December Intro: Pressure Building

[lifeaftr_mods]

INTRO LOG: DECEMBER

Who: New arrivals, and you!
What: New souls arrive to the archipelago of LifeAftr
When: December 4th and onward
Where: All over Ensō
Warnings: Mark as needed!

It begins on a mild autumn day, one where the breeze is gentle and the sky a deep, cloudless blue. Ensō is quiet as the adventurers that call it (if only temporarily) home begin to awaken and go about their daily business- for those who have been here long enough, this may consist of searching for those new arrivals, undoubtedly lost and likely confused. It is a normal day on Ensō. Then the water starts to rise.

Northern Beachfront: Let Me Get Off the Ground
For newcomers waking on the shoreline and those who have come to greet them, the rapid swelling of the ocean's surface will be immediately noticeable. Just a few, short miles from the shore, the water continues bulging upwards to terrifying heights, obscuring the sun and throwing warped shadows over the majority of Ensō's northern landscape. It towers there, wobbling, inexplicably retaining its shape even as it ripples, flowing, and sends great streams of saltwater streaming over the ocean's surface. Though the sun is barely capable of piercing the immense mass, those with a keen eye will see...something moving within, coiled far above sea level. Some dark mass, too distorted by the water and the lack of light to solidify into any easily recognizable shape, nonetheless makes its presence felt regardless. All nearby will find themselves stricken with a growing sense of being watched by a gaze that pierces flesh and bone…one that is none too appreciative of what it sees.

Retaliation to this apparent threat is both vicious and immediate. Bursting from the trees and whipping through the air within a tornado of motion, thousands, then tens of thousands of ink-stained pages whip out from Ensō's jungle and across open water like a flock of ferocious birds, striking at the liquid mountain with unceasing fervor.

Now may not be the best time to gawk, adventurers. With this attack, the raised water will begin to collapse - and the giant waves resulting from the sudden upset will bear no mercy for anyone swept off their feet in the churning swells.

Storyteller's Temple and the Rest of Ensō: I See Your Corruption
Those seeking shelter and answers will find them limited in supply, if not entirely absent. For, you see, the mana pools on Ensō have ceased functioning, leaving characters stranded wherever they may be at the time the assault begins.

No safety can be found within the temple walls this day, with more and more black pages erupting from every door and window. Attempts to approach and even push through won't be harmful, or at least not intentionally - rather, the pages will force back anyone who attempts to come between them and their current objective. Those who may not get the message the first time may just find themselves flying quite a ways away.

The above will quickly become the least of anyone’s worries. Those who remember the rebirth of the sun back in January will not doubt recall the creatures of the night faced during those darkest hours. As the waters around Ensō continue to churn in response to the offshore assault, large waves act as ferries for those precise beasts, clambering onto the shore in droves. Though the sun is obscured in many spaces, these shadowy creatures will always make for the treelines during daylight hours, seemingly sluggish at best under natural lighting.

Unfortunately, the Storyteller will be occupied for quite some time - and once night falls, those deadly beings will be on the hunt.

For the duration of the assault, the islets will remain relatively safe during daylight hours, so long as your character is capable of accessing a boat to travel there. Once night falls, however, they will be as dangerous as the mainland.

Both the shadowy creatures and the risen water will retreat on the morning of December 10th, leaving Ensō silent once more. The hovering pages, however, will continue circling the coastline for some time like great papery seabirds.

The doors to the Storyteller’s temple shall remain closed.

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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 )

Comments

Dec 4 night

[thermalwind]

"I'll get some sleep after I see to your arm." Keith replies as he gestures for her to come outside to the bonfire. "This light isn't that great. Come out here and I'll be able to clean and redress it." Unlike on Mu, his armor is white with red accents.

Yet if she had any doubts he's real his wolf is laying by the fire, ears swiveling forward and back. "It will just take a minute."

[littlemhigan]

There's definitely a very long moment in which Castor simply stares at the man, her face pinched in thought.

"I saw you..." she whispers, more to herself than him. Then, louder, "Yer actually here this time? I ain't still dreamin'?"

[thermalwind]

"Definitely not dreaming this time." He steps back and the light falls on him. "Come on over to the fire. I'll see to your arm and we can talk." Keith takes another step back and walks over to settle by his wolf. He grabs his pack and opens it, pulling out what he needs to tend an injury.

"I'm Keith. This is Kosmo." He rests his hand on Kosmo as the wolf looks up at her with yellow eyes.

[littlemhigan]

Castor follows him quietly, considering. She folds herself down next to Kosmo and idly threads her fingers through his fur, assuming he allowed the contact. She rolls her eyes a bit watching Keith unpack his kit but offers him her arm nonetheless.

"'S really nothin' te worry over. Ugly scratch, stings a mite. No breaks."

[thermalwind]

Keith takes her arm and inspects it, looking for how much damage is there before he treats it. "All of the creatures that came ashore can track by scent. Especially grimlings." Kosmo sniffs her, decides she's good people and leans right into her hand with a soft whine.

He lets go long enough to shrug out of his gauntlets then his chest armor. Without the armor, in the way, he can tend to the injury without a hindrance. "They're out to destroy all life that isn't them. Sometimes even them."