June Intro: Playing With Your Mind

[lifeaftr_mods]

INTRO LOG: JUNE

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

New travelers to our shores are in luck, in many ways - they are arriving on the decadent, raucous island of Io, where the local Avatar of Celebration resides. Here, you can bask in enjoyment of basics such as food and drink, as well as more extravagant affairs, such as sweeping bathhouses, sprawling campsites, rich tea gardens, and verdant vineyards.

Spinning Me Around and Around
If you are just arriving on Io, opening your eyes on the shores of LifeAftr for the very first time, it will be to...a potentially very rude awakening. More specifically, it will be to the sound of loud cracks and booms overhead.

You've arrived at Io's campsite, which has come fully stocked with all sorts of cooked meats, roasted vegetables, colorful tents, drinks of every sort, and, most importantly, fireworks. It seems Io is thrilled to welcome you to LifeAftr in the form of multi-colored starbursts, exploding out across the sky in flares of showering sparks. Particularly once the sun sets, the view will be spectacular. If you go poking around in the containers and sheds where the fireworks are kept, you'll also find all manner of strange and exciting and potentially unfamiliar variants. You can find all kinds of handheld sparklers, in addition to steel wool fireworks, handheld firecrackers, confetti poppers, and little boxes of pop pop snappers for your general use and perusal.

The message here is clear: Io wants you to celebrate your arrival! So relax! Have fun! Make some noise! Watch some colors and explosions of light, and enjoy yourself!

And try not to set anything on fire.

Just Like a Carnival
It isn't all fun and games, however. Unfortunately, it's about to get a lot less fun around here...or a lot more, depending on who you ask.

After a month or so on Io, the local avatar, Eleu, has begun to notice that a great deal of little things are starting to go missing. Bottles of wine, tents, tea leaves...people seem to be lifting whatever they please from the island and bringing it with them back to Ensō. That won't do at all. For the next few days, if any of the bees buzzing lazily about the island catch you stealing, they will approach you and ask you to stop. They will not, however, take any definitive action to stop you - they can only warn you that what you are doing may disrupt things beyond Eleu's control.

Unfortunately, by now, it's already too late. Out of the corner of your eye, regardless of your place in things - whether you were complicit in island theft, whether you are newly arrived and therefore innocent, whether you only watched on the sidelines, or whether you were totally unaware - you'll start to see it. It will peek out from behind trees and the corners of buildings.

Smiling. This...entity probably has a name. For the purposes of the games you've been playing with this island, however, you really only need to call it what it is: the Clown Box. Accompanied almost always by the tinkle of chimes and a soft, sinister chuckling, it is unclear how the Box manages to travel about, much less disappear if you try to approach.

For the first week or so of June, be prepared to find the Clown Box lingering all over Io, particularly near the mana pool. If it looks like you're going to try and lift something off the island, something that does not belong to you - the Clown Box may retaliate. This retaliation largely occurs in the form of a hand that appears to be gloved in silky, glittering material and colorfully polka-dotted cloth, slinking out to beckon at you, eerily. It seems unwilling or unable to actually hurt you directly, but it will grow incredibly persistent if you don't acknowledge it, and stop popping up all over Io with increasing frequency.

The Clown Box can be appeased by giving it a gift. What it's really after are perceived thieves: return something you have stolen, and the Box will vanish as quickly as it appeared. However, the Box is also not terribly discerning in what it is given, as long as it is something that did, at some point, belong to you. And, if you give it enough offerings, you might end up with a gift of your own. Those who give the Clown Box multiple offerings may receive any of the following:

[ ♆ ] Rubber Duck: These novelty toys don't seem to do anything in particular, other than be cute and colorful and utter happy little honks when squeezed. But there's a slight chance you might end up with a toy that seems...oddly relevant to your personal life. It might even be designed after you. Best not to question it. Just back away from the Clown Box, slowly, and be sure to thank it for the gift...

[ ♆ ] Snotgun: What appears to be an ordinary shotgun is anything but, as one will find out by firing it, it only shoots blobs of bright green acid capable of melting just about anything. So be careful not to aim it at any of your friends.

[ ♆ ] Silk Handkerchief: There's nothing particularly special about these tri-colored squares of cloth...except that no matter what you do to them, they will not stain, tear, or fade. They can be used to clean just about anything, or even serve as a delightful party trick.

