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 Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2017 3:49 pm
MISSION 22Z00 - BELL ISLE ZOO, DETROIT MICHIGAN
Retrieval Mission 22Z00
Location: Bell Isle Zoo, Detroit, Michigan
Images:: xxx and xxx
General debriefing: There have been reports that people are hearing animal sounds coming from the Belle Isle Zoo late at night. Considering that the zoo was shut down and abandoned over a decade prior, it seems to be something that should probably be looked into...
Find out what is happening at the zoo and remember: don't get caught. Or eaten.
* C class difficulty level (must have a team of three to four people, and at least one of them must be an Intermediate Trainee or higher.)
* Please remember that hunters can carry a maximum of two Runic items on them at all times.
* THIS IS AN OVERNIGHT MISSION. Please pack accordingly! STAGE ONE You arrive at the zoo.
It is dark here, and eerie. Most of the park is overgrown and lapsing back into nature, with heavy branches and thick vines and giant leaves beginning to slowly drag everything into the depths of creation. In spite of it being an open space, everything feels strangely cold, brittle leaves and the faint smell of smoke in the air.
Your instructions are to observe and to find out what is making those animal noises that everyone nearby seems to keep hearing.
All players roll 1d6.
1 - In your wanderings, you come across a pile of what seem to be zoo maps that are by the front gates. The maps are in relatively good condition for a zoo that closed over a decade ago...
2 - You hear, a little garbled sounding, what might possibly be a lion's roar. But when you go to check out the lion's enclosure, all you find is a dirty stuffed plush lion and nothing else.
3 - In the elephant house you discover fresh hay laid out across the ground. There are no animals, however. And it stinks.
4 - The gift shop is mostly boarded up, but you force your way in through the front door anyway. There are still shelves filled with various knickknacks and decayed looking merchandise, although if you look closely enough, you might find yourself a souvenir to take back with you that isn't totally worthless.
5 - The bat house makes you feel too enclosed, everything dark. There is no source of light that works anywhere inside of the building, and at night time, it is pitch black. Looks like you better have your own source of light, or you might stumble across a pile of rotting fruit left out for - what?
6 - A dilapidated old ice cream cart stands outside of one of the run down resting areas. When you open it up, you discover the inside is not only perfectly clean, but there's actual ice cram in there. The question is whether you should eat it or not...
STAGE TWO It's time to regroup.
You have been instructed to stay the night in order to observe the goings on at the zoo. It is time to find a place to make your camp, so that you can at least get some rest in between watching shifts.
One player rolls 1d4.
1 - Your group decides to lodge in the gift shop. There are so many things here that are staring at you - one eyed stuffed animals long past their prime, grimy posters, broken mugs with zebra faces on them...but on the bonus side, it's a large building, with attached restrooms (however old and out of service they might be), and it has a series of windows that make for easy observation. Hopefully.
2 - Your team winds up at the polar bear enclosure. It's not entirely closed off, but you take refuge in the above ground observational area, rather than the below ground one. There are doorless entryways on both sides, and not much space, but at least you have two outs should things get dire.
3 - You and your fellow hunters wind up at one of the zoo's many abandoned restaurants. It's not a very big one, but it's spacious enough that you can lay down sleeping bags or supplies without bumping too much into each other. Better yet, there's a kitchen - a very old and unused kitchen teeming with bacteria and a decade's worth of mold and moss, but still.
4 - All of you take a trip to the top of the climbing structure that was once a kids area. It is mostly a ropes course, with a large net beneath to catch any who fall, but the place you decide to wait is a square platform meant for any waiting groups at the top of a flight of wooden stairs. The ropes course leads across to another platform and another flight of stairs. There's not much space here; it seems time to get cozy with one another, but at least you're up high, with a better vantage point.
STAGE THREE You hear something.
It's late at night - some absurd hour when normal people are asleep, several hours after you've taken camp for the evening. One person is on watch, while the rest take a small rest to preserve strength and not be tired should they be needed.
And you hear something.
It sounds like an animal cry, some distorted, twisted version of it. You're not sure what it is, but all of you hear it, and eventually all of you are awake and alert, prepared - or not - for whatever might come your way.
And come they do.
One player rolls 1d6.
1 - The creature looks like a mutated giraffe.
2 - The creature looks like a mutated panda bear.
