lifeaftr | November Intro: Red Sun Rises Like an Early Warning

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November Intro: Red Sun Rises Like an Early Warning

INTRO LOG: NOVEMBER

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

The New Arrivals: Hold My Hand
When you wake, it will be to the lapping of waves, frothed with foam...pulling at your hair, your skin, your clothing. The sand is soft and wet beneath you, but it's several inches submerged. And the longer you stay here, the more obvious it will be that the water level of the ocean ringing this strip of island has begun to to rise, and not merely because the tide has started to come in.

And what's more? You can tell that something else about this entire situation is horribly, horribly wrong.

Perhaps you've lost some special power. Perhaps some piece of your memory is freshly and disconcertingly blank. Perhaps you've just discovered that one of your senses is missing, or that you've been rendered unable to speak, or you've been struck by a debilitating fatigue. Not only are you stranded in some unfamiliar place, stuck on a rapidly flooding beach, but you aren't even doing it in full possession of all your faculties.

For those who agreed to put themselves at a disadvantage for a stranger, these are your consequences. If you're unclear as to the handicap your character has been assigned, if any, please check your initial acceptance notice!

All new arrivals will additionally awake with knapsacks, their names stitched to the front. The contents of said knapsacks can also be found in your acceptance notices!

For All: It's a Long Way Down
The water isn't a problem for the newest arrivals, either. It seems that the waters all over Ensō have started to rise, slowly at first, and then with a steadily increasing rate. At first, you might be forgiven for assuming the tide must simply be unusually high, or maybe that the island's begun to sink. But the longer it endures, the more obvious it becomes that neither is the case.

The water has begun to rise. Something is wrong with the island itself, or the being living on it, and now there is nothing preventing the water's inexorable approach as it steadily washes over and over the mainland. In fact, if you listen closely, you might even be able to hear a peculiar sound tearing over the cold rush of the coastal wind; something akin to a desolate wailing.

Either get to high ground - and quickly - or find out what's causing this. But either way, we suggest you hurry...because there are a great deal of newly arrived, very disoriented folk on the beach that could really, really use your help.

As a final note to those who participated in the Test Drive Meme, bear in mind that 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.

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!

LOGS ● OOC ● STORIES ● MAIN NAVIGATION

( CODED BY BOOTYCALL )

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A. Rallying the Troops

[It may take a bit longer on the islets, but it still does break eventually what's going on. And... actually in some ways, it's beginning to feel familiar. It was always something back with the Scions too. And the situation isn't quite as dire as it felt back in the caves.

In fact, Tataru seems to have something quite in mind, calling out to those who seem to be heading to the mana pools.]

I know there's probably plenty of you rushing out to go help those on Ensō, but for those of you staying behind, we should be thinking about when they get here, especially the newcomers.

I have some fabric that can probably be used as blankets, but if we can have fires going, and hot food as well, along with help for any who are hurt, that would go a long way, I'm sure.

[It's not like she's helped several hundred refugees get settled into a new home or something... oh wait. True their supplies aren't quite as prolific as they were at Revenant's Toll, but neither are the displaced people likely to be as numerous as the Domans.]

B. A Better Welcome

[By the time some people - new or old or anywhere in between - start making it back to the islets, they'll at least have fires near each of the mana pools.

It might take a little time, but if you're looking particularly unfamiliar, sodden, miserable, or any combination of the above, you'll probably end up approached by a a child-sized... not human with a square of undyed fabric draped over one arm like a towel.]

Looks like you've had a rough time of it. Did you just arrive?

[The thought-out planning and enthusiasm puts a smile on Mickey's face.]

Those are good ideas, pal. I guess at this point if we haven't found a way to make people stop comin', they'll just keep comin' anyway.

True enough... It'll be a nasty enough shock on its own, to be sure. But now we have all this flooding, as well, with no telling how bad it'll get.

[Thus her conclusion that pulling together some food and warmth.]

[nod-nod!]

I'll stick around and help out. I'm sure we'll figure something out if we all work together.

Alright. Yes.

[She can organize things, certainly, but the idea of directing people around is still... more than a bit alien. Not something she's going to jump ahead to do.]

Well... if water and people being wet is likely to be the biggest of problems, then warmth will probably be what we need most. So perhaps we should start with the fires first, while we look to see if there's anyone else who might help?

I can definitely help with that! My fire magic is always ready to go!

Oh, you have fire magic? That'll help a great deal.

[Did he know something of thaumaturgey, then? Or was magic another thing that was different between worlds? Questions for another time, most likely.]

