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.

---

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 )

Comments

FREE SCARVES

[alittleditty]

[My goodness, the temperature really is dropping, isn't it? It's a bit alarming - almost like being back in Ishgard all over again. Which, for someone born and raised in a desert, is none too pleasant. She should eat, get her supplies together, and get to work on some warmer clothes. Maybe see if anybody else needs anything (though that's almost a given, seeing the outfits some people are wearing!)

Of course though, by midafternoon, she finds out that new arrivals are here, and the more pressing need takes over.

She can be found near the mana pool later in the day, waving and calling out to passers-by.]

Hello everyone, I've got scarves! Please, feel free to take one, I've got plenty.

[She steps towards anybody nearby, trying to make eye contact. It's an old salesman's trick - if they make eye contact, they've acknowledged you, and you're that much harder to ignore or refuse.]

I can make anything else you might need, too!

[[ooc; everyone gets a free scarf. EVERYONE. E V E R Y O N E. Note that they're undyed, and mostly made of cotton, wool, or coconut fibers.]]

[darkova]

[he knows that trick well- since they became pooka, his people were known for their merchants. But he isn't about to refuse some extra warmth. Especially since under the blanket he had been given and his very light cloak he was clearly topless. And not happy about it]

'Tis a gracious gesture. And an easy way to drum up commissions.

[no judgement, he knows how it is]

Are you capable of shirts, and what kind of barter would you be interested in?

[alittleditty]

[Wow, she would never have such an ulterior- okay no, that's exactly what she's doing here. People absolutely did need the warmer clothing, to be sure and she wouldn't let anybody freeze who was in dire straits. But the extra attention to her... well, business, didn't go amiss.]

I certainly am! And we don't have any sort of currency, or anything of the like. Foodstuff's serve well enough for me! Though you don't have to pay right away.

[Just don't let her starve somewhere down the road, you know?]

[want_to_belong]

[Prompto had fortunately arrived in his winter coat, even if he hadn't made much use of it before now. As the chill air hit the land he naturally ended up throwing it on. Unfortunately, that wasn't the only thing he had to worry about. His precious egg still hadn't hatched and he was terrified of letting it freeze after waiting for so long.

He'd been carrying it around carefully trying to keep it warm when he happened to notice Tataru.]

Ah...!

[It didn't need to be a fashionable egg. The wool looked just fine.]

Can I have one of those?

[In his arms, tucked partially inside of his coat, was a large, speckled egg.]

[alittleditty]

[At first she's a bit surprised, given the coat and all. But the egg isn't hard to spot, and as soon as she realizes, she digs in her pack for one of her fluffier ones. Can't let the poor thing freeze in this weather!]

Absolutely! I must say though, it's a relief to see some people dressed for the weather.

[How many people are wandering around with so much exposed skin? Or little to no layering? Or both?]

[raygunner]

[ Ah, he's never spoken to her before, but... Akechi looks at the scarves with interest. He does have his coat, which he's wearing, but a scarf wouldn't hurt... ]

Completely free? That's very kind of you.

[alittleditty]

Oh it's nothing. I've had a lot of new materials lately to work with.

[Sitting on a fortune of favors with the Storyteller was quite lucrative, it turns out.]

Just be sure to look me up if you ever need anything else in the way of clothing made!

[souris_keteer]

[Tataru, you're a life saver.]

Oh boy! You really made these? They all look great!

[alittleditty]

[Oh Mickey, you charmer.]

They're only scarves, Mickey. Not particularly difficult.

[But she's clearly flattered all the same.]

[yallstupid]

[It sure is, and Guzma has very obviously taken notice. He's bundled up as best he can, wearing a rad, graffiti print hoodie as well as a vest, half-zipped, over it. Despite that, he still looks like he's shaking from head to toe, very obviousy not used to the drop in temperature. The offer for a free scarf is the most welcome thing he's heard all day, and Guzma snatches one quickly, clumsily wrapping it around his neck. It's pretty obvious with how he struggles to tie it that he has never done this before in his goddamn life, and the sight is plainly...very comical.

His hands are shaking more than anything, and it's easy to see just how uncomfortable the hulking man is in the decreased heat. He rubs his hands together, trying to warm up his fingers, eyes squeezing shut.]

Gloves... [He wheezes out, pulling his hood over his head. HE HATES THIS, HE HATES THIS SHIT A LOT.] D-Do y'all got...g-gloves?

[Fuck, he'll even take mittens at this point, whatever, so long as his fingers don't fall off.]

