etrayamemes | TDM 002

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!tdm

TDM 002

⏵ arrival⏴
Arrival goes as anticipated. Characters awaken in the pristine, new hospital, greeted by Aurora and potentially getting a rundown of what's happening depending on their approach to being dropped somewhere new. The door to their room opens, and new arrivals are left free to explore their new environment.

When the first round of citizens arrived, Aurora and the companion bots had been largely unprepared. This time? They made sure to put up welcome banners, even if the sentiment isn't quite right. There are cupcakes and cookies set out in the hospital's lobbies, and a digital map has been placed just in front of the entrance of the hospital, telling others how to reach the various locations throughout Etraya. Companion bots wander throughout the city, some carrying construction equipment to half-built facilities while others act as nurses, servers, or sales associates throughout the constructed buildings.

⏵ rainy awakenings ⏴

Many concepts are new to Aurora, including rain. She is familiar with how it functions, and its purpose, but rain has never been present on the lands of Etraya. Given how new it is, that may not be all too surprising - but the method of how it’s being introduced is… a little much. Rainfall commences in the early days of April, a persistent downpour that waxes and wanes in intensity but never ceases entirely.

Most nights in Etraya are characterized by a soothing patter of rain against rooftops. Yet, some nights leave the grounds flooded come morning. Rivers begin to swell, the current much too strong to justify trying to go for a swim. These showers also bring a new assortment of plants blooming across the green lands: bright blossoms whose petals spread wide when the yellow sun shines down on them, while numerous cherry blossom trees have grown out of nowhere, flourishing despite the rainfall. Clover carpets the grassy expanses of the islands, weaving a beautiful tapestry of color across the grounds.

⏵ Getting drenched by the rain can trigger a surge, followed by a slump. Initially, individuals will feel giddy, excited, full of energy, and ready to take on the world. However, in the subsequent days, they’ll find themselves feeling depressed, lacking the energy and motivation to move forward. Aurora advises that these effects are only temporary and should fade within the week, but they can be resolved more quickly by embracing a stranger. Attempting to hug anyone they already know well will not produce the same effect.

⏵ With the rain comes a significant increase in the greenery around Etraya that isn’t fake. Most of these plants will resemble ones originally found in the characters' universes.

⏵ A couple of these plants contain magical properties:

The Emberloom is a bright red, fiery flower that only inhabits smaller land masses. Those exposed to its pollen will experience heightened aggression and impulsivity.

Shadowbloom resemble tulips during the day, but during the night the petals open and it looks more like the night sky: dark petals with specs of white throughout them. Growing too close to the apartment building for comfort, those who look at the petals after nightfall will fall into a deep sleep. Worse yet: the dreams they find themselves in are not their own, but are the dreams of other residents. Ones who had not looked into the Shadowbloom, but had drifted off to sleep elsewhere on the planet. The one who looked into the Shadowbloom will find they cannot awaken until the person whose dream they have entered does.

These flowers will continue to bloom through April, after which the companion bots will search for and remove them from the atmosphere bubble.

⏵ If there is a specific, unique plant that those in game (or those accepted during the next round!) would like to add, please comment to the LOCATIONS page! We’ll add mentions of these to the Outskirts section.

Along with the botanical resurgence, numerous new animals appear: glowing fish swim freely through the waters. In the canopy above, new species of birds and critters flit among the branches. Some diligently construct new nests in anticipation of the coming spring, while others seek refuge in the shelter of trees, retreating from the weather.

Not all the creatures are so small, or so peaceful.

⏵ Small critters make themselves comfortable in the forested area around Etraya, staying mostly out of the way. There are the occasional visitors that will let themselves in through windows for a quick visit, or maybe a snack, but they’re mostly harmless.

⏵ Several larger beasts make their way into the city to try and find land that’s more habitable for them. Giraffes navigate gracefully through the areas designated for new arrivals, using their elongated necks to reach for the foliage near the hospital when they aren’t finding new places to make themselves comfortable. An eclectic array of cats, ranging in all sizes and breeds, brazenly saunter into buildings they don’t belong. Hopefully, the lioness lounging in the apartment complex's common area does not prevent residents from reaching their rooms, because she has no intention of yielding.