3 - The creature looks like a mutated black panther.
4 - The creature looks like a mutated markhor.
5 - The creature looks like a mutated - and giant sized - black widow spider.
6 - The creature looks like a mutated - and giant sized - andean condor.
It looks like there's some sort of artifact gone wild, or maybe it's just an excess of FEAR built up over the years that has taken physical form. Regardless of how and what it is, you have to get rid of it.
The creature has 105 HP.
-3 HP auto damage
If you lose: It would be wise to pendant out before you get critically injured beyond repair. Perhaps you should come back and try again another day, when all of you aren't so tired and wounded...
If you succeed: The creature explodes into dust.
STAGE FOUR Upon your successful fight against the creature that has been roaming the zoo, you discover that the reason for it is an unruly artifact that has been making things difficult. Now it is time to collect that artifact and get the hell out of dodge before something else comes to try and eat you...
All players roll 1d100.
The person who rolls the highest number has retrieved the artifact. There is more than one of each artifact, which means that multiple people over time can acquire the same one - however you do need to complete the mission again if you fail the first time.
1 - If you rolled the giraffe:
You are now in possession of the Long Neck artifact in the shape of a thin gold necklace. Effects: For one hour per 24 hours you have the ability to extend or diminish your height by no more or less than six inches. This artifact has a 48 hour IC reset time and a 1 week OOC cooldown.
2 - If you rolled the panda bear:
You are now in possession of the Pandamonium artifact in the shape of a short piece of bamboo. Effects: For one hour per 24 hours you have become impervious to contact. People who try to touch you find that they can't get their hands - or any part of themselves - any closer than about six inches away. This artifact has a 48 hour IC reset time and a 1 week OOC cooldown.
3 - If you rolled the black panther:
You are now in possession of the Shadow Stalker artifact in the shape of a short black capelet. Effects: For one hour per 24 hours you can disappear completely in the darkness. If you step into a shadowy area or a darkened room, you simply fade away. You are not invisible; if you move at all, you can be seen as a shadowy shift of something. This artifact has a 48 hour IC reset time and a 1 week OOC cooldown.
4 - If you rolled the markhor:
You are now in possession of the Feeling Horny artifact in the shape of a matching pair of brown leather bracelets. Effects: For one hour per 24 hours you are suddenly very durable. This isn't to say you can't feel pain, but you seem to be much more sturdy and strong than you were before. Also you can headbutt people particularly well. This artifact has a 48 hour IC reset time and a 1 week OOC cooldown.
5 - If you rolled the black widow spider:
You are now in possession of the Many Eyed artifact in the shape of a pair of red goggles. Effects: For one hour per 24 hours you can see perfectly clear in the dark. This artifact has a 48 hour IC reset time and a 1 week OOC cooldown.
6 - If you rolled the andeon condor:
You are now in possession of the Condorminium artifact in the shape of a small keychain in the shape of black wings. Effects: For one hour per 24 hours you can float a few inches off the ground. You cannot go higher than six inches, but you still feel pretty floaty. This artifact has a 48 hour IC reset time and a 1 week OOC cooldown.
OOC
This mission is worth +3 growth points.
Only one artifact may be found per mission by one person.
These are Class C Artifacts, which means you may only own two TOTAL per character.
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Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2017 4:23 pm
Nash would have liked to state, for the record, that he had not chosen his mission partners. In fact, he'd been assigned to this particular mission randomly and unexpectedly, which was more than a little annoying, since he would have preferred to stay home.
Instead, he was at the lighthouse, waiting with a backpack slung over one shoulder, Nash slumped against the door as he waited.
He hoped he was with someone good.
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Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2017 4:33 pm
Melvin was tired. He felt jet-lagged from his time in Atlantis and somehow managed to get his sleep schedule completely upside down. While it was great to see the sun, it felt so strange that he could barely get to bed sometimes or even slept at the wrong time entirely. At least his bed smelled nice, and he was glad Fred kept up to his tasks.
Holding a cup of coffee and having a thermos more strapped to his backpack, he moved slowly and sluggishly to the lighthouse.
It would have been nice if they gave him a bit more time to adjust to being back.
As he got closer, he saw Nash hanging out and stared, a slow sinking feeling moving down his stomach. Getting closer had him swallowing hard before he got close enough to speak. "You............aren't waiting to go on a Mission, are you?"
