Flight Rising Discussion

[center][size=2]@erinaconyx @SilverInky @Finlandia @Lundlaeva @Salteas[/size] [b]Voidwalker, Day 2, Mission Planning[/b] Written by: androidmelody To say that Voidwalker was bored was an understatement. He barely hid a yawn as a blue and purple Fae droned on, something about the importance of collecting proper samples so they could increase their knowledge of the moon and how imperative it was that he not, erm, alter the samples in any way. Seated beside him, an indigo Spiral coughed a little at that, and he shot the other male a dark glance. So his tendencies were a little odd by most dragons' standards - most dragons wouldn't be leading an expedition to one of Sornieth's two moons! With a haughty sniff, he clicked his claws together and pretended to stare ahead where the blue Fae was evidently wrapping up. Beside him, an excitable pink Pearlcatcher was rapidly scribbling notes, alternating her attention between the Fae and quick, awed glances at Voidwalker's face. The little he knew about her simply boosted his ego; like most of the others present, she was a messenger for the Arcanist, and was unspeakably jealous that he had been chosen to lead this expedition. He simply took it in stride -- it made sense, after all, for the Arcanist to choose a true visionary modeled after His own research habits to explore a previously unexplored world. "-walker. Voidwalker!" The blue Fae's expression was stern as he flicked his ear fins, acutely aware that she had been trying to get his attention for some time now. The Spiral beside him snorted and shifted his coils in annoyance; Voidwalker barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Yes?" he said, having forgotten her name mere seconds after she had told it to him, and she sighed. "I said, this mission will likely be dangerous, and aside from Observatory Command, you'll be alone out there. The crew accompanying you will not step off the ship. You are to go, collect samples, and return. That's it! No wandering off to see if there's more than just plant life to experiment on, got it? Are you still sure you want to do this?" "Of course," he replied firmly, fins twitching. "I wouldn't trade it for the world, not even if it kills me. It’s what the Arcanist would do, after all." She nodded, and exchanged glances with the Guardian beside her. "So be it. Operation Viatieth is a go." [img]https://i.imgur.com/8JJeEPC.png[/img] [b]Virgo, Day 2, Mission Planning[/b] Written by: @less400turns (Picked up by @MintTangle) Virgo shuffled through sheets of parchment, each covered with information about a dragon that had applied for her mission to Oblivieth. It was from these dragons that she would be selecting her team. She was fairly certain she had made her choices, but she couldn’t stop double checking. She’d met with countless astronomers over the past few days in preparation for her journey. They’d told her everything they knew of the moon and its surface, from its breathable air to its lower gravity . . . and then they’d mentioned where the “haunted” rumors had come from. Recently, the astronomers studying the moon had begun picking up unusual activity readings from the surface, mostly concentrated around the crater site, but occasionally appearing elsewhere. Strange glimpses of motion, suddenly heightened magical readings, a whole mess of mysterious happenings. A few of the researchers had begun to grow concerned that this was what was left of whatever had lived on the moon before whatever destructive event that had made the crater occurred. Ghosts, spirits, even demons, some of them whispered. Either way, no one was quite sure what it was. This mattered little to Virgo, however. She’d find out for herself soon enough. She carefully made a list of all the equipment she would need, instruments to take measurements with and vials to store samples with, along with countless other things that she knew were absolutely necessary for a space voyage. She’d done a lot of research about space travel, after all. She made her final selections for her team and wrote out a set of acceptance letters for them. She then found a messenger wandering the hall outside her room and sent him off to deliver the scrolls to the lucky applicants. “Tell them to meet me tomorrow for preparations,” she told the Coatl before he flew off. She nodded after the messenger as he departed. Yes, everything was going according to plan.[/center]

