lifeaftr | August Intro: All Will Fade and Petrify

August Intro: All Will Fade and Petrify

INTRO LOG: AUGUST

Who: New arrivals, and you!
What: New souls arrive to the archipelago of LifeAftr
When: August 4th and onward
Where: Primarily Umui, though Ensō is also likely
Warnings: Mark as needed!

New Arrivals: Bury Me Alive
When you wake, it's initially to darkness: musty, stuffy, and dense. Your eyes may take some time to adjust, but when they do, something will rapidly become apparent - namely, the fact that you're underground.

Exploring your surroundings will reveal a few more unnerving discoveries. Take, for example, the fact that you're currently trapped in what appears to be a number of buried houses, walls and ceilings compressed against one another thanks to time and pressure. The walls may have held up the weight of the soil above your head for a time, but it'd likely be best not to hold out hope that they'll continue to last. Your supply of air down here is rather limited, after all.

Unfortunately for you, it's not merely earth that separates you from the surface. It's also flowers in rich abundance - an untold, innumerable weight of dead and decaying plant matter, twined around the ancient bones strewn underground along with your sweet self, pressing down from above, peeking through the cracks in the metallic folds of whatever material once comprised these buildings' ceilings, walls, and floors.

Whether it's a mass tomb or something more sinister, you'd better figure a way out, and quickly. If you didn't show up with a shovel or some means of teleporting yourself out, you may very well need to resign yourself to digging your way out or making a lot of noise to attract someone who can, before this becomes a more dedicated grave.

Everyone Else: All Will Change and Calcify
As for the rest of you, well...if you're anywhere near the regions of G5, you might hear the sounds of a not-insignificant number of people finding themselves displaced underground, and requiring your imminent assistance in getting out. Perhaps you'll recognize the place. It is, after all, very well marked. They'll probably be properly grateful if you mind offering the help, and hey - it's a welcome break from the eerie, ever-present silence that clouds almost the entirety of Umui. As long as you don't mind digging around that old cenotaph half-buried in the flowers and scraping through sheets of metal, a lot of flowers, and...oh, yes. The first bones you'd be finding since arriving here.

If you've been hanging around the laboratory near the island mana pool, on the other hand, you'll definitely be getting a break from the silence - namely in the form of ARUM-25, whom a number of you have been devoted to repairing since their discovery, learning that a great deal of their systems have come back online, right around the time that the newest arrivals are properly unearthed.

Including their diagnostic systems.

The warning, repeated shrills will undoubtedly be heard by anyone who passes:

ALERT: STAGE ONE DETECTED
ALERT: STAGE ONE DETECTED
ALERT: STAGE ONE DETECTED
ALERT: STAGE ONE DETECTED
ALERT: STAGE ONE DETECTED

And that's probably fine. Right?

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

[ There's the sounds of someone (something?) digging patiently from up above, and then a small creature drops down from the ceiling a little way away from Ray.

Oh, so this is what they felt. Another not-bug, examining...some remains? Well, it's not like they haven't done the same thing themselves.

They inspect this person for a moment, sizing them up, and then approach. Holding out a small hand in greeting. ]

[Ray tears her eyes from her "clue" when she hears the sound. Could it be another person? Or is it a monster, like that many-handed creature that chased her away from the counselor's office. There's nowhere to run, so she shrinks back and clutches the bone with both hands as if it'll shield her.

Only to see... this little guy.

Her wariness doesn't immediately vanish--that is, until the creature holds out its hand. Aw, so they're a polite little... thing!

Since they seem friendly, Ray smiles and switches the bone to her left hand to hold out her right.]

...Hello. Um, do you know where I am?

[Maybe this little guy lives here?]

[ It's too dark in here for their usual methods of communication to really work, and they didn't bring a light with them... Maybe they should ask for a lantern at some point. They're more comfortable with that than open flame, which is what a lot of people here seem to use.

They tilt their head this way and that, clearly thinking hard, and then look up at the ceiling and around them. They're used to being underground, but the more people move around here, the more likely things might collapse.

