July Intro: Upsy-Daisy!

[lifeaftr_mods]

INTRO LOG: JULY

Who: New arrivals, your lif᷆t̕i͗n᷅ģ f̧̞ͅr̡̦̃ḭ̅ͭe̩᷅̂n̟̣̤d̨̬̏, and you!
What: New souls arrive to the archipelago of LifeAftr, and everyone makes a new friend!
When: July 5th and onward
Where: All over Ensō
Warnings: Mark as needed!

Like a Bat Out of Hell
At this stage, the appearance of new arrivals to Ensō's shores is hardly a surprise to anyone but the arrivals themselves. Whatever mysterious force is responsible seems to have taken a vaguely nostalgic route this month, depositing the new and unconscious across the shoreline of the beach closest to the tumbled stone bastion of the Storyteller's temple. At first, that seems to be all there is to it. The arrivals stir to the smell of salt and the summer sea air, and the cycle of questions, searching, and settling begins.

For about five minutes. Perhaps ten.

Almost like an afterthought, something else shows up, plummeting straight out of the sky and landing with a veritable explosion of water some hundred feet from the shore. A large, rectangular shape breaches the surface after a few moments, bobbing, cork-like, in the foam-crested waves before ever so slowly beginning to sink into those aquamarine depths. For those familiar with such objects, it makes for a rather odd sight. That most certainly was an elevator, or you can be...fairly sure it was?

Give it another minute, and you'll be certain. The elevator streaks out from the ocean like a creature possessed. Maybe, in those split seconds prior to its approach, you'll be able to note the elevator's distinct features: a disturbingly smiling face on its doors, and a set of teeth framing a very organic mouth.

Meet Upsy, your lifting friend. In case it wasn't obvious by now, Upsy is far from a conventional elevator by any standards. What's more, Upsy has not taken to LifeAftr as well as some others. Armed with the ability to move in any direction, the rogue contraption takes no prisoners - by which we mean, they take as many prisoners as possible. Upsy proceeds to swoop across the shoreline, combing the beach in the most haphazard and patternless path possible, scooping up anyone slow enough to be caught in their maw. Once you're caught up in their jaws, it comes down to the winds of fortune, in regards to wherever Upsy proceeds to spit out their cargo. While the journey itself will be rough and...sticky, it is not inherently dangerous.

Hopefully, the same can be said for wherever you end up Ensō hosts a great deal of predators, environmental hazards, and worse. Though you could always end up belched into the ocean. Hope you can swim!

When the Metal is Hot and the Engine is Hungry
Upsy’s reign of terror isn't restricted to mere adventurers. Those with livestock or animal companions may be in for a small shock or, perhaps more likely, a very large one, when flying elevator sucks up those cuddly critters with a grin and spirits them off into the great unknown.

Though your phoenix, chocobo, or tigerlily may not be where you saw them last, you can at least be assured that they are still on Ensō. All you need to do is round them up. And if this isn't good enough news, well...at least you don't keep bludrocs.

Whether you're out searching for an animal or not, be careful traversing Ensō for the next three days. If Upsy is empty, they'll most certainly snap you up. And if they aren't? You may find anything from birds to horses spat out at you.

The velocity of these organic projectiles tends to vary. Dramatically. Upsy's reign of terror will end on the evening of July 9th. At that point, the elevator will fly off to greener pastures...and our RNG spreadsheet for potential encounters in future. Sweet dreams.

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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 )

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THE BEST DOG COMPANION

[wisdomspring]

[ The white wolf stops Zelda's breath, but it speeds her heart. There are dogs enough throughout Hyrule, but there are also wild wolves who will attack whether they're supported by their pack or not. This one is strangely beautiful and seems to keeps its distance... for now, but it doesn't escape her notice that it licks its lips.

To think that my life may end here, dinner to a hungry wolf... But she shakes her head firmly, snatching up the multi-tool from her bag, keeping its blade pointed out. No Princess of Hyrule would go down without a fight, and she is no exception.

