raiamods: (Default)
raiamods ([personal profile] raiamods) wrote in [community profile] ethyraia2021-06-10 06:01 pm

EVENT #01 —

WHO: All PCs
WHAT: Guests arrive at the basecamp
WHEN: June 10 - June 17
WHERE: Basecamp Leviathan
NOTES/WARNINGS: None currently (let us know if we should update this because we missed something)


EVENT LOG 001 — JUNE ❀
CONTENT WARNINGS: None currently (let us know if we missed something and should update this!)

Please note that several of these sections have deadlines, so it's a good idea to prioritize your plotting for the earlier section of the event first.

A calendar of events and deadlines is as follows:
IC:
June 10 -
The thessyx arrive with the shell.
June 11 - Dinner with the thessyx, gifts distributed.
June 12 - Scrimmage interrupted by the formation of a sinkhole.
June 14 - Critters emerge from the sinkhole in the gymnasium.
June 13-17 - Two more sinkholes open up, with more critters emerging within the day.

OOC:
June 13 -
Last day to ask about your character interfering with the shell.
June 16 - Last day to ask about your character joining the closed-door meeting with Childe and the thessyx.
June 30 - Last day to register the way your character engages with the thessyx and the critters directly. (Mods do not anticipate replying to these comments.)
❀ UNEXPECTED VISITORS


At noon on June 10, a dozen visitors arrive. The Thessyx carry themselves quietly, moving through the base as if they were attempting to enter a body of water without disturbing it. Lightweight robes of some native skein cover their green-grey amphibian skin, but do not obscure the fact that each of them possesses four arms. Once inside the base and in the leviathan’s embrace, they will lower their hoods and additionally reveal fins of varying colors along the back of their scalps. These creatures have slit noses; wide-set, irisless eyes; and mouths that stretch the full width of their skull. With them, they bring a great shell about three meters long and as tall as a small adult human.

The security force of the Adamant greets the visitors on their entry to camp. These strange amphibious creatures inform the security force that they are the Thessyx, and that the shell is full of gifts. The security force is ordered by Chief Security Officer Rémi to lock the shell away until Captain Childe has had the opportunity to decide what will be done with the contents. If you intend for your character to interfere with the shell in some way, please reach out in the QUESTIONS thread below BEFORE JUNE 13TH — this includes if your character would try to stop others from interfering with it.

Three of their number with blue fins on their head go to speak in a closed-door meeting with Captain Childe. If your character would like to attempt to get access to this meeting, please reach out in the QUESTIONS thread below with an explanation of how they would attempt to do so BEFORE JUNE 16TH.

The next day, more Thessyx arrive, and they will remain on the base for about one week. They move around the camp fairly casually, mingling with the Adamant’s crew. They are particularly interested in the hatchlings. If your character would like to ask specific questions of the Thessyx they encounter, please direct them to the QUESTIONS thread below.

Just before dinner the next evening (June 11), Captain Childe announces that there will be a special celebration in the mess hall, courtesy of their guests — all of their guests. The announcement is as follows, and goes out on the communication devices camp-wide:
I'm sure some of you have noticed the Thessyx walking among us. In light of their arrival and the gifts they've brought with them, we've decided to have a joint celebration in the mess. They have agreed to have guards from their city patrol our perimeter, so everyone has twelve hours off. Attendance isn't mandatory, but it's strongly suggested.

They've brought gifts for our new arrivals as well. These gifts are to be distributed later. I know some of you will think it's unfair that the Thessyx are favoring them, and that in three years of being here this is the first time they've initiated contact with us. Tensions are bound to be high — but the first person who picks a fight is getting thrown in the brig, I don't care if you're a civilian or not. We could all use this break.

Don't offend them. No fish jokes.

Childe out.
At dinner, a few crew members get out their instruments, and Captain Childe even looks the other way when Senior Engineer Thorkil Bjørnson opens up a barrel of the moonshine he’s just finished. It means going without later, but they’ll share some of their modest wealth with the Thessyx. The mess hall is cluttered with revelry, and some of the tables have been pushed together to make room for people to dance.

The feast is made up of various mosses and seaweeds, pickled insects, and a few mollusks. Whether this sounds appetizing or not, it’s the freshest food anyone on the base has had for a while, and it seems it’s only intended for the Children of the Leviathan. Some crew members look on jealously or externalize their bitterness. Others may be pushier — after all, they’ve been providing for the hatchlings out of their own supplies for a while now. Still others will be surprised if any of the hatchlings offer trades or pawn the food off on them preemptively — they may be inclined towards favors and good will.

A few notes:
  • The Thessyx refer to the hatchlings as ‘Children of the Leviathan.’ They do not appear to sleep, nor do they step out from under the leviathan’s embrace when the sun is out. The three blue finned Thessyx who meet with Captain Childe are not the Thessyx’s leaders, only representatives. They prefer to ask the PCs questions about them and where they came from rather than answering questions about themselves.