[center][size=2]@erinaconyx @SilverInky @Finlandia @Lundlaeva @Salteas[/size] [b]Voidwalker, Day 3, Mission Preparation[/b] Written by: AloneTogether "Are-are you sure we are r-ready for this, Voidwalker?" The familiar sound of a nervous pearlcatcher's voice causes the fae to raise his head from the book on hypothetical space exploration he had been reading. "Of course." The fae said, voice monotonous as ever, perhaps even more-so than usual. As if the stuttering pearlcatcher had asked a question so incredulous that it warranted disbelief. "All of the supplies have been gathered, correct? The lists checked off?" "Well, yes…" The pearlcatcher shifted uncomfortably, shaking claws pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his snout. "But that's not what I meant." Tilting his head slightly to the side, Voidwalker straightened himself to inspect the pearlcatcher more thoroughly. He was a newer addition, he had been told- newly exalted in service of the arcanist, a young scientist with promise of something great. He couldn't help but smile, slightly. Yes, one day he would be great- Voidwalker knew this, for he was once walking with his claws. "Then what do you mean, sir?" The pearlcatcher blinked at the term of formality, opening and closing his mouth a few times in surprise before the words finally seemed to settle upon his tongue. "I meant, Voidwalker, if you...you are ready for such a big step? Space exploration is no easy feat, and w-while I have no doubt in my mind you can do it, of course, aren't you...ah, nervous?" The fae unfurled his wings to fly closer to the young dragon, a small sparkle in his eyes as he watched the other's widen. He placed his claw gently upon the pearl's, speaking sincerely. "Of course I am, my dear boy. Who wouldn't be?" "T-then...Are we ready, sir? Are we truly ready?" The pearlcatcher asked, voice still timid yet eyes full of wonder. Voidwalker couldn't help but laugh at the pure curiosity that tinged the boys words, flying back to his desk and picking up his reading glasses once more. "As we'll ever be." [img]https://i.imgur.com/8JJeEPC.png[/img] [b]Virgo, Day3, Mission Preparation[/b] This transmission has been lost XD[/center]

[center][size=2]@erinaconyx @SilverInky @Finlandia @Lundlaeva @Salteas @Clya[/size] [b]Voidwalker, Day 4, Loading the Rocket[/b] Written by: @vanillaicecream1 Voidwalker adjusted his satchel and stepped aboard the ship, glancing around him as the crew - chosen partially by him, but primarily by the head of the Arcane observatory’s space team - bustled around, finishing the last minute preparations for their trip. He finds it somewhat unnecessary, as he’s quite sure someone somewhere knows a spell to get them to the moon much faster than dealing with all of this technology and machinery, but his job is not to fuss about how he’s getting there, only to succeed once he does. And besides, it gives him more time to study the astronomers’ notes. So, he settles himself on a perch near the pilots’ area, quickly surrounding himself with maps and scrolls and observations, immersed in minutes. A purple Tundra passes him on her way to her controls, and he assumes based on her confident manner that she’s the pilot for their journey. She settles in, and he watches as she flips switches and taps buttons, the machinery clicking and whirring as one by one cargo hatches are closed and the other crewmembers come aboard. They settle down quickly, strapping themselves in, and when he sees the pilot strap her flight harness into place, he puts away his work and latches himself in as well. “Are you nervous?” a green Spiral nearby asks as the pilot taps more buttons, speaking to Observatory Command as she does. “No,” Voidwalker answered, regarding the Spiral with calm eyes. “I am intrigued. This, and the flight to Sornieth’s second moon, is a first in the history of dragonkind. It is a day that will be remembered for generations to come.” “Liftoff in three minutes,” the Tundra interrupts, glancing back at Voidwalker. The Spiral looks a little queasy as the ship lurches slightly, presumably by someone shoving one last piece of equipment on board. “One way or another,” he agrees after a moment, and Void nods. “Arcanist willing, it will be a journey no one ever forgets,” Voidwalker says, and looks to the stars beyond the ship’s front