futurologists | MISSION: ZETA-12

Entry tags:

MISSION: ZETA-12

All characters, old or new, will receive a form of this dossier to their devices today. Thus, consider all information hereon as ICly available to all characters. Arrival is set for July 1st.

ZETA-12 BRIEFING

Zeta-12 is a dwarf planet that hasn't known sentient life for thousands of years. It is entirely uncivilized and the terrain shows it; it's difficult to navigate and has plenty of pretty, seemingly innocent plants around... that could kill you. It is beautiful, however, if you manage to find your way past obstacles.

Recently, Zeta-12 was hit by an asteroid carrying a strange new species. Soft, almost translucent eggs that hatch into creatures that don't seem entirely solid. As it was a previously undiscovered species, someone at ALASTAIR decided to affectionately name them "squidges". That someone isn't allowed to name things anymore.

There appear to be no adult survivors from the crash, and the baby squidges are unable to fend for themselves. After some research, ALASTAIR has hypothesized that they undergo several evolutions before reaching their final maturation, which will require a special spring. They've pinpointed the Wellspring on the other side of the planet. The only thing you have to do is get the squidges there and keep them out of trouble.

ZETA-12 OVERVIEW

Unlike previous missions, the team will be exploring a large expanse of land rather than staying in a centralized location. Though they will be dropped in the icy tundra of Zeta-12 to retrieve the squidges, they will be making a trip to the other side of the planet. As squidges are deathly afraid of flying, teleporting, or moving at any speed that is unnatural, they will scream nonstop if one attempts to move them in any other way than an on-foot journey. Some squidges may warm up to other modes of travel, but don't count on it.

The focus of this mission will be exploration and animal caretaking. Each team member will be assigned a squidge to take care of from infancy to maturation as they travel across the world to the Wellspring. It's not as easy as it seems — actions taken can and will affect your squidge as it grows up, and not all squidges will successfully reach maturation. The success of this mission depends on caretaking abilities. Squidges will quickly imprint on their caregiver, and for that reason, they will need to spend a significant amount of time with that person. Don't hire a "squidgesitter" too often, and be careful not to scar your squidge for life.

HeeWann Kim

Recruits' basic needs of food, hygiene, and shelter will be provided for. Instead of money, they will have generic supplies. While the team members will receive basic rations, it is only enough to feed one person, with nothing extra to spare. You'll have to scavenge for food the squidges can eat on Zeta-12.

Although ALASTAIR's researchers have discovered their basic fundamental needs, not much is known about these creatures. In infancy, they're about 1½ feet tall and average a weight of 7 pounds. However, they're projected to grow to about 3 feet once they've reached maturation.

Infant squidges sleep for about 15 hours a day. Like human babies, their sleep is rather irregular. As they grow older, they need about the same amount of sleep as an adult human. However, they are crepuscular rather than diurnal, so they're most active at dusk and dawn. They require about 4 small meals a day, and seem able to digest everything a human can.

They are docile, if a little nervous. Most new experiences will give them at least a small amount of anxiety, and any stressful situations will have them screaming or crying if they aren't comforted. They rely heavily on their caretakers and get separation anxiety if they're away from them for too long. They're also able to form close bonds with fellow squidges, and will become distressed if they don't see their friend frequently. Although it's rarer -- most squidges are either indifferent or feel positively towards others -- squidges can also dislike each other if their temperaments are too different.

For the most part, think of them like a dog or a cat -- they're fairly friendly animals, but they have their own personalities, likes, and dislikes. Each squidge is different, and how they're treated impacts their personalities greatly.

