EXPEDITIONS

[paradisamods]

THE EXPEDITIONS BEYOND

Have a thirst for exploring? Have a taste for adventure? Feel like the castle is some sort of jar and you're the freshly secured jam? Well then, why not strap on your boots and go on an expedition? You'll hear a lot about residents wishing to go on an expedition. This primer here will tell you all you need to know. Essentially what we're talking about here is going out beyond the reaches of magic and modern technology and scouting out what could possibly be out there. Could it be a way out of this world? Could it be new technology? The possibilities are endless! The only missing element is you taking that initiative! TRAVELING HOW EXPEDITIONS WORK The number one rule about expeditions is that there is always safety in numbers. There will always be someone, weather and castle events permitting, that would like to see just what is out there. Propositions for expeditions will always be broadcast throughout the journal, and often declare a set destination in mind, as well as a date. As long as a traveler has some sort of communication with the coordinating resident, they are free to tag along! SUPPLY LIST First and foremost, don't just assume that everyone will pick up your slack. Be prepared to go out into the wilderness, into different terrains, and expect for much longer journies than were initially offered. After all, with so much still unknown and undiscovered, it is wise to be prepared. Think of it as a camping trip, or being able to survive without the luxuries of electronic technology or the convenience of magic, especially considering those two things are null and void the farther you step out of Paradisa's reach. It's better to be safe than sorry! Your own rations for the trip are a must. If there are no animals to hunt or vegetation to harvest, you're out of luck. Granola bars, trail mix, and other lightweight non-perishables are going to keep you going. Canteens or even bottled water are, of course, a no brainer. Your clothing is going to need to be practical too. A good pair of sturdy boots will last through any hard rock or squishy mud. Make sure you can go long distances without being restricted. Bring shelter. Most are fine with a simple tent that you can roll up and carry easily. Pillows always help, as do a few extra blankets. A lot of people tend to bring mounts, and you may be able to ask them nicely for a ride, but if you find yourselves scattered and running for your lives, you better be able to keep up! Weapons are always a good idea. As stated ad nauseum, you just don't know what is out there. Prepare to defend yourself just in case you meet something with fangs or claws or even complete mysteries. Can't fight? Don't know a sword from a butter knife? Ask in the journals! Residents are always willing to lend a hand, as these skills carry on to anything the castle may throw at you "back home"! Speaking of which, you should probably bring some first aid as well. Bandages, heck, even bandaids will always be useful if you meet with cuts and scrapes. Again, a good number of residents are medically-trained. Some, if not all, should be happy to teach you how to sew yourself up! OUTPOSTS We have a couple of outposts out there for a good middle ground between the "safety of home" and the vast reaches of weird flora and fauna. Need to restock? Take a break? You'd better visit an outpost! HOW TO GET THERE The easiest way to get to the northern outpost is the transportalizer in the basement of the castle. It's certainly hard to miss, as it is the mysterious pedestal with a fractal design on its surface. As soon as you linger upon its surface, you'll be there! However, if you are not one for these fancy ways of travel and would prefer to "rough it", you can travel north of the City Royale to eventually find the northern outpost! OUTPOST ACCOMMODATIONS Outposts are here to be a safe house, shelter from the harsh conditions of the wilderness. They are simply built for efficiency, but they are rough sturdy buildings made of lumber. They employ the use of what maps we've made of the terrain thus far, as well as scouting supplies, first aid kits, and some rations. The buildings are big enough to house a small handful of people, but a whole lot of supplies, just in case said people wish to have an extended scoping session to make sure our magical borders are kept safe. The transportalizers are good for restocking in a quick bind, though! THREATS The biggest threat has always been the strange creatures that the world of Paradisa has had to offer. These creatures are often strange, chimera-like in nature, or just plain deadly! There had always been the overbearing threat of "first generation" residents who held a grudge against current castle dwellers, which cause many long-standing residents to be cautious. Recent events have seen fit to wipe them out from the world in a, well, particularly gruesome way, so it appears that any threat from them is non-existent. Lately, there are reports of neither even making a sound out there. Could the aforementioned threats be gone? PAST EXPEDITIONS NAME whoa what is this it was like oregon trail that one time but instead of people dying people just went home PILLAR FIELDS [Link] raine poked a thing and then powers came back (placeholder) SPIDERS spiders MINEAS WELL flora and goldfleck LENTE'S POINT [Link] placeholder for summary LIBET [Link, OOC] Cair Paradisa is not the only castle in the land as many would find out. The road to Cair Libet was not an easy one, paved with many obstacles along the way. To make matters worse, the expedition group was scattered when an earthquake hit, separating the exploring residents into five groups with each group looking for a way out (or a way in). This underground castle has been long deserted, save for the terrible beasts that still reside in it, including a Cerberus and a violent tunnel monster. Anyone that managed to make it inside soon discovered that the castle was not lacking in anything. In its prime it would have been the greatest and most beloved of all the castles in the region. Unfortunately for the Libetians who refused to leave their home, they perished with it. This was a crazy busy expedition so click the link if you want to know all the nitty gritty details. LASTLOOK [Link] Residents explored the Totem Coast and the region of Lastlook. After days of traveling, they came upon a cave that held wondrous treasures, and also a curious study room. Half obscured pages of a journal were found with grave warnings, but many of the words were unintelligible or obscured by ink and age. Many residents took souvenirs from the cave and brought them back to Cair Paradisa with them. They would later learn that the pages warned of a virus that would quickly spread through the castle. TERRE HAUTE [Link] A strange and unidentifiable object massive in size was seen crash landing a great distance away from the castle, causing a great earthquake that shook the very foundations of Cair Paradisa and City Royale. After taking care of the damage, the residents gathered together to travel to the site of impact to see what it was and what caused it. They arrived in Terre Haute, a town populated by eccentric giraffes who informed them of the crash site's location and gave them shelter in their strange town. It was discovered that the object (now visibly a strange space craft) crashed into the base of the infamous First Gens, leaving no traces of survivors. When residents ventured toward the base to explore it, they came face to face with a hostile alien race known as The Collectors. The residents were successful in fending off their attacks and driving away those that they did not kill in the battle. The very grateful giraffes then offered to carry the residents home on their backs in thanks for saving their town from the attackers. WINCHESTER/FAIRFIELD REVISITED [Link] After receiving a distress call over the journal, many residents responded to the call and traveled to the old west towns of Winchester and Fairfield. There they met with survivors of Cair Draconis and helped them fortify the towns in preparation for any attacks from outside forces. Several residents elected to stay behind and assist with the survivors in forming a viable place to live. Strangely enough, there has been no further communication from the survivors, leaving the twin cities now ghost towns.