TRAVEL LOG #6

[synfluxmods]

TRAVEL LOG #6

CONTENT WARNINGS: sickness, insects/bugs, rift poisoning, mutated animals, poison (and poisonous creatures), blood offerings.

▶ 001. ¡Vamos!

As much as one might want to take things easy and continue to recover from an eventful summer, LILITH's objective continues. Early in August, an alarm blares and everyone will get a call through their implants to come for debriefing. Yamakawa will explain they have received a request from Mexico City for support. Unusual rift activity has been confirmed in the region and they are asking for support to prepare for imminent conflict. Who knows what could await here?

Fortunately, the request is from their LILITH branch and all facilities are operational. It will be easy to use a data portal for easy access. As with all data portals, the Outsiders will be warned of potential side effects that may come from traveling great distances. Side effects include nausea, headaches, dizziness, and occasional glitching with their cybertech. All effects should wear off within 24 to 48 hours. If symptoms last longer, they are urged to seek meditech assistance in Mexico City to receive stabilizers. Like before, Outsiders will be told that making physical contact with one another by any means during transportation can reduce the risk of feeling any side effects, whether it be an embrace or holding hands... or attempting to strangle someone if you're a hater (looking at you, Silco.)

Due to warping, they will be limited to taking only what they can carry. Those who wish to take larger items will have to wait a few days for them to be gradually transported by air or industrial warp portals. Yamakawa and the rest of the staff in Tokyo will tell everyone not to worry because Mexico City has excellent infrastructure to facilitate their transportation needs.

Everyone will be given 24 hours to pack and prepare for departure. Before they leave, Dr. Spim and Alex will inform them of a promising research opportunity under the guidance of a colleague, Dr. Flores. Dr. Spim will share a verification code with them to show to Dr. Flores if they are interested in assisting. 

After 24 hours, everyone will be ordered to warp to Mexico City. In an instant, the Outsiders will find themselves at the LILITH base in Mexico City.

▶ 002. SKYSCRAPERS AND TREES.

An officer by the name of Morales will greet them and introduce herself as their point of contact. She'll give everyone a debrief file to download through their implants to instantly get them up to speed. Along with the unusual rift activity, the population has started to show symptoms that have given them cause for concern. Many people are falling ill, becoming lethargic, and demonstrating explosively angry, violent, and otherwise acting out. The longer it goes on, the more people are affected, and it’s starting to cause more trouble in the city itself as infrastructure fails.

When they leave the base, they will find themselves in the warm, humid, and very green metropolis of Mexico City. Over the years, the forests and jungles of the region have swallowed up many towns and cities, leaving the city completely surrounded by forest. The locals have embraced their environment over many years while modernizing, resulting in the city having a mix of cyber technology and nature. Mexico City and the rainforest around it almost seems to be one living, thriving being. The plants naturally shade the hot sidewalks, and people have created a large number of filtered reservoirs that the rainforest thrives from. The large canopies are half as high as the remaining skyscrapers, but most buildings are built underneath the treeline, leaving most thriving underneath the shady canopy.

Outsiders may see some "new" animals such as real hummingbirds, butterflies, macaws, and iguanas with unique traits like neon designs and unusual sizes. They say there are even more animals and variants in the jungle. Beware of certain birds and insects that make locals sick when they come in contact with their dropped pollen. In the same vein, some of the flowers and plant life seem to also show rift mutations, but for the most part, most locals seem unbothered by these, and if Outsiders ask, they’ll be informed that they’ve been like that for a long time, and were never of any concern.

Outsiders can also meet with Dr. Flores, a LILITH researcher who is studying the effects of Rift poisoning and how to counter them. He theorizes that some plants may have evolved to purify the air or treat Rift sickness. In fact, his team has been treating some of these new rift poisoning cases with a trial drug that has had promising results. However, supplies are very limited and he needs help collecting more plants from the forest. In addition, he needs help catching some of the animal carriers so he can understand the nature of the poison they are carrying. He will ask for help capturing butterflies, bees, beetles, and hummingbirds.

▶ 003. THE FUTURE WILL BE GREEN.

