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

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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 )

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[He's literally about to ask when he just drops it and rolls his eyes, raising his hands a bit in a 'why' gesture.]

Of course. Of course it is. That sounds like something that would happen around here.

[Why does the world do this to him, constantly, forever.]

Still, that's... troubling. That anyone's been here so long. Has it been difficult?

[Difficult? He thinks about that.] Yeah. When the sun went out it got cold and dark. Creatures from the deep depths wanted to destroy the sun before it could revive. It was a week of fending them off in one massive siege.

Islands other than Enso have been a challenge. The only civilization we've seen was a group of people who executed anyone who didn't obey their rules to something called Standing Water.

Sometimes it all feels like a bunch of ideas written down on a page and carried out each time we leave this island. Traveling in space was a bit easier to deal with than living on this world.

[He hums in response at first, listening attentively, though he does wave his finger a bit at the description of Ai'touoh, which he recognizes.]

Yes, I-- I know that one. Or well, I dreamed it. But I'm told that's rather par for the course here.

[That last bit is interesting, though.]

I suppose that would be as good a reason as any to call them the Storyteller. But, uhm... did you say space? You traveled between planes?

Planets or, worlds I guess. [He leans back and gestures to the sky above their heads. How does he explain this properly?]

In real time, every planet has layers. The higher you go the less air there is. Beyond that is the void of space. You have to have special machines and equipment to get up there and survive.

[Wait that bit about Storyteller. He zeroes in on it.]

And hold on. Do you think Storyteller creates the islands we visit?

[He waves his hand a bit.]

No, I understand space. How it works, at least. I was more interested in someone who travelled within it. I used to move between planes quite freely, though this one seems not to have more than the material.

[Or at least not that he can access, which is like the same as them being gone to him. But he raises an eyebrow at the last question.]

Not necessarily. But it's possible. I am aware they were asleep for a great long time, but who knows about before that. They seem to have a great deal of influence.

Ah, sorry. Not used to people knowing what I’m talking about when I mention space here. [He looks up at the sky again. He misses flying and going on missions. He felt like he was doing something other than tearing at the walls and trying to find a way through.]

Anyway I think their influence is limited. Or very specific. And I traveled space but it was material space? Is that how you would put it? Going between planes is something we did once but we ended up in another version of our reality. [He looks at his companion with open curiousity.]

I can still tell you about what I’ve seen out there if you want.

No, I understand. It's not necessarily common where I'm from, either.

[He does see that curiosity, though. It makes him smile.]

I'd like to hear it. I always wanted to go out there a little more, but I'm also not certain how much my world holds in terms of the universe. It's more like...

[Mm, he doesn't have a lot to work with out here. So instead he waves his hand and some of the sand comes up from the beach, moving itself into a number of flat circular shapes that circle each other.]

The planes of existence lend themselves to each other, but they converge at the Prime Material Plane. There are planes of elements, knowledge, and of course, the realm of death. They're all linked to form one cohesive world. But a lot of this isn't common knowledge, outside of those who study magic.

That’s... incredible. [He pays rapt attention and shifts just a little so he can see all of it. Keith nods, absorbing the knowledge.] Planes or I guess layers of our reality and its related mirrors was explained to me as being stacked on top of each other. If seen from the side just a bunch of layers.

But space...I’ve seen a lot of things out there. There was a massive storm we used to hide in once. Winds, dust, debris, and some lightning all within one spot. We hid in the eye.

If you looked straight up you could see all the way up. A bit like a cyclone. [He thinks about it as he sketches it with a finger on the sand in front of their feet.] No.

Exactly like that. I never found out how it was possible. We were busy.

[He draws a large hour glass like ship hovering over it, the legs coming down at four points and four above.]

[He watches Keith draw with his own grin, thinking about how that might look, how that kind of storm might take shape.]

I've seen spellcasters make storms like that before. It has something to do with the way the wind moves, that it doesn't tighten itself or it would lose it's turn. I... confess, I don't know much about how those sorts of spells work.

[Just that they were chaos.]

It sounds like it was certainly something incredible enough to be memorable. I've often found things on jobs I've sworn I'd go back to see, and then just... not gotten around to it. A shame sometimes that the world is so vast.

I like it. [The world being vast means there's so much to see. He looks at what he drew and starts to sketch again. Two black holes trying to pull in a giant ball with a small base in the safe point.]

We'll see a lot in our lifetimes. Maybe we'll get to see them or we'll inspire other people to go instead. The first manned mission to Jupiter made a lot of people consider careers as astronauts.

[He points to the second image he drew.] This is two black holes and a blue star. That base in the middle is where I've been. There's a safe path to it every two days.

The path is risky. Only top tier pilots fly it manually.

[It's nice to see someone so hopeful. An explorer, charting the stars. Inspiring the future. There's a point in everyone's lives, he thinks, when they look up and wonder just what's out there. He's been disconnected from this sort of thing for so long, it just feels... a bit like he's actually alive again.

It's one of the first times that's been a good thing on this island.]

Did you fly it? Or train there? It seems like it was an incredible journey regardless. Something people will tell stories of.

[It would be nice, to see things like that. But even he finds himself limited.]

May you find your way to more incredible things, then. Perhaps we'll get to see what lies beyond these stars, as well.

If we do, I'll get us there safely. [He smiles, something warm and full of life. He'd get them all into space without any trouble. He knows he could. At this point he's had a lot of experience flying all manner of vessels.]

I do fly it manually. And sometimes I train there. ...what kind of things have you seen that you want to see again someday?

[To travel the different planes like that. There have to be some pretty amazing things in the Go revisit book.]

[Gods. It's about time he found someone interesting to talk to out here. Everyone else has been giving him shit. But this is facinating.]

Well... I always meant to go back to Goldcliff. They do these high stakes races there with these engined wagons? It's facinating. The Celestial plane is obviously beautiful, though I'm oft only allowed in on business. The elemental planes aren't well travelled, but the plane of water has the most incredible ocean literally anywhere.

[A pause.]

I... I find myself in these places but don't tend to find the time to enjoy them, truly. Just... things to think about.

[He listens and tries to picture it. Pidge once told him about an ocean world they brought Hunk and Lance back from. He never got to see it for himself but he can recall flying over vast stretches of water.]

I know what you mean. Everything happens so fast and then you're moving on. But part of it goes with you when you leave.

[He wishes he had a Lion here or some kind of craft. Even a hoverbike would be something to share the feeling of the wind pulling at their clothes as they moved at high speed.]

What about the other elemental planes...what are they like? What lives here. Do you know?

[He finds himself missing something similar. He misses the flexibility his form used to have; weightlessness into flight, making forms on the fly to suit his needs. This life is more stagnant, less idillic than any promised happily ever after.]

Well, the elemental planes are just that- the pure element. So nothing is there except an all-consuming fire, an endless ocean... just that. The plane of Thought goes into other worlds entirely, though. Not that you can travel to them. But it holds all ideas ever to be concepted, so in essence, the infinity of worlds. A bit boggling to look at, to be honest.

...I couldn't even imagine that. That has to be really overwhelming. [Yet, his eyes are still bright. The spark of exploring has been caught. He taps the side of his arm in thought.]

...do the thoughts enter your head or...just float around?

[He shakes his head.]

No, it's like... looking into another universe, where those ideas already exist. You still have to work to understand them. I've never actually been, you can just look at it. Or well, I can. Most mortals don't know about the planes at all, unless you study magic.

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

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