September Intro: Knowledge is Hot Water on Wool

[lifeaftr_mods]

INTRO LOG: SEPTEMBER

Who: Everyone!
What: The Storyteller makes use of their first offering, and new souls arrive to the archipelago of LifeAftr
When: September 2nd
Where: Ensō...and surrounding lands
Warnings: Mark as needed!

Part I: New Arrivals
You probably didn’t last fall asleep on the warm spit of white sand that you find yourself, but nonetheless, that is where you awaken. There’s the hush of waves lapping up against the edges of the beach and the soft chill of a coastal breeze stirring at your surroundings, but the place is, all things considered, quite peaceful. The sun is merciless as it reflects across the glittering spread of seawater that surrounds you on three sides.

Three sides.

You’re on an island, if a rather small one. It can’t be much more than a mile across at the height of its length, and what’s more, it’s dotted with small, straggling outcrops of stone buildings that look as though they may have once been used for shelter of some sort or another, now weather beaten and wind-blasted. If you peer into the distance, it will rapidly become clear that you are on one small islet of a grouping of five. Battered bridges of wood-and-rope swing precariously between each one, joining them in a rough circle.

What’s more is that you aren't alone. You'll find that you have one or two companions waking on the islet alongside you, and each will discover a knapsack with their name stitched to the front, containing a paltry number of items, along with any rewards you may have accrued. There's probably a way off these islets, and a means of accessing the shadowy lump of a mainland that rears up in the distance, maybe two miles across the stretch of sea...but what is it?

We do recommend treading carefully, and not simply embarking on a poorly-advised mission to swim all the way there. A school of tiger-sharks have begun to stir up the waters surrounding the islets, hungry for fresh meat. They are at least edible - if you can succeed in taking one down, that is. If you do not, don’t worry: at least you have shelter. Very dilapidated, ruined, half-crumbled shelter that will hardly serve as protection against wind and rain, but surely that's better than no shelter at all, right?

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.

Part II: Old Souls
A floral, faintly bitter tang rings about the air of the ruined temple this morning. As you rise, you may find a familiar scene: a rabbit with snow-white fur, crouched nearby a dilapidated pillar, thumping their foot impatiently. They look to you, or perhaps they are addressing the room as a whole when they say:

"Ah. Finally. First, I must thank you for fulfilling your end of our transaction - your stories have done their job. Thus, it is time for me to fulfill mine. I've arranged something for you all. I’m aware that in many worlds there is a poor association with following white rabbits, so perhaps you would find the flowered path more enticing." The Storyteller shifts their gray tome from one paw to the other, giving a great leap across the fallen pillar. "Now, what I am about to grant you…there are procedures, of course. You must follow the instructions to begin with. And then, well - you need a place to go. You needn’t even need a name, specifically. The power will know. Simply be sure to tell it."

The rabbit sniffs and flicks an ear. "Just remember what I ask: no bathing, please. For all's sake."

And then they bound off into the darkness, disappearing just before the shadows engulf them wholly.

Indeed, where the dust-trodden ground gives way to grass, a sparse growth of white flowers have blossomed, winding wildly through the growth and leading around the temple’s exterior.

Those who find fit to follow the Storyteller's suggestion will find, first, that the path of flowers leads them to an outcropping of stone that overlooks the great cove formed by Ensō’s landmass. In the distance, just short of the ocean’s horizon, a white scatter of islets sit in the blue-jade waters. Those certainly hadn’t been there before, had they? Intrepid explorers, be patient: the path of flowers doesn't end here. In fact, it veers off cleanly in the direction of the mana pool behind the Storyteller's ruins.

Upon arriving at the pool, characters will find that the narcissus flowers have bloomed in full and prolific splendor around its edges, filling the humid air with a thick scent of bitter hay and honey. Upon a great slab of stone rising from the edge of the pool, a strange limerick seems to have been engraved:

A flower once loved above all,
The hubris of his mirror-thrall.
Were he water-lily!
Yet fate wet and pithy,
Narcissus, what a fate to befall.
No other instructions appear to have been left other than this cryptic rhyme. Should characters solve this riddle, however, they will find themselves engulfed in a flash of blinding white light, given the briefest sensation of falling…

Followed by the familiar vision of Ensō looming in the distance. Quite far out, in fact. Their surroundings have dramatically shifted from a lush jungle to an almost barren island, surrounded on its sides by four nearly identical islets. It would appear that any characters who use the mana pool have been randomly transported to one of the five islets appeared overnight. Other than a nearly identical mana pool lapping at their feet, it would seem that - aside from weather-worn, dilapidated shacks and shelters - these islands don’t have much on them at all.

