January Intro: I Know the Winter's Getting Colder

[lifeaftr_mods]

INTRO LOG: JANUARY

Who: Everyone!
What: New souls arrive to the archipelago of LifeAftr
When: January 5th and onward
Where: Chol and surrounding waters
Warnings: Mark as needed!

The Overview: New Lands
New arrivals will not be waking in the typical hub of activity; instead, they will find themselves coming to on the small island of Chol. While the island's fringes are little more than an unforgiving spread of craggy, canyon-like rock and coastal cliffs, the island dips down to form a fertile divot of edenic woodland in its center. The people living there will even be helpful and polite to you, should you inquire after them.

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!

Icebreaker: This is the Winter of Our Youth
Unless you're someone with a fondness for the cold, you'll undoubtedly be waking with more than a slight chill in your bones. The appearance of the island of Chol has signaled a coming event of great import in LifeAftr, and unfortunately, the signs of that event's approach have already been set in motion. The temperature has begun to drop as the sun's rays begin to die, faster and faster, leading to an impressive cold snap in the ocean waters - particularly those surrounding Chol.

It is for that reason that you won't be waking on Chol, per se. Instead, you'll be waking on a thick crust of ice that's mantled itself over the ocean waters, freezing solid enough to bear your weight...for the most part. The ice won't hold forever; it isn't meant to. If you happen to be particularly vivacious in your waking, or especially active in general, thick cracks will start to spiderweb out from underneath those impacts with low, warning chunks and wrenches of fracturing ice. Better hurry to land soon, unless you care to take a little dip into those freezing cold ocean waters.

Mainland: When We Pick Over the Past
Should you make it to the land of Chol, braving the iced-over waters surrounding its craggy shores, you'll encounter something at least as startling - the people who have elected to set up a rudimentary encampment upon its lands. While a bit on the scalier side, the Jormun are nonetheless allied to you land-dwellers, and will welcome you to the island. Most will be preoccupied with preparations for an approaching siege, but many will comment idly that the cold is a sign of the coming battle. Some may point you to their leader, known to most as Munin, but others will venture hospitality based on the actions of those land-dwellers that came before you, who were successful in allying themselves to this sea-dwelling people.

Those who might have braved the cold a little too fiercely will quickly be offered some rather rough blankets - perhaps more on par with burlap sacks in terms of texture - as well as a hot brew that the Jormun call brrkshavak. Heated to a boil just prior to being served, the drink will be more than adequate in warming your weary bones, though it bodes mentioning that it is both scalding hot and made with a fleshy kind of undersea herb that is akin to crushed chili pepper in taste.

It'll warm you up, all right.

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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

[prettypurpleparlor]

[Even having prepared for it, Muffet isn't thrilled by the sudden arrival of freezing weather- if it weren't for her nice, warm capelet she'd be distinctly unhappy by now.]

[But needs must, and by now she's started to catch on to the suspiciously regular timing of their waves of new arrivals. Sure enough, heading over to Chol to speak with the Jormun some more reveals a number of new faces.]

[Seeing as she doubts most of them came prepared for this chill, she gathers up a few supplies and sets out to greet and guide who she can find, walking carefully over the ice. Among the supplies- and bless the Storyteller for their choice of gifts- is her jug of warm wassail. Anyone who wants a warm drink but isn't quite as fond of spicy food as the Jormun are is welcome to have some.]

[mindread_it_all]

[OOC: Permission to mindread?]

[It's not like she's never meet strange beings, or even spider people. But they'd been residents of the Dream World--the waking world only had humans. And this clearly isn't the Dream World...

But this isn't the first physical nonhuman she's met here, so she's only mildly surprised. At least the spider woman seems friendly? And honestly the cold that causes her breath to mist and her hands to clutch her arms is a greater concern. It isn't as bad as it could be--she's wearing a fake leather jacket with "I'm a mindreader" lettered on it and underneath it a long sleeved shirt. But it's too thin for the cold--it's more early spring wear than winter wear.]

Hello there, do you know where this is?

[She's wearing the knapsack she got while lugging her red 'leather' handbag. Thank goodness she's reasonably fit.]

[prettypurpleparlor]

[OOC: Sure, but maybe just stick to vague, surface thoughts instead of anything in depth? In this case, she'll probably get a general sense of curiosity, concern, and friendliness, along the theme of "Oh, someone new, I hope they're all right".]

[Muffet smiles politely at the newcomer, guessing that she's part of the latest batch of arrivals. The poor girl looks cold, perhaps she ought to offer her a hot drink.]

