etrayalogs | MISSION 005 (part 1)

WHO: Everyone!
WHEN: September 13th-September 27th
WHERE: Throughout Etraya
WHAT: Mission Log!
NOTES\WARNINGS: Horror elements, including fear-inducing landscapes, distorted environments, unseen predators, mental/emotional distress, potential body horror, corruption, possession, brainwashing, and compulsion.

⏵ reality bends ⏴
A strange anomaly has overtaken Etraya. The skies, once familiar, now shift unpredictably, cycling through hues of unnatural colors as an eerie hum fills the air. Tension crackles beneath the surface, leaving an unsettling heaviness across the land. Aurora’s mission announcement offers little clarity—more cryptic than comforting—and she remains unavailable for further explanation.

Reality begins to warp, twisting Etraya into a surreal, haunting reflection of its former self.

The hospital deteriorates into a decaying structure, its halls haunted by phantom patients, endless corridors leading to nowhere. Rooms morph into massive white padded cells where characters may find themselves imprisoned, alone with spectral figures who whisper of treatments yet to come. Some of these apparitions seek the attention of those roaming the hospital, warning them of a dire fate: failure in this mission means not just the death of their worlds, but their souls becoming trapped in this fractured reality, far from home, forever.

The forest transforms into a dark and twisted labyrinth. The trees close in, their branches twisting unnaturally as unseen predators howl from the shadows. Narrow pathways wind through the maze, and while some may navigate unscathed, others will be violently pulled into the depths by horrors lurking just out of sight. Within this twisted forest, a small cottage appears, its walls echoing eerie whispers: "little scorpion," "selfish bitch," and "by the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes."

The rivers, usually calm, have become a dangerous, volatile force. Their waters churn violently, and inky black tendrils rise from the depths, lashing out at anyone who strays too close. These dark appendages drag their victims beneath the surface, where those who resist must battle their way to freedom. But those who surrender will be drawn into an otherworldly dome beneath the water, surrounded by strange fish, far from where they should be. Inside, they will find an eerie stillness, but their earpieces still allow contact with the world above. A large mirror dominates the dome, offering an uncertain way back.

⏵ shadowy haunts ⏴
Those inside the zones come face to face with an echo of fear - a personalized manifestation of what scares them most. It could be an oppressive figure from their past, or something more abstract, such as the feeling of failure, or isolation. These echoes are relentless, feeding off their weaknesses and digging into what makes them most vulnerable.

The Im'mari hungers, and preying on characters' weaknesses appears to be its chosen way of feeding itself. While characters may become stuck in their nightmares by themselves, some of these nightmares are shared between companions. Characters may become trapped within their friends' fears, or strangers'. However, the emotional distress felt by the individual the nightmare belongs to will affect everyone within the nightmare. An emotional prison built to torment those whom it belongs to, these echoes of fears may test the bond between companions, forcing them to face truths they may have rather avoided touching on. Earpieces will still be functional and may prove to be crucial in assisting characters when it comes to escaping their nightmares.

⏵ contamination ⏴
Im'mari may be weaker than before, but it is slowly regaining power, and the creature’s influence is spreading. It infects the wolves, the plants, and even the very essence of Vanessa Ives (and in addition, Aelwyn Abernant), feeding off the deep-seated fears of those around it.

Im'mari thrives in the shadows of fear and darkness, growing stronger with every moment of doubt, pain, and despair. Its presence lingers beyond the edges of awareness, whispering to its victims, urging them to succumb. Through Vanessa and those she has infected, Im'mari extends its reach, turning once-familiar faces into agents of fear, pushing their companions to the brink.

For those who fall under its sway, the transformation is slow, at first nearly undetectable. Perhaps a friend acts off, says something out of character, or expresses sudden, unprovoked anger. But as Im'mari’s power grows, so does the darkness in its agents, until they are no longer themselves—twisted into something monstrous, compelled to spread fear and destruction.

Welcome to your nightmares. We hope you have a pleasant stay.

⏵ NOTES ⏴

For all questions relating to this mission, please refer to the plotting post. We will be utilizing this post throughout the mission - including when we process the next round of applications, so please keep an eye out for new comments! All other questions can be directed to the FAQ.

⏵FULL NAVIGATION⏴

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I know you didn't.

[ Said quietly, almost - but not quite - too quiet for Krouse to hear. Coil never let Lisa tell them the truth. Not the whole truth, at least. Noelle would have torn herself free from that cage a hell of a lot sooner if Lisa had.

This is the closest she'll get to admitting that to Krouse. It doesn't feel like a relief. Confessions never do.

And then they're back to planning, and that's for the best. That's something both of them can do without their pesky history getting in the way.

It's another patented Shitty Krouse Idea, but there's nuggets of usefulness in there all the same. It's not real. Asymmetrical info. He expects Krouse to fuck up, and he expects Tattletale to play games.

It's the complete opposite of what they did last time. It essentially involves Krouse to put himself in the line of fire for Lisa's sake, to hand over control of the entire enterprise to Tattletale, a person who's supposed to hate his guts. Who probably still does. It sounds terrifying. Almost as terrifying as being back here in the first place.

There's no way to win. Her power has already given her that. But Echo loves their teamwork exercises, and - oh.

She groans, clearly and loudly annoyed. ]

Fuck. It is an after-school special. Oh, fuck me. And fuck you, Echo, because this isn't even funny.

It's not going to be your fault because I fed you some bullshit insight. It's not going to be my fault because - oh, I don't know, because you found another lead to get home, so you were trying to abort the mission and scram.

We're both scared of the old boss, so we're both supposed to cover for each other. That's how corny it is.

[ Krouse's latest sound is rent cleanly between a chuckle and a groan, his knuckles grinding silently against the plexiglass as he shuts his eyes. Only for a second. Krouse never closes his eyes that long unless he's doing it on purpose. ]

Isn't that fucking heartwarming.

[ Heartwarming, and never could have happened. Not with things the way they played out. Krouse had his chance to throw himself on the Undersiders' side, but it just never worked out that way for a series of reasons that all made sense at the time. Split second gut calls made under pressure, two teams who never quite found synergy, misunderstandings and miscommunication and outright lying fucking up any groundwork of cooperation they could have figured out.

The Undersiders fucked them over. Krouse can admit, in this moment, through the micro-beats of silence that Lisa can decode on the other side of the wall, that the Travelers fucked them over too.

It couldn't have been any different. Not even because of fate, or chance, or unfortunate circumstances. It couldn't have been any different because Krouse couldn't have been any different then.

So all this is really banking on is the improbable possibility that Krouse could be any goddamn different now. ]

Okay. Sure. I've heard worse ideas. [ He gives just enough time to start to seem like Lisa can get a bit in, then snatches it back: ] Mostly from myself.

But they do love that power of friendship gimmick here, don't they? Fuck. Did you watch the Care Bears when you were a kid? Because I think we're doing the plot of one of the movies.

MISSION 005 (part 1)

cw: imprisonment, child abuse and exploitation, grief, threats

cw: imprisonment, child abuse and exploitation, grief, threats