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

[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?]

[darkova]

I'd be surprised by your trust, but I suppose I couldn't exactly flee into the night without payment very easily here.

Is the hunting here any good? I could likely manage some game once things are a bit settled.

[alittleditty]

Not unless you plan on making a boat and chancing what's out there in the ocean, unfortunately.

[Right now you'd kind of have to sail in a straight line and hope you it something. As far as they can tell, there's nothing else nearby. Come to think of it, how easy was it to even get from Enso to the islets, or to Chol? Something to ask about.]

There might still be some animals and plants left on Enso, though given that that was the only island available when many of us arrived, it's... rather picked clean, from what I've heard.

I've heard some others speak of the forest side of Monsun, though that area has dangers all of its own.

[darkova]

Danger, eh? Powerful beasts, ill magic?

[He's very curious- if he's going to be here for awhile best he get as much info as he can]

[alittleditty]

More of the latter, I believe. That side of the island seems to foster ill will and hopelessness and other negative feelings, from what I've heard. The other side seems to encourage the opposite, though it's a mostly barren wasteland.

[She has seen the desert side of the island a bit, admittedly. Hasn't had the courage to go to the other.]

[darkova]

[Ingway's lips quirk up into what is probably supposed to be a smile, but doesn't quite manage it]

Hopelessness, hmm? Well, I can see why it would be avoided.

[And of course he is gonna go there as soon as the darkness passes to investigate.]

[alittleditty]

Yes, though some people have still tried to go there for supplies. In... measured bursts, from how I understand it.

[She... probably could try herself, given how comparatively safe it's described to be. She isn't sure she wants to see what her worst would be, though.]

[darkova]

[He starts winding the scarf around his torso, like a binding- it's no shirt, but it will keep his core a bit warmer]

Well, I have little to fear from my worst self. So don't worry, I will get your payment.