MISSION #01: SAND AND IRON PREPARATION LOG

[vivalamods]

MISSION #01: SAND AND IRON

With the operation fast approaching, the Crimson Corsairs mobilize to prepare. As is often the case, the Supplier and Infiltration teams take the lead, deploying within Elysium and on the continent of Hesaeth. These preparations will be vital for the success of the operation team, and the Corsairs have devoted significant resources into seeing it through.

The Corsairs have delivered their verdict, and the mining site will be Captured for the benefit of the Crimson Corsairs. We expect this will invite swift reprisal from the Empire, and the Corsairs are expected to prepare assiduously to ensure unnecessary loss of life can be avoided.

The following missions have been registered for completion. For a character to count as having participated, they must have a minimum of 3 comments in the mission thread. Characters may only participate in missions in one of the available regions, but may participate in up to two threads if desired. If more than the minimum number of log participants is available for a given log, it will impact the efficacy of the preparation. As this is the first mission, the numbers have been kept intentionally low, we will assess requirements based on how we see player participation from this event and adjust as necessary.

SUPPLIERS

Gathering Supplies: This will mostly consist of gathering ingredients to make the food and drink to be distributed among the celebrants. It might involve hunting, foraging, farming, or other methods of production or gathering depending on your character’s preference. Failure to properly stock Elysium for the party will make the visiting officers angry and alert, ensuring they can mount a more effective defense of Hesaeth.
Requirements: To participate in this mission, your thread header should read GATHERING SUPPLIES. At least 4 characters will need to participate in this mission among all mission threads to make this a success.
Region: Elysium
Participants: Link, Snufkin, Maomao, Kaine (4/4)

Venue Preparation: This will consist of preparing the venue for the performance and banquet. It involves setting up the area, as well as constructing areas for seating and staging for the performances which will be held in the banquet hall. Failure to properly prepare will make visiting officers bored and restless, ensuring they can mount a more effective defense of Hesaeth.
Requirements: To participate in this mission, your thread header should read VENUE PREPARATION. At least 4 characters will need to participate in this mission among all mission threads to make this a success.
Region: Elysium
Participants: Momo, Musse, Eva, Link (4)

Munitions Development: The assault on Hesaeth will be a sneak attack, but extra firepower is always appreciated. Based on the recent salvage we’ve recovered, we believe we can make either a lethal poison or a sleep gas to be fired at the labor camp barracks. There is considerable argument among the Corsairs over which should be used, the sleeping concoction will potentially allow for the taking of captives. The poison gas will be potentially safer in neutralizing major threats, but there are many among the Corsairs and Imperial citizenry who will find the use of such a weapon abhorrent and this may lower our standing among our allies.
Requirements: To participate in this mission, your thread header should read either MUNITIONS DEVELOPMENT - SLEEPING GAS or MUNITIONS DEVELOPMENT - POISON GAS. At least 2 characters will need to participate in either of these missions to make this a success.
Region: Vault
Gambit: This will make up to two Gambits available - the Sleeping Gas Gambit and the Poison Gas Gambit. Either will be available for a one-time use in a mission log.
Participants (Sleeping Gas): Rezo (1/2)
Participants (Poison Gas): (0/2)

Illicit Substance Development: With the visiting officials, now is an excellent time for Elysium to put some of its finest hedonistic delights on display. To that end, they are developing more powerful alcohol and drugs to ensure the empire cannot mount an effective defense when the time comes. The enhanced alcohol should make the officers more likely to be asleep or impaired, whereas the drugs should ensure the officers are hallucinating and unable to give effective orders. Both should be able to completely incapacitate the officers and keep them from providing any aid to the labor camp.
Requirements: To participate in this mission, your thread header should read either DRUG DEVELOPMENT or ALCOHOL DEVELOPMENT. At least 2 characters will need to participate in either of these missions to make this a success.
Region: Vault or Elysium
Faction: Elysium only
Gambit: This will make up to two Gambits available - the Potent Drugs Gambit and the Potent Alcohol Gambit. Either will be available for a one-time use in a mission log.
Participants (Drug Development): Maomao, Musse (2/2)
Participants (Alcohol Development): (0/2)

