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šš‚šš¢šš—šššš•ššžšš” š™¼šš˜ššššœ ([personal profile] synfluxmods) wrote in [community profile] synflux2024-09-28 11:36 am

TRAVEL LOG #3

TRAVEL LOG #3


CONTENT WARNINGS: cult-like symbols and implications, abduction.

ā–¶ 001. TARGU MURES AIRPORT.

In the early morning of the 1st, Outsiders will receive a message in their oculars.

"Oh, seriously? You’re putting this on my plate now when I have so much to do? Tch … Outsiders currently caring for Imugi eggs, bring them to the medical bay. I’ll take over for now. Captain Yamakawa needs everyone to report to the hangar right away. There’s been a distress call from a distant land and we’re noticing some strange readings. We need you to go investigate this.

…Put some catnip on my plate, Alex. It’ll be a long night."

True enough, a SPECIAL ALERT will blare through the implants shortly after, asking those who would be willing to help with a distress call to head to the hangar. The reward will be an additional bonus pay, as this seems to be different from detecting a kaiju. There, they will see a familiar sight: the LILITH SKY CRUISER, a spacecraft capable of carrying 80 passengers. There is little time for seat assignments, so seating will be on a first come, first serve basis (hopefully you don’t get the middle seat!) and the flight will last about 10 hours. Just like any aircraft, Outsiders may stand up and walk around once the seatbelt signs turn off. There is inflight entertainment consisting of AI movies or virtual reality games (see TRAVEL LOG #2). Characters with inhuman features are required to wear their cloaking devices.

The plane will touch down at Targu Mures Airport, Transylvania, Romania, which appears to be abandoned and desolate. There isn’t a living soul to be found.

"Most of the country was destroyed decades ago, so there shouldn’t be anyone still living here. Yet, these readings ….. And we can’t ignore that call for help. We’ll need to investigate further. My Angels, go the rest of the way on foot..."


There isn’t a data portal in Romania, and there’s just no way to transport the number of cars needed for over 60 people via plane. Let’s hope you managed to get proper rest on the way here, because the hike will take about 5-6 hours through the dense forest, with the Captain feeding directions through the ocular based on where the kaiju readings are most pronounced.

All teams will be traveling together along a treacherous terrain which will include both harmful flora & fauna. Outsiders can expect to come across brown bears, wolves, European lynx, golden jackal & wild boars. Although the forest is dense, these animals are scarce to come by, but they can appear, especially when the hike takes place at dusk and into the night.

In this time of the year, hay fever is a common occurrence in these forests. Those sensitive to pollen may be sneezing and feeling fatigue through this hike. There will be steep hills, slippery ground and eerie sounds of the night to serenade the Outsiders. It doesn't help that the further they travel, the thicker a dark fog gathers around them, making the surroundings difficult to make out. Everyone will be provided with flashlights, but those with abilities to see in the dark or cast their own light will be encouraged to lead small groups. Everyone is going in the same general direction, but giving each other some space might be helpful. There will be no time to rest, no matter how tired Outsiders may be.

Just when it feels like they might need to trek through the forest forever—is that smoke coming from a fire up ahead?

ā–¶ 002. BRAȘOV, TRANSYLVANIA.

Wander further through the bushes, and behold, it does appear to be smoke—but not from any natural fire. It’s coming from a chimney! The Outsiders will stumble upon the historic region of Brașov, known for its Gothic architecture and medieval towns. Romania has been classified as a desolate region for a very long time, and as far as LILITH is concerned, this city should be completely destroyed and abandoned. Yet, there is smoke coming from the chimneys, fresh laundry hanging on lines and the faint chatter of children playing. There are very clearly people living here, and this has LILITH completely dumbfounded.

"So it’s true … The resilience of humanity cannot be understated. I’ll need to report this to the Commander right away. My Angels, embark on the town. We need to find the source of this distress call and investigate these kaiju readings. I know we’ve had setbacks recently, but I’ve always had my faith in you."


One thing Outsiders will notice when they step into the town is how it appears to be lost in time. The date is still 2278 as far as anyone knows, but there’s no sign of any modern technology—no computers, telephones, or any sign of electricity or plumbing. Each and every house looks like it could have been plucked right out of the 1700s, and there even appear to be horse-drawn carriages parked along the pavements.

The townspeople themselves also look plucked out of time, with the women donning petticoats and aprons, and the men sporting waistcoats and riding boots. They welcome the Outsiders with warmth, delight, and over-the-top hospitality; more than happy to show the visitors around Brasov on their carriages. With how rarely they meet anyone from outside the village, the children are full of curiosity, following the Outsiders around and poking at their technology while bombarding them with questions, such as where did you come from? Do you know how to play any games? What do you like to eat?

