Walking in a Winter Wonderland…

[initiates]

As some may have seen, the AI has announced a sudden sharp drop in radiation levels on the island of Exsilium. We're talking back to modern day levels of radiation, so well in the normal, nice, kind range that doesn't cause spontaneous mutation.

The question, of course, is how, and if this is the ticket down! The short answers are... too many ripples in the timestream lead things astray, and yes, now is time to start the reclamation process.

With sign-ups starting today and lasting through to Sunday, a group of Transports will be sent down to examine the state of Exsilium, two months after leaving. What they'll find will go something like the following... and boy, is it a doozy!

Note: The vote on how to solve the puzzle of Exsilium’s problem will be going up tomorrow. Voting has now been closed! This plot is a stop-gap to allow Transports back down on Earth in an uncomfortable situation, placing ongoing pressure on them to find an answer to the riddle of the United Earth (should they choose). This is not the fix for the United Earth problem!

Also, a move of everyone down to Earth again won't be in full swing until after December 1st. Until a location Earth-side that can support the Transport Pad and Aristeas Technology's energy demands can be found, a complete shift would be unfeasible. The official move down to Earth began on December 5th. Please refer here for more information!

Exsilium is buried under snow up to twenty feet deep across the countryside. The ruins of a city, one that may or may not have been London at one point in history, can be seen poking through in some places.

Exiles are in existence, and the (New) Initiative is an organization that stays very, very quiet and close to the ground. Countless smaller villages lay across the countryside, with a major city-state called Exsilium (funny, that) being the central region. "City-state" is used in the loosest sense -- the actual city part is some portion stone housing, some portion subterranean building, and a largest portion of wood housing. (But never fear. The Initiative is still here, and has since been contacted by the Transport Scouting Group on behalf of the Transports as a whole!)

Most the current population lives close to major sources of water, including the river formerly known as the Thames. In fact, the Thames has completely frozen over, and is used as a speedway for transport and traffic toward the ocean and further inland. Ice-skating and sledding are major means of travel!

Talking about the Initiative among the native Exiles will get you ostracized, into fights, and otherwise regarded as disreputable. That's right, folks -- the Initiative exists, in a vastly different, and vastly more underground movement. They don't have financial sway, or even semi-public support in the Exsilium the Transports will find.

The question of how this came to be will doubtlessly be big on everyone's minds. From what the AI will suggest, it's the cumulative effect of the countless small missions they've been running, particularly any mission that included earning, stealing, spending, or laundering large amounts of cash, or interfered with corporate legacies. Why corporate legacies?

As talking to the native Exiles will inform Transports, this whole world went to the freeze midway through the 3100's. Corporations had more power and sway than governments, and they decided to address an ongoing problem with regards to Global Warming. That solution worked... too well. Earth was triggered to start the shift into a massive ice-age, and humanity wasn't entirely prepared. The humanity caused natural disaster provoked the corporations worldwide into action, developing all sorts of safeguards and trying just about everything in the book and outside of the box to solve their problem.

Thus was the early United Earth born, a joining of Government and Corporate goals to address an ongoing problem. Any sudden shifts in temperature the other direction could prove as disastrous, and so efforts on adaptation became the most important in everyone's minds.

Which went to smithereens in the Catastrophic War, wiping out 78% of the world economy and forcing aid efforts to end with an abruptness that caused civil uprisings, rebellions, and civil war in the majority of the habitable world.

Now, in 3313, the major collective power that arose from the tangled skeins of history, known as the United Earth, has created its icy utopian society. Exsilium has been the dropping point for malcontents, close enough to be monitored, far enough away from the heart of the United Earth to be considered an amusement, not a threat.

And all the Exiles hope this is how the status quo stays -- for now, for the next decade, for as long as they're alive. The Initiative is an underground movement that has to stay underground to survive, and you, the Transports, are going to be their ticket to undermining the authority of the United Earth!

If you so choose.

The short list of changes:

- Exsilium is now literally a Winter Wonderland
- There is no Nuclear Winter
- The Initiative is a deep underground rebellion force
- The Initiative must be sought out through indirect channels
- There are Yetis roaming the island
- Yeah, seriously, Yetis (Which may or may not look like this!)
- Major means of movement are by sled, sleigh, and on ice skates using the river Thames
- 5% of the recognizable faces from Exsilium before are around anymore

Now for some more Environment and Setting Details…

At first glance, this looks less like a winter wonderland and more like a winter wasteland. But don’t let first impressions ruin the fun: There’s a lot going on in this environment.

Said environment is almost constantly in some state of flux; Exsilium’s still got enough sun to keep ice from packing too permanently, so snow levels can rise and fall to some degree. Of course, this place was famous for its drizzling, and so instead of lots of rain, there is lots of snow to replenish the landscape.

