[audio] @albatross; Lighthouse Expedition [open]

[scrapcap]

Evening. Here's hoping you've all started to settle in and come to terms with what's happened. A new batch of you's likely to come in on the next ferry soon, so make sure to help whoever shows up come to grips, too. Community's important here.

Let's cut to the chase: It's about time we get the Lighthouse Keeper back on the network, yeah? Problem is, only way to do this is to manually reconnect the lighthouse to the network. We'll need to run cables from the church out to the lighthouse, and we'll likely need to do some repair work while we're out there.

Some of you've been antsy 'bout getting out to the lighthouse, and I been saying it's too dangerous to try, and it is. Venturing north onto that peninsula may as well be a death sentence. Not too many folks I know ever come back from it. Still, this has to be done, and part of the conditions of the Keeper holding me over from last reset is to get her up and running again. I got no problem going alone if it comes to that, but this'll work best if we team up and keep things organized. Consider this the early stages of recruitment.

Word on the street is the forest spirits are planning a sort of welcome party for y'all, set to take place 'bout a month from now. End of August. They can be a shy lot, but evidently some of you have shown 'em signs of good faith, and they been chattering about getting to know you better. Seeing as the forest spirits defend the lighthouse something fierce and it'd be in everyone's best interest to keep in their good graces, the best time to make the trip will be during the party. They'll be distracted, which will give us enough time to get out there and make the repairs. By the time they realize what's what, we can show 'em we wasn't there to hurt the lighthouse or the Keeper. That's the only way I can figure we might make it back alive.

'Course, we'll need help with this. Can't be just me and a handful of others trekking out on our lonesome. Will's agreed to play lookout on the spirits in town, and some more eyes and ears on the party wouldn't hurt. Then we're gonna need some... ambassadors, let's say. To give the forest spirits a hand with the party and to show 'em we really do want to keep things peaceful, even if we run into trouble out in the woods.

For the time being, I'm just looking for a read on who's willing to help out. We'll talk firming up numbers in a couple weeks, after the next ferry arrives. Again, we're gonna need a lot of hands on deck here, and help from all sorts. Those of you with some sorta survival experience can help out in the woods proper, while the more charismatic lot can stay behind to make good with the spirits. Anyone who's got skill in tracking or playing look out, Will'd be able to use you, I'm sure.

Right. So. Ask your questions, tell me your ideas, and let me know what skills you've got if you want to help out. As for the details, we'll be in touch.

Thanks.

•••

[ooc note:

Winters is planning an expedition out to the lighthouse with the intent of reconnecting the Lighthouse Keeper to the network. This expedition/forest spirit party will feature as the main event for next month (which you'll see on the August schedule going up in a few days). All of the organization re: which characters will help out with this (and which characters will accompany Winters personally) will happen via an OOC planning post that will go up next month, after new players/characters arrive so that they can get involved too!

If you have OOC questions about the logistics, don't worry, we'll give you tons more information once the OOC planning post goes up! Please hold onto your questions until then. This post is just a primer to get the plot started, and you are not required to tag in here in order to be considered for participation in the expedition! We'll be doing signups as part of the planning post.]

Comments

voice | @silent

[callada]

Count me in for the trip out there. I've got extensive survival and navigation experience. Combat, too, if it comes down to it. We need to get her back on the network, I'm with you there.

[scrapcap]

Ah, glad to here you're interested. I thought you might be. To be clear, it's doubtful we'll meet the Keeper herself. All the maintenance we'll need to do should be on the outside of the building.

[But maybe they can wave at her from the ground or something.]

Combat might just come in handy, yeah.

@dysmas :// audio;

[chardismastic]

Glad to hear you're up for doing something besides setting up as the local tourist kiosk.

Which is a yes, I'm going.

[scrapcap]

Would you prefer I'd've hung back and let y'all get your bearings without a welcome wagon?

[He says it lightly, though. You're not entirely wrong, Rafe.]

What sort of skills do you have that'd help us out?

@username

[dualikey]

i can help!

i'm pretty good with my hands and i can work fast

but it sounds like you've done this job before. does it happen a lot?

[scrapcap]

Right. All useful skills. I'm wondering if we might be able to put that boat of yours to use somehow. Think it'll be ready in the next couple weeks?

I've never done this job before no. If things go as planned we'll only have to reconnect her once. It's just the reset that mucks things up with the cables.

Doing jobs with the confidence of having done them a thousand times before is a quality you pick up after scrapping as long as me.

