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.

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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

[everylittlesecret]

[She stops like a rabbit trying to gauge if the predator could see her or not.]

I was just leaving... Hope... you find someone to explore with you!

[Turning on her heel and time for a retreat.]

[nightcure]

What, you don't want to explore with me?

[ His tone is as light as he can make it, but it's also... concerned. ]

[everylittlesecret]

[She can hear that in his voice and it keeps her from leaving right away.]

.... I know your guard is here... Ignis, Prompto, Gladio... I see them through that weird stone... I ran into Ignis... I can't be around you. If they find out what I did, they might want me dead. I would rather not risk that. Pyrrha's here. I can't risk it.

[nightcure]

If they want you dead, they're gonna have to take that up with me before they lay a finger on you.

[everylittlesecret]

..... [She looks back at him, trying not to cry.] Please don't choose me over them. They're dear to you, and they always have been. You're their King, their friend, their brother... I'm just a girl who chose a friend who didn't even know I was alive anymore and killed someone she could once call family.

[nightcure]

I'm not choosing anyone over anyone, Nari.

[ His voice is stern, and he crosses his arms. ]

I still care about you, you know.

[everylittlesecret]

[Her gaze drops as she wrings her hands.]

... why? Why are you willing to care about me? I still don't get why anyone does? Even Pyrrha. She was willing to kill me and be executed so we wouldn't be apart. I don't get it. Everyone keeps explaining it, but I'm......... I'm not a good person.

[nightcure]

You might've made some bad decisions, but that doesn't mean you're unworthy of love and care, Nari. Ardyn would tell you the same thing.

[everylittlesecret]

Ardyn... don't get me started on him. He accepted me with open arms after he came back.

[nightcure]

Yeah, and he knows better than anyone about bad decisions.

[everylittlesecret]

... you're making it way difficult to walk away and avoid you, ya know.

[nightcure]

[ He smiles at her, sincere and warm. ]

That's the point.

[everylittlesecret]

[She dropped her shoulders, sighing.]

It's hard to hate a guy who is like a cat.

[nightcure]

[ He chuckles. ]

That's a pretty huge compliment.

[everylittlesecret]

It better be. Cats are amazing.

[nightcure]

Right? Maybe we'll find some here.

[everylittlesecret]

I hope so... as cute as the chocobo are, and having Kipsie here, I miss a furry little friend to curl up with.