While this place is estranged from the highest quality of winter living, you’ll find the technology is well suited for the times. Solar panels peek through snow drifts to help power the burrowed living and working spaces hidden below. Food is grown and stored in domed-off locations, benefiting from their snowy blankets for the extra insulation it provides from the elements up top. And there are connecting pathways, not unlike subway tunnels, from workplaces closely built together. Saves you the ski trip.

Not that skiing isn’t awesome, or anything. Or even sledding! Fluffy sled dogs can help you out. As for the other local fauna, you’ll find some almost-but-not-quite domesticated cats guarding the granaries from rats and other pests. There are caribou for heavier work, and even a yak or three in places.

Please be advised that the penguins (yes) are ill-tempered and not a fan of locals and strangers alike. Same can be said of the walruses, whose destructive powers as giant blobs of blubber should be enough to warn you away from cheesing them off. They stay by the ice, though, so if you’re away from the shore, you’ll be alright.

Speaking of the water, you can find some (questionably) brave science-folks living under the ice in the Thames. There is something called an “ice box” – a living quarters that fits up to five uncomfortably, reasonably warm (but not quite) and dipped right into the water. These people check water quality and the flow/population of the fish and sharks and crabs and other water-things. It’s an important job, yanno. Yes, there are sharks in the Thames. Why wouldn’t there be?

Up top, there are a small smattering of arctic sea birds, polar bears, and mammoths. Why wouldn’t there be mammoths.

Oh, yes. And, because it’s terribly important to keep warm, there are manmade hot springs connected to the more affluent living areas. You won’t find much of any in the smaller communities. Still. Hot springs.

Please direct all questions to the thread marked "Questions" below!

To sign up to volunteer to go down to Exsilium on the first scouting group, which can take up to 25 characters, please sign up in the "Scouting Mission" thread below!

The scouting group will be looking around for the first week and tasked with finding someplace that can support the Transport Pad's energy needs before bringing down those wishing to leave the Moon Base in early December.

Comments

SCOUTING SIGN-UPS

[initiates]

Should more than 25 characters sign up, a random number generator will select the characters who will go down with the shuttle! Please comment here with your character's name and canon, along with any skills you feel they have which will be useful in a scouting situation!

Chris Pratt - The Lookout

[iwakeup]

Name: Chris Pratt
Canon: The Lookout

Chris has experience with snow, hunting and general Kansas winter shenanigans. Great with a rifle and slowly improving upon his new bullet-bending and marksmanship ability.

He's also an ex-hockey player and is comfortable on the ice.

There is a chance Chris might forget where he is or why he's there, but that's nothing new.

/SLAMS DOWN SIGN-UP

[jackanope]

Name/Canon: Joy P. Buckhead, original
Skills: fast runner, excellent climber, resistant to cold weather, stronger sense of smell, hearing and eyesight compared to humans. Also, bubbly hopeful personality. LET'S GO TEAM WE CAN DO IT

tony would like to be off the moon now

[fe_male]

tony stark from tony stark and some other people sometimes save the world but mostly bicker amongst themselves mcu; can fly, be s.... well, he can be not totally ostentatious when he feels like it, and communicate with whatever tech is still working down there and see how things are in that respect. also he really wants to be off the moon now, pride for his kitten thing notwithstanding.

Carol | Baccano!

[notpeterparker]

Carol has experience as a reporter, so she'd be very good at taking notes and collecting information about the state of Exsilium.

Seras Victoria | Hellsing

[bloodthirsts]

Not bothered by the cold, all the super senses, can fly to cover large distances, good at sneaking (can phase through walls and such) and can disguise her appearance if necessary.

Zelos Wilder | Tales of Symphonia

[wilder]

Zelos is very observant, has super hearing/vision/reflexes/strength, doesn't need food, doesn't need sleep, doesn't even need to breath! He is also a healer if anyone gets injured- and has fire magic if you wanna stay warm!

.......Downside is though, due to some traumatic events, he hates snow. As in unless someone warns him he willl be going into snow, someone might have to lead him by hand to some igloo or dome until he recovers from shock. He'll be fine after that! Extra bitchy or depressed, but still functional!

Nathan Summers | Marvel 616

[oldsoldiersneverdie]

-can gather information telepathically, mask scouting group's presence, make Exiles forget any inconvenient slip-ups
-experience getting into places he shouldn't be
-knows how to deal with snow.