[ ♆ ] A Very Shiny Nose: A bright red foam nose, easily attached to most human-shaped faces. All this thing does is inspire a general proclivity for causing mischief and trickery, though mostly of the light-hearted kind. However, the longer the nose is left in place, the more some pranks may skew toward the downright dangerous...

You are free to RNG any of the above rewards your character gets, or pick from the list above as you like! Bear in mind that the Clown Box is a stingy creature - it will not give more than one reward to any one person, though nothing is stopping you from trading others for any gifts they may have received. The Clown Box will cease being quite so persistent in tailing characters by June 7th, but it won't go away completely. You can still catch glimpses of it from time to time, waiting, watching, giggling quietly to itself. Even if you try to attack it, enchant it, set it on fire, you'll find that these attacks are essentially useless; it will vanish before any of them connect, and when it returns, it will certainly be to menace you further.

It isn't doing anything other than scaring you, though.

Yet.

---

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 )

Comments

fjord | critical role | will match format

[barnaculled]

arrival;

[ It isn't the first time Fjord's woken up alone and confused on a shore, waves lapping up his back. It isn't even the first time he's been around a great explosion. Nevertheless, it's the pop of the fireworks overhead that finally manages to rouse him. For a brief moment, he's back on the Tide's Breath, a ship he hadn't been on in months. But dreams and memories can be funny things, contorting time to its whim. Memory makes him dream of being flung overboard again, and when his back slaps the water, he wakes up gasping and sputtering out salt water.

It's dark when he opens his eyes, but they adjust swiftly to the night. Another round of fireworks gets him frightfully looking up to the sky before he recognizes their colors and fanciful patterns for what they are. What the fuck?

For a good couple of minutes, Fjord just keeps his ass sat in the sand, taking stock of his surroundings and then his inventory. He's got an extra bag than he remembers on him, but other than the nuts inside, it holds no interest for him. He throws a handful of the aforementioned morsels in his mouth - he's starving, not to mention achy all over. If someone wants to approach a green-skinned dude on the shore just letting waves hit him despite being in armor and boots, that's on you. Fjord's less liable to approach anyone out here unless they look like they're actively struggling.

Eventually, the smell of cooked food draws him up to stumble towards the tents. He takes stock of the people that are already there before he decides to look just like he is, if drier, before approaching what amounts to a buffet of free food. ]

D'you know if this is, uh, complimentary?

[ He might ask someone in the line before he helps himself and makes his way to sit close to the bonfire. He practically inhales his plate, all the while keeping a wary eye out like someone who's afraid they might have it taken from him or else be suddenly charged with some unseen fee.

After he's somewhat fed and feeling more like himself, he might address someone near him at the fire: ]

I understand this might come as an uh... odd question, but did you happen to dream about a white rabbit lately?


creepy ain't a crime ( but stealing sure is );

[ In Fjord's mind, it's not stealing to take a bunch of shit that was offered up as free. After his meal and observation, the half-orc makes his way over to the refreshment table. There, an observer may be able to witness the tall, green man performing a curious magic trick.

He picks up a few of the extra dishes - making sure there's still some left over for others - and dumps the contents into the bag settled against his hip. A couple whole rotisserie chickens ( or similar animals ) go in there. And when he gets to the wine, he takes a good half-dozen bottles and slips them right in. While he's not being noticeably sneaky, he's not making a big production of what he's doing either, just going about things as if he completely deserves to be doing this. Which he thinks he does.

The curious part comes in with the fact that no matter how much the green man seems to put in the bag, it never seems to look any heavier, never seems to bulge. It just keeps taking in more and more. The most obvious feat comes when Fjord goes over to the fireworks shed and takes a good dozen of each thing in there to push into the bag. No issue whatsoever; it sits just at the same height against his hip as it always has.


After stocking up, Fjord begins his trek across Io to where he's heard the mana pools are, taking the most direct path around the arena. It's then he gets confronted by a few bees that ask him not to steal. In response, Fjord opens the bag on his hip, showing the insect that it is apparently empty. He goes on, remembering how the arena featured in his dreams. He passes along the outskirts of the bath house, which puts him between thoughts of my dreams were real and I must still be dreaming.

That's when he spots it: Shia LeBeof what looks like a wooden box with a very well-off jester painted on the front; normally those entertainers can't afford that level of make-up where he's from. It gives Fjord a start, having not seen it in the place it appeared before. He stops dead in his tracks about ten feet away from the thing. ]

Hello?