Well, we should probably focus on getting wood then. Enough for a good fire at each mana pool among the islets, I should think.

Right!

[he salutes, happy to take orders.]

There should be plenty of branches and wood to be found, hopefully it won't take too long.

[Mercy hesitates.]

[Tataru was one of the folks she collaborated with to build base camps down in the caves. Clearly a kind and well-meaning person with the presence of mind to provide care for the weak.]

[She has her staff and a knapsack full of healing supplies, she should be out there on the front lines making sure everyone is okay. But Tataru has a point that can't be ignored. This was the safe spot for now. Her attention should be on keeping it that way.]

I have medical supplies and knowledge I can contribute.

[To be fair, Tataru is hardly the perfect tactician. The thought of having a medic out in the field, for any arriving with injuries or suffering them on the way back hasn't even occurred to her, especially since she's so rarely out in the field herself. And still doesn't, unfortunately.]

That would be wonderful, Mercy, thank you. I'm hope you don't mind if I observe a bit. I've been thinking about learning a bit more about basic healing, and the like.

[Maybe it would be worth it to get a grimoire after all, even if she wasn't all that good of an Arcanist. Until then, there was still plenty to learn in the way of first aid.]

Of course. I was gifted a book on the subject of medicinal herbs, if you'd like to take a look. It could be a good place to start.

[She fishes the book from her bag and offers it to Tataru.]

[It's a fairly small leather-bound tome filled with illustrations and descriptions of medicinal plants on Enso and the surrounding isles. The pages are dog-eared in some places and the spine is already well creased. It seems as if either Mercy has been reading it daily (she has) or several people have been borrowing it with some frequency (they have).]

[Tataru accepts the book with no surfeit of eagerness, flicking through a few pages before looking back up at Mercy.]

Oh, this is wonderful. I'm not much of an alchemist but I have used some different herbs and such back home for this and that. They're all so different here, though.

[Some actual differences in plantlife, and also ones that seemed to be the same, but had different names. Who in the world called popotos potatoes anyway?]

That book contains remedies for everything from fevers and headaches to stomach ailments, as well as recipes for antiseptics and painkillers.

[Mercy rests her weight on her staff, watching Tataru with a smile.]

Truthfully I have considered gathering everyone who is interested and showing them some of the more useful plants. I'm not much of a teacher, I'm afraid, but it wouldn't hurt to try.

[Muffet nods in agreement, readying herself to go looking for more people in need.]

An excellent point, dearie. I do want to go make a sweep of the area myself, but I have a decent amount of supplies that I'm happy to contribute once I return- some discarded pieces of my weaving practice for blankets, extra water and food, and so on.

[Ah Muffet, you're a lifesaver. Tataru beams.]

That sounds perfect. I'll do what I can to set things up around the islet's mana pools in the meantime, along with anyone else who joins in. We'll probably be around there when you get back.

[Hey, you're the one trying to organize things, Tataru. Give yourself more credit.]

It's my pleasure to offer, really. The mana pools do sound like a sensible place to organize. I take it I should leave anyone I find out there with you, so they can rest a bit?

[A thought occurs to her, and she adds:]

Do you know if anyone with a talent for healing is going to be around here? I have some magical ability in that area, but I'd prefer to save my energy for emergencies- for some reason, it's been far more difficult than normal to heal anyone ever since I arrived on this island.

[Eventually, one of the stragglers shows. He's spent enough time exploring away from the rising water, at this point, that his hair and most of his clothes are dry. For a new arrival, he's relatively put together...

Definitely a new arrival, though, considering that he watches the mana pool still after transporting as though suspicious of it. Also, it's hard to forget that violently red shade of hair ~~which puts anything available in the character creator to shame I KNOW I'VE TRIED~~.

He's just turning towards the fire when he turns towards her voice... And then has to recalibrate and look down, because he was expecting someone more on his scale. No doubt she gets that a lot.]

A couple hours ago, now, but close enough.

[Thereth tilts her head bemusedly as she moves toward the diminutive lady, but in truth she's glad to find someone with a plan. She's a perfectly fine swimmer - although the plate armor makes it a little tough - but she grew up in the desert/savanna and just doesn't have much experience with flooding, so she'd been feeling a little lost with this disaster. But. If there's one thing she can do, it's put together a makeshift camp.]

I can get food. [It might be some weird monster flesh, but hey. Still food, right?] Do you think the mana pools will be safe?

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November Intro: Red Sun Rises Like an Early Warning

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