⏵ The leopard adorned with a rattlesnake tail in the hospital's cafeteria may be difficult to ignore, given his determination to devour everything in sight and attack anyone in his way.

⏵ Cat scratches and bites pose a significant risk of infection. In the event a character is injured, individuals can expect the companion bots to quickly seek them out and approach them with a special antibiotic cream developed specifically for these cats. Refusal of treatment may result in severe symptoms, including high fevers and itching. In extreme cases, individuals may begin to exhibit cat-like characteristics, ranging from physical alterations to changes in mental traits.

⏵ Numerous other creatures of all shapes and sizes will be coming and going through the city. You may play with this as you wish!

While the uproar caused by these guests doesn’t particularly bother Aurora, she does send out a message to everyone wearing an earpiece to request their assistance in capturing the larger animals that her companion bots may not be able to handle themselves. She has converted an island to the East into a temporary holding area until the companion bots can set them up with something a little more permanent.

⏵ network ⏴

Welcome to Etraya! Upon your arrival, Aurora provided an earpiece, a device to make communication with others stuck in the same situation more simple. The device connects to an internal network, which is accessible by everyone else currently residing on planet. Whether you’re looking for guidance, camaraderie, or want to see if there are any familiar faces around, this is the perfect place to do it! Please feel free to post any questions, offer your name, ask for assistance, or maybe complain to the powers that be about how you’ve got better things to be doing than sitting around here completing their missions. Maybe they’re listening. Maybe they’re not.

⏵ NOTES⏴

⏵ During April, Etraya’s getting a little wet! Those who spend too long in the rain may experience a few unfortunate effects.

⏵ The rain brings in new flora, including a couple that may cause characters to experience aggression and impulsivity, or take a stroll through others’ dreams.

⏵ New animals also appear! While many of them are friendly, others… are less so. The cats specifically seem to be a little grumpy. Characters scratched or bitten by these cats may find themselves becoming just as catty.

For any questions relating to the contents of this log, please reply below. All other questions can be directed to the FAQ. The TDM is game canon, meaning everything happening above is occurring within the game properly. Those who apply to join in the April application round may keep their TDM threads as game canon.

⏵FULL NAVIGATION⏴

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Even with familiarity with goblins, Riz makes quite a sight; all of seventy pounds soaking wet (which he currently is), large ears raised in agitation, teeth still bared from hissing, and eyes a faintly reflective surface, his head slowly swivels to face Nicky.

He is struck with the feeling that he's been caught doing something he's not supposed to be doing despite the fact that he's certain it's not illegal to hide in bushes and get inadvisably muddy, and immediately starts to sweat. ] Uh... [ His sopping hair streams even more moisture in rivulets down his cheeks as he tries desperately to grasp for a good thing to say that isn't just explaining what he was doing. ]

The cat surprised me. [ He clears his throat, standing up as tall as he can, which isn't very. ] And this is a public bush, so.

[ So this is cool and normal, and it's definitely okay that he was hiding in it. ]

[ Nicky's first thought is not that this is entirely bizarre (even though it is) and it may even very well be goblinlike (he has never met a goblin before). But — that Riz is young; the immediate rush to defend himself for... being... in a bush? The jitter at explaining himself, as if Nicky is some kind of authority? ]

As cats often do, [ says Nicky, in what is, apparently, his Old and Wise tone. ] Are you all right?

[ Riz clearly looks agitated. Perhaps cats are... hostile to him? Nicky has no way of knowing. ]

Yeah, all good here.

[ Riz's self-perception is often skewed. In this case, his self-perception as a high-level Rogue and a very cool and serious private investigator-turned-spy has completely eclipsed the more accurate image he's projecting: that of a frightened, muddy child.

In truth, he's a little bit of both. He fiddles with his tie. ]

I was just staking out. Y'know. For more information. [ There's an almost visible shift as his eyes lock onto Nicky's and instead of seeing him as someone who was almost certainly going to get him into trouble, he begins to look at him as a potential source of clues. ] Are you from here? Like, do you live here?