Congrats on becoming a parent! It's a big responsibility, but ALASTAIR believes in you.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

You may submit flora suggestions that can be redeemed for 5 bonus AC coins each. You may submit more than 2, but there is a cap of 10 bonus AC coins earned from this. If approved, they will be present at some locations during the mission. They must fit one of the following environments:

Desert
Forest
Grassland
Jungle
Swamp
Tundra

Edited 2016-06-24 22:55 (UTC)

NAME OF FLORA: Needleroot
APPEARANCE: A small plant that grows close to the ground to avoid the cold winds. Its flowers range from purple to orange.
ENVIRONMENT: Tundra
HAZARD-LEVEL: Not at all hazardous.
PROPERTIES: It can be cooked and eaten itself, as can the nuts that grow from it.
RARITY: Common

NAME OF FLORA: Snapgrass
APPEARANCE: A seemingly innocuous plant, from root to stem... and then there's a nasty set of leafy, vicelike jaws at the top.
ENVIRONMENT: Forest
HAZARD-LEVEL: Very high. These buggers will attempt to take any unsuspecting limbs off.
PROPERTIES: Inedible; can be ground into a potent anti-venom for a variety of poisons.
RARITY: Uncommon

NAME OF FLORA: Touchy-Feely
APPEARANCE: A mass of smooth, writhing vines. At first glance, they appear to be almost sentient.
ENVIRONMENT: Jungle
HAZARD-LEVEL: High. Touchy-Feelies like to get "friendly" with passerby and accost them in every place possible.
PROPERTIES: The shoots are surprisingly tender when cooked. The roots are toxic, however.
RARITY: Common

NAME OF FLORA: Crimson Cape
APPEARANCE: A plant that can grow up to two feet tall, made of hundreds of small red, bell-shaped flowers that sweep over nearby plants to steal their nutrients.
ENVIRONMENT: Forest
HAZARD-LEVEL: Not hazardous
PROPERTIES: Edible, but they leave a terribly bitter aftertaste.
RARITY: Uncommon

NAME OF FLORA: Firecrackers
APPEARANCE: A leafy green plant producing tubular flowers that range from soft yellows to rusted reds. Can grow up to fifteen feet tall.
ENVIRONMENT: Forest
HAZARD-LEVEL: Eating the flowers will make a person sick to their stomach for about a day.
PROPERTIES: Small drops of dew can be used to aid the healing process when placed on a wound.
RARITY: Rare

Edited 2016-06-25 00:53 (UTC)

NAME OF FLORA: Lucifer's Poppy.
APPEARANCE: pictured here.
ENVIRONMENT: Jungle.
HAZARD-LEVEL: Harmless to the touch, but deadly if eaten in its entirety. It's very delicious, actually. Probably the best thing you'll ever eat. Too bad you won't be able to try another after you eat it.
PROPERTIES: It has a sweet and alluring aroma that may attract people to eat it, but for obvious reasons, they shouldn't.
RARITY: Uncommon.

NAME OF FLORA: Prick— named clearly for the spines that cover it entirely nothing else whatsoever what do you think.
APPEARANCE: here.
ENVIRONMENT: Desert.
HAZARD-LEVEL: Harmless, but contact with the spines can cause a rash and sores that will itch, as if the character has herp— er— poison ivy.
PROPERTIES: It can be cooked, which will kill off the spines, and eaten. Alternatively, a sweet sap leaks from the top of the plant that can be used for spread, similar to honey.
RARITY: they're everywhere in the desert alright. do you expect anything else more creative than this from somebody like me.

NAME OF FLORA: Happygrass
APPEARANCE: A very light, lemon yellow. Blades tend to be short because they are eaten by animals in the wild, but a few rare patches are about four feet high!
ENVIRONMENT: Grasslands
HAZARD-LEVEL: not hazardous
PROPERTIES: A sweet, tasty grass reminiscent of Chamomile, that triggers a sense of calm and happiness thirty minutes after ingestion. Works very well on frightened Sqidges.
RARITY: Moderately Rare

NAME OF FLORA: Magical Poppy
APPEARANCE: Looks similar to poppies of earth, though they're larger. Mostly they are red with brown-red centers, but there are a few purple and yellow ones out there.
ENVIRONMENT: Forest
HAZARD-LEVEL: Medium to High
PROPERTIES: Being too close to these plants make characters drowsy. If they lay down near them chances are the character will fall asleep. Magical poppyseeds can be ground to make an intense knock-out powder. That said it is dangerous to give to Squidges, it is too powerful for them to ingest in such a concentrated form.
RARITY: Fairly uncommon but when you find one, you tend to find a bunch!

