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

[mamaterasu]

[Her head lifts when another approaches, to check on her. It's been nice, to have others come up so often, offering her food and even just a bit of company while she rests a while. Is it really so obvious, how tired she looks? How haggard and weak, with every passing day the sun of this world sinks, ready itself for death and rebirth? She really doesn't mean to worry any of them - she'll be fine so long as people wish it deeply in their hearts. She's found that a few well-wishes, a few empowering words to unify hundreds...can go a long, long way.

But the sticks and leaves get her attention. Curious, she lifts herself up into a laying position, but her head and shoulders are raised. Sniffing at the items Chip carries, she confirms it's just a bunch of foliage...odd. Tilting her head with a curious sound, Ammy paws gently at them, then shakes her head, no. She's fine for now. Maybe a bit of water, later, but she can go get that herself. It's fine.

She's more interested in what they have in their arms, and what it's for.]

[demonpuppy]

[They don't pull away when she sniffs and paws at them, actually smiling shyly with a small shrug. They lay out the twigs in front of them, starting to sort through them and compare how each fits against the others.]

This is for, uh...I wanna try to make you something. I dunno if...uh, if it'll work, or even last long, but...

[Their cheeks are flushing red, and they fumble a little as they start to tie the twigs together into something resembling a spoked wheel--or maybe a sun.]

[mamaterasu]

[Oh, that's cute... Like a charm? Ammy's cheeks pull up into a happy, canine smile and she swishes her tail with a nod of nod of her head, in thanks. She doesn't really need anything, and they don't have to do to any sort of trouble for her sake, but...if it's a gift, it'd be in poor taste not to accept it. Especially a hand-made present from a child. Heaven knows Ammy will treasure it.

She moves a little closer inspecting the bits and pieces as well, and how Chip is picking between them. She's definitely curious to see what they're going to make with it. Maybe some sort of bizarre flower arrangement piece? That seems...incorrect, but it's the best she can come up with, staring at the medium they're working with, anyway.]

[demonpuppy]

[It's a little nervewracking, having an actual real god-spirit watching them as they work, but though they fumble eventually the main part of the charm is complete. A little lopsided and not quite looking the way they wanted it to, but they can't carve anything without a knife. But this next part is the really important bit, and they can't let anything shake their resolve or this doesn't have any chance of working.]

[Chip closes their eyes and takes several deep breaths, focusing on the warmth of the fire in front of them. That heat and the feeling of safety it brought...and the feeling of Amaterasu's fur tickling their arm, the unmistakeable smell of unwashed dog. Thinking back to the first time they met her, and the warm glow she radiated to their eyes, they hold their sun-charm at the edge of the flames to scorch the end of each ray, just enough to blacken the wood. And as they do, they sing; very softly, but with heart.]

You are my sunshine...my only sunshine...you make me happy, when skies are gray...

[With each end burnt, a tiny spark of power is infused into the wood. It's not much, a candle's flame compared to the radiance of the sun, but in miniature Chip slowly creates a magical, ruby-red center of sun-aligned power. Their expression starts to light up as they see the power collecting, and their song gains just a touch more confidence.]

You'll never know, dear...how much I love you...please don't take my sunshine away.

[With the ritual finished, Chip holds the newly-created charm in their hands, marveling at their work. It's the first time they've done a spell entirely of their own making, and to their untrained eye it seems like it actually worked. The magic they infused won't last for long, they're sure--without a proper seal it will siphon off to the earth once more, but maybe it will be enough to lend their friend a little bit of luck in her battles. They glance out of the corner of their eye at Ammy--does she seem pleased? They didn't insult her on accident, did they?]

[mamaterasu]

[It's a charm. She sees it now, once the little hands clasp the uneven wooden bits out towards the fire, Amaterasu knows it's a charm of some sort, and her intrigue is piqued more than ever. From the first time she met this little one, she felt a power deep within them, and though it may be born of darkness, she has experienced nothing but a gentle wonder and kindness from them ever since. And now? Now, she gets to see firsthand the true scope of their charitable heart. It opens her eyes to the wonders of the world, and that even her sense as a heavenly being isn't always right on the nose. Never judge by what you see, or even what you feel, but what you experience, as time passes.

She can feel the resolve in their voice, the soul in their song, and her eyes fill with pride when the magic seeps into the little charm. She power that she can sense is so tiny in comparison to other she has felt, but the way that Chip holds themself, looking so very pleased and excited...well, that light shines brighter than every brilliant star in the sky, including her own luminescence. Ammy's lips are curled into a loving smile when they look up at her, and she bows her head low, sinking her upper half down to show her true gratitude.

It's a miraculous little gift, and one she will treasure far longer than the power sparkling inside will last, surely. It's not the magic that empowers her, but the meaning behind the gift itself. It's a charm, after all, a prayer, an offering unto a goddess...and that is everything to her.]