window. [img]https://i.imgur.com/8JJeEPC.png[/img] [b]Virgo, Day 4, Loading the Rocket[/b] Written by: @Tirtouga678 Virgo steps into the loading bay. Around her are dragons of all breeds and sizes, differently coloured scales glinting faintly under the dappled sunset. She can hear, faintly, the sound of the workers clamouring to load the heavy equipment necessary for her survival onto the rocket. Secretly, though, she thinks there’s no need for all the hassle. Just a simple channeller spell - she knows many who are capable of sustained, advanced magic like that - would do. After all, it wasn’t like she was going there forever, just a few days. She’d be back before they knew it. Wherever she goes, the grounds hush, and whispers follow in their wake. Virgo is well aware of the rumours about her ancestry, but she prefers to think of them as meaningless chatter amidst the greater fabric of time and space. But she can’t deny that one of the reasons she volunteered for this (very likely to fail) trip was to prove herself to everyone else. After all, who would want to venture to a moon that was alleged to be haunted? Other than that crazy Fae, that is. What was his name… Voidwalker? Right. Other than that crazy dragon. She likes to think that if she ever found any life on the moon, she’d study it and not kill it. But of course, it all depends on its level of hostility. Virgo is a survivor, if not only. One can’t just live in the dangerous, alien-ridden crags of Focal Point without learning crucial survival skills. The sky continues to darken. The wolf-dragon looks up at the stars which are slowly revealing themselves, and quietly, thinks that they will be the good-luck charms of her journey.[/center]

[center][size=2]@erinaconyx @SilverInky @Finlandia @Lundlaeva @Salteas @Clya[/size] [b]Voidwalker, Day 5, Liftoff[/b] Written by: RagingSea The rocket began to shake around Voidwalker. He drew in a deep breath, calming the racing of his heart. He knew that the rocket was as safe as the engineers could make it, but who really knew what was waiting for them in the space between Soreith and Viatieth? Suddenly he could feel the rocket lift off from the platform, the pull of gravity becoming greater and vertigo causing the edges of his sight to darken slightly. He could see the other members of the crew experience the same feelings as him, one squeezing her eyes shut, as if that would help her. What was realistically only about ten minutes felt like hours, the planet pulling them back, unwilling to release them from the pull of gravity. Despite his best efforts, Voidwalker could feel his heartbeat picking up as they flew higher and higher... Before anyone could pass out the rocket broke through the atmosphere and the mission officially began. [img]https://i.imgur.com/8JJeEPC.png[/img] [b]Virgo, Day 5, Liftoff[/b] Written by: @Hyzenthlaay | picked up by @androidmelody Virgo’s anticipation reaches nearly unbearable levels as the massive mechanical arms steadying the ship hissed and pulled away from it, jostling her slightly. From her limited understanding of the engineering aspect of the mission, dragons from Lightning and Fire had formed an alliance with the Arcane Observatory to assist with the technical side of things, ensuring - along with Arcane’s very skilled engineers and top scientists - that her survival was relatively likely. “Are you ready, Virgo?” a voice, one she vaguely recognized from her mission briefings, echoed over the intercom. She nodded, then realized the dragon on the other side wouldn’t be able to hear her head rattle, and cleared her throat. “Y-yes. Mission Oblivieth is a go.” “Roger. Countdown to liftoff. 10, 9, 8…” She and the limited crew - no more than three or four others specifically hand-picked for her mission - strapped themselves into the safety harnesses. She ensured her sample bag - which also held her pearl - was secured, and braced herself as a rush of excitement zipped through her. “6, 5, 4…” the dragon on the intercom sounded excited, even as he kept his voice steady as the rocket began to shake around her. She tightly gripped the arms of her seat with her claws, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. “3. 2. 1. Lift off.” The ship vibrated around her and Virgo exhaled sharply as the blast propeled her into space. Gravity fought against them for a long, long moment and Virgo leaned back into her seat, fighting a wave of nausea as Sornieth’s pull tried in vain to pull them back to the ground. “Lift off successful. May the Arcanist guide you, Virgo. Stay in touch, and be safe.” “Roger,” she said shakily, unsnapping her harness to go to the window to look at the stars beyond. “This is Virgo, over and out.” [/center]

