voidtreckermods: (train)
VoidTrecker Express Mods ([personal profile] voidtreckermods) wrote in [community profile] middleofsomewhere2021-05-09 06:48 am

What their Eyes See: Start

"Good Morning Voidtreckers, today is day five of the month of Llama." The voice echoes through the train as passengers wake up in their beds. Not long afterwards their SCA’s glow with the colour of the void and a holographic image will appear.

Preperation and Arrival

As usual they have a couple of hours before arrival to ready themselves for the mission ahead. As promised the dressing carriage is open for them to find suitable clothing. Trench coats, a lot of leather, a lot of black with neon colours thrown in here and there. There is a lot of choice in a variety of sizes so everyone is bound to find something to fit. Hopefully something they like, though some passengers may be more comfortable with the fashion choices than others.

A couple of hours after the announcement of the mission the voice speaks again. "Shortly arriving in system #93426194992. Arriving in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one." The train shakes as it leaves the void, colours fading to be replaced to a grey thick smog outside the windows.

The train bumps slightly as it hits rails, snaking its way towards the city before entering a tunnel. A few moments and they come to a stop, the doors open onto a platform. Stepping out into the station the first thing to hit them is noise, it sounds like there are ten different advertisements blaring, someone or something is playing loud music. There's a lot of flashing signs, screens with advertisements, bright lights that change colour for no real apparant reason. Heavy on the senses as they make their way to the gates.

They will find that their SCAs allow them through the barriers and into the wider train station, which is somehow even louder. It is busy as well, people hurrying from place to place. There are signs declaring this to be Tier Three, Home of Manufacturing. as well as signs pointing the way to lifts, to take them to other tiers.

Tier One

Mapping

For those travelling up to tier one the first thing they will notice when they leave the lift is, it is a lot quieter up here. Peaceful even, there are people around, all looking official and busy. None will pay the Voidtreckers any mind unless they are acting particularly suspicious.

The air feels better here, probably because the whole tier is encased with a dome that they will be able to see as they enter, coming from a lift near the edge of the tier. The buildings are all harsh dark metal, almost uniform in design. The streets are clean and there has been an attempt at greenery with some shrubs and simple plants.

The buildings all need to be accessed using their SCA's. Their SCA maps show them where the buildings are but give no information about them, nor do they have maps of inside. Once the voidtreckers enter they will find that their maps fill in as they explore.

There are plenty of different buildings, offices, labs and meeting rooms. There are also a lot of security staff and anyone acting too suspiciously will be approached and questioned. Hopefully they have a plan, blend in or sneak around.

Flickers

Sometimes though that is a little harder, they might enter a room to find themselves on their old street, in a world they have visited before on the train or somewhere else that is decidedly not here. These illusions get more common as time goes on and people will begin seeing the illusions of others or find the two scenes merging together.

Voidtreckers who are immune to illusions will not see these strange visions and those who are particularly strong willed will be able to fight them off. Once people know they are illusions they can focus through them to see reality even if it is overlaid with what their minds want to see. It will take a lot of concentration to stay focused and get an accurate map.

Tier Two

A Mystery

The lift here brings them out into a glass covered corridor. Outside the glass the air is thick with smog but the filtration systems means that the air seems fine inside, especially with their SCA's helping out. Outside the tunnels they will be able to see the lights of hovercars zipping around and the silhouettes of buildings. Office blocks and large houses make up this sector. Large billboards blare out advertisements at all hours, neon lights shining through the smog.

The atmosphere of the sector is one of fear, people hurry about their business, keeping an wary eye on their surroundings. The newcomers won't get too much scrutiny but people are likely to be very wary if approached or questioned.

But they will talk once they guage them to not be a threat. Murders. Six people dead, from inside their own houses. Locked doors, security systems, all for nothing. Is it a serial killer? But the reports suggested an animal attack? From what animals?

Getting access to the houses will take some negotiating or breaking and entering. The bodies themselves have been cleared by law enforcement, caution tape still up to keep out any nosy public.