Except, perhaps, new faces.

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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

[unpurify]

Survival is necessary here.

[A more jokey person may put a 'no duh' here, but Chara would be a fool to expect it. So it's just a blunt statement. And if the child also expects him to be annoyed by their flippant commentary they'll also be disappointed.

He's already been judged for it and won. It doesn't matter anymore.]

[achievementhunter]

[Congratulations- you've proven capable of using your brain. Again, their ire is directed towards the empty buildings they've been gifted with.

They've practically scoured the entire first island, slowly coming to a halt by one of the bridges, Chara doesn't make a move to cross. They look... almost as bad as the half-crumbed shacks about them, and they don't particularly feel like taking a dunk just because they chanced being the first to test their structural integrity.

Aside from that, they don't hold much confidence in finding anything different.]

This is it, then. Our first reward.

[unpurify]

[Yes, it's pretty obvious the bridges have seen better days. And if a child is hesitant to cross then something adult-shaped would likely have trouble as well. So the Batter notes it down mentally as a risk.]

It appears so.

[Again, one could be disappointed with the results. Stranded on an unknown island with barely any shelter and knowledge of the surrounding areas regarding food would be extremely worrisome to those would could feel it. Then being told they would receive help in exchange for stories, only to get broken shelters in return.

Yes. That would be disappointing. The Batter pauses for a minute before shaking his head. Seems something was up. Or just missing.]

The pool would be useful, if it applied to the whole island.

[It reminded him of the Save Blocks and the Nothingness.]

[achievementhunter]

It would, but it appears exercise is going to be involved.

[Unless there were more instructions yet to be advised, they doubt the pools will be depositing them at their doorsteps anytime soon. Or anywhere useful at all, though the fact that they could is something to keep an eye on.

Disappointment is certainly one word for what they're feeling. A lack of surprise accompanies it, alongside plenty of frustration. They had hoped that they would be provided some manner of safety- something with which to protect their Partner, just a little more.

As always, it appears they'll have to make do.]

...I do believe there are people, on that island. Do any of them seem familiar, to you?

[unpurify]

No.

[It would be very, very easy to tell if the Batter knew someone and equally as easy to pick them out from a crowd. The Guardian's from their unique appearances, the Elsen and their fearful personality, the merchant's bizarre mannerisms...

The Judge, the Queen and Hugo.

...he's done with that line of thought.]

Do you?

[achievementhunter]

[Is someone feeling their sins crawl, Batter?

Enjoy freedom from that for the next ten days, buddy pal chum. Every kingdom has it's ruler.]

No. [They eye them off, slowly making a tally of the figures. More than just two or three- they can see another, on the island to the left. Another still.]

The islands second batch of adventurers.

[unpurify]

[He's unfeeling, remember?

What happens when that happens is his own personal business.]

Yes. The Storyteller said it is not the one who brought us here.

[Which is an interesting point to make. Naturally it could be lying and, given it needed their stories, seemed a logical conclusion to make. But they didn't know everything about the island or those who lived in it, Gods or otherwise.

So it was something worth looking into as well.]

[achievementhunter]

[Jokes on you Batter even the most asshole of LV 20s feel shit whether they want to or not.]

It did. So if it is not lying, on that front, then whomever decided to bring us here is still active.

[And that is certainly a point of interest.]

[unpurify]

[Wrong game.]

Yes. They need to be found.

[Evidently someone also really doesn't want to be here. Although the method of finding said person/thing/God is still very much up in the air at this point. Still, he needs a goal to function properly.

'Survival' only worked for so long.]

[achievementhunter]

[Is it though?]

All the more reason to see the Storyteller's island over thoroughly.

[They're not holding their breath, but it's always possible that their unknown host is stupid.]

[unpurify]

[At most anyone is likely to had only a handful of encounters with the Storyteller. What its full personality is like is unknown.

So yes, like Chara says, it could be stupid.]

It will take time. But it will be done.

[Simple as that.]

[achievementhunter]

Undoubtedly.

[A sharp exhale. There's really nothing left to see here, aside from deciding a proper point in which to set up a more appropriate space for Frisk to take shelter in. Tim as well.

They're not inviting him with them for that journey.]

Until next time, sir.

[unpurify]

[There were many things to think about regarding this place. Food, water, shelter.

Existing.

...]

Sure.

[Chara doesn't need to prompt him to leave. The Batter turns and walks off on his own. Where exactly he's going is up to him...and probably doesn't matter in the long run.]