Annexed Mod Team (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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annexedlogs2022-12-04 08:45 pm
modaccount) wrote in annexedlogs2022-12-04 08:45 pm
Mission Log #3
How It Works
Welcome to the third mission log in Annexed!
How Mission Logs Work: There will generally be two main missions per month, with different focuses tailored to different skillsets (usually stealth vs. fighting, though other skillsets will be tapped on). Each mission will be posted in phases, with a prompt for the start of each phase. The plotting post will give you a rundown of what the missions are, how they might go, and what might be discovered. Characters may partake in whichever pat of the operation they choose, whether it's a large prominent part or a more supporting role. Characters may participate in both missions, and as many phases as they wish.
Mod Guidance: Players may request occasional scene-setting when they hit a point where they're unsure what might happen next in a log or what their characters might encounter. There will be a "Mod Guidance" comment that players can reply to in order to request this kind of scene-setting.
Completion of Missions: There will be a submissions comment for anyone who's threaded out a portion of the mission. Once a thread has been completed at least halfway, please submit your character's progress and plans for the thread to the submissions thread. These submissions are the main way that the mod will decide how the mission went in the next month's wrap-up post, so they are very important!
Plotting Post: Here!
Insert Creative Mission Name Here
So far, the rebels have mostly been reacting to the Sylphid - they plan something and the rebels stop them. This month, the vibe around the Camp is significantly different because this time, they're making the first move. They're not just reacting, they're acting.
Remember last month, when the Witches put out a call for propaganda materials - for videos and posters and interviews and all the other footage and information that was gathered? Well, the Witches have cobbled that footage and those videos and interviews together into beautiful propaganda videos with special effects and a powerful message for anyone in the city who may be desiring freedom but who is too afraid to pursue it alone.
This month's meeting and mission overview will start off with a screening of three different propaganda videos that were made from the gathered footage and interview excerpts that were turned in by new arrivals and existing Witches alike. After the videos are screened, the Witch will be calling a general meeting at the Command Center where she will explain the situation and the steps to be taken to distribute the propaganda.
Mission A: Distributing Posters
Mission Appropriateness: Chipped or Stripped
Mission Focus: piloting, riding magical creatures, air battle
This mission will focus on distributing the posters that have been created by the Rebels. The Witch has had printing presses busy making up the posters and flyers created by player characters and NPCs alike. These posters will be distributed through a combination of a fleet of cobbled-together magic and tech based flying machines, a bevy of flying animals, and the Skyclad on hoverboards along with anyone who wants to join them.
The first phase of the mission involves the methods of flying over the city to deliver the posters and flyers. Characters will be invited to familiarize themselves with a variety of flying methods that will allow them to transport the flyers and posters to the city and drop them in various areas around the city that have been identified by operatives as having rebel-sympathetic populations, primarily the lower-income areas around the edges of the city and the education district where students attend post-secondary education.
The first mission is relatively straightforward and is presented without much fanfare. There are three different methods of delivering the posters and characters will require some training. Hopefully, they will also come equipped with some mechanical knowledge, because some of the flying machines are in a state of disrepair. Hopefully, others will come with some amount of familiarity with riding large animals, as well, because part of the delivery system involves riding on the backs of flying creatures resembling manta rays that range in size from that of an average horse to the size of a small building. Thankfully, many characters already have experience using the hoverboards that the Skyclad use, and these will be available as well for quick delivery of posters and flyers.
Before the mission officially even runs, characters are invited to choose a method of delivery - flying machines, hoverboards, or sky mantas - and to come to the various areas set up to train in how to use them.
⇝ Hoverboards: While many are familiar with the hoverboards used in the last mission, this mission will require a higher level of agility, more intricate maneuvers, and a higher altitude than the previous mission due to the fact that they are traveling through a city rather than cleared leylines and will be dropping posters from above, at the maximum height that the hoverboards are capable of (around the height of a 30-story building). At this height they will need to weave around skyscrapers and hover vehicles that are used in the city, and avoid various other obstacles. The Skyclad have opened their training grounds and will divide volunteers into small groups of around 5-10 people to train them how to be more agile in the air, how to do some complex maneuvers, and to get used to how the hoverboards perform at their maximum height.
