lifeaftr | 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

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?

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

[It's funny she mentions that, because he has absolutely no idea what a cell phone is, seeing as he doesn't have context for a phone. He's gonna gloss right over that as not to be an absolute fool about it.]

Well, uhm-- yes, many things don't work the same here as they may have when you're at home. But if you're familiar, perhaps this will be easier. Simply press this and speak the name of the person you'd like to find, and if they are here, it will connect to their stone. That said, they will need to be listening for messages, so you may need to try a few times if you hear it connect but get no response.

[She nods.] Ah, so it is quite similar to a cell phone then.

[She lifts the stone up towards her mouth and says:] Frisk. [And then waits a moment, before adding:] Frisk? Are you there? It is I, Toriel.

[But nobody answers.]

Did I do this right...? I do not hear them.

[He watches her try, and then sighs a moment as he pockets his own stone.]

No, you are doing it correctly. It's possible they aren't listening right now. But you should hear-- well, something if they are on these islands. They're not perfect, of course.

And, if I do not hear something, they are not on these islands?

But I have heard they are on these islands. They must be here. Let me try again.

[And she repeats the exact same process, but this time for Frisk. Again, there is absolutely no sound from the stone.]

There must be some mistake.

[He sighs, a little grimace appearing on his face.]

It's sort of like... here.

[Kravitz retrieves his own stone again, whispering the name 'Taako' into it. Immediately there's the sound of some dead air, a little movement, before it disappears.]

See, there was a connection. Just because he didn't speak words doesn't mean it didn't connect. So perhaps it is connecting, but they aren't paying attention.

I do not mean to argue, but I heard nothing of the sort. There is no sound at all.

[She swallows.] What if something has happened to them...? How can you be sure it has not?

[Oh. Oh shit. He takes an apprehensive little breath, before taking a step forward and placing a hand on her shoulder. He isn't very good at comfort, but he's going to try.]

Uhm-- please, don't be worried. It is possible for these to be broken, or people to leave for a bit-- they may have left temporarily, or gone home when I was unaware. I'm sure they're just fine, ah...

[Oops. Maybe he can help in another way.]

Here, uhm. You were looking for Tim, yes? I believe he lives out on the islets. I can show you how to get there.

[That doesn't concern her less at all. If it's broken, they could be in trouble, if they've left she doesn't know where they are, and if they've gone home, they've gone home without her (and, in Chara's case, to their death).

She tries to collect herself, to stay calm, but instead she lets out a sob and covers her mouth with her paw, tears pricking at her eyes.]

[Oh no, oh gosh, oh jeez he doesn't-- oh god--

Kravitz winces a little, starting to pat her back.]

It's alright, I-- I'm sure we'll get this figured out. Right as rain, yes? It's going to be alright.

[It takes her all her effort not to cry even harder. This is embarrassing - she shouldn't be crying in front of a complete stranger like this. She should be stronger than this. She needs to be stronger than this, for her children's sake, for when they are found.

She takes a deep, shuddering breath. Inhale, exhale. Then she wipes her tear-stained cheeks.]

I am sorry for my outburst.

[He's just doing his best under these circumstances, for better or worse.]

No, please, don't apologize. It is a stressful place to be in. Take all the time you need. I, I can try to answer other questions for you, if you like. Or if it would help in some way.

April Intro: Better Get to Digging

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sorry krav

oh noooo

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