etrayamemes | TDM 002

Entry tags:

!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

[ Kyra lets him fish out a fry before grabbing another one for herself.

She rolls her eyes. ]

It's bullshit. Probably another psycho playing games.

[ But he does have a point. Her expression turns thoughtful. ]

Strange to make up such an unbelievable story. And with all of this land and advanced tech... nothing adds up.

I was hoping it was just another rich psycho.

[Well, not hoping exactly, it's not that he wants to deal with another rich psycho, but it would be an easier explanation for what's happening than what they've been told.] It's not just the amount of land, either. If you go far enough, it's like you run into an invisible wall. And there was a leopard spliced with a rattlesnake in the hospital cafeteria.

[ She knows what he means. They have experience against rich psychos and they're 2-0. ]

No signals out, either. The network is self-contained.

[ The tension returns to her shoulders and she curls in on herself a little. Kyra has become very familiar with this feeling-- it's the helpless feeling she'd had at Point Blanc. It's fear. ]

I don't trust this is what they say it is. But it's definitely beyond what we've seen before.

[He hates the idea of saying it's another world (another universe), but he can't say it's definitely not, either.] - Maybe it's still just a rich asshole when it comes down to it, though.

At least that part would be familiar.

[ Not that it's comforting but it's more realistic than an AI and its shadowy master. ]

Did you find anything else out there?

Not all of it's developed land. Some of the wildlife gets weird out there, like that leopard with the rattlesnake tail. And there's something in the rain, it's like - maybe there's a drug in it. It gives you a burst of energy and euphoria, and then a crash.

[Which Alex is a little too familiar with now, since it's been raining the entire time he's been exploring.]

You know this from experience. [ Not a question. He mentioned it while talking about exploring and, from what she can tell, the rain has been continuous since she's been here.

She rests her arms on the table and leans forward a little. ]

That didn't happen to me, but I did not stay in the rain long. Maybe it's a deterrent to keep people from exploring?

Probably sinks in through the skin. Something that takes a lot of build-up? If you weren’t out long, you weren’t exposed long enough for it to affect you.

[He doesn’t bother denying it’s personal experience. He’s been trying to mitigate it with rain clothes and so on, but there’s only so much you can do if you’re determined to look around outside.]

You should stay out of the rain for awhile. If this is how the drug works, too much buildup could do worse to you.

[His lips thin. He doesn’t like the idea of not being able to continue his search of the grounds around them, but she has a point about not exposing himself to an unknown drug too much. There’s no guarantee it stays safe.]

- Yeah, all right. At least for a bit. There’s some buildings I haven’t had a look round yet.

[ She can tell he's frustrated that she's right. Again. It's a familiar look on his face by now. ]

Once it clears enough, I'll go with you. We can check buildings twice as fast.

There’s some close by, too. We can have a look in them. Check out more of the flats, maybe.

[In case there’s something hiding in the building in plain sight. It’s unlikely, but Alex is bad at not doing things when there’s something he feels like he should be doing.]

[ Kyra can't really blame him. If she doesn't keep going, that sense of fear and helplessness threatens to come back.

She snags another fry. ]

We could find a map and make a search grid. We will want hideouts throughout the area, just in case.

[ Kyra sighs. ] Now I am starting to sound like you.

[ She might be teasing a little. ]

Being cautious isn't a bad thing.

[Not that... what Alex is could reasonably be called 'cautious', to be honest. More like paranoid. But is it really paranoia when people are out to get you?]

We might have to make a map. I've been starting on that.

[ Being a hacker means being cautious by nature-- making sure her code is good and she's untraceable before a big hack-- but applying that caution in real life feels weird sometimes. ]

Hospital had a digital map in front of it.

[ He might be able to fill in the broad strokes by copying it. ]

It's pretty accurate, but it's mostly for buildings. Not the grounds outside.

[Which is why he's been exploring and trying to ignore the effects of the rain.]

They're still building things too. [ She hums thoughtfully. ] What they build now might tell us what they plan to do.

[ She could make a joke about evil scientists and laboratories but with their luck, that might happen. ]

We'll keep track of it. It's still early days - they're definitely not done with constructions.

[Hopefully zero terrifying cloning labs are on the "to be made" list.]

So. We get a flat and supplies and draft a search grid. Anything else?

[ The rain is their biggest roadblock so far. But it's better they move cautiously and not be exposed to more of this mystery drug than necessary. ]

Start learning about who's here with us, I guess. If they're more likely to be enemies or allies.

[Probably not going to be her favorite part of the plan, given how she tends to be around Other People.]

[ Ugh. People. ]

I can monitor the network, but most people we know would simply do the same thing.

[His mouth twists into an amused half-grin. He knew that'd be her reaction.]

We have to meet the people here, too, not just look for people we know.

[ She rolls her eyes. ]

Why? We can take care of ourselves.

Because we have to know who here might be an enemy, and who here isn't. If anyone else can put together pieces of the puzzle that we can't.

[ His argument makes sense and she kind of hates it. ]

You should be in charge of that. I'll only scare people away.

[ Which would be such a shame. ]

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