The rooms the bodies were found in were all rooms that used holograms as decoration and the voidtreckers will realise when they enter them that these holograms seem a lot more realistic than some of the others they might have seen in their stay in the sector so far.

Creatures

As they talk to people, or overhear gossip they will hear more about animal attacks. Someone swears they saw a lion prowling the streets. A hovercar crashed and the driver swore they had been attacked by an eagle. Neither of those creatures live in the city. Neither of those creatures exist on this world anymore.

But the Voidtreckers will quickly learn there is something to these rumours, especially as dark falls, the feeling they are being hunted. A paw tread, a tail disappearing around a corner. As days go on they may get attacked by a bear, a tiger or perhaps a creature from their own world, one that should not exist here at all...

Tier Three

A Crisis

Leaving the station brings them into crowded streets, air thick with smog, Up above them is the floor of the plate above, set with bright lights to offset the lack of natural light getting through. Billboards and screens blare advertisements, traders yell their wares. Life is fast and swirls around them as they step out into the streets.

Here also there is an air of worry. The talk is all of Spectura, kids unconcious after playing video games, hospital overflowing. Spectura's fault, there are calls for accountability, claims of sabotage. No person gives the same story and it becomes clear that most people don't know what has happened but almost everyone knows someone who has been affected. Fear, blame, tensions are high.

But life must go on, the factories never stop, people can't not work and with so many people unconscious people have to pick up the slack. The whole sector feels at breaking point.

If they try and buy Spectura systems they will not be stopped though they will need to sign a waiver, to take on all responsibility for what might happen to them if they go into the system.

Spectura


There are a whole range of games to look through, though the two most popular ones where the majority of players can be found are an open-world farming MMO called AgriTopia VI Ultimate, with bright landscapes and calming diegetic music, and Aegis Force, a tournament team shooter with short battle scenarios and smaller maps.

Those entering the system will fall unconscious in the real world and as they enter the problem will be pretty obvious straight away. Red vines, covering everything, tangling trees, creeping up buildings, coming straight for them to attack.

Anyone who gets overwhelmed by them will be stuck, unable to move or progress. It is possible to fight them off and for those voidtreckers who have faced the vines before they will find their soothing powers will work here as well.

People are tangled throughout many different games and once they are freed will need some help to find the next save point or exit. They need to help plant the final hundred potatoes, or team up to take down the level boss or solve the next puzzle, keep the vines away and free as many people as they can.

Tier Four

A Way In

As they leave the lifts they will find this tier is dark, dim lighting barely penetrating the smog. Homes are makeshift and all on top of each other. The streets are crowded, loud and people don't stop to chat. It is incredibly claustrophobic, with large support columns, exposed wires and large pipes running alongside and over the 'roads'.

Here there are plenty of stores selling anything and everything, certainly not above board. Credits are sometimes accepted but more often store keepers will prefer to trade in barters, food is popular. Anything that isn't nutri slime or the even worse unbranded basic version.

Bars and other seedy establishments are open all hours, neon signs beckoning. It is here that they will find the entry points to the fighting rings.

People don't talk about it openly but you look big enough, mean enough or dramatic enough then it will be slipped into conversation. Have you heard? Winners get a dream come true.

The fights are a mix of one on one and group fights. All terms are negotiated before hand with an overseer and fights are to the yield. The crowd wants a show and so dramatics are encouraged.

What was that?

The rumours about people going berserk are spoken in whispers. No one really knows what has gone on. A few fights have gotten out of control, a couple of fighters broke down after fights, at least one has quit for good. Most spoken about is The Crimson Fist. The best fighter in the ring who two days prior just left. Left the city with no protective gear, no word to anyone. No one knows what happened to them.

As the voidtreckers get further into their fights they will begin to realise something strange is going on. That opponent you are facing? They now look like your worst enemy, or perhaps your best friend, your lover. Sometimes you're no longer in the city but in a place of fond memories or your worst nightmares. Fights can very quickly go south when your opponent believes you their greatest foe.