  • To interfere with the shell, attempt to be involved in the closed-door meeting between Childe and the thessyx, or to ask questions of the thessyx, please visit the QUESTIONS sub-thread. These options have staggered deadlines so that we can account for each stage while responding to the next; these actions of some hatchlings will reflect on others.

  • By JUNE 30TH at 21:00 EST, please respond to the mod comment labeled THESSYX GREETING with a brief description of how your character would greet the Thessyx. Feel free to write multiple characters in a single comment. We just want to check the temperature in the room.

  • ❀ A DISTURBANCE UNDERFOOT

    On June 12th, the thessyx’s visit is disrupted by the appearance of a sinkhole in the gymnasium. The basketball court, which was already in disrepair, suffers the worst of the damage. In the midst of a scrimmage between PCs and NPCs, which the thessyx observe quite rapturously, a 5-meter hole opens in the middle, with concrete and steel and earth crumbling underfoot. Any injured PCs will have their sprains and scratches treated well by the medical team, and the gymnasium will be closed until further notice. Don’t worry! The Adamant’s engineers are on the case, figuring out how the soil’s stability gave way. This could be bad news for the entirety of the basecamp if it’s an ongoing issue. The engineers could probably use some help addressing the issue — to volunteer, reach out to us in the QUESTIONS thread.

    Over the next couple days, two more sinkholes appear — one near the Memorial Wall, and one in the showers (though it thankfully doesn’t seem to have affected the plumbing). Anyone injured by a sinkhole will also have their sprains and scratches treated well by the medical team. Cartagena shares a helpful (“helpful”) PSA about the dangers of sinkholes and how to protect yourself, which is clearly dated and has nothing to do with whatever is going on here on Ethyraia:

    Hello, Children of the Leviathan! Isn’t that a silly name? I guess it’s the most accurate, since you did come from eggs. Soon you will be one month old! Hahaha! Biology can be odd sometimes.

    It’s not just biology, though! Ecology is certainly strange and confusing, and nothing is stranger and more confusing than the ecology of Ethyraia. I’m sure you have all noticed the sinkholes appearing more and more often these days. Do not be alarmed! Not because there is nothing alarming, but because alarm leads to panic and panic leads to more danger!

    For the time being, please follow these helpful tips for sinkholes:
    1. If you see a sinkhole, go the opposite direction.
    2. If you fall into a sinkhole, try not to cry. Instead, yell for help!

    I think these are sufficient enough guidelines to follow, yes?

    Remember, be careful out there! And protect your squishy selves. You never know when you might be useful later. Then it would be a shame if your squishy self was gone. We’d all be very sad. Or most of us. Or some of us. At least me, to the capacity that an AI can be sad.

    Stay safe! Cartagena out.

    On June 14th, the first of the critters emerges from the sinkhole in the gymnasium. These creatures are roughly a meter tall at the shoulder, blind, with enormous clawed forepaws and supernumerary hind-legs that appear shrunken and shrivelled and barely provide function. These creatures have tough, armored hides and truly, truly awful breath. They are capable of tearing through metal with their claws, and small arms fire does nothing to them. Within the day, dozens of them have skittered into the base. They seem as confused and afraid to be in here as the basecamp’s residents are to have them here. However, these are wild animals; they react to their fear with sharp teeth and claws. A few perseverant critters find their way into the cafeteria, sniffing out food, while others can be found gnawing on cables that power the lights for the basecamp.

    Chief Security Officer Rémi will be quick to pursue an extermination plan. The problem is big enough that the PCs are encouraged to help out, and those who volunteer will be quickly accepted, as long as they aren't trying to offer their own bright ideas.

    A few notes:
  • To volunteer to help out with engineering, please visit the QUESTIONS sub-thread.

  • If your character would volunteer to help security exterminate the creatures, or if they would disregard the security force and go after the critters on their own, please let us know in the QUESTIONS thread so we can talk about what this would look like. Rémi isn’t well-known for liking people who subvert the chain of command.