He should have also mentioned he was officially back as well. :I
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Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2017 12:32 am
Lawrence showed up to the lighthouse with an overnight bag in tow, unsure who he would be sent on his mission with, having received the usual automated text which generally meant congratulations you get to go to some horrible place and do horrible things.
Nash and Melvin were already there and he arrived with a look that was simultaneously grim and unimpressed.
"Just great." he said. "I'm assuming you are my partners on this mission?" Nash got a special glare just for him. "Welcome back to the surface world though Melvin, glad you are still intact."
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Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2017 6:47 am
He heard footsteps approaching and looked up, Nash's hair tied back for once in a loose ponytail that fell down his back. It was mostly out of his face, which meant that he could see, quite clearly, who was walking towards him now, looking as though he would rather have been anywhere else.
"What the ******** are you back?" was followed almost instantly by "Please don't tell me - "
And then, as he saw yet another familiar face, "What the ******** let out a groan of utter dismay and irritation, burying his face in his hands. When he looked up a moment later, he discovered that they were, in fact, not hallucinations, or if they were, they were particularly good ones. Nash dragged himself to his feet and pushed open the lighthouse door, gesturing sardonically.
"Nice to see you too, princess," he said sarcastically to Lawrence. "Shall we go on this little excursion of ours?"
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Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2017 6:56 am
He could feel the tension and wished Hunter's got sick to be able to fake a illness and go to the infirmary. None of this felt good or had the assurance that things would be fine.
"I just got back." He managed.
Lawrence was a surprise and he wanted to sink down into the ground by two conflicting feelings. Those for Nash and wanting to prove Lawr didn't have much of a hold over him and the one that wanted to lean into Lawr to just be comforted.
Instead he held his cup of coffee. At least coffee wasn't causing him any problems. Why couldn't more men be like coffee.
"I'm still a bit laggy from daylight again." He told the group in hopes of establishing a bases of what was going to be a miserable time.
He went up the steps to the portal.
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Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2017 9:56 am
Lawrence hadn’t been expecting the day to be such a complete pain. He’d woken up that day with one more child than he’d had the previous week and quite happy to meet the day. He’d carried out his typical daily routines, gotten dressed and settled in for a long day contemplating his work and generally being comfortable indoors. The text hadn’t been very welcome but he’d reassured himself that it wouldn’t be too bad.
It was worse than he could have ever imagined.
With this team, if they ran into trouble as they inevitably would, he had no idea how they were going to co-operate on any level. Nash was not a pleasant guy and had made his intentions known on several occasions. Melvin he trusted, but the other man had just come back from Atlantis and there was no telling what they’d potentially done with his mind or if they still held sway over him in some way. As much as he’d like to put his faith in the blonde man, he’d need to be wary. Honestly, he’d need to rely on no one but himself and not let his guard down for an instant.
In the vein of trustworthiness though, one positive he could come up with was that if he somehow played his cards right, he might be able to get rid of Nash entirely on a permanent basis. Accidents happened after all, and you never knew when a good opportunity might avail itself.
“I’ll keep an eye on you.” Lawrence said to Melvin with a nod. “While we babysit our trainee.”
Saying nothing further but giving the black-haired man a smirk for calling him princess, he followed into the portal. He hadn’t had time to read their paper briefing, but he was sure he’d figure it out as they went along.
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Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2017 4:58 pm
He was, at least, glad to see that Melvin was alive and well and had survived his trip to Atlantis without too much trouble. He was not, however, pleased to see that the third member of this trip was none other than Lawrence, the last person in the entire world that Nash cared to see.
It was an effort not to summon his weapon and try and strangle him right then and there. Nash restrained himself, if only for Melvin's sake, and also because he'd probably get in trouble.
Probably.
He ignored the comment about babysitting and stalked towards the portal, disappearing into it as the bored tech gestured for them to continue onwards. The other side was a mass of overgrown trees, branches, vines, flowers, and grass that came up much too high, the sky overhead a dingy, mottled gray.
Nash scowled.
"Where the hell are we?"
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Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2017 6:48 pm
He watched Nash moved off ahead of them and looked back at Lawr. "Ease up on him a little. Alright?" He pleaded, really not wanting to have a fight happen right in the mission's beginning and either causing one of them to walk off by themselves, put him in a position to pick someone to stick with, or for any shouting to cause attention from any shadows.