The Outsiders will be given orders to visit areas that have unusual Rift readings. By now, anyone with large items from Tokyo should have them but for those who do not have vehicles, LILITH Mexico will supply them with jeeps to navigate the dense jungles. LILITH Japan will assist local agents who are exploring the south of the city. Outsiders will also be given an additional file to download that will give them a run-down of the area, including the plants, animals, known paths, and key landmarks.

The journey through the jungle is not easy. While there are access roads, they have suddenly become overgrown with plantlife, and it is increasingly hostile. They will have to get out and clear the path in some places. As they head deeper into the jungle, the plant life becomes more wild and shows signs of mutation. They will find vines that grow quickly in front of their eyes, blocking their paths as quickly as they had cleared them, and they are becoming increasingly dangerous with spined, poisonous vines, wild roving carnivores like jaguars, and large predatory birds that will divebomb outsiders as they progress deeper into the forests. Luckily, if they make it deep enough, the locals will help them find the easiest and safest routes to travel.

Some of these roads might lead them to former cities and towns. These towns have been completely overgrown by plantlife and are largely abandoned save for some stubborn families that refused to leave their homelands and some researchers. They are largely friendly and will help the Outsiders and agents who decide to rest on their journeys. 

They may be able to scavenge for supplies like old emergency rations, blankets, and pieces of technology that were left behind decades ago. But be careful! Since these areas have been taken over by nature, they may run into common regional kaiju like mutated wild dogs, monkeys, and even jaguars. 

▶ 004. NATURE FINDS A WAY.

The kaiju and mutated plants aren't the only thing they need to watch out for in the forest. While traveling, some outsiders might find a regular jaguar attacking a mutated macaw kaiju and winning. It seems that while some animals have mutated into kaiju to survive, other animals have simply evolved to compete with them. As outsiders progress into the forest, at first the local fauna will attack if anyone gets close to them, but the deeper outsiders go, the more the creatures give them a wider berth, and won’t attack. If you see a local, non-corrupted creature deep in the woods, chances are it will watch or flee, rather than attack.

Outsiders will be warned to be careful of poisonous frogs both regular and mutated. These frogs are often a sign that pitcher plants are nearby. These plants have evolved to be large enough to swallow a large animal or person if one gets too close. For the most part, these pitcher plants are stationary but some may use their leaves or nearby wild vines to trip unsuspecting prey into their flower.

These aren’t the only plants that outsiders can encounter as they venture deeper into the forest. The deeper they go, the more frequently rift-corrupted pollinators are found swarming some of the large, rift-corrupted flowers, and as soon as their legs or beaks are laden, they fly off, only to be replaced by more. They aren’t great carriers, so pollen drifts on the wind. Outsiders should keep their rift-protection up, because the pollen causes rift-corruption along with other side effects such as: violent tendencies, explosive anger, and insatiable appetites (of any kind). The pollinators will escape deeper into the forest. If an outsider follows, please let the mod team know!

▶ 005. THERE WERE ONCE CITIES.

As Outsiders travel further into the jungle where civilization has a harder and harder time taking root, they instead find remnants of those that came before. There are buildings in the lush jungles, but they’re truly ancient. Sometimes, the stonework stands out and is easy to find, but at other times, the buildings are completely overgrown with vines and flowers that will take extra effort to explore. Regardless of which kind they find, the carved, geometric artwork makes it clear that these are ruins from Aztec and Mayan cultures.

Exploring the ruins will reveal very little in the way of ancient treasures (or rolling boulder traps), since anything that could be taken was already looted long ago. They’ll make suitable shelter for the forest, at least, since curiously, the more dangerous elements don’t seem to enter. In fact, they very specifically stay away.

Each set of ruins also includes one building that stands above all others. Ascending the tall pyramids will lead to a central, round room at the apex that are all united in its details, even if they’re clearly done at different times. The ceiling is dotted as a starscape, and at the center is a painted, black circle. Underneath this lays what’s clearly an altar. The altar has a depression in its center and a channel that leads down its side, as if it’s expecting liquid.

OFFERING: THE BLOOD OF OUTSIDERS AND HUMANS:

No matter the amount, characters immediately feel lightheaded, as if they’d given a large portion of blood (even if they’re not giving their own).

