lifeaftr | February Intro: Chasing Kairos

INTRO LOG: FEBRUARY

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

Monsun, for the uninitiated, is an island divided in two, separated by a ribbon of flowing river. To the east, a rich deciduous woodland and perfect temperature heralds a plethora of resources at your disposal, at one singular, significant cost: your very worst traits will manifest the longer you remain in the area, until, by the twenty-four hour mark, you're living your absolute worst self.

By contrast, the island's western region is a harsh wasteland, a swathe of desert with hardly any shelter from the unrelenting sun and arid heat. Most everything here wants, in some way, to kill you, from the landscape to the fauna. Ugly storms and predators run wild, but the benefit is probably exactly what you think it is: namely, that your best traits manifest more and more strongly the longer you remain on Monsun's western half.

You, you lucky band of newcomers, are going to be arriving on one of two sides of the island. Whichever one in which your character wakes is up to you - though they're certainly welcome to head either direction, once they get their bearings.

Monsun, B2: Desert Air Won't Drown You Out
A craggy stretch of desert borders Monsun's northwest coast. Parts of the sand here, the further north you head, seem to have gone suspiciously slushy or boggy...though that might be the beginnings of an oasis that looks like it might be present on the region further up. Or, possibly, something else entirely.

It'll probably be hard to tell when you've got a mess of your own to contend with. Namely, the presence of a predator that's going to be making life quite...difficult for you, the longer you remain.

Nova Scorpions have been unlocked in the bestiary!

Nova Scorpions are about one meter in length and have a large stinger to match, with a golden carapace that makes them near-chameleonic when it comes to blending in with the sands they so favor. They are nocturnal by nature and tend to burrow into the sand and form lairs with others of their kind. Occasionally, one might encounter a scorpion carrying its young on its back.

By far the most dangerous thing about them is their venom, potent enough to floor even the most powerful and even those of the nonhuman persuasion. They can be, potentially, milked for said venom if you're in need of a powerful toxin to lace your weapons, but it's recommended that you make sure the scorpion is very thoroughly dead or well on its way before doing any harvesting of its resources. You know. Just to be on the safe side.

The good news, of course, is that your better traits will be amplified the longer you stay on this side of the island. If you don't mind the danger, you're far more likely to earn yourself some help here than you are on the other side of the island.

Speaking of which.

Monsun, C1: So Scared of Overgrowing Youth
By utter contrast, the rich woodlands of Monsun's east give all the appearances of being the best sort of welcome one could ask for. With the island's coast lining the region of C1 to its north and a deep, beautiful green swathe of lush deciduous undergrowth swarming throughout the entirety of the area, one could almost call it idyllic.

One thing is certain: it is very, very beautiful. The presence of so many growing things make it a glorious contrast to the island's western half. And in C1 in particular, there's no shortage of resources. The odd berry bush, the abundance of trees that can be harvested for lumber, if necessary...and the presence of some very odd, but nonetheless potentially adorable little creatures known as mosslings.

What may initially appear to be a tuft of particularly springy moss will, on closer inspection, prove to be something a little bit more. Mosslings are practically indistinguishable from the surrounding landscape unless one is keen-eyed enough to pick out the twin yellow points of glowing eyes nestled among the leafy orbs of their bodies - or unless one happens to spook one by accident, prompting it to scurry hastily away. They are extremely peaceable, extremely docile creatures, though they can make traversing the landscape startling on occasion, for the faint of heart. Aside from potentially edible, leafy flesh, they don't have much use in the way of resources, but they are quite harmless!

You, on the other hand, probably aren't so harmless. At least, not the longer you stay here. If you don't start forging your way west, or weaving your way to the island's single mana pool - located on E3 - to get off of it entirely, your very worst self is going to be manifesting, along with all your worst and least desirable qualities. Prone to violence, cowardice, jealousy, or paranoia? Better hope no one else is around to aggravate those traits, because they're not immune to Monsun's psychological effects either.

The only danger here comes from within. But the worst things usually do.

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

[Jesus christ THAT'S A BABY. WHO LET THE CHILD NEAR THE HELL SCORPIONS.

Now that? That changes things. This is obviously a kid with a lot of courage and compassion, if they're willing to stick their neck out against this much danger. Without a doubt, Eska's absolutely gotta protect them. No more waiting for the scorpion to lose interest, they've gotta make good on Chip's advice and run.

One of those massive webbed hands pops out suddenly, swatting a handful of sand into the scorpion's face. Taking advantage of the split-second of distraction this nets them, they're on their feet in an instant, sprinting full-tilt towards Chip. As they do, they can be heard blurting out hurriedly:]

I respect your boundaries and understand if you don't want a stranger touching you but would it be okay if I pick you up and piggyback you out of here I'mveryfastandohshootit'smovingagain-!

[Yes, Eska, you're right. it's sure moving again. Raking sand from its face with the blunt sides of its pincers, the scorpion looks pretty dang furious and ready to chase down some prey.]

[--wait okay hold on SINCE WHEN CAN TURTLES MOVE THAT FAST??? Chip has about half a second to try and process that before the scorpion is moving, and they shout in surprise before bolting towards Eska, arms up and jumping to get up on their shell once they're close enough.]

Go go go GO!

[TALK LATER RUN NOW PLZ!!!]

[Chip jumps with impeccable timing, and Eska ducks a bit mid-run, helping the kid to get situated safely and securely up on their carapace. Lots of big spiky projections on the rim to treat like handles, Chip, never fear! The turtle taxi promises a very smooth and comfy ride. They unfurl their scarf from around their neck, draping it over their back and behind Chip like a makeshift seatbelt. Safety first!]

Okay thanks hold on tight I'm REALLY GONNA GO FAST NOW!

[They wheeze it all out in a single breath, stride not breaking as they go through the well-rehearsed motions of drawing on ki reserves. For some schools, the personal reservoir of life force within a monk is the fuel used for techniques like these. This elementary bit of ki manipulation, however, is the same one Eska used when they still walked the Way of the Four Elements. The sand beneath their feet is unfamiliar ground, but all things contain life force; every grain of sand is a fragment of the earth, and every place their bare feet touches is rife with a thousand tiny sparks of ki.

They pull it into themself.

It's definitely night. Even so, for that split-second of contact, it may seem as though the sand Eska touches is in sunlight; the flickers of gold that ripple through it and flow over their claws are remarkably close to the natural hue of the dunes here.

It'd be pretty hard to appreciate that in too much detail, however, because this harvesting of energy is accompanied by that already fast turtle suddenly going TWICE AS FAST HOLY FUCK. Unless this scorpion brought a Buick, it's probably not going to match that pace... as long as Eska can keep it up, of course.]

[It's a bit of a scramble, honestly, and in the process at least a few of those lovely tattoos on their shell are likely damaged somewhat--but Chip holds on tight as they can as Eska takes off. Sunlight gold as their ki might appear to the physical eye, Chip can nearly taste the bold, bright red of that energy, and not only the use but the technique makes their breath catch in their throat.]

[They're on a dragon. They're riding on the back of a DRAGON.]

[...apparently a baby one, because as fast as this sprint is the giant scorpion is still in hot pursuit, and the alien hissing of the beast behind them has Chip squeeze their eyes shut and pour every bit of their power into helping make the escape. Where the power Eska drew into themself was the red of the land and the physical, the strength and energy Chip forces through the monk is borne of emotion...and not the pretty kind. Anger, fear, and destructive impulse, but it's still strength and speed to lend to making a break for it to Anywhere But Here.]

February Intro: Chasing Kairos

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