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

[He stands his ground. Some part of him decides that he deserves this. He brought them this pain. He had failed to help Bliss.

He had failed.

Keith drops his eyes away from the fish. He will accept responsibility. No matter what the price is taken from him.

No one else has to. His voice is quieter than Balance's, but carries all his sorrow, all his pain.]

They trapped us in dreams. To eat and kill us. I was broken out. I tried to talk to them. I failed to convince them there was a better way. They tried to kill me.

And I...killed Rapsho. If you want to punish anyone for it. Punish me. I won't fight it. But I came here to ask for your help so nothing like this ever happens again.

I don't want to hurt anyone. I just want to help fix things. Then go home. ...Please. Help me save anyone that can be saved.

[Silence.]

[Silence.]

[Silence.]

[The walls are silent, and the intensity of the god's speech has faded.]

One mortal cannot kill a god, [accuses one.]

One god can kill many, [the other says, mournfully, at the same moment.]

...are you...saying they will be reborn? [He lifts his head, every muscle is tense but he had resolved to accept whatever Balance does to him for this.]

Or...saying something else? [What is going to happen now? He has no idea but he has to try. If they can fix things together. There has to be a way forward that isn't tragedy after tragedy.]

You're lying.

Edited 2018-06-15 05:20 (UTC)

You're leaving something out.

[It doesn't sound accusatory.]

[It doesn't sound like anything.]

[His shoulders fall. Yes, he's leaving something out. He had tried to cover for everyone even the one he suspects had a hand in the end. But they won't help if they don't know everything.]

...fine. We all fought. We didn't want to die. Something hit Bliss at the end. It smelled like burning paper.

But I meant that I'll accept whatever you would plan to do to anyone else. [He raises his head, defiant and ready to face whatever comes.]

I don't care who you should really be mad at. There's been enough suffering! I want to find a way to stop it.

[The fish swirl inward, curling around one another, like an octopus receding from rough waters and coiling into some crevice to wait out the storm.]

Rapsho. Rapsho.

We are sorry.

Rapsho. Rapsho.

[They hardly acknowledge Keith at all; they may as well not be speaking to him.]

We cannot be sorry.

[He watches them warily. Nothing is happening. Slowly his hands uncurl from being fists on the altar. His breathing slows back down but he's uneasy.]

I'm sorry about Rapsho. ...can you help if another god is imbalanced? Is there anything we can do to keep this from happening again?

[He'll never call Bliss, Bliss again. Just Rapsho. He makes that promise to himself then pauses. Adding.]

...what should I call you, other than Balance?

Rapsho. Rapsho. Rapsho. Rapsho.

[We are sorry, Keith. The number you have dialed is not currently in service.]

[They simply continue to shrink, coiling tighter and tighter around each other and closer and closer until they are barely the size of a pair of tadpoles.]

[They are in no position to answer questions.]

[He bows his head and steps back.] Alright. I'll leave you be.

[Keith glances at them one more time and walks out of the temple. He has a lot to think about. How can he save them? What can he uncover to make sure they don't deal with another tragedy?

The questions howl through his head as he leaves the way he came.]

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

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