@drake ◆ voice

[nonscriptum]

[ After their first and only conversation Nate was left with a weird, sour taste in his mouth, an itch he couldn't scratch, but this comes at precisely the right time for him to metaphorically throw himself off the cliff. He needs the out, and badly. ]

Done some scouting on my own time here, but exploratory work in dangerous environments is what I did for a living.

[ Until it killed him. ]

[scrapcap]

Good to know. Seems we was lucky and ended up with plenty of you folks that got the right skillset for this. What sort of dangerous environments are we talking?

voice;

[preseance]

( respectfully, )

Sir.

( it's a soldiering thing, is all. )

I don't care which of us you take, but y'should have me or Doc Wade along.

( both, maybe, if it's going to be as bad as winters seems to think, but gene'd rather one of 'em stay a distance behind the rest an' set up an aid tent if it comes to that. )

[scrapcap]

Ah, the medics. Not a bad idea, though if I'm being honest, I can't promise your skills will help us any.

'Course, not to put you down. You're welcome along and we could use all hands on deck in some way another. Just... Don't get your hopes up, yeah? Ain't blood on your hands if anyone dies. Them forest spirits can kill you in a blink without a chance for, ah, medical intervention.

@priestess ⟪ voice ⟫

[voktys]

I am no stranger to spirits. ⟪ yeah, winters, you probably remember this particular weirdo who was so keen to go out and feed the librarian. her accent is quite memorable. ⟫ And... I have found myself fond of the ones I encountered here. I believe I would do reasonably well as an ambassador with them.

⟪ besides, she's been told she's distracting, and that is something you want, right? ⟫

[scrapcap]

[Oh, he remembers you, Mel. How could he forget? Also, yay memorable accent buds.]

Glad to hear it. I know there's mixed feelings out there on the spirits, so folks with a genuine fondness for 'em are gonna do best at smoothing out any rough edges. How'd it go, feeding the hungry?

@five, voice

[fogey]

Count me in for going to the lighthouse.

[scrapcap]

Mm... Your teleporting skill should come in plenty handy, that's true. What sorts of limits does it have?

voice | @Scientia

[reigniter]

I can offer both my diplomatic skills [for the spirits, although he won't be happy to let Noctis and Prompto go by themselves,] and battle strategy [for the trek to the Lighthouse.] My fighting skills are also still sharp.

But before that, what do you mean by "reconnect the Lighthouse Keeper"?

[scrapcap]

Good, good. What sort of diplomatic skills are we talking?

Keeper's usually got access to the network just like the rest of us, but the resets undo that connection. We'll need to run a cable from the church to the lighthouse proper to get her back online. Until we do that, she won't be able to contact us 'cept through them cryptic messages I'm sure you've seen.

[Or, like, just the one, the GO BACK in Morse code, but still. His point stands.]

voice;

[tribridfreakshow]

I've been wanting to go out there since we got here.

[scrapcap]

A lot of you have, though honestly, I couldn't say why. What is it with dangerous and off-limits places that got you all so curious? No offense.

@parker — voice.

[webshoots]

I'm in.

Have you connected anything up to the network before?

[scrapcap]

No. The town's wireless 'cept for the lighthouse. Too far out to get a signal, I guess.

[There's practically an audible shrug.]

According to the Keeper and Will, it oughta be straightforward enough. You got experience with this sorta thing?

@viewfinder

[burstmodes]

ok but what kinda stuff are you thinking we'll have to fight out there?

[ he can't get that sign out of his head. ]

[scrapcap]

Forest spirits come in all shapes and sizes. It's tough to say.

If we're lucky it'll be the ones that look and act like animals. Bears and tigers and such. It's the ones that come out looking like monsters you never seen before that you really gotta watch for.

Though if we're really lucky we'll avoid fighting flat out. That's the idea behind using the party as a distraction.

@kingofwei, voice

[pure_havoc]

As much as my swords may be of use, it sounds like you have no end of muscle-headed fighters jumping aboard. We can't all go. Someone must remain to be part of the distraction.

[scrapcap]

True enough, though if this many folks are eager to help with defense, I don't mind splitting up the group in the field for added safety. We'll likely only need a handful to go out to the lighthouse proper—we'll be stealthier with smaller numbers, see—but a squad or two hanging back to make sure no spirits get the drop on us would help plenty.

But you're right in that we can't have the whole town heading off into the trees... Not to mention some of those with combat skills staying behind to protect the town itself should anything go wrong.

voice | @cuttingedge

[knifecollecting]

[This is something she's been thinking about a lot. She might not completely trust Winters, but she has questions for the Lighthouse Keeper.