Outsiders will be presented with food, clean clothing, and a room to stay at the village inns (2-3 people per room). They are free to roam and explore the village, where they will find taverns, fresh food markets, shops, inns, and a church dedicated to the village god.

One notable aspect of the town is the fact that they appear to have fresh, non-lab grown food. The vegetables taste fresher and are vibrant in color. The meat tastes much richer than it would back in Neo Tokyo. This is owed to the fact that the people of Brasov actually tend to their own farmlands, a lost practice in these times. Venture a little out of the city and you’ll find it: acres of farmland, growing wheat, corn, oats, potatoes, grapes and sunflowers. They even have livestock!

The people of Brasov are more than happy to answer questions about their town and way of living. Outsiders who go around gathering information from the villagers will learn the following:
  • Why is the land so fertile? This is all owed to their benevolent village god, the Lord of the Forest. No one goes hungry because their god takes care of them. Observant Outsiders will see a common symbol plastered around town: a canine skull.
  • There was a distress call. Is everyone okay? The townspeople would respond in confusion and assure the Outsiders that nothing is out of the ordinary. They have been living peacefully for centuries and it’s because their god protects them. They don’t seem to know anything about what’s going on outside their town and the word ‘kaiju’ is lost on them.
  • Who is the Lord of the Forest? The townspeople will sing his praises, telling the Outsiders about how he has been providing for and protecting their town for many years.
  • Where is the Lord of the Forest? He lives in the forest and mountains that surround the village. Sure enough, if the Outsiders look around, they will see they are completely surrounded by foggy forest and mountains as far as the eye can see.
  • Can they go into the forest? The villagers will look worried. While the Lord of the Forest keeps them safe, the forest is still filled with dangerous creatures. Also, the thick fog and trees makes it easy to get lost. Only the most skilled hunters venture out to catch prey like deer and bears. Characters who venture into the woods will get turned around and lost but will eventually find their way back to the village, to which others will reply it is the lord's guidance that brought them back to safety.
Outsiders can do as they please. The villagers are very friendly and will try to accommodate them however possible. There seems to be very little crime in the town and the people look happy. LILITH has been quiet for some time now. Maybe this is a great opportunity to have a well-deserved break? How can you not when the people are so kind and the food looks and tastes so delicious? In fact, the longer that Outsiders stay here, the more some of them may begin to feel like they belong here.

ā–¶ 003. BONFIRE FEAST.

On the night of the 7th, the villagers will knock on doors inviting everyone to a bonfire party! It’s just about time to harvest their crops so food is abundant. They can’t think of any better way to use it than to prepare a feast. The bonfire will be held in the council square. Tables and benches have been set up and an impressive spread of fresh food is laid out for everyone to enjoy. Outsiders can enjoy bread, cheese, fresh pork, stew, roasted chicken, seasonal vegetables and free flowing alcohol. There are live musicians on the scene as well, playing merry tunes on their instruments. Some of the villagers have even started dancing around the bonfire and they’re pulling people in to join them! At the center of the table, a canine skull is placed, and the villagers give thanks to their god before partaking in the food.

Nothing seems out of the ordinary … Full and content, everyone will feel tired and want to retire for the night. Characters that do not need to sleep will also feel tired.

Night passes, and daybreak comes. Outsiders might notice that their numbers have dwindled; certain people have gone missing and are nowhere to be found. There won’t be a trace of the captured Outsiders aside from their belongings that they may have left behind.

The villagers do not seem bothered and everything seems normal in the village. Asking the villagers about these disappearances will result in no answers—they claim to have no clue as to the missing Outsiders' whereabouts. It also won’t be possible to contact them, or even LILITH for that matter. It is almost like communications have been cut off completely and their implants receive weak reception.

Observant characters may notice that a heavy fog has descended upon the village overnight and though it gets better during the day, it never lets up.

Captured Outsiders are as followed:
Aventurine
Choso
Dan Heng
Denji
Ereshkigal
Hiyori Iki
Kabru
Kaga
Lucy/Kaede
Maki Zenin
Makima
Malkuth
Loop
Nanami Kento
Rover
Sampo Koski
Taryon Darrington
Wriothesley
Yzak Jule
Zagreus

ā–¶ 004. THE CHOSEN (KIDNAPPEES ONLY).

A separate log for KIDNAPPEES ONLY can be found HERE.

ā–¶ 005. AFTERWORD.

Welcome to our third travel log!

There are no assigned seats this time, so characters may sit wherever they choose. Inhuman-looking characters will need to wear their cloaking devices so as to not alarm the people of the town. A separate log has been prepared for kidnappees only. An additional prompt will go up for non-captured characters before the kaiju fight. The scheduling will depend on actions in the captive log. We will announce it on plurk.