⇝ Flying Vehicles: Characters who would rather drop flyers from more secure vehicles with a seat, or who have any kind of piloting experience, will probably be more drawn to the small fleet of flying vehicles that are available for the mission. The group of vehicles is parked at The Hangar, a large empty building located in the Electric Heart. The vehicles are a bit of a motley crew, having been scavenged from abandoned Sylphid magitech, and no two are alike. Some operate much like planes, others like small space shuttles, and others are completely magic-based, responding to the psychic desires of the pilot. Many of the vehicles are in poor repair and the existing mechanics will welcome the assistance of anyone with mechanical or magical know-how to get them fixed up and reliable for the big mission. They will also teach people to fly the machines, including the individual quirks of the out-of-date vehicles, so they can successfully fly them on the mission, including test flights!
⇝ Sky Mantas: The final method of flight for dropping posters and flyers are the sky mantas, a sort of domesticated flying beast that resembles a manta ray with bubbles of pure energy on their underbellies. Due to the fact that they are a local and native species that can be easily spotted in the wild, the sky mantas make for perfect recon assistants, with riders having perfected methods of camouflaging themselves while they ride on their backs. Each sky manta is domesticated and well-trained, dressed up with a saddle that characters can stand on, and a set of reins that will guide the manta in the desired direction. The sky manta stables will be open for anyone interested in riding one to distribute flyers and posters to take a crash course in how to ride them, guide them in the sky, and perform the few tricks the mantas are capable of. They are also invited to bond with the beasts, who are almost like flying horses, and who must scent and become familiar with a new rider before they will perform at their full capacity.
Once everyone is acquainted with and comfortable with their distribution method of choice, the mission itself will properly begin. Characters will be given large packages of propaganda materials, both larger posters and smaller flyers, which they will load into or onto their preferred method of flight. Both the flying vehicles and sky mantas will be able to carry large amounts of flyers and posters, but those riding hoverboards will need to take only what they can carry and return several times to load up on new materials from supply points set up in the wild jungle while the others will carry out the mission in a single slower pass over the city.
There will be a variety of obstacles that will beset the people distributing propaganda, including flying around the tops of skyscrapers, hovering vehicles, low-flying aircraft, birds, and other airborne obstacles that may get in their way. Beyond that, after the first propaganda has been dropped, there will be retaliation in the form of several magic using Sylphid that will band together and create adverse weather conditions - rain, snow, fog, thunder, and lightning will be making the sky hazardous for anyone flying. While this will ground some of the air traffic going on, it will mostly be causing problems for people delivering the propaganda. Not only will it get the posters and flyers wet, causing them to drop in wet sheafs that stick together, it will also create terrible visibility, the danger of being struck by lightning that almost seems to be targeted, and will cause slippery conditions for those who are riding hoverboards or sky mantas.
What's the one thing that's worse than terrible weather and bad flying conditions? Those things plus being pursued by enemy fliers. It won't be long until the Sylphid start catching on to the mission and very quickly they will be pursuing with their own methods of flight. The Sylphid will be calling in anyone with any kind of method of flight from superpowers and magic to hovercars to hoverboards to flying vehicles of various types to even the drones that were used in the last mission. Characters flying the mission will find themselves pursued through the terrible weather, being shot at with superpowers, magic spells, and traditional projectile weapons of varying varieties.
And then there are the Para-Sylph, a group of Sylphid who specialize in air takedowns. This crew, using upward of 15 fighter vehicles, will hover above rebels carrying out the mission and drop from their fighters in groups of two. The goal of these drop-ins is to incapacitate the pilots of whatever method of flight is being used. Prepare yourselves for an epic swordfight, gunfight, or magic duel at 30 stories up! The Para-Sylph are extremely well-trained and adept at fighting in mid-air, at taking people down quickly, and excel in the areas of stamina, fighting prowess, and strategy. They are a well-oiled machine, best avoided rather than engaged.
Mission B: ELECTRONIC INTERVENTION
Mission Appropriateness: Chipped (mostly)
Mission Focus: stealth, recon, sabotage, battle
This mission will focus on a stealthy invasion of the city to locate and overtake the broadcasting equipment and facilities in the city and infiltrate them. Once inside, characters will be asked to stop all transmissions on every channel and broadcast the propaganda films created by the Rebels. This will require significant stealth in order to infiltrate and some electronic know-how to work out how to broadcast the propaganda on the fly. They will eventually be pursued by the Sylphid as they catch onto the plan and make efforts to stop the broadcast in its tracks, and need to fight and/or flee the area as quickly as possible, either using hoverboards or hover-ATVs.
