lifeaftr | January Intro: I Know the Winter's Getting Colder

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 )

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I see.

[ A siege, hm. ]

And so... there is no enemy? There is only waiting until it is over? [ And he nods. ] The one that offers light. That shall be our only light come the siege, then?

No, there will be an enemy. They hang out deep in the ocean depths and are taking the chance while the sun is being reborn to strike. I'm still looking into what sort of weaknesses they have. I know light slows them down. Heat too.

I don't think it would hurt to find more light sources. [He takes another swig of his drink, letting the warmth spread through him. It's a little chilly even in space armor to be out on patrol.]

I was told to ask after Rachsharnahac and Grasversherim to learn more about the last time they guarded the sun. They're elders who might remember a few tricks we can use.

Edited 2018-01-06 04:08 (UTC)

[ He hums as he unsheathes his saber to look it over. Heat and light, hm? ]

My skills lie in the blade. It would be too simple to see if I could have it coated in some flammable material to fight. [ The metal itself may end up yielding by the end of the siege. He tightens his hold on the hilt as he decides that may be worth it to ensure the survival of those noncombatants. ]

I do not enjoy the idea of fighting unfairly with these creatures. I realize they are attempting to gain some advantage, but I am unaccustomed to using any tricks like that, myself. [ A beat. ] Still, that information may be useful to others. Have you had a chance to speak with them, yet?

Not yet. Got busy helping set up defenses. [He raises a questioning eyebrow. Using tricks is unfair? If it's survival...]

We don't know how numerous the enemy is going to be. All I know is the Jormun are prepared to have deaths on their side. ...I fight with swords and knives. Not too picky, I can do either or dual wield.

I was thinking along the lines of a light around the island to guard fall back points. To protect weapon caches and whatever medical is set up. ...maybe fire arrows? It's all just ideas. We need to do something or we'll be quickly over run.

Mm, I see.

[ There are a lot of unknowns. ] It becomes a fight with endurance at that point, doesn't it? To keep the fires going? Or whatever other light sources that there are... those will be what they should attack first.

[ He hums. ] Face the enemy as far out as we can and have the noncombatants fall back as far as they can away from shore. We'll gather the injured after the battle is complete. [ That's as much strategy as he ever uses. ]

When you put it like that. Yeah, this is going to an endurance fight. [He's just been calling it a siege. Keith takes another swallow from his jug and leans back to consider what else he knows.]

We could set up to light more fires if we have to fall back. Maybe bottleneck them to give us some breathing room. Sort of like a narrow pass made of light. But, I guess it will depend on how much light we'll have and what strategy the Jormun use.

Yet we don't know if the enemy needs to sleep or what their limitations are beyond light, right? I'm not good at strategy. [ But it is more he's not good at straight-forward strategy where he is alone. Furthermore, it's uncertain if these creatures are capable of feeling shock and a break in their own spirit. ]

The fires become endurance to those who have to constantly gather burning fodder for those of us killing, and I would rather not put them in danger of being targeted. To fight... I am uncertain if we can maintain the fires and fight. [ Trickery is never something he enjoys and that includes the other party. ] But, if the darkness has intelligence, it would be a simple matter. Honorable and straight-forward, you go into the fight to kill until they relent.

For now, we should just prepare and gather what information is out there. If they're intelligent that could make it easier and harder to face them.

[Keith leans back and stares off into the middle distance. In his mind, the shore boils with dark shapes rising up out of the sea.]

I think the fires can be maintained but we have to be smart about it. We could stack the kindling and burnable materials for the fires into bundles so they can just be added in. Less gathering, and less need for endurance for anyone who volunteered to maintain the fires.

That is a good idea.

[ He praises the idea and wonders how much time they have to prepare. Either way, he thinks it is a good idea and glad to have brought up his concerns about how they will be able to continue to maintain the fires. The battle will be a bloody one -- it always is, isn't it? ]

Keith, you have a good head upon your shoulders. That calm will see you through.

Let's make sure as many of us make it through as we can get. We've got at least two weeks to hammer out possible responses.

[He can't let his worries about it get in the way. There are lives that rely on careful preparations.]

I just wish we had better intell. Not that we can help that. There's such a huge gap between times these things come to the surface.

January Intro: I Know the Winter's Getting Colder

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I keep thinking I hit this. Sorry about that

DON'T EVEN WORRY ABOUT IT <3

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