April Intro: The Flower Ripens in its Place

[lifeaftr_mods]

INTRO LOG: APRIL

Who: Everyone!
What: New souls arrive to the archipelago of LifeAftr
When: April 3rd and onward
Where: Ziziphus
Warnings: Mark as needed!

A9: Sow the Seed
Unbeknownst to new arrivals, the archipelago of LifeAftr has recently seen the appearance of a new island, as chosen via voting - and they have been unceremoniously placed there instead of upon Ensō, where most newcomers would typically appear. It's probably for the best that the island of Ziziphus is so outwardly peaceful. There are worse places to find yourself, all things considered. The mana pool glimmers with a greenish light, the stone ring containing that peculiar fluid set firmly into the earth. The surrounding land fits neatly into that general aesthetic: rippling fields stirred by the occasional crisp breeze alternate between amber-golden and rich, verdant green in coloration, and irregular patches of color signify the presence of a great deal of flowers of all sorts.

It's a peaceful scene.

We're sure you're all about to make it go horribly wrong.

B9: Reap the Harvest
For the unluckier, or the more adventurous, something far less tranquil awaits. Perhaps you woke up on this particular map square instead, or you saw fit to journey a little farther, just to see what might happen. In any case, you'll quickly discover that this may not have been the best idea, when an ordinary grassy mound abruptly detaches itself from the ground, hauls itself upright on bristling legs, and starts scuttling near.

SPINDLANKS have now been unlocked in the bestiary.
What might initially appear to be a leafy hillock will very quickly prove to be something far more...mobile, if you get close enough. That clump of grass and red ferns will abruptly hoist itself up on six vine-like tendrils, crawling for its prey like a very large, mossy spider. While it's fully capable of swiping at its foes with its massive, leafy arms, the spindlank's favored method of dispatching its prey is simply to scuttle forth until it's positioned directly above you and drop down. If its weight does not crush you and choking on the clods of earth doesn't smother you, don't worry; the spindlank intends to eat you alive with a set of fleshy jaws set deep in its center, buried somewhere in its underbelly.

For despite their appearance, spindlanks are very much carnivorous. Their size can vary from anywhere between six and ten feet tall when their appendages unfurl entirely. They are, in essence, very large plants, and thus can be easily dealt with, if you can burn them.

Just try not to get overwhelmed.

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All new arrivals will awake with knapsacks, their names stitched to the front. The contents of said knapsacks can all be found in your acceptance notices!

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

[propugnator]

( sorry amaterasu. shiro definitely owes you one for this.

while it is entirely unpleasant to be yanked around by the leg, it is definitely an improvement from getting his skull smashed in by an overgrown vine. the ground itself shakes underneath the impact, resonating through him, and it launches him to his feet immediately. he can't take the risk of being caught off guard again. especially now that there's someone else in the mix.

despite the fact that this someone else is clearly a dog, shiro still catches himself breathing out a "thanks" before he's racing forward to grapple with the creature once more. he severs one of its legs just as he had done to its brethren, forcing it off balance. it topples over with a loud noise, but it doesn't stop it from using its remaining "legs" to swipe out towards both shiro and ammy. )

[mamaterasu]

[Tenacious little thing, isn't it? Ammy should have known there'd be dangers on this island like there were on all the others. The lush, fertile landscape and peaceful air was too good to be true, it seems...not like she's much surprised, honestly. That's just how it is on this bitch of an earth.

As the vines lash out aggressively, towards herself and Shiro, Ammy leaps before the young man and raises her reflector, which grows and expands to form a protective shield in front of them. Of course, Shiro may see nothing at all - maybe a ripple in the air as the two, leafy appendages pound against the wolf's defenses. A barrier, of a force-field, may be his first thought on what the Spindlank is hammering away at, but an invisible one.

Growling, Ammy digs her claws into the soil to steady herself, dark eyes glancing first at Shiro then at the toppled creature. Can you reach it? her eyes seems to ask, the determined blaze burning in the inky depths. She can, and will, support him...but she has to lower the shield to run interference and draw the monster's attacks. Regardless, she does maintain her stance even as the sound of vines clashes against her shield and she snorts.

Hrmph, it'll take more than that to down this dog, good sir.]