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Field Mission 4, Etude in Blue, Part One
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![]() 1. ETUDE IN BLUE: WELCOME TO THE SEA OF FALLEN STARSA. A WATERY LANDING You'll be going down from the Moon Base via glass spheres, shot by the flight technician staff member Avi. As usual, each capsule can hold up to 4 people, although it does get increasingly uncomfortable the more people are crammed together. You're shot down to the planet in the most horrifying way possible, seeing the landscape violently change quickly and without remorse or guilt towards your possible motion sickness or uneasy feeling. The landing this time, is a canonball. All along the middle of the Sea of Fallen Stars, blips of orbs will be falling straight down into the water. From the Moon Base, Lucretia watches on as the majority of you land. It's quite a spectacle to see the splashes from this high up. And once you're there, you're... kind of up a creek without a paddle. Without a propulsion or engine system to move your orb forward, you don't have a lot of choices here. If you're lucky, you might find a mercantile ship out in between voyages. If you're extremely unlucky, you're going to have to swim... or maybe you can pop the sphere hatch open and find something to paddle with. Be careful of the sharks? Definitely be careful of the sharks. Your destination? Lyrabar. 2. THE LAP OF LUXURY, THE DANGERS OF LYRABARB. THE CITY OF MERCHANTS' DREAMS ![]() Let's get something out of the way first: Lyrabar is a gorgeous city — and when you step off the S.S. Codfather and onto the docks about a hundred yards from the edge of the city proper, you'll be treated to a clear view of the entire skyline: Ornate, twisting towers of marble, stone buildings and finely crafted wooden structures form the city into a neat semicircle, with the marketplace at its epicenter. At the far end of the city stands a castle, a nearly glittering, extravagant structure, a maze of hallways and towers that seems to be stretching high toward the other planes of existence themselves. Lyrabar is on an entirely new level compared to Vista Virs, New Aspen, or even the comforts of the Moon Base itself. This is by far the most luxurious corner of Faerun that you've encountered yet — even the standard-level rooms you might find in an inn around Lyrabar are well maintained, the sheets are clean, and the food is delicious. The food, though! Pretty much anything you can think of is on the menu somewhere, and, no offense to an enduring and malfunctioning robot back on the base, but his cuisine chops can't even compare to what's on offer in Lyrabar. If only the people of Lyrabar were nicer. Weren't so suspicious of anyone new who passes through those gates. There is a lot of gold passing through the city gates, after all. And the pirates who are slowly overrunning the city are well aware of that. ![]() C. THE HOBBY HORSE A lot of you strong archetype Reclaimers, and even the ones who aren't, will probably eventually find your way to The Hobby Horse, a tavern that is absolutely just a tavern, if a bit more crude compared to the other watering holes nearby and around Lyrabar, and absolutely not a place where pirates higher up on the pecking order go for a bit of Jabba-the-Hut-lair entertainment. Of course it isn't. That would be silly! In any case, maybe you've signed the waiver, paid your 20 GP, and had a go at The Death Cave — essentially a long hallway, leading from one ring to the next, with waves of aggressive monsters brought in from the ocean and beyond for you to fight through. And for some of you, those of you who have played a hand in reclaiming three Grand Relics at this point ... honestly, The Death Cave might seem a little too easy. The man taking your payments and signed waivers, a man who goes only by Old Numbers, a gruff, bearded old fart who seems to be more battle scar than human, seems to have a solution for that. He leans forward over the counter, eyeing you near suspiciously. "Oi ... if it's an actual challenge yer lookin' for, Old Numbers can whip you up somethin' more ... randomized. Y'seen those Sea Quartz around town, right? Those rainbow lookin' stars that the fancier folk keep grindin' up into shampoo. Bring me three of those, and I'll give you a fight worth yer chops." True to his word, you pay Old Numbers three SQ, he'll have you sign another waiver (essentially, you're going to have to name a next of kin — someone who's fit and willing to drag your corpse out of The Death Cave, because Old Numbers here sure as hell isn't going to do it), then he'll draw a random placard from a stack of three and affix it next to the entrance of The Death Cave. The excited energy in the crowd is palpable. Now the real battling betting begins. Your goal here isn't to defeat all the enemies: It's simply to make it to the final exit. Here's what the placards mean (As a further warning, these are highly dangerous encounters! You signed a second waiver for a very good reason.): ○ Sword: In the final room of The Death Cave, you will be pitted against a swordsman who seems to have been taken in by some sort of Faerun equivalent of malevolent corruption — and boy, is he having the time of his life. He is extremely fast, his blade is freshly sharpened, and he will not hesitate to strike down anyone who was unfortunate enough to roll him, while laughing about it. He does have what