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

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 )

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Cat LSD? Yeah, he doesn't think any amount of catnip would allow for that sort of thing. The secret life of cats. Who knew?]

I guess cats have got a lot more going than we ever gave them credit for, huh?

_{[She turns her head so that she can look up at him with a single, runny eye.]}

Surprised? You shouldn't be. Twolegs don't pay attention to anything. They throw their garbage everywhere and flatten good cats with their Monsters. Do your kind a favor and spread the good sense I've taught you.

[Wash raises both hands in a gesture of weary resignation.]

Hey, you don't need to tell me. When we're not picking fights with each other, we're crossing entire galaxies to discover new races to wage wars against.

_{[This is...new. Yellowfang's ears push forward along with her whiskers and she settles herself into a nice Sit.]}

Twolegs go to war? I shouldn't be, but I am surprised. Today is full of surprises. I suppose, since you have never been able to ask a cat many things, I should ask you some things. Do you have a Clan?

[He reaches up to scratch at his jaw, at that one. The way she says it - Clan, it it's something that merits that level of emphasis - suggests it's more than just a figure of speech.]

Allegiances, sure. Most people group together when they can. You last longer when you work as a unit.

[He used to follow orders unthinkingly, without the need or desire to question whoever might be issuing them. Looking back, maybe that's the reason Freelancer wanted him. What kind of soldier gets quals like his, and still manages to obey orders without backtalk, save for one, significant exception?]

So I guess, in a manner of speaking, I do.

_{[Yellowfang is quiet as she listens, taking time to look closer at this Twolegs's strange body. In a way, he reminded her of a jeweled beetle or a fish's scales.]}

I belong to ThunderClan, greatest clan beneath Silverpelt. Who do you fight for?

Friends.

[It appears that she really did mean that literally. Literal, actual clans. Cats banding together into some kind of...quasi-community, of all things.]

I guess they call themselves the Reds and Blues.

_{[Yellowfang tilts her head and gives him a squint. The Reds and Blues...sounded like two entirely different Clans to her. It could have been a strange Twoleg name though.]}

Is that one Clan or two? You cannot have each paw in a different Clan, where's your loyalty?

They are one...clan. They just weren’t always.

[He’s not sure he can ever actually live this down if any of the sim troopers find out about this. Him explaining human interrelations to a cat.]

What’s...Silverpelt, anyway?

_{[That earns a thoughtful little hum from Yellowfang. So this strange shining Twolegs wasn't a traitor. Still HalfClan but...perhaps circumstances called for such a thing.]}

Silverpelt is where warriors of the past look down on us from. I pray they'll show themselves come nightfall.

_{[She looks up through the canopy and finally something that isn't irritation crosses her smushed little face. Worry. They had to come. They had to!]}

[He follows her stare, tracking it upwards, before he manages to link the statements into something that makes sense.]

What, you - you mean the stars?

The same.

_{[Yellowfang finally pulls her eyes from the sky to give this strange Twoleg another long look.]}

It is my duty to commune with them. It has been a very long day, I should find my rest.

[Fuck it. She’s a cat. Cats spend a good chunk of their time sleeping. Given the kind of day it’s been, he’s not gonna blame her.]

Sure. Uh - you gonna find a place okay? There’s people...all over, generally speaking.

_{[Yellowfang starts to slink away back into the foliage, careful not to get her little backpack caught on another twig.]}

They called us ShadowClan for a reason. Fare well, beetle-pelted Twolegs.

[He understands what those words mean independently, but in conjunction, he's still...working out the context.]

[Still, he can recognize a dismissal when he hears one. So he stands, nods his farewell, and slots his helmet back into place with the hiss of a pressure seal snapping into place.]

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

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