INFILTRATORS

Observation and Mapping: Infiltrators will need to get a full layout of the labor camp, including troop movements, locations of armaments, and as many details as possible. This information will be critical in ensuring the team can quickly neutralize the threats on the ground. Failure to properly scout the area will lead to the team encountering unexpected and potentially dangerous threats on the ground.
Requirements: To participate in this mission, your thread header should read either OBSERVATION AND MAPPING. At least 4 characters will need to participate in either of these missions to make this a success.
Region: Hesaeth
Participants: T-800, Id, Itsuzumi, Aerich (4/4)

Prisoner Uprising: Infiltrators will need to steal into the labor camp and prepare the inhabitants for their impending rescue. This includes informing them and arming them so they can assist, if willing.
Requirements: To participate in this mission, your thread header should read OBSERVATION AND MAPPING. At least 4 characters will need to participate in either of these missions to make this a success.
Region: Hesaeth
Gambit: This will make the Prison Revolt Gambit available. It will be available for a one-time use in a mission log, but can only be used on this mission.
Participants: Madeline, Noctis, Harlock (3/4)

Steal Dispatches: Knowledge is power, and the Corsairs can make tremendous use of the maps, dispatches, and orders that flow through prison camps like this. Infiltrators will need to enter officer quarters and sift through refuse to find these missives and bring them back to the Vault for analysis.
Requirements: To participate in this mission, your thread header should read either STEAL DISPATCHES. At least 2 characters will need to participate in either of these missions to make this a success.
Region: Hesaeth
Faction: Vault only
Gambit: This will make the Hamper Reinforcements Gambit available. It will be available for a one-time use in a mission log.
Participants: Donatello, Angelika (2/2)

Players are generally free to play out the mission however they wish in terms of their log. A mission’s success will be judged across all participants in all logs. Players who want to make final group planning may use the top level in this post. Any Gambits will be made immediately available once the log participation requirement is met. The Execution phase will be posted on July 10th, but the cut-off to complete a mission log successfully for the planning phase will be July 15th.

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[purplexing]

Clearly Donnie has no experience in disguises, but then that's why he and his brothers trained to be good at being virtually invisible. Sticking to the shadows, blending with your surroundings, light as a feather and quick on your feet. Angelika's definitely the disguise expert here for the things she makes mention of, getting another albeit impressed blink from the Turtlekin.

"...I hope I don't run into any," he says with a shiver. He's just had to deal with stuffy nobles who thought they knew everything, but they did know just enough, and it didn't make them any less scary, especially on the other side of a suppression band.

"Makes sense though. Think you can manage throwing your figurative weight around without laughing?"

[fish4science]

"Raised in an orphanage, remember? I didn't just run into them, I was raised under their 'teachings'." She shivered a bit.

"I think so. I'll be talking to people with no sense of humor, and it's my life if I screw it up. Unless you can bail me out of that situation-which I hope it won't come down to." She squared up her shoulders. "I'm ready to get started when you are-if you've done all the research you need?"

[purplexing]

He shares another shudder at that. "Can't imagine how that'd go but I take it it wasn't pleasant."

Donnie frowns, but nods. "Not ideal for our mission but it comes down to it, I'll do what I can." He's not leaving anyone behind. "I'm set." Ready as he'll ever be, anyway. "Got it all up here," he says, tapping at the side of his head.

"So let's do this." He hopes his smile is a confident one, anyway.

[fish4science]

"The less said the better. I'm in a much better place now-here!"

"Let's do it!" was a strange thing to see a quasi-inquisitor say with a smile of her own before they set off. But on this one, it was hopeful and cute.

---
[ should we transition directly into a 'execution' log or start a new thread for that?]

[purplexing]

That's a sentiment he can agree with.

Donnie can't help but laugh a little at the enthusiasm, but it does help chase off some of those pre-mission anxieties.

((OOC: I think the Execution log is for the next/end phase altogether so we can probably just new-thread it on this log!)

[fish4science]

[OOC: Or we can just set it up like...this! ]

The landscape was made of sand. Loose sand, pebbled and bluffs of sandstone, loose scrub and grass dry and brittle as the rough dunes themselves. In the distance, there stood the squared off fortress of the mining camp, its towers squared off and projecting over the exterior walls. It huddled against a large rocky spire, but a creaking conveyor belt dumped spoil over one wall that threatened to pile up and overtop it.