you might consider an ultimate attack: Gathering up energy into his blade, he swings it, channeling said energy into one devastating plume of magic shot directly toward you. You're going to want to find a way to avoid it. ![]() For those of you who have gold burning a hole in your pocket, the shopping available in Lyrabar is near endless. The marketplace, located at the center of the city, seems to sprawl on forever, with stalls, storefronts and eateries that seemingly cater to every fancy, whether it's fashion or weaponry. If it's souvenirs you're looking to take home, the most popular items are necklaces made out of those ever popular Sea Quartz, that are being used at The Hobby Horse and ground up into shampoo, and very sarcastic postcards: Think, "I visited Lyrabar and all I got was this crappily printed postcard" sort of sarcastic. Generally, though, as long as the item is not magical, and as long as the tech is not more advanced than what you'd find on the Moon Base, you can probably find it at the Marketplace. If you're not sure about an idea, feel free to ask right here! Some other things of note about what you'll find while shopping: ○ There are a lot of pickpockets. Maybe you shouldn't actually have a hole in your pockets. Even with the people of Lyrabar as distrusting of each other, and of you, as they are, those looking to pilfer a little extra cash off an unsuspecting visitor will find no shortage of targets. Perhaps you're one of them. Perhaps you're the sort willing to start a brawl in the middle of the Marketplace to get your most valued possessions back. Maybe, if you look close enough, you'll see that many have the same insignia branded on their arm. It seems, if you'd like to join in with, or infiltrate a pirate crew, this band of kleptos might be a good place to start off. ![]() Maybe by this point you've had something valuable snatched from you, or you can't quite figure out how nobody's put a stop to some very clear money laundering happening at the Auction House, and you feel the need to serve up some serious justice to the pirates out there who have done you wrong. Who runs the justice joint around here, anyway? That inquiry will lead you straight to the royal guard — the captain of which is going to groan in exhaustion/annoyance at you questions, or even your bid to help out. You think he hasn't heard that story before? The second a silver-tongued charlatan charms their way into the ranks of the royal guard, they're looking the other way while their visiting pirate friends rob the rest of us blind. He's got no time for this. If you want to truly help, you are going to have to prove it first. And so, with that, you will find yourself immediately thrown into an undercover operation, one the captain doesn't mind doling out, because at the end of the day he loses nothing from it except for a few disguises. That's right: you'll be given a disguise, whether it's a smelly pile of peasant rags or, if he's feeling less charitable with his budget, a pair of these (look, it's not like he actually cares about your safety here), and a piece of paper with one or two names on it. Your mission? Bring these suspects back to the captain without causing a scene. Or, well, go ahead and cause a scene. He has little shits to give, remember? Pull this off, though, and consider a private audience with the one member of the royal family who still keeps an audience nowadays, Princess Irene, secured. 3. OUT ON THE OPEN SEAF. CONGRATULATIONS, YOU'RE THE NEW OWNER OF A YACHT ![]() ○ Steal it. This is how pirating works in a place like this. You find something, you take it, and you put a nice new flag on it to make it yours. Of course, there are some complications with that. Get caught, and you're going straight to nautical prison- don't pass the Hobby Horse, don't collect $200. But the docks district of this port town is known to be rather quiet at night, when the merchant fleets are out swindling cash at the bar, drinking themselves blind, or maybe just settling home with their family after an honest day's work. There are hired guards keeping watch, but it shouldn't be that difficult to incapacitate them. When they wake up in the morning, they'll assume what it always is around here. Someone forgot to pay the red tithe. G. 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA There's some adventuring to do out in the open sea, and treasures both vast and mighty. It's not entirely uncommon to find islands dotted along the landscape, and those are particularly good for docking and getting a sense of what's gone down around here since Captain Ferryn's taken command of the high seas. You might've gotten the sense that loose lips really do sink ships- that evidence is coming up pretty bill in your search for actual piracy going on around here. The good captain is incredibly skillful at both deception and infiltration, and with the Soul Blade helping him, there's almost nothing stopping him from completely dominating the entire sea and crowning himself the new royal in town. Mum's the word around these parts, so you're going to have to do some exploration. Pop some of those shrimp chips and head down to explore the underwater depths of the seabed. ![]() Many of the ships seem to have crates still on them- all with the official royal seal of Lyrabar stamped plainly on their lid. When popped open, you'll notice there's an abundance of sea quartz- the gems that are used