Final Rundown: Endgame

[lifeaftr_mods]

FINAL RUNDOWN: ENDGAME

So we've reached the end.

Important Note: For the remainder of the game's duration, we have elected to WAIVE AC REQUIREMENTS given both the global state of affairs and the fact that LifeAftr is coming to a close very soon. Our usual Activity Checks will not be conducted.

And Here Begins Our Story
By now, we're sure that most of you are aware of the entrance of the final player on the field - the Historian has arrived, and is none too pleased about the state of things. The truth of the situation has become clear:

LifeAftr is a fabrication, a life raft fashioned from the last vestiges of a dying world. The only way these islands continue to exist - not thrive, but merely exist - is if the god keeping it all together continues to receive power. And the Storyteller, as the only god remaining willing to keep it all going, is the one who would have to receive that power.

Stories. However, there is still more to the mysteries of LifeAftr. There will be a log to allow characters to address the Water, the Historian, and the Storyteller as desired - as well as to allow those gods to discuss things with each other within earshot of player characters. It's a family reunion, and it's been a long time coming.

It is within this forum that the last piece of LifeAftr's puzzle will fall into place: why you're all here. Why you have had strange dreams about things that never happened, or things that would happen. Why, when you asked the Storyteller for material comfort, those objects always looked as though they'd been used or worn, even if they were from your homes. Why, time and time again, you have uncovered objects that look as though they might have belonged to someone specific, or in some cases, are bizarrely familiar.

And that's for one simple reason.

You've all been here before.

There's a Chance That We'd Change Everything
Let's go back.

LifeAftr is a dying world, based off a dying world. This much is apparent. There is a reason that the lands are mere islands, fragments of something much greater. Once the original world began to fall to pieces, a trio of young gods - the Storyteller, Imagination, and Dreams - didn't want it all to end. They were young, as far as gods go, and just impetuous enough to try something new. So they created Mu, the land of dreams, and attempted to ferry the other gods through it.

Many of those gods did not want to fight fate as these three had. In the ensuing conflict, Dreams perished and Imagination gave their life to save Water. But they had succeeded in saving the Historian, as without their presence, LifeAftr could not continue. But LifeAftr could not function without a god to keep it alive, and the Storyteller was the only one who was willing to do so. And as they were a god of stories, they needed people to tell their stories and live their stories.

Mu, as a remnant of one of their departed and most dearest friends, sensed this need. It sensed the Storyteller's need for creativity and their intense loneliness, so it reached into different worlds and picked up you, valued adventurers.

And so your stories began anew. The world is dying. It has been dying for a long, long time now. And every time it reaches its end...well, let's be clear here: this has all happened before. You've all been here before. The first time you arrived, maybe things didn't go so well. But that's what the island of Elytlan is for. That's where the altar for the Avatar of Time, Lokasir, is. And every time LifeAftr reaches its end, all that has to happen is for the altar to be shattered to reset it all back to the archipelago's inception.

And that's been done. Time and time again, it's been done. It's been done because the Storyteller ran out of time. It's been done because they were stricken with guilt and regret and wanted to forget their pain. It's been done because they became a foe that you adventurers fought against with renewed vigor. It's been done because the Storyteller did something they regretted.

But every time they reset the archipelago, it's not as clean a restart as one might like - this is a remnant of the Avatar of Time they're using to do this, after all, and not the god themself.

It's a law of diminishing returns. The world can only keep going like this for so long. The longer the cycle goes, the more the creativity and spark that maintains this world will dissipate, until there's eventually, inevitably, nothing left.

When We've Fallen and Our Paths Have Crossed
Where does that leave all of you?

It leaves you with some choices. The Storyteller stands at one end to the spectrum, and the Historian stands at another. The Water...well, they're not decided on anything just yet. They're kind of caught in the middle. The world is going to start falling apart, and you don't have a lot of time to decide what happens next.

So what are your choices?

[ ♆ ] Side with the Storyteller: Due to the influence of player characters, the Storyteller is willing to do whatever is asked of them. While they may have once advocated for going back into the loop, they're willing to make an attempt to send people either home or...to somewhere else. They cannot guarantee that you'll end up where you want to go, especially if that place is not home, but they can make the effort. If they are not sided with, they will not retaliate. They're done fighting.

