UTC)(link)
Fortunately, Harry doesn't seem too bothered. Yes, the laughing sound. He said something successfully funny. He is very good at humans and their nuances, so he does not inherently expect anything else. He has said what he needed to, and small talk is nonsense. Why do humans need to speak about the weather, when most of the time they are standing out in it? They enjoy wasting time. It is one of their many weaknesses.

"Harry."

He does not offer his last name, as Henry did not offer his. Frankly, the only reason he's even bothering to still pretend to be Harry is because he's used to it now, and coming up with a whole new identity would be slightly annoying.

"It's been..." Okay, no, it hasn't been good to meet him, because nothing has happened. He won't bend to humans and their stupid small talk! Harry smiles awkwardly. "We have met."
deviced: (pic#17761667)

sowwy for delay!

[personal profile] deviced 2025-04-06 06:41 pm (UTC)(link)
"They are not very good at giving pertinent information. I do not care about my internet rating. Isn't that what Reddit is for?" He says with a vague scowl. Humans invent so many ways to waste time, but this technology is far beyond what the humans on Earth have. It's almost equal with his own people's, so they must be being manipulated by some other race. Yes. They have finally weaponised Reddit. Genius.

But... Earth wasn't actively dying. It wasn't going great, but-- is this some weird time-space distortion? Does that mean he never finds his device after all? These human emotions are so confusing. Why is he thinking of things that haven't happened?

"You have been here longer than me?"
thelightshines: (mirror in the sky)

[personal profile] thelightshines 2025-04-06 06:49 pm (UTC)(link)
[He's watching the two at the bar, making sure they won't be moving anytime soon. He has a short window to do this once a path is made.] Wait here once it goes dark. I'll come back with them.
kidnappered: (other | cat)

[personal profile] kidnappered 2025-04-06 07:00 pm (UTC)(link)
[Ouyang Duyu's eyes narrow a little at the grin but easily smooths his expression back into something polite and neutral.

Then he pulls out a dubioualy helpful drawing.]


This is him. He has dark hair that's in a ponytail and green eyes that don't look very smart.

[Chu Wenshan's stupidity is a defining feature, okay? It needs to be repeated.]
thelightshines: (But listen carefully)

[personal profile] thelightshines 2025-04-06 07:00 pm (UTC)(link)
[Those things. He's not very adept with them yet, so it's likely Dion will never be contacted. Not like he ever planned to. They haven't been unpleasant company, at least.] Are you are?
levelshift: <user name=patch-robots site=livejournal.com> (neutralish)

[personal profile] levelshift 2025-04-06 07:01 pm (UTC)(link)
[That's an understandable, especially for someone he presumes is pretty new to all of this. Accelerator gives a short nod.]

It's starting to become common, but this place in particular was picked because there was a request for us to see what a universe that can't be saved looks like.

[Kind of funny that there are apparently newbies who are being dropped into this as their first mission.]

The other universe we've been to was similar to Etraya, run by Aurora's sister. We've also been sent to a train that travelled through universes.
thelightshines: (I know you crossed a bridge)

[personal profile] thelightshines 2025-04-06 07:12 pm (UTC)(link)
...For what purpose? What are you using those powers for? [He's not assuming it's for a bad reason or anything. Just that, anything not considered "normal" where he's from is, well, to be studied.]
heartofthedream: Marvel Girl (Considering Calmly)

[personal profile] heartofthedream 2025-04-06 07:14 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Is this how it's going to be, then? Is this place going to bring her each of her family members, but from this one new alternate universe? Or the derivations of timelines therein. He does have it. She's still not sure what to call it. It's not a melody as such, and it's so close, but it isn't, too. Its own signature, matching Scott and Logan, and Laura. Hers and not hers. (And yet couldn't that be said of all her children? That's never the part that matters most when it comes down to it.)

Jean does seem to catch herself back first, and she steps backward, pulling him gently toward the dance floor.
She can't look away from his face, even still. Tracing it for the differences, and simply for the sake of who he is. ]


I've been here for the better part of a year now.
The more apt question might be, when did you get here?
levelshift: (new years)

[personal profile] levelshift 2025-04-06 07:51 pm (UTC)(link)
It's just part of being an esper, and my city creates espers for scientific research. "To understand the will of the heavens by finding a human that surpasses humanity" or whatever.
limiterrings: (pic#17723494)

[personal profile] limiterrings 2025-04-06 07:59 pm (UTC)(link)
And what do you all gain from doing this?

[ "you all" because there's nothing shadow wants. learning about this universe and why it's in decay does what for them... unless that's why they need to gain the flash drive to turn things around here.

he walks forward thinking over why they're here, if their world cannot be saved then what's the point of changing anything? a faint taste of hope or something worse, he doesn't know what this is supposed to mean for the natives of this world. ]


What could be the point of anything here, unless...

[ information for their own world to prevent it from following this one? isn't the story that aurora is going to choose someone's world and prevent it from being lost as well... shadow wasn't really paying attention because he doesn't really care, the person he desires doesn't even exist on that world.

but that is the world she loves. ]
limiterrings: (pic#17750846)

[personal profile] limiterrings 2025-04-06 07:59 pm (UTC)(link)
If it was that easy, wouldn't I have it? Think for a minute.

[ it could be anything to a casino chip or even a table, he doesn't know how this place works. he's able to fill in the gaps what this idiot doesn't have in terms of modern information, everything else will put him where they're all at. lacking information.

shadow grows quiet, keeping to himself as crimson eyes stare at the table. the only thing keeping him here is information, and it seems like the other doesn't have much on the subject either that he could have heard just by chance. ]


I'd say use the tools prevented before you.

[ and here he counts on his fingers. ]

The entry wheel where you pay a "fee", an understanding of how a casino works, and listening in on players in case they saw something.

[ as for anything else, he's pretty much aware the cameras are duds unless rolling back the tape, but no one knows how far to roll back. ]
limiterrings: (pic#17703072)

[personal profile] limiterrings 2025-04-06 07:59 pm (UTC)(link)
[ uh oh!

when she finally steps on a platform then jumps off, she'll notice they don't stay as long as they do. as if disappearing out of thin air, so flying might be her best bet if it wasn't for an invisible screen that will push her back once she gets too close.

shadow on the other hand is standing in mid-air on a platform that he first saw her walk on. his eyes do stay on blaze before looking down at the "invisible ground". ]


They accounted for us flying.

[ because isn't it weird that they could just fly and go up, but when the night time hit, they were stuck to the ground?

maybe it has something to do with that. ]
deviced: (pic#17761667)

[personal profile] deviced 2025-04-06 08:03 pm (UTC)(link)
"Mmm..." he grumbles, as the cat-lizard hybrid is not wrong, but Harry does not want to admit he has him there. He supposes he could also be human, ha ha ha.

"I am a general practitioner, as the town I live in only has one doctor. It is very inefficient, but leaving would be..."

Complicated. To put it lightly. He has to stay in Patience, anyway, as he has no choice.

"Not good. For the people. Replacing doctors is complicated. Unless they get murdered, then I guess one other one can just show and take all his patients. It is easy."
hyphanated: (。)

[personal profile] hyphanated 2025-04-06 08:03 pm (UTC)(link)
[Zhezhe...well that's certainly a new one. An Zhe pauses as well for a short moment before replying.]

There are a lot of kind people among us, it's true. I've met some very kind people who helped me when I first arrived...I'm happy to help you too, if you need it.

[He offers her a small smile as he says this. Human young generally shouldn't be on their own, right? And he's got some experience with raising young, so surely he can be of help! If necessary!]