[needsteaplz]

Saori Nakagawa - original character
Skills: luck manipulation, smoke manipulation, (low-medium) self-healing, hand to hand, parkour/free running,

Thereth (Original Warcraft)

[unholy_rebirth]

Thereth is a death knight and is therefore used to the cold and does not need to stay warm. She will have trouble fitting into society, but will be excellent in scouting out areas and providing the breathers with food and shelter if needed!

Re: SCOUTING SIGN-UPS

[iciclerain]

Asch the Bloody from Tales of the Abyss!

Experience gathering information from unfamiliar locals. Familiarity with cold environments and is implied to have once survived (or at least avoided) an avalanche. Decent at coordinating small teams. Stubborn as hell? Also very good at combating various types of monsters, especially big mean ones.

/slides back into the game.........

[ladyspitfire]

Name/Canon: Elissa Cousland - Dragon Age
Skills: Diplomacy, Warden "powers" that will allow her to just keep moving regardless of the cold and the amount of walking and stress, sneaking skills, assassin-ry work, fighting prowess.

[blossomgale]

Name: Sophie Lhant
Canon: Tales of Graces

Super human strength and some heightened senses that allows her to sense nearby living beings. Also a healer if anyone gets hurt.

allumette honeycutt | original ffxiv

[aheroipray]

Allumette Honeycutt from Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn--incredibly fast, can withstand low temperatures (although she would be grumpy), and has a gift (literally) for emphasizing with others and being a diplomat. Potent sense of smell and can hear a pin drop in a busy room. Also she can literally stomp through stone, beat down monsters at least six times her size (3'8'') and can heal herself. She has different gifts depending on what she decides is most useful at the time, so she's very versatile and can go from a ranged magic fighter to a melee weapon.

[onehundredswords]

Name/Canon: Gin Ichimaru, Bleach
Skills: Capable fighter, can cover a lot of distance quickly by flying, expert at sneaking around, able to make himself undetectable to people who aren't spiritually aware, will be completely unhindered by the terrain and weather, is very good at talking people into telling him what he wants to know, heightened senses and super fast in case they run into any trouble

Yuri Lowell | Tales of Vesperia

[jailbreaks]

Yuri would actually be glad to do this. He's skilled in fighting and taking down ill-tempered monsters and would actually enjoy this nice change of pace. He's been through a winter wonderland before so it's nothing new to him. He'll even be good and stay mostly on track on the mission and not try to fight all the monsters.

[deadelfwalking]

Name: Koltira Deathweaver
Canon: Warcraft

WELL he's immune to cold and never needs to rest or sleep, so there's that. He's also v good at collecting yeti pelts.

[maipokerface]

Name: Mai
Canon: Avatar: the Last Airbender

While Mai isn't an expert at tracking, she is a terrific marksman. As such she has a keen sense of distance, force and good eyesight to boot.
So basically she'll be good for taming the Yetis.

Flora | The Winx Club

[showmeyourwreath]

Flora can shapeshift, fly, teleport, cast invisibility, shrink, and has retrocognitive abilities, among others. She's scouted and investigated quite a bit, is actually pretty observant, immune to ice and cold, and is totes aces at skating.

Re: SCOUTING SIGN-UPS

[haigyi]

Name: Irisa Nyira
Canon: Defiance
Skills: She has excellent survival skills related to living off the land and hunting, she's good with knives and is excellent at hand-to-hand combat, and she's tough and has good endurance.

[transgressed]

Name: Oerba Yun Fang
Canon: FFXIII
Skills: Skilled at tracking/hunting, also accustomed to snow (used to live near a mountain range so she's used to it, but dislikes it). Has reflexes/strength/speed that are higher than the average human being, and magical powers, etc.

Also has a giant dragon for scouting in the air.

Shelke Rui

[shelkethetransparent]

Shelke is an expert at infiltration and information gathering.

And she looks like a kid so people underestimate her.

Pascal | Tales of Graces

[pride_of_amarcia]

Pascal from Tales of Graces can build devices to match the situation - she may be able to curry favor with Exsilium citizenry by building devices similar to ones she build in canon for improving running water in the city.

Also, she can survive low temperatures with comically little clothing, and handle ice with disturbingly little difficulty (probably good cleats slipped onto her boots or something).

[inhumanity]

Name: Christopher Chareau de Red
Canon: Baccano!

General high capacity for survival in situations of extreme stress (cold weather) or scarcity (food), excellent combat skills, actually good at gathering information when he wants to be useful (which he does: get him off the moon), lots of ability to do emergency first aid things, DETERMINED TO PUSH PEOPLE INTO DOING THINGS LET'S GO TEAM GO GO GO.

belle | once upon a time

[lucency]

EXPERIENCE: she's good at tracking things once she has clues, can absorb information like that. and would totally be interested in the "living under the ice" thing, lbr.