[ ♆ ] Side with the Historian: The Historian will send characters back to their worlds, as they do not belong to this world at all, and characters will have a chance to issue their final goodbyes amidst a world that's slowly collapsing in on itself, doomed to end by their choice to leave. If they are not sided with, they will retaliate.

[ ♆ ] Think of another way: The Storyteller and the Water will be open to suggestions; the Historian is not. The Water might be persuaded to your cause, but the Storyteller will need no such effort. They're willing to do what they must to do what you wish of them. Be warned that whatever other solutions you might come up with, it is likely that the Historian will oppose them.

You have until May 10th to put forth your suggestions. After that point, it will be down to a player-wide vote as to what ending you'd most prefer - whether it be one of the two choices above, or an ending of your own making!

Once the ending is decided upon, we will put up another information post for what must be done to facilitate it - as there may be opposition from whichever god you did not choose to side with, and plenty to be done between then and when the end arrives.

Endgame Timeline

[ ♆ ] May 3rd: Discussion regarding the fate of LifeAftr begins.
[ ♆ ] May 10th: Voting for endgame begins.
[ ♆ ] May 17th: Voting for endgame ends.
[ ♆ ] May 20th: Preparations for endgame begin, and you deal with the fallout of any decisions.
[ ♆ ] May 31st: Endgame begins and lasts into June.

You can also check the Calendar of Events and add it on google for a clearer visual of when things are occuring!

LOGS ● OOC ● STORIES ● MAIN NAVIGATION

( CODED BY BOOTYCALL )

Comments

VOTING

[lifeaftr_mods]

You may review the available options HERE. Player options will be added as they are submitted.

Please submit a vote, one per character, using the form below:

<b>Character Name:</b> <b>Choice:</b> Side with the Historian and go home? Side with the Storyteller and go back into the loop? Side with the Storyteller and try to end up home...or somewhere else? Take a third option? You decide! <b>Extra Notes:</b> Feel free to put down any rationales, background information, second choices, or additional actions related to their choice.

Voting lasts from May 10th to May 17th. You are welcome to wait to cast your vote until you see one that appeals to you, but we ask that you don't delay on voting for longer than May 19th, as that's when we need to know what the majority is going to be choosing.

[reflash]

Character Name: Yukio Okumura
Choice: Storyteller option 3
Extra Notes: Yukio doesn't want to go home. He does want to try and help, and he'll support the Storyteller however he can. He won't be loud about his decision, but this is what he absolutely wants.

[scourgingstars]

Character Name: Ardyn Lucis Caelum
Choice: Storyteller, third option
Extra Notes: Ardyn's had it up to here and beyond with the idea of predestination, already hates the Historian, and is firmly in the camp of 'perhaps we could at least improve things somewhat or die trying'. If pressed he'll admit a new world capable of travel would be the perfect outcome to him, but he also doesn't really hate the idea of staying on a new island, either.

Also, he's very concerned for his chocobo.

[demonpuppy]

Character Name: Chip Abaroa
Choice: Storyteller v3
Extra Notes: Chip wants to go home, but they also want to be able to visit the Storyteller and everyone else if they can...really they just want everyone to be happy??? (And also to keep their phoenix and theirs and Erika's kittens,)

[onegreeneye]

Character Name: Ginko
Choice: Storyteller option 3
Extra Notes: He and some people he cares about a lot are basically screwed if they go back to their own worlds, so he would absolutely rather not go with that - plus, he doesn't like the idea of just leaving all the life here to stop existing.

He would, though, be pretty in favor if it being able to travel so that people who want to go home can do so eventually.

This is so LONG! I'm SORRY! Ignis has lots of FEELS. X.x

[shatteredlenses]

Character Name: Ignis Scientia
Choice: Siding with the Storyteller, v3
Extra Notes: Logically, either going to a different world or creating a world would help Ignis continue to further his goal of trying to find a way to fix things on Eos so that neither Noctis nor Ardyn have to suffer as much as they do, but creating a new world gives them a bit more control over things, so that is why he is favoring that option over the second one. If possible, traveling between worlds is something he would like the new world to ether have at the get go or be something they could work toward because he knows there are people who want or need to go home.