Edited (sorry about that mods!) 2016-06-25 01:15 (UTC)

NAME OF FLORA: Malboro
APPEARANCE: vile!
ENVIRONMENT: Jungle
HAZARD-LEVEL: Extremely hazardous
PROPERTIES: It is extremely poisonous and breathing on a character can inflict them with a lingering poison, and may also use its signature move, Bad Breath. Bad Breath attempts to inflict a profusion of bad status effects on all targets: Sleep, Poison, Confuse, Silence, Frog and Small. You do not want this to happen.
RARITY: Rare

NAME OF FLORA: Dermal Vine
APPEARANCE: long, thin, green tendrils that can be hard to spot due to the fact that they are a parasitic kind of plant, and tend to flourish best within a host.
ENVIRONMENT: Jungles and swamps
HAZARD-LEVEL: Extremely hazardous
PROPERTIES: Ideal growing conditions are within hot moist environments, such as swampy areas, within succulent vegetation, and best of all, inside mammalian bodies. They slide under the skin so softly you may notice nothing more than a slight itch and reddening of the afflicted area at first, but then they begin to grow, twining throughout the host body causing increasing pain and eventual death. They can be cut out when one notices the tell-tale signs (slowly escalating pain and the faint trace of green tendrils beneath the skin), but you want to catch them before they reach the internal organs because then it just gets unpleasant.
RARITY: fairly common

NAME OF FLORA: Moonflower
APPEARANCE: small, pale green leaves with pretty snowdrop-type white flowers
ENVIRONMENT: Jungle, grassland, swamp
HAZARD-LEVEL: not at all hazardous
PROPERTIES: Both leaves and flowers can be eaten-- they have some nutritional value, and can also handily be used to cure Malboro poison/effects
RARITY: Fairly common

Edited (idk why the question marks were there...) 2016-06-25 01:05 (UTC)

NAME OF FLORA: Bristlegrass
APPEARANCE: Forms in clumps of thin, brown-grey thorns. Most commonly grows in the shade of rock outcroppings.
ENVIRONMENT: Desert
HAZARD-LEVEL: Moderate
PROPERTIES: Despite the needle sharpness of the tips, Bristlegrass is actually rather edible! It can be used as a spice (and is similar in taste to pepper) when dried and ground. However, the oil it excretes when freshly cut can cause some annoying skin irritation. Especially if you got pricked while picking it!
RARITY: Common

NAME OF FLORA: Snow Star
APPEARANCE: They grow to be about eight inches high, with a thin, pale-blue stem and small leaves. Its flower is white and shaped like a star.
ENVIRONMENT: Tundra
HAZARD-LEVEL: None!
PROPERTIES: The snow stars thrive in colder climates, and are most often seen poking out of snow drifts. The blue shade of the stem is indicative of soil and water quality nearby, and the flowers last rather long once picked. Honestly, they're just really, really pretty.
RARITY: Scarce

NAME OF FLORA: Rainbow Berries
APPEARANCE: Large bushes with dark black leaves, but the berries hidden underneath are of practically every conceivable color. Red, blue, green, orange, yellow, pink, and a few black and white ones!
ENVIRONMENT: Jungle
HAZARD-LEVEL: Mildly
PROPERTIES: Rainbow berries all have a sweet, fruity taste. Recruits will find that eating too many of the same color will change their tongue to that color for a few hours. Sort of like a slushie. If a Squidge eats enough of the same color, their entire form will match it for a few hours! Conveniently, when the color fades they are probably ready for another meal. That said, when rainbow berries have gone from unripe (green) to overripe (black) they ferment and taste quite badly, and can cause upset stomach and some loopiness.
RARITY: Common

NAME OF FLORA: Frost Cactus
APPEARANCE: Ever wondered what a cactus would look like in the snow? Well, sort of like they do in a desert, though these have a pale icy-green color, and their spines tend to get coated with ice and snow.
ENVIRONMENT: Tundra
HAZARD-LEVEL: High
PROPERTIES: Icicles can be collected off these cactus to melt down for drinking water. They've also got unfrozen water collected inside of them, if you can get them open. Most of the spines are covered in ice, but if they tear skin they cause burning and intense pain. These are especially dangerous to Squidges!
RARITY: Fairly uncommon