This particular island is called Chol, but I'm afraid that's not terribly helpful when people tend to be dragged in from other worlds entirely. May I offer you something to help ward off the chill a bit? If your arrival was as sudden as mine, I'm sure you didn't have time to dress for the weather.

[souris_keteer]

[Given the thin layers he wears, it's no surprise Mickey is freezing. But he's tryig to pretend he isn't, putting on his usual grin.]

D-D-Did you meet the new folks yet, Muffet?

[prettypurpleparlor]

[Oh dear, the mouse is freezing. This won't do at all. Muffet is not even remotely fooled by Mickey's cheerful expression, holding out her jug of wassail with a concerned look.]

They seem lovely, but this weather doesn't. Do please put my mind at ease and have a drink of something properly hot, won't you?

[souris_keteer]

W-w-well, just a little s-s-sip. Can't be still f-f-f-for long, you know?

[HE'S FINE. HE'S SO FINE. But he does make that a mighty long 'sip'.]

[prettypurpleparlor]

[Yeah, Muffet isn't gonna object to that sip being more of a gulp. The more warmth the poor thing gets inside himself, the better.]

Keeping active does keep one a bit warmer, yes, but it's still no substitute for proper winter clothing. Do you have anything to wear over the top of your outfit? Layers tend to be a good idea.

[souris_keteer]

Uh... well... No. This is all I got.

[And he gave away his shoes to someone in need a long time ago, so it's even less than when he first arrived.]

I've been meaning to use my wishes for stuff... but then I keep thinking about what everyone else needs first.

[yallstupid]

[Yeah, there's certainly another here that's not at all fond of the change in temperature. Who could it be? None one that your boy, Guzma. He's bundled up against the cold, wearing the new, hooded jacket Ren gifted him as well as a half-zipped vest. Not only that, but he's draped in a tigershark skin blanket and cuddled up by the fire. He is not built for this sort of climate in the slightest - Alola doesn't get cold like this, and even Po Town's constant rains were always cool, never really cold or icy. Heck, the coldest parts of Alola were just on one single island-- his island, Ula'ula, but in one spot only. The base of Lanakila, the highest peak on the archipelago.

...As if he'd climb up there, though. Pffft! Does he look like a doofy hiker?

He, too, has his wassail jug with him, though his is empty. Not for long, though - unlike some others, Guzma has no qualms about singing a little diddy to the jug, and it doesn't seem at all picky over what he murmurs.]

I wanna be the very best,
Like no one ever was...

[It's a bit shaky, he's still cold, and not the whole song - maybe just a verse or two - but the jug refills and he immediately takes a sip, sighing out as it warms his chest and throat. It's no Tapu Cocoa, but he'd rather save that, thank you very much. Besides, this stuff is still very good. Better than that hot lava the weird Gyarados people were serving.]

[prettypurpleparlor]

That's a new tune, to me, but I'm glad you're keeping warm.

[Muffet greets Guzma cheerfully enough, although she's a little concerned at how shaky he looks. This man needs more layers, jeez...]

[yallstupid]

Ugh. [He grumbles beyon the rim of his jug, taking a long draw of wassail. It does its job in warming him up pretty well, and Guzma sighs as he wipes his mouth with the back of one hand, corks the bottle, and hugs the warm glass to heat his chest.] Song's been popular back where I'm from for over two decades...any trainer--nah, any human being knows the tune.

And I'm 'bout as warm as a Walrein...tch. [He curls his tigershark skin blanket tighter around himself, grimacing.] Ain't never been this cold 'fore...not in Alola. M-Maybe on top'a Mount Lanakila, but no where else...

[prettypurpleparlor]

Well, I'm disqualified on two counts, then.

[Not a trainer or a human being. She eyes Guzma's shivering with some concern, eyes narrowing slightly as she gives him a thoughtful look.]

Hm... About how broad would you say you are in the shoulders, dearie? Roughly speaking.

[yallstupid]

[Guza scoffs, shifting a bit uncomfortably. Did he say something insulting? He didn't mean to - it's the truth, and he...may be a bit cranky from having his teeth chatter together like they are. He hates this, he absolutely hates this, and wants to just punch the sun awake or whatever the hell he can do. Would throwing grease on or work? Probably not.

The questions makes him lift his head, pausing from reaching to take another draw from his jug of wassail.]

Huh? Uh...I dunno. I'm pretty big - 'bout six-foot-three, give or take, and I ain't no flabby shmuck, neither. [He's well built and stocky, with a good amount of muscle to him, though not in the way of someone like, say, Kukui. No, Guzma's more built like a wall, or a tank, than a canon (or a wrestler).] If you want my size, I wear extra-large in shirts most times, or large...

Why you asking? [He narrows his eyes, half knowing what the answer is going to be.]

