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

[greatcleavage]

Wait a minute.

[Roy has a tendency to speak out loud even when he's thinking, so though the comments he suddenly starts running through are meant for no one, they are nonetheless quite audible.]

There's clearly much more at work here than what's on the surface. First of all, how can balance and imbalance exist in balance? That presumes a superiority of the balance concept that fails to mesh with the symbolism and presentation of this scenario. It's possible for order and chaos to exist in balance despite being antithetical because balance is not necessarily a component of order nor inimical to chaos, and one could argue that at the finest ends of reality things are both simultaneously, but I'm not sure I'm prepared to accept the idea that balance and imbalance can exist simultaneously...

[Roy trails off, then with a low groan, lowers his head to one hand.]

Unless this is a metaphor for the core rules. No. That makes perfect sense. Balance exists in imbalance. Nothing is equal but everything is unequal in such different ways that it all folds around to equality in sum total. Which means we have to view the concept of balance and imbalance existing in balance in a fourth-dimensional sort of way in which the concepts mean two different things simultaneously, but frankly, considering everything else we've been through, that's so easy to reconcile I'm almost depressed by the fact.

[Tapping his forehead with one finger, Roy doesn't even come close to stopping.] But there's a second problem -- how can the spirit of imbalance answer a question if it doesn't understand the question? Is there a translation effect through its counterpart or is this all just some further symbolism?

Well, gods forbid anything ever not be complicated.

[Roy takes a deep breath, then finally pulls himself out of that full-page monologue with an expectant pause for Elan to say something stupid or Belkar to say something psychotic.]

Oh. Right. Man, we're short on punchlines lately. [Clearing his throat, Roy looks up to the twin spirits.] We come peacefully and to open dialogue. We'd like to communicate with you respectfully and equitably, and hope that you will understand that our efforts are limited by our experience and we have nothing but good intentions, even if we have difficulty with addressing you on equal levels.

[At the same time, Roy pictures in his head a peace symbol and two hands clasped, hoping that simultaneous communication on multiple levels is the key to addressing both halves of this whole.]

1/2

[thankgods]

[The koi fish remain silent, throughout Roy's conversation with himself. If they understand or even contradict some of his notions, they make no mention of it, slowly drifting towards Yuka to examine her, as well.

It is only when he makes it clear that he's speaking to them that they have anything to say.]

You are welcome in this space. [Says one.] We may communicate, though our language is limited.

[thankgods]

You are here anyway. [Says one.] Your thoughts are limited, we may not understand.

[shineinside]

[ They're a strange pair of gods, but they're beautiful as they drift through the air. As the fish drift around her, Yuka does break her silence. ]

...If possible, what we want is to be safe on your island, and to better understand why we were sent here in the first place. I don't know what kind of powers you have, or what you might want in exchange, but if there's anything you expect from us, please tell me. I still barely know anything about this world or its rules.

[prettypurpleparlor]

[When they get to her, Muffet curtseys politely.]

Hello. My name is Muffet, and I am glad to meet you. I've brought you an offering, should you care to receive it.

[She suspects she already knows what the answer- or, rather, answers- will be, but it's still proper to ask.]

1/2

[thankgods]

[Gifts clearly attract the most attention, with the two fish drifting towards Muffet once more, circling her with interest. Weaving about her head, one says:]

We do not know why you are here. Our island is our island. You will find safety and danger in equal measure.

We do not expect anything from you now.

[thankgods]

[Weaving about her head, one says:] You are here because you are here. Our island is our island. You will find danger and safety in equal measure.

We expect much from you in future.

[prettypurpleparlor]

[Muffet notes with interest that this time, their replies seemed less directly contradictory of each other, compared to their very first response.]

[She reaches into her bag and pulls out the mango tart she had made, carefully wrapped and tucked away, and a roughly-carved wooden jar filled with her blackberry whiskey. Despite being carried through a desert, they are both still fresh and delicious, thanks to the magic within them.]

[Unwrapping the tart, she holds it up with one hand and the bottle with another, for the fish to examine, politely inclining her head.]

I made them myself. I hope they are to your liking.

[tenthstreetbred]

[Between Roy's out loud philosophical musings, Yuka's questions and now Muffet's offering, Shepard has remained quiet, content to watch as the god (gods?) interacts and moves through the room. There's something beautiful and eerie about it, and it truly feels like a one-of-a-kind moment to be here. It's a privilege to have so many of these kinds of moments in her roster.

But there are more questions to be asked. A greater mystery to unravel. So Shepard speaks.]

You are the first god we have met outside of the Storyteller. Do you know them? Do you know of other gods we may meet in the future? Are you all related somehow outside of being divine?

1/2

[thankgods]

[Gifts. The koi dip down, surrounding the tart and whiskey in turn. As they drift upwards, the two offerings will be gone.]