NAME OF FLORA: Capillos emplastrum, or Fluffplaster.
APPEARANCE: Tall, tufting bushes with several globe-like branches, each ending in a puff of angel-light hairs. In light breezes, Capillos bushes flutter like the softest silky angora hairs. Their lower branches are about the right hight to collapse back into, like the softest bed that ever fluffed.
ENVIRONMENT: Grassland
HAZARD-LEVEL: Mid to High
PROPERTIES: Capillos propagate by wind transference. When hard winds sweep across the grasslands the bushes let loose their hairs to fly and land wherever they might. Being severed from their bushes trigger a hormonal shift in the floating hairs, such that they become a sticky plaster that eventually hardens with cement-like properties. Disturbing these bushes (by laying on them) will rip hairs from the plant and cause them to cement over those who have sunk into them. Though most clumps of this plant are large enough to avoid inhalation, some are smaller, and their behaviour (especially when shattered) is similar to asbestos. If used with care they could form very handy plasters for broken bones.
RARITY: somewhat rare--they grow in clumps rising up from the rest of the grasslands and they take many years to germinate from under their hard cap.

NAME OF FLORA: Labes sanguinum, or Bloodstain
APPEARANCE: A rich red splash of colour, extremely reminiscent of a thick, coagulated pool of blood.
ENVIRONMENT: Tundra
HAZARD-LEVEL: Not hazardous.
PROPERTIES: Bloodstain most closely resembles plants similar to the Terran strain of Bryophyta, or mosses, being a low-lying plant that grows in thick patches on open rock faces. It is best noted for the fact that it can and will grow upwards through snow throughout the frozen portion of the year, forming intricate 'blood veins' that grow and thicken over packed snow to eventually form a new, stain-like layer. During warmer seasons, these layers will crumble with melting water to spread the mother patch larger for the following year. Bloodstain is completely edible, but requires preparation over fire--baking and boiling are acceptable. It has a bitter flavour and a texture similar to fibrous mushrooms. It may have restorative properties. It certainly tastes a little like medicine. Eating raw will give the eater intense acid reflux, and possibly diarrhea.
RARITY: Somewhat common, depending on how long ago the latest snow has been.

Edited 2016-06-25 01:57 (UTC)

NAME OF FLORA: Beebulb
APPEARANCE: Low to the ground, they grow like pineapple bushes, but at the centre is a stalk topped by a collection of yellow, translucent bulbs. The leaves are long, spear-like, and serrated on the edges.
ENVIRONMENT: Grassland, extending to jungle.
HAZARD-LEVEL: Low
PROPERTIES: Inside the bulbs is a thick yellow liquid. It looks gross as hell but it's very sweet, and the squidges love it. Too much will make them hyperactive, but just a bit can perk up any flagging squidge. Also edible by recruits, and very tasty. The long, spear-shaped leaves can be scraped for a waxy substance: a good waterproofer (and good for making earplugs if you find some cotton batting).
RARITY: Uncommon, but grow in large patches. More common in grassland, or at least easier to see.

NAME OF FLORA: Beezlebulb
APPEARANCE: They look almost exactly like beebulbs, only their spearlike leaves are smooth rather than serrated and their globes are a bit smaller.
ENVIRONMENT: Jungle
HAZARD-LEVEL: High
PROPERTIES: Unlike beebulbs, the contents of their spherical golden fruits cause vivid, usually terrifying hallucinations. They will cause the squidges to immediately vomit violently anything they've eaten recently and be fussy and miserable for a few hours, but recruits can stomach the plant, and in fact the contents of the bulbs taste very similar to beebulb. Drinking the contents of more than three bulbs may result in coma or even death in recruits with less body mass.
It's also possible to get wax from beezlebulb, and the wax is not especially sinister.
RARITY: Uncommon. They grow in smaller patches than the beebulb, but in similar locations.

NAME OF FLORA:Winefruit
APPEARANCE:Grapevines writ large, these vines grow two metre wide leaves and green grapes as big as a watermelon While the growing grapes can be seen far overhead, the only ones in reach are the ones ripe enough to have fermented and fallen from their vines.
ENVIRONMENT:In established forests, growing up large, established trees.
HAZARD-LEVEL:The roots and leaves aren't hazardous. The fruits are only mildly hazardous for humans, but hazardous for squidges due to the drying properties of both the tannins and the alcohol in the fermented grapes.
PROPERTIES:The leaves are large and tough enough to serve as useful groundsheets and waterproof cloaks. The fermented grapes are full of strong white wine in a refreshing flesh.
RARITY:Rare, but a single vine can be extensive and envelop a large stand of trees.