[ At this point in his life, Nicky does not well remember being a teenager, nor does he have much experience with the particular age group. The Family often has cause to rescue children, but they skew younger. He does not think he's ever had a child try to be... cool, at him. That is usually Yusuf's area. ]

[ The novelty of being at a brief loss at what to do is... Interesting. Nicky turns his attention back to the child, now that he understands he's speaking to one. ]

I am not a resident here, no. What information do you seek?

[ This guy's awful formal, isn't he? That's okay. Riz can work with that. He's been working with that. He's a pretty formal guy when it comes down to it too, he thinks, except for when he gets derailed with alarming regularity. ]

If you don't live here, I'm not sure how much you'll know, [ he says, but unmistakeably brightens at the prospect of more information. ]

Everything. [ He clears his throat. ] But to narrow it down to the most important parts... where exactly are we, and who's in charge here? Are we still on the material plane? How credible are the people making the rules here? And is there anywhere here I could get a crystal connection to let the rest of my party know where I am?

[ That's probably enough. Unless... ]

And since you're not actually from here, did you get kidnapped too, or are you a traveler? I don't think this would be much of a tourist destination.

[ He trails off and shrugs. What does he know? He's never been on an actual vacation in his life. Maybe some people enjoy sitting around creepy empty cities where they kidnap unsuspecting and mostly-not-really-innocent teenagers. ]

[ He does not understand 'material plane' and 'crystal connection' but the sentiment is enough. The line of questioning is also rigorous, a quality Nicky highly values in others, and the want, to contact friends, is also dear to his heart (He has not heard from the others—) He was already going to do his best to help - this is just icing on the cake. ]

I would be happy to assist you. I feel it would be most prudent with a milkshake or some other sweet dessert in hand. Shall we?

[ Riz looks dubious for a moment, very much just wanting the answers here and now, but... he's wet and cold, the adrenaline of arriving here only just beginning to wear off, exhaustion beginning to dig its scaly fingers into him. Besides, between the trial, the fight on Mr. Seacaster's ship, and reuniting with his Dad? He's having a hard time remembering the last time he'd eaten a thing.

Being dry and being full actually sounds pretty appealing. ]

Okay, [ he relents. ] But not the cupcakes they had left out in the hospital, because those seemed sketchy. Lead the way.

[ As Nicky suspected, Riz takes no time at all agreeing. ]

Agreed.

[ He had touched nothing at the hospital. That whole place had twigged of— a wrongness, and this close to having been in a lab - he had vacated as swiftly as possible. Sooner than would have been permitted, but Nicky doesn't care. ]

[ He draws the umbrella over them both as they walk. ]

My name is Nicholas. And yours?

Riz Gukgak. Nice to meet you, [ Riz says, formal and proper as though he wasn't previously caught hissing at a cat in a bush. He can switch on a dime like that, sometimes. It's one of his dubious skills. And, at least, this guy isn't pushing the creepy hospital cupcake agenda, which is a nice notch in Riz's mental column of Proof This Guy Probably Isn't Trying To Poison Me.

The umbrella is nice too. He takes the brief reprieve from the rain as an opportunity to fish a handkerchief from out of his pocket and begin to clean the worse of the mud off of his face, smattered with dark green freckles. His name is pretty normal, as is his appearance; he's just your standard, run-of-the-mill human as far as Riz can tell. ]

So... if you're not from here, where are you from?

Nice to meet you as well, Riz.

[ As if Nicky didn't just meet him in a park bush. To be fair, it makes for an interesting story. He isn't sure how to pace himself, not wanting to walk so briskly that Riz might not keep up, in the heavy rain, so Nicky walks at a comfortable pace. ]

I am from a city named Genoa, in a country called Italy. [ although he Judges the Italian state, tyvm, being far older than when it was established. He is Genovan before he is Italian. ] Are either of those names familiar to you?

[ Riz's frown deepens. He's not particularly up-to-date on his geography, being primarily concerned with neighbouring nations, but he'd at least recognize the name of a whole country. This only cements his assumption that they're on another plane altogether -- some sort of astral plane, he thinks, with how deserted everything is. There's nowhere on the material plane that would be this urbanized and this deserted outside of Solace. ]

No, not at all. [ For what it's worth, Riz manages to keep up remarkably well, with long hopping strides that make it abundantly clear that he's used to keeping up with the bigger races. ] Just as I thought. We're not on Spyre anymore. That's the name of my world, by the way -- I'm from the country of Solace, but if I don't recognize your stuff, then I doubt you'll recognize mine. That's... gonna make going home a little trickier.

