aftr_ooc | New Island: Cahypdo

NEW ISLAND: CAHYPDO

In the last round of voting during the monthly Storytelling, it seems that the majority opted to vote for Option Two - an island represented by orange flames, a towering mountain, and a village or ruin beside it. And as evidenced by our updated Locations page, by March 10th, this island will be available for exploration via mana pool.

After a month of well-deserved rest, some may feel a little reluctant to return to the oft-times deadly adventures LifeAftr has to offer, but return they may. In a change of tune that's hopefully positive, however, the new island characters are set to explore offers no radical change to the tropical climate or terrain, and hosts no potentially wrathful avatar to contest with - though there may be someone waiting to meet you. Several someones.

Transportation
The Storyteller will inform travelers that they can travel via mana pool to the new island, as well as guarantee that, at least on the area in the immediate vicinity of the mana pool, there seems to be no immediate danger if one wishes to arrive by that method.

The mana pool is located at the island's scenic south on the E5 square, should the characters elect to use it. In addition, characters are free to sail there on their own, if they so choose.

The Storyteller is, as always, certain to impart the name of the newest island in the form of a dream:

CAHYPDO has now been added to the Locations page.
There will be an exploration log for characters to use as a catch-all for exploring and communing with the locals, if you so choose...though that log will also shed some light on a few events that will be occurring mid-month, if your characters need a little more incentive to visit.

Sea is Rough But You Can't Mute Her
Cahypdo is a medium-sized island similar to Ensō in temperate and terrain, boasting lush, tropical rainforests and dazzling beaches that stretch out as far as the eye can see. To the east and west, the majority of the land inclines sharply into twin mountain peaks; Mount Tharama to the east, and Mount Alysum to the west. Both are sacred sites to the locals.

Speaking of the locals, characters will discover two small fishing villages, one to the north and one to the south. The main site of settlement, however, resides between the mountains themselves. A wide valley that splits the peaks in two has been transformed into long stretches of farmland, hosting a wide variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices.

At the valley's center, the settlement of Elower is the major hub for the island's community. Rather than building upon the fertile soil itself, Elower has been built up and around the side of the mountains, making use of a carefully maintained bridge network to allow one to navigate from building to building with ease.

Overall, Cahypdo is an ideal location for those who want to get back out there and explore, with friendly locals happy to help out where they can. Don't relax too much, however - Cahypdo's soft soils are vulnerable to collapsing into both quicksand and sinkholes, and not all creatures on Cahypdo will be as friendly as your new local friends…

So You Let Your Lumber Go
The Roaka are a delightfully friendly folk somewhat reminiscent of treants, though they happen to be slightly smaller than your average ent. With heights ranging from six to twelve feet in their prime, their bark-like skin is more biologically comparable to the plates on an armadillo's back than actual plant matter.

Similarly to the Jormun, the Roaka vary wildly in their general appearance. Some are reminiscent of willow trees, their bulky, barky shapes streamlined by draping curtains of moss, while others have more recognizable facial features. Some are swathed with glorious crowns of flowers, some are massive, log-like swells of wood that may as well be rooted to the earth, and others are twiggy and thin. The only common thread seems to be their extraordinarily natural appearance, and the way one might be forgiven for mistaking them as part of their surroundings at first glance.

Skilled farmers and cultivators of the land, the Roaka delight in the simple, renewable resources their island has gifted them; resources they're more than willing to share and trade for when asked. Eggs and fish are also staples of the Roaka's diet, though you'll find no other types of meat gracing a Roaka's table.

While they're certainly friendly enough, it seems that the Roaka know little about many species outside their own, save for the local fauna. Indeed, they know of very little outside of their island. Cahypdo is all they have known...for who can say how long. While they're certainly predisposed to friendliness and generosity, you might be better off trading them for goods and services than you would information.

As always, we'll have a thread for questions and comments, and we encourage you to make use of our Mod Contact page for private correspondence!

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The Roaka will accept Ignis' sweets and plants, though they will oddly enough decline his coffee (though they make sure to stress it's not because they think the coffee is bad, it just doesn't seem to be something they feel is particularly important).

In exchange, the Roaka will share several recipes - various drinks, soups, salads, jellies and jams - and folklore, of course. The tales of how the Roaka came to be prominently feature the sun, who they say flew over the island in its journey across the sky, and scattered the seeds that would become the first of the Roaka over Cahypdo's shores.

They also mention that the island has undergone several periods of mystical renewal that makes the land and its people fertile once more.

They will also give Ignis two plants for his request for medical supplies, because this is what passes for medical supplies among the Roaka. They helpfully instruct him in the plants' uses, too.
- Sapbrush: Despite the odd name, this spongy and almost mosslike shrub is a useful medical aid. It grows almost perfectly round and pale fruit that are entirely inedible - but juice and flesh have powerful cleansing properties that can help with cleaning and disinfecting injuries. The shrub itself can have parts torn off to use as a sponge or scrub, and be perfectly fine.

- Tharama's Tears: Flowers that grow on the slopes of Mount Tharama, in the mountain's many caves. Poetic name aside, the blossoms can be dried and crushed into powder and mixed with liquid, or steeped in hot water, to create a tea that numbs the drinker's senses, making them less sensitive to pain for several hours. Eating the blossoms fresh will also numb the person who consumes them, though the effect will be much more powerful and set in rapidly, and continue for an entire day before finally fading.

New Island: Cahypdo

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