Angelika squinted at it, and pointed at the belt. "Do you think that's a way in for you? I'll be going in the gate but you might have a rougher time of it."

[purplexing]

While sand and pebble isn't any terrain Donnie's unused to, it's entirely an alien setting to him for the placement and the lack of a pleasant beach at his back. He quickly decides he hates the place even before they've made their way in, but given what all lies within, he feels completely justified.

"It's exposed... but not impossible. I think I can manage it," he muses as he looks at the potential point of entry. Noisy too, he considers, although with the noise from the machinery alone, screaming of much-needed maintenance, it should be enough to cover any noise and shifting gravel that he might cause. He casts a look around for the guard posts before glancing back at Angelika.

"I'll get myself in position. -good luck."

[fish4science]

Walking across the dunes was no picnic for either of them, and Angelika found herself hating sand for it's slipperiness and the way it robbed you of energy at every step. Her shoes were dusty, and her trousers had picked up road-dust at the cuffs which cut into the hard-edge she had been intending to cast, but the sweat from her pores wasn't making the makeup run. Good preparation that, not good luck.

"I trust you can-maybe you can drop in from the rocks behind it or find some other weakpoint but I wouldn't be able to spot it from here." She squinted again, not noticing as her eyes flashed a brighter green than normal. Just for an instant-maybe it was the sun reflecting off her iris.

"Thanks-I'll try to keep them all busy as long as possible." She stepped out-and slid down the side of the dune towards the single road leading towards the entrance. She set off-not at a jog, but at a fast walk, something she could maintain for a long time. And she walked towards the mouth of hell itself-or the closest thing to it in the general area. It was just a mining outpost. With luck, she'd out-rank everyone there as a fake inquisitor.

[purplexing]

The dry, dusty sand was unpleasant against his bare toes, but there were plenty worse places to walk, not that he could think of any at that particular moment. Donnie'd decided to attire to a minimal and at least compared to how chilly things could get in the upper atmospheres, down on the ground it's much more comfortable temperatures that he doesn't have to worry about too many layers. Not that he can say the same for Angelika given how miserable she'd looked during the trek out.

"There should be some access points once I'm on the other side. And if that conveyor belt is anything to go by, if they haven't been on the upkeep for ventilation covers and all that, I shouldn't have a problem getting inside."

As Angelika looks off into the distance, that's a strange detail that doesn't go amiss as Donnie watches her. He arches a brow but otherwise says nothing more. And with their respective duties set, the turtle starts off towards the conveyor.

Sticking to the shadow of the rickety thing, he waits for a sizeable load to come by before grabbing onto the edge of the belt, dangling as it continues to trundle its way up. Once he's more than halfway up, he hooks a foot onto the thing to pull himself up beside the mound, preparing for the drop as it nears its pinnacle.

[fish4science]

Angel had her own row to hoe, and it was all talking. Talking she started by demanding to know who was on gate duty, and which she bullied and aggressed her way up from there. Talking that escalated into the base commander-and the chaplain, an old drunk who liked his comforts and didn't like young brats. This was a harder prospect than she had expected, and by the time Donny was reaching near the apex, the shouts from the three of them were echoing across the yards. "-Spiritual contaminations-My flock-A gallant knight and-Unknown and undocumented heresy-I've never tolerated heresy in my life-I'll never tolerate heresy and I'll shoot any heretical man I see!"

At least the guards were distracted by the shouting, looking in that direction when they could catch a spare moment from smoking or staring bored out across the desert or the inner yard where...yes, there was a huge wheel with paddles shoving the spoil down a hole into the ground. It came out of one hole in the ground and was shoved down into another, how useless. Were they hitting the rock with hammers underground to shove it on a conveyer belt, that took it to a different underground place where more prisoners with hammers would smack it? That made about as much sense as anything else.

[purplexing]

Not that he can do anything if the shouting turns out to be a bad sign, but from the glimpse he catches of the guards, it doesn't seem like they've been put on alert.