[ He's a Rogue! He doesn't know how to Plane Shift! He just shoots stuff!

Ugh. They need to find a wizard, and fast. ]

[ Nicky makes a note of the strides - nothing else. ]

No, I'm afraid I do not recognise it.

[ And Nicky would recognise every single place on Earth, old and new besides. So he is not of Earth... is Riz from somewhere in the stars, perhaps? What a strange and wondrous thing. ]

However, I notice the buildings and people here are similar enough to where I am from that I do not feel significantly disoriented. Do you feel the same?

Mmm... little bit yes, little bit no. I actually haven't run into any other actual people yet, besides you. Just those weird robot guys rolling around the hospital. That's why I was trying to keep an eye out.

[ He's not sure what he expected, beyond something terrible. He's keenly aware of how big the world is; there are many corners in which outsiders would be most unwelcome, let alone some stray Goblin kid. Just because he's capable of holding his own doesn't mean that he wants to get into immediate trouble. It's only Nicholas' muted reaction to seeing him that convinced him it would probably be fine. ]

The rest of it is more similar than other parts of Spyre, even. But it's more high-tech -- less crystal technology, more... holograms?

[ Ah, Riz does not like? Or trust? Robots? Nicky has difficulty with technology, but that has mainly been stubbornness. He's slow to change, and Booker had filled the role of the technical expert in the family - so there hadn't been much of a need to worry about being stranded with robots, of all things. Now that he expects an indefinite separation, he may need to consider making an effort. ]

[ (Who are we kidding. Nicky will throw a phone away if it runs out of battery and try to get a new one instead of charging it.) ]

[ At least the talk of crystals now makes sense. ]

Ah, I understand now why you asked for a crystal. Were you with companions before you arrived here?

[ Riz can't really tell the truth here -- but some part of the truth may be important to getting to the bottom of things. ]

Ssssort of. I was being teleported to them, and I wound up here instead. But it's for sure not the teleportation itself going wrong. It was pretty airtight - [ Celestial, in fact ] - and something like that shifting you to another plane entirely would require way stronger magic, I'm pretty sure. So something else tampered with it.

[ That's the only thing he can think of. He trusts his Dad and his colleagues' magic implicitly and something about his Dad's bearing gives him faith that he'd be much like his Mom dropping him off at his first day of school back in Middle School, staring anxiously at him from the car until she sees him get in safe and sound. ]

Point being, they've been waiting for me, and they're gonna be worried if I just up and disappear on them. And if I can contact them, they might be able to help me get back.

[ Nicky has his doubts about magic. If it works in any comprehensible way - it doesn't trouble him, to have something exist that is beyond his understanding. When he'd washed off the blood from the battlefield outside Jerusalem this had been the life he'd woken to. But magic magic... He's not so sure. There still could be some issue, even if Riz seems very familiar. ]

Could you give me a short description or a sketch once we are indoors? I will gladly assist you in finding them.

Yeah... maybe.

[ As caught up as Riz was in the idea of finding another person, someone who seemed kind and helpful, the prospect of some semblance of normalcy, old nagging fears have now come home to roost; he shutters again, realizing what a bad idea this could be. Sure, this Nicholas guy seems nice. But isn't he a little too nice? It could be a trap. And yeah, he's willing to go along with him to learn as much as he can, but the mention of his friends is enough to stop him, to stall him; what if this guy is one of the people in charge here? What if he's looking to bring other people here too?

No, he'd better be careful. He'd never forgive himself for having a hand in dragging the rest of the bad kids to this creepy place, even though he knows that just as they followed Fig into Hell, just as they followed Adaine into that prison, just as they'd go anywhere for any number of them... he doesn't want them roped into this mess too. ]

I'd like to know more about you first, [ he says bluntly as they round the corner, towards the Diner. ] Like, how did you get here? What's your whole deal?