to constantly provide a source of energy to the town. Hard to tell why pirates wouldn't be interested in that, when the trade is absurdly lucrative. You'll also find areas where ships aren't present. Instead, you might come across entire fields of sea quartz. But in their current state, they're pretty useless and look like the trinkets you might have found on the streets of Lyrabar. Devoid of any magical energies, they lay deep on the ocean floor, a nuisance and an eyesore to nature. You'll also notice that natural enemies like sharks and Sahuagin steer clear of these areas, for better or for worse. Good luck down there, and make sure you have a buddy system set up. Getting a glass sphere down into the water is near impossible, but Dr. Tank is on board the S.S. Codfather for emergencies. H. NOBODY KNOWS THE TROUBLES I'VE SEEN ![]() Pirates, for one, are particularly good at various ways of warfare. Many of them don't even look or appear to be like the ones you might have heard of in stories or experienced elsewhere. Some even fly under the banner of Lyrabar, cruising safely without notice by anyone that would be wise to what they're up to. Sail out for too long without a purpose or linger in an area too long, and a ship will approach, lining up side by side with you. They'll tell you that they're part of the Royal Navy, and hell, they might even be wearing the garb of the official uniformed ranks, and when they announce they're here for usual inspection, they'll request to board your ship. Protocol, you see, because of the rampant acts of piracy out in the open waters. Refusing might make you look more suspicious, but letting them on board as inspectors and tax adjudicators can be equally dangerous. Some of them are legit, and some of them will look to take command of your ship and leave you out in the ocean to drown. You're going to have to be cunning to figure out which one is which. Storms rage all over the Sea of Fallen Stars. With the encroachment of the warmer months ahead, the weather itself battles for its rightful claim to the area. The signs of a storm coming are easy enough to spot, and they're frequent. Some will last 2-3 days and make travel nearly impossible. Getting out of the water is an important step in keeping your crew safe; and spending a night on an island or in a grotto is always better than running the risk of joining the armies of The Drowned below. Maelstroms are an equal threat of immense dread. If you happen to see a swirling vortex of water, start heading in the opposite direction immediately. There's a certain magnetic pull that they have, and once you've been caught in the outer rings, it's going to take a lot of teamwork to get yourselves out. Good thing you've had a month to build upon that, or else you might be toast. For those of you who are highly less fortunate, you'll notice yourselves getting sucked in, closer, and closer. You can look over the epicenter and- good god, is that a tentacle!? What is that thing!? The Prespuran Triangle also poses a major issue while traveling across the sea. Legend has it that if you sail too close to its navigable coordinates, your ship will vanish and you'll never be heard from again. It might seem like a wives' tale, but it's absolutely true. Come too close to it and you'll notice your compass begin to spin out like there's no tomorrow. Continue inward, and, well. You'll see something, alright. It's a tower that stretches into the sky, tall and unwavering. And also, completely impregnable and without doors. You're going to have to get yourself out of there somehow, and for your sake, let's hope you know the exact coordinates you came in through or else... you mind wind up on a completely different side of the world. Last but not least, the pirates aren't the only ones looking to hop aboard your newly crowned baby. Don't forget about the Sahuagins, either. They seem to attack only during the dead of night, when the moon is ripe and full in the sky. They bring with them charming magics and are particularly good at getting people to willfully walk over the edge themselves, without even drawing a blade. 4. OOCThis is your story to write, and your setting to play with! Anything on the OOC post is fair game, and if there's something you'd like to try, please don't hesitate to let us know on the RNG thread. But most importantly, Reclaimers, be amazing. blurb code by photosynthesis |
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[Going out on the seas and exploring? Like in a comic book? HECK YEAH. Izuku is so down for that. He joins the crew out to steal a boat and even does an impressive bit with magic where he disguises himself to look like a bad pirate to help the other reclaimers take control of two ships.
He spends time drawing in his notebook, mapping out islands or little landmarks that they see. But eventually... he's staring out into nothing but ocean on every side.
And he's suddenly aware of the boat rocking back and forth. ...He used to get carsick as a kid. He'd thought he'd out grown of that...
So you can find him, slumped over the side of the boat, still trying to duitifully write in the notebook like the good nerd he is... He's just muttering to himself in a miserable voice.
It's pathetic, really.]
Destination Atlantis
[Izuku stumbles out from the ocean, wearing nothing but boxers, and gasping for air as the gills vanish from his neck and he breathes in his lungs once more.