Donnie only has a few seconds to get a good look at what's on the other side before he dropping down to skid down the ever-growing pile. He has to take care to avoid the larger, sharper chunks. It'd be pretty pointless to be compromised early on if he cut up his feet.

At the foot of the slope he crouches, waiting and listening, but from here he can't hear as well beyond the groaning machinery and the crumble of rocks that continue to be deposited. His eyes rake across the yard and along the sides. Down isn't particularly where Donnie wants to go, but he spies what he's looking for, nearly hidden by the carelessly spread rubble.

He slinks along the walls, ducking into the nearest shadow when he can't find a good chunk of debris to hide by, eventually picking his way to an old grating. The air that gusts out is warm and not unlike the feeling of the inside of someone's mouth, which does not make him any more inclined to go inside, but he tells himself it's only temporary. Getting the bolts loose isn't too difficult, the stonework around them cracked and the metal itself worn and rusted. Just a bit of jimmying with one of his tools and eventually he's carefully setting aside the latch that kept the thing locked in place.

The grate itself is a hefty thing and would have been easier if his big brother were there to lift it, but the turtlekin's no slouch either, managing to get it open wide enough to slip between, holding his breath as the old hinges protest, hoping it's written off as just the other machinery making noise. And then he eases it down behind him, shaking out his arms before he turns to make his way down the awful tunnel.

[fish4science]

Angelika is making headway, bulling her way forward. At the very least, she has gotten inside the front gate, and is now standing ramrod straight as the much taller camp commander upbraids her for her nose being stuck in where its not wanted. "Nobody cares about the spiritual welfare of the workers! They work, and that's their place."

"They work-but is that all they do? Do they truly only work and slave away, or is there more to them? Do they yet harbor hope that, perhaps, false gods and idols might save them from their rightfully divine-appointed fates?" Konrad, for that was the name Angelika had given her alter-ego, sneered. "And your guards are mostly peasant stock. They have no knowledge of proper idolotry, not the bone-deep hate of the Inquisition for these so-called gods."

Gods, Konrad was a prick. But he was a useful one-everyone lower in rank than him was a moron, everyone higher in rank a powerful moron. His contempt for both was palpable, and nobody liked Konrad. So any thoughts about his girlish build and lackluster height were clearly what Konrad was compensating for with this bullying and browbeating. "If you doubt my conviction, then I can bring my superiors here so that they can behold it and your doubts. But all I ask is time with your guards for a few...questions."

As for Donnie-well, the grate lead to where all the ventilation grates in the mines did-the central fan room, where an ether crystal's magic was tapped to...turn a fan to suck air out of the mines and pump clean air down in. But it also was where all the other air-return shafts terminated too, not just the mine ones.

[purplexing]

It might've been entertaining to watch such a slight little Inquisitor figuratively stomping on everyone's toes. It might also have just been more of an excuse for Donnie to question the culture.

At least he's in the right place, letting out a breath as he allows himself a faint smirk. It's too bad these things aren't labeled. He closes his eyes, pulling up a mental image of the rough layout of things. Otherwise it's mostly going to be some guesswork, but at least he can try making sure he's going in the right direction.

He studies the walls where the other shafts open up to, glad it doesn't look like they'd spent much time in making things nice and smooth. Plenty of hand and footholds to make use of. "Okay Donnie, you can do this," he whispers to himself as he stretches an arm out and hooks his fingers on a promising protrusion of rock. Thankfully there's only but a couple of close-calls and nothing but rocks falling into the fan blades below. Donnie breathes out a sigh once he gets to the shaft he'd been aiming for, shimmying on in and hoping his estimations are right.

[fish4science]

'Konrad' didn't care much about what people thought of him-still young and foolish and swinging his power like a club, but he did care about getting what he wanted-face time with the guards, or at least a schedule to do so. "And I want to inspect your servitors as well. Good workers and obedient ones might even get rewards. I have some budget for that-extra food, things of that nature." That got some attention. Starving workers who didn't work hard enough was part and parcel of how the Empire worked but extra rations for good workers, much less generally sufficient ones, were rare at the bottom of the food chain. And these men needed good, well fed workers to do the hard physical labor. Without calories to burn, nobody could wield a pick or shovel. Dangling the promise of extra food was useful for the supervisors as well because if it went only to obedient workers, there was greater reason to obey.