When he got through the portal, he perked up a bit. Despite the overgrowth, the air had the faint smell of smoke and it was chill. Evething felt cold and brittle, and it made him really feel like Fall. He was glad he had his coffee with him, and he blew on it before taking a sip. "It's really nice here. Reminds me of home.....but without all this." He gestured to all the overgrown foliage.
He moved to look around. "So we're just listening for any animal noises and heading over to them? I really hope it's just some friendly homeless dogs." He could pt some stray dogs. Of course, even as he said it, he knew they weren't that lucky.
"Think something's on fire or some groundskeeper burning some shrubs?"
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Baneful rolled 1 6-sided dice:
4
Total: 4 (1-6)
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Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2017 10:11 pm
Lawrence didn’t know what to expect as they all emerged on the other side of the portal but what he had managed to forget was how cold it was when you weren’t on a tropical island any longer. The air was like a cold slap in the face. He felt the hair on the back of his neck immediately stand up, followed by his arms and a shiver ran through his whole body. Tugging his coat close to him immediately he hastily fastened it up and hugged himself in a feeble attempt to stave off the cold. When had it even become autumn? It had no business at all changing seasons without his say so. In terms of location, he wasn’t entirely sure where they were at first, but slowly managed to make sense of the place as some sort of park or zoo long since fallen into disuse mainly from the walled edging along the darkened path along with the rotting benches and failing signage.
Almost out of practiced instinct more than anything else, he moved closer to Melvin, slipping his bad arm around his waist and snuggling close to the side that wasn’t currently holding any coffee, trying to leech off some of his warmth.
“It is freezing.” He said irritably still glowering at the dark-haired man who had been forced to accompany them, as if even the weather was somehow Nash’s fault. Clearly him being present had made the temperature drop out of sheer hostility. He adjusted his perfect white scarf and fluffed it up a little, burying his chin in it.
So they were looking for animal noises, a veritable midnight safari. Like everything else on Deus Lawrence thought it was ridiculous but probably had some founding in horrific reality. It was dark and they needed a pair of ears so there was a suggestion he could make to get it over with more quickly, even if it would mean giving away one of his box of tricks to Nash.
“If we need it I can scout ahead. Owls have excellent hearing.” As he’d found out several times while being subjected to Melvin’s loud rock music on arrival to his room.
A short way along the path was the gift shop, dilapidated and graffitied. There was a gap in the rotted, swollen door and Lawrence gave it a look.
“Do we have to go in there?” he asked.
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Posted: Thu Oct 26, 2017 9:17 am
"Is it ever just dogs?" Nash asked, half sarcastically, half with a sense of impending resignation, because really, it was never that simple.
He was going to do this mission well, because in spite of everything, this was still a mission, and Nash was not about to ******** that up. Mostly for himself, but in small part for Melvin as well. Lawrence, on the other hand, could fall down a ditch for all Nash cared.
It wasn't a terrible area. Nash sort of liked the whole abandoned look and had a strong desire to go exploring all of it; maybe he could even conveniently "lose" Lawrence along the way. Especially seeing as how, when he glanced behind him, he found Lawrence snuggled up to Melvin, looking as content as a cat.
If Nash rolled his eyes any harder, they probably would have fallen out of his head.
"Good grief," he muttered, turning back around, and heard Acheri's rattle of agreement inside of his head. It took a moment for the actual meaning of Lawrence's words to sink in, and only then did the puzzle pieces fall into place - and the explanation for how Lawrence had seen him and Melvin screwing around when there was no one on the rooftop.
At least, if that was what Lawrence had meant. But it made sense.
Nash stalked forward, feeling mutinous.
"Don't be such a ******** pansy," Nash said, and pushed open the door to the gift shop without much preamble, though he didn't go all the way inside just yet, peering around with a certain amount of caution before sliding in. "This looks like a tornado hit it."
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Posted: Thu Oct 26, 2017 9:51 am
While he knew Lawr had little warmth to return, the bulk of his clothes and presence made him feel as if he could lean on him when he felt the subtle pressure of his missing arm against his back. It was a familar gesture, and he offered Lawr his cup of coffee. "Once we settle for the night, we can set up a fire maybe?" He offered as something for Lawr to look forward to. "Could even start it inside one of these broken booths or a exhibit for some cover." And if they needed to barricade any doors.