Their eventual answer is not really an answer to the question, though they do nod - they do, technically, know where she is. But they're unable to communicate it at this time.

Instead, they take her offered hand in both of their own and tug gently, before gesturing at the darkness in front of them. Questions can wait until they've surfaced. ]

[The gesture says enough even without words. Ray nods and moves along with the creature towards the exit.]

You're right. We shouldn't stay down here.

[She's going to keep holding onto the bone just in case, even though it's kind of creeping her out. But maybe in the light she'll be able to better see if it's anything of use.]

[ Always good to hold onto what might be useful. Their experience in the twists and turns of Hallownest's subterranean environment helps here, at least; getting lost or confused is less of an issue.

Others have been digging, that much is certain. It doesn't take the two of them long to find a spot where someone was unearthed, providing passage through a mostly-vertical shaft.

The Knight looks at Ray, and then indicates this particular exit with another headtilt. Can she climb, or does she need help? ]

[Ray steps forward to peer up the shaft and test the firmness of the dirt with her fingers. The walls don't feel as sturdy as she'd like, given that this was soil someone could dig through, but what real choice does she have? The air down here feels heavy and stale, and the promise of fresh air and light above is too close to give up.

She turns back to the Knight with a nod that is more confident than she actually feels.]

I can try this way. I'll go after you--do you need a boost?

[ The Knight nods back at her, and then rather than answer that second question, they jump up into the tunnel with ease and begin to climb.

They busily work their way up without much fanfare; when Ray follows after, she'll find that there's more than a few handholds to help her support herself on the climb up.

Providing nothing goes wrong, like the soil giving way, it should be a reasonable climb... ]

[She's grateful for the handholds as she hoists herself up; they make it much easier to reach the point where she can pop her head out and rest her elbow on the lip of the tunnel.

...Right as one of her footholds gives way beneath her.]

Ah--!

[She slips back down part of the way--nearly losing the bone as she does so--but manages to jam herself in the tunnel to keep from falling out completely.

She finally hauls herself out onto firm(er) ground--inelegant and considerably more dirt-encrusted than before, but at least she's free! Just excuse her while she catches her breath a moment.]

[ The Knight starts forward when they see her slip, but she doesn't seem to need their help climbing back up (though it's significantly more frantic, this time around).

They fuss at her instead as non-invasively as they can, which really just means brushing excess dirt off her clothing. They can't really help her up, so they're trying their best.... ]

[And their best is much appreciated! Ray smiles and joins them in dusting herself off so that she can at least get back to looking sort of respectable.]

You're so kind. What's your name?

[She's not sure if they can answer, but it's only polite to ask when meeting someone, especially someone who saved you.]

[ The Knight is about to scratch down their usual answer - "no name, call me whatever you like", and then they stop for a moment.

No, that's not quite right. They do have a name, don't they? Not just something given to them by others, but something they'd be proud to call themselves...

Name is Knight

nice to meet you

what is yours ? ]

Knight? [It's an odd name, but...] I suppose that suits you; you've been very gallant so far.

My name's Ray. It's nice to meet you too.

[She pushes herself to her feet and takes a look at their surroundings.]

Is this your home? Where is it?

[The mainland? Or is she on one of the smaller islands off of her home?]

[ Do they stand a little straighter at the compliment? Just a little. It's nice to have their choice of name positively reinforced.

hello ray

this is 'umui'

visiting island

many flowers many robots some buildings

not home

home is 'enso'

another island

has buildings, temple, jungle

Enso isn't their home either, really, but it's close enough. They're trying to condense the explanation to be as clear and concise as possible.

They look up at her. They expect there will be questions - it's only natural, coming to a new place. ]

[Ray bites her lip.]

I've never heard of those countries before. If Enso's your home, why are you here?

[Why is she here, she'd like to know that as well. But maybe their answer will help her figure it out.]

[
other islands come/go

explore them

find history, clues

find story of islands, gods

connect them

They tap their sword thoughtfully in the dirt. How to explain properly...

before you woke up

you dreamed ?

god telling you

about this world ? ]

Yes. [She hesitates, surprised. The little chat had seemed so bizarre--even a different kind of odd than her recent life--that it hadn't seemed like much more than a dream.]