[center][size=2]@erinaconyx @SilverInky @Finlandia @Lundlaeva @Salteas @Clya[/size] [b]Voidwalker, Day 6, Space Travel to Viatieth[/b] Written by: @androidmelody The travel is boring, painfully so. Voidwalker is almost tempted, actually, to start experimenting on his crew members simply for something to do. The crew assembled by the Observatory is a grab bag of breeds and genders from Arcane, and despite that, most of them seem too awestruck to really talk to him. The purple Tundra manning the helm turns when he approaches her, staring beyond the glass at the stars beyond. "Are we on track?" he asked, tilting his head as she follows his gaze. "We appear to be," she responded, tapping a monitor with her claw. "So far the Observatory seems to have us right on target to land in the next few hours." He nods. "And do we know what the surface will be like?" Physics isn't really his thing; that he had left for the Fae back at the Observatory to figure out -- she had supplied him with a grey Imperial to do the job, the latter muttering to himself as he scribbled calculations and leafed through books and scrolls with astonishing speed even as they sped toward Viatieth. "Our calculations seem to indicate that it has a relatively similar atmosphere and gravity in all respects to Sornieth." "Good," he said. "So we should have no issues." "Arcanist willing," the Tundra replies, and both gaze quietly into the abyss of sky, watching Viatieth's approach. The moon was in sight now, a craggy, light gray planet with darker patches that presumably indicated vegetation straight ahead as they traveled through the pitch black expanse of sky. The darkness was broken up only by periodic light from the stars they drifted past. He would never admit it, but Voidwalker was beginning to feel a little apprehensive. Excitement won out, though, and he stared ahead into the dark sky as the Tundra's careful navigation took them into their descent. [img]https://i.imgur.com/8JJeEPC.png[/img] [b]Virgo, Day 6, Space Travel to Oblivieth[/b] Written by: @MintTangle Virgo peered out one of the viewing windows as the rocket slowly approached the silhouette of Oblivieth in the distance. Her stomach knotted with anticipation, as it had been doing for the majority of the journey. She was more than ready to feel the surface of the moon under her claws. She’d been more than ready for it all her life. She made her way over to the helm, where a Spiral had taken over piloting the ship while she’d been roaming about and making last-minute preparations. “Are we still on course?” “Absolutely!” the Spiral replied, his body coiling around his seat and the controls as he employed all four of his limbs to man the vessel. “We’ll be arriving within a few hours. Are you prepared, Virgo?” “Of course,” she replied. “All the equipment is in order, the crew has been debriefed, and we’ve determined that the atmosphere is very similar to Sornieth, so no extra care needs to be taken in regards to that—” “That’s not what I meant.” The Spiral’s serious voice interrupted her rambling. “I meant for the mental challenges. The moon’s haunted, I hear. Are you ready to face that? All alone on a celestial body farther away from your home than you’ve ever been?” Virgo couldn’t help but scoff slightly. “I highly doubt the moon is haunted. If anything, the unusual activity the astronomers have been seeing is something new the Shade has cooked up. I’ll be ready for it if it is.” The Spiral looked at her warily, but eventually sighed and turned back to the controls. “Arrival in one hour,” he announced. [/center]