Strictly a stealth and recon mission, characters who are still chipped will make their way into the city and use the Sylphid internet and other methods to locate the broadcasting stations in the city. Since characters are chipped, this should be relatively straightforward and not come with a lot of risk. Characters can easily pretend to be tourists, fans of various shows, or new employees to ask directions, or simply use the city's equivalent of Google Maps to find the stations. Once the stations are located, characters will be asked to locate the closest manhole cover that's available and mark it on a shared map on the Rebel intranet, though any efforts to infiltrate deeper into the recording stations through stealth or charisma will be met with a lot of joy, and characters who manage that will be asked to make rough maps of the stations themselves.
There are three main broadcasting stations in the city to be located and scouted out.
⇝ NorthWest Broadcasting: Located in the outskirts of the city on the northeast side, this station broadcasts mainly local news, low-budget TV shows, and ads for neighborhood businesses such as corner stores, small car lots, and furniture stores. It is the least well-guarded of the three stations but also reaches the smallest (albeit perhaps the most amenable) audience, mainly being watched by low-income households that can't afford the more expensive stations, generally on the outskirts of the city. There is a manhole cover on the west side of the building where the plumbing from the building can be accessed. It could easily be accessed by people willing to give it a try - there are actually tours of the broadcasting station that can be booked for school groups and the like. Additionally, the security is very low, with only one patrolling security guard, and the receptionists at the front desk could easily be bribed or tricked into allowing access to the building itself.
⇝ The Ring: Located in the southwest side of the city in what is called the Inner Circle, this station broadcasts citywide news, weather reports, mid-budget TV shows, and ads from medium-size corporations in the city such as family restaurant chains, smaller bank chains, and video game companies. It has better security, with security staff on-site that are hired out from a local security company and reaches a larger population in the city, mainly on the Inner Circle, where the city's middle-class population thrives. There is a manhole cover on the north side of the building where the plumbing from the building can be accessed. It could be accessed by people with a little luck and skill on their side - while there are patrolling security guards, a good story could convince the receptionists at the front desk to issue a guest pass.
⇝ City Skyline: Located in the central ring of the city, on the block that contains most of the city's government buildings and major banks, this station broadcasts planet-wide news, high-budget TV shows and popular movies, and ads for major corporations in the city such as fast food chains, major banks, and electronics giants. It is the most well-guarded of the three stations and reaches the largest audience, being watched by anyone in the city who can afford it, and a neighborhoods outside the city as well. There are manhole covers to the east and west of the building where the plumbing from the building can be accessed. Getting access inside this building will be extremely difficult, as anyone permitted entry must present ID to be issued a guest pass that serves as a keycard for elevators, doors to the stairwells, and entry to some doors in the building. Even if characters manage to get a guest pass, they will still lack access to some areas of the building. City Skyline also employs its own in-house security guards, with a flock of them patrolling every floor in the building every half hour, asking to see and scan guest and other passes.
The next step after recon is to actually infiltrate the buildings, which is much easier said than done. This step would need to be carried out by chipped individuals as well, or groups of two or three where there is at least one chipped person. Where anyone without a chip would usually set off an alarm, anyone with a chip would be presumed to be a service worker of some kind by anyone watching the monitors, and as the sewers are less strictly monitored than the surface, this chipped signal could mask the signals of up to two stripped characters. Each building will have different security systems in place to make sure that no one is able to enter via the sewer ducts, which open into the basements of the buildings. Infiltration of the rest of the building would be guided by the situations listed in Phase I.
The sewers themselves have some dangers, mainly the presence of...well, what sewers are known to contain, which can carry some danger of disease, bad smell, nausea, and dizziness from the fumes. Other than just the waste product itself, large mutated rats can be found in abundance in the sewers, with sharp teeth and insatiable appetites, and any bite from these rats will need to be treated and the victim inoculated with a shot as soon as possible to avoid tetanus and various other diseases. Besides the rats, there are also spiders whose bite can cause mild poisoning that has effects of nausea, extreme dizziness, blacking out, disorientation, and extreme pain at the site of the bite, as well as hallucinations.
⇝ NorthWest Broadcasting: This is the lowest-security building and because of that has a lower maintenance type of deterrent - a pit with a large drain at the bottom. Once characters make their way from the manhole cover to the area where the sewer enters the building, they will find a deep, square cement pit half-full of sewage products. Characters will need to make their way over the pit without falling by climbing on pipes and other protruding mechanical pieces on the ceiling of the sewer, some of which are very hot due to the water system that also uses these tunnels.
