Mission: Fissures of Time

[voidtreckermods]

On day eight of the month of Poi, the Voidtreckers' SCAs glow gold and a holographic screen appears.

We have been asked to assist the Ministry on System #281992471, Praeus. 150 years ago, outside influence led to the gods of the world becoming severely harmed, and now its lands continously suffer time distortions that cause fragments of the past to appear in the present. We have been sent information to help prepare for the mission. The weather will fluctuate, but will be mostly warm.

Red Team Some of the time distortions come from places of war and strife. Move in and shut them down. This will require battling the threats so that the equalisers can be set.

Orange Team Set up Equalisers once time distortions have been neutralised. Prepare camps for those rescued from time distortions. Monitor signals of new time distortions and coordinate with other teams.

Blue Team Rescue those displaced by time distortions and take them to the prepared camps. Help maintain calm in the camps and provide medical, nutritional and emotional support.

Purple Team Help neutralise time distortions. Protect orange team as they place neutralisers and help protect the camps from any threats that may escape out of time distorted areas.

Notes This is not a catastrophe mission. The Voidtrecker Express will be given a place to station if Voidtreckers and passengers wish to not participate in the mission. Map data will activate when we arrive on-planet. The Ministry believes it worth noting that hostiles will commonly be human for those who would find this distressing.

More information will be available when we arrive.

➜ RUN TIME AND TONE. The mission will run between the 15th and the 28th January (P8- P14). An ongoing with optional extra tasks will go up on the 19th (P10) and a Finale will go up on the 25th (P13).

The mission is meant to be lax both ICly and OOCly, with the Ministry now getting involved with the Voidtreckers. However, some characters may find certain areas distressing if they have issues with killing humans, or 'erasing' unsuspecting civilians than being unable to save them.

However, the latter are more fragments of time that have been made to appear, and can't exist outside of that time. Anyone who can exist will stick around. There will be also mention of the dead being reanimated during Ongoing.

SETTING OVERVIEW

➜ LANDSCAPE, SETTING. Praeus is an old-fashioned world in its late Middle Ages, compared to the modern world. The area the Voidtreckers will be in is called 'Kolokifi's Domain', named after the God of Summer and Life, one of the handful of Gods of the world.

What Voidtreckers will see of the terrain will depend on where one looks and stands, and when.

- More often than not, it's similar to a wasteland. A hill terrain stripped of life with stone and dirt burnt a crisp red. Like a vast canyon with a desert heat above their heads, skies empty of clouds. Straggles of plant life attempt to give colour here and there, but leave more often than not the skeletons of bark and stalks. Nothing seems to last for long.

- Or so it appears until you take the right step forward, and everything before you will change into a luscious scenery. Rolling green hills, plants in bloom and animals around. scattered trees and streams. People even, with settlements of flat stone-roofed housing and animals carrying carts, street stalls crammed against walls. The people will be curious, but greet you happily, give blessings in the name of particular gods.

- Yet take a step in a different direction, another place, and find a war raging all around you. Fire with weaponry of the future tears apart this reality, and the Voidtreckers will be foes to most that catch them. Trees and vines fan out to entrap them, energy-shielded locals attack with plasma guns and drones. Summer burns the overgrowth that's used to attack with, and it is chaos.

These last two are considered time distortions.

MISSION OVERVIEW

➜ OBJECTIVE. The main objective is to go around and settle any time distortions Voidtreckers locate. The longer they're around, the more difficult they are to deal with. There are many pockets of time distortions, and each team will be working close with one another to do the following:

• Locate and go to time distortion points: Voidtreckers willing to focus on scouting will be offered remote-controlled scouting drones by Ministry workers, along with a an eye screen. These can be sent off to analyse the terrain and pick up on current time distortions, where they're likely to form, and also where to best set up Time Equalisers (below).
  
  
• Set up time equalisers: They come folded up as 25kg boxes, a handle for carrying or clips for easier attaching. Once put down and turned on correctly, they will extend upward into an antenna with a flower-like shape. Each one will need to set to the right levels and location, and then watch to make sure it functions with other Equalisers in the area. Depending on the scope of the distortion, a few can be needed.
  
  
• Discover misplaced people: Sometimes, life survives a time distortion. People, animals, and even plants may be left behind. The people will need to be found and brought to one of the camps set out in the domain, until they can eventually be taken to the main base.
  
  Relocating will not always be easy as not everyone will be agreeable. Civillians may run off if brought to a camp, given the shock of what's going on. Those who can help calm and assuage those rattled will be vital for keeping civilians safe.

➜ MINISTRY, MAIN BASE, EQUIPMENT. The train will be staying next to a base used by people contracted by the Ministry. It's one of the few around the planet that helps monitor time distortions, bringing in trainees that uses Praeus's circumstances for training, and tracks all activity.

