April Intro: Better Get to Digging

[lifeaftr_mods]

INTRO LOG: APRIL

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

Waking up to the gentle proddings of what appears to be very curious, sentient trees isn't the worst wake up call LifeAftr has to offer. For our newest arrivals, however, it may be a tad…odd.

Situated in the valley between two mountains, Elower is a scenic village filled with the friendly Roaka, tree-like beings that are rather peaceable and happy to assist those who have just arrived. I'’s a peaceful location for one to start their adventures - though, unfortunately, it doesn't stay peaceful for long.

Cahypdo: You'll Bury Me Low
Those who have explored the new island of Cahypdo in the last month will undoubtedly recall the series of quakes that shook the island throughout March. With the arrival of LifeAftr's newest adventurers comes Cahypdo's largest tremor to date, striking without warning and more than enough force to throw even the steadiest and sturdiest of your number to the ground. With a low rumble, the mountains heaped on either side of the island will start to shed an abundance of slag and debris, pouring down their slopes. Anyone who's scaling those peaks risks being flung bodily off them when the outpouring of shale comes roaring down those mountains, and anyone at the mountain bases risks being crushed beneath.

As one might expect, unsuspecting newcomers aren't all that have been shaken up. Though protected by netting and retaining walls, the cliffs around and above the village of Elower can only take so much pressure before giving way - a threshold that has been crossed entirely. With a sound like thunder, rocks fall.

Everyone dies? Only if you don't act quickly. Roaka housing is sturdy in build, enough to protect a decidedly less sturdy body from all but the heaviest of boulders. Hiding inside any of their village constructs built into the sides of the mountains will certainly save you from taking a new weight onto your shoulders. They will not, however, save you from being buried alive.

For those who become trapped inside any of those abodes, your options appear limited. Work to free yourself, or wait for help to arrive. Though, speaking of help, those outside may think to offer the Roaka a helping hand in getting their trapped people - and yours, at that - a few breaths of fresh air.

Before you suffocate.

Cahypdo: Stay Acting Brave
Such seismic activity will also stir up the local wildlife, of course. Those unfortunate enough to come across them will recognize the restless shark-dragon hybrids, hydrac, now prowling across the shorelines, while the wickedly fanged wabbits will also be far more frequent, traveling in larger numbers in the jungle and at the bases of the mountains. Taking care to avoid them would be wise - though another creature may make that venture much more difficult.

Lorbies have been unlocked in the bestiary! A strange mix between owl and serpent, the recent quake has clearly startled these usually reclusive creatures into the open. Alone, a lorby is a rather skittish animal, prone to hiding from most perceived threats. Useless for food due to the toxicity of their flesh, lorbies do have the potential to be tamed...but this comes with its own risks.

A lorby may be prone to flight rather than fight when encountered solo, but in groups, these feathery critters are far more hostile. A defensive lorby emits a piercing cry alone, but a group is an almost ear-piercing experience, capable of rendering the unfortunate unstable on their feet at best, and unconscious at worst. For the days that follow the severe earthquake that so rocked everyone's foundations, any hope for silence is lost in the infrequent bursts of almighty screeching by colonies of lorbies who have so rudely had their homes overturned and disturbed.

While the lorby is omnivorous, it may not think to take a bite at anything so much larger than them. That doesn't mean that conflict with these fluffy creatures won't attract something much more willing to take advantage of the fact that you may or may not have been reduced to a prone sack of meat. If something else does arrive, you best hope that it's a friendly face.

If you're interested in keeping a lorby for your own, bear LifeAftr's companion limit in mind - two per character, and no more. The lorby is omnivorous and can survive off of most odds and ends: insects, fruits, berries, critters it can dig up in the sand, and more. However, the process of trying to tame a lorby is not always successful. We recommend use of a d10, with the following guidelines:

Rolling a 10: Critical success! This lorby will love and adore you, and may even feel comfortable enough to drape itself along your neck like a beautiful, furry scarf, churring softly all the way.
Rolling 7-9: This lorby will prove high-strung and timid, even if safely befriended, and will take several weeks to warm up to you. But once it does, it's yours!
Rolling 2-6: Failure. The lorby enters a state of distress and starts screaming. Hope you brought earplugs, or you'll be snoozing for several long hours for your efforts.
Rolling a 1: Critical failure. Not only does the lorby start screaming, but its panic attracts a colony of its friends, and they all start screaming too.

Bear in mind that these are only guidelines; you are free to predetermine successes or failures as you'd like, presuming your character can sustain the companion! Our discord channel has a room for dice-rolls, if you prefer.