Within 24 hours, an unusually patterned bruise will appear somewhere on their body.

Characters who make this sacrifice will swap abilities with each other, but will notice that their newfound abilities are notably weaker than if the original owner still had them.

OFFERING: THE BLOOD OF ANIMALS:

Characters become more connected to the animals of the forest.

They will take on one feature of a local animal, such as lightly poisonous skin, improved night vision, or ears/tail.

They’ll also find they can talk to their related animal.

OFFERING: ... OTHER BODILY FLUIDS...?:

The altar is disappointed in you.

There is no other effect.

OFFERING: WATER/PLANT SAP:

Characters become more connected to the forest.

Skin takes on a greenish tint, and they’re able to minorly control plants.

They’ll feel like they can commune with the forest, and will be able to telepathically talk with any others who make this offering.

OFFERING: ANYTHING ELSE (ANY OTHER MATERIALS):

There is no effect.

▶ 006. AFTERWORD.

Welcome to our sixth travel log! Below, you will see the link to the MONSTER DEBRIEF SHEET post that has information about the kaiju below along with OFFERING EFFECTS. Fill out the form for RNG Attacks and whether you would like to receive an OFFERING EFFECT. This should give characters some ideas for the status of their character in the next log, which will have more action and monsters in it.

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

EVENT BREAKDOWN/RECAP (CLICK TO EXPAND)

1. VAMOS!: Outsiders travel to Mexico after receiving a request for support as there has been unusual rift activity in the area. A portal is avaliable to take Outsiders to the location, but are advisted to travel light.


2. SKYSCRAPERS AND TREES: LILITH officer Morales greets outsiders and explains the situation: civillians have begun to grow sick and strange animals have begun to appear. A LILITH researcher is theorising that plants have evolved to purify the air. He requests help catching creatures for research.


3. THE FUTURE WILL BE GREEN: Outsiders are tasked with visiting areas with odd Rift readings. They will be required to journey through the jungle, finding overgrown towns and cities, scavenge supplies, while being wary of native creatures.


4. NATURE FINDS A WAY: Regular animals are fighting against kaiju and winning; local fauna attacks anyone who gets close, and poisonous frogs attack. The deeper Outsiders go, the more dangerous it becomes.


5. THERE WERE ONCE CITIES: Deep in the jungle, an ancient ruin can be found. Outsiders are able to make "offerings" at an altar for various effects, depending on the offering.

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Comments

[zauneyete]

No.

[ He pulls out a cigar instead, clips it, and lights it. All with his hand. Thanks, Tezca. 💖 ]

If anyone is going to know this place well enough, I suppose it would be you. I assume it's different than... the one you know. Same mold, different wear?

[ It's what he would expect, anyway. Even as he puffs a wide plume of smoke into the air, to the screeching protest of a parrot that ruffles its feathers before flying away. ]

[fursuit]

[ 😘 ]

Yeah, pretty much. Like, the city changed a lot from its heyday when we called it Tenochtitlan instead. It was a city on a lake. Pretty spectacular, honestly. But then the Spanish fucked all that up and pretty much drained it. So, it’s nice to see the canals back. Not the same, exactly, but it’s similar.

[ And there’s a small, uncharacteristically fond smile as he looks at the water they’re walking by. It really is something that’s nice to see, and he respects that this Mexico City of the future returned to its roots. He can only imagine how Hummindbird would feel. Like, he’s been joking that he doesn’t want to go back to Japan after this, but if she were here? Yeah, no. She’d mean it. ]

—But that ain’t the kind of reminiscing we’re doing today.

[ In fact, he turns, and away from the canals they go. It looks like there’s a plaza ahead, and Tezcatlipoca nods. That’s what he was hoping. ]

We’re doin’ some personal history instead. That interests you more than city planning, right?

[zauneyete]

[ A chuff of a half-laugh, tinged with cigar smoke. ]

Oh, slightly more, I suppose. I don't mind city planning, either.

[ But that's just because if there's one thing he's been doing, it's been city planning, organization planning, putting Zaun together and making it into something big, and functional, and when they have their independence, he's going to —

Ah. Well.