- Those who don't want to participate on the mission can stay in the train or use some of the facilities in the base, but will be told that they aren't allowed to travel the world itself. There's restrictions that you need clearance for, given the fragile health of the planet.

- Ministry workers will explain the basics of the situation to the Voidtreckers who will listen. They'll pass along the equipment, scan who takes what, and also offer to help those not sure what they can do. Not just fighters will be needed, but also people to manage equipment and to monitor the landscape that others will be moving into.

- The ministry will make mention there are other missionaries around on training, around the farthest north-east and north-western parts of the domain. They can be asked for assistance if the Voidtreckers need it, but otherwise they'll be taking part in their own training programmes.

- They will supply supply food and drink to be taken out to make sure Voidtreckers are covered. Someone will just need to come and take it out. A list of most equipment is:


• Time Equalisers: Folded up first as a box, it can be opened up once set in place and will rise up into a flower shape. Technology and the world's energy powers it, but those with enough technology skills to read a screen (and the instructions) will be needed to make sure it runs smoothly.
  
  One alone can stop a forming time distortion, but more will be needed for currently active ones. They will need to be packed up and moved on to the next destination once done with.
  
  
• Scouting Drones: Remote-controlled scouting drones used to pick up time distortion anomalies, so others don't have to walk right into one unprepared. Coem with an ear and eye piece allowing for a visual, and so the controller can speak and listen while not in the field.
  
  
• Medical Kits, Food Kits: Containers with medical and food kits, with a few varying diets and also medical options.
  
  
• Canvas tents, smaller tents: These are wide canvas tents with enough space to use as sleeping quarters. Nothing more than fabric, pegs and string, they are actually refreshing to be in, giving refuge from the heat outside.
  
  Depending on what one can sense, they will know there is an energy in the parts - and for those more aware, that they have been blessed by a godly figure. Spring gives protection to the tents, and even grass and small flowers will grow around where they're put up - if only for a little while.
  
  
• Carts and pull animals: A means of moving around gear, as long as someone knows what they're doing.

OTHER

➜ POWER RESTRICTIONS. Celebrate - there aren't many! As long as characters use their powers within the domain and don't wander off, they're fine. The only main restrictions are:

- No time magic. Teleporting is fine as long as they've been through the area.

- No healing locals with magic or injections. Herbal medicines are fine. There will also be medkits handed out safe for locals. Healing Voidtreckers as you would is fine, who are the ones more likely to be healed in the first place.

- No using fancy weaponry/magic/energy outside the domain. It invites time distortions to spread and that won't be liked.

Otherwise, have fun!

Note these are IC rules that will be given to the voidtreckers by the ministry. If your character does break them please let us know.

➜ LOOTING, SCAVENGING. Not easy. Not a lot stays around after a time distortion, and there isn't much life around the domain itself. Even anything gathered when life is bountiful will disappear. Something like a sheep or dead horse might be found at best.

Trying to take the equipment handed out by the Ministry workers will result in consequences, as everything is tracked. Even if you take it apart, they'll know who last had it. Again let us know please if this happens.

➜ NPCS, CIVILIANS. The Ministry workers can be spoken to, but will only be able to answer about the mission and the history of where they are. There will be one worker around to talk about themselves and their situation, but mainly as a counselor.

As for civilians, the Voidtreckers won't meet any except for those in the time distortion amd those they take to the camps. There's a city nearby to the base, but their mission won't take them to it. The people there want little to do with Voidtreckers.

Requesting NPC threads will be available when the mission starts.

➜ SCA. Taking off one's SCA on this world will be initially...odd, but not too troubling. The air is hot and not the best to breathe for most, but bearable.

However, taking them off in the time distortion spots will cause dizziness and a sense of motion sickness that won't leave them.

➜ REWARDS. Taking part in a mission in any way will earn you five team points. You claim those by submitting a link during AC.

Also threads of 10 comments or more where mission goals are being worked towards will also earn you 10 team points. To claim those please fill in the form below and reply to the rewards header.

<b>Characters:</b> <b>Mission goal colour:</b> <b>Link:</b>

Please feel free to use this as a plotting post. Remember there is nothing forcing your character to do the task assigned to their group so if you wish to do a different one, feel free! If your character decides to not do any of the tasks at all, that’s fine too!

For those who are new or who want a bit more guidance please check out our mission guide!

Have fun plotting!

Comments

[philosopherspotato]

I just realized something! If magic and whatnot is a Bad Idea within the time distortions...