He found something important. Something that no one else has been talking about. But it has to be connected to the relic, right? There's no denying that's the case.
So he grabs his shirt with his unbroken hand and holds the other against his chest protectively. So now it's time to look for clues. Which apparently means trying to talk to anyone and everyone about mermaids while babbling in excitement. While still wet and half naked.
You might see him yelling at some poor shopkeeper. Or maybe just accosting you]
Haven't you ever seen-! A merman! You know... A person on top and a fish on the bottom! And beautiful! There's no monsters down there, just merpeople! They have a city like this one!
[WOAH HE'S WAY TOO CLOSE. Also supposedly a bard? He's not really selling the charisma here even if he has the enthusiasm.]
Return to the scene of the crime
[After he wakes up with a splitting headache and blurred memories, he escapes from Kirishima's watchful eye to go back into town. He can't resist going here, if he doesn't he'll always feel unfinished. Half of the Hobby Horse is a wreck. Apparently, Bakugo did it to pull him out of there. After he died. And now he can't remember someone who is supposedly important to him.
...He runs a hand down his chest. There's no scar. It's like nothing happened. Except so much did.
Suddenly he's standing there crying and he can't seem to wipe the tears away fast enough.]
WILDCARD
[Hit me up on discord or plurk!!!]
you know what this is
Midoriya...! How are you doing? Are you feelin' okay?
I DO
How is he feeling? He just died. That's... a lot to feel all at once. He's ashamed for his plan being a failure, embarrassed to have caused trouble, terrified at the idea of being brought back to life but also grateful for it.
So instead he just bursts into tears.]
WILDCARD
He simply got up, changed, and left without a word. Every morning since then. It wasn't though like he was punishing Deku for something he couldn't help-- he just had to think about it. About the advice he'd been given about it. About what Maya said-- how he shouldn't give up on him.
He'd been thinking about it, and thinking about it. And it ate at him, seeing Deku's tearful face whenever Bakugo would snap at him over this. He felt guilty, admittedly, and he knew he had to figure out a way to fix this... somehow.
That's what he'd been thinking about while trying to go to sleep, on this night. And why he gets out of his bed silently, and walks over to Deku's. Standing over him for a few seconds before he kicks him roughly out of bed.]
Wake up, ya' damn nerd! We're going on a walk!
[He doesn't care if that ends up waking up Kirishima, he sleeps like a rock (ha) so he's sure he'll just go back to bed.]
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Until someone roughly shoves him out of bed. He hits the floor with a yelp and rolls over to right himself and glare at the person who so rudely awakened him. The expression fades as soon as he sees.
Bakugo... or maybe Kaccha, he doesn't know what to call him, has been avoiding him. He knows it. And when he does acknowledge Izuku, it's with a snap that makes tears come to his eyes despite himself.
This person he knows he cares about very much and yet... can't remember at all.
It's tearing him apart to his core.
So when Bakugo offers to walk with him, he quickly straightens up.]
Yes, good morning! Um, let me get changed? Or I can stay in my pajamas if you want to leave right away.
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[That's grumbled a little bit as Bakugo shoves his hands in the pockets of his baggy pants, and moves to go stand by the door and wait for him to hurry on over.
He's still unsure about this but he'll give it some kind of try. He's still Deku, after all. Just more of an idiot now than usual.]
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[He's just going to quickly stumble into some pants because he doesn't want to wander around town in All Might boxers...
Then he goes and stands next to Bakugo's shoulder, looking excited but nervous. He really wants to make this work. He needs this to work.]
Where are we going..?
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[That's all he gets as a reply. Short and to the point as he opens the door and heads out, not waiting for Deku because he knows he'll be on his heels like a puppy.
Even if he doesn't remember him, he still acts like he's the most amazing guy on Earth and honestly.. Bakugo doesn't know if that pisses him off more about all of this or less.]
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[he tries to make conversation. It seems better than being silent and acknowledging the awkward relationship between them.
And this has to be about the mission right? Why else would he approach him after a week? Nothing's changed after all.]
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[It's not related to any missions at all, in fact he hasn't really been able to focus on it this time around since the mishap at the Hobby Horse.
He keeps that to himself though, as he leads the other boy outside, continuing towards his destination.]
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The more we figure out, the better we can do when it comes to retrieving the relics. We should explore every possible path forward.
[DOES HE SOUND ANXIOUS. Because he's so anxious. He doesn't know what to make of any of this except that it makes his stomach twist into knots. What could Bakugo want with him?]