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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

[goat_mom]

Arrival

[Her first though upon waking up is: Oh. That was not a dream. She tries to remember what she dreamed about, but those memories are already escaping her, outside of a few key facts.

She's in another dimension, where time works differently.

Chara is alive.

And Frisk is here with them.

There's no time to waste, she thinks. She has to find out where they are. So she puts her knapsack on and starts trying to find them. One might see an old goat woman wandering through the village, going up to random people and asking:]

Have you seen two children? Their names are Frisk and Chara. They are about [She mimes their heights with her paw.] this tall. They are with a man called Tim?

Bury Me Low

[Fortunately, Toriel manages to avoid being crushed by the boulders. She instead tries to lend her aid, using her strength, to lifting the boulders off the houses and freeing whoever's trapped inside.

She says, to anyone buried under the rocks:] Do not fret! You will be free soon.

[She's pretty hardy, but the more she does it, the more tired she looks, until her forehead fur is drenched with sweat and she's struggling to even lift the smaller rocks. She could use a hand...]

Stay Acting Brave

[Once the rocks are freed and she's met people, she decides to explore the island a bit. She figures she might as well get the lay of the land, if she's going to be trapped here against her will.

When she does, she encounters a Lorby. She doesn't seem at all bothered by its... strange appearance. In fact, she reaches out for one gently and tries to coax it to her, like any other animal. The Lorby looks... unsure, but approaches her slowly.]

Very good. Come closer to me, will you not?

brave

[a_shadow]

[ Tex is still in her armor, even now, even though things seem pretty safe. She's resting on a stone nearby when Toriel approaches one of the creatures that she's seen in the area, and she can't help smirking in amusement when Toriel calls out to it. ]

Watch out, you don't know if they bite.

[goat_mom]

[Toriel doesn't look towards Tex - she continues trying to coax the strange animal to approach her. It does, although very, very hesitantly.

In a quiet but clear voice, Toriel says:] Do not fear - creatures like these only require a gentle touch.

[a_shadow]

[ Tex remains where she is, not wanting to startle the animal away by moving. ]

I'm not afraid. Just wanted to make sure you had thought this through.

[goat_mom]

I am certain I know how to handle creatures such as this.

[And, sure enough, the lorby seems to immediately love her! It slithers up to her and nuzzles its furry cheek against hers and chirrups, making her laugh. She pets it in return - it seems very pleased with her.]

You are so good! Yes, you are!

[vagabone]

[He's seen practically every possible mishmash of animals, what with the colorful alebrijes all over the place back home, so... yeah, the critter isn't really that strange. Adorable, really, compared to the Fusterclucks. Fuzzy catsnake with a beak! He's just watching, unconcerned.]

You think it likes fruit?

[goat_mom]

[The creature backs away from her, skittish. Toriel lowers her hand and waits for it to feel less frightened to approach. In the meantime, she speaks, only slightly turning her head towards the skeleton man to acknowledge him.]

I saw you in a dream, did I not? I do not believe I remember your name, but it is a pleasure to meet you now that you are not... so large.

[She smiles at the creature, who bobs back and forth slowly.] And I do not know. You would not happen to have any, would you?

[vagabone]

Right, right, we met... sort of. [Now he has to look up, not down!] I can't remember yours either, don't worry about it. I'm Héctor.

[The nice thing about both of them being normal sized is that they can shake hands!! He sticks out his hand, which looks a lot dirtier than it really is. That stain's never going to wash off his bones.]

Ah... no, no food at all, sorry. [Silly of him to bring it up, he supposes. But some people do carry around snacks! People with stomachs.] I don't even get hungry, so...

[goat_mom]

[She smiles and takes the skeleton's hand, not even minding that it's dirty. She's used to dirty hands, dirty bodies - a skeleton's is no different. She gives it a small, but firm, shake.] Greetings, Héctor. I am Toriel.

I do not get hungry either, so I am afraid I also have nothing to offer. But it should not be a problem - I am sure it is friendly enough.

arrival

[eudaimonikos]

[Michael frowns, looking up at her. He's pretty sure that soul would fall apart if he flicked it, what's that about?]

I haven't seen any kids. Are they like you? [like, are they goats]

[goat_mom]

[She looks down at the human (or at least, what she thinks is a human) and smiles brightly.]

Oh, no, dear. These children are both humans. I do have a son who is much like me, it is true, but... [Her smile fades a bit.] I doubt he is here.

