futurologists: (Default)
Hathaway. ([personal profile] futurologists) wrote2016-06-23 09:12 pm
Entry tags:

MISSION: ZETA-12

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.

 
 

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.

[personal profile] babbylon 2016-06-24 11:55 pm (UTC)(link)
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
evantuality: 83 (83)

v important question here

[personal profile] evantuality 2016-06-25 12:02 am (UTC)(link)
Do squidges poop?

Is this going to be an endless diaper mission?
wardance: to ask for 2010 back. (♯and oddly enough I'm still not ready)

Re: QUESTIONS

[personal profile] wardance 2016-06-25 12:09 am (UTC)(link)
Will the recruits be getting some kind of plant "pokedex"? or would it be a possible as an ac reward upgrade if not? Just wondering if they will have any help identify flora or not.

Will this mission have any plot unfolding for it or just basically be a cause/effect and action/consequence mission with no plot unraveling?
wardance: (♯i was already surprised out loud!)

Re: QUESTIONS

[personal profile] wardance 2016-06-25 12:25 am (UTC)(link)
So, they will have to figure out a way to figure out things such as if something is poisonous to eat and whatnot? c:
wardance: (♯L-O-L just kidding question mark?)

Re: QUESTIONS

[personal profile] wardance 2016-06-25 12:37 am (UTC)(link)
Thank you!

Two more questions, sorry. ;(

1. What's the penalty if an individual squidgey dies (if any)?

2. Will this be like an Oregon Trail where we get told in intervals which squidgeys are dead...
asscan: (Dragon - Concerned)

Re: QUESTIONS

[personal profile] asscan 2016-06-25 12:37 am (UTC)(link)
do they fear heights of, say, anything upwards of eight or fourteen feet?

Asking on behalf of the idea of Laedo carrying his in a small baby-hefty tiara or on his back.
dishearten: \ (Default)

[personal profile] dishearten 2016-06-25 12:51 am (UTC)(link)
1. can we turn in plants for coins for both characters if we have more than one?
2. if someone were to drop, would other characters be able to take on their squidge?
3. you state that not all of them will make it. will it be up to the player if their squidge makes it or not? because I really don't want my characters to have bubble baby death on their conscience...
4. can squidge be held? they look a bit like bubbles so it's hard to tell. in that vein are they very fragile? or about the same as a human baby?
sheriffing: (Default)

[personal profile] sheriffing 2016-06-25 12:53 am (UTC)(link)
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)
hyperverbose: (sᴏᴍᴇ ᴏғ ᴜs ᴊᴜsᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ)

[personal profile] hyperverbose 2016-06-25 12:55 am (UTC)(link)
ok but how would squidges feel about being, say, encased in a tiny suit of armor for safekeeping

asking for a friend
naturallywavy: (Default)

[personal profile] naturallywavy 2016-06-25 12:58 am (UTC)(link)
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.
dishearten: \ (Default)

[personal profile] dishearten 2016-06-25 12:58 am (UTC)(link)
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)
ofobedience: please do no take (Default)

[personal profile] ofobedience 2016-06-25 01:04 am (UTC)(link)
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)
hyperverbose: (I·ᴍ ɢᴏɴɴᴀ ᴅɪᴇ)

[personal profile] hyperverbose 2016-06-25 01:05 am (UTC)(link)
perfect
diablejambe: (010)

[personal profile] diablejambe 2016-06-25 01:10 am (UTC)(link)
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
asscan: (Horror)

Re: QUESTIONS

[personal profile] asscan 2016-06-25 01:10 am (UTC)(link)
I plan on having Laedo learn this the hard way early on, excellent. Thank you!

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