Perhaps the personal history his better. There's a slight turning down of his lips as he considers, puffing at his cigar. His mind the personal reminder of his future, however long he has when he returns. He only closed his eye for a half-moment, before he nodded, redirecting his thoughts. Tezcatlipoca's stories were interesting, and often...

Well. He didn't mind them, really. The stories. Even the questions he asked, targeted though they seemed. ]

So? This is the city of your people, yes? I still remember what it looked like, when you showed it to me. [ Tezcatlipoca had shown him what he looked like then. Like something feral and from this place.

Now he looks like any other outsider. Different. Foreign. Standing out. Though he still fits, the comfort, the way the world seems to fit to him. He both fits, and stands separate from it. Maybe he had then, too, but Silco didn't have the context for how like he does now. ]

[fursuit]

[ He chuckles, since hell, with how his luck is going lately, maybe Hummingbird will show up and he can really put that to the test. She’d have strong opinions about Zaun for sure, and she would probably even have some pretty good ideas for him. Though, she’d also probably hate how he’d go about it…

Yeah, that seems pretty funny, just like how he imagines Daybit and Silco are getting along. One can hope. It’d be more fun than Izcalli, that’s for sure.

But he nods and focuses on the other part of the conversation. That’s more relevant to their trip today anyways. ]

Yep. Mexico City is still pretty damn different from Tenochtitlan, but the bones are the same. That’s why it’s easy for me to get around, partly. All feels familiar. Back in the height of my power, I’d descend to Earth just to wander around the city and see how the people were doing personally. Also helped people behave when there was the fact that their almighty god could pop by for a visit whenever he felt like.

[ There’s a sly smile at that, and it really does sound more like Silco’s kind of business with how he sounds. It’s much less a benevolent god doting on the people than it is a local thug dropping by a place they’re extorting… ]

…What do you think? Prefer the version of old or this new one?

[zauneyete]

[ It really does sound more like how Silco does business, and the way his eyes slide from the buildings to Tezca, and then the way his lips curl into the slightest of sharp smiles... he most certainly agrees. ]

Oh, they never quite act out when they know you can stop by at anytime, isn't that right?

[ Hah. Yeah, alright. That did sound like his kind of involvement. ]

I think, though, I preferred the old over the new. This is too...

[ His head tipped, and he looked at one of the buildings. There's no... grime. No sludge. Not just in the sense of pollution, but... ]

There's no sharp edges, here. The people... they have it too easy.

[ As always, to Silco. This type of living was too prosperous for him to feel comfortable. ]

[fursuit]

Well, not never. There’s plenty of people that didn’t really take the stories all that seriously. Like, if you heard that as a kid would you?

[ It’s a rhetorical question. He knows Silco wouldn’t. That’s why there’s no pause to wait for the answer. ]

But honestly? Kinda funny, when you think about it, since it was something they imposed on themselves more than anything I suggested. Like, if I showed up and they were praisin’ Quetzalcoatl, you think I’d actually do anything? Hell no. Non-interference, remember?

[ Like, there were probably some things he’d feel inclined to correct… But not many. He’s strong on the idea of letting people figure things out for themselves. It’s also why he laughs at Silco’s judgement, and he turns to walk the last little bit backwards while they make it to the square. The square itself looks old—much older than the other architecture—albeit restored over time. ]

…Though, really? No sharp edges, even with how people are getting’ sick and violent?

[zauneyete]

No, probably not.

[ He admits, begrudgingly. Hell, he barely believes in the stories they tell them in general. They can spout about 'Janna' all they want, but Silco sees it for what it is — a lie to tell children to keep them complacent and quiet. ]

They're experiencing something now. That's sudden. A fluke, even.

[ He points at the closest balcony, where the plants are overflowing, as they pass into the square, away from where people are living. ]

The sharp edges I expect are the result of generations. This place looks like it's been thriving for some time, up until the Kaiju came.

[fursuit]

Now, I’d have some arguin’ to do with you there normally, but here? Dunno. They had a few centuries since the time I’m familiar with, so, yeah, maybe those sharp edges got worn away. But back in the day? You’d love Mexico, promise.