He hates the idea of just leaving all the animals and other races behind, though, because they wouldn't have survived as long as they did without them. This is why he will do all he can to convince Water to help them transfer at least some across to the new world. He will also aid both the Storyteller and Water in any way that he can to accomplish their goals. He, Ardyn, and many others have their own little menageries that would help them adjust a lot easier to a new world if they could come along. (And, lets face it. They are going to need food and all that fun stuff! If they can bring some bludrocs and some of the other farm-like animals, maybe it will make things easier for the Storyteller as they wouldn't have to create that from scratch?)

[vagabone]

Character Name: Héctor
Choice: Storyteller, option 3
Extra Notes: Probably one of the last to make a decision, please pat him on the back for not choosing the selfish option. It was a struggle.

sorry brain just fizzled. got out of work just now

[thermalwind]

Character Name: Keith Kogane
Choice: Storyteller V3
Extra Notes: Keith is willing to make whatever sacrifices necessary to save the rest. If it means staying, he'll stay with Storyteller. He promised Water he would save them even if that saving is just staying by them. It's something.

[littlemhigan]

Character Name: Castor
Choice: Storyteller Option 3; We can't just let a world die.
Extra Notes: Castor wants to go home at some point, but she's willing to stay and help (including getting as many people as possible to safety) as long as she's useful.

Also down with throwing hands at The Historian; Can't go forward if you're tied to the past, after all.

[catpiper]

Character Name: ren
Choice: storyteller v3
Extra Notes: she wants the storyteller to live, she wants to live, and give people the option to go home if they so choose. an island with travel would be preferable, since krav and her other fam could go back to their worlds. she will stay on the island regardless. she doesn't want to go back to her world or risk moving to a different one and dying there.

[forwearemany]

Character Name: Legion
Choice: Storyteller option 3
Extra Notes: At first they'll suggest that they try settling an uninhabited planet, but after contemplating the limitations and realizing that everyone else would rather build a new world, they'll go with that option.

Travel would be good though. They personally intend to stay in whatever new world is created-they don't want to go anywhere else-but still.

They're absolutely willing to fight the Historian, too.

[yallstupid]

Character Name: Guzma
Choice: Storyteller Option 3 - New World
Extra Notes: Sadly he won't be staying in said new world, he wants to return to his Pokemon back in Alola, but he likes the Storyteller well enough and doesn't want them to die. Plus, the Historian seems like an impressive pile of shit and he'd much rather stab them in the eye first than let any of the people he cares about here go back to die terribly.

He will happily fight off the Historian for this.

He'd also make the suggestion that, if the Storyteller knows all the stories of characters who have been in, or are currently in LifeAftr...to weave bits and pieces of those various stories together to form something of their own making, if possible. In his mind, the difference between Storyteller and Author are very slim.

He would, however, like the option of traveling as well. :C Or at least keeping his memories of this world - again, if possible.

[hyperlit]

Character Name: The Drifter
Choice: Side with the Storyteller, version 3! New world baby
Extra Notes: The Drifter is firmly on the side of the Storyteller throughout all of this and they know too many people who don't want to go home, so...yeah, this was a gimme.

[postictal]

Character Name: Tim Wright
Choice: Storyteller, version three
Extra Notes: Knows too many people who don't wanna go home or shouldn't go home for a variety of reasons, so sure, he'll put everything into this.

[ideismo]

Character Name: Alexei Dinoia
Choice: Storyteller, v3
Extra Notes: He's likewise willing to try to convince Water to help them bring animals and the like across, and he'll do whatever is required of him there. He also fully intends to stay in the new world as opposed to returning to his own.

...also very much on team "let's fight god" with regards to the historian, um.

[burntvideocassette]

Character Name: Jay Merrick
Choice: Tentatively Storyteller, v3
Extra Notes: Jay's still got an itch to go home, because He Wants Answers, but he knows this place is safer, and he knows he shouldn't want to go home. He's also a bit hesitant to risk letting an entire world die (and potentially the Storyteller with it), so he's willing to throw his hat in for starting a new one. (It also gives him an excuse to put off deciding whether or not he's going home a little longer.) If somebody tells him about the terrible things that will happen to him if he goes back home, he'll be significantly more sure of his vote.