  • By JUNE 30TH at 21:00 EST, please respond to the CRITTER WRANGLING comment with how you vote the critters get dealt with — extermination, rehoming, or something else. If someone has already commented with your characters’ IC preference, please add your +1 under other people’s comments, so it’s easier for us to sort.
  • freightcars: (024)

    [personal profile] freightcars 2021-06-11 01:18 am (UTC)(link)
    Bucky will ignore the fact that he isn't on the security team, and will help exterminate the critters without giving a shit about Rémi's blessing.
    wittingly: (Default)

    [personal profile] wittingly 2021-06-11 01:22 am (UTC)(link)
    Ian will be working with the engineering corps to deal with them there sinkholes. I'm 99% sure this is the right place to say that.
    sunmon: (pic#14850587)

    [personal profile] sunmon 2021-06-11 01:24 am (UTC)(link)
    i'm not claiming that either of my characters would try, but i do feel like i speak for the people when i ask:

    on a scale of 1-10 how fuckable are the aliens?
    cryptoherpetology: (Default)

    [personal profile] cryptoherpetology 2021-06-11 01:35 am (UTC)(link)
    Alex will be polite and respectful to the Thessyx, but will NOT be able to hide his curiosity about them, their biology, how their society might work.
    He'll answer most questions they have for him (minus anything specific about his family members like names or what cities they live in) and try to ask a lot in turn.

    When the critters show up, he'll ask them if they know what the critters are and/or have any experience dealing with them and what they recommend to do with them.
    fortyforged: (Yep)

    [personal profile] fortyforged 2021-06-11 01:35 am (UTC)(link)
    Would the Thessyx have any particular reactions to someone like Banshee, who is obviously not organic? or maybe consider him like a piece of furniture or something.

    Also Banshee will freely give his portion of food feastings to the crew people, priority to those with family.
    cryptoherpetology: (002)

    [personal profile] cryptoherpetology 2021-06-11 01:41 am (UTC)(link)
    Alex is going to want to dissect the first one someone kills to learn what he can about the animal and how it might be best dealt with.

    Given the size he will probably need at least one assistant. I'm sorry.
    fortyforged: (hm)

    [personal profile] fortyforged 2021-06-11 01:42 am (UTC)(link)
    Banshee will be quietly wary about the newcomers, although given how his usual demeanor is, it won't be too much of a difference. Experiences with alien species back home have not been the best, and he might have a few flashbacks because the Fallen back home also have four arms, but at least so far that's all the Thessyx have in common with them. He's aware that all of them are technically the ones who are strangers here, and so long as there's no hostility he otherwise won't have any problems with them, although he'll wonder why the 'children of the Leviathan' are the ones getting priority attention.

    ...and then he'll forget about it.
    neversmall: (Default)

    [personal profile] neversmall 2021-06-11 01:48 am (UTC)(link)
    Nina's gonna be a bit (unsure) at first, but the Thessyx may have answers to questions so given a few minutes she will definitely warm up to them. (She wants to ask them about the giant fish in her dream and get all their names. She also wants to find out how they heard the hatchlings were here to begin with. Such mystery!!) Whether her questions are answered or not won't much impact her demeanor which will be friendly and relatively open about non-essential things from home.
    fossils: (Default)

    [personal profile] fossils 2021-06-11 01:50 am (UTC)(link)
    Steve will approach to ask questions about the Thessyxs, about the Leviathan and their 'hatching', etc etc. He'll offer his own answers in return: his name, where he's from, but anything else will depend on how much they can be persuaded to talk about themselves, and anything they will tell him about the Leviathan.

    He'll also attempt to ask them about the sinkholes, and then the creatures if there's a second for that.
    fossils: (Default)

    [personal profile] fossils 2021-06-11 01:52 am (UTC)(link)
    Dependent on whether or not the Thessyx can be approached about the critters, he will volunteer to help Remi and security, find out if Remi has spoken to the Thessyx first himself about the creatures. If offering to volunteer it's going to be 'I'm asking, but if you tell me no I'm going to do what I can anyway'
    fossils: (Default)

    [personal profile] fossils 2021-06-11 01:57 am (UTC)(link)
    MEETING: Steve will approach Childe about the meeting to argue for one of the new arrivals to be in the meeting. Doesn't have to be him (he'd put Sam forward), but if it's immediately apparent that the Thessyx have interest in them, he'd point out that could help with whatever discussion's about to happen.

    He'll share his food with whoever asks (maybe taste some of it first just to be sure of what he's handing over). He'll also discourage anyone from messing with the shell.

    QUESTION: If they decidedly land on exterminating, does vibranium pierce their hides/can if block their claws?
    wittingly: (Aɴᴅ sʜᴇ sᴄʀᴇᴀᴍs)

    [personal profile] wittingly 2021-06-11 01:59 am (UTC)(link)
    ian's gonna be a little like this:

    → strong aversion of them because trauma
    → recognize that it's xenophobic as fuck
    → try very hard to deliberately shove that down and talk to them
    hey man, how's it going
    you guys come here much
    what's the deal with the whole leviathan thing
    so is ur species originally from this planet

    → still extremely uncomfortable but he sure is doin his best
    → get a little drunk, try again, no astounding breakthroughs
    hey man, you want a drink?
    what's your architecture like
    something chat about engineering maybe