Advancing the ranks now seems like it might be more difficult than first it appeared.
controlsthedie: game art of Thanatos default conversation picture (But the other saying I like so much more)

C

[personal profile] controlsthedie 2021-05-12 07:10 am (UTC)(link)
[ The nice thing about Thanatos's disguise for this mission is the extra fabric allowing him to hide things from view, so when Thanatos sees someone small wearing a paper bag, he tries to get his attention. ]

Mono.

[ Mono could climb up his back, hide under his cloak, use him as a boost to climb higher, or just put Thanatos between himself and his pursuers. Thanatos will deal with whatever happens next. They are not harming this small kid. ]
cycledsingularity: (Uhoh)

C!

[personal profile] cycledsingularity 2021-05-12 09:28 pm (UTC)(link)
['Than!' It's hardly the scariest thing Mono has run from but the relief at hearing his name spoken by a familiar voice is still an incredibly palpable experience. It nearly makes Mono trip up in place, costing him time, but he throws himself at the Death God's robes just as quick. Finally not just someone from Red that he recognizes but someone he truly feels safe with.

The child ducks behind Thanatos' legs, concealed by the fabric and tries to clamber up to their hip. And not a moment too soon. The first two pursuers continue running the opposite way but the last of them stops to stare Thanatos down, suspicious. Mono stills.]


"Hey there, guy, you ain't seen..."

[Fortunately for all, there is no easy way to describe Mono to a stranger first try, something that becomes apparent the more the local tries.]

"Some kind of. Small... thing?"
Edited 2021-05-12 21:29 (UTC)
controlsthedie: screenshot of Thanatos in Elysium (Do me a favor and die?)

[personal profile] controlsthedie 2021-05-16 01:56 am (UTC)(link)
You'll have to be more specific. A lot are small compared to me.

[ Thanatos steps forward, and, sure enough, he's taller than the pursuer. ]

Or is this is some joke about my height?

[ The pursuer turns pale. Maybe it's not the best idea to push this guy's buttons and catch up to his friends. Thanatos would cross his arms to appear more imposing, but he fears the movement would accidentally reveal Mono under his cloak.

Thanatos tilts his head slightly as if to silently ask "Well, are you going to answer me?"
]
cycledsingularity: (Scaling the wall)

[personal profile] cycledsingularity 2021-05-17 03:00 pm (UTC)(link)
"N-no! It's just uh." [Even among this world of mixed species, Thanatos' stature IS impressive. It's all the paling man can do to step back and mutter about a paper bag.

All is going well so far, except this new outfit's fabric is a little harder to grip than Mono is used to. His footing slips and Mono finds himself starting to slide, he grapples to try and get a better hold.]


"You know what I'll. I'll just, uh, get going."

[Just have to hold it together a minute longer--!]
controlsthedie: painterly side profile of Thanatos with purple butterfly (If you take my advice)

[personal profile] controlsthedie 2021-05-19 06:11 am (UTC)(link)
[ With the arm covered by a large sleeve, Thanatos will press his hand against his body, palm facing upward. It's not much, but Mono is welcome to use his hand as a foothold or handhold. He hopes Mono will spot what he's doing without alerting the other person. ]

Very well. Choose your words wisely next time.

[ Thanatos continues watching the man as he goes off and waits until he disappears from view. Then he asks quietly, ]

Are you hurt?
cycledsingularity: (Waiting)

[personal profile] cycledsingularity 2021-05-21 07:19 pm (UTC)(link)
[Mono does indeed notice the shifting of that limb. He grips for it gratefully. The result is a bit of a strange momentary shift in the fabric, but nothing that couldn't be dismissed as a trick of the eye or result of some of the pumped air in the sector gusting out just a little inconsistently. The would-be stalker finally departs and Mono peeks his head out, now comfortably wedged against the jacket lining.]

"Mm'mm." [Was Thanatos okay? He seemed to look okay.]

"H-happens." [A lot, quite honestly, but that doesn't mean he isn't happy to get out of it much sooner.]

