August Intro: You Think...You Wink...You Do A Double Blink...

[lifeaftr_mods]

INTRO LOG: AUGUST

Who: Everyone!
What: New souls arrive to the archipelago of LifeAftr.
When: August 3rd
Where: Ensō
Warnings: Mark as needed!

Part I: Get Wrekt
You rouse to a splash of sea salt drying on your skin. A haze of glass-white sand glitters in your vision, dappled by lush palms and thick, curling foliage that disappears into a jungle of deep jade. From behind, crackling wood and sawing rope groan from a mangled life raft ran ashore. A petering wash of tide over pebbled sand fills your ears as you struggle to gain your bearings in a vast portrait of tropical color…

No...no, no, that’s not precisely how this story starts.

Why don't we start over?

You rouse to a splash of sea salt, spraying across yourself and the wooden floor beneath you as it breaks across the edge of the platform. The light as it dances across the sea is blinding, dappling white spots across your vision as you slowly come back to consciousness and realize that - this is not where you last remember being.

The middle of the ocean is likely not a place most recall being at all. As you struggle to fully comprehend the new scenario in which you have found yourself, three things become quickly apparent. The raft you find yourself upon barely constitutes as something that should float, never mind a boat. In the distance, perhaps a few hours away at most, a large island beckons to you, a wide strip of beach surrounded by cliffs making it very clear where the most fortuitous of directions shall be.

Lastly, of course, you’re not alone. Hopefully your new companion(s) are just as keen to get ashore before nightfall as you, or voyaging together will not be the most positive experience. At your side you will find a knapsack, one to every member of your raft party, and upon inspecting its contents, you will discover any rewards you may have accrued - as well as a few other items to give you a fighting chance.

A note to those who participated in the Test Drive Meme: those threads, if all parties involved would like, can be game canon in the form of dream-like memories involving a place very much like this one, though the layout is considerably different.

Part II: Choose Your Own Adventure

By fortune (or misfortune, as it were), you eventually find your feet meeting sand, blessed shore to stagger upon as you shake off your newly found sea-legs. There are those that may find this place familiar, as though it appeared in a dream, though the expanse of shore certainly seems larger. The beach stretches off into the distance on both sides, curving around sharp ridges and cliffs, mist obscuring the view the farther along it goes.

So here you are. You’ve found land. Company. Supplies. The sun is now beginning to trek rather low upon the horizon…spending the night outside in such an unfamiliar land is unappealing at best and outright dangerous at the worst.

There is one silver lining in the midst of this mess. Directly ahead, the beach curves up a gentle slope until it meets forest, some manner of building visible through the trees. Further exploration of this area will reveal a dilapidated building of sorts; the architecture is indiscernible to even the most skilled eye. Despite looking as if it has seen better days, there are areas that offer some form of shelter...and who knows what else. Just because it appears uninhabited doesn’t mean you won’t wind up pleasantly, or unpleasantly, surprised.



So what shall you do from here, traveller? There is land to be explored, strangers to meet, friends to reunite with. Supplies to inspect and plenty of questions in need of being said aloud. Choose your path, make haste, and above all else: survive. And whatever you will, take heart.

Your story is about to begin anew.

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Feeling a tad adrift? Make sure to check the Locations Page, which has details regarding the starting areas and a handy map for those who feel better with a bird's eye view!

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LOGS ● OOC ● STORIES ● MAIN NAVIGATION

( CODED BY BOOTYCALL )

Comments

[whiteas]

[ Weiss's wilderness trips almost always seemed to end with someone getting separated from the group or lost. She may have been the first, but she definitely hadn't been the last. This time it didn't take hiding in a giant monstrous bird's feathers to find the rest of the group to find her way back. This time she managed on foot, though only after nearly giving up for the night and running into half a dozen people who helped her figure out fire-starting and that this is definitely another world. She'd picked out a spot that at least protected their back side so it was possible to see anyone coming from other directions, and now she was out looking for the others. At least that way she could claim that she hadn't just been wandering around aimlessly if she had somewhere to bring them back to.

Of course, after having helped Prompto get a direction that Ignis might have been in, the attempt to avoid attracting attention by being quiet was certainly shot. So it wasn't long after that that Weiss's voice would ring out calling alternations of Jack and Yrel's names. He likely heard a few of the people screaming something about an Ignis earlier too, so it might take a moment to realize that the name being yelled changed. ]

[karabor]

[Yrel's armor clinks as she turns in place and spots Jack coming toward her. A relieved smile sparks to life on her face at the sight of him. Her shoulders, previously tense, loosen at the same time that she breathes a soft, but audible, sigh.]

Before I knew it, both you and Weiss had wandered away. I thought it best to stay here in case one of you came back. I'm glad to see one of you has.

[Though Yrel does not explicitly state her concern, her tone is unmistakably worried. Weiss vaguely demonstrated her capability to survive battle on the raft, but Yrel knows firsthand what it is like fighting on unfamiliar territory. The forest, for all they knew, could hide carnivorous, sentient plant life. She did not want a repeat of the rangari in Gorgrond.

Weiss' shouts suddenly eclipse the sound of waves crashing on the beach, and pull Yrel from her thoughts. The draenei peers in the direction of her voice, then looks back at Jack, her anxiety more palpable.]

Do you think she is alright? I think we should check.

