TRAVEL LOG #3

[synfluxmods]

TRAVEL LOG #3

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

▶ 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?

▶ 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.

▶ 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

▶ 004. THE CHOSEN (KIDNAPPEES ONLY).

A separate log for KIDNAPPEES ONLY can be found HERE.

▶ 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.

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Comments

002 - outside

[kubricks]

It's more comfortable indoors.

[She's noticed him outside but waited a couple of days before saying something. To see if he'd continue keeping watch or eventually head inside. But since the latter hasn't happened, she figured she'd approach.]

That aside, I don't think almost passing out propped up against a wall is helping things much.

[At least she doesn't think so.]

[30storieshigh]

[ Technically Godzilla sees her coming, but since she's a trusted ally his half asleep mind doesn't pay much mind to sighting her with his one open eye. The big guy is actually snoring when Makima approaches, only grunting to wakefulness when she speaks up. ]

I have not passed by anything, I am simply resting an eye.

[ That's not what passed out means but hey idiom and figures of speech are still a problem for him.

He yawns and pushes himself off the wall that's been his support post, stretching out his back and causing something to pop quite satisfyingly. ]

Let the others stay indoors, too many have left their caution in this place. I shall remain out here, it is easier to see the local denizens this way.

[kubricks]

[No argument about whether or not he's resting his eyes or sleeping here. She supposes she could, but the thought to do so passes.]

And have you noticed anything while keeping watch?

[Seems more important than poking fun at him for sleeping on the job (sort of) if you ask her. This place is weird, Makima won't argue otherwise. She doesn't feel particularly wary of it, but there's little out there that does that. So her view on it is basically the town and its people are...weird.]

[30storieshigh]

[ The big guy scratches the spot behind his ear he usually does. The whole watch thing slightly makes him feel better but it hasn't exactly panned out overly much. ]

The humans here do not deviate from their schedule. No walks in the evening, no clandestine meetings of secret courtship, it is as if the village is full of the dead.

[ A shrug. ]

Otherwise I have noticed little else. A feeling of being watched, though that is to be expected. The being that posses as deity here as likely been watching since the moment we entered its territory.

[kubricks]

I don't know if I'd compare them to the dead for not having much of a nightlife...

[In some respects, she thinks they're actually less livelier than the dead she's run into before.]

That said, it is very strange. There's a number of films I'm reminded of, but I doubt any of them have a particular relevance here.

[Life isn't a movie, no matter how much she feels like she's wandered onto the Universal Monsters backlot during her stay here.]

Regarding that feeling of being watched though...that's new. I wouldn't say anything we've seen before here has shown that level of cunning.

[30storieshigh]

Films? I confess a general unfamiliarity. Though all fiction stems from some kernel of truth, best not discount them fully.

[ Legends do at least and that's the kind of fiction he's most familiar with. ]

Indeed. It has been my understanding that until the Imugi the packs have not faced any beings of true intelligence, just hungry beasts. The strangeness of this place speaks of intent, the Imugi's directed cruelty illustrates kaiju can be as intelligent as any human.

[ A pause as he glances out towards the forest in the distance, chewing the inside of his cheek while he considers it. ]

Kaiju or some other being. This is some intelligence's territory. Too much structure, too much prosperity for it to merely be superstitions. Humans with only superstition to guard them would have fallen prey to this world generations ago.

[kubricks]

And this would be quite the step up from the Imugi seeking vengeance before…

[Though she doesn’t buy the idea of something else. It’s likely a kaiju, she thinks there’s little reason to think otherwise. If things here were more otherworldly, she’d be willing to consider the possibility, but at this point it seems unlikely to her.

Still, for a kaiju, the quaint village backdrop would be...odd. And the villagers seem more...themselves than the people controlled before. It suggests to her complicity rather than compulsion, though she knows sometimes these things aren’t as clear-cut as they appear.

It’s all so very odd, but she’ll leave it be for the time moment, not sure how much voicing these thoughts would actually do any good.]

As to films...I’d be happy to show you one after we get back. It’s a form of entertainment humans have created, you might enjoy them?

[Or not? She's not quite sure if he would. And not that Makima knows this at the moment, but she might not exactly be in the mood for a movie when all is said and done.]

[30storieshigh]

This puts forth the inquiry in one's mind. Are the kaiju growing in capability or has removing the more feral of their numbers encouraged those of intelligence to make themselves known?

[ He pauses as he considers that. It almost makes sense. Feral kaiju being picked off means the intelligent ones might make moves to expand their territory. Perhaps the previous ones defeated by the Outsiders freed up enough space on the planet that it encouraged the Imugi to reproduce? And going off this, does it not make it more likely that this perfect little village is a trap laid by some kaiju? Why else would it be so welcoming to total strangers?

Thinking it to death is not going to do them any good however. All they can do is stay on guard and track down the source of the signal, though even that seems to be steadily forgotten by some of the others. How vexing. ]

Film though, this is a more pleasant prospect. I have dabbled of course, with the agent of the triple digits, they were quite interesting accounts. [ A world where he could be watching classic kaiju movies, where showa era toho-films or close knock-offs probably exist, and Godzilla watches Bond flicks. Go figure. ] I would accept your offer. Studying more of human fiction shall only help my understanding of their current culture. Let us mark the day of it, yes?

[kubricks]

Sure, we can do that.

[A nod there, she's happy to show him something besides...what she thinks are Bond movies. Only triple digit agent she can think of anyways.]

I like thinking about that better than the question of if our opposition is getting better or if the more intelligent ones have been laying in wait all along.

[Though it's a question that needs addressing one way or the other. And she's not exactly a stranger to the latter though seeing it with the creatures here would certainly cause her to maybe reevaluate a few things.]

I imagine we'll have an answer by the end of this.

[30storieshigh]

[ Yes Makima, Godzilla has been watching Bond. He does not understand the appeal of martinis shaken, stirred, or otherwise, but the explosions are entertaining. Anyway... ]

Indeed we shall. I do not expect it to be a pleasant answer, things have oft gone against our favor since my arrival.

[ He shakes his head with a sigh. ]

Yet it matters little in the end. Our enemy will die the same as any other, our packmates will be found, and we shall return to our lair to rest. All shall be well, I am certain.

[ There's a prediction that will age like milk... ]

[kubricks]

Oh don't worry, we've had trouble since before you got here. Las Vegas was bothersome...not as bad as things with the imugi, of course, but I think that's where things started going awry.

[At least for her anyways. She’ll probably bear a grudge against that worm monster for the remainder of her time here.]

But I’m sure we’ll get through things regardless.

[She says that now but...no, there’s probably a good chance she’d still say something like that after what she goes through after the bonfire. Though she’ll likely reevaluate her list of least favorite missions afterwards.]