"Came. To help!" [How. He's uh, not sure, but the train told him to, so!]
controlsthedie: screenshot of Thanatos talking with Zagreus at the balcony (I'm not asking for much)

[personal profile] controlsthedie 2021-05-23 02:38 am (UTC)(link)
[ Well, the train does give its missions to all the Voidtreckers, not just those best suited. (Thanatos constantly wonders about himself.) ]

Red Team is supposed to learn more about what's going on in these fighting rings. A lot are doing so by fighting, but I've been trying to gather information from outside it.

[ He doesn't want to fight random people, especially when he's worried about hurting someone. ]
cycledsingularity: (Scaling the wall)

[personal profile] cycledsingularity 2021-05-30 04:16 pm (UTC)(link)
"You don't fight?" [Mono hadn't expected that, it's reassuring to hear. So there ARE other ways to help without being in combat!]

"Find any?" [The child intones curiously, starting to clamber up the death god's back. It's probably easier for them both if Mono can get higher up to reach Thanatos shoulder, rather than staying conspicuously out in the front where he might be more easily detected. That hood looks nice and roomy to get some extra coverage with!]
controlsthedie: game art of Thanatos default conversation picture (But the other saying I like so much more)

[personal profile] controlsthedie 2021-05-31 10:15 pm (UTC)(link)
No, I try to avoid it because I'm Death Incarnate. I do not want to risk killing my opponent.

[ He is not on assignment, and the fights aren't to the death at all. What purpose Death Incarnate have here?

Thanatos's hood is indeed roomie if he doesn't mind sharing with Mort. He'll even help Mono get to a better spot.
]

I've located a number of the fighting rings, and I've seen a number of the fights. Some external power is at work.
cycledsingularity: (Looking down)

[personal profile] cycledsingularity 2021-06-03 09:48 pm (UTC)(link)
"Don't want to kill?" [Thanatos could have confessed to being the Easter bunny for all the sense that being 'Death Incarnate' made to the child; it certainly doesn't seem to bother Mono any and he gratefully accepts the assistance in clambering higher.]

"What if attacked. Outside the ring?" [It's not to say that Mono had any drive for murder but when someone struck first, there was never any other option. There were people who were nice and people who will kill you and that's just how it is... right?]

"This is--?" [Oh, wait there is the shape of something already in here???]
controlsthedie: game art of Chthonic Companion Mort (Could ya let go of your soul for me)

[personal profile] controlsthedie 2021-06-07 02:04 am (UTC)(link)
If they attack me or my friends, then I will fight. I'll keep you safe.

[ If Mono will let him. Thanatos finds that's the part which causes the most trouble at times. Zagreus... why?

But his thoughts are interrupted when Mono tries to hide within his hood.
]

"This is?" Do you mean Mort? He's usually in there. Ah, don't try to grab him though. He'll appear to fall apart. It doesn't hurt Mort, but it's just something Chthonic Companions do.
cycledsingularity: (Exploring | Under hat)

[personal profile] cycledsingularity 2021-06-11 02:36 pm (UTC)(link)
"O-oh." [The warning comes just in time it seems.]

"Looks soft." [Like Potato did, but if Thanatos says not to touch, Mono won't. Hopefully there is room enough for both of them, Mono would hate to accidentally bump into the plush and break them. There's a bit of fidgeting but Mono opts to crawl for the shoulder opposite the doll, swinging his legs down to sit.]

"Cythhnic. Companion?" [He's only just started to grasp 'Than-a-tos', 'Cthonic' is a bit much on first try.]
controlsthedie: game art of Chthonic Companion Mort (Could ya let go of your soul for me)

[personal profile] controlsthedie 2021-06-13 04:40 am (UTC)(link)
[ Mort squeaks a hello but doesn't move.

Thanatos waits until Mono gets settled before walking away from this area. The sooner they are gone from this spot, the safer they will be from those curious locals.
]

That's what he is. His name is Mort.

[ Mort squeaks again. ]

He's a very good friend.