[ After all, the scars left by colonialism were still very recent even back in 2019. There’s plenty of places in his country that Silco would have been perfectly at home, save for the fact that it was all above ground. Nowadays, he’s not sure, but he’s also not terribly invested in finding out.

They’re focused on the past for this excursion, after all, which is why he stops in the middle of the plaza. He looks around like he’s orienting himself, and with a “yeah, about there” he walks over to Silco to start to push him into place like he’s setting up a stage. He doesn’t explain it yet, naturally, but it’s putting him on a small platform. ]

Who knows? Maybe kaiju will shake thing up. It’s a good kind of strife, at least.

[zauneyete]

[ Yeah, Silco would fuckin' love real!modern Mexico City, we know he would. ]

It's better than having everything handed to them.

[ He says, letting Tezcatlipoca push and nudge him around and into place. What a lucky god he is, to get to move him around at his leisure and as he wishes. Silco doesn't even complain, other than a grumbled: ]

I can move there myself.

[ Still some complaining. As if he could help it. ]

So are you going to show me a bit of that place?

[fursuit]

[ Tezcatlipoca lets the topic go, since now the stage is satisfyingly set. Silco is up on the slight, crumbled dais, and Tezcatlipoca nods as he steps back. He looks at it like he’s framing a photo and then leans down to pick up a stone. ]

You’re already there, bossman.

[ It might make the stone seem more threatening, but luckily, Tezcatlipoca has zero confidence that Silco would actually be able to stop the stone. It would be pure luck, since this acolyte is more on the poet side of “warrior-poet”. If it were anyone else, though? Yeah, he’d absolutely try and bean them just for the experience of it. ]

Imagine it taller, though. Doesn’t seem like this part of the city has been as well-preserved. Or nature is winning the battle, I guess.

[ He tosses the rock up casually in his hand, just catches it. ]

—And you’re surrounded by your people. They’re all pissed. What’re you feeling?

[zauneyete]

[ Silco stands there.

He looks down at Tezcatlipoca. The god has a stone in hand. Stoned to death. He remembered.

There is something to this. Silco is not one for putting himself into another's shoes, but he somehow can't help it, standing there. He remembered the city Tezcatlipoca had shown him once, and he imagines it now. He closes his eye, and he breathes, as if he could imagine that he was smelling an ancient city, and not a modern one.

More than one person, all of them with stones. All of them ready to tear him down.

He could see it, because he's stared at people who wanted to beat him down. It wasn't his people, but it could have been. He'd been prepared for that, one of his contingencies for when he would depose Vander. It could have been him here. It could have been Vander here.

He would have preferred that. ]

Same mistake? [ He asked, as if he had to ask. ]

Anger.

[ He says simply, automatically. Of course he would. Is Silco not an artifice of rage?

But he pauses. He isn't done, clearly. ]

Disappointment. [ A twitch of his lips. Montezuma, he'd said, had bargained and gambled. It hadn't gone well.

He pauses, he considers. ]

Fear.

[fursuit]

[ Good. The way that Silco takes this all in is what he’d hoped, though he hadn’t expected differently. Silco may not be a godly man, but he at least took Tezcatlipoca’s divine lessons seriously, which is all he really asks for. There’s really only one god that Tezcatlipoca would be sour about Silco adulating, and it’s the capital-G God. Luckily, no worries there. ]

Same mistake.

[ He confirms it with a nod and waits for Silco’s verdict. Plural, as it turns out, and even that feels like progress. The anger makes sense. So does the fear. But he’s curious. ]

What’s the disappointment?

[ He can guess, of course. But he wants to hear it from Silco himself. ]

[zauneyete]

[ Yeah Silco becoming Born Again aint happenin' lucky for the both of them. ]

Hm.

[ He'd expected an answer from Tezcatlipoca, not more questions, but he received questions all the same. He considered it further.

Or really; considered how to answer. ]

He made a gamble, didn't he? Tried to bargain to save his people? The disappointment is that it didn't work. That in the end, his choice was incorrect.

[ A beat, and then more astutely: ] If there was ever a correct choice at all.