As for Donnie-the shaft was tight, but not impossible to crawl through. It looked like it had the tool marks from when it had been made. If Donnie looked closely, he could see it must have been hand-carved. Some poor bastard, with a pick, or a hammer and a drill, had crawled along here, smashing rock to bits, and then crawling over it. There were better ways to do this-but this was what had been done. At least it meant the shaft-at least the first bit, wasn't the kind of thing that made a lot of noise as you crawled inside it.

[purplexing]

This...is not a very nice space to have to crawl through. The rock-hewn portion scrapes uncomfortably at times. It's only because of his soft shell that he's able to squeeze in at all; any of his other brothers would've had a hard time, pun intended. Raph wouldn't have gotten in past his head.

Donnie's just glad he's not claustrophobic, although he wonders if the poor soul that had been stuck with this job ended up with such. Being in such close quarters does afford him a good look at the handiwork. ...he sure hopes no one died carving these things out, ugh ugh ugh why did he have to think about that just keep going just keep going...

[fish4science]

The rock is red, at least, sandstone red with iron ore, red with the mineral that the mine extracts, red that hides any bloodstain and it's dark anyways. All you can do is crawl along-and listen to the echoes.

Echoes that might carry a 'familiar' voice as Angelika finally gets into the headquarters only to stall out over a rather pointless coffee. Yes, she had food supplies. No, she couldn't say when or how they would arrive, they'd get here (it would probably have to come from Floatsam somehow, or maybe Elysium, and it would be ideal for smuggling weapons into the camp.) It would most likely be dried fish or simple flour that would need to be made into bread. She could see about getting it made into hard crackers instead, but then the workers would need to break it up with their teeth, and she expressed doubts if they had enough teeth-and then they actually sent for a prisoner to be brought so the Inquisitor could examine the slave's teeth.

They were taking the food much more seriously than she'd thought. Was there some sort of trouble here? Were they behind on a quota, and whipping harder wasn't cutting it anymore? Maybe Donnie could find the answers.

[purplexing]

That voice. He knows that voice. It makes Donnie feel a lot better about things because it means he's going in relatively the right direction. He takes care in his crawling so he doesn't accidentally bang against anything because if sound can travel one way it can certainly go the other.

At least trying to make out what 'Konrad' is saying helps distract him from other horrifying thoughts through the red shaftway. What's all this about food and supplies? Sounds like their intervention here might be a timely one if what he's gathering is correct...

He squints ahead as he thinks he sees some light streaming through, which hopefully means an opening of sorts.

[fish4science]

Good news and bad news for you Donnie-good news, Angelika has the base commander paying attention to her. Bad news, he's not given her any dispatches, nor has he called his secretary out of the office. As a distraction, Angelika could be doing better.

Good news, there is a vent that leads to the office-bad news, this isn't it, as Donnie's peering up into some sort of...trophy room? Stuffed animal and monster heads, a few whole taxidermied animals, even the jaws of some great sea-beast, and a painting of the base commander with a huge gun. It's certainly garish-and quiet though. But how would this connect up to any other rooms in the building.

[purplexing]

A room full of open-mawed creatures is not what Donnie's expecting when he manages to get a glimpse through the vent. He manages to clamp a hand over his mouth before he can yelp in surprise, swallowing as he reassesses things.

A trophy room is the last thing he'd expected. He stays still for a moment, listening to make sure there's no further movement as he looks to see if anyone might be in there. Quiet is...good? Hopefully? Well, whatever, it's within the base of operations somewhere and he does not want to have to go crawling through anymore narrow tunnels right now. Now to just try getting this thing open. Boy does he look forward to stretching out...

[fish4science]

Sorry Donnie, those maws and horns and antlers are pretty much all that's in this room. Aside from a big comfortable armchair, and a single bookshelf near the fireplace for ambiance, that's about it. At least there's no reason for anyone but the base commander to come in here, so he can take a moment to close his eyes and recover-once he gets the grate open.