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[Bakugo replies, uninterested and distant like his mind is completely somewhere else. He pretty much falls silent after that, but the docks aren't that far away honestly. Just enough that people in the hotel won't hear them talking unless they really start yelling.. but Bakugo plan on trying (trying) not to explode this time.
When the two reach it, Bakugo stops and turns around, looking Deku over for a minute before he points to the end of the dock with a sneer.]
Sit.
[This will probably take a while.]
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Destination Atlantis
You saw one too? I got to meet one when I changed into a "goldfish", before she escaped to her pretty city. She even had treasure!
[ His eyes are bright with curiosity in what Izuku might have seen. It's genuine interest and curiosity. ]
How did you meet your merman?
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I was trying to learn more about the monsters killing people in the sea. But when I looked, I didn't find any. I just saw the merman and he looked at me like he wanted me to follow him, so I did. Eventually, I got stopped by some sort of barrier. But just beyond, I could see a city underwater. It looked just like this one.
...That must be... where the one you met came from too? That city?
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Mm-hm, but I could not get past that "barrier", as I probably was not as "welcome". It undid the spell I had to disguise as a goldfish, so I almost met an "end" there.
[ He's fine now. If he's not gonna worry about it, maybe this poor guy won't!
...Speaking of, his hand might some attention doesn't it. ]
It's interesting how it looks similar compared to this "city". I wonder which one came first.
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I wonder why no one seems to know about the mermaid city when they look so similar. You'd think that means the merpeople copied Lyrabar but I'm not sure that's actually the case.
Maybe it's connected to all the things happening around here.
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[ Don't ask where Kanata gets a towel (only slightly used), he just whips it out for Izuku. ]
Do you think it is possible to visit again? Or will we become drowned bodies...
RETURN!! TO!!! THE SCENE!!!
[That's definitely the sweet boy she shared a cabin with last month! Kaede had been busy shopping, looking for jewelry, clothing, instruments and sheet music -- you know, typical high school girl stuff -- when she spots Deku crying outside the wrecked building.
She rushes over.]
Midoriya-kun, what's wrong? Do you wanna go sit down?
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Akamatsu-san.
[He sniffs and quickly tries to wipe the tears from his face. It's embarrassing. He doesn't want to anyone to worry over him. Especially when he can barely explain why he's crying.]
I-I'm all right.
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[She glances back to the Hobby Horse, then back to him. A few seconds pass as she debates with herself, then she unceremoniously takes him by the elbow and gives him a tug, trying to pull him a few steps in her direction.]
Then you don't mind coming with me to get some tea, right? I saw this really cute place a few streets over. They have a piano, too!
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[He resists at first. He doesn't want to seem pathetic and weak or to cry about his problems in front of this girl, or anyone really. He's a crier but sometimes he's not the best at being honest about his feelings.
Then again, maybe that's just proof that even heroes need help sometimes. So he nods and gives her a small smile.]
Tea sounds great, actually.
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[She pumps her free hand in the air, then shifts her grip from his elbow to take his hand instead. She doesn't know why he's crying, or what he's so upset about; there's no one around who's obviously bullying him (except for her), so all she can think is there's something inside that's bothering him.
Kaede squeezes his hand with hers and gives him a bright smile in exchange for his small one.]
It's right this way... do you like black tea or green tea? We can order it with these little cakes, too. Whenever I'm sad about something, I like to listen to music to try to cheer myself up. If we just imagine the floating tunes of Chopin's Sunshine, it'll definitely whisk your worries away!
[She's rambling, but it's intentional. The more she speaks without waiting for his input, the more time he has to dry his tears and try to compose himself, if he can. It's what she would want, if their positions were reversed. A distraction.]
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I'm not sure. Both kinds, I think? Honestly, I'm not very well versed when it comes to tea. I usually drink whatever people offer me. And honestly, I don't know much about music either.
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[She starts to give him another smile, but it quickly fades into a surprise.]
Eeeehhhh?? Midoriya-kun, you're a bard! You've got to know at least a little bit about music, right? Even if it's not piano, you have to have some kind of specialty, right?
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[Then he turns red at her comment and sort of looks away.]
I know! I mean... I actually have no idea why they chose me as a bard. I can't sing and I couldn't even play music before this and honestly even that is... well, it leaves a lot to be desired. I'm mostly just going off of my Prodigy skill and practice. But even then, my playing leaves a lot to be desired.
[He looks a little sadly down at the fiddle hanging off his back.]
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