lifeaftr | September Intro: Can't You See It On the Horizon

INTRO LOG: SEPTEMBER

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

The island of Nastrandir remains present in the archipelago, just as it has been for the past month. By now, all the kerfuffle of the previous month's events seems to have died down as well. No more shrieking sirens, at least! There might still be an automaton or two left wandering the place, but that's only if you're unfortunate enough to run into them. They don't seem to be seeking anyone else out.

That's not to say these next few days are going to be uneventful, however.

New arrivals may awake at either island. Or they may wander between the two!

Nastrandir: Would It Keep You Awake
There's something staining the skies over Nastrandir - specifically, toward the island's east. A dark blot of something dark, possibly smoke, or steam, has started to leak lazily from some of the mountain peaks and spiral into the sky, prompting a faint rumble beneath your feet. An earthquake? Is this another island with a slumbering volcano to contend with?

As it turns out, the source of this clamor isn't an earthquake at all. It's the pounding of feet thundering ever closer.

The wildlife of Nastrandir is on the move.

You'll run into them in droves as they bolt frantically toward Nastrandir's western regions - as far away from the mountain ranges as possible. It doesn't seem to matter what kind of creature they are: from the relatively docile veep to the pesky pyjacks to the predatory rocobra, you'll recognize all sorts engaged in an out-and-out stampede away from the mountain at Nastrandir's easternmost point with a frantic scramble that one could only describe as terrified. Even the winged creatures seem desperate to get away. Anyone at the westernmost coastlines might even see some of these animals, driven so wild with their apparent need to escape, launch themselves into the sea and, inevitably, drown trying to swim away from the island itself.

It can be unsettling to watch. More worryingly, however, it can be dangerous. It's terribly easy for one to get swept up in this tide of moving hooves, scales, fur, and flesh and get launched into the ocean waves yourself. That's to say nothing of one particular beast, one that you don't recognize.

It's big. It's green. And it wants YOU...to get out of its swamp.

Noinos have now been unlocked in the bestiary!

In all likelihood, you'll be hearing this wandering foe approaching before you see it. The noino is a loud, lawless creature that wanders swamps and marshy areas in a vaguely nomadic fashion, hunting prey and searching for something that might satiate its irrepressible bloodlust. Noinos aren't so much territorial as they are outright aggressive - if they sight something that looks like it might be edible or capable of putting up a fight or both, they will rush it indiscriminately with a guttural, wordless roar.

While inarticulate, the noino isn't stupid: it has the know-how to formulate tools and can craft rough armor from sturdy bits of tree and the hides and bones of its slain enemies. Most noinos carry weapons, though seldom anything more sophisticated than a heavy club or bludgeon.

A noino's impressive stature can reach up to nine feet in height, rivaled only by its breadth and girth. The good news is that its hide, though thick and tough, is more akin to leather than it is armor, and can be easily pierced and damaged through conventional means with enough force. Still, the sight of something large, greenish, and armed coming barreling at you, hooting excitedly and eager for a fight, might not be the scariest thing you've ever seen - but it might come close.

They're not the most cunning of creatures, either. Which is why, when presented with an opportunity to fight, they will promptly forget that they were fleeing from anything - and decide to charge you head-on, instead.

Ensō: If the Waters Rise and Took Your House Away
Some of you remember that the island of Ensō has now well-established security system in the form of bird-like drifts of paper. Some of you may remember even earlier that this security system was crafted specifically to combat a particularly persistent foe. And for those of you who have been with us for a good long while, you might even remember when you woke to find much of the island in the process of being submerged.

There are no wobbling, hulking waves menacing the island and plunging everything into darkened shadow. Instead, the water lapping up against the shore will begin to creep onto land, steadily, steadily, inching along the shoreline in a way that might be very familiar, to some. It moves in a way that water definitely shouldn't be moving...and just like before, it seems to be doing this for the express purpose of seeking travelers out. It oozes up along the beaches, slinks over rocks, climbs up trees, and coats nearly everything in a thin layer of rippling ocean water.

Since you all took the time to make this island secure against all invaders, this incursion isn't going to be taken quietly. Here and there, you'll be spotting flocks of paper birds swooping down onto the watery progression, dive-bombing it with flurrying pages and ink, and attempting to drive it back. If you stay close to these "birds," you'll be safe enough from the water, and whatever it's whispering. You might even be able to pitch in and help by disrupting its path, and fighting the water back as much as you physically can.

But if you're so inclined, you could stop and have a listen to what the water has to say.

The last time travelers found themselves enveloped by the water, they received only vague images that pointed to a definitive goal. This time, things are a little different.

Anyone who gets close enough to the water for it to reach them will hear it: a soft, indistinct voice, whispering. The closer it gets, the more you'll start to hear the words.

"Take up my arms. Carry my protection."
No matter what you say in response or how long you wait, these are the only words you'll hear. It's best not to let it get too close to you, either; if left unchecked, the water will slip over you until you're coated head to toe and you can hear nothing but the soft streams of bubbles and the whispers of that strange voice, until you try and struggle free. It won't resist, should you pull away. But you will find that any electronics that get too close to the water or become submerged into it will react very strongly, with much twitching and sparking as though undergoing water damage, assuming they're not already broken - and those of you who have mechanical parts or are mechanical in nature will discover this a little more vigorously.