All tags on this log are worth 2 points and will count towards October AC.



EVENT BREAKDOWN/RECAP (CLICK TO EXPAND)
1. TARGU MURES AIRPORT: There has been a distress signal. Characters caring for eggs must leave their eggs with Dr. Spim and report to the hangar to board their flight. The Outsiders will touch down in Targu Mures Airport, and will need to hike the rest of the way through the forest.

2. BRAȘOV, TRANSYLVANIA: Romania was thought to be a desolate country but one village seems to be thriving. The town of Brasov has historic, medieval architecture and the people seem plucked out of the 1700s. They are friendly, welcoming and curious, having never seen technology like what the Outsiders have. Outsiders are provided free lodgings, fresh clothing, food and water. The villagers raise their own livestock and grow their own food, which is unheard of in these times. They don't know anything about a distress call. All around the village, the symbol of a canine skull can be found. This is the Lord of the Forest, the god of this village whom the villagers worship.

3. BONFIRE FEAST: The villagers invite the Outsiders to a bonfire party where fresh food is abundant. After a night of merrymaking, they find that certain Outsiders have disappeared from their numbers and nobody seems to know what happened to them.

transmit: (pic#17422885)

002

[personal profile] transmit 2024-10-01 03:51 am (UTC)(link)
Let me boost your signal, Doc. If you don't mind doing the official headcount, I can facilitate it for you.
In the interim, I'll add two more to that: Sampo Koski and Wriothesley.

Where are you? We should talk business while we're at it.


[ Notably? Despite his shoddy connection persisting, his messages to and from Elysium arrive instantly. ]
Edited 2024-10-01 03:55 (UTC)
curingidiocy: (pic#17171053)

[personal profile] curingidiocy 2024-10-01 04:18 am (UTC)(link)
[ Elysium was a fieldwork communication specialist. It would make sense that he had some sort of ability that could stabilize weak connections. But that even he could not make contact with those that went missing... it wasn't entirely impossible that they were still out cold. It has only been less than a day since they've vanished, after all. ]

I am at the outskirts, in the area of our entrance into the town. If they've been removed from here, the perpetrators may have left evidence.
transmit: (pic#17400209)

[personal profile] transmit 2024-10-01 04:47 am (UTC)(link)
Better not be by yourself! 5min. Would hate for the guy I'm relying on to also vanish and have to start the count anew.

[ ]

Bad news for both of us, but I can confirm they've been removed in some regard. Cut off might be more accurate for the time being—I can't reach any of them. At all. What I'm trying to figure out is whether they all went missing at the same time. Wriothesley's case was brought up to me first, then I realised Sampo's much later.

To that, we should probably let everyone know we're now officially on an unofficial buddy system basis.
curingidiocy: (talking 3)

[personal profile] curingidiocy 2024-10-01 05:26 am (UTC)(link)
I woke at 5:47 AM; Aventurine was already absent. I attempted to contact him immediately but he never responded.

[ A buddy system would be the best course of action during the day, but evidently they were not afraid of plucking a person right out of the arms of another. ]

We will also need to establish night shifts to prevent further kidnappings. We must gather those who are resting together, while those on watch move as a pair.
transmit: (Default)

[personal profile] transmit 2024-10-01 07:14 pm (UTC)(link)
I agree. We need to act in a way that ensures no one else goes missing while avoiding arousing suspicion. Ideally we consolidate ourselves to one location to fix the issue of communication… but it's possible that all that will do is put the rest of us on one convenient chopping block.

[ Lo and behold, Elysium appears, wearing his usual easy smile. Tucked under his arm is his signal booster—a flag, casually carried as if it's just another part of his effortless charm. ]

Hiya. How's your reception now?

[ Nyoom! Any messages that Ratio's been struggling to get out save for the unfortunate one find their recipient. By the by, any he might get a torrential downpour of notifications that have been struggling to get through, too. Including another very curious one from Elysium: ]

… I'm not going to stay for long since I need to see if there are any areas I might be able to get through, but we should figure out the issue of how many first and some kind of game plan.
curingidiocy: (pic#17171060)

[personal profile] curingidiocy 2024-10-02 01:43 am (UTC)(link)
[ A flag... how curious. The scholarly side of him is curious as to how his ability works, but—there's a time and a place for that. And almost immediately, he is barraged by messages, which he quickly flicks through while speaking to Elyisum. ]

It has greatly improved. You have my gratitude.