[ajackandanace]

I do apologize. It was rather foolish of me but I thought perhaps I had spotted something useful just beyond those trees there however as you can see it only resulted in my getting lost. And I'm afraid I've nothing to show for it either

[Jack's fingers lock between on another as he gives Yrel a bashful look, but his attention is soon captured by the voice in the distance, his embarrassment rapidly dropping away into a deep worried frown]

I'd rather not take any chances. We should go round her up, make sure that she's safe.

[whiteas]

[ Weiss is still off in the distance, calling out their names. Honestly, if she'd known that making a bunch of noise wasn't going to cause much in the way of problems, she would've done this a while ago. Not hearing anything back isn't helping her gain direction though... So she quiets down for a bit as she heads in whatever direction she decides is the right one (it is not quite, but it's not the opposite either) before she starts yelling names again. ]

[karabor]

Yes, let's find her.

[Yrel starts in the direction she first heard Weiss' voice. It's dangerous to shout in unfamiliar surroundings; one never knows what one might encounter. It is best to move quietly and carefully, in case of traps or hungry creatures. After a little bit of walking, the draenei sees no sign of the woman. She cannot rely on tracking knowledge that does not exist, nor is she keen to call for the woman. Weiss begins to shout both of their names again, and Yrel determination not to mark any of them a target is ebbing. She looks to Jack for a second opinion.]

Should we call back to her?

[ajackandanace]

It would be a start. But keep an eye out, it's not always the safest thing to be shouting in the wilderness. Though I don't see much of a choice at the moment.

[He cups his hands at either side of his mouth and begins to shout]

Weiss! WEISS!! Can you hear us?!

i am so sorry about the delay. time got away from me.

[whiteas]

[ It takes her a moment, and she stops yelling just after starting when she hears Jack. Her tone changes to one that's slightly more positive, though just as loud. ]

COMING!

[ At the very least, she's used to hearing people yell well enough to figure out which direction to head. ]

it's all good

[karabor]

[While Jack calls for Weiss, Yrel keeps an eye on their surroundings. She keeps her hammer close to her chest in anticipation of an attack. Should something spring out at them, she can deflect its assault and counter with a painful bludgeoning. Weiss' responding tone signals she isn't injured, reducing Yrel's dread. She maintains her defensive stance just in case something is out there.]

She sounds alright. I am glad.

Totally fine :D

[ajackandanace]

[Jack exhales in relief]

That's the best news I've gotten today.

[He gestures then in the direction he believed the sound to be coming from]

I think she's just off to our left. [He casts one more glance over his shoulder to be sure he's not going to accidentally lose sight of Yrel again before turning back and yelling again]

WEISS! COULD YOU GIVE US A CLUE WHERE YOU ARE? MAYBE THROW SOMETHING? OR SHAKE SOMETHING?

[whiteas]

[ Weiss had an inkling of something very easy to spot and considered for a moment. Jack and Yrel wouldn't get another response for a few seconds. She didn't have a standard also-a-gun weapon like most people in her world did, so the best thing to fire up would probably be lightning. That would involve wasting Dust, though, and a lot of it to shoot it straight up rather than just electrifying her blade or anything like that. In the end she decides to reserve her resources and elects to go with a vocal cue: singing scales. It's simple, but frankly, it's going to be a lot more likely to help than anything that isn't likely to catch the island on fire. She's also going to stop walking herself so that she's not accidentally going in the wrong direction. Someone actually is looking for her in this case, it makes sense to wait to be found. ]

[karabor]

That is unorthodox, but very useful. Let's find her quickly.

[Yrel smiles encouragingly in Jack's direction before making use of Weiss' singing. It is interesting, she thinks to herself, how easily it is for two beings from two different worlds to recognize a musical scale. The draenei keeps her amusing thought to herself and focuses on the task at hand: locating their lost friend. She initiates the march in Weiss' direction, twigs and roots grinding beneath her hooves. She is silent as they approach so that she may pay the other woman her full attention. Vegetation rustles as they near Weiss' position, alerting her to their presence.]

[ajackandanace]

[It was certainly not what Jack had expected but it's unique ingenuity turns up the corner of his mouth in a small smile. He's half-inclined to stay and listen but of course it is no time for that. Thus he follows Yrel, following her lead and remaining silent until at long last Weiss comes into view.

Only then does he clap his large hands together in applause]

Very well done, Miss Weiss.

[He grins then]

And I must say I am relieved to see you remain in one piece.

[whiteas]

[ She stops once she hears the clapping and turns toward the two of them. ]

At least it's not something that would've wasted resources. I was trying to find a decent place to set up a campfire for the night. A lot of people seem to be heading toward the ruins, but I'd rather not be surrounded by a bunch of other people when we find out that we've all been brought here for The Most Hazardous Game or some variation.

[ Look, she's established that they've probably been kidnapped, she's taking precautions of her own. ]

I.. clearly got separated and couldn't find my way back.

[karabor]

[Yrel listens to Weiss' explanation, and silently praises the other woman for her assessment of the situation. Whether they are participants in a death match or simply stranded strangers, sleeping in close proximity to so many unfamiliar people could be dangerous. They would be vulnerable to a surprise attack from every angle. Avoiding the ruins is the best idea.

Appreciative of Weiss' forethought, as well as her admission, the draenei smiles.]

What matters is that we are together again. If you are not injured, we will look for a place together.