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

The Knight knows enough about this island to know that they shouldn't stay long on this side, no matter how idyllic it is. But it's worth the rising sense of paranoia and that strange, alien anger to look for resources or anything useful, as long as they don't stray too far.

But this feels...different. Their hunter's instincts are too finely tuned to ignore something practically shouting for their attention, especially since they've come from a world where friendly faces are increasingly rare. Even after all this time - they can't let their guard down.

They stop, staring around at the greenery. They draw their sword, a clear challenge to anything that might be hunting them, attempting to pinpoint their pursuer.

At first glance, this target hardly seems worth derezzing. It stands much shorter than most users, with odd proportions that seem poorly balanced for a fight. But when his scan returns completely null, Rinzler finds himself suspicious. Possible, that it might be some aberration. More likely, it's masking the true nature of its code.

Which implies something worth hiding.

Rinzler watches as it stops. Upgrades his assessment of its detection skills, appraises the weapon it draws out. If the Knight has picked up the low rumbling above, they might also hear the moment when it shifts: a quiet susurrus of amusement amidst the constant white noise.

Followed by a blaze of light: a red-glowing identity disk, streaking down from the treetops towards their position.

Challenge accepted, little prey.

They look up at the change in tone, of the noise they've almost gotten used to - and then they dart backwards out of the way, sword at the ready, as the disk plummets down.

No parrying, not yet. They want to see their foe, not just their weapon; if they can lure their unseen assailant out, they'll be able to fight better. They stare upwards, from where the disk originated from; attempting to pick out some features amidst the environment's clutter.

The disk strikes the ground and ricochets back up, leaving a neat slice through the foliage it passes. Where it disappears into the trees, the Knight will catch a flash of movement: something quick and bright, red-orange against black. For his own part, Rinzler isn't bothered by the evasion. It's the skill of the opponent that makes a Game worthwhile.

Which doesn't mean he's quite finished testing this one. The glimpse of color is swallowed up by the trees, and then the weapon emerges again: ricocheting rapidly across the clearing and back down. Slightly more difficult to evade or predict. An attack that demands slightly more focus. He's interested to see if this glitch can track the vectors well enough to dodge.

Or, if it notices his second weapon fly in from behind.

The Knight contemplates whether the weapon will hold their weight, but they discard the thought almost immediately. Better to stay on the ground and not confuse their senses.

The quick, darting movements of the disc remind them of Ogrim's odd projectiles; they stand in place and hold their strike before delivering a powerful blow to the disk. It's enough to deflect the first weapon, and the knockback means that they have the barest fraction of time to dodge away from Rinzler's second attack.

It shears past, trimming a small scrap of cloak away, but leaves them untouched. They glance around and upwards, looking for that telltale glow (there's an unpleasant wrench of something like apprehension at that orange glow - can't be, impossible, but what if?).

The flash of orange shows itself again: a hand, darting through the leaves to snatch up one of the rebounding weapons. The other disappears into the brush in a similar location—unlikely, if the rebounds operated by pure chance.

Not that the Knight will have to wonder about this glow for too long. Rinzler didn't follow them for target practice, or even the validation of eliminating a potential threat. He came for a fight. Speed and motion, the satisfaction of a challenge and the sharp, quick joy of feeling his prey shatter under his attacks. This one is quick enough to avoid thrown disks. Skilled enough to track his weapons.

It will do nicely.

Limbs tuck, mask curving, and Clu's enforcer drops from the overhead. Rotates twice, frame unfurling to hit the ground in a low crouch. The same rattling of mismatch ticks out steadily from his black shell, disks blazing as he appraises the opponent from up close. If the Knight chooses, they can initiate the next attack.

If they don't, it's fair to say it won't be long in coming.

They don't have to wait long for their opponent to show themselves. That unfurling almost-nervousness spreading through them like ink in water, that paranoia, snuffs itself out when they realise the orange lights are something more mundane than they're used to.

Their attacker has the poise and grace, the sharp intent, of a Hunter. They can respect that, in a way; wandering this side of the island makes them sharp, aggressive, more willing to see others as prey.

There is a moment, a breath, before the Knight launches themselves at their much larger foe without fear or hesitation, aiming for the mask in a slash that whistles through the air.

No fear. No placations. Nothing at all to avoid the natural, inevitable consequence of two combatants in this space. Rinzler bends back from the strike, body curving a graceful arc as his sound quickens to a hum. This is exactly as it should be.

One disk flattens, hand planting for leverage off the ground as the opponent's blade slices overhead. The other snaps up—and in, body twisting as he slices for the leaping threat.

If the Knight has learned anything from Hallownest, it is this; fear rarely stops a predator. In some cases, it may even encourage them.

And, though they've always been obliged to fight for survival on their travels, they can't deny that part of them enjoys the thrill of a challenge. They, too, are a little like the Hunter. Like Hornet.

Monsun brings that out, at least a little. They can't help but admire the grace of their opponent's movements, even as Rinzler strikes; unable to evade it completely, they strike the opponent's weapon with their own, sending them skidding backwards and tumbling over.

Not that it gives them pause for long. They immediately leap to their feet and charge into range again, this time with a piercing thrust. Aiming for a hand, this time.

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

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