So... that wasn't a dream at all? At the same time, this place almost looks too beautiful to be real.

[Now that they're out of the bone pit.]

[ dreams come to you when sleeping
does not mean they are not real

Well, that's unnecessarily cryptic. But that's how the Knight seems to perceive things.

They look around at the peaceful landscape, and sort of shrug.

it is real
otherwise would not be standing on it

CAN'T ARGUE WITH THAT LOGIC, CLEARLY. ]

[Ray smiles faintly--she can't really argue with that. Goodness knows she's recently lived through a lot of stuff that doesn't seem like it should be real but felt real enough.]

I suppose you're right.

[There's no obvious way out yet, so she'll have to follow what both the Knight and that storyteller told her: finding those clues and stories. Searching for clues is essentially what she was stuck doing back home; at least here she'll be doing it in a beautiful place instead of one full of ghosts. It's as optimistic a thought as she can manage.

She reaches into her pocket and takes out Wei's notebook; it's clearly seen better days, being visibly bloodstained in some places and worn throughout. Flipping to a new page, she picks a flower from nearby and presses it in there. It may or may not actually be a clue--but either way, perhaps it can act as a bookmark of sorts for this new chapter.]

I was pretty good at finding clues back home, so maybe I can be helpful here. We're all working together?

[If so, she likes that idea. Her partnership with Wei had been ill-fated and brief, but it was nice.]

[ Technically Umui is one big graveyard, but...honestly, it's still better than one full of ghosts.

The Knight nods, pleased to see that Ray clearly understands the benefit of teamwork. It was one thing to be a lone adventurer when there was no other choice, but they've seen many who refused help for a variety of reasons.

They still don't really understand that.

cooperation is good
help each other survive
makes all lives better

They tilt their head, after a moment, curious at what she's said.

did you look for clues much
where you came from ]

[She nods and pages back through the notebook, quickly skipping by a print made in something that looks like blood and landing on a temple fortune.] I have them right here.

It wasn't a hobby or anything; they're only from recently. I was stuck in my school and trying to get out. ...I guess everything only led me here, though, but maybe this is where I'm supposed to be.

[A faraway place where she knows somebody--it's actually close to something she's dreamed of. Better a dream than a nightmare.]

[ The Knight understands most of that; they nod. Stuck somewhere, trying to get out, coming to a place where she is freer to explore.

There is one word they have little reference for, however. They tilt their head in curiosity.

school ? ]

[She blinks twice.] Yes, I'm a student.

[That probably doesn't help. She taps her finger to her chin as she tries to think of a way to sum it up.]

It's where you go to learn. Facts, how society works, all of that. I've spent most of my life there. You've never heard of it?

[ A...student. Like a pupil, perhaps. Those who are taught, and those who teach.

They shake their head, and then feel the need to elaborate.

have mentors who teach others
but fighting only
special skills passed from mentor to pupil

learn how things work by trying
observing
make mistakes
survive
world is different everywhere
must adapt

So, yes. They definitely don't know what a school is. ]

Edited 2018-08-16 02:15 (UTC)

[Yeah, that sounds pretty different... Ray looks at the Knight curiously. They're so small that it seems sad to imagine them fighting at all.]

Just fighting? You're on your own for everything else?

[ It is what it is. They had always been obliged to fight, to defend themselves, to survive. Being small, being a child, meant they just needed to work harder for it.

They nod. Scuff away their words to write new ones.

wanderer
do not stay long
learn from others if possible
otherwise travel alone
not all are friendly
some are hungry
must be cautious

It's not so much a problem here. But they've had their fair share of situations that might have gotten a less durable - or less adaptable - bug killed or eaten.

And yes they did specify 'hungry'. That's just how it be sometimes. ]

August Intro: All Will Fade and Petrify

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The Knight is precious

aw, ty! i'm really enjoying ray so far too!

I'm glad!

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