NAME OF FLORA: Rot Cap
APPEARANCE: A medium sized cap mushroom that grows in rotting underbrush, the fungus is pale brown in color and often covered in a slimy yellow-ish secretion.
ENVIRONMENT: Forest, jungle and swamp. Can be found growing on rotted wood or dying trees, tends to grow in small clusters of about 5-10.
HAZARD-LEVEL: Moderate
PROPERTIES: The mushroom itself can be harvested and cooked into a savory dish that tastes quite pleasant. If uncooked, it is still edible, though tends to taste of dirt. The slime on the mushroom seems to be like candy for squidges - the little guys love it and their mood is easily improved by letting them lick some. However, if a recruit ingests any, they will find themselves suffering from moderate to powerful audio-visual hallucinations. In this state, recruits are more likely to have a strange experience than a scaring one, but any duress may change the surreal into the terrifying.
RARITY: Uncommon

NAME OF FLORA: Torrid Truffles
APPEARANCE: Small, rough and black, these truffles may just look like rocks or dirt to the inexperienced recruit.
ENVIRONMENT: Grassland
HAZARD-LEVEL: Low
PROPERTIES: These truffles can be cooked up or eaten raw, and they have a rich flavor. When a squidge or recruit consumes the truffle, they will find themselves feeling very warm. For some this may be a welcome, comfortable sensation, but for others they may feel too hot, as if perpetually outside on a muggy day. The symptoms do not make the individual feel feverish or weak - though there remains one reason for concern. While the effected party feels warm, their bodies are actually functioning at a normal temperature, so journeys into the tundra could result in hypothermia or frostbite if one isn't careful.
RARITY: Rare

NAME OF FLORA: Starburst
APPEARANCE: a tennis ball sized dandelion where every individual "fluff" are actually thin, crystalline strands; they can be easily crushed, however doing so with your bare hands is not advised, as the ends of the strands are very sharp and glass-like; when they aren't bloomed, the buds look like cloudy glass balls and are the size of a ping pong ball
ENVIRONMENT: tundra
HAZARD-LEVEL: when bloomed each petal/strand is sharp enough to puncture through flesh
PROPERTIES: when crushed into a powder, it can be mixed with hot water for a calming tea. in this state it also has a strong smell that's almost minty, and can be spread under the nose/on the chest to clear nasal passages
RARITY: common; they grow in patches along rocks and cliffsides

NAME OF FLORA: Torrentula
APPEARANCE: they look like hand-sized tarantulas (black and fuzzy with long spindles/vines that stretch out from a circular bud); they are usually found along the bark of trees in moist areas
ENVIRONMENT: jungle and swamp
HAZARD-LEVEL: none
PROPERTIES: edible; they provide a nice taste not unlike onion
RARITY: common, however they only grow along the bark of trees near a substantial water source

Edited 2016-07-01 10:57 (UTC)

NAME OF FLORA: Blue Sapwood
APPEARANCE: Fairly tall, with a wide spreading canopy similar to that of many Earth-native deciduous trees. Leaves are oval with serrated edges, and range from cyan to almost navy, but tend to be closest to a deep royal blue. In the fall, they shift towards shades of purple and brown before falling off. Trunks are patchy-looking, with a light grey underlayer and and a dark grey bark that peels off in strips naturally (similar to Earth plane trees).
ENVIRONMENT: Forest
HAZARD-LEVEL: None
PROPERTIES: Leaves are bitter but not toxic, and not a particularly good source of nutrients for humanoids. The peeling bark can be made into a tea with mild stimulant properties and a slightly spicy flavor. In spring, the sap can be collected and boiled down into a dark purple syrup that is sweet and has the same slightly spicy taste as the bark.
RARITY: common - mostly found in large groupings and forests, but may be scattered along margins with other terrains.

