un: aurora | text

[arora]

Hello, citizens of Etraya.

Our next mission will begin on Friday, May 16th. For this mission, we will not be heading off world as the last couple missions have required. Instead, the companion bots and I will be working over the next seven days to set up Camp Etraya on Ochreward for all of you to attend. This camp will include multiple activities which will be mandatory for you to participate in. Additionally, while I will not be creating a barrier between camp and the rest of Etraya, the expectation will be for all of you to remain within the camp's radius during your time at Camp Etraya.

However, I understand that some of you have come from Solmara, and there is some concern regarding my sibling's absence within our sister city. I too am concerned for their well-being, as well as the rest of the citizens of Solmara. I would like to shift some of my resources to send a team to Solmara to address this, but this is not in an official mission capacity. This is not required, and will be on a volunteer-only basis. I will only be able to allocate enough resources to support transporting fifteen individuals to Solmara. I can provide some basic necessities to assist you in your trip, but will not be able to provide much more in terms of support. You will be on your own as soon as you arrive within Solmara. You will need to rely on one another, and you will need to return with enough time to fulfill five days worth of camp activities to ensure you are not avoiding mandatory mission requirements. If you are unable to return on time, there will be repercussions.

Please inform me if you wish to assist the Solmarans here. If there are more than fifteen volunteers, I will select from those who request to go.

Thank you,
Aurora

Comments

[badlydisarmed]

I super duper don't want to go. Mark me down as the most reluctant last resort back-up.

Somewhere above "confused 12 year old who got excited about seeing a sign-up sheet" but definitely under Hank.

[theroadwarrior]

You should stay here.
Think you dealt with that place enough.

[Is this his way of saying something nice? Maybe.]

[badlydisarmed]

I agree wholeheartedly but we got a bunch of altruists signing up and unless you got someone who can blow people up with their mind, you're gonna have to split up.

Better chance at not everyone dying immediately if teams split up and everyone has someone familiar with the area.

I still super duper don't wanna go.

[theroadwarrior]

You'd be well-defended by whoever you're with.
They don't want to lose a doctor. Too valuable.

Alrys probably wouldn't gut you for that reason.





Maybe.

[badlydisarmed]

I appreciate the thought, but Alrys would gut me six times over because I'd be brought back.

1/2

[theroadwarrior]

[theroadwarrior]

Was lying to try and reassure you, but fine.
She would gut you six times over.

[badlydisarmed]

Same to you though. Don't wanna reconsider?

[theroadwarrior]

I spent most of my year outside the city walls.

Would be of use to the people going.

[Which is to say, he doesn't wanna go get gutted.

But it seems unwise to not volunteer his useful services.]

[badlydisarmed]

If you're sent and I'm not and you don't come back, I'll go after you and we can get gutted together like a team.

[theroadwarrior]

You? Guilty? Hah.

[Gotta tease a hardass when he's not being a hardass.]

We get nothing out of both of us dying.

If I go, is there anything you want back from Solmara?
If there's even a chance to get that far in.

[badlydisarmed]

Shut up, Rex.

[ Gotta use the wrong name because he totally doesn't care and has no feelings about it. ]

Bring me a postcard.

[theroadwarrior]

[Rex indeed.]

... Remind me what those are.

[badlydisarmed]

Square piece of cardboard like



[ It is a crayon drawing. ]

[theroadwarrior]

[Jesus Christ.

... Whelp, he is a man of integrity, so-]

I'll see what I can do.

[badlydisarmed]

It's a joke. Should've drawn someone on fire screaming to make it more obvious.

1/2

[theroadwarrior]

[clavesregni]

Are there any details of Alrys' charm abilities you can share? Does a person need to be in the same room with her to work? Do they need to look her in the eyes? Does it wear off after a certain time or distance? Anything at all, no matter how seemingly trivial, could be of use.

[badlydisarmed]

Sorry, I got nothing. I didn't even know I was affected until I thought about it.

[clavesregni]

Then we have no way of knowing how to counter it. Is there any possibility we'll all fall victim to it the moment we set foot in Solmara?

[badlydisarmed]

No, I think it's an in person thing.

[clavesregni]

I suppose we can count that amongst our blessings, at least.

Once we're in Solmara, we ought to arrange regular check-ins with each other. In the absence of any way of preventing Alrys' charms, the least we can do is keep a close eye on one another.

[badlydisarmed]

Fantastic idea, but please let's stop talking about it as if it's a fact I'm going.

I, again, super duper don't want to.

[clavesregni]

No one can force you to put your life in danger by returning. I certainly would never ask that of you. If you prefer to stay, stay. You've risked enough.

[badlydisarmed]

I'm not being forced, I'm reluctantly volunteering because it is the Right Thing To Do.

But I hope I'm not selected.