Lawr offering the use if his artifact was surprising. Then again, Nash knew they had been watched....during.
"The brush is pretty thick so you could loose us and we aren't sure if some of the noises are predatory birds. I wouldn't wsnt to find you attacked and crashing where some of these animals could find you."
Moving to the door, he held it open and stepped inside after Lawr. "I liked going to the zoo as a kid. We had an aquarium attached to ours."
He took deep breathes as he slowly walked, stiffening when the floorboards creaked. "You - You guys visit the zoo a lot growing up?" He said with a slightly higher pitched voice as he slowly moved, tense and heart in his throat.
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Posted: Thu Oct 26, 2017 10:24 am
It was never just dogs.
<> Lawrence's irritable comment that it wasn't a dog park and dogs weren't even permitted in zoos fell on deaf ears, the weapon already very worked up by the word dog. This was clearly Nash's fault also.
Lawrence followed into the gift shop with a look of abject disgust. It smelled like mildew and rot to his sensitive nose, as if it had been abandoned for some time, moss even growing on the roof. "Oh a pansy." Lawrence said haughtily. "You sound like my father."
"I think I'll need a fire later if only to clear my sinuses of the smell in here. I doubt there are any animals for hundreds of miles."
Lawrence sighed. "I've been to the zoo fairly frequently, sometimes the local zoo would call me in though I wasn't an exotic vet, I did a lot of equine treatments and cows. There are shared traits, zebras and so on." he rolled his eyes. "Animals make better patients than people and as a child they often made better company. They didn't run crying to their parents for instance."
He took a sip of the coffee which he was using to warm his sole hand and gestured the cup in the direction of some shelves.
"They left merchendise behind?" he asked.
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Posted: Thu Oct 26, 2017 2:28 pm
"Fine. Don't be such a ******** p***y, then."
Nash was seriously, seriously hoping that this was not going to be a mission where Lawrence and Melvin spent all of their time cozying up together, because frankly, it was a little nauseating, especially after all of the conversations that Nash had had with Lawrence. He truthfully didn't give two shits who the hell Melvin ********, but the bond between him and Lawrence was a bizarre and unsettling one.
Mostly because he couldn't stand Lawrence.
He really didn't want to be on this mission. Especially overnight.
"Zoos are better than aquariums, but I know you like water and s**t," said Nash, with a glance over at Melvin, wondering about the weird tone of voice. "With Atlantis and all that. October likes animals more than I do, though, he always wanted to go to the zoo."
He would have rather gone elsewhere, to be honest. Nash stooped by a decrepit shelf and picked up a desecrated looking stuffed animal that was probably some sort of bear, turning it over in gloved hands. "We can burn your clothes if you'd like, too, if you feel they're tainted," he said sweetly to Lawrence. "I don't see anything in here except a lot of really old s**t."
That may or may not have been a jibe. Or he might actually have been referring to the aged, flora and fauna infested gift shop. Hard to tell.
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Posted: Thu Oct 26, 2017 4:34 pm
"I liked water before Atlantis. I lived in Maine. Lots of lakes and the ocean. A lot of my memories were involved with some form of water. Hockey. Swimming. Cabin at the lake. Fishing. Boating." He said, trying to keep himself from thinking about anything but the floorboards.
He took deep breathes as he placed a hand on his chest and looked at the various displays, a few shirts falling off their hangers, chewed by moths, but a few still in plastic wrap as he pulled one out. "Some of these shirts are still sealed." He picked one up and it was filled with water, and he dropped it before picking up another that wasn't in any terrible condition.
As he did, he set it down and touched his side. "Oh. If you want?" He pulled out the golden fish in his pocket and let it float up and about his head before he went to look at some hats.
"I guess if this place closed down, it's hard to sell off when you're not actually in the zoo or maybe they were just waiting to reopen and never did."
"That's neat that you could work on exotic animals, though I guess not really enjoy them in any way other than them being sick or needing a checkup." Or having your hand up it's a** to check up on any offspring.
"Why didn't - " He took another deep, calming breath. " - October not go to the zoo? Does he still want to go? Seems a shame he never got the change."
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