    → h'okay that's enough see you around man just gonna go repress some things nice 2 meet u



    bucky be like

    → squint
    → observe
    → stare
    → have no discernible opinion or feeling one way or another on the outside
    → do some more staring but this time its recreational
    lifetothefullest: (ᴇᴀᴄʜ sʜᴀᴅᴏᴡ ɪ ᴡᴀʟᴋ)

    [personal profile] lifetothefullest 2021-06-11 02:01 am (UTC)(link)
    Lance will be reserved but friendly, and will offer answers to anything asked, but they'll be very surface-level answers unless there's a particularly good reason to be more in-depth. He'll show interest in learning about the Thessyx as well, but won't push for answers--for now--if it seems like they're really disinterested in talking about themselves.
    lifetothefullest: (ɪ'ᴠᴇ ʟᴏᴠᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ɪ'ᴠᴇ ʟᴏsᴛ)

    [personal profile] lifetothefullest 2021-06-11 02:08 am (UTC)(link)
    Lance has no real interest in monster hunting and would actually prefer if maybe they could deal with the poor confused creatures by just relocating them outside, but he's not going to suggest that because lol he can't see that going over well.

    So instead he'll just be helping out in the aid station and not getting involved in the extermination (or whatever else) efforts unless dragged into it.
    unclesam: ((73))

    [personal profile] unclesam 2021-06-11 02:16 am (UTC)(link)
    QUESTIONS
    1 can the sinkholes be explored, do they open to anything immediately? Say, could someone send a nosy drone in there to take a look around, or even, I don't know, fly down the hole and investigate?
    2 can the critters claw through vibranium (shield, wings, arm respectively, if that makes a difference)? Similarly, can vibranium cut through their hides?
    3 can a high powered laser that cuts through steel puncture through the critters' hides? asking for a redwinged friend
    4 can the critters be picked up by people of normal strength levels and supersoldier strength levels respectively? Likewise, could jetpack-thrusters/drone thrusters generate enough force to kick/drag/push/punt the critters?
    5 can people volunteer to Rémi without waiting for his call to arms?

    SHELL
    Sam will not interfere with the shell, but try and stop other hatchlings from interfering with it. That shit seems important, and Sam would rather not aggravate tensions in the camp/give anyone reason to scapegoat the hatchlings.

    MEETING
    -Sam would ask Childe to consider including someone from the hatchlings to attend the meeting as a representative of their little group, much like how the finned thessyx are representatives (rather than leaders), even just as an observer. If the interest in the hatchlings is readily apparently from the get-go, Sam will point that out to strengthen his pitch, as including one or two hatchlings might be advantageous for Childe, too.

    FEAST
    Sam is going to share food with the Adamant people. He'll have some himself so as not to insult the thessyx hopefully, but he has no intentions of not paying the goodwill the hatchlings have been shown back.

    SINKHOLES
    Sam will assist with on-site emergency medical aid as well as recovering anyone who's fallen into a sinkhole by flying down and airlifting them back out.
    lifetothefullest: (ɪ ᴄʟᴜɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴏᴄᴋ)

    [personal profile] lifetothefullest 2021-06-11 02:18 am (UTC)(link)
    Food sharing stuff: He'll try the food both out of curiosity and to be polite, but then will definitely share it with whoever seems interested.

    Particular question for the Thessyx: Lance will ask them their opinions on what they think are the most important things to know about being on this planet.

    Not a question but a comment: Cartagena is my favorite omg.
    unclesam: ((104))

    [personal profile] unclesam 2021-06-11 02:19 am (UTC)(link)
    Sam's going to be interested in talking to the Thessyx. Name and where he's from he shares easily. He will also share about the "Dreaming" portion of the Intro Log, because he wants to know if they can provide answers about the underground lake, the creature he dreamed of, and the lilac mark he found left on his skin after. He'll answer some more questions if he can get insight on that, but he keeps it to non-invasive kinds of information. Either way, he's gonna be casually friendly with them.
    trassel: (Default)

    [personal profile] trassel 2021-06-11 02:34 am (UTC)(link)
    Matthias will be extremely vocal about not killing them as a first resort, if they can just herd them outside or find another place for them — but if neither is possible at all, he will (extremely reluctantly) agree to extermination.
    ulfrkysst: (ou mi galdr maðr áss áss æt)

    [personal profile] ulfrkysst 2021-06-11 03:45 am (UTC)(link)
    Eivor's interpretation of nonhumans is filtered through her religion: she will assume the Thessyx are jotnar, and so she will treat them with a respectful wariness. She won't ask them any questions about themselves and while she will answer their questions, she will give them very guarded answers.

    Claptrap is going to ask really loud, insensitive questions. Why are they not going out during the day? Why are they giving the humans bugs? (It's a joke, right? You can tell him.) Why haven't they, you know, exterminated the humans yet for being an invasive species? Do they like to go swimming. What's it like having four arms. etc etc

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