[center][size=2]@erinaconyx @SilverInky @Finlandia @Lundlaeva @Salteas @Clya[/size] [b]Voidwalker, Day 7, Arrival on Viatieth[/b] Written by: @AloneTogether The ground was barren where they landed, nothing more than gray rock and dust beneath Voidwalker's feet as he stepped off of the ship's dock. "[I]This[/i] is Viatieth? You're sure?" He asked, not even attempting to mask the disappoint and slight disgust in his voice. This was not what he had imagined this glorious moon named after life itself to be. It was dead, deserted... Absolutely lifeless. "Yes, sir." The skydancer who was listening over the intercom said, her voice tinged with amusement. "What, were you expecting a jungle? You know that only part of Viatieth's surface is covered in possible plant life." Voidwalker couldn't help but make a face at her teasing, glaring back at her from where she peered at him out of the window. She laughed when she noticed, a crackling sound that caused him to flinch. "Just go explore. We will be right here if you need us." "Right." Void muttered, gathering his supplies and blank notes once more and taking careful steps that turned to confident ones when he was sure that magic meant to keep the area around him in the same gravitational pull as he was used to in Sorneith was working. As soon as he was out of sight, he switched the intercom off on his end. He wouldn't need their pestering; he always worked best alone. [img]https://i.imgur.com/8JJeEPC.png[/img] [b]Virgo, Day 7, Arriving on Oblivieth[/b] Written by: @lessa400turn | adopted by @androidmelody The entrance to Oblivieth’s atmosphere is shaky, and both Virgo and the crew are half-sick by the time the Spiral brings them to land off to the side of the moon’s focal crater. After several minutes of preparations and repeated instructions from Mission Control she barely heard while she stood near the window, peering out into the new world. When she’s at last given the go-ahead, Virgo steps off the ship, glancing left and right to see what’s around her. The moon is grey, rocky, barren — there are no signs whatsoever of life, just the massive crater easily several kilometers across that was the presumed site of a massive meteor that wiped out any life on the planet. “Arcanist guide you,” Mission Control says as she adjusts her pack and sets down her sample boxes, looking around her to decide where to begin. She mumbles a half-hearted “Roger,” as she does, already ignoring the comm unit in her ears and immersing herself in her work. She wrote down her initial observations into her notebook, jotting down atmosphere, temperature, the texture of the ground beneath her feet, and more. After she filled two pages of impressions, she hefts her sample boxes again and heads off toward the far side of the impact site, looking around as she went to soak in all of the details she could. Virgo still cannot believe her luck; she, the odd wolf-dragon outcast, doing something very few other beings could ever even attempt to compare to! What an amazing opportunity![/center]

Pinging self so I can find this again: @VioletWhirlwind

it has begun!! [emoji=arcane rune size=1]

[center][size=2]@erinaconyx @SilverInky @Finlandia @Lundlaeva @Salteas @felistopaz @Starcloud @Clya[/size] [b]Voidwalker, Day 8, Encounter on Viatieth[/b] Written by: ????? Looks like we lost VoidWalker's transmission today.... [img]https://i.imgur.com/8JJeEPC.png[/img] [b]Virgo, Day 8, Encounter on Oblivieth[/b] Written by: @Fragriavesca There’s a whole pile of boxes for Virgo to put the samples in, and a handy label-maker too. She wastes a few minutes labelling her boxes — rocks, dust, more rocks — before she sets off away from the rocket. “High magic readings just to your north,” says Mission Control, “and unusually low readings further off to your east.” “I’m heading northwards, then. Tell me when I’m at the site.” It’s likely that Oblivieth once had water in this area, but it’s long since gone. She collects her equipment. It’s not hard to find the area Mission Control was talking about. The readings on her instruments are going haywire, and she has to stop to recalibrate them. There’s something odd about the area, too. Nothing she can see or hear, of course. It’s as bleak as the rest of the dead moon, with dust underfoot and nothing in the sky but distant stars, cold and flickering against the black. For the Arcanist. And Sornieth. “You’re near the crater site now.” Mission Control again, as if she hadn’t read the briefs and seen the maps. “Yes, the map says that. Just over the ridge in front of me.” “Could you collect some—” “—some samples? No, actually, I was thinking of going back to the rocket and having a cup of tea.” Virgo fills a small container with dust, meticulously labelling it with sample type, co-ordinates, time, and background magic readings. Then another container, this time with small, shiny rocks — and another— —soon, she