We thank you. [Says one, fins flicking back and forth in slightly faster motions than before.] Our first offering.

[As the two weave their way towards Shepard, all four adventurers will feel the stress of their journey thus far lift from their shoulders- as if they could go for hours more without halt.]

The Storyteller is responsible for all; we know them. [The first continues.] They told us that you seek. We are related as all things are related.

There are many gods. We know all you may meet.

[thankgods]

We thank you. [Says one, fins flicking back and forth in slightly slower motions than before.] Our only offering.

[As the two weave their way towards Shepard, all four adventurers will feel will see a faint glow to their skin, any cuts and bruises fading away entirely.]

The Storyteller is responsible for all; we cannot know them. [The second continues.] They told us you are lost. We are unrelated as all things are unrelated.

There are so few gods, now. We cannot know who you will meet.

[greatcleavage]

Responsible for all, huh. [Though this is directly contradictory to the Storyteller's own comments, Roy isn't certain that -- ]

Are there any names you prefer to be addressed by?

[--that B&I here, for lack of a better term for the moment, mean 'responsible for all' in the direct-causality sense. He considers their discussion of communication to be telling, though. The Storyteller appears to be up to much, much more than they let on. Not surprising.]

To that matter -- you may know that we tell stories periodically, which the Storyteller grants us some favor for. Are there any ways in which we might benefit you, and in doing so, be benefited by you?

1/2

[thankgods]

We are Balance. [Says one.]

We are Imbalance. [Says the other, so perhaps, B&I is a good enough nickname to keep in mind. The two drift back towards their altar, silently considering their words.]

We may grant boons for offerings. [Says one.] But we have nothing we want.

[thankgods]

We may not grant boons for offerings. [Says the other.] We have many things we need.

[prettypurpleparlor]

[Muffet parses that as roughly 'we don't want a bunch of frivolous things, only practical stuff, and we're not going to just hand out boons unless you give us something actually useful'- but she wouldn't bet money on that being right. At this point, it seems like the simplest way to understand what Balance and Imbalance really mean is to add their answers together and then divide by two.]

May I ask what sort of things you need, or might prefer for offerings in the future?

[greatcleavage]

Huh, those actually aren't contradictory. [Roy takes that as much more of a flat 'no' than Muffet does, albeit not an absolute one, but he isn't about to step on her question.]

[Instead, he digs into his pack for some other offerings. Gobbet had given him a little stick of candy to offer up, or at least that's what he thought it was; he sets this on the altar with as much reverence as he can muster.]

1/2

[thankgods]

[The two weave around each other quietly, for a moment. Contemplating Muffet's question.]

For your food, we will heal. [Says one.] Perhaps there is something you can do for us.

For your drink, we will strengthen. [Says the other.] Perhaps there is nothing you can do for us.

[thankgods]

[Then they turn to Roy, whispers almost amused. But not quite.]

They are balanced. [Says one.]

They are unbalanced. [Says the other.]

[prettypurpleparlor]

[Muffet nods politely, accepting their answer and noting the consistency with what they provided for her own offering.]

Thank you. Are there any limits to your healing that we should keep in mind, any afflictions that you cannot cure?

[She thinks of her own magic, ineffective against the crystalline disease or Ardyn's daemonic condition. But she cannot bring back the dead, either, and the Storyteller can, so who knows where a deity's limits might be?]

[greatcleavage]

[Thank you, Muffet. That neatly stops him from giving voice to how nicely the contradictory stuff had returned.]

[Hmm. They could routinely trade with the Storyteller, including here... ] Are we able to communicate with you or make offerings to you outside of this temple, or on islands other than Monsun?

1/2

[thankgods]

We cannot heal the dead. [One says calmly to Muffet, as the other answers Roy in an equally calm manner.]

[thankgods]

We cannot be reached beyond these walls. [One says calmly to Roy, as the other answers Muffet in an equally calm manner.]

[greatcleavage]

If I might ask... can you please tell us why the Storyteller can be reached anywhere, and you can be reached only within these walls?

[His initial suspicion is that Balance and Imbalance have dominion over Monsun, whereas the Storyteller has dominion over 'those with stories', i.e. all of them. But that doesn't seem complete, since by that logic Balance and Imbalance can be contacted only here, not over all Monsun. Maybe in most locations on Monsun, only one of the two holds away, and they can only communicate in joint this way -- that would explain it, but it also seems fantastically narrow. Anyway, Roy feels it's better to ask rather than just speculate; the worst they can say is 'no'.]

[shineinside]

[Yuka speaks up again.]

Can you grant us protection from whatever is happening on the forested side of the island?

1/2

[thankgods]

The Storyteller will tell you. [Says one to Roy, slowly shifting its attention to Yuka.] To the east is physical comfort. To the west, comfort of the mind. It is balanced.