[ There's a jingle and a chuckle. In the bare starlight, it reaches a gloved hand out that glitters from what he perceives as tiny metal fragments all over it. Fjord grew up in a port city, full of tourists, merchants, and buskers alike. The set-up reminds him of his childhood and the type of players that put on puppet shows for a fee. Seeing the hand beckon to him, he gives a little puff, presuming this is some sort of begging or demand for an offering to put on its set production. ]

Ah, sorry, but I've got somewhere to be. Perhaps another time.

[ Is what he says at first. It does nothing but give a jingling shake of its hand. Fjord walks on, giving it a wide berth, into the dark. That's the start of the horror.

It follows him to the mana pools. He almost never sees it except out of the corner of his eye, but he hears it. Fjord has fought demons and a multitude of monsters in his life, but this? This creepy laughter, the ominous jingling... this is fucking psychological warfare, and he has no real defenses against that. He tries to change his appearance over the walk to try and confuse the thing, one of his working theories being that this is someone who is just waiting for the chance to mug a loner on this island. He goes from a muscle-bound, full-blooded orc to an impressively-horned tiefling to an elderly priest-looking man in bee-themed robes. It doesn't matter. It keeps following him, never getting too close.

He can't even afford to be impressed by the glowing of the mana pools when he reaches them because he spots the thing among the trees. ]

ELDRITCH BLAST!

[ He shoots a beam of green light out of his pistol-shaped finger... one of them. Finding out he can only shoot one beam instead of two puts Fjord into a minor panic attack when combined with the fact the fucking box disappeared before the blast could hit it. Just blinked out of existence! ]

The fuck do you WANT?!

[ Fjord shouts at his surroundings. Hearing another sound, he pivots and aims his finger-gun towards where it comes from. ]

arrival :V

[lesbeau]

[Of course, if there's anywhere providing free meat, Beau is there. Really, anything providing free anything is what's getting her interested, seeing as half the time it's work to get food and shit on the main island. Io has been incredibly gracious, and Beau intends on eating more than her fill as it's presented to her.

What she doesn't expect is the sound of a voice she hasn't heard in a while asking someone about a rabbit. She's behind him at this point, having only just arrived, but as soon as she whips her head around and registers that she's pretty sure that's Fjord she just bolts at him at the campfire.]

HEY!

[At least he gets that warning that someone is coming before Beau ends up right behind him, forcibly turning him around to see his face and confirm her suspicions.]

Oh shit, when did you get here?

[barnaculled]

[ Unsurprisingly, Fjord jumps when he's grabbed, getting out a mollifying/warning: ]

Hey now--!

[ The warlock's right hand reaches out into the air, and with a flash of aqua light the Summer's Dance falchion forms, confirming for Beau what she no doubt already knows. The blade begins to swing up towards her, but falls short as Fjord registers who it is, expression going from a tense glare to slack-jawed surprise. ]

Holy shitballs! Beau...

[ Fjord gives an explosive sigh of mixed exasperation and relief, dropping the falchion to settle atop his thigh instead. ]

I thought someone was tryin' to kick my ass out. Fuck...

[ Yep, there's food all over his lap now from the rough treatment and the startle. The half-orc uses his free hand to try and scoop it back onto the plate. ]

Fuck if I know. An hour? Can't see the moons for shit with all the fireworks goin' off.

[ Not that the sky's going to be the same as Exandria, he doesn't think to realize. ]

You?

[lesbeau]

[Oh, shit. It sounds like him, it looks like him, he's even got the sword. She moves to parry instinctively, but drops her stance quick when he backs off.]

I mean, I could kick your ass if you wanted.

[Despite everything though, Beau's grinning, a tug at the corner of her mouth in unmistakable happiness to see him. Not that she's been alone here, but it's nice to have more backup in a situation she can't control.]

Uhhh couple of months. At least six, probably. 'Ss not just me, too, half the Nein is here. Kind of a long story, but I bet you're gonna want to hear it.

creepy aint a crime

[technicallytechnically]

[She heard that. The telltale call of an Eldritch Blast. The fact that Fjord calls out his attacks is so charming, Jester has sometimes taken to it herself.

The problem here is, uh, that also means there's probably something he's shooting at.