[budgetmage]

[ You want to meet new people, Muffet? There's a new girl over on the rocky shores of Chol. Short and tiny, wearing a black cloak that's been patched up numerous times. Most notably, perhaps, is the open and possibly rude stare she's giving Muffet.

Isette traveled with a monster before, and she's met more, but there's a huge difference between a walking suit of armor or a goat-man and... well. A giant walking humanoid spider. She doesn't realizing she's staring openly, but still, she is.

Please tell her she's being rude. ]

[prettypurpleparlor]

[Fortunately, Muffet looks more amused by her staring than anything else, and greets Isette with a polite, friendly little wave.]

Hello, dearie, you're a new face here. I take it you've just arrived?

[budgetmage]

[ Oh no, the spider noticed her. Wait, "dearie"? ]

I'm- uh. Yes. I just got here. Or, out on the ice. And then over here.

[ She's perhaps not the most eloquent when so out of her element. ] You're, uh- a local?

[prettypurpleparlor]

[Yeah, the fact that this spider lady talks and dresses like she's attending a fancy tea party probably isn't making this any less surreal.]

As it happens, no. My group arrived much like yours just did, some five months ago- although we were on rafts in the ocean, instead of there being all this ice.

[proficienciesouttheass]

[ He's bounding his way towards the shore, in, perhaps, not the smartest manner to keep himself from crashing down into the waters bellow.

Sure, he could be stepping carefully instead, but the fastest he's off this sheet of ice, the better.

He leans on his legs and lets out a heavy breath, less from being winded and more out of relief, though the cold air is making his teeth hurt.

He raises his head when he hears someone approaching, not thinking much of anything until oh shit is that a fucking spider.

Nevermind that she's absolutely that much smaller than this big, burly man - and that he's fought giant spiders before - he's still startled back a step.]

AHhiiii?

[prettypurpleparlor]

[Honestly? Still not the least thrilled reaction to her appearance Muffet's gotten so far.]

[She pauses at a respectful distance, to avoid making him uncomfortable, and responds with a polite little wave.]

Hello, are you all right? I remember this place being a bit disorienting when I first got here, so I thought I'd come check on all you new arrivals.

[proficienciesouttheass]

[ Well, this is less than fun.

Still, he's a big boy!! And she's...pretty tiny. He can do this, he's not scared! ]

I, huh, yeah.

[ He straightens up. ]

New arrivals?

[prettypurpleparlor]

[Well, she respects the effort, at least. Muffet nods ruefully, and explains:]

Since about five months ago, groups of people have been regularly appearing around this island chain, all unexpectedly brought here from other worlds.

[yourattention]

[Connor tracks Muffet down because she's a lot friendlier than he is, talking to the newcomers, and all of his Jormun friends have turned down more clams but they tell him someone else might want them to feed hungry mouths. He figures it's better to give this to someone that's actually friendly, rather than try to deal with it himself. Every single interaction he's had with newcomers so far has gone pretty poorly and he's running out of patience for dealing with their questions.]

Hey, uh. [This would be easier if he knew her name.] Spider lady? Here.

[From the folds of his poncho, Connor produces a small handwoven basket with a lid. It's not particularly pretty, but it is sturdy and unlikely to fall apart. It contains dried clams because he had so many clams that he had to preserve them somehow. Which had been fine, except he hasn't eaten anything but clams for a few days and he's just kind of. Not about this life anymore.]

For the newcomers or whatever. I don't really care what you do with them, I just don't want them.

[prettypurpleparlor]

[Muffet takes the basket and peers curiously at the contents, then smiles.]

Thank you, dearie- I can make quite a bit from this, especially if I add some seasoning. Are you sure there's nothing I can offer you in return?

[She's also kind of curious why a guy she's never met before just handed her some clams, but business comes first. She has priorities, and it's only fair to make sure that he has the opportunity for an even trade.]

[yourattention]

If you're one of those people that, like, feels bad unless things are even? [He had so many clams.] I'm just trying this new thing where I contribute to society - oh, but I kinda want the basket back when you're done.

[They take him a while to make and that's the one he usually uses to keep his lunch in when he's exploring. He can make another one, but he'd rather not if he doesn't have to.]

I'm pretty easy to track down - if I'm not here, I'm probably at the monkey compound.

[prettypurpleparlor]

Well, on behalf of society, we appreciate the contribution. I'll make sure to return the basket once I've put these to good use.

[Honestly, he's probably going to be getting that basket back with some coconut cookies in it. Partially because she does like things to be even, but also because much like him and clams she has so much coconut.]

[At the mention of the monkey compound, though, she brightens further.]

Oh, do you live there?