The words, though...they're not all talk.

If you follow the water as it recedes, you'll discover that a trail of silvery bubbles will manifest to form a sort of trail. Following it will involve diving beneath the waves, so it's recommended that you divest yourself of anything that might suffer additional water damage.

But if you follow the trail of bubbles closely, about twenty feet from the shoreline, jutting out from the sand of the seafloor, you'll find...a gift.

Anyone who claims this gift will find it very light and easy to maneuver, and sized perfectly to suit them. Whatever material the trident is made of is sturdy and apparently nigh-indestructible. When the butt is planted into a source of water, the tines will light up with a blueish, watery glow. Once they are fully "charged," so to speak, one will find that they can launch a powerful jet of water at a range of up to fifteen feet in either a continuous stream or a flurry of various water-pellets. Once it runs out of its charge, one only needs to place it in another source of water to charge it again.

It's a gift. And, for now at least, it appears to come with no strings attached.

Enjoy it.

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

[Oh, his words have been known to scan with a fantastic degree of confidence even if they're in a completely incomprehensible order. But the question does knock him a bit out of it, arching an eyebrow to Crowley for a moment before he refocuses on the water.]

I'm not certain how much assistance it would be, but thank you. I have a feeling severing it from whatever connection it holds would rend it unable to communicate, which makes it rather hard to demand answers.

[Kravitz is keeping one eye on the tendril of ocean, not yet receeded, and peeks back to Crowley in a more hushed tone.]

Did you hear it? Speaking to you?

You know — [There's a dramatic pause there, as Crowley shoves his hands into his pockets, readjusts his stance a bit.] — if you'd told me a few weeks ago that you were hearing voices in the water, I'd think you'd cracked.

[But he was recently fed some sort of fake reality where he thought he was fighting in some war on that stupid island, so you know, it's just a day ending in Y!]

What's it saying?

[Welcome to Lifeaftr! Have fun hallucinating!! That's easily 90% of his goddamn problems around here. He casts a gaze back to the water, as if willing it to speak again-- but when it doesn't respond to his prompting, he fills it in instead.]

Take up my arms. Carry my protection. But it won't say more unless... I think it wants me to follow, but that is utterly ridiculous. I know a trap when I see one, and regardless of that, we have been attempting to puzzle out a connection to a deity of water for over a year, so the fact that it can simply show up and refuse to answer any of my questions is incredibly rude!!

[That was absolutely a tirade that started fairly even-tempered and sounded like he was wheezing by the end because, in his annoyance, he failed to stop to breathe.]

[Oh, Kravitz, honey.]

If it's a deity, I wouldn't hold your breath for answers. [Crowley considers the water for a moment, this whole business unsettles him after his experience in Nastrandir, but carry my protection almost makes it sound as if the water — or whatever's in it — is trying to help.

And now he's curious.] You could go, if you really wanted to know. I'll follow, keep an eye on you.

[He just wants ORDER and PROPER PAPERWORK and A CONVERSATION WITH GOD'S MANAGER, IS THAT SO HARD

The scythe dissipates as he crosses his arms in a huff, keeping a look still on the water there.]

I don't trust what's going to happen, as it were. I don't want to get into a contract that I did not mean to sign. This is how greater abominations and demigods start gaining followers.

[Of course he's deeply curious, but Kravitz knows where his allegiances lie. If he was to accidentally become conscripted to another Goddess, there would certainly be trouble.]

[Yes, obviously.]

You're already spoken for, aren't you? Whatever's out there, if it's a god or something else, it's got no claim, you already belong to your goddess. There are rules to these sorts of things, even in a place like this.

[There's something almost soft in his tone, almost sweet. He's not.. entirely... purposefully trying to tempt Kravtiz into this, but Crowley really is very curious, and he doesn't want to go himself, so this seems like a better option.]

[Kravitz squints towards Crowley, like he's rolling a very intense insight check. He's pretty good at getting to know when he's being messed with thanks to living with the twins for over a year, but also... hmmmmmm. Suspicious.]

I... I don't know about that. My Lady isn't here, or she'd have already gotten me out of this place. As much as it pains me to think of it, I'm not certain something could not lay claim.

[But he sure still is looking at it, so... not off the table.]

[For his part, Crowley looks very genuine about what he's saying. That's the trick to a temptation, putting the truth in there, even if it's stretched.]

What, a little distance is enough to weaken whatever oath you made to her?

[He's only guessing, that there was an oath, but that happens a lot with these sorts of things.]

[There was, but he's missing a few details... which Kravitz is going to give him, thereby likely letting Crowley get more ammunition. Whoops.]

It isn't about my dedication, which I assure you is unwavering. It's about a malicious force that could overtake me or push her out while our connection is severed. If she could reach me here, she would have already, so I find myself... vulnerable to influence.

[influence, huh]

September Intro: Can't You See It On the Horizon

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