"My whole deal".

[ Nicky echoes. It's a shame Nile isn't here, or Yusuf, because both would be in splits over Nicky saying that - he comes across as so grave and serious, 100% of the time. ]

Ah, at home, I am a soldier. I'm used to travelling, but not... [ he gestures with his free hand, ] This was not what I had in mind. I woke up in the hospital. I left it as quickly as I could.

[ Man. This guy speaks awfully formally for a career soldier. There's some sort of disconnect there that could be chalked up to nothing more than different dialects across different worlds, let alone the fact that in some places, the soldiering life is seen as a very high-profile life indeed. Still, it almost makes him think of Fallinell. Except with fewer microaggressions. Macroaggressions? That whole Jorjug bit was almost certainly a macroaggression.

Whatever the case, he's making a mental note of it as he grips the handle of the door to the diner and yanks it, holding it open for Nicholas to go first. ]

So, wait, you woke up in that hospital too? Are we just in the exact same boat? You seem really... calm about being kidnapped.

[ More people should logically be reacting more like Riz, which is to say, hiding in bushes and hissing at people. It's the only logical reaction. ]

[ Nicky, on the other hand, is shaking the droplets off the umbrella at the side, and is a. pleasantly surprised at such chivalry, and b. a little upset at himself that they didn't end up in the two-step, opening the door for each other. He is unruffled at the idea of giving Riz his back - seriously, what will this child do? Stab him? Still a valuable lesson - and enters. A quick glance around the room gives him the lay of the land, and he makes a beeline for the most defensible seat present. ]

I am used to dealing with crises, [ he says, plainly. ]

[ Somehow, Riz finds that less reassuring than he probably should. He doesn't sit with Nicky immediately, first giving the diner a full loop to try and see if there's anything of note that sticks out at him, lingering curiously in the corners in case there's any sort of crystal surveillance, then scaling up one of the stools to peek into the kitchen to see if there's any sign of life.

Disappointingly, he finds that his hunch was right; there's no one there. One hand still gripping onto the counter, he swivels on his knee to face Nicky again. ]

How many of these crises usually involve kidnapping and interplanar teleportation? 'Cause I'm used to a crisis or two, but this is ridiculous.

[ This does not appear unduly paranoid, to Nicky. It's of course an excellent and thorough habit to search a place for cameras, surveillance, and threats. Nicky is simply accustomed to surviving every possible threat on Earth - and, is unlikely to be divested of that attitude quickly. Something about old dogs and new tricks. ]

— I have had my fair share of kidnappings. After a while, you start to give them points for creativity. [ He shrugs. ] The robots are new.

[ He sinks down on the stool with his heels just clinging onto the edge of it, knees practically up to his ears in a way that really shouldn't be comfortable, but evidently is. He really can't get a read on this guy. It would be nice, Riz thinks, to have some of the others here; where he can't get at people with his blunt, straightforward nature, they're usually able to milk people for information just by saying something so stupendously out of left-field that the other person just doesn't know how to react to it.

But they're not here. It's just him, no-nonsense Riz, asking the obvious questions. ]

Right. And what kind of soldiering comes with that much kidnapping as a, uh, occupational hazard? Or is it completely unrelated and you're secretly, like, a prince or something?

[ He is not a human creature, Nicky has surmised this much. So sitting the way Riz does not register as strange. ]

[ But the question is. Nicky briefly entertains the image of being a prince, ludicrous as it is. ]

Traffickers, [ he says, evenly, ] Gangs in war zones. Mercenaries. There is much cause for many kinds of unpleasantries. If I were royalty, I think, I would have a different demeanour about me. No?

I dunno. I've never met royalty before.

[ To his credit, Riz does stop to actually think about it. Has he met anyone of actual nobility before? No, he decides. Just a bunch of rich people, which feels like more or less the same thing. ]

You do speak kind of formally, which would fit in with the whole stereotype, I guess? [ He shakes it off. ] Anyway, that's besides the point. No offense, but wouldn't most of those guys just kill you? Usually guys like that would only keep you alive if they could somehow benefit from it.

[ Ergo... this dude is special in some way. ]

TDM 002

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