But what Jester is more interested in right now is the fact that this means Fjord definitely ended up on Io. Which means that wasn't just a one-off dream. She rushes toward where she heard the crackle of eldritch energy impact with something, wood splintering loudly, until she bursts quite suddenly out of the trees. In fact, the very same place the Clown Box just was a moment ago.]

FJORD! YOU SAW THE RABBIT!

[barnaculled]

[ Fjord yips as Jester jumps out, and consequently it's enough of a verbal component to fire off another Eldritch Blast at her. Fortunately, he's so frightened his aim is off and the tree itself takes the brunt of the force damage, sending splinters of wood flying. ]

HO-FUCK! JESTER?!

[technicallytechnically]

[Jester, for her part, probably should have at least tried to dodge, even if Fjord's aim was off. Unfortunately, she trusts Fjord so implicitly that she has absolutely zero fear response. He wouldn't shoot her, okay.]

Yes, it's—Fjord, stop screaming, it's just me—but it's just like I said! You dreamed about them!

[She presses her hands together and brings them to her face, barely able to contain her excitement.]

Now we have to rearrange the whole shack! Oh, but we're on Io right now, and they have even better rooms here, so that won't be for a while! And there's bathhouses!

[barnaculled]

[ He'd have felt real bad if he'd actually shot her, however accidental, though during the moment she appears Fjord's half-convinced it's another psychological trick from his pursuer. That'd be a wise tactic, after all - change your form to someone he trusts just to get close for the glitter-handed kill...

That suspicion drops away between talking about the rabbit dream and the bath house. He's never come across an enemy that could straight up read his mind. Then again, Fjord's still coming to grips with the concept that this and his time in the bath house was not a dream at all. ]

Jester. I need you to get over here. Right now. C'mere!

[ Whether she's real or not, that Box is still out there. It wasn't even too far from her a moment before! Fjord lowers his pistol hand, but doesn't entirely drop it, scanning the treeline behind his friend. ]

Did you- did you not see that fuckin' thing?

[ He's shaking, just a little, evident in his fingers more than anything else. ]

[technicallytechnically]

[What the heck is Fjord going on about now... Jester glances over her shoulder, wondering if maybe there's a monster behind her? Except there isn't. But she shrugs and just meanders over closer to Fjord.

As Fjord looks around, shaking, obviously afraid of something that he sees—or saw?—Jester looks around too, since clearly now is the time to be on alert. Too bad they don't have Caleb to send Frumpkin on lookout...]

Umm, no? There wasn't anything there, I just heard you and followed your voice! You sounded like you were alone, but maybe not...?

[Now she's looking at his face, wondering if maybe he's sick? Now there's a thought. She steps closer and presses the back of her hand to his forehead.]

Are you feeling hot? I mean like, temperature hot. Wait, was it a bee you saw? The bees here are very nice, it's okay.

[barnaculled]

[ Great. Amazing! Apparently he's just seeing shit that isn't there, according to Jester. Fjord sputters a bit as she gets her hand on his forehead, though he only flinches back a fraction of an inch before rocking forward to allow her to do so. ]

I saw some bees, but it wasn't like I got stung by any....

[ Fuck, his instinct is to Lie now that he's half-convinced he's seeing Some Shit, but he doesn't lie to Jester unless he has to. ]

One of 'em asked me if I was stealin'. I wasn't. I mean, how's it stealin' from a table of free shit?

And then this... fuckin' thing started followin' me. Jinglin'. Laughin'. It looks like a wooden box with a clown painted on it. It was right where you were behind that tree before...

Sorry I shot at you.

[ Fjord runs hot quite naturally, but of course he's sweaty and clammy from the stress of it all. It'd be quite easy to mistake it for a fever. ]

SOMEHOW.... THIS LEFT MY INBOX im sorry i just found it

[technicallytechnically]

Oh, yeah, they've been a little more angry about the stealing thing lately... It's fine, though. They're just bees. If they get mad it's not like they can do anything.

[CLEARLY THE STEALING IS A NON-ISSUE.]

It's okay, Fjord. I forgive you for shooting at me. Also, I'm 100% sure you have a fever, so it definitely was not your fault.

You wanna go back to the Nein Hut? You can take my bed until you feel better, and I've got medicine and stuff.

[If her cheeks are a little purple because she just offered Fjord her bed, it's definitely Fjord's imagination!!!]