Except-- There's a moment, a strange... shift, during which she sees something. Zelda's grip on the weapon falters as she blinks, staring hard at the unmoving animal. What in the world...? ]

Stay back. [ She warns, but her voice wavers, mind still lingering on the image she'd seen. ]

/DOG SONG INTENSIFIES

[mamaterasu]

[Ah, another one who is afraid of her. It's always so bizarre for her to come across these sorts of people - those back in Nippon, and even here on Enso were always so personable and willing to call her over to play or feed her. It's often escaped her that she is still considered a wild and dangerous animal to some. She won't press the young woman for food - there's plenty to forage, and plenty more scraps to be devoured by those that would so easily toss them.

She blinks slowly, then turns her head away and meanders back on her allotted path down the sandy beach. As she turns to go, Zelda can see it again - in the blink of an eye, the wolf's appearance changes again, but this time the image stays. A scarlet disc hovers magically over the wolf's back, gently spewing rainbow colored flames. Her pristine coat is now decorated with coils of red - on her shoulders and flank, by her eyes, and a circle painted on her forehead. Tufts of her furl also roll and curl around her shoulders, legs, and her tail as well...which is tipped black, as if it were dipped into a fresh pot of ink.

She goes easily, her tail swishes behind her as the waves tickle her paws with seafoam. There's very definitely a presence that the wolf exudes as well - strong, ethereal...and somewhat divine.]

[wisdomspring]

[ That doesn't fail to catch Zelda's attention, naturally. She's stunned by the appearance of the red and black, the designs that are surely markings of something more than mere animal. The princess' heart pounds at the sight, and she leaves her bag behind as she follows behind the wolf, moving like a sleepwalker.

There are some rumors of a large wolf, one with strange markings, sometimes wandering the land of Hyrule, but this... couldn't be that one... could it? ]

You... [ Can it even understand her? Zelda seems to remember herself, realizes what she's wandering behind, and finally stops. ] What are you?

[ Is it possible the markings are just her imagination? Dehydration, or something more malicious...? ]

[mamaterasu]

[It certainly is not, sadly. Ammy isn't all that large - pretty average for a wolf, actually...maybe even an inch or two smaller than normal. It's easy to see why others often mistake her for a dog. She stops as Zelda approaches her, tilting her head to one side curiously. Why the sudden change of hea--oh....oho. Her ears flick before they perk up a bit, and Ammy's tail begins to slowly sway back and forth as a smile tugs up the corners of her lips.

So, someone else that can actually see her? That's a bit of a rarity then, and this time...she doesn't give the simple answer. There's just a sly twinkle in her dark eyes that holds a bit of mischief and an era's worth of wisdom. She is many things, young lady, but...heh. Ammy looks up toward the sun blazing up above them, blinking at the harsh rays before glancing back in Zelda's direction.

I mean, it's not necessarily wrong. She is the sun goddess, even if not necessarily this world's.]

[wisdomspring]

[ If she had ever seen the Lord of the Mountain, she might draw comparisons between it and this-... wolf. It clearly possess awareness beyond animal intelligence (she guesses, at present, though she could be miserably wrong). As such, Zelda folds her knees, sitting down on the sand and inclining her head just slightly with respect.

Something more than a mere animal has some kind of power, and she doesn't want to get on its bad side. ]

I hope that I didn't offend you. [ Zelda offers quickly, looking again to the white wolf. ] I was being chased by a monster, and this place is... unfamiliar, so I was a bit flustered. You have my deepest apologies.

[ If it really is just a unique wolf, she must look very silly right now. ]

[mamaterasu]

[The mention of the 'monster' makes Ammy's nose wrinkle, lips pulling back over her teeth slightly. Yeah, she knows the one you're mentioning, lady...she's run into it several times herself, and isn't exactly a fan. She shakes her head, however, at being insulted. It takes a bit to really insult or offend this particular being. Sure she can get annoyed or miffed at someone, but that's normal behavior. Truly hating someone is...well, it's pretty rare for Ammy, who loves just about everyone and everything in the world from plants to people to the sky and sea itself.

Though she really hates Upsy, and baths. Honestly, both sort of coincide with one another so yeah, the hatred is real strong.

With her paw, she actually draws a fairly detailed rendition of the Storyteller's temple in the wet sand, nodding her head toward where the top of the ruins peek just slightly out from atop the hill a distance away. That's the best place for newcomers to go, for answers. That, and for going to the mana pool, taking them to the community islets, where people that live upon Enso can answer any actual questions. It's...uh. It's definitely a new experience, that's for sure. She'd be more than happy to lead this lovely woman there, too. She's pretty good at fending things off.]