[alittleditty]

[Ah- see this is exactly what she's been concerned with, in several ways. There's a temptation to laugh as he wrestles with the scarf, though she manages to restrain it to a smile.]

I think I still have some with me, hold on.

[She drops her pack down to the ground and starts digging through it.]

Did you know? I was born in a desert, Thanalan. Then for one reason or another, one day I had to pack up and move to a city called Ishgard. It's been practically frozen solid for the past five years! But I've learned about all kinds of ways to help keep warm, ah- here we are.

[She pulls out a pair of gloves, though she frowns a bit when she sees them. They're not her best - slightly uneven and misshappen.]

Sorry about the quality. I made these, ah.... down in the caves, if you'll remember.

[Poor lighting conditions, a rush job to try to help people... it hadn't been a good situation. She remembers meeting him, upset, when they'd gotten out.]

But they should hold you until I can make something better.

dont b nice to him he doesnt deserve it

[thejaw]

[While Brian's head might swivel towards Tataru, it should be impossible to tell from behind his mask whether or not he's made eye contact.

...Somehow it feels like her eyes are burning into him all the same.

Brian looks down and keeps walking, doing his very best to pretend he didn't see or hear A Single Thing.]

wrong character to be saying that kind of stuff to

[alittleditty]

[Well, it certainly looks like he's noticed her.]

Ah, excuse me! Wait, please!

[You're not getting off that easy, bro.]

[catpiper]

[Tataru is a treasure. Ren's not equipped for this kind of weather-the cold winter days of Tokyo had been spent surrounded by cats inside abandoned buildings. It got cold, but not like this. Nowhere near it. She clutches her cat friend close to her chest and tries to gauge if this small child is properly outfitted for the cold before taking any items.]

Did you make warm clothes for yourself too?

[alittleditty]

[Oh goodness Ren, you're such a sweetheart.]

Absolutely. I made these for myself, you see?

[And She'll show off her current outfit, which indeed looks fairly warm.]

And if I need any more I can always make some.

[prettypurpleparlor]

[But does everyone include you too, Tataru?]

What a coincidence, I'd just been coming over to show you something.

[...Judging by Muffet's playful expression and the pair of hands she's hiding behind her back as she approaches, it just might. She's been stockpiling warm clothing for a while now, and she couldn't bring herself to overlook her fellow weaver.]

[alittleditty]

[Well she has to admit, she's a bit taken aback.]

Ah- really?

W-well then, by all means!

[The slight stammer might give away that she is a bit flustered and suspects what might be going on.]

THANKS TINYMUM

[bloodyashes]

[Hey Tataru thank you for completing the 'miniature Ardyn' look Asch has got going on in this borrowed coat that is way too big for him BUT IT IS MADE OF WOOL AND THEREFORE WARM.

Like this scarf that Asch is immediately picking up and winding around his neck. Yep, he went straight for what he recognized as the warmest of the bunch and is now burying his face in it to protect his cheeks from the cold.]

You're a lifesaver. I owe you a lunch.

[He's not. just. gonna take it for nothing that's not how this works?]

[alittleditty]

If you want, though there's a reason they're called "free samples."

[Look, she can't hunt for herself and her garden is taken up by textiles, she's not going to turn down food if it's offered to her, though she's not obligating him.]

I take it you don't like the cold, much?

[daydreamy]

[ Kyouko gives THE MOST DRAMATIC LITTLE GASP and her face lights up as she hurries over. ]

Ohhh my god, this is awesome! Hey, could I take one for Yuka-chan, too? Her outfit's not really great for cold weather and I won't want her to freeze!

[alittleditty]

... oh goodness, it isn't, is it?

[Given that Tataru herself may have helped make some of Yuka's current... non magical-girl outfit. She should have realized this.]

I'll have to fix that. In the meantime, absolutely do take one for her. There's plenty to go around.

[demonpuppy]

[Chip actually stops short a little, startled, and looks behind them to be sure Tataru isn't making the offer to...anyone else, really.]

I...uh. Thanks? I don't...um, I don't know what--oh wait, can you make shirts for kittens?

[They've seen that stuff on the internet before! And even if the little guys have fur, it's still getting horribly cold.]

[alittleditty]

Shirts... for kittens?

[Hm, that's a new one.]

I've never done anything quite like it before, and they probably will outgrow them fairly quickly, but seems possible!

[crosslaced]

[He's not particularly affected by the cold- if anything it actually puts him in a good mood- but he accepts a scarf anyway.]

Thank you. Do you mind if I take another for a friend?

[alittleditty]

Not at all! Though who is this friend, might I ask?

[She's being nosy curious.]