December Intro: Don't Come Home for Christmas

[lifeaftr_mods]

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.

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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.

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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

Re: C4-after

[lilys_poise]

EEP!

[With a surprised squeak, she ducks down, covering her head with her hands. She doesn't see the sword but she hears it strike the creature before clattering to the sand.

More importantly, the monster is distracted for a few precious seconds, and the head the sword struck looks a little dazed.]

[greatcleavage]

This way, fast!

[Honestly, the best instruction would be for her to move at an angle to him, forcing the hydra to split its attention and opening it to attacks on its flank if it tries to pursue her. But given how she'd ducked, Roy concludes that he'd struggle to communicate that precise concept as quickly as he needs to. Better she get to and past him so he could provide cover.]

[Despite the sand, Roy thunders ahead, his entire focus on running to close the gap and get himself between the girl and the monster. With an immense green flare and a loud "PWOK", the sword appears in his hands once more, proving that his 'throw the damn thing' ploy hadn't been as entirely stupid as it appeared.]

[lilys_poise]

Huh?

[Elise raises her head looking around for the source of the voice. Seeing someone rushing toward her, she scrambles up and starts running his way. Just in time, really, as one of the heads strikes the spot where she'd been crouching moments before.]

[greatcleavage]

[Despite the sand and the slog it is to get to her, Roy has a lot of strength left to call on -- and as the distance between them closes, he leaps over her with a grunt. It isn't much of a leap, but it's enough to carry the armored warrior over a relatively small girl.]

[He lands between her and the hydra just in time to take the blow meant for her on the flat of his sword. The force of the teeth clashing against the starmetal drives him back several feet, his boots cutting furrows in the sand as he grits his teeth against it.]

Are you all right?

[lilys_poise]

Elise sees him running toward her but isn't sure what he intends to do. The leap is such shock that she skids to a stop and turns to see him block the hydra with a sword.]

Wow....

[so cool.

It takes her a moment to answer his question.]

I- I'm fine! But what should we do?

[The hydra might be too much for just the two of them.]

[greatcleavage]

Are you capable of fighting at all?

[Under normal circumstances, he'd feel stupid asking that question of a girl of her apparent age and physique. But his time here has opened his mind to certain weird but apparently true possibilities.]

[lilys_poise]

I- um, yeah! A little!

[She'd feel better about running, but she also doesn't want to seem useless. She's going for her best 'determined face.']

I'm a healer. But I have a fire tome too.

[greatcleavage]

[Roy is not so locked in combat that he can't take a moment to envision a tome that bursts into flame immediately on being opened.]

[...No, no, that's probably not how it works.]

Supernatural abilities and magic are generally limited here. [With a brutal whock, Roy lops one of the hydra's heads clean off -- hoping he won't regret that momentarily.] You may not be able to put as much power into them or use them as much as you are used to!

[lilys_poise]

[Not as strong? And a fire tome isn't the strongest spell book in the first place.

Elise is not confident about this fight.]

Th- then we should run! Or it'll eat us!

[greatcleavage]

[The hydra lunges forward, two of its heads coming around to try to catch Roy in a pincer attack. Roy steps forward, ducking beneath the neck that no longer has a head attached, to slam his shoulder into the beast at the very top of its chest.]

[Despite the difference in size between the two beings, the hydra loses this battle -- just barely, but enough to make it stumble back a few steps. As part of the same motion, Roy brings his sword up and around, cleaving through the creature's sternum as he steps back.]

I won't let it eat you.

[That, at least, is a promise he can confidently keep.]