has almost a boxful of containers. Mission Control has been blissfully silent for once, and so has she. It’s almost soothing, searching for samples, recording them, stacking them one next to the other in the box, finding anot— A noise in the distance! A bang, behind her, back in the direction of the rocket. She starts, alarmed. Good thing nobody was around to see her. Nothing from Mission Control. Did they fail to notice, somehow? Did they think it was nothing of note? Was the noise from the rocket? Is she still in contact with Sornieth? For a split second, her world becomes static. It buzzes in her ears, fills her eyes, crawls on her skin. Something flashes across the sky, too fast for her to make out its shape. She coughs. The static flares up for a split second, and then recedes. There’s some sort of noise from Mission Control. Someone shifting uncomfortably, she thinks, someone unwilling to be the first to talk to her. She sets down her notebook, puts the lid on her boxes, and heads off towards the rocket. If something has gone wrong with it, she’d rather know sooner than later. Finally, someone speaks, reluctantly: “Virgo—” “There was a noise from the rocket,” she says, “and I’m checking it now. How are the readings?” “We didn’t pick up a noise,” say Mission Control, “and we’d prefer you remain at the site.” She scoffs, loudly. She knows they can hear her, and that they will acquiesce. Sure enough, they didn’t push the issue further. “The readings at the rocket are the same as when you landed. Magic levels have gone up slightly, but they’re still normal for the region. It looks like there’s been an activity flare around where you are, though.” “I recorded that on my last few samples. It went up very suddenly.” “We’ll keep an eye on it.” From the outside, the rocket looks exactly as it had when she’d left. Of course it does. She’s the only living creature on this planet, after all, it’s not like the moon itself is going to do anything. The inside, too, is exactly how she’d left it. She leaves the rocket, returns to her samples. Mission Control says something about another flare in magic activity, which her instruments confirm, but it’s gone shortly. She’s got all she needs from this area. She’ll take the samples back to the rocket, take a break before heading out eastwards. Except, she can’t find her notebook. She knows where she’d left it: here, between the medium-sized purple rock and the pile of boxes. Strange. Maybe it was behind the boxes. Maybe it was the wrong medium-sized purple rock. Not that she’d seen any others around. She searches the area, checking behind stones, down holes, all around her boxes. The static is back again, less overwhelming than it had been, and Mission Control is back with something about yet more anomalous readings. For Spacedad’s sake. Surely, with that many seemingly-anomalous readings, it was just normal for the area. They should have spent more time observing the area before she got there. There’s a scratching noise, just to her left. She turns, quickly, teeth bared. There isn’t anything there, but— —a spark, off to her right. She turns again. Still nothing, but now there’s a scratching noise from just behind her— —and the static is louder— —and Mission Control has gone silent— —and she doesn’t know which way to turn— —and there’s nothing around her, nothing, just the blank empty surface with its dust and its stones and its lifelessness— —and then there’s a shadow falling over her— —a shadow cast by nothing— —and suddenly everything is gone once more. She’s still turning her head every which way, looking for something which might or might not be there, breathing quickly, ready to jump at whatever-it-is, to tear it limb from limb. But there’s nothing. “—irgo? Virgo?” Someone at Mission Control sounds extremely worried. “What is it.” “Virgo! We’ve finally reached you! What’s happening? You completely disappeared!” “So did you.” “That’s worrying,” which was exactly what she didn’t need to hear, “we’ll keep an eye on it. Are you ready to bring your samples back now?” “Yes. I’ve got quite a lot already.” Mission Control laughs. “We might have to send you back one day.” The boxes are much lighter than she’d thought they would be, even accounting for the lower gravity. Suspicious, she opens the one closest to her, labelled ‘dust samples’. The box is empty. [/center]

Spooooky [emoji=arcane rune size=1]