She's going to help.]

I can help on either side. I might not be able to carry much though. [She knows she's small. She can fight, but she might not be able to carry cables.]

[scrapcap]

That's no trouble. We won't need much heading out in terms of supplies. I don't imagine it'll take more than a few hours.

[So, just the cables, and... weapons.]

Do you got any combat or survival training?

text; @kingsknight

[broplaints]

Count me in

And if you need help hauling stuff up there, I have something we can probably use

[Might as well make good use of the magical hammerspace, right?]

[scrapcap]

[Winters doesn't know about the magical hammerspace and is just thinking Noctis is swole, but yes good.]

What's the something?

@darkness

[evulsed]

I'm coming with you.

[scrapcap]

[Ah. The angry one.]

Do you have any sort of combat or survival skills?

@carnie; voice

[ordinaryannie]

Why are the spirits so defensive of the lighthouse?

[scrapcap]

Best I can figure is they see it as their job to protect the thing. The forest spirits get mighty prideful in the work they do, as you can see from the ones around town. The ones out in the forest ain't no different.

I don't know that they got a particular reason besides instinct.

@dr; audio

[donttalktome]

I still think this is a terrible idea, however unfortunately necessary it may be. That said, if anyone has questions about what I'll be doing, they may ask them here instead of bothering the good captain.

[scrapcap]

Hey, as I've said, I'm open to better ideas, doctor. Just consider yourself lucky we've got the two of us around so I can shoulder this particular burden.

[Go back to your nerd hole, you nerd.]

@ oracle | Voice

[spitefullight]

I can help either group if need be.

If the spirits guardian the Lighthouse are anything like undead, my magic can help kill them. I can also provide some magical protections that may help a group go in unnoticed to run those cables you need while another group plays distraction. But, I've also got healing magic if that helps too...though it is a lot slower than it normally is.

[ he pauses for a brief moment before saying;]

But, I'm pretty good at talking too so, I can help on that end.

[scrapcap]

All useful skills indeed. I'll think on things and we'll talk group organization when it comes time, but thanks for chiming in. I ain't sure how magic'll work against 'em. We don't got magic where I'm from. But, hey, could be worth a shot.

Tell me more about these protections you got.

@ax400 ; text

[chores]

I'll help as I can. The Postmaster was kind enough to help me so, if possible, I would like to become familiar with the other spirits here. Since I am not human, I have a lot of endurance and do not feel pain so my help might be useful.

[scrapcap]

Thank you. Were you imagining you'd help with diplomatic relations or venturing into the forest?

If you don't mind my asking what are you if not human?

@replica

[replicates]

if you got enough hands for combat, i can help with tracking and keeping an eye out

[scrapcap]

I haven't decided on any groups yet but good to know that you're willing to help out where it's needed. Lookouts will be important.

What sort of combat and tracking are you familiar with?

@Nightshade

[primordialerebus]

I might be able to help with... keeping watch I guess. Since this sound super dangerous. I'm good at sneaking and noticing things.

[ There's more to it of course, but hey, those are the basics. And god, she really doesn't want anymore people to die. ]

[scrapcap]

That would be grand if you don't mind helping out.

But if you would rather hang back, that's just fine too. We'll need folks to attend the party, after all. However much you're willing to do is up to you. It will be a group effort regardless.

I'm not here to strong arm you into anything you aren't comfortable with.

@missprincessmary; voice

[withsadness]

[She's clearly here to volunteer--]

I'll draw you a picture that you can keep with you as a good luck charm!

[scrapcap]

Hah, I'd like that very much, Miss Mary. I bet you could drum up some fine decorations for the party too, hm?

@daylight; voice.

[sunborne]

I'd like to help!

I've been trained to be a scout back on my starship. I go ahead of my fireteam to map our route and look for signs of any trouble or obstacles and report it back to them. Stuff like that. So if you guys need me anymore, just point me in that direction and I'll try to help out much as I can.

@witch — audio

[hext]

It's Wanda, Winters. We haven't spoken since the ferry, much.

But I think you can use me. My telekinesis and ability to manipulate matter at the molecular level, at the very least. As far as the cables, if they are heavy, I can lift them with little effort.

[ a beat. ]

I can also use psionic shields and blasts while others work, to keep rogue elements away — if that is a concern.

[ goodness knows it must be, between the reach of the town and the lighthouse, after the river rumors and what's happened to vanitas. ]

Just let me know where you need me most.

@russo ( text )

[jigsawn]

i'm in

( he has questions for the lighthouse keeper. )