[ And then he reads Elysium's last message and... hm. ]

If you are searching for an area that might connect you to our lost companions, I can accompany you. However, as you've said, let us first determine who is missing and what we must do to protect ourselves while we search for their whereabouts.
transmit: (Default)

[personal profile] transmit 2024-10-02 02:41 am (UTC)(link)
It's really no big deal to facilitate communications like this. Any time.

[ Except… ]

… Say. Let's keep as many of the details as we can between us on our implants. From what I can tell… nothing's intercepting our communications. Only blocking it.

Otherwise, there's no telling who—or what—might be listening. For as long as we can, we should keep playing nice.
curingidiocy: (pic#17171038)

[personal profile] curingidiocy 2024-10-02 03:29 am (UTC)(link)
[ Ah. This is like Penacony all over again. Putting up an act to deceive any who may be keeping an eye on them... there may be no black ravens watching this time, but Elysium is correct.

He's losing his touch, and it annoys him more than he'd like to admit. He exhales deeply. Maybe he's the one who is having trouble holding on, this time.
]

Any hypothesis as to what may be interfering with our communications?

[ At the same time: ] Very well. I share your sentiment, but our more reckless colleagues may act before we can control the situation.

So far, I have confirmed at least ten missing. My current hypothesis is that we consumed soporific agents through the food provided to us at the feast yesterday evening, which means we will have to schedule meals in addition to night shifts.
transmit: (Default)

[personal profile] transmit 2024-10-02 05:47 am (UTC)(link)
[ Any situation involving other Outsiders will always end up hitting a little closer to home… He gets it. With their last interaction involving physical contact in mind, he'd give Ratio a shoulder bump if they were closer, but instead, he'll offer him an encouraging smile. ]

If I had to distinguish the one difference between yesterday and today… it'd be the type of fog. But it's too early to say anything with certainty. What do you think?

… still, it could just as easily be a coincidence or a red herring. It's only been the first day of our communication lines being on the fritz, so we shouldn't knock out all the possibilities just yet.

Coordinating such a large group is bound to lead to some oversights, but we can at least do our best to minimise any potential damage! As for the food situation…

… The cost of feeling particularly rested today, huh? Haha. Lucky for us that there's plenty of game and fish out there in the forest. A little sleight of hand here, a little sleight of hand there… they'll never know where their meal actually ends up! Probably. Any chance you can do an analysis, Doc? I don't doubt our food being laced with something, but I can't help but shake that there's something more supernatural going on, too. We are, after all, dealing with kaiju. Remember the worm?
curingidiocy: (thinking)

[personal profile] curingidiocy 2024-10-03 12:05 am (UTC)(link)
[ It doesn't help that it's his lover that has gone missing, but it's all the more reason that he must remain calm and keep his mind sharp. That's why he currently appreciates Elysium's presence. He is helping the scholar get back on track. ]

I agree with that assessment, though we should not rule out other options.

Given that some of the townspeople are capable of navigating the forest [ the hunters ], perhaps a communication interference device was set up during our slumber.

I can attempt to analyze our meals, but without any lab equipment, it will be difficult to confirm my theory.

That is also a possibility. Given the varied constitutions among Outsiders, soporifics should not have affected everyone in the same manner. If it were a kaiju influencing us, however...


[ They already have evidence that kaiju can affect everyone equally, regardless of what they may be. ]
transmit: (pic#17423303)

[personal profile] transmit 2024-10-03 04:43 am (UTC)(link)
Right-o. Walk with me? I haven't had much of a chance to stretch my legs today.

[ see if they can catch anyone doing something odd, he means. he doubts they will, but walking is another way of clearing the mind. ]

The real worry's if there's more than just soporifics agents in whatever they're feeding us.

Maybe when we're back on base we can add putting together a travel chem kit and whatever else to our list of priorities. Seeing as these missions have us out on the field more often than not, you might as well prove that those muscles aren't just for show while you're at it.
curingidiocy: (pic#17171049)

[personal profile] curingidiocy 2024-10-04 02:46 am (UTC)(link)
Very well. I shall accompany you.

[ That was Ratio's original intention, so he is glad to have another pair of eyes on the lookout with him. ]

I had intended to do so originally, but will admit certain matters ended up distracting me. [ He means the incident with Godzilla blowing up his room... ] I could not fully replenish the supplies I usually bring with me as well.

[ It might not look like Ratio is carrying anything on him at the moment, but with a small flourish, he materializes a bottle of water and a few of the sawdust ration bars from out of nowhere and holds them out to Elysium. ]

Here.

You will no doubt be on your feet for quite a while, so take these. They are from Neo Tokyo, so you can trust that they are uncontaminated by any soporific or other substance.
Edited 2024-10-04 02:48 (UTC)