For Angelika, things are proceeding to a...middle. She is making peace with the camp chaplain and assuring him that even if she finds some heresy Konrad won't pin it on him, instead praising his good sense and ample...generosity. Even if she feels her skin crawl for saying that to a man who oversees the spiritual health of a dangerous, maybe even deliberately so, mine.

[purplexing]

Donnie hasn't met a grate he hasn't gotten open and this one's not about to be the first. Once he's made sure no one else is around, he concentrates, four small points of neon light tracing out into screwdrivers just outside before applying themselves to the screws at each corner. Then he pushes on the bottom so it's easier to catch the rest once it separates from the wall and he can ease it to the floor.

There are certainly nicer places to catch one's breath but he can't be particularly picky right now. Unfortunately he doubts he'll find anything he needs to find in here, but he supposes he'll have a quick look while he's there before approaching the door to listen.

[fish4science]

Taking a look at the books on the shelves reveal that they're actually all 'men's stories'. Hunting, wilderness survival, knightly combat, all manly-man stuff for Men who have manly hobbies. Some might even be bound magazines, instead of regular books, a years worth of issues from Manly Life in a single volume. Obviously, nothing Donnie needs, though perhaps there is some attraction to a story like 'Battle with a Titan-Turtle.'

Listening at the door, he can hear little but footsteps-and peering through the keyhole or through the gap under the door, he could see that this place opened out into a short hallway. And perhaps, if he listens very closely, he can hear someone...praying>?

Well, at least it's a good sign that nobody's shouting or yelling about impostors.

[purplexing]

Even with his limited vocabulary Donnie can read enough of the titles to figure there's probably nothing of interest here. A titan-turtle though..?

"No, focus," he tells himself, shaking his head as he tries to instead figure out if there's any place he can safely get to from this room. Otherwise he's going to have to try his luck in the vents again and while he suspects that'll be his best way of egress, he isn't immediately interested in diving back in again. ...but he should probably replace the grate, enough that it can pass suspicion at a glance. He does so, and then it's back to studying the hallway. He listens as he peeks beneath the door before opening it a crack. At least it sounds like Angelika's still managing all right on her end...

[fish4science]

There were no windows in the hallway or the room Donnie was in so..,fully interior, deep inside the administrative building. The floorboards didn't squeak underfoot, but there was the sound of boots on wood as someone moved about somewhere on this floor. There were six doors in this hall, with a L junction at each end, which judging by the light *did* have windows down at their far ends. So... taking the air-ducts into account, the entire building must have been built into the side of the rocks, and Donnie was on the 'side' that faced the rocks. But, now he had to pick which door to open next-one, open a crack, was right out, as it was the one voices were coming from.

If he crept up to the door Angelika's faux-masculine voice came from he might hear..."They are not entirely without hope of redemption, yes. Servitors can learn their place. But they need a firm hand-and, if you will forgive me Father, your hand is kind, but lacks...firmness. Youthful energy. I may be able to make time...if you allow me to take any interesting subjects." Oh. Well, she was either playing the role to a T, or slyly setting herself up to spirit away a couple of people for 'questioning' that would be their liberation instead of their doom. "But at the moment, I am more concerned that the guards remain free from corruption, as I said."

[purplexing]

There aren't many places to hide here in a fix, and the ceilings don't look high enough to unobtrusively stow oneself in a pinch. Donnie looks up and down the corridor for any signs of whoever else is moving around coming in his direction before he has a look at the doors across from him, trying to see if there's any signs of movement from them for the light that might be seen beneath. Not the best way to go, but it'll narrow his options down.

It's only once he's sure he's clear that he steps out of the trophy room, not closing the door just yet in case he needs a place to duck back into, at least not until he's found another room to safely transfer to.

Concern for how Angelika's faring is why he makes his way to that door to listen, but so far as he can tell, she's certainly selling it rather well. She'd be amazing for theater, even if he's only heard from his father about how such things worked. Of course it was probably very skewed because the old man had been talking about the theatrics of the gladitorial battles he'd partaken in, back in the day.

Right, doors. If that's an administration office, then...one of these other doors must have something. Another quick check up and down the hall, a closer look beneath the doors of the rooms beside the one Angelika's in. He tries the handle.