[wisdomspring]

[ There's a small, wondering breath as Ammy begins to draw. Zelda's eyes go wide as saucers at the scene, marveling over her being in the presence of some divine being in this of all places. ... Wherever 'this' is. ]

Thank you. [ She offers quietly. Reverently. She rises again to her feet, folding her hands in front of herself and looking toward the indicated ruins. That will be her next stop, then. ] ... I can find my way there. You needn't trouble yourself.

[ Surely, it has better things to do than to lead a girl with too many questions to her next destination. ]

[mamaterasu]

[Ammy tilts her head to one side, as if Zelda said something utterly perplexing. You really think she's not going to tag along? The journey will still take a while from this point, and who knows where that metal monster is lurking right now. Not to mention all the other kinds of creatures that make their homes on Enso. Upsy just so happens to be one of the few.

So, when the young woman stands, so does Ammy. She shakes herself free of sand and seems ready to go despite Zelda's prior words, her tail wagging pleasantly behind her. Looks like she's coming along whether you like it or not, Princess.]

[wisdomspring]

[ Oh... she's very cute, Zelda thinks, and then has to silently chastise herself. If the creature can read her thoughts at all, she may seem disrespectful. ]

All right, then. [ Zelda concedes gently, offering a small smile. She's happier for the company, and it isn't as if she's going to try to dissuade the wolf from coming with her. ] Lead the way...

[ What should she call the likely-deity? Maybe another resident of this island - if there are any - will know. ]

[mamaterasu]

[Zelda is safe on that front - Amaterasu looks as clueless to her thoughts as the Princess is to Amaterasu's. In fact, if the compliment from such a pretty lady came to the wolf's ears, she'd probably be rather pleased. Those sorts of compliments she doesn't often get, honestly...considering so many people back home, and here on Enso, thought she was just a simple wolf, or a stray dog. At the very least, the people here haven't called her dumb or dimwitted - that's certainly an improvement over the brutally honest folks of Nippon.

Amaterasu bounds forward a few feet, stopping at the end of the tree line for Zelda to follow. It's going to be a bit of a hike through the wooded parts of the island, but it's the fastest way to the Storyteller's temple, where Zelda will certainly get more answers to her numerous questions, or find someone more, erm...adept at conversation to help her. Perhaps she can even find a place to stay? She doesn't remember who lives where, or how many people a house can fit - Ammy never stays in one place long - but no doubt one of the kind people here would take the girl in.]

[wisdomspring]

[ Zelda follows in silence, both watching the strange creature curiously and taking in the sights around her. There's quite a lot to see, after all, and it's all new. As such, the princess makes a number of mental notes, wishing that she had some sort of paper on which to record the sights.

The trip isn't short, but it goes by more quickly with everything that she has to look at along the way. When the ruins of the temple begin to appear, looming through the trees, Zelda slows and peers at it intently as they approach. ]

This is... [ It reminds her of something one might find in the wilds of Hyrule: abandoned, ancient, and very mysterious. It's something that the young royal is automatically drawn to, full of a growing sense of wonder and a desire for exploration. ]

[mamaterasu]

[Amaterasu stay by the entrance to the temple, sitting there casually and nodding for the young woman to go inside. She's not sure if the Storyteller will actually be in there - they're a far more elusive god than she - but it's the best place to start for all the number of questions Zelda probably has. Ammy noticed the curiosity and wonder she had along the way - the way she turned her head left and right to gaze at everything, how wide her eyes were. It was almost child-like, and make Amaterasu smile inside.

If Zelda wishes it, she'll almost accompany her inside part of the way - at least until the Room of Glyphs, and stay there, admiring the numerous paintings and drawings people without a voice have scrawled on the walls, telling their muted stories. She, too, has added to these walls - masterful murals and beautiful pieces that seems to move and shimmer... She is, after all, a goddess of creation and a master of the brush. Go on, young Princess, seek your answers, Amaterasu will make a note of your journey thus far on these walls in the meanwhile.]