⇝ The Ring: This is a medium-security building, and the security system is a little more dangerous and harmful. In this case, there is a consistent spray of acid from sprinklers on the ceiling. These sprinklers run every 45 seconds, and can only be blocked by a certain type of plastic, which has been used to coat the wall and machinery in the area to avoid erosion. Small umbrellas made of this type of plastic will be provided to anyone who chooses to take this route, but be careful - the umbrellas aren't very big and there's not enough room in the tunnel to stand up straight underneath them. Hiding under the umbrellas will require crouching and huddling underneath, which may not provide full protection. Better to get to the entrance to the building's basement before the spray starts up again...
⇝ City Skyline: This is a very high-security building, and the security system in the sewers is more advanced. In this case, there is a series of lasers which are constantly running, creating very tight space between them, at various angles that will require high agility to make it through. And these aren't just lasers connected to an alarm, either, they are well and truly weapons, capable of searing flesh and removing limbs if handled without care. There are a couple of methods to avoid them. Either extremely flexible characters can flip and maneuver their way through, or mirrors can be carefully used to redirect the beams of laser light. Careful not to lose a finger doing so!
Once the traps in the sewers have been navigated, it's time to deal with the internal security inside the buildings, most of which has been outlined above. Characters will need to dodge, bribe, or sweet-talk guards, hack security doors with provided electronic devices, and make their way to the broadcasting room. This will be a relatively easy task at NorthWest Broadcasting, but more of an ask for either The Ring or City Skyline.
Once characters have made their way to the broadcasting room they will need to subdue any Sylphid running the equipment and take it over. If you don't know how to run the equipment, though, it might be useful to leave one Sylphid alive and bribe or threaten them to explain how to switch out the tapes provided by the Rebels with the ones containing the usual broadcast. Once characters have worked that out, they can set the propaganda to repeat and retreat back through the sewers...or if they're brave, they can just exit through the front doors. Maybe not the best bet, though, after crawling through the nasty sewer system...
Of course, it might be tempting to make a broadcast of your own while you're in the system...for good or for evil.
Mission C: THE RESCUERS
Mission Appropriateness: Chipped or Stripped
Mission Focus: battle
This is relatively straightforward as a mission goes. Anyone who is stripped or who didn't participate in the other missions, or anyone who has completed those missions, is welcome to help people who've already been convinced to join the Rebels by the propaganda. Each propaganda tape had a note at the end of where to go to meet up with Rebel forces, and there will be a significant amount of people, especially from the outer ring of the city, who are willing to pack up and leave almost right away.
At each rendezvous point the Rebels will have set up a large number of trucks to carry new recruits back to the Camp, and these trucks and rendezvous points will need a LOT of protection. Preferably with a lot of firepower. Because the Sylphid are going to catch on pretty quickly to where these points are, and send reinforcements. This will be a running battle relatively quickly, with armed Rebels protecting new recruits and escorting them to trucks, covering the trucks as they head back to the Camp and ensuring that the well-armed Sylphid aren't following them to the Camp.
no subject
He kept himself low, momentarily shooting back at their pursuers before swerving his board to dodge several other shots. "Did ye' see any cover?," he called out once again at Donnie, as he focused on small feats of retaliation.
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"Nothing here! Maybe we can lose them in the jungle, but we can't lead them back to the supply point!" he shouted back.
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"Lead on then!," he blurted out, not really catching the whole gist of Donnie's idea, but that seemed to be the only salvation they had at the moment. The slippery hoverboard was starting to give him difficulty in his maneuvers and number of their enemies proved to be too great of a challenge for them to face head on.
no subject
Nodding, he propelled his hoverboard downward, practically crouched against it, one hand grasping onto the front as he zoomed for the greenery below. Water streamed off his goggles, helping clear his vision just enough as he made out a clearing they could slip into. He tapered off the speed slightly once below the canopy, shoving his goggles up as he pushed himself to stand so he could better maneuver the board past the first line of trees.
no subject
Their increasing allies somehow provided relief, but seeing most of them similarly fleeing still suggested their dire situation. Yet still, he pushed forward, diving lower to keep up with his leading companion.
no subject
Donnie kept in mind what direction the supply point had been. They just had to avoid going that way. Were those Sylphid forces still behind them...? He frowned as he couldn't hear anything behind them, no shots fired. Maybe they'd already lost them? "Wait..."
There was a sound, somewhere overhead, barely masked by the spatter of rain above. That was about all Donatello was able to register right before two figures dropped down through the trees in front of him.
