June Intro: Let's Sea How Far We've Come

[lifeaftr_mods]

INTRO LOG: JUNE

Who: Everyone!
What: New souls arrive to the archipelago of LifeAftr as the island of Ziziphus begins to crumble
When: June 4th and onward
Where: Ziziphus and Ensō...and Monsun
Warnings: Mark as needed!

Ziziphus: At The Start Of The End Of The World
Since Bliss's destruction, the extensive root network they've threaded throughout every inch of the island of Ziziphus has begun to crumble. June 4th marks the beginning of the inevitable collapse of the island as it starts to sink into the sea...coincidentally coinciding with the arrival of LifeAftr's newest adventurers. Between the dead trees surrounding Bliss's empty husk, great cracks in the earth start to widen, the dead god's absent root system leaving vast gaps underground which simply cannot support the life above. It almost sounds like thunder rupturing from the ground itself, wild tremors preceding each vicious boom until gaping chasms lay between venturing parties and the safety of the mana pool - only water waits below, for those unlucky enough to lose their footing.

And if the immense pull of mile wide chunks of landmass sinking beneath the waves isn't enough to suck you down, the heavy rain of debris from Ziziphus's rapidly destabilizing edges will certainly help. Want to avoid a watery grave? What you need to do is simple:

Escape.

Sorry, newbies. If you showed up on Ziziphus, you're in for a very athletic entrance to LifeAftr.

Monsun: Just Like Every Other Morning Before
Adventurers aren't the only creatures on Ziziphus attempting to outrun its collapse. Creatures great and small, from the largest spindlank to the smallest tigerlily will be heading south in an attempt to escape the worst of the quakes. Unlike offshore adventurers, however, these poor creatures don't have a mana pool waiting for them to escape through. Their extinction, it seems, is imminent.

Unless you have something to say about it.

Already exhausted from their attempts to get through to and then actively dispose of their fellow god, the Storyteller will break their traditional manner of communication to announce a potential solution to this problem with a single broadcast to the Stones of Far Speech in a strained, weary tone:

"The mana pools on Monsun are now open. If you are willing, save what you can."

True to their word, characters will discover that the island of Monsun will be accessible once more for a short period of time. From prey to predator, obstruction to catastrophe - multiple species of flora and fauna can still be preserved, should you choose to do so.

Be wary of the psychological effects of both sides of the island. Those who are new to our setting and wish to explore, the island of Monsun has a peculiar side effect to its stark divide: the eastern half is rich in resources, but brings out the very worst of you, while the western half is a tumultuous wasteland that accentuates your best qualities. More information on said island can be found on its entry on the Locations page, or its introductory info post.

Due to these efforts, the Storyteller will not be available for contact from the 4th to the 18th of June. Item Requests will also be unavailable at this time. They will, however, make a rather strained announcement to ensure all are aware that access to both Ziziphus and Monsun will cease on June 10th.

Ensō: I Wonder What It Means If It's Gone
The native fauna of Ziziphus aren't the only ones on the move, it seems. Those who wander the shores of Ensō will be delighted to witness the appearance of creatures akin to both turtles and dugongs drifting through the waters, gravitating around the island's eastern coast, rapidly gaining in numbers over the following days.

Kaleidoshells have been unlocked in the bestiary!

With spring close to ending in the archipelago, these peaceful creatures are looking to make good use of their natural nesting areas; hope you're open to sharing the beach for a little while. While a few braver individuals will make their way to the shores between C4 and D1 to begin digging nests, the vast majority won't be coming to shore quite yet.

They do, however, make a very fine sight around the waters of Ensō, especially in the evening. Luminescent, their rainbow patterns glow underwater, drifting mood lights for the increasingly warmer evening breeze.

---

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.

---

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

[notglitching]

[Fingers twitch, just slightly at the enforcer's sides—though what at might be unclear. The user-loyalist shouldn't be glad for his presence. And Rinzler knows his memories aren't why Ram is. But when he speaks, it's not on either of those topics.]

Portal.

[The black mask nods: up the slope and to the left, and Rinzler takes a half step along the vector. The angle of his helmet remains turned back, though: waiting for acknowledgement. The system's crashing. The exit's this way.

Is Ram going to follow?]

[actuaryonline]

[Ram notes the twitch but says nothing, only Rinzler knows what it could have been. If even he does.

Portal? He follows the nod and sees nothing, but trusts Rinzler's judgement.

Isn't that weird.]

Glitch yes. [Promise of escape brings a little more energy to his system and he hurries after Rinzler, noting the helmet tilt back at him. Is Rinzler waiting for him? He seems to be at least seeing if Ram is following or not. That's interesting.]

[notglitching]

[Regardless of their loyalties, the answer doesn't come as much surprise. The actuary had made the same decision before he even knew what Rinzler was: careful steps across a narrow bridge to safety. Choosing the risk of derezz over the certainty of it. It's calculation, not confidence.

Not trust.

Confirmation obtained, Rinzler turns with no further commentary, beginning the zigzagging approach up the hill. His pace isn't slow, but it's not as quick as the enforcer's capable of, either. And where Ram lags, he will delay briefly—giving him a moment to catch up.]

[actuaryonline]

[Rinzler does not set an easy pace, but Ram is pleased that he keeps up. At least to begin with. Determination still drives him on, but the exhaustion and energy loss of sprinting away from the structural collapses are starting to take a toll.

He grits his teeth as he notes the distance between them start to increase and digs into his energy reserves, but then...

Rinzler slows, pauses. And Ram catches up and they continue on.

Ram blinks in surprise at Rinzler's back as they carry on up the hill. Did he just-? He tries to stay with him, but in time gradually begins to fall behind. And again Rinzler pauses allowing him to catch up.

There's no time to think on this now, but Ram carefully saves the memories and feels just a bit better.]