lifeaftr | April Intro: Better Get to Digging

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April Intro: Better Get to Digging

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.

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

[A]

While there hadn't been much sign of Tachibana around for the month, the man keeping himself busy with taking care of the house he and Sayoko had claimed as their own and just simply enjoying the odd vacation with her-- there is a period of a few days where there's just simply no sign of him.

Until there was again.

There's definitely something different about his appearance, even if it might be a little hard to put a finger on. He looks a bit older. A bit less worn out around the edge. ... and there's a small armored creature sitting on his shoulders much like a small child, looking around with timid, startled confusion.

Tachibana himself looks utterly disoriented and distracted a moment as his memories return, and it's only Garren's small worried sound that pulls him back out of it, looking up slightly before reaching out to put a hand on the child-like Pogemon's back.

"It looks like we're in a different world again," he explained. "Not a jaunt world, but something different."

[B : Closed to Sayoko]

It doesn't take too long before a second realization kicks in, and Tachibana is running at top speed to the home he and Sayoko had been building, a seeming lifetime ago.

"Sayoko!" The door all but crashes open as he rushes in, eyes wide with worry.

[C]

Garren is a very curious Pogemon. Somewhat emboldened by all the different worlds he and his Slammer have been to, he's now (very cautiously) investigating this one. He's only a foot and a half tall, and slightly clumsy as he moves, but he's determined not to be afraid and learn more about where they are now.

Anyone going about their business may spot the armored creature as he explores, as his silver and dark red suit do stick out a bit. That and he has a bit of a habit of just staring at things that have caught his interest. While his helmet and mask don't show his expression, his posture more than makes up for it, gloved hands up on the mouth of his mask in timid wonder at whomever he's spotted this time.

[D]

When the rockslide starts, Tachibana's first reflex is to protect Garren, physically sheltering the small Pog from the falling debris. As much as the impact hurts, he knows that he can take it. He's immortal. He'll heal. Garren, on the other hand...

Once the rocks finally stop, he concentrates, shifting to Galen's form -- the well muscled Greek centaur's body the most natural for the situation and with the advantage of strength and the sudden increase of mass, the rubble is pushed away.

Minutes later, with Garren clinging to his back, he's looking around for anyone in need of rescue, pushing aside fallen debris as he listens intently for any sounds of distress or yelling for help.

Edited 2019-04-05 00:54 (UTC)

Jules has... absolutely no idea what the little creature wandering around nearby is. Not that that's saying much. There have been quite a few incidences here where he hasn't had any idea what something is or even what's going on. By this point he's pretty used to it. Pausing in his search for useful goods on the island before
something else happens to turn the whole thing to hell - as he's sure will happen eventually - he watches Garren wandering around.

So far the little being hasn't noticed him yet, but Jules figures its only a matter of time. He's a hulking Andarian over 7 feet tall with glowing red eyes that stand out even in the daylight. He's certainly far from subtle, no matter who silently he can move.

Flickers of color and images of things nearby flicker through Jules' mind. He hadn't been thinking about that particular plant or the way it's leaves waved and fluttered in the light breeze when the image danced across his mind, which means it isn't his thought. Whatever this creature is, it's sentient, and that automatically puts Jules on guard.

The small Pog pauses, head tilting curiously as there's the feeling of something shifting. Was there someone there, maybe? His head tilts one way, then the other as he debates, then with a small nod, starts walking again, looking around with motions that look rather exaggerated on his tiny body. If there was somebody there, maybe he could make a friend!

Jules gets the very clear sense that he's been noticed somehow. He hasn't moved and given his position away, nor does he have any intention of doing so yet. While his gut says Garren isn't a danger to him, Jules' paranoia has always been extreme. Granted paranoia doesn't feel like quite the right word when his fears have proven to be true on more than just a few occasions.

If Jules continues to keep still, Garren will likely just walk on by. With how much small wildlife there is, it would be easy for him to assume it had been a bird or other forest creature that had darted away. As is, he's continuing to toddle on, looking around as he does so.

He does, however, have a bit of a pause as he comes to a fallen log that's a little to big for him to just simply step over. Go around? Or climb...? This is cause for another debate...

Jules shakes his head. He's being completely ridiculous. This little guy is not a threat to him. If it turns out he's wrong and Garren becomes a threat, it's happened before. He'll deal with it then. For now though he's going to trust his gut.

Striding forward, he picks up a fallen branch that would be sturdy enough to hold Garren's weight and leans it against the log like a ramp a short distance away - close enough that Garren can't miss it, but far enough that Jules hopefully won't terrify him outright. Once that's done he takes a few steps back. Jules is fully aware of how intimidating his size and appearance can be and tries to mitigate both by putting distance between them.

There's a small, tiny gasp, Garren's gloved hands moving up to his mouth in timid alarm as he shrinks back and stares up at the super tall person who had appeared out of the woods.

There is a definite moment of hesitation before he realizes just what had been done and his tiny frame relaxes. Even though his mask is unchanging, the large smile behind it can be seen in his posture. Worries banished (for the moment,) he half runs over to the branch, reaching out to carefully grasp it. One boot up on it, he carefully tests his weight on it before cautiously starting to climb up.

The fear followed swiftly by happiness washes through Jules, and he can't help grinning himself. While he doesn't look it, nor does he want anyone to ever know, he's actually a big softy. The arrival of his daughters a few years ago only made that more evident to those who know him. Here there are very few who see that side of him as he keeps it hidden behind anonymous good deeds.

"It's safe. Go on."

Garren makes it to the top of the log, standing upright and looking over at the very tall person with a soft, pleased "heeeee" before flashing a victory sign and then waving.

Tachibana | Freshly updated! | 3 of 4 are OTA

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