"AAH!" he yelped, jamming the rear of the hoverboard down sharply to kill his momentum. The slick surface made it harder for him to keep his footing however, and he slipped off as the hoverboard continued to careen towards the Para-Sylph. It was kicked aside by one of them as the other advanced, swinging his firearm towards the turtle.
no subject
He fired a shot, forcing the Para-Sylph who was attacking Donnie to avert its attention to evading the bullet from Jack. He continued with his shots, as he raced to save the turtle from crashing onto the ground.
"I don't if we could make it but ye' drive this thing and I'll shoot," he urged Donnie after pulling the turtle up his hoverboard.
no subject
He squeezed his eyes shut at the sound of a gunshot, realizing only belatedly that it sounded like it had come from behind. In the next moment he was swept up, forcing him to open his eyes again as he found himself suddenly a passenger. He let out a breath, trying not to let his brain overthink as he adjusted himself into a crouch, grasping the sides of the hoverboard.
"I'm not sure how well this'll work with two but I guess we'll find out!" he said as he slammed his palm on the boost and shifted his weight to veer the hoverboard past the Sylphid as they prepared to attack again.
no subject
He could only rely on Donnie to fly them both safely and dodge their enemies' attacks. Thankfully though, his skills with a pistol haven't faded in the slightest. He let loose a barrage of bullets at their enemies like a mad man, except with deadly accuracy. The Para-Sylphs however, proved to be far from being easy picks, being able to deflect and retaliate against Jack's attacks in perfect synchrony.
no subject
"Hang on!" he warned Jack, bracing as he knew there weren't very many places to do so and Donnie didn't have much by way of armor over his softshell so much as a cloth wrapping that looked more like an embroidered backpack.
He heaved on one side of the hoverboard to make it turn, rocking again to the other side in evasive action. "Jack, shift your feet to the back!" Donnie said as he prepared to haul the front of the board up to boost them upwards.
no subject
"Errr...I'm afraid it's time to skaboosh mate," he panicked, as he struggled to keep his balance behind Donnie. "Or did 'ye 'ave a spare pistol with ye," he continued, as he barely evaded a few shots based on pure guts.
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"I sure hope that means retreat..!" he said over his shoulder, ducking his head at the sound of renewed gunfire. He couldn't really dodge given his own position, so when he felt like something had jabbed at his shell he swallowed down his panic. Jack would see a shot bounce off of the protective covering, the delicate embroidery glowing, a sign that the magic that had been woven into it was working at least.
"Negative, no spares! We're getting out of here!" If he had to, he'd find Jack a replacement later, but they needed to get back in one piece first. Donnie figures at least that the Para-Sylph can't follow them as easily now that they're grounded, and hopefully there weren't any others awaiting them as the hoverboard broke through the jungle canopy again. Stay low, make sure they're not being followed, then dip back in and return to base, that was his plan.
no subject
"Arrr! We'll be back ye son of biscuit eaters!," he yelled, enraged at his helplessness. He couldn't agree less with Donnie's conviction to escape as he did suggested the turtle to 'skaboosh'. He however, refused to give any further comment, knowing that the turtle with proceed with the retreat anyway.
no subject
The rain was there to greet them again once they emerged from the trees. Donnie scanned the greenery below, looking for an ideal place to reenter once they'd put some distance between them and the Sylphid.
"How's our six? All clear?" he asked Jack as he continued to steer the hoverboard around. It was even more exhausting doing things this way than if he were riding it normally.
no subject
Thankfully, the turtle chose a clear path, allowing them to somehow navigate peacefully to where ever Donnie was planning to retreat. The distant sound of gunfire and explosions serenaded their escape, a reminder that their battle was still far from over.
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"Our mission was to get those fliers out, not to fight. I'm sure there'll be plenty of that later, but it'll be on our terms, not theirs," he said.
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"Aye," he conceded with a deep sigh, blurting his word in an almost whispering tone. "Arrrr..If I get to come back there...I be feeding 'em to the fish!," he roared once again, his voice hoarse from anger and fatigue, both his fists inadvertently clenched on his sides.
no subject
Hearing Jack, he nodded. He was pretty sure Jack'd have another chance at them, but for now they had to keep their priorities straight.
"Supply point should be close," he said as he brought them down into the jungle again, out of the direct rain. "We can catch a ride back to Camp from there."
no subject
He gave Donnie a half-hearted nod as the turtle led them to their ride home. He followed nonchalantly behind, his eyes still glancing back from time to time. It wasn't as if he could have done more at the moment, but he wasn't all used to the idea of leaving an unfinished fight.