NAME OF FLORA: Ducktail
APPEARANCE: A shorter, drooping tree with long, thin branches that support rows light grey feather-shaped leaves. Similar to many swamp-trees, they're frequently rooted directly into areas with water, with thick spreading roots that branch above the surface of the water and help support the tree on unstable silt.
ENVIRONMENT: Swamps
HAZARD-LEVEL: None
PROPERTIES: Leaves have a slight fruity scent when crushed or rubbed, and they add flavor to dishes cooked with them. The root network provides a home to other smaller organisms, protecting them from currents.
RARITY: Common

Edited 2016-06-30 22:59 (UTC)

NAME OF FLORA: Forget-Me-Do
APPEARANCE: Flowers with unusual blue petals that grow small cupped protrusions
ENVIRONMENT: Swamp
HAZARD-LEVEL: Only hazardous when ingested.
PROPERTIES: Eaten, the petals have a strange bitter flavor. They also have the strange property of causing short-term memory loss. It can take up to fifteen minutes for the loss to manifest, but depending on how many are consumed, affect memories up to the last few hours. Characters will have a difficult time concentrating until they are out of their system.
RARITY: Fairly Rare.

NAME OF FLORA: Scarlet Oasis
APPEARANCE: A towering plant that can grow up to six feet in height, made of thick petals at the base that form a basin in which nectar pools.
ENVIRONMENT: Desert
HAZARD-LEVEL: Low.
PROPERTIES: In the low-precipitation region of the planet's desert, the Scarlet Oasis serves a two-fold purpose. It produces its own nectar - a thick, crimson-colored liquid for which it is named, that gathers in its basin, and provides nourishment as well as quenching thirst. Rainwater also tends to not seep into the thick nectar, which means that it will sometimes collect some of the limited precipitation on top of the nectar, before it is absorbed into the plant's stem, a process that can take up to twenty four hours. Just be careful if you put your squidge in it to swim around or take a drink - drowning is a real risk.
RARITY: Moderately rare. Tend to grow in groups of three.

Edited 2016-06-30 23:25 (UTC)

NAME OF FLORA: Red Stella
APPEARANCE: A bush with thin, whip-like branches sparsely covered in pine needles, capped with little fruit that look like purple spiny sea urchins.
ENVIRONMENT: Desert
HAZARD-LEVEL: High.
PROPERTIES: Sea urchin fruits at the end are designed like jumping cholla; they detach easily from the stems and stick like burs into your clothes, ankles, packs. If they manage to penetrate flesh, they leak a pheromone designed to make you very sleepy (this keeps animals from trying to eat the fruit inside of the cluster of spines, which although small and nigh impossible to get to, is highly edible and delicious).
RARITY: Uncommon. Grow sparsely amidst crabgrass and other (highly flammable but harmless) scrub brush, often overlooked and assumed harmless because of its neighboring plants and its pretty "flowers."

NAME OF FLORA: Beachwood
APPEARANCE: Gnarled, curvy, gray, stick-like stems that stick straight up from the ground in a burst pattern, like aloe vera and ocotillo had lovechildren. Yes, they have thorns, and they're sharp at the end too. :(
ENVIRONMENT: Desert
HAZARD-LEVEL: Low
PROPERTIES: Aside from the thorns, which are large as rose thorns and pretty easy to see and intermittent enough to avoid, these plants are not only harmless, but helpful! They are floral camels, storing water inside their fibrous shafts. Look past its dry appearance to crack one open, and you'll be able to suck at the fluid it has stored for hours.
RARITY: Uncommon.

Edited 2016-06-30 23:16 (UTC)

All questions related to the general Zeta-12 mission can be submitted here.

Do squidges poop?

Is this going to be an endless diaper mission?

???

futurologists - 2016-06-25 00:18 (UTC) - Expand

FLORA SUGGESTIONS

EXAMPLE

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Re: FLORA SUGGESTIONS

no subject

no subject

in the right place this time OOPS

no subject

Re: FLORA SUGGESTIONS

no subject

crawls in like the desert child i am

QUESTIONS

v important question here

Re: QUESTIONS

Re: QUESTIONS

no subject

no subject

no subject

Re: QUESTIONS