Re: VOTING

[atailoftwoworlds]

Character Name: Zidane Tribal
Choice: Side with Storyteller Version 3.
Extra Notes: Zidane badly wants to go home but he doesn't want to do it at the expense of any others who can't. He'd never be able to live with himself if that happened. If he has to stay a little bit longer so the others can live on, he will. He'll find another way back to Gaia if it comes to it.

[bitch4bitch]

Character Name: Erika
Choice: Storyteller v3
Extra Notes: She not-so-lowkey hates the idea of having basically no idea when or if she'll be able to go back to her own world, but hey, it's not like that's any worse than the situation had been. Also, she's ended up being a lot more invested in some people here than she'd ever planned on, and she's pretty sure she can deal with being away from her world a lot better than some of them can deal with being back in theirs, so fine, she guesses, she will care about other people and... preserve her ability to look Chip in the eye.

Also: Super ready to fight the Historian, HOW many people get to say they've helped fight a god

[counterblows]

Character Name: Agent Washington
Choice: Storyteller v3 like everybody else lmao
Extra Notes: While he honestly would rather go home, he also...knows that enough people who go home would be going home to their deaths. So. He'd rather that not happen and he's willing to sacrifice his personal happiness for that.

[lightlessfuture]

Character Name: The Knight
Choice: Storyteller v3
Extra Notes: The Knight is more just supporting their friends who don't/can't go home at this point to be frank. They themselves aren't sure where they want to go, but, well. Solidarity. Also they don't want to side with the Historian, they've had enough of old gods throwing their weight around.

[eudaimonikos]

Character Name: Michael
Choice: Storyteller v3
Extra Notes: Michael would go for this option! He's familiar with creating pocket dimensions from scratch himself, though of course it's debatable how similar this is to his afterlife. Between his immortality and his understanding of timeline fuckery he's also willing to stay for a while if it means avoiding any unnecessary casualties. Not forever - he needs to get back. But he figures he could always just dip back into his world's timeline at the same spot he left, so it doesn't necessarily have to happen right away.


Character Name: Asgore
Choice: Storyteller v3
Extra Notes: Asgore honestly really desperately wants to go back to his CRAU crew, but he can't really bring himself to vote for anything that might mean death or go against what the other islanders want. So, uh, he's for this one but also might sort of mildly inquire about being sent home pre-construction, if it's not too much trouble, really don't worry about it if it is, actually forget he said anything

[semistableman]

Character Name: Bucky Barnes
Choice: Storyteller, option 3
Extra Notes: Bucky is pretty ambivalent about what to do next, though he doesn't want to leave here without Flora. He knows plenty of people want to stay, and he's not about to take that away from them.

[deathfindsaway]

Character Name: Kravitz
Choice: Storyteller v3, as ya do
Extra Notes: Kravitz is willing to lend a hand to this because he doesn't want to see the Storyteller simply eliminated, but he also very much wants to go back home when it's all done. That said, if he has any access to his full power suite, he'd be happy to lend his planar hopping abilities to help out, and willing to try and see if he and the Storyteller could use that to get others home. Regardless, as much as he wants everyone to be okay, he REALLY wants out of here.

[galrarm]

Character Name: Takashi Shirogane
Choice: Storyteller, v3
Extra Notes: Same as everyone else, but Shiro'd make the decision regardless. He can't let a world die, after all.

Character Name: Mira Delacroix
Choice: Storyteller, v3
Extra Notes: It's tempting to go back to Faerun, but-- she has something to do here, too, and there are plenty of other Reclaimers to carry out the rest. Going back to her own world isn't an option, either.

[lesbeau]

Character Name: Beauregard
Choice: Storyteller v3
Extra Notes: Beau still wants to find a way back, but her concern is also primarily that Molly still gets to live, so she won't turn down anything that gives him a safe space to exist. As much as she isn't a fan of any of the gods, she'll use what they give her, and this looks like the safest option for her friends who can't leave.