lifeaftr | December Intro: Don't Come Home for Christmas

INTRO LOG: DECEMBER

Who: Everyone!
What: New souls arrive to the archipelago of LifeAftr
When: December 3rd and onward
Where: Monsun
Warnings: Mark as needed!

The Overview: Uncharted Waters
Stay alert, new adventurers; instead of the white-sand beaches of Enso, you will instead be coming to on one of two sides of the relatively uncharted lands of Monsun. Most of the information regarding this peculiar land can be found in the informational post linked, but as a quick-and-dirty rundown: Monsun's western side is a hot wasteland of a desert prone of disasters and mishaps, but will affect your character's emotional and psychological state in a positive sense, while its eastern side is a verdant forest filled with endless resources...as well as a tendency to bring out the absolute worst of your character.

To start with, all new arrivals will be showing up in one of two squares that characters uncovered last month! We are leaving it up to player discretion as to which side of the island your character arrives on, but bear in mind the psychological repercussions!

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

Monsun, C4: These Are Your Good Years
You wake to the hot sun steaming overhead, rapidly drying your clothes and belongings, waterlogged from washing upon this desolate shore. The heatwaves shimmer at your vision, distorting your view of the horizon. But if you really squint, it looks like there might be something dark green fringing that pipecleaner skyline, like a lush woodland awaits you on the other side of this desert nightmare. A mirage, maybe?

Whatever it is, you don't get very long to contemplate it. Beneath your feet, the ground has begun to shake as a many-headed horror erupts from the earth. Great streams of pale sand slough from its dry, scaly hide as multiple horned heads unfurl in a hissing inflorescence. The creature's eyes are all pale as grubs; it is quite blind. But that does not mean it cannot smell you.

Boasting both a thick hide and a chitinous coat of sandy-colored scales that blends them perfectly with their surroundings, Sand Hydras sleep several feet under the sand until they sense the vibrations of potential prey aboveground. While they are significantly smaller than their mythological counterparts - they can only span eight to twelve feet in length - Sand Hydras are cunning creatures nonetheless with a number of heads that can vary from one to as high as ten. Their weakness, on the other hand, is simple: water burns them like acid. It seems they may flourish only in any moisture-poor environment.

Assuming your character lasts that long, remember: as physically destructive as Monsun's west may be, your character's most admirable traits will be amplified to their fullest potential by the twenty-four hour mark.

Monsun, D3: Before You Bury Yourself Alive
Those waking on the eastern side of the island, on the other hand, will face a far more pleasing tableau. The temperature is perfect, the sun shines modestly through the canopy of deciduous greenery above your head, and the air is thick and sweet with the smell of fresh fruit.

That's right - within minutes of their arrival, your character will discover several plants laden with fresh wild blackberries.

Should that temptation arrest their attention, should they be vulnerable to the foibles of greed or hoarding or paranoia, your character may very well wish to keep this treat to themself. Or...perhaps not. Perhaps they'd much rather search out a fight, or try to steal someone else's supplies, or embark on a poorly-advised mission to swim out into Monsun's surrounding waters.

For that is, after all, the catch: as physically soothing as Monsun's east may be, your character's most hateful traits will be amplified to their fullest potential by the twenty-four hour mark.

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 )

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I have no intention of being eaten by a giant... [ what even is that thing. ] ... that.

[ Instead, he takes a couple of steps back and sideways, into the line of sight of the hydra. And then he waits, until its full attention is on him, all eyes focused on what it deems to be its prey.

And then he grins. ]

Arsene!

[ And in the time it takes for Arsene to emerge, and swipe at the ground, upheaving sand and grit and ground directly into the Hydra's eyes, he's spun around and grabbed Akechi's wrist. Still grinning. Looks like Akechi's not the only one having fun with these brushes with death and potentially being dinner. ]

Time to run.

[ He's absolutely not going to reply to that, because he wouldn't be shocked if Akira did something like that. Geez, what a handful.

What does shock him is when Akira grabs his wrist, but he's very quickly pulled (literally, too) out of that train of thought. What they need to do now is run, and fast, because quite honestly Akechi isn't certain how fast the thing is. Possibly, when angered, it's quicker. There are way too many things that could go wrong...

He runs. ]

You know, you'll be very lucky if that thing ever forgets you!

[ because it does not sound happy, like, at all ]

I'll just have to avoid making a second date then, won't I?

[ less talky, more sprinty, akechi. they need to find a bolt hole, or somewhere to shake off the creature before it gets its wits abou it again and decides that they'd be the most delicious snacks ever.

he likes being unconsumed by angry monsters, thanks. ]

Naturally, if you'd like to keep living!

[ But, okay, he'll stop talking. Akechi looks around for any place that might allow them a semblance of safety. He's a little tired from using Robin, but he pushes through. ]

Over here! [ Mercifully, there's a place they can catch their breath, and Akechi pulls him over. It's a fair enough distance... he hopes. ]

[ Akira lets out a thoughtful sound. ]

Oh well, in that case maybe I should go for it. A little danger keeps things interesting.

[ "A little danger" is not the risk of being eaten alive by a literal hecking monster, Akira. It's a testimony to how probably disorientated Akira is that he just lets himself be pulled along when Akechi spots somewhere for them to hide out - he summoned Arsene twice in quick succession, and is still reeling a little from the sudden scenery change and feeling of dream like de ja vu...

And the whole outsmarting a giant sandy hydra. That too.

Once they're hidden away, he lets himself slump against the wall for just a moment, and allows himself a moment to just breathe. ]

Is this place always this welcoming?

[ Because he's pretty sure whatever weird dream he had about this place before involved giant crystal monsters. He's sensing a theme. ]

[ Akechi braces himself against the wall, breathing hard for a moment or several. It's hot, and they ran quite a distance... Is it any surprise he's a little winded? Even with how in shape he prides himself on, the sand doesn't allow for easy running.

He looks at Akira. ]

I wouldn't put it past you. Still, try not to get yourself killed. You might come back, but you'll incur a penalty for a while.

[ He sounds a little annoyed by that. He hadn't died, but he still had to take on someone's penalty. Strangely, he's not as annoyed as he might be....

It must be this stupid place. Ugh. ]

Oh, certainly. When I arrived, I had to deal with the other island's water level rising to dangerous amounts.

[ Akira had been trying to fan himself with his hand to ... mixed results. but he stops when the whole mention of a penalty and returning from the dead comes up - fixing akechi with a level, blank stare instead. ]

What?

When you die, you die. Isn't that how it works or did we miss a memo back home?

Apparently, those in charge here missed that.

[ He straightens up, brushing a hand through his hair. He's waiting for Akira to bring it up--the fact that Akechi is dead, that he shouldn't be anywhere, least of all a strange place like this. ]

So, my warning stands: Don't do anything foolish that'll get you killed.

Speaking from personal experience?

[ ... there it sort of is? He's more referring to here and now, but... the elephant's right there in the room. ]

December Intro: Don't Come Home for Christmas

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