What happens with Potato's everything

To clarify, she constantly takes in magical energy, gathering it like a little perpetual battery. This came as a double edged sword not long ago during 'Wings of Wonder', if that helps give an idea of her capabilities. On the one hand, taking in energy there made her.....................very sick. Onnnn the other, those there- particularly the Forever Ones- were able to make use of that.

EDIT: i should note that the battery of energy she's storing is how she lives....that's important....

[voidtreckernpcs]

Magic is fine inside the domain - it's using it outside the domain that is off limits. The only thing is just not to use it exaggeratedly within in. You can still use magic/skills.

Potato will be fine in the domain, but she won't be taking in 'magic' really, since everything works under the concept of God blessings. Sometimes these can be absorbed some, but Potato would have to go into a dangerous distortion where people have been gifted.

[philosopherspotato]

OOPS I MISREAD THAT,

well at least emporio warned the gods fairly about weather bein...................weather then

Alright so basically Potato's passive nonsense is fine, especially since it's not doing anything at all. YAY!

I suppose while I'm on that topic then-

First, Kiyoiri will no doubt have Takechirou assume a shape for the mission while inside the domain so that it's most useful to them all. I'm assuming him being...no longer a bird will be fine when outside the domains, as long as he's not summoning magic bullets or something.

Second, because THIS APPLIES NOW! If within the domain is fine, could Emporio feasibly stumble on any ghost rooms within the domain? As a short reminder, a ghost room isn't literally a ghost; it's his power letting him access the literal memory of a room/building/structure that once existed there, that was then built over. This lets him interact with the objects there, even taking them along (Though presumably out of respect for all this he'll not be taking any souvenirs this time)- and more importantly, any objects found Cannot be consumed, and Cannot fully affect the living (so a ghost sword wouldn't be able to stab, as an example)

Actually there's an animated explanation now. Yay!

[voidtreckernpcs]

It's okay! For clarification, be careful with using too much concentrated power or it invites a distortion. Weather Report will be okay within the distortions but also, there are sometimes where they will have trouble - if you decide you want to play with those.

Weather itself will already be chaotic in these scenarios, and warrior forces will be controlling weather. Sometimes it can be a battle of wills - honestly, it's up to what you want to play with.

B) We're being like 'have fun, get some bruises, whatever you like. Everything is as chaotic or as calming as you want'.

(But also, we can have a Weather-related shenanigan during Ongoing 👍)

Takechirou will be fine. Uhhh, for switching he might change into animals that represent the Gods (there is one for Kolokifi in Nell's thread in the NPC thread, for example) but - some warriors will be able to see through the deception as Takechirou won't be able to mimic their divine blessings.

But that is a creature that could sooth/confuse some.

I will be leaving the Ghost Room question up to Katy but there will be some!

[philosopherspotato]

(Firstly, hellll yeahhhh time to do a weather related shenanigannnnn...also noted on the Ghost Rooms, I do love a good ghost room)

Anyway! To clarify on Takechirou's ability, he very rarely takes an animal form; Takechirou literally transforms into a copy of a 'Heroic Spirit' from Kiyoiri's world, so he'll normally be humanoid (being able to pull of Kiyjo Kojo was a rare and amazing thing, lucky you Hemla of the Forever Ones. The only other animal servant out there I believe is this enormous Good Boy here.)

It's also one he's stuck with for a full week, since he's only 1/7th of the actual power; no switching back, but it's a solid state rather than any illusion, since he's basically Becoming that spirit to lend Kiyoiri the equivalent power and abilities.

For the sake of being thorough, let's check to see if the current plan is a good idea!

Right now I'm planning on having him borrow a servant that does look...somewhat animalistic (think werewolf in clothes. WITH A GUN!), at least at night (I did say werewolf) so I'd bet it's safe to say that, if interacting with any people, it won't go especially well there.

...I mean I'm sure being faced with a bipedal wolf carrying a weapon would be baffling and confusing yes, but over all, Probably a Bad Encounter (he's here for protection ultimately, and perhaps tragically)...if it's TOO BAD an encounter though, I can definitely find a different spirit.

[voidtreckermods]

A wearwolf will not go over too well no but also not terribly because in general this is a very weird world with very weird things so people's nonsense levels are higher than some world.

So as long as he isn't doing anything obviously magic/messing with the powers of the world it will be fine!

As for ghost rooms. My first thought it these are probably wild because of the shifting nature of the world. So there have been many places that once existed and will exist and could exist layered on top of each other.

So there could be ghost rooms inside of ghost rooms if you wanted to play it that way.

They will be a mix of all sorts because of the different places and times that crash together here.

[seacub]

(Thumbs up on werewolf-)

Oh goodness, excellent though. I can see how he could literally fall into one now too for that matter- step inside and go 'AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA'

maybe I'll go for a god thread in there hmm

In any case thanks! Now to go work on top levels and plansssss...