[eudaimonikos]

[He looks a little taken aback at "dear" - nobody talks to him like that.]

You're sure the other ones are? None of the people I was with seem to have come along.

[goat_mom]

[She notices that the human is surprised to be called "dear," which seems a shame to her. Everyone deserves terms of affection!]

[At his question, she admits with a sigh:] I'm... not. I had a strange dream before arriving in this place. I was told these children were... [Alive.] in this place, being cared for by a man known as Tim.

I am like a guardian to them. One might even say I am their mother. If they are indeed here, I must find them.

Bury me low

[atailoftwoworlds]

[And Zidane sees Toriel looking very tired as she is trying to lift the rocks. While he's not a super muscle man, he's strong enough to help out.]

Hey, lemme help! [And he grabs onto whatever rock she is trying to lift to help her move it.] Man, this might take a while.

[goat_mom]

[She's grateful for the help, but she's a little surprised to see what looks like a child offering it to her. Everyone's a child to her - she's very, very old - but she's pretty sure this is a young child by human standards.]

Oh, no, little one. I am quite fine.

[And she struggles to lift the rock on her own. She's obviously not fine.]

[atailoftwoworlds]

[Huh? 'Little one'? He's 16. He's not that young. Then again, this woman is really tall. Well, it doesn't matter. She still needs help.]

It's okay! I got it! [And he'll help her anyway. Because he's got no reason to help others anyway.] Hey, why don't we move it over there?

[goat_mom]

[Everyone is a 'little one' to her. Teenagers, children, adults are all the same when you're over a thousand years old and almost nine feet tall.]

Well, thank you, dear. I appreciate it. Just do be careful to not strain yourself.

[The two of them, together, manage to get the boulder moving much more easily.] That is an excellent idea. [And she assists in moving the boulder to that spot.]

Bury Me Low

[journalname]

[Asgore's here working to excavate buildings and people as well. He's fairly conspicuous with his size and large horns, though outside of the dream realm he seems to have forgone any of his royal garb in favor of just a regular polo and shorts. He, too, seems to be wearing himself out. He swears he could keep working longer in the Underground, but something about the islands has slowed him down. Perhaps it is that he is made of magic, and magic seems to come a little harder here? Who knows.]

[goat_mom]

[She doesn't see Asgore at first, as occupied as she is with lifting boulders out of the way of buildings and assisting whoever she can. She's really struggling quite a bit, though... she used to be so much stronger than this.

In fact, her knees are wobbling as she tries to move a boulder by herself. She's about ten seconds away from dropping it if she doesn't get help. She recognizes that someone is assisting nearby from the thunderous sound of rocks being moved and, without turning towards them, she says:] Excuse me. Could you be a dear and lend me your aid? I do not know if I can carry this much longer...

[journalname]

[......oh.]

Ah, of...of course.

[If he's hesitant, it's only from the surprise of running into her like this. And, well, the surprise of being addressed like that. She probably cannot see him around the rock.

Nonetheless, he's much quicker to move to help than he is to speak. Even if she won't want it once she realizes it's him, well, she does seem to be having trouble.]

[goat_mom]

[She recognizes that voice instantly. Immediately, her pleasant attitude is replaced with annoyance. Is he still pretending to be a good person? Lifting boulders, assisting people... can any of that make up for everything he's done?

But she has no choice. If she tries to carry the rock by herself any more, she's going to drop it. So, as much as she doesn't want to, she accepts his aid and starts moving the rock with him.]

arrival!

[deathfindsaway]

[Haha, alright, this isn't the heart attack he anticipated having today. He has no idea who this goat person is in relation to Chara, just that the last time he spoke to the child they stabbed themselves out of pure spite. Just because it's been nearly a year since that encounter doesn't mean he's stopped being nervous about it though, so when she asks in a very unassuming voice he's sure he makes some kind of fearful face before he puts himself back together.]

Uhm-- yes, Tim, right-- have you tried calling them? On the stones. Do you know how to use the stones?

[goat_mom]

[She blinks.] The stones? I am afraid I do not know how to use them. Could you be so kind as to show me?

[deathfindsaway]

Uh-- yes, of course.

[Gosh, anything to avoid telling her about other things. He retrieves his own from his pocket, pointing at it.]

I know this looks much like an ordinary rock, but you should have one on your person from arrival. It's actually a means of long distance communication. Do you have anything like this in your world?

[goat_mom]

[She nods.] I had a cellphone which could do much the same thing, but it appears to be broken...